Exeleon Magazine: Trailblazing Leaders

Embracing Excellence
www.exeleonmagazine.com
Pranav
Arora
M A K I N G S U C C E S S
A H A B I T
In
Conversation
withJordan
Fischer
AmyBuynoski:
ATrailblazer
inthe
Residential
Lending
Industry
IN - FOCUS
IN - FOCUS
LEADERS TO FOLLOW
IN 2022
Trail blazing
WRITTEN BY:
DR. THOMAS J. BUSSEN
Diversityand
Inclusion,or
Beautybut
nottheBeast

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Embracing Excellence

C O N T E N T S
PRANAV ARORA
12

C O N T E N T S
SUNNY DHAROD
28

C O N T E N T S
VERONICA BAY
40

Pranav
Arora
Head of Division at Just Funky
CEO at JMTD Holdings
C O V E R S T O R Y
WWW.EXELEONMAGAZINE.COM 13

A
trailblazer is someone who
truly sets themselves up for
success. They are known to
be innovators and do things that
have never been done before. They
welcome problems and gain
momentum by overcoming them.
Trailblazers bring everything they
have to accomplish their goals —
through their vision, their passion,
their determination, and their
willingness to learn. As leaders,
they question assumptions, take
risks, and transform the present for
a diﬀerent future.
One such pioneer who exudes
unmatched drive, passion and rigor
is Pranav Arora. Pranav is the Head
of Division at Just Funky, a family-
owned premier manufacturer with
more than four decades of
combined experience in
manufacturing, licensing, retail, and
creative development and oﬀers
manufacturing of licensed and
private label merchandise.
He is also the CEO of JMTD
Holdings, a private equity irm
providing capital and invaluable
partnerships to globally recognized
industry leaders.
Pranav believes that
entrepreneurship isn't easy,
“Sometimes it may feel easy when
everything is going right, but the
hard work comes when you're
trying to make it out on the other
side of a nightmare week,” he adds.
Despite facing several trials and
tribulations in life and business, he
truly feels that if someone has all
the traits listed above, this is what
will set them up as revolutionary
leaders in their industries.
HIS MILLION-DOLLAR
EXPERIENCE
Imagine a world where
experimentation becomes central in
our lives as opposed to an
afterthought.
That's the life Pranav has led from
his early years.
“Business has been in my blood as
far as I can remember,” he says. And
he kept the feeling of experimenting
alive by being on top of things and
letting his curiosity glide.
“I would constantly share my
business ideas with my parents
from a young age,” he says. Then, in
middle school, he started his irst
"business," where he would sell
packs of gum and pencils to his
classmates in between classes.
“This was my irst taste of
entrepreneurship; I was in love,” he
recalls fondly.
As a 16-year-old, he started his irst
successful venture, Highly
Educated. “I spent all of my spare
time throughout high school and
the irst half of college growing my
business, and then eventually
dropped out of college to devote my
full attention to my company,” he
says.
This was the time where he learned
to organize, to collaborate, to sell, to
think like an entrepreneur. He
learned—often unconsciously—and
earned practical knowledge that
turned out to be a great advantage
in hindsight.
Little did he know that his early
entrepreneurial experience was the
ideal preparation for leading his
own businesses later in life. “It was
the best decision I ever made. That
was my irst million-dollar
company and is what stoked the ire
in me to continue that pace into
today,” he shares.
EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS OF JUST
FUNKY
Just Funky was not an overnight
success. It took over four decades, a
dedicated team, a muscle for
adaptability and continuous
innovation to get the brand's name
on the map.
Based out of Ohio, Pranav Arora
brings his rich experience in the
business, media and inance
industries and he upholds his
Making
a
Success
:
Habit
14 EXELEON MAGAZINE
C O V E R S T O R Y

family-owned business in the
highest regard.
Currently, Just Funky's specialty
areas include drinkware, impulse
and novelty items, decor, and
apparel. The company has more
than 20,000 independent retail
partners across North America
and, more recently, the European
Union.
Their products can be found at a
number of big-name retailers,
which bolstered their success.
This includes the likes of Hot
Topic, Gamestop, Target, and
Spencer's. Pranav and his team
set goals with an end in mind
which eventually resulted in the
global expansion of their of ices
in Los Angeles, New Delhi, Ohio,
London, and Hong Kong.
As a serial entrepreneur, he
realizes that it's integral to play
games you understand and
deliver beyond customers'
expectations.
With that vision in his heart, his
company's main goal is to create
the most innovative product with
unmatched quality. “We focus on
brainstorming new ideas and
being able to translate them to
actual products for mainstream
retail,” he says.
Just Funky stood the test of time
as a premiere manufacturer of
licensed and private label
merchandise for decades and
Pranav feels that there are many
reasons for this.
Firstly, it is the warm yet
dominant feeling of
belongingness. He says, “There's
a certain sense of community
that cannot be replicated by
other retailers.” It is because of
this; his company is able to
continuously extend superior and
customized services to their
clients and customers.
Secondly, he feels that it's the
ability to create thousands of
products that set Just Funky
apart from its competitors. Later,
his team forged ahead to
collaborate with some of the
world's largest brands, without
sacri icing two key elements:
quality and innovation.
These two reasons have also
helped the company to be
recognized as the 'Top Consumer
Goods Company by Business of
Shopping'.
BLAZING THE
ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAIL
It takes forever to build a
business and stay the course for
years, let alone four decades.
Pranav credits this extraordinary
success of the brand to the
entrepreneurial spirit of his team
and loyal customers.
Currently, Pranav serves as the
Head of Division at Just Funky.
His responsibilities include
overseeing all the units and
divisions, heading up special
projects, and improving B2B and
B2C relationships.
Invariably, the entrepreneurial
ride up until here wasn't easy.
Pranav recalls his journey to be
an exciting one from the very
beginning as it had several
breakdowns and breakthroughs.
‘‘
Entrepreneurship
will sometimes
make you feel
alienated from
the rest of the
world. But if you
believe in what
you're doing, your
hard work and
determination will
pay off and you’ll
be so proud of
yourself for not
letting anything
get in the way of
your dreams.

RENEUR
Trailblazing

“It comes with its fair share of
challenges —something that every
entrepreneur goes through,” he
says. However, problem-solving is
one of his favorite parts of
entrepreneurship, so that has
taught him a thing or two.
But he doesn't think there's
anything he would do differently if
he were to start over again.
However, there is one thing that he
feels he would work on: To accept
that not everyone is going to have
your back. “That was a dif icult
realization to have, and I struggled
with it a lot at irst, so that could
have saved me a little grief at the
start of my entrepreneurial
journey,” he says.
Outside of his professional
endeavors, he is an avid
philanthropist who supports many
causes, including funding education
efforts and helping children in
need.
He is Chairman of the Board for The
Arora Foundation, which provides
educational opportunities and
resources to underprivileged and
marginalized communities, and
Vice President and Chairman of the
Board of Directors for The Just
Funky Foundation, an award-
winning non-pro it organization
passionate about creating
opportunities for students
everywhere.
THE BEST BUSINESS ADVICE
Being successful means learning
from people who have already
accomplished their dreams. And
having a mentor is a blessing to any
entrepreneur but not everyone can
ind one in person.
In case you haven't found your
personal business mentor, here's
one piece of advice that Pranav has
for young and aspiring
entrepreneurs: Never give up.
He believes that courage is like a
muscle — the more you exercise it,
the stronger it becomes. This is
especially useful when there would
be days where you would question
the outcome of your efforts and not
everyone would believe in your
vision, including your family and
friends. The key to this is to trust
the process, put faith in yourself
and ind a way to overcome the
obstacles.
He also feels that entrepreneurship
will sometimes make you feel
alienated from the rest of the world.
“But if you believe in what you're
doing, your hard work and
determination will pay off and
you'll be so proud of yourself for
not letting anything get in the way
of your dreams,” he adds.
The world is brimming with new ideas, but success comes to
those who take action. After inding fortune and success,
Pranav is optimistic about Just Funky's future.
He says, “I think the future is bright. We will continue to
onboard new talent everyday which is extremely important
for our success.”
Additionally, he is humbled by the immense growth of his
brand as it has a growing global presence with of ices in
Ohio, Boca Raton, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and India,
boasting hundreds of employees.
Interestingly, he is also the sole founder of Just Funky's sister
ecommerce company, Stunned Mind, which is on its way to
become one of the world's leading commerce companies.
Besides being a serial entrepreneur, investor, and venture
capitalist, he loves to spend his time with family and travel
around the world.
A Booming
F U T U R E
19
C O V E R S T O R Y
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VP Builder Service Manager
South State Bank Mortgage
22 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

AMY
BUYNOSKI
A Trailblazer in the
Residential Lending Industry
evisiting the past year, many
changes took place because
of an all-consuming
pandemic worldwide. With
disruption setting up the new
normal, great strides are being
taken by real estate players to
capitalize on this through advanced
and innovative methods. However,
home ownership comes with its
own set of challenges for the
buyers. The lack of transparency,
mounds of paperwork, and
unnecessary delays can be an
intimidating process for potential
home seekers, especially irst-time
retail buyers.
To help combat these issues, Amy
Buynoski is changing the face of the
mortgage industry through her
simple solutions. Amy is a lending
of icer at South State Bank with
almost 20 years of experience and
leads a team that provides
unparalleled service to her clients.
According to Amy a leader is
someone “who can see how things
can be improved and will go above
and beyond to achieve their vision.
They are someone who shares the
same goals and values as their team
which allows them to achieve their
goals.” She also believes being
emphatic is another key attribute
that de ines a leader and helps form
long-lasting connections with
people.
INITIATING EASY MORTGAGE
SOLUTIONS
Amy began her journey in the
mortgage industry by taking a class
to become an appraiser. She quickly
realized that she wanted to have
more day-to-day contact with
people. This elevated her to become
a lending of icer and it has been her
one and only career since then.
During her journey, she fell in love
with helping people and making
their dream of homeownership a
reality.
South State Bank's mission is to
make the mortgage process easy.
Amy and the BuyNow Team started
their relationship with South State
in December of 2019. From the
beginning, they were supported by
a staﬀ that truly cared about the
customer experience. This was
done by ensuring that there are
loan of icers to work closely with
R
23
I N – F O C U S

the clients at every step of the way.
Amy and her team do not look at a
customer as just another
application, and thus found it
important to be with a company
that understands the customer's
pain points and inds sustainable
results.
STRIVING & THRIVING THROUGH
COVID-19
As with all industries, COVID-19 has
had a drastic impact on the entire
Financial Services industry and has
allowed banks, such as South State
Bank, to provide their clients with a
more ef icient experience through
improved technology.
While the face-to-face aspect of the
Financial Services industry may be
evolving, South State has been able
to thrive in this new environment
with their exceptional technology
features and personalized customer
services to each client. Now, more
than ever, the client deserves to feel
a more personal connection to their
inancial institution, and Amy and
her team are proud to provide that
in each aspect of their bank.
“COVID hit and we had to adjust our
normal way of going about doing
loans, but through the thick of
COVID we were supported and
given the best tools to end 2020 on
a great note,” she recalls.
Amy also credits South State's
lexibility to provide all the
resources and tools that were
needed to continue with the work.
She says, “We found ways to
communicate without being in the
same of ice as other staﬀ. Through
zoom, teams, and the good old
fashion telephone we kept open
communication with everyone. We
stayed competitive with rates by
following the market and keeping
up with the day-to-day news.”
AMY AND HER DYNAMIC TEAM
Everyone on the BuyNow team
shares the same goal — ensuring
optimal client satisfaction. Amy
says, “Each team member has
responsibilities to ensure the client
is receiving timely updates and are
meeting contractual deadlines.” She
believes her team's determination,
talent, and like-minded goals are
key drivers in making her succeed
as a trailblazing leader.
Additionally, her team are experts
in the residential lending industry
who keep their borrowers informed
throughout the process, so they
know what is happening at each
step. They like to think outside the
box when solving problems for
their clients. Besides this, they also
oﬀer complimentary second
opinions for borrowers to compare
lenders and ensure they have made
the best inancial decision for
themselves and their family. The
positive letters and emails from
customers are a huge testament to
the quality of services that are
delivered.
Amy believes in forming a deep
relationship with her clients and
their future, “We are not the
transaction team. We view it as
being a part of someone's story and
the impact it has on them, their
family, and their future. We love
connecting with people.” In
addition, the collective experience
of her and her team has allowed
them to navigate through almost
every situation, fearlessly.
Another fact that brings out the
best out of the BuyNowTeam is
their communication channel. “I
have open communication with my
clients from the very beginning,”
she adds. They personally call their
clients and ensure all the options
are in a lucid and digestible form.
Moreover, providing detailed emails
with reminders of things to-do and
not-to-do like including 10
Commandments of Home Buying,
whiteboard videos, and in-process
milestone emails makes the
interaction more trustworthy,
personal, and wholesome.
However, for any young leader
looking to enter the Financial
Services industry, Amy would
highly recommend that opportunity
for long-term personal and
professional growth. “Throughout
my career in this industry, I have
experienced so much growth in
both aspects of my life and will
cherish those rewards and
memories long after the next
generation of young professionals
have entered the workforce,” she
concludes.
AN EMPOWERING ROAD AHEAD
The Financial Services industry is
growing more complex and more
competitive with each passing day
and South State is striving to leave
their mark for the long-term in this
industry. As cut-throat as the
business may be, it cannot replace
how you treat people and the
services you provide clients.
Partners will remember the process
24 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

and how they were treated.
Customer service and experience
will win every time. People will
want to work with people who they
can trust, and who they know care
about them and their future. Amy is
excited to be a part of such a great
institution and knows the best is
yet to come for South State Bank,
her team, and her community.
While uncovering her future course
of actions for the company, she says,
“In the next few years I see the
South State growing and becoming
well-known throughout the South.
We are constantly looking for the
next direction in how to better the
Bank and in the past year and a half
we have already doubled. I am
excited about the South State's
future.”
Amy's heart is illed with gratitude
for the work she gets to do every
day. “I am thankful that I have a
career that allows me to make a
diﬀerence in someone's life. I am
also thankful that my career has
allowed me to meet so many
wonderful people and the
friendships I have built over the
years. The day is not easy, but it is
incredibly rewarding, and I honestly
love my job and the people I work
with,” she concludes.
25
I N – F O C U S

SUNNY
DHAROD
PRINCIPAL|SILVERSTARREALESTATE
28 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

THERISINGSTALWARTOF
THEREALESTATEINDUSTRY
eal estate has enabled many
Rpeople to turn over a new
leaf in life, it is a ield that
can create very lucrative and
rewarding careers for those who ind
success in it. That said, it also
demands hard work, remarkable
acumen and a lot of desire.
Consequently, it is important to be
armed with the right insights and
attitude to optimize your path to
success and be the next real estate
mogul.
Amidst the uproar of numerous real
estate entrepreneurs, one distinctive
story that stands out is that of Sunny
Dharod's.
As the Principal of Silver Star Real
Estate, Sunny strives to provide the
best communities and services in his
markets possible for his residents.
Moreover, the company's mission is
to improve assets and drive value for
its investors.
The foundation of his leadership is
based on a quote that has captivated
him since childhood, “It is not the
strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent. It
is the one that is most adaptable to
change, that lives within the means
available and works cooperatively
against common threats.” It took a
long time for him to grasp the full
meaning of this quote but as time
went by he seemed to understand it
more and more.
UNCERTAIN BEGINNINGS
Sunny's growing up years were
fueled with his enthusiasm and
inquisitive mindset. During his
younger years he wanted to play in
the NBA but since that didn't work
out, he soon found a new area to
explore – the restaurant industry.
Therein, Sunny was involved at all
diﬀerent levels; from being a crew
member to handling drive-throughs
to becoming a shift leader and inally
a manager. He eventually started his
own pizza concept for a brief period
as well. “Working in restaurants for
that period of time taught me many
valuable lessons and gave me a
newfound respect for those who
work in the food service industry,” he
recalls.
Although Sunny learned many things
from the restaurant business, he did
not have a passion for it. In 2013,
Sunny took a risk and began a new
journey in real estate. He started oﬀ
with managing a small residential
multifamily community in Buena
Park. “The process of learning the
day-to-day management and later
going through a full renovation
program at this property taught me a
lot in a very short amount of time,”
he says. By 2015, Sunny had a grasp
on what to look for in a good
multifamily investment and began
his journey into real estate
acquisitions.
Shaking hands with success in the
real estate industry was illed with a
mixed bag of challenges and
opportunities for Sunny. His journey
has been successful so far but not
without meaningful lessons along
the way that have helped to shape
his life and career today. “It's been an
incredible process to have gone from
a kid who didn't know where his
passion would lie to growing into
someone who wants to open every
door possible in his craft,” he recalls.
MUSTARD SEED ROOTS
In the most unanticipated of ways, a
very small idea with the right
strategy and execution can become
an empire. The genesis of Silver Star
was actually the result of a
suggestion from one of the IT guys at
the original irm. Years of successful
restaurant operations had built up
excess cash reserves in the
company's bank accounts that were
earning such low amounts of interest
that the money wasn't even keeping
up with in lation. It was with this
capital that the company began
buying multifamily assets after one
of the IT members made the
suggestion and thus Silver Star was
born. “We needed a place to put the
money and one of our IT guys
actually suggested apartment
buildings. It's crazy how things can
begin but de initely happy things
turned out the way they did,” Sunny
adds.
29
I N – F O C U S

Sunny believes that one of the
advantages his irm has is the “ability
to quickly adapt and implement new
strategies to maximize growth year
over year.” He also takes a very
different approach in inding
solutions to diverse problems. “I
don't look at things from just one
angle or have one cure all strategy
for anything that comes up, each
moment and situation is different so
I try to be the missing piece of
whatever puzzle we are trying to
solve at that given time,” he
comments.
As Principal, Sunny believes it's most
important to master all aspects of
ones profession because “at the end
of the day the company's direction
and ultimately its success or failure
depends on your decisions.” He adds,
“On some days I need to igure out
why our team is unable to rent a
particular unit at a particular price
and the next I may be focusing on
iguring out how to best inance a
deal we just got under contract.”
LEADING WITHOUT LIMITATIONS
There were many businesses that
were forced to shut shop due to the
impact of COVID-19. Despite the
pandemic wreaking havoc, Silver
Star's continued success was an
outcome of its adaptability.
Throughout this time, Sunny
overcame uncertainties that gave
him the con idence to go after his
goals with even more conviction.
Between 2015 to 2020, Sunny
relentlessly worked towards inding,
inancing and closing deals in a
competitive industry. Many
mornings he was up as early as 4am
responding to emails to and planning
the priority items out in order to
keep up with the inancings and
acquisitions of different projects.
When COVID hit, as someone true to
his word, Sunny followed through
and closed every deal that he had
under contract at the time. “Almost
all irms including ours decided to
hold off on putting new deals under
contract until we had a better grasp
on what the exact effects of COVID
would be on multifamily assets and
the economy as a whole,” he says.
Silver Star was not shaken when
most people got spooked and backed
out of deals and potential
partnerships.
On a personal front, Sunny did not
let the impact of the pandemic
dampen his spirits. He illed his time
with many things that he wasn't able
to do while he was working. He used
this time to improve on many things
outside of work such as eating
healthy, working out, spending more
time with family and his dogs,
playing basketball, re-learning the
piano, reading ictional and
informational books, while also
keeping tabs on additional aspects of
real estate and other types of
businesses. “I tried to make the best
of a bad time and I believe I ended
up using the time very wisely.”
ADVICE FOR EMERGING LEADERS
Every decision involves the balance
of risk and returns. Foraying into the
past, if there's one thing that Sunny
wished he would have done
differently it was to start in real
estate earlier, probably right out of
high school. “It took a good amount
of time to get a irm grasp of
multifamily investing and iguring
out what types of assets and
locations were best to buy. But really
all it took was putting in the time
and gaining the experience,” he
states.
When Sunny started out in this
business, the biggest roadblock to
his success was his own self he
stated. Though early on he had much
to learn he many times doubted his
capabilities and over estimated
others' which ended up holding him
back and slowing down his growth.
“It's de initely a process. I think the
most important thing is in the
beginning you have to put the time in
and just saturate yourself in your
chosen craft, sharpen yourself to the
point where things start to become
second nature. Once you're there,
believe in yourself and your
capabilities keep sharpening and
never lose the curiosity to learn
more. At a certain point the faith in
oneself just comes and you get to a
place where things actually start
coming to you.”
GOALS IN EXPANSION
Leadership is about having the right
outlook, setting the exact tone, and
making changes in turbulent times.
While sharing his future plans for
the company, Sunny said, “the sky's
the limit for Silver Star.” He is excited
about future possibilities with Silver
Star's solid foundation and its
current trajectory. “The future is
bright as long as the foundation that
the company was built upon is
carried forward,” he concludes.
On a personal front, Sunny is focused
on expanding his mind every day and
becoming the best version of himself.
“I don't know what the future has in
store for me but I'm de initely
enjoying the journey,” he says.
30 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

31
I N – F O C U S

In nversation with
Jordan
Fischer
or Jordan Fischer, it was inevitable
Fto enter the ield of law. Growing
up, she was surrounded by people
who worked in law, including her father
who owned a law practice irm.
She knew it was her calling to become a
lawyer. Over the years, Jordan has built a
unique reputation in the legal space by
recognizing her opportunities and taking
a leap of faith.
Today, she is the Global Privacy Team
Lead at Octillo, a remote-based law irm
that focuses exclusively on data privacy,
cybersecurity, and technology law.
In this Exclusive Interview, Jordan
Fischer talks about her journey, the legal
industry, and Octillo.
What according to you makes one a
transformational leader? How do you
integrate the same thought into your
leadership?
Transformational leaders are willing to
look outside of the box and explore the
unknown. They ind ways to incorporate
their team into brainstorming and
solution-oriented approaches. A
transformational leader understands
that their role is to remove roadblocks
and challenges for the team so that each
team member can thrive and succeed in
her role.
Talk to us about your growing up
years. What is your earliest memory
as a leader/entrepreneur that you can
remember?
Growing up, I bene ited from my parents
that strongly supported my desire to
34 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

Global Privacy Team Lead
Octillo
35
I N – F O C U S

create new and unique
opportunities, and they also
encouraged me to continue to reach
further. My leadership skills were
honed early in my life through my
girl scout troop, where I worked
with fellow girl scouts to develop
community projects and to learn
key life-long skills.
What prompted your interest
and subsequently your foray into
the legal space?
My desire to pursue a legal career
began before I was born, with my
father owning his own law practice.
In a sense, I grew up surrounded by
the law, the people who work in the
law, and the unique challenges
lawyers are privileged to address.
Through this early exposure, I
continued to ind the law incredibly
interesting. I liked the challenge of
reading a rule and inding ways to
interpret and apply that law. It felt
like a natural step to become a
lawyer.
Being the Global Privacy Team
Lead, what role do you play in the
day-to-day proceedings of the
company?
Each member of our team is a
pivotal part of our day-to-day
operations. I see my core role as
two-fold: irst, to work through any
roadblocks for the team.
Roadblocks could result from a
need to research issues, organizing
workloads, or addressing client
expectations. Secondly, my role
involves interfacing with clients on
strategic initiatives and continuing
to ind opportunities for us to
provide value to those clients. Both
roles go hand-in-hand and require a
sound knowledge of the law and the
business.
Talk to us about Octillo and what
makes it stand out as a leading
technology law irm?
Octillo is unique, both in the area of
law it focuses on, as well as in the
way we practice law. First, Octillo is
a remote-based law irm that
focuses exclusively on data privacy,
cybersecurity, and technology law.
Our irm provides legal insight and
guidance in regulatory compliance,
incident response, and complex
litigation. Second, we understand
that our clients are businesses with
strategic initiatives and goals. We
strive to develop creative solutions,
both in how we solve problems and
in how we relate to our clients and
provide our services. We use
alternative pricing models that it a
wide range of needs, allowing us to
be a value-added partner for all our
clients, regardless of size, industry,
or legal ask.
Looking back at your journey,
what would you have done
diﬀerent when starting out?
Honestly, I feel incredibly grateful
for my journey, both the ups and
downs. One thing I continue to
work on is trusting myself and my
own unique entrepreneurial path. It
may not look like the careers of my
colleagues or law school classmates
and that is completely ine. In fact,
The most exciting aspect of Octillo is that we
are poised to really harness some unique
opportunities in the future. We have an
incredible team that is genuine, engaged, and
prepared to address this incredibly dynamic
and fast-paced area of the law. Our embrace of
technology will allow us to continue to re-
imagine the way we practice law and provide
key support to our clients to prepare for and
address new regulatory spaces, changing
technology, and an increasingly global
economy. The unknown in this area of the law is
bothscaryandexciting,butourteamisreadyto
embracewhatevercomesnext.
Finally, what does the future look
like for you and Octillo?
36 EXELEON MAGAZINE
I N – F O C U S

it allows me to really embrace my
creativity to think out of the box
and go for something completely
new.
What would be your advice for
aspiring and emerging leaders in
the legal space?
Take the leap. It feels incredibly
scary, and impossible, but it is the
most rewarding experience. I have
learned so many new skills and
experienced opportunities I never
could have imagined had I not
taken that leap. And, I have met
incredible, generous people who
have provided support to me in
innumerable ways. This community
is what I am so thankful for and
those people I may never have met
had I not taken the leap of faith in
myself. Many members of this legal,
technology, cybersecurity, and
privacy community played and
continue to play a key role in my
everyday growth and evolution as a
lawyer, entrepreneur, and leader. I
am forever grateful for this.
37
I N – F O C U S

Veronica Bay
he world has been moving through times of great transitions, leading it to be illed with both
Topportunities and challenges. In these times of transition, it takes a unique leader to not just meet
these demands but deliver a better future and progress. These leaders are proactive in nature and
understandtheneedtocapitalizeonthechangeinordertogetaheadofothers.
Veronica Bay is a perfect example of such a pioneer leader who capitalized on her understanding of the
travelindustryandcreatedaconciergeagencythatoﬀersacompleteservicecateringtohigh-endclients.
In the following interview with Exeleon Magazine, Veronica talks about her love for being an outgoing
person and how that personality trait helped her become a pioneer in the Business Concierge Services
Industry.
What according to you makes one a
pioneering leader? How do you integrate the
same thought into your leadership?
I believe that a PIONEERING leader is a
courageous and open-minded person that
expands beyond conventional vision. That allows
him or her create a unique brand and reach new
heights in providing extraordinary customer
service.
Founding an internationally operated Concierge
service I was challenged to keep my mind, eyes
and ears open to anticipate customer's needs.
Many concierge services oﬀer a number of leisure
and lifestyle services, but we aimed to go beyond
that. Our high-pro ile clientele needs a
comprehensive service portfolio that covers
everything regarding their leisure with no
exception.
Entertaining, corporate, and private party are
often neglected or left for club promoters. The
Only Intl had been founded to cover this niche. We
take care of high-end entertainment up to a very
small detail: from private aviation to villa rental
and boat charter, ground transportation, private
chef, DJ, party models, massage, security, table
reservations and much more. We are happy to
welcome families, but I used to say that we are a
Wolf of Wall Street type of party markers. Our
clients work hard and party harder, they know
exactly what they want, and we are con ident to
cater to their needs.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What
is your earliest memory as a
leader/entrepreneur that you can remember?
I had always been an outgoing kid. My Mother
recalls that I have learned talking before I could
walk and I used to loudly introduce myself from
mother's lap to everyone eager to listen. Through
the middle school I was popular being an athlete
and a class leader. Since my teen age I had taken
charge of my life by traveling the world and
making unconventional decisions such as
choosing ilm directing as a trade, making an
award-making ilm The Outsider in a developing
country of Morocco, traveling the world and
inally founding The Only International, an agency
for HNWI that reinvents concierge services.
What led to the start of a luxury concierge?
What was the idea behind the name of the
venture?
E X C L U S I V E F E A T U R E
41

I used to date a gentleman who is well-off and shares my
passion for traveling. We visited many countries and
stayed in the best hotels and villas worldwide. I have
developed a taste for luxury real estate, upscale
restaurants, and yachting. But overall, I had been
smitten with the highest standards of service that I have
observed at the iconic hospitality and entertainment
venues. I learned that every detail matters: from a scent
at a luxury hotel entrance, to Egyptian cotton bedding,
light and sound design in top restaurants, wine
selection, staff training and much more.
Following my travel adventures on Instagram
@veronica_bay_travel my friends kept asking for advice
on where to stay and best places to dine in Tulum, to get
access to the hottest beach and night clubs, pull a last-
minute villa or a yacht booking in Mykonos and so on.
That is how I decided to create a concierge agency that
will provide a 360 degrees service that caters for
demanding players and operated under the slogan:
Whatever, Whenever, Wherever.
The Only Intl brand ultimately re lects our mission of
serving all the clients' needs: from villa rental and boat
charter to private air and ground transportation,
ultimate venue bookings, private parties, catering and
chef services, security, party entertainment and much
more. A client inds everything in one place and does not
need to go elsewhere.
What are the various factors and challenges that one
needs to focus on when arranging such an elaborate
service?
The Only internationals caters for successful and
sophisticated clients who are leisure connoisseurs. This
elite clientele is used to only the best things in life and
regularly entertain friends and business partners in
luxury premises, restaurants, and yachts all over the
world. To keep up with elevated requests and stand out
from the completion The Only Intl has become an ever-
expanding and ever-developing project. We constantly
acquire new suppliers and extending our service scope.
Constant progress is the only way to stand out and
remain relevant in a fast-changing market of hospitality
and leisure.
Being a fashion photographer, educator, public
speaker, ilmmaker, entrepreneur, among others,
how do you ensure work-life balance?
I don't have any (laughs). I am a workaholic and I have a
kick from accomplishing yet another set goal. I am very
competitive and being n1 in what I do is extremely
important for me. I am aware that in order to stay
healthy I should perhaps take more time off but I don't
see it in a foreseeable future.
What has the journey been like for Veronica Bay over the
years? Looking back, what would you have done
differently if you were to start again?
Generally, I live by the motto 'no regrets' but if I could
change the past, I wish to spend more time with my
family and learn better work/life balance. However, the
journey was amazing, and I have enjoyed every bit of it. I
am type of a person who would rather live on edge then
lead a boring life. 9 to 5 of ice is certainly not my cup of
tea. I'm grateful for being able to travel, meet new
exciting people, grow personally and professionally,
change… My journey is exciting and I'm well enjoying
the ride.
What has been the biggest roadblock during your
journey? What has been your biggest learning?
I don't really believe in roadblocks of external nature… I
only believe that delays in one's journey are caused by
his or her laziness or fear. I don't see any other reasons
for a drawback. Also, one can get stuck in or keep
coming back to unfavorable circumstances to learn a
lesson that must be learned before moving forward.
I'm not an exception. One of my roadblocks is my
obsession with work. I may lose sleep and neglect
healthy food and workouts when I'm engaged in a
project emotionally. That breaks work/life balance and
affects me badly on a long run. Both for professional
success and maintaining healthy lifestyle I must learn to
balance things up.
Another big learning, I have discovered is that the world
will not collapse because of a failure. And that is exactly
how it feels to a competitive perfectionist like me. In
fact, a failure might be seen back as an experience, a
valuable knowledge that helps to build future success.
Now I'm learning that when I can't change a situation, I
have to let it go and trust the Universe.
42 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Finally, what does the future look like for you and
The Only International?
I am very excited for the future of The Only Intl as it
looks bright to me, and the sky is the limit. We are
currently expanding into Dubai real estate, bringing
amazing investment opportunities to our clients. We are
working with UAE's most established and trusted
property developers and are thrilled to be a part of
client's wealth-building journey.
Along with new property investment opportunities we
continue expanding our books of Mykonos and Tulum
villas for vacation rentals, Boat charters, a scope of
vacation services, including access to best restaurants
and entertainment venues.
Veronica Bay @Veronica_bay_travel
Photo: Olga Mordach@olga_mordach
HMUA: Dasha Kuzmina @dashakuzmina
www.theonly-international.com
“I believe that a pioneering
leader is a courageous and
open-minded person that
expands beyond
conventional vision. That
allows him or her create a
unique brand and reach
new heights in providing
extraordinary customer
service.”
44 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Diversity And
Inclusion,
Or Beauty But
Not The Beast
Written By: Dr. Thomas J. Bussen
The industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said, Teamwork is
the ability to work together toward a common vision. The
ability to direct individual accomplishments toward
organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people
to attain uncommon results.”
True, perhaps, but not always so. Teams can also lead otherwise
productive individuals to wither and burn, to crack, break, and
shatter. What distinguishes Carnegie's hopeful team's outcomes
from the dreary and painful?
To be sure, teamwork is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon,
and so explanations for team outcomes bely a singular
explanation. And yet, in an ever more global world, the diversity
of teams – or its lack thereof – is a vital predictor of team success.
Does then diversity improve team performance, or does it harm
team performance? Somewhat unfortunately, “yes” seems the best
answer. Before exploring the ways in which diversity may both
harm and help a team, a brief excursion to consider exactly what
is meant by diversity is useful.
E X P E R T O P I N I O N S
46 EXELEON MAGAZINE

UT Austin's David Harrison and colleagues
conceptualize diversity at the surface level and at
the deep level. Surface level diversity is that
diversity which is quickly and readily apparent.
This is the diversity of the young and the wizened
coming coming together, the accents of different
ethnicities, the visible manifestations of gender or
race.
By contrast, deep level diversity is rather sneakier
– a team may exhibit very little surface level
diversity but may over time come to recognize its
differences across various psycho-social
spectrums. You are an extrovert; I an introvert. His
values differ from her values, her behaviors are at
odds with his. These deep level differences may
be invisible during early interactions, but the
longer a team works together, the more familiar
each becomes of the others' little peccadillos.
THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDS OF DIVERSITY
At irst glance it may appear that surface level
differences ought to cause teams the biggest
headaches. And indeed, they do. In the absence of
signi icant deep level differences, however, the
timeline is brief. Imagine that you and I come
together with a kaleidoscope of surface level
differences – differences in age, gender,
nationality, religion, perhaps even different roles
and responsibilities in the organization. The
similarity-attraction theory holds that initially, we
may not much take to one another.
This theory proposes that we humans tend to
prefer that which is similar, and to disdain that
which is different (lest we judge our species too
harshly, suf ice it to say that this preference has
evolutionary roots, roots which arguably serve us
less with each globalizing day).
But then imagine that as it happens, our surface
levels differences mask deep level similarities. We
both are big St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans; we
support the same national politicians; our sense
of morality overlaps; and heck, we both love
cruise ships despite their icky reputation. Before
long, the two of us are getting along splendidly,
having long ago intuited that those surface level
differences matter little amidst similarities that go
48 EXELEON MAGAZINE

more to our senses of identity.
What really matters, therefore, are those surface
level differences. Take the reverse situation.
Initially two teammates seem to have much in
common at the surface level. Similarity attraction
bias acts to magnetically attract the two, and all
assume a friendship or at least collegial
relationship is fast budding. But as deep level
difference after deep level difference rises to the
surface, the relationship begins to fray.
The research offers us this, therefore: surface level
differences initially disrupt team harmony, but over
time matters less and less. By contrast, deep level
differences initially matter little, but disrupt team
harmony more over time.
The takeaway may appear obvious: to avoid deep
level differences. Alas, such a takeaway would
ignore a vital strand of research. That while deep
level differences do indeed tend to harm teams,
they also tend to improve team outcomes much
more than does surface level diversity.
All of that deep level diversity allows team
members to learn from one another, to better
explore decision making paradigms, and to
exchange a greater quantity and quality of
information. In and of itself, for instance,
differences in team members' ages or ethnicities
offer little; but when those differences in age and
ethnicity lead to dramatically juxtaposing life
experiences, or when other deep level differences
do so, now the team has a rather more diverse set
of opinions and ideas to view decisions from all
perspectives.
The problem is that deep level differences may
prevent the sort of communication needed to
leverage such learning opportunities. Similarly,
surface level differences may prevent team
members from learning enough about one
another to recognize that despite their surface
level differences, and perhaps despite deep level
differences, they also have deep level similarities.
The challenge for teams, therefore, is to avoid the
potential con licts arising from diversity, and to
thereby gain access to the goldmine that is a

deeply diverse team. The Similarity-
Attraction Bias offers insights as to how,
exactly, we can do this.
WEAPONIZING THE SIMILARITY-
ATTRACTION BIAS
I spoke to Doug Mattheus, the senior
marketing executive at telecommunications
company Cell C until 2019, and now an
independent consultant and professor at
Nelson Mandela University. He explained to
me that while working for Firestone Tire in
post-Apartheid South Africa, during the
heady days surrounding Nelson Mandela's
election to President, Firestone provided
diversity training to its employees. Mattheus
explains that a psychologist divided the
group into partners based on surface level
differences: this man with that woman, that
white South African with that black South
African, and so forth.
Then, the trainer asked the partners to
converse and aim to discover what
characteristics they held in common. While
all of the partners engaged in the activity,
Mattheus recalls two individuals in
particular. These two individuals were
over lowing with surface level differences:
one male and one female, one a white and
one a black South African, one a senior
organizational member and the other a low-
level worker. But now both were crying.
30-odd years later, Mattheus felt the
goosebumps rising as he tells the story. It
turned out that the partnered professionals
were each the parent of a developmentally
disabled child. Did their surface level
differences matter in the face of this
realization? Of course not. They now shared
something, something deep, that far
exceeded the import of such surface levels
characteristics.
This is the similarity-attraction bias at work
for us. Far from allowing the bias to
manipulate us into a place of separation, that
psychologist working for Cell C leveraged
the bias by helping trainees to identify
similarities that would prove more
important than differences.
The psychologist Jonathan Haidt, similarly,
advised that surface level differences may be
“drowned in a sea of similarities.” He was
correct, in part. We ought indeed to highlight
similarities, though to “drown” our
differences may not quite hit the mark.
Rather, we ought to highlight similarities,
but use the similarity-attraction bias to
create the space for embracing differences,
too. Only then do we facilitate a working
relationship that is based on mutual
attraction, while also learning and bene iting
from each other's differences.
While Mattheus' story is powerful, it is
admittedly anecdotal. As researchers like to
say, it has an n of 1 - a sample size of just one
person, hardly suf icient to generalize at
large. Psychologist Jerry Burger tested this
proposition, however, and his indings are
perhaps even more provocative.
In the study, research participants complete
a psychological survey, which they are made
to believe is the focus of the study. The real
study, however, came later – as participants
were exiting the study, another would-be
study participant working undercover for
the researchers asked if the participant
would be willing to read his 8-page essay,
providing one page of feedback within 24
hours. Somewhat surprisingly, 48% agreed.
This represented the control group. A
second group of participants were subjected
to the same procedure, but during the
purported psychological study were told
that they shared a Type-E ingerprint with
another research participant. This is not
surprising, they were told; approximately
80% of the population has Type-E
ingerprints. Leaving the research study
later, lo and behold their ingerprint twin
comes approaching – asking as before
whether the participant would review his
eight-page paper and return the notes
50 EXELEON MAGAZINE

within 24 hours. This time, 55% agree – a
slight increase but not a statistically
signi icant one.
The real breakthrough came in study
three. This time, the participant is again
told that he shares type-E ingerprints
with the undercover research participant,
but now he is told that only 2% of the
population has these same prints.
Approached to review the essay by the
ingerprint friend, now a full 82% agree to
review the essay.
The study suggests that, as Wharton's
Adam Grant once put it, we don't simply
highlight commonalities. We highlight
“uncommon commonalities”. Paired with
Mattheus' story from Cell C, we might also
seek to highlight important commonalities
(which presumably the Type-E
ingerprints were not).
In creating the terms by which team
members may communicate and
recognize uncommon commonalities, and
important ones too, organizations play a
key role. The risk is that employees never
reach this vital place of communication,
and this is most likely to happen when
employees are too blinded by their
prejudices and stereotypes to recognize
the multitude of commonalities that all of
us humans inevitably share.
Organizations, therefore, ought to play an
active role in facilitating an environment
not just of diversity, but of diversity and
inclusion. An inclusive environment is one
in which cultural and other diﬀerences are
embraced; in which diﬀerences are seen
as opportunities for learning, for personal
growth, and for achieving excellence. By
championing diversity, by ensuring
employees recognize the potential value
when opting into diverse teams, the
foundation is laid for just the sort of
breakthroughs seen by Mattheus, and in
the Burger study.
About the Author:
Dr. Thomas J. Bussen, with a Doctorate of
Busines Administration, JD, and MBA, is an
Assistant Teaching Professor at Miami
University in Oxford, Ohio, and a cross-cultural
management scholar. He is the author of
several cross-cultural books, including
Shaping the Global Leader (2019).
His latest book, Enlightened Self Interest:
Individualism, Community, and the Common
Good (coming in 2023, Georgetown University
Press), makes the case for a more inclusive
and globally minded professional ideology.
52 EXELEON MAGAZINE

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