Keynote Speaker
Mike Agugliaro
Author and Founder of Gold Medal Services LLC
For more than two decades, as the co-owner of New Jersey's largest and respected home services company, Gold Medal Service, Mike has played a key role in building Gold Medal's success. In the last 10 years, Mike's business-growing acumen took the company from a business making less than $1 million a year, to making more than $28 million a year. Through his varied experiences, he's been successful mentoring and creating profitable business models and actionable processes for other businesses, both small and large. His goal is to dig deep and find a company's sweet spot — through his management, operations, sales, marketing, goal-setting, communication, and personal coaching skills. He can teach you how to market your business to obtain substantial results, how to take the lead, build a great team and how to stay motivated and focused. Mike has been mentoring and creating business success stories for others for years, and now Mike inspires groups with his keynotes, provides business coaching services and mentoring, and takes you to the next level and beyond.
Conference Speakers
Phoebe Chongchua
Brand Journalist & Marketing Consultant, Live Fit Films/ThinkLikeAJournalist.com
Phoebe Chongchua is a multimedia Brand Journalist, Brand Consultant & Marketing Strategist who is revolutionizing brand communication with consumers. She makes companies remarkable using brand journalism storytelling to grow their online presence, build a community, and gain greater market share. Phoebe is a former TV News journalist who helps brands gain a competitive advantage by learning to "Be the Media". Phoebe is the host of "The Brand Journalism Advantage" podcast and was named a "Top 50 Podcaster To Follow".
Brian Elias
Founder and President, 1-800-HANSONS
Brian Elias is founder and president of 1-800-HANSONS, DontGo, several incubating software ventures and a potpourri of businesses, including a maze company and a large domain reseller. Elias established his reputation as a brilliant entrepreneur by founding 1-800-HANSONS and building it into a $75 million home improvement and remodeling company headquartered in Troy, MI. Elias started the company in 1988 and has grown it to be one of the 10 largest home improvement companies in the US, employing more than 500 people.
Almena Faux
Director of Business Development, PJ Fitzpatrick, Inc.
Almena Faux's favorite quote is from hockey great, Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." As a home improvement professional, Faux is all about taking—and making—those shots. Throughout her 19 years in the industry, Faux has managed teams across a variety of business areas including Outside Sales and Events, Call Center, Showroom, Facilities, and Personnel.
Brian Gottlieb
President, Tundraland Home Improvements
Brian Gottlieb, President of Tundraland Home Improvements, is an inspirational business owner who founded his home improvement company in 2009 with an initial investment of only $3,000. Brian has grown Tundraland to one of the largest home improvement companies in the state of Wisconsin. Tundraland is deeply embedded in the community and is a Proud Partner of the Green Bay Packers. Brian Gottlieb believes that while he's in the home improvement industry, he's really in the business of developing people and building a culture where employees are part of something much greater than themselves. He has a proven model that shows a company can do well financially while also doing tremendous good for the community we all live in.
Vince Nardo
President, Reborn Cabinets
Vince Nardo is president of a family-owned, 30-year-plus-old kitchen and bath remodeling firm in Orange County, Calif. Vince and his family were chosen as the 2013 Remodeler of the Year by Professional Remodeler magazine, and most recently Vince was a finalist in the Fred Case Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition, his company was listed in INC magazine's list of the fastest growing companies in America. From its humble beginnings, Reborn Cabinets has grown to 200 employees and $30 million in sales, and manufactures and installs over 200 kitchen and bath remodels per month.
Jason Valasek
Co-Founder, Cloud LGS (Lead Gen Solutions)
Jason Valasek is a co-founder and business development professional at Cloud LGS, an online marketing platform to help starter entrepreneurs and business owners grow their business. Jason relocated to Arizona from Nebraska in 2001 to obtain his degree in Computer Science and Information Technology. Passionate about entrepreneurism, Jason moved to San Diego, Calif. to open his first business immediately after college graduation. Jason has helped multiple start-ups and established businesses reach new levels of revenue not previously reached before Jason's tenure. Today Jason continues to passionately pursue new growth milestones with select clients and his own business ventures. In his free time, he still chooses to stay focused on entrepreneurial-related tasks and initiatives. At this moment, this is his only passion.