All Episodes

In this episode, I welcomed Brad Cooper, the CEO of Catalyst Coaching 360. His was my favorite talk from the Founded in FoCo event last spring, and I was more than pleased to bring his extensive knowledge to share with our listeners! Brad is a PhD in Performance Psychology and also the host of the Coaching Lab podcast. We discussed his journey into health and wellness, and how he rediscovered his passion for running in his late thirties. Brad shared the story of launching Catalyst Coaching 36...

In this episode of The Loco Experience podcast, I had a far-ranging conversation with Jesse Jorgensen, a Partner in Foresight Financial Group. We discussed his early career and evolution, including his path to partnership at Foresight and the evolution of their firm to provide comprehensive financial planning services - including wealth management, tax planning, and estate planning. Jesse shares insights into Foresight’s rapid growth, and the values and principles that guide their advising. He e...

In this episode of The LoCo Experience podcast, I sat down with Reed Miller, the owner of Northern Colorado Insurance Agency (NCIA) and a LoCo Think Tank member! Reed shared insights on the changing landscape of insurance, detailing how NCIA serves multiple areas for health insurance, including employee benefits, Medicare, and individual plans. We also delved into the various options for group plans, the principles guiding his business, and the significant growth NCIA has experienced since he pu...

I had an enlightening conversation with Brian and Mary McKnight, the driving forces behind Turf Tamers Landscaping in Fort Collins. Brian shared how he acquired Turf Tamers, initially a tiny business, and grew it from the ground up starting with a few clients in 2001. Brian shared his background, and the drama in moving from “trendy” California to “cowtown” Fort Collins in high school - but how he soon fit right in and found summer work in landscaping. Mary, on the other hand, came to CSU from I...

In this episode, I was joined by Moses Horner, the Founder and Owner of Horner Painting, as he celebrates their 25 years in business! Horner Painting is a market leader in both new construction and residential repaints, and Moses is also my landlord and a longtime LoCo Facilitator for a Builders chapter. We talked about Moses' special sauce in founding and growing the business, which for Moses has always been maximizing - continuous improvement and streamlining operations. Moses emphasized th...

In this episode of The LoCo Experience podcast, I sat down with Bob Hewson, the CEO and co-founder of Colorado Youth Outdoors,which will celebrate its 25th year in 2026! We started by inquiring the why around the organization’s focus on building relationships through traditional outdoor activities like fishing, archery, and trapshooting. We talked about the importance of intentional one-on-one time in relationships - especially any parent-child relationship - and how his own upbringing influenc...

In this episode of the LoCo Experience Podcast, I spoke with Julian Faure, the Founder and Owner of Momentum Counseling and Consulting. Julien is a member of Loco Think Tank's Next Level III chapter and has grown his company significantly, from a start-up solo practice in 2021 to over 100 employees in 13 offices in a few short years. One of the topics we discussed was the challenge of constantly hiring and training and the high rate of burnout in the mental health industry. Julien shared the ...

In this episode of the Loco Experience podcast, I sat down with Mark Rushing and Kathy Rushing to discuss their entrepreneurial adventures and 45-year marriage. Mark is the Owner of Portable Restroom Solutions, while Kathy is the Founder of Loadstar Relationship Coaching. They share their journey from their college days at Texas A&M, and into their early entrepreneurial ventures - which included a failed church plant. We also delve into their faith journey, how it has evolved, and their struggle...

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sat down with Chris Elder, Patrick Elder, and Austin Dodder, respectively the CEO, President, and COO - and Partners in Elder Construction, Inc. We start by delving into their roles at Elder Construction, along with their roots in Northern Colorado - and previous to that, Colorado Springs. Friends since birth and 1st grade, respectively, we explore together the history of their friendship and the founding and evolution of the company. We touch up...

In this episode of the Loco Experience, I welcomed Travis Luther - sociologist, researcher, writer, speaker, entrepreneur, and Founder of Time to Live LLC. Travis shares his journey from a tumultuous childhood with young parents to pursuit of a music career and eventually finding his stride as an entrepreneur. He recounts his entrepreneurial ventures, including starting a successful valet advertising company and a legal tech company, as well as the Queen Anne Pillow Company, which he grew to a m...

In this episode of The LoCo Experience Podcast, I sat down with Dwight Sailer, the owner of HighCraft Builders based in Fort Collins, Colorado. We discussed Dwight's background and the early days of his business, including his journey from apprentice craftsman in Monterey Bay to a fresh start in Colorado and how he started HighCraft with his longtime business partner Bryan Soth. Dwight shared insights into the unique challenges and opportunities in the construction industry, including their fixe...

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sit down with Joe and Melissa Basta, co-founders of Tellus , an outdoor apparel brand (and social enterprise) based in Fort Collins. They share their founding story, focusing on their commitment to sustainability using recycled or organic materials and donating 100% of their net profits to environmental initiatives. Melissa explains her role in overseeing marketing and the company's give-back programs, while Joe discusses his background in Outw...

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I welcomed Murph McIver into the Studio. Murph is the Founder and Software Architect at Xeo Software , and moved his family from Honolulu to Fort Collins in 2021. We discuss what brought them here, the unique attributes of Fort Collins, and the vibrant business culture. Murph shared insights into his company's founding story and mission to help businesses automate and scale, especially those that have unique needs that off-the-shelf software ca...

In this episode of the Local Experience Podcast, I sat down with Sjeanne Cawdry , the Director and Founder of The Center of Liberation. Sean shares her diverse background, from being born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, to moving to Fort Collins, Colorado. Her journey includes a rich history in corporate investment banking in innovative roles, along with personal experiences that led her to found her center aimed at supporting conscious business practices and leadership development. ...

In this episode of the LoCo Experience, I welcomed accomplished author, speaker, and teacher Gregg Vanourek into the studio. We discuss his recent book 'Triple Crown Leadership,' which he co-wrote with his father. The book uses the metaphor of the Triple Crown in horse racing to describe the triple crown of leadership: excellence, ethics, and endurance. We discussed the extensive research and interviews involved in developing their book and leadership model - which aims to help leaders achieve e...

In this episode of the LoCo Experience Podcast, I hosted Constantin Gurdgiev , Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Finance at the Monfort College of Business . Constantin outlines his work in the fields of economics, geopolitics, and finance, sharing insights from his research on geopolitical risks, tariff impacts, and financial market volatility. He also discusses his teaching and research positions in the United States and Ireland, emphasizing his efforts to integrate real-world applications ...

In today’s episode of The LoCo Experience, I was joined by Teres Lambert and David Haase - fellow members of the Breakfast Rotary Club in Fort Collins - which meets every Thursday morning at 7 am at Ginger & Baker! They were here in part to talk about a pair of significant Rotary events upcoming this spring and summer - the Field of Honor - May 23 - 26 - spearheaded by Teres, and talk with David about The Peach Festival - which will be held August 16th this year at Civic Center Park in Old Town ...

Wade Keith grew up in Alabama, and came to Colorado as a raft guide - but after he found love and wanted to start a family he decided to pursue a professional career. This journey included stops at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Odell’s Taproom, Otterbox, and now approaching 15 years “Working at the Carwash”. But - not just any car wash - Breeze Thru Car Wash, the dominant membership car wash club in Northern Colorado. Wade is now a partner in the business, and serves as Brand Manager and is also a comm...

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work - if the Beer Tastes Great! Josh & Angie Grenz, Owners of Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project in Loveland, and Verboten North Brewpub in Fort Collins. I met Josh and Angie Grenz in the early months of their opening their first Verboten location in a quiet industrial park in Loveland, and Angie actually came to the very first organizational meeting for the first LoCo Think Tank chapter - before I had come up with the name! She didn’t join, and hasn’t yet - but I rem...

I met Edward Rinehart at my Rotary Club, where he was sharing his journey with DECA - Distributive Education Clubs of America - an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through educational programs and competitions. Colorado had 9,000 participants in DECA programs in 2024, with the top competitors advancing through District Competitions to State and International. Edward has been involved in DECA all four years of his hi...

This week, I was pleased to be joined by Jessica Dizmang, the Owner/Operator of the ONLY three Ben & Jerry’s locations in Colorado, with scoop shops located in Fort Collins, Denver, and Boulder. Her father had a career in corporate franchising, with a stop at Ben & Jerry’s, and made her aware of an opportunity in Boulder. She was a fresh college graduate, and very not inclined to work at an ice cream shop - but a couple months later, in March of 2002, she became part-owner and operator of the Pe...

My guest today was Zak George, Founder and Owner and Head Coach at Zak George Landscaping, LLC. ZGL - as the trucks around town say on the side - is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! Zak has a strong history of growth in the Residential and Commercial Construction and Commercial Maintenance segment, plus a substantial snow removal operation to keep some of the guys busy in the winter. Zak has an interesting business model in that he relies heavily on long term HB2 Visa employees, who ...

Ginger Graham returns to The LoCo Experience studio, and this time brings her hunky husband, Jack! Jack Graham came to Fort Collins to play quarterback for CSU, and was drafted into the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. In his post-football career, Jack quickly became an innovative disrupter in the reinsurance industry, and he founded International Catastrophe Insurance Managers, distributing risks from natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes - and was recognized as the Earnst and Young ...

I met Pete Gazlay late in my banking career, as one of my colleagues was pursuing a banking relationship with the owner of a young but rapidly growing janitorial company - Total Facility Care. Pete founded the business in 2010, after departure from a fast-growing middle-market company in the same industry. At the start, Pete was a one-man team, selling janitorial services during the day - and executing the cleanings at night! They grew steadily throughout though, and sold in April of 2023 with ...