Alma Abreu knew a rigid classroom learning style didn’t suit her. Her attention-deficit disorder was no help. Following her creativity and love of language and communication, she found a way to make her A.D.D. an asset. Founder of 360 Content Pro, a content marketing service specializing in Spanish language advertising, blogging and social media, she helps businesses reach new customers in Latin America and around the world. Her experience also includes project management consulting and she uses those skills to manage her team of writers for her own business.
Gary Kinder knows only a tiny percentage of writers and artists succeed. Some say it’s as low as 1%. But he’s up at 5 a.m. every day writing his screenplay, before plunging into the editing software he’s upgrading. Asked why he does it, he replies, “I’m doing what I love!” Gary writes narrative nonfiction, and is the author of three books. He has taught over 1,000 writing programs to law firms, corporations, universities, and writers conferences. He is also creator and founder of WordRake, editing software, which is used widely in law firms, government agencies, corporations and universities.
Terry Brock believes you can overcome overwhelm by using basic principles that really help overcome the sense of overwhelm. “To begin, define what’s important to you, to determine where you should focus your attention. Recognize you can’t grasp it all.” Terry works with organizations to connect with customers and build relationships using practical technology, and increase profitability. He's a member of the professional speaker Hall of Fame and is an expert on making technology practical for business.
Julian Mather was not interested in school, but that did not mean he was not willing to learn. When he got out of school, without prodding from anyone, he took himself to the library where he began a lifelong commitment to self-education and learning how to turn his obsessions into his professions. From high school failure to Army sniper to globe-trotting TV cameraman to kids’ entertainer to online entrepreneur, he really has not felt he has worked a day in his life. At age 55 he says he is just beginning to hit his straps.
Katherine Denton had reached her career goal at 25, working as an account executive at an Atlanta advertising agency. She was a respected team member with all the perks of success: an office with windows, bonuses, free parking and health insurance to name a few. But she was so miserable that she quit. Katherine turned to a temp agency and was given a one-day assignment that opened the door to her future career. Twenty-two years later, she owns My Friend, a service devoted to helping people meet their personal, professional, financial and relationship goals.
Lee Caraher is the author of “Millennials & Management” a book based on her experience of failing, then succeeding, at retaining millennials. She describes a big change in terms of the employer brand to a focus on becoming a place where great people work. Lee is the CEO of Double Forte PR & Digital Marketing and is known for her practical solutions to big problems.
Nathan Hirsch and his business partner, Connor, took a long overdue vacation, leaving their business in good hands. On Day 1, they learned they had lost a major vendor. The same day, his CPA called to tell him his identity had been stolen and a false tax return had been filed in his name. But putting his life and business back together was not going to stand in his way. He is a serial entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and e-commerce. Now the founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com and co-founder and COO of Portlight, he started his online career on Amazon’s Marketplace.
Claudia Pennington and her husband were reflecting on their past 10 years together and realized they had been living the daily grind without goals, a budget or a plan, and a vague desire to help people. They decided to tackle some massive changes in their lives, starting with eliminating their debt. Claudia is a digital marketing consultant training side hustlers, freelancers and small business owners in the fundamentals of digital marketing and SEO.
Aaron Walker is unquestionably a veteran entrepreneur. Starting his first business at 18 and selling it to a Fortune 500 company, he started, bought and sold 12 others over the past 37 years. Committed to personal development, he has been in a weekly mastermind group for nearly two decades, with Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Ken Abraham and 7 other notable Nashvillians. Today, as president and founder of A View from the Top, a premier life and business coaching resource, he spends the majority of his time helping men grow in success and significance.
From an early age, Marc was good at math and chess. It was no wonder everyone told him he should be an engineer. After getting a degree in computer science, what he learned about himself on the job was he is a “geek who can speak”–an unusual combination that for 22 years let him change jobs every few year, all within the walls of his first employer. Marc’s latest endeavor “Career Pivot” uses his extensive training experience to help others—especially Baby Boomers—find careers they can grow into for the decades that lie ahead.
Kate Maree O’Brien saw the hospital job posting for a project manager, she admitted to herself it was a long shot. With a confidence she had developed during hard times—and search results from Google—she convinced the hospital to give her a try. It would be a year before she learned why she had been chosen for the job. A visionary global voice for boldness and truth, she has fought for her life twice and knows firsthand what a personal transformation looks like. She’s worked with Jack Canfield, Brendon Burchard and others.
Lolly Daskal’s proprietary leadership program, Lead from Within, is based on a mixture of modern philosophy, science and 30 years coaching top executives. It is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world. Lolly was designated a top 50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc magazine. The Huffington Post honored her with the title “the most inspiring woman in the world.” Lolly was designated a top 50 leadership and management expert by Inc magazine. Huffington Post honored her with the title, the most inspiring woman in the world.
Matt Ruedlinger wanted to be his own boss from the day he started trading baseball cards in his make-believe, backyard store. But it was the 10 years working in sales for someone else that first taught him how to succeed by walking in his customers’ shoes. He is now a serial entrepreneur: the founder and CEO of the marketing firm, Triple R Marketing; president of Jones Caramels; and founder and a founding partner and president of the app, FanVius, which allows fans to order food and merchandise from their seats at sports and event venues.
Lisa Tarves talked to angels as a child. Not until years later did she learn generations of her family members shared similar gifts. In fact, her father had learned to harness his own gifts to rise through the ranks of a major corporation. Could she accept and use her gifts in adulthood and the workplace? As co-founder of Writestream Radio and Writestream Publishing, she is a bestselling author of a book about her life, “Just Believe: Commonsense Spirituality for the 21st Century.” At Writestream Publishing, she helps other people realize their dreams of becoming a published author and telling their own stories.