Where There’s a Will There’s a Way

Pilgrim Talks: Scott Trotter: Executive Director of the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center



Scott Trotter Executive Director Since August of 2006, Scott Trotter has served as the Executive Director for the Child Abuse Prevention Center. In his role, Scott provides leadership to a volunteer Board of Directors and a staff of over 80 employees. His guidance helps shape the Prevention Center's family focused prevention programs. Scott is committed to fulfilling the Prevention Center's mission of serving at-risk children and families with programs that break the generational cycle of child abuse and family violence. Scott has long been involved in nonprofit and healthcare organizations, serving key roles at organizations including, Habitat for Humanity and Caremark. His professional experience also includes 18 years of business management at Disney and Ernst and Young. His expertise in strategic planning and organizational leadership are tremendous assets and allows the Prevention Center to reach even more children and families in Orange County. The Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit directly serving at-risk children and families in crisis to prevent and break the generational cycle of child abuse. We value every child's right to grow up in a safe and nurturing home environment. Our programs provide critically needed parenting education, case management, and mental health services to families at-risk of abuse in their own homes. Our programs work with parents to create healthier environments for children, ultimately building stronger families. By providing families with the tools and education they need to build nurturing homes, we are breaking the generational cycle of abuse. One child at a time, one family at a time, we are creating stronger families and healthier communities. In our community, child abuse statistics are staggering. The Orange County Child Abuse Registry receives more than 100 calls a day reporting cases of child abuse and maltreatment. In 2010, over 18,000 child abuse reports were filed in which over 38,000 children were reported to have suffered physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. Sadly, more than 1/3 of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children. Please partner with us to Help Break the Cycle. Become a Volunteer! Our experience has shown that volunteers find our program to be extremely rewarding and gratifying. We greatly value our volunteers and hope you might consider talking to us about this opportunity to serve our community. Please attend a volunteer orientation to learn more. The next available dates are April 30, June 11, July 30, August 27 and September 24 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Light dinner at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP to LRomo@BrightFutures4Kids.org. To learn more about The Child Abuse Prevention Center, go to brightfutures4kids.org.

Pilgrim Talks: Chris Cannizzaro - Everest Summiter

Chris Cannizzaro

A Young Man With a Passion and a Goal

This is a great story!

Listen to the story of a twenty-year-old young man whose dream was to climb Mt. Everest, even though he had no climbing experience at all. Chris is a demonstration of the truth: If one person in the world can do something, anyone can do it if he/she has two things: an unstoppable desire and access to someone who has done and can teach hi /her how to do it.

You will hear what unstoppable passion sounds like. It means choosing to do or die all the way up and down big mountains.

The book Transcend chronicles Chris's journey. Get a FREE copy at Meridian Graphics.

This show is sponsored in part by

Meridian Graphics

2652 Dow Avenue Tustin, CA 92780-7208 (949) 833-3500

Conscious Selling the Sandler Way

Pilgrim Talks: Steve Healy



Steve Healy

General Manager

Identive Group, Inc. provides secure identification, or "Secure ID," solutions that combine the convenience of radio frequency identification ("RFID") with the security of smart card technology - enabling people to easily and securely interact with and manage digital devices, systems and data. The company's offerings range from innovative hardware and software products, to complete systems, to integration services, which are used to address a range of Secure ID applications including physical access, cyber security, credential issuance and management, mobile payment and ID systems integration. Identive sells its offerings to customers in the government, enterprise, consumer, education, healthcare and transportation sectors. The company's Hirsch Identive business unit - formerly known as Hirsch Electronics - develops and sells enterprise-class physical access control solutions, fully integrated security systems as well as integration services that support a wide range of identity credentials, including digital certificates, smart cards, RFID cards and biometrics.

Hirsch Identive, a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVE; Frankfurt: INV), manufactures integrated security and identity systems for worldwide markets. Hirsch's award-winning solutions incorporate access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, digital certificates, smart cards and biometrics in order to successfully secure facilities, digital assets and electronic transactions.

To learn more about Hirsch Identive, go to hirsch-identive.com.

Conscious Selling the Sandler Way

Pilgrim Talks: Ron Williams, CEO of Talon Executive Services



Ron Williams

CEO

Dedicating 22 years to the United States Secret Service, Ron Williams had the opportunity to work and supervise all divisions of the SS Treasury department in the Los Angeles Field Office. Gaining a wealth of security expertise and a highly regarded reputation within Federal Law Enforcement, Mr. Williams decided to start Talon Executive Services, Inc., a corporate security and investigations company. As a Secret Service Agent, Mr. Williams supervised the credit card and financial fraud squad, the counterfeit squad, and the elite Counter Assault Team (CAT) to combat terrorism. As the Lead Advance Agent, Mr. Williams was responsible for all advance security plans and logistics coordination for Presidential, Vice Presidential, and foreign heads-of-state visits to Los Angeles. He personally protected Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, as well as such noted dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth, Yitzhak Shamir, and Pope John Paul and was the recipient of numerous awards including the United States Secret Service Director's Award for Special Achievement on eight occasions. Focusing on the company he founded in 1994, Talon Executive Services, Inc., Mr. Williams has created a highly advanced team of former Secret Service and F.B.I. agents as well as other federal, state and local law enforcement officers. Threat assessment and physical site surveys performed by Talon include venues such as public transportation, entertainment and pharmaceutical. As a RAM-w certified agent, he performs threat assessments and develops remedial measures for water districts, identified as one of the nation's critical infrastructures. Because of his expertise in the field of anti-terrorism, Mr. Williams was asked by the California Gubernatorial delegation in 2002, to meet with Tom Ridge regarding homeland security. His association with AFAUSSS (Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service), ASIS (American Society of Industry Security), ATAP (Association of Threat Assessment Professionals) American Water Works Association (AWWA) Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) to name a few, keeps him abreast of all matters involving security and threat assessment. He is also an active member of the FBI's InfraGard program, U.S. State Department Overseas Advisory Council (OSAC) and OCPST (Orange County Private Sector Terrorist Response). Mr. Williams frequently appears on Fox News Channel as well as other national shows as a security analyst and terrorism expert. He was also the keynote speaker at the 1999 Alabama Governor's Conference on Violence in the Workplace Prevention, has made presentations to the California Association of Water Agencies which included a White Paper, and continues to educate organizations on various security issues through specialized seminars and training.

To learn more about Talon Executive Services, go to talonexec.com

Pilgrim Talks: Michael Luckman

Michael Luckman

With forty plus years as a salesperson, marketing pioneer, entrepreneur and sales trainer, Michael Luckman is today, a successful and dynamic speaker, trainer and coach. In Overpowering Fear he opens up his life and the lessons learned to help his readers uncover their own fear blocks and overpower them, in order to enjoy lives filled with confidence, success and abundance. Overpowering Fear is Michael’s real world journey through a career filled with amazing achievements – including the launch of the first electronic toy and inventions like the cartridge video game system, the electronic keyboard and the see-through advertising product seen on vehicle wraps. Michael also “gets real” about the personal defeats that came when fear, uncertainty and doubt clouded even one of the brightest minds in business. In working with and training thousands of salespeople, Michael came to the conclusion that those who reach the top in sales are those who have learned to overpower their fears and do whatever is necessary to gain the business. While those we would consider average salespeople succumb to their fears and will do only those things that fall within their comfort zones. Unlike psychologists and other scientists who approach the topic of fear from an arm’s length or academic perspective, Michael peels back the cover on his own life. With astonishing honesty and impressive insight, he exposes painful, emotional events that began in childhood and continued to dog him as he rose in the business world. Told with humor as well as deep personal truth, Michael’s life story and his “Luckman’s Laws” help readers take an equally brave and fruitful look at their own journeys. They will be delighted to find ten exercises at the end of the book that Michael created to help them find the causes and cures for their own fears. Readers will also learn how to identify goals they want to see materialize in their lives, understand what dreams they have been afraid to realize and be able to create a roadmap to a fantastic future. This is a hugely important book because it alone examines the earliest origins of fear, a complex and defeating emotion, from a very personal and relatable perspective. Fear is present in every occupation and in every stage of life, so much so that it is a virtual epidemic affecting almost everyone at any time. To see more about Michael Luckman and his book, go to michael-luckman.com.

Pilgrim Talks: Michael Saddik - AnaTango



Michael Saddik CEO

Michael Saddik is an established senior executive with over 20 years of experience in sales and technology. Formally the Executive Vice-President of Concerro, a healthcare Software-as-a-Service company, Saddik later co-founded his own start-up tech company, AnaTango, which specializes in cloud-based software applications and services. Saddik holds an MBA from Pepperdine University with an emphasis in Executive Leadership; and currently serves as a Board Member for The Lupus Foundation of Northern California, a non-profit organization which promotes lupus awareness.

His company, AnaTango, has quickly established itself as a business solution provider which enables their customer base to maximize their operations, while minimizing their total cost of ownership. Saddik and his team of business management experts have empowered organizations to do business their way while speaking a common business language.  Currently, "The AnaTango Business Diamond", (Saddik's business solution to the market today) consists of four distinct services: AnaTango Cloud, AnaTango Consult, AnaTango Connect, and AnaTango Apps. The Cloud and Consult services being the two most popular services offered. "AnaTango Cloud" is AnaTango's software solution which allows organizations small and large to implement, deploy, and manage their strategy with visible accountability.  AnaTango Cloud products are designed to empower business leaders with all of the tools required to create and execute the simplest to the most complex operational processes and strategic plans. It embraces the over-arching CEO view intertwined with a systems engineering and detail- oriented approach that allows the user the impressive ability to model a process or develop a strategic plan, as well as a seasoned executive does.

Whether the process, structure, or model is a SWOT (OTSW), KPI, TOC, Feasibility Study, Risk Control or models that exist today, or even something that you invent, Anavation lets you construct it, and integrate it within the bigger picture.

"AnaTango Consult", Saddik's latest creation, allows organizations help with: Strategy Deployment, Operational Excellence, Infrastructure Efficiency, Shareholder Return, Profitable Growth, Customer Metrics, & Financial Consistency, and lastly: Branding and Marketing: via: Internet websites, Social Media, other Media outlets.

To learn more about AnaTango, go to anatango.com

Pilgrim Talks: Larry Sidoti - Yogurtland

Larry Sidoti, Vice President of Development and Operations Yogurtland is pioneering the customer-created frozen yogurt experience by combining irresistible yogurt flavors with an exciting franchise business model.

Yogurtland stores feature 16 original sweet and tart flavors of self-serve frozen yogurt from a rotating menu of more than 50 selections that include both classic and exotic flavors, including no sugar added choices. Customers become the architect of their frozen yogurt creation by mixing and combining flavors and topping their yogurt with a choice of over 35 toppings that include fresh fruits, nuts, cereals, candy and much more. Price is determined by the total weight of the customer's cup. The company's structure and culture is built around continuous improvement and operational excellence, supported by top-level training programs reinforced by continuous franchisee support. Yogurtland is recognized as a leader in the self-serve frozen yogurt sector. Its combination of premium quality products, superior service, attractively designed stores and vast selection of flavors and toppings in a self-service environment set Yogurtland apart from any other frozen yogurt concept. Founded by Phillip Chang, Yogurtland opened its first location in Fullerton, Calif., in 2006. In its first year, Yogurtland served more than 25,000 customers each month. Prior to founding Yogurtland, Chang founded, developed and launched Boba Loca in 2001, a 33-store specialty drink chain in Southern California that serves Boba Tea or bubble tea, a refreshing Asian beverage, as well as a variety of other drinks. Yogurtland has over 170 locations throughout the Unites States, Mexico and Guam. The company expects to have 75 additional locations either open or in development by the end of 2011, expanding to more than 1,000 total locations by the end of 2017. The focus will be on expanding existing markets in Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin), Atlanta, Portland, Seattle and the Tri-State Area surrounding New York City. Targeted new markets include Chicago, Ill., Alabama, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. International growth is also on the radar. The company currently has two locations on Guam and 23 stores in Mexico. An additional 10 stores are planned for Mexico in 2012 as well as a location in Puerto Rico, slated to open later this year. Furthermore,Yogurtland will open four units in Venezuela in 2012.

To learn more about Yogurtland, go to yogurt-land.com

Pilgrim Talks: Kai Tao - K5Launch

Kai Tao, Partner at K5Launch Kai Tao is an experienced technology investor through Park One Capital, his family office, which invests in both private and public equities utilizing a variety of capital structures. Park One Capital seeks innovative disruptive business opportunities to back, working actively with entrepreneurs to create value by leveraging its many years of industry and financial relationships.

K5 is an accelerator run by angel investors and experienced business people to help emerging entrepreneurs build successful, technology-driven companies. The first step in becoming a part of K5 is to apply. Entrepreneurs who are accepted will receive funding and attend K5Launch, which is a three-month, high-intensity program that helps entrepreneurs build the necessary framework to launch their companies. K5 was formed by a group of very successful entrepreneurs and investors who continue to have a passion for building startups. We are all based out of Southern California, and would like to provide local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to work with local investors, mentors and other business professionals. Our goal is to build a vibrant and supportive community for entrepreneurs in beautiful Southern California. A company can get up to a maximum of U.S. $25,000 in pre-seed funding. The fund is intended to help the founders build the initial product, whether it's a prototype or version 1.0, as well as develop an initial business model. However, K5 is not about funding alone. Even more valuable than the money, is the time our advisors and mentors will spend with the companies to develop a viable business model. In addition, K5 provides a space to work with Internet access, mentor office hours, legal services, website design & hosting help, and other professional services that a startup needs. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to connect with the angel and venture capital investor community, and build essential connections for subsequent fund raising. K5Launch is a three-month high-intensity program that will cover all the key elements of building a lean technology-driven startup. The program is designed to walk the entrepreneur through the process of taking an idea and turning it into a business-and not just any business, a cost-efficient company with a strong chance to succeed. It will also include many hours of personalized mentorship, where our business mentors will work closely with the founders and guide them through the program.

To learn more about K5Launch, go to k5launch.com

Pilgrim Talks: George Lanza, Plethora Businesses

George Lanza President and Primary Business Intermediary

Plethora Businesses was founded in 1999 by George and Dora Lanza with the mission to successfully engage buyers and sellers to a common interest where value meets expectations. Built on a foundation of excellent customer service, years of transactional experience, and numerous industry resources, Plethora Businesses excels in providing sell side advisory services, business sales, mergers, acquisitions, valuations and appraisals to clients across the globe. George is the President of Plethora Businesses and actively involved in merger and acquisition services. His experience in management, consulting, business valuations, and mergers and acquisitions spans over 30 years. George began his career as a boat designer and plant manager for Islander Yachts. Moved on to take a position as Director of Manufacturing and Engineering at Mark Industries, a manufacturer of hydraulic aerial lift equipment. Later serving as Manufacturing and Engineering Manager, ran a Multi-plant operation for Lear Siegler, a major defense contractor. Representing a group of investors as its CEO strategically grew Equity Lending & Investments (a mortgage banking firm), utilizing mergers and acquisitions maneuvers expanding it to three states, burgeoning sales above $200 million. After the divesture, George dedicated his full time efforts to the development of Plethora Businesses. Graduated from the Naval Academy of Argentina in ship design. In the US, studied Manufacturing Engineering at the University of California Irvine; Hydraulics Design at Paul-Munroe, Hydraulics School of Fluid Powers; International Managerial Relations at the University of Southern California, and Mortgage Banking Certification at California State University Fullerton. George is a Certified Mergers & Acquisition Master Intermediary, Certified Senior Business Analyst, Machinery and Equipment Appraiser and a Certified Business Intermediary. George is an active member of the Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA), The Society of Business Analysts (SBA),The National Equipment Business Brokers Institute (NEBBI) the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), and the M&A Source.

To learn more about Plethora Businesses, go to plethorabusinesses.com

Pilgrim Talks: Ryan Huff, Cirrus Insight

Ryan Huff Founder and CEO

Ryan Huff created this Salesforce.com app from his vision of what would help salespeople who use Gmail improve their productivity. We will be discussing the development path as well as the ongoing projects of the develop entrepreneur in our own backyard. Salesforce and Gmail are two essential cloud applications for thousands of companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. These organizations rely on Salesforce for best-in-class customer relationship management and on Gmail for robust, reliable email. Ryan designed Cirrus Insight to be the most trusted, most advanced integration of Salesforce and Gmail.

What's it Do?

Here's the short version: Cirrus Insight shows you everything about your Leads and Contacts in Salesforce right inside your Gmail inbox. As soon as you open an email in Gmail, you can see Contact Information and Activity History for that person from Salesforce. You can relate emails to Contacts, Cases and Opportunities; create Leads and Contacts; see details on open Cases and Opportunities; and more. For more details, see our Features & Benefits, or better yet -  try it out yourself, with our free trial that anyone can install in about 30-seconds. That's just the beginning.  We have dozens of exciting features in the pipeline. To learn more about Cirrus Insight, go to cirrusinsight.com

Pilgrim Talks: John Hakopian

John Hakopian

President, First Foundation Advisors Director, First Foundation Inc. Director, First Foundation Bank

Mr. Hakopian oversees the vision, strategy, operations and development of the investment management service for the firm. His entrepreneurial spirit combined with his focus on results, exceptional interpersonal skills, and ability to emphasize people's core needs continue to drive First Foundation's management success as the region's leading independent wealth advisory firm. Having been with First Foundation since its inception in 1990, Mr. Hakopian has been closely involved in developing and delivering the firm's investment services. He became President in 2009. Mr. Hakopian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in economics in three years from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California. To learn more about First Foundation Advisors, go to www.ff-inc.com

Pilgrim Talks: Chris Ivey

Christopher Ivey, Partner

Christopher D. Ivey is the Co-Chair of the firm's Corporate and Securities Practice Group. He practices corporate and securities law, including organizational and transaction matters for emerging growth companies, venture capital financing, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate governance, and regulation under the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other areas of emphasis include intellectual property licensing and development agreements.

Mr. Ivey frequently speaks on topics related to federal and state securities laws, organizing and advising closely held businesses and technology licensing. He has lectured to organizations on many topics which include the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization on developing an effective Board of Directors, the Association of Corporate Counsel on advanced contact negotiation, and at The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California in Irvine on legal issues for start-ups.

Mr. Ivey received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1994 from the University of San Diego, where he was a member of the Law Review and inducted into the Order of the Coif. He received his B.S. in finance, cum laude, from California State University, Long Beach, in 1990.

Special Honors and Memberships

Mr. Ivey is a member of the State Bar of California. He has been a panel moderator and member of the planning and review committees of the VentureNet Capital Conference, and is a board member of the Orange County chapter of the American Heart Association. He is also a member of the Orange Coast Venture Group and the Technology Council of Southern California.

To learn more about Stradling, go to: www.sycr.com

Pilgrim Talks: Hal Reisiger

Hal Reisiger

President, Cosworth Americas Hal Reisiger joined Cosworth Group as the President of the Americas in early 2011 to accelerate the company's market expansion program. Reisiger was attracted to the opportunity with Cosworth Group by the growth potential created by leveraging the brand and applying the company's world class mechanical and electronic engineering skills in growth markets such as wind energy, unmanned vehicles for commercial and military applications, and military vehicle accident data recorders and crew survivability. Reisiger's key role as President of the Americas includes communicating the growth vision and opportunity to employees, vendors and customers. He will oversee business development strategies and develop Cosworth Group's American team to expand the engineering, manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities in the Americas. He will also be fundamental in identifying additional emerging growth market opportunities where Cosworth Group can apply their engineering skills. Automotive, defense and clean energy are the three key business sectors within Cosworth that Reisiger sees a real US growth opportunity. He said aftermarket automotive performance parts and kits will continue to generate growth for Cosworth Group. In the defense sector, Reisiger sees opportunities within the Department of Defense for Cosworth's heavy fuel engines for military applications including UAVs, robots and power generators as well as accident data recorders for military vehicles. There is also the potential for Cosworth Group's work in clean energy to translate to America, specifically enhanced condition monitoring system for wind turbines. Reisiger has a proven track record growing public and private businesses through global sales channel development, innovative new product development, and improved operational effectiveness. He began his career as an application engineer before progressing to senior sales, marketing and operations positions at Haskel International, a manufacturer of pumps, compressors and systems for the military, medical and oil & gas industries. He was president of Burkert Contromatic, a US subsidiary of Germany's Burkert GmbH & Co., a manufacturer of valves, sensors and automation systems for the medical device, water treatment and food processing markets where six months after reengineering the company and defining a new sales channel strategy the company reversed its losses and became profitable with record growth. From 2003-2007 Reisiger was President of Enhanced Vision Systems, a manufacturer of digital magnification systems for the legally blind and visually impaired.  Under his leadership the company introduced new products which generated significant revenue, launched a European subsidiary, and obtained a Veterans Administration contract that enabled the company to more than triple its annual revenues and increase profit more than six fold. Prior to accepting his role as President of the Americas for Cosworth, Reisiger was President and CEO of Fast Forward Video, a manufacturer of high definition digital video recorders. Revenue more than doubled after Reisiger built a motivated management team that focused on growth markets such as medical, sports instant replay and military surveillance. Reisiger graduated from the Anderson Executive School of Management at UCLA in Los Angeles in 1998. Reisiger expects Cosworth Group to become a global brand in the targeted growth markets while the organization continues to develop game-changing technology. To learn more about Cosworth, go to: cosworth.com

Pilgrim Talks: Scott Kavanaugh

Scott Kavanaugh

CEO of First Foundation, Inc., Chairman and CEO of First Foundation Bank

Scott Kavanaugh brings proven entrepreneurial executive leadership and a strong knowledge of finance, banking and real estate to First Foundation and its affiliates. In his role as the CEO of First Foundation, he is responsible for providing strategic leadership and overseeing the operations of both First Foundation Advisors and First Foundation Bank. Mr. Kavanaugh was formerly an Executive Vice President and Director of Secondary Marketing for Provident Funding. Mr. Kavanaugh was a founding stockholder of Commercial Capital BanCorp and served as Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer from June 1999 to February 2003. Mr. Kavanaugh also served as Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Commercial Capital Mortgage since its formation in 1998 until 2003. During his tenure, the bank grew over 400% and was successfully taken public in December 2002. Other responsibilities included management of interest rate risk, Director of Human Resources, Director of the Trust Department, and negotiation of loan transactions, loan review, and oversight of operations in the mortgage company. He was Chairman of ALCO, and a member of Executive, Compliance, Information Technology, Loan and Internal Asset Review committees. Since January 2000, Mr. Kavanaugh has served as Independent Trustee and Chairman of Audit Committee for all Highland Funds managed by Highland Capital Management, L.P. Highland is a Registered Investment Advisor specializing in credit and alternative investment strategies currently managing leveraged loans, high yield bonds, structured products and other assets. Prior to entering banking, Mr. Kavanaugh spent a majority of his career in investment banking. After becoming a partner of Great Pacific Securities, Inc., a west coast-based regional firm, Mr. Kavanaugh became Head of Trading for fixed income and equity securities. Mr. Kavanaugh earned a BS in Business Administration - Accounting at the University of Tennessee and a MBA in Information Systems at North Texas State University.

About First Foundation, Inc.

First Foundation Inc. is a private financial firm that offers banking, estate planning, wealth management, philanthropic consulting and trust services seamlessly. Founded in 1990, this full-service firm provides complete financial management through its affiliates. First Foundation's goal is to offer clients a single source to handle their investments, insurance, taxes, estate planning, charitable donations and other financial needs. To learn more about First Foundation, go to: www.ff-inc.com

Pilgrim Talks: Anthony Vincent Bova

Anthony Vincent Bova Creator of the Bova Communication System

Anthony Vincent Bova is a prominent communications coach based in Times Square, New York. He has over three decades of experience as a teacher of communication skills and the performing arts. Professionals from Broadway to Wall Street gravitate to his system, responding to his personalized and practical approach to teaching communication with clarity, authenticity, confidence and passion. He has gained a reputation for understanding personalized communication challenges and developing an individualized approach that provides his clients with a distinct advantage over their competition. He is now working with clientele throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Anthony was a consultant for Special Events projects in Mayor Giuliani's administration. He has taught in elite educational institutions throughout the country, including the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, andTuftsUniversity. Anthony was born in Brooklyn and currently resides in Manhattan with his wife, Cathy and daughter, Annarose.

A Message from Anthony

The conventional antidote to experiencing "negative" states such as feelings of mediocrity, nervousness, tension and self-consciousness, is to impose "positive" behavior so the executive "acts" confident, relaxed, dynamic and self-assured while experiencing  just the opposite. The Bova Communication System trains clients in a contrarian fashion. I train the executive how not to "act," how not to posture, how not to function in spite of nerves and tension-but rather to communicate from an authentically confident and relaxed state. In order to make their most optimal business contribution, the executive must communicate from a centered and authentic place within themselves-and they must be trained to access this space at will.  Knowing a specific process for attaining this unique state is what separates our clients from their competition and paves the way for impactful and superior communication skills. If you want your audience to be relaxed, you have to be relaxed. If you want your audience to be passionate about your product or service, you have to be passionate about your product or service. Listen to what I have to say to senior executives about regaining confidence. If you want your audience to trust you, then you need to be trusting, and so on. We train our clients to transform their behavior from hard-wired communication obstacles that can compromise their message to clear, confident and dynamic communications that connect to the hearts and minds of their audience. To learn more about Anthony Vincent Bova and the Bova Communication System, click on the picture below:

Pilgrim Talks: C.C. Chapman

CC Chapman, Social Media Expert and Father of Two

C.C. is the Founder of Digital Dads, where a Dad can be a guy. He is also the creator and host of of the widely popular Managing the Gray podcast and is also a member of the Media Hacks and Cast of Dads podcasts. He has extensive knowledge of the online space and is a sought after speaker on social media and community building. Over the years he has worked with a variety of clients to build and execute multiple digital marketing programs. He has worked with the likes of The Coca-Cola Company, Discovery Channel, American Eagle Outfitters, HBO and Verizon FiOS among others. He is a graduate of Bentley University and an avid photographer. His personal blog just celebrated it's 8th Anniversary with no plans to slow down at all. He lives in Metro West Boston with his wife, two amazing kids and black lab Roxie.

About the Book

How does a company make the leap from "marketing-speak" to become a publisher on the Web? How do you know what to say? How can you create stories and videos and blog posts that people will love? How can you cultivate fans and spark devotion? How can your ideas ignite your business? How do you know if it's working? Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other online platforms are giving organizations like yours an enormous opportunity to engage directly with your customers. That's a lucky thing: because instead of creating awareness about your company or your brand solely the old-school way (through annoying people with advertising, or bugging them with direct mail, or interrupting them with whatever), you now have an unprecedented and enormous opportunity. "Produce great stuff, and your customers will come to you. Produce great stuff, and your customers will share your story for you. More than ever before: Content is king! Content rules!" Now, thanks to the advent of the Internet and the rise of Web-based tools and technologies, you can create the kind of web content, blog posts, videos, webinars, and web sites that will attract customers to you, rather than you chasing after them. What's more, you can entice your customers to share those stories with each other, all across the web. Produce great stuff, and your customers will come to you. Produce great stuff, and your customers will share your story for you. More than ever before: Content is king! Content rules! Of course, like many things in life: That bit of luck comes with a hitch. Content may rule, but your online content must be the right sort of content:  Customer-focused. Authentic. Compelling. Remarkable. Interesting. (Gripping, even.) Valuable. The problem, of course, is that it's a struggle to actually do it. What does it mean to create content that's "compelling"? And how can you do it consistently? How can your be heard above the noise? Why doesn't your blog have any comments? It's hard work, right? That's where this book comes in. This book demystifies the idea of organizations as publishers. It streamlines the process of creating remarkable blogs, podcasts, webinars, ebooks, and other web content that will lure would-be customers to you. It walks you through the fundamentals of how to create bold stories, videos, and blog posts. And then, once you've created the content, it tells you how to share it widely online to cultivate fans, arouse passion for your products or services, and ignite your business. Content Rules is suited for organizations of all sizes and stripes, whether you are a Fortune 500 corporation or a mom-and-pop on the corner, or anything in between: hospital, entrepreneur, nonprofit, sole practitioner or consultant, artist, government agency, church, school, political candidate, sports team, community group, or rock band or maybe a butcher, baker or candlestick maker. Also, one more key thing: It's not boring.

To learn more about CC Chapman and Content Rules, go to: contentrulesbook.com

Pilgrim Talks: Dave Morse

Dave Morse, CEO

Location Based Technologies (OTCBB: LBAS) designs and develops PocketFinder personal locator devices for a highly mobile society. PocketFinder devices provide an easy solution to help people use technology to stay connected to what they value most – loved ones, pets, vehicles and assets – at any time from almost anywhere. PocketFinder products include the GPS Vehicle Locator, Personal GPS Locator and GPS Pet Locator. PocketFinder’s Personal Locator fits easily in a pocket, purse or backpack and provides real-time information that allows users to locate the devices online at any time from almost anywhere. The portable GPS Personal Locators are especially useful in locating children and elderly seniors who might get lost. The devices are as easy to recharge as a cell phone. PocketFinder Vehicle attaches to automobiles, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, jet skis – virtually any powered vehicle. It allows users to pinpoint the location of the vehicles as well as their speeds – capabilities especially welcomed by parents of teenage drivers. The compact GPS Vehicle Locator can also help authorities to quickly find a lost or stolen vehicle. “Just because you are on the move doesn’t mean that you have to be out of touch with the most important elements of business or life. We optimize the way technology allows you to know the “location” of what you value, even when you cannot be there,” stated Dave Morse, CEO of Location Based Technologies. “Selling our products through Apple Online and Retail stores fits perfectly with our focus on quality and service as we provide customers with peace of mind in knowing where people, pets and things that are most important to them are located at all times.” The heart of the PocketFinder system is the online PocketFinder GPS User Interface and an iOS App for the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad which can also be accessed via a web browser. The online PocketFinder GPS Mapping Application pinpoints the location of all selected PocketFinder GPS Personal and Vehicle Locators. Users can customize the map application by establishing zones that automatically send alerts if a loved one enters or leaves a zone on foot or in a vehicle. In addition, speed alerts can be set that notify users if a vehicle exceeds set speed limits. Alerts are sent instantly via email, SMS text, and push notification.

Freedom with Peace of Mind

The PocketFinder® family of personal GPS locators help you stay connected with the things you love. As we say: “If you love it, locate it!^®” These devices are designed to provide the exact location of a loved one, pet or vehicle at any time and from almost anywhere. Easy to use software allows you to customize zones, speeds and alerts that send you an email or text message.

People

PocketFinder® People is the perfect way to keep the family connected. Parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing their children, teens, special needs loved one or senior parents can be located at any time. Learn More.

Pets

Pets are part of the family. This tiny device can be secured to your pet with a durable holder to create a GPS dog collar or cat collar. Locate escape artist dogs and adventurous housecats and receive alerts when they leave the house, yard, or neighborhood with this pet locator.Learn More.

Vehicle

PocketFinder^® Vehicle GPS trackers are durable and dependable devices that provide real time locations with easy to use software. This is an affordable way for individuals and businesses to locate cars, motor-homes, boats, trucks, fleets and other assets. Learn More. For more information, visit http://www.pocketfinder.com. Connect with PocketFinder on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PocketFinder or follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/PocketFinderGPS.

Pilgrim Talks: Norman Wolfe



Norman Wolfe, President and CEO

Norman will be discussing with us his just-published a book: The Living Organization. The book is transformative, a major breakthrough in understanding business through a new lens.  It transforms business from a soulless machine of production whose purpose is to maximize return to shareholders almost at any cost, to a living creative being, designed to fulfill a deep Soulful Purpose™, a purpose that drives and guides the collective to be in service to their customers and society.  A brief description of the book:

The pressure on CEOs and other organization leaders to create results while balancing an increasing diversity of opposing demands is reaching oppressive levels.  The time-tested economic system is no longer adequate to meet the challenges of a world of evolving complexity. The Living Organization delivers a new model that transforms the best of what worked before and expands it to deliver new life and growth for organizations.

First and foremost The Living Organization deepens our understanding of how any living organization creates the results it desires.  Norman Wolfe draws on decades of experience both leading and consulting with organizations, large and small, to unravel the mystery of creating results.  Based on scientific, philosophical and spiritual truths, The Living Organization® model explores how three distinct yet highly interdependent fields of energy influences and determines which results will and will not be created.

Beyond just a new theory Norman Wolfe provides practical tools for aligning and focusing the organization on execution of its strategy (creation of desired results).   Building on decades of learning about organization effectiveness and execution management The Living Organization expands our frameworks for allocating resources and making decisions that will reap the desired results. The guiding principals and theories can guide the largest of corporations or the entrepreneurial startup in getting the results they want.

Deeply personal, brimming with compelling stories from real-life challenges, and packed with powerful insights, tools, and practices, this book is a potent resource for aspiring, emerging, and seasoned business leaders alike. Or anyone interested in creating the results they desire.

To learn more about the Norman Wolfe and Quantum Leaders, go to: quantumleaders.com

Pilgrim Talks: Dave Kinnear

Dave Kinnear, Executive Leader Coach

Dave Kinnear, through his affiliation with Vistage International, convenes and facilitates groups of Business Owners, Company Presidents and Chief Executives dedicated to becoming better leaders who make better decisions and achieve better results. Dave facilitates monthly peer advisory meetings, engages members in one-to-one coaching, provides access to proprietary best practices, facilitates access to 14,000 members in 16 countries, and schedules a range of expert speakers on almost any business subject.

Dave has more than 32 years of leadership experience at some of the world's largest semiconductor corporations including Toshiba America Electronic Components, Advanced Microdevices, Fairchild Semiconductor, and United Technologies. His career has spanned Electronic Design and Application Engineering, Procurement Management, Sales and Marketing Management, Business Systems Implementation and Analysis, and Operations. In addition to his work with Vistage, Dave is the founder and CEO of dbkAssociates, Inc.SM, a change management and business practices consulting firm providing economy of knowledge to the Small and Mid-sized Enterprise (SME) community.

To learn more about the Dave Kinnear, go to executiveleadercoach.com

Pilgrim Talks: Will Crist reads Selling in a Social Media World

Will Crist reads from his new book: Selling in a Social Media World: How buyers have Changed their Buying Process . . . and What You Can Do About It!

Pilgrim Talks: Jay Zeinfeld



Jay Zeinfeld, President and CEO

As CEO of the country's foremost lessee advisory and equipment lease due diligence firm, Mr. Zeinfeld and his firm have represented a variety of Fortune 2000 companies in the legal, hi-tech, engineering, healthcare services, distribution, and manufacturing industries, including notable firms such as Golden State Foods Corporation, URS Corporation, Kinko's, Seagate Technology, Ingram Micro, Sukut Construction, and Aurora Healthcare.

Mr. Zeinfeld's unique understanding of the complexities and financial ramifications of equipment lease transactions has resulted in his firm's clients saving tens of millions of dollars.

The Optimus Group's mission is to protect companies from awkward, unexpected financial surprises and to equip them to outperform market.  He has personally reviewed more than 1,000 equipment leases and has a track record over the past twenty years of saving his clients an average of $150,000 for every $1 million in leased assets.   Mr. Zeinfeld and his staff are committed to helping companies, willing to be helped, in this grossly misunder-stood field of finance.

Mr. Zeinfeld was born in La Jolla, California and currently resides in San Clemente, California with his wife and two children.  He practices out of the Optimus Group's corporate headquarters in Mission Viejo, California.

For over 17 years, The Optimus Group has advised senior financial executives protecting them from unfavorable equipment leasing agreements and loan transactions. As an independent advisor with no conflicts of interest, their fiduciary responsibility is to advocate for their client companies and obtain the best possible economic and contractual outcome. The Optimus Group typically serves clients which have mid to large size equipment lease and loan portfolios.

To learn more about the Optimus Group, go to optimusgroup.com

Pilgrim Talks: Kelly O'Connell and Carlos Pena

Kelly O'Connell Metro Market Manager for Robert Half Technology

YOU'VE GOT (LESS) MAIL CIOs Surveyed Say Workplace Communication Will Favor Real-Time Tools Email may soon become the new snail mail, a new Robert Half Technology survey suggests. More than half (54 percent) of chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed recently said real-time workplace communication tools will surpass traditional email in popularity within the next five years. The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees. CIOs were asked, "In the next five years, do you think real-time workplace communication tools - for example, Instant Messaging, SharePoint, Yammer, etc. - will be more or less popular than email among employees?" Their responses: Much more popular................ 13% Somewhat more popular....... 41% The same................................. 38% Somewhat less popular........... 5% Much less popular..................... 2% Don't know/ no answer............. 1%

Robert Half Technology outlines three benefits a transition to real-time tools could have on the workplace:

1. Speed. Instant messaging (IM) allows employees to have conversations at the click of a button, without opening emails or waiting for responses. IM also enables employees in different locations to have real-time conversations, thus resolving issues more quickly.
2. Convenience. Many programs include a host of features like IM, microblogging, forums, and document collaboration and management. This eliminates the need to switch between separate programs to communicate. Not only does this have the potential to improve efficiency, but it can increase collaboration on projects and reduce the need for meetings.
3. The social aspect. Enterprise social networking sites, such as Yammer or Chatter, are useful for collaboration and sharing ideas and best practices within the company. This technology also has the potential to foster teamwork and camaraderie among employees.

"Although email remains an important communication tool, the increased use of real-time technologies affects the IT environment," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Employers are looking for the right people to deploy these tools in new ways to increase efficiency. IT professionals should consider the importance of keeping current with real-time technologies in order to stay competitive in the job market." About the Survey The national survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. The survey is based on more than 1,400 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. In order for the survey to be statistically representative, the sample was stratified by geographic region, industry and number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper proportions of the number of employees within each region. About Robert Half Technology With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com. Follow Robert Half Technology on Twitter at twitter.com/RobertHalfTech. Carlos Pena Publisher of CAYPEN Magazine Jim Casparie CEO of The Venture Alliance CAYPEN's founding vision was to provide an innovatively inclusive and democratically dynamic stage for entrepreneurs and innovators of all kinds-with absolutely no barriers to participation.  In the CAYPEN community, everyone can take the stage and help shape its evolution, from novice entrepreneurs to veteran innovators, from dealmakers to incubators, from nonprofit leaders to creative transformers.  As the next exciting evolution of our vision, CAYPEN is planting the SEED for entrepreneurial success by breaking down the barriers, optimizing opportunities, transcending the conventional wisdom, and eliminating the hit-or-miss approach of relying on chance.

The SEED for success is to: Streamline The Process from Idea To Action To Funding Through Expert Relationships Equalize The Playing Field Through Merit-Based, Investment Grade Standards Evangelize Best-In-Class Companies & Social Enterprises Across Industries Democratize Content-Driven Collaboration Through Powerful Interactive Platforms The many barriers to innovation can be financial, technological, socioeconomic, political, or geographic.  They are often institutional as well, from the "good old boys" network to the defeatist cult of "can't."  But amazingly, entrepreneurs simply find ways to get it done and break down the barriers.  Just as crucially, entrepreneurs consistently find ways to optimize opportunities and seize the moment.  Few entrepreneurs have ever said they couldn't use a helping hand on the way, along with a bigger and better stage to proclaim their vision.  The evolving CAYPEN vision is a helping hand connecting entrepreneurs with trusted expertise and resources, on an open stage designed for collaboration without barriers, where ANYONE can "make it on merit." To learn more about CAYPEN Magazine, go to caypenmag.com.

Pilgrim Talks: Paul Roberts

What is a Community Conversation on Social Media?

Paul Roberts, Founder of OCTalkRadio.net

Paul Roberts and I discuss various aspects to developing conversations and developing a community around an Internet Radio program.

Pilgrim Talks: Scott Metcalfe

Scott Metcalf, Chief Strategist

FetchLocalCustomers local online advertising does exactly what their name says, delivering customers directly to their clients and their clients' websites without expensive paid advertising so they can focus on running their business, taking care of customers and making the money they deserve.

Today, the wired and mobile web represent the single most important mode of new customer acquisition.  FTC  combines market research science and online and mobile savvy to fetch new customers for businesses of all types.

Scott Metcalfe, Chief Strategist at FetchLocalCustomers has been helping local and regional businesses attract and close more clients since he fled the corporate world in 2003. A non-traditional marketer with a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in services marketing, Scott  continues to evolve the FetchLocalCustomers system to deliver the most new customers for his clients' invested dollar.

To learn more about FetchLocalCustomers, go to fetchlocalcustomers.com

Pilgrim Talks: Andrew Bermudez

Andrew Bermudez, Co-Founder

RateBlend is an online commercial real estate application that helps property owners and leasing agents to calculate effective rents in a snap. All without the need for complicated financial spreadsheets. Put your feet up, your commercial real estate life is about to become much more enjoyable with RateBlend.

No complicated spreadsheets.Easily calculate effective rents in seconds.

RatedBlend calculates effective rents for you in a breeze so you can spend more time closing commercial real estate leases, instead of programming spreadsheets and formulas.

Andrew has had an 11 year career as a commercial real estate (CRE) broker specializing in representing tenants, buyers, investors, landlords and sellers. He is a principal and partner of commercial real estate firm Lee & Associates in Irvine, California. Thirty years old, he is very active in social media and technology and that's one of the things that people in my industry always point out about him. He started his CRE career during the dot com boom, which is to blame for my affinity to technology and the Internet

To learn more about RateBlend, check in with Andrew:

• • Twitter: @AndrewBermudez
  • Facebook: Facebook.com/andrewgbermudez
  • LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/andrewbermudez
  • Blog: www.finditfillit.com

Pilgrim Talks: Margot Bushnaq and Edward Lujan

Margot Bushnaq, Founder and President

Business Domain Names

BrandBucket was founded by naming experts and serial entrepreneurs who saw a need for a marketplace for generic and brandable domains. At BrandBucket.com they know how important it is to have a business domain that is named after the actual business. If your business name is also your business domain name, your customers will automatically know where to find you on the internet. Business names are their speciality, and they have many unique business domain names for sale to choose from.

What BrandBucket Does

Their list of names for sale is curated, meaning they only accept the best, most memorable .com domain names with brand potential. They provide a place where businesses of all sizes can browse for names, and buy one instantly.

To see more about BrandBucket, go to brandbucket.com

Edward Lujan, Founder and CEO

Setster is an internet technology platform targeting the professional services market. Doctors, Lawyers, Therapists, Stylists, groomers and everyone who depends on an appointment calendar to meet with his/her clients. Setster will bring innovative simple next generation web 2.0 ease of use to the process of appointment setting between service providers and their clients.

The professional services market has been long ignored by the new advancements in internet based technologies and innovation. Setser is changing the landscape of software for professional service providers by bringing ease of use and simplicity combined with rich functional value to help professional service providers focus on their business and providing quality service to their clients.

Setser was founded on the premise that better solutions to common problems can always be found, and our core values focus on understanding our customers' need so we can continue to solve problems from innovative angles.

Appointment Software for Single Provider

Setster helps single owner and small businesses make more money. Market to your client base and make more appointments for your services. Make it convenient for your clients to do business with you online. Utilize your online presence and take appointments 24 hours a day with our online appointment software.

Midsize BusinessOnline Appointment Software for Midsize Business

Setster's is the most innovative online appointment software available. Thousands of growing online businesses rely on Setster to drive greater conversions and new business. Our flexible solutions are utilized by hundreds of industries. Setster's hosted services model offers low cost and quick entry in to markets.

Large EnterpriseAppointment Software for Large Enterprise

Setster works with the world's largest companies whose operations span the globe. Our enterprise-level solutions align your online marketing efforts by bringing your regional, national or global business directly to your local providers. Offer increased web functionality and see immediate results with measurably higher conversions and qualified leads with our appointment software.

To see more about Setster, go to  setster.com

Pilgrim Talks: Jeff Benck and Dr. Andre Vovan

Jeff Benck, President and COO

Jeff Benck joined Emulex in May 2008 as executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) and was subsequently appointed to the position of president and COO in August 2010. Benck oversees the company's engineering, marketing, business development, operations and sales organizations. Benck also plays a key role in contributing to the corporate strategy and is focused on diversifying the Emulex product portfolio and delivering growth through the deployment of converged networking.

Previously, Benck served as president and chief operating officer at QLogic. Prior to joining QLogic, he spent 18 years at IBM, most recently serving as vice president of xSeries, BladeCenter and Retail Store Solutions development. While at IBM, Benck's focus included growth initiatives, product development, marketing and strategy, portfolio management and customer relationships. Benck is widely known for his role in establishing IBM's blade server product line. His BladeCenter team received IBM's highest honor with the IBM Chairman's Award for Client Excellence. Benck holds a Master of Science degree in management of technology from University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. Benck is also a distinguished inventor in the computer systems field and holds 6 US patents.

Jeff Benck resides in Southern California with his wife Nina and two daughters, Gabrielle and Gracyn.  He continues to enjoy sports after playing NCAA Div III Varsity Basketball for Rochester Institute of Technology, including basketball and golf.

Emulex, the leader in converged networking solutions, provides enterprise-class connectivity for servers, networks and storage devices within the data center. the Company's product portfolio of Fibre Channel host bus adapters, network interface cards, converged network adapters, controllers, embed- ded bridges and switches, and connectivity management software are proven, tested and trusted by the world's largest and most demanding It environments. Emulex solutions are used and offered by the industry's leading server and storage OEMs including, Apple, Cisco, Dell, eMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, Huawei, IBM, LSI, Lenovo, NeC, Oracle, Netapp, Samsung and Zte. Emulex is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North america, Asia and Europe.

To see more about Emulex, go to emulex.com

Dr. Andre Vovan, Chairman

Small physician practices have resisted adoption of conventional EHR systems because of high cost and technical complexities for the past 20 years. They desire a solution that connects them to their referral network of physicians to grow their business, improve information exchange and take care of their patients in a more efficient and safe manner. They desire a solution that makes the gathering of background clinical information from their patient easier and eliminate duplication. Lastly, physicians desire a solution that is affordable because of ongoing financial pressure and reduction in payment.

Mitochon Systems is the first complete ONC-ATCB certified FREE EHR that addresses all of the above points.

Mitochon uses healthcare related messaging/advertising in a HIPAA, FDA compliant methodology to make Mitochon FREE.

Mitochon offers a complete ONC-ATCB certified EHR FREE so physicians can qualify for Federal ARRA stimulus funding and keep it.

Mitochon's solution allows physicians to instantaneously connect and exchange information with other physicians. This means they can build their own digital referral network with those whom they do business with. No more faxing, no more calling around for information. Mitochon is a "Cloud" solution. This is just a fancy term that means physicians don't have to buy any software. Mitochon's solution is brought to them free over the internet. No hassles, no servers, no upgrades. We take care of the technology, freeing physicians to care for their patients.

To see more about Mitochan Systems, go to mitochonsystems.com

Pilgrim Talks: Leila Mozaffari

Leila Mozaffari DIRECTOR

Leila Mozaffari is the director of the Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Since joining Orange County SBDC in 2006, Leila has focused her efforts in bringing increased resources and services to Orange County's vibrant small business community assisting more than 3,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually to start new businesses, grow and expand their businesses and enter new markets. Under her leadership, the Orange County SBDC has grown and expanded its services by adding a South County location in partnership with the City of Mission Viejo. Additionally, she was instrumental in launching a new procurement program in Orange County in partnership with the California Department of Transportation.

Leila spearheaded the effort to expand entrepreneurial consulting and training services in the Little Saigon area of Orange County, which is home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. Orange County SBDC was selected to receive the Wells Fargo Technical Assistance grant of $100,000 to promote the growth of Vietnamese-owned businesses.

She is a big believer in the power of collaboration. Throughout her career, Leila has built private-public partnerships by bringing together diverse groups and organizations and leveraging resources to benefit the business community. Prior to joining the Orange County SBDC, she served as the director of the Southwest Los Angeles County SBDC in El Camino College. During her tenure, she was instrumental in expanding the center's range of services to the business community and forging new community partnerships.

Leila has served as vice president of strategic partnerships for California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), a non-profit focusing on the manufacturing industry. In that capacity, she secured more than $5 million in annual economic development grants. From 1994 to 1998, she served as CMTC's managing director of field operations and helped the organization establish a stronger regional presence and increase its revenue achieving double digit growth annually. She has extensive experience in the field of management consulting. Whether representing a national consulting firm or as an independent consultant, her advice has been sought by major corporations in a wide range of industries throughout the United States. Leila has taught under graduate level courses at California State University Long Beach, Syracuse University, and Marymount College. She holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. She actively supports women in business and technical fields, and has volunteered for organizations such as Society of Women Engineers, and the Society of Hispanics Professional Engineers.

To see more about the Orange County Small Business Development Center, go toocsbdc.com

Pilgrim Talks: Dave Gunderson and Kelly O'Connell / Dave Cunningham

Dave Gunderson, CEO

The Credit Union of Southern California is a paragon of customer service excellence.

Since 1954, CU SoCal has been building a solid foundation of serving Members and enhancing the benefits of credit union Membership. Their focus has remained consistent through the years-to provide their Member-owners with World-Class Service and Convenience.

Their CEO, Dave Gunderson said in his annual report to the members: "The last several years have been a time of uncertainty for almost every American. Extraordinary challenges have emerged in our nation's economy and in the financial services industry that we have not witnessed since the great depression. These difficult economic times revealed many businesses' true values. numerous financial institutions have imposed fees or limited their services to boost revenue. Not CU SoCal. Your Credit union's financial strength allowed us to remain steadfast in our commitment to provide you with the highest quality of service and convenient access to helpful financial products-core values deeply rooted in our foundation. Thanks to your ongoing support and participation, CU SoCal was honored in 2010 to continue its true purpose-helping Members build better lives.

"in 2010, CU SoCal continued to be one of the strongest financial institutions in the country. Your loyalty and trust, in addition to sound financial policies, conservative lending practices, attention to expense control, and managing resources effectively, contributed to another profitable year. Cu SoCal returned nearly $4.9 million in dividends to Members and ended the year with net earnings of $4.8 million. additionally, we attained a net worth ratio of 11.35 percent, more than four percent above the national Credit union administration's (nCua) normal seven percent requirement to be considered "well capitalized."This solid financial position allowed us to successfully navigate 2010's unprecedented challenging economy, regulatory reform, and compliance demands without increasing fees or limiting services.

"True to our foundation, CU SoCal remained committed to building better lives by exceeding service expectations through exceptional Member experiences. Based on your valuable feedback, one of our most significant achievements in 2010 was in the service arena. ninety-three percent of Members surveyed responded that they were "very satisfied" with CU SoCal's service. in addition, CU SoCal scored well in a service and Member loyalty assessment called the net promoter Score (npS). This is a recognized objective measurement projecting the likelihood that Members would refer their family or friends to our Credit union. CU SoCal achieved a high 81 percent npS. This score far exceeds bank and credit union averages, currently at 11 and 56 percent, respectively.

To learn more about The Credit Union of Southern California, go to   cusocal.org

Kelly O'Connell, OC Market Manager for Robert Half Technology

Dave Cunningham, CEO, Dempsey Bluevar

The tech world never sleeps and, apparently, CIOs don't get much rest either. According to The CIO Insomnia Project, a recently released research initiative from Robert Half Technology, nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of CIOs cited data security as the primary worry keeping them up at night, followed by hardware and/or operating systems upgrades, with 13 percent of the response.

The research project examines the most pressing technology concerns and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 U.S. CIOs. The CIO Insomnia Project also features expert advice and video interviews with IT leaders from around the country.

Other findings include:

• 65 percent of CIOs estimate the average company experiences three or more IT security breaches per year.
• As the economy improves, 37 percent of CIOs plan to implement hardware or software upgrades.
• 63 percent of CIOs said understaffing at least somewhat affects their companies' ability to implement innovative technologies.
• 34 percent of CIOs are at least somewhat concerned about losing top IT performers to other job opportunities in the next year.
• One in 10 CIOs said managing heavy workloads is the top concern keeping them up at night.

Kelly O'Connell and Dave Cunningham will be discussing the findings in this research. To see the project click here: The CIO Insomnia Project.

Dempsey Bluevar has been in business since 1982. Utilizing a client-driven approach, Dempsey Bluevar provides IT support, IT consulting and cloud services to help clients envision, design and align their corporate and IT strategies. Dempsey Bluevar creates a secure technology infrastructure that streamlines operations, increases market value and supports new and cost-effective sources of productivity and growth. See more about Dempsey Bluevar at bluevar.com.

Robert Half Technology has more than 100 locations worldwide, and is a leadiing provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com. Follow Robert Half Technology on twitter at twitter.com/RobertHalfTech.

Pilgrim Talks: Michael Lang and Philippe Laval

Michael Lang, COO

Power Plus! Power Plus is your "One Source" for all your maintenance, repair and critical power equipment needs. They have a nationwide team of service professionals trained in multi-vendor service. Whether you have one site or multiple sites across North America they have an unmatched footprint and service offering in the industry. Power Plus! provides a variety of services for Utility applications and Military bases across the country. Power Plus knows what is necessary to get the job done securely and safely! They understand the constraints, demands, and pressures of Utility and Government agencies and work diligently to exceed your expectations. When it comes to finding a solution for power, only Power Plus has an in-house design and engineering firm working together with our temporary power and utility grade service experts to deliver a seamless "design build" product. This coupled with a national fleet of portable generators, emergency back up generators and critical load back up systems, makes Power Plus your best option for Power, When you need it, Where you need it.

To learn more about Power Plus!, go to  powerplus.com

Philippe Laval, Founder and CEO

Kwaga is a young, innovative, French company made of experts passionate about linguistics and information technology, whose ambition is to provide tools to facilitate email management. Based on linguistic and semantic technologies, our range of products addresses both professional and personal needs.

In your incoming mail, WriteThat.Name detects the items that may expand your Gmail address book (e.g. phone or fax numbers, email addresses, titles etc.). If any such details are found, an email is sent to you at the end of the day to review all the contacts that may be created or updated. You can then compare with the existing contact in your address book to appreciate the relevancy of WriteThat.Name. You can also choose to let the system update your address book automatically.

We will be discussing the Internet, business, and development environment in France and Europe.

To learn more about KWAGA, go to  kwaga.com

Pilgrim Talks: Jeff Swartz and John Beckham

Jeff Swartz, President

Daly-Swartz Public Relations is a full-service marketing communications firm founded in Orange County, California in 1986. Their clients demand greater brand recognition, increased sales and greater awareness of their products/services to maintain current customers and attract new ones. Daly Swartz's job is to make that happen. Over the years they have developed strong contacts and long-standing relationships with movers and shakers who can make or break a company: the media, analysts, key influencers, decision makers and the public. Day-Swartz has gained their trust by communicating their clients' positioning honestly, clearly and forcefully. Daly-Swartz also develops a strategy to disseminate this information: it's as if a company suddenly had 100,000 sales people telling the marketplace who they are, what they represent, what they offer, what their brand represents and why they should be chosen over the competition.

To learn more about Daly-Swartz, go to  dsprel.com

John Beckham, Vocus

The internet has changed the way organizations communicate. Today, fewer and fewer people rely on a single source for all their news. The internet continues to complement and even replace traditional outlets such as broadcast television and newspapers. Blogs have allowed a much broader group of "citizen journalists" to play a significant role in the news life cycle. The emergence and viral nature of social media means that an organization's reputation can be made or destroyed in an afternoon.

Founded in 1991, Vocus has changed the way communications professionals do their jobs. Vocus provides the ability to leverage the ubiquity of the internet to interact with the media, publish their news online where it can be found by millions, monitor news and social media conversations from virtually any source and track their results to compare them with key competitors.

Vocus provides advanced and easy-to-use software for public relations management.

• Access our industry-leading media database with more than 1.4 million journalists, bloggers, media outlets, opportunities and more
• Track interactions: who opened your news, who covered you, and who you influenced
• Listen, measure, and engage your brand across millions of social media channels - Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and more. Identify influencers and determine favorability for a complete picture of your brand presence
• Monitor news about you, your competitors and key trends
• Organize, prioritize, score, compare, and generate coverage reports instantly
• Distribute press releases and pitches directly to journalists or across the web

Today, Vocus is a public company (NASDAQ: VOCS) with more than 30,000 customers worldwide. One of the pioneers of the Software as a Service business model, Vocus continues to be one of the fastest growing and most profitable software companies in the world.

To learn more about Vocus, go to  vocus.com

Pilgrim Talks: Dave Kinney and Denise Keller

Dave Kinney, Partner, MadisonStreet Partners

Dave Kinney is an Orange County area commercial real estate specialist. He has negotiated on behalf of tenants such as Smith Barney, CitiGroup Smit Kline Beecham, New England Financia, Met-Rx Products, United Auto Credit Corporation and Stratacare. He has helped his clients lease or purchase more than 5 million square feet in his career and has provided service in portfolio strategy and administration, transaction management, site and building selection, corporate facility panning, development/construction pro formas and lease administration.

An accounting graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dave was named Alumnus of the Year in 2004. He serves as an advisory board member for the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly, The American Cancer Society of Orange County and St Mary's & All Angel's School where he serves the Board chair. He also is a member of GenNext, an organization of forward thinking business leaders dedicated to making a difference with issues affecting our society and business, both locally, statewide and nationally. He also volunteers his time to mentor Orfalea College of Business students and coaches youth sports.

Madison Street Partners is a local team of seasoned professionals with extensive experience in Orange County commercial real estate. Their experts negotiate with Orange County landlords and developers on a daily basis and have cultivated a personal rapport with owners and their representatives. They have gained a comprehensive knowledge of their buildings, their hidden advantages and liabilities. This unique perspective create leverage for their clients in lease negotiations by presenting them with a variety of creative choies and steering them away from potential pitfalls.

To learn more about MadisonStreet Partners, go to  madisonstreetpartners.net

Denise Keller, COO of Benchmark Email

Denise Keller is COO and founding partner of Benchmark Email, one of the world's leading email marketing services for small businesses. Keller served as Vice President of Finance for restaurant chain Seafood Broiler and CEO of Accor's U.S. Ticket Services Division before transferring into the COO position at Benchmark, where she has been instrumental in bringing in numerous small business customers, as well as high-profile clients that include Mercedes Benz, Siemens and Kaiser Permanente.

Benchmark email, one of the world's leading , global email marketing service has an online guide designed to give small businesses the confidence and knowledge to successfully market their company, products or services online. The downloadable guide, titled Introduction to Online Marketing, covers a broad range of topics including free vs. paid advertising, leveraging social networking sites and using search engine optimization techniques for maximum effect.

Benchmark Email is an award-winning, international email marketing service used by thousands of small, medium and large-sized businesses. As one of the fastest-growing, US-based email marketing companies, Benchmark currently offers Web-based service to German, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese-speaking clients. The company also offers a free email marketing plan for small businesses just starting to build email lists.

To learn more about Benchmark Email, go to  benchmarkemail.com

Pilgrim Talks: Justin Milmeister and Patrick O'Malley

Justin Milmeister, CEO of Elite Merchant Solutions

Elite Merchant Solutions is a nationwide merchant service provider sponsored by Chase Paymentech Solutions, LLC. Elite Merchant Solutions has positioned itself as one of the top merchant service providers in the country. Servicing all fifty states with live operators picking up your phone call with no automated system has earned elite merchant solutions envy among competitors.

Justin Milmeister, CEO of Elite Merchant Solutions, will speak on behalf of CEOs and business owners who are known for their accomplishments in the field of Customer Service and who are proactively working through customer service issues in this marketplace. Elite Merchant Solutions is a business that prides itself on its successful, innovative and ever evolving dedication to providing their client-base with the highest level of customer service. It is what their business is built upon and will continue to be the driving force behind their success. Justin will be sharing stories with "OC Talk Radio's" listenership (other CEOs / Business Owners) based upon the following topics:

• What Elite Merchant Solutions has done to improve their customer service its customers
• What have been the results?
• How many people at Elite Merchant Solutions are involved in customer service
• Obstacles that were discovered in implementing Elite's plans to improve customer service
• Top 3 Things that Make Elite Different From Other Merchant Providers

To learn more about Elite Merchant Solutions, go to elitedatacorp.com

Patrick O'Malley, 617 Patrick (Social Media Jedi Master!)

Patrick O'Malley loves and lives Social Media, and can show you how to utilize them to get new customers and maintain relationships with current customers.  He will be sharing innovative, creative, and effective ways for sales people to use LinkedIn.

Patrick:

• is an internationally known expert on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google SEM and Google SEO
• knows 25-30 things about Social Media that no one else knows, and shares them with his audiences
• was VP of Operations for the search engine that was tied with Google in the year 2000 (Northern Light)- he knows the internal engineering of a search engine, and understands internet marketing from one of the original sources.  - he knows 5 tricks which can get potentially your company's product onto the first page of Google, for free, with no "black hat" techniques, in just a few days.
• has had TV, Newspaper appearances- Fox-TV social media expert- WHDH News (Channel 7) in Boston- Boston Globe- Boston Herald- many other news outlets.
• has been Speaker at DECUS conventions in front of many groups of 1000+V
• has been VP of Marketing for ASTD, Boston

His phone number is actually 617-PATRICK, i.e. (617)-728-7425, which he still thinks is the coolest thing.

To learn more about Patrick, go to 617patrick.com

Pilgrim Talks: Dan Clark and Robert AndersonSchoepe

Dan Clark, Chairman of the Board

Since 1932, Prudential Overall Supply has continued to provide best-in-class solutions for businesses for uniforms and textile rental programs. Service programs includ uniform rental, uniform least, uniform purchase for industrial uniform programs and related services. Prudential is grateful for the exceptional work produced by our industry-best tenured employees, and to our exceptional customer patronage. It is this connection that enables Prudential to provide our customers with the best possible products and service at a fair price, today and into the future.

Prudential Overall Supply is a uniform provider with solutions for businesses requiring uniforms and textile rental programs. Reusable textiles offer a clean green solution compared to home wash and disposable products. Uniform programs include uniform rental, uniform lease and uniform purchase. As a uniform provider, Prudential Overall Supply works with work Shirts manufacturers that provide the industry's most respected brands like Dickies, Red Kap, Wrangler, Chef Design, Bulwark, Lee and Medline.

Industrial products include floor mats, restroom supplies, paper products, linen supplies, reusable towels, mops and microfiber products. Prudential Overall Supply can accommodate any business with needs for: Uniform rental, uniform lease, uniform purchase for career apparel, work shirts, work uniforms, industrial uniforms, industrial products, linen supplies, paper products, floor mats, reusable towels, mops, microfiber products and restroom supplies.

Dan Clark graduated from USC 42 years ago and went to work at Prudential while his father was in charge of the company Dan's grandfather started in 1932. Prudential has 17 plants, 8 service centers, and almost 1600 employees in 8 states.

To learn more about Prudential Overall Supply, go to pos-clean.com

Robert AndersonShoepe, CEO

Established in Orange County in 1957, Fluidmaster remains a family owned and operated company know for its superior engineering of efficient and and reliable toilet components, The company has become an icon in the plumbing industry, leading its market with a worldwide distribution network across more than 80 countries and selling more toilet tank replacement valves than any other manufacturer in the world. In addition to the original fill valve developed by founder Adolph Schoepe and enhanced through the years, Fluidmaster's complete line of toilet care parts included standard and dual flush valves, flappers, tank levers, bowl wax, toilet repair kits, and connectors.

In addition to significantly growing its business over the years by serving its global customers first from Anaheim and more recently SAn Juan Capistrano, the company, its owners and employees have been proud supporters of the local community through such organizations as

• San Juan Chamber of Commerce
• Junior Achievement of Orange County
• Corazon - Orange County organization building homes for needy families in Tijuana
• Orangewood Children's Foundation
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Boy Scouts of America
• Walk of out Poverty

The company's founder, Adolf Schoepe, was recognized for his significant support of The Boy Scouts throughout his life, with The Boy Scout Camp at Lost Valley named in his honer. Robert AndersonSchoepe, his son, and current owner, continues supporting the Boy Scouts today.

To learn more about Fluidmaster, go to fluidmaster.com

Pilgrim Talks: Ron Burr

Ron Burr, CEO of WebVisible

Ron Burr joined WebVisible as chief operating officer in 2009, and was appointed CEO in 2010.  Before joining WebVisible, Burr served as chief product officer for LRN, the leading application service provider for online education and solutions enabling clients to manage enterprise-wide governance, ethics and compliance processes.  He also served as chief strategy officer of Jambo, a leading pay-per-call Internet company targeting local business; CEO of Layer2 Networks; a partner with international IT consulting firm IMPACT Software; a senior technology consultant for IBM; and vice president of software engineering with Vault Corporation.   Burr serves as advisor and Board member to several technology companies and Venture Capital firms.

About WebVisible, Inc.

WebVisible has been the leading provider of local online marketing software and services since 2001.   WebVisible was among the first to pioneer the use of search as a reliable, measurable avenue to connect directly with a buyer's needs, providing solutions through some of the world's largest Interactive Yellow Page companies, directories and other media vendors. The company has served over 100,000 customers from 4,000 industries in 14 countries.  The company also delivers solutions directly to small businesses throughout the United States.  WebVisible is based in Irvine, California with offices in Los Angeles, Denver, Charlotte and Mumbai India.

To learn more about WebVisible, go to webvisible.com or call 949-255-9677

Pilgrim Talks: Stu Heinecke and Will Crist (on Customer Service)

Stu Heinecke, Master Cartooner and CEO of CartoonLink

Are you looking for a magic bullet to make your campaigns, projects, presentations -- even your job searches more effective? We humbly suggest you considering using cartoons. They're the best-read and remembered part of magazines and newspapers, and we have been using them for the past thirty years to produce stunning, record-breaking campaigns for some of the biggest marketers in the world. You can learn all about how we did that in CartoonLink Founder and President Stu Heinecke's new book, Drawing Attention, which is available on iBooks, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, Google Books and in PDF format to read on your PC. We've set many records for the world's biggest marketers using personalized cartoons as the engine driving response, but that doesn't mean you have to be a big business to afford what we do. Our membership programs are actually geared to individuals and small business owners, while we offer a few special programs for medium and large businesses, too. Do you want higher response rates to your direct and e-mail marketing campaigns? CartoonLink offers two programs designed to help you put the magic of cartoons to work in your monthly campaigns -- the CartoonLink Postcard Program and the CartoonLink e-Mail Marketer Program. Are you involved in selling or business development for your company? Our CartoonLink BigBoards™ and BigBoards Enterprise programs can help you or your entire sales staff break through to VIP prospects in -- quite literally -- a very big way. Based on our own campaigns that have put us in touch with Presidents, Prime Ministers, celebrities and CEOs, our BigBoards programs will help you step into the world of contact campaigning, where response rates have already climbed to 100% and ROI figures to 100,000%. You can use our personalized cartoons in presentations through our Presentations program. And if you're not quite ready to join any of our marketing programs, you can still join our CartoonLink Members program to stay in touch through a monthly newsletter and webinar -- and use our cartoons in one-at-a-time e-mail correspondence, for personal or business use. If you are a large mailer, we are available for custom assignments. The CartoonLink program is based on nearly 30 years and millions of dollars worth of utterly unduplicated test experience, and a long track record of record-breaking campaigns for the world's biggest direct marketers, including subscriber acquisition, renewals, awareness/trial, drip and nonprofit/donor acquisition campaigns.

So, welcome to CartoonLink. Join us! To learn more about CartoonLink, go to cartoonlink.com

Pilgrim Talks: Chuck Bankoff and Mark Friedman

Chuck Bankoff, Director of WSIeWorks

WSIeWorks has been operating as a website development and Internet marketing team continuously since 1999. During that time they have added to their knowledge and experience base by constantly training and bringing on new members with the right skill sets and training. As a team, their Internet Marketing Consultants have certifications in:

• Digital Marketing (WSI)
• eCommerce Business Strategies (USC Marshall School of Business)
• Advanced SEO (SEMPO Institute)
• Pay-Per-Click advertising (Google Adwords Professional)
• Local Search Specialists (ReachLocal)
• AIM Certified (Advanced Internet Marketing - WSI)

Our Director of Web Services, Chuck Bankoff has certified other Internet Consultants around the world in Internet Business practices, Landing Page design, Managing the Creative Process and Search Engine Marketing. Our team members have been integral in the development of our Social Media Strategy kit, Competitive Analysis procedures and our Research Analysis toolkit.

To learn more about WSIeWorks, go to  wsieworks.com

Mark Friedman, President of the Velos Group

Mark Friedman is an experienced, results - oriented executive with over 25 years of proven success in managing Sales, Sales Lead Management, Telemarketing, Marketing and Customer Service. Notably, world-renown consulting giant Accenture and the Distribution Research and Education Foundation have recognized one of his programs as a Wholesale Distribution Industry Sales "Best Practice"; the program overview was published in "Maximum Sales Velocity: How to Build a World-Class Sales Organization" by David P. Woodrow.

Mark possesses the outstanding ability to assess a company's current Sales Chain and make recommendations for dramatically improving sales results and productivity while providing the infrastructure to determine ROI for each Marketing activity. Among his accomplishments was revamping a moribund program generating a mere $175,000 in revenue per year and increasing the "top line" to over $113 Million in 3 years. Additionally, he has increased sales volume by over 50% in call center environments at several companies by integrating Out-Bound Telesales capabilities with the In-Bound Customer Service group. Mark has proven that he is a high-energy achiever and team builder in an often - neglected area.

His articles on Sales Lead Management have appeared in Network World, Sales and Marketing Excellence, Sales and Service Excellence magazines, the PMMI Newsletter and MHEDA Journal. Mark is a Vistage Expert Speaker and has spoken at national events, such as the PMMI (Packaging Machinery Manufacturer's Institute) Marketrends conference, the 50th annual MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment and Distributor's Association) conference and the CGNA (Controls Group North America) conference about Sales Lead Management.Mark Friedman is an experienced, results - oriented executive with over 25 years of proven success in managing Sales, Sales Lead Management, Telemarketing, Marketing and Customer Service. Notably, world-renown consulting giant Accenture and the Distribution Research and Education Foundation have recognized one of his programs as a Wholesale Distribution Industry Sales "Best Practice"; the program overview was published in "Maximum Sales Velocity: How to Build a World-Class Sales Organization" by David P. Woodrow. Mark possesses the outstanding ability to assess a company's current Sales Chain and make recommendations for dramatically improving sales results and productivity while providing the infrastructure to determine ROI for each Marketing activity. Among his accomplishments was revamping a moribund program generating a mere $175,000 in revenue per year and increasing the "top line" to over $113 Million in 3 years. Additionally, he has increased sales volume by over 50% in call center environments at several companies by integrating Out-Bound Telesales capabilities with the In-Bound Customer Service group. Mark has proven that he is a high-energy achiever and team builder in an often - neglected area. His articles on Sales Lead Management have appeared in Network World, Sales and Marketing Excellence, Sales and Service Excellence magazines, the PMMI Newsletter and MHEDA Journal. Mark is a Vistage Expert Speaker and has spoken at national events, such as the PMMI (Packaging Machinery Manufacturer's Institute) Marketrends conference, the 50th annual MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment and Distributor's Association) conference and the CGNA (Controls Group North America) conference about Sales Lead Management.

To learn more about The Velos Group, go to  velosgroup.com

Pilgrim Talks: Marge Bieler and Paul Roberts

Marge Bieler, CEO of RareAgent

Marge has been instrumental in helping organization understand how to build KPIs and Best Practices that impact an organization's bottom-line and how to generate revenue through lead gen programs. She's documented RareAgent's best practices, and has developed dashboards and has used many SaaS products that help productivity within lead gen programs. Her straight forward, and practical advice has helped thousands of organization move their revenue needle, increase efficiencies and determine if their data is usable and if their messaging is effective.

RareAgent works with B2B companies providing resources, best-practices, and expertise to build and deliver calling and online marketing programs that engage and motivate stakeholders to meet, and inspire action to take a next step.  RareAgent's efforts result in accelerating appointments, improving lead quality, increasing conversation effectiveness, and demonstrating revenue contribution.

RareAgent uses advanced technologies that automate the calling process and deepen the prospect conversation.  We use a framework called The Thoughtful Conversation.™ This framework allows us to prepare, engage, and record conversations to maximize call effectiveness and to develop better, faster, and easier sales and marketing processes.  We display our results in the form of dashboards and drill-down reports.

To learn more about RareAgent, go to: rareagent.com

Pilgrim Talks: Fritz Strehlow and Matthew Silk

Fritz Strehlow, Managing Director of The Mentor Group

Fritz Strehlow is a Managing Director with expertise and experience in business valuations, mergers and acquisitions, raising equity, and business management. His work has involved private and public entities - corporations and partnerships. In addition, he has provided expert testimony in financial valuations.

The Mentor Group, Inc. was started in 1987. The initial and continuing vision was to perform preeminent services based upon employing only senior professionals with superior experience and expertise. That philosophy and culture thrive today, creating an unmatched capability in investment banking valuations and appraisals, and financial consulting.

The Mentor Group is a full service, national investment banking, financial advisory, valuation and appraisal firm. They are preeminent in the due diligence and support provided for selling companies, private placements and value opinions. Their senior professional have valued and sold nearly every type of business and business asset. They are experience, responsive and results driven.

The professionals at The Mentor Group are experienced, responsive and results driven.

To learn more about The Mentor Group, go to  thementorgroup.biz

Matthew Silk, SVP of Waterfall Mobile, Inc.

Waterfall Mobile empowers marketers, media owners and emergency coordinators to create, manage, track and analyze powerful mobile campaigns.

By reducing the inherent complexity of mobile campaign creation and management, Waterfall Mobile continues to set new standards for mobile communications.

As SVP for Waterfall Mobile, Inc., Silk is responsible for corporate development, strategic partnerships, and client services. He leads the marketing and media efforts for the company's West coast operations as general manager of Waterfall's Los Angeles office.

Prior to joining Waterfall Mobile, Silk held a number of senior positions with E*TRADE Financial including Director of Retail Product Management, where he was responsible for all web brokerage and core user experience products. Over his tenure there, he led several site re-designs, launched an in-house charting system, and re-engineered the company's content architecture and aggregation strategies. Silk began his career as a business consultant for the Wharton Small Business Development Center, where he managed a portfolio of clients providing one-on-one management consulting to entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia region. Silk received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Waterfall Mobile, go to  waterfallmobile.com

Pilgrim Talks: Carmen Pacella and Josh Seibert

Carmen Pacella, Master Sales Manager

Carmen is an award-winning sales leader with proven success in high pressure, dynamic, and competitive environments. He has consistently exceeded sales quotas while maintaining strong client relationships. His expertise in targeting, closing, and managing key accounts nationally has been combined with repeated successes in new product marketing and rollouts. Carmen has extensive experience in implementing CRM systems to help manage sales teams. He has successfully used CRM systems to monitor behaviors and help his sales people improve their processes.

To contact Carmen, go to his page on LinkedIn: Carmen Pacella

Josh Seibert, Sandler Trainer

Josh Seibert, founder and President of Sandler Training located in the Piedmont Triad, has been awarded the 2011 David H. Sandler Award by Sandler Training.  The award is the highest in the company and is given out to only one franchise worldwide per year.  Only 12 awards have been given in the history of the company. " Sandler Training helps companies and individuals increase their sales and leadership effectiveness through training, coaching and consulting.  Seibert, his business partner Abby Donnelly and his associates, Joel Kaczmarek and Steve Rayburn, serve businesses of all sizes with long-term development programs that offer continuous training, coaching, consulting and ongoing support. "It's really all about sticking with people until they get a return on their investment," said Seibert.  "It is an honor to serve each and every one of our clients, and it is certainly an honor to receive this award." Seibert brings over three decades of sales, sales management, and sales training experience to the marketplace including his work with Fortune 100 financial services companies.  His career includes numerous accomplishments, from managing sales force development, installing sales processes, and orchestrating marketing campaigns to directing strategic corporate initiatives. Seibert and Donnelly's training center is located in the center of the Piedmont-Triad at the corner of Highway 68 and Piedmont Parkway.  The company is consistently ranked among the top tier of all 250 Sandler Training offices in the world for revenue and client retention and has helped hundreds of companies and individuals throughout the state grow and become more profitable.

To learn more about Sandler Training, go to sandlertraining.com