Showing results by author "Mr. Ron Thomas" in All Categories

Top Dog Radio speaks with renowned publishing icon, author, and entrepreneur extraordinaire Helen Gurley Brown (1922 – 2012). Brown was editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years until 1997, making it one of the top five best-selling magazines in the United States. She also wrote the best-selling book Sex and the Single Girl, making her a pioneer in what was to become the sexual revolution. Brown talks about her success in taking over the then-struggling Cosmopolitan magazine in 1965 and nurturing it into one of America’s cultural symbols.

Since its founding in 1962, Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem has become a landmark institution in New York City. Started by Sylvia Woods, who had to borrow money from her mother after she mortgaged her farm, the restaurant has attracted celebrity clientele from around the world, including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson. Sylvia passed away in 2012, but her entrepreneurial spirit and creative vision lives on in her son, Van, who co-owns and manages the family enterprise.

Top Dog Radio speaks with former basketball star, Albert King, whose achievements on the court led to further successes in the world of business. After his basketball career ended in 1991, he decided to enter the restaurant franchise industry, working with the Wendy’s chain. King discusses using his celebrity status to further his business success, something that all too many athletes don’t take advantage of when changing careers.

Loida Lewis is a classic American success story. Born in the Philippines, she moved to New York as a young woman and later assumed the leadership of TLC Beatrice International Holdings in 1994, helping to turn around the company’s fortunes. A year later, she was named the top U.S. woman business executive by The National Foundation for Women Business Owners and Working Woman Magazine.

Top Dog Radio speaks with a giant of the supermarket industry, John Catsimatidis, founder and CEO of Red Apple Group and Gristedes Foods, along with two other experts in the field. John Catsimatidis’ life epitomizes the American dream. Born from Greek emigrants who came to America penniless, Catsimatidis attained a top-level education and graduated from New York University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While working part-time in a family friend’s grocery store at 137th and Broadway in New York City and attending college, he was inspired to start his own grocery store in Upper Manhattan.

TOP DOG RADIO talks with Bud Konheim, a New York-based fashion guru who’s never at a loss for words, and three other leaders in the U.S. garment industry. Konheim is a partner with Nicole Miller, a leading designer (and company) based on Madison Avenue in New York City. Also taking part is Harold Lopato of Majestic Shape, Inc., which makes shoulder pads and other clothing accessories, and David Lee of KD Dids Inc., which specializes in dance and sportswear.

TOP DOG RADIO speaks with film producer, writer, theatre director and Academy Award winner David Brown (1916 – 2010). Brown formed his own film production company in the early 1970s and went on to produce over a dozen blockbuster hits, including The Sting (1973), Jaws (1975), Cocoon (1985) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989).

TOP DOG RADIO sits down with Elinor Guggenheimer, a civil leader, author, and founder and former president of the New York Women’s Agenda. Her lifelong work on behalf of women entrepreneurs and children earned her a Presidential Citizens Medal in 1997 from President Clinton. In the interview, Guggenheimer shares her challenges in breaking the glass ceiling that has historically discriminated against women in pay and career advancement.

Top Dog Radio talks with Clodagh, an Irish-born interior designer and leader of the green design movement, Karen Fisher, founder of Designer Previews and renowned “Design Matchmaker”, and Evan Galen, a leading New York-based architect and designer. The three experts in their respective fields discuss how to best meet the needs of new customers - especially those with very specific demands who “have more money than time”, and finally, the secrets of “learning what you’re looking for”.

Top Dog Radio speaks with Nina Zagat, who in 1982 co-founded Zagat Restaurant Surveys, which today has become the world’s premier restaurant guide, featuring 250,000 reports from 70 cities around the globe. Also taking part is Sirio Maccioni, Italian restaurateur and author, and New York restaurant owners David Bouley and Danny Meyer. Collectively, the four hold an enormous amount of expertise in the restaurant business, and bring forth each of their unique experiences from diverse beginnings and points of view.