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Larry Whiteside Jr. – Bringing Diversity in the Field of Cybersecurity

CEO, CEO Mindset, CEO Rockstar, CEOs, Veteran Business Owner, Veterans Florida

Stereotypes and cultural norms can dampen the interest girls have regarding math, science, and technology. Mathematicians and scientists are socially awkward men who wear glasses—at least, according to children. In our world today, the gender gap is narrowly closing due to more widespread knowledge of equality and gender equality in the workplace.

Larry Whiteside Jr., Co-Founder, President, and a member of the Board of Directors at ICMCP, or International Consortium of Minority Cyber Professionals, strives to achieve the consistent representation of women and minorities in the cybersecurity industry through programs designed to foster recruitment, inclusion, and retention – one person at a time. IMCP tackles the ‘great cyber divide’ with scholarship opportunities, diverse workforce development, innovative outreach, and mentoring programs.

A Veteran CISO and former USAF Officer, Larry has 25+ years of experience building and running cybersecurity programs holding C Level Security executive roles in multiple industries, including DoD, Federal Government, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Critical Infrastructure.

Larry also founded Whiteside Security in 2009, where he advises several corporate security executives and companies on how to make Cyber Security a number one objective to their business. He has helped CEOs and board members of private cybersecurity companies achieve their sales, marketing, and customer retention goals.

Though he is not a Sneaker Head, Larry owns over 70 pairs of shoes! It includes both sneakers and dress shoes so, I guess you can call him a Shoe Head. He owns every color you can imagine coordinating with every outfit he might wear. They are all organized according to color. And it takes up a LOT of space because he wears a size 15 or 16, depending on the brand.

In addition, he happens to have over 90 pairs of weird socks as well. I think MANY women can relate to that secret obsession!

Larry attended JULO Strategy’s CEO Mindset course to get out of his own way and add value to himself and his business. He realized running a nonprofit was no different than running any other type of business. He needed to let his employees handle the tasks he usually controlled, allowing him to run the business as the CEO. Delegating certain responsibilities alleviated his stress and, as a result, the organization grew and ran more smoothly. He now dares to be more open with his volunteers, and with the right structure, he can accomplish his goals.

We love how you are helping women and minorities in the community be included in the Cybersecurity community, Larry. We can’t wait to see what you continue to do with this nonprofit and the impact it will continue to have in the workplace for cybersecurity! You are one kick–ass CEO!

December 17, 2020/by Juliann Nichols

Thom Favorin – CEO of Harvest Moon Seafood and Shrimp Connoisseur

CEO, CEO Mindset, CEO Rockstar, CEOs, Veteran Business Owner, Veterans Florida

If you are looking for a lesson on shrimp, Thom Favorin is the teacher you need. As Founder and CEO of Harvest Moon Seafood, Thom and his crew supply all natural, chemical–free, sustainably caught Florida Pink, Atlantic White, and Royal Red Shrimp. They believe in bringing back local and naturally sourced product from great Florida fisheries to not only Florida restaurants, but people across the nation.

Having a relationship with the Captains themselves, Harvest Moon provides sea to table fresh seafood. They are a 100% disabled veteran owned business providing the best product possible. A portion of their sales go back to fellow veterans and they partner with HEAVENDROPt, a nonprofit that employs disabled veterans and civilians to help give them purpose in their lives. They accomplish this by providing employment opportunities to these two segments of our population.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Thom spent ten years in the Army before being medically discharged after an airborne incident where he broke his back. He became a medic firefighter for the next 20 years. After having a severe heart attack and subsequent triple heart bypass, he retired and started his entrepreneurship with Harvest Moon Seafood LLC. Believe it or not, Thom used to HATE seafood! After his surgery, his taste buds changed and now he cannot get enough of it!

Thom can tell you everything you ever needed to know about shrimp. For instance, did you know that there are over 300 different species of shrimp? While only a small portion are available commercially, each one has its own flavor profile. White shrimp have a sweeter flavor profile, while pink shrimp are the common one you see behind the seafood counter. If you like lobster, rock shrimp or royal red shrimp are great for their firm texture and you can even substitute them for lobster as a more affordable option.

Thom heard about our CEO Mindset course through one of our partners, Veterans Florida, and felt it was exactly what his business needed at the time. Finding out he was “too nice of a guy”, he realized he needed to step up in the CEO role

of his company and start taking control of what he needed for his business to succeed. “It was an amazing course with so much knowledge, and the energy throughout the whole group of participants was just amazing. The information was out there but you just didn’t realize or think of it on a regular basis when running your company.”

Soon after taking the course, COVID took a toll on restaurants, taking Thom’s production from 30 restaurants to just 2. Thom felt the anxiety most of the population was struggling with, “What do I do now? What is my plan B?” They pivoted to online home delivery and business took off. They will soon introduce an ecommerce website to be able to ship Florida seafood nationwide. After 7 months of hard work and collaboration, Thom and Harvest Moon Seafood have partnered with Jackson and Partners, a sales and marketing team that gives back to Veterans. 22% of Harvest Moon Seafood’s gross net sales gives back to the HEAVENDROPt program.

In his spare time, Thom loves going to the beach with his family, his wife of 28 years and two beautiful daughters ages 24 and 16. JULO loves your generosity towards your fellow Veterans, Thom. It’s amazing to see how far you have come in your journey to success. We congratulate you on everything you have accomplished and can’t wait to see your business thrive!

December 3, 2020/by Juliann Nichols

Pure, Clear Craft Ice: Full Transparency With Clifton Fischer – Veteran CEO & Co-Founder Of Doggery Craft Ice

CEO, CEO Mindset, CEO Rockstar, CEOs, Veteran Business Owner

Clifton Fischer, CEO of Doggery Craft Ice, provides wholesale and retail large format clear ice products and ice sculptures for Central and South Florida. Expertly filtered, carefully frozen, and neatly stored, their ice undergoes an intricate process to ensure that taste and clarity are unbeatable.

Originally from North Hollywood, California, Clif enlisted in the Air Force in 1986, where he began a career as a C141b Aircraft Loadmaster. By 1988 he was one of the youngest members of the Prime Nuclear Airlift Force and, in 1992, became the first trained airdrop instructor loadmaster for the 6th Airlift Squadron. He left active duty in 1996 to join the Reserves as a tactical instructor loadmaster compiling more than 3400 flying hours during his career. Clif retired from active duty/reserve in September 2012.

After his 27-year career in the Air Force, Clif was searching for a business opportunity he could be passionate about. Celebrating his wife‘s birthday at a Chicago hotel, they ordered a couple of cocktails that had these perfectly squared clear ice blocks in them.

Back home in St. Pete, Florida, he and his business partner, Jake, had been obsessing about ice, experimenting with inexpensive freezer molds and dropping them in whiskies, bourbons, and rums. As it turns out, Craft ice is a booming business in metropolitan areas, or anywhere people care about the aesthetics of their cocktails. It dilutes the beverage less, therefore keeping the cocktail cold longer, preserving the drink’s integrity. “The idea is to sell to craft cocktail bars, that‘ll definitely be our meat and potatoes. Then you‘ll have your large corporations – restaurant chains, hotels, things like that.“

Clif originally joined our CEO Mindset™ course to expand his horizons as far as trying to figure out how to build, scale, and expand his business. Working in the business with his partner, Jake, who is also his son-in-law, they were doing different things in different directions and needed to focus on what was needed to move forward. A big a-ha moment for him was realizing that he needed processes and procedures in place, so anyone brought into the company would know what was asked of them.

Communication with his business partner was a key part of overcoming any obstacles they were facing and setting core competencies as partners, whether wholesale, retail production or taking care of the bills and setting up step by step processes.

After completing the course, Clif saw revenue increase, especially after bringing in another employee. “It allowed us to go out and get business rather than staying in the warehouse and doing everything behind the scenes. We had more time to be productive, therefore bringing in more revenue.“

Trusting in the process and not second–guessing every decision they made was an obstacle he overcame. Learning to go with his gut instinct and not ponder too much on the little things helped them expand, which is why they now have gone retail and have six stores in Florida and one in Georgia.

Congratulations on your continued success Clif! We look forward to seeing where your Craft Ice business takes you!

Apply to CEO Mindset ™

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

October 8, 2020/by Juliann Nichols

True CEO: Jim Lane Explains Why it’s Less About the Title And More About Time and Focus.

CEO, CEO Mindset, CEO Rockstar, CEOs

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 challenges, they base their business success on their clients’ 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 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 needs. We are excited to see what the future holds for you, Jim as you continue on with JULO Strategy.