Victor Calabrese is the COO at Synetek Solutions, a managed IT solutions company. Earning his first C-Level role at 27 years old, he's possibly the most talent operations executive I've met. Victor has the uncanny ability to take the seed of a business idea, design a plan of action, and turn it into a thriving enterprise.
Victor and I met late 2018 at the Landmark Forum, a leadership development program. Within minutes of talking, I knew I had to get to know him better. He's a wealth of knowledge on various topics ranging from business to spirituality.
On this episode, we discuss:
- How failure leads to success
- Don't procrastinate and fail fast!
- Failure = Course Correction
- Conquering limiting beliefs
- Are you a Visionary or Integrator?
- Why it's ok to be #2
- How to access your true potential
Things we mentioned:
- Victor's wife's business that offers Luxury Customizable Sleepover Events
https://www.prettyteepees.com/
- Connected Mind
https://connectedmind.me/
Christian Lehingher, the CEO of Connected Mind, was previously on the podcast.
You can checkout our episode here: http://bit.ly/ChristianLehinger
- The Entrepreneurial Operating System
https://www.eosworldwide.com/
- Predictable Success by Les McKeown
https://amzn.to/3299Mr3
Connect with Victor:
Amilya Antonetti is one of the most sought after Human Behavior experts and Strategic Advisors in the world. Her deep “in the trenches” experience leading organizations in identifying “Why” a company exists and measuring it against “how” it and their people show up in the world is changing the way we "onboard" back to business, in 2020. For nearly 30 years she has successfully led companies through some of the most challenging succession planning, M&A, and crisis/change management work.
Amilya has been changing the game in the “relationship” between technology, business and people. She has successfully collaborated with some of the most high-profile clients in music, sports & entertainment, as well as served both entrepreneurial and fortune 500 clients. Genius Key is a system that aligns people's purpose + workflow together in training modules built for today's diverse and global workforce. Amilya is committed to providing leaders with the ability to understand and amplify their people so all companies can have what they need to better serve the individuals that make up a company, customers and communities they "all serve" for greater impact for all.
She has been featured in books, newspapers, and magazines People Magazine, Time, Forbes, Inc., Smart Money, and Entrepreneur. Amilya has also been named in “The 55 people you must meet” by Jack Canfield and has appeared as a regular business and behavior expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Steve Harvey Show and has been a contributor on News networks like Fox News & CNBC.
Take the Genius Key Today!
Connect with Amilya:
Website | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Christopher R. Manske, CFP® is owner and operator of Manske Wealth Management and the Author of the upcoming book, The Prepared Investor Manske owns one of the larger investment firms in Houston, managing almost half a billion dollars for individuals and institutions all over the world. Over his twenty-year investing career, he spent two of them as the Lead Financial Advisor to the University of Texas Employee Assistance Provider where he served a public and private population of over 100,000 people. Manske spent over a decade with Merrill Lynch where he was often recognized in the top fraction of 1% of investment professionals. He was selected to help train thousands of financial advisors across the country and he still offers his expertise in podcasts, radio shows, and various other media on a regular basis. Manske graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army before attending Rice University to get the Certified Financial Planner designation. Today, he leads a disciplined and well-credentialed team providing sophisticated wealth management and individualized investment advice. He and his team have been praised, published, or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Financial Advisor Magazine, and many more. For more information, visit www.manskewealth.com
On this episode, we discuss:
- How to prepare financially for crisis
- Investing strategies that work for everyone
- Chris's keys to success in life and business
Connect with Chris:
Matt Cenca is a 28 year old self-made millionaire.
He is the Founder and CEO of BuyBackHub, a mobile device wholesale company, featured as #95 in INC Magazines 2020 list of Top 250 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in Texas.
On episode, we discuss:
- Matt's personal journey of success
- Matt's secrets to personal finance
- Why he doesn't read books
- Why he eats only once a day
- Why he started a business vs getting a job
Connect with Matt:
Steve Lucas is the Chief Executive Officer at iCIMS.
He brings nearly 25 years of extensive leadership experience in enterprise software to iCIMS, along with a proven track record of driving global expansion and innovation. Steve has held senior executive roles at global enterprise software organizations including Adobe, Marketo, SAP, Salesforce.com, and BusinessObjects. During Steve’s tenure as CEO of Marketo, he led a multi-year product expansion and growth strategy resulting in the acquisition of the company by Adobe in 2018, making it the largest acquisition in Adobe's history.
Steve holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Colorado, is a published author and serves on multiple philanthropic and education boards.
On this episode, we discuss:
- The NEW future of work and what that means for business leaders
- What businesses should do now to thrive in today's talent market
- Steve's best advice on success in life and business
- Keys to dealing with fear and adversity
- How to get unstuck in your career if you feel lost
- Using START, STOP, and CONTINUE to promote personal and business growth
- Why business is PERSONAL and all about people
Connect with Steve:
On this episode, Susan and I discuss how to increase employee engagement through meaningful alignment.
Susan Steinbrecher, an internationally acclaimed executive coach, speaker and author, is president and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm that provides professional development services in the areas of executive coaching, group facilitation, and leadership training.
Susan is the co-author of Heart-Centered Leadership: Lead Well Live Well, and Roadmap to Success. She is also the author of Amazon best-seller, KENSHO: A Modern Awakening, Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal. Her newest book released in Spring of 2019 is, Meaningful Alignment: Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Interactions at Work and in Life, co-written with Robert Schaefer Ph.D.
Connect with Susan:
This episode is brought to you by Focusrite, the Interface Company who makes interfaces for recording podcasts, music, or any audio. If you are a new podcaster looking to start a show, or an experienced podcaster looking to level up your audio quality, I highly recommend you check them out! www.focusrite.com/podcasters
Becky Halstead, a retired Brigadier General, founded her own leader consultancy company, STEADFAST Leadership, following 27 years of service in the U.S. Army and one year as the Executive Director for Leader Development with Praevius Group, Inc. Becky specializes in inspirational and motivational speaking, developing leader training programs, leader coaching and mentoring. Becky has provided hundreds of keynote speeches and leadership training to the corporate and academic sectors at both national and international engagements.
Additional Accomplishments:
On this episode, we discuss the 5 Leadership Truths.
Contact:
Josh is an overcomer. He was a Blacksmith/Farrier for 7 years until he got kicked in the face and had to switch careers. He self-taught himself to code and landed a software developer job making $70K with no degree. Josh has had over a dozen side hustles and believes everyone should have their own side hustle.
Check out Josh's FREE download: 9 simple tips to improve your focus and willpower ==> https://www.joshkemp.net/julian
On this episode, Josh and I discuss the steps to build a profitable side hustle.
1. Find an opportunity
2. Don't take too much risk
3. Will it work? (validation)
4. Marketing
5. Take action
CONTACT:
Linkedin = http://linkedin.com/in/josh-kemp-a8982b50
Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/therealjoshkemp/
Website = https://www.joshkemp.net/
Mark Victor Hansen widely known as an inspirational and motivation speaker, trainer, author, serial entrepreneur. Perhaps best known as the founder and co-creator of the, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Book series, which has sold more than 500 Million copies.
Crystal Dwyer Hansen is one of the leading success and wellness coaches in the country. She is the author of Skinny Life - The Secret to Being Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit.
Together, Mark and Crystal have teamed up to co-author their NEW book, Ask! The Bridge from your Dreams to your Destiny: A self-help journey about learning the art and science of asking questions and how it can completely transform your life.
Checkout their new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Uhhds4
Contact:
Christian is a patented inventor, and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience starting, building, and selling healthcare and IT companies that make an impact on people's lives. In his last company he and his team architected, and launched a system for quickly, and accurately assessing mental health conditions in the clinical setting. As of the end of 2015 the system had identified over 2,000 people with suicidal intent, and well over 100,000 people with mental health disorders. He is currently launching a tool called Connected Mind to save 10,000 people's lives, and identify 10,000,000 people suffering from mental health conditions. In his personal time Christian teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and works with disabled combat veterans.
On this episode, we discuss:
- Keys to Success: Be, Do, Have
- Using stillness to gain self-awareness
- How to get your life aligned so that EVERYTHING works
- SODA (Simplify, Optimize, Delegate, Automate)
- MORE Principle (Measure, Observe, Repeat, Evolve)
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. Join me for part 2 of my conversation with Tom Hulsey.
On this episode we discuss:
- Why men don't like to discuss health issues
- Symptoms of cancer
- Genetics vs Lifestyle
- The test you need to detect prostate cancer
Tom is an 11-time IRONMAN finisher and 6-time Mountainman Winter Triathlon finisher.
On his birthday in 2015, Tom heard these dreaded words from his doctor, “you have cancer.” The diagnosis sent him into a tailspin. Having lost his best friend to prostate cancer the year before, he was ready to quit, to not even try to fight the disease. Why is that important? At that time, Tom had completed nine IRONMANs. He is not a quitter, yet this bad news overwhelmed him.
What changed? Loved ones and friends gave Tom ways and reasons to live. One reason was to be around to walk his daughter down the aisle. The first step in his battle was to hold on to his winning mindset, to decide to live and inspire others no matter what their life challenges. After his cancer surgery, he set goals; these included 2 IRONMANs, one of which was the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The IRONMAN is a 2.4. mile swim, followed by a 112 bike, followed by a 26.2 marathon – all in one day.
After completing his cancer recovery goals, Tom dedicated his life to helping others through philanthropy. He is a Board Member for Mary Crowley Cancer Research, Board Member for ZERO Cancer, Peer Reviewer & Mentor for the DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), and Patient & Caregiver Board Member at Cancer University. Tom use to volunteer at the Baylor Scott & White Cancer Health & Wellness Center; leading fitness classes for cancer patients (“beacon of hope”).
Tom was the recipient of the 2019 Lauren Beam Philanthropy Award at the New York University School of Professional Studies and the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport for his “dedication and contributions toward philanthropic efforts that resulted in significant, positive effects on the world of sports and beyond.”
Tom recently authored The Winning Mindset that Saved My Life. It is a great story and inspirational book. Tom applies the skills and attitudes required to compete in an IRONMAN to life’s struggles. He tells a great story of going from a self-absorbed athlete absorbed and almost arrogant about his health, to a man devoted to helping and inspiring others. Best of all; 100% of the net proceeds are being donated to cancer research. The book is rated 5 out of 5 Stars on Amazon.
Tom lives in Dallas with his wife Lauren. They have 2 married children and 3 grandchildren.
Connect with Tom:
My interview with Teladoc Founder and 12x Serial Entrepreneur, Michael Gorton. Needless to say, I was blown away by our conversation!
On this episode, we discuss:
- How to know if you’re an entrepreneur
- Lessons from building 12 companies
- “The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
- Pricing and valuing your business
- How to succeed as an entrepreneur
- How Michael defines a life well lived
- Is work life balance a myth?
- Michael’s daily routine for success
- How to increase self-awareness
- Ultimate keys to success in life and business
About Michael:
Michael Gorton is a 12-time Serial Entrepreneur and bestselling author with 35 years of experience building both public and private companies in the telecom, music, energy, healthcare, book publishing, aerospace and water remediation industries. Throughout his executive career, Michael has founded and led industry-changing companies, including Internet Global, Teladoc, Palo Duro Records, Principal Solar, Water Environmental Technology and Back To Space. Book Genius named his current book: Broken Handoff the #1 M&A Business book of 2019.
As CEO, Chairman, and Founder of Teladoc, Gorton created and led the healthcare services company that would go on to be named by MIT as one of the Top 50 Smartest Companies in the World in 2015. Teladoc is now the world’s leading telemedicine company with a $5 billion NYSE market cap. Following Teladoc, Gorton was the founding CEO of Principal Solar, a public company he led to become one of the thought leaders in the solar industry worldwide, that delivered nearly 400 megawatts of sustainable electricity, enough to run approximately 70,000 American homes. With Internet Global, he led the company from concept to the #1 ranked Internet provider in North Texas and the construction of the world’s first DSL network and one of the first national VOIP networks.
Gorton is currently a founding CEO of Back To Space, LLC (B2S), a for-profit company with not-for-profit benefits. B2S has four Apollo era astronauts on the team, including Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Charlie Duke and Alfred Worden. The Company delivers a weekly Space News Flash, and is developing a TV show that has enlisted renown executive producers: Christopher Cowen (Apollo 13, The Decade Series, and Magnificent Desolation), and former Chairman of the Television Academy Hayma Washington (The Amazing Race, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Naked Science).
Michael’s startups have created more than $6 billion in wealth. Michael holds a JD in Law from Texas A&M University School of Law, a BS in Engineering from Texas Tech University, and an MS in Physics from The University of Texas at Dallas. He has established his status as a Thought Leader and best-selling author through numerous awards, more than 20 white papers, 100+ articles, five novels and one business book on M&A transactions. His historic fiction novel Forefathers and Founding Fathers became an Amazon #1 best seller. Michael has run eighteen marathons, is working on his 3rd degree black belt in karate and has completed a 4,800-mile bicycle adventure across the US. He and his family have a goal of climbing the highest point of elevation in all 50 states. They have completed 41.
Michael's Books:
Broken Handoff: Saving Your Assets
https://amzn.to/2TOltzx
Forefathers and Founding Fathers
https://amzn.to/37lDJEr
YouTube: Back to Space
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHZ63YtVtdQDqLxKyTDmtmw
Contact:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gorton-9a3b2a14/
Tom is an 11-time IRONMAN finisher and 6-time Mountainman Winter Triathlon finisher.
On his birthday in 2015, Tom heard these dreaded words from his doctor, “you have cancer.” The diagnosis sent him into a tailspin. Having lost his best friend to prostate cancer the year before, he was ready to quit, to not even try to fight the disease. Why is that important? At that time, Tom had completed nine IRONMANs. He is not a quitter, yet this bad news overwhelmed him.
What changed? Loved ones and friends gave Tom ways and reasons to live. One reason was to be around to walk his daughter down the aisle. The first step in his battle was to hold on to his winning mindset, to decide to live and inspire others no matter what their life challenges. After his cancer surgery, he set goals; these included 2 IRONMANs, one of which was the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The IRONMAN is a 2.4. mile swim, followed by a 112 bike, followed by a 26.2 marathon – all in one day.
After completing his cancer recovery goals, Tom dedicated his life to helping others through philanthropy. He is a Board Member for Mary Crowley Cancer Research, Board Member for ZERO Cancer, Peer Reviewer & Mentor for the DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), and Patient & Caregiver Board Member at Cancer University. Tom use to volunteer at the Baylor Scott & White Cancer Health & Wellness Center; leading fitness classes for cancer patients (“beacon of hope”).
Tom was the recipient of the 2019 Lauren Beam Philanthropy Award at the New York University School of Professional Studies and the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport for his “dedication and contributions toward philanthropic efforts that resulted in significant, positive effects on the world of sports and beyond.”
Tom recently authored The Winning Mindset that Saved My Life. It is a great story and inspirational book. Tom applies the skills and attitudes required to compete in an IRONMAN to life’s struggles. He tells a great story of going from a self-absorbed athlete absorbed and almost arrogant about his health, to a man devoted to helping and inspiring others. Best of all; 100% of the net proceeds are being donated to cancer research. The book is rated 5 out of 5 Stars on Amazon.
Tom lives in Dallas with his wife Lauren. They have 2 married children and 3 grandchildren.
Connect with Tom:
Peter Hart is the Co-founder and CEO of Austin Fraser, a technology staffing firm based in the UK, Germany, and the United States. On this episode, we discuss his keys to success in growing Austin Fraser to a $100 million dollar business.
Topics Include:
- Doing work you love and having fun
- Overcoming fear and embracing uncertainty
- Maintaining culture while growing
- Hiring: characteristics that predict success
- Implementing continuous improvement
- The importance of values (and how to discover them)
Connect with Peter:
On this episode, Kristi and I discuss her entrepreneurial journey, lessons learned, and keys to success in business and life.
Kristi Berryhill is a Real Estate Professional with 10+ years of experience in apartment locating and residential housing. She’s helped over 30,000 clients find their home(s) in Texas and Colorado and mentored many aspiring realtors to be successful in their careers. Currently, she has a team that personalizes the real estate journey for each client and plans to scale her company to other domestic and international markets.
Having a passion for helping the real estate industry evolve, Kristi founded Lux Locators, an apartment locating company, which removes the stress and hassle in finding an apartment by personalizing and humanizing the journey. Kristi is truly an advocate for her clients. Whether they are buying, selling, or renting, she works tirelessly to promote their best interests. Her company provides state-of-the-art technology and team collaboration to assist her clients to be well-informed tenants or buyers.
Connect with Kristi:
Tom Vincent is the Founder and Director of Education at Texas Coffee School in Dallas, Texas.
Tom has been in specialty coffee since 2006 when a chance encounter with a couple of coffee professionals on an elevator led him to set sail on a two-year apprenticeship with a prominent East Coast coffee roasting company.
With the help of some of the most knowledgeable and influential people in the coffee industry, Tom evolved from a student barista to a teaching assistant and he eventually learned the business of coffee from the inside out.
After some major life changing events from “the great recession,” Tom found himself without work in his full-time career as an advertising agency creative director. After an unyielding seven month struggle, through another chance encounter, Tom was presented with the opportunity to put his background in coffee to work in the form of a consultancy. This encounter became the genesis of Texas Coffee School.
Over the last decade, through his industry leading Coffeepreneur® course curriculum and success-proven teaching methodology, Tom and his team have created the most complete, approachable, and respected course for starting a coffee shop business.
Today, Tom and the team at Texas Coffee School have proudly helped hundreds and hundreds of normal everyday people open their own successful independent specialty coffee businesses all over the world.
Topics:
• The entrepreneurial genesis story of Tom Vincent
• The approach (personal and professional) to starting a retail coffee business - most people do it in the wrong order and/or for the wrong reasons.
• You don’t need tons of money to start a business
- Conventional wisdom, vs unconventional wisdom
- Good. Cheap. Fast. – Pick two, build plan accordingly
- Do what the Marines do
• Entrepreneurship requires reprogramming your brain – The life transition in disconnecting from the rat race - the best advice I was ever given.
Texas Coffee School’s 3-Day Coffeepreneur® Class for Starting and Growing a Coffee Business - https://texascoffeeschool.com/coffee-classes/3-day-coffee-business-class/
Contact:
Mai Lyn Ngo is a Dallas-based food & fitness influencer with a motto all of us can live by: “I workout to eat.” She founded Deep Fried Fit in order to share her unconditional love of food and fitness, while promoting a balanced lifestyle of green juice and fried chicken.
She is also the founder of Fitness Ambassadors, an influencer, marketing and events company that brings local fitness enthusiasts together through fun fitness activations all over the metroplex. She hopes to inspire Dallasites to step out of their comfort zones and try new things, whether it be a trendy restaurant or hot fitness craze.
Mai Lyn has also been featured as an "influencer to follow" in several leading publications in Dallas; including Modern Luxury, CW33, D Magazine and GuideLive.
Contact:
David Garcia is the CEO & Founder of Boomerang Strategies, a Full Service Marketing Agency that believes, "the more you throw out, the more you get back."
What I thought was interesting about David's story was how he starting a marketing agency in the first place. Before Boomerang Strategies, he was in the moving business. He learned marketing skills to promote that business and eventually grew it exponentially. David learned that the strategies in marketing he used to grow the moving business could be applied to other businesses. Today, he has a flourishing agency and helps grow other businesses using out of the box marketing strategies, or what he calls, The Boomerang Marketing Effect!
On this episode, David and I discuss the importance of networking, serving others first, and his keys to success in business and in life.
Contact:
Dr. Daren Martin is the CEO & Founder of the Global Company Culture Association, the author of multiple business books including the bestselling A Company of Owners: Maximizing Employee Engagement. Dr. Martin’s thought leadership and change strategies in transforming companies earned him the title The Culture Architect.
Combining humor, thought provoking content, and a dynamic and engaging presentation style, his transformational speaking has inspired audiences to action all over the world.
Dr. Martin ran his own business for 20 years and for the last 11 years has consulted for Fortune 200 companies, organizations, and small business owners from a wide range of industries.
He has been in over 40 countries.You can hear his business musings on his podcast Company Culture With Daren Martin.
On this episode, we discuss:
- Building Company Culture
- Driving Employee Engagement
- Zombies at work
- The Global Culture Association
Contact:
Daren's LinkedIn | Association LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Hirbod Bigvand is a young CEO who translates vision into reality. He came to the United States at 16 years old, couldn't speak English, and only had 300 dollars in his pocket. Fast forward to present day, he runs a fast-growing software startup, Surfboard, and recently graduated from UTD with a B.S in finance.
Hirbod is one of the most inspirational entrepreneurs I've met in a long time and truly believe he has the potential to change the world.
On this episode, we discuss:
- Hirbod's keys to success in entrepreneurship
- Taking risks and chasing your dreams
- The life of immigrants and the, "advantage of adversity"
- Surfboard and its impact on the community
Contact"
Lara Korba serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Journey of Hope Grief Support Center in Plano, Texas. Her drive to help others has led her to the nonprofit world in the past several years. Previously, she worked in corporate responsibility in the United States, the United Kingdom, and in Canada with various various multi-national companies, NGOs, and governmental organizations, including BP, TD Canada Trust, the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
She holds an MBA from York University and an Honors BSc from the University of Toronto and has served on a number of boards in the Dallas area. She has been a guest lecturer for The Neeley School of Business and The Institute for Environmental Studies in the College of Science and Engineering at Texas Christian University, and for the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Her passion and deep understanding for the needs of grieving children began with her own significant loss at a young age.
Contact:
Mark Burge is the Senior Vice President at CityCentral and has over 20 years of global sales leadership experience.
CityCentral is an innovative community and workspace designed to help members connect, collaborate, and thrive.
I've been a member of CityCentral since March 2019 and have grown tremendously as an entrepreneur. I'm a believer in collaboration and surrounding yourself with great people. This philosophy has served me well throughout my career and I hope it serves you too!
On this episode, Mark and I discuss:
- Evolution of the workplace
- Importance of servant leadership
- Networking to grow your business
- Keys to success in life and business
For a tour of CityCentral, connect with Alexsys Barsy:
alexys@citycentral.com
Contact
LeRon L. Barton is a writer from Kansas City, MO currently living in San Francisco, Ca. A graduate of Paseo Academy of Fine Arts, LeRon is the author of two books, “Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American Drug Culture” and “All We Really Need Is Love: Stories of Dating, Relationships, Heartbreak, and Marriage.” In addition to the books, LeRon is an essayist; whose topics cover racism, mass incarceration, politics, gender, and dating. These works have appeared in Black Enterprise, Salon, The Good Men Project, Your Tango, Media Diversity, Raconteur, Elephant Journal, East Bay Times, and MoAD.
As a young man, LeRon has had to live with a stutter. At times it was debilitating and confidence hindering, but he has learned to manage the stutter and not let it stop him taking on another passion: public speaking. LeRon has also given talks and speeches at TEDx Wilson Park about overcoming the fear of stuttering, University of San Francisco on Black and Asian Solidarity, Glide Methodist Church on collective liberation, been a guest of Al Jazeera’s The Stream, Story Corp, Dr. Vibe’s Do You Know What Time It Is podcast, and has participated in panel discussions on race and prison recidivism. In his spare time LeRon mentors young men in San Francisco and loves to backpack around the world.
Topics:
- Race
- Overcoming obstacles and personal struggles
- Writing and encouraging people to write
Contact:
Alex Quian is the Executive Director of 30 Days of Service, a non-profit led by college students he helped create with his mentor, Greg Weatherford. Over the course of July 2019, Quian completed 30 different service projects in 30 days as part of the organization’s efforts to inspire other young people to give back to their community.
A senior at Cornell University studying Information Science graduating in Fall 2019, Quian is naturally drawn to servant leadership and is passionate about helping young people find ways to use their passions and skills to impact their community in positive, rewarding ways. He has a strong passion for entrepreneurship (specifically social entrepreneurship), which began when he was selected for an intensive but lifechanging entrepreneurial internship the summer before starting college, during which he gained a greater love for service and learned invaluable skills relating to communication, program and team development, project management, and more.
Since this transformative experience, Quian has gone on to oversee the development of a multitude of proposals, projects, programs, and businesses for Fortune 50 companies, national community organizations and non-profits, internationally leading educational institutions, and entrepreneurs.
Quian’s current projects include writing a book for children and young adults about his Summer 2019 service project experiences, creating a formal service program that will be shared with K – 12 schools, universities, companies, and other groups, and speaking about his 30 Days of Service experience.
CONTACT:
Philip J. Romano is an investor, entrepreneur, artist and nationally-renowned restaurateur.
Involved in the restaurant business for over fifty years, he has created over twenty-five concepts with six of them national concepts: Fuddruckers, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Spageddies, Cozymel’s, Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ and eatZi’s Market & Bakery.
Romano currently owns and operates eatZi’s Market & Bakery, Nick & Sam’s Steak & Fish House, Nick & Sam’s Grill and Coal Vines Pizza. Romano’s creativity expands beyond restaurants to art. He began painting 30 years ago and never sold a piece of art until 2008. To date he has sold over $1 million of his own artwork. He partnered with Reflectionist Movement Artist, JD Miller of Dallas, opening Samuel Lynne Galleries. The Gallery features both Romano’s and Miller’s works and an ever expanding list of additional artists, focusing on art of the 21st Century.
He was principal in EGP, a partnership that held the licensing rights to the Palmaz-Schatz Stent, purchased by Johnson & Johnson, Inc. It is said to be one of the most successful medical devices of its time and is considered one of the patents that has changed the world. This was the original stent and has become a $6 billion a year industry.
Philip Romano and his family established a charitable foundation, The Food Foundation, which operates as Hunger Busters and has been in operation for 16 years. Hunger Busters provides food to the hungry and serves over 450,000 meals per year to school children in Dallas.
Romano’s latest venture is Trinity Groves, with approximately 90 acres at the foot of the Calatrava Bridge in Dallas. Fifteen of those acres are a restaurant concept incubator creating brands for the millennials and to induce entrepreneurs to start businesses and create jobs and tax revenue for the city of Dallas.
Philip Romano’s most recent concept is the Network Bar – a “first of its kind” members only establishment where people can network, connect, socialize, have dinner and do business all in the same place. The Network Bar opened in October 2017 in Trinity Groves.
Romano wrote his first book entitled Food for Thought in 2005 that made the CEO Best Sellers List. His latest book, The MAD Entrepreneur, was released in March 2019 and shares his secrets
to success, how he took ideas and turned them into nationally-recognized businesses, and insights into how he’s making a difference in business and in life. A native of New York State, Mr. Romano presently resides in Dallas, Texas.
Contact: