Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Gina Gaudio-Graves is the founder and CEO of The Abundance Group, LLC, the parent company of Directions University. She is the Dean & Founder of Directions University. (Note that “Directions University” is formerly “The IM University”. The name was changed in July 2009.)

Online, most people know her as “The JV Queen”, a title she earned by organizing some of the most successful product launches on the internet, for some of the internet’s biggest names such as Shawn Casey, Willie Crawford, Russel Brunson, David Garfinkel, Henry Gold, Holly Cotter, and many others.

Gina began her career online in 1996 after a disabling car accident left her unable to continue her career as a litigator. When the accident left her unable to get out of a hospital bed or wheelchair for almost 10 years, she turned to the internet as a way to fill her days and afford her mounting medical bills.

She’s been full time online ever since!

As a JV Broker, Gina often saw millions of dollars being left on the table, over and over again by her clients who refused to listen to her advice … These clients wanted the immediate gratification that a Joint Venture Product Launch could bring, and weren’t interested in doing things the RIGHT way to build a business that would be successful for the long haul if it meant that it would take longer to bring in big dollars.

Gina’s JV’s would bring in millions in a short period of time (often in less than a week!), but a year later, profits from the promotion would be long gone, and Gina’s client would be left wondering where the next dollars were coming from.  This usually meant creating yet another new product, and a new product launch.

After having worked long and hard on the first product, most clients just didn’t want to have to create yet another.  This not only limited the client’s income, it limited Gina’s as well!

In 2007, Gina’s health had declined to the point that doctors gave her only 12 to 18 months to live.  That’s why she hit the road in an RV to see the country before she died.  But 6 months later, a massage therapist gaver her a piece of advice that forever changed her life.  Not only did it allow her to live, Gina completely recovered!

Gina calls this her “miraculous transformation”.  She feels that she has been given a huge gift — a second chance at life!  To repay this gift, she is more focused and driven than ever on helping her peers, entrepreneurs, get what they want most:  success in their lives and businesses!

Today, through Directions University, Gina is a coach, mentor, and consultant to entrepreneurs looking to build a business using the power of the internet. Whether the internet is the business owner’s only presence or their secondary presence, Gina’s information products and coaching programs show entrepreneurs how to get bigger results, faster, while living the life of their dreams and focus on her areas of expertise including:

* Mindset
* Strategic Planning for your Online Business Presence
* Product Creation and Planning
* Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
* Strategic Traffic Generation
* Strategic List Building
* Web 2.0
* Blogging
* and many other aspects of building a business using the power of the internet.

Gina’s mission is to help 1,000,000 entrepreneurs learn to live the life of their dreams through owning their own business, by the year 2013.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Johanna shared her expert opinion with Pete and Bill about how she builds lasting brand licensing relationships and why having an experience as a licensee and licensor has shown her how to negotiate and manage productive brand licensing programs.

Johanna also took us through her list of brand licensing launches that went awry including when she launched a line of Coca-Cola fine china in Brazil.

As Global Licensing and Alliances Manager for Kimberly-Clark Corporation  Johanna is responsible for leading the company’s in-licensing and out-licensing relationships. Johanna has worked in brand management and licensing roles for over 15 years with an expertise in international licensing.  Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in April 2005, Johanna worked at The Coca-Cola Company for 8 years advancing its global brand licensing program, first in Latin America and then in North America.

Johanna is a current member of SPLiCE (Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence) and a past board member of The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce and English for Successful Living.  Johanna is also a recipient of the Disney Brand Champion Award in 2010 in the product category of Food, Health and Beauty.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

In this episode of Brand Money, Bill Jachthuber and Pete Canalichio interview Peter Weedfald, President of Gen One Ventures.  Peter discusses his vision of Dieoneer and Pioneers in Brands and Brand Licensing.  Peter’s wealth of brand building experience evokes discussion of Samsung, Circuit City, Apple and Nike.  Pete and Bill discuss with Peter how Brand Licensing can accelerate U.S. Brands to a Global platform and how China has already entered this arena.

Peter who works directly for GE Trademark & Licensing provides lead support for global sales, business development, marketing, advertising, internet tools and substrates, channels and operational leadership.

Prior to his current role Peter was President for a GE joint venture he helped develop and mature between GE (General Electric) and Tatung. GE | General Displays and Technologies which was formed to architect, sell, market and support GE HDTV’s globally. As President, he headed all functional operational business areas of the company globally as well as all sales, marketing, advertising, creative and communications.

In 2006, Peter joined Circuit City as a section 16 Officer, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer reporting directly to the CEO.  There he led and managed a team of 260 overseeing all brand management, advertising, creative, marketing, communications, in-store environment, research, PR, all digital assets and Circuit City.com e-marketing.

Peter served as SVP Sales & Marketing for Samsung Electronics overseeing all business operations and as  CMO for Samsung North America from 2001 through 2006. He led all consumer electronics, home appliances and corporate operations in an organization of 5,500 team members.

Prior to joining Samsung in 2001, Peter held various executive positions with ViewSonic Corporation, a global provider of advanced display technology from 1998 to 2000 including SVP of global marketing & EVP, GMM of Internet Appliances.  Prior to joining ViewSonic in 1998, he served for ten years in executive publishing positions at Ziff-Davis Publishing including VP, Publisher & Network Director on magazines and web sites: PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, Windows Sources, MacUser and PC Week. Ziff Davis Publishing is a leading integrated media company serving the technology and videogame markets.

To learn more about brand extension tools that can help your business click here.