EXTRAordinary! Inc. The Engagement Experts

I first met Chris Adams in 1984. We were roommates at the UNCG infirmary. Somehow, that experience forged a bond between us. Over the past 29 years I’ve kept an eye on Chris’ career; he’s a consummate professional. Chris is caring and articulate, entrenched in our community and gives of his time, energy and resources. Chris has encouraged me both personally and professionally. I’m honored to call Chris Adams a friend.  

Chris is a native of Durham, NC. He’s enjoyed a 25 year career in the hospitality industry with several brands including Sheraton, Omni, Fairfield, Hilton, Best Western, Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn, as well as several independent branded products. Chris has served in various community organizations including stints as a Board Member on the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Guilford Merchants Association, Workforce Development, Hayes Taylor YMCA, Win-Win Resolutions, Foster Friends of NC, Board of Visitors at Guilford College, Circle of Pride at Greensboro College, Guilford County Hotel Motel Association, and the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has a real heart and desire to help others fulfill their passion and purpose both personally and professionally with an upgraded mindset of focus, motivation, and action. There is a star in each of us and each has a responsibility to encourage, energize, and engage one another to bring it to the surface.

Click here to check out Chris on LinkedIn.

I’ve heard that people come into our lives for a reason, season, or lifetime. Joey Slepp one of those lifetime friends. We met over 20 years ago and a lot has changed for both of us since then. You’ll find several references to Joey (AKA Joey from Jersey) in my book, Your Employees Have Quit—They Just Haven’t Left.

Joey has been a high level sales professional for 20+ years.  He has been consistently recognized with multiple awards for quota attainment such as Achiever’s Club as well as a Values in Action award. He attributes his perennial success to serving his clients and prospects with a consultative approach. Joey solves business problems while forging long-term loyal relationships. He also understands the value in networking and building the “brand” which represents industry and technology expertise. He is willing to share his experience and expertise in helping other professionals achieve their goals.

Joey is working to make a difference in our local community. He has been active with, and currently a Board member in, the Crescent Rotary Club and enjoys community service projects working alongside other professionals. Joey also serves on the Board of Directors for Adult Center of Enrichment, a non-profit whose mission is to enrich the lives of impaired adults, their families and the community through adult day services, respite care, education and support.

Joey has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Wake Forest University and an MBA from UNC-Greensboro. He is married to Karen, a middle school teacher in Kernersville, and between them have 5 children ranging in ages from 24 to 18.

Click here to visit Joey’s LinkedIn profile.

Carol Wise is a wonderful example of how life can unfold. She demonstrates what it means to live intentionally. She’s encouraged me to see life as a connection of meaningful events that lead me to become the person I’m intended to be. She could do the same for you. As the founder of Coaching Partners, Carol helps her clients achieve what they want for themselves. She works with clients from a variety of industries, including: accounting, software and IT development, leadership training and development, artists, writers, web designers, researchers, and HR managers. Carol uses her creativity to help her clients fine-tune their priorities. In 2012 she lead a 6-week course based on The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron.

Carol lives what she teaches. In mid-life she changed her life and now helps others who struggle with change. With her children grown and out of the nest, Carol’s focus has shifted toward social justice and helping a wider community. In 2010, Carol moved to Durham, NC in pursuit of the next phase of her development, non-profit work and consulting. She promptly received her certification in Non Profit Management from Duke University. In 2011 she was accepted into the prestigious Master’s program at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

Most recently, Carol has delivered presentations on Advance Care Planning and The Five Wishes. She is passionate about healthy families and advocates for our Aging loved ones. She works with A Helping Hand, a Triangle non-profit agency serving the needs of the Aging community.

In her spare time, Carol enjoys traveling and celebrated the New Year in Panama. Never far from nature and salt water, Carol’s blog reflects what motivates and drives her, plus offers some concrete ideas for working and living.

Click here to visit Carol’s blog site.

I first met Merikay Tillman over a decade ago. Her effervescent spirit is captivating; to say that Merikay is a bundle of energy is an understatement. She’s also a giving, caring, and committed friend who’s helped professionals grow and improve for over 15 years. Merikay H. Tillman, M.S. is the founder of COACH MKay Companies, LLC an organization excelling in transforming teams from dysfunction to dynamic. She serves as a catalyst, inspiring people to create powerful connections and improve relationships and business results. 

Merikay’s first love has always been Healthcare. While studying dental assisting, she realized that practicing dentistry every day wasn’t her calling; however, along the way she discovered her passion for helping dentists run practices more efficiently and manage people more effectively. This led Merikay to work as a consultant for two healthcare firms helping dental practices and physician groups build their teams and business results. Currently Merikay is the Patient Experience Coach for High Point Regional Health System—leading the charge to enhance team relations and improve patient satisfaction. She speaks to associations nationally about the power of teams, communications and success strategies. Merikay is featured in the book series Stepping Stones to Success with other experts including Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Dr. Denis Waitley. She’s released her first audio book titled: 99 StressBusters, How to Conquer Stress in Your Personal and Professional Life.

Merikay demonstrates her commitment to leadership within the community over the years as the President of Triad Networks, Key Professional Leads Group and Leadership Advisor for the High Point Chamber of Commerce for 8 years. She’s currently the corporate effort chair for the ALS Association, Catfish Hunter Chapter, honoring her friend, former CPA, Brigitte Gann who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease 3 years ago.  

Merikay is supported by her talented husband Jeff (when they first met he told her he was from LA… she didn’t know that meant Lower Archdale) a political consultant and songwriter. She’s proud mom to Melinda—an aspiring teacher enrolled at Greensboro College, Harrison—an ambitious athletic shoe designer and youth pastor attending Kiser Middle School, and Emma Freda—future singer and actress attending Sternberger Elementary School.

Click here to visit Merikay’s website.

I’ve known Tom Stratton for over 10 years. I’ve discovered that he’s authentic. Tom’s the same person in and out of work; that’s uncommon—so is Tom. He exhibits a rare balance of people and process skills. Now in his fourth decade of helping people, Tom has served others across roles in Sales, Training, HR, Organization Development, Lean Manufacturing and, most recently “Pricing.”  Tom successfully discerns and satisfies underlying human needs while working through human interaction disagreements, disappointment, and discouragement.  Building on shared values and aspirations he catalyzes change and brings forth fresh new opportunities.  His work is a history of creating or repairing human interactions in service of individual or corporate objectives. 

Tom demonstrates great passion for understanding and realizing the many benefits of our human diversity. He’s a trusted advisor in a number of long standing relationships and particularly enjoys mentoring young people.  His professional training includes an undergraduate degree in Agriculture Education and completion of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland’s Organization and Systems Development program.  Intellectually curious, Tom invests a lot of time and energy in learning and evolving his thinking across a wide range of topics.  Relationally, Tom takes an open stance and engages with a diverse community of friends, colleagues, associates, and acquaintances in order to better understand our shared humanity. 

Highlights in Tom’s long corporate career include: Pioneering new sales territories, building a new Learning and Development function, enabling the turnaround of a manufacturing site, leading local, country, and global change programs, consulting to large scale change programs at chemical plants, creating and leading a management development program, and now creating a pricing function in his firm. 

Helping others is a family affair. Tom’s wife, Janet, a Financial Advisor, his daughter, Betsy, a Youth Minister and his younger daughter, Samantha, a Physician Assistant, all contribute to the Spiritual, Physical, Financial and Relational health of their shared community. Beyond his corporate role, Tom and Janet, lead a Sunday Morning “Marriage Enrichment” class at First Christian Church in Kernersville, NC. Looking toward the future, Tom is seeking opportunities to employ his public speaking capabilities. 

Visit Tom’s LinkedIn profile by clicking here.

Gary Bradt will tell you his truth. For me, it was what I needed to hear. He was on a team of trusted colleagues who provided feedback and edits for my book, Your Employees Have Quit—They Just Haven’t Left. I didn’t always like to hear Gary’s feedback; that’s why I respect him. He cares enough to say what we need to hear, not what we want to hear. Ultimately, every time I heeded his advice and made the recommended changes, my writing got better. That’s what good coaching does for us; it helps us get better.

Dr. Gary Bradt is an author, clinical psychologist, leadership consultant, C-Suite executive coach and speaker on the topic of adapting to and leading through change. In 2000 Gary gained national notoriety when he became the leading speaker for Dr. Spencer Johnson’s book Who Moved My Cheese. “Cheese” gave thousands of people the chance to get acquainted with Gary’s extraordinary ability to cut through their frustration and fear and get to the heart of the matter; delivering powerful tools that help them adapt when going through change.

Gary established a strong following as an executive coach and speaker long before Spencer Johnson asked him to be the messenger for his groundbreaking book. He began his leadership development career in 1987 with a respected leadership development consultancy. There he helped client companies launch proven leadership strategies and processes, which turned change and tough times into an opportunity to transform themselves and their performance. His mantra – adapt and ignite! – is a rallying cry for success in these tumultuous times.

Gary earned his BA in psychology from Duquesne, University in Pittsburgh PA. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann University and Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, which in 2007 honored him with the “Excellence in Professional Psychology” award. Only the second graduate to be so recognized at the time, this award underscored Dr. Bradt’s contributions to the field of professional psychology through his achievements as an author, leadership consultant/coach and world-class speaker.

Click here to visit Gary’s website.
Click here to view Gary’s book The Ring in the Rubble.

Meredith Oliver is one of my colleagues from the National Speakers Association Carolinas Chapter, we work beside each other on the board of directors. Meredith, aka The Digital Diva, is an Internet sales and marketing expert, a professional speaker, as well as a consultant and author. She also has an engaging and radiant personality.

Meredith is the founder and president of Creating WOW Communications; a Web marketing and sales training company delivering services such as website development, search engine optimization and social media marketing. Creating WOW Communications works with a variety of industries including marketing for home builders, senior communities, apartment communities, professional speakers, associations and small businesses.

Meredith holds a Masters Degree in Communication Technology from the prestigious Rollins College and a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida majoring in Psychology. She has 10 years of Internet Marketing experience developing websites and online campaigns for small and medium size businesses.

As a professional speaker, Meredith delivers keynote speeches, workshops, webinars and seminars. She speaks most often to business owners and sales people in the housing industry. She has spoken to a number of other industries, including home building, general real estate, healthcare, education, association, insurance, technology, and temporary staffing.

Meredith is a published author of two books, Click Power and The Fan Factor. Both books are available online and at her seminars. She is the author of numerous social media video tutorials and a social media boot camp.

She holds the MIRM (Master of Residential Marketing) and MCSP (Master Certified Sales Person) designations. She is the second vice-chair of the Institute of Residential Marketing. Meredith is also a member of the Triangle Sales & Marketing Council of the Home Builders Association of Wake County.

Meredith lives in Raleigh, N.C. with her husband, son and two shih tzus.

Click here to visit Meredith’s blog.

I hadn’t been a client with Stephanie Reeser very long when she made an impression upon me. I had a local speaking engagement scheduled and Stephanie bought a ticket to the event and spent her evening listening to me speak so she could become better acquainted with my work. That’s the type of personal attention you can expect when working beside Stephanie at G-Force Marketing. Stephanie grew up around the beaches of North Carolina and even acquired her BS in Marketing from the University of Wilmington. She serves a diverse clientele ranging from the mattress industry, furniture manufacturers/retailers, the automotive industry, and professional speakers.

At G-Force Stephanie is known as the go-to person for advice. She has the ability to provide insight and wisdom which help her fellow employees solve personal problems and clients uncover growth strategies. Stephanie’s accessibility and responsiveness makes her clients feel special and cared for. She has a unique balance of professionalism with a personal touch. Stephanie’s favorite extracurricular activity (beside spending as much time with her feet buried in the sand at Topsail Island) is being a mom to Kinsley. She volunteers at her school and as a Girl Scout Leader.

Often it’s the little things that give us a competitive advantage in the workplace. Look up Stephanie Reeser if you need someone to help with your marketing strategy. She’ll be sure to make you feel special in little ways and impact your bottom line in big ways.

Click here to visit Stephanie’s profile at G-Force Marketing.

This month I’m glad to feature my colleague Chuck Gallagher. Chuck serves alongside me on the board of the National Speakers Association Carolinas Chapter. He is a business executive, author and speaker. Chuck’s speaking topic is simple; he shares straight talk about business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Chuck doesn’t speak from knowledge he gained from a textbook—rather his own, personal and real life experiences. His personal story is captivating and poignant as he shares how he made choices that took him from a business executive who lost it all…and gained more than he could have ever imagined.

In his high-energy, thought-provoking and honest presentations Chuck shows organizations how to:

• Transform self-limiting beliefs into personal and organizational success
• Use Ethical choices to enhance business growth and success
• Understand how Corporate Social Responsibility choices creates a new dynamic for business growth
• Help employees increase ethics awareness and reduce fraud
• Understand the effect of choices on their personal and professional lives
• Improved Corporate Ethics and Compliance programs to benefit from Federal Sentencing Guidelines

As a business executive and motivational keynote speaker, Chuck’s message contains a blend of motivation, success, choices, consequences, illusions, failure, ethics, and integrity based on personal experience. In today’s world, you want more than a motivational speaker, you want someone that will impact your organization in a positive way … you want a speaker they won’t forget. Combine ethics, choices and personal accountability with meaning and you have Chuck Gallagher.

While many motivational speakers present from an overall or theoretical perspective, Chuck’s approach combines content-rich personal experiences combined with practical application in a way that audiences remember. Humorous at times, often thought provoking, Chuck’s energetic presentation style is often called inspirational, yet poignant. As a professional motivational keynote speaker, Chuck draws upon his real world business executive experience in both public and private companies, along with his education and experience, to relate to his audience – whether business, government or associations in a practical, and yet, effective manner.

Buy Chuck’s book: Second Chances
Click here to visit Chuck’s website.

“An up and coming force to be reckoned with,” that’s how I’d describe Brian Simpson. He’s a new member of both the National Speakers Association and the National Speakers Association Carolinas Chapter. I’m most excited about working beside Brian as one of our new board members. He describes himself as a lifelong learner who reads 2 books per week. He’s practiced this habit since attending a Zig Ziglar conference in Raleigh and hearing him say, “I read 3 hours a day, and if I can’t TEACH it, I don’t READ it.” As a result, Brian is an avid student in the areas of public speaking, the business of professional speaking/coaching/consulting, personal development and spirituality/meditation.

Brian’s background, and passion, is in communications. He graduated with honors from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a concentration in Public Relations. His current job allows him to tap into his love for working as a public relations practitioner, speaker and media spokesperson.

Brian works with entrepreneurs helping them craft powerful presentations. His specialty involves using casual conversation as a way to extract humorous, educational and inspiring life and business stories for use in speaking engagements. He then helps these entrepreneurs with their speech outlines and scripts, critiques their presentations, and empowers them with technical speaking skills while retaining their own authentic voice and personality. Brian’s clients understand the importance of strategic communication and appreciate how he guides them to becoming clear, confident, and authentic communicators on stage, on camera and online.

Click here to visit Brian’s website.