Carrie Perrien Smith

Author's details

Name: Carrie Perrien Smith
Date registered: May 5, 2012
URL: http://www.businessengaged.com

Biography

Carrie Perrien Smith MBA is a training, communication, and publishing industry veteran. She ran screaming from her corporate training and communications career over a decade ago. Even though she sometimes misses regular paychecks, a cubicle with office supplies she didn’t have to purchase, and normal working hours, she wouldn’t trade the entrepreneur’s kill-what-you-eat lifestyle (most days, at least). Today, this third-generation entrepreneur runs a professional speaker bureau and a publishing company that serves clients internationally. She books professional speakers, trainers, and consultants for company meetings and conferences. She also works with business leaders who want to brand themselves as experts in their industry and build a speaking and consulting business. Business owners trust Carrie because she’s one of them. She’s the first one in line to mentor them, challenge their ideas, and cheer them on. She supports causes that pave the way for business owners because they are the foundation and the future of our economy. She also served as a volunteer counselor for SCORE (Counselors to America’s Small Business) for six years. This year, she’ll run for city council because she believes that a thriving small business community deserves representation at the city leadership level. Her most recent book is called Currency: Striking Networking Gold in a Relationship Economy. Learn more about Carrie and her company, Soar with Eagles at www.soarhigher.com.

Latest posts

Accelerating Tech Startups with the ARK Challenge — April 10, 2013
Employee Performance That Rocks — April 5, 2013
Attracting and Engaging Prospects Using Great Content — March 21, 2013
Using Speaking and Writing to Brand Yourself and Promote Your Business — March 15, 2013
Creating Fans of Your Brand — March 12, 2013

Author's posts listings

Apr 10 2013

Accelerating Tech Startups with the ARK Challenge

by Carrie Perrien Smith

April 10, 2013

ARK Startup Accelerator Challenge director Jeannette Balleza joins Business: Engaged! host Carrie Perrien Smith. They talk about how this mentorship-driven business accelerator program is launching technology startups.

Today’s technology has opened up an almost-unlimited number of startup possibilities. The internet allows us to work anywhere and do business with almost anyone. That is why tech startups are providing options that we never dreamed possible 20 years ago. And tech startups are creating new economic drivers that are shaping the future of business communities around the world.

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we welcome Jeannette Balleza. She is the director of The ARK Startup Accelerator Challenge. The program debuted in 2012 and is now selecting their next set of tech startups to lead through this three-month journey.

Based in Northwest Arkansas, the most recent ARK Challenge has drawn over 80 applications from 14 states and 14 countries. They will select just 10 companies for this program that offers each one $20,000 in seed money, free office space during the program, access to over 50 mentors, and the chance to present their idea to investors at the end of the program. It is a dream-come-true for entrepreneurs who have grown accustomed to creating these startups on a shoestring budget using a laptop in a coffee shop.

You can follow Jeannette on Twitter at @netscribe or click here to learn more about Jeannette’s company.

You can follow the ARK Challenge on Twitter at @ARKChallenge, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/arkchallenge or visit their website at http://www.arkchallenge.com/.

And I’m taking you with me on my journey to write my next book. I’ll share my process for writing the book and give you updates on my progress. This week, I talk about getting your topics organized using mind-mapping. If you want to catch the previous episode where I talked about setting goals and planning for book writing time, click here.

Episode airs Friday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

Click here to check out past episodes. You can follow the show on Twitter at @businessengaged too. Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page so you’ll find out when the next show airs. Click here to go there. We love it when you tell others about the show so take a minute and post this link for your Facebook friends or Twitter followers.

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/accelerating-tech-startups/

Apr 05 2013

Employee Performance That Rocks

by Carrie Perrien Smith

April 5, 2013

Hard Rock Cafe veteran Jim Knight joins Business: Engaged! host Carrie Perrien Smith. They talk about creating the chemistry of people, product, value, and customer experience that sets the stage for rock star employee performance.

Success in business today requires a complex chemistry of people, product, value, and customer experience.

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we welcome Jim Knight. He spent over 20 years with the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, one of the more recognized brands in the world. Their success is due as much to the people who work in the organization and the company culture as it is clever marketing. Today, Jim works with companies to revolutionize their culture so they set the stage for employee performance that rocks.

You can follow Jim Knight on Twitter at @knightspeaker.

Learn more about his work with companies at http://knightspeaker.com and http://hospitalityonpoint.com.

And over the coming weeks, I’m taking you with me on my journey to write my next book. I’ll share my process for writing the book and give you updates on my progress. I’ve decided what topics I’ll write about, so this week, I talk about setting goals and planning my book-writing time. If you want to catch the previous episode where I talked about the book writing process, click here.

Episode airs Friday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/employee-performance-that-rocks/

Mar 21 2013

Attracting and Engaging Prospects Using Great Content

by Carrie Perrien Smith

March 21, 2013

We have more tools than ever to attract and engage potential customers. Business: Engaged! host Carrie Perrien Smith gives you strategies for using these new tools to build a database of prospects and produce enticing, informative content about your business.

We have more tools than ever to attract and engage potential customers. But these new tools require you to produce enticing and informative content about your business.

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, I’ll give you methods for attracting your target customer to your website and building your prospect database. You’ll get ideas for great articles and social media updates that engage customers. And don’t worry if you aren’t a writer; you’ll get some tips for creating different types of content and finding writing help.

We also talk with Jack Pate, Manager of Social and Digital Media for Tyson Foods. We’ll talk about Vine, the new video application that is Twitter’s new companion. Plus he’ll share wisdom he’s gained over his years of experience in online marketing. You can follow Jack on Twitter at @arkansas.

And last week, I talked about my new book project. I’ll share my process for writing the book and give you updates on my progress over the coming weeks. Perhaps it will inspire you to write your own book. This week, I talk about determining my target reader/buyer and brainstorming the topics I’ll cover in the book.

Episode airs Saturday, March 23 at 8:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

I talk about the Federal Trade Commission’s CAN SPAM Act. Click here to watch the video on the FTC website and learn more so you can do the right thing.

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/attracting-and-engaging-prospects-using-great-content/

Mar 15 2013

Using Speaking and Writing to Brand Yourself and Promote Your Business

by Carrie Perrien Smith

March 15, 2013

I got the rare treat of sitting in the guest chair today with Denise Griffitts on her Your Partner in Success Radio show. I interviewed her a few weeks ago on working with virtual assistants (click here to listen to that interview). We both support clients in the speaking industry so we thought this would be a great topic for her show.

The topic was geared toward professionals who want to go out on their own as speakers, trainers, or consultants. It was also good information for any professional who wants to promote their business It is especially good for someone who wants to raise awareness for themselves because they are considering launching a job search. And the truth is that speaking and writing can be an additional stream of revenue.

Here what we talked about:

Why speaking and writing is a great way to intentionally craft a brand and promote a business
What you can do with your written content
What you should write about
What to do if you aren’t a writer
Why a published book is more than a great calling card
How everyday professionals use speaking to push their career forward
How to find places to speak
Where to develop speaking skills

Click here to listen to the show.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/using-speaking-and-writing-to-brand-yourself-and-promote-your-business/

Mar 12 2013

Creating Fans of Your Brand

by Carrie Perrien Smith

March 12, 2013

Learn how to create a lasting and profitable connection with your customers and prospects using today’s social media tools. Host Carrie Perrien Smith welcomes Ted Rubin, co-author of Return on Relationship to Business: Engaged!

How is your relationship with your customers and prospects? Do you know what they are saying about you? Do today’s digital media users find you easy to connect with? Is your investment in your company’s social media really paying off?

After this episode of Business: Engaged!, you’ll never look at your company’s social media presence the same again. We are talking with Ted Rubin, co-author of Return on Relationship and Chief Social Media Officer for Collective Bias, a social shopper media company.

Ted is going to share what he’s learned working in the field of social media marketing. Most important, he is sharing the principles you need to know to connect to your customers in a meaningful way and create fans for your company’s brand. In his industry, they are called brand evangelists and advocates. And you’ll also learn more about brand influencers and ambassadors.

Click here to learn more about Ted Rubin. You can also follow him on Twitter at @tedrubin. In fact, you can find him on all the major social media sites.

Click here to see what the buzz is all about with Ted’s new book Return on Relationship

Click here to learn more about Collective Bias.

I also found some precious planning time this week and I’m going to share how I approached that an announce my new book writing project.

Episode airs Friday, March 15 at 9:30 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

I’m also doing a radio show interview on Your Partner in Success Radio with Denise Griffitts on March 15 at 11:00 am CST. We’ll be talking about creating a brand. Click here to listen to the show’s episode anytime.

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/creating-fans-of-your-brand/

Mar 05 2013

Motivating Employees to Do Their Best Work

by Carrie Perrien Smith

March 5, 2013

Learn how to bring out the best in your people and develop top performers, leaders, and influencers. Host Carrie Perrien Smith welcomes Mark Mathia, CEO and Executive Coach for Tiburon Financial and Trident Coaching Systems to Business: Engaged!

It’s been said that the speed of the pack is determined by the pace of the leader. Top performance is inspired by leaders who involve team members in the development of mission, vision, and values. In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we welcome Mark Mathia. He is the CEO and Executive Coach for Tiburon Financial and Trident Coaching Systems. He’ll share methods for creating an environment that brings out the best in our people and develops top performers, leaders, and influencers.

Click here to learn more about Mark Mathia at Trident Coaching Systems.

Click here to learn more about Tiburon Financial.

Episode airs Friday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/motivating-employees-to-do-their-best-work/

Feb 28 2013

Mental Illness in the Workplace

by Carrie Perrien Smith

February 28, 2013

How can you tell if someone in your company has a mental health issue? What can you do if so? David Duerr of Ozark Guidance Center joins host Carrie Perrien Smith on Business: Engaged! He’ll talk about how to help people dealing with mental health issues.

Everyone has a bad day and, admittedly, your workplace might make you crazy once in a while. But how do you know whether someone is struggling with mental illness or a stress-inducing issue that mimics the same symptoms?

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we talk with David Duerr, Director of Business Services at Ozark Guidance Center. We discuss the issues that affect the mental well-being of our team members. He’ll talk about anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and situational issues that can bring drama and trauma to the whole workplace. He’ll also give us tips for opening the conversation with that individual who is struggling, assessing how to help them, and discussing options.

Click here to learn more about Ozark Guidance Center.

Episode airs Saturday, March 2 at 9:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/mental-illness-in-the-workplace/

Feb 15 2013

Building Wealth: How Smart Business Owners Do It

by Carrie Perrien Smith

February 15, 2013

Are you passing up your best wealth-building tool? Chris Hurn, cofounder and CEO of Mercantile Capital Corporation joins host Carrie Perrien Smith on Business: Engaged! He’ll talk about when and why it makes sense to purchase commercial property.

Cash flow is king when it comes to small business financial success. Most business owners perceive they cannot afford to own the building where they operate. Others don’t want to tie up their cash with a big mortgage payment. But with property values and interest rates at historic lows, this might be the wealth-building opportunity of a lifetime.

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we talk with Chris Hurn. He is the co-founder and CEO of Mercantile Capital Corporation, a nationwide, commercial lending firm that specializes in SBA 504 loans for business owners who want to own their commercial property. In his new book, The Entrepreneur’s Secret to Creating Wealth: How the Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes, he reveals how the smartest business owners build their fortunes.

Click here to learn more about Mercantile Capital Corporation.

Click here to learn more about the book. Click here to visit the Facebook page for the book.

Follow Chris on Twitter at @thechrishurn or on Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/504experts .

And Carrie is going to talk about one of the best ways for your employees to build leadership experience so they can advance. Volunteering can provide an opportunity to build leadership, communication, project management, and teamwork skills, all while helping the community. She’ll give tips for helping employees connect to important opportunities.

Episode airs Saturday, February 16 at 9:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/building-wealth/

Feb 06 2013

Is It Time for a Virtual Assistant?

by Carrie Perrien Smith

February 6, 2013

It is time you retained a virtual assistant? Virtual assistance industry expert Denise Griffitts joins host Carrie Perrien Smith on Business: Engaged! She’ll talk about how VAs assist clients and even share insights for aspiring VAs.

Sometimes a business owner needs a little help but can’t justify the expense of an extra employee. Other times, he might need some specialized help that he can’t get locally. Today, many business owners are turning to the services of a virtual assistant. And as the industry is evolving, VAs who offer more extensive services are becoming known as online business managers or OBMs.In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we talk with Denise Griffitts. She is a nationally recognized virtual assistance industry expert, online business manager (OBM), thought leader, coach and mentor. She is the founder and CEO of Your Office On The Web and Your Virtual Assistant. She’ll talk about what a virtual assistant can do for you and how to find one. She’ll even share insights for those who might want to become virtual assistants.

Click here to learn more about Denise Griffitts’ company.

Click here to listen to Denise’s Your Partner in Success^TM radio show on Blogtalkradio.com.

And who hasn’t burned a bag of microwave popcorn at the office? I exploded a bag in our microwave, and what I was left with was a smelly, yellow microwave. I’ll share how I got rid of the smell.

Episode airs Saturday, February 9 at 9:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/is-it-time-for-a-virtual-assistant/

Jan 28 2013

Handling Unhappy Customers

by Carrie Perrien Smith

January 28, 2013

Every company has an occasional unhappy customer. Performance and training consultant Willie Johnson joins host Carrie Perrien Smith on Business: Engaged! to talk about handling unhappy customers so the company can recover the relationship.

Every company has to deal with an unhappy customer from time to time. Sometimes it is because of a mistake and product problem. Other times, there is a disconnect between customer expectations and the company’s promise. But how the company handles that unhappy customer determines whether the company preserves the customer relationship.

In this episode of Business: Engaged!, we talk with performance and training consultant Willie Johnson about handling unhappy customers. He’ll share ideas for preserving and recovering that customer relationship.

Click here to learn more about Willie Johnson.

And in the product and service spotlight, we feature Tiburon Financial. They are a third-party medical billing and debt collection agency. We talk about what you need to know about handling the clients that owe you money.

You can sign up to receive our e-mail newsletter Business: Engaged! Direct so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new show. Visit our website at www.businessengaged.com to listen to past episodes. And don’t forget to connect with us on Twitter at @businessengaged and Facebook (just search for “Business Engaged”). We love it when you tell others about the show so take a minute and post this link for your Facebook friends or Twitter followers. Click here for the list of past shows.

Episode airs Thursday, January 31 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Click here to listen to this episode.*

* If the show stops playing while you are listening, consider clicking on the Play in Your Default Player link under the audio window.

Permanent link to this article: http://businessengaged.com/handling-unhappy-customers/