By Gil Pound 

P anelists at Georgia College & State University’s Nov. 17 Executive Forum gave Middle Georgia business leaders ways to keep up with the rapidly-evolving business landscape and ensure their brands stand out in a world crowded with advertising. 

The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology welcomed Lou Childs, co-founder of SlumberPod, along with Nick and Lauren Goebel, owners of digital marketing firm Goebel Media, for a marketing masterclass given in an interactive fireside chat format. 

Childs, also a GCSU Foundation trustee, swam with sharks on ABC’s hit television show, Shark Tank. Childs and her daughter took their baby/toddler travel sleeping solution to the show in 2020 and struck a deal with mogul Barbara Corcoran, securing a $400,000 investment in exchange for a 20% stake in their company. 

Among the advice shared at the forum, Childs urged business leaders to not shy away from negative comments on social media. The comment section is where customers can be won over. 

“Really monitor that stuff because it is critical for you to react or respond as soon as possible,” Childs said. “We’ve had people in our network delete bad comments. Never do that. Take it as a learning experience and make sure you end up making that person turn around. You want the public to see you doing that.” 

The panel was asked for examples of the biggest mistakes they see small businesses make. Nick and Lauren Goebel – respectively the technical and creative director for their company – gave their perspectives. 

“Marketing that’s focused on the customer is going to work; marketing that’s focused on the business isn’t,” said Lauren, a 2006 GCSU alumna. “I see that a lot these days with AI. The message gets lost when it’s focused on the business instead of who the business is serving.” 

“AI can’t help you figure out why you’re in business and it really can’t help you find your mission statement,” added Nick. “It can just help you refine it. That’s where you can lean on those types of tools.” 

Beyond the expertise, the panelists also gave the audience physical resources to utilize in their businesses, such as style guide templates and worksheets to help them find their distinct brand voice. 

“One thing that really stood out to me was how scalable marketing frameworks can empower small businesses to tell their story more effectively,” said Sarah Beth McMillan, marketing director for Century Bank in Milledgeville. “In my role, it reaffirmed how important it is for us to provide not just financial support, but also resources and guidance to our customers and to help local businesses grow.” 

An entrepreneur in the audience 

Paying especially close attention at the forum was Georgia College senior finance major, Will Means. The Suwanee native earlier this year developed his own smartphone app called PocketAce. Targeted towards college students, it allows them to upload photos of their course syllabus schedules. The app then pulls all assignments, reading and exams into a calendar to help students better manage time with their busy course loads. 

Means’ main takeaway was that operating a business is a constant learning process. 

“I think people see business owners as already knowing what they’re doing,” Means said. “For me as a student and a business owner, I see it as you’re always figuring it out along the way. You’re always learning. You don’t start your business knowing everything. It’s a developmental process.” 

The College of Business & Technology’s Executive Forum series will continue next semester with dates and guest speakers to be announced. 

Header Images: Panelists Nick and Lauren Goebel along with SlumberPod co-founder Lou Childs gave the Executive Forum audience a marketing masterclass. (Photos: Janelle Tyler) Additional file photo from Childs' 'Shark Tank' appearance.