Secret Life of CEOs: Recent Episodes
Hangr Coworks
Hosted by Christine Smith, Managing Partner of Hangr Coworks, Christine Interviews CEOs of the Capital Region to talk about everything we don't hear. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Denise Horan, the founder and principal of Integrated Management & Sales Consulting, provides solutions to help organizations grow revenues, find new marketing opportunities and develop effective sales and management leaders. Denise spends her time coaching entrepreneurs, training sales leaders and teaching business development skills to attorneys and other non-sales professionals.
Most recently, Denise has launched her first book, Stories From The Sales Field, a collection of 60+ interviews from great sales performers. The book is available at www.denisehoran.com and on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/denisehoran
Ms. Horan is a graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology; she also earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University at Albany. Ms. Horan has served as an adjunct professor at The Sage Colleges, trained entrepreneurs for the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce and for The Smart- Up Program at The Rensselaer Development Center of the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Denise Horan teaches Marketing Ethics for The Albany County Bar Association and Marketing Your Practice for The New York State Bar Association.
Denise Horan is a member of The Consulting Alliance, facilitator of The Circle Leadership Group and the founder of the Sales Performer’s Club of the Capital Region. Denise Horan serves on the board of the Women’s Employment & Resource Center. Horan is a member of The Executive Women’s Golf Association/ LPGA Amateurs and has served on their board for most of her 20 year membership.
Horan has been recognized by the YWCA for advancing the empowerment of women, by the Stakeholders as Volunteer of the Year, The Women’s Employment & Resource Center as a pearl of wisdom and empowerment and by The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce as a Women of Excellence.
Today we welcome Chris Jones of Chris Jones Media, to the podcast!
Here's a little more about Chris:
The first Small Business service I offered was a ‘house call’ service where I would fix computer software, and sometimes hardware problems.
That expanded into website design in a format called html and expanded into ‘Wordpress’. My philosophy is that if a client needs a website, they likely don’t care what software is used – they want functionality, and a return on investment. For the record, I now use Wordpress and Squarespace.
At some point I stopped doing ‘House Call’ computer services and concentrated on website development, all the while with a ‘regular’ job.
For full disclosure, I was ‘let go’ from the car business on Feb 28th, 2019. That night, I made the decision to go full time into what I was known for as well in the past, Voice work, which expanded quickly into video. I obtained several clients that year and kept growing.
Along the way I realized I needed some mentoring and coaching in the ways of business if I was going to scale and grow. I got with various people and did a lot of networking – but I seemed to be stuck at a certain level.
I do what I do to help small business and have really always wanted to help Small Business by focusing on their needs and bringing real solutions, not just work to do.
The only ones I have seen do this, and I have seen a lot of their private label work recently, are In Focus Brands and their client-partners; so here I go - taking the risk and the growth that will come along with it by applying to be a client-partner.
I’m 64 years old and am tired of mediocrity, bad or no results, and getting the wrong advice.
All the mediocrity I have seen is the reason I started a Full Service Digital Agency.
Do you know how many social media posts I see that basically say –
Look at me – how great I am with all my services, I’m so good you have to hire me. Ego and more Ego.
That accomplishes nothing – anyone reading an Ego post is thinking about their own pain points and problems, and you saying how good you are, or listing out your services, does ZERO to answer that question.
A post like that will not ‘Stop The Scroll’.
I am now partnering with the absolutely, most efficient and results driven group of people and organizations I have ever seen - In Focus Brands and their portfolio of companies.
What I now understand better than ever, is the importance of teamwork, execution and the culture surrounding it.
Example: When a Chris Jones Media project was in trouble, the IFP Films' team stepped in to save the day with no questions asked. The client was happy and we moved on.
It is not possible to articulate how great it is to have a team like that behind me.
The most important thing in any business is your client. We are 100% client focused, making sure they are happy.
The short of it is:
In the past 5 months I have:
- Raised Money
- Started a Full Service Small Business Digital Agency
- Landed a Six Figure Client
thebowknows.comchrisjonesmedia.com
Join us on this week’s episode as Christine Smith interviews Robert Braathe about his 17 years as a business owner, including his most successful venture, the Career Service Station.
A bit more about our guest:
Robert Braathe founded Braathe Enterprises in 2005. In 2018, the Career Service Station by Braathe Enterprises was launched and Robert has helped over 800 clients find the job they desire and deserve with a better resume and online LinkedIn presence.
He has been an adjunct professor since 2007 at several colleges including HVCC and University of New Haven.
To help people early in their careers, he mentors college and high school students through his BEYourStart Virtual Internship program which launched in 2011. Over 700 students have been mentored and had their careers in HR, Marketing and Finance launched at BEYourStart.
He currently is a board member and President Elect of The NY Capital Region chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Keep up with all things Career Service Station and Robert Braathe
Personal LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/RobertBraathe
Career Service Station LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/career-service-station/
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Braathe
website: www.careerservicestation.com
Email: robert@careerservicestation.com
Special Projects Coordinator with Aflac, a cancer mom, the author of Tiny Miracles, and the Founder and President of the Logan Strong Foundation.
With Aflac, I work with businesses and their employees to offer benefits and solutions that help provide peace of mind when life happens. Paying cash benefits to policyholders to help offset the cost out of pocket expenses and everyday living.
I’m also the proud mother to my warrior son Logan, who was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at 3 months old and we were told several times he would not survive. He will be 6 years old this month (November), he does have some developmental delays, but he has overcome every worst-case scenario and continues to defy the odds. I recently wrote a book, Tiny Miracles, released on March 8, 2022 (Logan’s 5-year cancer diagnosis anniversary) to share our story of faith, resilience, and survival!
As the founder and President of the Logan Strong Foundation, I use my personal experience to help other families that are fighting Childhood Cancer. The mission of the Logan Strong Foundation is to Empower Families, One Child At A Time. We help our families to fundraise through our t-shirt and bracelet campaigns, as well as support the family as a whole! As well as providing items of comfort and support while they are living in and out of the hospital.
Jennifer's Gold Gala is this Friday to raise funds for the Logan Strong Foundation. Be sure to check it out: https://loganstrongfoundation.org/events/gold-gala/
Nicholas Cassius Clay is the founder of Being One World LLC, a mindfulness company Nicholas started in October 2020. Nicholas offers mindfulness coaching to those looking for a holistic path to clarity, inner peace, and increased business performance among many other benefits. The mission of Being One World is to empower and support professionals to be their most powerful expression of themselves while maintaining a clear and balanced state of mind. This involves coaching and teaching clients how to remove triggers and process negative energy out of their system.
Nicholas has also involved himself in multiple ways in the community. He became a member of Schenectady Rotary, serving in several leadership roles, and is presently the organization’s President. He also organized a highly successful Rotary fund-raising event: the First Annual Rotary Cornhole Tournament in Jerry Burrell Park. He has also participated in Schenectady Rotary’s project at Steinmetz Career and Leadership Academy, known as Journey to Success. Nicholas volunteers with Junior Achievement, teaching middle and high school students financial literacy. His largest youth development project is the Wisdom Sharing Project, where he works to gather panels of successful adults to share their wisdom with the youth of Schenectady.
Nicholas's ultimate goal is to increase awareness of mindfulness because of its power in healing the mind, creating healthy relationships, and building community.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-cassius-clay
https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-one-world/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.clay.37
https://www.facebook.com/Beingoneworld/
Instagram: @nicholascassiusclay & @beingoneworld
Website: https://www.beingoneworld.com/
Email: nicholascassiusclay@beingoneworld.com
Join us on this week’s episode as Christine Smith interviews Dean Iacovetti and his recruiting business, VANTA Partners, Inc.
A bit more about Dean:
Dean has spent the past 18 years in the recruiting industry in various capacities. He has spent time both as an external recruiter and as an internal employee where he took over as the VP of HR and Recruiting at a local startup from 2012 - 2017. After the exit of that SaaS company he then decided to hang his shingle and open up his own agency.
He is a corporate member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) as well. Dean is the President and Founder of VANTA Partners, which is an end to end talent management agency with specialization in the tech and software industry. Dean and his team truly care about the placements they make and the company they make intros to. They want to keep the human in human resources.
When not busy working with his recruiting agency, you can find him spending his free time with his wife, Becca, 3 kids (Luca, Lily and London) and their giant great dane Dutch.
Keep up with all things VANTA Partners and Dean Iacovetti:
Personal LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deaniacovetti/
VANTA's LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vanta-partners-inc/?viewAsMember=true
GlassDoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Vanta-Partners-EI_IE2146917.11,25.htm
website: https://www.vantapartners.io/
Email: dean@vantapartners.io
Anastasia is originally from Eastern Europe, born in Riga, Latvia. She moved to the United States back in 1999 and has lived here locally along with Toronto, Canada since then. She has a background in the restaurant industry with years of experience in providing high customer service, opening and organizing new businesses, and extensive knowledge of the food and beverage industry.
She changed her career path upon returning to the Capital District and currently does residential and commercial real estate in the area. Her focus has really been on connecting with the local community so she can give back in various ways and participate in different organizations and volunteering opportunities. She is always looking to make new connections with local businesses and organizations to grow our community. She currently belongs to a newly formed Zonta Club Of Saratoga County and is the Treasurer of the Club. She is also a member of the Young Professionals Network of Keller Williams.
She recently moved to the Glenville/Charlton area after living in Albany for some time. She and her boyfriend have a 17-month-old toddler whose name is Dominic Anthony and he is our Russian-Italian pride and joy who definitely keeps us on our toes most of the time. Along with a husky and a cat, she'd say they have a pretty loud and dynamic household. Both she and her boyfriend are business owners so life is always busy, they do their best to make time for family, friends, and the community.
A bit more about our guest: Barbara has spent over 30+ years working in corporate America and as a woman-owned small business owner of multiple companies, including 13 years as CEO of her family’s veteran-based business that served the U.S. Military, Law Enforcement, and our international allies. Currently, Barbara will be celebrating 8 years as an independent contractor with Le-Vel, a $3 Billion leader in online health & wellness. In her spare time, Barbara volunteers within her church and community. She enjoys serving as a member of the Town of Greenfield UDAG Committee, assisting solopreneurs & small businesses with start-up, growth & expansion opportunities within the town. Barbara enjoys spending free time with her husband Bruce, her young adult daughters, Kasey and Cristina, and Bentley the Wonder Dog.
Keep up with all things LeVel and Barbara:
Personal LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaratripodihodge/
Le-Vel’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Le-Vel
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/barbaratripodihodge
Le-Vel Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LeVelBrands
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/barbarajohodge
Website: https://barbarajo52.le-vel.com
Email: barbhodge54@gmail.com
This week we welcome Vinny Roman of Roman Empire Logistics!
Keep up with Vinny on social media!
Personal LinkedIn: inkedin.com/in/albert-roman-jr-90ba283a
Website: Romanempirelogistics.com
Email: vinny@romanempirelogistics.com
Number: 917-484-1031
Join us on this week’s episode as Christine Smith interviews April Weygand and her business, April Fresh Cleaning.
A bit more about our guest:
April Weygand has spent the past 24 years managing and running her own cleaning company, April Fresh Cleaning, based in Saratoga Springs. She concentrates on commercial offices and buildings, and offers many types of services.
April and her company are active in 3 chambers of commerce and 3 other professional organizations, including Discover Saratoga, SEDC, and BNI. She is a past President and board member of the Saratoga Wilton Kiwanis Club and volunteers her time with them helping the children of our community.
April is a former elementary and junior high school teacher, and had thru-hiked The 2190 mile Appalachian Trail in 1998. She is currently writing a book on her experiences about that, due out in the next few months.
April lives with her husband of 22 years, her 16 year old son Tyler, and her 18 year old daughter Madison, who is in her freshman year at Savannah College of Art and Design. And of course, her 2 cats.
Keep up with all things April Weygand
Personal Linked In Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/aprilweygand1998
Facebook personal: https://Facebook.com/Aprilweygand
Facebook work: https://Facebook.com/AprilFreshClean
Website: www.aprilfresh.org
Email: april@aprilfresh.org
Personal: aprilweygand@icloud.com
Phone: office: 518-258-7380
Cell: 518-338-9583
Join us on this week’s episode as Christine Smith interviews Katherine Schadewald about her experience being a business owner.
A bit more about our guest:
Katherine Schadewald, Founder of Deliver Workforce Solutions is a workforce specialist. Schadewald is passionate about helping businesses to plan for and develop a workforce by analyzing their employee processes and developing and improving them.
Schadewald graduated as the first woman Tool and Diemaker from General Electric and obtained multiple degrees and certifications in management engineering technology, curriculum and instruction, and administration. Her passion was building and improving career technical programs to prepare students for college and careers. Her latest programs were Aerospace, Informatics, and Automated Materials Joining Technology. After that project, she turned to working with businesses to help them build their seamless employee pipelines.
Keep up with Kathy and Deliver Workforce Solutions:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherineschadewald/
https://www.facebook.com/katherine.schadewald
https://deliverworkforce.com/
kathy@deliverworkforce.com
A little about our guest:
Juan Luis López Fons is a Mexican film producer, director, editor and videographer currently residing in Albany, NY. He graduated from the New York Film Academy in NYC in 2005 and has worked in short films, music videos, corporate projects, weddings, promotional documentaries and legacy videos for the past 17 years.
In 2014, Juan Luis directed the short film “Conservatory Grounds: A Moment Before”, a short introductory scene designed to introduce the characters and themes of a feature film Juan Luis wrote himself. Juan Luis led a team of 20 technicians and actors and the film was finished within a month of principal photography.
A few months after this project, Juan Luis started the film production company, Emotivo Productions. This company came to be after Juan Luis completed an anthology of six short films titled “Albany My Albany,” which he directed, shot and edited. This anthology series would become the proof of concept Juan Luis would use to launch Emotivo Productions in the middle of 2016.
Emotivo is a production company that creates promotional videos for businesses and individuals. Emotivo focuses on the individual in front of the product, service, artistic endeavor or technical enterprise and helps bring out the values and mission of each of its clients via the engaging power of video. It’s a new form of targeted marketing Juan Luis calls “Human Marketing.”
Links to Socials:
Website: www.emotivoproductions.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Qrrjj_446tN_ykh2ZsbRA
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user6040580
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emotivoproductions
LinkedIn: Juan Luis Lopez Fons
Book an appointment: calendly.com/emotivoproductions
Cell: 212 729 4902
Email: juan@emotivoproductions.com
Tom Bullock is a Saratoga County native and proud State Farm Agent serving customers in New York and Vermont for over four years. As a local small business owner, husband, and father, it is his goal to serve the community by helping protect families and assets they have worked hard for. Tom's team prides itself on being there for its customers when things don’t go right and the unexpected happens.
Get in touch with Tom!
Website: tombullockinsurance.com
Phone & Text: 518-400-1770
tom@tombullockinsurance.com
Facebook: @agenttombullock (Tom Bullock-State Farm Agent)
Instagram: @tombullockstatefarm (Tom Bullock-State Farm Agent)
Join us on this week’s episode as Christine Smith interviews Lisa Munter and her recently launched business, Knitt.
A bit more about our guest:
Lisa Munter has spent the past 15 years in the nonprofit sector, volunteering her time to various fundraising committees, events, programs and serving on multiple boards. She is also a Leadership Saratoga Graduate of the Class of 2016.
She currently is a board member of The Dake Foundation for Children and Wellspring.
Lisa is the President and Founder of Knitt, which is a web based software platform that mindfully connects nonprofits and business donors which has been five years in the making.
When not busy with volunteer work or working on her start up company Knitt, you can find her spending her free time with her husband, two teenage sons and taking care of their domestic farm of goats and pigs.
Keep up with all things Knitt and Lisa Munter:
Personal LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamunter/
Knitt's LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knitt
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/getknitt
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/getknitt
website: www.getknitt.com
Email: lisa@getknitt.com
Our kick-off episode has us sitting down the Chris Wessell. The Secret Lives of CEO’s start to become revealed in this premiere episode with host Christine Smith. Stay tuned for more episodes to hear from local CEO’s about the good, the bad, and the ugly of running your own empire.
A bit more about our guest:
Chris Wessell hires for leadership positions and advises organizations on talent strategy.
He is the managing partner of PeopleWise, an executive search firm in Albany. In his 18 years of recruiting, he has hired for thousands of openings (from entry level to executive leadership) across hundreds of companies. 13 of those years were as a recruiting firm owner.
His other entrepreneurial ventures have included real estate investment, property management, virtual assistants, even a spa. Some of those worked out better than others!
Chris has an MBA from the University at Albany, and graduated from Schenectady County Community College as well, where he is an occasional adjunct professor in their business program.
An active board member of Junior Achievement of Northeastern NY, he enjoys volunteering in classrooms bringing financial education to Capital Region youth. He has been active in numerous community and professional boards and college advisory councils over the years as well.
He lives in Loudonville with his wife and son and deeply values the flexibility his business gives him to maximize his time with them. His wife still isn’t totally sure what he does all day, and sometimes neither is he…
Keep up with all things People Wise and Chris Wessell are up to:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriswessell
https://www.facebook.com/itschriswessell
https://www.instagram.com/chriswessell/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoplewise-llc/
chris@peoplewise-llc.com
www.peoplewise-llc.com