Strum and Pick Your Way to Success

By Mike Switzer

Published May 27, 2015 at 5:20 AM EDT

If you've ever thought about a career as a guitarist, you may want to know that there is a major three-day regional event coming soon to our state featuring concerts, masterclasses, lectures, and an international competition, with divisions for various age and professional levels, all involving strumming and picking.

Mike Switzer interviews Marina Alexandra, artistic director for the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition, coming to Columbia, SC June 5^th through 7^th.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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