Cape Fear Business Roundtable

Victor Fernandes, owner of Fernandes Fit & author of "Reclaiming My Authentic Self"

This week's guest is Victor Fernandes, owner of Fernandes Fit, author of "Reclaiming My Authentic Self: A Journey from Fear to Freedom" and host of the "Fitness is Our Business" podcast. Tune in as Victor describes his career journey and shares how he helps busy professionals take control of their health and fitness to thrive in their demanding lives.

Keesha Starr, Owner of K Starr Coaching & Author of “The Bright Side of Monday”

This week’s guest is Keesha Starr, owner of K Starr Coaching and author of “The Bright Side of Monday.” Keesha is a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach with over 25 years of experience building teams in every type of business. Her training in ministry and leadership from the New Life Drama Company and traveling for seven years as a team coordinator eventually led to the nonprofit sector. Keesha has built teams and led in everything from churches to community centers led to the for-profit space, coaching companies like McDonalds, Walgreens, Hilton, WalMart, Target, Brookdale, Olive Garden and Fedex. Keesha has brought her expertise, experience, and compelling delivery to inspire and unlock potential in companies of all sizes.

Kelli Benton, Seaglass Monthly Market

Tune in as Kelli Benton, a Leland resident and owner of Seaglass Monthly Market, tells how her career led her from Brooklyn, New York to southeastern North Carolina and how she moved from working for a large corporation, FedEx Freight, to owning and operating a monthly small business market. Kelli explains her passion for connecting with small business owners and also discusses what led her and her husband, Brad, to create the Lindsey M. Benton Foundation.

Art Dornfeld, Carolina Sun Pool Doctors

This week's guest is Art Dornfeld, co-owner (along with his wife) of Carolina Sun Pool Doctors, a local business that has been keeping pools healthy for over 30 years.
Art retired from the U.S. Navy in June 2004 after 22 years of service. He served as a Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer, and his last duty station was MCAS Cherry Point, where he served as the Senior Search and Rescue Medical technician on Pedro SAR Helicopter and Type Commander evaluator for Marine Corps search and rescue at VMR-1 Marine Transport Squadron 1.  
After retiring from active military service, Art and his wife moved to Brunswick County in 2004, where his father and two retired doctors had started a swimming pool maintenance company, Carolina Sun Pool Doctors, in 1994. Art became a partner with his father, and he and his wife and took over all operations of the company in 2015. When Art joined the company in 2004, they had four employees and 45 pool contracts; today, they have 12 employees and over 215 pool contracts.  

Barrett Earney, CEO of Earney IT

Barrett Earney, CEO of Wilmington-based Earney IT, discusses his career path in the information technology industry, current trends and issues including AI and cybersecurity, and shares lessons he's learned along the way.

Jon Tait of Signature Wealth

Jon Tait is a financial advisor with Signature Wealth in Leland and past president of the Leland Area Rotary Club. Jon tells us about his career journey, his approach to working with clients, and shares some general insights into current market conditions. 

Lisa Leath, Chief People Officer at Vantaca

This week's guest is Lisa Leath, Chief People Officer at Vantaca, founder of Leath HR, and past board chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

Jason Gaver, Executive Director, Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity

Jason Gaver tells us how his career led from active-duty military service to leading the Brunswick County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Jason also outlines his bold, aggressive vision for Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity, dispels some common misconceptions about how Habitat helps people achieve the dream of home ownership, and shares how area residents and businesses can get involved with and support Brunswick County Habitat's work.

Coach Reggie Shropshire, ActionCOACH

Reggie Shropshire of ActionCOACH tells us how his career led from active-duty service in the U.S. Marine Corps to working as a successful business coach. Coach Reggie discusses ActionCOACH's services and offerings and shares some of the common things he's observed holding business owners back from achieving their goals. 

Heather King Semple, President of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center

Heather King Semple, President of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, describes how she climbed from certified nursing assistant to hospital president and discusses Novant's plans to meet the increasing demand for medical services in Brunswick County.