349: Andrew Ward, Airo Mechanical

349: Andrew Ward, Airo Mechanical

Airo Mechanical is a leading multifamily HVAC and plumbing contractor based in Mooresville, with a remarkable 25 years of experience. The company is licensed in multiple states including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia… if you’ve seen their work or met anyone on the team, you’ll know they take pride in hands-on leadership, emphasizing business development, education, and the highest quality standards. 

Andrew Ward is Vice President of Business Development at Airo Mechanical and he’s our guest today on the award-winning BrandBuilders podcast. 

348: Sheldon Stokes, JAH Law

348: Sheldon Stokes, JAH Law

Like Jimmy McGill said in Better Call Saul: Lawyers; we’re like health insurance. You hope you never need it, but man oh man… not having it? No. 

Not all lawyering is as strange and unusual as it’s made it out to be in TV and movies. And that lawyer who handled your real estate closing is probably not the same one you’d call if you were in a car crash, selling your family business, or drafting a new will… Or in jail. 

That’s where relationship with a multi-disciplined law firm comes in, giving you access to a wide range of services and specialties. 

Johnston, Allison, and Hord is one of Charlotte’s oldest law firms. With more than 50 attorneys in Charlotte and access to national and international expertise – they’re right sized to still provide a personal touch.

Sheldon Stokes is a partner at Johnson, Alison, and Hord – and she’s our guest today on the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. 

347: Mark Boone, Festival in the Park

347: Mark Boone, Festival in the Park

Like the cherry blossoms blooming or the first pitch at the Knight’s games… the King’s Drive Art Walk is arguably one of Charlotte’s rites of spring. For more than a dozen years, the folks at Festival in the Park have hosted this unique event that showcases local and national talent – and it’s all free! 

Put this on your calendar now: The 14th edition of the King’s Drive Art Walk is May 4th and 5th

Mark Boone is the board president of the Festival in the Park. He’s our guest today on the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. 

346: Kenya Joseph, Hearts & Hands Food Pantry

346: Kenya Joseph, Hearts & Hands Food Pantry

Here’s a number that’s pretty sobering: More than 35% of households with children were considered “food insecure” in Mecklenburg County. Meaning, they did NOT know if food would be available from day to day.

Mercifully, there are organizations that are working to help change those numbers. But as Charlotte continues to get bigger and bigger, that need continues to grow with it. 

Hearts and Hands Food Pantry is one of the only independent food pantries in the area, having served tens of thousands of folks in the Charlotte region since 2017.

Kenya Joseph is with Hearts and Hands, and she’s our guest today on the BrandBuilders Podcast. 

345: Erin Santos-Primis, Isabella Santos Foundation

345: Erin Santos-Primis, Isabella Santos Foundation

“After an exhausting 16+ years, the founder of the Isabella Santos Foundation needed to make a change. Instead of folding, she’s planning a big expansion.”

With THAT headline in The Charlotte Ledger, we knew we’d have to get our friend, Erin Santos-Primis to tell us what this is all about. 

For folks who don’t know, the Isabella Santos Foundation has donated more than $8 million dollars to cancer trials, research, and patient care. Most of that money, coming from donations from folks like you and me, and companies of all sizes. 

And, now it’s time for something more… Erin Santos-Primis, welcome BACK to the BrandBuilders Podcast. 

344: Jay Seago, Helen Adams Realty

344: Jay Seago, Helen Adams Realty

If you’ve noticed Charlotte streets, restaurants, schools, etc., getting more crowded… it’s not your imagination. You’d literally have to be living under a rock to have missed the news that 100-plus people moving here every day! 

Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the real estate market here is forecast to be the hottest in the US. With all the new people moving to town, that gave one local realtor an idea. 

Jay Seago from Helen Adams is our guest today on the BrandBuilders Podcast. 

343: Craig Barbour, Roots Food Company

343: Craig Barbour, Roots Food Company

Business-owner and Chef Craig Barbour originally studied mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland before transitioning into the culinary field. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University here in Charlotte, he started his career at Carmel Country Club. 

From there it was a food truck, event catering, a café in South End, and now a multi-brand food and beverage business. Craig is one of those people – and brands – that we can say, “we knew them when!” He’s our guest today on the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast.

342: Grant Miller, Colliers & Harve Creek Cattle

342: Grant Miller, Colliers & Harve Creek Cattle

Aside from interest rates, real estate may have garnered the most headlines in the US economy over the last several years. If you’ve tried to buy or sell a house, you KNOW how the market’s been lately. 

Things have been just as interesting on the commercial and industrial sides, too. And that’s where companies like Colliers shine, by providing a full range of services to real estate users, owners and investors. Grant Miller is executive vice president at Colliers – and he’s our guest on this episode of the BrandBuilders Podcast. 

341: Clifton Castelloe, All-In to Fight Cancer

341: Clifton Castelloe, All-In to Fight Cancer

If you want to raise money to fight cancer in the MOST FUN way possible, the All-In to Fight Cancer poker tournament is your best bet. (Oh, and that’s not the end of our card-playing puns,)

With three events across North Carolina, All-In to Fight Cancer has raised more than 2 point 3 MILLION dollars. And here’s the deal: you don’t even have to be a good poker player to get in on the action! Heck, you’ll even feel pretty good about losing – since it’s all for a great cause. 

Clifton Castelloe is the event series executive director. He got up early to join us here on the BrandBuilders Podcast. 

340: Gale Bonnell & Emily Wheeler, Dress for Success

340: Gale Bonnell & Emily Wheeler, Dress for Success

For 20 years, Dress for Success Charlotte has been a champion of women’s economic upward mobility. It’s their vision that all women are economically self-sufficient, treated individually and with dignity and respect… and that they receive comparable pay to their male counterparts as they strengthen and shape their families and our communities.

They help hundreds of women each year with job placement, interview skills, financial education, career advancement services. Gale Bonnell is a community advisor with Dress for Success, and Emily Wheeler is executive director. They’re here as our guests on the BrandBuilders podcast.

Gale and Emily… thanks for joining us!