Higher Level Business

Mountain Professionals seemed like a simple idea in 2000. That was the year that Ryan Waters and Dave Elmore met in South America, where both were working in the industry and both had the idea to start their own guiding company. As the guiding season progressed, so did the business plan, culminating on an Aconcagua climb, which they call the “highest business meeting ever.”

Mountain Professionals is an owner-operated company focusing on safety and quality. They organize and lead professional mountaineering expeditions and trekking expeditions in Argentina, Patagonia, Tanzania, Mexico, Nepal, Chile, Russia, Indonesia & Antarctica. They work with everyone from the professional climber to the novice trekker.

 

 Dave Elmore of Mountain Professionals [16:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Coffee Bean Good for Sturgis

Drive through downtown Sturgis anytime other than 2 weeks in August, and it’s easy to come away thinking that nothing much happens here except during the motorcycle rally.

But that’s just 10 days each year.

The rest of the time, it’s a community with the same struggles and challenges of any small town. As we pulled in early Sunday afternoon in late August, we were hard pressed to find anything open and the sidewalks were empty.

 

 Mike Kahler of the Sturgis Coffee Co. [12:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Boost, Not Bust

Despite news of economic woes, 70% of women presidents and CEOs of multi-million dollar companies predict their companies will maintain or grow revenues this year. This is according to the annual economic survey by the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), the premier peer advisory organization for women entrepreneurs.

Is this a “Pollyanna” attitude or do they know something that the national media, doesn’t?

The WPO is a non-profit membership organization for women presidents of multimillion-dollar companies. Members of the WPO take part in professionally-facilitated peer advisory groups in order to coax the ‘genius out of the group’ and grow their businesses to the next level.

 

 Allison Darling & Judy Johns of WPO-KC Chapter [20:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

The Party’s Over

I hate to say it, but for those of you getting “high” at work, the party’s over.
This was realized during the “2008 Business Drive Time Tour”. Drawing a line in the sand is Lorelee Byrd, CEO and founder of Midlands Testing Services. She sees herself as part of a solution by helping businesses to create […]

 

 Lorelee Byrd of Midlands Testing Services: Play Now | Play in Popup

I’m Hacked!

Who do you call? Is this 911-worthy? Why can’t you ever find a cop around when you need one, unless you’re speeding in a construction zone due to poorly marked signage? (OK, that was personal…I’m over it.)
It’s been a week now and I feel as if I can finally talk about it. Not the ticket, the “hack.” Unless it’s happened to you, you can’t really understand the anger, the pain and the fear. And that’s based on what it’ll cost to fix the problem.

 

 Neal Sahrma of Digital Evolution Group, Part 1 [16:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Neal Sharma of Digital Evolution Group, Part 2 [23:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

The Queen of Healthy Convenience

I would never talk about a lady’s age. (I was brought up better than that.) But she readily admits, “I was an old lady when I started this business 23 years ago. And I’m going to have a big retirement party when I reach age 90.” That business, Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, has gone on to help more that 250,000 customers eat healthier and lose weight.

 

 Seattle Sutton, part 1 [18:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Seattle Sutton, part 2 [18:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

From the Ashes

Highlights and Interviews from the Heart of the Matter & Live with Jay on June 12th, 2008 including Diane Botwin of the
Botwin Family Partners. A lot of emotions pass through you when you watch the building that your parents bought 34 years ago, go up in flames. Especially when your first job was seating guests at the old Waldo Astoria Dinner Playhouse. The building at 75th and Washington in Waldo is set to re-open this month; better and greener than ever

 

 Diane Botwin of Botwin Family Partners [21:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Terrence Garguilo, author "In the Land of Difficult People" [10:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Extra-Ordinary Joe Honored

Joseph Melookaran has an impressive record of volunteerism and has been named as the 2008 Small Business Advocate of the Year by the National Small Business Association In 2006, he was awarded the SBA Minority Small Business Champion of the Year. Melookaran has worked with a local business incubator helping start-up businesses and has held leadership positions in numerous local, regional, state and national associations. He also served as lead author of a report on entrepreneurship to President George W. Bush entitled, Enhancing Economic Opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2007.

 

 Joseph Melookaran of JMA Chartered [22:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

What Can (Mike) Brown Do For You?

“Anybody can benefit by thinking more about their business and thinking about it in a structured way and it doesn’t have to be a long process. It can be fun and enjoyable and intellectually stimulating and ideally, it can get you results,” says Mike Brown. “Going through a ‘more formal process’ allows you to explore a whole variety of opportunities as opposed to just taking one path.”

 

 Mike Brown on Strategic Planning Part 1 [11:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Mike Brown on Strategic Planning Part 2 [16:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Good Afternoon…Is the Lady of the House, Home?

Sometimes I imagine the answer to the question, before I ask it. For instance, I wanted to ask David Oreck of the Oreck Corporation, “So, how’s business?” I was hoping for a, “It sucks.”
I think he’s too much of a gentleman (or too smart) to fall for an old chestnut like that. This icon of […]

 

 David Oreck [19:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup