Check Your Six Podcast

08/12/2024

Episode 141 of the Check Your Six Podcast had an intern flavor to it this time when Sean A Esler and April Babb brought some of the interns that they had working with for Edge Consulting and the Be the Change Today Foundation into the GRP Studios. It was a chance for the interns to close out their summer internship by participating in a LinkedIn workshop and creating their profile, getting headshots from Gerry Katz, getting makeup done and talking about their summer adventure as interns. Some great observations as they moved throughout Central Florida with the Seminole County Chamber Councils, the City of Longwood, FL Commission meetings, Rotary International Longwood Chapter and several other aspects of small business here in Central Florida. Thanks as well to Tony Boni and the Be the Change Today Foundation for being part of this event of building the future of young business individuals.

Episode 141 of the Check Your Six Podcast had an intern flavor to it this time when Sean and April brought some of the interns that they had working with Edge Consulting and the Be The Change Today Foundation into GRP Studios. It was a chance for ...

07/15/2024

Episode 139 of the Check Your Six Podcast brought James Gies with Zoom Room Dog Training into the GRP Studios to talk about his business as a franchise owner of Zoom Room. He shared his story of growing up in Michigan, making the decision to go to that school in Ann Arbor for his BS(appropriate for a degree from that institution) then the wiser decision to get his Masters from Michigan State, Go Sparty! He speaks German, Russian and talked about his time in Moscow and the impact that the woman that housed him and several other individuals who had been a survivor of Communism taking over in Russia and the challenges that she and her parents faced. Her attitude and outlook was something that shaped James for much of his adult life and how he approached challenges. His time with the restaurant industry, his claim to fame working at the Apple Store in the Florida mall, opening his business just before Covid, some of the challenges he faces and how he operates his business. Great conversation with someone that truly enjoys what he does and it pretty good at it!!

Episode 139 of the Check Your Six podcast brought James Gies with Zoom Room Dog Training into the GRP Studios to talk about his business as a franchise owner of Zoom Room. He shared his story of growing up in Michigan, making the decision to go to...

01/15/2024

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!! Join Kids In Support of Soldiers on Sunday January 28th at the Jack the Dipper - Longwood Ice Cream "Parlor" starting at 1:00pm and help support Kids In Support of Soldiers! Jack the Dipper - Longwood is a fantastic place to get some excellent ice cream and a homemade waffle cone to put it in. Plain, chocolate or cinnamon waffle cones are made to order and are a great way to finish off the ice cream. You can also get shakes, splits and lots of other goodies to eat in or to go.
Jack the Dipper - Longwood will be donating proceeds from Sunday's sales to Kids In Support of Soldiers to help us continue supporting our deployed men and women. So come on down, take one for the team and suffer through some ice cream while you are supporting the troops!!

01/09/2024

Be the Change Today Foundation will be hosting several poker tournaments throughout 2024. All of the tournaments will support local non-profits or community causes that will help benefit those living and working in those communities.
The event on February 3rd at Chianti's Pizza and Pasta - Italian Restaurant in Sanford will be support the Longwood Rotary and their partnership with Longwood Elementary School for the Rotary-Reading-Rodeo program through 2024.
Sponsorships are available for each event including title sponsorship, food sponsorship, Visa gift card sponsors, table sponsors and more.
You can go to the website for more details at the link below and also check out the sponsorship flyer!!
Come on, Be The Change Today and help out the kids at Longwood Elementary.
https://lnkd.in/eUmKa7Au

01/08/2024

Episode 125 of the Check Your Six Podcast had Rebecca Martone Waldron stop by the GRP Studios GRP Studios to talk about running multiple business locations and really, two totally different business models. Jack the Dipper - Longwood Ice Cream "Parlor" and the Revive Hair Collection are the two businesses that Rebecca runs out of locations in Longwood Florida and she talked about some of the challenges she has for both of these businesses. Finding stylists that are a compliment to the studio and have the same work patterns and trust levels, balancing the required details for each business of inventory levels for products, her community involvement and how they give back with the Jack The Dipper location to local non-profits and a lot more!! You can find out more at https://lnkd.in/eXmzMwfD
and at https://lnkd.in/eCUaQYGA.

12/25/2023

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas🎄today, hoping you are all enjoying some time with family or significant others. Jennifer Englert with The Orlando Law Group did indeed make another visit to GRP Studios for Episode 124 of the Check Your Six Podcast and brought us a present from the US Government! Jennifer had sent out one of their weekly emails about the new Corporate Transparency Act from 2021 that is supposed to take effect on Jan 1st 2024. It will require BOI or Beneficial Ownership Reporting, for almost all small business entities. We had a lot of fun talking about this, like we usually do when Jennifer is in the studio, but also talked about what this might mean to a lot of us small business owners. Of course, we all probably agree that most Government programs are a complete successes, so we can imagine that a program that is supposed to be up and running on 1-1-24 that does even have anywhere to report this information will be a tremendous success. You an check out more about The Orlando Law Group here, https://lnkd.in/eBCdTTMX so when you have questions, you can call them and then can help you out!!

Jennifer Englert with The Orlando Law Group made another visit to the GRP Studios for Episode 124 of the Check Your Six Podcast to deliver a Christmas present from the US Government! Jennifer had sent out one of their weekly emails about the new C...

12/11/2023

Episode 123 of the Check Your Six Podcastt brought 3 lovely ladies, aka the 3 amigos, into the GRP Studios to talk about EXIT Global Realty. Wendy Whittle Wagner, Kristina Peacock, and Alena Rivera all joined me today and explained how a meeting, that may or may not have included wine and napkins, resulted in them joining forces and becoming a part of what is Exit Global Realty. These ladies obviously love what they do, they love the clients/customers that they deal with on a regular basis and they love giving back to the community in both personal and professional ways. We talked about competition, (or is it really competition), how they are different from some of the other realtors in the industry, how they approach business, the ability to work 24/7 and how a rising tide lifts all of the boats!!! Great time with these ladies, love their passion for what they do. You can check them out at https://www.exitglobalrealty.com/

12/07/2023

Get ready for the 3 Amigos, Wendy Wagner Realtor, Kristina Peacock and Alena Rivera, Realtor all giving their insight to working in the field of realtors next Monday 12/11 on the Check Your Six Podcast coming from the GRP Studios!

11/27/2023

Andrew Brainard with Transmedcare Long Distance Medical Transportation paid a visit to GRP Studios to record Episode 122 of the Check Your Six Podcast. Andrew and I have talked on a couple of occasions and were finally able to connect and get him in to talk about what he does. First he helped me understand the operation of non-emergency medical transport, how he serves the public, the safety measures he takes, the care they give to those that are being transported and a variety of other parts of his business. We talked about finding workers for the transport vans, the concerns that some family members might have about using Trans-Med Care, which I was surprised to discover the top concern as well as the way that Trans-Med Care gives back to the community with organizations like the Alzheimer's Association. He talked about non-emergency transport being somewhat like the Wild West with little to no regulation or oversight and how he is helping in creating those guidelines. Love what they do and their passion for people. You can find out more about them here..https://trans-medcare.com so check them out if you need to transport anyone in a non-emergency condition just about any distance. hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

11/22/2023

Transmedcare Long Distance Medical Transportation is coming to the Check Your Six Podcast next Monday the 27th after the long Thanksgiving break. Thankful to Andrew Brainard for coming in talking about the TLC you get from TMC. Stay tuned!!

11/13/2023

Episode 121 of the Check Your Six Podcast brought John Blum II into the GRP Studios representing Five Star Claims Adjusting. Being a homeowner is a great position to be in but sometimes, as we have said on the program before, "you don't know what you don't know until you realize you don't know it". John talked a lot about so many things that Joe Average homeowner or business owner(who leases) may not realize about their insurance policies. Things that may be covered or may not be covered, changes in the law and regulations that can impact what you can claim. The information from the IICRC, The Institute of Cleaning and Restoration Center, https://iicrc.org, the need for a Law & Ordinance Provision in your insurance policy that covers things somewhat like replacement value for a car insurance policy does. Asking for the license when an adjuster shows up to provide that assessment of you home, why you need a claims adjuster, where you can find information about the FAPIA, Florida Association of Public Adjusters at their website https://www.fapia.net, so much more!! Still have a lot to learn about why claims adjusters are so valuable. You can check them out at https://www.fivestarclaimsadjusting.com.

10/30/2023

I had the pleasure of having Eric Hale stop by the GRP Studios today to record his session for the Check Your Six Podcast about DreamQuest Tiny Neighborhoods. Coming from a small town in Southern Idaho(they didn't have a traffic light) and working his way through the construction industry, facilities management and seeing all of the things that are done wrong from a construction standpoint, he decided to do something to address the affordable housing issue starting in Florida. This was not at all what I expected whenI invited him on the podcast a month or so ago, I did not expect someone that was passionate about solving a real problem with some outside the box, or house, thinking. I am excited to see where he ends up taking this and what kind of an impact he can make!! You can check out more of what they do on the website...https://dqtn.org

I had the pleasure of having Eric Hale stop by the GRP Studios today to record his session about DreamQuest Tiny Neighborhoods Inc. Coming from a small town in Southern Idaho(they didn't have a traffic light) and working his way through the constr...

10/16/2023

Our good friend Dr. James Rybacki stopped by GRP Studios today for some filming and some podcast time. We have been working with Dr. Rybacki for several years with his Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs by Dr. Jim Rybacki and the EGMN/Essential Guide to Medical News content that covers a wide range of medical news and information. We talked today about how he ended up where he is today(he was almost a Dentist), his passion for what he does and the walk that he and his wife took after her diagnosis of breast cancer. His website, www.doctorjimrybacki.com is a fantastic resource for just about anything you need to know with 15 separate health channels that are available for you to view or subscribe.

Our good friend Dr. Jim Rybacki stopped by GRP Studios today for some filming and some podcast time. We have been working with Dr. Rybacki for several years with his EGMN/Essential Guide to Medical News and the EGPD/Essential Guide to Prescription...

09/25/2023

It was an honor to have Amy Kirkland with Seminole State College of Florida stop by GRP Studios today to talk about Seminole State College of Florida and how you can "Go State. Go Far". Seminole State presented at a Seminole County Chamber meeting a few months back and really did a fantastic job letting the attendees know about all off the programs that they offer for students, business owners and the community as a whole. Amy is very passionate about what she does and is was evident during the podcast in all of the things she talked about. Advice for business owners, the partnership with the University of Central Florida, the Florida SBDC at UCF and all of the resources that are available through the programs at Seminole State College. https://lnkd.in/e5EFW4Di

Amy Kirkland with Seminole State College stopped by GRP Studios today to talk about Seminole State College and how you can "Go State and Go Far".  Seminole State presented at a Seminole Chamber meeting a few months back and really did a fanta...

09/12/2023

Episode 117 of the Check Your Six Podcast brought Andy Lawniczak into the GRP Studios to talk about printing, wrapping, not "rapping" and other challenges Andy has with creating excellent product for his clients. Andy is a faith based company and is committed to doing things in a manner that reflect that faith in the way he treats and service those that use Creative Imaging Wraps. He talked about how he arrived in Central Florida and I thanked him for spending lots of money when he would come to Disney, helps with my wife's retirement? Like many of us, Andy does get requests to do things for free or really cheap and while that might be a good thing to do, sometimes we get the feeling that those asking the questions don't understand that if everything is done for free, sooner or later nothing gets done!! It was great to listen to him talk about how he continues to grow and develop this business!!

Episode 117 of the Check Your Six podcast brought Andy Lawniczak into the GRP Studios to talk about printing, wrapping, not "rapping" and other challenges Andy has with creating excellent product for his clients. Andy is a faith based company and ...

08/28/2023

Episode 116 of the Check Your Six Podcast brought Brian Nagle with Real Time Group into the GRP Studios to talk about all kinds of PEO and staffing topics. We covered his move from the East Coast to Florida, his transition from mostly providing payroll funding for staffing companies to the PEO services that they are currently focusing on. The growth of some businesses during the craziness that affected all of us in 2020 to the downturn in those same industries, specifically the medical staffing businesses, with the changes that have happened in the medical industry. Brian loves what he does and is always looking out for businesses and how he can help them grow, even to some of us(me) that don't listen very well!!

Episode 116 of the Check Your Six podcast brought Brian Nagle with Real Time Services into the GRP Studios to talk about all kinds of stuff. We covered his move from the East Coast to Florida, his transition from mostly providing payroll funding f...

08/14/2023

Alexis Daniel from the Urban Air Adventure Park in Altamonte Springs stopped by GRP Studios for Episode 114 of the Check Your Six Podcast. Based out of Texas, this location of Urban Air Adventure is a new addition to the Altamonte Springs business landscape. https://www.urbanair.com/florida-altamonte-springs/
It is a lot more than just a trampoline park, there are a lot of activities that kids(and adults) of all ages can participate in. Besides the activity areas, they have a great area for parties and can handle more than a lot of "event spaces" for things like birthday parties, company team building events and just about any other meeting type. Nothing better in a team building event than battling a co-worker, or boss, on the battle beam!! You can reach Alexis at [email protected] to hear more about the facility! -business

Alexis Daniel from the Urban Air Adventure Park in Altamonte Springs stopped by GRP Studios for Episode 114 of the Check Your Six Podcast. Based out o...

08/03/2023

Trying something a little different to get the word out on the podcast!!

Small Business owner with a military background discuss the challenges of business ownership, transitions from active duty and taking your experience ...

07/31/2023

Beth Robertson with Cookies for Kids' Cancer was "Being A Good Cookie " when she dropped into the GRP Studios for Episode 114 of the Check Your Six Podcast. I have listened to her presentation at some of the Seminole County Chamber meetings but it was great to get more than 1 minute of what it is that she does. We had so much a great conversation before the session even started, some that covered her background about her parents, specifically her mother, her journey through the diagnosis of cancer in her son, the lack of treatment for cancer in kids, the reason she is so passionate about what she is doing and even more. Cookies for Kids Cancer, https://lnkd.in/eQwMbW6H, is doing some fantastic work in making a difference in the lives of kids and their families that have pediatric cancer. Both through research and treatment programs that were not even available when Beth's son went through her treatment. It was great hearing her story.

Beth Robertson with Cookies for Kids' Cancer was "Being A Good Cookie " when she dropped into the GRP Studios for Episode 114 of the Check Your Six Podcast. I have listened to her presentation at some of the Seminole Chamber meetings but it was gr...

07/03/2023

Craig Leysen rejoined me this week for the 112th episode of the Check Your Six Podcast after being away for a bit. It was great to have him back in the GRP Studios talking about veteran stuff. Most of it was talking about the benefits that veterans have available to them without even knowing it simply because we don't know where to start. We talked about using the https://www.va.gov site to get started in looking for the resources in your state. Using https://lnkd.in/e6s64W6G to do a deeper dive into specific benefits and how you can obtain your service records. Using the VSO through your state VA department to start the process and a lot more . Also talked about people like former VSO Helen Dottie Adams, you can check out what she does on her page, at https://lnkd.in/exUM_-Qn as just one example of the help that is out there for veterans. We just want to encourage veterans to use the benefits that you have earned through your service and get the help you need!!

Craig Leysen rejoined me this week for the 112th episode of the Check Your Six podcast after being away for a bit. It was great to have him back in talking about veteran stuff. Most of it was talking about the benefits that veterans have available...

06/19/2023

Air Force Veteran Patricia Murphy stopped by GRP Studios for the 111th Episode of the Check Your Six Podcast podcast to talk about a couple of business topics. The first is her business, Marketing Smarty Pants, that deals with you guessed it, marketing for your business. Obviously not just marketing, Smarty Pants covers a lot of the concepts and programs that help your business become more visible and appealing to potential clients. We also talked about her involvement with FAVOB, the Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses, Inc., its development and growth especially over the last couple of years. How FAVOB is working at bringing those nearly 200,000 veteran owned businesses into one place that civilians, government contractors and other businesses can find Veteran owned companies to work with. With 5 branches at the time of this broadcast, the sky is the only limit to what could happen with FAVOB!
You can check out her work with Smarty Pants at her website, https://lnkd.in/e9ndtmPR

Air Force Veteran Trish Murphy stopped by GRP Studios for the 111th Episode of the Check Your Six podcast to talk about a couple of business topics. The first is her business, Marketing Smarty Pants that deals with you guessed it, marketing for yo...

05/24/2023

Episode 109 looked back at Season 3 of the Check Your Six Podcast and the guests that have either been in the studio or have been out on location. It has been very different without my Air Force cop buddy Craig with me in the studio hosting the podcast with me, hopefully we can get him back in for some special guest host episodes in this next season. It was a pleasure having all of the people take time out of their day to some in and sit down for a bit to tell their story, I am honored that they took the time to do that and also look forward to what is next for this podcast. It starting with Episode 93 and Kate Olson, Get Sunmed Longwood Florida, Episode 94 Daniel Max Shaw Pro Wrestling Action, Jason Arthur with Eighty-Seven Degrees Coaching and the infamous Stuart Peisner of the Paramount Residential Mortgage Group was Episode 96. Episode 97 was Dan Jurman in one of my favorite locations, Camp Boggy Creek, Nikki Coppola with National Ovarian Cancer Coalition came in for Episode 98, we paid a visit to Steffan Brant Bodystreet Winter Park, FL for Episode 99 and then Seminole County Chamber member Dr. Richard Bocco with Seminole Integrative Medicine presented for Episode 100. Episode 101 was Marty Jean-Louie and Christopher Cuff with 24 Flix and the International Christian Film & Music Festival followed my Charles and Deborah Morris with Keller Williams Advantage Oviedo, Maria Hewitt with Maria Hewitt Financial Coaching was next and then Tony Smith with AutoLawn of Orlando gave us the low down on maintaining your lawn. We made a visit to Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Oviedo to speak with Jocelyn Thomas, came back to the GRP Studios for Episode 106 and Robin Nutter-Coleman with Luxury Pop Up Picnic Company, Ed Pisani Jr. with i4 Web service was Episode 107 and then Brian Fitzpatrick as The Discerning Detailer closed out the season. Thanks to everyone that has joined in and if there is ever anything that you would like to discuss, let me know and we will see what we can do!!

Episode 109 looked back at Season 3 of the Check Your Six podcast and the guests that have either been in the studio or have been out on location. It has been very different without my Air Force cop buddy Craig with me in the studio hosting the po...

05/08/2023

Brian Fitzpatrick stopped by the GRP Studios for Episode 108 of the Check Your Six Podcast to talk about his business, The Discerning Detailer. Brian had moved to Central Florida from the Boston area and decided he had enough of the corporate life and after some research decided to open his mobile detailing business. He talked about why he chose this business, the things he continues to learn every day about his business and how best to promote and grow it. He also talked about the challenges of operating this type of business in Florida with the sun, the heat, sea salt, love bugs, tree debris and a variety of other things that can his job even more challenging.

Brian Fitzpatrick stopped by the GRP Studios for Episode 108 of the Check Your Six podcast to talk about his business, The Discerning Detailer. Brian had moved to Central Florida from the Boston area and decided he had enough of the corporate life...

04/24/2023

For those of us that live in Central Florida, I4 is more often than not, a long and torturous travel. However, the i4webservices.com owned and operated by Ed Pisani Jr. anything but a long and torturous journey. He stopped by the GRP Studios for Episode 107 of the Check Your Six Podcast and shared a glimpse of what he does and how he operates. There is so much ground to cover in the web design/web development space that we did not get even close to covering all of the topics but I loved hearing how he works, his "why" in regards to clients, family, community and so much more. It really was an honor to sit and listen to him talk about he much he values those he works with and interacts with on a regular basis. We both agreed that our friendship with Sean A Esler is something to be treasured and we are both honored to consider him a friend, even if he doesn't like the computer platforms I choose!! You can check out what Ed does at https://i4webservices.com

For those of us that live in Central Florida, I4 is more often than not, a long and torturous travel. However, the i4 Web Services owned and operated by Ed Pisani is anything but a long and torturous journey. He stopped by the GRP Studios for Epis...

04/11/2023

Final caught up on the episode for the Check Your Six Podcast!! Episode 105 was a road trip to Mayweather Boxing and Fitness to speak with Army Captain Jocelyn Thomas about operating and managing a fitness facility. https://mayweather.fit/oviedo/
We covered several issues, many of them directed at the differences between leading and directing in the military vs the same functions in the civilian world. While many have not served and may not understand why there is a difference, a different mindset, dedication, drive and other factors that determine how we as veterans are motivated. She talked about being a servant leader, leading by doing, the difference between authority and influence and how she approaches that in the civilian world. She also gave shout out to Bodies By Design University in Atlanta where she received her certification and her instructors Mr. Cory and Mr. Doug!!

The Check Your Six podcast made a visit to Mayweather Boxing and Fitness to speak with Army Captain Jocelyn Thomas about operating and managing a fitness facility. We covered several issues, many of them directed at the differences between leading...

04/11/2023

The 104th Episode of the Check Your Six Podcast brought Tony Smith into the GRP Studios to talk about his business AutoLawn of Orlando. Robotic mowing is still fairly new to the states but evidently in other parts of the world they are pretty common, especially in Europe. Tony talked about his start in the industry, getting his business set up, some of the challenges in getting people to really look at this as an option for lawn maintenance as well as some other subject that involve robotic lawn services. Especially as we get older, this sound like a pretty good option to keeping a nice evenly cut manicured lawn with something that is among other things, an eco friendly solution. You can check out his website at https://autolawnoforlando.com for more details or to contact him about what he does.

The 104th Episode of the Check Your Six podcast brought Tony Smith into the GRP Studios to talk about his business Auto Lawn of Orlando. Robotic mowing is still fairly new to the states but evidently in other parts of the world they are pretty com...