WFH with 2 Guys Dennis Jackson and Benny Carreon

Thanks to all that have listened over the past year. This is episode #115 - hard to believe. This past season we had many different topics that our guests shared that hopefully you have found interesting.

We will be taking the summer off, but will be back after Labor Day.

We hope you and your teams have a safe and fun summer. Remember - the 115 episodes are in the library if you need to go back and listen to something from the past.

Contact information

Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

Great things happen when there is alignment between a company’s core values and their practice of civic leadership. Join us to hear Deborah MacFarlan Enright, Ed.D speak on Leadership After Dark’s unique approach starts with the company, integrates their associates at an intimate level and as a result provides a stronger commitment to the community. We all focus on our day job, but we can add value after work by joining a non-profit organization as a board member. To some that may sound like a challenge or something you have no idea how to do. Leadership After Dark provides tools to help a person or a company do this in a way that adds value for them and the community.


Deb founded The Macfarlan Group to work with those who seek to improve the world through the skillful disruption of the status quo.

​She is an acclaimed communicator, connector, and strategist adept at uncovering potential in individuals and groups strengthening their abilities to optimize their impact within their organization and the community. 

 Deb believes that disrupters talking across industries and interests to collectively impact social challenges will cause deep sustainable change. Her work experiences here and abroad have found her in the company of disrupters changing the world in areas including education, addiction recovery, social justice, human rights, healthcare, housing insecurity, and animal rights.


Contact Information:

Deborah MacFarlan Enright, Ed.D- https://www.leadershipafterdark.com/

Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

It's crucial to recognize the significant impact that sleep, or lack thereof, can have on our employees' productivity and overall well-being. As managers, we often overlook the various factors that can affect their sleep patterns, which in turn influence their performance during the workday.


Factors such as travel, dietary habits, level of physical activity, stress levels, and excessive use of gadgets all play a role in disrupting our employees' sleep routines and personal circadian rhythms. For instance, frequent travel can disrupt one's sleep schedule due to jet lag and changes in time zones. Unhealthy eating habits or consuming stimulants like caffeine late in the day can interfere with the ability to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. Similarly, inadequate exercise or high levels of stress can lead to restless nights and decreased sleep quality.

Moreover, the excessive use of electronic devices before bedtime, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops, can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle due to the blue light emitted by these devices, thus making it harder for individuals to fall asleep.

As managers, it's essential for us to be mindful of these factors and create a supportive environment that promotes healthy sleep habits among our employees. This could involve offering flexibility in work schedules to accommodate varying sleep needs, providing resources or workshops on stress management and sleep hygiene, and fostering a culture that prioritizes work-life balance.

By acknowledging and addressing the impact of sleep on our employees' lives, we can ultimately enhance their well-being, productivity, and satisfaction in the workplace.

Bijoy E. John, MD, is a board-certified physician and practicing sleep specialist currently in private practice with over 25 years of experience in Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Based in Nashville, TN, he treats both children and adults with various sleep disorders. Dr. John is the founder and medical director of Sleep Wellness Clinics of America which offers in-person and online consultation, education, modern diagnostic modalities, home testing, and comprehensive treatment for a full spectrum of sleep disorders. He also is the founder of Sleep Fix Academy which offers online courses, podcasts, and other resources to improve sleep quality, and serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. Dr. John is a member of the American Academy of Chest Physicians, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was recognized as one of the Top 100 Physicians in Nashville for 2022 by My Nashville magazine. Additionally, he received the Top Sleep Specialist award consecutively from 2015–2020 from Nashville Lifestyle magazine, as voted by his peers and patients. He is also mentioned in Marquis Who’s Who as one of the Top Sleep Physicians for 2023-24.

Dr. John has been happily married to Dotty for 30 years and is the proud father of two grown children. He enjoys maintaining his coral reef aquarium, playing ping pong, tennis, golf, and loves to travel.

Contact Information:
Dr. Bijoy John- https://sleepfixacademy.com/
Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

We address questions that have come in from our listeners.
1. Sales vs Business Owner
2. If I only have a small amount of Money - can I still start a business
3. What is one hard lesson you have learned
4. How to work with vendors/suppliers

Contact Information:

Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

www.wfhwith2guys.com

Matt Kroll and Mir Ateeb Ali demonstrate how seamlessly AI integrates with processes, revolutionizing tasks once labor-intensive and data-scarce. Their insights unveil a transformative shift, rendering previously arduous processes streamlined and data readily accessible. With AI's continual evolution, the landscape of operations undergoes perpetual change. As a vigilant business owner/manager, staying abreast of these developments becomes imperative, as they invariably impact your business's trajectory.


Matt Kroll is principal and founder of Chalmers St. Consulting. Chalmers St. helps companies achieve their growth potential by aligning their operations with their aspiration and engaging their employees to achieve their full potential. Chalmers St. has return hundreds of thousand to millions of dollars back to client’s margins.

Mir has successfully implemented process improvement initiatives across various domains such as Technology, Healthcare, Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Fintech, etc. These projects have delivered millions of dollars in operations efficiency and growth enhancements. With a Masters's degree in Industrial Sytems Engineering and a Green Belt certification, Mir utilizes modern-day tools and technology to enhance solutions that fit the customer's needs.

Contact Information:

Website: http://www.chalmersst.com/

Matt Kroll: mattkroll@chalmersst.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrkroll/

Mir Ateeb Ali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirateebali/

Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

www.wfhwith2guys.com

Acklen Avenue has been a remote work environment since they started back in 2011. What started as a 2 person business has grown to over 120 team members today - all working remotely. Colin shares some of the "experiments" they have done that has worked, and others that they have had to refine over time.

Key points are
1. Relationships being developed
2. Good listening
3. Having metrics that team members are measured against
4. Simply as cameras on for all meetings
5. Open communication

Most of these apply to any business but when you are remote - you have to make them your mission and commitment to create that environment that people thrive in.

Colin Callahan's passion lies in cultivating an environment conducive to employee flourishing. Serving as the CEO and co-founder of Acklen Avenue since its inception in 2011, he has dedicated himself to this endeavor. Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Colin relocated to Los Angeles at 21 to pursue studies at the Musician’s Institute. It was in 1999, while attending programming classes, that he unearthed his passion for software development. Subsequently settling in Nashville, he embarked on a career as a software engineer. Over the next decade, Colin noticed a scarcity of outstanding workplaces catering to software developers. Motivated by this realization, Colin and his business partner Byron Sommardahl founded Acklen Avenue with the vision of building an environment where employees would thrive.

Contact Information:

Colin Callahan- www.acklenavenue.com

Benny Carreon- Velocity Technology Group- benny@velocitytechnology.group

Dennis Jackson-WorX Solution- dennisj@worxsolution.com

www.wfhwith2guys.com