Cynthia Scherr - Podcast Details

Shows

Ground FloorFunctional Botanicals wins $100K investment from Oregon AngelsThe Ground Floor host Cynthia Scherr visits with Cassandra Davis. Cassandra and her team at Functional Botanicals just won a $100,000 investment from Oregon Angel food investors. Ashland-based Functional Botanicals makes a wide variety of luxurious wipes using a combination of essential oils and pressed biodegradable bamboo. Functional Botanicals dry towelettes( Functional Botanicals)The innovative product is compressed into a small, lightweight, easy-to-store, dry pellet that is rehydrated with just a few drops of water. Wipes can be used to refresh on a hot day, remove makeup, clean up while hiking or...2025-06-1315 min

Ground Floor100% recyclable and U.S. made: an Oregon small business offers solutions to floristsHost Cynthia Scherr speaks with Travis Rigby owner of The Flower Box, a company based in Southern Oregon. They discuss how The Flower Box has finally achieved its goal of producing a 100% recyclable paper vase that's manufactured entirely in the United States. They also discuss policies that led to the cut-flower industry's move overseas in the 1980s, notably to Ecuador and Columbia, and the growing farmer florist movement in the United States. Rigby also notes an almost dependency on the overseas trade, including on China for accessories, and the impact tariffs will have...2025-05-1714 min

The Jefferson Exchange100% recyclable and U.S. made: an Oregon small business offers solutions to floristsHost Cynthia Scherr speaks with Travis Rigby owner of The Flower Box, a company based in Southern Oregon. They discuss how The Flower Box has finally achieved its goal of producing a 100% recyclable paper vase that's manufactured entirely in the United States. They also discuss policies that led to the cut-flower industry's move overseas in the 1980s, notably to Ecuador and Columbia, and the growing farmer florist movement in the United States. Rigby also notes an almost dependency on the overseas trade, including on China for accessories, and the impact tariffs will have...2025-05-1714 min

Ground FloorScaling an organic family farm into a vertically integrated, certified organic operationCynthia Scherr, host of The Ground Floor, speaks with Jason Walker of Starwalker Farms in California's Scott Valley. Jason Walker of Starwalker Farms visits with Cynthia Scherr, host of The Ground Floor on JPR.(JPR Senior Producer Natalie Golay)When Jason and his wife Kristina returned to run his parents farm in the Scott Valley, they were fully committed to the family tradition of organic farming. The young couple have since taken their 1000-acre family farm to the next level. In the past 12 years, it has grown to become a 7000-acre, 100% vertically integrated...2025-04-0414 min

Ground FloorFrom the movies to the military with motion controlThe Ground Floor host Cynthia Scherr speaks with Michael Sorensen, a partner with Lime Rock LLC, an engineering firm in Medford, Oregon, which serves a range of industries from the movies to the military in the field of motion robotics.Sorensen discusses his career and Lime Rock’s transition from Hollywood to Oregon. He traces the firm’s evolution from designing motion robotics for the movie industry to expanding its services across sectors. Highlighting key milestones, including two Academy Awards and military collaborations, Sorensen then turns to Lime Rock’s latest venture: developing its ow...2025-01-3114 min

Ground FloorNew vintage clothing store opens in AshlandEntrepreneur Tim Kiesling visits with host Cynthia Scherr in The Ground Floor to discuss the challenges and opportunities he's facing in the opening of "Acid Castles," a new vintage clothing store in Ashland, Oregon.2024-10-0414 min

Ground FloorElectronic recycling options in the Rogue ValleyHow do you get rid of old electronics? When you or your business updates or replaces old electronic devices, like TVs, computers, tablets or phones, what do you do with all the leftover tiny bits and pieces? Some are hazardous and some pose security risks for your data. AfterBits Electronic Recycling has solutions. Host Cynthia Scherr speaks with Robert Hibbs, founder of the Medford-based company that helps reduce electronic waste by offering secure and safe options for disposal. 2024-08-3014 min

Ground FloorHerbs for your health: the story of Herb PharmUse the terms "herb" and "tincture" close together, and people might assume you're talking about cannabis. But the Applegate Valley business known as Herb Pharm uses actual herbs to promote human health. 75 of them are grown on the property, with the rest found around the world.Our latest edition of The Ground Floor podcast features management consultant and host Cynthia Scherr chatting with Daniel Marple, Herb Pharm's CEO. We learn about the birth and growth of the business, and what people do with herbs like artemisia annua...2024-07-0514 min

Ground FloorMaking the walls miles away from the building: Pacific Wall SystemsAs exciting as it can be to see a new building take shape, it can be truly tedious to make the walls. Even when the arrangement of framing lumber goes smoothly, the weather can make the work challenging or miserable. Enter Pacific Wall Systems, which constructs prefabricated wall panels at a covered plant in Phoenix, saving builders time and effort. PWS is the focus of the latest edition of The Ground Floor, our business/entrepreneur segment. Management consultant and host Cynthia Scherr looks inside the walls of the business...2024-05-0314 min

Ground FloorStartup help offered by Oregon Entrepreneurs NetworkEven the most talented and gifted people who start up new businesses can use a little help along the way. If nothing else, to ask the question "when this happened, what did you do?" The question can be answered by the members of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, an alliance of entrepreneurs from across the state willing to help other entrepreneurs get their stuff together. Our business and entrepreneur podcast, The Ground Floor, visits with OEN's Cara Turano about the general thrust of the help, and about gatherings where OEN members meet...2024-05-0115 min

Ground FloorBusiness ideas take shape at SOU Startup CompetitionMaybe it's true that there's nothing new under the sun. But still, people with big ideas can find ways to turn them into money-making ventures. Our business/entrepreneur podcast, The Ground Floor, actually goes a step before the ground floor (the basement?) in its latest episode. In the episode, we hear about the annual Startup Competition at Southern Oregon University, which gives all students a chance to put an idea out there for possible prizes and a ticket to the Invent Oregon competition. Management consultant and host Cynthia...2024-03-2213 min

Ground FloorHerbs for your health: the story of Herb PharmUse the terms "herb" and "tincture" close together, and people might assume you're talking about cannabis. But the Applegate Valley business known as Herb Pharm uses actual herbs to promote human health. 75 of them are grown on the property, with the rest found around the world. Our latest edition of The Ground Floor podcast features management consultant host Cynthia Scherr chatting with Daniel Marple, Herb Pharm's CEO. We learn about the birth and growth of the business, and what people do with herbs like artemisia annua and ashwagandha. 2024-03-0814 min

Ground FloorWhen 'HO' has nothing to do with Santa ClausOne Rogue Valley manufacturer cranks out the railroad cars and locomotives in large numbers, but makes little noise and does not disturb the neighbors. The name of the company should be a clue: Micro-Trains builds equipment for model railroads, in three sizes (HO, N, and Z gauges). The company and the hobby it serves are spotlighted in a new edition of our business/entrepreneur segment, The Ground Floor. Management consultant and host Cynthia Scherr goes down the track with Eric Smith, the company owner, about helping people run miniature...2024-01-0514 min

Ground FloorQuicker connections to the farm through Global GrangeIt's a little bit funny that we speak of "farm to table," because pretty much anything we eat, off any table, comes from a farm (seafood excepted). But making the trip to the table shorter is a worthwhile goal for many reasons, and one of the goals of Global Grange, Inc., based in the Rogue Valley. The company brings together people from different parts of the food business--farms, restaurants, and more--in search of connection opportunities, efficiences, and synergies. Host and management consultant, Cynthia Scherr explores the concept in the latest edition of...2023-12-0814 min

Ground FloorHow a wish for a local wine label boosted two businessesThomas Edison, among many others, proved that people can have more than one great idea. Sometimes they come in clusters, as we explore in a new edition of The Ground Floor, our business/entrepreneur podcast with Cynthia Scherr of Scherr Management Counsulting. Cynthia's latest chat involves two businesses: a liquor store that wanted a local wine brand, and the facility that could make that happen. The Beverage Barn in Bandon reached out to Naumes Crush and Fermentation in Medford, and voila: a new wine label, On The Waterfront, was...2023-11-0314 min

Ground FloorThe Ground Floor: The business that helps businesses stay on the good side of the SECThere's money to be made in providing services to people. There's potentially BIGGER money to be made in providing services to other businesses. Just think about all the regulations that they have to follow; Elizabeth Cope did. She noticed through previous jobs how much work it took for businesses to keep up with the requirements of the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. She ended up forming her own company, Ashland-based SEC Compliance Solutions. The story of the business and what it does for other businesses is the focus of the latest...2023-10-2014 min

Ground FloorThe Ground Floor visits with OSF interim exec Tyler HokamaThere's been quite a flood of news out of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this year, from the campaign to save the season to executive departures to the announcement of the 2024 season. Cynthia Scherr, The Ground Floor podcast host, coaches and trains executives, and speaks their language. So the latest edition of TGF brings the conversation about the future of OSF to a next level when she speaks with Interim Executive Director Tyler Hokama about OSF present and future.2023-09-2214 min

Ground FloorThe Ground Floor drives up for a chat with The Human BeanIt's a relatively small symbol, but it turns out to be a powerful one. The little chocolate-covered coffee beans given out with beverages at The Human Bean give the chain a name and a hook. Now the franchise locations stretch from here to New Jersey, with more opening all the time. We explore the human part of the operation and its growth with Dan Hawkins, the Human Bean President and CEO. He sits for a visit with Management Consultant Cynthia Scherr in the latest installment of The Ground Floor,...2023-09-1514 min

Ground FloorDriving up for a chat with The Human BeanIt's a relatively small symbol, but it turns out to be a powerful one. The little chocolate-covered coffee beans given out with beverages at The Human Bean give the chain a name and a hook. Now the franchise locations stretch from here to New Jersey, with more opening all the time. We explore the human part of the operation and its growth with Dan Hawkins, the Human Bean President and CEO. He sits for a visit with Management Consultant Cynthia Scherr in the latest installment of The Ground Floor,...2023-09-1514 min

Ground FloorAn app for managing rentals, born in Grants Pass, on The Ground FloorNobody much likes the term "landlord," but we keep using it. Whether you like the label or not, it describes a role in a particularly personal, and legally complicated, business relationship. Now there is a new tool for people managing rental property to help keep the business part organized.Rentec Direct in Grants Pass makes software used all over the country now. Founder/President Nathan Miller came up with the idea when he got overwhelmed managing his own rentals. He tells the story in the latest edition of The Ground Floor,...2023-08-1114 min

Ground FloorThe people who make the robots workThe things that robots can do on assembly lines and elsewhere in the workplace can boggle the mind. But if you don't currently use robots, who sets them up for you? One answer is 7robotics, based in Roseburg. There were not six previous versions of the company, they chose 7 for... well, you should listen. Cynthia Scherr returns with another version of The Ground Floor, our business segment. Cynthia's guest is Joey Koenig, Business Director at 7robotics. He explains the name and how the company helps other companies step into...2023-06-2314 min

Ground FloorThe business that helps businesses stay on the good side of the SECThere's money to be made in providing services to people. There's potentially BIGGER money to be made in providing services to other businesses. Just think about all the regulations that they have to follow; Elizabeth Cope did. She noticed through previous jobs how much work it took for businesses to keep up with the requirements of the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. She ended up forming her own company, Ashland-based SEC Compliance Solutions. The story of the business and what it does for other businesses is the focus of the latest...2023-05-1214 min

Ground FloorBringing the ancient drink of mead into the 21st centuryLong before there were wine coolers and sparkling seltzers, there was mead. It's a simple drink, but with many complex potential flavors, and one key ingredient: honey. So bees are involved, but so are people, like the people at Oran Mor Artisan Mead in Roseburg. We learn about the business and the drink in the latest edition of our business segment, The Ground Floor. Host Cynthia Scherr visits with Lilly Weichberger, CEO and Head Mead Maker. 2023-03-3114 min

Ground FloorReaching to the sky for electricityThe Beatles song I'll Follow the Sun made for catchy song lyrics, but it's also a good practice for solar energy creation. Just as the sun beats down hardest in the summer, it produces the most electricity in solar cells when the pathway is direct. So Stracker Solar of Ashland installs systems that track the sun across the sky over the day. Business is growing, as we find in this month's edition of The Ground Floor, hosted by management consultant Cynthia Scherr. Jeff Sharpe, Founder and COO...2023-02-0314 min

Ground FloorHow to keep local talent in the local areaWhen you grow up in a relatively small town and have big dreams, reaching them often involves moving away. Which may be great for the person, but it's a brain drain for the community left behind. That's why Emerging Leaders Internship is setting up in Southern Oregon: to help keep local talent in the region, with an emphasis on young people from rural and/or lower-income families. The program is the focus of this month's The Ground Floor, with Cynthia Scherr. Two organizations, The Contingent and Project Youth+2023-01-1313 min

By the People, For the PodcastPresumed Guilty: the Urgency of Bail ReformWe explain what that "bail reform" thing is and debunk some claims surrounding it. Host: Jeanne Hruska (TW: @Jeanne_Hruska) Guests: Joseph Lascaze (TW: @JosephJusticeNH) Professor Buzz Scherr (TW: @BuzzScherr) Cynthia Mousseau (TW:@NEinnocence) Music by Palana Belken (TW: @Palanaaaaa) ACLU of New Hampshire Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @aclu_nh www.aclu-nh.org 2019-10-2526 min