Don Holbrook, Author, Certified Economic Developer, Las Vegas

Don Holbrook, Author, Certified Economic Developer, Las Vegas

Talk 2 Brazil interview by Tom Reaoch with Don Holbrook Monday March 3, 2014 .

 Don Holbrook is a private economic consultant/practitioner involved in economic development public policy, site location decisions for private sector business owner investments into new facilities, destination tourism projects and site location development & business incentives feasibility negotiations to reduce up front financial risks and increase business ROI for investors and financing. This includes public sector incentives design and strategies to entice business investment into local economies.

 He is one of the few practitioner-based economists in the field of economic development.  He is the leading non-fiction book author on local economic development efforts to rebuild, renew and create sustainably balanced economic development public policy, which supports world-class community vision and strategic economic growth planning. His first book, the “Little Black Book of Economic Development” has spawned a series of follow-up books on how communities, companies, individuals and families can navigate these treacherous economic times.

 Don Holbrook is one of the worlds foremost thought leaders and public speakers on the subject of how communities can build local grassroots driven economic development strategies to achieve maximum success in what he refers to as “The Art of the Deal Today.” His focus is on business capitalization strategies that will attract investment, jobs and economic growth. He also regularly speaks on leading as a change agent in times of unpredictable economic conditions and thriving and surviving in this new economic future.

 Don is a Certified Economic Developer and in 2008 he was formally indoctrinated as a Fellow Member of the International Economic Development Council, for his lifetime achievements by his peers.

He lives with wife and two sons in Las Vegas, Nevada.Holbrook has spoken at over 50 major events worldwide and given hundreds of motivational speeches to audiences. He has written two fictional books on the Knights Templar.  In 2010, Holbrook was formally knighted at West Point USMA as a member of the modern day Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, the Knights Templar Order.

Don is also the author of "The Next America- Thriving and Surviving in this Unpredictable Economy."  With an upcoming second edition to be released shortly.

Rodrigo Forte, Managing Director, EXEC - Executive Performance, Brazil

Rodrigo Forte, Managing Director, EXEC - Executive Performance, Brazil

Rodrigo Forte, Managing Director, Exec Executive Performance, Brazil

Listen to the Talk 2 Brazil interview by Tom Reaoch with Rodrigo Forte, February 24, 2014.

Rodrigo Forte is a Lawyer, graduated from PUC/SP and post graduated in Business Administration from FGV/SP. His career was developed in law firms and in a worldwide multinational company leader of the recruitment and selection sector (Michael Page International), where he was Director and member of the Board in Brazil.

Founding member of EXEC Executive Performance , Rodrigo was one of the first executives to work with specialized recruitment in Brazil and has more than 13 years in HR, having evaluated over 8,000 executives. Also, Rodrigo works with Executive Coaching and Human and Organization Development projects.

With offices in São Paulo and Campinas, EXEC was established in 2009 through the concept of boutique and offers services in the areas of Recruitment & Selection and Executive Development for middle and top management. EXEC is a member of AESC - Association of Executive Search Consultants which is the leading global association of consulting firms in Executive Search and Leadership Development. AESC was founded in 1959 and has its headquarters in NY.

Kita Szpak, Canadian Author, Happiness Expert, Speaker and Publicist.

Kita Szpak, Canadian Author, Happiness Expert, Speaker and Publicist.

Kita Szpak Canadian Author, Happiness Expert, Speaker and Publicist.

Listen to the Talk 2 Brazil interview by Tom Reaoch with Kita Szpak, February 17, 2014.

Kita Szpak has two honors degrees in Education and German (Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), along with an initial speaker’s certification from Fred Pryor Seminars, and business management certification from Queen’s University School of Business, Kita has combined her entrepreneurial expertise, media relations savvy, outstanding people skills, and writing creativity to position others for personal and professional excellence. We´ll talk about her most recent book “The Simple Life Shiny Objects Not Required” “De-cluttering Your Life from the Inside Out". 

A former competitive figure skater in her adolescent years, Kita has learned early on the value of superb presentation skills to inform, entertain and inspire an audience.  Her years of being coached have put her in good stead to coach and promote clients in the corporate and artistic arenas.

 She has coordinated events, media, book and CD launches, in addition to artist showcases.  Kita has placed artists on Canada AM, The Canadian Gospel Music Awards, North by Northeast, CBC Live, Canadian Music Week, the Blues Challenge in Memphis and New Artist Radio in Nashville. 

Kita has also marketed Ballet Jörgen Canada for a number of its productions including Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker, and Anastasia.  She has been contracted to do entertainment publicity in Ottawa where she has promoted such artists as Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Matt Dusk, Carrie Underwood, Roch Voisine, David Clayton Thomas, Jo Dee Messina, Andrea Martin, Celtic Thunder, and Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson World Tour, among others.

More information as well as registration for Kita’s programs and her weekly Gentle Messages can be found at http://www.kitaszpak.com .

Kita started writing 15 years ago, first telling her stories to her three now-adult sons.  Kita published her first children’s book “You’re Special Wherever You Are” at the end of 2009. (The book was honored as a finalist in the 6th Annual U.S. Indie National Excellence Awards in the Children’s Inspirational/Motivational category in June 2012). 

Transitioning into the “big people” sphere, Kita co-authored “Tipping Point to Happiness” - a little book with a big message in 2010.  As a follow up to the book’s release, Kita undertook a U.S. radio campaign focusing on happiness, earning the title of “happiness expert” along the way.  The book earned her the title of one of the top 50 authors you should be reading in 2012-13 on TheAuthorsShow.com. She also blogs for http://www.jenningswire.com with her column “Straight Talk on Happiness”

Last August, Kita hosted the “Happiness for Parents Formula” Telesummit.  Dr. Christine Carter, Dr. Joseph Ciarrochi, Dr. Fran Walfish and Dr. Friedemann Schaub were among the 21 experts Kita interviewed.  Since then, she has developed a “Keep It SIMPLE Sweetie (KISS) program as well as held free online training calls to be of service to others.    

Happily, the children’s stories keep coming too.  “Littlest Bug Goes to the Zoo” is the latest to join Kita’s menagerie of animal characters and inspirational words that embody her message to big and little kids everywhere: Value yourself – you are important.