Tuesdays with Corey interview with Marcy Fortnow

Marcy Fortnow is the founder and owner of Have A Bashery, a children’s party and event company that specializes in helping busy parents throw their children fun and memorable birthdays and celebrations. Have A Bashery successfully provides these same activity based theme parties to other businesses, schools, community organizations, fairs, fundraisers, and charitable events. Marcy founded the company in Chicago in 2005 and currently is building and growing the Atlanta based branch. Prior to her entrepreneurial adventure, Marcy accumulated more than twelve years in the business software world, in development and consulting, in US and in Europe. Marcy is a uniquely qualified entrepreneur; she is an expert in the integrated aspects of business and has a unique and creative approach. Learn more about Marcy at http://engagingplay.com/.

Kim Ellet is a certified professional coach and owner of The Growth Coach of Metro Atlanta. Her mission is to inspire business leaders, teams, and motivated individuals to commit to a higher vision of who they can be and what they can achieve. Kim’s passion is transformation: challenging the status-quo and making a difference on the planet and within her community. Kim’s background is in sales and marketing, public relations, and advocacy, spanning small business, start-up, non-profit, and franchises. She has worked in the hospitality and meetings industries, and has been a partner in a commercial general contracting firm and a multi-unit salon franchise. Kim specializes in coaching executives and sales and management teams to shift their mindset, unlock their potential, and create actionable plans for results and accountability.

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Atlanta Chapter equips Atlanta area women-owned businesses for exceptional leadership through programs, training and education.

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it's time for Atlanta Business Radio, spotlighting the city's best businesses and the people who lead them.

Katy Galli: Hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. I'm Katy Galli, and I'm joined today by none other than Corey Rieck because it's time yet again for Tuesdays with Corey brought to you by The Long Term Care Planning Group. How are you doing, Corey?

Corey Rieck: I'm doing great, Katy. Thank you.

Katy Galli: Awesome. So how are you doing today? Kind of rainy, but I don't know. It's kind of nice out.

Corey Rieck: Hey, it's great. We're here. We've got another great show, and just really happy to be here today. We have two stellar business owners, Marcy Fortnow, who has a company called Engaging Play. Marcy, welcome.

Marcy Fortnow: Thank you, Corey.

Corey Rieck: And Kim Ellet, who has a company called The Growth Coach. And we have a great show today for a number of reasons. We have two stellar guests, and we're also going to talk about an organization called NAWBO, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and how it's really helped ... how the organization has helped female business owners grow their business. And we're going to talk about those two things today, those ladies, and their businesses, and the contributions that they've made. And we're going to talk about NAWBO. So, we've got a great show, Katy, no doubt.

Katy Galli: Yeah, absolutely. I'm super excited.

Corey Rieck: Well, Marcy, it's it's great to have you this morning. How are you?

Marcy Fortnow: I'm doing good. I'm doing good. Thank you, Corey.

Corey Rieck: So, Marcy, introduce yourself to the listenership and Engaging Play, and what it does, and help us out that way.

Marcy Fortnow: Okay, sure. Thank you, Corey. So, my company is called Engaging Play. And we do team building, and bonding, and training programs for companies, organizations, teams, basically groups of people who want to work better together, be more productive, and engage with fun.

Corey Rieck: People working together, there's a concept.

Marcy Fortnow: That's right. That's right, Corey. People are the most important resource of an organization, a company, especially within today's environment where unemployment is so low. And if you want to keep people doing their very best and staying with your company, feeling engaged, committed, accountable, then you need to build trust, you need to build connection, and that needs to be done intentionally. And that can be done with team building programs. It can be done through every piece of your training. It can be experiential learning, experiential activities can be woven into your organization to build that.

Corey Rieck: Well, even though I've only known you a short while, it doesn't surprise me that you've had success building trust, and building organizations, and sort of galvanizing teams. How do you do that? You do go into a company, and how do you figure out how to make the team stronger?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, some organizations know that they need to do that. So, they are out there looking for, specifically, team building and team bonding activities. Maybe they're combining it with their annual meeting, or maybe they are actually planning their summer company picnic. So, it can be a wide range of things. There's also organizations, companies, work groups that do their own training, and they're delivering content that can be dry or power-pointed.

And so, I'll often work with existing trainers or people delivering content to make it more experiential and engaging, because when people have kinesthetic experiences, physical experiences, and bring fun into it, they learn better. So, even organizations who are having their annual sales meeting or their planning meetings, and it's a little dry, you need to get people up, you need people engaging in the content. And so, sometimes, I'm engaged just to gamify or bring some some fun into it.

Corey Rieck: You are fun. There's no doubt that you certainly bring that to the table. How did you decide that you needed to be an entrepreneur? What inspired you?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, I actually have a background in the software industry, believe it or not. I was in ERP manufacturing and supply chain. I have a Bachelors in Psychology, and then an MBA in Operations and Management Policy. And I went into the software side of manufacturing and supply chain doing ERP and ERP implementations.

Corey Rieck: What is ERP, Marcy?

Marcy Fortnow: Enterprise resource planning. It's the kind of underlying business system that runs an entire manufacturing and supply chain company. So, it is the forecasting, and the purchasing, and the manufacturing, and capacity planning, to shipping, to billing. It's the enterprise that runs that. And I worked on that world in the US and in Europe, and doing implementations, training and development, change management. And so, I have this background in training, and development, and change management. And I left the corporate world maybe 18 years ago just to do something different. We moved a bit, my family. And-

Corey Rieck: Yeah, because you haven't always lived in Atlanta, have you?

Marcy Fortnow: No, I haven't. I'm originally from the Boston area, and I've lived in Chicago twice and-

Corey Rieck: On purpose?

Marcy Fortnow: ... New Jersey and the Netherlands. Yeah. So, yes, on purpose. On purpose. My husband is an academic. And we're now with Georgia Tech. And so, that's what brought us to Atlanta about five years ago. But 15 years ago, we moved to Chicago, and I decided it was time to just do something myself. I've traveled-

Corey Rieck: Was there a certain jumping off point, or was there a series of events that triggered having to do that, or do you see something that had to be added?

Marcy Fortnow: Yes. Yes, absolutely. Well, we were living in New Jersey, and I worked for a Toronto-based company. I was traveling full time, and they had a massive layoff. They screwed up their public offering. And I ended up unemployed and about to look for another job when we decided we were moving back to Chicago. When I got to Chicago, I found that my kids were going to birthday parties at the bowling alley every week and nothing else. And I thought, "Well, I can do better than that. And I'm a creative person. And I had been on the business side of things." I thought, "What's so hard about being an entrepreneur? I can do that. I'll start a children's party business."

Marcy Fortnow: And so, my first business was called Have a Bashery. And it still exists in Chicago. And we have a second location here in Atlanta, which I started when I moved here. What's interesting is when I got to Atlanta, I found that the appetite for children's parties was not as big as the appetite for adults to play. And I kept getting calls from companies, and organizations, and boards who wanted to bring fun into their environment. And in order to do that and focus on that. I created Engaging Play. Even though we still have Have a Bashery operating, completely focused in this new business over the past year and a half. Really exciting. I also decided I needed some more tools in my box, and I certified with John Maxwell, who's a leadership guru in this world. And so, I use a lot of his content.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. he's outstanding. The two businesses, do they coincide? Do they? Are there synergies between your two businesses?

Marcy Fortnow: There are, and that is the engagement piece, because even with Have a Bashery, it's not about bringing characters in, or doing the party supplies, or the cake, it's about the engagement. In that business, we put together the games, and the crafts, and the activities, and we bring them in to engage and to have people, have the children and families have hands-on activities. We do that with schools, country clubs, parks, park districts. We do fairs, fundraisers. Have a really good network in Chicago of all those things.

Corey Rieck: That seems to me like it would be a tremendous resource for an individual to want to have any sort of party to be able to just say, "Hey, Marcy, this is kind of what we're trying to do. There's gonna be this many people," and just hand it off. Is that what happens? They give you a concept, and then you make it happen?

Marcy Fortnow: With the activity. We don't do the food, and we don't do the decorations. We're not a traditional party planner. We do the engagement. And so, that translated very well to Engaging Play, because it really is about connecting with people and giving them activity that fully incorporates the information, what you want to give them, the way you want to make people feel. And I love that I get to go back to my business roots because I am a business person. And that's the thing that Engaging Play does. It brings back the training and development, the change management, all those other pieces of my experience and my work life into engagement. And now, with the John Maxwell piece, I really get to focus more on leadership, and communication, and connection because that is what builds organizations and builds teams.

Corey Rieck: So, you have a lot of experience. You're training, you have a degree in psychology, have an MBA in operations, you've lived all over the world. You have this wealth of experience. I have to believe that's incredibly helpful to whoever you're trying to help out. And you have this sort of this business, Have a Bashery, and you understand how important teamwork is. I have to believe that's really valuable. All those things put together on one person.

Marcy Fortnow: Yeah, I hope so. That's the idea. That's the idea that I get to draw on all sorts of experiences and that they come together. And, really, it's been a very exciting journey to create the second business.

Corey Rieck: How exactly do you get your clients, Marcy?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, I do a lot of networking. And that's probably the primary thing. I meet lots of people, and they have this need. It's a little bit of a blue ocean. There's companies out there doing team building, but what I'm doing is bringing content into it and making learning experiential. So, there are also people who deliver content and might play a game or something. But I'm really focused on the engagement and the connection. So, when people hear that when you're networking, they instantly feel that need. They know anybody in management, anybody in leadership knows that that is something we all have to work on with our teams to bring the very best, and people instantly feel like, "Wow. Really, it could be better," because everybody could be. And they know they need to focus on it.

Corey Rieck: People do, yeah. Continual improvement is is really important. How is your business evolved over the years?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, adding new tools in my box has been very helpful with John Maxwell, working on some new certifications to bring more content and more depth to the training, so that we're doing more training in addition to the play, not the play in addition to the training.

Corey Rieck: It all fits together, both those two things fit. I mean, don't you believe you can get more out of people if they're having fun while doing a task?

Marcy Fortnow: Yes, that's exactly the point.

Corey Rieck: I mean, that's kind of the point of your two businesses, right?

Marcy Fortnow: That's right.

Corey Rieck: Get the most out of your people, make them relax, have them have fun. If people are relaxed, they're more likely to have fun. If they're relaxed and having fun, they're more likely to do a good job. Isn't that fair?

Marcy Fortnow: That is. I heard just the other day from Darren Hardy was talking about the difference between workers or team members who are missionaries versus patriots. Patriots come after their work with their heart and their soul, and they give you everything, right? That's how wars are won. Missionaries come at it for the pay. And you want to make sure that you pull together patriots. And how do you build that? You built that with connection, you build that with caring.

Corey Rieck: What gives you the most satisfaction in your business?

Marcy Fortnow: I love to to focus on communication. And I recently did some work up at Duke University with their PhD Engineering Program. I've been up there a couple of times. And those are obviously very smart people. But sometimes, they need help around what we might think of as basic things like, "How do I communicate? How do I lead? How do I mentor?" And that's been very satisfying work where really smart people need a little bit of help to be really excellent.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. And I think it's a credit to them that they realized, "Hey, here's something that we could get better in, and we want to call in a subject matter expert," or SME as we refer to it, "and in get the help we need and get better."

Marcy Fortnow: That's right. And you know what? Playing with them is so much fun. We do a lot of building games. That's an example of where it's engineer clients, our games are focused around building and engineering kinds of activities because that's something they get and connect with. And then, okay, well, what happened? How did we communicate? What kind of leadership popped up? Activities are just activities, right? An escape room, a cooking event, a ropes course, but it's really about how you also debrief it, and how you pull out, what happened? What happened? Now, so what? Why is that important? Okay, now what? How do we bring this back into our lives? How do we bring this back into the office, or the workplace, or into my daily practice?

Corey Rieck: What's the most challenging thing about your business?

Marcy Fortnow: Every time I'm working with a new client, they need something new. I might reuse some of the activities or the games, but the truth is what you want to pull out of it is unique for every group. And the way they approach it is always different. You might have had that particular building activity with an engineering group, but if you're with a bunch of creatives, it comes out completely different, and what happens is different, and what we need to pull out of it is different. So, it's always very unique. It's really very custom work that I do.

Corey Rieck: What kinds of clients are you looking for? Do you have a certain vertical? What metrics do you look for in a client, Marcy?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, recently I've done some work with a company that merged with another company, and I think that that's more work that I'd like to get into. I think that when-

Corey Rieck: That makes sense.

Marcy Fortnow: ... you're talking about two different cultures coming together, that's very exciting work because there's so much need there, right? And there's so much potential and opportunity to bring out to do the best practices. And in terms of leadership, culture, the kinds of things we're talking about are very top down. So, being brought in by leaders who want to see that kind of synergy and culture work done, that's very exciting. I also like the academic environment.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. You've been a 15-year member of NAWBO. If you would, tell the listenership how NAWBO has assisted you, and you've ascended to a very strong leadership position now as the President. Tell us about how NAWBO has helped you in your business.

Marcy Fortnow: Sure, sure, Corey. I love to talk about NAWBO. It's very near and dear to my heart. I joined NAWBO, as you said, 15 years ago when I lived in Chicago, and I started that first business, Have a Bashery. I started trying to network, and I found that when I was at chambers or other traditional networking environments that when I mentioned that I had a kids-focused business, I kind of got shut down. Like people weren't very interested or didn't think it was very serious.

Marcy Fortnow: I had a very different reaction when I networked with women, women who understood what it was to start a business, who respected entrepreneurship for what it is, no matter if you're selling jewelry, or you're building a multi-million dollar company with hundreds of employees. It doesn't matter. You still have the same challenges. And women network differently than men. And I found it a very kind place, a very sharing place, a place where women reached back and helped each other. I don't think I could say what I did with my head held up when I first got to NAWBO or anywhere. And-

Corey Rieck: That's really hard for me to believe.

Marcy Fortnow: Yeah, it was for me too. Let me tell you, it was like such a ... entrepreneurship is so challenging, and it pushes every button you possibly have.

Corey Rieck: It does.

Marcy Fortnow: And you just don't know what you don't know. And so, I found that it was a place that I learned to hold my head up and say what I did proudly and learned about ... I think I met my first business coach at NAWBO, in fact. And I've had one ever since, quite frankly. So, it was important part of my development as a business owner. And when I moved to Chicago ... I'm sorry, from Chicago to Atlanta five years ago, it's the first organization I looked up. I went right away to find the NAWBO Group here. And it is a fabulous organization here. It's certainly smaller than Chicago. That's a large chapter. There are 60 chapters across the country. And so, I very quickly found my home here. And then, joined leadership. And yes, now, I'm president.

Corey Rieck: It sounds like NAWBO has really, really helped you. And tell us about your role with NAWBO as the president. What does that entail?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, we have a board of 12 people at this time, and we support an organization of almost a hundred. We are part of a national organization. So, that means that part of your membership supports national advocacy, and organization, and information. And then, locally, we run four to five events per month. We are very, very busy for such a ... we are small but mighty. And that means we engage. We have a Friday forum, which is like a business roundtable discussion group, which actually I brought from Chicago. It's a concept we did not have here before.

Corey Rieck: That's a good idea.

Marcy Fortnow: Yes, yes. We get to talk about topics and share best practices. And really, connect. We might have a facilitator in the room, but it's really about sharing and learning from each other. And there's so many varieties of businesses that we have in our membership that there's lots to learn, right? You can look at things completely differently if you're talking to a lawyer, versus a business coach, versus a manufacturer.

Corey Rieck: I know NAWBO has done, from where I sit, some tremendous things for women business owners in terms of advocacy. We're going to focus a little bit more about that at the end of the show. Marcy, you've been invited on the show because you are successful, and you've been introduced by someone else that's been on the show. Tell us what sets you apart.

Marcy Fortnow: Well, I think it's that I am committed to experiential training. Like I am committed in my business to making sure people connect to the material or connect to each other, whatever we're doing in an experiential way. And I love to come up with activities that pull that out. And I am a master facilitator. So, that's, I think, the thing that's really unique about me, and I don't think a lot of people are in this space.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. If you could give the younger version of Marcy some advice, knowing what you know now, what would that be?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, not to let your fears, and insecurities, and all that good stuff get in your way. You’ve got to be very brave as an entrepreneur. And I didn't realize that it would push those buttons. But yes, you must. So, I would tell Marcy to be brave and be courageous.

Corey Rieck: Well, obviously, you've done all those things. After 18 years, you're still here, and your business is doing very well.

Marcy Fortnow: Thank you.

Corey Rieck: If there was a young lady out there, Marcy, that wanted to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you have for her?

Marcy Fortnow: If you have that calling to be an entrepreneur, you either do or you don't, right? There are people who have jobs, and are successful doing the work that they need to do, and are engaged in their companies, that's great. And if you're an entrepreneur, and you have that itch, then you should absolutely give it a shot. It is the fastest growing segment of this economy.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. Yeah. Marcy, you've been a great guest. And if the listenership wanted to get a hold of you, how would they do that?

Marcy Fortnow: Sure. Well, I'll give you my phone number. So, I can be reached at Marcy@EngagingPlay.com. And the number is 404-832-5144. And I'm still building out my latest version of my website, but it is engagingplay.com.

Corey Rieck: Well, Marcy, you've been a great guest. Continued success. Congratulations on all the things that you've done in your business and contributing to NAWBO. Thank you for being a guest on the show.

Marcy Fortnow: Thank you. Thanks, Corey.

Corey Rieck: Well, Kim, it's your turn. How are you this morning?

Kim Ellet: Good morning, Corey. I'm great. Thanks. Thanks so much for having me.

Corey Rieck: We have Kim Ellet on the show. She has a company called The Growth Coach. And she helps people get better. She helps business owners grow and get better. Tell us about what you do. Kim.

Kim Ellet: Well, thanks, Corey. I am a certified professional coach.

Corey Rieck: What does that mean?

Kim Ellet: Well, it means I actually went to school to become a coach, and do the training, and earn the certification to make sure I am really being able to help clients, help owners, help leaders be the best version of themselves. There are a lot of people that call themselves the coach. They get downsized out of corporate America. They decide, "Well, I'll coach." And that's all fine, well and good. But to me, it was really important to go through the coaching school and earn the certification, so I really can bring the best and offer the best service to my clients.

Corey Rieck: How long was the training that you had to go through?

Kim Ellet: The program I went through was about a year and a half. It was an intensive.

Corey Rieck: Oh, wow!

Kim Ellet: Yes, it was very intense. A lot of online work, a lot of three live module weekends. A lot of practice coaching with our peers, as well as a certified coach that we had to coach to earn. We had to take an exam in order to earn our certification. So, I proudly display that CPC - certified professional coach - after my name is I worked hard for it.

Corey Rieck: Yeah, that's a big deal. It seems to me that you have sort of a theoretical component of that, but you also have the getting your hands dirty on the street component of it.

Kim Ellet: Absolutely.

Corey Rieck: And you have to prove that you know those things because you have the testing and the-

Kim Ellet: There is a big difference between coaching and consulting, and there's a need for both.

Corey Rieck: Yes.

Kim Ellet: And for me, the coaching really gets down to the nitty gritty to help people be the best version of themselves.

Corey Rieck: So, with coaching, do you have trouble, sometimes, getting people to understand that they need help? I mean, because a lot of times, business owners, they don't think they need it.

Kim Ellet: Right. And also, sometimes, people have a hard time referring me because they think they're telling someone that there's something wrong or they're broken. So, what I'd like to do-

Corey Rieck: That's a good point.

Kim Ellet: Yeah. So-.

Corey Rieck: How do you get around that?

Kim Ellet: What I like to do is I say think about Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, two of the most talented people in their field. They both have a coach-

Corey Rieck: Yeah, that's a good point.

Kim Ellet: ... because their coach is going to help them see another version, see how they can go bigger, better, faster. Michael Phelps could sit certainly sit back and say, "Well, I've got a few gold medals," and this coach is like, "That's great. Michael, congratulations. Get back in the pool, 'cause you can do more." And so, that's what I do for business owners, really help them create a bigger version. Look at something from a different perspective.

Corey Rieck: Well, I think it helps to have another set of eyes on the issue, right? Because I think as being a business owner myself, sometimes, you can get so close to the object and not really see anything.

Kim Ellet: Absolutely. It's really important to have that outside perspective and also have a sounding board, because a lot of times, the adage, it's lonely at the top, because business owners don't necessarily have the opportunity. It's not the same thing to confide in their team or, sometimes, even their spouse-.

Corey Rieck: No, no, no.

Kim Ellet: ... because they don't get it at that level. And so, working with a business coach really is beneficial to have that outside support, that outside perspective, to be that sounding board and that cheerleader, really, at the same time.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. And somebody that's a third party that has a vested interest in you getting better, but not trying to necessarily sell you something.

Kim Ellet: Exactly.

Corey Rieck: And sometimes, that's hard to find as a business owner because it can be interpreted that everybody sort of wants to sell you something. And really, sometimes, what you need is to hear the truth as unvarnished as possible.

Kim Ellet: Yes, exactly. And sometimes, when I usually start working with a client, I'll say, "How do you want to be coached? Do you want me to be really like down and dirty in your face? Or do you want me to kind of sugarcoat it a little bit? But I'm going to tell you the truth."

Corey Rieck: That's a really good point too because a lot of people, they can handle the directness. They can handle, as my dearly departed father would say, the woodshed conversation, behind being direct. And others, you've got to be more, I would imagine, sort of more velvet gloved.

Kim Ellet: But I'm still going to say the truth. It's not going to do anyone any good if we keep pretending. That's one of the big course of what I do is really look. Facing reality is a big piece of business success.

Corey Rieck: You offer, to me, a lot of important services to business owners. I think that you have a number of different services that you offer. And to me, one of the things that ... certainly, one-to-one coaching, everybody needs that. No matter how good you are, you can always get better. Would you agree with that?

Kim Ellet: Absolutely. I think everyone. Continuous improvement is what I'm committed to.

Corey Rieck: But one thing that ... several things stood out for me on your website, which, by the way, is extremely well done. One of them is business valuation.

Kim Ellet: Well, I appreciate you bringing that up. So, The Growth Coach, after I earned my certification and began coaching clients, I realized that there were other needs besides helping them look at where they are and where they wanted to go. And so, I started looking around for another tool to add to my tool belt. So, I bought the Atlanta office of The Growth Coach. And one of the things I love about their group coaching programs is the fact that they are certified by NASBA, which means that CPAs can do our coaching programs, and they can earn their CEUs at the same time. And the credibility of that really spoke to me.

Kim Ellet: And so, there are some other tools that I use from The Growth Coach that really fit with my business model. Business valuation is not one of them. So, when I have clients that ask for business valuation or some of the other things that are on The Growth Coach website, I have other peers that I refer people to. So, business valuation and financing your business are not something that I personally do. But I do have connections. That's one of the things I love to do is help people connect with what else they need, what other resources they need to build their business.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. I mean, that's any business owner, right? I mean, you don't have to know everything about everything, but you do need to know where to go because there's a danger in having the client go somewhere else where there's a different relationship, and that could be upset. But I think I brought that up because a lot of business owners don't realize that it takes a number of years to get a business ready to sell. You have to recast the financials a lot of times, you have to make adjustments, you have to find a buyer. And it's not just as simple as hanging a sign out saying, "Hey, I want to sell my business."

Kim Ellet: Absolutely. And it's important to sort of begin with the end in mind. We've heard that adage. So, if you're starting your business, it's important to think about where do I want to be in 5 to 10 years? What is your exit strategy? And those are important pieces to put in - systems, processes, making sure you're measuring your numbers, putting those things together, so that one day you would have something that you could sell.

Corey Rieck: What do you find is the most challenging thing about what you do?

Kim Ellet: I think the most challenging thing is getting people to realize the benefit of working with a coach, that once they do start working with me, they really are like, "Wow, why didn't I do this sooner?"

Corey Rieck: Yeah, hindsight being 20/20.

Kim Ellet: Yes, exactly. Exactly. That, to me, seems to be the most challenging thing.

Corey Rieck: How do you get your clients?

Kim Ellet: I do a lot of networking. I'm very involved in NAWBO. Also, in-.

Corey Rieck: You are.

Kim Ellet: And also, in the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. And I do a lot of networking and referral partnerships as well. Word of mouth.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. What part of your business gives you the most satisfaction?

Kim Ellet: What I absolutely love is working with a business owner or leader and seeing the light bulb go off. Having them get to a place that they never thought they could get because they haven't even imagined it yet. When we first start working together, they've got this viewpoint of, "Okay, I could get maybe from A to B," but they don't even think about what F, G, H or Y or Z could look like. Until we get to the B C, then they can see another version. So, another level of of where they could go.

Corey Rieck: So, it seems to me, you help them really sort of look at the big picture, which involves ... a lot of business owners are just tuned into 30, 60, 90 days and you're saying, "Hey, let's look beyond that, and let's figure out what we have to do to get to this market, this point," and you set metrics, right? That's what you do?

Kim Ellet: Well, exactly. I mean, we definitely look at the big picture. Where do you want to be in a year or five years? What is your exit strategy? But then, it's also important to keep that in mind. But then, to put together you're 30 ... actually, I really focus on 90-day plans. It's a good business segment, so that you are keeping your vision in mind, but then you're putting your action steps in place, and then holding them accountable. Accountability is huge. Everybody can come up with, "Well, I kind of want to do this," but that's a wish list. Without the accountability and the action steps, then you're not going to really accomplish things.

Corey Rieck: How what do you like the most about what you do?

Kim Ellet: I love working with business owners, leaders, and teams to help them create a bigger, better version and vision of what they can do, be, and have. A lot of times, people get really stuck in their own limiting beliefs, or doubts, or "Yeah, buts," I'd like to say. Like if you say, "Well, what would you like to do? I want you to get all the yeah, buts." Yeah, but I'd have to go back to school. Yeah, but I'm too old. Yeah, but. Whatever those yeah, buts are, put them away for a little bit. So, you can think about with all those out of the way, what you really, really like to do.

Kim Ellet: And they might say ... somebody told me one time they wanted to win the lottery. And I was like, "Okay, why do you want to win the lottery?" And they said, "Well, I've always wanted to travel around Europe." I'm like, "Okay. So, what you really want to do is travel around Europe. Let's get this obstacle of winning the lottery out of the way, and let's figure out how do you travel around Europe." So, I really love helping peel back the layers, helping them get to the core of what they want to do, and then figure out how to get there.

Corey Rieck: It sounds like as a coach, it seems to me what you're doing is you're helping people be more brave. Would that be fair?

Kim Ellet: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And look at things in a perspective that they had never even considered as a possibility.

Corey Rieck: Isn't part of your role also making people comfortable and comfortable enough to be brave, to make that, you know, next uncomfortable step, or to make that call or to make whatever next necessary adjustment it is in their business. I mean, isn't that a big part of what you do?

Kim Ellet: It's a big part of what I do to help provide that sort of safety, if you will, that, "I've got you. I've got your back. We're going to do this together." You've got to get out of your comfort zone. If you're going to really make any change, you've got to take some risks. Being a business owner, being a business leader, a manager definitely involves risks and getting out of your comfort zone. But we got this. We're going to do this together.

Corey Rieck: How do you do that? You have to establish trust almost immediately, it seems. And that, "I got your back," I mean, how do you do that? How does Kim do that?

Kim Ellet: I really do it by listening and asking those questions, asking the questions that are going to get deep. They're going to get to the core of, what do you really value? What do you really want to accomplish? What lights you up? I've actually had some clients that thought they were going to go in one direction. And when we started working together and helping them get more centered and more focused on what's really important to them, they went in a different direction. So, I'm committed to my clients being the best and having the most satisfaction and happiness they can have.

Corey Rieck: So, are you helping them personally, as well as professionally?

Kim Ellet: Well, you really can't separate the person from their business. So, we will definitely-

Corey Rieck: That's true.

Kim Ellet: You really can't. So, some of the issues that are gonna come up in business probably are going to come up in personal, vice-versa. If you've got someone who's had some obstacles in their personal life, it's going to affect the business. So, I really meet my clients where they are and what they want to talk about.

Corey Rieck: Work/life balance. Do you talk to your clients about that?

Kim Ellet: Absolutely.

Corey Rieck: And how do you help them get that?

Kim Ellet: Well, it's really important to realize that there's a concept about the equality of all the plates that you're holding being the same. And I help them dispel that myth. It's not like you're going to try to keep everything perfectly balanced at once because that is crazy making. But to look at-

Corey Rieck: That's true.

Kim Ellet: ... what are you going to focus on? What do you want to spend your time on now? We're going to maybe set something aside for a second while you really focus on this. And what is the most important thing you want to focus on first? It's all important, but what do you want to focus on first? And then, what kind of action plan? And then, how do you build in time? It's important to build in time for the personal life. I have one client. He actually wrote on one of his evaluations that one of the things he's ... he owns a CPA firm and a successful firm, and he wrote on one of his evaluation forms that he likes that I remind him to plan a date night with his wife regularly. So, you do you have to put both of those in there. You don't want to just be all business. You don't want to just be all about the personal issues.

Corey Rieck: But I think you're right on target with that. When did you decide you needed to be an entrepreneur?

Kim Ellet: Well, it's interesting. It was through a series of unexpected events that led me to that. My background is in the hospitality industry. When I graduated from the University of Georgia, I had to put a blog in there. I went into the hospitality-

Corey Rieck: They played football in Athens, don't they?

Kim Ellet: Yeah. Yeah, they do. It's nice to see them winning again. They won when I was there. And now, they're winning again. So, I went into the hospitality industry, hotels, meetings, conventions part of the industry. I produce corporate events, worked for small to medium-sized organizations. Left that. So, I have sort of segments. I left that to become a full-time parent, had three children in 18 months. You can do the math. Yes, my twins were born when my oldest daughter was 18 months old. I helped start a commercial general contracting firm. We also had four men's hair salon franchises. And I also ended up, sort of, accidentally on the Georgia State PTA board for a couple of years. So, very busy. A lot of different-

Corey Rieck: Yeah, I'll say.

Kim Ellet: A lot of different activities, a lot of different places to make a difference. And then, I had an unexpected event about seven years ago. I got divorced and had an opportunity to figure out-

Corey Rieck: I'm sorry to hear that.

Kim Ellet: Sometimes, that thing you have to realize is what I help my clients with too is realizing that things happen for us, not to us. And-

Corey Rieck: What a great point.

Kim Ellet: Yes. And so, that's been the best thing that could have happened for me is to look at what am I really passionate about? And I have to tell you, it wasn't men's haircuts. So, I-

Corey Rieck: A lot of us need that assistance.

Kim Ellet: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And yeah, nothing against that, but I realize that wasn't my passion. So, I sold my interests and our business, and I decided to go back to school for coaching. And I toyed around with getting back into marketing and PR, which had been my background, and I did a little part time work with that with another business owner, but I decided to be brave and just jump off the edge full force, and went back to school for coaching. And I really wanted to help other people realize they could do it too. You don't have to get stuck in that course that you're on. You can really be brave and do something that lights you up.

Corey Rieck: Well, you're helping people get unstuck, you're helping them access their potential, and you're helping them be brave. That, to me, has a lot of value. Tell us a little bit about your involvement with NAWBO.

Kim Ellet: Well, I've been a member of NAWBO for about a year, almost a year. And I love it. When I started visiting that group, I realized that these group of women business owners, just really a good energy in the room. I'm someone that likes to make a difference. I got really involved with the PTA that I didn't expect to, but really had a good experience with that. And when I started hearing about NAWBO's story, about the way that the group was founded, about a group of women who were business owners in the mid-70s that weren't allowed to join the Chamber of Commerce because they were women.

Corey Rieck: Is that true?

Kim Ellet: Yes, it is true.

Corey Rieck: Solely because they're women.

Kim Ellet: Yes.

Corey Rieck: In the '70s.

Kim Ellet: I know it's hard to believe, especially for men, but it's true.

Corey Rieck: It is hard to believe.

Kim Ellet: Yeah, it is hard to believe. And they decided that if they weren't invited to the table, they would start their own table, which is how NAWBO was formed. And the work that they did, now, we're going to talk about this a little bit later when we get to the NAWBO segment, but then when I met Marcy Fortnow, we had met in another organization, she actually said, "You need to come check out NAWBO." And she's such a dynamic leader and a wonderful friend that I couldn't say no to her when she-

Corey Rieck: I don't imagine many people do it.

Kim Ellet: Exactly, that I joined the board as vice president of education and have enjoyed helping bring education to the members as well.

Corey Rieck: What types of programs are you bringing to the members as VP of education of NAWBO?

Kim Ellet: Well, one I'm really excited about is coming up this week actually. NAWBO, as I mentioned, is an advocacy organization. And we have a candidates forum for the governor's race coming up this Thursday.

Corey Rieck: Where is it at?

Kim Ellet: It's at the Georgian Club for our Lunch and Learn. And we have a two female dynamic leaders who are each representing their their candidate. We have Martha Zoller, who is going to be representing candidate Brian Kemp, and we have Becky Arrington, who's going to be representing candidate Stacey Abrams. And we're going to be talking about business issues. NAWBO is a bipartisan organization. So, we're going to strictly stick to business issues and what each candidate stands for for women in business in Georgia.

Corey Rieck: That should be excellent. I mean, the NAWBO event that I attended recently was extremely impressive and inclusive. And for me, very enlightening about all the contributions that NAWBO has made as advocacy for women's businesses. And we're going to talk about how that's evolved. How has your business evolved over the years?

Kim Ellet: Well, as most business owners have gone through, those stages where you're kind of that deer in headlights, not really sure where to start. And then, you just keep at it.

Corey Rieck: That sounds familiar.

Kim Ellet: Yeah, but you just keep at it. You work with your outside coaches as well, and you keep going. And so, I've grown with the size of businesses that I'm working with and the types of services that I provide. And the impact, I think, has been the biggest thing, getting more involved with the community as well.

Corey Rieck: Well, it sounds like you really enjoyed it. And to me, from looking at website, knowing you, you've added tremendous value in helping people get unstuck. That's a thing. I mean, business owners get stuck. Would you agree?

Kim Ellet: Absolutely, absolutely.

Corey Rieck: And then, convincing them or helping them understand, be little bit more brave, and you can make a quantum leap.

Kim Ellet: Definitely. And actually, a lot of times, a leader, a business owner will hire me because they have a particular issue they are looking to solve. For example, I had one person hire me because his company was really going through a tremendous amount of turnover. He was having a difficult time retaining his employees, especially with a younger generation. And so, he wanted me to come in and basically fix those employees.

Kim Ellet: And of course, that's really not a thing. So, when we started working together, we were able to peel back the layers and realize, okay. So, first of all, he and his business partner had not clearly reset their vision from the previous nine years. They started their business nine years before. They hadn't had a chance to look at where we going now. So, if they haven't got a clear vision where they're going, then how are their employees going to get them there? So, that was one of the biggest things we looked at. And then, also, the communication, the leadership style, and how to get not just the right people on the bus, but making sure they understand where the bus is going, and that they have value to contribute.

Corey Rieck: Would you agree that don't people quit bosses?

Kim Ellet: Absolutely, absolutely. And so, working with the bosses to help them be a better version of themselves, to take their blinders off, and clearly communicate where it is they want the business to go, and get their employees engaged, not just telling them. But we're in a different age now. The younger generation has a lot of value to bring to the business world. And it's shifting mindsets. A lot of the work I do is shifting the mindset from the way things used to be but, also, a lot-

Corey Rieck: That's the way we've always done it.

Kim Ellet: Exactly.

Corey Rieck: You've never heard that, right?

Kim Ellet: Exactly. And so, one of the biggest things I love to do is work with business owners who typically have a passion for what it is that they do. I use the analogy of the person who's got a fantastic cookie recipe, who thinks, "Oh, I would be a great bakery owner." And they don't realize that the skill set it takes to be a fabulous baker is different than what it takes to own a successful bakery. And so, that's a lot of the work I do is shifting their mindset to being that strategic business owner, having that CEO mindset to grow their business, and not just make great cookies.

Corey Rieck: Kim, you've been invited on the show because you're successful. You've impacted a lot of people favorably, and you've been favorably introduced by a former Tuesdays with Corey guest. Tell us what you think sets you apart from your competitors.

Kim Ellet: I think one of the things is I've been there. I've gone through a lot of the ups and downs.

Corey Rieck: I'll bet that is very helpful.

Kim Ellet: It really is. People really appreciate that I can relate as somebody who's been there, and that I can help them pick themselves up by their bootstraps, if you will, and give them kind of what they need. They might need a hug, or they might need the kick in the pants. And so, to be able to have that sort of intuition, to understand what it is they need in that moment, I think, is one thing that sets me apart.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. If you could give the younger version of Kim some advice, what do you think that would be?

Kim Ellet: It would be stick with it. There's gonna be a lot of bumps and twists along the way, and just throw your hands up, and enjoy the ride. Don't give up. You got this.

Corey Rieck: [ If there were a young lady that wanted to follow in your footsteps, what would you tell her? What advice would you give her?

Kim Ellet:I would give her the advice to look for mentors, look for a coach.

Corey Rieck: Really important.

Kim Ellet: Look for somebody who can can really be there for you, that sounding board, that encouragement. You don't have to do it all by yourself.

Corey Rieck: Yeah, that's sage advice. Kim, if the listenership wanted to get a hold of you, how would they best do that?

Kim Ellet: You can call me, 404-312-3207, or you can email me. My name is Kim Ellet. So, my email address is the letter kellet@thegrowthcoach.com. And my website is www.thegrowthcoachatl.com.

Corey Rieck: Very, very impressive website. Kim, you've been a great guest. Congratulations on your success. I appreciate all your contributions to your organization, and to your industry, and to NAWBO. And now, it's going to bring us to talking about NAWBO. And we'll bring both Marcy and Kim in here. We've heard a lot about how NAWBO has impacted your business. This said, isn't the purpose of NAWBO to really advance female business owners? Is that a fair characterization?

Marcy Fortnow: That's correct. That's correct. It's part of their creed is that they lift women business owners to economic and social spheres of influence.

Corey Rieck: Isn't October an important month for four normal ladies?

Marcy Fortnow: Yes, yes. It is the 30th anniversary of H.R. 5050. It is-

Corey Rieck: And what's that?

Marcy Fortnow: The Women's Business Ownership Act.

Kim Ellet: What's so great about this is it's actually shocking for many people to realize, and it was to me when I realized that it was just 1988 that the Women's Business Ownership Act was passed. And one of the most significant parts of that was that it allowed women business owners to borrow money in their own name. Before that-

Corey Rieck: That is shocking to me.

Kim Ellet: Yes. Before that, if they wanted to take out a loan for their business, they had to get a male, a man, even their 18-year-old son, to co-sign with them because they weren't allowed to borrow money in their own name. So, that was one of the main accomplishments of H.R. 5050. It, also, has set up women's business centers and programs through the Small Business Association. Another interesting thing about October is it's Small Business Month, so.

Marcy Fortnow: Yeah, Kim, I want to add one other thing that prior to H.R. 5050, women's businesses were not counted in the census. And that is another thing it did.

Corey Rieck: Why do you suppose that is?

Marcy Fortnow: Because it was considered that women's businesses were, I heard, "macramé and candle making in the basement," that it wasn't considered that women had substantial economically viable businesses. So, there were 6000, I think, women businesses that were not counted in the census until '88.

Kim Ellet: Right, they weren't counted and the business impact for the country, they were just totally overlooked.

Marcy Fortnow: That's right. So, that-

Corey Rieck: I don't even know what to say to that.

Marcy Fortnow: So, those three major things that H.R. 5050. It was written and pushed through from the founders of NAWBO, those women who got together just five years before and ... or sorry, 10 years before. And it was signed in by President Reagan.

Corey Rieck: I don't even know what to say. That's really ... what an incredible act, and what an incredible advocacy play, if you will, for female business owners. I had no idea.

Marcy Fortnow: Yeah. We're gonna celebrate. We're celebrating it all month with the program, the governor's race program that Kim talked about that we'll be having.

Corey Rieck: Now, can anyone come to that, Marcy?

Marcy Fortnow: Oh, yes. Yes. Just register on nawboatlanta.org. And absolutely. And that's at the Georgian Club. And then, we're also going to have a party because we love to party.

Corey Rieck: Nobody likes that.

Marcy Fortnow: Nobody likes that. We're gonna have a party on October 30th. And you can register also on the website to join us. It's sponsored by Bank of America. And it's going to be a lots of fun. We have a signature cocktail that's going to be teal, which is the color of NAWBO.

Corey Rieck: So, this Thursday's event, what time does it start at the Georgian Club?

Marcy Fortnow: It's 11:30 to 1:30.

Corey Rieck: Okay.

Marcy Fortnow: Or 1:00. 1:00 is the programming. And then, we-

Corey Rieck: And then, they sign up online, so you can have record of them. And then, they pay their fee. But anyone can come?

Marcy Fortnow: Anyone can come.

Corey Rieck: Because that, to me, seems like it would be an incredible value add that NAWBO is putting on to have that sort of forum, this bipartisan that talks about both candidates. And I think that's very clever on your part to have done that.

Marcy Fortnow:Well, our origin is in advocacy. And so, we want to make sure that we're putting officials into place that care and support women in business.

Corey Rieck: That makes sense. Is NAWBO looking for new members?

Marcy Fortnow: Always, always. We really target the middle market, the mid-sized businesses.

Corey Rieck: What does that mean?

Marcy Fortnow: What does that mean? That means, at least, 5 to 10 years in business. Always, we have opportunities for new business owners. We know that they love to find us because it's wonderful to be around other women. You don't need to be all by yourself. We're also starting a mentorship program to help people who are in the earlier stages of their business. And then, women in larger businesses, we have what's called the circle, which is for women who have businesses over a million dollars, and that is a national program.

Corey Rieck: What is that? What's involved with that?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, you need to own a business that has over a million dollars in revenue. And then, you join the circle, which is an additional group to NAWBO. It's within NAWBO, but it's an additional membership. And they have three retreats a year. They have online training and meetings. It's a special group.

Corey Rieck: That sounds very valuable.

Marcy Fortnow: Very valuable, because there aren't a lot of women. I think it's 3% of women business owners are in that category, and they need to find each other. So, we give that opportunity for women to connect and know that they're not alone, whether they're solopreneurs or they run large organizations.

Corey Rieck: Do you have other ideal members that you're looking for? I mean, it seems like you would be able to cater to somebody that's relatively new, relatively established, and somebody that you referenced the circle, the million dollar in revenue and up. It seems like NAWBO is in a position to really help a lot of the majority of female business owners.

Kim Ellet: One of the things that sets NAWBO apart, because there are so many networking organizations out there and associations, there are several that target women leaders as well. But NAWBO is the only organization that has an advocacy route that incorporates that advocacy piece for business owners, for women. And we're the only membership-based organization that has the advocacy piece as well. So, that's a really important thing, whether you are actively engaged yourself in advocacy, the organization is working on your behalf.

Marcy Fortnow: That's right. Actually, we represent 11 million women business-

Corey Rieck: Wow!

Marcy Fortnow: owners across the country. Whether you are a member or not, your voices heard in Washington with NAWBO.

Corey Rieck: That's good. You're advocating. I mean, I would imagine that NAWBO has folks that spend a good bit of time in Washington trying to get legislation that helps female business owners. Is that fair?

Marcy Fortnow: That's correct.

Kim Ellet: We actually have some paid staff.

Corey Rieck: Really?

Kim Ellet: Yes. And we have a paid staff advocacy chair. Is that her title? Well, that's her role in Washington, DC. And Marcy and I were able to attend, and our president-elect, Bonnie Daneker, we attended the Advocacy Day conference in DC this past June.

Corey Rieck: How was that?

Kim Ellet: It was excellent. It was really exciting to see how many other NAWBO chapters from around the country were there and have senators and representatives, don't ask me to quote which ones were there, that came. Actually, there was a special signing while we were there-

Marcy Fortnow: Oh, right.

Kim Ellet: ... on insurance.

Marcy Fortnow: Yes, yes. Organizational insurance that individual solopreneurs could get insurance through their associations. That was something-

Kim Ellet: They signed that into law. I don't know if we've actually seen any marketing of it yet, but they signed into law the changes that would allow larger organizations to offer insurance to their members. Again, we haven't seen anything happen since then, but they've announced to us that it was signed that day.

Marcy Fortnow: I thought it was also very interesting to meet with SCORE representatives or Small Business Association, because-

Corey Rieck: What is SCORE?

Kim Ellet:Oh, it's retired executives. The RE is retired executives, but it's a small business association, is what I think.

Marcy Fortnow: Right, right. We really met with the Small Business Association, but we talked about what they're doing to include more women-focused businesses. And I thought that was particularly interesting thing. Yeah.

Kim Ellet: The programs are ongoing.

Marcy Fortnow: Also, I just came back with Bonnie from the National Women's Business Conference that was in Spokane, Washington this year.

Corey Rieck: How was it?

Marcy Fortnow: And it's run by NAWBO and it was fabulous. We had speakers, and training, and really getting together with other members of NAWBO from all over the country. It was an excellent event. The next one is in October of next year, and it'll be in Jacksonville, Florida. So we're gonna have a really fabulous attendance from Atlanta.

Kim Ellet: And I didn't get to go to the Spokane one, but wasn't Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray Love, one of the main speakers of the program?

Marcy Fortnow: One of the keynote speakers and also one of the founders of Soul Pancake. That was my favorite speaker on the second day. Yeah.

Corey Rieck: Having attended a recent NAWBO event, I came away very impressed not only with the value that they're providing their members, but the fact that they're advocating for people that are not members and doing things that other non-NAWBO members can benefit from like H.R. 5050. being able to get loans and things of that nature. They've done a lot of great things in a short period of time, at least, from where I sit. What else would you have people understand about NAWBO that we maybe haven't talked about that in my advanced age, I haven't brought up?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, I think you can't make too much of the sisterhood, the environment, the culture. People come to our meetings. I don't know if you caught this, Corey, but there is a vibe in the room. These are women who get it, who know what it's like. This is a special group of entrepreneurs. And, yeah. You know it when you're there. You know it when you're there. It's just an amazing energy. Why won't you say, Kim?

Kim Ellet: Absolutely. And within our Atlanta chapter, we offer a variety of opportunities to get involved. We have-

Corey Rieck: Tell us about that.

Kim Ellet: Well, once a month, we have what we call the First Friday Forum, which is a breakfast time meeting. Marcy mentioned that a little bit earlier, but the format is where we have a topic that's facilitated, but everyone gets to share their ideas and their thoughts and learn from each other. And so, that's the first Friday. It's-

Corey Rieck: That's really valuable.

Kim Ellet: It is. It's sponsored by Barnes and Thornburg. And so, then, we also have the monthly Lunch and Learn program, which is the second Thursday of the month for lunch time. And that's the one we mentioned a minute ago, that the next one coming up October 11th is the Governor's Candidates Forum. And we also have a book club.

Marcy Fortnow: Yes, yes. Every other month. We have a book group where we actually workshop business books. Our facilitator, Maggie Ray, is unbelievable. And you walk out of that meeting with real, tangible ways to imply the things you read about in your business. Fabulous. One of the best things we do. And then, every other month, we have a networking night, more of an evening, casual, great way to check out NAWBO. Come have a glass of wine and little nosh and after-work time. So, those are in the evenings every other month, on the other month. And as I said, this month, we're actually turning it into an H.R. 5050 party.

Corey Rieck: Yeah. I mean, I'm even more impressed at knowing the two of you and Bonnie and what NAWBO has done not only for its members, but the business owners that are not members, just tremendous value add.

Marcy Fortnow: Oh, my gosh. We're doing so much. And here's another thing that we just like remembered. We also have a CEO roundtable. That is a subgroup, a small group of women business owners who mastermind together. So, they talk about their particular business issues and come up with solutions for each other. It's a mastermind group that meets right before our luncheon. And it's a smaller subgroup.

Corey Rieck: So, I come away even more impressed than I have been already because you were able to cater and assist business owners that are female at all levels. And it's inclusive, but NAWBO hasn't stopped there. They are doing things for women business owners that aren't even members. And that's almost even more impressive. So, it's just been a tremendous show. We've had two great guests here, Marcy Fortnow now with Engaging Play, Kim Ellet with The Growth Coach. Thank you for being such great guests. Any closing comments you want to make about NAWBO?

Marcy Fortnow: Well, it's just you have to come to one of our events to really get the spirit in the room. There is nothing like it. We've got some very exciting things coming up on the horizon as well. We're starting a mentorship program. Yeah, I lost the word, a mentorship program, where we're going to be accepting applications for mentors and for mentees. That's going to be very exciting. We're going to start that very soon and kick it off in January. That's just one of the new things on the horizon. Anything else, Kim?

Kim Ellet: It's a great group. I really encourage everyone to come check it out, one of the events that we just mentioned and get a taste for yourself. It is a sisterhood. And we are business women working together to support each other and lift each other up.

Corey Rieck: Is there a membership person or somebody had interest in joining NAWBO, how would they check it out? Is there a website? Is there a contact person? How would they do that?

Kim Ellet: All of the above. All of the above. Our website is nawboatlanta.org. And there's information on the events, that type of thing as well. You can certainly reach out to Marcy or myself or our membership team, so.

Corey Rieck: Ladies, continued success. Thank you for your contributions to your businesses, and organizations, the female community, and also to NAWBO. Thank you very much. You've been great guests.

Marcy Fortnow: Thank you, Corey.

Kim Ellet: Thank you for having us, Corey.

Katy Galli: Well, Corey, what a way to celebrate the Tuesdays with Corey one-year anniversary, right? You excited?

Corey Rieck: It is, yes.

Katy Galli: One full year.

Corey Rieck: Yes.

Katy Galli: It was a great way to celebrate it with some great guests with NAWBO. And Marcy, I know your fingernails are teal to match NAWBO. That's awesome.

Marcy Fortnow: Right. That's right. We were just at a conference, so my nails are still teal.

Katy Galli: So, you did them for that conference specifically? That's awesome.

Marcy Fortnow: Yes. There's actually a hashtag called #tealtoes.

Katy Galli: Oh, really? Wow. Are your toes teal too?

Marcy Fortnow: I did not do that.

Katy Galli: Okay, but just your nails. It's fine there. It's awesome. It's a great color. It matches the coffee mug perfectly.

Marcy Fortnow: Thank you.

Katy Galli: Well, great. Again, Happy anniversary to Tuesdays with Corey.

Corey Rieck: Thank you.

Katy Galli: And his great show is one year old, and it is brought to you by The Long Term Care Planning Group. And Corey, if somebody wanted to learn more about what you do and how the show is made possible, where might they do that?

Corey Rieck: Certainly, they can contact me directly at 678-814-5088, or they can email me at corey@thelongtermcareplanninggroup.com, or they can visit my website at www.thelongtermcareplanninggroup.com.

Katy Galli: Well, awesome. Again, thank you guys so much. And we will see you next time on Tuesdays with Corey.