EY Southeast Winners - Unlocking Excellence

I love being a judge for EY's Entrepreneur Of The Year? Southeast because I always learn something new. My key takeaway for this year is to focus on doing what you already do extremely well rather than reinventing the wheel.

Against the Odds

Take Rod McDaniel , the CEO of S3 Recycling Solutions for example. He is an African American from Tennessee and the son of a teenage mom. She had him when she was just 15 years old. He went on to become an Eagle Scout and began working at the company that he now owns!? When he was young, his mother provided for him in every way possible, working any job she could. One day, Rod was able to return the favor - buying her a home and a car and supporting her when she returned to school to get her own education!!? S3 has been going since 2007, and it’s a pretty solid business that provides many jobs and contributes to the economy. Rod started by taking cell phones, tablets, and computers, fixing them up, and returning them to their owners, and then he got a few big contracts. Now, S3 is all over the Southeast and Canada, recycling technology and making companies more sustainable (and doing it really well). Rod’s journey is heartwarming, and he’s an incredible storyteller.?

Rising Above

Then, there is Anisa Telwar Kaicker , founder and CEO of Anisa International, Inc. which operates from Atlanta, Georgia. Another incredible personal story. She produces and supplies makeup brushes for 50% of the world’s most influential beauty brands – and all the products are cruelty-free. There were so many challenges she had to overcome along her career journey. Still, she created these incredible products, patented them, and owned the factory that makes them! She always doubted herself because she never went to college and thought she had no value – that’s unbelievable! And that took determination, grit, and all kinds of stuff for a female-owned business to operate in multiple countries and take a massive chunk of the global market share! She is an amazing innovator. Sure, makeup brushes are makeup brushes, but then you get the BEST ones made by Anisa and her company!?

A healthcare legend

Another impressive person on the winners list for 2024 is Shane Jackson , President of Jackson Healthcare , and I wish he’d run for President of this country! He’s a real legend in the world of healthcare. His company has this whole ecosystem going; they specialize in healthcare staffing, recruitment, and technology, and they help hospitals and medical facilities find the right people and tech needed to provide the best healthcare possible. They also connect healthcare professionals with various job opportunities, and this business is driven by wanting to help people and make a difference in patients' lives.? Shane feels like the smartest man I’ve met in a very long time and is hard at work trying to improve the world.?

A Commitment to Excellence?

Then there’s Diane Alexander , who sold her business for 50 million dollars! The “door guy” Wayne Foreman - because we all need doors, right, and this guy makes good doors! I could go on and on to tell you about the Southeast winners' incredible life stories and amazing businesses. Again, what they do is not all rocket science - some of the businesses they run offer basic goods and services, but what makes them all stand out is their absolute commitment to doing it as well as possible - that’s what makes them stand head and shoulders above anyone else.

What’s amazing is that people were thanking me for being a judge, and I’m like – are you kidding me? It’s like getting a dopamine hit; being an EY judge is such an inspiration. Thank you for having me!