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Marketing

Supporting Women-Owned Small Businesses with Debra Locker Griffin

Supporting Women-Owned Small Businesses with Debra Locker Griffin

On this episode of Small Business Success Talks, join host Christy Smallwood as she interviews Debra Locker Griffin, a leading public relations professional empowering women and their small businesses. Debra offers her advice on how to use PR to help and market women-owned small businesses, including tips on finding distinctive brand language and storytelling techniques that appeal to female audiences. She also talks about the value of establishing solid connections and networks to support female entrepreneurs in overcoming challenges and achieving their objectives. This episode is a must-listen if you’re a female small business owner or entrepreneur looking for inspiration and advice on how to thrive in PR.

BIO: Debra Locker Griffin provides big city caliber public relations with small-town charm by applying the same inquisitive spirit that served her so well in television news journalism. Her three decades of professional excellence have put her in the absolute vanguard of her field.

Debra’s company, The Debra Locker Group, is an award-winning boutique agency specializing in the lifestyle, beauty, spa, and wellness markets and has been a constant champion for female entrepreneurs. The Kentucky-based DLG was named Best PR firm in Louisville by readers of LEO Weekly three years in a row, and listed as a top PR firm by the editors of Louisville Business First.

Prior to launching DLG, Debra was the Public Relations Director for the International SPA Association and Host Communications, both of which are based in Lexington, KY. Working in the spa industry since 2001, Debra was voted as the recipient of the 2020 Women in Wellness PR & Marketing Award from American Spa magazine.

Before beginning her PR career, Debra was a reporter and producer at TV stations in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. She has received three Emmy nominations for her work in television.

A firm believer in giving back to the world, Debra is the Board Chair for the Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee Chapter of the National MS Society and a committee member for the annual Misters for MS fundraiser in Louisville.

Her free time is spent traveling, gardening, working out and trying new restaurants. Debra is frequently accompanied by her husband Ron, teenaged son Bryce, and Great Pyrenees Jackie and Pete.

@DebraLockerGroup

@SmallBusinessSuccessTalk

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Business Coaching

How to not let stressed-out you muck up a million dollar conversation

How to not let stressed-out you muck up a million dollar conversation

On this episode of Small Business Success Talks, we’re diving into the topic of high-stress conversations and how to navigate them like a pro. Join us as we share expert advice on how to keep your cool and stay focused during million-dollar discussions. Learn how to identify common stress triggers and develop practical strategies to avoid them, including techniques to manage your emotions and respond to challenging questions with confidence. Don’t let stress derail your success – tune in and discover the tools you need to thrive in high-pressure situations.

@smallbusinesssuccesstalk

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Financial Operations

Accounting Checklist for your Business

Accounting Checklist for your Business

On this episode of Small Business Success Talks. Christy Smallwood and guest, Ashley Ford discuss how accounting is a complex, but essential, part of running your business. If you’re a small business owner, you know that accounting is a lot of work. But Ashley thinks it’s not complicated at all. She finds joy in helping business owners to keep track of their finance and more…

Discover the best advice that Ashley received and continues to live by today.

@PrettyPennyAccounting

@SmallBusinessSuccessTalk

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Marketing

3 Key Activities to do for marketing in your business each year

3 Key Activities to do for marketing in your business each year

It’s a new Marketing Mavens episode for Small Business Success Talk! Grab your note-taking tools and get ready to focus on setting yourself up for success in the coming year(s). 

The Marketing Mavens: – Christy Smallwood, Host (Eagle Eye Strategic Marketing & Chrysaetos Strategic Leadership Development) – Amy Torres (Director of Marketing, Inc.) – Kristina Stubblefield (SoIn Media Group & The Ring, The Bling, and All The Things) – Brittany Murphy (One Thing Marketing)

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Interior Design

Designing the future through mentoring with Liz Toombs

Designing the future through mentoring with Liz Toombs

In this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Liz Toombs, Owner and Designer of PDR Interiors, talks about successfully running and growing her business for almost two decades and the passion to mentor young women in business through her niche work with Sorority houses across the U.S.

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#womeninbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessrocks #smallbusinessowner #entrepreneur #sororityhouse #business #interiordesign

BIO
Liz Toombs is known as the go-to decorator for sorority interiors on college campuses. The work of Toombs and the PDR Interiors team can be seen on over 90 campuses spread across 22+ states. A leader in the decorating industry for nearly two decades, Toombs is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta. Mentoring women is a keystone of PDR, something Toombs learned to value through her fraternity experience. Helping to preserve that experience for current and future members of women’s organizations is what drives Toombs to focus on sorority housing projects. In addition to PDR’s vast work in Greek housing, the firm also offers comprehensive services for private residences. A trusted media resource, Toombs is quoted in notable outlets including The Huffington Post, The Associated Press and Realtor.com. She and the company were featured on MSNBC’s “Your Business” in a profile about the brand’s business acumen. Additionally, Toombs launched and hosts the “Sorority Chat” podcast, which features interviews with leaders in the national Greek system. Toombs resides in Lexington, Ky., where she is very involved in giving back to the community through the Junior League and other local charities. She created The Mary Estes Memorial Scholarship in honor of her mother, who passed away from cancer in 2012. The scholarship is awarded annually to a Univ. of Ky. College of Agriculture, Food and Environment student who has lost a parent from cancer. Toombs enjoys exercising, spending time on Lake Cumberland and almost always has a book in her hands. She shares her home with her husband, Billy, and their frequently Instagrammed dogs, Wendel and Bartlet.

@pdrinteriors

@SmallBusinessSuccessTalk

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Food

Southern Cravings and Learning To Grow A Digital Business with Anna Kate Goshko

Southern Cravings and Learning To Grow A Digital Business with Anna Kate Goshko

On this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy interviews Anna Kate Goshko, Owner & Creator of SouthernCravings.com. Learn about this digital business that isn’t just about recipes, it’s about SOUL food. And Anna Kate shares some of her challenges, and best advice for being in business. Plus, you know there’s going to be a good story or two!

#southerncravings #soulfood #womanbusinessowner #smallbusinessrocks #dowhatyoulove #success #business #creator

@SouthernCravingsOfficial

@SmallBusinessSuccessTalk

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Marketing Mindset

Experimentation is part of reinvention with Charlene Burke

Charlene Burke

Experimentation is part of reinvention with Charlene Burke

This episode of Small Business Success Talk is conversation about evolving as a business model and owner. Charlene Burke shares her approach of experimenting as a part of business growth – it’s never failure, it’s learning what works and what doesn’t.

BIO: Charlene Burke is a perpetually curious writer of content and sales copy. She uses emotionally gripping stories and persuasion principles to connect your message with your audience for stellar results. How? By asking better questions of her clients and their ideal buyer. Only then can she find the real reason the ideal buyer needs the solution offered.

She is the owner of two newsletters: BurkesBits.com, a weekly newsletter where she shares her experience and tips about mindset, marketing, copy, and social selling with hundreds of subscribers. EmailCopySecrets.co, a bi-weekly newsletter where she shares what works to keep your reader’s attention and get them to take action.

searchbyburke.com

Christy Smallwood
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Business Coaching Marketing

The Real Power of Having a Coach with Deryl Sweeney

The Power of Having a Coach with Deryl Sweeney

Join Christy as she talks with her friend and coach, Deryl Sweeney, about his own experience with business ownership and the real power coaching has had for him. Listen long enough to hear Christy Share some of her own work that Deryl has put her through and the impact it has on her daily life. 

Deryl Sweeney is a Professional Coach focused on helping entrepreneurs and high performance professionals build the businesses and the lives that they really want. 

Deryl has launched and scaled multiple businesses, raised millions of dollars as a co-founder of a grass-roots charity raising money to cure cystic fibrosis and developed marketing tactics and strategies for clients nationwide. He coaches and mentors entrepreneurs, executives, founders students, soccer players, and everyday people on their businesses, careers, and lives. 

FACEBOOK: Deryl Sweeney
LINKEDIN: Deryl Sweeney

Deryl Sweeney
Owner, Sweeney Coaching Group

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Christy Smallwood
Host, Small Business Success Talk

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Employees Mindset

What Being Professional Looks Like Today

What Being Professional Looks Like Today

Welcome to another great episode of Small Business Success Talk with your host, Christy Smallwood. In this episode, I discuss what being professional looks like today. If you’re a person out in the workforce, you already know that “being professional” has definitely evolved and looks much different than it did many years ago. 

For this show, I mention LinkedIn’s #IAmProfessional campaign and you can watch one of their videos here. What being professional looked like years ago, does not look the same today. It could mean having tattoos, dressing a little differently, being a full-time parent, having piercings, being emotional. These are just some things that would have NEVER been thought of as being professional years ago which is why I love this campaign from LinkedIn. 

Now, with all of that being said, there are some aspects of being professional that have NOT changed and have remained the same. A great example of that has come from my own personal experience that I mention in this episode and that’s dealing with unprofessional managers.

What does being professional look like to YOU and how have you personally seen it evolve? 

Christy Smallwood
Host, Small Business Success Talk

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Business Coaching Marketing Web Sites

Keeping Up With Digital Marketing Changes

Keeping Up With Digital Marketing Changes

For this episode of the Small Business Success Talk podcast, we’re joined by Amy Torres of Director of Marketing Inc. and Kristina Stubblefield of SoIn Media Group. We’re calling ourselves the “Marketing Mavens” because of our combined knowledge and experience in the field of marketing. Brittany Murphy of One Thing Marketing was not able to join us for this episode, but she will be joining us in the future!

This was a LOADED episode so you’ll definitely want to grab your favorite notebook and pen to take some notes. Without giving too much away, we discussed the constantly-changing world of marketing, how people are connecting with businesses now vs in the past, and the big one (brace yourself) that you cannot work from a to-do list. 

We hope you enjoy this episode because we’ve got more comin’ at ya so stay tuned for more episodes with the Marketing Mavens!

WEBSITE: SoIn Media Group, Director of Marketing Inc., Eagle Eye Strategies

FACEBOOK: Director of Marketing Inc., SoIn Media Group, Eagle Eye Strategies

LINKEDIN: Director of Marketing Inc., Eagle Eye Strategies


Amy Torres
Owner, Director of Marketing Inc.

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Kristina Stubblefield
Owner, SoIn Media Group

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Christy Smallwood
Owner, Eagle Eye Strategies

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