PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

"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!

Ska Brewing – the CEO’s big dishwashing job

“The beer business is not glamour, it’s not all beer drinking.  It’s a giant dishwashing job!” 

Dave Thibodeau, Founder and CEO, Ska Brewing 

I had a great time with Dave Thibodeau, founder of Ska Brewing.  We laughed a lot while we talked about the business of building a Top 100 brewery.  Spoiler Alert:  Ska is named for their favorite beer-making music!   

Craig Hospital CEO’s job: STEWARD that mission

“I’m not there to run my own agenda.  This is about the mission of the organization.  I’m there to STEWARD that mission.”

Jandel Allen-Davis, CEO, Craig Hospital

You, like I, have probably heard stories of Craig Hospital’s tremendous successes, sometimes with stories of celebrities who have been treated at Craig.  Planning for my interview with its CEO, Jandel Allen-Davis, I really wanted to explore how the leader of such a well-established and successful organization steps into that role, and what we can apply from how Craig operates to our businesses. 

How Pride of Originality Drives Alpacka Raft

“When we started, there was nobody commercially making these… we turned it into a new sport and that feels really exciting.”

Thor Tingey with Sheri Tingey, Alpacka Raft

Continuing my tour of SW Colorado, I met with Sheri and Thor Tingey, the mother and son team that started Alpacka Raft of Mancos, Colorado.  Sheri tells the story of Thor’s first packrafting trip using an early product that fell far short of Thor’s needs on a long backcountry trip.  Upon Thor’s return, he asked Sheri, a ski wear designer and maker, to “please make me a raft!”  From those early designs, Alpacka Raft was born, launching the new sport of “packrafting.”  The photo on the right is me trying out an amazing 2-person Alpacka Raft!

Gargoyles, angels and patience create award-winning whiskey

Passionate entrepreneurs are inspiring.

They are even more inspiring when they share their #1 barrel of whiskey, aged 8 years – and they do it during the interview in front of a live audience.

“It’s important to me to be connected to every barrel – and more to be connected to everybody who works here.”

Al Laws, Laws Whiskey House

Al Laws ended a successful career on Wall Street to move to Colorado and start Laws Whiskey House – imagine, studying and learning all you can, investing millions of dollars, and then waiting YEARS as it ages to find out if you could achieve all you’d dreamed you could.  Hear why Al has a tatoo of a gargoyle sitting over a whiskey barrel.  This was a LIVE audience podcast held in the private barrel room of Laws Whiskey for subscribers of the PROCO360 newsletter. 

Durango company proves niche superiority wins

I love a great niche.

MUNIRevs is growing 50% a year, and is earning big-name clients, by developing a product for its niche customers and delivering exactly what they need.

 

“(as CEO) you can tend to want to do it all... knowing that it was OK to make that next hire… propelled us to 50% growth the last two years.”

Erin Neer, Founder and CEO, MUNIRevs

Does providing software to government sound boring?  It did to me even as I entered the interview with Erin Neer, CEO of MUNIRevs. 

I am amazed at how successful the company has become, recently signing the city of Dallas as a client, offering a solution to help municipalities track short-term rental revenue, and launching a product that online businesses can use to navigate the incredibly complex obligation of collecting sales tax.  I left the interview blown-away at what I think is a tremendous illustration of the power that exists at the intersection of niche mastery and continuous innovation to meet market opportunity.  Have a listen!

 

World’s Best Fly-Fishing Reel Maker Lives the WHY

CEO of Mayfly Outdoors (world-renowned Ross Reels and Abel Reels) on building a specialty brand in the outdoor industry.

“Being an entrepreneur in Colorado is like being on a team you didn’t even know you were on!”  - David Dragoo, CEO, Mayfly Outdoors

I took PROCO360 on the road to Montrose, Colorado to visit Mayfly Brands. You’ll enjoy learning how supporting its western slope community and environment is an integral part of his growth strategy.