Description

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Entrepreneurs and business owners are invited to attend the third annual Entrepreneur Summit jointly presented by the Montcross Area and Gaston Regional Chambers of Commerce. Come learn from highly successful presenters about launching and growing businesses.

Schedule
8:00    Registration
8:30    Warm Up: Jesse Cole, managing partner Team Cole & Associates/Gastonia Grizzlies
Regarded as one of the most creative and dynamic young promoters in baseball, he recently was named Executive of the Year by his league.   
8:45    Presentation: "Growing a Brand from Zero to Slawesome" Julie Busha, president & CEO, The Busha Group/Slawsa
​Gaston County’s own Julie Busha, who appeared on the ABC hit TV show “Shark Tank,” will present on her highly successful marketing of a unique slaw-salsa hybrid condiment she created called Slawsa. In just two years, she has placed Slawsa in the relish aisles of more than 5,200 stores in the United States and Canada and expects to be distributed coast-to-coast in 2015. 
9:45    Presentation: “Get LindedIn or Be Left Out” Ira Bass, CEO, IB Media, LLC
This presentation on marketing businesses through social media will be led by virtual media guru Ira Bass, CEO of IB Media, who is known as “the LinkedIn Guy.” Bass draws on 30 years of advertising agency experience to help clients with marketing, media planning and placement and other services. 
10:45 - 11:00 Break
11:00    Panel: “Making Marketing Work”

• Elaine Lyerly, co-founder and CEO of Lyerly Agency, which relocated to Belmont two years ago after 35 years in Charlotte. Lyerly Agency is recognized consistently by peers for creativity and strategic prowess.
• Dr. Ann Hoscheit, founder and clinical director of Summit Eye Associates, one of Gaston County’s leading eye care providers, achieving a 99.3 percent rate of patients agreeing to refer. 
• Juan Garzon, president of the Garzon Company, which helps startups and creative entrepreneurs clarify their brand, communicate value and accelerate growth.
• Heather Head, founder of Scopcity, which finds, develops and shares the best storytelling talent available to provide content to business clients.
• Brad Rivers, director of the Small Business Center at Gaston College, will moderate the discussion. He has more than 25 years of experience helping start new businesses and helping existing businesses solve problems and succeed.

12:15 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00     Keynote “Keeping Your Sales Process Relevant In a Rapidly Changing World” 
Best-selling author and professional trainer Tim Connor will deliver the keynote luncheon presentation. He’s written more than 80 books, including several international best sellers and given more than 4,000 presentations in 23 countries.  His international clients range in sales from 1 million dollars to more than 50 million and come from a wide variety of industries.