Dr. James Taylor
Dr. Jim Taylor, Vice Chairman of Harrison Group, is among the country's most respected marketing and branding consultants.
Jim is an acknowledged expert in the fields of branding, the use of interactive media for the community format, future forecasting and customer acquisition and retention. He provides advice of the highest level to many of the world's leading packaged goods, software, media, banking, customer service, business and financial services corporations. Among them: American Express, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Audi, Acura, Bombardier, Coca-Cola, Glaxo, Lawrence-Livermore Laboratories, the Walt Disney Company, DMB, The Lyle Anderson Company, Kapalua Resort, Louis Vuitton, Citibank, Bank of New York, Smith Barney, America's leading interactive game companies, the American Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the U.S. Government and a host of additional Harrison Group clients too numerous to mention.
Named "Marketer of the Year"by Brandweek, one of America's five leading business futurists by the Wall Street Journal and among its Distinguished Alumni by his alma mater, Michigan State, Jim is a highly sought-after speaker. His teachings, writings and lectures focus on the future, technology and marketplace strategy, wealth marketing, trends in U.S. and international business, the nature of a company's brand persona, and the integration of technology, culture and business profitability. He has lectured at many of the country's leading universities, including Harvard and Stanford, and for major business, governmental and civic organizations, including the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Bar Association, American Automobile Association, American Global Web Trading Association, American Underwriters, the American Red Cross, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Security Association and Young Veterans Association.
Jim has co-authored a new book with Doug Harrison that will be released in September 2008 called The New Elite: Inside the Mind of America’s Truly Wealthy.
Hart Rist
For the past 25 years, Hart has been recognized consistently as one of the top resort real estate professionals on the East Coast in both sales and sales management. He joined Bald Head Island Ltd. as Sales Manager for The Hammocks, the island’s first and only fractional vacation home community in August of 2003.
Hart has served as a resource speaker for the Fractional Industry at the 2006 and 2008 annual Ragatz Fractional Symposiums in California. He also has served numerous times as a panelist on the fractional industry at the ARDA Annual Conventions in Las Vegas and Orlando, and the annual Interval International sponsored Vacation Ownership Investment Conferences in Orlando.
He has a passion for educating and consulting others about this second home alternative and is considered an expert in luxury fractional ownership in not only how to design, sell and market fractionals and PRC’s, but how to avoid those common mistakes that developers often make when trying to do develop on their own.
Merritt Lawn
Merritt Lawn received his degree in communications from N.C. State University. Since that time he hasn't stopped talking. From 1995 to 1999 he used those speaking skills as a tennis teaching professional and employee for the United States Tennis Association. With the USTA he gave 50+ presentations a year to over 50,000 people.
From 1999 to May of 2004, Merritt gave presentations to hundreds of college athletes and coaches each year as a minister with Athletes in Action.
Since May 2004, shortly after attending his first Craig Lawn seminar, he switched careers. Merritt moved his wife and two young children to Texas where he is currently speaking with people daily at High Meadow Ranch, and helping people find their ideal homesite.
In August Merritt was able to sell 13 homesites in one hour. Merritt is also continually the top salesperson at High Meadow Ranch.
*Speakers subject to change
