Greg DeKalb and Tony Paolella talk about their business methodologies and how networking for leads has evolved dramatically during the pandemic.
Greg and Tony are no strangers. Together they Co-Founded Tony P's networking events a couple of years ago. Both are notorious entrepreneurs always staying on the cutting edge of business trends.
For Tony, his flair for connecting people and throwing events dates all the way back to college as he took over the Rush events for his fraternity at University of Illinois. He tells Greg about his transition from the Clinical Psychologist track to the revelation that business, sales, and marketing were his true callings.
One of Tony's major keys, as you'll hear him expand upon, is learning the art of making things like events more cost effective for everybody: Always provide something of value first before you ask for something in return.
Listen as these two colleagues talk about everything they've learned along the way from digital marketing, using statistical data, what goes in to starting your own company, and tips on how to be successful.
Originally from Centralia in Southern Illinois, Greg DeKalb has become quite the mover and shaker in Chicago focused on launching start-ups. After receiving his B.S. from Eastern University and an MBA from DePaul, Greg followed his entrepreneurial passion creating his own company, AppointmentsIQ, an on-demand sales and recruitment firm aimed at humanizing the process and encouraging engagement amongst decision makers.
Together with his long-time friend, Tony Paoella, he co-founded Tony P's Networking Events planning and executing energetic networking experiences all over Chicago that give professionals an opportunity to meet and make meaningful connections. Proven to be wildly successful, even if you haven't met Greg personally, chances are you've been to a Tony P event. While expanding the reach and depth of Tony P's to other networking groups like Green in Chi, he's also been busy scaling his solutions thus far nationwide by building a proprietary SaaS Digital Marketing Platform technology.
While he's not busy launching start-ups or spending time with his kids, Greg makes it a priority to give back to the Chicago community. He's currently a board member for St. Jude's Global Warriors and A Boy and His Dream Foundation. A big believer in the values that were instilled in him by his parents, Greg is committed to serve as an inspiration to his own kids reminding them to stay true to themselves, stay focused, and always create.
