10/13/2026
Some opportunities add a line to your résumé. Others expand your vision, strengthen your leadership, and open doors for everyone connected to your work.
This pass week I was honored and deeply grateful to have been selected to participate in the first Coca-Cola Mentor-Protégé Program in partnership with the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation Small Business Impact Institute.
Over three immersive days, we explored the building blocks of sustainable business growth, from financial management, HR best practices and employee retention to community engagement, standard operating procedures and procurement.
But this experience went far beyond information.
It created space for honest conversations, practical application and exercises that challenged us to examine how we lead, operate and scale our businesses. It confirmed what I teach and passionately help others with, that sustainable growth requires more than ambition. It requires strong systems, sound financial foundations, intentional leadership and a culture where people genuinely want to contribute and grow.
One impactful moment was seeing corporate culture in action through Coca-Cola UNITED’s commitment to workforce development and hands-on community service. In their community efforts they helped a young woman experiencing homelessness find a new path and now she is part of the Coca Cola team. We got to share a meal with her and hear her touching story. It was a reminder that leadership isn’t just strategy and systems; it’s also about people, dignity, and second chances.
This experience adds tremendous value to my professional journey, but that value does not stop with me.
Every lesson I gain strengthens what I can offer the people and businesses that trust me. It allows me to bring greater insight, stronger strategies and more practical tools into every collaboration. As I grow, I become better equipped to help others build, lead and move toward opportunities that may have once felt beyond their reach.
I am not simply walking through an open door. I am learning how to hold that door open for others.
Thank you to Lawrenceville Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc., Gwinnett Chamber Foundation, Alton Rut