Business Owner Tales from the Trenches

Today Donovan Panone joins the show to share his story of answering the call as a coach while leveraging entrepreneurial skills to build something impactful. Donovan shares his background, specifically what it was like navigating through multiple startups and culminating in his role as the CEO of a digital marketing agency. However, his shift towards fulfilling his lifelong passion for wrestling l...

Join us for an inspiring journey with Vera Stewart, a remarkable entrepreneur who embarked on a diverse culinary career after starting as a teacher. Vera's story is one of tenacity, creativity, and thinking outside the box. In this episode, you'll learn how she transitioned from teaching to establishing a culinary empire, including cookbooks, a TV show, catering services, and cooking camps. Her un...

How do you transform a side hustle into a thriving business venture? That's the question at the heart of this episode, as we delve into the exciting journey of Sander Biehn, CEO of Ready For Social, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs conquer the world of social media. Discover the crucial balance between short-term reactivity and long-term planning that Sander found pivotal in his path to s...

Do you want to learn from a real estate entrepreneur who has not only achieved remarkable success but has also been recognized as one of the top real estate agents in the USA? Join us in this episode with Bonneau Ansley, Executive Chairman of Ansley Real Estate Christie's International. With over two decades of experience in property development and sales across South Carolina and Georgia, Bonneau...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a simple idea into a thriving business, especially later in life? Today we are joined by Lou Childs, a Shark Tank Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of SlumberPod. Lou's life took an incredible twist when she and her daughter embarked on a mission to help babies sleep better across the nation. In this episode, Lou shares the deliberate process that guided them...

Chuck Wolf founded Wolf Camera in the 1970s, and it quickly grew to one of the biggest national retailers of cameras and photofinishing. After merging in 2001, he pivoted to start a marketing consultancy, and has also recently founded Wolf Photo Design Bar. Today, Chuck joins the show to share his impressive history and the important lessons he learned about business, leadership, and resiliency. Y...

Stephanie Stuckey, the CEO of Stuckey's Corporation, breathes new life into the brand that she refers to as an 87-year-old start-up. After a 10-year career as a lawyer and politician, Stephanie followed her heart back to her family's roots and acquired her grandfather's business, which had spent years under corporate ownership. Throughout this episode, Stephanie shares her journey of rebuilding th...

In this episode, we continue our insightful conversation with Joel Koblentz, Founding Partner at The Koblentz Group, as we delve into the crucial topic of building an advisory board. Our focus today is on entrepreneurs and how they can develop a strong board of advisors to support their company's growth. Joel shares his experience of encouraging a family business to establish a board of advisors,...

In this episode, we tackle the often-neglected topic of succession planning, and our expert guest, Joel Koblentz, Founding Partner at The Koblentz Group, sheds light on this crucial subject. With a remarkable track record in board assignments, board development, and executive recruitment, Joel and his team excel at aligning human capital with business value creation. Throughout the episode, we del...

Today we sit down with Molly Sipp, NP-C, as she celebrates her five-year milestone of building a thriving business. Molly's journey is an inspiration to all as she shares her secrets to success and the pitfalls she avoided when starting her own business. Her primary focus is empowering women and guiding them on how to reenter the workforce or explore new career paths after motherhood. As a mompren...

What does it take to lead and preserve a legendary fast food institution through generations? In this episode, we sit down with Nancy Simms, the CEO of The Varsity, one of Atlanta's most historic and iconic restaurants. Nancy unexpectedly took over the reins in 1983 and is now preparing to pass on the leadership to the 3rd and 4th generations. Join us as we explore the secrets behind establishing...

Kwavi Agbeyegbe, Founder of Kwavi.com, empowers women in their 50s and older to create the next chapter of their lives on their own terms. In this episode, Kwavi delves into the art of building a personal brand as a business, highlighting how she aligns her mission of making a meaningful impact with the efficient utilization of her talents and energy. She also dispels the common misconception of u...

Today, we have the pleasure of sitting down with one of Atlanta's most successful entrepreneurs: Dave Moody, Founder and CEO of C.D. Moody Construction. With over three decades of experience and $3 billion in generated projects, Dave is a titan in his field, and his insights are not to be missed. In this episode, Dave shares his journey and the incredible lessons he's learned, both professionally...

Today we are joined by Glen Jackson, Co-founder of Jackson Spalding. With expertise in real estate, crisis communications, and not-for-profit marketing communications, Glen has had quite a journey as an entrepreneur and business owner. In this episode, he talks about the importance of culture, values, and character in making business decisions—particularly during challenging times or times of cris...

Today we are joined by Jason Santamaria, the Founder and President of two beverage companies: Second Self Beer Company and Cirrus Beverages. Jason has managed to balance his startup journey with his full-time Sales Consultant job at IBM, and in this episode, he shares his journey, exploring the challenges of balancing a startup with a career and navigating the constant change inherent in consumer...

In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Sherer, the Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute at Georgia State University. Jennifer has spent her entire professional career driving innovation and supporting entrepreneurs. Today she shares her insights on building the mindset of a young entrepreneur and how to cultivate the behaviors for long-term success. You can find show notes an...

Ellen and Danny Softness have been partners in business and in life for more than 30 years. They started by purchasing a successful multi-location Gymboree franchise in North America and have now ventured into a completely different business. In this episode, they share their journey of staying married, raising a family, and maintaining financial stability in the face of intense competition and ec...

Welcome to Appreciating the Entrepreneurial Journey ! This podcast is for business owners who want to see around corners and thrive financially. I'm your host, Cannon Carr, CEO at CornerCap Wealth Advisors, and each week I will be sharing lessons learned from the trenches of entrepreneurship, business success, and financial independence. In this inaugural episode, we are joined by Mo Bunnell, CEO...