2012 40 under 40

+ Businesses step up in mutiny on the beach

The pirates won’t be denied be-cause, well, there’s too much booty at stake.

Swords have been clashing on Fort Myers Beach, where organiz-ers of the annual Pirate Fest were ordered to walk the plank after they announced they’d canceled the fall event.

Businesses have relied on the October festival that draws some 12,000 Jose Gaspar aficionados to the shores of this beachside town during the slowest part of the year for tourism.

The original organizers of the event called off the faux-pirate fest a few days ago because they said local businesses weren’t underwriting the event.

Aarghh, responded business lub-bers.

Together with the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, busi-nesses banded to attract the pirates and their wenches back under a new organizer.

Now that’s the way to put down a mutiny, mateys!

+ Sunshine State courts wilt under pressure

Florida’s legal climate, and its rep-utation for an anti-business court system, continues to rank among the 10 worst in the country, a new Institute for Legal Reform report shows.

The state ranked 41st — the fourth consecutive time its legal environ-ment failed to crack the top 40 in the institute’s annual list. The main issues, according to Institute for Le-gal Reform Senior Vice President Kevin Watson, are junk science, bad faith and legislating from the bench. The Institute for Legal Re-form is an affiliate of the U.S. Cham-ber of Commerce.

“Florida, unfortunately, has this reputation in part based on the laws on the books and to some degree the action of the courts,” Watson says on a recent edition of “The Bottom

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BringItFormer USF basketball star Brian Lamb translates success on the court to success at Fifth Third Bank. PAGE 7

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Line,” a video produced by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “There’s cer-tainly a lot of room for Florida to im-prove and to create a more competitive business climate.”

The Florida Legislature, lobbied hard by pro-business groups, has tried to im-prove the climate. But the trial lawyer lobby has successfully countered those efforts. For example, a reform bill for “bad-faith” lawsuits, where a jury can award hundreds of times more than an insurance policy covers, was narrowly defeated in a committee vote. (See Busi-ness Review, Feb. 16.)

+ Presidential impact on small businesses up for debate

Despite the tsunami of heat President Barack Obama took for his “You didn’t build that” comment, the business com-munity, at least in one new survey, stands behind him.

Indeed, 39% of small business own-ers say President Obama is “the most supportive candidate of small business-es,” according to the survey, from The George Washington University and Thumbtack.com. Less than one-third, 31%, say Republican candidate Mitt Romney is the most supportive, while 28%, the survey says, are not sure.

The survey respondents, says Thumb-tack.com, a local professional services

website, are a mix of more than 6,000 “real small business owners, like wedding photographers, auto mechanics and yoga instructors.”

Of course, that survey isn’t the final word on which presidential candidate is the small business champion. For example, in SurePayroll’s September Scorecard, 66% found Romney is bet-ter for small businesses, against 34% for Obama. That survey further found 67% of the respondents say Romney better represents their views on economic and fiscal policy, while 65% say Romney will drive more jobs.

SurePayroll Scorecard respondents, moreover, plan to vote for Romney by nearly a 2-to1 count, 61% to 33%.

While the presidential/small business champion gap is large, the surveys are closer on at least one major issue that im-pacts businesses: lack of optimism.

For instance, the SurePayroll survey says overall optimism among small busi-ness owners is 45% — down from 60% in August. And more than three-fourths, 77%, say the election has impacted their optimism. “It’s deeply concerning that optimism plunged 15 points at a time when we’re struggling to maintain the re-covery,” SurePayroll CEO and President Michael Alter says in a release.

The George Washington-Thumbtack.com survey, meanwhile, found anecdot-

www.review.net 3

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT

What the data show: The index of retail activity is designed to measure personal consumption, and it combines the taxable-sales categories of autos, consumer durables (such as appliances), tourism and consumer non-durables (such as food and clothing). The index’s base equaled 100 in 1988. For example, an index of 150 today would have taxable sales equal to 1.5 times the base period in 1988, or a 50% increase. The latest data is for July.

What it means: While the index of retail activity rose in every area of the Gulf Coast in July on an annual percentage-change basis, they all lagged the state-wide increase of 6.4%. Within the Gulf Coast, the Tampa Bay area posted the best results in the index. Areas of the state that posted top annual percent-age gains in July included Lakeland (up 8.9%) and Miami (up 7.9%).

Forecast: Consumer confidence has edged up, according to a September survey of Floridians by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and

Business Research. Employment gains coupled with a recovery in tourism and real estate suggests the retail index will continue to post year-over-year gains. Stocks have gained also, making people feel better about their personal finances. However, uncertainties remain with the national election in November and the country’s fiscal policy, keeping the retail index increases modest.

GULF COAST RETAILjULy RETAIL INdEx Retail AnnualArea Index ChangeTampa-St. Petersburg 117.1 5.2%Sarasota-Bradenton 124.5 5%Cape Coral-Fort Myers 148 4.3%Naples 130.9 4%Punta Gorda 124.3 4%

Source: Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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GULF COAST BUSINESS REvIEWOCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11, 2012

Lee County has been one of Florida’s foreclosure hot spots, but the number of foreclosures has fallen substantially so far this year.

Now, says market watcher Jeff Tum-barello with the Southwest Florida Real Estate Investment Asso-ciation, the foreclosures are mostly higher-end homes and commercial prop-erties.

“There is a second bump,” Tumbarello says recently. “There’s been some large-principal bal-ance foreclosures, both residential and commercial,”

he says.Still, Tumbarello says he doesn’t

expect another flood of foreclosures. “We’re processing more than we’re tak-ing in,” he says. “There is some more

to come, but you have to really put it into perspective that you’re

staring at the tail end of the monster and not the front

shoulders.”Tumbarello is watch-

ing a few signs closely that will reveal the state of

the foreclosure market. One indicator will be any slow-down by foreclosure leader

Bank of America.

Foreclosures: fewer, but bigger

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TAMPA BAY Pa. tech firm plans 100 hires

A suburban Philadelphia IT services firm plans to hire up to 100 people over the next year for a new office it recently opened in Tampa.

The company, HighPoint Solutions, focuses on IT work for clients in the life sciences and health care industries. The new office, in the firm’s man-aged services division, opened in an office building in Tampa’s Westshore area.

HighPoint executives say they will seek employees from the tech industry and local colleges, in addition to career fairs. The managed services

division includes consulting, application support, mobile development and IT services.

HighPoint was founded in 2000. In addition to Tampa and its East Norriton head-quarters, the firm has offices in Boston, Bridgewater, N.J., Chicago, Irvine, Calif., and New York City.

Tampa firm gets policiesHomeowners Choice Inc. will

assume 71,000 policies from state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in November, which could allow it to create as many as 40 new jobs, the company says.

Through wholly owned subsidiary Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Co., the firm will take over the policies under Citizens’ Non-Bonus Take-out Program. The program aims to move policies from Citizens to private com-panies to reduce Citizens’ risk exposure.

Policyholders have up to 30 days to opt out and stay with Citizens. Homeowners estimates between 55,000 to 65,000 of the policies will leave Citizens, the release says.

Achieva plans constructionAchieva Credit Union, a

$997 million institution, an-nounced it will break ground on a new corporate headquarters at 1659 Virginia St. in Dune-din. The corporate office will be

built in three phases and should be completed by 2013.

Achieva sold its previous cor-porate headquarters, on Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, earlier this year. Clearwater based-iDatix Corp. paid $2.8 million for the 26,450-square-foot building.

SARASOTA-MANATEECompany moves HQ

First Watch, the fast-growing breakfast-brunch-lunch chain, plans to move to a new and bigger corporate headquarters.

The company will stay in the east Manatee County area. It will move about a mile away, to a Benderson Development corporate office park just west of the University Parkway exit of Interstate 75. First Watch, which operates about 100 restaurants in 13 states, cur-rently leases a 7,500-square-foot headquarters in Lakewood Ranch, east of I-75.

The new 10,000-sqaure-foot headquarters will likely be ready by November.

County decreases feesManatee County permit

fees dropped 6% as of Oct. 1, county officials recently an-nounced.

Manatee County commis-sioners unanimously approved the decrease, which County Administrator Ed Hunze-ker included in the proposed budget in May. The fees cover

a wide range of services from the Building and Development Services Department, which Hunzeker says has become more efficient in the past few years.

Hotel project advances The Sarasota City Commis-

sion approved the sale of a downtown lot that could be-come the first new construction hotel built in the area since the early 2000s.

The firm behind the project, Floridays Development Co., must begin construction within 16 months, according to the preliminary sale agreement. The property is on Palm Avenue, near several art galleries and the recently built city-owned parking garage. Initial plans call for up to 200 guest rooms and more than 10,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space.

CHARLOTTE-LEE-COLLIERHotel revenues rise

Hotels in Collier County reported revenues per avail-able room rose nearly 11% to $56.60 in August compared with

the same month one year ago.Revenue per available room

is a function of average daily room rate and occupancy. In August, the average daily rate rose 8.1% to $110.70 and the average occupancy rose 2.2% to 51.1% compared with Au-gust 2011, according to a Re-search Data Services of Tampa analysis for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Slight passenger gainPassenger traffic at South-

west Florida International Airport posted a small gain in August, but it remains down 4.9% for the year to date.

In August, 421,211 passen-gers passed through the Fort Myers airport, a 0.3% increase compared with August 2011. This is the second month in a row of year-over-year growth after 13 straight months of declines.

In August, the number of takeoffs and landings at South-west Florida International Airport rose 0.4%, suggest-ing much of the decline in air service over the past year has ended.

GULF COAST WEEKREGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS AT A GLANCE

EXECUTIVE DECISIONDid the presidential debate affect your voting decision?

To vote in this week’s poll, visit: review.net/decision

Results from last week’s poll:

Do you think outsourcing work to other countries is un-American?

41%

59%Yes

No

Stilwell Enterprises and Res-taurant Group plans to build a 5,000-square-foot restaurant in Fort Myers overlooking Sanibel Island, according to Sheeley Architects, the architecture firm contracted to design it.

The restaurant, to be called SS Hookers, will be an elevated Key West-style building on Sum-

merlin Road near Punta Rassa that will overlook the Gulf of Mexico and Sanibel Island. It is scheduled to open March 1.

Stilwell plans new eatery

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al evidence of gloom in Florida. That’s where a Winter Park entrepreneur says true small businesses “are overstressed, overtaxed, overlooked and overshad-owed by large corporations.”

Adds the entrepreneur: “The SBA is one of the most cumbersome and non-helpful organizations I have ever at-tempted to utilize. Many of their pro-grams are unobtainable for a truly small business.”

+ Builders continue to worry about labor

If the housing industry continues on the current recovery track, it might be-come more difficult to find labor, and that could drive up costs.

Builders speaking on a panel of the Lee Building Industry Association in Fort Myers recently voiced concerns about the fact that many skilled trades-men left Southwest Florida during the real estate bust.

Gary Aubuchon, president of Aubu-chon Homes in Cape Coral, illustrated the point by asking how many subcon-tractors were present at the meeting. Out of a crowd of about 130 people, only one half dozen subs raised their hands.

While it’s not a problem yet, build-ers are worried that they won’t be able to raise prices on new homes enough to compensate for increased labor costs.

+ Florida rakes in funds at blistering rate

The federal government showered the Sunshine State with lots of love in 2011 — specifically in money.

In fact, a CNBC.com report shows Florida led the country in federal spend-ing per capita in the last fiscal year with $30,318, off a total purse of $577.80 bil-lion. Federal spending per capita was

$30,115 in Louisiana, the report states, but after that no other state surpassed $16,500.

Florida also scored highest in the coun-try in total federal cut. That $577.80 bil-lion figure was ahead of more populous Texas and California, which both spent less than $300 billion.

The report is based on data from USASpending.gov, a website affiliated with the Office of Management and Bud-get. It looked at $3.6 trillion in spend-ing in fiscal 2011. That covers the gamut of the federal government spigot, from payments to contractors to entitlement programs.

In Florida, according to the CNBC re-port, nine out of the 10 largest federal payments were for Homeland Security programs, which includes FEMA. The lone non-Homeland Security payment in the top 10 was from the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicare. Companies that received government funds for work include communications firm Harris Corp. and defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grum-man.

Here’s a glance at the top 10 states for federal government spending in 2011:

GulF coast Business Reviewoctober 5 – october 11, 2012 www.review.net 5

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

coFFee talK

The exodus of California businesses continues to make news, and this time the latest successful entrepreneur to hit the exits could be a win for the Gulf Coast.

Mike Bonk, who built a successful chain of houseplant and pottery stores in Orange County, Calif., over 30 years, is the Golden State refugee. Bonk’s company, Mainly Seconds — Pottery Plants & Things, had $12 million in annual sales, seven stores and 200 employees at its peak a few years ago. Bonk hopes to re-create the success with a new plant-themed business in Sarasota.

“I started with $15,000 and a dream,” Bonk tells Coffee Talk. “But the busi-ness climate wasn’t good in California. We were anxious to leave.”

That feeling has spread quickly in California.

High taxes, loads of regulations and what Bonk calls a state of entitlement among employees are common key culprits. To wit: Spectrum Locations Consultants, a research firm, recently reported that 254 California compa-nies fled the state in 2011, taking some or all of the employees. That was up 26% from 2010. Many of the compa-nies that bolted were small businesses, but at least one, Apple, has a global brand. Apple, in exchange for nearly $6 million in tax rebates, plans to build a large facility in Austin, Texas, which will eventually have 3,600 employees. The company will maintain a large presence in Cupertino, its longtime headquarters.

Bonk’s government-induced frustra-tion, meanwhile, began to grow over the last five years. California’s mud-

dled workers’ compensation program was especially painful: Bonk says his costs and insurance premiums grew 314% over three years, from $70,000 to $290,000. Says Bonk: “The system was getting out of control.”

Bonk shut down his last store in Cali-fornia in May. He and his wife, Maria Marin-Bonk, bought a home on Siesta Key a few years ago. The move mirrors Marin-Bonk’s brother, Ed Marin, who moved his art and commercial wall dé-cor business, Soicher Marin, from Los Angeles to Sarasota in 2009.

Bonk’s new store, on Tamiami Trail, just north of the Ringling Museum, is called Plants & Treasures. It’s a 6,000-square-foot store with an at-tached outdoor pottery yard. Bonk hopes the business will find an un-tapped niche against the Home Depots and Lowe’s of the world.

“I am a little bit older and want an easier life,” says Bonk. “But I still want to be challenged and build something.”

Golden State bonks another business loose

GoveRnment spendinG

Federal spending state per capita populationFlorida $30,318 19.1 millionLouisiana $30,115 4.6 millionSouth carolina $16,467 4.7 millionHawaii $15,628 1.4 million Virginia $14,463 8.1 millionMississippi $13,141 3 millionNorth Dakota $12,704 683,932Delaware $12,384 907,135texas $11,452 25.7 millionMaryland $11,280 5.8 million

Source: cNbc, USASpending.gov.

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Mercedes Price Harry | Cape Coral | 36pagE 16

Ken Beauvais | Lehigh Acres | 25pagE 8

UNDER 40FORTY

Nearly all business publications do an-nual 40 Under 40 issues, and the idea behind them is nearly identical: Find the next young up-and-comers who will rock the business world.

In the Business Review’s coverage area from Tampa to Naples, there’s no short-age of men and women who meet that description. And there’s no doubt these individuals will add to the richness and success of businesses throughout the Gulf Coast.

But the Business Review is not just about business — it’s also about lead-ers. So, staying true to that mission, we looked beyond familiar faces to find in-dividuals who are focused on building a business. We found plenty of them as well.

Take the Seidensticker brothers, Joe and Patrick, who run Libby’s Cafe + Bar with their family. Rather than rest on the success of that well-known Sarasota restaurant, they are working on a new downtown eatery with the long view of expanding the concept geographically.

Or consider Rich Heruska, who had the first business he built, real estate-based Home Discovery, swallowed by the recession. That setback merely propelled Heruska and a partner to create Air-Heads Trampoline Arena, a new family entertainment business they think will prove more resilient to economic swings.

And then there’s Stephanie Caldwell, a civil engineer laid off when the housing bubble burst. She started her own engi-neering firm the next day and now enjoys working on her own terms.

These winners had the ambition and courage to create something with their businesses, to take risks that are essential for entrepreneurs. Although choosing 40 is always a tough task, our editorial team searched for individuals who embody this entrepreneurial drive to help narrow the list. So congratulations to all our 40 Under 40 winners. We’ll all be watching to see what you’ll build next.

— Kat Hughes

GULF COAST BUSINESS REVIEW | 2012

FORTYUNDER 40

DID YOU KNOW?

Favorite techno gadget:

Average Age: Number of people who have a Twitter handle:

Average years on the Gulf Coast:

Number born in Florida:

iPhone

iPadOther tablet or computer

Other smart phone

Skype

Gadget we’d never heard of

33.5

32%

32%14.9

168

said they learned the most about business from

said they learned the most about business from

DOING IT THEMSELVES

THEIR PARENTS

Bridget McGrath | Sarasota | 30pagE 21

Jody Haneke | Tampa | 29pagE 16

Gulf coast Business ReviewOCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11, 2012 www.review.net 7

foRtY unDeR 40

Brian Lamb’s ability to excel at both math and basketball coming out of high school in Tallahassee in

1994 provided him some extraordinary choices.

Colleges that offered scholarships in-cluded Stanford, Cornell and Fordham in New York City. The University of Tennes-see and the University of South Florida called, too.

Lamb chose the University of South Florida — a pick he’s never regretted. “I make hundreds of decisions in my busi-ness life,” says Lamb, now president of the Tampa Bay region of Fifth Third Bank. “Going to USF is the best decision I ever made, short of marrying my wife.”

Lamb played point guard for the USF basketball team from 1994 to 1998. He was the team captain for the last three of those seasons, before he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. His playing career also provided him his first major bout with adversity: At the end of the 1996-1997 season, when he was a ju-nior, he tore his rotator cuff. He rehabbed and fought his way back to play his senior season, a recovery he says was an integral life event.

Now 36, Lamb reaches into his USF ex-periences and life lessons daily, if not sev-eral times a day, with Cincinnati-based Fifth Third. Lamb’s Fifth Third division covers all the bank’s operations, from re-tail to commercial to private banking, in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. With more than $2.1 billion in deposits, the unit is spread over 47 offices with 350 employees.

While Lamb brings his athletic com-petitive nature to banking, and he has ambitious growth plans, he sees his post in broader terms. Indeed, he spends a good amount of his non-bank time with community, economic and arts organi-zations. The long list includes the USF Board of Trustees; the Straz Center for the Performing Arts; and the Hillsbor-

ough Economic Development Corp. Lamb also mentors young executives.

“It was never that I wanted to be in banking. It was never that I wanted to be in accounting,” says Lamb. “I just wanted to be someone who could positively influ-ence lives.”

Lamb’s first job after college was with TECO Energy, where he worked in fi-nance and accounting. He had several leadership roles there, and worked di-rectly with TECO President and CEO John Ramil, one of the few people Lamb calls a mentor. Ramil, says Lamb, sets an example of how to achieve work-life bal-ance.

Lamb speaks glowingly of his days at TECO, and likely wouldn’t have left the company if Home Discovery executives didn’t recruit him. The Tampa-based firm, which tried to shake up the residen-tial real estate market with lower com-missions, named Lamb CFO in 2004. Says Lamb: “The entrepreneurial itch got the best of me.” (Home Discovery co-founder Richard Heruska is also a 40-under-40 winner. See page 16.)

Fifth Third named Lamb CFO in 2006. He later ran commercial lending, then private banking. Working in several areas of the bank, says Lamb, helped him learn about both Fifth Third and its cus-tomers.

Preparation from other mentors, in addition to Ramil, came from Lamb’s fa-ther, Eugene Lamb Jr., and Tampa-area business and sports icon Lee Roy Sel-mon. Lamb’s father is currently a county commissioner in Gadsden County, just west of Tallahassee. Lamb says his father was, and is, a constant presence in his life, and has taught him how to lead by example.

Selmon, meanwhile, was the USF ath-letic director when Lamb played there. Selmon, who died in 2011, was also on the Fifth Third board of directors when the bank hired Lamb. “He set a great

example for all the athletes,” Lamb says, specifically citing Selmon’s humility, honesty and integrity. “We didn’t have a lot of mentors like him.”

Finally, it was another mentor, Tampa-area auto entrepreneur and philanthro-pist Frank Morsani, who recently told Lamb something that resonated deeply. Morsani told Lamb you spend the first

30 years of your life learning, your next 30 years earning, and your last 30 years giving.

“That left an imprint on me,” Lamb says. “My vision is to leave a legacy of philanthropy, mutually beneficial rela-tionships and professional success.”

— Mark Gordon

Bank ShotBrian Lamb Tampa36/ /

Brian Lamb successfully brought team sports lessons to the boardroom. He aims for a lot more success.

Mark Wemple

Brian lamb runs the Tampa Bay region of Fifth Third Bank. The division, which covers Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, has more than $2.1 billion in deposits.

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SARASOTA | 36

MATTHEWANdERSON

KEN BEAUVAIS

JONATHAN BLACK

TRICIABOLdS

Twitter handle: @MilestoneSRQEmployer: Milestone Marketing Associates Inc.Title: PresidentBirthplace: Louisville, Ky.Years on the Gulf Coast: 26Marital status/children: Wife, Dana, and our two girls, Catherine and Mia.Alma mater: University of Florida. Go Ga-tors!Best place to network: The Polo Grill and

Fete Ballroom. I'm a big fan of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, which holds regular events there. The Polo Grill is conveniently located off of University Parkway in Sarasota, the space is flexible for a wide range of business meetings, the food is fantastic and the staff is outstanding.Business person you admire most: My father, Mark Anderson, who owns Cortez Heating and Air Conditioning. I'm glad I don't work for the family business, but I'm happy to have Cortez as a client!One website that makes your job easier: Google. And not just for search. Google Apps for Business helps us run our virtual company.One community group you’re most involved with: The Mighty Siesta Key Kiwanis Club.Favorite off-hours activity: Attending live music shows like the Sarasota Blues Festival.Most-trusted news source: The Gulf Coast Business Review, of course! But I do listen to NPR on 88.5 FM for the alternative view. Plus they play great music.I learned the most about business from: Richard Langedyk founded the software com-pany where I worked for 12 years. I became a partner after six years, and we sold the busi-ness in 2007. When I was still a marketing manager in training he impressed upon me the importance of treating the company's money like it was my own.Book you’re reading now: “The Marketing Agency Blueprint,” by Paul Roetzer. It's a “how-to” business book tailor-made for companies like ours. I bought copies for the whole team.Favorite techno gadget: My iPadWhich social-media networks do you use for business: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Move the complainers who go to bed at 8 p.m. away from places like Siesta Key Village and downtown Sarasota so those of us who like to listen to live music could enjoy the nightlife.

Twitter handle: @KenMrCEOEmployer: ArCEOnsTitle: Founder Birthplace: BostonYears on the Gulf Coast: SevenMarital status/children: Married/ no chil-dren

Alma mater: Florida Gulf Coast University (BS in computer information system, business management and marketing.)Best place to network: Local business and entrepreneur eventsBusiness person you admire most: Bill GatesOne website that makes your job easier: GoogleOne community group you’re most involved with: First Apostolic Church of Cape CoralFavorite off-hours activity: Dancing, talking and spending time with familyMost-trusted news source: CEO.comI learned the most about business from: Making mistakesBook you’re reading now: “The Back of the Napkin,” by Dan RoamFavorite techno gadget: SpheroWhich social-media networks do you use for business? None, for the most part. We are currently in stealth mode and it is too early to start proactively advertising to the masses. When the time is right we will focus our efforts on Twitter.If I had a magic wand I’d: I would grant everybody on earth a wish for something positive. And I would wish for my grandmother to have a full recovery from her strokes.

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Sunstream Hotels & Resorts / Crazy Lure Bait & TackleTitle: Special Events Coordinator/ Owner Operator Birthplace: Douglasville, Ga. Years on the Gulf Coast: 3 ½ years Marital status/children: Married/ no kids/ dogsAlma mater: Treat others as you want to be treatedBest place to network: While fishing and at fishing tournaments

Business person you admire most: Kevin Van DamOne website that makes your job easier: Google search engineOne community group you’re most involved with: Veterans FoundationFavorite off-hours activity: Fishing, of course!Most-trusted news source: Wall Street JournalI learned the most about business from: Keith Murphy and Ron BaileyBook you’re reading now: “Fishing on the Edge,” by Mike IconnelliFavorite techno gadget: BluetoothWhich social-media networks do you use for business: FacebookIf I had a magic wand I’d: Make sure that people were treated with respect!

Name: Tricia BoldsAge: 36Twitter handle: @gulfcoastpetsCity of residence: SarasotaEmployer: Gulf Coast Pet Supplies (GC-Pet.com)Title: CEOBirthplace: New YorkYears on the Gulf Coast: 30Marital status/children: Married, with a beautiful 6-year-old son.Alma mater: Riverview High School and SCF College Best place to network: I do a lot of fly-ing, so I would have to say airplanes and SkyClub. Second to that would be school events, and my son’s after-school activi-ties.

Business person you admire most: My parentsOne website that makes your job easier: GoogleOne community group you’re most involved with: Animal rescues — non-profit rescue shelters (Satchel’s Last Resort)Favorite off-hours activity: I spend most off hours taking my son to extracurricular activities such as baseball, taekwondo or other school events.Most-trusted news source: My husband, followed by Herald-TribuneI learned the most about business from: Not to sound cliché, but definitely my par-ents. I watched them build a very successful business for 25 years, which was very popu-lar in the area. Unfortunately, it was sold to the wrong person in 2006 who drowned the business by 2010 and owed my parents a lot of money. Hard lesson learned for everyone, but definitely another lesson learned.Book you’re reading now: Fifty Shades of GreyFavorite techno gadget: RokuWhich social-media network do you use for business: FacebookIf I had a magic wand I’d: Exclude the use of the word “no” from my household’s vocabulary. ““If I had a magic wand I’d:

“Move the complainers who go to bed at 8 p.m. away from places like Siesta Key Village and downtown Sarasota so those of us who like to listen to live music could enjoy the nightlife.”

–Matthew Anderson, Milestone Marketing Associates Inc.

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Political PartnersRochelle DudleyCandice McElyea

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A pair of motivated entrepreneurs hopes to turn a passion for politics into a thriving business. They’re getting the buzz part down.

Candice McElyea and Rochelle Dudley entered politics in different ways, but the duo, unbeknownst to

each other, shared an idea: To tell poli-ticians’ personal stories in ways that go past mere policies and ideology.

That idea is now Politically Personal, a Manatee County-based startup video and story blog that has generated a good deal of buzz in the busy political season. McE-lyea and Dudley, in conjunction with the Hub, a Sarasota-based business incuba-tor, launched Politically Personal in June. The Hub handles equipment, editing and Web design, while McElyea, 38, and Dudley, 32, are the faces, interviewers and blog writers — and occasional vid-eographers, courtesy of their iPhones.

“We are trying to reach a different de-mographic,” says Dudley. “We are trying to make politics a little sexier to people who normally wouldn’t focus on politics.”

A side venture for both founders, Po-litically Personal has yet to turn a profit. But the founders eventually envision two

revenue streams: One would be from selling ads on www.politicallypersonal.com, which they hope to do by increasing traffic and readership on the site. A sec-ond way would be to sell videos to politi-cal candidates for campaign promotional pieces. Says McElyea: “We want to hu-manize politicians through video.”

Politically Personal has so far focused mostly on local politicians and issues. Stories include a video interview of Man-atee County Sheriff Brad Steube, who recently won re-election, and an article about a strong-elected mayor proposal voted down by Sarasota City commis-sioners.

McElyea and Dudley also scored a big “get” for Politically Personal in late Au-gust, when they were one of four local media outlets that interviewed Donald Trump. The real estate mogul was in Sarasota the night before the Republican National Convention to accept a States-man of the Year award from the Sarasota Republican Party. The Trump interview,

4 minutes, 25 seconds, was posted online Aug. 26 and had 10,152 views through Sept. 28.

A St. Petersburg native, Dudley got into politics mostly by accident. She studied journalism at the University of South Florida. But soon after she graduated, Dudley, at 24, became an entrepreneur when she ran a paint-your-own-pottery studio near the Hyde Park neighborhood in Tampa.

The experience led Dudley to engage in local politics, such as when she and some fellow storeowners fought a traffic-light proposal they believed would negatively impact the neighborhood. “That’s how I got into politics,” Dudley says. “I realized at 24 I could make a change.”

Dudley grew into her passion quickly. She volunteered for Tampa-area Repub-lican events, and met U.S. Rep. Vern Bu-chanan, R-Longboat Key, at a parade in Bradenton. She later moved to Manatee County and founded OnMessage Strate-gic Communications, a political consult-

ing firm with a focus on fundraising for state and local candidates.

McElyea, meanwhile, entered politics through the candidate side: She ran in a Democratic primary for U.S. Congress in Sarasota when she was 24 years old. She raised $40,000, but lost the race. The rest of McElyea’s career has been in journalism or public relations. A Univer-sity of Florida graduate, McElyea was an on-air TV reporter in Sarasota and Salis-bury, Md. She now runs her own public relations firm, 360 Degrees.

McElyea and Dudley both have two young children, and they share a jovial friendship and business partnership, where they occasionally finish each oth-er’s sentences. They also both thrive off a daily routine that’s one part planned, many parts harried. Yet even though they chat together like lifelong friends, they met less than two years ago.

“Our backgrounds were very similar,” says McElyea. “We just really hit it off.”

— Mark Gordon

Mark Wemple

candice Mcelyea and Rochelle Dudley co-founded Politically Personal earlier this year.



RYAN DORRELL

Twitter handle: @ryan_dorrellEmployer: AgileThought Inc.Title: Chief Technology OfficerBirthplace: Fort MyersYears on the Gulf Coast: 15Marital status/children: Married to Elizabeth (15 years). Three sons: Seth, 11; Aidan, 8; Henry, 5

Alma mater: Florida State University, 1995, College of Business, management information systemsBest place to network: The best place depends on the goal of networking. I frequent local code camps and user groups for meeting new technical talent to bring into Agi-leThought. Tampa Bay Bar Camp is exceptional for meeting entrepreneurs and others with innovative ideas. Tampa Bay Technology Forum events are the best place to network with local corporate technology industry leaders.Business person you admire most: I admire Bill Gates, not only for what he was able to smartly build from nothing, but also for what he has done with his philanthropic contri-butions to global society after his business career. One website that makes your job easier: I tap into Linke-dIn. The site gives me relevant news feeds, allows me to par-ticipate in great online discussions, and helps me to stay current with who is where and who knows who in the well-connected Tampa Bay technology community. One community group you’re most involved with: I’m involved with a wide variety of charitable organizations, such as Make-a-Wish, through sponsorships. The bulk of my support time is spent working with other local technology community leaders to ensure that the Tampa Bay area has a rich ecosystem of technology-focused events across a vari-ety of topics. These events help attract, retain, and train the best technical talent in the Tampa Bay area, while providing a direct economic impact to the region. Favorite off-hours activity: Running. I’ve been training hard for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 7, where I hope to run under 3 ½ hours. I even take my oldest son, who rides

alongside me on his bicycle on long runs of 15 to 20 miles. Most-trusted news source: I rely on CNN for national news and CNET for the latest technical news.I learned the most about business from: My dad taught me the most important fundamentals of business. While growing up, I watched him build a business from the ground up and sell it. He taught me about how to treat people with integrity and honesty. Book you’re reading now: In my job, I need to stay current with technical trends, and I am currently reading a techni-cal book now called “NoSQL Distilled,” by Pramod Sadal-age and Martin Fowler. It’s a primer on emerging database technologies for Internet-scale data storage and analysis. The last business book I read was “Delivering Happiness,” by Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos).Favorite techno gadget: My Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS running watch. I love the fact that I can get real-time stats about how I’m performing. I blogged about it here: http://ryandorrell.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/my-favorite-gadget/Which social-media networks do you use for business: I use LinkedIn primarily for business, but I frequently com-municate with customers and employees through Facebook and Twitter.If I had a magic wand I’d: Eliminate the global problem of accessibility to clean, fresh water. I have been following the technology trends in this area for some time, and while amazing advancements have been made, there is still much more to do. We need a solution that is inexpensive, efficient and easy-to-deploy in rural areas.““If I had a

magic wand I’d: “Erase the U.S. deficit and balance the budget.”

–Stephen Carvelli, Chico’s FAS

FORTYUNDER 40

LUTZ | 38

BRADBRYAN

MARCIOdeOLIVERIA

STEphENCARVELLI

Twitter handle: @bradder22Employer: BRAD!BRYAN Multimedia Inc.Title: PresidentBirthplace: IndianaYears on the Gulf Coast: 16Marital status/children: Single, no childrenAlma mater: New College of FloridaBest place to net-work: Sarasota Film Festival and Sarasota Film and Entertainment Of-fice events

Business person you admire most: I admire Wes Anderson’s ability to make quirky, personal films with small budgets that still have a mainstream impact. I am inspired by Richard Florida’s thoughts on the Cre-ative Class as a driver of 21st century business and innovation.One website that makes your job easier: Vimeo and YouTube make the task of storing and distributing my short films and commercial videos immensely easier and more effective.One community group you’re most involved with: I have volunteered most extensively with The SOURCE Theatre (sponsored by Planned Parenthood of South-west and Central Florida), usually by collaborating and working on film and stage productions. The SOURCE is a theatre group exploring important issues in young people’s lives (sex, drugs, relationships, etc.) through talented and committed young actors putting on plays and creating video productions in the community.Favorite off-hours activity: Yoga and watching moviesMost-trusted news source: NPRI learned the most about business from: I am a cre-ative professional first and foremost, and I learned the most about business from running my own.Book you’re reading now: “Everything Ravaged, Ev-erything Burned,” by Wells TowerFavorite techno gadget: My video camera — it’s the conduit to my creative world.Which social-media networks do you use for busi-ness: LinkedIn for networking, Facebook for portfolio/promotionIf I had a magic wand I’d: Keep all my equipment magically updated every time the next big camera/lighting/computer/editing software came out!

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: C1 BankTitle: Chief Information Officer, EVPBirthplace: BrazilYears on the Gulf Coast: 14Marital status/children: Mar-ried with no childrenAlma mater: Webster University School of Business & TechnologyBest place to network: Tampa Bay Technology Forum events

Business person you admire most: Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.comOne website that makes your job easier: Quora.comOne community group you’re most involved with: Forty Carrots Family Center’s parenting program. Forty Carrots On Wheels Program travels into the community to reach families facing specific challenges that compound the already complex job of raising children. These challenges include pa-rental drug and alcohol addiction, teen parenthood, parental history of sexual, emotional or physical abuse, parental in-carceration, homelessness, poverty, or limited education. Favorite off-hours activity: Writing code for Web ap-plicationsMost-trusted news source: Wall Street JournalI learned the most about business from: My own mistakesBook you’re reading now: The Laws of Simplicity, by John MaedaFavorite techno gadget: iPadWhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Provide access to high-quality education to all, preparing the new work force for a technol-ogy and innovation-driven economy.

Twitter handle: @Ste-phenCarvelliEmployer: Chico’s FASTitle: Vice President of eCommerce TechnologyBirthplace: Pittsburgh, Penn.Years on the Gulf Coast: SixMarital status/children: Married to Kristin with two daughters: Ava, 5, and Alexandra, 3.Alma mater: John Car-roll UniversityBest place to network: The golf course.Business person you ad-mire most: Jack Welch

One website that makes your job easier: InternetRe-tailer.comOne community group you’re most involved with: Make-a-Wish FoundationFavorite off-hours activity: Playing with my girls, golf and high-performance driving events.Most-trusted news source: WSJ OnlineI learned the most about business from: My dad, A.J. Carvelli, a former GM executive.Book you’re reading now: “Built to Last,” by Jim CollinsFavorite techno gadget: My iPhoneWhich social-media network do you use for busi-ness: LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Erase the U.S. deficit and balance the budget.

SARASOTA | 35

SARASOTA | 33FORT MYERS | 39


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Scarry Numbers

Duncan Scarry’s advertising agencies target auto dealers, and growth has been torrid.

When he was 26, Duncan Scarry quit his job as a graphic de-signer at a large advertising

firm and wrote a business plan for an ad-vertising company that would target auto dealers.

He had two customers and a premise: “Car dealers always make money.”

“We took it to Wachovia Bank,” Scarry recalls. The bankers politely turned away the recently unemployed but ambitious young man who came to them for an un-secured $50,000 loan.

A week later, coincidentally, Wacho-via sent Scarry credit cards on which he could borrow as much as $15,000. He dug into savings, too. “I took a bunch of money earmarked for my wife’s wedding ring,” he smiles. “We didn’t make a lot of money in the beginning.”

Now 11 years later, the two Fort Myers-based agencies Scarry owns — Moore & Scarry Advertising and Haystak Digital Marketing — will post $95 million in billings, a 90% increase from the prior year. The combined firms have 125 em-

ployees.“We’ve had no problem making money

in this space,” says Scarry, now 37.Part of the reason for the phenomenal

growth has been the early adoption of In-ternet advertising, which rival firms were slow to adopt. “Seventeen percent of our sales are mobile right now,” Scarry says.

The growth has been so rapid that it seemed overwhelming because the staff couldn’t handle all the work they were winning at first, upsetting customers who had to wait. “We almost went out of business by being successful,” Scarry says.

But Scarry plowed ahead and let his firm grow as quickly as it could. “You don’t always get the opportunity to grow,” he says. “There’s an element of winning that takes precedence over money.”

Scarry, who bought out his partner Darren Moore in 2006, says the com-bined companies now have more than 1,000 customers around the country. “A lot of what we do is inventory-based Internet marketing,” Scarry says. “What dealers market online is critical.”

In addition, auto dealer advertising doesn’t vary greatly from one market to another, so Scarry’s staff doesn’t have to reinvent a new campaign for every cus-tomer. “It’s all replicable,” he says.

The companies are based in Fort My-ers, but about 25 employees are in Den-ver and Chicago to be closer to customers in the West and Midwest. “It makes good sense to have people in different regions,” Scarry says.

Technology is the key to productivity. “We spend more money on software than we do people,” Scarry says.

The advertising firms’ downtown Fort Myers offices look more like a California tech firm than a traditional advertis-ing agency. There’s a ping-pong table in the break room, a video-game room and

spontaneous Nerf-gun wars can erupt at any time.

Scarry says he isn’t sure where he got his entrepreneurial drive because he says he grew up the son of a hippy college pro-fessor. “I really don’t like losing,” he says. And, he adds, “I was always the trouble-maker.”

While Scarry focuses now exclusively on auto dealers, he says there may be op-portunities to provide the same services in other industries. Law is one of those potential fields, and prospective clients could be law firms that specialize in di-vorce, personal injury and DUI defense. Medical could also be lucrative, he says.

Sounds like trouble for the competi-tion.

—Jean Gruss

Vanessa Rogers

Duncan scarry promotes a playful, creative atmosphere at his advertising companies’ downtown Fort Myers offices.

Duncan Scarry Fort Myers37/ /

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ST. PETERSBURG | 35

TONYDUDA

Twitter handle: @talentsprocketEmployer: Talent Sprocket Title: CEO Birthplace: Jackson County, N.C.Years on the Gulf Coast: Six and a halfMarital status/children: Married, no children Alma mater: University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Best place to network: Any place where networking is not the purpose of being there. My best leads and connections have come from my clients and friends. Business person you admire most: My first boss Michael Meyer for his honor and integ-rity in a business that frequently rewards the exact opposite. One website that makes your job easier: Hope this is not a cliché but I have to give it to LinkedIn. For the time being they seem to have the magic sauce for making the profiles of previously inaccessible business professionals publicly available. One community group you’re most involved with: I co-founded a group called the St. Petersburg Technology Leadership group. We try to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and decision makers at large companies. Favorite off-hours activity: Going for a run with my wife. She is faster than me but some-times lets me win to boost my confidence. Most-trusted news source: The Onion or John Stewart. I don’t want my news to be trust-worthy, just entertaining. I learned the most about business from: The conversations I have with other entrepre-neurs, people who have built a successful business from the ground up have had to encounter just about every possible scenario. I have tried very hard to absorb as much information as possible from the “been there done that” group. Book you’re reading now: “A Walk in the Woods,” by Bill Bryson. Favorite techno gadget: Smart phone. I appreciate the simplicity of a single device that consolidates the features of all the other devices I used to have to carry. Which social-media networks do you use for business: Probably LinkedIn, followed by Twitter. Social media is still a pretty new concept in the business world. Only the big players have been able to consolidate the business professionals in big enough numbers to be useful. I am excited for the next evolution in social media. If I had a magic wand I’d: Probably be selfish and use it to launch my business into

a worldwide phenomenon. If the wand had additional magic leftover I would definitely continue to wave it fu-riously in the name of world peace, a cure for cancer, the end of poverty and a clean environment. Additional magic would be saved for future selfishness if allowed.

Age: 27Twitter handle: NoneCity of residence: TampaEmployer: AvestaTitle: Managing Director, Chief Financial OfficerBirthplace: Ithaca, N.Y.Years on the Gulf Coast: TwoMarital status/children: Engaged (to be married Oct. 13)Alma mater: Calvin College; Harvard

Law SchoolBest place to network: Ultimate Tennis leagueBusiness person you admire most: Sam WaltonOne website that makes your job easier: Gmail, not just for email, but as a great archive of documents and conversations.One community group you’re most involved with: Holy Trinity Presbyterian ChurchFavorite off-hours activity: TennisMost-trusted news source: Wall Street JournalI learned the most about business from: Starting AvestaBook you’re reading now: “Trammell Crow, Master Builder: The Story of America’s Largest Real Estate Empire,” by Robert SobelFavorite techno gadget: KindleWhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedIn (occasionally)If I had a magic wand I’d: Request wisdom “““Social media is still a pretty new

concept in the business world. Only the big players have been able to consolidate the business professionals in big enough numbers to be useful. I am excited for the next evolution in social media. ”

–Tony Duda, Talent SprocketFOR

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EXTRA: See Tony Duda‘s video at review.net.


Bill Valenti Market President,

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Doug ThrasherSenior Vice President,

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Trevor Elmquist, DOFounding Partner

Elmquist Eye Group

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in Lee County.Leading the Way

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foRtY unDeR 40

Big Appetite

The Seidensticker brothers have nearly made it five years in an industry — restaurants — with a high failure rate. They are hungry for more.

The entrepreneurial tussle, when ex-ecutives struggle with delegation, has the Seidensticker brothers in a

death-lock grip. The brothers, Joe and Patrick, are co-

owners and managers of Libby’s Café + Bar, a popular restaurant in the Hillview neighborhood of Sarasota. They run the restaurant in conjunction with their fa-ther, longtime restaurateur Steve Seiden-sticker; their sister, Lisa Seidensticker; and business partner Jeff Greco. Joe Se-idensticker, 29, and Patrick Seidensticker, 26, are the faces, and daily decision mak-ers of the operation. Those are roles they have grown into since 2008, when the Seidenstickers bought and renovated the former Fred’s Restaurant.

Now, after four years of growth in sales and local prominence, the brothers are ready to open another restaurant. This one will be in downtown Sarasota, on Palm Avenue. Running one busy place while planning for another has tested the Se-

idenstickers’ ability to entrust others, even highly respected employees — a common struggle for young entrepreneurs.

“It’s hard to let the reigns go,” says Joe Seidensticker. “It’s the first thing we think about in the morning, the last thing we think about at night before we go to bed and what we think about in between.”

The challenge, furthermore, is only about to get deeper because the brothers have lead roles in the yet unnamed Palm Avenue restaurant, on the first floor of a city-owned parking garage. That project takes up a large portion of their time. The Seidenstickers, in conjunction with Sara-sota entrepreneur Jesse Biter, intend to turn the space into a restaurant and spe-cial event venue with a different look and feel than Libby’s.

The restaurant is expected to open early next year. Says Pat Seidensticker: “It’s go-ing to far exceed anything people will ex-pect from us.”

One part of the strategy is to create a

concept that can be duplicated easily, to foster growth. While the downtown lo-cation is convenient to Libby’s, only a few miles away, the brothers looked into several other areas. The list includes Uni-versity Parkway in east Manatee County, Tampa and Winter Park.

“This is our coming out party on the lo-cal restaurant scene,” Joe Seidensticker says. “This concept (will be) built as a con-cept for expansion.”

Finding time to work on both restau-rants leaves little leftover for leisure. The brothers enjoy going to the beach, fishing and playing basketball, but they don’t get to do it much. Joe Seidensticker even says one non-work pastime, checking out new local restaurants, has morphed into work, somewhat, because he finds himself tak-ing notes for ideas and concepts.

Both Seidensticker brothers entered the hospitality business when they were teenagers. They worked a host of jobs at Gasparilla Inn, a collection of restaurants,

hotels, a spa and marina in Boca Grande, where Steve Seidensticker was a manager. Pat Seidensticker recalls his first job was a busboy, and he and his siblings always liked being around the action of a busy resort.

Pat Seidensticker went on to graduate from Tulane University, with a degree in finance and philosophy. His role at Libby’s now focuses on budget and human re-sources, while Joe Seidensticker handles more of the menu and cooking presenta-tion side. Joe Seidensticker has a degree in environmental science from Rollins Col-lege in Orlando, though he considered at-tending the Culinary Institute of America.

Just like when they were younger, the brothers’ passion still comes from the no-day-is-the same ethos of the restaurant industry. “It’s never easy,” Pat Seidenstick-er says. “It’s a constant challenge, but it’s constantly rewarding.”

— Mark Gordon

Lori Sax

Pat and Joe seidensticker co-own and manage Libby’s, a popular restaurant in the Hillview neighborhood of Sarasota.

Patrick SeidenstickerJoe Seidensticker Sarasota

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THOMASFROST

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Datum Corp.Title: CEOBirthplace: Bethpage, N.Y.Years on the Gulf Coast: SixMarital status/children: Married to Georgina Frost Alma mater: University Of HawaiiBest place to network: First Watch Lakewood RanchBusiness person you admire most: Any-one who bootstrapped a successful and sustainable business. One website that makes your job eas-ier: GoogleOne community group you’re most in-volved with: Sarasota Manatee Originals American Diabetes AssociationFavorite off-hours activity: Racing bi-

cycles and surfingMost-trusted news source: The Inter-net; isn’t everything on the Internet true?I learned the most about business from: Hard to say, I grew up in business with so many great mentors. Roy Yamagu-chi always taught humility, and I am still working on that one. Rainer Kumbroch, the president of Roy’s, is one of the best negotiators I have ever met. Ken Pendery, CEO at First Watch, is a great leader and I am able to spend quite a bit of time with him. Still learning every day. Book you’re reading now: “Setting the Table,” by Danny MeyerFavorite techno gadget: My Samsung Ultra Book; the iPad doesn’t really work well for work.Which social-media network do you use for business: None. Old-fashioned email seems to do the trick for us.If I had a magic wand I’d: Give the Gulf Coast surf.

SARASOTA | 34

ST. PETERSBURG | 28

FORT MYERS | 31

FORT MYERS | 31

MATTHEWFREY

LELANDGARVIN

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Frey & Associates Investment Advisors LLCTitle: Owner/PartnerBirthplace: Elizabethtown, Penn.Years on the Gulf Coast: OneMarital status/children: Married with a daughter and another child on the wayAlma mater: University of Notre Dame

Best place to network: St. Pete Chamber Young Professionals eventsBusiness person you admire most: My mother-in-law, Mary Anne ReillyOne website that makes your job easier: cnbc.comOne community group you’re most involved with: The Boat ClubFavorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my familyMost-trusted news source: Wall Street JournalI learned the most about business from: My uncle, Bob DolanBook you’re reading now: “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel KahnemanFavorite techno gadget: iPadWhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Feed the world’s hungry.

Twitter handle: LEGarvinEmployer: Garvin Law FirmTitle: Owner / PartnerBirthplace: Fort MyersYears on the Gulf Coast: My whole life, but I lived for a short time in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale.Marital status/children: Not married and I do not have children that I am aware of.

Alma mater: Cypress Lake High School, Florida State undergraduate, and Nova Law SchoolBest place to network: The courthouseBusiness person you admire most: Jimmy Buffett. That guy’s got it all figured out down to his exact profit from every shirt and Landshark beer sold at his concerts. He continues to work when he could have easily retired many years ago, and based upon his lyrics he’s been having a great time the whole way.One website that makes your job easier: DropboxOne community group you’re most involved with: Florida Justice AssociationFavorite off-hours activity: Fishing, snow skiing, working around the house and on old cars and boats. I’m also pretty good at drinking beer.Most-trusted news source: I use an RSS reader on my iPhone and read news from around the state. Maybe it’s the lawyer in me that wants to see various news outlets’ take on the same issue, aside from the Gulf Coast Business Review, of course.I learned the most about business from: My father, Jeff Garvin, and by asking questions.Book you’re reading now: “Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed an ocean,” by Les StandifordFavorite techno gadget: My iPhone, with my phone alone I can basically run my entire office from the first client meeting up to a trial.Which social-media networks do you use for business: I’m on all of them but Facebook is the clear leader.If I had a magic wand I’d: Use it daily

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Boston Red SoxTitle: Director of Florida Business Opera-tionsBirthplace: SarasotaYears on the Gulf Coast: 21Marital status/children: Married to Dan-ny, daughter Georgie, age 3Alma mater: Northeastern University,

BostonBest place to network: Downtown Fort Myers Rotary ClubBusiness person you admire most: Bill GatesOne website that makes your job easier: redsox.comOne community group you’re most involved with: CCMI (Every Day café and mar-ketplace, Meals on Wheels, Montessori preschool, all programs for Lee County’s most poor and in need)Favorite off-hours activity: Playing with my daughter and her new puppyMost-trusted news source: NPRI learned the most about business from: My parentsBook you’re reading now: I’m a working mother, what’s a book?Favorite techno gadget: iPad or as we call it “the babysitter.” It’s the only thing that occupies my daughter’s attention to allow us a full meal at a restaurant.Which social-media network do you use for business: FacebookIf I had a magic wand I’d: Make another magic wand

KATIEKIRSCHNER

HAAS

“ ““ “If I had a

magic wand I’d: “Give the Gulf Coast surf.”

–Thomas Frost, Datum Corp.

Book you’re reading now: “I’m a working mother, what’s a book?”

–Katie Kirschner Haas, Boston Red Sox

FORTYUNDER 40


Space reservation deadline:October 19, 2012

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CommErCIal rEal EStatE

foRtY unDeR 40

Engineering Her Business

Stephanie Caldwell launched her engineering firm, Greensite Engineering, after she was laid off in 2009.

Homebuilders weren’t the only ones hurt when the real estate collapse in Florida halted new

development.The civil engineers who helped devel-

opers map out new projects had to shrink too, and Stephanie Caldwell was one of those employees caught in the downturn.

Caldwell, 39, was an engineer with Kimley-Horn, a large firm that had been retained by retail giants such as Target to help build new stores in booming areas. She was based in Fort Myers.

But when the downturn hit, Caldwell was laid off in 2009 and she and her hus-band couldn’t move. “We couldn’t sell our house,” she says.

So Caldwell started her own engineer-ing company, Greensite Engineering. “It just seemed like the best opportunity,” she

says. “I’ve met a lot of people who are do-ing the same thing.”

Caldwell was prepared because she knew the real estate market had come to a halt. “I filed the [incorporation] docu-ments the day after I was laid off,” she says.

Caldwell says she decided to focus on projects that are environmentally sensi-tive, including recently a stormwater plan for the Wild Turkey Strand Preserve in Lee County.

While corporate work disappeared, mu-nicipal governments continued to spend through the downturn, and they sought out women-owned firms to comply with diversity requirements. “I did get on the vendors’ list and it’s starting to pay off,” Caldwell says, citing some recent dis-cussions with the airport as an example. “2012 has really been a turning point for

me.”Now that the economy is starting to

recover, Caldwell says she’s seen a notice-able increase in requests from developers in residential and commercial real estate. “I have been doing a lot of due diligence on existing buildings that will get torn down,” she says. “I feel like it’s going to pick up, but it’s not going to be like 2004 and 2005.”

Caldwell never thought she’d work for herself but has found it gratifying to be an entrepreneur. “It doesn’t feel like you’re doing work,” she says. “It’s nice to have the flexibility to work on your own terms. I don’t know if I could back to 8-to-5.”

Caldwell says she’s reluctant to hire em-ployees if work picks up meaningfully, in part because of her own experience. “I’d hate to lay people off,” she says. Her finan-

cial goal is simply to do better this year than the previous year.

The biggest challenge, Caldwell says, is cold calling for business. “The hardest thing for me is the schmoozing and the networking,” she says. “The marketing part of it is a little out of my comfort zone.”

One way Caldwell says she’s landed work is through other civil engineering firms. She was surprised to learn that the industry is collegial and firms frequently refer work to one another. That’s espe-cially the case now, when smaller firms don’t have a full range of specialties and call on individual experts such as Caldwell to handle certain parts of larger projects. “It’s opened doors to do unique projects,” she says.

—Jean Gruss

Vanessa Rogers

stephanie caldwell recently worked on stormwater plans for the Wild Turkey Strand Preserve in Lee County.

Stephanie Caldwell Fort Myers39/ /



FORTY UNDER 40

Rich Heruska has already built and run a fast-growth business. Now he aims for fast — and sustainable — growth.

Rich Heruska, humble son of a postal worker and a custodian, the first in his family to go to col-

lege, isn’t normally an I-told-you-so kind of guy.

But he has plenty of ammunition if he wanted to brag.

For one, the venture he and a busi-ness partner founded in 2010, AirHeads Trampoline Arena, an entertainment cen-ter and party place for kids, has exceeded all expectations. The first one opened in the Carrollwood area of Tampa in August 2010. Two more, one in Largo and one in Orlando, opened in 2011. Sales at all loca-tions doubled last year, though Heruska declines to release specific revenues.

Back in 2010, however, when Herus-ka was fresh off a real estate business crushed by the recession, few saw wisdom in entering an unproven kids-themed business. Many people in Heruska’s life, including business mentors, friends and his wife, all voiced doubts.

They are doubters no more. “One of the most rewarding things in the beginning,” says Heruska, “was having the initial nay-sayers in on a Saturday and see 20 birth-day parties and 1,000 people in here.”

AirHeads, Heruska points out, is more than a kids entertainment zone. Adults can sign up for jump sessions, and a growing side of the business is corporate clients who seek business team-building sessions. There’s also a café with Wi-Fi, and a game room.

The three AirHeads locations have more than 100 employees, who all go by flight-centric names, like “attendants.” The business model is to have manag-ers run the individual locations while Heruska and his longtime business part-ner, Steve Johnston, handle large-scale growth. A future move to franchising is a possibility, says Heruska.

Heruska and Johnston launched Air-Heads mostly out of necessity. Their pre-vious business, Tampa-based Home Dis-

covery, grew quickly in the early 2000s when it brought a 2% real estate commis-sion model to the then-booming housing market. Revenues doubled every year from 2001 to 2005, and the company grew from three to 300 employees.

But Home Discovery essentially col-lapsed in the downturn. That’s why Herus-ka and Johnston sought a business oppor-tunity a little more recession-resistant.

Plus, Heruska and Johnston had young kids. That meant they were well hooked into the children’s birthday party circuit, which, they discovered, is mostly a mish-mash of choices. Few birthday party fa-cilities, if any, says Heruska, offered the Disney-style top-notch trio of excellent service, products and cleanliness.

“It’s a competitive business,” says Heruska. “So to us it’s more than enter-taining kids. The parents have to be satis-fied, too.”

Heruska grew up in Brick, N.J, a Jersey shore town about halfway between New

York City and Atlantic City. His dad, the postal worker, sometimes held two jobs. Heruska loved sports growing up, and for a time his life’s ambition was to be the next Chris Berman, the ESPN sports-caster. But going to college, at the Uni-versity of South Florida in Tampa, was a transformational experience in Heruska’s life. He met Johnston at USF, and the duo launched a student meal plan debit card business together. Heruska also met his wife, a fellow USF grad, at an alumni event.

Heruska’s free time revolves around his wife and two young sons, and the oc-casional trip to Key West or overnight to Orlando. Most of his other time is spent on AirHeads.

“I never want to lose touch of what the customer wants,” says Heruska. “I don’t want to get caught up in the growth of the business and lose track of what made it successful in the first place.”

— Mark Gordon

Mark Wemple

Rich Heruska co-founded AirHeads Trampoline Arena, a family entertainment center, in 2010. There are now three locations, two on the Gulf Coast and one in Orlando.

Rich Heruska Tampa35/ /

Jump Bump

TAMPA | 39

CAPE CORAL | 36

JODYHANEKE

Twitter handle: @hanekedesignEmployer: Haneke DesignTitle: PresidentBirthplace: Pompton Plains, N.J.Years on the Gulf Coast: 21Marital status/children: Married, three childrenAlma mater: Ringling College of Art and DesignBest place to network: Fritz Eichel-berger’s “Pure and Shameless” Net-working SocialsBusiness person you admire most: Steve JobsOne website that makes your job easier: BasecampOne community group you’re most involved with: Tampa Bay Technology ForumFavorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my familyMost-trusted news source: Various people I follow on TwitterI learned the most about business from: People I respect who have a his-tory of both successes and failures in business. I try to keep an open mind, learn from their experiences, and apply what I learn to my own decision making process.Book you’re reading now: “The Four Hour Body,” by Tim FerrissFavorite techno gadget: My iPhone — it’s an extension of my body.Which social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Double my (mobile application) development staff.

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Self!!! Vino’s Picasso, B.Y.O.B. paint studio, art gallery and wine barTitle: Owner (woot woot!)Birthplace: Bristol Township, Penn.,

but I didn’t live there long and moved often since I was a military brat (MARINES RULE!!!).Years on the Gulf Coast: Nine and lovin’ it!Marital status/children: Married nine years (together for 16) to Brian Harry with one deliciously handsome 2-year-old named Adler Gadsden. Can’t leave out my gorgeous German shepherd, Juno Fritz!Alma mater: Georgia Southern University (GO EAGLES!!!)Best place to network: Young professionals and various chamber eventsBusiness person you admire most: Peter Thiele. He’s a risk taker and he understands consumers, economics, business trends and most importantly, personal liberty.One website that makes your job easier: Facebook makes connecting with my clients easy and fun. It’s a great way to interact and learn more about them and their needs, wants, likes and dislikes. It’s also an awesome tool to generate traffic to my website and pique the interest of people who would otherwise not know about my business or give painting a try.One community group you’re most involved with: I’m involved in several but “most involved with” Southwest Florida Young Republicans. Freeeeeddddooommmm-mmm!!!!! hahaFavorite off-hours activity: Laughing with my little man, Adler G. His giggles are infectious!Most-trusted news source: The Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk) and Money Magazine.I learned the most about business from: Making mistakes and going with my gut instinct.Book you’re reading now: Oh, how I would love the time to read a book!!Favorite techno gadget: My iPhone.

Which social-media network do you use for business: FacebookIf I had a magic wand I’d: Make Economics 101 courses mandatory for every voting American, ev-ery election year!

MERCEDESPRICEHARRY

EXTRA: See Mer-cedes Price Harry‘s video at review.net.


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twitter handle: @THedden03employer: Infinity Technology Solutionstitle: CEOBirthplace: DunedinYears on the Gulf coast: 30Marital status/children: Single with two boys, ages 3 and 6alma mater: Undergraduate and an M.B.A. from THE University of FloridaBest place to network: Greater Tampa Chamber EventsBusiness person you admire most: Dave Dunkel, CEO of Kforce

one community group you’re most in-volved with: Junior Achievement. I am on the board and a very active volunteer!favorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my sons, without question! Boating, fish-ing, really anything that they enjoy.Most-trusted news source: Fox News and the Gulf Coast Business Review.i learned the most about business from: My father. He found a way to balance a very successful business and his responsibilities as a husband and father….not an easy task! My goal is to be as good of a father to my children as he was to me.Book you’re reading now: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” for the bazillionth time. I learn more every time I read it.

favorite techno gadget: MacBook Air, iPhone, iPad, AppleTV. Thanks to the cloud, they are all so intertwined that they are almost one.which social-media networks do you use for business: LinkedIn and Facebook. My pro-fessional life and personal life are intertwined so much that I don’t differentiate the two.if i had a magic wand i’d: I would stop the par-tisan bickering in Washington so that both parties stop bringing the country down to further their in-terests. If we found ways to stop fighting and start reaching consensus based only on facts, we may be able to get our economy back on track and stop the degra-dation of our coun-try’s mor-al fabric.

MaRiecaRson

heBBleR

twitter handle: @MarieHebblertitle/employer: Chief Risk Officer, HomeBanc; Owner, Risk Matrix Solu-tions LLCBirthplace: Dothan, Ala.Years on the Gulf coast: 17 yearsMarital status/children: I am married to David Hebbler.alma mater: The University of Alabama and The University of FloridaBest place to network: Everywhere, whether it is a business event or a char-ity benefit, it is important to meet new people. Wherever I go, I try to make a new connection or bring people together.Business person you admire most: I admire Walt Disney because of his ethi-cal leadership style and for the economic development opportunities he brought to the state of Florida.one website that makes your job eas-ier: The American Bankers Associationone community group you’re most involved with: I am very involved with three nonprofits that are close to my heart for different reasons. I serve on the steering committee of the United Way SunCoast Women’s Leadership group. I am also involved with the Junior League of Tampa. I enjoy this organization be-cause we are a group of women commit-ted to promoting volunteerism and devel-oping the potential of women. The other nonprofit I am a member of is Metro-politan Ministries’ Young Professionals Group which supports the homeless. I am one of the founders of this group and serve on its steering committee.favorite off-hours activity: I enjoy at-tending Broadway musicals at the Straz Performing Arts Center. I also enjoy watching SEC football, especially Uni-versity of Alabama games.Most-trusted news source: AP Newsi learned the most about business from: My father. He was a successful banker while also being very involved in the community.Book you’re reading now: “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Mat-ters,” by Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullen-bergerfavorite techno gadget: iPadwhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInif i had a magic wand i’d: I would pro-tect all people promoting democracy and freedom across the globe from harm.

teRRYheDDen

st. PeteRsBuRG | 37

st. PeteRsBuRG | 38

eXtRa: See terry hedden‘s video at review.net.



TAMPA | 28

SARASOTA | 36

SARASOTA | 26

SARASOTA | 35

kATIEkIRBy

CARMENMANLEy

DIANAkELLy

DAVEkENNON

Twitter handle: @Katie_KirbyEmployer: KDS Interiors Inc.Title: PresidentBirthplace: Tampayears on the Gulf Coast: 28Marital status/children: Married, two children: Wyatt, 2, and Colt, 1Alma mater: University of TampaBest place to network: Friends!Business person you admire most: Mi-chelle Jennings WiebeOne website that makes your job easi-er: houzz.com

One community group you’re most involved with: Foster Care/4 Kids of TampaFavorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my boysMost-trusted news source: Tbo.comI learned the most about business from: My husband, JedBook you’re reading now: “Wisdom for Mothers”Favorite techno gadget: iPhoneWhich social-media networks do you use for business: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: multiply the hours in a day!

Name: Carmen ManleyAge: 36Twitter handle: Koala Tee, Inc.City of residence: SarasotaEmployer: Koala Tee Inc.Title: PartnerBirthplace: Gulfport, Miss.

years on the Gulf Coast: 18 years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 12 years in SarasotaMarital status/children: Married to Jeff; Children: stepson (Zack), Shih Tzu puppy (Sea-mus), and 22 Koala Tee employees.Alma mater: Louisiana State University… GEAUX TIGERS!!!Best place to network: Actions speak louder than words. We take great care of the people we’re already doing business with, and they are happy to spread the word for us.Business person you admire most: Jeff Manley. He’s hardworking, patient, kind, and dedicated.One website that makes your job easier: KoalaTee.com. Many clients are too busy to shop or meet during the weekdays, and they can see product recommendations and our bestsellers on our website, anytime, from anywhere.One community group you’re most involved with: The Sarasota Y-Mentor Program. There are hundreds of young kids in Sarasota who desperately need someone to just listen and care. We meet once a week at the school for an hour, talk about whatever problems or fears are on her mind, and set positive goals together. It’s extremely rewarding, and I love knowing I can make a difference.Favorite off-hours activity: Traveling and spending time with my favorite friends and family.Most-trusted news source: My cousin Terry. He’s a news junkie, smart, clear-headed, and objective. On my own, I like Fox & Friends, Inc. Magazine, and the Gulf Coast Business Review. I learned the most about business from: Doing the work. Running a small business, wearing so many hats, that’s why I’m good at my job. I eat, sleep, and breathe Koala Tee, but I love it.Book you’re reading now: “The Thank You Economy,” by Gary Vaynerchuk, a fun-loving, successful, and brilliant entrepreneur.Favorite techno gadget: My iPhone.Which social-media networks do you use for business: LinkedIn for introducing myself, our

Facebook page to post pics of our work, and Twitter for contests, coupons, and giving props.If I had a magic wand I’d: Provide every man and wom-an with a job that matches their capabilities and personal-ity, ample vacation time, and a sweet retirement package.

Twitter handle: @dianaekellyEmployer: Diana E Kelly Inc.Title: President/DesignerBirthplace: Sarasotayears on the Gulf Coast: 26 (I went to college at the University of Flori-da and came home semi-frequently)Marital status/children: Not mar-ried, no childrenAlma mater: University of FloridaBest place to network: University of Florida entrepreneurship summitBusiness person you admire most: Bill and Melinda Gates, specifically for their philanthropic pursuits.One website that makes your job easier: Skype. Just this morning I skyped with my agent in Turkey and saw our fall production.One community group you’re most involved with: Sarasota Youth

Orchestra via fundraising efforts of the Sarasota/Manatee County Debutante Program.Favorite off-hours activity: BoatingMost-trusted news source: AP WireI learned the most about business from: My fatherBook you’re reading now: “How to Manage People”Favorite techno gadget: MacBook Pro. I couldn’t live without it.

Which social-media networks do you use for busi-ness: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr... phew!If I had a magic wand I’d: Be in our factory and at the office at the same time.

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Gulf Coast Insurance AdvisorsTitle: PresidentBirthplace: Pittsburghyears on the Gulf Coast: ThreeMarital status/children: Married, four chil-drenAlma mater: Penn StateBest place to network: Annual meetings of the Million Dollar Round Table, Premier As-sociation of Financial Professionals, an inter-national, independent association of nearly 36,000 of the world’s leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 430 companies in 78 countries.

Business person you admire most: Jim Bendel, director of fundraising, Community Foun-dation of Westmoreland County (Penn.). He is humble and unassuming, but wields great influence that allows him to do great things for the community. One website that makes your job easier: Either Google or YouTube for researchOne community group you’re most involved with: My church, Harvest United Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch.Favorite off-hours activity: Gardening and barbecuing — anything to do with my family.Most-trusted news source: I like to stay current by talking to people on the front lines in their profession or industry, including attorneys, broker dealers, wholesalers and other professionals.I learned the most about business from: My father. He and my grandfather were both award-winning insurance professionals, and I went into the “family business,” although I started my own agency.Book you’re reading now: “Searching for God Knows What,” by Donald Miller (A guide explaining how no matter how successful you are in business or your personal life, there will always be a haunting, empty place in your heart without a relationship with your creator.)Favorite techno gadget: My iPhone—I’m addicted.Which social-media network do you use for business: FacebookIf I had a magic wand I’d: Create a thriving business that would:1. “Get the word out” to seniors that many of them own life insurance and long-term care contracts that are not functioning as originally illustrated. 2. Bring together a group of employees to create a harmonious and positive work environ-ment that would enrich the lives of both the employees and the clients.3. Use the profits from the business to create a charitable foundation that would allow me to:

a. Bring help to those most desperately in need.b. Encourage other successful business owners to use their talents to help those around them.

c. To create a positive model for other businesses to fol-low.

Hopefully I won’t need a magic wand to do accom-plish this! It will take time, but my business is already well on its way.

““If I had a magic wand I’d:

“Multiply the hours in a day!”–Katie Kirby, KDS Interiors Inc.

FORTYUNDER 40

EXTRA: See Dave kennon‘s video at review.net.

EXTRA: See Diana kelly‘s video at review.net.

EXTRA: See Carmen Manley‘s video at review.net.


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foRtY unDeR 40

Bright Future

Siobhan Harley was a key behind-the-scenes figure in the race for Tampa mayor last year. Now she aims to leverage her influence.

One of the brightest young stars in Tampa politics was playing piano and guitar in a punk rock band in

California less than a decade ago. Back then, in 2005, Siobhan Harley

was 17. Her band, the Milkman’s Kids, played in parts of the Warped Tour, a popular alternative music festival. Says Harley: “It was an interesting journey.”

That journey took an abrupt shift in 2007. That’s when Harley, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, decided to return home, to Tampa, where she spent most of her childhood. She enrolled at the Uni-versity of Tampa and a short time later someone gave her a copy of The Econo-mist magazine. She liked learning about big-picture, meaty issues.

Harley, who studied communications at UT and later graduated from Eckerd College with a degree in American Stud-ies, quickly went from The Economist to a volunteer for Barack Obama’s presiden-tial campaign. One event in early 2008 soon grew exponentially. One of Harley’s

main tasks was to alert students to the fact that their vote was especially crucial, because possibly unlike their home state, voter turnout in Florida could decide an election.

The experience hooked Harley on politics. “I was obsessed,” says Harley. “I thought from this moment forward I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

Now 25, Harley worked, mostly un-paid, on some other political campaigns after the 2008 election. She met former Tampa city councilman Bob Buckhorn in early 2010, and she clicked with the one-time mayoral candidate. Buckhorn, at a lunch meeting, told Harley he planned another run at the mayor’s office.

Buckhorn made Harley his first cam-paign hire, and a year later, in March 2011, he won the election. Local politi-cal followers say Harley’s organizational savvy was a key factor in Buckhorn’s suc-cessful campaign.

Moreover, the victory was one of two

milestones Harley celebrated that week: One day after the election Harley of-ficially became a U.S. citizen at a natu-ralization ceremony in Tampa. Buck-horn stopped by the ceremony, where he dropped off some flowers for Harley.

The next day, says Harley, Buckhorn asked her to join the mayor’s office, and go from campaign coordinator to spe-cial assistant to the mayor. In that posi-tion Harley is responsible for a bevy of tasks that promote Buckhorn’s policies and ideals. One recent event Harley or-ganized was the Mayor’s Hack-a-Thon, a 48-hour contest for software coders and developers to create Internet-based ap-plications for the city of Tampa.

Coordinating campaigns remains Har-ley’s passion. But she says the opportuni-ty to “help shape the direction of Tampa” with Buckhorn, someone she believes in, was too good to pass up.

Another opportunity too good to pass up: Harley was recently elected to an at-large delegate seat for the Florida Dem-

ocratic Party. She attended the Demo-cratic National Convention last month in Charlotte.

Harley’s social life mostly intersects with work, down to her reading selec-tions. Books on Harley’s nightstand in-clude “Buck Up, Suck Up…and Come Back When You Foul Up,” by James Car-ville and Paul Begala, and “The Seamless City: A Conservative Mayor’s Approach to Urban Revitalization that Can Work Anywhere,” by former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker.

Harley still plays music, too, though not in a band, and not often for others. She recently picked up the ukulele and is learning how to play it.

The 24/7 nature of politics means Har-ley’s work life will likely blend with the rest of her life for the foreseeable future. Not that she’s complaining. “I feel really lucky,” says Harley. “I get to see a lot of things I would never get to see and meet a lot of people I would never get to meet.”

— Mark Gordon

Mark Wemple

siobhan Harley helped run the successful mayoral campaign for Bob Buckhorn in Tampa last year. Harley now works for the mayor’s office.

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FORTY UNDER 40

Electric Boost

The batteries business has been a boon for Dan Snyder. He hopes the good times keep charging.

When Dan Snyder turned 26 years old he faced a stark choice that confronts many business

owners’ children. Snyder had worked at his parent’s chain

of Batteries Plus stores in and around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since high school. He ran a few stores in summer while in college, and later became presi-dent of the five-store franchise cluster. Snyder liked the business, and he liked being in business. But he sought more au-tonomy.

“I wanted to get away from the family umbrella,” Snyder says. “It was always your dad this or your dad that.”

There was a little bit of “dad this” in 2003, when Snyder’s parents, along with Colonial Bank, loaned Snyder more than $100,000 to open a Batteries Plus store in Brandon. It costs, on average, about $200,000-$250,000 to open a Batteries Plus store.

But Snyder, 35, has since made his own mark: He now owns seven Batteries Plus stores in Florida, including the one in

Brandon and another location in south Tampa. The other five are in central-north Florida; the most recent one opened ear-lier this year near the high-end Mall at Millenia in Orlando.

Snyder’s stores, moreover, have grown quickly. Sales at all seven are up 8.8% in 2012 over last year, says Snyder, and one store is up 26%. Snyder was also named a top performer for growth in the entire chain at a recent national conference.

Like some other Batteries Plus franchi-sees, Snyder says the recession has been somewhat of a sales boost because people hang on to electronics longer. That makes a battery store more relevant. Hartland, Wis.-based Batteries Plus has 520 loca-tions nationwide, through 46 states and Puerto Rico. The company, founded in 1988 in Green Bay, offers thousands of va-rieties of batteries, and it recently added hundreds of light bulbs to its inventory.

Snyder, whose cousin, Joe Kasper, has a minority stake in the business, has one more major accomplishment: Early this year he repaid the loan his parents, Cliff

and Marylin Snyder, provided. He still has a line of credit, though now it’s with St. Petersburg-based C1 Bank. It’s also a long way from one store in Brandon, growth that has even surprised Snyder.

“I didn’t have any intention of expand-ing beyond one or two stores,” says Snyder. “We were just trying to grow the business and keep our costs down.”

Not only has Snyder grown his Batter-ies Plus holdings from one to seven, he now has ambitious plans to accelerate the growth. His goal: To have 20 stores by the time he turns 40, in January 2017. That would be 13 more stores in less than five years.

Snyder spends the bulk of his time work-ing toward the goal. That means meeting with commercial real estate brokers and scouting for space in his territory, which goes from south Tampa north to Gaines-ville and the east Orlando area.

Snyder travels to stores sometimes, where managers run daily operations. But he lives and works in Sarasota. His fiancé, Courtney Wise, a Business Review 40-un-

der-40 winner in 2010, lives in Sarasota, too. Wise is executive director of Take Care Advisor, a Sarasota-based health care management firm with a focus on elderly clients.

Most of Snyder’s non-work time is spent helping Wise plan their wedding, set for early next year. But his real non-work hob-by is fishing. He goes out in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and will fish for marlin and swordfish, among others. Sny-der has been to Costa Rica for fishing trips, and once caught a 450-pound blue marlin.

Snyder enjoys the chase for the fish, much like his pursuit of more Batteries Plus stores. Yet his college degree is in aerospace and engineering — mostly be-cause his mom told him business degrees are “a dime a dozen.”

But Snyder couldn’t find work in engi-neering after he graduated from the Uni-versity of Minnesota. “My heart wasn’t in that, and there wasn’t much around for jobs,” Snyder says. “I’m a business person by heart.”

— Mark Gordon

Mark Wemple

Dan Snyder owns seven Batteries Plus stores in Florida, including two on the Gulf Coast.

Dan Snyder Sarasota35/ /


naPles | 34

caPe coRal | 38

saRasota | 30

jasonhamilton

mikes

BRiDGetmcGRath

twitter handle: Noneemployer: Hamilton Mikes, P.A. In Febru-ary 2011, I founded the firm to set a new standard and model for the legal profes-sion in Southwest Florida, a client-focused, service-oriented law firm. title: Managing ShareholderBirthplace: Geneva, Ill.Years on the Gulf coast: 22marital status/children: Married and cel-ebrating 10 years this December with my

college sweetheart, Heather. We have two amazing children, Riley, 6 and Carter 2. At the end of October, we will welcome a new baby girl into the Mikes Family.alma mater: Florida State University for my undergraduate degree and Stetson Univer-sity for my M.B.A. and law degree.Best place to network: Start from within. Deliver an innovative, timely work product and establish trust with existing clients. Word-of-mouth referrals and long-term relationships have been our most valuable networking source.Business person you admire most: The small-business ownerone website that makes your job easier: VRBO.com (Vacation Rental By Owner) for a five-minute mini-vacation at my desk, so I can come back to work relaxed and refreshed.one community group you’re most involved with: Optimist Club of Naples Youth Soc-cer Programfavorite off-hours activity: Coming home to organized chaos with lots of excited hugs. Playing hide-and-go-seek and reading books with my kids. Spending quiet time with my wife. Watching the Bucs and Seminoles play football.most-trusted news source: CNN.comi learned the most about business from: Rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty. There is no substitute for actual experience. Although, “Managing the Profession Service Firm,” by David H. Maister, which I read as a first-year lawyer, was a great primer.Book you’re reading now: I am re-reading “A Land Remembered,” by Patrick D. Smith. It is one of my favorite novels next to any work by John D. MacDonald and his tales of Travis McGee.favorite techno gadget: The iPad. I use it to surf the Internet, watch movies, listen to lectures on iTunes and learn how to play the games my kids download.which social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInif i had a magic wand i’d: Throw it away. Everything worth having or achieving in the world requires labor, patience and sacrifice. If you did not come by it in such a manner, it will be under-appreciated, squandered and eventually lost anyway.

twitter handle: Noneemployer: EnviroStruct, LLC / Construction Managers & General Con-tractorstitle: Vice President and Co-FounderBirthplace: PhiladelphiaYears on the Gulf coast: 10marital status/children: Married to my amazing wife, Lauren, who is pregnant with the newest member of the McKenna family. I have two beau-

tiful daughters: Erin who is 18 and attending Edison State College and Madisyn who is 8 and loving the third grade.alma mater: Upper Dublin High School and Eastern Montgomery County Tech.Best place to network: Lee Building Industry Association events and meetings as well as everywhere. The most productive type of networking is talking to people, anywhere and everywhere I go.Business person you admire most: My partner Neil Simon. I could not be happier that we took this leap to-gether and started our business.one website that makes your job easier: The Construction Journal, www.constructionjournal.com, keeps me informed of what is going on in the area and what potential projects are coming up. It’s a powerful tool that I utilize daily.one community group you’re most involved with: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I am a local advocate for the foundation. My daughter Erin has cystic fibrosis so I am very passionate about this foundation and do everything I can to contribute and support those who also have cystic fibrosis. Our family participates in walks, and fundraisers, to show our support not only for my daughter but also for all of the people suffering from cystic fibrosis.favorite off-hours activity: In my off hours I love to spend time with my wonderful family. I also enjoy being outdoors and boating in the beautiful Southwest Florida weather.most-trusted news source: Fox Newsi learned the most about business from: My father, Steve McKenna Sr. He has amazing knowledge of the con-struction industry. He has taught me a lot about the industry as well as ethics, many of which are now implemented into EnviroStruct LLC’s policies and procedures on a daily basis and are undoubtedly a huge contribution to our success.Book you’re reading now: “Steve Jobs,” by Walter Isaacsonfavorite techno gadget: I love techno gadgets, but my favorite one would have to be my iPad.which social-media network do you use for business: LinkedIn. This network is a powerful tool when utilized to its capacity.if i had a magic wand i’d: I would cure cystic fibrosis. My daughter Erin was diagnosed with it when she was 8 years old and it has been an ongoing struggle since. Curing cystic fibrosis would be the most rewarding thing for me because I would get to see my daughter’s face when I tell her that with my magic wand I cured cystic fibrosis and she nor anyone else would ever have to worry about it again!

name: Stacy Morganage: 37twitter handle: Nonecity of residence: Bradentonemployer: Pittsburgh Piratestitle: Coordinator, Sales and MarketingBirthplace: Elizabethtown, Ky.

Years on the Gulf coast: Two and a halfmarital status/children: Not Married. Son, Brett.alma mater: University of LouisvilleBest place to network: Manatee County Chamber of CommerceBusiness person you admire most: Kim Ngone website that makes your job easier: Googleone community group you’re most involved with: SOLVE Mater-nity Homesfavorite off-hours activity: Working Outmost-trusted news source: Sports Business Journali learned the most about business from: I have had the good for-tune to work with a lot of great people over the years as well as a few who have taught me what not to do. I think the most important thing for me has been to be able to learn from every person, whether it was someone whom I wanted to emulate or a person who taught me a different valuable lesson. The culmination of all my experiences have taught and shaped me as a business professional. Book you’re reading now: “How Successful People Think”favorite techno gadget: Skype. It has completely redefined how day-to-day business operations can operate more efficiently and effectively when distance is an issue. which social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInif i had a magic wand i’d: I would attend law school and then join a reputable athlete-representation firm. I’ve been told several times that I would make a good agent, so I would love to give it a shot!

twitter handle: @bbardot723employer: Al Purmort Insurancetitle: Commercial Account ExecutiveBirthplace: Chicago, Ill.Years on the Gulf coast: Twomarital status/children: Single, no childrenalma mater: Florida International Univer-sity Best place to network: I am involved with numerous organizations, and they each of-fer their own benefits. I would have to say GCBX is at the top of my list, as it very well organized thus ensuring it has extraordi-

narily active members. The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce also offers a great opportunity to meet people and stay visible in the community. All in all, any organization is as good as you make it. The key to networking is getting involved and joining committees!Business person you admire most: My father. He has played a pivotal role in my life, both personally and professionally. He has a work ethic that is hard to come by these days, but what I admire about him is that he is a visionary. My father makes the impossible happen and has a process that is inspiring when you see him in action. I am lucky to have him as an adviser. That, and he is a pretty cool guy!one website that makes your job easier: Google, sunbiz.org, and manta.comone community group you’re most involved with: Children First. It’s such a fulfillment to spend time with these amazing children once a month. It is a fantastic organization and I recommend it to everyone to get involved! favorite off-hours activity: Cooking! It allows me the ability to unwind and tap into my inner creativity. I also find insurmountable pleasure to cook for those I love! I’d like to open a restaurant some day.most-trusted news source: I like to use a variety of sources, which allows me to have an objective view of current events. Most commonly used are Fox News, CNN, The Observer, Wall Street Journal, Gulf Coast Business Review and Drudge Report.i learned the most about business from: I am fortunate to be surrounded by some tal-ented individuals. I also work with a fantastic team and am in an environment where I am constantly learning. If I had to choose someone it would be my father and my brother.Book you’re reading now: I just finished “The Help.” I honestly do not read enough... I am a movie watcher.favorite techno gadget: The obvious and instinctive answer would be my iPhone. I cannot live without it. However, I am fully obsessed with my Jambox.which social-media networks do you use for business: Facebook, LinkedIn if i had a magic wand i’d: Be able to travel at a blink of an eye (or a wave of a wand). I wish I had more time to travel, so this would definitely help. I also often find myself wishing I could wave a wand to clean my house some days.

stePhenmckenna jR.

BRaDenton | 37

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Twitter handle: @chiefromanEmployer: EnSite Inc.Title: Chief Financial Officer, Director of EngineeringBirthplace: DetroitYears on the Gulf Coast: SevenMarital status/children: Married, two sonsAlma mater: Bachelor’s from Lawrence

Tech (Mich.); master’s from University of FloridaBest place to network: Volunteer efforts in the communityBusiness person you admire most: My late uncle Ted Serg, who owned a small busi-ness in Texas.One website that makes your job easier: DropboxOne community group you’re most involved with: Imaginarium Science Center board of directorsFavorite off-hours activity: Family time and fantasy baseballMost-trusted news source: Washington TimesI learned the most about business from: Owning one, and my M.B.A. from FloridaBook you’re reading now: “Mockingjay” (final Hunger Games book)Favorite techno gadget: My iPhoneWhich social-media networks do you use for business: Facebook and TwitterIf I had a magic wand I’d: Be able to be in two places at the same time!

Twitter handle: NoneEmployer: Identity Stronghold LLCTitle: ControllerBirthplace: Amherst, OhioYears on the Gulf Coast: 27Marital status/children: Boyfriend of many years/ no childrenAlma mater: Lemon Bay High School, In-

ternational College and soon-to-be University of PhoenixBest place to network: Social media, school, local eventsBusinessperson you admire most: Walt Augustinowicz (founder of Identity Strong-hold) and Joe Schortz (CPA)One website that makes your job easier: IRS.govOne community group you’re most involved with: Suncoast Humane SocietyFavorite off-hours activity: Spending time with family, attending Miami Hurricanes games and playing golfMost-trusted news source: Wink News and FoxNews.comI learned the most about business from: The many professors I’ve had throughout my education and Joe Schortz, my go-to businessman. Book you’re reading now: “The Litigators”Favorite techno gadget: iPhoneWhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInIf I had a magic wand I’d: Already would have completed my master’s degree and passed the CPA exam.

Twitter handle: I don’t tweet, but you can find me on Facebook.Employer: Grapevine CommunicationsTitle: Account ExecutiveBirthplace: Rockville, Md., but I grew up in Tennessee.Years on the Gulf Coast: Five and a half amazing years.Marital status/children: Not married but in a relationship.Alma mater: University of Tennessee – Go Big Orange!

Best place to network: Grapevine serves a variety of industries, so we are involved with numerous regional organizations. Gulf Coast Builders Exchange and the Sarasota Area Manufacturers Association have helped me attract many new leads, clients and friends. Our involvement in the Sarasota and Manatee chambers of commerce has provided in-valuable brand awareness for our company.Business person you admire most: I have two. My boss Angela and my aunt Gabriele are both amazing women who run incredibly successful companies, manage their homes and families, maintain a social life, exemplify power and beauty ... and make it all look easy.One website that makes your job easier: I Google everything as the starting point for most of my research.One community group you’re most involved with: The Sarasota Young Professionals Group. When I moved to Sarasota I didn’t know anyone except the staff at Grapevine. My boss advised me to join YPG and I am so glad I did. It was great for networking, profes-sional development and volunteer opportunities. I also met 90% of the friends I have today through YPG. I now serve on the board of directors, I am chair of the communica-tions committee and I attend as many of its functions as possible.Favorite off-hours activity: I love to cook and entertain. Really, I just love to feed people. I often spend hours in the kitchen on weekends preparing feasts for my friends and family. Even though I’m busy during the week, I try to make a home-cooked meal for my boyfriend every night.Most-trusted news source: Locally, I watch ABC 7 and read several newspapers, includ-ing the East County Observer and Gulf Coast Business Review. For national news, I read the news online.I learned the most about business from: Working my way up from the bottom at Grapevine. I started as an intern, and my boss insisted I learn about every job in the com-pany and what it takes to complete every type of project. We work with so many types of businesses in different industries, so I really received a depth of knowledge about how they function, who their clients are and the people involved in making them successful.Book you’re reading now: Bill Bryson’s “Neither Here Nor There.” I started reading this book while waiting to be called for jury duty, and I was laughing so hard in the waiting room I am pretty sure they dismissed me because they thought I was crazy.Favorite techno gadget: My iPhone. I use it for everything: directions, keeping track of appointments, checking emails on the go, accessing my bank account, staying in touch, social media updates, taking photos and videos, reading the news, and so on. I don’t know what I would do without my iPhone.Which social-media network do you use for business: I always use LinkedIn to make connections and get my foot in the door. LinkedIn proves there are less than six degrees of separation between any two people. In fact, in Sarasota I think it’s more like two.If I had a magic wand I’d: Use it to have my own private island and rescue all the dogs from animal shelters around the country and give them a happy, healthy place to live. And let’s not kid ourselves here, I would also have a mansion and a room to house my shoe collection!

CAPE CORAL | 33 PUNTA GORDA | 31

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foRtY unDeR 40

Al Mueller has been an entrepreneur since he was 15 years old, when he started selling Christmas trees.

Al Mueller owns and operates more than 50 stores, but they’re not the brick-and-mortar kind.

Mueller, 39, is in the seasonal retail business, selling fireworks, pumpkins and Christmas trees at various times during the year from strategic roadside locations around Florida, Michigan and Indiana.

The Fort Myers entrepreneur’s opera-tion is so significant he travels to China to contract with manufacturers to sup-ply his own brand of fireworks. “I’ve been there four times,” he says.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward business.Late-season hurricanes can ruin Hal-

loween, customs can delay shipments of Christmas ornaments and droughts can halt the sale of fireworks. For example, Hurricane Wilma landed near Naples in 2005 and nearly swamped Mueller with 250,000 pounds of pumpkins.

The brush fires that swept across Florida in 1998 nearly put him out of business. He had $320,000 invested in fireworks that summer and the state pro-hibited them as fires swept through more than half of the counties. “That was real scary,” Mueller recalls.

Fortunately, Mueller’s fireworks suppli-

ers recognized the severity of the situation and let him pay for the inventory as he sold it through the following January for New Year’s Eve. But the experience taught Mueller a valuable lesson to maintain good relations with your suppliers. “Pay when you say you’re going to,” he says.

Mueller also learned the vagaries of international shipping. For example, $280,000 worth of lighted holiday dis-plays he ordered from China got stuck in port in 2005 because the safety stick-ers had expired. He successfully sued the manufacturer, but only received a favor-able final judgment last year. Fortunate-ly, he’ll likely collect because the Chinese manufacturer has U.S. operations; that’s one of the reasons he selected it.

But in spite of the risks, it’s a lucrative business. Although he doesn’t share sales figures, Mueller says he bought his first house on five acres at age 24 while many of his high school friends were still toil-ing away in college.

Mueller says having so many retail lo-cations and lots of cash sales means he has to hire trustworthy people. “You have to learn to trust and delegate,” he says. “You have no choice.”

But Mueller loves to get out there and sell, preferring that to sitting in his office behind a computer. “I will not ask some-one to do something I wouldn’t do my-self,” says Mueller, who got into the busi-ness at age 15 selling Christmas trees. By age 19, his fledgling business cleared $10,000 at Christmas. “When you’re 19, ten grand is the world,” he chuckles.

At age 20, Mueller started selling fire-works. “I had no idea how to price the stuff,” he recalls. So he visited every fire-works stand in the area until he persuaded an employee at one location to give him a price list in exchange for a six-pack of beer.

While Mueller’s retail operations have grown, there’s still a lot of risk. He has to pay up front for inventory, tent rentals (some of them cover 9,000 square feet), land leases and labor. He says shipping inventory to Florida is more expensive than other places because carriers leave empty since the state doesn’t export much. And the economy hasn’t helped as retail sales dropped.

Ultimately, as the economy improves and his business grows, Mueller is mulling the idea of selling shares in his fireworks com-pany. “There is not one publicly traded fire-works company,” he says. That’s despite the

fact that it’s a $20 billion business in the U.S. “I’m in this for the long haul,” he says.

But with the unpredictability of sea-sonal retail, Mueller looks to diversify. For example, Mueller is working on a project to produce and sell high-power light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lights that burn brightly but use a frac-tion of the energy of conventional bulbs. He got the idea because of the diodes that light his Christmas displays.

Mueller has also formed another com-pany called TriSide Media, which has already signed contracts with trucking firms with 110,000 trailers that are will-ing to display advertising.

Mueller says trucks are rolling billboards that capture the attention of motorists as they drive down the highways. Trucking firms would benefit because it would offset the increases in fuel prices. Advertising on a truck costs $2,500 for a 13-month con-tract, with discounts for more.

While the outlook for the retail busi-ness is improving, Mueller is always on the lookout for new opportunities. It’s the hallmark of an entrepreneur. “I’ve got a lot of time off between seasons,” he says.

—Jean Gruss

Brian Tietz

al Mueller travels to China, where he contracts with manufacturers to make fireworks that he now sells in three states.

Al Mueller Fort Myers39/ /

Pop-Up Retail

JonwaX

twitter handle: I can-not use Twitter due to regulatory and com-pliance restrictions.employer: Waller & Wax Advisors Inc.

title: Owner, President and Chief Executive OfficerBirthplace: St. PetersburgYears on the Gulf coast: My entire life.Marital status/children: Married to Brenda with two beautiful children, Audrey and Nathanalma mater: Tulane University, New Orleans.Best place to network: The monthly networking events of the Leadership Tampa Alumni Associa-tion. I currently chair the ambassador committee and serve on the leadership cabinet. The association helps its members develop professional relationships, of-fers unique educational programs, and encourages the growth of business and development of the Tampa Bay community.Business person you admire most: Tom James, chair-man of Raymond James Financial. In this fast-changing world where fads ebb and flow, he taught me to stay true to your principles and ideals and always put your clients and employees (team members) first. If you sat-isfy others without taking undue risks, you will be re-warded through loyalty, respect and appreciation.one website that makes your job easier: EverNote.com. This is one of the most effective programs for organizing notes and tasks related to all facets of life. The notes syn-chronize with my iPhone, iPad, laptop and desktops and can

be securely accessed from anywhere on the Web, allowing me to track every new idea.one community group you’re most

involved with: 13 Ugly Men Foundation Inc. In the past, I served as a board member, media chair, event chair and president. This group produces five to seven large social events each year raising money for lo-cal charities. Since the 1990s, we have raised over $500,000 for our community’s needy citizens. I take great pride in seeing how the group continues to impact the community while developing new leadership in the organization to continue the cause.favorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my family on the water. We are avid boaters and enjoy many destinations around the Tampa Bay area.Most-trusted news source: Bloombergi learned the most about business from: My mother, Laura Waller. She was one of the first women certified financial planners in the nation. She built the firm in a period where women rarely held top leadership roles. She was a valuable resource during my early years, helping me navigate the complexities of managing an independent firm in the securities industry. After 33 years in the industry, she retired at the end of 2011 but continues to offer her wisdom.Book you’re reading now: “Take Your Eye Off the Ball,” by Pat Kirwan. favorite techno gadget: My iPhone. This thing con-trols everything. Now I can set the temperature in my house, while changing the TV channel and monitoring the nanny cams. Just waiting for the app that makes breakfast.which social-media networks do you use for busi-ness: While social-media has been growing in popular-ity, my industry has tight rules related to public com-munications. We have a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn whose use will evolve over time.if i had a magic wand i’d: This is where I consult my daughter Audrey for expert advice. I’d like the wand to make my daughter’s homework complete so she can spend more time with me.

twitter handle: Noneemployer: Marquis Wealth Man-agement Grouptitle: Partner and Financial AdvisorBirthplace: Fort MyersYears on the Gulf coast: 28Marital status/children: single, no children

alma mater: Stetson UniversityBest place to network: Charitable community eventsBusiness person you admire most: My dad, Rusty Whitley, who taught me the value of learning who your clients are and always put-ting their interests first.one website that makes your job easier: Morningstaradvisor.com. It is an excellent source of information and news across the profes-sional asset-management industry.one community group you’re most involved with: St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church, Fort Myersfavorite off-hours activity: Spending time with my familyMost-trusted news source: The Wall Street Journal for business news, CNN otherwise.i learned the most about business from: Greg McCann, director of Stetson University’s Family Enterprise Center. He taught me busi-ness is more about effective communication and relationships than the technical knowledge we learn.Book you’re reading now: “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahnemanfavorite techno gadget: iPhonewhich social-media network do you use for business: LinkedInif i had a magic wand i’d: Stop all the bickering and punditry, return the news organizations to unbiased reporting of the news and return policymakers to governing by seeking effective compromises rather than by scoring political points.

taMPa | 39 foRt MYeRs | 28

tRevoRwHitleY

eXtRa: See Jon wax‘s video at review.net.



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