Listen Now

Justin Elanjian is a partner at Aprio and a nationally recognized PPP expert. He has conducted over 100 PPP loan forgiveness educational webinars reaching over 300,000 PPP borrowers and hundreds of CPA firms through strategic partnerships. Justin co-leads Aprio’s PPP loan forgiveness team and is responsible for servicing a growing number of borrowers whose loans in aggregate exceed $300+ million in PPP funds. When Justin isn’t providing PPP loan forgiveness guidance, he serves as a trusted strategic advisor guiding his clients in achieving their goals. Thomas Scott is also a partner at Aprio specializing in Manufacturing and Technology. He has a BA in Accounting and an MA in Accounting and Financial Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management DeVry University. Thomas provides a wide range of tax services designed to help clients effectively manage risk, identify tax-saving opportunities, and make good business decisions for tomorrow. In today’s episode, Justin and Thomas join us from Aprio tax practice to discuss the new legislation for the second round of PPP loans and what small and diverse businesses need to consider as we move forward into the second wave of PPP. Justin explains the new rules for tax breaks since the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law by President Trump on December 27th, 2020. He reveals what you can and can’t leverage concerning non-payroll costs, property damage costs, and covered supplier costs, and explains how the Employee Retention Credit system works. Thomas explains a few key individual changes to this new legislation that will impact small and diverse businesses and breaks down how stimulus payments now work and can be accessed going into 2021. “It's not too late. You can go back, and you can do amendments for 2020, catch those up and then build a strategy for 2021” – Justin Elanjian  “I think we'll see a lot more scrutiny from the FinTech companies this time around because about 75% of the fraud cases thus far are obtained loans from FinTech companies because they didn't know their customers” Justin Elanjian “You can now deduct a hundred percent of your business meal. And that's going to be huge for all of your business customers” – Thomas Scott  “You do need to have the experts behind you to help you go through some of these more fine-tooth kinds of regulations to read a thousand pages” – Adam Moore   This week on Breaking Barriers: How the recent Consolidated Appropriations Act will help small businesses How Employee Retention Credit works and how it is calculated What additional data your company will need to supply for a PPP loan The IRS website link you need to go to if you have not received your $600 stimulus payment How to dine your business clients at zero cost until 2022 Advice for solo entrepreneurs and their 2019 Tax Return Resource Mentioned: The IRS Website Connect with Justin Elanjian & Thomas Scott Aprio’s Website Aprio on Facebook Aprio on Twitter Aprio on LinkedIn Justin Elanjian on LinkedIn Scott Thomas on LinkedIn Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives.  To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Sofia Bork is an Engagement Readiness Consultant in the Treasury Solutions Department at Truist Bank. She is responsible for driving and leading communication strategies for both Truist teammates and clients. At the heart of her work, she fosters and builds authentic relationships with her stakeholders and ensures that all parties collaborate effectively. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and as the Vice President for HYPE (Hispanic Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs). Sofia joins us today to talk about how allyship and mentorship can diversify your work environment. She shares some of her experiences being a non-visible minority, and her desire to be a larger advocate for her Hispanic community. Sofia talks about the work the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is doing to support local minority businesses through COVID. Sofia also shares her tips on looking for a mentor and why different perspectives from mentors are important. “Growing up bicultural I think that's something that is hard because you don't know where you belong or fit in. – Sofia Bork  " When we look at the basis of 'okay, who is opening small businesses?" It's a lot of women and it's a lot of minority women as well, and just minorities in general. That's their lifeblood."– Sofia Bork  “The best advice I ever received from a mentor was, choose mentors who are all different and choose people who don't look like you, don't have your same experiences, and don't work in the same areas."– Sofia Bork  “As humans we understand pain. We know what it's like to be left out. We know what it's like to be misunderstood because those are universal experiences that are part of being human.” – Sofia Bork  This week on Breaking Barriers: How allyship can help bridge intercultural competencies What is an engagement readiness consultant and how Sofia connects with diverse communities What to look for in a mentor How mentorships can be mutually beneficial to both mentors and mentees What Truist does to support their local communities What the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce does through supporting local minority businesses What are non-visible-minorities and how these groups can become advocates for visible minorities Being comfortable in admitting what you don’t know Ways to be more mindful when approaching topics of race and culture How companies can be more authentic with outreach to the minority community How intentional mentoring/succession planning can help bring more diversity to the C-Level Management Resources Mentioned: The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn With thanks toUniversity of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today. To learn more, go to http://www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO's on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function. They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit http://www.techCXO.com

Are you trying to support local businesses during Covid? It's important to think about small business and support them during the holiday, and especially during this pandemic. While there may not be the usual Christmas parties that support some of these businesses, there are still ways to show appreciation to your own employees while helping your local community. We all just need to think a bit more creatively. In today's episode, we discuss how important it is to try and support local and small businesses through this difficult time. We talk about some ways to work together and use this opportunity to bond with the community. We emphasize the importance of spending locally. We also share some creative gift ideas that you can use to show your appreciation to your team and clients. “I think you'll find that you'll get a better-individualized product that will make a bit more of a wow factor when given than when you go through one of these big catalog mail-order firms.” – Adam Moore " It's not really a question of this is something we should do. It's really something we have to do because the effects of not supporting our small business community- it's a domino effect."– Cloe Guidry-Reed  “You and I are big proponents of the economic impact, and understanding the power of the dollar when it moves through a community."– Adam Moore  “I think even in this season we forget that, 'Oh yeah, I can go get that printing. I can go talk to this marketing firm and have this cool logoed gift that I can give out and you're supporting you know your brother or sister right there in the small business community. What a wonderful thing that is!” – Adam Moore  This week on Breaking Barriers: Hardships for local businesses this holiday season How local businesses produce better products than catalog firms B2b Relationships with small businesses Connecting with local agencies or chambers of commerce Giving back to the community while building relationships Being intentional in spending locally Creative gift ideas Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn With thanks toUniversity of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.  To learn more, go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni, and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function. They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Are you prepared for working in the digital world? Whether we like it or not, it's going to take a long time to get back to in-person events. But even when we get back to normal, the convenience of virtual events will make them still prevalent. Instead of resisting the change, it's time to learn and prepare for networking and presenting in the virtual world. In today's episode, we talk about why virtual events are here to stay, and how you can embrace them. We share what types of products you should invest in to appear more professional in digital meetings. We talk about the importance of testing and being familiar with new technology and programs. We also share why it's important to practice using a digital stage and why it's important to emphasize the human connection. “We all need to realize that we're going to be in a virtual in some form or capacity.” – Adam Moore  “You schedule 20 minutes by yourself before every presentation so that you are in the room before everybody else. You've tested the equipment before everybody else. You've moved the slides. You know where everything is. You know how it works, and you're confident in it.” – Adam Moore “I really do think, that as we move forward a way to differentiate yourself in a sea of competitors who are just like you is how well are you handling a virtual environment?"– Adam Moore  “It's very important for you to be engaged, to interact with the audience, just as you were to have a live one on one. Just because the person isn't physically there doesn't mean you still don't want to see you react.”– Adam Moore This week on Breaking Barriers: Getting comfortable and accepting the virtual world Investing in lighting and webcams Test systems and practice before giving presentations The importance of voice inflection How to prepare your sales team Extending the Human reaction Understanding your why   Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn With thanks toUniversity of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today. To learn more, go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni, and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!  Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.  They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Do you know why you did not get that call back? There are many topics and attitudes we believe are good to share during meetings, because we think it adds value. However, most corporations know what they specifically want, and if you send the wrong message, they will find someone else who is more aligned with their needs. It's time to prepare, make a plan, and specialize. In today's episode, we share our top 5 things to avoid when connecting with corporates. We talk about how being unprepared for meetings is much more obvious than you think. We also talk about why it's better to make a plan when going to tradeshows instead of seeing how things go. We also emphasize the importance of being a keen listener and why promising everything doesn't always look good. “One of the first things that I can tell how serious a supplier is, when they approach me, how much research have they done?” – Adam Moore  “That first 20 seconds that you meet somebody inside that corporation, literally can make or break if you get that next call back with the corporate.” – Adam Moore  “You think you have all day [at a tradeshow], and it feels like you have all day until you get there. And then once you get there you realize *gasp* 'oh, my time is gone."– Adam Moore “We realize that you can be everything to everybody. There is absolutely no way that we can all be good at everything, and we're looking for specialists to come in.”– Adam Moore  This week on Breaking Barriers: The importance of research before a corporate meeting Developing a plan when attending tradeshows Watching your time with client calls Understanding what you do well Why saying yes to everything can be a deterrent Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn With thanks toUniversity of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.  To learn more, go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni, and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there! Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function. They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Wayne Shanks is a Leader, planner, military, and diversity advocate who adapts to solve complex issues and strives to keep giving back. With twenty-eight years of military leadership experience, Wayne was a second lieutenant and culminating as a colonel in the U.S. Army. He has seventeen years of experience in the communication field developing and implementing effective strategies to achieve complex goals. Wayne leads the Military Family Supplier Diversity program at USAA. USAA’s unique program focuses on enhancing opportunities for qualified, veteran, or military spouse-owned companies to compete for business as well as other diverse categories of businesses. With our military family focus, USAA’s goal is to facilitate veteran or military spouse-owned business use and aid in establishing veteran and spouse hiring initiatives. Wayne joins us today to share his perspective on the Supplier Diversity Program at USAA. Wayne reveals some of the difficult areas USAA has for finding suppliers and how to connect with major businesses. He talks about the difficulty of working with larger businesses due to the length of time it can take for decisions to be made, and how to prepare for proposals with companies like USAA. Wayne explains why you want to work with USAA and provides examples of how USAA has helped its partners and suppliers in the past.  Wayne also emphasizes how value creation is key to connecting and establishing meaningful partners with businesses like USAA. “Really interested to see recent movement within military spouse entrepreneurs out there growing in the section, because I think as a traditional employment standpoint, Military spouses are a vastly underserved community."– Wayne Shanks   “It's not, you know you call me one day and we're going to have a contract the next day. It's a long term process. It takes probably several months.” – Wayne Shanks   “You need to be able to know what you do well. Don't worry about your other revenue streams. Pitch that one revenue stream that value proposition to the corporate, and then you're other revenue streams, the other things you do, your ancillary products and services will come to light as your relationship blossoms.” – Adam Moore   “We're just trying to get the best value for our members. And that's not necessarily the lowest price, it's how can you bring value?” – Wayne Shanks   This week on Breaking Barriers: Building relationships with reciprocal insurance exchanges What Wayne looks for in a new supplier Using strategic partnerships to navigate regulatory requirements The advantages of using a veteran-owned firm Hang-ups for suppliers during the contracting phase How the pandemic has shifted priorities Value creation to create meaningful connections Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn With thanks toUniversity of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.  To learn more, go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni, and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!  Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives.

Can we continue with networking events? COVID completely changed the way we interact with networking events, making in-person events impossible. However, virtual networking makes it even easier to connect and lowers all kinds of barriers allowing even more businesses to attend digital conferences and networking events to provide more opportunities. Instead of waiting to return to normal, this opportunity allows for more meaningful connections with business clients and maybe even attend multiple conferences in one day! You can do this, but you need to be prepared, and be sure of your why. In today’s episode, we discuss networking in the age of COVID and how networking has changed for the better. We break down the barriers that in-person events had, and how they lower the cost of entry and availability for everyone. We talk about the ways to improve the sense of community with digital events and how hybrid solutions may help. We also talk about how to be meaningful and deliberate with networking at virtual events, and the benefits of investing in better equipment like webcams to improve your professionalism.   “The digital format breaks down cost barriers which is a huge barrier of entry in a lot of different industries, regardless of the product.” – Adam Moore   “It's hard to get that level of excitement and engagement and make it feel like it's an in-person event if there is not a portion of it that is really live.” – Cloe Guidry-Reed   “I think as business owners, we have to be really thoughtful when we talk about opportunity costs and time. Who should I really be networking with? What are some I should be going to?” – Cloe Guidry-Reed “To my small and diverse suppliers, there is no reason for you not to take part in conferences. There is no reason for you not to take part in networking events.” – Adam Moore   This week on Breaking Barriers: The effects of COVID on networking events How virtual conferences break down cost barriers for small business Promoting a sense of community with Hybrid Events Ways to add excitement to live events for virtual audiences Determining your why when networking Investing in equipment to improve your camera quality The saturation point of online events Resources Mentioned: Book: Start with Why, by Simon Sinek Venture Atlanta Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more, go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni, and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.  They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com    

How often have you heard the phrase ‘I know that’s what I said, but that’s not what I meant’? In the well-meaning world of corporate business-speak perhaps some of the language we fall back on is not that helpful to the many different groups in the diverse supply chain. Are you from a ‘disadvantaged’ background or are you from an ‘underrepresented’ background? The words in context might mean very similar things but to the ears of the person, they are describing they can sound very different. Today we want to talk about communication in the diverse supply space and how the choice of the words you use can either be empowering or reductive. We discuss how phrases traditionally used to address underrepresented backgrounds can actually obstruct communicating with them. We explore the pitfalls and risks associated with certain words and how using effective thoughtful language will break down the barriers diverse communities strain against. We also look at corporate ‘safe speak’ which while full of good intentions can be open to vulnerable misunderstanding and leave minority groups feeling less understood by their associates.   “You're about to learn a whole new language” – Adam Moore “To have a meaningful conversation we have to understand the language” – Adam Moore ‘Supplier diversity practice means to me that it's something that's ongoing and it's always developing and that you’ve got people committed to this practice” Cloe Guidry-Reed “When you look at next-generation entrepreneurs and when we think about who we want to be, we should be using words that are more empowering” – Cloe Guidry-Reed “Changing some of your language as organizations and as corporations would really help you attract some of these next-generation entrepreneurs” – Cloe Guidry-Reed   This week on Breaking Barriers: Why supplier diversity requires a whole new language Why supplier diversity is a practice, not a program How self-identity plays a huge role in supply diverse communication Why we have to be intentional with our language when reaching out to diverse groups How corporations have mitigated risk in business language, leading to well-meaning but ‘cloudy’ communication How understanding diverse cultures leads to clearer conversations Why we need to understand how new business owners identify themselves Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Sonja Williams is the Co-founder and Director of Marketing for Go Getter Marketing Group, a company showing small and medium business how to grow since 2008. Formerly the Chief Marketing Officer at Hire Ground, Sonja has over 15 years’ experience in Marketing Consulting where she has helped numerous brands enhance their digital marketing teams with up to date training, strategies and best practices. She has worked for companies such as NCR Corporation, Federal Highway Administration, and Eli Lilly. Sonja has a BA in International Business and Marketing from Clark Atlanta University and a Marketing MBA from Mercer University. Sonja is currently based in Mexico with her husband and two children. Today Sonja joins us today to share her experience of being a minority woman business owner, revealing the challenges she has faced on the road to becoming a successful diverse supplier. She explains why relocating her base to Mexico has been an amazing experience but has meant some creative coordination regarding office hours and childcare. Sonja reveals her method of securing a mentor in business and the kind of questions she asks people she perceives to be further along in their career. She also discusses the new digital era of marketing that allows flexibility across budgets, ad campaign messaging, and more accessible than ever before. “Anyone starting a business now, I think that's a huge opportunity to find mentorship to connect with like-minds” – Sonja Williams “Continuously training and developing yourself and then looking for ways and opportunities to mentor others, like all that stuff goes hand in hand” Sonja Williams “It’s always been my philosophy to have a team that is a hybrid” – Sonja Williams “I've always wanted to hire people that want to be part of a team, but to some degree have the ability to be independent and have an entrepreneurial spirit that they can self manage” – Sonja Williams “I love higher ground. Honestly it's filling the void where people might go register as a supplier” – Sonja Williams   This week on Breaking Barriers: How reading The 4-Hour Work Week made Sonja pivot her career aspirations Why good mentoring is a two-way street How Sonja selects her mentors, even if they don’t know it How digital marketing has allowed Sonja’s family to live a Mexican adventure Sonja’s tips on navigating a husband/wife business partnership The groups you can join to extend your network and seek out a mentor Resource Mentioned: Book: The 4-Hour Work Week Mentoring: Elevate Connect with Sonja Williams: Go Getter Marketing Website Sonja Williams Website Sonja Williams on LinkedIn Sonja Williams on Twitter Sonja Williams on Instagram Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn     With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a fulltime in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including: due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Pierre Laguerre is the Founder and CEO of Fleeting, a marketplace that gives trucking companies access to vetted CDL drivers to operate their trucks. Born and raised in Haiti, Pierre moved to the U.S with his family aged 15 and entered the world of logistics and delivery as a college student. Having attended Wagner College and New York City College of Technology, Pierre was selected top 1% out of 4,000 teams for Quake Capital’s Spring Cohort 2019 NYC. Pierre is passionate about maximizing opportunities in trucking by giving access to great paying jobs while creating a path to upward mobility and career progression. Pierre joins us today to share his entrepreneurial journey which began when he saved enough money to buy his own truck and in turn bankroll his own staffing agency. He reveals the precarious nature of growing up as a teenager in an immigrant in a ghetto community, and how he was initially ambitious to escape it before returning to the idea of taking trucking to marginalized communities. He reveals the initial shame he felt in his early college days of working in food delivery, and how a college professor made him see his graft in a different respectable light. Pierre also shares with us his vision for Fleeting to be the leader in creating a new ecosystem in the transportation space.   “Allowing a founder to own a truck where they can make passive income while they're building their businesses is ideal because we know how tough it is to be an entrepreneur and keep a job” – Pierre Laguerre “Which company is going to make the ecosystem a lot more efficient, a lot more friendly, to attract the new talent? I think Fleeting is on track to do that” – Pierre Laguerre “Ask as many questions you can ask and be comfortable to say you don't know” – Pierre Laguerre “I tell people all the time ‘Be a fellow student in the gate”’ – Pierre Laguerre “We will be the leader in creating a new norm in trucking, and creating a new ecosystem in the transportation space” – Pierre Laguerre   This week on Breaking Barriers: How Pierre pivoted his medical ambitions to become a logistics expert Why being a truck owner is a very different business to being a truck operator How an early start in food delivery provided Pierre with his early business knowledge Why it took a professor to make Pierre see the worth in his part-time college job How personal challenges at home strengthened Pierres resolve to make Fleet a success Why starting from the ground up makes Pierre feel the moral obligation to help other minorities succeed How Fleeting has grown 20% month over month since July 2019 Resource Mentioned: Book: What the CEO Wants You to Know Connect with Pierre Laguerre: Fleeting Website Pierre Laguerre on LinkedIn Pierre Laguerre on Instagram Pierre Laguerre on Twitter Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Do you think you understand and practice supplier diversity? The Harvard Business Review describes a diverse supplier as “a business that is at least 51% owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group.” But is supplier diversity just a matter of keeping the same recipe for hiring while sprinkling that extra ingredient of a minority to your team on top? No. You need a new recipe for the modern world's business bake. In today’s episode, we discuss supplier diversity and what it means for the next generation of entrepreneurs. We breakdown the diverse categories of minorities and what it takes to reduce the barrier of entry to small and diverse businesses into Corporate America. We look at the history of supplier inclusion, starting from the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s & ’60s where it evolved into an initiative of economic development. We also discuss the differing responsibilities small businesses have compared to large corporations and how those smaller businesses can mitigate their own risks when being brought into a larger organization. “Supplier diversity for me from a corporate standpoint isn't so much a definition or a case study as it is a program where we're actively helping reduce the barrier of entry to small and diverse businesses into corporate America” – Adam Moore “Supplier diversity is a lot more than just going and trying to find a high powered supplier and bring them into your organization. It is pipelining. It is mentoring. It is pulling up alongside and helping them understand what it means to be inside corporate America” – Adam Moore “We have to educate corporate America on how to work with our small and diverse business owners” – Adam Moore “We know that small businesses are the lifeblood of our country” – Cloe Guidry-Reed “We have to have those nimble agile companies out there that help direct change” – Adam Moore   This week on Breaking Barriers: What supplier diversity means in business today The four groups covered by a supplier diversity program Why the definition of diversity only outlines the problem, not the solution How the history of supplier diversity has evolved since the 1960s Why Corporate America needs to expand its knowledge of supplier diversity Why advocacy needs to be supported with the correct language   Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including: due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com

Sometimes you just have to pause the program and get to know your co-worker that little bit better. It’s easy to take a person at face value and assume you know all about them if you work with them regularly and yet how often do you dig deep to get their story? What did your colleague do before they worked with you? What can you share about yourself that would really surprise your co-worker and make them see you in a different personable light? Everyone has a story and in the supplier diverse space the backgrounds and stories we get to hear are always original, powerful, and inspiring. Today we, Cloe and Adam, take a step out of our hosting roles to share our own journeys into Supplier Diversity and how it has enriched our personal lives as well as our professional ones with some surprising reveals. Adam discusses his multifaceted career including 5 years as a County Police Officer, gaining a Masters from Brunel University, and finding his calling in Supplier Diversity via a technology career that included auditing and sales. Cloe shares her experience of growing up as an African American in a Hispanic neighborhood in San Antonio Texas, a melting pot of cultural groups that celebrated their ethnic differences, before moving to Atlanta to study at the women’s college Agnes Scott. We also discuss how our own individual experiences enrich our understanding of the struggle for inclusion and equality and have made us ambitious for Hire Ground and companies like it to help achieve inclusion and equality in all areas of business. “Diversity. Inclusion. Equality. What does it mean? How do we do it? Why are you doing it? Why is it important?” – Adam Moore “One of the beauties of our country: because so many people are able to come here and so many people are able to realize the American dream, we’ll always need supplier diversity professionals within those organizations” – Cloe Guidry-Reed This week on Breaking Barriers: How time on the beat with a fellow Korean police officer taught Adam cultural lessons on communication with a different ethnic community from his own How studying in a women’s only space gave Cleo room to observe women’s challenges as they began their careers Why claiming ‘not to see color’ is an unacceptable approach to Supplier Diversity How to bridge the gap between the diverse suppliers and the companies who are looking for them What happens when Purpose meets Passion meets Skillset Why it’s difficult to be what you can’t see How supplier diversity can help raise up communities of the underrepresented Connect with Hire Ground: Hire Ground’s Website Hire Ground on LinkedIn Hire Ground on Facebook Hire Ground on Twitter Cloe Guidry-Reed on LinkedIn Adam Moore on LinkedIn   With thanks to University of Georgia Supply Chain Advisory Board In addition to ensuring the UGA’s supply chain curriculum meets employer’s needs, the board also connects employers with highly qualified students and joins corporate board members like Johnson and Johnson, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A to discover and hire tomorrows supply chain innovators today.   To learn more go to www.terry.uga.edu click on Alumni and find the Supply Chain Advisory Board there!   Deeply Experienced, Proven Executives, On Demand with TechCXO Get proven hands-on C Suite executives to take on an interim role and provide fractional help and lead projects. TechCXO on-demand executive model consistently delivers time and cost savings of 50 to 75% compared to a full-time in-house function.   They have helped their clients secure over 4 billion dollars in debt and equity financing and have advised clients on over 200 transactions including due diligence preparation M&A and financing alternatives. To learn more please visit www.techCXO.com