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Archive for category: CEO Mindset

April Caldwell CEO of fayVen Vendors and VenuesApril Caldwell is Founder and CEO of fayVen, which offers a brokerage between venues that have additional space to rent out and mobile vendors that need a place to sell their goods and services. She is a ten-year Air Force veteran, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is currently obtaining her MBA for Small Business Entrepreneurship.

Previously, April owned The Princess and The Popper – a gourmet popcorn company. In 2018 she launched her company fayVen. fayVen solves the needs that mobile and home-based vendors have when trying to find space to sell their goods and services who can’t afford their brick and mortar. “We solve venue owners’ issues of lacking revenue to keep their rent paid by helping them find complementary businesses to rent out space to.”

The name fayVen came from a combination of two target markets: VENdors and VENues, their fayVorite way to connect! April’s mother, Faith, was also a big inspiration. “I wanted to give the nod to her with the company name. She passed away in January this past year.” The company logo, a lightning bolt, is a God-given symbol for April. She associates lightning with bright light in a dark world. Coincidentally, Tampa is also the lightning capital of North America, which worked out nicely.

April has a wide array of accomplishments, including the previous supervisor at The Department of Veterans’ Affairs; Veterans in Residence with Bunker Labs; Action Zone Ambassador; alumni to Action Zone’s Action in Motion program; Event Coordinator for Military Spouses Professional Network Tampa via Hiring Our Heroes; Institute for Veterans and Military Families alumni for Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE), EDGE, and STRIVE; alumni of VETtoCEO; alumni of JULO Strategy, CEO Mindset; featured on Military.com; Austin Angels Ambassador; and Children’s ministry at Champion City Church.

April was selected to be the Vice President of the Filipino American Heritage Group while stationed in Germany. She did a lot of their folk dances for their cultural heritage shows. “No, I am NOT Filipina; I just love the people, culture, and of course…the food!”

April attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset™ course to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and learned new skill sets to deal with difficult decisions. “I want to be able to speak in front of people more comfortably and confidently and work on my pitch for investors and competitions.” After completing Phase One, she learned that she didn’t need a HUGE crowd to be successful; she just needed the right people/target market to believe in her and her business.

“It was eye-opening to learn how much I valued myself as a CEO and learn what I needed to do to start making the revenue I need to reflect that. I enjoyed being able to hear the issues other CEOs were having, a lot which mirrored things from past and current experiences. I’ve since been able to pivot my business model to create new revenue streams.” April Caldwell fayVen A-ha moment from CEO Mindset

April has since completed our Phase Two program and has increased her fees, improved her target market, and gained new clients. We love seeing you and your business succeed, April, and can’t wait to see where it takes you!

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Psst! Want to do some online shopping with an array of great vendors?
Click Here to get your tickets to fayVen’s next event!

JULO Strategy and Veterans Florida

Program expenses for all Florida veteran participants are covered through funding provided by the Florida Legislature and Veterans Florida

Light bulb Idea Image

With the Labor Day Holiday this weekend, are you able to walk away from your business, and it runs without you?  If you are not sure, this would be a great time to discover what works and what does not work in your business when you are not available. 

Having clear processes and systems in place and knowing when and where to automate, delegate, and eliminate is crucial to running your business.  As entrepreneurs, we spend a lot of time doing and do not take the time to write down how we do it to be able to delegate later prevents us from scaling our businesses and keeps us “stuck.”  We end up working through the holidays and upsetting those around us. 

This weekend I challenge you to take the time to enjoy NOT working.  Refrain from looking at emails, answering phone calls, text, or social media.  Try to keep the computer shut down.   

When you get back to the laboring, you will quickly find out what needs fixing.  You might also discover that your business was fine, and everything could wait. 

Look at your written processes.  If you do not have them written, therein lies the first step.  

Take any system, onboarding, client intake, online events, buying your products and services, and 10 x the amount of volume you have.  Then take away the critical person who does that job.  Are you prepared for success?   

At JULO Strategy, we start building a process by thinking of it in this way, if I were to ask you, “Go to my house and bake me cupcakes.”  Recipe for Success imageThink through step by step and everything you need to make that happen—tools, passwords, equipment, brand, type, supplies, etc.  It is easy to make a checklist from “your brain” until someone else has to follow that checklist.   

Let me see your recipes for success. 

 

Juliann Nichols CEO & Founder of JULO Strategy imageWith over 40 years of entrepreneurial experience, Juliann walks her talk! She has cultivated a personal brand that demonstrates who she is no matter what she is doing, with a million-dollar PhD in Entrepreneurism. 

Juliann Nichols, CEO and Chief Strategist, JULO Strategy 

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Steve-Wooten-Veteran CEO and Founder of Woo10-LLCSteve Wooten, CEO, and founder of Woo10 LLC, is a former Army Interrogator who specializes in creating, managing and delivering learning content that enhances performance for organizations and individuals. Steve is a certified techno-enthusiast who has dedicated over 20 years to combating industry stagnation by challenging the expectations for what can be accomplished.

A pioneer in digital design, Steve’s company specializes in creatively developing, optimizing, and enhancing all types of instructional content. They take calculated risks to go beyond current boundaries to create wildly successful clients. Building quality systems and genuine relationships with clients’ long-term growth is their focus. They are creative, using their drive, commitment, and passion for encouraging, energizing, engaging, and inspiring others is how they do their thing ‘really well’ so that you can do your thing ‘really well’!

Steve’s expertise spans from Dept of Defense, Dept of Education, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Healthcare, to Biopharma drug development platforms. He is a thought leader for “what is next” and continually optimizes his operations to stay at the top of his field.

He is a lifelong learner who stays exceptionally active.  He’s been married 21 years with a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old.  His family moved to the Space Coast five years ago to experience rockets, beaches, and perpetual sunshine. He volunteers with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society flagging new nests along the beach. He enjoys hiking, riding bikes, and trying new things that gets his blood pumping.  He’s developed augmented reality experiences, polished stones, made beer, hiked the Grand Canyon, taught himself Braille, mastered Arabic, hatched butterflies in his flower garden and learned to play the guitar. Steve quips, “I totally dork out over rocket launches, new technologies, and Krispy Kreme donuts…although I’m trying to be gluten-free, so that’s a struggle.”

Steve attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset™ course to switch his mindset from employee/business owner to actual CEO. “I hoped to learn some effective techniques for growing my business and networking in my community.” He continued to the Phase II course to further his knowledge effectively engaging his target market while increasing confidence as a CEO. By the end, he learned the necessity of documenting processes so he could position himself to outsource tasks later. It gave him the focus to sort out the competing priorities and helped him identify time-wasting customers.  Steve Wooten Veteran CEO A-ha moment

We love seeing how much you and your business have grown, Steve, and cannot wait to see you thrive as CEO!

Apply to CEO Mindset ™

JULO Strategy and Veterans Florida

Program expenses for all Florida veteran participants are covered through funding provided by the Florida Legislature and Veterans Florida

 Jay Wirth D'Ogee Pet Waste ServiceJay Wirth, CEO and Veteran Business Owner of D’Ogee Pet Waste Service, was raised in Pensacola, Florida. He joined the US Navy in 1993 and was an Air Traffic Controller until separating from service in 1997. Jay attended and graduated from Florida State University with a BS degree in Communications. He worked at FSU for 12 years, then left to pursue the life of an entrepreneur.  

That’s when he decided to start D’Ogee Pet Waste Services in 2018. The idea was to help dog owners keep their yards, and the environment clean.  “Dog waste can be hazardous to people, dogs, and the water we drink. I saw a need that people either don’t like to remove the dog waste, don’t have the time, or can’t because of physical restrictions.” 

Since starting, Jay and his company have removed more than 4 tons of pet waste from residential, apartment buildings, condos and commercial buildings. They are currently looking to expand into government contracts. By keeping people’s yards, community and general green spaces clean of dog waste, they reduce the chance of spread of bacteria that can cause sickness.  

“My business is a conversation starter! I get the best laughs out of people when I tell them about my company… We are the #1 in your dog’s #2 business! It is very unconventional, but people like to know about it!” He currently resides in Tallahassee, FL with his wife Aimee and two daughters, Ansley and Eliza, and their dog, Wally. Ja Wirth D'Ogee Pet Waste Services A-ha moment

Jay attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset course to expand on opportunities and seize new growth. He learned that talking with the other veterans and hearing he’s not alone in how he was running his business was a rewarding experience. He continued into the Phase II program and learned how to grow his business and run it like a CEO, and not as an employee, by following processes and steps to get shit done! He increased his clientele by 10% and revenue by 5%.  

We think you are a Rockstar Jay and we look forward to seeing how you and your business grow! 

Apply to CEO Mindset ™

JULO Strategy and Veterans Florida

Program expenses for all Florida veteran participants are covered through funding provided by the Florida Legislature and Veterans Florida

Alice DeGeorge Presque Isle Printing Services, LLC photoAlice DeGeorge is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Presque Isle Printing Services, LLC, specializing in start-ups, small businesses and nonprofits, with the goal of providing the best in-house graphic design, great looking printing, and on-brand marketing in the local Erie area.

When stated this way, it sounds so simple; but when Alice arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1995, still in her early twenties, she did not envision how her career path might unfold. One could say that her crystal ball was…cloudy.

While enjoying all that Erie had to offer, Alice embarked on a series of unrelated pre-career jobs. Her favorite former job was at Erie’s well-known Plymouth Tavern, where she worked for ten years as a waitress and trivia game host. To this day, she still praises the owner, Barb Haggerty, who taught Alice all she needed to know about great customer service and how to be a top-notch small business owner!

In 2004, Alice enrolled in Tri-State Business Institute and earned a degree in Website Development & Management; that credential laid the foundation for what Alice would describe as her “first real job,” in which she updated websites for a fish tackle company. After a year, realizing that the job was not for her, she quit and jumped into her first print industry position with a small franchise located in Erie. Here she found her calling: a position in which she could mix her design skills with the fast pace of the print industry, combined with direct customer interaction. Beyond all doubt, she knew that this was her career sweet spot! However, after two years, her paychecks started to bounce. Having no other choice, she left that job for another graphic design position; but three months later that business was bought out by a larger company. Alice was given notice that, in six weeks, her employment would terminate.

That was it: working within the print industry, Alice lost two jobs within a period of six months. She knew what she had to do and she set about her plan. During her final six weeks of employment, Alice found an office space, equipment, machines and set up accounts with suppliers.

In the midst of the national housing crisis of 2008, Alice was able to obtain a small business loan with which she purchased two copiers; and, with a credit card capped at five thousand dollars, she was able to purchase spare equipment from fellow colleagues in the print industry. Her last day at the old printing job was also her first day of business ownership: Presque Isle Printing Services was now born! To her own amazement, Alice opened her business doors on December 1, 2008.

With her business well into its second decade, Presque Isle Printing Services is now in its third location, with expanded office space, private parking lot, attractive reception area, and lovely flowers blooming outside during Erie’s growing season. All this, with Alice and expert staff inside, can be found at 4318 West Ridge Road. Even the casual observer knows that this is what success looks like.

Now a known participant in the Erie business community, Alice has embraced the mission of giving back to and building upon the capacities of others. She and her husband reside in Erie, the city which is now their home. She has skydived FOUR times and is the Queen of tye-dye t-shirts in Erie. She calls it her side hustle throughout the year and has made over 20,000 tye dye shirts all by hand!

In May 2017 the Jet Radio announcer, Allan Carpenter, opened the program by stating, “Thank you for joining us for “Keeping It Local, Keeping Erie Awesome!” I am here with my co-host, the irrepressible Alice DeGeorge!” There is no better one-word descriptor: irrepressible! Alice now interviews her clients who are advancing forward with their own dreams as local small business owners and who are also giving back to the Erie community. Her broadcasts travel throughout Erie and the surrounding region to reach the ears of listeners who enjoy Alice’s friendly style and encouraging advice. As the creator and co-host of two live radio shows, she invites all to tune in on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, as follows:

  • Keeping It Local, Keeping Erie Awesome – Alice places the spotlight on her customers, who are not only great local small business owners, but also people who give back considerably to our Erie community, through event and sports sponsorship, donating to non-profit events or organizations, volunteering in the community or by coming up with their own way to give back to the community that supports them.
  • The Go Ask Alice Radio Show – The idea for this show came after Alice had a journey with Breast Cancer in 2019. During this time, she learned so much and came to the realization that “Knowledge is power, but only if you share it with others!” On this show, her guests are local small business owners who share the knowledge, tips and tricks they have learned to help those coming up in the small business world! In June of 2020, Alice shifted the show into a one-hour call-in show. Local business owners could call with problems or questions, and Alice and her guest would do their best to help with the experience and knowledge they have gained as business owners themselves.

Both shows broadcast live from the Boston Store in Erie, PA on Jet Radio 1400Am, 96.7FM, streaming the I Heart Radio App and on Facebook Live.

Alice attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset™ online cohort to get guidance from her peers to help her navigate this unsure time in her business life. “I feel there is something on the horizon for me, but I have so many ideas, I am looking for help to wrangle them in, in order to get them going.”

After taking Phase I she learned she has it in her to be a CEO of her company, not just an employee. “I was on the right path with how I was feeling. and can make the hard decisions to get the results I want to achieve.”Alice DeGeorge CEO Mindset A-ha moment

Alice just finished our Phase II class and has seen revenue increase, gained 25 new clients, and is planning to hire an additional employee. She is planning on joining our new Phase III and we cannot wait to continue on her journey of success!

Alice has fulfilled her vision of becoming a successful business owner and radio show host. With her kind, fun-loving, hard-working, skilled, risk-taking, and creative spirit, she already serves as a role model for anyone within and beyond Erie, Pennsylvania. At 47 years of age and with decades yet ahead, there is no telling where her next round of successes might take her; but Alice DeGeorge will be on the path to someplace beyond the status quo…and knowing Alice, she will make that a much better place.

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True CEO Jim Lane Lane Technology Solutions image

As President and CEO, Jim has positioned Lane Technology Solutions as the top provider of managed services, cloud services and cybersecurity in the Orlando, Florida market. He has a proven track record for assessing clients’ needs and formulating strategies to best meet those needs, as well as educating clients on upcoming trends and business technology challenges. 

Jim’s vision aims to provide the best service to meet all their clients technology needs. In a world of rapidly evolving technological innovation and challengesthey base their business success on theiclients’ success. 

In January 2013 he applied for and was awarded a GI bill grant to re-train in the field of IT. He completed the certification program and received full time employment in January 2014 with Asystech, Inc. He was then promoted to COO in January of 2017 and purchased the company by July 2019. These are really impressive accomplishments! 

Jim’s success in developing partnerships with local colleges has allowed Lane Technology Solutions to invest in the education of young IT professionals by employing interns. Through this program, students get the opportunity to gain hands-on experiences and build a resume while still working towards their degrees and certifications. Jim serves on the advisory board for the Orange Technical College as well. 

Jim joined the U.S. Air Force while in his early 20’s and was stationed in England when he lost a son not long after the baby was born. Being far from home and managing his and his family’s grief, he continued to meet the demands of military life. That experience opened his support for fellow servicemen and servicewomen along with their families.  “Most military families are far from their loved ones — moms, dads and siblings, not to mention extended family members,” he said. “As civilians, we sometimes forget about those enormous sacrifices from military families. It is important to lift them up and recognize their contributions to our country.”  

In his spare time, he enjoys studying mid-century modern architecture, traveling to small towns across the country and classic muscle cars.  

Jim Lane a-ha momentJim attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset course to learn how to delegate tasks so he can make more time for himself to focus on client retention and leading the overall business operations… to become the true CEO. A big a-ha moment for him was learning he cannot be the ‘everything’ of the company. He must ask for what he wants and for the help he needsWe are excited to see what the future holds for you, Jim as you continue on with JULO Strategy. 

Apply to CEO Mindset ™

JULO Strategy and Veterans Florida

Program expenses for all Florida veteran participants are covered through funding provided by the Florida Legislature and Veterans Florida

Lesley-Jean-Moonshine-Creative-Group-PhotoLesley Jean is a creative expert. She serves her clients extremely well as a branding/web strategist and the CEO of Moonshine Creative Group. Over the past 16 years Lesley has played a key role in building and branding several successful 6-figure to multi-million dollar businesses, including her own. In other words, she’s seen a lot of “stuff” go down in the digital marketing world. Through her sought after talks, delivery of online courses and many other agency services, Lesley Jean simplifies branding and marketing strategies for struggling and scaling business owners. She guides them through launching and sustaining successful brands that enable business leaders to work in alignment with their passion and purpose.  

Lesley’s bold, colorful website matches with her outgoing infectious personality. Before she was a CEO, she taught hula hoop dance and can even hula hoop with fire! Despite naming her business Moonshine, her true passion is champagne, preferably Moet Ice! She loves patterns, especially black and white stripes (if you haven’t noticed already in her headshot ????) collects yo-yos and is a certified reiki master.  

If you are wondering what most of us are…what the *bleep* is a reiki master? They perform a type of therapy, combined of Japanese and Chinese “rei” (spiritual or supernatural) and “ki” (vital energy) often described as a healing treatment that works holistically on the body, mind, and spirit. It is simply a relaxation technique great for eliminating stress, enhancing memory, and physical healing.  

Lesley Jean a-ha momentLesley attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset course to work on the art of delegation. “I needed a shift to get clear on my evolving organizational chart. Building an internal team instead of using contractors, and developing processes for executing on courses and programs for my community were some other key focus areas for me.” After completing the class, she was able to hire an additional employee, brought on new vendors, and increased her fees for better revenue.  

She is currently enrolled in our CEO Mindset Phase II course and is proving to be the badass CEO of her business. We love what you do Lesley and enjoy having you as a part of the JULO community.  

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Angela Tormey Ally Legal Estate and Firearms Plannin Head ShotAngela Tormey is the CEO and founder of Ally Legal, P.A. in Lithia, Florida. Her practice area is Estate and Firearms Planning where she helps families protect their loved ones, their wealth, and their firearms. (Talk about a cool profession!) She is well-versed in addressing the needs of traditional, blended, military and civilian families and individuals at all stages of life from heading off to college to providing a nest egg for great-grandchildren and other loved ones.

Her philosophy for her business is simple. If you just want to buy paper with some basic legal terms on it, she may not be a good fit for you. There are attorneys and services out there who will do exactly that for you and, most likely, at a price point that will make you smile. On the other hand, if you are looking for a long-term estate planning professional who will walk with you through life’s many changes all while applying a holistic and guiding approach to the process of legacy and wealth protection, then you are in luck.

As Air Force Retiree and North Georgia native, Angela moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2014 with her husband (who is also an Air Force Retiree), their children, and dog to enjoy the Florida sunshine and reconnect with the area’s numerous Veterans.

Attorney Tormey has been featured at Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School’s Professionalism Panel Series, Bay Area Legal Services Pro Bono Spotlight, Women of the Military Podcast Series, Great American Teach-in Presenter, and at Bell Creek Academy’s Financial Literacy Panel. She also volunteers her time as Secretary/Treasurer for Business Networking International’s (BNI) Prosperity in Action Chapter, board member for the Florida Association of Veteran Owned Businesses Tampa Chapter, Deputy Chapter Captain-Riverview of Team RWB Tampa, and Bell Creek Academy’s Inaugural School Advisory Committee.

Angela holds 2 associate degrees and a Professional Manager Certificate from the Community College of the Air Force, an undergrad certificate in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and B.A. in Homeland Security from American Military University, and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Angela attended our CEO Mindset™ Phase I course to figure out strategies to streamline her processes in her Estate and Firearms Planning business. “It’s not something that will happen overnight but through consistent application, the lessons will become habits.”Angela Tormey CEO Mindset a-ha moment

She is currently attending our Phase II course and we cannot wait to see how her business thrives!

Apply to CEO Mindset ™

JULO Strategy and Veterans Florida

Program expenses for all Florida veteran participants are covered through funding provided by the Florida Legislature and Veterans Florida