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EPISODE 51: ENCORE - CARL DANBURY, WINE & PUBLISHING - A TALE OF TWO BUSINESSES We are out of the studio today, but we're bringing you this encore episode of our December 3, 2014 interview with Carl Danbury, a wine enthusiast with a penchant for European wines, and a storied background of success in publishing, advertising sales, marketing, feature writing and detailed research. A managing partner of All Points Interactive Media Corp in Cumming, Ga., Carl's company has published Points North Atlanta magazine, Northside Bride and SportsUnlimited magazine in the Atlanta area since May 2000. Previously, he and his partner published trucking transportation trade magazines, rpm, rpm eXtra and rpm Canada from August 1992 through April 2000, starting with an initial capital investment of $65,000. The company sold the rights to these magazines for $4.2 million in Oct. 1999, which enabled it to launch Points North the following spring. Carl has been instrumental in the wine business for the past decade, creating, coordinating and managing consumer events for producers and distributors at more than 50 locations. He also has created marketing and sales tools, such as tasting notes, specification sheets, sales offerings, and regularly communicates with producers in Spain, Italy, France and California. In addition, he examines prospective partners' portfolio needs, and introduces them to producers that he feels would be a good fit for their future expansion. Through his involvement and established relationships, he has created a tasting panel concept, the WineShares concept and other projects that will help his business capture the attentions of prospective clients and consumers alike. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Carl was a member of the University's baseball team for two seasons, was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon social fraternity, was a staff member of the Crimson & White school newspaper, and wrote columns for Bama Magazine while he was attending school. He has lived and worked in the Atlanta area since 1987, is married to Maureen, and is the father of six children, Braden, Kyle, Katelyn, Samantha, Sidney and Callie. An avid golfer and doubles tennis player, he also has donated his time to following charitable organizations: Atlanta Steeplechase, Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, Shamrockin' for a Cure, Harvest Wine Classic, Child Development Association, Community Health Foundation and oth

EPISODE 75: ENCORE - JIMMY POMERANCE - WHY YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS MATTER We are out of the studio today, but we're bringing you this encore episode of our October 14, 2014 interview with Jimmy Pomerance, founder and CEO of Impact Speakers. Jimmy brings over 15 years of experience teaching, training and coaching sales professionals across many industries, and has a great passion for sales, presentation and speaking. Jimmy served as the National Sales Training Director for AIG/Sun America and a Divisional Sales Manager for Sun Life Financial. During those years, he created and instituted several sales training programs for new hires, sales associates and top management. Improving your presentation skills is important because the more memorable, impactful, and effective your presentations are, the more both you and your audience will get out of the learning and sharing experience of a meeting, lecture, or workshop (or whatever else your presentation is for). A great presentation can change the world, change your business, or just as importantly, inspire others.

EPISODE 74: ENCORE - STEVE GORDON, FOUNDER & CEO OF AMERICAN DREAM LAUNCHER Today we're replaying the interview of American Dream Launcher's founder, Steve Gordon. The spotlight is on his entrepreneurial journey as a business owner and investor, the motivation behind starting American Dream Launcher, and the excitement of beginning a new adventure.

EPISODE 73: WRITING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN Yesterday we focused on how to format your pitch when you are seeking funding, and we touched on the importance of a well thought out business plan. More importantly, we talked about keeping it simple – the 'K.I.S.S.' principle. Even if you’re not looking for funding, a written business plan can help you focus how you’re spending your time, energy and money. Today we're talking about how to write a business plan that will take your company where you want to go.

EPISODE 72: HOW TO PITCH & GET FUNDED One of the things that may be holding you back from really starting your business is money; more specifically, the lack of it. One of the solutions to your lack of capital may be to look for investors. That said, nothing strikes fear in the heart of an entrepreneur like having to pitch investors for the first time. Today we are breaking down the process of pitching in clear, actionable and effective ways.

EPISODE 71: SUCCESS TIP - LEARN SOMETHING NEW So far this month, we have talked about 5 of our top 10 New Year’s resolutions that will help make 2015 your best business year ever. Today’s focus is on learning something new – and the impact that can have on your business.

EPISODE 70: THURSDAY MASHUP Today's episode got a little derailed with technical challenges and, well, it's Thursday and it's already been a really long week. We talked about a wide range of topics ranging from news about IRS tax breaks to marijuana cologne for women. Yes, you read that right - marijuana cologne. Listen to today's episode for all the wacky, entertaining, and somewhat informative details.

EPISODE 69: SUCCESS TIP - SET REALISTIC GOALS Today’s topic – setting realistic goals – is timely since we’ve been talking about New Year’s resolutions. One of the most sobering statistics I’ve heard about our well-intentioned resolutions is that 25% of them are broken in the first week. And the odds don’t get much better for the first couple months – for example, among gym goers, 80% drop out within eight weeks. Listen to today's episode to learn how you can increase your odds of reaching your business - and personal - goals.

EPISODE 68: SUCCESS TIP - GIVE BACK In keeping with our New Year’s resolutions for making 2015 the best business year ever, today we’re talking about giving something back to your community and the difference it can make for your business.

EPISODE 67: SUCCESS TIP - BUSINESS NETWORKING Today we're talking about networking, another one of our New Year's resolutions to help you make 2015 your best business year ever.

EPISODE 66: SUCCESS TIP - BUSINESS PLANNING Today, in keeping with this month’s theme of making 2015 your best business year ever, we’re talking about another key to success, and that is making business planning at least a weekly event.

EPISODE 65: ENCORE - LEE ANN MAXWELL, VIXEN VODKA CEO We are out of the studio today, so enjoy this encore episode featuring our special guest, LeeAnn Maxwell, CEO of Vixen Vodka. Move over gentlemen, this is the Year of the Vixen! We are excited to welcome LeeAnn Maxwell, CEO of Vixen Vodka, to this episode of American Dream Launcher Radio. When LeeAnn sat down with a business consultant to review her initial business plan, he closed the document, told her how well written it was and then said, “You’ll never make it”. When asked why, he replied, “Because it’s the liquor industry, it’s all men, and they will eat you up and spit you out.” LeeAnn looked right back at him and said in her sweet Southern syrupy way, “Sugar, this could be a pair of pantyhose or a tube of lipstick, we’re creating a brand and we know what women want.” Intrigued? Learn how she took a brand from beach to shelf and disrupted a male dominated category along the way. Learn more about Vixen Vodka at www.vixenvodka.com.

EPISODE 64: BOB STEWART - SOUNDLAB ATLANTA Our guest today, Bob Stewart, is founder and creator of SoundLab Atlanta, a recording studio and live event space in Alpharetta, Georgia. Bob stepped into the rock scene at age 17 and never looked back. He moved from his home in Tucson, Arizona to Los Angeles to go pro and had success touring and playing various venues in Southern California. Much of this time was spent performing with ex-Raspberry, Scott McCarl, where Bob learned both performance and songwriting skills from a true industry veteran. He then transitioned to the corporate world, and quickly rose through the ranks to the Senior Executive level before leaving to pursue his SoundLab vision. Bob brings a unique perspective to his business, having one foot in the corporate world and one in the music world has given him the perspective and insights needed to launch and manage successful music careers. Today's show provides great insight into not just the music business, but the sheer will and determination it takes to take the leap and start a business. As Bob said, "When you are an entrepreneur, you are a force of one."

EPISODE 63: SUCCESS TIP - LEARN HOW TO DELEGATE Our theme this month on American Dream Launcher is making 2015 your best business year ever. Yesterday we shared with you the Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Business Success, and today we're diving into the first one - delegation.

EPISODE 62: TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS Tune in to learn what resolutions you can make to ensure your ideas and goals are transformed into results you can quantify and measure.

EPISODE 61: TIPS FOR HOLIDAY CHARITABLE GIVING Giving to charities during the holiday season is high on the list of many people. Your charitable donations have the most impact when you give to groups that spend responsibly. On today's show, we're talking about how to make your dollars count and get the tax deduction you deserve.

EPISODE 60: ENCORE - THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR AS AN ENTREPRENEUR We are out of the studio today, but we're pleased to bring you this encore episode about the many things we can be grateful for as business owners and entrepreneurs.

EPISODE 59: CROWDFUNDING - BRILLIANT IDEA OR DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN? Crowdfunding is all the rage today. Yes, it's cool. It's democratic and a great way to test your idea or product. It's disruptive and attention-getting. And it can also be a bad idea for many start-ups. Today we're talking about when a crowdfunding campaign makes sense, how to do it right, and perhaps more importantly, when to NOT do one.

EPISODE 58: CHRIS SAVAS - THE CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A PRO PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS Today we’re joined by Chris Savas who is a successful entrepreneur and photographer who runs his own event photography business. We’ll explore practical advice for professional and semi-professional photographers to help with the challenges in running a modern photo business.

EPISODE 57: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS There are so many theories being tossed around about how and why the middle class is shrinking. On today's show, we're going to talk about some of those theories and share our thoughts about what America's economic future looks like.