Strictly Business at Buffalo Wild Wings May 12, 2010

This week's Big Talker FM Strictly Business networking event was held at the Wilmington, NC, Buffalo Wild Wings on Van Campen Boulevard.


ARC's Brian Moeller and Frank Nichols of Wilmington Transmissions.


Steve Haughey of Worldwide Express and Lopermedia's Paul Whitehouse.


Host Joe Catenacci and sales guy Derek Sellers, both from Sea-Comm Media.


Beach-loving couple John and Patricia Pietropaolo.


Ross Simeon of Northwestern Mutual and David Merrill from Hertz Local in the back with Laura Moffitt and Nationwide's Erin Alderman in front. (Nice move, guys)


James Arnold of South-Eastern Commercial Servies and Anna Schraff of Boys & Girls Homes of NC.


Mike Czyll, owner of Old Chicago Pizza, relaxed for a bit at another restaurant.


Town Planner's Mary Bennies with Sea-Comm Media's Paige Freeman.


Artist Angela Johnson with N2 Publishing's Steve West.


Sea-Comm Media's Jackie Jordan holding court at a table of friends, clients, and colleagues.

This was the first Strictly Business held at the central Wilmington BWW and it was a well-attended success.

Strictly Business, Old Chicago Style! 2-3-2010

I went to Old Chicago Pizza at 5023 Market Street in Wilmington, NC for the first time last night. The place was packed with regular patrons, but I was looking for the Sea-Comm Media Big Talker-FM Strictly Business networking event, which happens every Wednesday from 5 till whenever. This was the first week SB has been at Old Chicago and there were even more people than usual in attendance.

The first folks I saw were Old Chicago owner Mike Czyl (pronounce it "chill") and good guy and excellent business coach Reggie Shropshire of ActionCoach International.


Each week Strictly Business has lots of donated prizes they raffle off. The proceeds of the raffle go to a local non profit. Often that nonprofit is the Cape Fear River Watch, and when that's the group, Captain Joe Abbate is on hand to laugh and smile and tell people about their mission and vision. That's Joe in the middle of the group (behind the pizza menu!).


Owners Mike and Julie Czyl (still pronounced "chill). And, I don't know if this is politically correct, but are they cute together or what?

The ever-dappper Michael Byrd of WordWright Web (sorry Michael, I'll come up with something original one of these days, but you always do look so dapper!) and Judy Zimmerman, a new face at Strictly Business. Judy is the Public Relations Director for Miller-Motte College, conveniently located across the street from Old Chicago Pizza.


Captured between and behind two guys is Gina Schiess, former IBMer who now teaches at local colleges.


Photographer Robert Freeman and Ken Schiess of HdVest.


Kyle Myers of All-Brite Pressure Washing and Steve West of N2 Publishing.

Here's a crowd shot with artist Angela Johnson (in the red sweater) and Big Talker FM Morning Beat host and Strictly Business host Curtis Wright (the guy in the middle).


Kimberly Brumsey of KB Aesthetics, with Derek Sellers, a sales guy with Sea-Comm Media in the white shirt to her right.

Lucy Cherry, owner of Lula Balou boutique, Kimberly, and Derek.


Stephanie Williams of Edward Jones and Mike Moore of Atlantic Care Care.


Toby Baccante of Mid-Atlantic Printing and Jennifer Altman of SendOutCards.


Stuart Ward, of Mid-Atlantic Printing, loooking as always like a happy captain of industry.


Stuart grabbed my camera and took this shot of me going for another slice of pizza. And yes, it was very good.


Mike Moore again, this time with Elaine Huston of PrePaid Legal.

Raffle time! Curtis announcing, Sea-Comm Media photographer and producer Paige Freeman assisting, and artist Angela Johnson in the left foreground. Oh, and in the back on the right is Russ "Call me Doug" Hauptmann.

OK, so if I'm going to have sideways shots of Angela, might as well have a straight one, too. Did you know, btw, that an old photographer's trick is to include red in photos because a disproportionate number of award winning photographs have red in them? I think for the same reason a disproportionate number of stopped speeders have ArrestMeRed painted cars. (Which is why our cars are grey and black.)


Steve Haughey of Worldwide Express was one of the big prize raffle winner and got to say a few words.


Trip Yost of ATEAMS electrical and maintance company with Scott Ball of Coastal Document Systems.

Paige with Mark Evans of Green Cleaning Technicians.


Captain Joe Abbate (the Cape Fear River Watch guy, remember?) and Paige.


These folks from Pathfinder Wealth Consulting were at Old Chicago for dinner meeting with an out-of-town investment wholesaler (the gentleman on the right). I don't think they came for the networking event, but they bought a bunch of raffle tickets and won six of the prizes! Sounds like they have the golden touch so you might seek them out. They are (from left to right) President and Wealth Consultant Robert L. Penn, Jr., Analyst Kevin Weber, Paraplanner John Zachery, and wholesaler John Cowles.


New dental surgeon in town, Dr. Michael Bannan, DDS has joined the Marshall Dental Excellence practice on Market Street.

Steve, Judy and Michael.



And Julie and Mike one more time, just because I like the photograph. Thanks, you two, for hosting Strictly Business.

Strictly Business back at Cameo Nightclub - 11-18-09

The first person I saw when I arrived at this week's Strictly Business networking event at Cameo Nightclub in Wilmington, NC was Jon Hicks of Ethos Design Studios. Strictly Business is hosted each week by Curtis Wright of The Big Talker FM. Curtis is a shy type, that's his car below.

Each week a non-profit organization is featured and this week it was the Cape Fear River Watch. Carrie Frohling works with CFRW and just got back from her honeymoon (oh-oh, maybe she has a different last name now, someone help me out?). Talking with Carrie was Ian Hunting, proprietor of The Pepperoni Grill in Boiling Springs.

Joe Abate, Program Director for Cape Fear River Watch and Brian Crounse, an event planner for the film industry who recently moved to Wilmington.

Robert Lewis of Lewis Dental Labs.

Jon Hicks chatting with Paul Whitehouse of Lopermedia.

The Big Talker Curtis Wright himself and Melinda Haynes of PrePaid Legal.

Pat Herrmann and Vincent Prisco.

Mark Evans of Green Cleaning Technicians and Paige Freeman of Sea-Comm Media.

Elaine Huston of PrePaid Legal and Rich Huston of UFirst.

Curtis, Scott Ball of Coastal Document Systems, and Russ Hauptman of Sea-Comm Media (last week I mistakenly wrote Russ's name was Doug, but he was a good sport about it).

Stephanie Williams of Edward Jones with photographer and landscaper Robert Freeman.

Elaine Huston with Jennifer Altman of SendOutCards.


Another fine turn out that was Strictly Business!

Strictly Business at Carrabbas, October 7, 2009

OK, Wednesday again, Strictly Business in a new location, Carrabba's in Wilmington. Check this networking event link for the weekly schedule.

I wondered before going in how the growing group of business networkers would fit in Carrabba's which is generally hoppin' at dinner time.

But obviously it worked out well. Right off I saw Barbara Gray (PrePaid Legal) and took this photo, after which joking that was all I needed and could leave, but I stayed.

Jon Hicks of Ethos Studios was engrossed in the news.



There's Curtis Wright, the Big Talker morning guy himself, in the dark striped shirt. Curtis is the host of the Strictly Business events.

Didn't get all the names, but for sure that's Michael Byrd of WordWrightWeb in the tie.

Here's the focus cause for this week.

Steve West of N2 Publishing was at both the Wilmington Downtown Meet & Mingle and at Strictly Business. Steve gets around. That our good friend Mary Bennies of the Town Planner on the right side of the picture.

There's another shot of Mary.

Paige Freeman, a photographer for The Big Talker (a real photographer).

Paige helped with the raffle drawings.


There's another bud, Derek Sellers, a sales guy with Sea-Comm Media, the dapper guy with the tie in the center of the photo.

Donna May of PartyLite Candles right in the middle of the action (and the photo).

The very able wait staff who took care of us at Carrabba's, Josh Taylor (leaning over the bar), Jana Parrish, Colin Wilson, and manager Jacob Peterson.


Another good time and successful business networking event. Next week at The Reel Cafe at 100 S. Front Street.