Small Biz Florida

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred welcomes Caitlin Gardner, founder of Blooming Communications. With years of experience in PR, marketing, and communications—from global agencies to Fortune 500 companies—Caitlin now helps small businesses harness professional-level branding strategies. In this episode, she shares insights from her summit...

Recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, this episode of Small Biz Florida features a powerful conversation between host Tom Kindred and Dr. Jerry Parrish, Chief Economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. A long-time advocate of the SBDC network, Dr. Parrish shares timely insights on the Florida and national economy, highlighting the critical role of small businesses—particu...

Recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, this episode of Small Biz Florida features Haley Evans, founder of Strategies That Stick. Haley shares her inspiring journey from single motherhood to earning an MBA and launching a successful business—completely debt-free. She introduces her signature EPIC framework (Engage, Persuade, Inspire, Close), designed to help small busines...

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa, host Tom Kindred sits down with Jason Mahone, Deputy Secretary for Florida Commerce, Economic Development, and Chief Manufacturing Officer. A Florida native and former emergency management official, Jason brings a wealth of experience to his current role championing Florida’s small manufacturing businesses. In this episo...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred sits down with Larry Carnell, Vice President of Strategic Development at Benetrends. A former Entrepreneur of the Year with deep expertise in finance, franchising, and funding, Larry shares powerful insights on how aspiring and existing business owners can fund their ventures us...

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred welcomes Jonathan Katz of Lendistry, a FinTech company focused on providing fast, flexible, and technology-driven lending solutions for small business owners. With a background as a former Wall Street analyst and investor, Jonathan shares how he transitioned from large financial institutions to empowering...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred speaks with Mimi Damm, Digital Media Expert and Media Sales Manager at Gray Media. With more than 20 years of experience in media sales—from print to digital—Mimi shares how small businesses can harness the power of omnichannel marketing to engage customers across platforms like...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred sits down with Richard Greco, founder of Money Matters University. With over 30 years of experience in accounting and financial literacy, Richard shares why understanding financial statements, KPIs, and revenue streams is essential for business owners ready to grow. From build...

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred welcomes Secretary Griffin of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to discuss how the state is making it easier for entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses. With over 1.7 million licensees across more than 30 industries, the DBPR plays a critical role in regulating and supporting...

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, this episode of Small Biz Florida features a powerful conversation with Dr. Wendy Norfleet, founder of Norfleet Integrated Solutions. Drawing from her experience managing multi-billion-dollar departments and her passion for empowering small businesses, Dr. Norfleet shares critical insights on what it truly takes to grow a business successf...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred is joined by Michelle Partridge, founder of Pear Tree Consulting. Michelle shares her journey from owning an appliance repair business in Raleigh to launching a consulting firm in Tallahassee that focuses on helping service industry entrepreneurs streamline operations and reclai...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred welcomes Secretary Kelly, Secretary of Florida Commerce. With a background in education and economic development, Secretary Kelly shares how Florida Commerce is driving forward statewide initiatives that support small business owners—from Main Street to rural communities. The di...

Recorded live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, this episode of Small Biz Florida features two influential voices from the U.S. Small Business Administration: Tyler Teresa, SBA Southeast Regional Administrator, and Michael Vallante, Southeast Regional Advocate for the SBA Office of Advocacy. Host Tom Kindred dives into the SBA’s critical role in empowering entrepreneurs across...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred is joined by Boyd Karen, founder of Otro Financial, to discuss one of the biggest hurdles facing small business owners: access to funding. After launching or acquiring eight businesses of his own, Boyd discovered just how hard it is to secure loans—especially those under $350,00...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred broadcasts from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in downtown Tampa, where the spotlight is on innovation and tech solutions in the craft brewing industry. Tom sits down with Frank Pernicano, founder of BeerMS—a customizable menu management and digital display system designed specifically for breweries and bars. Frank shares his journe...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, the focus is once again on the craft brewing industry, recorded live from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in Tampa. Tom is joined by Patrick Brown, Director and Owner of Blue and Company, a CPA and accounting firm with deep expertise in the beverage industry. Patrick shares his extensive background in public accounting and how...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred broadcasts from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in downtown Tampa. Joining the show are Cody Faig and Isaac Arthur, co-founders of CODO Design—a brand strategy firm with deep expertise in the craft brewing industry. The conversation dives into the crucial role of branding and positioning in the success of small businesses, especially...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred broadcasts from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in Tampa, Florida. The episode features an insightful conversation with Aaron Gore, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Fifth Ingredient and Vice President for the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. Aaron shares his journey from an IT professional to a key player in the craft b...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, the focus is on the vibrant craft brewing industry in Florida, specifically at the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in Tampa. The episode features an interview with Cam Passantino, Vice President of Sales for Knotty Pretzels—a company that’s carved out a unique place in the craft beer scene by offering the perfect complementary snac...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred broadcasts from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in downtown Tampa. The episode features a conversation with Al Murphy, CEO, and David Will Hoyt, VP of Sales at Mother Murphy's Flavors—a company dedicated to crafting custom flavors for a wide range of products, including craft beer. The discussion explores the essential role of flavor...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, the focus is on the vibrant craft brewing industry in Florida, specifically highlighting the entrepreneurial journey of Jordan Weisberg, owner and operator of Point Ybel Brewing Company. This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in Tampa, a gathering of passionate craft brewers and entrepreneurs. Jordan share...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred broadcasts from the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in downtown Tampa. The episode features an engaging conversation with Heider Hasham and Maria Orozco, the founders of Shojo's Dojo, Florida's first sake-based craft brewery located in Miami. The discussion explores their unique entrepreneurial journey, transitioning from traditional car...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, the focus shifts to the financial tools that support Florida’s small businesses, specifically within the craft brewing industry. Recorded live at the 2025 Florida Brewers Guild Conference in downtown Tampa, the episode features an insightful conversation with Gayle Hoshstrasser, Florida Sales Manager for Florida First Capital. Gayle shar...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, the spotlight is on bridging the national talent gap in high-tech careers through veteran entrepreneurship. Recorded live at the 2025 Veterans Florida Expo and Battle of the Pitches in Tampa, this episode features an in-depth conversation with Devon Stevenson, CEO and co-founder of Zera Techbridge, alongside his partners Evan Mills and D...

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, hosted by Tom Kindred, we return to the dynamic atmosphere of the 2025 Veterans Florida Expo and Battle of the Pitches in Tampa. This episode features Carl Cyrius, a veteran and the founder and CEO of The Oasis Firm—a company offering a comprehensive and client-focused approach to financial services through what Carl calls the “holy tax trifecta”: preparation,...