About Me
I'm an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker & Reputation Marketing ExpertRoger McManus earned his undergraduate (’72) and graduate (MBA ’78) degrees from Wake Forest University. Upon completion of his MBA, Roger joined Faber, a small marketing research supplier in Greensboro, NC. He became its president three years later.
Next, Roger focused and expanded Faber to form the Photo Research Foundation a marketing research firm specializing in issues related to the photographic industry.
Clients included all of the top names in the industry and every conceivable methodology. Out of that experience Roger created the International Minilab Association, a trade association for one-hour photofinishers.
As part of that effort, he launched Photo Imaging Entrepreneur, a trade magazine for the retail photofinishing business and acquired a lab in Greensboro, NC as a backdrop for the editorial. Three years later Roger added a parallel magazine for the UK.
These titles lasted as long as minilabs did. Following the formula established by the photo trade books, Roger created a similar vertical for dental students (Dental Entrepreneur) filling a discovered gap between medical education and business realities. Later Roger added a horizontal business title, NC Entrepreneur magazine.
Roger was selected to represent North Carolina at the White House Conference on Small Business during the Clinton Administration. He was selected by the SBA as its Small Business Advocate of the Year in the Southeast. He served for five years on the State Advisory Board for the Small Business Technical & Development Centers (SBTDC) in North Carolina.
Roger is the author of six books including Entrepreneurial Insanity and has been a columnist for five trade magazines. He is an accomplished speaker and seminar leader.
Professional Experience
Publisher
Ensanity Press
May 2010 – Present (5 years) | Augusta, KY
Recently published the book, Entrepreneurial Insanity (Amazon). Vertical extensions of this title have been developed in various markets, including Restaurants, Retail Tire Sales, Sign Production and Dry Cleaning. Other verticals are in the works. The latest project is entitled Inverse Marketing that exposes the realities of today’s messaging from retailers and medical professionals to prospective clients from the mouths of their current ones. Late fall 2015 release.
Director of Strategic Relationships
Mpact Magic Inc.
July 2011 – August 2014 (3 years 2 months) | Las Vegas, NV
Developed an entrepreneurial venture that dramatically helps small businesses deal with the changing environment in which they market their products and services using currently-available online strategies. Mpact Magic was acquired by BirdEye, Inc. in August 2014
Director of Strategic Relationships
Independent Creative Entrepreneurs
2008 – 2010 (2 years) | Las Vegas, NV
Modeled ICE for those in the retail creative business (scrapbook stores) after the program used in the photo industry by IPI (see below).
Director of Supplier Relationships
Independent Photo Imagers
2006 – 2009 (3 years) | Las Vegas, NV
Established relationships with suppliers to form a buying group consisting of 750 photo labs in the days when photo labs were in the waning stages of their heyday.
President
Sedgefield Companies
1985 – 2007 (22 years) | Greensboro, NC
Sedgefield Companies comprised a range businesses based in Greensboro, NC including retail photo labs, real estate, publishing, marketing research consulting, trade show production and graphic design.
President
Centrics
2004 – 2005 (1 year) | St. Louis, MO
Served as interim president for Centrics in its transition from being a part of CPI Corporation to an independent provider of manufacturing software for items bearing dye-sublimated images.
Publisher
Photo Imaging Entrepreneur Magazine
1985 – 2003 (18 years) | Greensboro, NC
Produced a trade magazine that served the on-premises photofinishing industry (One-Hour Photo)
Co-Founder
Pixel Magic Imaging
1992 – 2002 (10 years) | San Marcos, TX
On the founding team of Pixel Magic creator of on-premises kiosk-based photo reproduction units that were placed in larger retailers (Eckerd, Meijer, Walgreens) and independent photo shops. Developed and lead the First Impressions division of Pixel Magic. First Impressions was the first digital newborn photography company, essentially changing that industry permanently by reducing newborn photos from a three week to a three hour process.
Publisher
North Carolina Entrepreneur Magazine
1994 – 2000 (6 years) | Greensboro, NC
NCE was a statewide business magazine directed toward those who create new businesses and jobs in the State of North Carolina.
President
International Minilab Association
1985 – 2000 (15 years) | Greensboro, NC
As the One-Hour photo industry was coming into its own, recognized the opportunity to create a trade association that spoke to the specific need of this new class of retailer and ending with the death of traditional film photography.
President
Faber Marketing Research
1977 – 1985 (8 years) | Greensboro, NC
Faber Marketing Research served a broad range of clients including Polaroid, Kodak, Kayser Roth, NCNB (now Bank of America), Reynolds Aluminum, Cooper Tools, Lowe’s, Krispy Kreme, 3M, Scitex, International Paper, Kimberly Clark and Coca Cola, among others with quantitative and qualitative marketing research.