March Draft

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pristine connections EXPERT ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN DFW PROFESSIONALS

MAR 2024

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WHAT IS PRISTINE CONNECTIONS GROUP?

CASINO NIGHT

A BETTER WAY TO BUILD

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5 REASONS YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS BETTER PHOTOS

3 FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

THE FUTURE OF AGE IN PLACE HOMES

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SOFTWASHING YOUR SIDING: PROTECTING YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR

PRISTINE EVENTS

LOCAL EVENTS

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TOP 5 WAYS TO IMPLEMENT ONPAGE SEO

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW

MEMBER CONTIBUTORS

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What Is Pristine Connections Group?

PCG is not your typical networking or marketing organization; we are a blossoming community dedicated to fostering meaningful connections within shared and cross-functional realms of business. It goes beyond being a mere business initiative and transforms into a dynamic ecosystem where businesses, professionals, and individuals come together to collaborate and thrive.

Why is PCG Relevant?

Pristine Connections Group is highly relevant in today’s business landscape because it recognizes the significance of connections and our collaborations. In a world where success often hinges on the strength of your professional relationships, PCG provides a platform that prioritizes these connections.

It is relevant because it brings together skilled professionals who share fundamental values, such as exceptional capabilities, dedication to client service, community enrichment, team collaboration and ethical business practices. By emphasizing these principles, Pristine Connections Group ensures that its community members are well-equipped to navigate the challenges of the business world and achieve lasting success.

Pristine Connections Group brings significant value and benefits to both individuals and businesses through the following key aspects: Exceptional Capabilities: PCG utilizes professionals who excel in their respective fields offering opportunities for growth and learning.

Leveraging the collective expertise of our members expands and enhances the overall client experience.

Dedication to Client Service: Collaborating within this community ensures that you work with professionals who share your commitment to client satisfaction.

Leading to consistent client relationships and business success.

Community Enrichment: PCG believes in giving back to the community it serves. Members actively engage in initiatives that contribute to the betterment of society.

By aligning our businesses with a sense of purpose, PCGs commitment to local enrichment brings benefit and value to the community.

Team Collaboration: Collaboration is at the heart of what Pristine Connections group stand for.

Members understand the power of working together, pooling resources, and harnessing our collective expertise to achieve remarkable results.

Fostering a spirit of innovation, growth, and mutual support among individuals and businesses.

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Ethical Business Practices: Pristine Connections Group places a strong emphasis on ethical business practices.

Honesty, integrity, and fairness are nonnegotiable values within the community.

This commitment to ethical conduct not only builds trust it also contributes to sustainable business success.

In summary, Pristine Connections Group is a relevant and valuable community that empowers individuals and businesses by encouraging meaningful connections, cultivating ethical values, and facilitating collaboration. A platform where professionals prosper, where connections are nurtured, and where collective strength propels each member forward towards sustained success in this dynamic world of business.

JOSHUA KOEHN, MICHAEL SMITH. EDITOR TEAM

CASINO NIGHT!

We’ll have: Multiple High Ticket Giveaways, An Open Bar, Free Appetizers, and 100+ business owners and professionals from all over DFW! Our casino night will feature a poker table, roulette tables, craps, and blackjack set up. Everyone who attends will receive 1,000 in free chips to play with. For every 1,000 in chips your accumulated you will get a free entry into the giveaway drawings. We look forward to seeing y’all there!

PRIZE WINNERS FROM OUR LAST EVENT!

GEORGE

PRI

DEEPESH

Living in north Texas for over 40 years, I’ve seen some changes. Some were good and some were bad. I’ve seen old buildings and restaurants close or be torn down. I’ve seen new communities, highways, and little towns you’ve never heard of grow into booming cities. Even the old one lane highway with stop lights turned into an 8-lane tollway. The DFW metroplex has expanded, year over year, and that can be exciting or frustrating depending on how you look at it. Bottom line, is growth…

This growth has given families a lot of equity in their homes and for some, that growth has come in a short amount of time. A family recently sold their home in Collin County that they owned for only a year. They profited a little more than 100K in that short timeframe. That kind of profit doesn’t exist on every property, but it’s raised the question of what do we do with our growing nest egg? The thought of building your dream home always seems to find its way into the conversation. The dream home was once just that, a dream, because it wasn’t very efficient to build a home. It took a sizable down payment, lots of extra funds, multiple closings, construction costs, etc.

I’d like to introduce you to a better way to build.

It’s affordable, efficient, one closing, and the entire project is managed for you. It’s called a “One Time Close”. This construction loan allows you to pick your own builder, finance your construction, the land, and your long term / permanent financing with one closing. This will save thousands upon thousands of dollars.

When you already own the land, the loan becomes a refinance, and you can use the equity in the property to reduce the amount you need to bring to closing. We only require a 5% down payment so the equity can go a long way. I had a family last year that brought less than 5K to closing because the equity helped pay for the loan.

If you don’t already own some land, the process is still just as simple. With your Realtor’s help, you can locate the perfect spot and negotiate the sales price. The builder of your choice will provide us with the budget and specs for your dream home and we’ll have everything wrapped up in about 30 days from start to finish. While the home is being built, you’re required to make interest only payments on the amount of the construction draws at the construction rate. When the home is 30 days away from completion, we will float down your construction rate to current Conventional rates, which will be your rate for the 15yr or 30yr fixed loan. All of this with only the one closing.

The best time to buy or build real estate was always 2 years ago. Let’s get started!

Luke Hamlett Highlands Residential Mortgage (214) 213-2559 lhamlett@highlandsmortgage.com

These loans have been around for 20+ years but not everyone offers them. Due to our current market, most banks have discontinued or at least paused their construction loans. I was very excited that the company I partner with, Highlands Residential Mortgage, has ramped up their construction division and providing a muchneeded loan when others are not.

So how does it work? Here are two different scenarios that can paint a brief picture.

If you already own some land or a single lot, you can build a custom home and use the “as completed value” to help pay for it.

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But first, let me ask you - Have you ever been drawn to someone, whether in business or personal life through a photograph? Maybe you were shopping for a product or service online, and in the process saw a really cute, spunky photo of the owner, and thought, "OMG, she’s so fun!" And then you inquired further about the product or signed up for a newsletter list? Have you ever been shopping for a new healthcare provider and gone to the office staff page and looked at the photos to decide if you think you would like going to that office? Ever used a dating site?

We want connection. We want to feel like we know the people we do business and life with, even if we will never meet them. No matter how much we try to avoid it, our clients don’t buy our product or service, they buy US. Because of that, our business photos should be one of our top marketing budget items, and we should use them everywhere, and strategically and update them frequently.

5 HOT benefits of having an arsenal of business images to market yourself and your business.

A FACE TO THE NAME - I am TERRIBLE at names, but I seldom forget a face. If you want your potential clients to remember who you are, they need a face. And on that note - they need a clear, in focus, well lit face THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU. Selfies do NOT fit the bill here. You need authentic and memorable images.

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THEY BUY YOU - A range of personality filled portraits helps your viewer feel they know you, even before they do.

Feeling like they get your personality and that they like you will push them toward you even if you cost more - even if your product or service is only a runner up on their list. In fact, a well crafted professional portrait conveys a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism and can tip the scales in your favor.

FOSTERS ENGAGEMENT - Having multiple photos to spread around and cycle through keeps the viewer interested and engaged, and with every one they see, they feel like they know you more, just as if they had met you for coffee or run into you at the store.

TARGETED AUTHENTICITY - Business portraits are like Cupid’s arrows, preprogrammed to hit your target client, because we naturally draw our best clients to ourselves. (This does NOT mean we draw people just like us. It DOES mean that we will draw people who value what we value).

AUGMENTED COMMUNICATION - People don’t read - at best they skim. Your business portraits truly speak 1000 words for you, because they create an emotional connection to your best clients. They allow you to use less words with more meaningful impact.

Don't walk, RUN. Get this powerful marketing tool working for you!

Karen Laine: Blending Timeless Artistry with Modern Technology Karen Laine Karen Laine Photography (469) 927-0225 Karen@karen-laine.com

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Challenge #1: Women often earn less than men.

The gender wage gap has been talked about a lot and for good reason. It’s a fact that women, on average, earn less than men. How much less?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 18% less.

It’s a hard and unfair truth that affects your current financial status (things like what you can buy and how you pay off your bills) and your financial future, too (like how much you can save in a rainy-day fund and for retirement). All those goals are affected by how much you earn, and you may be earning only 82 cents to the dollar your male counterparts make. This has a direct impact on a core principle in Finance: The time value of money, which means that a sum of money is worth more now than the same amount in the future. Factor in inflation, which also has a negative impact on the time value of money because your purchasing power decreases as prices rise making this a hard pill to swallow.

Challenge #2: Women are often caregivers.

The burden of care for aging relatives is reshaping the lives of many women. In fact, according to the Institute on Aging, 75% of the time, caregivers are women. While men, too are forced to step up, women are bearing the brunt of it. If we take a moment and think about the emotional impact to this role – it’s stressful, and it takes time and energy away from other things … including the amount of time to produce income.

It is interesting to note that 55% of caregivers are providing more than six hours of care a day, and that goes on for an average of 10 years.

Aggravating the issue on this would be the timing of when the care is often required from women.

According to the Labor Department about 15 percent of women 25 to 54 years old spend time caring for an older relative. These are prime earning years. Not to mention the emotional impact on these prime years. This is difficult to quantify.

Challenge #3: Women generally live longer.

Statistically, women are living about two years longer than men. That may not seem like a lot, but those years of life happen during retirement.

Due to the first two challenges we have discussed, a woman may not have saved as much to begin with. If we consider that health care is a big cost for most people during those years & that women generally pay more for health care than men, living longer can be a blessing yet an unsurmountable challenge to face since it means the money you’ve saved for retirement needs to last longer.

So, what is a lady to do when faced with these challenges? Decide that it is time to plan TODAY. Why? The unknown plagues us all, yet we can leverage the financial concept of time value of money. Today’s decision can positively impact the resources available to you in the future. You want to take some time to think about the goals you have for your future & address any potential risks that can derail those. Consider focusing on how to grow your wealth with a focus on keeping more of what you have worked so hard to earn. Know that you don’t have to go on it alone. Ask for help within your network, do your research & know that there are people that are prepared & willing to help you overcome these & other financial challenges so that you are well prepared for living your best life in alignment to what matters most to you.

Liz Santamaria & Joshua Kane are not just financial planners, we are your allies to help you build, protect & transfer your wealth by providing custom guidance for business owners & families who care enough about themselves, their families, their businesses’ & employees, to plan.

Elizabeth Santamaria Northwestern Mutual ((972) 980-2088 elizabeth.santamaria@nm.com

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The Future of Age in Place Homes: A Stylish Transformation Welcome to the world of interior design and home renovations, where the concept of “Aging in Place” has undergone a remarkable evolution.

Today, it’s not merely a practical necessity but a compelling trend that seamlessly merges style, technology, adaptability, and the latest trends in Aging in Place Design.

Homeowners today are increasingly seeking spaces that can adapt effortlessly to their changing needs. Let’s explore how these trends are shaping the top renovations for Age in Place homes as we delve deeper into the innovative spirit of Age in Place homes.

Aging in Place Design Trends: Where Style Meets Practicality Aging in Place design is experiencing a renaissance, driven by a desire to combine the practicality of universal design with aesthetics of contemporary trends. Here are some the of latest trends making waves:

Outdoor Elegance and Accessibility: Ramps and pathways as design elements Picture a beautiful front yard, leading to a stylish gently sloping lawn effortlessly integrating with the landscape.

Stylish outdoor furniture designed for comfort and accessibility.

Consider a back patio adorned with elegant, yet functional, outdoor furniture. Think comfort.

Even outdoor spaces are not exempt from the Age in Place makeover.

Trendy Universal Design Details: Lever-style handles Imagine sleek, ergonomic, and stylish handles providing graceful artistry, creating ambience.

Touchpad controls Modern convenience but also contributes to a minimalist and future design.

Details matter, and these elements are no longer just practical necessities; they’re trendy design elements that add a modern touch to the home.

Futuristic Health Monitoring Systems: Smart devices Monitor movement patterns Fusion of technology and design equals peace of mind Emergency alerts Detect falls Alerts for non-typical usage These systems exemplify the fusion of technology and design for a safer living environment.

Adaptive Lighting for Style and Safety: Imagine Lighting that adjust to different needs.

Adaptive lights enhance safety while setting mood.

Lighting takes center stage in Age in Place design trends, enhancing safety and sophistication.

In summary, the latest trends in Aging in Place design are redefining the concept of homes for the future. By seamlessly integrating style, technology, and accessibility, homeowners are not only future-proofing their living spaces but also

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making a bold statement about the intersection of design and practicality. As you embark on your journey to transform your home into a timeless and trendsetting space, consider these innovations that cater to changing needs and reflect the evolving landscape of modern interior design. Ageless design is not just a trend; it’s a lifestyle, and it’s here to stay. Stay tuned for more updates on the dynamic world of interior design and home transformations.

Edward Carel Legacy Home Care (214) 449-6602 Edward@legacyhomecarepro.com

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Your home's exterior is constantly exposed to the elements, and over time, dirt, mold, and algae can accumulate on the siding. Softwashing is a gentle yet effective method to clean and protect your siding, ensuring your home maintains its curb appeal while safeguarding against potential damage.

Understanding Softwashing: Unlike traditional pressure washing, which uses high-pressure water to blast away grime, softwashing involves a lower pressure setting combined with specialized cleaning solutions. The goal is to treat and kill organic growth like algae and mold without causing any harm to your siding. This method is particularly beneficial for delicate surfaces, such as vinyl, stucco, and painted wood.

The Benefits of Softwashing: 1. Preservation of Paint and Finishes: Softwashing minimizes the risk of chipping or peeling paint that can occur with high-pressure washing. The gentle approach ensures the longevity of your siding's paint and finishes.

2. Long-Term Protection: The cleaning solutions used in softwashing not only remove existing contaminants but also create a protective barrier against future growth. This proactive measure helps maintain a clean exterior for an extended period.

3. Reduced Water Usage: Softwashing typically requires less water than traditional pressure washing, making it an eco-friendly option. The reduced water consumption aligns with sustainable practices while achieving effective results.

Steps for Softwashing Your Siding 1. Inspection: Begin by inspecting your siding for areas with visible mold, algae, or dirt. Identify any potential trouble spots that may need extra attention during the softwashing process.

2. Preparation: Cover plants, windows, and any other vulnerable areas near the siding to protect them from the cleaning solution. Ensure the surrounding area is ready for a thorough yet controlled softwashing.

3. Cleaning Solution Application: Use a softwashing solution designed for your specific siding material. Apply the solution evenly across the surface, allowing it to penetrate and break down contaminants.

4. Dwell Time: Allow the cleaning solution to dwell on the siding for the recommended time.

This dwell time is crucial for the solution to work effectively in lifting and dissolving grime.

5. Rinsing: Rinse the siding thoroughly using lowpressure water. Be sure to start from the top and work your way down to prevent streaking. Take your time to ensure all residues are washed away.

6. Post-Treatment Inspection: After the softwashing process, inspect the siding to ensure all contaminants have been successfully removed.

If necessary, perform additional spot treatments for stubborn areas.

Conclusion: Softwashing your siding is a smart investment in both the aesthetics and structural integrity of your home. By adopting this gentle cleaning method, you not only protect your siding from damage but also contribute to the overall health and longevity of your property's exterior.

Regular softwashing maintenance will keep your home looking pristine and safeguard it against the harsh effects of the environment.

Jeremy May - 4Tex Softwash (972) 757-8410 4texsoftwash@gmail.com

Pristine Events PRISTINE CONNECTIONS POKER NIGHTS EVERY OTHER MONDAY MARCH 18TH/APRIL 1, 6-8 PM, LG’S CIGAR LOUNGE IN ALLEN CASINO NIGHT & BUSINESS MIXER MARCH 25TH, 6-8 PM, MATT’S RANCHO MARTINEZ, ALLEN

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Local Events DALLAS CRAWFISH KICKOFF FESTIVAL APRIL 6TH, 3-9PM, LUCID LEGACY WEST STUDIO, 7700 WINDROSE AVE, DALLAS, TX 75201 ST. PADDY’S DAY PARTY MARCH 16TH AND 17TH, TRUCKYARD THE COLONY, 5959 GROVE LN, THE COLONY, TX 75056

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BY GAVIN BARNETT

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In the digital era, the visibility of your website on search engines can significantly impact your business’s success. On-page SEO is a critical component of this visibility, ensuring that your site is not only found but also ranks well in search results.

With the right strategies, businesses, especially local ones in areas like Allen, TX, can enhance their online presence and attract more targeted traffic. This blog post explores the top ways to implement on-page SEO, providing a roadmap for businesses to achieve better search engine rankings and, ultimately, higher conversion rates.

Key Takeaway: The essence of on-page SEO lies in optimizing web page content for search engines and users. Key strategies include keyword optimization, improving site speed, and enhancing user experience. By focusing on these areas, businesses can significantly improve their website’s search engine rankings, leading to increased visibility and engagement.

Keyword Optimization: Identifying Target Keywords, Placement Strategies, Long-tail Keywords Keyword optimization is foundational in on-page SEO. It starts with identifying target keywords that your potential customers are searching for. Once identified, strategically placing these keywords in your content, titles, meta descriptions, and URLs can greatly improve your site’s relevance and visibility.

Focusing on long-tail keywords, especially those relevant to local areas like Allen, TX, can drive more targeted traffic to your site. For instance, integrating internal links to services offered in Allen can boost local search visibility.

Content Quality and Relevance: Engaging Content, Multimedia Use, Updating Content Regularly Quality content is paramount in engaging and retaining visitors. High-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and questions of your audience can improve dwell time, a factor that search engines consider when ranking sites. Incorporating multimedia elements like images, videos, and infographics can make content more engaging.

Regular updates to your content ensure it remains relevant and valuable to visitors.

Site Architecture and Navigation: URL Structure, Internal Linking, User Experience A well-structured site with easy navigation is crucial for both user experience and search engine crawlers. Simplifying your URL structure and using breadcrumb navigation can help users and search engines understand your site better.

Effective internal linking, as seen with links to your homepage and local service areas, not only aids navigation but also distributes page authority throughout your site.

Mobile Optimization: Responsive Design, Mobile Speed, User Experience on Mobile With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet, mobile optimization has become nonnegotiable. A responsive design ensures your site is accessible and user-friendly across all devices.

Improving mobile speed and optimizing for mobile user experience can significantly reduce bounce rates and improve rankings.

Page Speed Enhancement: Optimizing Images, Leveraging Browser Caching, Minifying CSS, and JavaScript Page speed is a critical ranking factor. Optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minifying CSS and JavaScript files can dramatically improve your website’s loading times. Faster loading times not only improve user experience but also positively impact your site’s search engine rankings.

Meta Tags and Descriptions: Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, Header Tags Meta tags and descriptions play a key role in onpage SEO. Well-crafted title tags and meta descriptions can improve your site’s click-through rate from search engine results pages. Using header tags (H1, H2, H3) throughout your content helps organize your content for readers and search engines, making it more digestible and likely to rank higher.

Gavin Barnett - Click Wise Design (469) 428-7383 gavin@clickwisedesign.com

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Show What You Know Choosing the Right Assessments for Your Corporate Training Training programs are a big investment for any company. You want to ensure they're effective, and that means measuring what matters: learner improvement. But with a variety of assessments available, how do you choose the right one? Fear not, fellow instructional warriors, for this blog will equip you to pick the perfect training assessment!

Align with Your Goals. First things first, identify your training objectives. What do you want learners to achieve as they upskill or reskill?

Improved technical knowledge? A shift in behavior? More efficient processes? An effective assessment will help close learning gaps by ensuring that you learners truly obtained and will retain the intended knowledge/skills.

Consider the Format. There is no one-size-fits-all assessment. Here are some popular options, each with its strengths: Multiple Choice & True/False: Great for assessing basic knowledge and recall. Easy to score and administer.

Note: These can be overused, so don’t be afraid to mix these up with other assessment strategies!

Scenario-Based Questions: Simulate real-world situations, gauging decision-making and problem-solving skills. Utilizing these types of questions will make learning relatable and practical as learners see how they will use the information covered in their training.

Open Ended Questions: Anyone can answer a yes/no question, but open ended questions encourage deeper understanding and critical thinking. Take note that they may also require more time to grade, so plan for that.

Performance-Based Assessments: Have learners apply their knowledge through tasks or simulations. These types of assessments can be resource-intensive but offer a true picture of skill mastery. This also presents the opportunity for you to involve leaders in your organization in your training efforts, driving higher participation and program visibility.

Mix it Up! Have no fear of combining different assessment formats. A multiple-choice quiz can test basic knowledge, followed by a scenariobased question to assess application. This variety keeps things engaging for learners and provides a more comprehensive picture of their understanding.

Remember the Feedback Loop. Assessments aren't just about assigning grades, which are less important in a business environment. They're valuable teaching tools. Provide clear, constructive feedback to help learners identify areas for improvement and solidify their learning. Then, close the loop by providing learners with opportunities to provide feedback on what they learned. This can take the form of surveys/polls or focus groups that allow your learning audience to share feedback on their user experience throughout the training and whether the format and content enabled them to meet the stated learning goals. As a trainer, the feedback that you gain from your learners is vital to ensuring that your training is meaningful, engaging, and a productive use of your audience’s time.

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Final Thoughts By carefully choosing and implementing assessments, you can ensure your training programs have a lasting impact. So, the next time you design a training, remember – picking the right assessment is key to unlocking its true potential!

LiAnne Brown Genesis Education Consulting (817) 663-3584 lbrown@genesiseduconsulting.com

member contributors Edward Carel Legacy Home Care www.legacyhomecarepro.com edward@legacyhomecarepro.com

Gavin Barnett Click Wise Design www.clickwisedesign.com gavin@clickwisedesign.com

Michael Smith Pristine Roofing & Outdoor www.pristineroofing.com michael@pristineroofing.com

Karen Laine Karen Laine Photography www.karen-laine.com karen@karen-laine.com

member contributors Joshua Koehn Pristine Landscaping & Lighting www.pristinelandscapingandlighting.com pristinelandscapeandlighting@gmail.com

Joshua Kane Northwestern Mutual

Jeremy May 4Tex Softwash www.dallastxpowerwashing.com 4texsoftwash@gmail.com

Elizabeth Santamaria Northwestern Mutual elizabeth.santamaria@nm.com

member contributors Savannah Dunn Realtor savannahdunn@kw.com

Levi Perry Independent Claims Consultant leviautohail@gmail.com

Drew Kirkpatrick Chiropractor www.healthcochiro.com info@healthcochiro.com

Luke Hamlett Mortgage Loan Officer LHamlett@highlandsmortgage.com

member contributors Kayo Obara KConnect Service Solutions kayo@kconnectss.com

Drew Hogan State Farm drewhogan888@yahoo.com