Increase Your Company’s Value
TheThe GuideGuide ToTo FindingFinding CapitalCapital InIn 20172017 SmallSmall Best Companies For Reliability ST.ST. LOUIS LOUIS St.St. Louis’Louis’ BestBest inin QualityQuality BusinessBusiness The St. Louis Business Expo SBM MonthlyMonthly MeetMeet STL’sSTL’s MostMost AdmiredAdmired BusinessBusiness LeadersLeaders SBM JANUARYAPRIL 2019 2017 TheThe SourceSource forfor BusinessBusiness OwnersOwners JANUARY 2017
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You’re Invited: The Biggest Business Event Of The Year ST. LOUIS BUSINESS EXPO & BUSINESS GROWTH CONFERENCE, April 23, 2019 Attend Google’s “Grow Your Business Lab” BOOTHS AVAILABLE Reserve your space 314.569.0076 www.stlouisbusinessexpo.com Explore.Innovate. Engage. Create. Empower!Celebrate! MayMay 52–7, - 11, 20162019 SmallSmall Business Business WeekWeek is is packedpacked withwith moremore than than 2520 events events for business owners! SMALL BUSINESS WEEK EASTERN MISSOURI for business owners!
Check out these events: Celebrate with the winners Local Resource and Profitable Strategies Financingfor Exporting Your Small Business Sponsor: Small Business Administration May 5, 2016 Sponsor: World Trade Center – Saint Louis May 9, 2019 Exporting from the Heartland – Tools for Growing Your Business Internationally ExhibitExpo, Expo, 10 9:00a.m. am – -4 11:00 p.m. am Sponsor:Boot to Small Business Business Administration –Reboot SBA Awards Luncheon, 11:00 am-1:30 pm Entrepreneurship Training Gala Awards Luncheon, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Small Business Week Matchmaking Event Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel Sponsor:Sponsor: Small SBA Business District Administration Office/Veterans Business Hilton Frontenac Hotel HowResource to Start aCenter Home-Based Business 1335 S Lindbergh9801 Natural Blvd, Frontenac, Bridge Rd. MO 63131 Sponsor: Small Business Majority and St. Louis County Library St. Louis, MO 63134 The Legal and Ethical Issues of Impact Investments and Local Businesses: Your money. FREE Admission to the Expo YourPartnership return. Our community. in Family Startups FREE Admission to the Expo Sponsor:Sponsor: Justine SCORE PETERSEN Gala Awards Luncheon : $50.00 The Importance of a Business Plan SBA Awards Luncheon: $55 Sponsor:The Million SCORE $ Niche- “Exploring Hobbies Bootsinto to Profitable Business: Reboot Business” (Special Session on Franchising) OtherOther events events will will cover topics topics such such as, as Sponsor:Sponsor: Small Microsoft Business Administration and Capital and VeteransConsulting Business Social TakingMedia, the GovernmentFear Out of Marketing, Contracts, Resource Center Services BusinessGovernment Planning Contracts - and8(a) Program, more! How to Finance Your Small Business and more. ...and more! Event information and tickets at www.SBWEM.org Small Business Week is presented in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Solutions that are a lot more useful and a lot less complicated.
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6 Publisher’s Letter 7 Sales Moves 7 Ask The Banker 8 Entrepreneur’s Toolbox 8 Mastering Linkedin 8 Building Inner Strength 9 Better Your Business 10 High-Voltage Marketing 10 CultureCentric Leadership 11 Marketing Works 11 Financial Fitness 12 Technology Trends 45 Leader Acceleration 46 Value Proposition 46 The Extraordinary Workplace 47 Time With The Boss
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WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 5 PUBLISHER’S LETTER BY RON AMELN *O#VTJOFTT UP4FSWF:PVS#VTJOFTT Helping Businesses Succeed: 8F%P#VTJOFTT-PBOT One Business At A Time #VTJOFTT-JOFPG$SFEJU s a business consultant, Jeanet Wade was searching for a way to really make a e difference in her clients’ success. She found the answer in a book, “Traction,” #VTJOFTT$SFEJU$BSE by Gino Wickman. e #VTJOFTT7FIJDMFPS A After reading the book, which outlines a business system known as the En- e trepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Wade knew this system was the key to helping &RVJQNFOU-PBO businesses throughout the region become successful. $PNNFSDJBM3FBM&TUBUF “This system is a life changing thing,” Wade said. “It fundamentally changes peoples’ e spirits, and their energy. It’s transformative.” She became a Certified EOS Implementer, the only certified implementer in St. Louis, and over the last six years helped over 58 clients achieve results with EOS. As an EOS Certified Implementer, Wade helps companies implement the system through a 24-month journey. EOS is a comprehensive business system, integrating a holistic busi- ness model with a complete set of simple tools and a process to align and synchronize all the pieces of a business. Wade is doing her part to help area companies succeed. When asked about their success, many area businesses point to help from others, whether that help comes from trusted advisors like accountants or attorneys, or coaches *1 share deposit required. Must qualify for membership. Loans subject to approval. Federally insured by NCUA. like Wade. Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Our goal with our annual 100 St. Louisans to Know to Succeed in Business feature is to showcase the individuals in St. Louis that are helping businesses of all sizes grow and prosper. Think of this list as your own black book of business champions. It is a way to stop leaving your next big breakthrough to chance. Let’s say you want to know______: a. How to tap into the experience of a military veteran (Dr. William Powell Jr., pg. 26) b. How to utilize the tech community for a large-scale project (Jake Renfro, pg. 28) STRIKE A POWERFUL CHORD c. How to learn from the area’s only African American bank CEO (Orvin Kimbrough, pg. 22) WITH YOUR CLIENTS d. How to use the mind of a problem-solver to revamp your sales and marketing teams (Tara Kinney, pg. 23) 2019 Season Tickets on sale now e. How to avoid turnover in your business and improve employee morale (Art Snarzyk, pg. 30) FEATURED BENEFITS INCLUDE: The breadth and depth of entrepreneurial experience is at your fingertips. •� Best�seats�in�the�house�-� •� Exclusive�access�to�our� •� VIP�parking�with�priority� However, there is a danger in naming people. You leave people out. People that as�close�as�the��rd�row VIP�club�featuring� exit�after�show should absolutely be mentioned. Please know that we are aware of this. If there is •� New�Luxury�Private�boxes� »� Full�service�bar •� Private�VIP�entrance for���or�more�people »� Private�air�conditioned� someone that you feel should be on the list, send me a message ([email protected]) with restrooms the person’s name, title, company name and 150 words as to why they are someone that »� Event�nights business owners should know. We will consider them for next year’s list. n GROUP EXPERIENCES BENEFITS INCLUDE:
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6 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM SALES MOVES BY MARK HUNTER ASK THE BANKER How Should My Business Be Using Social Media?
Between fears of security breaches and The Fat Sales Pipeline vs. the Narrow unfavorable customer comments, some small-business owners shy away from social media for their companies. But what are they Pipeline: Which is Better? missing out on? A recent Pew Research Center study found that seven in 10 Americans now have at least one social media profile. Businesses that lack an online presence, in other words, are onventional wisdom doesn’t been able to spend enough time missing out on direct access to their custom- hold. It’s time to bust this with them. Second, discounting to ers and the chance to build brand aware- myth! The long-standing belief close means you may be prospect- ness, enhance loyalty and, most important, C increase sales. is that you need to have a big fat ing people who don’t fit the profile pipeline. It’s what our bosses have of your perfect customer. This is Ready to take the plunge? Here are some tips told us for years. I remember as a because you did not segment your to get started. salesperson keeping prospects that leads fast enough to narrow your weren’t going anywhere in my pipe- list to only those that fit your per- 1) Start with a plan. Set goals and objectives line simply to keep my boss happy. fect profile. that will make a real impact on your business. Acquiring new customers or introducing new Fat pipelines wind up doing only Ten years ago I subscribed to the merchandise, for example, is more valuable one thing — they create havoc and fat pipeline theory, but times have than gaining “likes.” Create a social media keep you from truly selling. The fat changed and the ability to identify calendar to track dates for creating and post- pipeline requires too much time and leads has never been easier thanks ing content. effort just to keep the leads straight. to the internet. This ease of list The result is that you don’t have building has resulted in pipelines 2) Choose platforms that make sense for your business. Consider your customer enough time to spend on your best becoming bigger, but that doesn’t demographics and choose the social media prospects. change the reality that you still have platforms in which they are most likely to For years in my keynotes and only 24 hours in a day. Go ahead engage. B2B businesses, for example, may trainings, I’ve advocated that the and load up on all the hacks and target LinkedIn, while retail businesses may best approach is to have a narrow apps you want. It’s not going to need a Pinterest page. pipeline to give you the time you change the fact that there are only 3) Write meaningful content. It’s critical to need to spend with your best pros- 24 hours in a day. have content that is fresh, timely and appeal- pects. Narrow pipelines are the new ing to your customers. Overt sales pitches are The acid test I use is to look at norm. It’s not a game of leads; it’s a o-putting. Posts that teach, entertain and the percentage of deals you have to game of leads that match up to your amaze are always in style. discount to close. I use this as a key perfect profile. metric because it says two things. Yes, I’m aware that as you read 4) Expand your audience. Build your presence by using social media tools like First, if you’re having to discount, it customer to understand the value of what this, you might be ready to go ballistic you offer. This is because you have not hashtags, tagging and giveaways to attract means you have not been able to get the with me or be only upset about how new customers. Facebook, for example, your boss would take makes it easy (for a price) for small busi- this post should you nesses to “boost” posts and push them out Tuesday, April 23, 2019 ST. CHARLES CONVENTION CENTER share it with them. Hit to the demographic of their choosing. Ask for me with your toughest feedback and thoughtfully respond to criti- concerns. I’ll be happy cism to create trusting relationships. to answer and share 5) Piggyback on other activities. Take advan- Energize YOUR more on this issue..n tage of national events like Small Business Saturday by running your own content in BUSINESS, Mark Hunter, of The conjunction with them. Sales Hunter sales motiva- The bottom line: Social media is here to stay. EXHIBIT AT THE tion blog, is the author of Don’t miss out on an audience that’s ready th “High-Profit Prospecting: and willing to connect with your brand. 30 ANNUAL Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.” PRESENTED BY Debi Enders (debi.enders@ commercebank.com) is BIZEXPO vice president, small business banking at Reserve your space today! WWW.STLEXPO.COM 314.569.0076 Commerce Bank.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 7 ENTREPRENEUR’S TOOLBOX MASTERING LINKEDIN BY JAMES CANADA BY KATHY BERNARD
Is This Meeting Really Necessary Should You Upgrade Do the comments “Why did we have this meeting?” or “What is the point of this to LinkedIn Premium meeting?” sound familiar? Instead of con- veying important information to our clients or employees, too often we rush to call Considering LinkedIn premium for meetings that turn out to be unnecessary your business? Here are the costs per and unproductive. person and the pros and cons for each option. If we don’t know why we need to have Business Premium - $59.99/month a meeting, then we probably should not PROS: See “everyone” who visits your meet! The definition of an eective meet- profile, send 15 InMail messages/month, ing is one that brings the decision makers gain business insights on prospect compa- and influencers together at the right time nies, enjoy unlimited people browsing and with a well-defined outcome. the benefits of Job Seeker Premium (high Here are five steps to help ensure that ev- job positioning, learn salary ranges and ery meeting produces the engaging results sought-after skills for positions), plus gain main anonymous and (in my opinion) its great results. you need to move your business forward: access to LinkedIn Learning courses. CONS: Anonymous profile visitors re- advanced search filters don’t always yield Prices are higher if you are paying 1) In clear and concise terms, state the main anonymous, 15 InMails are not that optimum results. monthly. Team/enterprise features and purpose of the meeting and the desired many, no access to advanced search filters. Recruiter Lite - $99.95/month pricing are available. outcome. Sales Navigator - $64.99/month PROS: See who visited your profile, 30 So, should you upgrade? Maybe! Try a 2) Make a list of each attendee and why PROS: See who visited your profile, InMails/month, advanced people search 30-day free trial through LinkedIn before this person is needed — e.g., knowledge, in- send 20 InMails/month, enjoy unlimited with recruiting filters, unlimited people deciding. n fluence, decision-making, implementation. people browsing plus Job Seeker Pre- browsing, talent suggestions, automatic 3) Organize the logistics — e.g., number of mium, take LinkedIn Learning courses candidate tracking, and the ability to man- Kathy Bernard ([email protected]), CEO attendees, location, equipment, Wi-Fi. age whole candidate pool in one place. of WiserU.com, is a St. Louis-based Linke- 4) Create an agenda that is concise, and benefit from Lead Builder to create CONS: Pricey, anonymous visitors re- dIn expert/trainer who equips businesses to chronological and well-organized, with custom lead lists and find decision makers maximize LinkedIn for sales, marketing, or time allocated for each topic. Allow time using advanced search filters. main anonymous and (in my opinion) its for summary and actions review at the CONS: Pricey, anonymous visitors re- advanced search filters don’t always yield fundraising. end. Distribute the agenda, along with background material, in advance. BUILDING INNER STRENGTH 5) Always start the meeting on time and BY DR. DEB CARLIN establish meeting rules — i.e., stay on subject, oer mutual respect in listening and speaking, and solve problems without blame. The Psychology of Business So, before you call your next meeting, ask yourself, Is this meeting really necessary? Define business for yourself in this very how we operate our life overall. and then we lose ourselves into some Hosting an eective meeting helps ev- moment. If you’ve forgotten the art of fun and form of stress, and that leads nowhere eryone be more productive. When I follow Is it something serious and deeply happiness, relaxation and daydreaming, happy. It is at that point that we become the above steps, I find that participation meaningful? Are the stakes high because your life has become a rugged journey and at risk for unhealthy choices about how to increases and morale improves. Remember of what you do and the outcomes you you will benefit from a routine that takes find a release — an innocent drink, simple that a successful meeting occurs when produce? Is it serious because of the you into a daily return to a childlike exis- flirtation, shopping spree. Any one of those involved agree that the right agenda money you need to make? Your percep- tence where you allow healthy playtime. these can be seemingly harmless but often was addressed by the right people at the tions about what constitutes business are Seriously. evolve into habits that lead to trouble if right time with the right approach so that important for you to understand because In some of the most impressive leader- they are escapes. the meeting produced the desired result. they formulate your perceptions and cre- ship centers, I’ve found toys inviting the Intentional play is a solution. Allow it — like a coffee break daily. n James H. Canada is managing partner/CEO ate your attitude daily. serious to allow their playfulness. It’s Deb Carlin is president of Partners In Excel- for Alliance Technologies LLC, ITEN mentor What’s the impact of your mind on healthy to resume a once-upon-a-time childlike imagination of fun and simple lence LLC. Awarded numerous accolades for and author of “Corporate to Entrepreneur: your business life? Are your thoughts run- her leadership, writing, speaking and teaching, Strategies for Success.” Con- ning you, or are you running them? Most pleasures. Why resist? she holds an MS in statistical analysis and tact Jim at james.canada@ often, we forget that we are the screen- Our work, no matter what we do, offers research methodology and a PhD in psychology, alliancetechnologiesllc.com, writer, actor, director and producer of our the opportunity to think with the best both from Saint Louis University. “Build the 636-734-2337 or www. mentality. The psychology of business is parts of our brain, but when we get con- Strength Within” was her 11th book. For more alliancetechnologiesllc.com. merely a reflection of the psychology of sumed by it, we get drained and uneasy information, visit www.drdebcarlin.com.
8 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM BETTER YOUR BUSINESS BY MARK LAWSON
Hidden Costs That Are Busting Your Profits
he never-ending quest to boost your tunities include credits around renewable yellow phone book, you may be distracting wise. company’s financial growth and energy, historic preservation and even film your employees from delivering on compa- Employee Turnover Tprofitability has many obstacles. production. In addition, many cities and ny goals. Conversely, some smaller business- Employee turnover is riddled with hid- Some hurdles are obvious but unavoid- counties will offer tax incentives designed es lack the needed policies and procedures den costs that may not be something able, such as increases in the cost of raw to encourage expansion. that could help them run a tighter, more you’ve factored into overall profitability. materials, or increased tax burdens. Other Fraud profitable shop. The biggest chunk, of course, is the threats to your profits prove to be less An Association of Certified Fraud Exam- Employee onboarding is a prime example time it takes to hire and train new staff. visible. What are the most common profit iners study estimates that typical organiza- of something that can be either process- Could you automate your hiring efforts busters and how can you take action to tions lose an average of 5% of revenue heavy or sorely lacking. Some organizations such as job posting, resume collection put your money back where it belongs? annually due to fraud. They also found have weeklong orientations. Others consist and pre-interview questions through an Taxes that companies with fewer than 100 em- of showing the employee the location of online job site? Reviewing tax strategies annually, along ployees are particularly vulnerable because their desk and the coffee machine, and Unprofitable Clients with a midyear touch-base, is a good they are less likely to implement anti-fraud they’re off and running. Most employees There are many reasons a once-promis- idea. Your banker can provide you some controls that can detect fraud sooner. would likely agree that the ideal is to strike ing client can turn into a financial drain. insights on how this might impact your While your banking partner should have a balance. Fixing these situations can be one of financial position, but your accountant many fraud detection tools in place, the Collection procedures are another common the most direct ways to positively impact is always a smart place to begin. Some burden of a fraudulent event still rests opportunity for improvement. For example, your bottom line. It can be tough to part business leaders are surprised to learn with you, so it is important to utilize as if you have receivables that are accumulat- ways with a client, but the impact can be that state and local taxes are where the many preventive tools as possible. ing and may go otherwise unpaid, a col- substantial. n most opportunities exist. Certain states Operational Inefficiencies lection agency could be a wise investment. Mark Lawson is Director of Treasury Man- allow tax credits that will reduce the If your company’s processes and proce- They may get 30 cents on the dollar, but agement for Enterprise Bank & Trust. amount of income tax you owe. Oppor- dures add up to be as thick as the old that is money you might not have other-
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 9 CULTURECENTRIC LEADERSHIP HIGH VOLTAGE MARKETING BY JONATHAN JONES BY TOM RUWITCH A Culture of Better People Businesses Play With Fire When They Stay Stuck in the Marketing Past
The idea that companies are currently in a talent war is an understatement. The real- ity is that the talent war has been going on talented young digital marketer forever. The successful companies recog- applied for a job at a publishing nized this a long time ago and have been company and sent samples of his strengthening their strategies and tactics A work. for years. The best business schools always He didn’t get the job, but he got a nice have great companies recruiting the best rejection email from the company’s sales students. School boards used to be filled manager. with company executives to ensure that “Thanks very much for sending the talent pool would be ready for indus- us samples of your work. You’re very try. Steel town executives made sure the talented,” the sales manager said. “I feel local students would be ready to sta the your strength lies in film and digital, and steel mills. They wanted the right people to our market responds to print.” sustain their success. Hmmmm. Employees must have the right attitude. I don’t know the sales manager or his Hire for the right attitude and cognitive market. Maybe, just maybe, his market ability first, then train them to do the job, responds to print and not to digital. because having someone who is an expert, But this sales manager reminds me of yet has a bad attitude moves an organiza- lots of marketers I’ve met over the years, tion backward. The most important person marketers who have said: to focus on is the owner or leader. A leader “I don’t need a website. My customers of a company must emulate all the values find me through the Yellow Pages.” of the organization and must continue to “Email? My customers don’t like develop themselves. The leader must make email.” sure the next level of leadership should “Social media? That’s only for young be better than themselves; smarter and people. My market responds to direct better qualified. Giving smart people the mail and phone calls.” best opportunities will endear them to All of these people may as well have the company. Great leaders have enough said: “I don’t know or understand digital confidence in themselves and their mission marketing. I’m comfortable with what I to make sure they hire the best people. know. I’ll stick with that.” I have nothing against print advertis- searching for prospects who wanted to marketer. I would tell that marketer not to It is not just about having the right person ing, direct mail, telephone calls and other market their businesses the old way that dump print altogether. I would encourage for the job but making sure that the com- “offline” marketing channels — as long as he didn’t notice that email and other that marketer to find ways to use digital pany is filled with the highest caliber at all they work. In many cases, they can work. digital channels were killing his envelope channels to complement the print market- levels. The first question for every leader But it’s getting harder. business. Then it was too late, and he was ing — and vice versa. should be “who should do it?”, not “what I also am not one of those guys who out of business. I would require the marketer to set goals should be done?”. Everything else will says, “You have to try this latest digital That guy who passed on a website and and measure results. That way, when I say work out unless you do not have the right marketing channel because ‘everybody’ is kept investing in the Yellow Pages? He’s either, “It worked” or “It didn’t work,” I’ll people. killing it.’” out of business too. have data to support the claim. Social media, podcasting, paid search Maybe the sales manager at the pub- But I’m not that sales manager. All I can Remember Jim Collin’s powerful state- email and other digital media channels lishing house has tried digital marketing. do is hope the guy’s still in business five ment: Great vision without great people is are not right for everyone. Maybe he has devised great strategies, years from now. n irrelevant. But I’ve seen too many businesses fall employed smart tactics and learned that Tom Ruwitch is the president and founder of behind because they’re stuck in old ways. his market truly responds only to print. MarketVolt, an interactive marketing firm. For Jonathan Jones (Jonathan. I’m friends with a guy who used to But I doubt it. more business-building marketing resources by [email protected] or run an envelope business. He was so If I were in the sales manager’s shoes, Tom Ruwitch, go to MarketVolt.com/resources. 314-608-0783) is a CEO peer busy marketing his business the old way, I would hire that smart young digital group chair/coach for Vistage International.
10 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM MARKETING WORKS FINANCIAL FITNESS BY JEREMY NULIK BY KAREN STERN Unconscious Bias Can Hinder Business What to Do When Your Brand Stops Working Success
Dozens of unconscious biases exist in our workplaces. Bias can reduce trust between team members, stifle performance and limit profitable opportunities. However, businesses can take feasible steps to com- f only we could get in a time machine bat unconscious bias and its e ects. and go back twenty years. I think that is what my friend was thinking. We I People often rely on assumptions or pref- had been talking about her role as a mar- erences when they’re faced with a lack of keter for a Midwest-based financial firm. information, time or memory. Consider the The conversation was about some of the following example of status quo bias: difficulty the organization was facing with its brand. For so long, the brand position An employee presents new project-track- had worked. The company had steady ing software to a manager. The software growth, and then it stopped working. Or, has the potential to make the business 10 at least that is what it seemed. percent more ecient. Even so, the man- After a couple of strategically valuable ager decides against it, feeling the stress acquisitions, her organization was facing of another round of client meetings begin- challenges that were volatile and complex. ning soon and reasoning that the business The complexity involved issues with the has been profitable so far. humans from the acquired firms. As much as the mechanics of the acquisi- The preference for what has already tions made sense, the acquired locations worked might initially save valuable time suffered: no growth, low morale, high and money. However, it could also give turnover. competing companies a chance to get Twenty years ago, she would have solved ahead. When we revert to our worldview or this problem with communications — just past experiences — including assumptions tell employees and the world how awe- about gender, age or race — to make deci- some you are and leverage those commu- sions, it can hurt our chances of success. nications with advertising. complexities of our lives through stories. Create a way for humans in your But my friend knew that we do not live My friend realized that her job as a organization to share stories based on the Fortunately, current research o ers proven in the world of twenty years ago. And leader was to create an environment in behavior statements. Since behaviors can solutions that allow us to design our now there is an increased visibility into which people (the beings that she counted be observed, you can begin the process of environments, processes and systems for organizations. That means that a lack of on to deliver the brand promise) have the making connections between day-in-day- greater equality. At 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, as part of The Bridge, the Brown employee alignment and poor customer space, time and tools needed to tell stories out work and its significance to the brand Smith Wallace women’s initiative event experiences are more quickly made known – to each other and to outside audiences and strategic direction of your organiza- series, Siri Chilazi will present “What to the world – and they are leveraged far as well. tions. Works: Practical Tools to Combat Uncon- Maybe you are at the crossroads she was Step Three: Ritualize the telling of more than any manufactured brand com- scious Bias in the Workplace.” munications. facing, or maybe you are feeling like your stories. brand is stuck. Either way, here are the To make the process long-lasting, you In short: Everyone can see all your Chilazi will discuss the latest insights from insides. Your brand is no longer managing steps she followed: can use two devices humans understand behavioral research and show how they perception rooted in clever communica- Step One: Craft behavior statements – rituals and symbols. Make intentional can help us close inequality gaps through tions. Your brand is a natural outcome Using the abstract values as a frame- time for people to gather and share improved talent management and inclu- of your culture. The change you hope to work, begin to create story-based behavior behavior-statement-based stories. And you sive culture. The event is free to attend, create on your outsides has to start with statements. Example: “Do Good,” be- can even badge or recognize the best sto- but registration is required. Sign up at your insides. comes “Do the next right thing.” This can rytellers or exemplars of your values. This brownsmithwallace.com/TheBridge.n The deepest challenge my friend faced be accomplished by interrogating employ- turns mundane meetings into ceremonies is that even that understanding is not ees using the abstract values and asking recognizing individuals or teams. Let enough. The elements of culture exist at a them when those values are present. What them recognize one another for winning level that is not easily visible. So the best does it look like? Who was involved? You behaviors.n way she could access them, in their truest will begin to get stories that have behav- Karen Stern, CPA, (kstern@ forms, is through stories. From ancient iors instead of invisible intentions. Jeremy Nulik ([email protected]) is evan- bswllc.com), partner in charge, Greeks to present-day hip-hop, we are Step Two: Exchange of stories inter- gelist prime at bigwidesky, a human business Brown Smith Wallace Entrepre- beings driven to seek and understand the nally. consultancy, in St. Louis, Mo. neurial Services Group, provides tax and accounting services for companies ranging from start- ups to $20 million in revenue.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 11 SPECIAL REPORT: TECHNOLOGY CYBER SECURITY THREATS ARE INCREASING
AI advances allow for 80% of attacks exploit more sophisticated attacks known vulnerabilities
Global ransomware Business Process Improvement With Business campaigns are spreading Hacking is more 317 million new pieces of sophisticated and evolving Manager 365 malware were created in 2017 Phishing attacks are on the rise BY SCOTT M. LEWIS Proactively Manage & Minimize Risk! 24/7 Monitoring & s Business Manager 365 con- mistakes and eliminate duplication. Rapid Response Team! tinued to grow and expand Service-based businesses are difficult NTP offers a broad range of solutions to help your organization monitor, defend, and respond to today’s Athroughout our business, it really to run and manage because they are continually evolving cyber threats. drove our continued business process primarily human-based businesses, both Contact NTP at 636-458-4995 or online at NTPCyberSecurity.com improvement practices. It also showed internally and externally. Add to that for a complimentary Cyber Security Needs Analysis! us why these processes are increasingly lots of logistical moving parts that can important to the long-term success of increase the complexity business opera- our business. tions tremendously. Now mix the human It wasn’t about how we thought the aspect of running the business with business was going to be run; it became solid data collection and transition that Bank Said NO? about how our business was actually information into making good business running and making us profitable or decisions. It will come down to how to We Can Help! not. We wanted to know from the team quantify the data and analytics of how Improve cash fl ow • Increase profi ts in the field, accounting, project manage- your business is operating. Managing Promote growth ment and others how the business was data and instituting a process improve- Local funder • Quick advances on invoices • Timely rebates running. ment methodology are critical to the No up-front or hidden fees • No volume commitments It soon became a challenge to solve long-term success and growth of the Minus Cost of Investment) Divided by Call Joy Ann at real business issues with automation and company. Cost of Investment. However, in service- 636-458-2612 [email protected] software to streamline and manage every In a service-based business, where does based businesses, which are heavily driv- www.lexxfunding.com aspect of the business. It was critically this data come from? In most cases, the en by the human cost, this can be a little important to know and understand the answer is nowhere. Or it is an accumu- more difficult to calculate. It involves challenges that we all face when running lation of four or five separate software the soft dollars of increased productivity, a growing service-based business — from packages that do not work together to improved time management and learn- the biggest corporate-wide issues down to solve real business problems, such as ing about behavioral issues faster, which the smallest individual inefficient things having a data-driven work process that allows you to correct sooner. It also that cost us time and money and impact manages escalations, scheduling, project involves capturing intellectual customer our ability to serve our customers. management, human resources, time knowledge and employee knowledge to It has been interesting to work with and attendance, and other areas of the reduce future time lost and discovering business owners all over the country. It business that may be affected by a simple what you should have already known is sometimes surprising how little some change in the active data. about your customers. owners know about how their business When you look at data and what it Business Manager 365 has grown out actually operates. This is not a negative. does for your business, something as sim- of solving these and many other real busi- It is simply the evolutionary process of ple as someone calling in sick can have a ness issues over the last 18 years of devel- business mixed with individuals and the huge impact on the activities of the day. opment. Now it is being made available ST. CHARLES CONVENTION CENTER processes they go through to become suc- What job duties were they supposed to to other service-based businesses with the cessful or complete a job. have done that day? What’s the impact hopes that it will empower others to grow Business Manager 365 has over 18 on special projects? What can be resched- and manage their businesses to a higher years of development and practical ap- uled? What has to be reassigned because level.n Scott Lewis is the president and CEO of Energize YOUR plication, with ongoing development it can’t wait for the next day? Then there focused on continuously observing how are all the back-end accounting processes Winning Technologies Group of Companies, BUSINESS, people work in a service-based business. of managing a simple sick day. This is which includes Liberty One Software. Scott Through our development processes, one very simple example of the complexi- has more than 30 years of experience in the EXHIBIT AT THE we have tried to break down these work ties of running a service-based business. technology industry and is a nationally rec- processes to the lowest common point When you think of software, what is it ognized speaker and author. He has worked and dissect every task or process that em- really supposed to do for your business? with businesses to empower them to use ployees go through in every operational We all hope it creates an opportunity technology to improve work processes, increase department. Once we have broken down to improve work processes. Streamline productivity and reduce costs. Winning Tech- PRESENTED BY the tasks and processes, we can try to operations. Reduce costs through process nologies’ goal is to work with companies on focus on how to improve them. This in- improvement. And so on. the selection, implementation, management BIZEXPO and support of technology resources. Learn cludes streamlining workflow, increasing But how do you measure that result? ReserveSt. Louis your Business space today! Expo WWW.STLOUISBUSINESSEXPO.COM 314.569.0076 information sharing, and using automa- When measuring return on investment, more about Winning Technologies at www. tion and business intelligence to reduce the basic formula is (Gain on Investment winningtech.com or by calling 877-379-8279. April 23 www.stlexpo.com
12 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM SPONSORS Scaling Your Business to the Next Level...
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MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM SPONSORS Scaling Your Business to the Next Level... 100 St. Louisans You About The Sponsors: Table Sponsors: Meet The Top Business Liberty One Software 877-379-8279 Should Know www.businessmanager365.com In uencers In St. Louis Liberty One Software is a nationwide software distribution company for Business Manager 365, which is a fully integrated business management software package. Business Manager 2019 Top St. Louisans To Know 365 is focused on helping service based businesses streamline work processes and integrate data sharing, to maximize profitability and reduce the need for multiple pieces of softwareSCHMERSAHL TRELOAR & CO. Certified Public Accountants Business Award Luncheon to manage your business. April 10, 2018 | St. Charles Convention Center April 23, 2019 Vistage Cindy McDaniel [email protected] St. Charles Convention Center 636-343-8859 MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM 11am-1pm www.vistage.com 100 Exclusively for CEOs, business owners, key executives and B2B service providers. St. Louisans You Business growth requires making good decisions. Better decisions lead to better results. About The Sponsors: $55 pe r seat/$550 Table of 10 Vistage helps you make even better decisions than what you are making on your own. Liberty One Software http://store.sbmon.com 877-379-8279 Should Know Winning Technologies www.businessmanager365.com Liberty One Software is a nationwide software distribution company for Business Manager Scott Lewis 365, which is a fully integrated business management software package. Business Manager 314. 569. 0076 636-379-8279 365 is focused on helping service based businesses streamline work processes and integrate data sharing, to maximize profitability and reduce the need for multiple pieces of software Keynote Presenter: Jeff Koziatek. www.winningtech.com to manage your business. April 10, 2018 | St. Charles Convention Center [email protected] Vistage “Authentic Leadership” Winning Technologies is a Business Management company that specializesCindy in theMcDaniel selection, implementation, management and support of technology initiatives. [email protected] www.win- Presented by: Sponsors: ningtech.com for more information. 636-343-8859 MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM www.vistage.com Exclusively for CEOs, business owners, key executives and B2B service providers. Business growth requires making good decisions. Better decisions lead to better results. Vistage helps you make even better decisions than what you are making on your own.
Winning Technologies Scott Lewis 636-379-8279 www.winningtech.com [email protected] Winning Technologies is a Business Management company that specializes in the selection, implementation, management and support of technology initiatives. Visit www.win- ningtech.com for more information.
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14 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM SPONSORS Scaling Your Business to the Next Level...
Table Sponsors: TOP ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS Chad Richter HeplerBroom Law Firm
Years of experience:5 What are the biggest challenges facing business owners SCHMERSAHL TRELOAR & CO. Certified Public Accountants when it comes to estate planning? One of the biggest challenges some business owners face in the estate planning process is determining who will carry on the business, which often leads to procrastination. Instead, MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM SPONSORS business owners need to understand the most important aspect of estate plan- Scaling Your Business to the Next Level... 100 ning is having a plan in place that will facilitate a smooth transition and mini- St. Louisans You mize costs regardless of who will carry on the business. About The Sponsors: Table Sponsors: Meet The Top Business Liberty One Software What’s the No. 1 piece of advice you would give to business owners when it 877-379-8279 Should Know comes to estate planning? www.businessmanager365.com In uencers In St. Louis Liberty One Software is a nationwide software distribution company for Business Manager There are two people you need to trust: your attorney and your personal repre- 365, which is a fully integrated business management software package. Business Manager 2019 Top St. Louisans To Know 365 is focused on helping service based businesses streamline work processes and integrate sentative. Without proper guidance and the right individuals to carry out your data sharing, to maximize profitability and reduce the need for multiple pieces of softwareSCHMERSAHL TRELOAR & CO. Certified Public Accountants Business Award Luncheon to manage your business. April 10, 2018 | St. Charles Convention Center estate and business succession plan, the administration of your estate may be April 23, 2019 derailed leaving your beneficiaries the gift of headaches and litigation instead of Vistage Cindy McDaniel the wealth and opportunities intended for them. [email protected] St. Charles Convention Center 636-343-8859 MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM 11am-1pm www.vistage.com 100 What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen business owners make, and what advice Exclusively for CEOs, business owners, key executives and B2B service providers. St. Louisans You Business growth requires making good decisions. Better decisions lead to better results. About The Sponsors: $55 pe r seat/$550 Table of 10 would you give to solve the problem? Vistage helps you make even better decisions than what you are making on your own. Liberty One Software http://store.sbmon.com Business owners fail to implement training and transition plans to provide for 877-379-8279 Should Know Winning Technologies www.businessmanager365.com Liberty One Software is a nationwide software distribution company for Business Manager an orderly business continuation. After the owner’s death in these cases, their Scott Lewis 365, which is a fully integrated business management software package. Business Manager 314. 569. 0076 636-379-8279 365 is focused on helping service based businesses streamline work processes and integrate spouse is left to deal with the business without any knowledge of its value or the data sharing, to maximize profitability and reduce the need for multiple pieces of software Keynote Presenter: Jeff Koziatek. www.winningtech.com to manage your business. April 10, 2018 | St. Charles Convention Center [email protected] ability to run the business even in the short term. As such the estate will receive a Winning Technologies is a Business Management company that specializesVistage in the selection, “Authentic Leadership” Cindy McDaniel substantially discounted price for the business. implementation, management and support of technology initiatives. [email protected] www.win- Presented by: Sponsors: ningtech.com for more information. 636-343-8859 MISSOURI VENTURE FORUM www.vistage.com Exclusively for CEOs, business owners, key executives and B2B service providers. Business growth requires making good decisions. Better decisions lead to better results. Where does your motivation to help businesses come from? Vistage helps you make even better decisions than what you are making on your own.
Winning Technologies My background in accounting and experience in trust and estate litigation, as Scott Lewis 636-379-8279 well as issues encountered in trust and estate administration, drives me to provide www.winningtech.com [email protected] Winning Technologies is a Business Management company that specializes in the selection, business owners with informed and prudent estate and business succession plans implementation, management and support of technology initiatives. Visit www.win- ningtech.com for more information. to minimize taxes and avoid litigation costs. There is nothing more unfortunate than a business failing or facing financial hardships due to poor planning.
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AccuPay HCM 636.532.9510 12747 Olive Blvd., #300 accupayhcm.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 API Financial Solutions 636.720.0195 4600 Executive Centre Parkway, Ste. B apisolutions.com • St. Peters, MO 63376 Biermann Accounting Services, LLC 636.225.6555 1799 A Smizer Station Rd. biermannaccounting.com • Fenton, MO 63026 CBIZ 314.692.2249 625 Maryville Centre Dr., #200 cbiz.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 Cornerstone Employer Solutions 314.222.5770 721 Emerson Rd., #500 cornerstoneemploy.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 Eckelkamp & Associates CPA’s P.C. 314.849.7555 9109 Watson Rd., #300 eacfo.com • St. Louis, MO 63126 Heartland Payroll Services 314.709.7006 757 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005 HireLevel 618.655.1212 5214 Chain of Rocks Rd. hirelevel.com • Edwardsville, IL 62025 IPS 314.821.0600 9450 Manchester Rd., #200 Best Payroll Service ipsonline.net • St. Louis, MO 63119 Maixner, LLC 314.487.4000 4501 Telegraph Rd., Ste. E Providers maixnercpas.com • St. Louis, MO 63129 The following companies were voted the Next Wave Payroll Solutions 314.223.6191 4623 Washington Blvd. Best Payroll Service Providers in St. Louis. nextwavepayroll.com • St. Louis, MO 63108 Make sure you check out the Awards page Paychex 636.519.0340 16305 Swingley Ridge Rd., #500 paychex.com • Chesterfield, MO 63017 at www.sbmon.com to stay up to date with Rapp Payroll Solutions 314.549.8800 206 W. Argonne, #106 other Best in Business nominations for rapppayrollsolutions.com • Kirkwood, MO 63122 2019. Rickhoff & Associates 618.632.1994 1107 Frontage Rd. rickhoff.com • O’Fallon, IL 62269 Sederburg & Associates 636.587.0570 3023 North St. Peters Parkway taxaccountantsmo.com • St. Peters, MO 63376 STL Tax 314.645.1614 8128 Gravois Rd. stltax.com • St. Louis, MO 63123 Wolf Bookkeeping 636.485.2006 315 Woodlawn Ave., #4 wolfbookkeepingandtaxservice.com• O’Fallon, MO 63366
Table Sponsors: Meet The Area’s Top Influencers Meet the area’s top business leaders 2019 Top St. Louisans You Should Know 100 April 23, 2019 11am-1pm St. Louisans You To Succed In Business St. Charles Convention Center Should Know http://store.sbmon.com
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ABOUT PETER STROPLE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER Peter Strople has been called “One of the World’s Great Rainmakers,” “The Most Connected Man in America,” and “One of the Most Connected People in the World.” And with all those accolades, he still understands the importance of real, one-on-one relationships with others. Peter brings with him decades of experience and success in business, driven by his focus on genuine engagement with everyone he comes in contact with. Peter is a former director with Dell Computer Corp. and Grid Systems Corporation. He advises and mentors executives and political leaders around the world. In 2008, he created “Friends of Peter” to bring business and community leaders together to effect “Instant Change” as it relates to the critical business and social needs of a community or country. Considered one of the Top Business Strategists dealing with “Instant Change,” Peter has developed unique techniques to address and refocus a company’s strategy in a few hours versus a few months. Peter is passionate about children’s issues, combating child abuse, supporting foster care, and reforming education. From 2003-2007, he and his wife, Kelly, housed 16 people in their home with the goal of help- ing those families get out of debt and establish a new foundation for the future. Peter and Kelly live in Austin, Texas.
16 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM Thank You ThankThank You!You! For Selecting Sederburg & Associates as One Rickhoff & Associates is honored to be named one of the of the BEST Payroll Providers in St. Louis RickhoffBEST & AssociatesPayroll Service is honored Providers to be in named St. Louis one of the BEST(Powered Payroll by Service the Team Providers at Payroll inCentral) St. Louis The knowledge and experience of our Accounting Associates allows us to take great pride in the services we offer. Our staff (Powered by the Team at Payroll Central) prides itself in doing everything possible to put your mind at ease. We’re ProudTechnology of Our Team Driven - People - People Focused, Focused Technology Driven HelpingHelping Small Small Businesses Businesses SucceedSucceed since 19741974 taxteam1040.com 636.928.1040 AccountingAccounting - --OutsourcedPayroll Outsourced Central Bookkeeping Bookkeeping-Consulting-Tax - Tax Planning - Consulting & Preparation - Tax
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18 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 10St. Louisans 0 You Should Know 100 individuals that can inspire & direct your success
WORDS BY RON AMELN
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WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 19 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW COVER STORY
Carlton Adams David Berger Express Scripts St. Louis-Jefferson Solid CREATING SOME LUCK Waste Management District Carlton Ad- What does it take to succeed in business? A combination ams is the vice David Berger president of of hard work, knowledge, persistence, dedication, luck and a great contact list. is the executive pharma revenue We here at SBM can’t help you with the luck part, but we can help you with the director at the and invoicing at St. Louis-Jeffer- contact list. Express Scripts. son Solid Waste We know that all it takes sometimes is an introduction to the right person at Adams manages Management all aspects of the the right time and things can just come together. That is why we have decided District. firm’s pharma in- to help you stack the odds in your favor by compiling this list you hold in your voicing program, hands (or read on the screen if that is your thing). With the 100 St. Louisans to which includes Know to Succeed in Business, you now have access to the kind of people that strategic planning, operations and audit- will get you some of the needed perspective that is crucial to success. ing. As a skilled leader, he works closely with associates to improve engagement The more of these people that you choose to get to know, the better the and optimize performance. Adams is in- chances you have of creating your own luck. People like Jeanet Wade, featured volved in the community through several Kathy Bernard on our cover. Wade was so impressed with the book, “Traction,” by Gino nonprofits, and he has worked with com- WiserU panies of all sizes to advance diversity. Wickman and its business operating system, EOS, she became a certified Kathy Bernard implementer to teach the system to business owners. Adopting the system is the CEO of has improved her clients’ top line revenues by an average of 20.4%. “This WiserU LLC as system is a life-changing thing,” Wade said. “It fundamentally changes well as a gifted people’s spirits and their energy. It’s transformative.” Matt Badler speaker, LinkedIn Twain Financial Partners expert/trainer, The most fun part of this feature is getting all the names and faces author and of people like Wade in one place. How were these individuals chosen? A Matt Badler is a career coach. She group of community leaders identified the individuals for the edition. They co-founder and trains groups and are all key executives, financiers, notable achievers, connectors and other managing direc- individuals to business-community leaders. The judges chose the individuals based on their tor of Twain. maximize Linke- Badler focuses on dIn for sales, marketing, recruiting or contributions to the area businesses and the overall business community. new opportuni- job searching. Bernard is also a leading It is not dicult to come up with 100 names and personalities for this list. ties and corpo- speaker on getting job seekers into high- What is dicult is paring it down to 100. That being said, we know that there rate strategy paying careers and is the creator of the while overseeing is someone that you feel should be on this list. Someone who is a no-brainer groundbreaking WiserU Career System the investments to land and excel at high-paying jobs. Be- ... an influencer who has meant so much to so many business owners. Please and corporate accounting departments. fore launching WiserU, Bernard was an send me an email ([email protected]). Let me know the name, title, company Before life at Twain, Badler was a VP of award-winning communications leader, and a brief (150 word) description as to why that person is someone that St. U.S. Bancorp Community Development racking up 27 awards with Enterprise Louisans should know. Happy connecting – Corp. (USBCDC) and served in many Holdings, CBS Radio, Caleres and the roles within the organization. He spent Equipment Dealers Association. She his final two years at USBCDC working Ron Ameln has personally career-coached more than on the new business development team, 1,000 job seekers, reached over 1.4 mil- President, St. Louis Small Business Monthly which led to the formation of Twain. Be- lion people through her popular Wise- fore working at USBCDC, Badler worked rUTips.com blog and led more than 500 for an investment bank and a hedge weekly webinars on JobTransition.TV. fund. He is on the boards of Arch Grants and the Saint Louis Fashion Fund and is a member of YPO St. Louis.
20 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
Wendy Berry Harvey Brandvein ADRIAN BRACY Cottleville/Weldon Spring Anheuser-Busch Employee’s YWCA OF GREATER SAINT LOUIS Chamber of Commerce Credit Union drian E. Bracy began as the Bracy has Wendy Berry Harvey Brandvein chief executive officer for received is the executive is the vice presi- AYWCA Metro St. Louis in many director of the dent of wealth August 2009. Although she moved awards Cottleville-Weldon management for here from Arizona to assume the po- throughout Spring Chamber Anheuser-Busch sition, she is no stranger to St. Louis, her career, of Commerce. A Employees’ Credit having previously worked for more including small but powerful Union, Purina than a decade as an executive for the the African- business organiza- Credit Union and St. Louis Rams. She left to become American tion in St. Charles American Eagle chief financial officer for the Arizona Women of County, the cham- Credit Union. He Cardinals in 2007. Distinction ber helps business- is responsible for Bracy has more than 20 years of se- Award, the es of all sizes interested in the Cottleville- wealth and insurance product position- nior management finance experience Black Enterprise 50 Most Powerful Weldon Spring business atmosphere. The ing; driving new product development; with professional sports teams that African Americans in Sports Award, group helps individuals and businesses enhancing the strategies, performance and include the St. Louis Rams, Arizona the Black Enterprise 50 Most Power- by creating networking and professional positioning of wealth initiatives; managing Cardinals and Miami Dolphins/Joe ful Black Women in Business Award, development opportunities. third-party relationships; and administer- Robbie Stadium. Her strong back- the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most ing and developing the various financial ground in financial management is Influential Business Women Award products that are offered to membership. complimented by her talents for over- and the YWCA Leaders of Distinc- seeing long-term business objectives, tion Award in Corporate Manage- Tasha Borglum human resources, risk management ment. Moneta and building strong relationships She is a lifetime member of the Scott Brothers with local communities. She has National Association of Black Ac- Tasha Borglum is U.S. Bank served on a number of nonprofit countants and the National Black a financial ad- boards, including that of YWCA MBA Association. She graduated viser with Moneta Scott Brothers Metro St. Louis. from Morgan State University in Group. Borglum is vice president- What brings her back to St. Louis Baltimore with a degree in account- earned her bach- portfolio review is what she says is her calling: “to ing and has a master’s degree in elor’s degree in officer at U.S. inspire and make a difference in business administration from Nova finance, with an Bank. Brothers the lives of women and girls.” The Southeastern University. She also accounting minor, has more than 20 YWCA mission, “eliminating rac- has completed the Harvard Busi- and her MBA with years of experi- ism and empowering women,” is ness School and Stanford Graduate a concentration ence in local the right fit at the right time in her School of Business executive leader- in finance from and nationwide career and life. ship programs. Missouri State commercial University. While in school, she worked lending and a as an investment assistant at Central deep knowledge of the complete finance Trust and Investment Co. Her role there process. Owners of businesses of all sizes businesses, home businesses, nonprofits helped prepare her for the next phase of routinely contact Brothers to discuss ways and governmental agencies. The company Jason Brown her life when she joined Moneta Group to make their enterprises thrive. also specializes in auditing, compliance, Bank of Franklin County as a client service manager in 2011. and consulting services for companies Constantly pursuing opportunities to ranging from startups to $200 million Jason Brown is continue her education and expand her entities. He joined the firm in May 1979 a commercial expertise, Borglum earned her certified and became a partner in 1987. Brown’s lender at the financial planner designation in 2013 and Dale Brown client responsibilities include working Bank of Franklin was promoted to adviser in 2014. She ‘s Botz Deal & Co. P.C. with privately owned businesses and their County. Bank of been active in local charities, including owners, providing tax planning and prepa- Franklin County serving as a board member for Kids In Dale C. Brown ration services, and assisting clients with operates four The Middle. is the president buying and selling businesses. He has locations; a mort- of Botz, Deal & considerable experience with construction gage subsidiary, Co. PC , a firm contractors, manufacturers and medical Franklin Mort- that provides professionals. Brown is a past president gage Co.; and bookkeeping, of the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce an investment management subsidiary, payroll, Quick- and the St. Peters Rotary Club. He is also Missouri Valley Wealth Management. Books and tax active in many other civic boards and The bank primarily serves northern services for small community endeavors. He and his family Franklin, southern Warren and southern live in St. Peters. St. Charles counties.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 21 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
Robert Browning Mark Caplinger Armstrong Teasdale Argent Capital Management
Robert Brown- As chief operat- ing is a member ing officer at of the tax, public Argent Capital finance, and trust Management, and estates practice Mark Caplinger areas for the law is responsible for firm Armstrong overseeing the Teasdale. Public marketing, client and private com- service, compliance panies of all sizes, and operations in a broad range functions of the of industries, look to him for strategic firm. Before joining Argent, Caplinger was federal, state, international and local tax the chief investment officer of Mariner advice. Browning routinely represents cor- Wealth Advisors, where he developed and porate and individual clients before the implemented investment programs for IRS, before state taxing authorities and in the firm and its clients. Before that, he U.S. Tax Court. For newly emerging busi- was with Summit Strategies Group in St. nesses, he provides strategies for growth, Louis as a senior consultant responsible governance and structure including choice for some of the firm’s largest institutional of entity. Then, as businesses mature, ORVIN KIMBROUGH clients. Caplinger serves on multiple he counsels them regarding mergers and MIDWEST BANKCENTRE committees of the Ronald McDonald acquisitions, dissolution, and valuation House Charities of St. Louis, and he is an analysis. Browning also assists in complex advisory board member of the University tax and wealth planning, estate planning, ypically, when a bank’s board of set of lifetime bankers. Combined of Missouri Trulaske execMBA Program. and trust administration matters. He directors seeks a new CEO to with their industry knowledge and my develops and implements solutions for Trun its organization, it typically entrepreneurial bent, we are seeking high-net-worth clients’ complex tax issues, looks for someone who has past bank to evolve as an organization and to be including creating the structures necessary leadership experience. Not Midwest more competitive.” Byron Caskey to affect their wealth planning objectives. BankCentre. Last year when the orga- Kimbrough hopes to capitalize on Wells Fargo nization sought a new CEO, it didn’t the same success he had at the United go looking for your typical banker. Way. Under his leadership, the United Byron Caskey is a Instead, it wanted someone who could Way of Greater St. Louis advanced financial adviser Cathy Campbell take the organization into the future from the fifth to the largest United Providence Bank with Wells Fargo. and help differentiate it from the other Way in the country in terms of rev- He works with a 60-plus banks in the region. enue and impact. Part of Kimbrough’s select group of Cathy Campbell is Enter Orvin Kimbrough. success at the United Way came from clients to help senior vice presi- Kimbrough, former president and his ability to build quality, long-term them build, man- dent of commercial CEO of the United Way of Greater relationships and partnerships within age, protect and banking at Provi- St. Louis, joined the bank as its CEO the community. transition their dence Bank. In earlier this year. He is the region’s only He hopes to do the same with wealth. He takes this role, Campbell African-American bank CEO. Midwest BankCentre. His goals for the a comprehensive approach by advising on is responsible for “It is natural for organizations bank include diversity and diversifica- the four pillars of wealth management: originating and to look for someone with banking tion. investing, liability management, risk man- maintaining com- experience, but the world we live in “We are going to build a profitable agement and estate planning strategies. mercial banking is changing at rapid clip,” Kimbrough and socially conscious bank of the Caskey began in the financial industry relationships in St. Louis, St. Charles and said. “Everything is moving so fast. future where diversity and inclusion in 2008 after graduating from Webster the surrounding areas. Campbell has over What the bank saw in me is that I’m a are a key part of our competitive University with a degree in broadcast advantage,” he said. “It is not a box to 30 years of banking and lending experi- relationship guy and I understand how journalism. However, he chose a career in to build exceptional teams, set strat- be checked. The products and services ence including retail, commercial and financial services after the Great Reces- egy and I understand how to inspire we provide will continue to diversify to private banking. She is a lifetime resident sion affected his family. of St. Louis and currently serves on the operational excellence. The bank saw reflect the broad community that we board of Epworth Children & Family those things in me, but more impor- serve. We want to create the condi- Services. tantly, the bank is confident in the tions for people to dream big and rise individuals, who are lifetime bankers, together. We are building the bank of who are here. We have a tremendous the future.”
22 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
TARA KINNEY Allen Cavedine James Claywell ATOMIC REVENUE AmerenUE Claywell Asset Management, LLC
Allen Cavedine Financial adviser ll of Tara Kinney’s is the manager Jim Claywell previous positions of cybersecurity helps his clients Ahad one thing in vulnerability and navigate the common: problem solving. threat manage- world of finances So it shouldn’t surprise ment and engage- and gets them anyone that her current ment at Ameren. engaged in the company, Atomic Revenue, Cavedine has process. With has become a success by been involved in over 32 years solving clients’ business cybersecurity for in the wealth problems. Ameren since management Atomic Revenue is a 2017. Previously he worked in information business, Clay- revenue operations company technology and cybersecurity for Boeing well has an extensive background in the that specializes in aligning for 10 years. financial planning industry. He’s owned clients’ business marketing, an investment brokerage firm, spent over sales and customer efforts to 11 years serving clients at Edward Jones drive revenue and profit. and now operates his own investment “I’ve always been a prob- boutique, affiliated with Raymond James, lem solver,” Kinney said. Clayton Clark as a fiduciary adviser and owner. He has “Someone once told me: Big Rush Marketing expertise in retirement planning, educa- Sales are really the ability tion planning, strategic asset allocation to match a solution to a Clayton Clark is and insurance and works with clients to problem.” the co-founder develop customized strategies that will Kinney, a Colorado na- of Big Rush for many business owners comes from best suit their needs and goals. tive, moved to St. Louis 10 years ago, Marketing, a not looking at revenue holistically. sight unseen, after her husband’s digital advertis- “They are looking at pieces of it (rev- financial services position was trans- ing firm. Clay- enue),” she said. “Parts don’t make ferred to the area. She purchased the ton fell into the great results. Atomic Revenue looks at Dave Collett majority interest in Algorythmics in world of digital RubinBrown 2015 and rebranded the company how it all fits together. You can have marketing while as Atomic Revenue. The company’s all wonderful pieces to a watch, but working as a David Collet is a partner in RubinBrown’s focus on solving business issues was if they are not put together properly, reporter/anchor assurance services and manufacturing a perfect fit for it still won’t keep time. We break for KMPH Fox 26 in Fresno, California. and distribution her experience down the silos so After the birth of his daughter, Clayton services groups. “We are redefining the way bus- and skills. people stop trying left television and moved back to his His previous nesses grow and manage their “While other to blame one part hometown of St. Louis to take a full- experiences growth. We’re looking to be the people focus on of their operations time position managing and honing his and specialties future standard by which people marketing and and instead look marketing skills. His experiences include include several look at the work they are doing to sales, customer at how all the managing large-scale digital advertising large multina- produce revenue.” service, brand parts fit together campaigns on multiple platforms and tional audits act- ing as a member and all of the to produce the social media management. He also sits on of the lead en- things that results.” the executive board for KEEN St. Louis, gagement team, companies are buying and hiring Kinney is excited about the com- helping the organization give kids with audits of inter- for, we focus on the outcomes that pany’s future. In just a few years, the physical and developmental disabilities nal control over all of those investments are trying firm has grown to 27 employees scat- the opportunity to play. financial reporting, income taxes, revenue to achieve,” said Kinney. “We focus tered around the country. recognition, stock-based compensation, on helping companies diagnose and Said Kinney: “We are redefining derivatives, acquisitions and purchase resolve and optimize the way they the way businesses grow and manage accounting, restructurings, financial state- make money through lead generation their growth. We’re looking to be the ment consolidations and SEC reporting. and sales conversion and customer future standard by which people look He has additional experience performing advocacy.” at the work they are doing to produce audits on financial information that is Kinney said the stumbling block revenue.” published under International Financial Reporting Standards.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 23 ST. LOUISANS COMPANIES TO KNOW
YWCA Metro St. Louis has been working for the Safety, Stability and Security of St. Louis Women for 115 years. Metro St. Louis Congratulations to YWCA CEO Adrian E. Bracy!
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24 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
gies to strengthen the business community decided to at- Mike Conway in O’Fallon and surrounding areas. She Allison Friedman tend law school Aci Plastics, Inc. also focuses on collaborative efforts with Graybar Electric Company, Inc. and combine his neighboring communities to enhance accounting and Mike Conway is the COO at ACI Plastics the quality of life in St. Charles County. Allison Friedman legal background Inc. Since 1967, ACI has become a source Duck’s previous professional experience is a talent acqui- to serve clients. for plastic supply and fabrication. ACI en- includes serving as executive director of sition leader at He has practiced joys a number of long-term relationships small business for the Tulsa Regional Graybar Electric law for over a with retailer and fixture manufacturers. Chamber of Commerce in Oklahoma. Co. Inc., an indus- quarter of a The company is based in St. Louis and trial and electrical century with a has four production locations around the supply distributor. concentration in country and six sales locations. Friedman’s focus commercial and business transactions and Dwight Erdbuegger is to develop and litigation, estate planning, tax law, and Cass Commercial Bank lead the overall class action litigation. recruitment strat- Dwight Erdbueg- egy at Graybar. She evaluates, implements Jim Curran ger is president of and improves talent acquisition processes, Hays Companies of St. Louis Cass Commercial tools and technologies for increased busi- Bank. He joined ness success. Teri Greige Jim Curran is the bank as Powered by Hope senior vice presi- president in July dent of Hays Cos. 2018. Erdbueg- Teri Greige is the Curran brings William Gavin author of “Pow- ger has more Gavin Law Firm over 20 years of than 30 years of ered by Hope: experience in commercial bank- The Teri Griege William Gavin is employee benefits ing experience Story.” The book CEO and manag- and insurance and is actively involved in the St. Louis is a poignant ing attorney at consulting and community. Previously, he was chairman and inspiring Gavin Law Firm in employee of the equipment finance subsidiary of story of Griege’s LLC. The practice motivation and Commerce Bank. He was also the chief triumph over focuses on the performance administrative officer for Commerce Bank alcoholism and litigation of oc- improvement. Be- East Group. He has been involved with cancer. Readers cupational disease fore joining Hays, he served in a business Habitat for Humanity and also previously discover how her faith, perseverance and claims of railroad development and consulting role with a served on the board of directors of FO- determination propelled her from a dire employees and the large national firm where he was respon- CUS St. Louis and the Cultural Festivals diagnosis to the finish line at an Iron- litigation of other sible for new business generation through organization. man triathlon and how she continues myriad disciplines, including employee personal injury claims in the areas of to inspire millions of people around the benefits, commercial insurance, human toxic substances, products liability, medi- world! Griege has motivated and in- resource outsourcing, payroll and human cal malpractice, gas explosions, motor spired many business owners and leaders capital services. Elizabeth Farmer vehicle collisions and general negligence. throughout the St. Louis area with her Farmer & Farley, LLC Gavin has been a volunteer at the YMCA help and guidance. of Southwest Illinois and the Gateway Elizabeth L. Region YMCA since the 1970s, serving in Farmer is the many positions, from a lifesaving and first Kathy Duck principal of aid instructor to chairman of the board of Danielle Grubbs Farmer & directors. Cushman & Wakefield O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce Farley, LLC. The firm, which Kathy Duck is Danielle Grubbs was founded in is a director at the president May of 2003, and CEO of the Mark Goldenberg Cushman & provides complete Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli Wakefield, a com- O’Fallon (Mis- tax services as well as financial statement souri) Chamber mercial real estate preparation, financial projections, cash services company. of Commerce & Mark Goldenberg is the founder and flow management, and business develop- Grubbs repre- Industries. managing partner of Goldenberg Heller ment planning. & Antognoli, a firm that specializes in me- sents local and As president and During her career as a Certified Public Ac- global clients as CEO, Duck’s role sothelioma, personal injury, commercial countant, Farmer has built a reputation as law, class actions, estate and trust law, and a member of the is to build and Bazoian/Mosby team. Her areas of spe- an expert in tax and business consulting intellectual property law. After becoming implement strate- cialization include tenant representation, for self-employed businesses and owners a certified public accountant, Goldenberg of closely held corporations. project leasing, property valuation, project management and market analysis.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 25 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
John Haffenreffer David Hamilton Stifel Bank & Trust Hamilton Weber LLC
John Haffenreffer David Hamilton is is the president and a partner in the law chief credit officer firm Hamilton We- at Stifel Bank & ber LLC. Hamilton Trust. Haffenreffer, concentrates his a native of Boston practice in com- and a Dartmouth mercial and general College graduate, business litigation moved to St. Louis in federal and state in 1976. He started courts. A signifi- his banking career at cant portion of his Centerre Bank in 1979 and joined South- practice is also devoted to representing west Bank in 1989. Haffenreffer formerly local municipalities as well as serving as a was president of the Board of Commis- mediator to assist parties in reaching an sioners of Tower Grove Park and is active acceptable settlement of their dispute. in Habitat for Humanity. Mitch Hancock Kelly Hager 100th Monkey Arras Women WILLIAM POWELL JR CEDGE SOFTWARE CONSULTANTS Mich Hancock is the founder and Kelly Hager is the owner of 100th CEO and executive hen William Powell Jr. sits nesses within the St. Louis region. Monkey, a social producer of Arras down with a startup entre- His wisdom and mentorship are media marketing Women. Hager is preneur to help them grow consistently sought-after by corporate company. Han- a lifelong resident W their enterprise, the first question he leaders in the areas of business strat- cock’s company of the St. Louis asks is: What is your plan for the next egy, business development, operations creates, develops area whose parents five to seven years? management and personnel manage- and manages co-owned the well- “Businesses need to have a strategy ment. His ability to provide concrete an active and known family busi- that is focused on the long term,” advice to corporate executives has engaging social media presence for both ness Library Ltd. Powell said. “Many startups go out of resulted in many successes for regional B2B and B2C clients. Hancock is also Bookstore. In 2005 business within the first three to five businesses. a sought-after speaker. She is known for she founded The Kelly Hager Group, a years primarily because they don’t have Powell, a U.S. Air Force veteran, giving seminars and workshops to orga- local real estate firm. After a near-death a strategy for long-term viability of uses his vast experiences to help guide nizations and associations, including the experience in 2010, Hager battled through their companies. They only focus on and mentor area business leaders. Dur- Olin School of Business at Washington her adversity and launched her second short-term goals and objectives. What I ing his time in the Air Force, Powell University, and she hosts the weekly corporation, Live Team Life. This com- try to do is encourage them and guide ran military airports, spending most of podcast “MichMash,” available on iTunes. pany encompasses international keynote them on the importance of creating his time living in 14 different coun- Hancock is also executive director and co- speaking, business consulting, develop- a strategic plan for five to seven years. tries. When he retired, he started at- founder of TEDxGatewayArch, an innova- ment and the production of a documen- It has been my experience that more tending college, eventually earning his tive and thought-provoking organization tary series, “Arras Women,” discussing companies will be successful if they doctorate at the age of 56 and working devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” women’s initiatives and celebrating the focus on that long-term viability. Then as a COO in corporate America. lives of women who have gone from ordi- the challenge is creating a business pro- Powell said he enjoys giving back nary to extraordinary. cess inside the company that focuses and sharing his knowledge with area on those goals and objectives that companies. “I really enjoy the chal- will lead them to long-term revenue lenge of taking a company from a low streams.” revenue base and then building that Powell is the chief strategy officer of company up so they are more self-suf- CEdge Software Consultants. He’s not ficient and they don’t have to rely on only helped grow the IT consulting investors so much,” Powell said. “They firm but has also become an invaluable can rely on their revenue stream to do mentor to many small and large busi- the things that they want.”
26 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal congratulates our president on her recognition by St. Louis Small Business Monthly as a Top 100 St. Louisan to Know to Succeed in Business
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Congratulations to Scott Malin, named one of Small Business Monthly’s “Top 100 St. Louisans to Know to Succeed in Business.” Scott is a Deputy Managing Partner, on Lathrop Gage’s Executive Committee and a member of the Wealth Strategies practice team. Scott advises individuals on the preservation and transfer of wealth in a tax-e�icient manner; and business owners on ownership traditions and management matters. He also remains actively engaged in many legal and civic associations in the St. Louis region. We’re glad to know him!
Scott H. Malin 314.613.2807 [email protected]
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be made based solely upon advertisements. Lathrop Gage LLP, 7701 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 500, Clayton, MO 63105. For more information, contact Bennett Keller at 314.613.2800.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 27 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW Anne Murphy Hill JAKE RENFRO James Heffner 1904LABS Danna McKitrick, P.C. RAHILL Capital LLC
James Heffner is Anne Murphy hen large enterprises in facturing, a principal with Hill is president of the St. Louis area are look- science, civics, Danna McKitrick RAHILL Capital, Wing for more innovative, foreign policy, PC’s transactional which works with specialized software and data solu- and educa- practice group, con- property owners tions, they can either hire technol- tion. 1904labs centrating on bank- and developers ogy staff to build those solutions or helps larger ing and finance, who are looking engage with a trusted vendor to help enterprises corporate, and real for a cost-effective, them. However, tapping into the in the area estate law. Danna streamlined process most talented technology employees discover the McKitrick is a full- for securing fund- is no easy task in the current environ- region’s vi- service St. Louis law firm providing legal ing. Hill brings finance, construction and ment, which makes building solu- brant technology community and the representation throughout the Midwest. lending expertise to her position and over tions internally a challenge. problem-solving skills this community 15 years of experience partnering with This is where 1904labs comes in. brings. building owners to identify solutions for 1904labs, which launched three “One problem we set out to solve their facility needs. Her expertise com- years ago, helps some of the world’s Kevin Heneghan bines project development, construction, was how to unlock the power of the New Frontier Bank energy efficiency and financing. Before largest companies innovate further, startup-minded community who are working in the construction and energy ef- bringing them the nimbleness of a hesitant to make a move to a large startup without the challenges or enterprise,” Renfro said. “We built Kevin Heneghan is ficiency industry, Hill was a management delays associated with building new our company to be attractive to the the president, CEO consultant with Deloitte Consulting in teams internally. The company can startup community, promoting their and senior lender San Francisco, specializing in operational rapidly develop specialized software talent, which is organically focused at New Frontier and cost efficiency for health care organi- and data solutions — everything on modern software and data solu- Bank. Founded in zations. from a proof-of-concept to a ready-to- tions, and well suited to solve the 1999, the bank was deploy solution. problems large enterprises need to founded with the “We think of ourselves as a guide,” solve.” goal of delivering said Jake Renfro, director of business As the director of business devel- a local banking op- Tracy Howren development at 1904labs. “We help opment, Renfro spends most of his tion that provides UMB Bank IT executives accomplish things they time working with technology leaders the best financial services for residents had previously thought impossible, in the community, discussing what and small businesses in the St. Charles Tracy Howren is working with them as a trusted advi- problems they’re trying to solve and County region. Before joining New Fron- the vice president sor.” determining how 1904labs can help. tier Bank, Heneghan was president/CEO and commercial The name of the company is “I enjoy seeing the change in our of Superior Bank. real estate (CRE) derived from the 1904 World’s Fair, clients mental model as they go from officer at UMB which was held in St. Louis and thinking something is impossible to Bank. She joined brought together millions of people getting it done. It is the look on their the bank in 2016 to discover the world’s latest achieve- face when they realize they will get John Herber to work with the ments in technology, fine arts, manu- there, that is really rewarding for me.” RubinBrown commercial lend- ing team in the St. John Herber is Louis area and to expand its reach into Tracy James the chairman and the CRE space. As a volunteer, Howren Legal Services Of Eastern Missouri’s Community has donated time with Gateway Housing managing partner Economic Development Program of RubinBrown, First, whose mission is to provide safe, a certified public affordable housing to individuals with Tracy James is the the organization provides free civil legal accounting and a wide range of complex disorders and managing attor- assistance to entrepreneurs, small busi- business consulting life situations who struggle to secure or ney for the Legal nesses and nonprofits. For nonprofits, the firm. As a partner, maintain housing. She also spends time Services of Eastern organization represents those who serve he serves clients in working with CREW-St. Louis, which is a Missouri’s Com- and support low-income communities. the manufacturing networking and professional development munity Economic The services the organization provides and distribution industries. His consult- organization that aims to transform the Development include business formation, employment ing experience includes strategic planning commercial real estate industry by advanc- Microenterprise issues, contracts, trademarks, copyrights and individual, business and estate tax ing women. Program. Under and trade secrets, commercial leases, real the program, planning. estate purchases, and tax issues.
28 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
and in assisting clients in strengthening for numerous Edward Jones investment William James Erin Joy their project management processes and locations and working directly with BKD, LLP Black Dress Circle systems. Justis applies a goals-driven ap- general partners and regional leaders. proach for strategic and tactical issues so Since then, he has continued to build William James A strategic con- the right solutions, at the right cost, with a successful track record based on his is a transfer sultant, trusted the right timing are applied. strategic hands-on approach, exceptional pricing partner confidant, and customer service and, as a St. Louis na- at BKD LLP, a straightforward tive, his extensive local knowledge. He is firm that pro- advisor, Erin currently a principal at Avison Young, a vides tax, audit Joy has made Rusty Keeley full-service commercial real estate firm.. and consulting it her life’s Keeley Companies services. James mission to leads a na- provide female Rusty Keeley tional group of business own- is the CEO transfer pricing ers with the of Keeley Vin Ko practitioners, located in multiple BKD of- resources, services, and support they Cos., which St. Louis Mosaic Project fices, who develop, document and defend need to be successful in business and life. encompasses clients’ transfer pricing arrangements. She is founder and CEO of Black Dress L. Keeley Vin Ko joined He also serves as the global chairman of Circle®, a facilitated, member-driven Construction, the St. Louis Praxity’s Transfer Pricing Expert Working entrepreneur roundtable program where ADB Cos., Mosaic Project Group, which is responsible for new busi- women business owners discuss issues, ZeroDay Tech- as senior ness generation, technical oversight and share experiences, frame decisions, and nology Solu- program man- management of transfer pricing projects. leverage collective knowledge alongside tions, Inspired ager at the others who understand the unique Solutions and beginning of challenges of managing emerging and Keeley Development Group. 2015. In this evolving companies. This program has Keeley Cos. specializes in offering uni- position, Ko Jassen Johnson improved the productivity, efficiency, and fied and collaborative solutions within ensures the profitability of organizations across many the following industries: construction, success of Mo- Renaissance Development industries. infrastructure, technology, supply chain saic’s targeted Joy has received multi-year recognition management and development. Keeley programs by managing and supporting Jassen John- as a top consultant in the St. Louis area, participates in the leadership of YPO and the more than 700 Mosaic ambassadors, son founded was designated one of the top 100 St. serves on the boards of Reliance Bank, regional entrepreneurs and international Renaissance Louisans to know in 2016, and received the St. Patrick Center and Concordance student retention initiatives in St. Louis. Development the Enterprising Women of the Year Academy. He is a co-chair and on the Under the leadership of Executive Direc- in 2004. John- Champion Award in 2019. She received a board of the World Pediatric Project tor Betsy Cohen, he leverages targeted son locates Master of Arts in human resources man- WPP. He is also actively involved with digital media campaigns to grow Mosaic’s and structures agement from Washington University in and supports the United Way, Catholic many initiatives. Ko’s professional experi- development St. Louis, and is currently pursuing her Charities, Good Shepherd, Cardinal ence and dedication to the international projects, bring- Ph.D. in business psychology from The Glennon, KIDstruction, Extra Life, community play a crucial role in support- ing together Chicago School of Professional Psychol- JDRF, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, ing the Mosaic Project’s goal of making a network of ogy. Pedal the Cause, local food pantries and St. Louis the fastest-growing major region investors, clients, many others. for immigration by 2020. Ko is also a tenants, financial institutions and local member of the board of directors for the officials to structure successful projects Asian American Chamber of Commerce. across the city of St. Louis. He has years Glen Justis of experience in urban redevelopment Experience On Demand facilitation, design, sales and leasing, and Brian Kelley he has helped facilitate many recogniz- Glen Justis is Avison Young-St. Louis able development projects in St. Louis. senior partner at Experience Brian Kelley On Demand. launched his In this role, commercial Justis assists real estate clients with career in 2004, issues where oversee- strategy, eco- ing leasing, nomics and negotiation, risk manage- construction ment intersect. and installa- He is an expert in project management tion of space
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 29 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
ART SNARZYK INNERVIEW ADVISORS Psychological Associates works with Todd Korte large and small companies to help select, The Korte Company develop and retain their best talent. As hen area business owners his competitors’ of- co-founder of Psychological Associates are struggling to hire the fices, with employ- Todd Korte is and one of the original developers of best employees or they are ees constantly leav- president and W Dimensional Training, he has conducted worried about creating a culture that ing. He thought CEO of The Ko- many seminars. Today he is a consultant will keep their best employees, they he might be on rte Co., a design- to senior executives for many corpora- know the ramifications of not solving to something. As build construc- tions, including Fortune 500 companies. these problems. Poor hires and high he started shar- tion company. He has consulted with and served on the turnover can crush a culture and a ing more of his Korte is faculties of Washington University, the bottom line. Some companies wing it; ideas and expertise responsible for Motorola Executive Institute, the Alcoa others search for a solution. on hiring, he decided to become a the overall pro- Executive Institute and CEO Interna- Enter The Turnover Terminator. consultant and help other companies duction, market- tional Inc. He has also served on the Art Snarzyk, owner of the consult- lower their turnover. ing and control boards of directors of both public and ing firm InnerView Advisors, is work- “When I was a painting contrac- of The Korte Co. as well as the firm’s privately held companies. As an expert in ing with companies throughout the tor, I didn’t hire painters,” he says. “I extensive research and development ef- human development, Lefton is a fre- region to build better hiring systems hired people. I wanted to first know forts. With more than 31 years of experi- quent speaker, contributor and co-author and culture to avoid turnover. The if they were a good fit, and if they ence in the construction industry, he has of five books. performed a variety of duties throughout nickname Turnover Terminator was could represent me well in an office his career, including project engineer, given to Snarzyk by a client after he or home. The best technician avail- estimator, special services team member, helped reduce the client’s turnover able may not be the best fit for your project manager and vice president. issues. culture.” Janet Leigh “Many businesses think hiring is Snarzyk works with companies of Gabriel Group just a crapshoot,” Snarzyk says. “You all sizes and speaks on hiring and cul- put somebody in place and hope for ture at events throughout the country. Janet Leigh is the the best. You hope they make it past He uses a variety of assessments and director of busi- Dan Kraus the honeymoon period. But it doesn’t his personal experience and skills to ness development BMO Harris Bank have to be that way.” help guide clients in the hiring and at Gabriel Group, Snarzyk got involved in employee culture-building process. which special- izes in developing Dan Kraus is turnover after running his own paint- Said Snarzyk: “Now is the time a commercial integrated market- ing contracting business, a company to start building the culture so you ing campaigns banking market he grew from the ground up. He used don’t have to worry about turnover. for nonprofit, executive at a particular system of hiring to find If companies are not coming up to financial services, BMO Harris the right painters, and he experienced speed on what culture means and manufacturing and Bank. In this little turnover. At the same time, he what it means to them, they will be gaming partners role, Kraus watched the revolving door outside left behind.” through strategy, creative service, analysis provides access to and production. ideas, strategies and solutions to full staff of bilingual professionals with efficiently meet Anh Le advanced degrees to serve the growing the financing Sam Maiden Jr. Anh Le, CPA diversified population in the region. needs of private John Beal Roofing and publicly traded companies in the Anh Le is the Sam Maiden Jr. is greater St. Louis area across distribution, owner of Anh CEO of John Beal engineering and construction, industrial Le, CPA, an ac- Robert Lefton Roofing. Before he services, manufacturing, and transporta- counting, tax and Psychological Associates, Inc. was named CEO tion and logistics. Kraus joined the bank wealth manage- in 2014, he was di- in 2014. Previously he was with U.S. ment firm he As co-founder, rector of marketing Bank. began 12 years chairman and for the company. ago. The company CEO of Psycho- John Beal Roof- has five Southern logical Associ- ing began in 1947 Illinois locations ates Inc., Robert and provides both and one in Mis- Lefton is an icon residential and souri. Le’s job is to help owners focus on in his industry commercial roofing services. John Beal has offices in Kansas City; Wichita, Kan- their businesses so they can grow them. and an active consultant and sas; and Carbondale, Illinois, and the He has particularly flourished by helping company has been named one of the top coach on the bilingual customers, mainly Spanish- and 100 roofing contractors in the United Vietnamese-speaking owners. He has a executive level. States by Roofing Contractor magazine.
30 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
Scott Malin Grant Mechlin Lisa Moore Amina Musa Lathrop Gage LLP Sansone Group Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, Thompson Coburn P.C. Scott Malin is the Grant Mechlin deputy managing is managing Lisa Moore is the Amina Musa is an partner of the law director-retail president and associate at the law firm Lathrop Gage services for the managing partner firm Thompson LLP. He is a mem- Sansone Group, at Paule, Camazine Coburn. Musa ber of the firm’s a full-service com- & Blumenthal represents finan- executive com- mercial real estate PC. She guides cial institutions mittee and is also firm. Mechlin families through and borrowers in a a member of the specializes in retail the complexities variety of com- wealth strategies project leasing, of legal issues mercial financing practice area. His tenant representation, development and that range from transactions. She practice focuses on succession planning, investment sales. Since joining the Retail paternity disputes to child custody has experience with estate planning and administration, taxa- Brokerage Division at Sansone Group in battles to guardianships to divorces. A nonprofits and public service law and is tion, charitable planning, and general 2007, Mechlin has successfully com- published author, Moore is frequently active in the legal and business commu- business law for individuals, privately pleted transactions in 23 states with team asked to speak about various family law nities. As the co-founder and associate ex- held businesses and families. Within sales and leasing volume in excess of $80 topics. She is a member and has held ecutive director of the Muslim Women’s those practice areas, Malin counsels million since 2015. leadership positions in The Bar Associa- Professional Network of St. Louis, she clients on the preservation and transfer tion of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. organizes events and initiatives, directs of wealth in a tax-efficient manner and Louis County Bar Association and the board activities, and assists with strategic advises business owners in the transition American Bar Association. In addition planning. of ownership, management and control Gary Mindel to serving clients, Moore also does pro of private businesses. Color Art Office Interiors/ bono work in her community as a special Malin is also an adjunct professor at the Sarfraz Nabi Color Art Palette Inc. prosecutor with St. Louis County and Washington University School of Law in through ALIVE – Alternatives to Living Dieterich Bank the Master of Laws in Taxation Program, in Violent Environments, Safe Connec- Gary Mindel is where he teaches a class in Closely Held tions, Catholic Legal Services and Legal Sarfraz Nabi is the the president Business and Succession Planning. Services of Eastern Missouri. vice president of and COO of lending at Diet- Color Art Palette erich Bank. With Inc., the hold- over 20 years of ing company for experience in the Marty McCabe St. Louis-based Kirby Morris banking industry, Bank of Springfield Color Art, the Midwest Regional Bank Sarfraz concen- area’s largest trates on com- Marty McCabe is mercial banking in the St. Louis middle interior solu- Kirby Morris is market. vice president of tions provider vice president Bank of Spring- and only authorized Steelcase dealer. In and SBA com- field’s St. Louis addition to his current duties as CEO of mercial lender for location. Previ- Color Art in St. Louis, Mindel is respon- Midwest Regional Susan Orr ously, McCabe sible for strategic implementation and Bank, where he UHY LLP was CEO/owner operational effectiveness enterprise-wide. sources Small Business Admin- of Koetting Ford In addition, he is a voting member of Susan Orr is a in Granite City, istration loan the Color Art Palette board. Mindel has partner at UHY Illinois. With a requests in the been with the company for more than LLP. Orr has over focus on commu- greater Saint Louis 30 years. He was hired in 1985 as a sales 20 years of experi- nity, Jack Marantz metro area. Previously, he developed ence providing manager for new business development founded BOS in Springfield, Illinois, deep financial and banking expertise consulting services in 1965. BOS has grown to become a and was then promoted to leadership for while serving as a commercial lender for to companies in community bank with over $950 million the entire sales team. Mindel went on Midwest BankCentre, Bank of America the construction, in assets. to be named president of the furniture and U.S. Bank. manufacturing/ team and then CEO of Color Art. Morris is a member of the Loan Commit- distribution and tee for St. Louis Economic Development energy sectors. She has served the firm Partnership, the Crestwood-Sunset Hills in various client-facing management and Area Chamber of Commerce and the leadership roles, including serving as American Bankers Association. He has a leader in the St. Louis Construction served as a volunteer for Junior Achieve- Practice. Susan works closely with her ment in Saint Louis Public Schools and clients as a true partner, consistently for Soldiers Memorial. delivering timely and proactive advice.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 31 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
Domnick Paretta James Pursley Valorem Hochschild, Bloom & Co. LLP
Since co-founding Valorem Consulting James Pursley Group in 2009, Domnick Paretta has is a partner at served as a managing partner overseeing Hochschild, all business and operations aspects of Bloom & Co. the company. In this role he strategically LLP. He began helped navigate Valorem to become a with the compa- nationally renowned business consulting ny in 2004. His firm and a top managed partner within areas of concen- the Microsoft ecosystem. tration include closely held businesses, medi- cal practices, employee benefit plans, Sandra Parker wholesale/distribution, personal service Parker Insurance Group, Inc. corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Sandra Parker founded Parker Insurance Group Inc. in 1983 to meet the health Kevin Reardon needs of many Advertising Savants women. Parker Insurance Group JEANET WADE Kevin Reardon is an indepen- JALAPENO CONSULTING is the founder of dent insurance Advertising Sa- agency represent- vants Inc. Since ing many insurance companies. She is s a business consultant, Jeanet Wade was searching for a way to really he founded the a board member of the Lemay Develop- make a difference in her clients’ success. She found the answer in a firm in 1991, book, “Traction,” by Gino Wickman. ment Corp., the St. Louis County LCRA A it has built a After reading the book, which outlines a business system known as the , the Wellston Redevelopment Corp. and roster of clients Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Wade knew this system was the key the St. Louis Economic Development in consumer to helping businesses throughout the region become successful. Partnership. products and “This system is a life-changing thing,” Wade said. “It fundamentally changes services, includ- people’s spirits and their energy. It’s transformative.” ing household goods, health care, educa- She became a certified EOS implementer, the only certified implementer in tion, financial services and nonprofit. Ken Poteet St. Louis, and over the last six years she helped over 58 clients achieve results Advertising Savants has received national M1 Bank with EOS. As an EOS certified implementer, Wade helps companies imple- and international recognition for its ment the system through a 24-month journey. creative work. Ken Poteet is the EOS is a comprehensive business system, integrating a holistic business founder, chair- model with a complete set of simple tools and a process to align and synchro- man and CEO nize all the pieces of a business. of M1 Bank. For more than 30 “The system helps people think more simplified about their strategy, help- years, Poteet has ing them implement and execute that strategy and helping them be more been bringing functional in accomplishing it,” Wade said. “In the past, I’ve found leaders fresh ideas and would typically dabble in things. They would hear a speaker at a conference astute leadership and try that strategy for a while, or they would read a book and try another to the financial strategy for a while. They would randomize these strategies and wouldn’t really services industry with great success. Po- think about it, like putting four different tires on a car. What I like about EOS teet now is focusing that extensive experi- as a system is that it takes a holistic view that is simplified down to just 20% of ence and expertise on a new financial things that get you 80% of the results. It doesn’t overcomplicate things.” institution: M1 Bank. M1 Bank special- Wade said her clients improve organizational effectiveness by an average of izes in low- to moderate-income housing 213% within the first year of implementing the system, and they improve top- and renewable energy tax credit/lending line revenue by an average of 20.4%. programs on a national scale with an unparalleled commitment as a steward of She said CEOs and visionaries are originally attracted to the book and the the communities in which it has a physi- system as a way to get strategy and their vision implemented. “That’s the big cal location and presence. Previously draw at first, but what really happens is it changes their lives.” Poteet founded Sterling Bancshares Inc. and Sterling Bank.
32 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW BEST BOSSES valuation; VincentLeading By Reese Example litigation sup- MickesAnd CommunicatingO’Toole LLC Effectivelyport; forensic accounting; Jon Becker and MarcVincent Rosen Reese Becker individual, and Rosen CPAs LLC is a manag-| ing partner corporate and riends since middle school, Jon Becker and Marc Rosen both joined the ac- at Mickes partnership counting industry 35 years ago. In 1988, Becker decided to found his own firm, O’Toole. Reese income tax Jonathan E. Becker CPA LLC. “I had been working at another firm, and, as they F focuses his prac- returns; SAS say, timing is everything,” says Rosen. “He was looking to hire, and I was in the process tice on labor, of leaving the other firm. I have been at the firm70/SSAE since October 16 of 1998 and a partner employment since October of 2004.” reporting, and consulting services. He and education Today, while running Becker and Rosen CPAsprimarily LLC, the works each with partner privately subscribes held and law in addition to his own management philosophy. “My managementmiddle-market philosophy organizations is to provide across an vari- to commercial environment that leads to productive employees,”ous industries,says Becker. including “As a manager, manufacturing, I want to litigation. He has extensive experience provide guidance, direction, leadership and finallyretail, set health an example care and for the all legalother commu- employ- in representing his clients’ interests with ees of the firm. nity. respect to investigations conducted by Rosen also seeks to provide steady guidance to his employees. “My management style the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity includes having an open-door policy and to communicate effectively to staff so we can Commission, the U.S. Department of achieve not only our firm goals but also for staff to achieve their goals,” he says. Labor, the U.S. Department of Educa- Tim Rodden While challenges for Rosen and Becker include retaining talented employees as well tion Office for Civil Rights, the Missouri Citizens National Bank as understanding, managing and adjusting to the work-life balance of all employees, for Commission on Human Rights, and both, the greatest rewards go back to a job well done for clients. many other government agencies. Tim Rod- Rosen says being able to establish lasting client relationships is his greatestden reward.is the Similarly, Becker believes receiving positive acknowledgements from theirPresident clients makes of all the challenges of running a business worth it. Commercial RandallOverall, Becker andReinker Rosen believe effective leadership can be built on leadingBanking by at Reinker,example and Hamilton communicating & Piper effectively. LLC Citizens Na- tional Bank. Quality Breading & Batters Randall Reink- Tim has been er is an attorney with CNB for with the firm 16 years and For Fish and Chicken Reinker, Ham- in banking for ilton & Piper 32years. He is LLC. With currently active with the Affton Educa- over 30 years tion Foundation, Canterbury Enterpris- W H of experience, es, and the Affton Historical Society. he practices One-sixthFor page more horizontalinformation or recipe 4.9" ideas: x 3.5" heavily in the www.andysseasoning.com area of civil litigation. Before joining the firm, Reinker handled vari- Jesse Sanders ous litigation matters, ranging from small Clayco cases for individuals to mega-lawsuits for Our Mission: Jesse Sanders St. Louis Business Exam, Question #11 insurance companies and corporations. is IT director To help members' businesses grow profitably Reinker represents companies of various Why advertise in St. Louis Small Business Monthly? at Clayco, through education, advice and accountability. sizes as well as individuals. one of the Because you: nation’s larg- A. understand the importance How of we thriving do it:local businesses est privately B. can’t• Monthly wait until half-day the Spring meeting and Fall St. Louis Business Expos owned real C. want• Member to leverage scoreboard the buying power & accountability of 70,000 business report owners Terry Richars estate, Member camaraderie, feedback & advice architecture, D. are• smart with your marketing dollars Mueller Prost CPA’s + Advisors • Tools, examples & guidance engineering, E. ALL OF THE ABOVE Marc Rosen (left) and Jon Becker (above) design-build • Annual Planning Retreat Terry Richars is partner and director of O and construction firms. He was recently A+ accounting services for Mueller Prost • Guest experts recognized as Volunteer of the Year at CPA’s + Advisors . Richars has over 10 NFTE ’s Global Showcase. years of experience providing business CollierBiz.com/bsrGreat Job! sbmon.com314.221.8558 • 314.569.0076
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David Sandorf David Scobee Amit Shah John Slaid Midland States Bank Simmons Bank MiTek USA Banterra Bank
David Scobee Amit Shah is vice John Slaid is a senior commercial loan David Sandorf is a commercial president and officer at Banterra Bank. Slaid has is a commercial banker with deputy general worked with Banterra since 2016. Previ- relationship Simmons Bank. counsel at MiTek ously he was vice president of Great manager at Simmons First Industries Inc. He Southern Bank. Midland States National Corp. is also chair of the Bank, where is a financial board of directors he has worked holding company, for the Interna- since 2015. based in Pine tional Institute of Prior to that, he Bluff, Arkansas, St. Louis. Before Thomas Smallwood was with UMB with total assets joining MiTek, Shah was an attorney Stinson Leonard Street Bank. of $16.5 billion as of Dec. 31, 2018, con- with the law firm Armstrong Teasdale. ducting financial operations throughout His areas of emphasis were mergers and Thomas Small- Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, acquisitions, commercial real estate, and wood is a partner Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. general corporate. with the law firm Claire Schenk Stinson Leonard Thompson Coburn Street. He is a member of the Claire Schenk firm’s real estate is a partner at Darrell Scott Jeremy Shore division and has the law firm BancorpSouth-O’Fallon Stifel Bank a multifaceted Thompson practice primarily Coburn. As a Darrell Scott Jeremy Shore is focusing on real es- former assistant is first vice vice president- tate development, redevelopment financ- United States president at SBA lending at ing, real estate and asset-based lending, attorney, she BancorpSouth Stifel Bank. He commercial leasing, joint ventures, zon- advocates for provides bank- Bank. He has ing and other land use issues, construc- clients in the ing products 22 years of tion, and environmental matters. areas of health and services to care fraud business, real entrepreneurial and abuse, False Claims Act litigation, estate and companies and and other complex white-collar litiga- asset-based their owners. tion. Drawing upon her 14-year history lending ex- Shore’s spe- Bob Stolzberg with the Department of Justice, Schenk perience and cialty is coming VoiceXP represents and advises health care provid- holds degrees up with more flexible, creative financing ers, registrants under the Controlled from Park University and Fontbonne solutions that other banks don’t think Bob Stolzberg Substances Act and government con- University. Scott has served on the Des of. is founder tractors. She enjoys guiding physician Peres Hospital board and the St. Louis and CEO of groups, hospitals, pharmaceutical groups Workforce Development Board. VoiceXP, a St. and others through the maze of complex Louis-based and overlapping government regulatory software-as-a- schemes and assisting with the resolution service company of compliance concerns. that focuses on voice platforms like Amazon Al- exa, Google As- sistant and Microsoft Cortana. VoiceXP is an Amazon recommended agency and advanced Amazon partner that creates voice solutions for enterprise businesses and brands that want to increase produc- tivity and efficiency and drive sales and marketing using voice technology like Amazon Alexa.
34 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW
Nathan Stooke Norm Toon Greg Twardowski Affan Waheed Wisper ISP Reliance Bank Whelan Security Co., Inc. Fyndus
Nathan Stooke is Norm Toon Greg Twardowski Affan Waheed CEO of Wisper joined Reliance is president of is the founder ISP. In the last 12 Bank in Febru- Whelan Secu- and CEO of years, Stooke has ary 2014 and rity Co. Inc. Fyndus, a global gone from pro- currently serves Whelan Security e-commerce com- gramming PCs to as executive vice is a family-owned pany that meets building Wisper president and company provid- the needs of the ISP into a suc- chief lending ing private secu- changing global cessful $4 million officer. In his rity across many retail ecosystem. company in the capacity as chief diverse industries Waheed realized Southern Illinois and St. Louis Metro lender, he chairs the various lending and vertical mar- the potential to leverage the migration East area. Wisper ISP offers internet committees at the bank and manages the kets, including corporate headquarters, of retail from brick-and-mortar to online access in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and commercial lending group as well as the commercial real estate properties, finan- with the ability to deploy technology to Oklahoma. other lending areas of the bank. cial institutions, educational campuses, capture and use behavior in new and in- Before beginning this position, Toon manufacturing and industrial facilities, novative ways. Fyndus is a comprehensive worked at Simmons First National Bank retail shopping centers, residential platform that focuses on the user’s behav- as senior vice president and senior com- communities, and sensitive government ior and brings offers, deals and merchan- John Stupp III mercial banking officer. He has exten- facilities throughout the United States. dise to meet their individual needs. Stupp Bros. Inc. sive experience in both commercial real In addition to traditional private security estate lending and C&I lending, having service, the company offers uniformed John Stupp III worked at PNC Bank as a senior vice security and staffing services for major Stupp Bros. Inc. president of C&I lending and at South- events. west Bank as a senior vice president of Evan Waldman John Stupp is Essex Industries director of project commercial real estate lending. management at Evan Waldman is Stupp Bros. Inc., John Vitale the chief ex- a privately owned Global Capital Resource Partners ecutive officer at company focused Paul Truber Essex Industries. on providing UHY LLP John Vitale is president and founder of Waldman is the infrastructure Global Capital Resource Partners, a com- third CEO in development in the pany founded to help small, medium and Paul Truber is the company’s United States as well as serving the St. large enterprises raise the capital they the managing 70-year history. Louis market through a successful com- need when they need it. The company is director at UHY He joined Essex munity bank. an international financing advisory firm LLP. For over 25 in 2004 as a sales with 50-plus years of experience and a years, Truber has and marketing massive database of both equity and debt provided tax and associate. He also served as operations sources of capital, systems and organiza- consulting ser- manager for the manufacturing division, tion to advise entrepreneurs looking for vices to a broad director of commercial sales, director Stefanie Thelen funding. spectrum of of strategy and most recently as senior Slalom St. Louis businesses. Over vice president of business development. the years he has become a trusted source Essex Industries is a family-owned and Stefanie Thelen is to his clients for tax planning, research, -operated manufacturer focused on the the general man- consulting and compliance. He serves as aerospace and defense market. Providing ager for Slalom a member of UHY’s manufacturing and platform controls and aircraft compo- St. Louis, a mod- distribution team and its estate planning nents, Essex has been a part of virtually ern consulting team. every major military and commercial firm focused on aerospace program since the company strategy, technol- began in 1947. ogy, and business transformation and shared insights to deliver high-impact business results.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 35 100 ST. LOUISANS TO KNOW Congratulations Derek Weber Laura Wilson to Darrell Scott! goBRANDgo! Marketplace At The Abbey Darrell Scott has been selected as one of the Top 100 People to Know in Banking. We Laura Wilson Founded in applaud Darrell’s efforts and contributions 2003 by Derek opened Mar- that enrich the lives and opportunities of those Weber, go- ketplace at The within our community. BRANDgo! is a Abbey in 2014, showcasing marketing firm We’re proud to be Right Where You Are. built for private- home acces- ly held compa- sories, lighting, nies that want linens, uphol- to aggressively stery, house- grow market wares, floral ar- rangements and share through BancorpSouth.com a metrics-based custom furniture ©2019 BancorpSouth. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. marketing strategy or need a WordPress expertly handcrafted by talented artisans website that drives and converts traffic. in the Saint Louis area. goBRANDgo is owned by Weber and partner Brandon Dempsey. Weber is also the president of the Entrepreneurs’ Hays Companies Organization (EO) St. Louis chapter, a peer-to-peer network of influential busi- Michelle Yates Congratulates ness owners. Lawrence Group Jim Curran Michelle Yates is the director of marketing “Top 100 St. Louisans To Know for Lawrence To Succeed In Business” Tricia Whelan Group, a design Lindell Bank and Trust Co. and project de- livery firm based 700+ Risk Management Advisors | 30+ Offices Across the Country Tricia Whelan in downtown www.hayscompanies.com is vice president St. Louis with of Lindell Bank offices in Austin and Trust Co. and New York. She has over The company offers architecture, interior St. Louis Business Exam, Question #11 25 years of design, landscape architecture, graphic banking experi- design, town planning, construction Why advertise in St. Louis Small Business Monthly? management and real estate development ence, including Because you: examination, services. audits, compli- A. understand the importance of thriving local businesses ance, lending, B. can’t wait until the Spring and Fall St. Louis Business Expos risk management C. want to leverage the buying power of 70,000 business owners and reserve analysis. Before working at Lindell Bank, she worked at Concord D. are smart with your marketing dollars Bank. OE. ALL OF THE ABOVE A+ Great Job!
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36 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM COMPANY NAME CONTACT INFORMATION
AccuPay HCM 636.532.9510 12747 Olive Blvd., #300 accupayhcm.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 Thank API you Financial Solutions 636.720.0195 4600 Executive Centre Parkway, Ste. B apisolutions.com • St. Peters, MO 63376 Biermann Accounting Services, LLC 636.225.6555 1799 A Smizer Station Rd. biermannaccounting.com • Fenton, MO 63026 CBIZ 314.692.2249 625 Maryville Centre Dr., #200 for making a cbiz.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 Cornerstone Employer Solutions 314.222.5770 721 Emerson Rd., #500 cornerstoneemploy.com • St. Louis, MO 63141 Eckelkamp & Associates CPA’s P.C. 314.849.7555 9109 Watson Rd., #300 difference. eacfo.com • St. Louis, MO 63126 Heartland Payroll Services 314.709.7006 757 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005 HireLevel 618.655.1212 5214 Chain of Rocks Rd. hirelevel.com • Edwardsville, IL 62025 IPS 314.821.0600 9450 Manchester Rd., #200 Best Payroll Service ipsonline.net • St. Louis, MO 63119 Maixner, LLC 314.487.4000 4501 Telegraph Rd., Ste. E Providers maixnercpas.com • St. Louis, MO 63129 The following companies were voted the Next Wave Payroll Solutions 314.223.6191 4623 Washington Blvd. Best Payroll Service Providers in St. Louis. nextwavepayroll.com • St. Louis, MO 63108 Make sure you check out the Awards page Paychex 636.519.0340 16305 Swingley Ridge Rd., #500 paychex.com • Chesterfield, MO 63017 at www.sbmon.com to stay up to date with Rapp Payroll Solutions 314.549.8800 206 W. Argonne, #106 other Best in Business nominations for rapppayrollsolutions.com • Kirkwood, MO 63122 2019. We are proud to support BMO Harris and thank Dan Kraus for all he Rickhoff & Associates 618.632.1994 1107 Frontage Rd. does in the community.rickhoff.com He has made a difference.• O’Fallon, IL 62269 Sederburg &13205 Associates Manchester Road636.587.0570 3023 North St. Peters Parkway taxaccountantsmo.com • St. Peters, MO 63376 St. Louis, MO STL Tax 314.645.1614 8128 Gravois Rd. 314-543-3349 stltax.com • St. Louis, MO 63123 Wolf Bookkeeping 636.485.2006 315 Woodlawn Ave., #4 wolfbookkeepingandtaxservice.com• O’Fallon, MO 63366 BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC bmoharris.com
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ABOUT PETER STROPLE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER Peter Strople has been called “One of the World’s Great Rainmakers,” “The Most Connected Man in America,” and “One of the Most Connected People in the World.” And with all those accolades, he still understands the importance of real, one-on-one relationships with others. Peter brings with him decades of experience and success in business, driven by his focus on genuine engagement with everyone he comes in contact with. Peter is a former director with Dell Computer Corp. and Grid Systems Corporation. He advises and mentors executives and political leaders around the world. In 2008, he created “Friends of Peter” to bring business and community leaders together to effect “Instant Change” as it relates to the critical business and social needs of a community or country. Considered one of the Top Business Strategists dealing with “Instant Change,” Peter has developed unique techniques to address and refocus a company’s strategy in a few hours versus a few months. Peter is passionate about children’s issues, combating child abuse, supporting foster care, and reforming education. From 2003-2007, he and his wife, Kelly, housed 16 people in their home with the goal of help- ing those families get out of debt and establish a new foundation for the future. Peter and Kelly live in Austin, Texas.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 37
16 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ST. LOUIS COMPANIES YOU SHOULD KNOW
Some of the area’s leading businesses share their accomplishments and how they help to make St. Louis a better place to live and do business. Pages 38-40
38 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS COMPANIES YOU SHOULD KNOW
FROM TOP FLIGHT EVENT SPONSORSHIPS, TO TARGETED Pioneer Wealth Management StrykerFROM Group TOP FLIGHT EVENT Helps Cleints Innovate, MAGAZINE ADS, WE CAN HELP Training, ExpertiseSPONSORSHIPS,YOU Helps FIND THE NEWTO TARGETED WoodsBUSINESS Helping Individual and Corporate MAGAZINEYOU NEED ADS, NOW. WE CAN HELP Basement Systems WOWYOUCHECK FIND USTHE OUT NEW Customers ON BUSINESS SBMON.COM DifferentiateYOU NEED NOW. Themselves In ClientsThe PlanMarketplace for the Future n May 1986, Rick Woods and his business partnerCHECK started US OUT a ON small SBMON.COM business in Collinsville, Regardless of your stage in life, your income or your goals, you need a plan to WhenIL. business Today that owners small businessform partnerships has grown to with a team The of Stryker over 90 Group,employees an solvingIT consultancy homeown- focusedhelp on theyou use accurately of Microsoft manage based your technologies finances. 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Group, How is do the you ability get itto all under- under standdo and one deliver repair asolutions week, sometimes for daily two. needs “After of Rick a firm sold to a operate job, his wifemost Anna efficiently Lee and son utilizing the control?best BASEMENTblend of people, FINISHING process and technology.ROCKWELL EGRESS WINDOW Wayne, would help Rick with installing the repair work,”take says Dave your Thompson, the compa- Theny’s second marketing layer director. of Stryker’s “Now benefitwith 22 modeltrucks and is to crews provide helping solutions more than that 30 its homeowners customers can use Atfor Pioneermarket differentiation,Wealth Management, as well weas increasingspecialize invalue investments, added opportunities. insurance and “Thisevery helps week to preventtheir company our customers’ has grown& intoportfolio a multi-million of offeringstake businessdollar from yourcompany.” becoming back commoditized,” saysco prehens e Stryker. “By nanc a helping our p ann n customers stay out of the commodities game, the greater chance of remaining profitable allowing them time to reinvest314.569.0076 and stay ahead of their competition.” Free Estimates Rick Woods took the time for hands-on training withinbusiness his team. This back helped Woods to We provide investment and insurance financial planning services to help corpo- Stryker,develop who an industry-leadinghas both an undergraduate company that alwaysdegree provides in computer WOW!314.569.0076 science service itsfrom customers, University of Tennesseerate and Chattanooga individual clients and an plan MBA their from retirement Washington and how University to pass in their St. Louis,legacy to their beganco-workers to develop and the community. ideas that “First would we eventuallydo what is right become and remember his business that modelwe are servingwhile working inloved various ones. industries We put includingyour financial engineering, goals and healthcare, objectives ITfirst. consulting, We look retailforward to BASEMENT FINISHING ROCKWELL EGRESS WINDOW and manufacturing.a homeowner – not just repairing a home,” says Thompson. “That’s at the heart of the working with you. 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Partner, as a senior consultant designing yearfor 2000 bowing compliant in walls andenterprise settling applications.basement and crawlspace foundations, the Woods team has BASEMENT WATERPROOFING FOUNDATION REPAIR Later when working as the vice president of doneinformation over 45,000 systems installations. and operations Woods Base- for a St. Louis based commercial printer, Stryker was contacted by ament local Systems company does seeking so much assistance for the basements with the design of a new flavor creationVisit application the Tech for the Electronics food and beveragein &homes Brocade industry. it coined He Booththe jumped phrase, at“All the Things opportunity to provide aThank you for voting us solution. “Initially,at the St.I was Louis able to Small handle Businessthe dayBasementy™”, and nightExpo workloads, onas part April of thebut 8 worldwide thquickly found dealer myself with more work for my nightgive job,” us he says. your “With growth an establishednetwork, minded, revenue Basement base, Systems the outbreak of Seymour from a traditional job to forming my own tocompany see how was not together as difficult weConnecticut. as canothers advance that“As a hadtop 10%to start dealer, from the scratch. repairs Most importantly,BEST 800-388-9326 IN VALUE! giveyour us aggressive, your growthperformed your minded,BASEMENT byready Woods FINISHING Basement SystemsROCKWELL are EGRESS WINDOW The Stryker Group the combinationWHY YOU of educationyour forSHOULD business’s newand managementFOCUS business cri ONtialsocal experienceTHE backed mission. STRATEGIESnow by thegained National from DealerTHAT previous Warranty,” employers provided a solid WoodsBasementSystems.comfoundation to build BASEMENT WATERPROOFING FOUNDATION REPAIR a successfulMAKE business.”your YOU aggressive, SUCCESSFUL EVERY yoursays Thompson.QUARTER. ready 100 Chesterfield Business Parkway, Suite 200 for newentrepreneurs business now Chesterfield, MO 63005 The Stryker Group has grown from concentratingFor moresolely information on the web on and what windows Woods applicationcan development projects to provid- ing management consultingentrepreneurs and strategic planning. “This process enabled us to become a partner for many firms in St. Louis,” www.techelectronics.comdo for your basement, call 314.965.1980 or 3660 S Geyer Road says Stryker.Thank “Additionally, you for as voting a WatchGuard us certifiedvisit WoodsBasementSystems.com. professional we provide Cyber security audits and networking solutions for St. Louis, Mo 63127636.368.5414 customers rangingSt. in sizeLouis, from Missouri a single office | 314.645.6200up to 15 locations.” Every dayBEST firms like IN ABB, VALUE! Gonzalez Companies, Colt Safety, Thalden Boyd Emery, Total Hockey and others utilize various solu- www.strykergroup.com Securities o ered through Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, Advisory services o ered through 800-388-9326 tions from The Stryker Group to meet their businessBASEMENT objectives. WATERPROOFING FOUNDATION REPAIR Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera entitites are under separate ownership from any other named entity. WoodsBasementSystems.com 800-388-9326 How a RetirementWoodsBasementSystems.com Plan Contribution Helps YourOne-Stop Qualified Retirement Business Income Planning Deduction Pensionhe Taxand CutsRetirement and Jobs Services, Act created cookieyour tax cutter bill by approach thousands. to Withplan design.a 401(k) riencedYou may enough want to todiscuss strike your the intentions delicate Inc. (“PARS”)a new deduction provides for retirement pass-through “Weplan, make you could certain potentially each client save upis awareto balancewith your between CPA and reasonable us to decide fees on theand plan servicesbusiness to owners, businesses including with Sole up to of$56,000 all plan ($62,000 design ifoptions. you are atThe least effi age- 50 appropriatebest strategy. services. TProprietorships, Partnerships and S Corp in 2019) in employee and employer contri- Pension and Retirement Services, Inc. 1,000 employees. Since its founding cient use of resources is a fundamental inshareholders. 1998, PARS The has new been deduction, a one-stop com- ofbutions, successful which plan would design.” accomplish the goal (“PARS”)Above all provides else, PARS retirement puts planan em- services retirementmonly called plan the provider. 199A deduction, President allows of lowering your taxable income. Need to phasisto businesses on client with service. up to 1,000 “Through employees. for up to 20% of Qualified Business drop your income even more? Consider a Since its founding in 1998, PARS has been and Founder, Dave Bruder explains, Now more the ever, plan trustees and the years, providing excellent services Income to be deducted, provided the busi- fiduciariesdefined benefit are under plan. Inclose some scrutiny. situations, combineda one-stop retirementwith below plan average provider. prices Presi- “Weness areowner specialists meets certain at handling requirements. the full you can contribute hundreds of thousands dent and Founder, Dave Bruder explains, rangeThere of are retirement income limitations planning that services, may Examplesa year, which abound can then of planbe deducted trustees from has“We been are specialists our hallmark,” at handling states the Bruder. full fromlimit administrationor eliminate the todeduction, employee which edu- beingincome. sued for breaching their duty to Torange start of aretirement retirement plan plan services; or improve compli- cation,for 2019 from are $160,700-$210,700consulting to investment for Single planAssuming participants. your situation PARS alreadytakes greatqualifies anance, existing consulting, one, employeeplease contact education, PARS services.”filers and $321,450-$421,450 if you are careyou tofor explain the full 199Athe role deduction, plan fiduciaries you may today!investments Dave and Bruder fiduciary may services.” be reached Married Filing Jointly. This is a complex playnot wantin protecting to reduce theyour best taxable interests income of atTo [email protected] start a retirement plan or or improve at (314) an Bruderdeduction is thatclear you on will the want role toPARS consult theirwith employees.retirement savings PARS that helps would trustees cause 966-0406.existing one, please contact PARS today! plays,with a “We tax advisor have twofor specifics. objectives. First, differentiateyou to give up between your deduction. fees and In ser- that Dave Bruder may be reached at dbruder@ Dave Bruder As an example, if you are a single indi- we help plan trustees understand and case, consider using a Roth 401(k) ac- pars401k.com or at (314) 966-0406. Dave Bruder vidual filer with a sole-proprietorship, with vices.count (orFees a Roth are only IRA, appropriateif your income when level fulfillprojected their taxable fiduciary income duty of to$215,000 plan par in- combineddoesn’t disqualify with appropriate you) to save services. for retire- ticipants.2019, you wouldSecond, be weineligible help employeesfor the 199A Inment many without instances losing low the fees199A means deduction. PensionPension and and Retirement Retirement Services Services realizeincome their due tounique your income retirement level. goals.” How- basicIt’s importantservices such to review as employee your entire 1080510805 Sunset Sunset Office Office Drive, Drive, Suite Suite 403 403 Toever, meet if you those could objectives, drop your PARStaxable viewsincome education,financial picture audit forsupport this type or investmentof financial St.St. Louis, Louis, MO MO 63127 63127 eachbelow client the $160,700 uniquely, level, it does you couldnot use take a a analysisplanning. are There excluded. are fees PARSand sometimes is expe- full 20% deduction on all of your remain- actuarial calculations required for setting 314.966.0406314.966.0406 www.pars401k.com www.pars401k.com ing qualified business income and lower up and administering a retirement plan.
WWW.SBMON.COMWWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUISST. LOUIS SMALL SMALL BUSINESS BUSINESS MONTHLY MONTHLY / APRIL / 2015 APRIL 21 2019 39 ST. LOUIS COMPANIES YOU SHOULD KNOW Stryker Group Helps Cleints Innovate, Differentiate Themselves In The Marketplace When business owners form partnerships with The Stryker Group, an IT consultancy focused on the use of Microsoft based technologies to help businesses innovate and scale profitably, they can expect to gain multiple layers of benefits. The first layer, according to Shane Stryker, president and CEO of The Stryker Group, is the ability to under- stand and deliver solutions for daily needs of a firm to operate most efficiently utilizing the best blend of people, process and technology. The second layer of Stryker’s benefit model is to provide solutions that its customers can use for market differentiation, as well as increasing value added opportunities. “This helps to prevent our customers’ portfolio of offerings from becoming commoditized,” says Stryker. “By helping our customers stay out of the commodities game, the greater chance of remaining profitable allowing them time to reinvest and stay ahead of their competition.” Stryker, who has both an undergraduate degree in computer science from University of Tennessee Chattanooga and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, began to develop the ideas that would eventually become his business model while working in various industries including engineering, healthcare, IT consulting, retail and manufacturing. Shane first entered the work force during his undergraduate studies when he was hired by an engineer- ing firm to write the communication software for a wireless environmental air monitoring system used by the Department of Defense. In the 1990s, Stryker worked for the G.A. Sullivan, a Microsoft Gold Solution Partner, as a senior consultant designing year 2000 compliant enterprise applications. Later when working as the vice president of information systems and operations for a St. Louis based commercial printer, Stryker was contacted by a local company seeking assistance with the design of a new flavor creation application for the food and beverage industry. He jumped at the opportunity to provide a solution. “Initially, I was able to handle the day and night workloads, but quickly found myself with more work for my night job,” he says. “With an established revenue base, the break from a traditional job to forming my own company was not as difficult as others that had to start from scratch. Most importantly, the combination of education and management experience gained from previous employers provided a solid foundation to build The Stryker Group a successful business.” 100 Chesterfield Business Parkway, Suite 200 The Stryker Group has grown from concentrating solely on the web and windows application development projects to provid- Chesterfield, MO 63005 ing management consulting and strategic planning. “This process enabled us to become a partner for many firms in St. Louis,” says Stryker. “Additionally, as a WatchGuard certified professional we provide Cyber security audits and networking solutions for customers ranging in size from a single office up to 15 locations.” 636.368.5414 Every day firms like ABB, Gonzalez Companies, Colt Safety, Thalden Boyd Emery, Total Hockey and others utilize various solu- www.strykergroup.com tions from The Stryker Group to meet their business objectives.
40 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM DON’T MISS IT The Biggest Business Event of the Year ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS St. Louis Business Expo & Business Growth Conference Tuesday, April 23, 2019 St. Charles Convention Center B2B EXHIBITS • NETWORKING FREE SEMINARS • SPECIAL EVENTS SPEED NETWORKING (noon-1pm)
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS EXPO October 20, 2015 • 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. St. Charles Convention Center
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Community Credit Union St. Louis is drug tested and background is nearly a two billion dollar financial insti- checked, as well as licensed and bonded. tution with 38 locations. We live by THE GRANDMA RULE®, to Our mission is to provide quality products St. Charles County Department treat everyone the way you would want your and affordable financial services for consum- Amplified Digital Agency of Workforce & Business Development grandma to be treated. This is why we treat ers and small businesses. 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We Spectrum Reach is the Television and Digi- 1.618.238.2740 and the Sinkin’ Creek Mercantile featuring our nextmaximize project. profitability and reduce the needof the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles Missourilearn Made about Products your business and Souvenirs. from the ground tal Advertising arm of Spectrum. www.woodsbasementsystems.com for multiple pieces of software to manageCounty. We do that through workforce In additionup so wethe canpark provide has 13 Cabins, you with a a modular development,Our powerful economic marketing development data and puts your mes- At Woods Basement Systems, we specialize your business. Campground,solutions 3 configured Hiking Trails to and your several unique work- communitysage development in front of theservices, right programs customers, wher- in basement waterproofing, basement finish- Pavilionsflows for and outdoor processes. activities. 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We take a holistic ap- businessWe space.operate Whether in both it theis messaging, creative and golf, dining, vacations, celebrations and more. proach toCathleen cybersecurity. Jones, As Marketing your trusted Coordinator marketingbusiness platform space. development, Whether itsocial is messaging, long. Live Nation Season Tickets allow youpartner Home– we focus & business on people, moving process, and mediamarketing engagement, platform media buys,development, radio & social to take your concert experience to the nexttechnology. 10966 We Gravois have a proven Industrial track Ct.record TV commercial campaigns, voice-over work level with the closest parking, use of a pri- media engagement, media buys, radio & of exceedingSt. Louis, expectations MO 63128 and implement- YMCA Trout Lodge & Camp Lakewood or impactful video services…EG Media vate entrance/exit, access into the exclusiveing cybersecurity best practices. 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First Community [email protected] is a state-chartered credit union, organized The Purple Guys is St. Louis’s most reliable 42 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 under strict regulatory laws that are moni- and responsive Managed IT Services and Com- Winning Technologies WWW.SBMON.COM tored and enforced by the Missouri Division puter Support provider for small and mid-sized Scott Lewis of Credit Unions and the National Credit businesses. Since 2001, we’ve helped local busi- 636-379-8279 Union Administration. First Community nesses grow and gain greater return on their www.winningtech.com is well capitalized; safe, sound and secure. IT investment through innovative technology [email protected] Come join the 225,000+ members who do solutions and businesses-friendly flat rate fees. Winning Technologies is a Business Man- their banking with us. We’re here for All With the largest IT service desk in the Midwest agement company that specializes in the se- Your Savings and All Your Loans! and a 15-minute guaranteed response time, our lection, implementation, management and 96.3% customer satisfaction rate speaks to how support of technology initiatives. Visit www. much our clients love and depend on us. Give winningtech.com for more information. us a call to learn more about how The Purple Guys can bring you IT Peace-of-Mind APRIL 23, 11 A.M. - 5 P.M. - ST. CHARLES COVENTION CENTER ST. LOUIS BUSINESS EXPO SCHEDULE www.stlexpo.com Je Koziatek To Keynote Top 100 Luncheon At St. Louis Business Expo & Biz Growth Conferenece Learn The Four Keys To Building An Authentic, Value Driven Business
s the former owner of an entertain- Ament company, Jeff Koziatek’s value as a human being was tied directly to his business. A self-proclaimed workaholic, Koziatek took one vacation in 16 years and was constantly moving from one project to the next. Be- cause his identity was tied to the business, every employee mistake seemed like a per- sonal attack against him. “Needless to say, I didn’t always handle employees very well,” Koziatek admits. As a kid, Koziatek said he picked up the idea that he didn’t have any value by myself, only for what he ac- complished. “If I performed well in sports or school, people looked at me,” he said. “If I didn’t, I saw a lot of the backs of peoples’ heads. That desire to be seen and valued drove me to do a lot of different things in business and wear a bunch of hats. The problem was it was never enough. I couldn’t stop working. If I stopped working, then the source of I am going to talk about intrinsic value. As entrepreneurs and leaders in our indus- my value would be shut off and I would be less of a person. Stopping the work was try and within our businesses, it’s really easy to tie our personal worth and identity never an option. I had to be a workaholic all the time.” into what we do. Now, for most people, what we do is who we are. What I want to talk Koziatek was stressed to his limits. After suffering through a painful bout of stress- about is how we have intrinsic value outside of that. When we stand on that, it allows induced shingles, he knew something had to change. us to be more present, with customers and employees so we can actually listen to what It wasn’t until he began to see he had value outside of work that led him to take a is going on and respond appropriately, versus defending ourselves and our products. break and a breath. “I started to see my employees and customers differently,” he said. How do we make sure we are not falling into that trap? “Not as objects I needed to manipulate to get something done or obstacles I just had I think it comes down to daily reminders. It is easy to pick up what the culture is to deal with.” saying, “You’re only worth your productivity,” “Are you a CEO of a company?” If so, Said Koziatek, “I don’t want people to miss out on experiences or opportunities in we’ll rate you above someone who is not a CEO. You have value. “You’re not in the their lives because their value is tied to their work or the success of their companies. C-Suite?” Then you are seen as less. All of these messages build and build and start to It is never going to be enough. You won’t be present with what is going on in life shift our focus to what we do. Remember: You are not the art, you are the artist. The because you are constantly thinking about the next deal, next project, the next client art comes from you, it is not who you are. We need a constant reminder, almost daily, and you’ll miss what is happening right before you.” of who we are as human beings. We all need to stand on the foundation of our core Now, a nationally recognized life coach, author and speaker and owner of Core Au- values. From that, comes our business. thenticity, he travels around the world sharing his experiences and ideas to audiences all over the country. His goal is to help audiences realize their value does not come from their work. “I want people to experience more peace, more joy, more freedom, more productivity and not miss their moments,” he said. The luncheon honoring the Top 100 People To Know is Tuesday, April 23 Koziatek will be the keynote presenter at the Top 100 People To Know in St. Louis (11am-1pm) at the St. Charles Convention Center. Tickets are $55 each Luncheon on April 23. SBM spoke with Koziatek about his upcoming presentation. (tables of 10 are $550). Tickets can be purchased online at https://store. Tell me what you’ll speak about at the Expo on April 23? sbmon.com or via phone at 314.569.0076.
WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 43 APRIL 23, 11 A.M. - 5 P.M. - ST. CHARLES COVENTION CENTER ST. LOUIS BUSINESS EXPO SCHEDULE www.stlexpo.com
Kicko Seminar, 10am-11am (Rooms 104-105) 60 Marketing & Sales Ideas In 60 Minutes Walk Away With Strategies and Ideas You Can Use Immediately Google Grow Your Sales & Marketing Winners Circle Growth Strategies Business Lab (Stage 1) (Stage 2) (Stage 3) (Rooms 104-105)
11:30-12:20 Get Found On Google Return-On-Investment From Prison Financial Strategies Search and Maps (ROI) and Your Marketing to the Podium for Women
Reach Customers Online 12:30-1:20 The Digital Divide: How to Market Anything Magnetize Your Brand with Google Capturing Today’s Buyer By Creating A Message through the Power of That Sells Publishing
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The Entrepreneur’s Time Essential Presentation 2:30-3:30 TBA TBA Management System Skills
DON’T FORGET Speed Networking, noon-1pm, (Bring Your Business Cards) Main Networking Area
SCORE SPEED COACHING THE PITCH Free Business Consulting On The Spot, 11am-5pm Pitch Your Products/Services, 1:30pm-2:30pm SCORE BOOTH Main Networking Area
Table Sponsors: Meet The Area’s Top Influencers Meet the area’s top business leaders 2019 Top St. Louisans You Should Know 100 April 23, 2019 11am-1pm St. Louisans You To Succed In Business St. Charles Convention Center Should Know http://store.sbmon.com
March 20, 2013 | St. Charles Convention Center
ABOUT PETER STROPLE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER Peter Strople has been called “One of the World’s Great Rainmakers,” “The Most Connected Man in America,” and “One of the Most Connected People in the World.” And with all those accolades, he still understands the importance of real, one-on-one relationships with others. Peter brings with him decades of experience and success in business, driven by his focus on genuine engagement with everyone he comes in contact with. Peter is a former director with Dell Computer Corp. and Grid Systems Corporation. He advises and mentors executives and political leaders around the world. In 2008, he created “Friends of Peter” to bring business and community leaders together to effect “Instant Change” as it relates to the critical business and social needs of a community or country. Considered one of the Top Business Strategists dealing with “Instant Change,” Peter has developed unique techniques to address and refocus a company’s strategy in a few hours versus a few months. Peter is passionate about children’s issues, combating child abuse, supporting foster care, and reforming education. From 2003-2007, he and his wife, Kelly, housed 16 people in their home with the goal of help- ing those families get out of debt and establish a new foundation for the future. Peter44 and Kelly live inST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 Austin, Texas. WWW.SBMON.COM LEADER ACCELERATION BY KATHY COOPERMAN
o rYour Leader i Leadership t le Style at or At Work uccess in leadership requires an understanding of people, their motivations and Foundational Principles Are therepreferences. some people Once who just you drive recognize you crazy? that peopleIf you’re are like different, most people, you will especially be ready in to n Remember that all styles have strengths and drawbacks. All are equally valuable. leadership,Sadapt you ’reyour probab style lyto thinking, those you “Yes, work definitely!” with . . . minimizing the crazy-makers. Working closely with someone whose style is opposite or very different from our own, Are there some people who just drive you crazy? If you’re like most people, especially we often experience conflict. It’s easier working with someone who shares the same Successin leadership, in leadership you’re requires probably an understanding thinking, “Yes, of definitely!”people, their motivations and their style. Research, however, finds that the best-performing teams are made up of individu- preferences.Success Oncein leadership you recognize requires that an people understanding are different, of people,you will theirbe ready motivations to adapt yourand style als with a mix of styles. n We’re all a combination of styles. You are likely to have a primary style, but you may to thosetheir preferences.you work with Once — minimizing you recognize the crazy that-makers. people are different, you will be ready to adapt your style to those you work with — minimizing the crazy-makers. be a blend of a couple of styles.
There are many assessments for determining workplace styles. One of the easiest to n “Priorities” are the words around the circle. The individuals with each DiSC style Thereunderstand are many isassessmen the DiSCts profile. for determining I use the workplace “Everything styles. DiSC One Management of the easiest Profile” to in are motivated to act in a certain way based on their natural priorities, as represented by understandmy work iswith the leaders.DiSC profile. It has I use four the personality/behavioral “Everything DiSC Management styles: Profile” in my work with thatCreating style. a Motivational Environment leaders. It has four personality/behavioral styles: Creating a Motivational Environment Imagine improving improving even even the themost most difficult difficult relationship relationship at work. atThink work. about Think your aboutteam. Howyour team.can youHow adapt can your you styleadapt to yourmaximize style motivation to maximize for themotivation four styles? for the four styles?
D i S C Demotivators -Too many -Routine/boring -Abrupt change -Pressured to details tasks -Forced into make quick -Boring/routine -Overly critical quick decisions decisions work people -Conflict and -Vague -Micro- -Working in drama directions management isolation -Being wrong Motivators -Allow some -Praise in public -Offer sincere -Allow for control -Offer and specific independent -Challenge with opportunities to praise work stretch goals shine -Provide -Be clear about -Recognize -Offer variety in structure when expectations performance tasks delegating tasks -Give time to -Allow team -Ask for their process info interaction ideas Becoming a More Effective Leader A Becomingfew simple steps a More can helpEffective you lead Leader others with less stress and more insight: 1. Take the DiSC for Management online assessment. a. Review your report with your coach. A few simple steps can help you lead others with less stress and more insight: Four Basic Styles b. Gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses.
The circle above (circumplex) shows four distinct styles: D, i, S and C. Consider how 2. Allow team members to take the assessment (individual contributor version). 1. Take the DiSC for Management online assessment. Comment [A1]: Or should this say o rthe Ba icstyles are t le different. As you look over the characteristics of each style, think about a. Holda. Review a facilitated your report team with workshop. your coach . “Everything DiSC Management,” as she mentioned above? individuals on your team who fit each style. Think, also, about which style best fits you b. Learnb. Gain the insight team into makeup your strengths of styles. and weaknesses. Thein circle your above leadership (circumple role.x) shows four distinct styles: D, i, S and C. Consider how the styles 2. Allowc. Allow team open members discussions to take theabout assessment the impact (individual of styles. contributor version). are different. As you look over the characteristics of each style, think about individuals on your 3. Enjoy thea. benefitsHold a offacilitated an enlightened team workshop team!. n team who fit eachomin style.ance Think, also, about which style best fitsi younfl einn yource leadership role. For more informationb. Learn about the team the makeupDiSC for of Management styles. Profile , please contact Kathy Cooper- man, [email protected]. Allow open discussions Kathy about Cooperman, the impact an of executive styles. coach and leadership expert, is the president and founder of KC Leadership Consulting LLC. For more information, contact Direct Outgoing 3. Enjoy the benefits of an enlightened team! her at [email protected], www.kathycooperman.com or 720.542.3324. Results-Oriented Enthusiastic
Optimistic Firm For more information about the DiSC for Management Profile, please contact Kathy Cooperman, Comment [A2]: And now this is saying it a KC Leadership Consulting,Strong- LLCwilled 1 High-spirited March 2019 [email protected]. third way… Forceful Lively
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Remember that all styles have strengths and drawbacks. All are equally valuable. WWW.SBMON.COMWorking closely with someone whose style is opposite or very different from our own, ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 45 we often experience conflict. It’s easier working with someone who shares the same style. Research, however, finds that the best-performing teams are made up of individuals with a mix of styles.
We’re all a combination of styles. You are likely to have a primary style, but you may be a blend of a couple of styles.
“Priorities” are the words around the circle. The individuals with each DiSC style are motivated to act in a certain way based on their natural priorities, as represented by that style.
KC Leadership Consulting, LLC 2 March 2019 THE EXTRAORDINARY WORKPLACE VALUE PROPOSITION BY JUDY RYAN BY DAVE DRISCOLL The Courage To Be Disliked New Business Owner? Now Is “When we least expect it, life sets up a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; The Time To Plan To Sell Your Business at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than amily-owned businesses thrive on expected of other candidates. Capitalize enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” pride, tradition and dedication. Of- on strengths and offer training to build -Paulo Coelho, “The Devil and Miss Prym” Ften, a business depends on multiple skills as needed. Allow future leaders to family members and vice versa. Although begin making decisions and support them read a book called “The Courage To When nice is really mean approximately 70 percent of family-owned through the inevitable mistakes. If a family Be Disliked” on psychiatrist Alfred I often find leaders who are afraid of businesses hope to transition to the next member does not have potential that ben- Adler, and I highly recommend it. being autocratic (rightly so) but then use generation, nearly 43 percent do not have efits the business, encourage them to find I a succession plan, according to the Con- their niche elsewhere. We use Adler’s model, a major depar- incentives, judgment, pampering and ture from what is held to be “common avoidance instead. They are afraid of be- way Center for Family Business. Involve younger generations in strategic sense.”The author states that Adler is at ing “mean” and think these choices are Honest communication about expecta- planning. tions and abilities can help your family Long-term strategy is not always obvious least 100 years ahead of his time; I have viable alternatives. They are not. In their business survive and be relevant into the when you are focusing on daily operations. always said the same. The title refers efforts to be nice (usually a cover for play- future. As you review and set goals, be sure to to the courage it takes to think outside ing it “safe”), they rob others of becom- Ask about intentions early and often. include younger generations. Their fresh of the fixed belief (and power) system ing empowered, lovable, connected and Don’t assume that the next generation perspectives may highlight new opportuni- that the majority operates from related contributing — and they don’t see it. does (or does not) want to participate in ties for growth. to scarcity, fear and self-interest. Most A great example of this is in the 1962 the family business. Ask whether they are Bring in qualified “outsiders” to fill people think and do what the herd does. movie “The Miracle Worker,” about interested and revisit this conversation necessary roles. And that “common sense” is the reason Helen Keller (Patty Duke) and her new often as they mature. If an individual does Forcing family members into roles they we are, and have been, in so much teacher, Annie Sullivan (Anne Bancroft). not genuinely care about the business’s are not suited for can have disastrous This movie is a dramatic example of how product or purpose, he/she will not be results. For example, if someone’s expertise trouble. fulfilled working there just because it’s the is in operations, do not ask him/her to Operating by freedom with one loving family offered pity and per- family thing to do. Do not make offspring lead marketing initiatives just because that responsibility rather than control missiveness that kept Helen disempow- feel guilty or disloyal if they choose to role is vacant. Supplement your team with We have had centuries of using extrin- ered, unknown, unable to fully connect pursue another career path. employees who have the competence to sic motivators to get desired behavior and contribute. What’s most important Don’t assume younger generations know help your company thrive — regardless of from others — being autocratic and using is the obvious courage within Annie the business inside out. their DNA. incentives, praise, shaming and spoiling, Sullivan, who neither pities nor pampers When children grow up hearing about Anticipate and plan for industry trends all in an effort to create compliance. nor sets out to hurt Helen but rather the family business day in and day out, it’s and customer needs. Freedom with responsibility requires first consistently demonstrates determination easy to assume they know the fundamen- Regardless of the commitment and that we like people, that we are grate- and a clear vision of the best outcome tals. But remember, they were not involved talents of your family, your business will when the direction of the business was not survive long term without adapting. ful for their power, acknowledge and for her student despite inconvenience, determined. Regularly review the overall Consider how your product or service fits celebrate it, draw upon their inherent attacks and challenges, remaining strong mission and standards that guide the into industry trends and shifting cultural good, help them clarify their purpose, until breakthrough. If one watches this business — this is also a good reminder for norms. How are your customers’ needs and adopt behaviors that achieve it. This movie, one can see the courage it takes those who have become bogged down in changing? What additional problems can requires a favorable and optimistic view to not only choose a less traveled path the daily grind. Teach younger generations you solve for your clients? of them rather than one in which they but also stand up for one’s convictions the processes and operations responsible Prioritize continuity of values and corpo- are not trusted but are judged as self- despite often avid confrontations and for your company’s success, preferably by rate culture. ish, lazy and worth less than others and criticisms that come with it. having them work their way up through Your company’s success is not solely must be frightened, praised, bribed and More than ever, our world needs the ranks. due to your fantastic products or services. Don’t protect/hide bad habits. strong, intelligent and effective leader- Don’t underestimate the importance of shamed subtly or overtly. This shift is no Maybe there are skeletons in your com- community relations, charitable contribu- easy feat. ship within every person, beginning pany closet that don’t paint other family tions and other ways your values are lived Understanding what it means to be an in early childhood. This requires that members or the company in the best light. through your business. Ensure future effective and life-giving authority each of us pray and seek to be released Protecting unsavory behaviors only leads generations realize that this is a responsibil- In my culture transformation process, from the need for love, acceptance and to bigger problems. Address any issues ity of success and that this generosity does people face their limiting and faulty approval from others because effective promptly to ensure the future health of the influence buying decisions and community beliefs about authority and learn who leadership is still not often understood business. support. they can be best when they lead anyone or welcome. And it is our future hope. n Don’t keep family who aren’t working on Open communication and honest as- (including children, co-workers or the Judy Ryan ([email protected]), hu- the payroll. sessments will increase the likelihood that boss, even if not a recognized “authority man systems specialist, is owner of LifeWork Are there family members on the payroll upcoming generations can effectively lead who don’t actually come to the office or your business into the future. Be sure to figure.”) What most people don’t realize Systems. Join her in her mission to create a perform a needed function? Stopping this formalize these plans and expectations into is that if they want to be influential with world in which all people love their lives. She practice may be unpopular within the a succession plan that is updated regularly. anyone, they must uncover and resolve can also be reached at 314-239-4727. family, but allowing it to continue breeds n issues related to authority. We all carry People hire LifeWork Systems because we help resentment between employees (family and Dave Driscoll is president of Metro Business more baggage about this than we know, businesses become agile and manage their pri- non-family) who do work hard and contrib- Advisors, a business brokerage, valuation and and it’s crucial we come to new conclu- ority system: their human system. I hope this ute to the company’s success. exit planning firm helping owners of companies sions and behaviors concerning author- article helps you make sense of what’s most Determine strengths and weaknesses. with revenue up to $20 million sell their most ity. crucial to your evolving organization! Objectively assess the abilities and chal- valuable asset. Reach Dave at DDriscoll@ lenges of family members, just as you do MetroBusinessAdvisors.com or 314-303-5600. with any employee. Family should be pro- For more information, visit www.MetroBusines- moted only if they meet the qualifications sAdvisors.com.
46 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 WWW.SBMON.COM TIME WITH THE BOSS Gary Mindel Color Art Website: www.color-art.com Industry: Interiors solutions for work environments
Education: Marquette University (BS variety of others, including universities. BA), St. Louis University (MBA) Who is your industry role model? Family: Wife, Mary. Daughters, Caitlin, I do not know if I would necessarily have Kelly. Son in Law, Matt. Grandkids one individual. Rather I would say I look Oliver and Evelyn to the leaders of organizations who recog- nize that people are their most important What is your mission? asset. The leaders who understand that Color Art creates and provides the best people matter also recognize that space places for people to do their best work. can be a tool to develop and build a We do this through understanding and successful organization. We are blessed leading practices in connecting architec- in St. Louis to have many leaders who ture, technology, furniture, and services are conscious of the value of their people for healthcare, education, corporate and and recognize the sheer power that space large venue environments. can have for them and therefore their clients. What was your first job? I started my first job at a golf club when How do you try to differentiate your I was 12. I worked in the rack room business from others in your industry? cleaning clubs and taking care of mem- Well that is a short answer that could ber needs. I was paid the minimum wage turn into a long one so I am going to of $1.25, plus tips. I usually had to be keep it brief. At the end of the day, we there at 6:15 a.m. to open the shop and sell products and services like everyone we would not close until dusk which, in else but what truly differentiates Color Wisconsin, could be as late as 9 p.m. so Art is our ability to bring knowledge, that meant there were many times I was insights, research, case studies, all of working 14 hour days. (laughs) There those things, to organizations that are were probably child labor laws back then looking to evolve. We make the invest- but apparently the golf industry did not ment in our people so they can acquire subscribe to those. I was a young golfer knowledge and apply it intelligently to at the time so it was a ton of fun hanging the spaces our clients are trying to create. around golf professionals and other suc- cessful people to tap their brains about What best advice would you share with all kinds of things. new entrepreneurs? I do not know that this is particularly in- What was the smartest thing your com- novative but I would encourage entrepre- pany did in the past year? neurs to surround themselves with bright Last year we made an investment in our people, and not necessarily only those in branding, showroom and people. All their organizations. St. Louis is blessed three of these areas were critical to build- with an entrepreneurial ecosystem that is ing our focus for the future and I am just incredible. Entrepreneurs have access pleased to say these initiatives have been to many blossoming startup spaces like successful beyond our wildest. Along TRex, Cortex, and 39 North in addition with that, we began focusing on a new to a staggering amount of venture capi- division, now called Color Art Sports. A tal, specifically in the St. Louis market. number of years ago we recognized that There are also mentoring organizations, professional sports franchises in particu- like ITEN, that help new businesses with lar, were investing in stadiums. So we growth, marketing, selling, finances. It pursued that market with a great deal of is so important that entrepreneurs reach success. We have had the opportunity to out, acquire knowledge, and network work with teams like the New York Mets, like crazy because it is unlikely that one Washington Nationals, Kansas City Roy- individual, or one team, will have all the als, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, disciplines they need to get a business off Detroit Redwings, Orlando Magic and a the ground. WWW.SBMON.COM ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS MONTHLY / APRIL 2019 47