Well, I can hardly believe it. The next show will be a milestone for the Fried On Business program. We will hit the magic number of 500 episodes.
That’s right! 500 episodes of Fried On Business. It really seems like yesterday that this all started, and it’s been quite a journey. Especially 2018, for reasons that I’ll explain in a minute.
To mark this very special occasion, we’ll broadcast live from the very excellent Ball & Chain in Miami.
There will be food. There will be drinks. There will be music. There will be me playing the maracas with the band, but only for a while. So don’t use that as an excuse to stay away.
Arden Karson of CBRE, our new sponsor, will be calling in to talk about how CBRE gives their clients the edge when they do real estate transactions. She will also discuss CBRE’s new office in Fort Lauderdale.
You’ll also hear some folks from the upcoming Agent2021 event.
So, if you’re in the area, drop by Ball & Chain on Jan. 10 for the 500th episode of the Fried On Business show and watch history in the making.
Many thanks to Vanessa Mendola and Ball & Chain owner Bill Fuller for providing us with a spectacular venue for the event.
BTW, Jan. 2 was the one-year anniversary of my wife Vivian’s successful kidney transplant.
Our never-ending thanks goes to G-d, our donor Betty Demartini and Chaya Lipshutz (The Kidney Matchmaker) for putting us in touch with Betty at just the right moment.
This speaks to the power of social media. I used Facebook, Craig’s List, Linkedin and Twitter without fail for four years, and the Lord rewarded me with Betty and a kidney for Vivian.
Click here to listen to the full preview of Fried On Business Episode 500.
All about Agent2021
Speaking of big shows, I can’t wait for the upcoming Agent2021 conference set for Jan. 17 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Back for their second year, Agent2021 is a one-day conference educating real estate, auto, insurance and mortgage agents and owners about social media and digital marketing innovation.
“Miami is not a bad place to be in January at all,” said Kim Garcia, SVP of VaynerMedia, which is hosting the event.
Kim said the conference was born out of the many calls that VaynerMedia has received about how to effectively use social media for marketing.
Those inquiries seemed to emanate mostly from the real estate, auto, insurance and mortgage industries, so the content will be focused accordingly, she said.
“So we created this event last year. The response was incredible, to be honest with you, and we had some incredible case studies that came out of year one of folks who implemented a lot of their learning after the event and have seen their business increase,” she said.
Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, likes to be tactical, Kim said. Many conferences excel at inspiration, and that’s the goal of Agent2021, too. But, perhaps more importantly, the organizers want to teach you want to do next in order to get results.
“There’s no doubt the difference between social media and a traditional media buy – TV, that sort of thing – is you can really target your audience, creating content that is meaningful to the people who are meaningful to your business,” she said.
There are simply way too many awesome speakers to list. But just to whet your appetite, you’ll hear from John Henry, Partner at Harlem Capital and host of the TV show HUSTLE on VICELAND.
Henry sold his first company by the age of 21 and has been featured as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Ebony Power 100.
You can learn more at agent2021.com.
Buy your tickets today, but use the code LOCALS that will give Fried On Business listeners a discount of almost 40% off the ticket price. Be sure to check out the VIP and Videographer options, too.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Kim Garcia of VaynerMedia and Agent2021.
Nikki goes to Tallahassee
If you haven’t heard by now, my niece, Nikki Fried, is the new Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
I’m proud of her for many reasons, not the least of which is her goals. In addition to her legislative goals, Nikki wants to leave a legacy for Florida’s young people.
“As elected officials and people who put themselves out for public service, you have to figure out why we do this. We do this to make a difference in our society and our state – to help be role models for future generations,” she said.
“You’re only on this planet for so long, and what you leave behind is a big indicator of your success in life. I really take seriously my responsibility of helping to mold the next generation and, hopefully, engaging people.”
Now, there are between 21 million and 22 million people in Florida, and Nikki wants to make sure that the natural beauty that attracts these residents remains intact.
She recently took an airboat trip with former state legislator and founder of Saunders Real Estate Dean Saunders and a few Florida cattlemen to view the state’s still-wild countryside up close.
“As somebody who lives in a suburban part of our state, you don’t realize that you don’t have to travel to another country or another state to see some of the beautiful wonders of ours,” she said.
“We all get so wrapped out in what happens in our own small communities and our cities and don’t realize that we live in such a beautiful, pristine state. And we all have to do our part to make sure that we’re preserving it for generations to come. It really is quite remarkable the landscape that is here in the state of Florida.”
Nikki also said she believes that government at the state level in Florida will not evidence the rancor currently on display at the federal level.
“We have to do better here in the state of Florida. We have to rise above partisan politics. We have to rise above whether you’re an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ and say what is the best policy for the state of Florida. And we may not always agree on what that looks like, but at least having respect for each other’s opinions and trying to find common ground – when common ground can be found – is essential for good government,” she said.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried.
