The Leader Mentality

 In Part 2 of our CCMF special we really got a glimpse into the world of country music performers at the festival. Ryan Trotti led off with such a fun vibe and showed his love for performing. Few Miles South, Blake and Tori, talked about being on stage and overcoming performance anxiety. We filmed the Jeremiah Wheeler clip outside at the Grand Strand Brewing Company right across from CCMF – just hearing the performances in the background during the interview really gives the feel of this special weekend. Finally, we are so grateful for Ground Zero of Myrtle Beach for helping us with the venue for the interviews this year; Carlee Harrington talked to us about all of the wonderful things Ground Zero does for the community and teenagers. 

Show Highlights:

Ryan Trotti

-Ryan shared that his first year playing at CCMF was Morgan Wallen’s first year. And this was also the first year that the two of them returned to CCMF since then.

-He shared about the friendships with other singers such as Warrick McZeke and Cody Webb

-Ryan said that behind the scenes in Country music circles, most of the singers want to help each other and lift others up 

-When Ryan showed up he had a guitar in hand – you can see this guy really loves music and performing. He said, “you never know when you’re going to break out in a song”

Carlee Harrington from Ground Zero Myrtle Beach

-Carlee is such an amazing ambassador for Ground Zero and she’s also been going to CCMF for years.

-Ground Zero was the perfect venue for us because we love the cause and since they are also the place to pick up CCMF entrance wristbands

-Carlee explained that the mission of Ground Zero is to provide “A Place for every teenager to go, belong and grow”

-This is such an inspiring organization. They are faith based and do things such as GZI where teens can enjoy coffee, games and personal growth opportunities, have nationally known speakers that speak to the youth and more.

-Ground Zero always needs donations and volunteers (check out their website below). Carlee and Rob talked about the biggest fundraiser for the year – The Dragon Boat Festival. It’s a truly special event!!

Few Miles South – Blake English and Tori Lund

-Blake and Tori explained how they came up with the name (partially a homage to southern expressions)

-They started Southern Fried Studios in recent years

-Blake is a Grammy Nominated Producer and Tori is a Classically trained singer (talk about a talented pairing)

-They discussed inspirations including Jerry Reed “A top five guitarist of all time”

-As for a story of perseverance and love for what you do – they spoke about being performers despite having performance anxieties. It’s not easy to get on the stage initially, but seeing the fans and feeding off the crowd makes it all worth it. They said a lot of performers have this challenge. Life lesson – sometimes you have to do things that are not easy, but the best rewards often follow!

Jeremiah Wheeler

-We filmed this with Jeremiah outside of CCMF and enjoyed the vibe of the crowd and the Grand Strand Brewing Company setting

-Jeremiah loves visiting Myrtle Beach and the vibe...he will spend an extra day to enjoy after performing

-He’s been performing since he was 12 years old! 

-Jeremiah shared how he comes up with songs including his recent hit “Til The Weekend”

-His goal is to write more songs in the future and be on the main stage at the Carolina Country Music Festival.

-Awesome thoughts he shared for advice to his younger self – “Stay Patient, Stay Humble, Stay Kind – and Keep Grinding”. Great aspirations for all of us to have.

CCMF 2024 wrapped with this show. It was a special experience meeting all of these terrific guests. Please check them out further at their websites and social media...you’ll be blown aw

Our CCMF special for 2024 kicked off with a bang as we were joined by several Country music performers that performed at the Carolina Country Music Festival. We also had some outstanding Myrtle Beach ambassadors join us to talk about new things happening in the area. In Part 1 of this 2 part special we got to learn about singer Briana Calhoun’s inspiring story of growth from challenges of her youth. Denielle Van Dyke, Public Relations Manager for Visit Myrtle Beach talked about fun things happening along the Grand Strand. Then the Country music band, Nolan Quinn and The Troublemakers talked to us about how they came together and what they enjoy about performing. Finally, Jon Finley of the Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre talked about their past and upcoming events including great singing, comedians, magicians and more.

Show Highlights:

Briana Calhoun
-Briana talked about her past and the process of overcoming addiction – it was a powerful story that you can always turn the corner for a better tomorrow

-She said she was the “female Jelly Roll without the roll” :-)

-She has a documentary coming up about her story – check it out

-Bri shared the inspiration of her business partner, Kix, from Brooks and Dunn, her mom and her 6 year old daughter

-She said “When you believe in you, others will believe in you” 

-Finally, check out her non-profit Hope on The Inside https://brismusic.com/hope-on-the-inside

Denielle Van Dyke
-Denielle started off talking about the amazing culinary scene in Myrtle Beach…a lot of great tips for checking our fantastic restaurants and chef’s in the area

-She told us Myrtle Beach has a few different community trails to check out: The Art Trail, The Beer Trail & The Mini-Golf Trail 

-She shared that Myrtle Beach is a “Sensory Friendly” town and even has a quiet room at our airport which is a great benefit for those that struggle with autism

-Myrtle Beach is the Myrtle Beach Golf Capital of the World and the Mini-Golf Capital of the World

Nolan Quinn & The Troublemakers
-Nolan introduced the full band: Dom DeVico, Chad Schneider, Emmett Vandegrift and Pat Corry

-4 of the 5 guys are friends from high school 

-They won the 2023 Hometown Star contest at BCMF which led to the performance at CCMF

-These guys were such a blast to talk with and as they said, the goal is to “Feel the music” and “Make it a fun environment”

-CCMF is an event that shows a lot of military and veteran pride – one of the band members, Dom, is a military vet

-A discussion ensued about how the band comes up with their songs...it’s a team effort and it comes from the feeling of the moment

Jon Finley
-Jon talked about fun things at the theater – comedians, special guest artists, shows that change every night and more

-The show is unique to other local theaters, so even if you visit the competitor theaters, you will still get a special experience at Greg Rowles

-Greg wanted to have a different show every night – so you can request songs during the show

-The Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre recently won “Best Show on The Grand Strand” in the WMBF Best of the Grand Strand competition

It was a long show, but a great one! We hope you all enjoy and tune in for Part 2 of our special next week when we were visited by performers Ryan Trotti, Few Miles South and Jeremiah Wheeler and also a talk with our venue sponsor – Ground Zero!

https://brismusic.com/

https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nolanquinnmusic

https://gregrowleslegacytheatre.com/

 We enjoyed great company and a wonderful setting when Jon Silver from Cumulus Media met with us at the Greg Norman’s Australian Grill to discuss keys to success. Jon has had a successful career working first aiding some well know figures in political campaigns and now building marketing plans for top businesses. This Leader Mentality Show had a little of everything ranging from a real life story of finding purpose from life events to motivation to applying methods of the big companies to your business affordably. Thank you to Jon for his sincerity in presenting his 4 Keys to Success – we hope you all enjoy.

how highlights:

-Jon shared his experience working with Elizabeth Dole on her campaign and tips that you could use in building your own brand awareness

-Tips for a young aspiring success and/or college student: get an internship. Build job experience, make connections and learn new skills

-When he was a young boy, he had a near death experience in which a twist of fate saved his life – from that, he found purpose that drives him to this day

-A motivator to pay attention to? Check you environment. Jon talked about how your surroundings can affect you mood, motivation and mindset. Be aware of your environment and when you might need to make a change

-Michael Jordan was special partially because he was not afraid to fail. Michael Jordan missed a lot of shots, including many game winners. However, his greatness was that he persevered to take the shots that ultimately led to 6 championships

-CCMF (the Carolina Country Music Festival) is this week! Rob spoke about his annual CCMF show special. Jon is going to the event this year for all 4 days.

-There are many strategies small companies can incorporate to stay inline with the big companies. Items such as streaming ads and targeted ads can be effective tools that all promoters should explore

-Additional tips – Be Known and Be Memorable. One step to being known is to build your network. Jon emphasized something we talk about on the show all of the time. Get into the community and start building referrals today.

-Jon wrapped up by sharing his Keys to Success:

1) Think Deeply in the Morning

2) Act in the Day

3) Do Something in the Evening with Someone you Love

4) Take Care of Yourself

Words to live by!

For more on Jon Silver or Cumulus Media check out: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/presidentjonathansilver/

or email him at [email protected]

100 Things to Do In Myrtle Beach Before You Die author, Ashley Daniels, tells us all of the wonderful things to do in the area. If you have considered moving to Myrtle Beach, are a local to Myrtle Beach or just want to visit the area – this show will give you many great tips for things to do. Ashley runs through her journey to writing the book, the life of an author, how you handle writers block and, of course, a lot of things that you might not have known you could do on the entire Grand Strand.

Show highlights:

-Rob kicked off with a message to Write Down your Goals. Writing goals makes a vision clear and gives you something to visually remind yourself on a day to day basis

-Ashley shared that she is a blogger for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and was approached to write the book

-One Hundred Things To Do In Myrtle Beach Before You Die is actually part of a larger series of books that details “Things to Do” in other areas

-When we recorded this episode, Ashley shared that she was actually doing a book signing at The Crooked Hammock Brewery and also did one at one of the featured places in the book – “RipTydz” in Myrtle Beach

-Myrtle Beach has a Pinball Museum which includes an option to go play as much as you want for a fee

-The book actually features more than just Myrtle Beach – it also covers surrounding areas such as Georgetown, Pawleys Island and North Myrtle Beach.

-The Grand Strand is full of ghost legends including The Ghost of Brentwood. Rob also mentioned the legend of the “Grey Man”

-Will there be a 2.0 Myrtle Beach book in the future – Ashley says there is a possibility, so stay tuned!

For more on Ashley Daniels or her book, check out:

https://ashleymdaniels.com/ and https://www.reedypress.com/shop/100-things-to-do-in-myrtle-beach-before-you-die/

Make sure to vote for our sponsor, Carolina Bays Real Estate and Construction for Best of The Grand Strand here: https://www.wmbfnews.com/page/best-of-the-grand-strand/#/gallery?group=479994

Leadership was a hot topic in our interview with Davina Lloyd this week as we talked to her about her upcoming Men's Conference in Myrtle Beach (more on that below). Davina explained that she started the International Men's Empowerment Conference as a result of finding that many men don't have environments to feel comfortable asking for help from others. In a culture where men are told they have to be "tough" all of the time, she found that it sometimes leads to depression and even worse. At last year's conference, Dr Andre Blaylock explained that male suicide has spiked in recent years and sometimes it's related to not being able to talk about day to day challenges with others. On a positive note, Davina had a vision to create a conference to inspire others, enable networking with like-minded individuals, ask questions to accomplished professionals and enjoy fellowship. It's for all ages and Davina said she's particularly excited to help young males that are trying to get the best start in life. 

Show highlights:

-The conference is on June 8th at The Asher Theatre in Myrtle Beach, SC. Check out more about Asher Theatre here: https://ashertheatre.com/search-events

-This is the 2nd Annual Men's Empowerment Conference and Davina says the bar has been raised with a bigger venue, opportunities for a question forum for the speakers and more

-This event will benefit men of all ages from teenagers to retirees

-Davina started Diamond Dynasty Productions to help other businesses in a range of ways in areas that many companies struggle in such as marketing, branding and planning

-Come get a professional headshot at this event...an opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition when trying to get your next job, opportunity or otherwise

-One speaker is The Leader Mentality host, Rob Clemons. Rob teased that he will be speaking about Leader Mindset of a famous person (the attendees will all know who it is) and how to apply those principles to your life for success

-Davina has been working with several other community leaders such as Ground Zero to make this event special and give the most opportunities for attendees to be involved

-Greg Rowles gets a shout out from Davina - she spoke of how Greg was such a positive influence in giving her direction towards the event's success

-There are still sponsorship opportunities for the event - contact Davina for how to get involved (see contact info below)

-If you are looking to "level up", if you need advice or if you just would like to build your network with influential people across many industries, it's not too late to get a ticket. We all look forward to meeting you there!

For more on Davina or Diamond Dynasty Productions, visit: https://www.diamonddynastyproductions.com/

For tickets to the June 8th Men's Conference in Myrtle Beach please visit: https://ashertheatre.com/event/annual-international-men%E2%80%99s-empowerment-conference-0

For the first show of our new season we met with Bob Kelly from Bob's Restaurant Review. Before I ever met Bob, I felt like I already knew him. In just 3 short years Bob has made himself into a well known local figure after moving to the Myrtle Beach area from New Jersey. A few keys to his success in branding: being consistent on social media, commenting on and liking other social media content and taking part in community events. Regarding the social media strategy, this is known in the marketing world as "human media" and he has shown how well it works (and without spending a lot of money on boosting). Bob also took time to share his Myrtle Beach favorites with us. We shot this one from The Salty Brews Cafe in Cherry Grove - great food and service, everyone check it out!

Some of the show highlights:

-Bob started his official Restaurant review when he moved down from New Jersey and was experiencing the area. He would send pictures of food and restaurants back to family and friends and saw how interested they were in seeing more about the area. From there the idea was born

-He and his wife Annie enjoy many social activities in Myrtle Beach including restaurants, shows and Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre (also our show sponsors)

-They also love animals and help fundraisers for humane societies. As far as pets, they have: dogs, turtles and even snakes.

-Annie has a business (Annie's Sweet Stuff) making custom cookies and sweets. All kinds of great ideas for business gifts, parties and marketing events. Check her out!

-Rob and Bob got to try a few delicious items from Salty Brews Cafe on the show. The signature meal they tried was the Trashcan Nachos. Seriously good stuff!!

-Some of the key elements of being a fair restaurant reviewer? Bob says - never announce when you're coming and no free meals. Each restaurant deserves an even chance to show what the true experience is like for their patrons.

-Rob and Bob discussed some of the fun stuff to do in Myrtle Beach. Special recognition to the Hollywood Wax Museum and specifically The Rock and Sandra Bullock figures :-)

-:Looking for Italian food in Myrtle Beach - Bob says check out Crave Italian Oven and Bar. Looking for great seafood on the Grand Strand - Bob says to check out The Clawhouse in Murrells Inlet.

-A few tips on how to build your Instagram following from Bob: 1) Follow others 2) Like other's posts 3) Be consistent with posting and likes 4) Comment on other's posts.

Thank you again to Bob from Bob's Restaurant Review, Salty Brews Cafe and our show sponsor, Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre.

For more information on our guest, host and show sponsor, check out:

https://www.instagram.com/bobs_restaurantreview/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Salty-Brews/61553245050608/

https://www.instagram.com/anniessweetstuff/

https://gregrowleslegacytheatre.com/

This week on the show, we had a message of inner determination, triumph against obstacles and lifting 

up people with Phil Jackson, founder of the Surf Dreams Foundation. He took us on the journey 

through his younger years which included his first time surfing and the joy and inner peace he found 

that surfing brought into his life. Phil candidly talked about his struggles in younger years but more 

importantly, how he persevered through hard times by focusing on a goal, caring for his family and 

tapping into his passion for helping others. We talked about everything from how Surf Dreams changes 

lives through surfing to up and coming surfers to how he and a team of caring individuals work through 

SC Needs Help to make a true difference for people having hard times. 

Show highlights: 

-Surf Dreams Foundation is a non-profit that introduces people (of all ages) to the world of surfing. It 

brings people a chance to experience the joys and challenges of surfing. 

-Rob and Phil first met in person at the Smoke Out at the Boathouse this year which is put on by SC 

Needs Help. The Smokeout at the Boathouse IV was sponsored by Best Home and Property Services 

and raised around $100k for people in need. The event had music, kids events, a beer garden and 

championship barbecue. Circle your calendars for the event next year! 

-#SCNeedsHelp is something that Phil, Andy Kemp and a team of caring individuals work together on 

to bring real change. He mentioned the goal of the program and that it was originally founded to help 

flood victims after hurricane rains destroyed many people’s homes. 

-Phil talked about coming up as a DJ and rapper in Myrtle Beach, struggles with addiction and then the 

life change that brought him to a better destiny 

-What makes a great surfer? Phil says – love being in the water, control your fear and physical 

endurance. 

-Greatest surfer of all time? Kelly Slater is definitely up there. Phil talked about the phenomenal talent 

Kelly has and that he recently surfed in his last full time surfing competition. A long, amazing career. 

-All of this surfing talk got us to talking about up and coming surfers and Phil did not disappoint as he 

named a number of people to keep an eye on. One hint – he said some of the new ladies on the surfing 

scene are doing amazing things. Rob mentioned the comparison of how Caitlin Clark is bringing a new 

generation of interest to women’s basketball. 

-When looking to overcome obstacles, Phil gave some great tips including: 1) Find something that 

brings you peace and commit to doing it, 2) Have a long term goal and “Stay Focused” on it, 3) Do 

things to help others. One of the most refreshing things we’ve heard...when you’re having a hard day, 

do something nice for someone and it might just change your day. (look up the Mother Teresa effect) 

Thank you again Phil – keep inspiring! 

This week we had an exciting show as we were joined by Christina Jackson, Director of the McLeod Health Foundation. Shot on location, we talked about many powerful community initiatives of McLeod Health, the McLeod Fellows program, helping others, company culture and more. Christina walked us through her career of service to others and even shared a couple of moving stories of seeing people turning their lives’ around after challenging situations. She also talked about how the generous donors to the McLeod Health Foundation are helping others in need. We hope you all enjoy!

Highlites:

-At the core of McLeod Health’s impressive operation is a strong leadership group and a sense of purpose. Rob personally has met many of the employees and found them to all be high quality and friendly individuals.

-McLeod Health was founded in 1906 and has continued to expand over the years with a desire to serve locations where people need help the most

-McLeod has many locations including expansion to the Carolina Forest area (one of the fastest growing populations in South Carolina)

-McLeod is a not-for-profit healthcare system and that mission truly permeates the organization...they are focused on helping people first and foremost and it really shows in the staff.

-Christina talked about the McLeod Fellows program (of which Rob is a recent graduate of). The program was started to raise awareness about McLeod Health which is critical to fundraising and general knowledge of service to the public.

-An exciting upcoming program will be the Comprehensive Cancer Center being opened at the Seacoast location in Little River. While McLeod already has many cancer treatment services across their locations, Christina explained that this Comprehensive Center will provide one location for the multitude of services which will help with timeliness and convenience for their patients.

-Check out an exciting event coming up through McLeod called Jockey’s and Juleps that is a fantastic event that still has available tickets and sponsorships – sign up before it’s too late! https://www.mcleodhealth.org/foundation-event/jockeys-and-juleps-2/

-Rob talked about his time as a McLeod Fellow. Being a “Fellow” he got to learn about different phases of the healthcare industry with McLeod, heard from some highly regarded professionals and doctors and learned about upcoming growth of the McLeod family. He talked about how much he enjoyed each phase of the program

-Christina also mentioned pet therapy as part of their innovative customer care programs. Having a friendly pet around is a great way to turn a sensitive process into a more pleasant experience. We found a cute story fromm WPDE on McLeod using Support animals successfully in the past: https://wpde.com/news/local/meet-dixie-mcleod-healths-therapy-dog

Thank you so much to Christina and McLeod Health for all that they are doing to care for their patients and the community!

For more on Christina, McLeod Health and the McLeod Health Foundation – please check them out at: https://www.mcleodhealth.org/foundation/

We enjoyed a refreshing interview with Kate Soltoian on the show with us to talk about growing a business through networking and never underestimating a prospect. Many sales and business people unintentionally underestimate people. Kate told a story of a salesperson that was telling her that they did not want to pitch small companies because there would not be enough potential income. While it’s understandable to always want to chase the big accounts, Kate shared that often the smaller companies that are growing will often be loyal customers and will lead to more referrals in the long run. We explored other ways that people underestimate prospective customers and then gave tips on how to not get into that less-productive thought process. We also explored Kate’s journey to her current position and her networking methods to get her name and her business out to the public. 

Highlights:

-Kate talked about growing up overseas and the differences in communication styles from other areas

-Networking is about consistency – she shared her tips for ways to be remembered by others for when they need your services

-Building trust is critical to earning someone’s business – familiarity is a huge part of building trust and this can be accomplished through effective networking

-Managers can maximize production with their teams from understanding communication styles. Some people are more open, some are more literal, etc – when you know how to speak to someone as they like to be spoken to, it can help in achieving results

-Book Recommendation alert – check out “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”. We spoke about some of these including the Foundational element of building trust.

-Community relations are huge in several things – namely showing that you are dedicated to more than just internal goals and in getting your name out in the public in a positive manner

-Anytime a Salesperson goes into an appointment without considering a customer’s communication style, apprehensions about the buying process and basic desire for the product – they are likely to fail. Never go into a sales appointment overly confident.

-Listen, pivot, ask, learn, grow.

-Introverts can network deeply as well – in fact, sometimes an introvert style can build the deepest connections. It’s important to keep getting out there even when it does not feel natural!

-Kate is a CCU grad...she is now doing what she loves and applying knowledge she learned there everyday!

For more from Kate Soltoian or New York Life, check her out at: https://www.newyorklife.com/agent/esoltoian

SC Needs Help Presents The Smokeout at the Boathouse IV powered by Best Home & Property Services.