Shows
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersSausage of the Rockies
"We are the official sausage of the Colorado Rockies, DU Pioneers, Ball Arena and the Colorado Avalanche.”
Melodie Polidori Harris (and Steve Polidori), Polidori Sausage
2025-03-2736 min
ProCO360Sausage of the Rockies, 4th Gen"We are the official sausage of the Colorado Rockies, DU Pioneers, Ball Arena and the Colorado Avalanche.”2025-03-2400 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners#1 Rule for Displacing a Product"We thought: it makes sense – maybe we should keep trying.”
Eric Davis, Founder & CEO, Pretred
2025-03-1339 min
ProCO360#1 Rule for Displacing A Product"We thought: it makes sense – maybe we should keep trying.”2025-03-1100 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersA Gated Community for Titans
"I’ve always wanted to surround myself with entrepreneurs who think differently, do differently.”
Jaime Zawmon, Founder and President, Titan CEO & Titan 100
2025-02-2739 min
ProCO360A Gated Community for Titans"I've always wanted to surround myself with entrepreneurs who think differently, do differently."2025-02-2300 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersAmbition, Deception, and Innovation
"If I’d known then what I know now, I think I could have accomplished what I accomplished with a little more EQ.”
Dan Caruso, Caruso Ventures & Author of Bandwidth
2025-02-0643 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersIconic Burritos, Millions Sold
“I think we were one of the inventors of the breakfast burrito.”
Carmen Morales, Founder & Owner, Santiago’s Mexican Restaurants
2025-01-2332 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersThrilled Patients Tattoo Company Logo
"If this works, we might be able to solve the biggest health epidemic of our generation.”
Sami Inkinen, Founder & CEO, Virta Health
2025-01-0944 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCollege Sports & Business at Colorado
"This is the time for us to strike while the iron’s hot.”
Rick George, Athletic Director, University of Colorado
2024-12-1230 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersThe Business of Doubling DEN Airport
"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
2024-11-0750 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHow to Vote for Colorado
"We bypass our lawmakers and put our pet issues on the ballot...”
Dave Tabor, host, ProCO360
2024-10-2410 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFrom Dishwasher to Restaurateur, and Casa Bonita Executive Chef
"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
2024-10-1033 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHow E-Commerce Fulfillment Works"A lot of brands are shipping from a ping-pong table out of their garage...”
Irene Scharmack, CEO, QuickBox
2024-09-2638 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTeacher from Lab to Fixing the Climate
"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
2024-09-0538 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersLove of Friends and BBQ
"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
2024-08-2235 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners$17M in Sales Before Any Employees“I reached $17 million before I hired my first employee.”
Leah Garcia, Founder & CEO, Nulastin
2024-08-0837 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBetter Golf Swing, Better Attitude!
“We fix attitudes all day with better golf swings.”
Joe Assell, CEO, GOLFTEC
2024-08-0636 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersIf Tesla Made an RV“An automotive company would have hundreds or thousands of people to build an entirely new vehicle – we're doing it with 75.”
Toby Kraus, co-Founder, Lightship RV
2024-07-1141 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersChanging Life Trajectories“Changing the trajectory of someone’s life is the most contagiously happy thing you can imagine doing.”
Helen Young Hayes, Founder & CEO, ActivateWork
2024-06-2033 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersA Test for Lung Cancer Probability“When you empower physicians with those test results you really are playing a pivotal role in the treatment going forward.”
Scott Hutton, CEO, Biodesix
2024-06-0636 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersConsumers Carry Guilt About Trash
“Consumers have the hardest job here – they are carrying the guilt of what to do with the package...”
Ian Jacobson, Eco Products
2024-05-2335 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFrom Player to Leader - in a Few Days“...and those are the times when you go all in... what’s portrayed in the media, in TV shows – that's REAL.”
John Nellen, Founder & CEO, Todyl
2024-05-0936 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersThe Shadowy Side of AI“People are willing to ignore security policies in order to gain the productivity benefits (of AI).”
Steven Walchek, CEO & Co-founder, Liminal
2024-04-2541 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersUsing Balloons to Beat Satellites“Owning the stratospheric data layer is where the majority of our revenue will live.”
Andrew Antonio, Co-founder & CEO, Urban Sky
2024-04-1137 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFlattening the Climate Change Curve“Our goal is to flatten the methane curve, and we can actually achieve it.”
- 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...2024-03-2838 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners"DIALED IN" with BOA, LIVE“We wanted to change the company from a closure system to a high-performance fit system to change the way athletes perform – and prove it scientifically.”
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 wa...2024-03-1454 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners"Like a Fist Bump for Your Soul"“Give someone who wants to work hard a chance and they will give you everything they’ve got.”
Jamie Repenning, CEO, R&R Head Labs
2024-02-2939 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCheaper Than New, Better Than eBay“The default for most manufacturers and retailers before we came along was to destroy returns.”
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.
2024-02-1538 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersPeople Started to Not Laugh at Me as Much“I sent them an article, Vangst raises $2.5M from a Tier 1 VC in New York, and people started to not laugh at me as much.”
Karson Humiston, Founder and CEO, Vangst
2024-02-0135 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners"I'll Quit My Job to Work Here!"“If you love a band that’s coming to Red Rocks and you’re 21 years old, I'll find a way to give you that time off.”
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 THA...2024-01-1830 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBuilding Houses Like Cars“We’re building homes in about 9 days at 20 stations, so every house stays at a station about 4 hours.”
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 dr...2024-01-0433 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersThe Concrete Business is HARD“I EXPLAIN TO CUSTOMERS HOW I WORK, AND THEY TRUST ME.”
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 st...2023-12-2115 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCommunity Engagement Foundation of Massive Growth“Community engagement is really looking to the future… what do I want my city and community to be and how can I help that happen?”
Rob Cohen, Chairman and CEO, IMA Financial
2023-12-1439 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersStudio Shed Still Leading the ADU INDUSTRY“It’s fun to be in a business where you have to decide where to pursue the opportunity.”
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 fo...2023-11-2234 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersScrapped Food to Scrappy Camping Meals Biz“When we started out we weren’t thinking big picture – we were just excited to offer something we were passionate about.”
Jane Barden, co-Founder, Farm to Summit
2023-11-0229 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFinding Pockets of Superfans“We deploy data and technology to find pockets of opportunity we call Superfans.”
Greg Sobiech, Founder & CEO, DELVE
2023-10-1937 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHow REI and Colorado Propelled Geyser Systems“THE STATE OF COLORADO INCENTIVIZED ME TO MOVE HERE FROM AUSTIN, AND THAT WAS THE VERY BEST DECISION I’VE MADE IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY.”
Jonathan Ballesteros, Geyser Systems
2023-10-0535 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersWhy Liberty Puzzles Thrives in a Digital World“In that year (Covid) we turned down Ellen Oprah and Martha Stewart… because we were so committed to our direct customer.”
Jeff Eldridge, Liberty Puzzles
2023-09-2138 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHarmony as a CEO, Author & Speaker“My #1 job is to run this great company… and (create a brand) that helps me get this message out there that there’s a different way to lead a company.”
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...2023-09-0725 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersLaser Tweezers Make Atoms Do Math“This is a once in a generation paradigm shift in computing performance… We’re all jockeying to one of the 3-5 winners at the end of the day.”
Rob Hays, President & CEO, Atom Computing
2023-08-1736 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners”Name-Image-Likeness” Matchmaker“I would say (to athletes), you know why you get paid? You’ve got to be able to bring value and sell products.”
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!
2023-08-0341 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersPassion-Based Retailer a Spicy Success“We have customers tell us that we’ve helped them become better chefs.”
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!
2023-07-2038 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersPeeing Outside is Patented, Branded“We always had a method to capture demand... we established a waitlist of over 5,000 people.”
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...2023-07-0635 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersPerformance Fabric Breakthrough“We believe that big boxes stifle innovation because you start chasing volume.”
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...2023-06-2239 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersJourney to Getting Med Device to Market“I was taken under the wing of one of the most prolific surgeon entrepreneurs of the 20th century.”
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...2023-06-0839 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners40% of Global Bison Market“It’s conservation through commerce. If people didn’t like eating bison there wouldn’t be 500,000 today.”
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 –...2023-05-2532 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersYeti Cycles Built to Go Fast“We’ve got to be the market for mountain bikers… what do WE want to ride?”
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), ab...2023-05-1138 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersNot Kidding About Having Fun“WHEN YOU’RE SOLVING A VERY CHALLENGING PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN ATTRACT EXCEPTION PEOPLE.”
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...2023-04-2734 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersStarting from Skratch, Maturing as CEO“There’s more value in learning and team development than in avoiding a mistake.”
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 t...2023-04-1332 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTalent Propels Rocket Engines“Engineers joined us because they saw the people already here whom they’d admired, and now could work with and learn from.”
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...2023-03-3035 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersDisrupting the Ticketing Industry for Good”Our first few people who joined us, joined as full-time volunteers.”
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.
2023-03-1635 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners$300,000 on credit cards to reach $1 Billion in RevenueWe’ve gone from $300,000 on credit cards to over $1Billion in three year revenue with no debt.
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...2023-03-0237 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersDigital Marketing - Through the Noise”It’s not only SEO. It’s not just Pay Per Click (or the tactic one knows)… it’s a FUNNEL – there are so many different pieces.”
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 Cha...2023-02-1638 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersDriving Profits to Local BusinessThe aha moment was when I saw the ability for local businesses to better reach those in their community.
Josh Ritzer, founder and CEO, Nigh Technologies
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 f...2023-01-2630 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTeenager’s Detailing Biz Now a National BrandI was hiring kids older than me so they could drive me around to do detailing.
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 ove...2022-12-1538 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersSmall Satellites Take York Space Into Orbit“A 10-year cycle on billion-dollar projects wasn’t going to be sustainable… particularly given the threats we were seeing from our adversaries.”
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 live...2022-12-0142 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersI Drink Water That Makes Me Sick“I have friends at large companies trying to solve this problem sending me 200-page engineering drawings… We have an idea and we build it.”
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 Fo...2022-11-1038 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersReporter’s Take on Colorado Tech & Innovation“A few food-tech startups reached out about their companies… when I started digging into it I was like, this is a STORY.”
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...2022-10-2736 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersAn Employment Platform for the World“The world needed and needs a platform to employ people literally anywhere.”
Ben Wright, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Velocity Global
CEO Ben Wright of Velocity Global and I explored the future of remote/distributed work in our conversation that ran longer than most. I poked and prodded around what I identified as the “four skepticisms of remote work:” successful collaboration of teams, impact on culture, integration of new employees, and a trusting an employer would receive a fair day’s work. We also discussed managing the tremendous growth that made Velocity Global one of Colorado’...2022-10-1346 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersInside the Flaps of Yurts, Tipis and Tents“Seeing the amazement on customers’ faces, knowing that they will look through the dome and see the stars… gives me goosebumps.”
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.
2022-09-2929 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners”Pay as You Mow” Robot“We strapped some cameras and sensors onto my old Cub Cadet riding mower and drove around.”
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.
2022-09-1538 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCreating Global Web Opportunities“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 member...2022-09-0137 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersRemote or Office? Wrong Question!“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...2022-08-1137 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersOne Podcaster to Another“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!
2022-07-2831 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBehind the Curtains of Survival“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?”
2022-07-1435 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersEarbuds Innovator Takes On Global Brands“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 Teen...2022-06-3042 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersIconic Brand Inspires to ”Go Outside”“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. con...2022-06-1644 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners”Deliberate Culture” in Four Leading Companies“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!
2022-06-0254 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersIn Pursuit of Equity, Hope & Healing“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.
2022-05-1934 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersPutting Carbon 1 Mile Deep in Colorado"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.
2022-05-0538 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTwo CEOs Talk With Their VC About Money"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.
2022-04-2144 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersAffordable, Predictable Marketing - Really!"We score people based on attitude, effort and performance, and if attitude and effort are good, we’ll give a very long leash on performance.”
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!
2022-04-0734 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCulture is the Heaviest Lever"It’s that moment that you say, if this thing matters that much to me, if I’m that passionate about it – that’s what gets me through...”
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 “th...2022-03-2444 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersMade in America – by Refugees"I had this realization that these people have an abundance of (sewing) skills and we’re teaching them to do janitorial work, or work in slaughterhouses.”
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 compan...2022-03-1035 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners”Real Information Most Critical”HE SAID HE WOULD NOT LEAVE HIS CITY – HE WOULD FIGHT BACK.
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.
2022-03-0334 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHappy Animals, Tough Challenges"It was rough… 3 months we were closed - $15M in earned revenue – GONE."
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.
2022-02-1737 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBusiness Decisions, Monetary Policy, Converge!"You would hope that businesses aren't thinking about this over the long run... they're not thinking about should I buy equipment now because I think it's going to be more expensive later."
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...2022-02-0333 minPROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBusiness Decisions, Monetary Policy, Converge"You would hope that businesses aren't thinking about this over the long run... they're not thinking about should I buy equipment now because I think it's going to be more expensive later."
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...2022-02-0337 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersChicken Sandwich That Strives to Be Patagonia“I am a disciple of Patagonia… Can we build a lifestyle-driven fast food restaurant? If we can, it’s not going to be overnight – it will be by constantly going back to the mission.”
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...2022-01-2037 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners3.5 Mins on business in 2022“Overall what really struck me most is that during all the challenges being faced in 2021, Colorado business leaders stayed KIND.”
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.
2022-01-0603 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHeartfelt, Happy People Baked Into Bonanno Concepts“There are only so many A-players out there and we’re doing what we feel is right for the people we work with… the more of those you have around you, the more successful you will be.”
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 graci...2021-12-2341 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTechnology on a Joyride“You may have 10 jobs and only 5 trucks… what are you going to do?”
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...2021-12-0930 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFood that fuels us, fuels the business“I’ve learned the value of culture – if we don’t create a culture, the culture will be created whether you like it or not.”
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...2021-11-2436 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersMaking Things That Don‘t Explode“Making things is not for the faint of heart – everything takes so much longer and costs so much more than anybody expects.”
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!
2021-10-2833 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHalloween Edition: Colorado‘s Creepiest Props And Animatronics“It (electric chair prop) was so violent we had to replace 100 bodies the first year because the heads flew off!”
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!
2021-10-2528 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersColorado‘s Most Prolific Innovator“That’s where my passion comes from... I love getting that response of WOW!”
Rick Case, Founder & CEO, Nite Ize
Rick Case started Nite Ize with a single invention – an elastic band that would hold a small flashlight at the side of one’s head to enable hands-free lighting. Now, that seems obvious. Back in 1989 it was a new idea – and since then Colorado-based Nite Ize has created over 600 products based on solving problems that make customers say, “WOW!” How do you improve a bungee cord or a key holder?... or better tie loose cables or play with a flying dis...2021-10-2134 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersCertified Pre-Owned Bikes Disrupting Industry“We’re doing something no one’s done before, and it’s really hard... with that comes a lot of friction...”
Nick Martin, Founder & President, The Pro’s Closet
Nick Martin started selling used bike parts out of the back of a van to support his racing ambition lifestyle. He turned that scrappy effort into Colorado-based The Pro’s Closet, the world’s largest seller of certified pre-owned bikes. An intriguing niche for sure, this conversation covers a lot of ground around disrupting a market. I appreciate Nick’s comments about “friction” and how The Pro’s Closet has ad...2021-10-0733 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersColorado Craft Cider a Smash“We scream from the mountaintops about what our product is and how we make our product.”
Eric Foster, Co-founder, CEO, & “Lifter of Heavy Things,” Stem Ciders
If you’ve shopped for craft beer in the last year, you’ve seen alongside beer on the shelves, the fast and furious increase in cider products – the brands, the flavors, the total shelf space – and you’ve probably seen the presence of cider tap rooms. I’m a lover of craft beer, and fascinated by the growth of what it seems is a product on a “parallel” growth track...2021-09-2333 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersRight e-Niche Yields $850 million order"I could have cut off a lot of the time to get here by dreaming bigger earlier on."
Tim Reeser, CEO & Co-founder, Lightning eMotors
Colorado is about to have a real vehicle manufacturing factory. It’s hard to believe – and amazing and exciting. Lightning eMotors is a Loveland based company that began with technology developed at CSU, then adapted several times as its co-founder, Tim Reeser, and the team adapted and redefined the company until they found the answer for an important niche in the electric vehicle market – one that’s substantial enough to scale...2021-09-0936 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersSoftware That Adapts Itself To The Future“Our developers don’t need to know code – they just have to be smart people that know the business problem they’re solving.”
Kylee McVaney,CEO, Nextworld
An interesting episode about building a self-adapting ERP software platform in Colorado. We’ve all heard about ERP software systems that are so huge and so cobbled together with hacked fixes over time that they’ve become unwieldy and brutal to use and maintain – and massively expensive and painful to replace. Of course, when ERP systems are eventually replaced, they are on a new path to obsolescence. Nex...2021-08-2632 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersSpouses a Marriage of Coding, Sales“There are accessible ideas that instantly make sense, are easy to invest in… then there’s our idea: niche, geeky, weird…”
Jenn Knight, AgentSync
It had been a while (Xero Shoes) since I interviewed spousal co-founders. Aside from a great story of a niche business born to solve a painful problem, I enjoyed hearing from Jenn and Niji about how they manage the business and their lives together. A point I found particularly interesting is how the established trust between them facilitates business decisions and progress.
2021-08-1235 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersDragons eat Unicorns!Re customer experience: “We are the ultimate arbiter of truth.”
Mario Ciabarra, Quantum Metric
My interview with Mario Ciabarra of Quantum Metric was tons of fun. Mario is a high energy entrepreneur who built a few very small businesses before hitting on something BIG with Quantum Metric – in its last round of funding, Quantum Metric was valued at over $1 Billion. Now bestowed with “unicorn” status, I asked Mario how he feels about that. We talked lots about the problem the company solves, and the challenge of even explaining what they do to early customers who...2021-07-2938 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersHealth Care That Comes to You“We decided to tackle the hard stuff… which nobody’s replicated – and that’s because it’s really hard.”
Dr. Mark Prather, DispatchHealth
I begin this episode stating, “I thought that house calls disappeared in the 1950’s!” As it turns out, Dr. Mark Prather and the DispatchHealth team have figured out how to bring two technicians to a patient at their home more cost effectively, and with better outcomes, than if that patient had gone to a medical facility. During the interview I was struck by how Mark began the business, and with what looks like become...2021-07-1537 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersTurning Gas to Bitcoin“We’re focused on aligning all of those computing resources with the future of the climate and the future of the planet.”
Chase Lochmiller, Crusoe Energy
Sometimes when I hear about something that seems strikingly unusual, I remark, “Wait – WHAT???” When I learned about Colorado-based Crusoe Energy it was one of those moments and I was curious to learn more. Chase Lochmiller, an MIT grad with a background in plasma physics and data science, and co-founder Cully Cavness with a background in oil and gas and geothermal energy, put their skills together to create a way to...2021-07-0132 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersBall, on Naming an Arena, Aluminum Cups“We hired business to consumer experts to do this (launch Ball aluminum cups) and left them on their own, without being pulled and tethered to the other bigger businesses.”
Dan Fisher, Ball Corporation
I’ve been a huge fan of Ball Corporation for years – its leaders are the real deal when it comes to a commitment to sustainability. Two topics I wanted to discuss with Dan Fisher, President, were: 1) the naming of Ball Arena (and WHY), and 2) the invention, investment in, and marketing of a new, never-before disposable – scratch that – RECYCLABLE aluminum cup. You’ll hear Dan’s authenti...2021-06-1727 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersNo Bluetooth. Just Fabric and Elastic“I didn’t want a product with Bluetooth components or software engineers on staff. I wanted something with fabric and elastic that I could bring to market in a very speedy way.”
Colin McIntosh, Sheets & Giggles
My guest Colin McIntosh wanted to create a company and when he was laid off, decided to do that. He didn’t know what that product would be, but he knew that had criteria: a massive and highly-fragmented commodities market where there was no strong brand loyalty, where products were sold mostly through traditional retail so that he could d...2021-06-0339 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersFishpond Brand Immersed in Cause“We have a responsibility to be a shining star to other states...about how we do business in Colorado.”
Johnny Le Coq, Fishpond
Everyday more and more companies promote what author Simon Sinek calls their “WHY.” Some pretty famous companies position their companies as supporters of a cause. Colorado-grown Fishpond goes even further, fully integrating its dedication to river conservation into its brand. Johnny’s enthusiasm for his vision, the business, for product innovation, and for Colorado are infectious.
2021-05-2027 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersEvery Entrepreneur Needs Help All The Time“Every entrepreneur needs help all the time.”
Erik Mitisek, CEO, Highwing
You may know Erik Mitisek as a founder of Denver Startup Week, or as Colorado’s Chief Innovation Officer, or from his many other endeavors in the Colorado entrepreneurial community. This is a great conversation with Erik as we transition through several topics including Colorado as a home for startups, Erik’s current venture – Highwing, and lessons of entrepreneurship.
2021-05-0635 min
PROCO360 | Best Podcast for Entrepreneurs and Business OwnersSolar-Powered Democracy at Work“1 person, 1 share, 1 vote… how we spend profits is an important ownership decision.”
Jason Sharpe, CEO, Namasté Solar
Namasté Solar takes being a “B Corp” to a new level with what CEO Jason Sharpe calls a “Democracy” where employees can become owners by buying-in ($5,000). I explored with Jason how that could possibly work, and he explained that they run the business day to day differently from how they make Governance decisions. A really fascinating look inside an employee owned “democracy.”
2021-04-2237 min