PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

Customers are so proud they found us

Eric Gutknecht, CEO, CharcūtNuvo – Eric and his wife Jessica basically STOPPED the multi-generation business of Continental Sausage to remake the company and its products.  The decisions, the branding, and the product innovation are the subjects of this episode.

“People try it at Costco and it’s, ‘oh my goodness’ – They’re so proud to have found us and they want to share it.”

Eric Gutknecht, CEO, CharcūtNuvo

 

This episode of PROCO360 is the story of a multi-generational business in which the youngest saw an opportunity to reinvent the business.  Eric Gutknecht and his wife Jessica decided to shut down the deli and its small sausage making operation in the back, replacing both with a manufacturing company focused on product innovation and distribution.  The decisions, the branding, and product creation are the subjects of this episode. 

 

 

Being an entrepreneur requires scar tissue.

"The people with the best ideas were the least likely to share them… I set out to solve the problem of getting those people to speak up.  

Anthony Franco, CEO, MC Squares

Anthony Franco’s company, MC Squares, is an earlier stage company than I typically feature on PROCO360.  I wanted to interview him NOW, because 1) the company has gone from $5,000 in monthly sales, to $100,000 in monthly sales over a short period of time, and 2) because I’m intrigued at how he’s made the transition from a serial B2B entrepreneur to a B2C entrepreneur. 

I Had to Stand Up and Fight

Nancy Fitzgerald, CEO of iLendingDIRECT – After her husband, CEO of the company, was killed in a tragic bicycling accident, “the sharks were circling” the company.  Now it’s thriving.  Here’s the story.

“I never quit... I’ve always known that no matter how hard my life has been at times that the sun is going to shine the very next day.”

Nancy Fitzgerald, CEO, iLendingDIRECT

 

I wanted to interview Nancy because I LOVE the service delivered by her company to its clients: it gets consumers out from under expensive (predatory?) car loans, lowering their interest rate by an average of almost 6%.  Nancy, former Miss Canada, shares a bit of her vocal talent during our interview.  More importantly, she shares a story of massive determination and running a culture-driven company. 

Authentic Vulnerability is a Strength at CampMinder

Dan Konigsberg, Founder and CEO of CampMinder – an inspiring and entertaining story of creating a software as a service to enable an old industry to flourish.

 “Employee engagement is our #1 goal, before client satisfaction… That will lead to client satisfaction.”

 

I really was eager to talk with Dan Konigsberg about building a COMMUNITY of customers in a powerful niche.  CampMinder is a Best Place to Work winner while helping its clients average 42% revenue gains.  That all weaves together in this high energy conversation with a durable (18 year) entrepreneur.

We're Venture Capitalist for Musicians

The owner of Third & James developmental record label and two rising artists, Oli McCracken and Kayla Ruby, talk about the business. 

 “There’s about an 80% non-recoup rate, so record labels are for the most part venture capital.”

Joshua Olsen, Owner, Third & James Recording Studios

 

Recorded in front of a sold-out live audience at Third & James Studios, this episode was a blast!  We talked about the business of promoting rising musicians, and we heard some candid stories from Kayla Ruby and Oli McCracken about their struggles and progress in the early stages of promising careers.  Owner Joshua Olsen sums up the business well when he said of his record label, “We’re like venture capitalists.”  Special thanks to R. Chris Clark for taking tremendous photos at the event (seen above), and to Community Banks of Colorado for sponsoring the event.

My SUPERPOWER: spotting and waking strengths of others

Terumo BCT CEO Antoinette Gawin on leading change at a 7,000 person company.

 

“It’s one thing to agitate without understanding what the consequences might be...but the more you know about other people… the more likely you are to anticipate what might be the fallout.”

Antoinette Gawin, CEO, Terumo BCT

Terumo BCT is one of very few BILLION dollar Colorado companies, and as Antoinette Gawin approaches her first year as its CEO, I wanted to learn how she manages change while respecting how the company has achieved its current success. 

"No Cash Made Us More Creative" – TAG Restaurant Group

“When the budget’s tight you have to use your mind... I think you get more creative when you have less.”

Troy Guard, Chef & CEO, TAG Restaurant Group

Another LIVE audience – what a great time interviewing Colorado’s legendary Chef Troy Guard.  Like many restauranteurs, Troy started at the bottom in the business (a teenager, making sandwiches).  UNLIKE most successful chefs-turned-owners, Troy hasn’t built out one concept – he’s created several and continues to grow via new concepts rather than more locations.  This made me really curious – a primary reason for wanting to interview him.

 

"Not What I Planned In College" - Native Roots CEO Loves "No Playbook"

“People think about cannabis and they think of a 3-foot bong in their basement… that just doesn’t look anything like the industry for most people today.”

Ryan Brown, CEO, Native Roots

Users or not, most of us are super curious about the cannabis industry (we don’t say “marijuana” anymore).  I was, and was really looking forward to this highly engaging and really informative interview with the CEO of Colorado’s largest producer and retailer of cannabis products.  This was a LIVE audience interview and you’ll hear audience questions at the end.

 

 

Snooze Eatery – Building a concept that’s not a “chain.”

"Any time you put money first, you're probably going to make the wrong decision.  Any time you put people first, you'll make the right decision."

David Birzon, CEO, Snooze Eatery

I was super curious entering my interview with David Birzon of Snooze Eatery.  I wanted to know a couple of things in particular… First, how do you build a food concept without having it feel like a CHAIN?  Second, my fascination with how seemingly few breakfast restaurants can get eggs to the table HOT, while most can’t.  Both answers are about culture.  When David Birzon asked team members why they choose to work at Snooze, the answer is, “Because you believe what we believe.”  You'll enjoy my interview with David on building a business with people who can be their true selves.

 

Too Young, Wrong Sex - StoneAge Leadership

“Nothing is going to teach you leadership skills like running a company.  I started by assuming I knew nothing, asking a lot of questions, listening to what people told me to do, and then acting on it.”

Kerry Siggins, CEO, StoneAge

When I interviewed Kerry, she was fresh off a late-night flight from The Netherlands.  That didn’t stop her from bringing energy and insights to our conversation about being a young (too young?) new CEO taking the reins in an established family-owned company – in a male dominated industry in which she had no experience.  Great lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders at any stage in their career!