Follow the Leader
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Follow the Leader features dynamic women entrepreneurs and their journeys to becoming a success in business. It's an inspirational space for entrepreneurs, future entrepreneurs, and thought leaders as they share their keys to success. Chanel Christoff Davis is the CEO and founding partner of the largest woman and minority owned sales tax advisory practice in the country, Davis Davis & Harmon LLC.
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
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Top 10 Follow the Leader Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Follow the Leader episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Follow the Leader for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Follow the Leader episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Covid-19 Series: How I won a $250M contract to help fight COVID-19...Andrea Tsakanikas
Follow the Leader
04/24/20 • 36 min
“Fear is what holds all small businesses back.”
There's a lot of fear in the world today, and small business owners are likely feeling their fair share of it. How are they going to survive an extended lockdown? Will business come back when it's over? Are things ever going to be the same?
Andrea Tsakanikas, founder and president of CrewFacilities.com, took the opportunity to adapt her business model to the situation. How did a company focused on managing employee travel change course when there's pretty much no employee travel? She's here to answer that and much more about not letting fear get in the way of what you need to do.
Andrea has represented investors across the US, managing hundreds of thousands of room nights of workforce lodging, rental, and travel products over the span of her career. Since 2007 she served as a management consultant with a specialization in optimizing operations of hotels, workforce and corporate housing, as well as, Class A, B & C multi-family projects, ensuring the highest returns in revenue and profitability. Learn more about her and her company at crewfacilities.com.
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
There's a lot of fear in the world today, and small business owners are likely feeling their fair share of it. How are they going to survive an extended lockdown? Will business come back when it's over? Are things ever going to be the same?
Andrea Tsakanikas, founder and president of CrewFacilities.com, took the opportunity to adapt her business model to the situation. How did a company focused on managing employee travel change course when there's pretty much no employee travel? She's here to answer that and much more about not letting fear get in the way of what you need to do.
Andrea has represented investors across the US, managing hundreds of thousands of room nights of workforce lodging, rental, and travel products over the span of her career. Since 2007 she served as a management consultant with a specialization in optimizing operations of hotels, workforce and corporate housing, as well as, Class A, B & C multi-family projects, ensuring the highest returns in revenue and profitability. Learn more about her and her company at crewfacilities.com.
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
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Repeat, Required, and Recession Resistant with the President of Firemans Paving Contractors...Renee Gilmore
Follow the Leader
04/03/20 • 33 min
"The business has...allowed me and taught me to take care of myself."
There's no better time than now to think about what makes your business recession-proof...or what doesn't. Renee Gilmore, president of Firemans Paving Contractors says it was a long road to get from trying to please everyone to doing a few things really well. There are benefits to being in a niche service.
Beyond that, Renee says look for every advantage that's out there. Firemans Paving Contractors has been recognized as a woman-owned business and historically underutilized business, and she says those certifications have opened many doors for them. Companies are often looking to diversify their supply chain.
Learn more about Renee Gilmore and Firemans Paving Contractors at www.firemanspaving.com
There's no better time than now to think about what makes your business recession-proof...or what doesn't. Renee Gilmore, president of Firemans Paving Contractors says it was a long road to get from trying to please everyone to doing a few things really well. There are benefits to being in a niche service.
Beyond that, Renee says look for every advantage that's out there. Firemans Paving Contractors has been recognized as a woman-owned business and historically underutilized business, and she says those certifications have opened many doors for them. Companies are often looking to diversify their supply chain.
Learn more about Renee Gilmore and Firemans Paving Contractors at www.firemanspaving.com
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Celebrating 25 Years of Women’s Business Council Southwest with Debbie Hurst and Sharon Evans
Follow the Leader
01/10/20 • 41 min
"People do business with people they know."
It's the 25th anniversary of the Women's Business Council Southwest! To talk about the importance of the organization as well as why women really need to network, Chanel is joined by Debbie Hurst, president and CEO of WBCS, and Sharon Evans, owner and CEO of CFJ Manufacturing.
What does the Women's Business Council Southwest do? Why is diversity so important, not just in employees but also suppliers? How can a strong network benefit you more than some certifications or training programs?
To learn more:
Women's Business Council - Southwest (WBCS): https://www.wbcsouthwest.org
Serving North Central Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, the Women's Business Council - Southwest (WBCS) is headquartered in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, with a satellite office in Austin, Texas. If a women-owned business is headquartered within this four-state region, WBCS is responsible for facilitating their certification.
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): https://www.wbenc.org
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs.
Sharon Evans of Collections Fine Jewelry & CFJ Manufacturing:
cfjmfg.com
It's the 25th anniversary of the Women's Business Council Southwest! To talk about the importance of the organization as well as why women really need to network, Chanel is joined by Debbie Hurst, president and CEO of WBCS, and Sharon Evans, owner and CEO of CFJ Manufacturing.
What does the Women's Business Council Southwest do? Why is diversity so important, not just in employees but also suppliers? How can a strong network benefit you more than some certifications or training programs?
To learn more:
Women's Business Council - Southwest (WBCS): https://www.wbcsouthwest.org
Serving North Central Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, the Women's Business Council - Southwest (WBCS) is headquartered in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, with a satellite office in Austin, Texas. If a women-owned business is headquartered within this four-state region, WBCS is responsible for facilitating their certification.
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): https://www.wbenc.org
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs.
Sharon Evans of Collections Fine Jewelry & CFJ Manufacturing:
cfjmfg.com
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Covid-19 Series: Adrienne Trimble, President of NMSDC
Follow the Leader
07/24/20 • 41 min
"It takes time. You have to build a relationship..."
Getting noticed takes more than submitting a bid, and all the certifications in the world don't mean anything if people can't remember you. Adrienne Trimble, president of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, knows what it takes to build relationships that grow into repeat business.
Trimble led the Toyota's Supplier Diversity initiative from 2005 to 2012, where she directed the development of essential supplier relationships with Toyota’s North American operations and diverse businesses across the country. Her work in making Toyota NMSDC's "Company of the Year" helped bring her to her current position as president and CEO of the organization. NMSDC matches their more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to their vast network of corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC's corporate membership includes many of the largest public and privately-owned companies, as well healthcare companies, colleges and universities.
To learn more about the National Minority Supplier Council, go to https://nmsdc.org/
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
Getting noticed takes more than submitting a bid, and all the certifications in the world don't mean anything if people can't remember you. Adrienne Trimble, president of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, knows what it takes to build relationships that grow into repeat business.
Trimble led the Toyota's Supplier Diversity initiative from 2005 to 2012, where she directed the development of essential supplier relationships with Toyota’s North American operations and diverse businesses across the country. Her work in making Toyota NMSDC's "Company of the Year" helped bring her to her current position as president and CEO of the organization. NMSDC matches their more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to their vast network of corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC's corporate membership includes many of the largest public and privately-owned companies, as well healthcare companies, colleges and universities.
To learn more about the National Minority Supplier Council, go to https://nmsdc.org/
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
Covid19 Series: The Party in a Ball with Merrilee Kick of BuzzBallz
Follow the Leader
05/22/20 • 42 min
"They break down walls, they don't follow rules..."
While the whole country faced lockdown because of COVID-19, Merrilee Kick found herself in a unique position: she could supply people with something that was desperately needed. And not just the usual need for her delicious BuzzBallz cocktails, but for something that could help keep essential workers healthy and safe. So she put her head together with her family (all of whom help run the Texas-based distillery) and sent out their own hand sanitizer to workers around the country.
What is the surprising inspiration for BuzzBallz? How has the lockdown affected them? What are some of the new products on the horizon?
Merrilee Kick is the CEO and Founder of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion LLC, the only woman-owned distillery and winery in the United States. They specialize in making ready-to-drink cocktails (BuzzBallz), as well as premium spirits with their Southern Champion company which makes vodka, rum, gin, and bourbon. They import/export wines and spirits, and also manufacture private label brands. BuzzBallz sell in over 46 states in the US to grocery, liquor stores, convenience stores, arenas, and airlines. Major customers include Walmart, Total Wine & More, Meijers, Ralph's, Kroger, American Airlines Center, and Spirit Airlines.
Learn more at buzzballz.com
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
While the whole country faced lockdown because of COVID-19, Merrilee Kick found herself in a unique position: she could supply people with something that was desperately needed. And not just the usual need for her delicious BuzzBallz cocktails, but for something that could help keep essential workers healthy and safe. So she put her head together with her family (all of whom help run the Texas-based distillery) and sent out their own hand sanitizer to workers around the country.
What is the surprising inspiration for BuzzBallz? How has the lockdown affected them? What are some of the new products on the horizon?
Merrilee Kick is the CEO and Founder of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion LLC, the only woman-owned distillery and winery in the United States. They specialize in making ready-to-drink cocktails (BuzzBallz), as well as premium spirits with their Southern Champion company which makes vodka, rum, gin, and bourbon. They import/export wines and spirits, and also manufacture private label brands. BuzzBallz sell in over 46 states in the US to grocery, liquor stores, convenience stores, arenas, and airlines. Major customers include Walmart, Total Wine & More, Meijers, Ralph's, Kroger, American Airlines Center, and Spirit Airlines.
Learn more at buzzballz.com
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
06/22/20 • 48 min
"You can't be afraid of change. What you look like at $750,000 is not what you're going to look like at $2 million.”
Being an entrepreneur isn't easy, so having a partner can be an essential component to success. Brittany Stovall and Paulina Sandoval founded Assured Quality Systems with one goal in mind: give manufacturers a faster, better, more cost-effective process for ensuring manufacturing quality. AQS is committed to not being a staffing company that dispatches “warm bodies” to a manufacturing site, but rather a crew of quality assurance professionals who have been meticulously screened, vetted and trained to miss no detail and waste no time. Prior to the founding of AQS, Brittany served as liaison representative for TRW Automotive and as director of operations at the Private Company. Before AQS, Paulina served as VP at the Private Company in San Antonio.
What are the challenges of working with a partner? And how do mentors play a role? Learn more about Assured Quality Systems at assuredqualitysystems.com
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
Being an entrepreneur isn't easy, so having a partner can be an essential component to success. Brittany Stovall and Paulina Sandoval founded Assured Quality Systems with one goal in mind: give manufacturers a faster, better, more cost-effective process for ensuring manufacturing quality. AQS is committed to not being a staffing company that dispatches “warm bodies” to a manufacturing site, but rather a crew of quality assurance professionals who have been meticulously screened, vetted and trained to miss no detail and waste no time. Prior to the founding of AQS, Brittany served as liaison representative for TRW Automotive and as director of operations at the Private Company. Before AQS, Paulina served as VP at the Private Company in San Antonio.
What are the challenges of working with a partner? And how do mentors play a role? Learn more about Assured Quality Systems at assuredqualitysystems.com
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
07/10/20 • 42 min
Covid-19 has changed the game for a lot of industries, and what do you do if your business is to supply larger businesses that aren't back to full strength? It's not enough to be unique or check a box - solutions are needed now more than ever.
How do you find the right person to talk to? What are they looking for? How will business be different even when things return to something that looks like normal? Margo Posey is doing her best to answer those questions for minority-owned suppliers. She is the President and CEO of the Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council.
Posey represents the Dallas/Fort Worth affiliate relationship with the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The D/FW MSDC, based on performance, was ranked Council of the year in 2011 and 2015 and ranked in the top percentile of all Councils in all other years. She also bid and was awarded the grant to operate the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency Business Center-Dallas in 2011. The Center specializes in procurement assistance, access to capital and import and export opportunities for its clients locally and nationally, resulting in new job creation, retention, and true economic impact
To learn more about the D/FW Minority Supplier Development Council, go to https://dfwmsdc.com/
To learn more about the National Minority Supplier Council, go to https://nmsdc.org/
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
How do you find the right person to talk to? What are they looking for? How will business be different even when things return to something that looks like normal? Margo Posey is doing her best to answer those questions for minority-owned suppliers. She is the President and CEO of the Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council.
Posey represents the Dallas/Fort Worth affiliate relationship with the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The D/FW MSDC, based on performance, was ranked Council of the year in 2011 and 2015 and ranked in the top percentile of all Councils in all other years. She also bid and was awarded the grant to operate the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency Business Center-Dallas in 2011. The Center specializes in procurement assistance, access to capital and import and export opportunities for its clients locally and nationally, resulting in new job creation, retention, and true economic impact
To learn more about the D/FW Minority Supplier Development Council, go to https://dfwmsdc.com/
To learn more about the National Minority Supplier Council, go to https://nmsdc.org/
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
Covid-19 Series: The Power of Your Network with Jennefer Witter of The Boreland Group
Follow the Leader
09/11/20 • 37 min
"When one of us is stronger, all of us become stronger. So let's share..."
How do you stand out at a time when no one is out doing anything? Jennefer Witter has spent a career getting other people the attention they deserve. Social media is stronger than ever. However, with so much of it being "noise," what do you need to do to rise above it all?
Jennefer never took a business class and never had a desire to be an entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2003 when she founded The Boreland Group. What she learned was that she has a natural ability for business, which was greatly honed in her former position as a vice president at Ketchum, a global public relations firm where she launched the Corporate Technology division. It generated one million dollars of revenue in its first year.
Learn more about Jennefer and The Boreland Group at theborelandgroup.com
You can also purchase her book "The Little Book of Big PR: 100+ Quick Tips to Get Your Small Business Noticed" at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
How do you stand out at a time when no one is out doing anything? Jennefer Witter has spent a career getting other people the attention they deserve. Social media is stronger than ever. However, with so much of it being "noise," what do you need to do to rise above it all?
Jennefer never took a business class and never had a desire to be an entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2003 when she founded The Boreland Group. What she learned was that she has a natural ability for business, which was greatly honed in her former position as a vice president at Ketchum, a global public relations firm where she launched the Corporate Technology division. It generated one million dollars of revenue in its first year.
Learn more about Jennefer and The Boreland Group at theborelandgroup.com
You can also purchase her book "The Little Book of Big PR: 100+ Quick Tips to Get Your Small Business Noticed" at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
11/01/19 • 33 min
(Running a Foundation)...”It sounds good on paper, but it is a lot of work!”
Some might look at Kimberly Alexander and judge her life by what she’s lost. In 2010 Kimberly’s husband, NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander, passed away due to complications from multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow). As a stay-at-home mother of two, Kimberly decided that was the time to reinvent herself. A better way to judge Kimberly Alexander TODAY is by how much she has given back.
Kimberly is very active in the field of philanthropy and picked up where her husband left off by becoming an advocate for cancer patients and caregivers, as well as supporting health care initiatives for athletes. She also established KimCONNECTS, a boutique consulting firm that helps create business opportunities for her top-tier clients.
This episode marks my first Guest Leader who comes from the not-for-profit world. We talk about living through an unspeakable tragedy and using that experience to make real change in this world.
You can learn more at KimConnects.com, or follow her on social media @TheKimberlyAlexander
Some might look at Kimberly Alexander and judge her life by what she’s lost. In 2010 Kimberly’s husband, NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander, passed away due to complications from multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow). As a stay-at-home mother of two, Kimberly decided that was the time to reinvent herself. A better way to judge Kimberly Alexander TODAY is by how much she has given back.
Kimberly is very active in the field of philanthropy and picked up where her husband left off by becoming an advocate for cancer patients and caregivers, as well as supporting health care initiatives for athletes. She also established KimCONNECTS, a boutique consulting firm that helps create business opportunities for her top-tier clients.
This episode marks my first Guest Leader who comes from the not-for-profit world. We talk about living through an unspeakable tragedy and using that experience to make real change in this world.
You can learn more at KimConnects.com, or follow her on social media @TheKimberlyAlexander
Covid-19 Series: Helping Women Veteran Entrepreneurs Thrive with Guest Leader VR Small
Follow the Leader
12/04/20 • 54 min
VR Small has dedicated her work to helping two groups she is passionate about - women and veterans. As a Navy veteran and a member of a military family, VR came back to the business world with a mission and a simple personal slogan of "changing the way we see the world and do business."
To that end, VR started the Veteran Women's Enterprise Center. The WVEC aims to help veterans, active duty, reservists and female military spouse scale for success. They establish strategic alliances, leverage public/private-sector opportunities, advocate for relevant research, services and funding, while simultaneously providing on-site the personal and professional resources they need to succeed.
Learn more about VR Small at veteranwomensec.org
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
To that end, VR started the Veteran Women's Enterprise Center. The WVEC aims to help veterans, active duty, reservists and female military spouse scale for success. They establish strategic alliances, leverage public/private-sector opportunities, advocate for relevant research, services and funding, while simultaneously providing on-site the personal and professional resources they need to succeed.
Learn more about VR Small at veteranwomensec.org
Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPod
Outro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by aneleh
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FAQ
How many episodes does Follow the Leader have?
Follow the Leader currently has 43 episodes available.
What topics does Follow the Leader cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Follow the Leader?
The episode title 'Celebrating 25 Years of Women’s Business Council Southwest with Debbie Hurst and Sharon Evans' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Follow the Leader?
The average episode length on Follow the Leader is 43 minutes.
How often are episodes of Follow the Leader released?
Episodes of Follow the Leader are typically released every 21 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Follow the Leader?
The first episode of Follow the Leader was released on Mar 9, 2018.
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