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Writing is a gift. It shares what you know, or, even better, what you’ve just made up but sounds really convincing because – you’re a good writer. It’s a form of communication that can either draw you in to stay up late, or put you to sleep. And let’s face it – social media would not have taken off the way it did if not for clever quips to convey thoughts in 280 characters or less, or with just the right pictures, because of writing.

And we tell you this not just to praise people who write great stuff for us but because our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast is an accomplished author who has 3 novels and about a billion book reviews to her credit. Okay maybe we exaggerated that part – but before she published her first novel, she also went to medical school and became a doctor and also the mother of 3 children, and volunteers with a number of nonprofit boards. So we’re REALLY glad Kimmery Martin took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to US!

 

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Cancer research is a big deal to us here at The Dunstan Group, because of how cancer has touched our lives personally. Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast has also seen the devastation of cancer – she lost her husband, Chris, to Acute Myeloid Leukemia a little over a year ago in January 2021. Since then, Stephanie Perri has made up her mind to fight back, just like her husband Chris did and has put her hat in the running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Woman of the Year.

Stephanie joins us today with Dr. Josh Zeidner, chief of leukemia research at UNC, and Laura Blanchard, who is a PA in hematology.

Vote for Stephanie here: https://pages.lls.org/mwoy/nc/triangle22/sperri

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When we talk about the environment, we talk a lot about our limited resources and how to preserve them: clean water, clean air, and agriculture for our growing populations. All three conversations eventually come around to this: sustainability. How do we give back resources for the ones we use?

Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast doesn’t have ALL of the answers – but he has some good ones when it comes to sustainable farming. Sam Fleming of 100 Gardens is a hydroponic farmer, who grows two renewable foods that feed each other while they feed us. Yes, you heard that right – the foods feed each other, and also feed people while teaching school children about horticulture, chemistry, agriculture, business, and FISH. Yes, FISH! It’s called hydroponics, or in this case, Aquaponics, and it’s taking place at a handful of local schools including Myers Park, Garringer, West Charlotte, and Oakhurst. And Sam’s with us now on the BrandBuilders Podcast to tell us how it’s done.

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So you have a renovation! Where do you start? Maybe it’s just a kitchen counter for your home or 100 kitchen counters for an apartment complex. You need someone who can do a lot of work or just a little – and we know some folks who can do that. For the last few years, while everyone was in a lockdown renovation frenzy, there was a company already at work making great transformations a reality. But they ran into a problem – how do they find the products and people they need for so many large jobs?

Just like necessity is the mother of invention, it’s also the father of entrepreneurship. So who better to be “mom and dad” to a construction – renovation – and stone & tile business than a couple like our next guests on the BrandBuilders Podcast? They’re Howie and Lauren Lang, owners of Lang Construction and also, now, Gorilla Stone.

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We all love a good story, but we also know delivery makes all the difference. It needs a beginning that reels in the audience, just enough content to keep their attention, and an end that gives them a “Wow” moment and a satisfying ending or call to action.

Our next guests on the BrandBuilders Podcast learned to tell stories a minute and a half at a time – how’s that for being concise? – and turned that skill into a multi-media business that has thrived and “created a buzz” around Charlotte for 10 years now with Spiracle Media. Welcome to Tim Baier and David Kernodle!

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If you’ve been to the Whitewater Center during the winter the past couple of years, one of your highlights has surely been the Whitewater “Lights” along their wooded trails. The popular exhibits have brought in thousands of visitors to the center during colder months when whitewater rafting is not top-of-the-list outdoor activities. Now the same artist is lighting up a couple of popular public exhibits around town – like the Rail Trail in SouthEnd and, in April, Charlotte Shout.

These are exciting times for Meredith Connelly, who blends light and technology with art that dazzles us. And now she’s here on the BrandBuilders Podcast to share what inspires her.

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Let’s be honest – how many of you adopted a pet during the pandemic? It may have been your first pet, and you had a learning curve for how to take care of it. Specifically, what do you feed it? What’s IN what you feed it? Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast wants you to think more deeply about that very topic.

Christi Busch is a former insurance risk manager and successful mother of four – past and present – happy, healthy basset hounds. Where did that take her? Well, “We’re all ears,” as Dutch would say. (Sorry we couldn’t resist.) For the love of dogs, the idea took hold for Christi to start her own organic dog food company. Fresh, wholesome meals to extend the life of your pups and keep them healthy throughout. And she’s here to tell us about her brand, “For the Love of Dutch.”

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If you picture your average construction worker, he’s probably a strong, sturdy, male figure. But wait – you wouldn’t be entirely right! Women are making big gains in the construction industry, and our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast tells us it’s because there are some things women are traditionally very good at. Think about it – organizing, multitasking, and any detail-oriented management fit naturally into strengths commonly possessed by women in the workforce.

Christi Powell is the Women & Minority Business Enterprise Marketing Manager at 84 Lumber, a privately-held – and woman-owned – lumber company in the U.S. She’s also the head of a number of organizations to mentor women in the construction industry. She joins us now with the good news about what this means for your daughters, or anyone who works in a stronger, more diverse construction industry.

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If you want to meet Super Woman, she’s here with us today on the BrandBuilders Podcast. We know her as fitness influencer Emily Breeze Watson – but to her 4 kids, she’s just Mom. And to her husband Montell, she’s “amazing.” They’re both pretty amazing, actually, and have documented practically their whole marriage and family life where you can see it, while encouraging others to get fit and be happy. Now they’re here with us to share their story! Thanks for being with us today, you two!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:51 — 25.4MB)

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Nothing sticks in your memory like the scent of perfume. It’s right up there with the smell of fresh-cut grass, flowers in spring, or baking cookies. And the perfume business is worth more than $31 Billion dollars globally! Wow! But in a world of fragrances, how do you find just the right scent for you?

Our next guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast has the answer: She makes them! Katrina Sellers is a self-proclaimed “perfume nerd” who started her own custom fragrance business, Jules & Vetiver, right here in Charlotte. And unlike those super-secret big companies, Katrina lets you know exactly what’s in the bottle, and helps you choose it. It’s become a pretty cool business and she joins us now to talk about it.