Keynote Speaker
Sponsored by: NARI
Jeff Tobe
Founder, "Coloring Outside the Lines"
Jeff Tobe is a creativity and customer experience expert, professional speaker, and bestselling author who works with companies and organizations who want to increase their bottom line by changing their customer experience and retaining great talent. A Certified Speaking Professional, Jeff has co-authored numerous books on creativity and innovation, and is author of Coloring Outside the Lines and his newest book, Anticipate: Knowing What Customers Need Before They Do. He consults and conducts workshops with organizations of all sizes, including Microsoft, PepsiCo, Bank of America, and other Fortune 500 companies, and has been called “the Guru of Creativity” by Insider Magazine.
Conference Speakers
Michael Anschel
Principal, Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build
Michael Anschel is principal of Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build in Minneapolis, Minn. After high school, Michael deferred college to live for four years in China and Japan, where he learned Mandarin and worked as Foreign Language Editor for the Beijing Review and head of the English Department for the Japanese Embassy School in Beijing. After returning to the U.S. to finish his degree in Art with a Chinese minor at the University of Minnesota, he began working in remodeling. Michael speaks and writes frequently on a variety of topics affecting the remodeling industry.
Cindy Cipriani
Cipriani Remodeling Solutions
Cindy’s love of construction and design began at an early age, inspired by her father’s renovation of the family home. With her background as a Professional Organizer and training in HVAC design, she creates award-winning kitchens, bathrooms, and additions with attention to detail and systems while matching each client’s family’s unique requirements and budget. Cindy is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and author of the book, “Moving Past the Death of a Loved One.”
Joaquin Erazo, Jr., MBA
President, Marketing Wing
Joaquin is President of Marketing Wing, a marketing agency providing hyper-local custom marketing for more than 40 of the leading design-build remodelers in the U.S. With nearly 3 decades of marketing experience – more than 20 years of that spent in the remodeling industry – Joaquin is passionate about helping remodelers do a better job explaining the value they deliver. Called the "Marketing Yoda" by some industry leaders, Joaquin has been published in Forbes, Inc. magazine, The Washington Post, Fast Company, Qualified Remodeler, Remodeling magazine, and Professional Remodeler.
John Farrar
Director of Industry, Google
John Farrar has more than 15 years of experience in the media and advertising industry, including broad experience advising new media start-ups, as well as serving as CEO and General Manager at Brand.net. At Google, where he is currently Director of Industry, he has worked with some of the nation's leading online promotion providers, including Living Social and Groupon. He is passionate about bringing new technology to life to reach and engage today's consumers.
Mina Fies
CEO, Synergy Design & Construction
Mina Fies is an award-winning designer, Zen Remodeler, and
Founder/CEO of Synergy Design & Construction. Her innovative
approach to home remodeling and the client experience has fueled
her company’s success despite its 2008 inception during the
Great Recession. Mina regularly outpaces her competition with
innovative differentiation techniques, such as incorporating Feng
Shui and energy principles into each client’s remodel. Mina
speaks regularly at industry conferences and seminars and has been
interviewed for national, local, and online media outlets.
Brian Gottlieb
President, Tundraland Home Improvements
Brian Gottlieb founded his home improvement company in 2009 with an initial investment of just $3,000. Since then, Brian has grown Tundraland into one of the largest home improvement companies in the state of Wisconsin. Tundraland is deeply embedded in the community and is a Proud Partner of the Green Bay Packers. As owner of a home improvement company, Brian believes he's really in the business of developing people and building a company culture dedicated to the principle of "doing well by doing good."
Larry Green
CEO, System Pavers
Larry Green is the founder and CEO of System Pavers, a native of
South Africa, a serial entrepreneur, avid global traveler and a
passionate advocate for the role and value of outdoor living. His
company, System Pavers, is headquartered in Southern California
and reflects a customer and experience-based philosophy and is
regarded as one of the most profitable and successful in
America.
Chris Lavoie
VP Sales, Reborn Cabinets
As sales strategies change, so must sales meetings. In this session, Chris Lavoie draws on more than 25 years of experience in both retail auto sales and home improvement to explore sales meetings in light of a rapidly-evolving sales environment. He'll discuss the good and bad and sales meetings and provide perspective on why they are important to today's sales teams. Along the way, he'll share lessons learned from his personal successes and failures at leading sales meetings, and present innovative ideas that can help you ensure that your sales meetings are working as intended.
Tara Luizzi
Founder, Tara Styles DC
Tara is the founder of Tara Styles DC, a personal wardrobe consulting and styling service. After more than 15 years of experience working in every facet of the fashion industry–including as an apparel and accessories buyer, a boutique manager, and a visual merchandiser–Tara now directs her expertise to helping individuals–both men and women–discover their individual style, understand their body types, and learn what fits them best, and ultimately, create their own "working wardrobe." She has helped hundreds of clients assemble an evergreen array of functional yet stylish looks that suit their body types, lifestyles, individual fashion sense, and budgets.
Mark Richardson
Author & Industry Consultant
Mark Richardson is an author, columnist, and business growth strategist. Mark began his remodeling career selling remodeling for Case design, and later, as president of that company, he pioneered the design-build remodeling business model. He is a member of the NAHB Remodeling Hall of Fame, a Fellow at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing STudies, and was named as an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Construction and Real Estate. He authored the best-selling books, "How Fit is Your Business" and "Fit To Grow".
Andrew Zickell
Senior Leader, Business Development, CoreLogic
Andrew Zickell’s 42-year association with the roofing industry began at age 14, and includes experience running installation crews, retail roofing supply sales, and shingle and membrane recycling and manufacturing. He brings and MBA and seven years of experience in the aerial measurement field to CoreLogic, where he is focused on streamlining remodeling contractor businesses through the use of data a digital services.
Dan Wolt
Founder, Zen Windows
Dan is the founder of Zen Windows, which originated in Columbus, Ohio, but now has more than 30 franchises nationwide. Zen Windows stands out from the crowd for a number of reasons - for example, the company does not require a deposit; client's pay only after they are completely satisfied with the job. But the game-changing differentiator was the introduction in 2008 of an online sales process that eventually completely eliminated the in-home sales presentation. Today, all Zen Windows clients deal directly with the franchise owner and the process takes place entirely online.