2019 FALL EVENT SPEAKER BIOS
The Fall Event is all about sharing, learning and growing, and this year's event is packed full of incredible networking and learning opportunities. Our speakers are leaders in the industry – thought leaders that embody The Group spirit of ingenuity and entrepreneurial drive. These powerful presentations by inspired thinkers can shape your future in the ever-evolving world of garden retailing. Be ready to dive in, share and learn.
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to set new goals, take action, and reach new heights in 2020 and beyond!
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Steve Bailey, Steve Bailey Consulting Group Service Provider – Financial Management & Analysis
With 40 years in the garden center industry, Steve became the Financial Tracking Officer for The Group after selling his own garden center which he and his wife Bonnie started in 1983. His main area of interest has always been focused on the financial side of the business which he has developed into a number of systems and programs aimed at helping garden centers in The Group get a better grasp on how money moves through their business.
READ MORE ABOUT STEVE BAILEY
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Tim Miles, Tim Miles & Company
Part Dave Barry and part Dave Ramsey, Tim Miles has used common sense, kindness and an unquenchable curiosity to help people—at least those willing to do the work—be more successful more quickly. He runs an odd little communications company that helps owner-operated companies and nonprofit organizations do more with less.
Tim started creating advertising campaigns in 1995. In the ten years that followed, he won more than 80 awards for his ideas and execution of those ideas. Then, on November 20, 2005, he decided entering awards shows was kind of a silly way to measure success. That was the day his wife said, “Tim, I think our son has autism.”
Since then, as a consultant and marketing speaker, he’s helped hundreds of companies and thousands of people around the world communicate more powerfully by teaching them to look at the world a little differently.
In 2012, his first book,Good Company: Making It, Keeping It, Being It, went to #1 on Amazon’s Business, Marketing, Sales, and Entrepreneurship charts. His new book, Brand Your Own Business, is earning rave reviews and has been helping family businesses and nonprofit organizations around the world.
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Robert Hayter, LKC Engineering Group Service Provider – Property Development and Site Design
Robert Hayter offers site planning, evaluation and renovation services exclusively to independent retail garden centers. He has spent 32 years helping garden center owners develop or enhance the function, appearance, physical security and "shop-ability" of each site and its facilities. His goal is to achieve the maximum sales potential, create ease of shopping, improve operations, and produce a pleasant and attractive location for customers. Emphasis is placed on the sales areas of the garden center to create product-merchandising flexibility, ease of stocking and better customer access.
READ MORE ABOUT ROBERT HAYTER
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John Kennedy, John Kennedy Consulting Group Service Provider – Team Strategist & Succession
John Kennedy has presented to over 250,000 audience members over the last 20 years and has made a dramatic impact in scores of companies and associations within the green industry. His reputation as a successful team strategist and customer experience consultant to our industry continues to grow, as does his proven track record of repeat partnerships. He is an expert at creating world-class teams! John has created a systematic and simple team-building program that brings to bare all four areas of team development. From forming a team to storming, norming and all the way through performing, John drives engagement, encouragement, and support to take a group of people and galvanize them into a team of professionals.
READ MORE ABOUT JOHN KENNEDY
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Tim Quebedeaux, Tim Quebedeaux Consulting Group Service Provider – Financial Management & Analysis
Tim is a 20-year veteran in Garden Retailing, most recently under the mentoring of Louisiana Nursery's Roger and Mitch Mayes. Tim and his wife, Jess, were also both store managers at Pike Family Nurseries in metro Atlanta in prior years.
Tim has recently joined efforts with Steve Bailey to provide financial management and analysis to The Garden Center Group Clients. Steve selected Tim as his new associate based on his strength in 'numbers' and his unique ability to relate to Garden Center Owners and Managers through his industry experience.
Tim’s duties will begin in compiling the spreadsheet portion of the Weekly Department Review, after which he and Steve will collaborate on the finished product that comes to you. Tim will assist Steve in compiling the P&L Study, as well as join him at onsite visits.
READ MORE ABOUT TIM QUEBEDEAUX
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Sid Raisch, Horticultural Advantage Group Service Provider – Business Strategies
Sid has been inventing and reinventing the way things "don't get done" into "get it done" strategies that increase profit-ability, market-ability, oper-ability, and owner-ability of garden centers, landscape operations and a few wise suppliers of plants and products. When you read Sid's articles or hear Sid talk "put your ears on" and listen up, and get ready to think and implement changes that will take you and your company to new heights and new places.
READ MORE ABOUT SID RAISCH
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Jean Seawright, Seawright & Associates Group Service Provider – Human Resources
Since 1987, Jean Seawright has provided trusted advice and consultation to thousands of small, medium, and large organizations, including private, publicly-traded, public, and non-profit businesses.
Jean received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Florida in 1986. Since 1996, she has been the president of Seawright & Associates, a human resource consulting firm that specializes in providing consulting advice and solutions to clients nationwide. Jean has earned the prestigious CMC (Certified Management Consultant) designation, credentialed by the Institute of Management Consultants. The CMC designation is the preeminent mark of competency, knowledge, and professionalism in the management consulting industry. Less than 1 percent of all consultants have achieved this level of performance.
Jean is a frequent speaker at state and national trade associations, a columnist, and the author of numerous articles and publications in the field of human resources, including the popular book The Employment Genie®, an exclusive hiring, coaching, and termination system for businesses. Her consultation has focused on HR-related engagements such as daily HR consultation, regulatory compliance, management training and development, employee handbook development, compensation plan design, internal investigations (including harassment), hiring systems, job descriptions and job profiles, employee opinion surveys, organizational development, and others. She has represented clients before numerous state and federal regulatory agencies and is highly regarded in her ability to lead organizations through dynamic growth and development.
READ MORE ABOUT JEAN SEAWRIGHT
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Danny Summers, The Garden Center Group Managing Director
Danny possesses a wealth of knowledge in various business sectors of for-profit and non-profit business management.
He served as Executive Vice President of the Southern Nursery Association, a regional trade association with more than 1,800 members, for 18 years. Danny developed one of the horticulture industry’s largest trade shows, with more than 800 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees, and created and has managed a scholarship foundation for more than 25 years. His for-profit experience includes, sales and marketing management of retail, wholesale, and growing operations. Danny’s areas of expertise encompasses association/foundation startup and management, consulting and strategic services, event and trade show management, grant writing and management, fundraising and marketing, and implementation of systems and workflows to support these programs.
Danny is known for his no-nonsense and straightforward approach, and his ability to see the “big picture” and provide a roadmap for a business to succeed. He currently serves as Managing Director for The Garden Center Group, Board Advisor of the Southern Nursery Association and Executive Vice President of the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund.
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Learn more about all of The Group's Service Providers and the services available.
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The Fall Event 2019 QuickLinks:
The Fall Event 2019 - REGISTER The Fall Event 2019 - SCHEDULE The Fall Event 2019 - SESSIONS The Fall Event 2019 - TOUR
The Fall Event 2019 - HOTEL & TRAVEL The Fall Event 2019 - BEST OF NASHVILLE
The Fall Event 2019 - POST CARD The Fall Event 2019 - BROCHURE (PDF to download or print) The Fall Event 2019 - BROCHURE (Digital Flip Page publication with hyperlinks for viewing)
The Fall Event 2019 - MAIN PAGE
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