"My advice is listen, listen, listen because what we can’t do is the way we’ve been doing it.” 

Jen Lester, Co-founder & CEO, Philosophy Communication, Inc. 

Leaders say, “Somehow we never have the money to fund change management on our first try, but have a blank check on the 3rd try making the same change.”

Scott McAllister, CEO, Prosci

Andrew Zech, Alpen High Performance Products

Michael Beatty, with Michael Wozniak, founders of Beatty & Wozniak

“We’re curious, if you invest in women the same as men, especially in sports, can you get the same results on the field and for a business.”

Rob Cohen, Lead Owner, Denver Summit Football Club

“You’d be surprised by some of the people coming to us who are working multiple jobs and are still really struggling.”

Pam Brier, CEO, The Action Center

Kyle Peters, Co-owner, Sexy Pizza

“The industry has done a phenomenal job in gaslighting us.”

Mike Chambers, Founder & CEO, Ridley

“Our goal is to have every teacher maxed out on their pay scale.”

Jen Cooper, Founder & CEO, Happy Teacher

“We’d rather be on the side of governments stopping human trafficking and with international communities working to stop drug trade.”

Dan Smoot, CEO, Vantor

“3 Rows… thousands of plants at a time are growing in that space.”

Jake Savageau, Co-founder, FarmBox Foods

“(I recognized that)… having machines see stuff could now be more lucrative… I started to think about trash as an underappreciated problem.”

Matanya Horowitz, Founder & CTO, AMP

“The branding connotes the positive image of the quality of the food inside.” 

Jane Hartgrove, Owner and “La Jefa,” Tres Picosos

Dylan Taylor, Chairman & CEO, Voyager Technologies 

Martin Dubin, Author, Blindspotting – How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader

“The largest pickleball age demographic is 24-35.” 

Adam Kahn, co-Founder, 3rd Shot Pickleball 

Landon Mossburg, CEO, Peak Energy

Melodie Polidori Harris (and Steve Polidori), Polidori Sausage

Eric Davis, Founder & CEO, Pretred

Jaime Zawmon, Founder and President, Titan CEO & Titan 100

Dan Caruso, Caruso Ventures & Author of Bandwidth

Carmen Morales, Founder & Owner, Santiago’s Mexican Restaurants

"If this works, we might be able to solve the biggest health epidemic of our generation.” 

Sami Inkinen, Founder & CEO, Virta Health 

Rick George, Athletic Director, University of Colorado

"We are doing something that may not have been done before in this country: almost doubling capacity while remaining open.” 

Phil Washington, CEO, Denver International Airport 

"We bypass our lawmakers and put our pet issues on the ballot...” 

Dave Tabor, host, ProCO360 

"I am a very strong person... If you think that I am done because I lose one business, just wait!” 

Dana Rodriguez, Chef and Restaurateur, Carne, Work & Class, Casa Bonita Executive Chef 

Irene Scharmack, CEO, QuickBox 

"Actually, there was a light bulb moment where the combination of chemical reactions to make the whole process occurred to me...” 

Laura Lammers, Founder & CEO, Travertine Technologies 

"Even before we had a business, we talked some people into letting us do some catering for them – just on our good word.” 

Jeff Kennedy, co-founder, Moe’s Original BBQ 

Leah Garcia, Founder & CEO, Nulastin 

Joe Assell, CEO, GOLFTEC 

Toby Kraus, co-Founder, Lightship RV 

Helen Young Hayes, Founder & CEO, ActivateWork

Scott Hutton, CEO, Biodesix

“Consumers have the hardest job here – they are carrying the guilt of what to do with the package...”  

Ian Jacobson, Eco Products 

John Nellen, Founder & CEO, Todyl 

Steven Walchek, CEO & Co-founder, Liminal 

Andrew Antonio, Co-founder & CEO, Urban Sky 

- Craig Rieker, Co-founder & CTO

I had no idea how exciting this episode would become while I was preparing for it. LongPath is the story of a company that emerged from Nobel Prize winning technology developed at NIST and University of Colorado.  You may have never cared about what a “frequency comb” is, and you WILL after listening to how this now little, soon to be big company enabled by a $195 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, can have a massive impact on climate change.  Listen now – and you’ll be able to tell your friends, “I’ve been watching them since this all started!”

Shawn Neville, CEO, BOA

Most guests on ProCO360 cut me some slack.  Not Shawn Neville of BOA, and not even in front of a live audience at BOA’s world headquarters.  From the start Shawn showed how determined he is that the world recognize that BOA technology is NOT to replace shoelaces, or even to be a better closure system.  It’s a “PERFORMANCE FIT SYSTEM,” period. 

If you really want to be intrigued, listen to why BOA is choosing to not maximize profits. Several in attendance at this LIVE event were discussing BOA’s strategy around this afterwards – add your comments about this!

Jamie Repenning, CEO, R&R Head Labs

Kristin Langenfeld, Co-founder and CEO, GoodBuy Gear

My expectations were completely wrong entering this episode with Kristin Langenfeld.  I’d expected she would tell me the story of a woman who started selling her own used baby gear, then slowly expanded the activity into a basement enterprise, and so on until it was a real company.  Nope.  And she’s out to dominate a market sector with those whom I’d have expected were unlikely partners. 

Karson Humiston, Founder and CEO, Vangst 

Tom Luersen, President, CoralTree Hospitality 

This episode came together because a longtime friend, Dani Stern, now an executive at CoralTree told me over beers recently that he quit his last job to come to CoralTree.  In fact, that he’d told his prior employer, before taking that job, that if Tom Luersen called, he (Dani) would quit to go work for Tom.  Dani was EMPHATIC that the culture at CoralTree is THAT different, that special.  Of course, I wanted to do this episode!  And during it, I told Tom, “YOU CAN’T SAY IT’S YOUR PEOPLE.”  I thought he’d argue – he didn’t.  Have a listen! 

Charlie Chupp, Founder and CEO, Fading West

This is the second recent episode about a Colorado company building alternatives to traditional single-family homes (see also Studio Shed – Still Leading the ADU Industry).  It’s because the lack of attainable housing is such an important issue and Colorado companies are addressing it with innovation and value.  This episode with Charlie Chupp of Fading West describes the problems and challenges, and how applying Charlie’s LEAN manufacturing background is effectively driving a fast-evolving industry.  I was fascinated by some surprises about workforce in this episode!

Fernando Ledezma, Ledezma Concrete

This episode is out of my comfort zone – and refreshingly so.  Generally, I’m with high-flying entrepreneurs leading business that have raised tens of millions of dollars and are pursuing hockey stick growth.  Tia and Fernando Ledezma charmed me when they replaced a sidewalk at my house.  They reminded me of my great grandparents who came to the United States with a trade (tailors) and having to learn the language, assimilate, and make their own way.  Ledezma Concrete is a wonderful story of initiative, risk taking and hard work.

Rob Cohen, Chairman and CEO, IMA Financial

Jeremy Nova, co-Founder, Studio Shed 

Jeremy was my guest via Zoom during the pandemic.  Sometimes it’s fun to circle back with a prior guest to see how they’ve evolved – either the leader (see this focus in the episode “Starting from Skratch, Maturing as CEO” with Ian MacGregor of Skratch Labs), or the business and market as is the case this time.  I was eager to explore this because after Studio Shed was an early innovator in its space, it was followed by large and notable companies like Tuff Shed and Home Depot that evolved their product lines to compete with Studio Shed.    

Jane Barden, co-Founder, Farm to Summit

Greg Sobiech, Founder & CEO, DELVE

Jonathan Ballesteros, Geyser Systems

Jeff Eldridge, Liberty Puzzles

Kerry Siggins, CEO of StoneAge… Author and Speaker

I’ve been skeptical and bewildered as I’ve watched Kerry Siggins mature as the CEO of StoneAge while simultaneously leaning in to becoming an author and speaker on leadership.  My skepticism comes from wondering how one can seemingly focus on two careers simultaneously and do them both WELL.  A deeper question in my mind was how those she leads feel about their CEO directing so much energy at things not specific to running their company.  I was amazed at how Kerry took these questions head on, and that her answers made sense to me on several levels.

Rob Hays, President & CEO, Atom Computing

Chase Garrett, Founder & CEO, Icon Source

“NIL” – Name, Image, and Likeness” – the idea that “amateur” athletes now get paid for helping to products, has upended amateur sports. Chase Garrett, with a background working with prominent athletes and brands, saw this, and created what I’ve labeled the “Match.com styled marketplace for athletes and brands.”  I was so excited to explore this topic with Chase – what a great conversation!

Janet Johnston, Co-founder, Savory Spice Shops

I begin this interview with a bit of a rant about how so many passion-based retailers fail, barely holding on long enough to save their pride after working 80-hour weeks for less than minimum wage.  Savory Spice, now with 30 locations, is a clear exception.  Husband and wife Mike and Janet Johnston share ideas that reveal what made their results different!

GG Edwards, Co-founder & CEO Gnara (formerly SheFly)

20% off PROMO CODE below in show notes!

Successful startup stories based on an “OMG, what a great idea!” product are always fun.  When I spoke with GG Edwards, it was a day before she was set to announce the expanded branding of what was then called SheFly – a company formed around ONE product.  Something that often makes the sharks on Shark Tank say, “That’s a product, not a business.”  So, while GG and I talked about the aha moment and then the process of creating the initial product – and that’s inspiring – we also talked about moving from a single product to a broader business, now called Gnara.  

Want to try Gnara?  Use Promo Code:  GNARA360 for 20% off!

Dustin English, Chief Experience Officer, Voormi

I was interested in speaking with Dan English, Founder and CEO of Voormi because I saw a few Voormi  garments in specialty retailers and thought it would be interesting to explore competing against the big name brands.  This interview fascinated me because of the strategy that Dan and his son Dustin laid out.  It’s a strategy of innovation and licensing as much as – well, maybe more than – selling products.  You’ll hear my surprise and keen interest as this interview goes a direction I hadn’t planned.

Dr. James Mault, Founder and CEO, BioIntellisense

I’ve had a little visibility into the world of medical devices.  It’s not for the faint of heart (a bit of a pun).  The road is so long, so slow, so arduous, and SO expensive – and potentially impactful and lucrative.

I was introduced to Dr. James Mault by my friends at the Colorado Bioscience Association after BioIntelliSense won the award as Bioscience Company of the Year, 2022.  Happy to have Jim in the studio with me – what a great story of a very relatable product that will improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Bob Dineen, Founder and President, Great Range Bison

I like bison burgers.  Just putting that out there. 

As much as I like talking with CEOs of unicorn tech companies, speaking with the founder of a bison company that has 40% of the GLOBAL market was pretty fascinating.  As a podcast host, my primary tool is curiosity – and whether you are a meat eater or not, learning about this industry from Bob Dineen – the worldwide leader in his industry – is pretty special.

Chris Conroy, President, Yeti Cycles

I like mountain biking and I have a bike that when it was new, was pretty good.  My friends who are serious about mountain biking a) tease me about my bike now, and b) are super jealous that I had the President of Yeti Cycles in the studio with me! HA!  Chris Conroy and the Yeti team are passionate about building bikes for racing.  We talk about that, about differentiating the brand (racing), about marketing – and, I couldn’t NOT ask him about e-bikes! 

Secret: want to know the truth about whether if there's a connection between YETI bikes and YETI coolers?  

Dax Craig, CEO of Pie Insurance

I spent my first year out of college selling life insurance and it was the worst year of my life.  It’s not a surprise that as I got ready to prepare for this episode, I wasn’t excited.  I had to remind myself, “This is a UNICORN company.  Investors are throwing crazy money at it.”  I used that to motivate myself to dig-in.

BIG surprise! Dax Craig is such an engaging CEO.  He admitted that it’s not about insurance for him either – it’s about the challenge of solving a problem that truly helps small businesspeople start and sustain a business.  Highly encourage listening to this episode – I think you’ll lean in the way I did!

Ian MacGregor, CEO, Skratch Labs

Ian was also my guest for Episode 75 about 2 years ago.  At that time, Ian explained that he’d been an “accidental” CEO.  I wanted to catch up with Ian and see how he was maturing as a leader, as a CEO.  I almost chose this quote to lead with,

“We got OBSESSED with the customer experience – being more than just a product,”

and instead chose the quote above it because it’s more aligned with the theme of “maturing as a CEO.”  Ian is such a great guy – you’ll enjoy his candor and the journey of Skratch Labs.

Joe Laurienti, CEO, Ursa Major

I wanted to learn about rocket engines from a rocket scientist, so of course I was excited to interview Joe Laurienti, founder and CEO of Ursa Major, based in Berthoud, Colorado.  Joe and I had a good time methodically understanding (me asking, Joe explaining) the key features of their rocket engines.  We also explored the relationship between price, reliability, risk and reusability.  Aerospace is a huge and growing industry sector in Colorado and you’ll want to listen to this episode of ProCO360!

Josh Ross, Humanitix

Global disruption of the entrenched oligopoly of ticketing – and doing it as a “for purpose” business with no equity investors and volunteers as its first “employees.”  Humanitix did that.  Starting in Australia and becoming a dominant player there emboldened Humanitix to expand its services to the U.S. with a Colorado HQ, saving ticket buyers massive amounts in fees, and contributing millions to children’s causes along the way. Their story is a fascinating one.

Dan Dietrich, CEO, Jogan Health

I was introduced to Dan Dietrich of Jogan Health by my friend David Pritchard of Denver Angels.  David told me, “You need to know Dan – his company growth has been explosive!”  When I learned that in three years, the company had had a total of a BILLION in revenue, I was sold.  But then, when interviewing Dan, I was FLOORED to learn that he’d financed the company with over $300,000 of credit card debt.  I asked him if he’d discussed that with is wife beforehand…

Jerid Schumacher with Clint Macklin, VEA Technologies

I’m proud to know Clint Macklin and Jerid of VEA Technologies.  They’ve been sponsors of ProCO360 for quite a while, helping me manage the website.  While VEA is a full-service web firm, I didn’t want to talk with them about everything they do – I wanted their take on trends around digital marketing – from campaign elements to search changes driven by Chat GBT.  For those not that in the weeds, this episode is a great way to catch up on digital marketing strategy and tactics!

After 134 episodes of ProCO360, I tried something new: an early-stage startup introduced to me by its PR firm.  I intrigued with the mission of Nigh to support local business, and checked out the technology they’ve created, and decided, “why not?” As it turns out, Josh Ritzer is a dynamic founder who has invested $700,000 of his own money to get Nigh from concept to Alpha, and now what looks like a highly functional Beta.  Nigh is achieving tremendous results in driving profitable incremental sales to local businesses in an energizing, community building way.  I’ve become a fan!  I think you’ll enjoy this episode – and watching the progress Nigh makes.

Adam Pitale, Founder & Chief Detailer

You’ll love this episode. It’s a fun story of Adam Pitale, a teenager who grew up in Southern California and built a little car detailing service business for spending money.  As Adam strived to do more cars, he grew determined to figure out how to do the tedious tasks better and faster. He turned what he learned into how-to videos which became the gateway for a line of specialty products… now over 350 SKUs and tens of millions in revenue, all within a great niche built for hobbyists and enthusiasts. It’s a fun story told by a passionate accidental entrepreneur.

Dirk Wallinger, CEO, York Space Systems

I went into my podcast recording with Dirk Wallinger hungry to learn about the business of designing, manufacturing, launching and managing small satellites.  In fact, in a pre-interview with Dirk, I asked for his permission to talk about the basics, transparently showing how little I know – he readily agreed and we had a longer than planned conversation about the industry, the evolving role of satellites in our lives, some curiosity-addressing aspects of satellite orbits and maintenance, and trends to watch for.  York is a 500 person Colorado company that’s growing fast in its niche. 

Jack Barker, Founder and President, Innovative Water Technologies

I first heard of Innovative Water Technologies’ SunSpring water purification product when it was up for the People’s Choice for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s Coolest Thing Made in Colorado awards.  It’s hard to imagine a more impactful product. With low price and extraordinary reliability, SunSpring is providing remote villages, disaster areas and the military with trustworthy drinking water.  All made in Rocky Ford, Colorado.  The origin story is fantastic, as is the mouth dropping sound byte I caught when I thought we were done.

Nikki Wentling, Technology and Innovation Reporter, Denver Business Journal

Despite having so many amazing tech sector CEOs on ProCO360, it’s really hard to stay caught up with Colorado’s tech sector.  One of my favorite tools is the Technology page of the Denver Business Journal so I decided to get to know Nikki Wentling, the Technology and Innovation beat reporter of the DBJ.  It was enlightening to learn about how she finds stories and keeps up with the sector - and what she sees for emerging growth in Colorado.

John Gibson, Owner & CEO, Secret Creek

I’ve always been drawn to yurts, tipis and tents – there’s something both novel and romantic about the structures, particularly today’s upscale versions, so I was eager to speak with John Gibson of Secret Creek.  I learned something unexpected and fascinating during this episode – why a former business executive would, rather than start a new company, choose to purchase a “legacy” business, and how he went about it.

Jack Morrison, CEO, Scythe 

I love a great niche (I’ve started about 50 posts with that phrase).  Even more, I love a business in a great niche that solves a big and PAINFUL problem that needs almost no explanation before a customer interrupts and says, “I WANT THAT!”  Scythe solves a huge pain point in an amazing way that aligns its customers’ goals with Scythe’s goals.  They have 7000 units on backorder – listen to learn. 

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.  

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.

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!

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?” 

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.

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! 

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! 

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. 

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. 

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.

JB Kellogg, Co-founder & Co-CEO, Madwire 

Madwire has been amazingly successful.  It now has 600 team members helping small businesses grow.  What intrigued me most about interviewing co-founder and co-CEO JB Kellogg is how one could possible scale to 600 employees and still deliver the great service-oriented results that built the company.  What I learned surprised and impressed me!   

Brian Egan, Co-founder & CEO, Evolve

It took me a while during prep to understand the difference between Evolve and VRBO, AirBnB, Booking.com.  Then I didn’t understand that they aren’t competitors, usually.  Evolve sits on TOP of those and other platforms, serving both the property owner and the renter.  More important than my took-too-long struggle to figure that out, is how Brian Egan uses CULTURE, what he calls “the heaviest lever” in leading a company, to create satisfied customer experiences.  A great listen.

Jeremy Priest, Co-founder, President & CEO, Knotty Tie Co.

So many companies are aligning with causes with which they share an audience, often supporting those non-profits with a percentage of sales.  Colorado-based Knotty Tie is different – it’s almost operating AS a non-profit.  It’s not though – it’s FOR profit.  It’s mission, even its outside investors seem to care as much about Knotty Tie’s focus on employing refuges as the company’s ROI. And the company is growing.

Yulia, resident of Kharkiv, Ukraine

I’ve gotten to know a freelancer in the Ukraine who sent me heart wrenching messages about his and his wife’s life.

His home is in Kharkiv, just 20 miles from the Russian border and under heavy attack.  I went “off topic” and did an interview with his English-speaking wife last night.  Their story is compelling and they want it shared as their way of combating propaganda.

Bert Vescolani, President & CEO, Denver Zoo

Since I was a young boy I’ve loved the Zoo.  In 5th grade after school I’d sneak into the Buffalo Zoo by hopping a hidden fence, and I’d just watch the monkeys.  Interviewing Bert Vescolani was a thrill for me – so many questions… about managing the financial challenges during a 3-month Covid total CLOSURE, about keeping animals, about the business model. 

Nick Sly, Denver Branch Executive, Kansas City Federal Reserve

With all that’s going on in the economy, some key economic issues are top of mind, even in the entrepreneurial community where macroeconomics are usually farther down the list of things to focus on.  But issues like inflation, workforce, supply chain ARE top of mind – and they’re impacted by monetary policy, so I asked Nick Sly to join me to explain how monetary policy works and how it is impacting decisions that business leaders are making. Nick is a high-energy economist who was really fun to talk to.

Pete Newlin, CEO, Birdcall

I was intrigued going into this episode with Pete Newlin of Birdcall.  I knew that Pete was (and is) involved in Park Burger – he started as an hourly employee and worked his way to becoming a Partner of Gastamo – the ownership group for Park Burger, Birdcall and others.  Pete was part of the concepting team for Birdcall, and as its CEO has great ambitions to see if he can pattern a fast food brand after Patagonia and create a “lifestyle-driven fast food restaurant.”

Dave Tabor, Host, PROCO360

In this brief episode I’m not having a guest.  I’ll reflect on what I’ve learned from my guests, and from conversations with HUNDREDS of Colorado business leaders in 2021. It’s those in-depth interviews and conversations that have shaped my views, and my perspectives for 2022. I’ve been writing about these in recent blog posts so I encourage you to visit www.PROCO360.com.

Frank Bonanno, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, Bonanno Concepts

I reached out to Frank Bonanno after I read that his Bonanno Concepts restaurants and bars (10 in total) had instituted a policy which requires all employees to be vaccinated and all guests to prove their positive vaccination status before being able to enter a Bonanno Concepts business.  Frank graciously agreed to talk about that – and as you’ll hear in this longer than usual episode, the conversation went much deeper about creating a work environment that has led to 100% employment in a hospitality arena where others are struggling to maintain staffing levels.  Fascinating insights.  They can easily be mimicked – are they?  Not by many.  Will they?  You decide how likely that is. 

Jimmy Eberhard, founder and CEO, Fluid Truck

Jimmy Eberhard founded Fluid Truck as just “Fluid” – an app enabled way to rent all kinds of things on a peer-to-peer platform.  After discovering that the vast majority of demand was for trucks, Jimmy pivoted and focused the company to become what is now a business turning the truck rental market on its head across the country!  How many entrepreneurs say, “This (whatever) will become the Uber of the (blank) industry!?  Well, Fluid Truck has, and how Fluid Truck acquires vehicles for its fleet is part of its secret sauce that I found fascinating!

Phil Dumontet, CEO and Co-founder, Whole Sol

Phil discovered that healthy options for fast casual food that he found in NYC were not available in Colorado – a place with an active and healthy population.  That seems odd to Phil and his wife Alexa so they decided to fix that by using profits from a delivery company Phil bootstrapped then sold to GrubHub, move to Denver, and create Whole Sol – now five locations and growing fast.

Andrew Coors, Steelhead Composites

Andrew Coors is a member of the famous Coors family of brewing fame.  But he wanted to do something different – take new advanced materials like carbon fiber used for sporting goods and adapt them to a commercial environment.  You’ll enjoy hearing Andrew talk about using discipline to resist “fun” projects and stick to the mission – but he didn’t always succeed – listen for a great story about Champagne bottles!

Ed Edmunds, Founder & CEO, Distortions Unlimited

I heard about Distortions Unlimited, based in Greeley, and decided to bring this bonus episode to you just in time for Halloween!  The conversation is an entertaining conversation about the creation of very advanced monster props, masks and animatronics!  If you like Halloween, you’ll LOVE this episode!