Self-Made Is A Myth - Make A Difference Together

Episode #113: Aaron Prickel - Lushin

Following his own advice, Aaron strives to lead by example and often arrives at the office before anyone else to take advantage of focused, productive time. A Lushin management consultant since 2007, Aaron acts as the glue that binds and strengthens the team’s collective talents. As not only a sales trainer but a great resource, he encourages his clients to stay true to themselves and their missions, and he adapts his training style to best serve each individual. To learn more about them go to https://www.lushin.com
Aaron emphasizes understanding the underlying cause of business performance problems: belief, behavior, or technique. He aims to teach sales training clients the simplicity of effective solutions.
Winner of the 2015 Ball State Achievement Award from the Miller College of Business, Aaron spends his precious free time outdoors or cheering on his three kids in their respective sports competitions.
 
 
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode 112: Lori Winkler - BlueSky Commerce

Lori Winkler was born and raised in Northwest Indiana (Dyer) and moved to Columbus, Ohio, after getting married. She and her husband, Aaron, who met at St. Joseph's College, moved to Indianapolis in 1998 to be close to his family.
Lori started as a 4th Grade Teacher in Inner City Chicago before her marriage and move. She then became a Community Educator for a Healthcare Company, which fueled her passion for sales. Lori then grew her career as a sales consultant and trainer for Caskey Achievement Strategies, in Carmel, IN. Helping hundreds of Indianapolis executives and sales teams was a passion. Through this work, she realized the need for sales and marketing alignment. She then joined Sanders Group - a marketing agency in downtown Indianapolis where she was the VP of sales and strategy and moved into the CEO role.
Her entrepreneurial drive continued to pull at her. It led her to start her agency, WDM Creative, in 2010, where she grew and positioned the company for acquisition in 2019 by BlueSky Commerce. Today, Lori leads the Experience and Marketing Agency for BlueSky Commerce, an e-commerce and business consultancy serving global customers with their digital transformation.
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #111: Carajane Moore - Hunt Big Sales

As President and Partner of Hunt Big Sales for over 13 years, Carajane Moore leads the company in strategic vision and implementation. Since joining the company, she has instituted vital operational and structural changes to the business resulting in growth of over 50 percent in less than three years.
As a serial entrepreneur, Carajane has proven her ability to develop new business and forge critical relationships. Using those skills in her current role, not only has she guided Hunt Big Sales, but she has educated key clients on how to double and triple their companies. Her firm has helped clients land over $18 billion in new business and has paved new ground using the “hunt” approach in industries such as medical devices, telecommunications, technology, real estate, aviation, and construction. You can learn more here https://www.huntbigsales.com
Her varied experiences as a fast-track person in the sales environment have included direct sales, sales training, sales management, team sales, outside and inside sales, and entrepreneurial sales at the $1 million plus level. Carajane has taught the Hunt Big Sales System to other professionals and consulted with major companies as a trusted adviser.
She is the co-author of The Secret to Big Sales: Use Executive Language to Close More Deals, How to Sell In Place: Closing Deals in the New Normal, and Life After the Death of Selling: How to Thrive in the New Era of Sales. She also served as a judge for the 2012 Stevie Awards and earned a degree in Business Administration, emphasis on Marketing, at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Carajane was recognized as a leading woman in business and was featured in “O, The Oprah Magazine”, “Entrepreneur”, “Fortune”, and “Forbes” magazines
 
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #110: Adam Hoeksema - ProjectionHub

Adam Hoeksema is the Co-Founder and CEO of ProjectionHub which helps startups and small businesses create financial projections for potential investors and lenders. Adam started the business with his brother in 2012 and today the company has a team of five who help a few hundred businesses each month with their projections. You can learn more here https://www.projectionhub.com
In addition to ProjectionHub, Adam also spent a decade as the Executive Director of Bankable, an SBA lender in Indiana. Adam was employee number one for Bankable, and helped build a team that ultimately made over 1,500 small business loans to Indiana small businesses. Adam, his wife Stacy, and their 4 boys live in Middletown, IN where they enjoy living in the country, watching a beautiful sunset from their porch, and growing an ever expanding garden.
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #109: Terry Ramsey - Ptero Business Solutions

Terry Ramsey is the owner and founder of Ptero Business Solutions. She is an Ohio native who first started her career in education out in Newark, New Jersey and continued in Columbus, Ohio where she resides with her family now.
Terry's bookkeeping business began when she was still in education. She picked up the trade (along with obtaining an MBA and a handful of clients) gaining at-bats for when her and her husband opened their very own ramen restaurant during the pandemic. The opening of Red Rabbit Ramen has allowed Terry to uniquely see both sides of business financial planning and tracking and is her greatest strength in supporting others.
Ptero Business Solutions leans heavily into supporting business owners with cash flow methods. Financial statements tend to speak gibberish to many business owners who rely heavily on what is (or is not) in their bank account. Ptero allows for businesses to know their profits on a monthly basis, plan for taxes, strategize for growth, and have faith in their bank account come the next payroll.
Terry happily gives any business owner her time to meet with them and ease their financial worries for their business. Visit the website https://www.pterobusinesssolutions.com to book your call.
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #108: Leah Smiley -The Society for Diversity

Leah Smiley, CDE®, is the Founder and President of the Society for Diversity Inc., a global Education Technology (EdTech) firm that specializes in next generation management practices and professional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Certification. As a LinkedIn “All-Star”, Mrs. Smiley has facilitated hundreds of presentations for more than 10,000 professionals and executives around the world, as well as consulted with over 100 organizations. The Society for Diversity was recognized twice on the 2022 and 2023 Inc. 5000 listing as one of the fastest growing companies in the Midwest. https://www.societyfordiversity.org
With more than 15 years of experience in the DEI field, as well as 25+ years as a master of training and organizational development, Mrs. Smiley is considered to be a DEI industry thought-leader. Through the Society for Diversity's subsidiary, the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®, Mrs. Smiley has helped thousands of DEI leaders achieve their dreams 50+ U.S. states and over 30+ other countries by conferring the industry-recognized Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® credentials. IDC is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and is currently pursuing accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Further, the Society for Diversity has registered IDC’s extensive catalog of intellectual property with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Mrs. Smiley's work has been featured on international and national radio and television programs, as well as in Forbes, Fortune and Entrepreneur Magazines. Additionally, her work has been reported in the USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insurance, The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Business Journal, Indiana Minority Business Magazine, Associations Now, Franchising World Magazine, MEA Magazine, The Lexington Herald Leader, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Philadelphia Business Journal, Naples Daily News, The City Sentinel, Lee and Low Books, and more. She was also quoted in "The Inclusion Revolution Is Now: An Innovative Framework for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace" by Maura G. Robinson and published by iUniverse.
Smiley has a blended family and lives in Indianapolis with her husband, whom she met while they were both political science majors at Hampton University. She also holds a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® designation from the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com
 
 

Episode #107: August Zehner - Mytra Consulting

Meet August, a tech maven whose professional journey reads like a captivating tale of industry evolution. From the pulsating heart of the computer industry in the late 1980s to the dynamic realm of internet connectivity in the 1990s, August seamlessly transitioned through the winds of change, leaving an indelible mark. His narrative continued to unfold in the 2000s (dot.bomb) as he explored the intricate landscapes of software, only to make a triumphant return to the forefront of telecommunications around 2010.
After getting his MBA in 2004, August was an Adjunct Professor at Anderson University for over a decade, teaching business plan development and marketing management in the MBA program. For those in the telecom know, August is more than a seasoned professional – he's an NTCA pensioner, a testament to his enduring legacy in the industry. Post-retirement, he orchestrated a new chapter, founding Mytra Consulting after a contemplative six-month hiatus. With a team of 13 consultants, the company specializes in guiding telecom providers and rural electric cooperatives through the intricacies of business and organizational development. Their offerings span the spectrum of strategic planning, business development, change management, and other services, touching clients across the expanse of the United States. https://www.mytraconsulting.com
August's success narrative is interwoven with a keen technology literacy that has been the bedrock of his achievements. His philosophy revolves around crafting business value through the strategic application of technology. Beyond his corporate ventures, August lends his expertise to the advisory board of Purdue University Global's School of Business and Information Technology (SBIT), adding an academic dimension to his multifaceted portfolio. In essence, August embodies the fusion of professional prowess and creative innovation, leaving an indomitable imprint on the ever-evolving canvas of the tech landscape.
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com
 
 

Episode #106: Jarett Hagy - Lodge Design

Jarrett Hagy was born in Winchester IN and grew up near Modoc in Randolph County. He graduated from Ball State University in 1993 with a Fine Arts degree. After a few years of being a freelance designer and illustrator, in 1999 along with business partner Jason Roemer, he founded Lodge Design.
Since 1999, Lodge has continued to evolve with the changing needs of their client partners. Today, their team of designers and developers work on everything from brand strategy and traditional advertising to responsive web design and digital marketing. Lodge doesn't believe in cookie-cutter solutions to clients’ challenges, and enjoy the process of digging in and getting to know who they are and how they can develop messaging strategies that will resonate with their core audiences.
Learn more here https://lodgedesign.com
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #105: Andrew Aebersold - Mediaura

Andrew Aebersold was born and raised in New Albany, IN. In 2003, he met his wife-to-be Amy, and together they started Mediaura, a full-service digital marketing agency. Andrew has previously worked extensively with ActionCOACH, along with other business coaches, and peer groups, and is a firm believer in continuous improvement.
Aebersold acknowledges that growing a business from nothing without financial backing is tough work, and the journey is never a straight line. There is always an opportunity to learn something new, be reminded of something you already know but forgot, and to reset quarterly. Learn more here https://mediaura.com/?utm_campaign=gmb
 
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: https://www.BeMADTogether.com

Episode #104: TK Herman - Factor AE

TK Herman is a 52-year old husband, father and entrepreneur. He founded Aptera, a software development company, with his business partner in 2003 and sold it in 2021. Before the sale, he and his business partner took a product they created for architects & engineers and spun it into a new company -- now that business (Factor) is used by 167 companies across the US and is growing at a rate of 25%+ per quarter. In 2021 TK also sold three Sky Zone indoor trampoline parks which he co-owned for 8 years. His latest venture is opening 10 indoor pickleball clubs across the Midwest under the Ace Pickleball Club brand.
What many people don’t know is that TK has been a pilot for 26 years (both instrument and multi-engine rated) and became a helicopter pilot three years ago. Obsessed with aviation is an understatement according to his wife.
TK discovered personal development and inner transformation work in 2014 and has invested in his own growth heavily while investing in the personal transformation of his employees and children. He’s currently working 1:1 with one of the top life coaches in the world and has been for two years.
In honor of the fellow business owners in your life that had an impact on you becoming the person you are today, let’s celebrate them. Click this link to apply to be on our podcast to recognize those people: www.BeMADTogether.com