The Voice of Manhattan Business

This week's episode is with Harry Konst, Esq. of Konst Law.  We discuss everything from today's legal profession to dabbling a little bit in the poltiical arena, too. Enjoy!

Joy Passey of Joy Prosperity Coaching helps business owners of all kinds.  Given a listen to how she does so!

The latest tips & tricks on taxes & tax planning from Anil Melwani, the President of 212 Tax & Accounting Services.

Have a listen to Russel Rivera of Voice Wealth Management speak about the state of the financial world today & what tips & tricks he may have for you!

On this week's episode, we speak with Claire Rosenzweig is the President & CEO of the Better Business Bureau  of Metropolitan New York. We discuss trust in between vendors & customers, their new scamtracking platform & more. See the links below for more information: BBB Metro NY home page:  https://www.bbb.org/new-york-city Scam Tracker:  https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/new-york-city BBB Wise Giving Alliance:  http://give.org/

Robert Schwartz joins us to discuss the successes & challenges of owning Eneslow - a pedorthic & orthotics retailer in Manhattan & Queens.

On this week's episode, we talk with Dan Stermer - Director of Development of the American Heart Association's www.heartwalknyc.org in May 2017!

Carl Mazzanti is the founder and CEO of eMazzanti Technologies, one of the premier IT consulting services for businesses ranging from home office and retail clients to multinational corporations throughout the New York metropolitan area and numerous international locations.  He is also the Chief Marketing Office at digital marketing firm Liqui-Site.com.  With Carl's guidance, eMazzanti Technologies has recognized double-digit growth every year since they opened their doors in 2001.  After a decade of experience consulting with his various clients to make certain their networks are secure, Carl has accumulated a nearly unparalleled knowledge of the numerous methods that a business owner can take to protect their network and secure the integrity of their client and personal data.

Taylor Trusty is the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Media. Since the company’s inception, Taylor has been the guiding force that drives the team to continue cranking out the best web and digital marketing solutions around. Under his leadership, Blackstone has blossomed from a 3-person operation to a team of 15+, and still growing. Taylor challenges his team to not only use the latest and greatest cutting-edge tools and technologies; he encourages them to create them, and make them better…and better. The firm’s thirst for perfection starts with the ever-optimist Taylor who is always on the lookout for what is possible, what impossibilities can be conquered. The genuine excitement that he instills is palpable when you step into the Blackstone office. With deep knowledge of coding and web development, Taylor is able to understand all of the working parts of each project, and is able to speak to clients about both the technical and logical aspects of Blackstone’s proposed solutions. He has a unique ability to see the big picture and understand the business issues at play, providing clients with solutions and advisory services that go well beyond a website. Taylor’s background is anything but traditional. A self-proclaimed computer nerd, Taylor was working as a computer programmer by age 15. By 17, he was the head of customer service and webmaster for a sports memorabilia ecommerce company. By 20, Taylor had started and sold his shares of an upstart sports collectibles company before founding a new web design/development agency, Blackstone Media. Taylor has been at the helm at Blackstone since 2006.

With a background in business psychology, Sarah Tennyson has coached and facilitated workshops with over 10,000 people in 20 different countries.  Her clients range from graduate to C-level across financial services, professional services, technology, corporate and non-profit sectors. Sarah holds an MSc Occupational Psychology and a BSc (Hons) Psychology. She is accredited to use a number of psychometric assessments and holds the British Psychological Society Qualified Test User Occupational Ability and Personality certificates. Sarah has written for the UK’s leading training journal and regularly publishes articles on current hot topics such as accelerating the development of future leaders, building high performing virtual teams, and managing generational differences. Prior to founding her own talent development practice, Sarah was Senior Director at Moody’s Analytics where she led a global team of talent development consultants. She co-chaired Moody’s UK women’s network and played an active part in promoting gender diversity within the company. Sarah began her career with ENB Consulting, a UK-based firm providing training for banks worldwide. Sarah volunteers for the ATD NYC Chapter as a Board Member and is an active member of SIOP and SHRM.   

My guest will be Eric Mendelsohn.  Eric is an Associate Broker at Warburg Realty and has been a part of over 200 real estate transactions. Having leased and sold apartments numerous times, Eric understands the importance of having a very knowledgeable agent on your side. Honest, reliable, personable and patient, Eric finds enjoyment in his career by offering clients the best possible customer service with a tireless work ethic and legendary knowledge of the market. Knowledge is power in the real estate industry and he has become an expert in helping his clients make educated and appropriate decisions. He has an outstanding reputation for providing his real estate clients with exceptional responsive service. Many apartment owners and landlords rely upon his sharp knowledge of the market plus negotiating expertise and innovative marketing to sell or rent their homes quickly at the best price. After spending five and a half years at a major investment bank where he held positions in client valuations, financial analysis and project management, Eric had a seamless transition to Residential Real Estate. Eric is a native New Yorker who holds a BA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Emory University.

My guest will be Stephanie Shalofsky, founder of The Organizing Zone.  Stephanie brings to her work the discipline, professionalism and project management skills that comes from years of corporate employment, where she managed teams and budgets of $2.5 million.  She combines that with her organizing credentials, which includes membership in the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and training as a Certified Productive Environment Specialist, and her non-judgmental and empathetic style to create functional and organized workspaces for clients.  Stephanie works with solopreneurs in their home offices and companies with up to 25 employees to gain control over their work environment, improving productivity and profits. Her clients find that going from disorganized to organized also clears the mind, allowing them to focus better on work, accomplish more in less time and freeing them to do the things that are most important. 

As Co-founder and Vice President of Keppler Title Agency LLC, Bob has more than 20 years serving the title industry. During this time, Bob has developed solid professional relationships with clients, partners and legal professionals. Educated at Bentley University where he attained his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics/Finance, as well as Iona College, where he earned his MBA, Bob has the professional and personal knowledge to assist all his clients seeking guidance with their title insurance needs.

My guest will be Charles Euchner (IKE-ner).  Charles is a writer and teacher. He is the creator of The Elements of Writing, the only brain-based system for mastering writing and editing in all fields. He has taught at Yale, Holy Cross, Northeastern, and Penn, and he was the founding executive director of the Rappaport Institute at Harvard. His latest book is Keep It Short: A Practical Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, He is also the author of The Elements of Writing, a comprehensive guide to writing in all fields. He has also published books on civil rights (Nobody Turn Me Around), baseball (The Last Nine Innings), city pollutics (Urban Policy Reconsidered, with Steven McGovern), and the politics of sports (Playing the Field), among other works.

Ben Berlin is the President and Founder of the Lucky Hedgehog Company, Inc. a patient advocacy firm.  After 20 years of being a courtroom litigator, Ben found himself helping families get what they needed from the fractured health care system by advocating to insurance companies, medical providers, coordinating care, helping clients manage the finances and bills for themselves or elderly loved ones and more.  He has been successful in helping people achieve smoother transitions including hospital discharges, establish the care necessary to return to appropriate settings in the community or at home and negotiate significant reductions in surprise medical bills. Ben graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in Economics and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law with a J.D.  He also holds a Masters in Media and Communication from the Fordham Graduate School of Business and has worked for Archie Comics Entertainment, CBS, and Sony Music. For the past several years Ben has worked exclusively as a patient advocate for private clients who realize that the system tends to put patients and their concerns last.  It is fragmented and often one group is not communicating well with the other groups.  With someone looking at the larger picture from the patients perspective, often times solutions can be found that are beneficial to all sides.  Ben is a strong proponent of Shared Decision Making and is a member of the Society for Participatory Medicine as well as the Walking Gallery of Healthcare.  

Michael Frankel is a serial entrepreneur with a focus on business to consumer (B2C) companies.  His companies focus on driving acquisition, both on a local and national level in a way that simultaneously acquires new customers, increases spend from existing customers, and grows brand loyalty.  His most recent endeavor, HULEDET, enables companies to reach out to consumers around their birthday and other personal milestones, enabling these companies to acquire not just a customer, but a brand loyalist.

Ramona Cedeno is a CPA with over 15 years of experience as a Financial Controller for Fortune 500 firms, pre-IPO startups and small companies, with a track record of successfully devising and deploying innovative strategies that enhance operational and financial performance. In 2015, she founded FiBrick Financial Services, a full-service accounting and consulting firm working primarily with fast growing tech startups. Ramona earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Baruch College, a Master’s in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from Boston University.

My guest will be Maralyn Dolan, the Founder and President of Integrated Printing and Graphics. IPG is an award-winning full service printing and graphic design company with a blue ribbon client list that includes J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Eileen Fisher, Hudson News and the NY Mets.  She began her career in the printing industry at the Massachusetts Envelope Co. followed by General Business Envelope, and then the Quality House of Graphics, gaining an industry-wide reputation for integrity and customer service.  She repeatedly earned sales awards at each of these companies.  Maralyn founded IPG in 1999, the same year that she entered and completed the New York City Marathon. She participates in the Friendly Visitor Program at St. Malachy’s Church, where she is a past Vice Chair of their Board of Directors. Maralyn is a member of the Lambs Club having served on their Board of Directors, is a member of the New York City Direct Marketing Association, Legal Marketing Association, Association of Accounting Marketers and was the past Chair of the Corporate Partnership Committee of NAWBO-NYC, having also served on their Board of Directors.  She serves on the Board of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.. 

My guest will be Leyland Hazelwood.  Leyland has managed and implemented development projects and market entry for companies in 44 African countries, during the last 40 years. He guides corporate market entry strategies, brand positioning, foreign partner selection and cross-border distribution into African markets. He was a member of the first United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Mission to Africa in search of investment and trade opportunities for American businesses. Leyland, as Senior Advisor, Trade and Manufacturing to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) recently spent a year in Kigali identifying and promoting manufacturing opportunities for foreign investors. Hazlewood managed the groundwork for establishing the $100 million Southern African Enterprise Development Fund to promote business expansion and organizing the first International Franchise Opportunity Conference in Africa.  He structured the cross-border investment involving Nike and advised other Fortune 500 companies on African market entry. As Consul in South Africa for the Republic of Guyana, Leyland participated as a delegate in high level international meetings and conferences relating to investment, trade and economic development. He lectured in Economics at Baruch College, CUNY, New York. and he has been a panelist and presenter at business conferences, internationally.

On January 4 my guest will be Harry Prichett whose current career as a certified professional coach is built on his far-ranging experience as a creative force and communicator in several media. He was a member of the main-stage and touring companies of Chicago City Limits, one of NY’s premier comedy improv groups, and has taught improvisation to both children and adults. His one-man show, “Work=Pain=Success,” has been performed in NYC, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. The New York Post called it “one of the funniest and most insightful solo vehicles mounted this year.” He has written and performed comedy for NPR’s “All Things Considered” and co-authored the New York Times bestselling humor books, Bad Cat, Bad Dog and Bad President. As a voice actor, he has been heard on countless national radio and TV commercials (among them, Dunkin’ Donuts and DirecTV), narrated numerous documentaries, and for 10 years was the voice of The History Channel. His television comedy pilot, “BSI,” which he starred in, produced, and wrote, won the Hoboken International Film Festival’s “Best TV Pilot.” In the corporate world Harry has written, produced, directed, and appeared in industrial videos and live presentations for companies such as IBM, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Coldwell Banker.