PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

“We enable human beings to reach their potential all around the planet.”  

Yancey Spruill, CEO, DigitalOcean 

I’ve known Yancey Spruill when he was a leader at DigitalGlobe, at SendGrid where he was CFO/COO and helped take the company public, and now as CEO of DigitalOcean – a public company with revenue that will likely exceed half a $ billion in 2022. During our catching up conversation, we discussed Yancey’s passion for DigitalOcean’s platform which helps launch aspiring entrepreneurs around the world. He also is passionate about creating and maintaining a remote-first culture for DigitalOcean’s 900 team members.  

 

“Workers are drawn to, and most productive in, workspaces with which they identify.”

Josh Freed, Founder and CEO, Proximity

 When Josh Freed and I first did an Episode of ProCO360 in 2019, Covid was not yet a thing and coworking was just expanding from new and novel to an established niche option for conducting business. Ha, all that seems so long ago!  I wanted to reunite with Josh to see how Proximity has been riding the wave of co-working and get his insights about where co-working, and remote work in general, are heading.  One point, that workers now are drawn to, and most productive in, workspaces with which they “identify,” really created a light bulb moment.

 

 

 

“Business and life are about happiness – and a lot of both are about suffering and getting through the hard times.”

Matt Brown, Author, Entrepreneur and Podcast host

 

Matt is a super accomplished entrepreneur, author, and podcaster who is in the process of moving from Africa to Colorado, making ProCO360 is an early connection for him here.  He’s a high energy guy who’ll find a welcoming home in Colorado, and likely will become a personality in the entrepreneurial community.  This is a great, early opportunity for you to get to know him!

“We are so fortunate – we have more subscribers than any other theater in the country.”  

Janice Sinden, President & CEO, Denver Center for Performing Arts 

The last time I spoke with Janice Sinden was pre-Covid, and I was fascinated to learn how DCPA had survived being shut down and losing $100 million during the pandemic. That was a great conversation! We also talked about lots of aspects of the DCPA that I’d always wondered about including, “How much of the budget is covered by the big Broadway shows?” 

“When you’re inventing something, there’s no end in sight until you get there.”

Shea Gerhardt, Founder & CEO, Buderflys

My friend and past guest on ProCO360 Colin McIntosh (Sheets & Giggles – No Bluetooth.  Just Fabric and Elastic.) posted something about Buderflys that caught my attention. I did some research and found that this is a great story about one person so bothered by a problem that she created a product to fix it.  It reminds me of my interview years ago with David Barnett of Popsockets (Philosophy Professor to Entrepreneur Selling Millions w/Help of Teenage YouTube Stars). I am amazed that Shea was able to patent such an idea which will now stymie the likes of Apple, Bose and Sony.  Can a better earbud be one of those product innovations that will transform an industry?  I ended the interview thinking that just might be the case – and I think you’ll be wondering the same thing, ending the episode with the desire to watch Colorado-based Buderflys and see just what it accomplishes.

“I’m a realist about the convergence of technology, culture and the outdoors.”

Robin Thurston, Chairman and CEO, Outside, Inc.

Do I seem a bit star-struck in this episode?  If so, it’s because I was.  I’ve been a fan of Outside Magazine since I moved to Colorado decades ago – and its many niche brands including Warren Miller Films, Ski Magazine and Backpacker.  I was eager to explore how Outside, Inc. develops and manages all its niches for different kinds of outdoor enthusiasts – we did that, and we also dug into how Outside, Inc. considers the influence of technology on getting people outside! 

“This episode is even richer in content than I’d hoped.”

Dave Tabor, host, ProCO360

Putting four leaders of companies know for corporate culture together for a conversation about “Deliberate Culture” turned out to be better than I’d even hoped.  With so much talk out there about how in today’s war for talent, it’s more and more about culture, the question I wanted to explore was “What specifically do you do to deliberately establish, maintain, and manage culture?” Listen for tremendous insights! 

 

“Your zip code is a better determinant of your health than your genetic code.”

Dan Greenleaf, President & CEO, Modivcare

I’m embarrassed to say that Modivcare is the largest Colorado-based public company I’d never heard of. It has over 30,000 employees and $2 billion in revenue.  My conversation with CEO Dan Greenleaf is a revealing look a company that is there “to bring equity, hope and healing to those who need it most.” Modivcare is growing quickly by providing cost-effective health care to the underserved in a more creative and wholistic way. 

"It’s incredible how much we understand the subsurface a mile underground...”

Brent Lewis, CEO, Carbon America

 

I’ve always wondered, with some skepticism, about the idea of addressing global warming by capturing carbon emissions and putting them underground… and how on earth (under Earth?) we could keep it there.  Exploring this topic with Brent Lewis, CEO of Colorado-based Carbon America was fascinating!  I think at the end of this episode you’ll have a new appreciation for the technology. 

"We’re largely making a bet that they have the vision to build something great and special...”

Chris Erickson, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Range Ventures

 

This is a very entertaining and instructive podcast episode!  It was a blast to hear the CEOs of two initially bootstrapped companies that recently received millions of dollars of VC funding talking with their VC about business.