NetWorkWise Presents: Conversations with Connors

Frank Napolitani: The Referral Engine

Frank L. Napolitani is a Director in the Financial Services Group. With nearly 20 years of experience working with an array of financial services organizations, including a fund of hedge funds, family office and prime brokerage firm, Frank provides business consulting services to investment fund managers in hedge funds, private equity, real estate and venture capital.

Frank assists clients during the prelaunch stage by helping them budget their prelaunch and year 1-3 expenses, choose service providers (e.g., legal, fund administration, prime brokerage, outsourced compliance) and handle general infrastructure items such as real estate and IT services. In addition, he helps them develop marketing materials to present to prospective investors. Since 2005, Frank has been involved directly and indirectly with over 100 fund launches; and continues to consult a number of those managers today.

Today’s Subjects:

• How to become a referral engine.
• He gives advice as if he was part of the company and not just an agent.
• How to be an important part of your client’s business.
• How to cultivate good business relationships.
• He gets in front of people.
• Why he doesn’t have to make a cold call anymore?
• Talking with clients, perspective clients, vendors, etc. is the most important part of the job and take up most of his day.
• How to make your company in the front of people’s minds instead of the back.
• How to separate yourself from others.
• How his network helps him edge out his competition.
• The changes financial institutions have had to make since the credit crisis and Bernie Madoff.
• How he talks to everybody because you never know who will become successful.
• How to align yourself more with the client.
• Being responsive is extremely important to good business relationships.
• How to stay mentally sharp.
• How compliments help make connections.
• Using webinars to help your business.
• Handwritten thank you cards go a long way.
• The importance of having mentors and how to be one.

Bill O'Herron: Standing in the Fire

When Bill O’Herron isn’t raising money for a money management firm in Austin, TX, he can be found teaching and counseling youths, adults and couples. Bill is passionate about and focused on learning and studying how people become more self-aware. It has been the driving force and theme of his work with clients.

Bill’s career spans 25+ years in the financial field as a research sales trader and director of capital

markets, having worked in New York, London, Stamford, CT and Austin, TX.

Bill is currently finishing up a book about relationships, more specifically on how to better

understand the unconscious patterns of behavior that we all bring into our relationships. It is

called The Space in Between: Why Great Marriages Thrive, Others Fail.

Bill has been married to his amazing and exceedingly patient wife Linda for 20 years. They have

3 teenage daughters and 2 male dogs. He has traveled 46 countries and has lived in a couple of different countries and states, but now calls Austin, TX his home.

Bill graduated from Middlebury College, VT in ’86 with a BA in English and earned his MSW from Columbia University.

Today’s Subjects:

• How to build relationships and happiness
• How to embrace the emotional challenges naturally generated by relationships, and to use this discomfort as a catalyst to turning inward and working on oneself.
• Why relationships fail: emotional dissidence
• Why do men & woman cheat; what’s underneath the cheating
• How your DNA & genetics can be changed
• How you came to become the person that you are:
• Why 90% of your daily life is lived unconsciously
• Simple tips on how to get in touch
• Generational emotional planning
• Son/mother dynamic and how it’s a broken model
• The power of vulnerability and the benefits of being real, especially in relationships
• Why being present for your children is arguably the best thing you can do for your children
• Why people drink and do drugs:
• How he stays in touch with people that are important to him and wants them to know they matter
• Why relationships dissipate

Schery Ramadan: The Pied Piper of People

Schery Ramadan has worked in the personal injury profession as a legal assistant, paralegal and law firm office manager all before reaching 22 years of age.  Ms. Ramadan currently brings her 20+ years of experience as a System Implementation Specialist within the legal software industry to SmartAdvocate, a state of the art, award winning case management software.  This will be the third award winning Software Company Schery has worked with (SAGA, Inc & Client Profiles).  As a veteran salesperson, she has been the top seller since joining SmartAdvocate in 2013 driving market share growth and has mastered the art of selling software and professional services to the legal industry.  When she is not either traveling to a convention, performing client onsite training, implementation, go lives and support she is talking shop with other industry professionals. Schery currently resides in Rego Park, New York with her husband of over 10 years and her toddler. 

Today’s Subjects:

• The history of SmartAdvocate a case management software for the legal community
• How Schery is the Pied Piper
• Schery’s career trajectory and how she built such an incredible reputation. It didn’t happen over night
• What she does to make herself better: She’s a voracious reader and is always looking to make herself better.
• Time! Her biggest challenge. She travels 200 days a year and works around the clock
• She stresses a key component to success is with the team you surround yourself
• There is no substitute for a good Team: Not just with her own team, but also with competitors, vendors and other people that if you commit to this industry you will see at all the functions and events
• Stresses how paramount relationships are and how you have to see people in person and do some of the old school little things, like handwritten notes.  
• Power of Preparation: What she does before an event: try to get the guest list, know the restaurants in the area, arrive early, know your audience
• You have to hustle and you have to be prepared.
• Sean Quinn
• Learn why her clients invite her to their holiday parties, out on their boats, to their family gatherings, weddings etc.
• She goes above and beyond for her clients. Treats them like friends
• She always tries to put people around her at ease.
• Being a woman in a male dominated industry
• The power of patience and listening. How this has helped her evolve
• Schery’s “Schery always took care of me”

Jeremy Streich: Podcast Pioneer

Jeremy is a San Francisco based creative and Founder/CEO of the Internet-Media Aggregator, PodSource™️

He is a long-time athlete and an Economics graduate from Georgetown University. Having spent time in Europe and Central America, Jeremy speaks both English and Spanish idiomatically. After graduation, Jeremy spent the summer driving 4,138 miles around the United States before settling down in San Francisco to launch PodSource.

When not building the platform, Jeremy can be found sitting with his dog, Jet, reading one of the 50 books on his Kindle. If not, check the armchair for a philosopher.

Today’s Subjects:

• Amblyopia, what it is, how it has affected his life and how it has influenced him i.e. overcoming challenges
• Driven across the country by himself. He goes alone
• He’s about experiencing life
• What is Podsource: 1 stop aggregating platform for Podcasts; a unifying Podcast medium. Think of it as Google and Netflix meet Wikipedia for Podcasts
• The impetus behind Podsource
• How Jared Diamond’s “The 3^rd Chimpanzee” impacted his life.
• What makes a good podcast & some of his favorite podcasts
• Jeremy’s networking story: How he met his co-founder
• He looks for people that are smarter, wiser, older and have different experiences, so he can learn and absorb their knowledge and tutelage
• How you can use a podcast as a networking tool. He’s a connector, syndicator, aggregator
• Goal: to be a unified media aggregator in the podcasting space
• He believes in Collaboration above anything else

Brandon Steiner: Memorabilia Connoisseur

Brandon Steiner is the founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia, the largest company of its kind in America. Considered a sports marketing guru, Brandon built Steiner Sports from a one-room office, $4,000 and a single Mac computer in 1987 to a $50 million company today. Brandon is a permanent fixture in the media as a regular on ESPN NY Radio 98.7 FM and as host of the Emmy-nominated "The Hook-Up” with Brandon Steiner on YES Network. He has appeared frequently on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, and in newspapers including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The author of “The Business Playbook”: Leadership Lessons from the World of Sports and “You Gotta Have Balls”: How a Kid from Brooklyn Started from Scratch, Bought Yankee Stadium, and Created a Sports Empire. Brandon devotes time to and supports several charities, including Family Services of Westchester, an organization that helps provide quality social and mental health services. His latest venture is a new TV show called “Project X” hosted by Brandon Steiner which gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain business advice from Brandon and several celebrity guests. Brandon is a happily married man that lives in Westchester and is the proud father of 3 young adults.  

 

Today’s Subjects:

• Goes to over 100 live games a year
• Not hung up on title, hung up on providing value. Only as good as the value you bring in to the company
• Valuable relationships are the value you give, not get
• People “get it”, they just don’t “give it”
• Don’t get stuck on stupid
• He thrives on the Wow factor
• His family is the best success
• How to not become extinct and how he learns from the kids that he mentors
• How his failures have led to some of his greatest success
• Once you have failed, dive back into the deep end of the pool
• Don’t give to judge, give to give. When you give, give to give.
• The joy of the thank you note.
• Really progressive good companies don’t fire people for no reason. You obviously did have some flaws in your game that you need to work out. (wise words from his mother)
• Books and people that inspire him:
• How to reprogram and change your career
• “Call me if you need anything else” and what that statement has done for his career
• Learners are earners and readers are leaders
• Common theme of “stop selling” start serving
• Be clear about your intent. Be honest and straightforward
• Don’t keep score
• Life is a like a good bowl of soup. You need a bunch of different ingredients and vegetables. Your life is no different. You need variety of people to get different perspectives
• Discuss his new book “Living your life on purpose” You have to have a purpose. It’s the roots underneath the trees. You can’t be stopped if you have purpose.
• Mentoring – where to find a good mentor, it’s right under your nose
• “Smoke behind the wall” what’s going on behind the scenes
• We are all better than our worst mistake
• The difference between “net value” (money) and self value” (character, doing something in your community)
• It’s not about retiring, it’s about re-firing. How to reinvent yourself and how your network can do that so you don’t have to do it from the beginning
• Learn how he has lived a life by design, not by default
• How to be consistent for a long period of time

Hugo King: King of Kings

Hugo King is the President & CEO of USA Brokers. USA Brokers is a power brokerage company that represents manufacturers from bakery, prepared foods, grocery, wine & spirits, manufacturing firms to players in the diamond jewelry industry and beyond. His company ensures that their clients' products make their way into national and big box retailers and club warehouses. Hugo brings over thirty years’ experience in the food industry and beyond.  He was formerly the CEO of KK&W Food Brokers from 1993 – 2008.  As the current CEO of USA Brokers, he brings a wealth of knowledge, a proven track record, strong relationships and valuable partnerships in the food retail industry, client services, and club store entry. Through these valued and trustworthy relationships, USA Power Brokers places products and services within regional and national large-scale retailers.   Hugo has ensured the success of many companies, boosting them from local to regional and national and international distribution and services. He provides services for a diversified client base including bakery, prepared foods, grocery, wine & spirits, and manufacturing firms in gaining entry into new markets and leading retailers.

When this 63-year young man isn’t dominating the food industry he can be found dominating the hardwood, where he implements some of the same attributes that made him successful in the board room, team work, high IQ and vision.

Hugo, is married, has 2 kids, a dog and resides in Teaneck, NJ.

 

Today’s Subjects:

• How playing sports can be symbolic of how you live your life
• Choosing your habits wisely
• Importance of preparation
• The importance of giving, helping others and doing the right thing in life
• Why Lord & Taylor was built on great values
• Leveraging your relationships for good
• The power of listening
• Mentorship
• How to get into the top 5% inner circle and stay there
• Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Rule of Personal Communication

Dr. Sammy Masri: The Doctor Is In

Dr. Sammy Masri is an exceptional physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical sports and other musculoskeletal injuries. He easily gains the trust of his patients – and others – through his honesty and supportive nature and is the type of person who consistently makes himself available to help others succeed.

Dr. Masri has an extensive background in sports since being a varsity starter on his high school’s baseball and football teams, and then moved on and played American Legion baseball and had an opportunity to play for a NJ semi-professional football team.

In 2003, he received his Internal Medicine degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, and following his residency was accepted into a very competitive fellowship program in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Jersey Shore Medical Center. It was there that Dr. Masri was able to learn from one of the founding fathers of this new and growing field of medicine.

He also worked as an assistant to the Rutgers University team physician and was on the sidelines of some exciting football games, including the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. He’s covered numerous special events including the NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament, Big East Track and Field Finals, U.S. Masters Swim Meet and the NYC Marathon, and has also worked as a sports physician for the Olympic Developmental Soccer Program for New Jersey’s finest young soccer athletes. Prior to opening his practice in Sports Medicine, he worked in the ER at Hackensack University Medical Center, where he still holds medical staff privileges.

Dr. Masri has committed himself to the philosophy that a sound mind and body are quintessential to success in the athletic arena. Who understands this philosophy better than a physician who is also an athlete?

Today’s Subjects:

• Why you need to take chances and risks if you want to succeed
• How an oil painting and your father’s network can start your career as a physician
• Why it’s important to be yourself for others to like you
• What it means to be 1 of 6 physicians in the U.S. who can perform a certain procedure
• How networking is helping Dr. Masri open his next office – in Dubai
• Bedside manner: you either have it, or you don’t
• How making yourself available helps you gain trust and support of others
• Why it’s harmful when networking to only concentrate on getting your next referral
• Best advice: You want to continue to do better than you did the day before

Bob Wu: The Man, The Myth, The Wu

Bob is currently the CEO and co-founder of Teleport, one of the first companies built on Uber's API. He is also a Venture Partner with Social Starts, a venture capital fund that invests in early stage technology companies. Before Social Starts, he worked at Ziff Brothers Investments in a variety of roles across different groups including Family Office, Private Markets & Strategy, and Executive. He is also the founder of Asian American Tech Entrepreneurs (AATE), which brings together the top Asian American entrepreneurs and investors in NY. He has written for Fortune Magazine and NextShark on entrepreneurship and leadership. Bob is the co-founder and former President of Taiwanese American Professionals - New York (TAP-NY) and also the former President of Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL). He has also held non-profit board positions with Amigos de las Americas - NY Chapter and the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP). In his free time, he teaches financial literacy to high school students through Junior Achievement (JA). He holds a BA in International Relations (Global Business) from the University of Southern California and is a 2nd degree black belt in kendo. Bob has a deep passion for community and connecting the right people with each other.

 

Today’s Subjects:

• Bob’s experience getting hired at an elite family office and how that catapulted his career
• How building relationships have served Bob’s professional and personal success
• Bob learned about who do you know and who do you trust
• Bob’s philosophy on meeting people and how he treats people he first meets
• How Bob transitioned from a family office into starting a Venture Capital firm
• The importance of seeing the whites of people’s eyes and what that does for relationships
• The story behind Teleport
• You have to see people face to face in order to establish and develop real relationships
• The story about how Teleport came to fruition
• Dunbar’s law
• IBM’s Breakthrough analysis & Why IBM and Yahoo are bringing their employees back in house
• How Bob helps his network hire as well as, find jobs
• The common thread amongst his most successful friends: They are mission driven
• What is success to Bob
• The single most important factor to how long you live and how happy you are the relationships you develop.
• The loneliness epidemic: 60% of college students have identified being either lonely or depressed.

Jesse Kay: Focused on the Long Game

Jesse Kay is a 17-year-old high schooler, podcaster, speaker and entrepreneur from NJ. Jesse is focused on sharing practical lessons and stories from some of the best minds on the planet to help inspire young men and women to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. Jesse along with his podcast, 20 Under 20s have been featured in a variety of global publications including HuffPost, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider. In the 11 months since beginning the show, Jesse has amassed over 100,000 listeners and guests including Gary Vaynerchuk, Grant Cardone, Jeff Hoffman, Bonin Bough and others. The Huffington Post called the show, “a podcast interviewing successful young entrepreneurs across the globe, distilling practical lessons and stories from the brightest millennial men and women paving the way for his generation.” Jesse was born into an entrepreneurial family and started his first business at 9 years old flipping sneakers on eBay. Along with hosting his podcast, Jesse has spoken across North America and runs a digital consulting agency helping brands connect with their customers via social media and marketing strategies.

• Passion for networking and how he has built a robust network
• How he was able to record 90 + podcasts in less than 11 months
• How he landed marque, A-List names to join his podcast (jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Hoffman, (350 cold emails a day for 6 months)
• Advice on how to build a Pathway to a good podcast (authenticity, know your audience)
• NextGen Summit
• Experience interning under Brandon Steiner (it’s all about maintaining relationships, not just creating them”, “Always create value for others”
• Mentorship: who are his mentors and what they do for each other
• 3 pieces of advice for almost anything: #1: Get started #2 get organized #3: Prioritize accordingly
• What it’s like to be surrounded by A-Listers
• Tools he uses for email blast (MixMax), blive.tv – it’s facebook live
• How he manages his time
• His pet peeves for podcasting: set questions
• Podcast challenges: getting woman on his show

Mike Rego: Connecting in Cannabis

Mike Rego doesn’t have your traditional background, nor is he your “normal” guy.   

Prior to getting into the legal cannabis space, Mike was a decorated man of the shield.  He spent almost 20 years ascending through the ranks of the Newport Police, working in various departments such as, the Juvenile Division, Criminal Investigation Division, Special Response Team, Crisis Negotiations and eventually Vice / Narcotics Division. 

Mike has advised on cultivation sites, worked with medical marijuana grow facilities, in multiple states, been involved in policy and cannabis applications, as well as, being a keynote speaker.

Mike is a consummate student.  He received his masters in Administrative Justice from Salve Regina University and was an adjunct instructor there as well, but continues to read and better himself through various management and personal development. When Mike’s not spending time with his two sons he can be found either playing tennis or tearing up the drums on the local Newport night scene.

 

Today’s Subjects:

• How mike made the transition from Cop to Cannabis Consultant
• Where some of the money is being made
• How the Cannabis community is really just a bunch of start-ups & some of the intricacies that early stage industries face
• How to develop a culture of trust and cooperation to build a true cannabis culture
• Simple tip on how to get along with everyone in the industry. Hint: don’t be an A.....e.
• How to build a name for yourself & stay on people’s radar
• The importance of setting up the proper infrastructure, being compliant & the value of a top-shelf grower
• How to deal with state agencies and law enforcement
• How providing value for others has been paramount to building his rolodex and ultimately his success
• How Mike is always at least 1 call away from any question you need answered in the cannabis arena