Arkansas Talent

Send us Fan Mail This episode takes listeners inside the world of a seasoned CFO who has spent her career turning complex numbers into clear strategy, overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, and key decisions that support AFMC’s mission to improve health care quality and reduce costs across Arkansas.  In this conversation, Phyllis shares how a love of “counting beans” (and occasionally chocolat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, hosts Stephanie and Chris welcome Ben Barr, Founder and Managing Partner of SG Performance Group, to discuss how strategic finance leadership can transform businesses of all sizes. With over 16 years of experience in finance—including guiding capital firms through more than $3 billion in equity and debt financing and $4 billion in M&A and IPO activity—Ben has...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we welcome Amy Porter, Corporate Controller at Vestcom, to the Arkansas Talent Podcast! Amy brings over 25 years of accounting and finance experience across several major Arkansas companies, including Alltel, Windstream, Inuvo, and now Vestcom. In this episode, Amy shares her journey in building and leading high-performing teams, especially through periods of organizati...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Arkansas Talent Podcast, hosts Stephanie and Chris sit down with Ryan Holder, Managing Director of Strategic M&A Advisors, LLC. Ryan is not only a respected expert in mergers and acquisitions but also a long-time friend and mentor to the hosts, having shared a similar career journey from recruitment at a Fortune 500 company to entrepreneurship. The conve...

Send us Fan Mail Join Stephanie and Chris, Co-Founders/Owners of Arkansas Talent Group and the Arkansas Talent Podcast as they celebrate their one-year anniversary! The two founded Arkansas Talent Group on February 14, 2024, and take you on their journey as entrepreneurs in Arkansas. They talk about their favorite memories, successes, lessons learned, and their future growth plans, as well as advi...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an insightful conversation with Scott Street, a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30+ years of leadership experience. Scott shares his journey from college quarterback to healthcare visionary, discussing his role as CEO of Pediatrics Plus and the company's innovative approaches to addressing the rising needs in pediatric care. Don't miss this inspiring...

Send us Fan Mail Are you an employee bound by a non-compete agreement, or an employer enforcing one? Chris and Stephanie have navigated strict non-compete clause in the past, and they aim to shed light on current legislation and what the future may hold for both parties. With recent developments, including the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) attempt to ban most non-compete clauses, understan...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we talk with Beverly Roberson, Serving as the Principal Accounting Officer and Controller for Garver, an Arkansas-headquartered engineering firm.  Beverly Roberson’s expertise in financial acumen has served the company for over two decades. Her leadership and dedication have catapulted her through the ranks of the firm, and ultimately, led to her being named a partner w...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an insightful exploration of the evolving landscape of public accounting with Jason Thomas, Tax Partner at Frost PLLC. In this episode, Jason takes us on a journey through the transformation of the industry, contrasting the traditional practices with the dynamic realities of today's accounting world. Jason sheds light on the numerous benefits of pursuing a career...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an insightful exploration of the "Right Person, Right Seat" concept within the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Bridges and Paige Hadidon from OrthoArkansas and dive into their transformative journey implementing EOS. Our guests share their firsthand experiences, focusing on the crucial "Right Person, Rig...

Send us Fan Mail Discover how Andrea Parnell and her team at Southern Bancorp have mastered the art of talent acquisition. They have had incredible growth requiring over 200 new hires in which they've implemented strategic processes and HR initiatives to streamline recruitment and onboarding. In this insightful discussion, we'll uncover Southern Bancorp's preparation and innovative...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we sit down with our friend Matt Duckworth to discuss how to build a high performing accounting department. He will break down the different positions of an accounting team and their importance and will detail how to craft a winning team. Matthew is the founder of Rhapsodi, a financial services firm that helps early & mid-career CEOs achieve $100 million exits throu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk all things cyber security with Cody Griffin from Staley Technologies including, current trends and threats in the industry, what steps organizations should be taking to protect themselves, as well as some wild stories about personal and corporate threats he has encountered. Cody is the Division President at Staley Technologies over Cyber Security and Manag...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the state of the Arkansas economy, job market, and what we can expect in 2024 and beyond. Join us as we talk with Mervin Jebaraj, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research for the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has contributed to economic thinking and public policy discussion that journa...

Send us Fan Mail Natalie Bartholomew, a.k.a. "The Girl Banker," is the Community President of First Community Bank in Northwest Arkansas. A career banker with 22 years of experience, she has expertise in retail, culture building, strategic planning, human resources, and marketing. Natalie has received many honors recognizing her work over the years. Recently, she was recognized from the...

Send us Fan Mail Chris Chunn and Stephanie Shine introduce their new recruitment company, Arkansas Talent Group, and are thrilled to share the entire journey with their audience! Tune in to this episode where they discuss what they have been up to the last 12 months during their non-compete, recounting their experiences and unveiling the story behind the inception of Arkansas Talent Group. Discove...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we sit down with Stuart McLendon from Flexion Point, Inc. to discuss the labor market shortage, what fractional CFO services are and how it can help bridge the gap for businesses. Stuart McLendon is a native of North Little Rock, Arkansas where he continues to reside with his wife and their three children. He graduated from the Donaghey Scholars at UA Little Rock with d...

Send us Fan Mail What is the REAL cost of turnover in organizations? Sadly, what us thinking about this topic was due to the performance of the Arkansas Razorbacks Football Team this year. Chris is a proud alumni and fan, but there was so much talk about what would happen to Sam Pittman, and what would be “the cost” of what it would take to “buy him out” of his contract. And then it randomly got u...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah is the Vice President of People at ATG (Applied Technology Group) and is a passionate HR professional and an exceptional leader at ATG. We talk with Sarah about her background and career in HR, including her new role at ATG, and all of the industry leading initiatives that her and her teams are doing to help their employees achieve work/life balance that is "actually th...

Send us Fan Mail Jessie Wilson is the VP, Client Engagement and Corporate Senior Trainer for Dale Carnegie Training. She has over 13+ years’ sales leadership experience, with 12+ years’ experience as a multi-course certified Senior Trainer and Executive Coach. Her territories include Arkansas, west Tennessee, north Mississippi, south Missouri, and parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Jessie is passionate...

Send us Fan Mail We chat with Claire Brown, CEO at PowerWomen, Owner/Principal Broker at Move Realty, author, executive business coach, and women empowerment role model. She also hosts a very successful podcast, the Power Women Podcast, and mentor's women and men in her field. When thinking about someone who could discuss women in the workforce and how to rise above adversity, we had to tell...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Arkansas Talent, we talk with Bradley Eagle about his progressive career in accounting and get a sneak peek into the world of working for the Arkansas Travelers. Brad was hired in 2014 and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Arkansas Travelers. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2011 with a degree in Accountancy.  In July of 2012...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Arkansas Talent, we talk with Kait Hill about her personal story and her journey with the implementing the 4-day work week in her organization. She discusses what worked and what didn't and what she ultimately landed on for her company.  As the founder and driving force behind Rock City Digital, Kait Hill is one of Arkansas' most promising young busine...

Send us Fan Mail Gina Smith is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Consultant of Rock Region Consulting, Inc., which helps small to mid-size businesses improve their human resources by creating a culture of compliance, supporting employee engagement and building efficient administrative processes. Gina talks with us about what DEIB, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. She discusses...

Send us Fan Mail Kelly Carney, SPHR, is the Vice President, Human Capital and Chief People Officer for Southwest Power Pool, where she oversees the human resources and learning and development teams and has over 20 years of experience in human resources and has worked across a variety of industries. She previously served as vice president of human resources and chief administrative officer at Delt...