May 26, 2015 / in General Information / by Mic Johnson
Post Author: Mic Johnson
Many of you know that one of my goals in life it to proactively get away from people who suck. The flip side of that goal is, of course, to spend as much time as possible with people who are awesome.
It was with that in mind that (per Jason’s recommendation) I started my own peer advisory group over two years ago. The name of the group is Introducing Awesome (IA) and is composed of people who I felt very strongly were innately awesome. We meet once a month for a couple of hours, sometimes over drinks, and sometimes in a conference room. The group was formed with a simple mantra:
IA is intentionally cross-generational and comprised of people who naturally and instinctively love helping others.
The group has evolved beyond my expectations and and continues to lift each other up, help each other through the ups and downs of business and life, and turn to one another for trusted advice.
I’m routinely inspired by the members of Introducing Awesome and wanted to take a minute to introduce you to the group I affectionately call “The Awesomes”….
Shawn Kinkade – Shawn is the President of AspireKC. I routinely refer to him as “The Best Business Coach in Kansas City.” Shawn is definitely one of the first people that come to mind when I think of awesome people. His monthly Business Book Reviews are also one of my must-attend education and networking events.
Cynthia Kyriazis – Cynthia has owned Productivity Partners for over 20 years. How many Productivity Coaches do you know? I know one…and she’s awesome.
Brad Douglas – Brad is Vice President and Retirement Plan Consultant for Alliance Benefit Group. The first time I got together with Brad we talked for over 2 hours. He’s one of the most inquisitive people I’ve ever met and is someone I could spend hours talking to about life and business.
Jennifer Peek – Jennifer is the Managing Partner of Peek Valuations. If you need help understanding the financials of your business and how to improve them, Jennifer is who you want to talk to.
Alana Muller – Alana is a Networking Coach & Consultant and the author of Coffee Lunch Coffee. I knew Alana was awesome the first time I met her. She’s intelligent, motivated, well connected and is another person that’s great at asking questions and helping drive solutions.
Melissa Eggleston – Melissa is a Director, Private Banking at Alterra Bank. I knew Melissa was awesome within minutes of meeting her. Melissa loves helping people, always has a smile on her face, has an attitude that is infectious, and sees the possibility in everyone and everything.
Jacob Wayman – Jacob is a Provider Engagement Consultant at Humana. He’s passionate about Healthcare, passionate about helping others, passionate about being a Rotarian….heck, he’s passionate about all that he does! Jacob brings a youthful energy and enthusiasm to IA and has benefited from the experience of the group as he develops into a young professional.
Andrew Hinrichs – Andrew is a Partner at HinrichsZenk & Pesavento. He provides accounting services specifically focused on the dental industry. Andrew is a classic entrepreneur who wears many hats and goes a million miles an hour. He’s intelligence and drive are contagious and he’s come to truly value all of the business perspective and experience of the IA group.
Laura Wildman – Laura is the President of MomCorps Kansas City and is the newest member of IA. Laura is a strategic search partner and helps link highly qualified candidates to job openings with her clients. I met Laura a couple of years ago. I knew then that she was awesome and we’re thrilled to have her a part of the IA team.
It’s been an honor for me to get to know these people personally and professionally. They inspire me every time we get together.
If you, your business, your clients or someone you know would like to know more about the services that these people offer, reach out and set up an initial phone conversation with them to learn more about how they can help.
Take it from me. They’re awesome.
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