OC TO B E R 3 - OC TO B E R 9, 2014 | T H R E E D O LL A R S
FLOR IDA’S NE WSPAPER FOR T HE C - SUI T E
Awards | Horizon Council recognizes Robbie Roepstorff for lifetime achievement. PG.38 P A S C O • H I L L S B O R O U G H • P I N E L L A S • M A N AT E E • S A R A S O TA • C H A R L O T T E • L E E • C O L L I E R
40UNDE R4 0 T he Gulf Coa s t’s next generat i on of b u s in e s s l ea de rs
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
BusinessObserverFL.com
Vol. XVIII, No. 40
A DIVISION OF THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
BusinessObserverFL.com The Business Observer, formerly the Gulf Coast Business Review, is Southwest Florida’s newspaper for business leaders. With offices in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties, the Business Observer is the only weekly business newspaper that provides business leaders with a regional perspective. The Business Observer’s mission is to deliver relevant news and information on Southwest Florida’s leading and growing companies, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and the important economic, industry and government trends affecting business. The Business Observer is also the leading publisher of public notices on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
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“The road is cleared,” said Galt. “We are going back to the world.” He raised his hand and over the desolate earth he traced in space the sign of the dollar. Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged 151325
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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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CoffeeTalk
3
Local billionaires represent Not all Florida billionaires live in West Palm or Miami. The Gulf Coast has its shares of billionaires, too, according to Forbes magazine’s recently published ranking of the top 400 wealthiest people in America in 2014. Shahid Khan of Naples, with a net worth of $4.5 billion, tops the list of the wealthiest residents on the Gulf Coast. He’s the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. Born in Pakistan, Khan made his fortune in the auto-parts business. Khan is ranked 110th in the Forbes 400. The Gulf Coast runner-up is another Naples resident: Reinhold Schmieding, the founder of medical-device manufacturer Arthrex, with a net worth of $3.4 billion. He’s ranked the 155th wealthiest person in America. Others on the list include Tampa’s Edward DeBartolo Jr., the shopping
REINHOLD SCHMIEDING center magnate ($3.1 billion); Best Buy Chairman and Bonita Springs resident Richard Schulze ($2.6 billion); Paychex founder and Naples resident Tom Golisano ($2.1 billion); Ashley Furniture Chairman and St. Petersburg resident Ronald Wanek ($1.9 billion); and Feld Entertainment Chairman and Sarasota resident Kenneth Feld ($1.8 billion).
Tampa takes two of three in affordability
See COFFEE TALK page 5
BRINGING HOME THE GOODS Sarasota-based product design and development firm Robrady recently earned some global recognition for work on a portable fuel cell it did in conjunction with a New York engineering firm. The portable fuel cell, built by Hampton Bays, N.Y.-based Merlin Power Systems, is designed to function in difficult environments and conditions where other power sources won’t work. That especially includes disaster areas and remote locations without reliable power sources. The cell’s design requires virtually no emissions. Robrady received a Red Dot Award for design concepts it created that were used in the final product. A Red Dot Award, say Robrady officials, comes from one of the most prestigious and largest professional design competitions in the world.
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been known for being affordable, fan-friendly and a team that gets a lot of production out of a smaller payroll. The team beat out several other small-market clubs for first place in affordability, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland A’s and Milwaukee Brewers. It’s the fourth time in the past eight years the Rays took the No. 1 spot in affordability and the eighth straight year the team made the top three. Yet being affordable hasn’t translated to more ticket sales for the Rays. The team has posted the lowest average home attendance in the Majors for the past three years. Part of that stems from well-known issues the team has with its home stadium, Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg. The Tampa laggard in ESPN’s Ultimate Sports Standings report is the NFL’s Buccaneers — the team that traditionally garners the most fan and media attention. The Buccaneers scored an overall ranking of 84. Its lowest scores are in fan relations, bang for the buck and players.
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Simply Better An international panel of design experts evaluated more than 4,700 entries over two days, according to a press release, and Robrady’s submission ranked in the top 5%. A Red Dot Award ceremony was held Sept. 26, in Singapore. “To win a Red Dot award with Merlin Power Systems is fantastic,” Robrady President Rob Brady says in the statement. “This award means even more knowing that it’s for a product that can improve and actually save people’s lives.”
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The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t make the Major League baseball playoffs this year, but the team did win a crown in one category: The most affordable baseball team for fans to attend games. The Tampa Bay Lightning, across the bridge from the Rays, are likewise champs of affordability in the NHL. Both top rankings come courtesy of ESPN The Magazine’s Ultimate Sports Standings report. The magazine, with assistance from fans and two national research groups, ranked teams in all four North American professional sports in a host of categories, from affordability to fan relations to title track. Other categories include ownership, coaching, players, fan relations and stadium experience. The scores in the categories are weighted and evaluated on importance for a final summary ranking. The Lightning is the top team in town, the rankings show. The team is ranked sixth overall among all 122 pro sports teams, and is in the top 35 in all eight categories. The team is also trending the right way, moving up from 30th overall last year. The Rays, at least since 2008, have
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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topstories from BusinessObserverFL.com TAMPA BAY
PODS wins $60.7M trademark lawsuit PODS Enterprises Inc. has won a lawsuit against U-Haul International Inc. The jury found U-Haul liable for federal and state trademark infringement and dilution of the PODS trademark as well as unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. PODS successfully argued that it owned the trademark and logos for “pods,” the shortened name for portable on demand storage. U-Haul had argued that “pods” was a generic term and that as such PODS Enterprises’ trademark was invalid. The jury awarded PODS Enterprises $60.7 million in damages.
quote of theweek
“”
It’s rare to get it right the first time. Alex Miningham | President, Discount Park and Ride, on being an entrepreneur SEE PAGE 23
from the U.S. Attorney, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed the conviction of Stanton and upheld Stanton’s 10-year prison sentence for those convictions. Stanton was president of Florida Engineered Construction Products in Seffner, also known as Cast Crete Corp. He failed to file tax returns for the company and for himself for several years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s statement. When the IRS investigated him and his companies, Stanton provided misleading information. As a result, the IRS lost more than $50 million in revenues. CHARLOTTE-LEE-COLLIER
Oncology firm lands $325 million Canada’s largest pensionfund manager invested $325 million in 21st Century Oncology, giving the radiation-treatment firm long-term capital needed for future growth. In addition, the capital infusion in a preferred equity investment by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will allow 21st Century Oncology to lower its significant debt load and improve its liquidity.
Former builder loses appeal An appellate court upheld the convictions and sentencing of John Stanton III for failing to file tax returns and misleading tax authorities when he was president of a Seffner-based construction company. According to a statement
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The net proceeds of the investment will be used to repay debt and credit facilities, fund strategic initiatives and provide working capital for general corporate purposes. Following the repayments of debt identified for repayment, 21st Century Oncology expects to have approximately $80 million of the net cash proceeds on hand.
Neogenomics names new COO
Cancer-testing laboratory NeoGenomics named Robert Shovlin its new chief operating officer. Shovlin, who starts Oct. 13, most recently served as chief development officer for Bostwick Laboratories, a provider of anatomic-pathology testing services targeting urologists and other clinicians. Shovlin served as a captain and infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992 until 1997, where he served as a platoon and company commander and as an instructor and staff platoon commander at the Basic School. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University.
Headquartered in Fort Myers, NeoGenomics provides laboratory services to pathologists, oncologists, urologists and hospitals throughout the country. SARASOTA-MANATEE
USF campus names new chancellor Sandra Stone, with leadership experience in academia and state and federal government sponsored research, has been named regional chancellor of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Stone was most recently vice president for academic affairs at Dalton State College in Georgia, according to a release. She has also held leadership roles at the University of West Georgia and with the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia. Stone replaces Arthur Guilford, who retired from the regional chancellor post earlier this year. USF Sarasota-Manatee academic and student affairs official Terry Osborn served in an interim regional chancellor role since July. Stone, chosen after a national search, will begin her new role Nov 1, according to USF officials.
Last week’s question:
Has rent for your commercial space risen lately?
66.7% Yes 33.3% No
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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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FROM PAGE 3
Real estate wiki spreads Sanjay Kuttemperoor is spreading the real estate wiki to more cities. Readers may recall that Naples entrepreneur Kuttemperoor is creating a website that uses the “wiki” concept of encouraging contributions. The idea behind WikiRealty is that the more people contribute, the more useful the website becomes. WikiRealty has since KUTTEMlaunched in other cities PEROOR since it began in Naples last year. For example, on Sept. 23, WikiRealty signed a deal with the Mi-
ami Association of Realtors to give its members access to premier listings on the WikiRealty website and crosslink to both organizations’ websites. The Miami association is a huge market consisting of more than 30,000 real estate professionals. WikiRealty provides these Realtors and others with a digital town square where everyone can share insider tips and knowledge. In addition to listings, WikiRealty provides neighborhood-specific content that is written by contributors who live in those areas. Besides Naples and Miami, the site has expanded to Chicago and Milwaukee.
Optimism percolates across Florida electronically from Aug. 20 through Sept. 12, include: • Nearly four in 10 small businesses statewide, 37%, reported higher company sales in the 2014 third quarter compared to the third quarter of 2013. One in four business reported lower sales; • More than half the respondents, 56%, expect the economy to improve over the next three months in advance of the holiday shopping season. More than two-thirds, 71%, expect the economy to improve in the next 12 months. • Economic uncertainty, at 26%, and access to capital, at 22%, are the top two issues Florida small business owners face.
Calling from the cloud A small company in Fort Myers called Interop Technologies is making big waves among mobile-phone operators. In fact, the company recently was awarded a patent that will let cellphone operators use Interop’s cloud technology for things like chat messaging and video-file transfers. That’s important because many smaller mobile-phone operators can’t afford the staff and maintenance of the hardware needed for these new communication functions. Interop provides a system that allows these carriers to
outsource these functions without having to make a big investment in capital equipment and people. Fact is, mobile-phone devices now offer myriad functions and many smaller operators need to keep up. These include video communication over the Internet, one-to-one and group messaging, video and image exchanges and file transfers. With U.S. patent No. 8,856,356, Interop is in trials of the new technology in North and South America, Africa and Asia.
HOW MANY LAWYERS DOES IT TAKE? The possibility there are too many lawyers sounds like the beginning of a joke. But this is no punch line: There are around 100,000 licensed attorneys in Florida, one for every 200 people statewide. And there are more than 1.2 million lawyers in the United States, good for one for every 257 Americans. To some, like a majority of respondents in two separate surveys, that’s an excessive amount of legal advice. One survey, released by Rasmussen Reports earlier this year, found that 56% of Americans think there are too many attorneys, compared to 9% who believe there aren’t enough. In another survey, Florida lawyers say oversaturation of attorneys tops the list of issues that will have the greatest impact on the legal profession. Guy McConnell and Michael Hooker, litigators with the Tampa office of Phelps Dunbar, address the too-many-lawyers question in an article in the September issue of The Federal Lawyer. The attorneys, in general, contend a conclusion based solely on data negates nuance. “At first blush, the evidence would seem to support the conclusion that
there are, in fact, too many lawyers,” Hooker and McConnell write. “By any objective measure, there currently exists a large number of lawyers in America. However, as the ranks of lawyers have been expanding, the employment opportunities have been contracting.” The lack of jobs, the article states, compounds the bigger issue: The legal industry’s slowness to overcome and adapt to problems and challenges, from the ways law schools teach students to the amount of pro bono work attorneys provide. “It is possible there is not so much an overall glut of lawyers, as a misallocation in the marketplace, resulting in too many lawyers doing the same type of work in the same locations while the legal needs of the larger populace go unmet,” say Hooker and McConnell. “Finally, it is also possible lawyers conveniently blame an overabundance of lawyers for the fundamental challenges that technology, competition, and increased client demands are bringing to bear on the profession. The too-many-lawyers outcry may be simply a convenient catch phrase that encapsulates multiple, different pressures facing lawyers today.”
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Florida entrepreneurs are feeling frisky. The good vibes, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index Survey, spread wide: Small business owners report sales growth, an increase in optimism and a newfound eagerness to hire more employees, the survey shows. Results of the survey, which the chamber conducted with the Florida Small Business Development Center, were released Sept. 30 at the Future of Florida Forum in Orlando. “This survey shows Florida’s small business (owners) are ready to grow, expect to hire and remain optimistic about their chances for success,” Florida Chamber Foundation Executive Vice President Tony Carvajal says in a statement. Findings from the survey, conducted
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
BusinessObserverFL.com
BY THE NUMBERS
economicsnapshot
2 Consumer durables
Four areas of the Gulf Coast posted bigger annual-percentage increases in taxable sales of consumer durables in June than the statewide 6.1% increase: Naples (22.4%), Cape Coral-Fort Myers (16.1%), Punta Gorda (9.9%) and SarasotaBradenton (9.6%).
2
Two areas of the state posted annualpercentage drops in taxable sales of consumer durables in June: Gainesville (-2%) and Fort Walton (-1.5%).
2.3 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.5
June 2013 July ’13
Aug. ’13
Sept. ’13
Oct. ’13
WHAT THE DATA SHOW Taxable sales in the consumer durables category include appliances, furniture, home electronics, boats, aircraft and hardware. The latest data are for June.
Nov. ’13
Dec. ’13
Jan. ’14
Feb. ’14
March ’14 April ’14
May ’14
June ’14
JUNE CONSUMER DURABLES AREA
WHAT IT MEANS A rebound in new-home sales means consumers have to furnish their new houses with appliances, furniture and home electronics. Second-home markets such as Naples and Fort Myers have posted strong new-home sales gains and that’s reflected in the consumer durables figures. Tampa-St. Petersburg is a primary home market, which may help explain why growth was flat on an annual-percentage-change basis in June.
TampaSt. Petersburg
DURABLES ($ in millions)
$233.5 0.1% $65.9 9.6%
SarasotaBradenton
$13 9.9%
Punta Gorda Cape CoralFort Myers
FORECAST Consumer durable sales are strongly correlated with new-home sales. Expect favorable year-over-year annual growth in this taxable sales category as long as new-home sales continue to post positive increases. While consumer confidence may ebb in light of economic uncertainty and world events, the busy winter season is shaping up to be another positive year for homebuilders on the Gulf Coast.
% ANNUAL CHANGE
$61.1 16.1% $46.2 22.4%
Naples
Source: Florida Legislature Office of Economic & Demographic Research
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Naples posted the second-largest increase in taxable sales of consumer durables in June of any area in the state on an annualpercentage-change basis, up 22.4%. Only Palm Coast was higher with 32.1%.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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7
40UNDER40 T he Gulf Coa s t’s next generat i on of b u s in e s s l ea de rs Every year when our list of the 40 business leaders under the age of 40 comes out, I get asked the same question: How do you choose who’s on the list? The simple response? We pick dreamers and doers. Keep that in mind as you read the following stories and browse our website devoted to the winners, BusinessObserver4040.com. You’ll see that this year’s winners fit those criteria. You’ll see that our 40 under 40 winners have big dreams. Some are dreams they’ve accomplished, such as building a successful business, or starting a family or even completing an ultramarathon. But you’ll also see lots of dreams waiting to be realized. They range from the simple, like helping a nonprofit grow, to the complex — like franchising their business nationally. We look for dreamers and doers because these are the types of people who make the largest impact in the business world. Not only can they craft a vision for what they want, they know how to pool their resources to get it accomplished. They don’t talk about what they wish they could do or had done — they take action and make it happen. You’ll see this in our winners’ stories. Several quit well-paying jobs to start their own business, like Emily Stroud, who traded her career as a pharmaceutical sales rep to create her own line of tote bags. Others worked from the bottom to the top, like Miranda Monahan, who began as a front-desk receptionist. Now she’s CEO of M-Powertech, a fast-growing $4 million electronic waste company. We also look for people who are entrepreneurial in their work, even if they don’t own their own business. People who take charge, take chances and work hard to make their dreams a reality. When we think of a group of young people you need to know in business, these are the ones with whom a connection opens opportunity and possibility. Isn’t that what the next generation is supposed to be all about? — Kat Hughes
// I N T ER EST I NG FACTS
14 winners (35%) are originally from
FLORIDA
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive …
... one person wanted to have dinner with STEVE JOBS ...
... four with JESUS ...
Number of winners who put
If you had a magic wand …
“GO GATORS!” in their questionnaire:
2 said they’d travel through time
4
5
... and two with AUDREY HEPBURN.
... three with WARREN BUFFETT ...
4 said they’d make more time 4 said they’d use it to grow their business 3 said they’d help children 2 said they’d make more wands 1 said he’d start the government over
2
have babies on the way.
Q U I Z
put going to space on their bucket list
We asked the 40 Under 40 winners who would play them in a movie about themselves. Can you match the winners with their chosen movie stars? (answers below) 1
2
Mellisa Allen A
Jason Becker B
Merritt Martin C
Photos by Mark Wemple Videos by Alex Mahadevan Design by Nicole Thompson Jason Sudeikis
3
Colin Farrell
Rachel McAdams
4
5
6
Brenton Cloud
Ruth Soukup
Omar Soliman
D
E
F
Julia Roberts
Adam Sandler
Drew Barrymore
Answers: 1:C, 2:A, 3:F, 4:B, 5:D, 6:E
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
BusinessObserverFL.com
4 0U N DER4 0 // L A K EWOOD R A NCH
Mellisa Allen, 33 Head of Technology, Tervis
Mellisa Allen, an on-the-rise leader at Tervis, one of the fastest growing companies in the Sarasota-Bradenton region, has built her career on an ability to see bigger things in smaller opportunities. A good example of that is her current position at Tervis, a Venice-based drinkware firm, where she oversees a 20-employee technology department. Her unit includes IT and ecommerce, a key revenue stream. The position only came about because she did so well with her first role at Tervis, when she was ecommerce marketing manager for six years. The ecommerce position wasn’t something Allen had in mind when she applied for a job at Terivs in 2008. She worked in marketing and branding for companies in Chicago, on accounts that included Allstate and Disney Parks. She sought a new a job after relocating to Sarasota with her husband. Allen says she didn’t know much about the intricacies of ecommerce
Q & A
Our brand lends itself really well to customer loyalty.
when she spoke with the HR department at Tervis. “It wasn’t something I had done before,” says Allen, “but there were some parallels to other work I had done.” So Allen took a chance. She thought the Tervis brand was fun and engaging and the company was connected to the local community, so Allen says it really wasn’t much of a risk. Says Allen: “Our brand lends itself really well to customer loyalty.” Allen even being in marketing and branding at all is something of a switch. She intended to study physical therapy at Marquette University but got the idea for marketing after she saw the 2000 movie “What Women Want,” a romantic comedy with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. One of the themes of the film was how marketing influences attitudes and what people buy. “Something in that movie,” says Allen, “completely spoke to me.” — Mark Gordon
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Embrace your
instincts, validate with data.
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: IBM President and CEO Ginni Rometty and Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist of Apple.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: As a freshman in high school, I received the Up-and-Coming award for our varsity track team. The words “up-and-coming” had a lasting impact, a reminder to always push further, there is more to be realized.
To see Mellisa Allen’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Mellisa-Allen.
4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
We’re energizing the community through the magic of baseball.
To see Rafaela Amador’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Rafaela-Amador.
Rafaela A. Amador, 32
Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Tampa Bay Rays Rafaela Amador grew up on a baseball field. Her brother played baseball in college, her dad was a youth baseball coach and her grandfather played minor league baseball in Puerto Rico. So when she got a call from a senior vice president for the Tampa Bay Rays asking if she’d be interested in a new position with the team, “it was kind of a no brainer,” she says. Amador was asked to share the story of the impact the Rays make to the community and economy in St. Pete and the Tampa area. “Baseball is how kids learn the value of teamwork and how to try their personal best, and other life lessons,” Amador says. “It’s not just about getting out on the field and playing.” It’s a good fit for Amador, who worked three years as vice president of public affairs and commu-
Q & A
nications for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, and more recently as an account director for Tucker Hall, leading the Greenlight Pinellas public campaign. Prior to her work with the chamber, she was an English teacher, and before that, she worked as a district aide in the Florida House of Representatives. Suffice it to say, Amador knows the Tampa area. Growing up in St. Pete, she used to dream about working for the baseball team. She admits it’s hard to believe that her conference room overlooks the field. Amador just started her dream gig in June, so she’s still learning all facets of the business, but she’s antsy to get to work. “We’re energizing the community through the magic of baseball,” she says. “We have a big microphone and we should use it.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Walking
out onto the field from the Rays dugout on my first day.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
I’d say it’s also a life lesson, from Captain Kirk: Never be afraid to blow up the Enterprise.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: Tina Fey because we have the same glasses, and I wish I was funny.
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: create a flux
capacitor to help solve world issues through responsible time travel.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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SALVATORE
Visit us October 16 at our new Sarasota home in The Mall at University Town Center. 941.364.5300. 120 University Town Center Drive.
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4 0U N DER4 0 // NA PL ES
Albert Arguelles, 39
Little things like being punctual are always on my mind. I can’t stand being late.
Partner, Vice President, iPartnerMedia Albert Arguelles says his training as an Army paratrooper is reflected in the way he does business today. “Little things like being punctual are always on my mind,” says Arguelles, one of the founders of iPartnerMedia, a print and Web-design firm. “I can’t stand being late.” Arguelles was born in Havana, Cuba, and his family was exiled after his grandfather was released from prison by the communist regime. Arguelles’s grandfather had served in the Cuban military before dictator Fidel Castro took over. “My grandfather was a huge influence,” Arguelles says. “He told me how thankful he was to live in the U.S. and how much freedom and democracy meant to him.”
Q & A
Arguelles joined the U.S. military after high school and one of his proudest moments was visiting his grandfather in uniform. After four years in the Army, Arguelles returned to Miami in 1998 and went to work for Xerox. Arguelles started working as an equipment installer for Xerox, but he rose through the ranks and eventually became general manager for the company for Lee and Collier counties. Arguelles co-founded iPartnerMedia in 2012 and he manages the Internet side of the business. The firm recently beat out 30 other companies to manage the website of the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance. — Jean Gruss
BIRTHPLACE: Havana, Cuba
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Stay fo-
U.S. Army Airborne Wings
cused on your client’s goals and you will reach yours.
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Over 50 parachute
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST: Run a
jumps as an U.S. Army Paratrooper
To see Albert Arguelles’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Albert-Arguelles.
full marathon
4 0U N DER4 0 // FORT M Y ER S
I moved down to Naples and had no intention of getting into the golf business. I just wanted a change of life.
To see Jason Becker’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Jason-Becker.
Jason H. Becker, 34
President and CEO, Golf Membership Consultants In 2003, Jason Becker was coming home to Michigan from a spring break vacation in Southwest Florida when the van he was riding in wrecked in Knoxville, Tenn. “I heard my buddy scream and next thing I knew I was flying out of the window,” says Becker. The accident shredded 70% of the skin on his body and he endured 32 stitches in his skull, but he survived. In recovery, Becker abandoned plans to become an engineer with an automaker and decided to move to Florida, a place he dreamed of moving to when he visited on spring break. “I moved down to Naples
Q & A
and had no intention of getting into the golf business,” he says. “I just wanted a change of life.” Shortly after he moved to Southwest Florida in 2004, Becker got a job working as an assistant for a golf professional. Now, Becker is a PGA professional and is a graduate of the golf management program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Backed by a group of 24 investors, Becker recently launched Golf Membership Consultants, a company that provides consumers with advice on selecting golf memberships and real estate in Florida. “I raised $140,000,” Becker says. “We launched March 1.” — Jean Gruss
ONE WEBSITE THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER: Ted.com. I enjoy
watching other passionate people speak and how they capture an audience. A random five-minute speech on any topic can change my entire day and fuel creativity.
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST:
Building a home. I have always wanted to design my own home and move into something brand new. Nothing big, just a quiet place where my kids can have large bedrooms and I can have my own office.
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: I would like
to learn another language, in particular German. My goal is to be able to teach Europeans about the Florida transition as well. To be able to communicate without a translator would be great.
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Rudy Giuliani and
Biz Stone.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // NORT H FORT M Y ER S
Suzanne Boy, 34 Stockholder, Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt Suzanne Boy’s grandfather is the reason she’s in Fort Myers. When she was a law school student at Stetson University, Boy realized how close she had become to her grandfather, John Buckner Boy, the former president of U.S. Sugar. “Even 30 years after he retired, I have random people who say how well he led the company,” says Boy. “He would make deals on a handshake.” Suzanne Boy grew up in LaBelle and attended that town’s high school. “I couldn’t wait to get out of LaBelle,” she says. But as her grandfather grew older, she decided to return to the area to practice employment law with Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, a
Q & A
ONE COMMUNITY GROUP YOU’RE MOST INVOLVED WITH: HRMA of South-
west Florida, our local SHRM chapter for human resources professionals. I will proudly serve as president in 2015.
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST:
Staying in an overwater bungalow in the South Pacific where I can feed fish through the coffee table.
You’re not a number slaving away in the library.
major law firm in Fort Myers. She delivered her grandfather’s eulogy when he died last year. Boy says Fort Myers is a great place for a young lawyer to launch a career because it’s big enough to have good clients but close enough to her family in the region. “You’re not a number slaving away in the library,” she says. It turns out, the area is a prime battleground for the employment law Boy practices on behalf of employers. The Middle District of Florida that encompasses Fort Myers has the second-highest number of filings of any area in the country. “It hits everybody,” says Boy. — Jean Gruss
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Riding shotgun in seven
different exotic cars (think Ferraris, Lamborghinis) on a “dream car tour” in New York. Watching the speedometer go from 50 to over 100 miles per hour on an interstate, then whipping around at double the speed limit on mountain roads quickly reminded me that I am NOT adventurous! To see Suzanne Boy’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Suzanne-Boy.
FAVORITE OFF-HOURS ACTIVITY: Spending time with
family and friends, obsessing over the stock market and watching Gator sports.
4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
The way I was raised was always to be an entrepreneur.
To see Chas Bruck’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Chas-Bruck.
Charles (Chas) Bruck, 31 Principal, SoHo Capital
Chas Bruck says his family raised him to be an entrepreneur. His grandparents were entrepreneurs, and so is his dad. When he was 12, his grandmother decided she was sick of giving toys as birthday presents. So she gave them the option to buy stock instead. When he graduated college, he worked for a year as an intern for a commercial development firm that worked on big-box retail deals out of Tucson, Ariz. “It was not the route I wanted to go,” Bruck says. He wanted to get back to Tampa and work for himself. It’s just part of his personality, he admits: “If I worked for someone they’d probably fire me in the first week.” In 2006, Bruck teamed up with Adam Harden, former director of operations for Lennar Corp., to start their own development company, SoHo Capital. Today, Bruck is considered one of Tampa’s up-andcoming developers, with multiple projects including townhomes, apartments, industrial parks and
Q & A
business parks around the Tampa area. Bruck and Harden didn’t have any debt when the downturn hit, and were able to capitalize on the opportunities. “The hardest thing now is to find deals. We were spoiled in the downturn because we picked up projects at low prices,” Bruck says. Now the firm is focused on the urban core and has bought substantial pieces of property to build out downtown Tampa. Bruck’s biggest project is Riverside Heights, which SoHo acquired in late 2010. The Heights is a mixed-use development spread over 45 acres just north of downtown Tampa, on the Hillsborough River. “This is our passion project,” Bruck says. Bruck describes himself as “brutally honest,” saying that makes him stand out in the development industry. He and Harden “put all cards on the table, that’s what works best for us,” Bruck says. It’s a refreshing approach to negotiating, Bruck adds. “I don’t like to play games, especially when negotiating.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: The ones
that teach me something I didn’t know before.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Not to be greedy
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER FAVORITE OFF-HOURS ACTIVITY: Shooting range DONE: Getting married
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // LONGBOAT K EY
Brenton Cloud, 31 Vice President of Sales, Manatee Termite & Pest Control Brenton Cloud spent many days in the back of a pickup truck when he was a kid, going from job to job with his father, who ran Manatee Termite & Pest Control. The young Cloud would watch his dad, Gene Cloud III, tent and treat homes for termites. Two other generations of Clouds did the same work, going back to when Brenton Cloud’s great-grandfather started the business in 1934 in Manatee County. While it was fun for a young boy, Cloud had no desire to go into pest control for a living. “I never thought in a million years I would follow in my father’s footsteps,” he says. Cloud, instead, worked in New York City for five years, which included a stint on Wall Street, where he was a stockbroker. It was an exciting time and Cloud built a good book of business. But the call to come home came last year. Cloud sought a change of pace, and it turns out he liked the idea of
Q & A
I never thought in a million years I would follow in my father’s footsteps.
building a business with his father. Now the younger Cloud is in charge of growing customer accounts, a job he says isn’t that different from his past life in New York. “Selling stocks and selling pest control is really the same thing, as far as technique,” says Cloud. “It’s all about following up and good customer service.” Past sales work, real estate agents and brokers are a big referral source for Cloud, so he spends a good deal of his networking time with the Manatee Association of Realtors. He sometimes brings Realtors bags of fresh fish he catches on weekend spearfishing jaunts, a unique approach to building contacts. And the association appreciates Cloud for more than the fish. It also values his youthfulness. Says Cloud: “I’ve gotten so involved that they asked me to head up a group that caters to young Realtors.” — Mark Gordon
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: Locally: I always
sit at the bar at a restaurant when I can. It is the best place to meet people. Online: LinkedIn.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE
LEARNED: Strategy is important, but execution is everything. To see Brenton Cloud’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Brenton-Cloud.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
My friends tell me I look like Colin Farrell. I’ll take that!
4 0U N DER4 0 // NA PL ES
You never thought Naples would be a place where you’d build your career, but things have changed.
To see Gus Cobeaga’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Gus-Cobeaga.
Gustavo ‘Gus’ Cobeaga, 34 Naples City President, Regions Bank Gustavo “Gus” Cobeaga has been to places in Iraq most people have only read about: Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit, the birthplace of Saddam Hussein. As an artillery officer, Cobeaga was deployed to Iraq twice after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2003, earning a bronze star for his military service. Today, Cobeaga has an entirely different mission: He’s the Naples area president for Regions Bank, overseeing 11 branches with total loans and deposits of $750 million. Cobeaga, a Naples native, joined Regions during the financial crisis in 2008. “Some would say I left one war for another,” he chuckles. But his military experience helps him put things in perspective. “Even on the challenging days,
Q & A
you can say you’re going back to a warm meal and a comfortable bed,” Cobeaga says. Although he started his banking career in the wealth management department of Regions Bank, he preferred the front-line retail banking operations. Cobeaga is humble: “I was recruited to banking for leadership, not necessarily financial acumen,” he says. Cobeaga quickly rose through the ranks, rising from managing a single branch in Pinellas County to running a cluster of branches in Tampa and Lakeland. In November 2013, he was named city president of Naples, a place much bigger than when he left for West Point more than a decade earlier. “You never thought Naples would be a place where you’d build your career,” Cobeaga says. “But things have changed.” — Jean Gruss
FAVORITE OFFHOURS ACTIVITY:
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: I’d like to learn how to
I’m an outdoors guy so pretty much anything under the sun surf. My friends and family would tell goes, but I would list golf, boat- me I need to learn how to sing. ing toward the top of this list.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: The Bronze Star
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: I deferred to advice
from my 4-year-old niece. She says if I had a wand I would be a princess.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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13
4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
Linda Doan, 38 Entrepreneur in real estate, frozen yogurt and hospitality Earth-shattering busy is just a way of life for Linda Doan. Her day starts with her three children, who are 8, 7 and 11 months old. Then the outside-the-home work begins. That list includes: owner of a property management firm with 26 rental units spread through Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and Gainesville; founder and CEO of WhiteBerry USA, a Sarasota frozen yogurt chain with stores in Sarasota, University Park and Gainesville; owner and CEO of Chopstix Bistro, a Pan-Asian cuisine restaurant in Gainesville; and business manager of Exceptional Dentistry of Sarasota, a practice owned by her husband, Dr. Thomas Doan. One question Doan gets a lot is where does she find the time to do everything? Her answer is twofold: Plan a lot, and get up early, usually before 6 a.m. “I’m a big planner,” she says. “Everything is on a schedule.”
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON:
I’ve learned from my father is work with your heart not with head.
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Oprah
Winfrey and Linda Gates
We never take anything for granted. If you want something, you need to work hard.
A large part of Doan’s work ethic comes from her childhood. She was born in Vietnam, the daughter of politically connected attorneys. But her family, fearing for their safety in the postVietnam War turmoil of the late 1970s, moved to the United States when Doan was a young girl. The journey to America, says Doan, turned traumatic when pirates raided the boat she and her family were on. “They took everything we had,” says Doan. “By the time we got to the U.S., we didn’t have anything.” Doan’s parents settled in Gainesville. Doan watched her parents lose everything and start over, and she tries to instill that work ethic and appreciation for things in her children. “We never take anything for granted,” Doan says. “If you want something, you need to work hard.” — Mark Gordon
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: Give
FREEDOM to every country on this planet.
BIRTHPLACE: Saigon, Vietnam
To see Linda Doan’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Linda-Doan.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
“Most Likely to Succeed” from high school :-)
4 0U N DER4 0 // L A K EWOOD R A NCH
Heather Doyle, 39 I’ve had some pretty enticing offers. What has kept me here is I feel like I’m doing the right thing.
To see Heather Doyle’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Heather-Doyle.
Assistant State Attorney, Division Chief for the State Attorney’s Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit Heather Doyle has spent her entire legal career in the prosecutor’s office — a job many young attorneys consider a path to a more lucrative career. Doyle has had several chances to go that way over the last 15 years and work for law firms in the private sector. She holds nothing against attorneys who have made the switch, but it’s just not for her. She says working for the State Attorney’s office, now in a leadership role, gives her “the ability to help people on a grand scale.” Adds Doyle: “This is a direct line to making the biggest difference you can in your community.” That difference covers a broad area for Doyle. One of her jobs, for example, is to run training programs for police officers and new prosecutors. No matter what class she’s in front of, a key point Doyle talks about is always to be mindful to use author-
Q & A
ity with integrity. “My client is the people of the state of Florida,” says Doyle. “That’s a very big responsibility.” Doyle has also spent a good deal of time in the past few years working with Florida legislators to pass stronger antidomestic violence laws. Attorneys, especially prosecutors, are somewhat known for logging lots of hours on nights and weekends, a fact Doyle says comes with the job. Doyle’s husband, Jeff Doyle, works for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department, so the couple has a lot to talk about, both the good and the bad. Yet even when a particular case or situation is difficult, Doyle says she has no holds no regrets about her career choice. “I’ve had some pretty enticing offers,” says Doyle. “What has kept me here is I feel like I’m doing the right thing. — Mark Gordon
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: It’s
a tie between teaching new prosecutors and law enforcement and working on domestic violence legislation.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON
I’VE LEARNED: Stay
true to your values and they will guide you to the right decision.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
Recently, my 6-year-old daughter named me “Best Mom in the World.” Nothing beats that. Period.
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
Friedman Soliman
Nick Friedman, 32
Co-Founder and President, College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving Everything changed for Nick Friedman before his senior year of college. Friedman decided to start a business with his buddy from high school, Omar Soliman, using a beat-up cargo van to haul people’s trash. After that, the entrepreneurial seed was planted. When Friedman and Soliman graduated, they both started jobs in the corporate world, before realizing those weren’t the careers they wanted. Friedman remembers emailing Soliman, telling him he wasn’t feeling fulfilled and asking him when they could start a business of their own. “Omar emailed back in all caps, ‘my timeline is right now,’” Friedman says. So they officially started the business in 2005, and decided to begin franchising in 2008. Since, the duo has built Tampa-based College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving to 52 franchises nationwide with $25 million in revenue. The growth hasn’t always been easy, Friedman admits. “We started doing all the work ourselves. And probably fired ourselves three to four times,” he says. “But then we learned how to work on the business, not in the business.”
Q & A
In the next three to five years, Friedman aims to grow to 150 franchises and more than $100 million in systemwide revenue. He admits they are “guilty of chasing new ideas or ventures,” but they keep coming back to their original model of hauling junk and moving. Friedman says there are some key differences between him and Soliman. “He’s the Apple, the iPhone. I’m the PC or Blackberry,” Friedman says. Soliman is the visionary, better focused on marketing and customer service. On the other hand, Friedman describes himself as more systemized, focusing on the “nuts and bolts” like operations, finance and sales. “I’m pretty obsessive compulsive and driven, while Omar is laid back and go with the flow,” Friedman says. Friedman says he’s “always thirsty for learning” and constantly trying to surround himself with successful people and reading books to continuously improve. When he realized he was an entrepreneur, “a lightning bolt went off,” Friedman says. “Oh, I guess that’s what that word means.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Getting to
speak on a panel about entrepreneurship at the White House at an event sponsored by MTV.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LES-
SON I’VE LEARNED: In order to grow you must work on your business, not in your business. BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: INC Magazine 30 Under 30
Omar Soliman, 32
Co-Founder & CEO, College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving
To see Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman’s full profiles and videos, visit BusinessObserver4040.com/Nick-Friedman-Omar-Soliman.
In order to grow, you must work on your business, not in your business. – Nick Friedman
A lot of great ideas have been born at a bar with a glass of beer. – Omar Soliman
Omar Soliman is an idea man. The summer before his senior year of college, he was looking for ways to make extra beer money. He often helped his mom with furniture deliveries from her store, and people would ask if he could remove the old couch that the new couch was replacing. That’s how he came up with the idea to start removing people’s junk. Soliman knew he needed a good name to catch people’s attention. So he invited some friends over to help him brainstorm. “With a couple of beers we got a little more creative and wacky with the names,” he remembers. That’s when it hit him: College Hunks Hauling Junk. Soliman posted flyers around the neighborhood with his cell phone number and recruited a few friends to join him in hauling junk. When Soliman returned to school, one of those friends, Nick Friedman, persuaded him to enter College Hunks into a business plan competition. Soliman won first place and $10,000 to
Q & A
kick off the business. Friedman was also the one who helped persuade Soliman to leave his corporate job and officially launch the business. The duo was denied by five credit companies during their search to buy a loan for a truck, but it didn’t stop them. Finally, they persuaded Bank of America to give them a loan. “They should put us in a commercial or something,” Soliman says. After grow ing exponentially in Washinton, D.C., Soliman and Friedman started to look elsewhere to expand and create a call center, which is how they ended up establishing their headquarters in Tampa in 2008. Now the company has 52 franchises nationwide with $25 million in revenue. Soliman insists the good ideas haven’t stopped coming. “100% I don’t think I’ll ever not be an entrepreneur. I won’t stop trying to think of the next idea,” he says. “A lot of great ideas have been born at a bar with a glass of beer.” — Traci McMillan Beach
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: International Franchise
book published
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Having our
People don’t fail, systems do.
Association Conference
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // EST ERO
Elizabeth McDanielGarcia, 32
Founder, Head of School, Discovery Day Academy
Discovery Day Academy in Bonita Springs has 100 students, but Elizabeth McDaniel-Garcia has three times that many on the private school’s waiting list. “We’ve built a good reputation,” McDaniel-Garcia says. The school recently broke ground on an expansion that will have room for another 292 students from prekindergarten through fifth grade next year. Tuition runs about $10,000. “This expansion in Bonita is our largest project,” says McDaniel-Garcia. “We had to wait out the economic storm.” Indeed, McDaniel-Garcia opened the first Discovery Day Academy in her hometown of Clewiston in 2007. “When the economy tanked in 2008, I
Q & A
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Immanuel
had to learn how to run it efficiently and grow it in a very difficult time,” McDaniel-Garcia says. McDa n iel-Ga rcia taug ht i n a Miami-Dade charter school after earning a degree in philosophy, and she obtained an M.B.A., giving her both the practical teaching experience and the understanding to run a business. “My degrees have been very advantageous,” she says. McDaniel-Garcia also is a mother to 6- and 1-year-old children who attend her school in Bonita Springs. “You can have it all if you run a business efficiently,” she says. “I’m a great delegator. I do not have a top-down leadership style.” — Jean Gruss
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: Create classrooms
Kant and Abraham Lincoln
across our nation that develop a love of learning, as opposed to test-driven environments.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
ONE WEBSITE THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER:
Natalie Portman
You can have it all if you run a business efficiently.
teachingchildrenphilosophy.org
To see Elizabeth McDaniel-Garcia’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Elizabeth-McDanielGarcia.
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16
BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // ST. PET ER SBU RG
Katie Gower, 35 Director of Business Development, Ed Taylor Construction Katie Gower made a big career change in 2012. She decided to leave teaching and start a job in business development for a construction company. It was such a good fit that in January 2013, she sought a bigger company to advance her career, which is how she ended up at Ed Taylor Construction. In the first quarter of 2014, Gower helped secure more than $1 million in new business for the company. It’s a testament to her persistence and the work she had done the year before, she says. “Someone taught me a long time ago that persistence will outweigh resistance,” Gower says. “I will not give up on any opportunity.” Gower says she keeps in touch with people through her “send a smile tool,” where she sends happy email updates about holidays and other happenings. “People say ‘no’ at first, but you cannot let one ‘no’ get you down,” she says.
Q & A
I’d like to change the way people see construction.
Gower is also a big proponent of networking; she serves on the board of directors for CREW Tampa Bay, a commercial real estate group for women. She advises others at networking events to let go of any insecurities. “Don’t be afraid to walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself,” Gower says. “That starts the conversation, and it’s just that easy.” Gower wants to let other women know that they shouldn’t just pick a career to match their children’s schedules. It’s possible to be a good mom and find the right company to do well in your career, she says. She’d also like to tell women to think outside the box when it comes to picking an industry. “I’d like to change the way people see construction,” she says. “Not a lot of women are in the industry. I want to pave the way.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Witnessing the trans-
formation of The Birchwood on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg. Ed Taylor was the general contractor, and to watch as our team turned a 1920s building into a modern hotel while preserving the historic integrity of the building was really exciting. Everything from doing the interior demolition by hand in order to preserve the exterior walls to repurposing old elements from the building. It was a fascinating process!
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: Any-
where! I network for a living, so every place is an opportunity. I truly enjoy meeting new people. To see Katie Gower’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Katie-Gower.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Persistence will outweigh resistance
4 0U N DER4 0 // BR A DEN TON
Politics has always been a part of my life.
To see Jennifer Grondahl’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/JenniferGrondahl.
Jennifer Grondahl, 39 President, YMCA Foundation of Sarasota There was a time when Jennifer Grondahl’s dream job was White House press secretary. She loved the idea of working with others to solve issues that impact people and families —the science side of politics. It was in her DNA, too, given her parents were politically active in Ohio, where she grew up. Her dad was even a city councilman. “Politics has always been a part of my life,” she says. Grondahl was on her way for while. She took a job with a Washington, D.C.-based public policy and lobbying organization right after college. She worked on ballot initiatives with organizations in other states, mostly on fiscal and policy issues. Grondahl loved the work, but, after a move to Florida, she also saw opportunities in event planning and marketing. She started her own company, Maestro Marketing Events. The Sarasota-based
Q & A
business grew into one of the most recognized event planning firms in Florida. Clients ranged from Sarasota to Naples to Miami, where Grondahl organized events for a host of public and private entities, including several prominent nonprofit organizations. One of those clients was the YMCA Foundation in Sarasota, which oversees fundraising and endowments for the Sarasota YMCA. Grondahl had a passion for the Y, and its mission, and getting a peek at the inner workings made her value it more. So when the foundation board approached her in 2013 about replacing longtime president and CEO Karin Gustafson, who had retired, Grondahl knew it was a unique career opportunity. White House press secretary, it appears, will have to wait a little bit longer. “I’ve worked with so many different nonprofit organizations and the Y Foundation is one that is really, truly there to help kids,” says Grondahl. “It’s so contagious.” — Mark Gordon
ONE WEBSITE THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER: theonion.com be-
cause without humor/laughing I can’t get through any day or any difficult situation. We have very serious/pressurefilled lives and in my opinion everyone needs to stop and laugh at nonsense.
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: I actually love to
network at AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals because I learn a lot from my peers and from experts in specific fields that I handle. Also, I’m more of a natural relationship person and I think “networking” happens every day and when you least expect it.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // FORT M Y ER S
Jerry Hemmer, 37 CEO, Owner, Alliance Financial Group
Q & A
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: Charity events ONE COMMUNITY GROUP YOU’RE MOST INVOLVED WITH: Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Sky diving over the Swiss Alps
the recession. “It’s amazing what you can do when you choose not to participate in something,” Hemmer says. Customers turned to Alliance for help when the economy went into recession. “When there’s chaos in the world, that’s when they reach out to us,” Hemmer says. “We had some of our best growth years in 2008, 2009 and 2010.” Currently, the firm has 15 employees and 60 financial advisers. “Our goal is to have 100 advisers,” Hemmer says. Alliance Financial recently opened a Naples office and it’s growing its Orlando and Sarasota offices, too. A father of five children, Hemmer says he’s focused on work and family. “I DVR a lot of football games,” he laughs. — Jean Gruss
It’s amazing what you can do when you choose not to participate in something.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: Matthew McConaughey
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Today’s
integrity lives beyond tomorrow
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: Play a guitar
To see Jerry Hemmer’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Jerry-Hemmer.
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Jerry Hemmer is a patient man. For the last five years, he and business partner Michael Kochis have been preparing to buy financial-planning firm Alliance Financial Group in Fort Myers. The firm’s previous owners tapped Hemmer and Kochis as successors and they closed on the deal in April. “I believe I’m one of the youngest agency owners within Guardian out of 80 independently owned offices,” Hemmer says. (Alliance is an agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.) Alliance Financial has $320 million in assets under management and $35 million in life-insurance premiums on the books. “We’ve almost doubled in size since 2007,” Hemmer says. Alliance Financial was successful growing its business even as the financial services industry suffered through
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4 0U N DER4 0 // BON I TA SPR I NGS
Mark Hindley, 32 Vice President, Treasury Management Officer, IberiaBank Mark Hindley was educated in banking’s school of hard knocks. Hindley’s first job in the financial services industry was collecting payday loans while accompanied by an armed guard. “I’m walking into less-than-desirable neighborhoods trying to collect on overdue $150 payday loans,” he chuckles. Hindley’s next bank job was running the branch of a community bank inside a Kroger’s grocery store in Indiana. The highlight of each day was walking over to the deli department and grabbing the microphone to announce the day’s CD rates to shoppers over the intercom. Fast forward to 2007, when Hindley moved to Southwest Florida to join Orion Bank in Naples. Two years later, the bank collapsed and Chairman and CEO Jerry Williams was sent to jail. Hindley remained with IberiaBank, which took over Orion when it failed in
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: The
only things the banking industry has not commoditized are expertise, integrity and responsiveness. Without these, you cannot differentiate yourself. With them, you have the critical foundation to build lasting partnerships and deep client loyalty.
It makes you realize what is ultimately important.
late 2009. “I am the only treasury person from the Orion days,” he says. Today, Hindley is responsible for the treasury portfolio of IberiaBank for Southwest Florida, a deposit base of about $750 million. Last year, Hindley’s region was named the bank’s best-performing treasury management department. Hindley is also a new father after he and his wife adopted an orphaned teenaged girl from Colombia through their church. The lengthy process of adoption and his daughter’s life growing up in a Colombian orphanage has brought new perspective to their busy lives. “It makes you realize what is ultimately important,” Hindley says. “What you stress about at work, you don’t stress about anymore.” — Jean Gruss
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: The Airman’s Coin for completing basic training
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Living
To see Mark Hindley’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Mark-Hindley.
in Bogota, Colombia, for six weeks while finalizing the adoption of our then 16-year-old daughter, Liliana
4 0U N DER4 0 // NA PL ES
Harry Julian, 39 When we started, our plan was to keep it small and simple.
To see Harry Julian’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Harry-Julian.
President, Pure Naples / Marine Team International Harry Julian runs a small armada. With 20 boats and 35 employees, Pure Naples is on track to be a $4 million-a-year company. That’s a big jump from 2009, when Julian purchased a small tour-boat operator called Cruise Naples and notched $1.3 million in sales that year. “When we started, our plan was to keep it small and simple,” laughs Julian. But the company has expanded, adding thrills like jet boats, establishing new cruises near the Edison Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers and creating a film-production company. Pure Naples is also building a dive boat that will take scuba divers to newly established artificial reefs off the Southwest Florida coast.
Q & A
Julian, a New Zealander, settled in his wife’s hometown of Naples after they met on the set of a “Survivor” episode in the Amazon jungle in 2002. Julian and his father, Lance Julian, operate Marine Team, a company that provides waterborne logistics and coordinates special effects for big-budget movies such as “Titanic,” “Superman” and James Bond thriller “Quantum of Solace.” While the elder Julian runs Marine Team, Harry Julian prefers to remain in Naples with his wife and children. Finding a balance between work and family has been a challenge as he grows Pure Naples. “Admittedly, the last three months I’ve been tapped out,” he says. But, he adds: “I’ve surrounded myself with great people.” — Jean Gruss
BIRTHPLACE:
Auckland, New Zealand
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: Learn to fly a helicopter
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST:
Exploration trip to Antarctica
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Meeting my wife 900 miles up the Amazon River working on the TV show “Survivor.”
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Without
good customer service you have nothing.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
Nilo Khatri, 34 Pediatric Dentist, Janoff & Khatri Pediatric Dentistry The children’s dentist office of years gone by, in Dr. Nilo Khatri’s mind, should remain something in the past. Khatri’s approach is centered on the idea that a child shouldn’t dread a trip to the dentist’s office. “My goal for each of my patients,” says Khatri, “is to be orally healthy and cavity-free, however that often is a journey for the child, parent, and myself.” Khatri puts that theory to action at Janoff & Khatri Pediatric Dentistry, a Venice-based practice she bought in 2008 from Dr. Jeff Janoff, who founded the office in 1977 and still sees patients. Khatri spent more than $500,000 to renovate and reimagine the 1,700-square-foot office. The project included everything from new equipment to new paintings on the walls to a healthy dose of stuffed animals.
Q & A
“The real person I’m selling this practice to is mom,” Khatri told the Business Observer in an April interview. “So I imagined this like Alice in Wonderland meets New York boutique hotel.” Khatri was born in Detroit and grew up in Tallahassee. She has traveled worldwide, and tries to incorporate a little bit of each life experience into her practice. One of her biggest challenges, she says, is to educate parents that her service is an elite one that comes with an elite price tag. Khatri also constantly fights a battle to never settle for less than the best. That goes for herself and for motivating the 10 employees at the practice. “My greatest fear,” Khatri says, “is I become stagnant and accept mediocrity.” — Mark Gordon
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
The greatest investment you will ever make will be in yourself.
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: Effectively
franchise my systems in the office and duplicate my business model for pediatric dental practices so more children would have the opportunity to have “magical” dental experience. Gosh that is so nerdy.
My greatest fear is I become stagnant and accept mediocrity.
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Back-
packed through the Amazon rain forest carrying all my own camping implements, going on a piranha- and cayman-filled lake at night in a canoe that had a hole in it! And dealt with nighttime tarantulas outside the shelter I was sleeping in…it was amazing and the worst thing ever, all wrapped up in one big anxiety-filled bucket of fun.
To see Nilo Khatri’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Nilo-Khatri.
Blalock Walters, P.A.
Congratulates WILL ROBINSON Attorney, Board Certified in Real Estate, The Florida Bar
For his recognition as one of the Business Observer’s
“40 Under 40” Award winners for 2014.
A STRONG LEADER, SUCCESSFUL ATTORNEY, HUMANITARIAN, COMMUNITY-MINDED AND AVID TRIATHLETE.
Thank you to all of the winners for making a difference in our community! 941.748.0100
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WWW.BLALOCKWALTERS.COM BRADENTON • SARASOTA • ST. PETERSBURG
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4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
Chris Laney, 27 Director of Client Experience, boostDFM Chris Laney really means it when he says doing something for young people in the community is important to him. The best example is the State of Jobs conference, an event in Sarasota Laney helped organize through the Sarasota Young Professionals Group. The goal of the conference, says Laney, is to connect high school and college students with companies in the area. “We hear about brain drain all the time,” says Laney, lamenting young people who move away for jobs. “I wanted to show the high school students we have some cool companies to work for in the area.” The first State of Jobs conference, held in April, included a CEO panel discussion with executives from leading com-
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Humility.
Being “successful” at a young age made me very arrogant. I realized that I wasn’t happy, and it didn’t make the people around me very happy. Being humble in my success, and patient in my failures has allowed me to thrive, even in the tough times.
I wanted to show the high school students we have some cool companies to work for in the area.
panies such as Venice-based PGT and Sarasota-based Sun Hydraulics. Laney, the 2014-2015 Sarasota YPG chairman, is already making plans for the next conference in 2015. “State of Jobs is kind of like my baby,” Laney says. When he’s not doing work for YPG and conferences or spending time with his family, Laney’s other job is in technology. He’s long had a passion for website development: In 2002, when he was 15 years old, he built a website for the Chick-Fil-A at the DeSoto Square Mall in Bradenton. Other firms Laney has worked for in digital marketing and branding include The Joy FM in Sarasota, Digital Frontiers Media and boostDFM. — Mark Gordon
BIRTHPLACE: Bradenton
ONE WEBSITE THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER: I
spend a lot of time on Twitter. It’s where I get my news, information on trends, and stay updated with my friends.
To see Chris Laney’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Chris-Laney.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: 2014 Sarasota’s Young Professional of the Year.
4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
Merritt Martin, 32 When I started here, that pot was zero. That money is going to save lives.
To see Merritt Martin’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Merritt-Martin.
State Legislative Affairs Director, Moffitt Cancer Center Merritt Martin always knew she wanted to be in politics. The fascination started when her dad pulled her out of school in third grade to watch Gov. Lawton Chiles’s inauguration. But Martin isn’t interested in running for office. “With term limits, there are so many people that come and go,” Martin says. “I want to be here more than eight years.” In college and grad school she volunteered for several campaigns. Upon graduation she worked for the American Cancer Society, running a campaign for a cigarette tax. After that, she helped run Fla. Rep. Bill Heller’s campaign for re-election. When she heard about the opening at Moffitt for a legislative affairs director, she recognized a fitting combination of her American Cancer Society experience with her experience at the Legislature. The position has been her perfect match. Last year she was able to help raise $80 million for Moffitt. Martin
Q & A
says it’s a matter of educating politicians on how big Moffitt is, especially because Tallahassee has new faces every few years. Moffitt is the third-largest cancer center in the country, and the fastest growing with the aging population, Martin says. Moffitt also trains more oncologists in Florida than any other institution. Martin jokes that she can’t get away from the University of South Florida campus. She received her bachelor’s in political science and her master’s in public administration from the school, and now works on campus at Moffitt. “I’m definitely not done with Moffitt,” Martin says. There are around 30 acres on campus that need a couple more buildings, she adds. She’s currently working on securing $26 million to $28 million for Moffitt’s cancer research efforts. Martin hopes to bring funding for research to match the level of care in Texas and North Carolina. “When I started here, that pot was zero,” she says. “That money is going to save lives.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:
During the 2012 legislative session, our team was successful in securing enough additional funding to build a new outpatient facility. That summer we were able to celebrate with a groundbreaking ceremony. It was amazing to see hard work pay off into
something so tangible that will help thousands of patients and create hundreds of jobs.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
Own your mistakes before anyone even realizes you made them.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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Congratulations! ff-PowerTech would like to salute all of those ffeing recognized in the “40 under 40” Business Offserffer awards with special congratula ons to ffiranda ffonahanff
Miranda Monahan Owner/CEO “40 Under 40” Award winner for 2014
ffiranda has spent her career deffeloping expert solu ons for corpora ons and municipali es in the proper handling of electronics waste. Her reless e orts to protect her clients and the enffironment haffe ffeen the catalffst to the success of the rm and the crea on of rewarding and sustainaffle career opportuni es for her loffal and talented sta memffers. ffell done ffirandaff
Learn More
151996
8003 34th Ave East Bradenton, FL 34211 941-538-0517 www.m-powertech.com
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4 0U N DER4 0 // T R I N I T Y
Summer Martin, 36
Never underestimate the power of storytelling.
Marketing and Events Coordinator, Pasco Economic Development Council Summer Martin believes everyone has a story to share. It’s one of the reasons she wanted to go back to “her first love — communications,” which started in high school with a communications office internship for a public school system in Kentucky. Today, Martin is the marketing and events coordinator for the Pasco Economic Development Council. She has three main goals: to let people know where Pasco is, to communicate positive stories on how Pasco is growing, and to attract businesses to the area. Every Monday, Martin puts together the “Monday Cup O’ News,” a simple link-based email that aggregates positive stories in Pasco County. The email goes out to 1,500 recipients, including CEOs, community leaders, government officials, education leaders and
Q & A
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Prior to
business leaders interested in the Tampa Bay area. Martin has doubled the list and increased the council’s social media presence. She grew Twitter followers from 40 to more than 3,000 and Facebook likes from zero to more than 600 over the last couple years. Martin is especially excited about Penny for Pasco, the first time the state has dedicated resources to economic development in the county, with more than $45 million in funding projected over the next five years. Martin says her goal is to continue to spread the good news about Pasco County and Tampa Bay. All of her hard work is to put Pasco County on the map. — Traci McMillan Beach
economic development I worked as the marketing director for a large wine retailer called B-21. We took a trip to Spain and visited the Rioja region. As we stood on top of a mountainside in century-old vineyards next to a 15th century church and I looked out upon
the horizon, I realized at that moment how awesome our world is. From the man in the vineyards tilling with his mule, to the winemaker blending the grapes, to the marketing director at a retail store, to the consumer purchasing the wine, each person plays an integral part in creating our economy.
To see Summer Martin’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Summer-Martin.
4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
Amy Martz, 32
Sometimes a door closes, but there’s a bigger picture later on.
To see Amy Martz’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Amy-Martz.
Photographer and Art Director, Self-employed It was Amy Martz’s dream to buy a nice camera and to learn how to take beautiful photos. What she didn’t expect was to be laid off from her job in advertising sales for the St. Pete Times just two weeks after making her big purchase. Martz decided to teach herself photography, hoping she could possibly make a living taking pictures of events, weddings and babies. Instead, she found her niche in taking pictures of steel, wood and bulldozers. Her first big gig was taking photos of the construction of Oxford Exchange in Tampa. Martz has always played an active role in historic preservation in Tampa, and serves on the board of Tampa Preservation Inc. So when she heard that Le Meridien hotel was going up in the former federal courthouse downtown, she asked the developer, Gary Prosterman,
Q & A
if she could tag along to take pictures to document the renovations. She told him, “don’t pay me for my time, just buy my photos if you like them.” As soon as the hotel’s designers in New York saw her photos, they were hooked — it was exactly the style they sought. The designers sent her out to take more pictures of Tampa architecture. “I picked places that people should know to appreciate what’s here,” Martz says. Martz’s work was so well received she earned a spot as the hotel’s featured artist. Her photos are also featured in the Henry Plant Museum, the Tampa Museum of Art, the city of Tampa’s permanent collection, and the Tampa history collection. She’s currently working on a Tampa Bay coffee table book featuring her full collection. “Sometimes a door closes, but there’s a bigger picture later on,” Martz says. — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Photographing
KISS and getting pushed by Gene Simmons, photographing the top of the Tampa Theatre building, and photographing the construction of Le Meridien Tampa….and photographing Evan Longoria doing yoga.
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE:
Photographing a building and almost getting eaten by an alligator.
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: First, I would test every Harry Potter spell to see which ones are legit. Then I would procure a TARDIS and travel through space and time taking amazing photos, stopping to have tea with the Buddha.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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Alex Miningham, 29
It’s rare to get it right the first time.
President, Discount Park and Ride From a young age, Alex Miningham was an entrepreneur. As a kid, he’d sell lemonade with his brother. In high school, he started a car audio company. In grad school at Florida State, he started a software company with his professor. He’s also become an expert in pivoting and adapting technology to meet a business need. The software company he started in grad school was a resource for graduate students to connect with Fortune 500 companies. A year and a half into development, he realized there was a bigger need for data compilation to help schools stay in touch with alumni. “So we pivoted and went in that direction.” It was a good move — Miningham’s company was acquired by HEPdata Inc. in 2012. After the company sold, a friend persuaded Miningham to invest in a brick-and-mortar airport and sea-
Q & A
port parking company. Miningham quickly realized there was an opportunity to build a better reservation aggregator to fill extra parking spots, one that would allow management of facility listings and provide access to data. He wasn’t wrong. Thus far, Miningham has secured two rounds of venture capital to fund his idea, the first raising $1.02 million, the second $1.35 million. His site launched in March, and has quickly grown to 60 parking company partners in 23 airport markets and cruise ports. Miningha m’s best adv ice for future entrepreneurs is that “it’s rare to get it right the first time,” he says. “You have to sit back in the beginning and do a lot of due diligence and competitive analysis before you put everything in.” — Traci McMillan Beach
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Don’t be afraid to take risks. Sometimes waiting too long to pivot or make a change to a business model could mean the difference between a business’s success or failure.
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: The
airplane. I’ve found that some of the best business relationships I’ve built have blossomed from initial conversations I’ve had with seat mates on long haul transcontinental flights.
To see Alex Miningham’s full profile, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Alex-Miningham.
you make us
proud,
Mellisa Congratulations to Mellisa Allen for being recognized as a 2014 Business Observer “40 under 40” award winner.
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© 2014 TERVIS | © HALLMARK LICENSING, LLC.
Here’s to you and all your fellow winners.
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4 0U N DER4 0 // BR A DEN TON
Miranda Monahan, 38
All business is, is relationships.
CEO, M-PowerTech
Persistence to Miranda Monahan isn’t just a refusal to take no for an answer. It’s about seeking more every day. That’s what she did back in 1999, when she was a front desk receptionist at a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based hardware technology sales firm. Monahan eventually persuaded her bosses to give her chance at sales, in fill-in roles for others in the company. That job led to more sales jobs, to the point where Monahan built up a decade of inside and outside sales success for companies that included HewlettPackard. But Monahan still sought more. So in 2011 she founded M-PowerTech, an electronic waste and e-recycling busi-
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
ness. The six-employee firm, based in Manatee County, has grown fast, from less than $1 million in 2012 sales to around $4 million in 2013. Monahan says the firm could double revenues in 2014. A large chunk of that growth comes from landing work with Office Depot/Office Max. Says Monahan: “We are very blessed to have that account.” Now Monahan has another challenge: To turn the growth into brand awareness of M-PowerTech among large potential corporate clients. “The only way we will stay competitive in this business,” Monahan says, “is to continue to grow our market share.” — Mark Gordon
Always treat people well, one blow up and it can be detrimental to a relationship. All business is, is relationships.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED: No.
36 Woman-led business in the state of Florida for 2013.
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: To be more
diplomatic, but I probably wouldn’t be me then.
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST:
To see Miranda Monahan’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Miranda-Monahan.
I want to go to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I’m not a biker, but for some reason I’d like to experience it.
4 0U N DER4 0 // FORT M Y ER S
Aashish Patel, 33
We’re selling them an experience.
Owner, Wooten’s Airboat Tours, Captain Jack’s Airboat Tours, Everglades City Motel Everglades City is a world away from Canterbury, the elite private school in Fort Myers where Aashish Patel was a standout science student. Patel once won a science prize for testing different drugs on rat brains. “It gave me confidence that I could take on things beyond my years,” he says. Today, Patel is the largest private employer in Everglades City, the remote outpost on the edge of the swamp 45 minutes east of Naples. He owns two airboat operations that carry thousands of sightseers and a motel that accommodates recreational fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts.
Q & A To see Aashish Patel’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Aashish-Patel.
“We’re selling them an experience,” says Patel, who joined his father, George Patel, in the hotel business. While he’s expanding the airboat business, Patel has his sights set on the next project: a 114-room hotel with ocean views in Pompano Beach. “We started the planning process 15 months ago,” says Patel. The eight-story hotel will be branded a Hyatt Place where Atlantic Avenue and A1A intersect. Patel hopes to start construction next summer. “I love the hotel business,” he says. But Patel is always on the go, even on weekends. “Hobbies cost money,” he laughs. — Jean Gruss
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
Treating others how I would want to be treated.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
When I won “Best of Fair” at the science fair (pretty nerdy) when I was a freshman in high school.
BIRTHPLACE: Orlando
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: 21 MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Bungee jumped off an old bridge in Costa Rica.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
Definitely George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Just kidding! Aziz Ansari would be a more realistic fit.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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Samuel Raabe, 33 General Sales Manager, Brandon Honda When Samuel Raabe was 21, he decided he didn’t want to bartend for the rest of his life. Not shy in the least, Raabe wanted to find a job in an industry where he could leverage his personality. “So I put a shirt and tie on and I pulled in a couple places,” to see if they were hiring, Raabe says. The first place he pulled in was a Kia dealership in Miami. Ever since, “it’s been an incredible ride,” he says. Raabe worked at Honda Ocala for six years as finance manager. In December 2011, he transferred to Brandon Honda and was promoted to sales manager in the first three months. Just a little more than a year later, he was promoted again to general sales manager. In the first six months of 2012, the store averaged 170 new car sales and 100 used car sales per month. His first six months on the job, Raabe increased monthly sales to 190 new cars and 120 used per month. “It wasn’t a huge increase, but I was working diligently to change the culture,” he
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Never give up
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Steve Jobs,
Warren Buffett
says. Raabe wanted to rid the dealership of any bad rep that the public often associates with the typical car dealership. In his first full year, he led the team to sell 4,705 cars, up 1,100 cars from 2012. It was a 32% increase in volume and 42% increase in profits year over year. Raabe’s hard work and investment in the culture has paid off, and sales continue to grow. He expects the store to have a 10% increase in volume and 18% increase in profit this year. “We found the volume level, now our major focus is capitalizing on all opportunities,” he says. “There’s no ceiling to what we can do here.” Raabe, who listens to motivational CDs on the way to work, also doesn’t see a ceiling for his potential. “I would love to own my own dealership, and I will.” — Traci McMillan Beach
I would love to own my own dealership, and I will.
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:
Developing the team at Brandon Honda and all the milestones we have reached in just three short years
To see Samuel Raabe’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Samuel-Raabe.
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST: Getting
my pilots license
A FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM CELEBRATING 90 YEARS: 1924 – 2014
Henderson Franklin congratulates Suzanne Boy for being recognized as one of Southwest Florida’s 40 Under 40 by Business Observer magazine.
Every great community is made up of great leaders.
IN THE COURTROOM or IN THE BOARDROOM Suzanne assists her corporate clients in all aspects of employment law litigation, including Title VII, Fair Labor Standards Act, whistleblower statutes, and retaliation claims. She also helps her clients reduce risk and liability by handling EEOC charges, drafting handbooks and other workplace policies, and conducting supervisory training. Suzanne speaks often to businesses and professional groups on employment law matters. IN THE COMMUNITY Suzanne is President-Elect for the Human Resource Management Association of Southwest Florida and serves on the Canterbury School Board of Trustees. She also serves on the Greater Fort Myers Chamber’s Women in Business Committee and The Florida Bar Grievance Committee.
Congratulations Mark Hindley 2014 “40 Unde r 40” Honoree!
A mentor to many, avid volunteer, honorable veteran, loving father and husband, strong leader, top performer, and generous philanthropist.
Adapting. Changing. Moving forward.
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26
BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
Nick Reader, 39 CEO, MVP Holdings Nick Reader loves his job. Food and football have always been at the top of his list of favorite things, but he never imagined he’d get to do both in his career. Reader was CFO of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2003 to 2008. And though he loved his job, he wanted to do something entrepreneurial. So he was instantly interested when Bloomin’ Brands’ Bob Basham asked him to start his private investment firm MVP Holdings, to open a new restaurant concept called PDQ. Reader went home to his wife and said, “Guess what? You get to go back to work and we’re going to make considerably less.” Reader has helped grow the brand one restaurant at a time, with the ultimate
Q & A
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: To
Every time we open a new PDQ and we get to see 65 new jobs for our incredible team.
Business Observer 40 under 40 (I barely made it since I turn 40 in January)
If you have to set your alarm to get up in the morning, then you should find something else to do.
goal of making it a national brand. In three years, they’ve grown from one restaurant to 31. He aims to build restaurants in six or seven states in the next year, and grow to 50 total restaurants. The most rewarding part about his job is watching younger employees grow with the business, he says. Reader has two employees who started with the minimum hourly wage and four years later now run a store. Passion for what you do is key to success, Reader says. “If you have to set your alarm to get up in the morning, then you should find something else to do.” — Traci McMillan Beach
Hugh Jackman. My sons would think I was cool if I was played by the real life Wolverine.
To see Nick Reader’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Nick-Reader.
always hire people smarter than I am.
4 0U N DER4 0 // A LVA
If you’re willing to stick with it and do the hard work, you’ll succeed.
To see James Bryan Caudill-Ritter’s full profile, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/James-BryanCaudill-Ritter.
James Bryan Caudill-Ritter, 39 Founder and CEO, Pulse Business Solutions When he worked for German air carrier Lufthansa, James Bryan Caudill-Ritter oversaw the design and implementation of cockpit software systems. Caudill-Ritter started as a flight attendant for the carrier, working his way up through a managementtraining program in Germany. “I worked my way up to being a senior project manager,” he says. “If you’re willing to stick with it and do the hard work, you’ll succeed.” Caudill-Ritter eventually made his way to Southwest Florida, where he started his own technology firm, Pulse Business Solutions, in 2006. He lives on the river in rural Alva, surrounded by nature. “Most of my neighbors are cows and horses,” he laughs.
Q & A
Starting Pulse that year was good timing because companies outsourced their technology services to save money during the downturn. “We’ve been averaging 64% growth for the past four years,” he says. “I consider ourselves more of a boutique technology consulting firm,” he says. Corporate clients in industries such as health care, real estate and manufacturing look to Pulse to maintain and support their technology needs. Caudill-Ritter says Pulse has focused on business clients since its inception, but he plans to add a residential service that will assist wealthy individuals with their computer needs and home automation. Caudill-Ritter has a plan: “I want to retire at 50, and I’m building my business to do that.” — Jean Gruss
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: Put a tablet in
ONE COMMUNITY GROUP YOU’RE MOST INVOLVED WITH: ARTS for ACT
ALMA MATER: Universitaet Humboldt, Berlin, Germany
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST:
every child’s hand to learn about technology.
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: 13
Traveling to Iceland as part of Nature/Natural Geographic
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // BR A DEN TON
Will Robinson, 38 Real Estate Attorney, Vice President, Blalock Walters PA Will Robinson, a go-to attorney for land use and other real estate law in Manatee County, says being a lawyer to him is about the end result, not the argument. That’s how Robinson approached one of his more recent high-profile cases, the redevelopment of the Manatee River Hotel in downtown Bradenton, long called the Pink Palace for its color. Robinson represented the developer, Syracuse, N.Y.-based Widewaters Group. The firm planned to convert the deserted 86-yearold building into a 115-room Hampton Inn & Suites, a $17 million project. Robinson’s role in the case was to guide Widewaters through the city of Bradenton’s incentive programs. That involved a lot of public meetings, debates and compromises. Widewaters ultimately received more than $1 million in incentives for the project in 2011. “It was a very long process,” says Robinson, “but I’m very proud of the work I was able to provide on that deal.” The onetime chairman of the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, Robinson is from a family of entre-
Q & A
It’s an extreme honor for someone to come to me for advice.
preneurs and business leaders. His grandfather, H.L. “Robby” Robinson, and his uncle, H.L. “Penny” Robinson, founded Robby’s Sporting Goods in Bradenton in the 1960s. That chain grew to become one of the largest athletic retailers in the country, with 49 stores and $70 million in annual sales. Will Robinson’s father, Bill Robinson, helped grow that company, now Champs Sports, through its sale to the Woolworth Co., in 1988. Bill Robinson and Will Robinson’s brother, Parks Robinson, now run Fit2Run, another fast-growing athletic apparel business with more than 10 locations in Florida. Yet Will Robinson, an avid runner who plans to run in the 2015 Boston Marathon, says law is where his passion lies. “It’s an extreme honor for someone to come to me for advice,” says Robinson. “They look to me to provide good advice on getting to their goal.” — Mark Gordon
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Running a 50-mile ultra-
marathon through the mountains of Virginia, with about three weeks of training, or being interviewed for ABC’s “The Bachelor” several years ago. Both were equally painful, but adventurous.
ONE WEBSITE THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER: www.
To see Will Robinson’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Will-Robinson.
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28
BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
Eric Rosenthal, 37 President and Owner, Florikan There was a time, in the pre-kids days, when 70-hour workweeks were no problem for Eric Rosenthal. He was based in the Atlanta office of global accounting and consulting giant Deloitte & Touche. Most weeks would be on the road. He would leave Sunday and come back Thursday for trips to clients such as Air Canada and ConAgra. But after a few years burnout began to creep in, right around the time a company founded in 1981 by his father, Ed Rosenthal, was in fast-growth mode. That company, Lakewood Ranch-based Florikan, is a national leader in the niche controlled-release fertilizer business. “My parents needed help,” Rosenthal says. “They were getting stretched out.” Rosenthal has been with the firm more than a decade now, and he has led it through more large growth runs. Sales have doubled since 2009, to $30 million in 2013, and the company has around 40 employees. The firm has a main office in
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Loyalty is a double-edged sword — performance is what matters
BIRTHPLACE:
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: 22
If you don’t have the balance, it will cause you more anxiety.
a Lakewood Ranch corporate park and is currently building a manufacturing, distribution and warehouse facility in Hardee County. The latest growth spurt, mostly attributed to Florikote, a patented polymer-coated fertilizer with a controlledrelease mecha nism t he compa ny developed with assistance from NASA, has been a business education for Eric Rosenthal. For example, the firm recently shuffled its senior leadership team, something Rosenthal says in retrospect took too long to do. Rosenthal still puts in a lot of hours at Florikan every week, but he constantly strives for work-family balance. That’s especially true when he comes home to his wife and three young children. “I demand that balance for myself and all the employees,” Rosenthal says. “If you don’t have the balance, it will cause you more anxiety.” — Mark Gordon
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK:
For my industry it would have to be a golf or fishing tournament, but I don’t do either.
To see Eric Rosenthal’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Eric-Rosenthal.
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: deeper
understanding of chemistry and natural sciences
4 0U N DER4 0 // EST ERO
Neil Simon, 39 We have the bigpicture vision on getting there.
To see Neil Simon’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Neil-Simon.
President, Envirostruct
People thought Neil Simon was nuts when left his job at Naples construction firm DeAngelis Diamond in 2011 to start his own company. “We heard it all,” chuckles Simon, who started Envirostruct with business partner, Stephen McKenna Jr. “What are you guys thinking?” they told them. At the time, both men had great jobs at one of the top construction firms in Southwest Florida. After all, the end of the recession was unclear in 2011 and Simon had a growing family to look after. “It was rough out there,” he acknowledges. But Simon made the leap and he timed the start of the economic recovery perfectly. Today Bonita Springs-based Envirostruct has
Q & A
18 employees and more than $20 million in annual revenues. The company has landed some signature projects such as the new Audi car dealership in Fort Myers and an office build-out for space leased to car-rental giant Hertz. In addition, Envirostruct is launching a custom-home division to diversify its revenues. Simon says he’s targeting $50 million to $75 million in annual revenues and plans to have 20 to 25 employees. “We have the big-picture vision on getting there,” he says. Simon has his hands full on the home front, too, with three children ages 3, 2 and a newborn. He says it’s a team effort with his wife, Nicole. “She’s the glue and the rock that’s holding it all together,” he says. — Jean Gruss
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough people get what they want,” Zig Ziglar
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Rode an
elephant in Thailand
IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND I’D: Potty train all my
kids and get them on the same sleep schedule.
BIRTHPLACE:
South Side of Chicago
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: 10 WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: Lobstering
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // PU N TA G OR DA
Ruth Soukup, 36 CEO and Founder, Living Well Spending Less Inc. How many people can say a fight with their spouse led to a great business decision? “My spending was out of control,” admits Ruth Soukup, a stay-at-home mom with a shopping problem. “We got into a really big fight.” Ruth’s husband, Chuck, an aerospace engineer, set up separate bank accounts, and Ruth started writing about her experience living on a budget. “I started my blog as a way to hold myself accountable,” she says. Today, Soukup’s site, LivingWellSpendingLess.com gets 1.5 million visitors and 3.5 million page views per month. She has 500,000 Facebook fans and 100,000 followers on Pinterest. Soukup’s site has done so well financially that Chuck is now a stay-at-home dad. “My goal was to make enough money for him to quit his job,” she says, which he did in April 2013. How much
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
how to brew my own beer.
BEST AWARD YOU EVER RECEIVED:
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST: I would like start my
Just be nice.
My kids gave me a Best Mommy Ever Award!
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: 10
I have no aspiration for celebrity. I’m just a girl trying to make a living.
does she make? “It’s enough that I can support a full-time team and live comfortably.” In addition to advertising on her site, national companies are underwriting some of her posts. “I’m the national spokesperson for Frigidaire,” she says. Soukup attributes part of her success to timing. The recession made many people more conscious of their spending habits. Her website got a big boost when the television show “Extreme Couponing” came out because she was quickly recognized as an expert on the subject. Soukup has achieved what some might call celebrity status on the Web, but she’s more circumspect. “I have no aspiration for celebrity,” she demurs. “I’m just a girl trying to make a living.” — Jean Gruss
WHAT NEW SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN: I would like to learn
To see Ruth Soukup’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Ruth-Soukup.
own nonprofit organization to help the less fortunate children around the world. I would also like to travel with my husband and girls to all 50 states.
1 OUR READERS WORK IN /3 OFyour competition { Out-reach Coverage that spans 8 Florida counties
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30
BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
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4 0U N DER4 0 // CL E A RWAT ER
Dan Stone, 37
Vice President of Franchise Development, Front Burner Brands Dan Stone knows what it means to strive for excellence. “A lot of who I am stems from adversity from when I was young,” Stone says. Stone lost 80% of hearing in both of his ears when he was young, impacting his speech and forcing him to start wearing hearing aids at 4 years old. By sixth grade Stone was in the gifted program in school, and in high school was voted “most likely to succeed.” “It’s why I never settle for anything less than the best, balls to the wall,” he says. It’s also why he decided to quit his job in hotel management after nine years in the industry. After working five years for a Marriott in Clearwater, he knew he would be transferred if he wanted to move up. But he didn’t want to leave Tampa, so he looked for a company with good growth potential. In 2006, he was hired as director of franchise sales for Front Burner Brands, the company that owns GrillSmith, Melting Pot and Burger21. When Stone joined the company, Melting Pot had 100 locations. Today, Stone is vice president of franchise development and Melting Pot has more than 135 lo-
Q & A
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:
Visiting five countries in the Middle East to evaluate our potential franchise group for a multicountry Melting Pot deal in the region.
A lot of who I am stems from adversity from when I was young.
cations in 35 states, with 25 additional locations in development. Stone also launched the brand’s international presence, expanding to three countries. In the next six months, the brand will be in three more countries, with 11 more countries in development. About four years ago, the company launched a concept called Burger21, which it started franchising three years ago. It’s now in six states with 14 locations, with 10 states and 24 locations in development, and $12 million in systemwide revenue. Burger21 has been more of a challenge than Melting Pot because there are so many competitors. “We are so used to having fondue; we own fondue,” Stone says. Including revenue from the company-owned GrillSmith locations, Front Burner’s total revenue for all brands is close to $250 million. But Stone says his job isn’t done, and he continues to strive to be better. “I get bored easily, and there’s never a dull moment here.” — Traci McMillan Beach
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED: Focus on the 20%
that yields 80% of the results
To see Dan Stone’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Dan-Stone.
ONE COMMUNITY GROUP YOU’RE MOST INVOLVED WITH: Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf
4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
It’s exciting to create something from nothing.
To see Tony Stopperan’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Tony-Stopperan.
Tony Stopperan, 34 Owner/Manager at House of John Productions; Project Manager, Office of the President, Ringling College of Art and Design Tony Stopperan has a lot of titles, from screenwriter to producer to father of a 1-year-old son, Charlie. But the one word that really defines Stopperan is storyteller. “Original content is king in any platform,” says Stopperan, who runs a movie production business in Sarasota, House of John Productions. “Storytelling that’s new and original will always find a market.” Stopperan’s first go-around in an executive producer role was with “The Lucky 6,” a full-length feature movie shot in Sarasota last year. The movie was part of a Ringling College of Art and Design feature film project. Ringling alumni and graduate students from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory acted in the movie, which
Q & A
debuted at the 2014 Sarasota Film Festival. Written and directed by Ringling College digital filmmaking department head Bradley Battersby, the movie was part comedy, part drama about six tech startup employees who win a $120 million lottery jackpot. Next up for Stopperan is “Paradise, FL.” It’s a movie about a young fisherman and the family he finds after a life tragedy. The movie, not affiliated with Ringling College, is in post-production and Stopperan has been talking to film festivals about showings. Both movies, from writing to casting to editing, have combined lessons learned with a cool factor for Stopperan. “It’s hugely rewarding,” he says. “It’s exciting to create something from nothing.” — Mark Gordon
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: Performing arts
openings
MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE: Ridden a bull
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: I thought I would, but turns out Jon-Michael Miller did in my recently wrapped film “Paradise, FL.”
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF FAVORITE OFFYOUR BUCKET LIST: Re-ride HOURS ACTIVITY:
a bull for longer than two seconds
Golf
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
Emily Stroud, 35 Owner/Designer, Hayden Reis A panel discussion in 2011 on women entrepreneurs in the design and fashion industries was a life changer for Emily Stroud. The presentation inspired Stroud, then a 10-year pharmaceutical sales rep for Merck, to start her own business. “I could relate to what they were saying,” says Stroud. “It gave me the courage to quit my job.” Now that company, Sarasota-based Hayden Reis, is a budding star in the women’s fashion and accessories market. The company, named after Stroud’s son, Hayden, and her daughter, Reese, manufactures and sells a line of beachappropriate totes made out of sailcloth. The niche is in combining fashion with function, in that the bags are colorful and fun, but also lightweight and water and sand resistant. The totes have been a hit. Stroud founded the business in 2012 out of her home, and she now has an office in
Q & A
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Sarah
Blakely, the creator of Spanx, for her business expertise and Ellen DeGeneres for her humor.
I really didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. I didn’t realize how much it would take off.
Sarasota and five employees. Stroud declines to release specific sales figures. Hayden Reis totes have been featured in numerous national media publications and channels, including the “Today” show, InStyle magazine and USA Today. Hayden Reis products are sold in about 250 stores and boutiques nationwide. Stroud says new designs and totes are in the works, based partially on ideas and feedback she hears from customers. The success of the businesses has somewhat surprised Stroud, not that she wasn’t confident in her idea. She admits she still “pinches herself” when a new boutique or retailer calls her to stock Hayden Reis totes. “I really didn’t realize what I was getting myself into,” says Stroud. “I didn’t realize how much it would take off.” — Mark Gordon
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Getting a text from a girl-
friend in NYC telling me Martha Stewart stopped her on the street to ask her who made her (Hayden Reis) bag! To see Emily Stroud’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Emily-Stroud.
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK: For me networking
is something that happens when I least expect it. I have always loved to connect people.
4 0U N DER4 0 // TA M PA
Sarah Tildsley, 38 Put all of your energy and passion into something you believe in. Eventually you’ll meet your goal, and then you keep going.
To see Sarah Tildsley’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Sarah-Tildsley.
Principal and Creative Director, ChappellRoberts Sarah Tildsley made an investment in the potential of Tampa’s design and advertising community 15 years ago when she selected her first job after graduating from Ringling College. And now she feels like that investment paid off. As principal and creative director of ChappellRoberts, Tildsley oversees about one-third of the company’s 32 employees. Tildsley is part of the 3% of female art directors in the country, and one of the youngest creative directors in Tampa. She credits her success to Colleen Chappell, owner of the agency, who saw her potential and gave her the opportunity “to marry her strength in business and creativity.” Tildsley caught the creativity bug in high school, knowing she felt a tremendous creative passion, but not getting excited about traditional art classes like painting
Q & A
portraits. Thankfully, through a high school elective, she quickly realized she had a flair for design. She even remembers her first logo, a zebra for a fashion company. Since, Tildsley’s work has been recognized by the Telly Awards, Graphic Design USA, Create Awards, and ADDY Awards from the Tampa Bay Advertising Federation. Tildsley thanks her tough critics throughout her career for really developing her potential. “I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today without mentors starting all the way back to my school days with teachers who provided hard-to-swallow feedback on my work,” she says. Tildsley’s advice for young designers is “put all of your energy and passion into something you believe in. Eventually you’ll meet your goal, and then you keep going.” — Traci McMillan Beach
COOLEST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: With more than 14 years of business experiences, it would be hard to name just one. I’ve been on Wall Street with financial services clients and ridden on million-dollar earth movers, but at the end of the day, the coolest experience is watching any creative project deliver positive change to our clients’ bottom lines.
ONE COMMUNITY GROUP YOU’RE MOST INVOLVED WITH:
Zimmerman Advertising Program at USF. This program is designed to produce business-minded creative professionals by combining a four-year business degree plus a one-year immersion in strategic communications that results in a master’s degree. It’s inspiring the resources that come together to shape the next generation of advertising professionals.
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BUSINESS OBSERVER | OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014
BusinessObserverFL.com
4 0U N DER4 0 // EST ERO
Erica Tillery, 36 Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Hodges University A public bond sale is like the Super Bowl of finance. But Erica Tillery is no stranger to tackling big challenges. After all, she quit a high-powered accounting job to move to China without knowing a word of the language to coordinate educational grants for poor Chinese children. Later, she moved to Southwest Florida without a job, eventually landing at Hodges University. Tillery, who has been the chief financial officer at Hodges University for three years, raised $28.9 million in a public bond sale for the Naplesbased university last year. She refinanced existing privately held bonds
Q & A
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
Hire good people and take good care of them. The success you will achieve is directly linked to the quality of your supporting team.
YEARS ON THE GULF COAST: Five
The success you will achieve is directly linked to the quality of your supporting team.
and arranged for the purchase of a new building by taking advantage of the current low-interest rate environment. “It’s an ungodly amount of work,” says Tillery. That included dealing with attorneys, bankers, institutional investors, bond underwriters and a maze of regulatory issues. “If the first thing you have to do is hire five separate law firms, you’re in trouble,” she laughs. In the world of accounting, a public bond sale is a huge accomplishment given the complexity of issues. “It is a very big deal,” Tillery acknowledges. — Jean Gruss
FAVORITE OFFHOURS ACTIVITY: Home renovation
WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST: Visit
Normandy invasion beaches.
TWO PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Winston Churchill,
To see Erica Tillery’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Erica-Tillery.
Sheryl Sandberg
4 0U N DER4 0 // ST. PET ER SBU RG
You have to strike away expectations of titles and focus on the why instead of the what; why it moves you.
To see Kanika JelksTomalin’s full profile and a video, visit BusinessObserver4040. com/Kanika-JelksTomalin.
Kanika JelksTomalin, 39 Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg Kanika Jelks-Tomalin was born and raised in St. Petersburg. As a member of her family’s fifth generation living in the city, she’s surrounded by more than 250 relatives. Some of those relatives are in the top percentile, while others live in poverty. That’s exactly the reason why Tomalin has a passion to “change the story of St. Pete.” Raised by people who she says pushed through segregation and social injustice to become successful, Tomalin feels compelled to share her story that St. Pete is a place where hard work does pay off. Tomalin is deputy mayor of the city under Mayor Rick Kriseman, a surprising job turn from her previous role in government relations for a hospital and before that, a full-time journalist. “It was never part of my dream to have this job, nor the job before,” she admits.
Q & A
BEST PLACE TO NETWORK
“But it’s important to follow one’s passion. You have to strike away expectations of titles and focus on the why instead of the what; why it moves you.” Around 25% of St. Petersburg’s population is impoverished, that’s more than 60,000 residents. That’s why Tomalin’s main goal is poverty eradication. She hopes to reduce poverty by 30% in the city by 2020. “It begins and ends with opportunity,” Tomalin says. Just paying a light bill or addressing a food shortage won’t cut it, and only addresses a one-time need, she adds. The city is currently focused on bigger initiatives to solve the problem, working on skill building and education opportunities. Until St. Pete’s story of opportunity changes, Tomalin continues to focus on the issue, she says. “I’m called to make a difference.” — Traci McMillan Beach
Kahwa Coffee South. In downtown St. Pete this cool little coffee shop serves as an unofficial office for everyone in town. In addition to the person you’re there to meet, you’ll always run into at least two to three other people on your “I’ve got to connect with” list.
THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS LESSON I’VE LEARNED There are no substitutes for preparation and performance. Period. The laws of the universe will always deliver what our actions have ordered. Most often, that is opportunity, and it rarely comes wrapped in a pretty little package.
OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2014 | BUSINESS OBSERVER
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4 0U N DER4 0 // SA R A SOTA
John Wohlwend, 28
My job now is as much about people as it is anything else.
Chief Financial Officer, Crush-It Inc. John Wohlwend played around in the big cities, Los Angeles and New York, but he eventually found his way back home to Sarasota. Wohlwend now helps run Ospreybased Crush-It Inc., a concrete and asphalt recycling business that handles more than 2 million tons of materials a year, mostly in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Wohlwend by title is CFO, but he says the job is really “anything that needs to be done in the day.” That can be anything from working on technology upgrade projects to closing deals with clients. The firm, run by Wohlwend’s stepfather, Dave Richardson, has 43 employees and a recycling yard in Tampa. “Our focus,” Wohlwend says, “is how we could be the best crushing company out there.” Wohlwend initially was going to crush it in his career anywhere but Florida. He landed an internship, then a job, in programming with CBS
Q & A
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I like just popping in on customers at their job sites. Impromptu meetings often times generate the best results.
Sports in New York City after he graduated from the University of Florida in 2007. Connections Wohlwend made there helped him land a job in L.A. with Creative Artists Agency, the famous Hollywood talent management firm. The work was exciting, exhausting and full of lifetime experiences. But Wohlwend soon sought something different, where he could have a bigger impact. “It was fun for a little while,” he says, “but eventually I wanted something that was more personal to me.” Wohlwend found that at Crush-It. While the work is a world away from L.A., there are some similarities in the way Wohlwend approached his tasks. “The agency business is all about people,” says Wohlwend. “And my job now is as much about people as it is anything else.” — Mark Gordon
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