Space Management in Downtown KC

We just managed to squeeze in the Solar System in Downtown Kansas City.

This area is now home to the second Voyage Exhibition in the world, thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Voyage is a one to 10-billion scale model Solar System that stretches one mile between the Sun, positioned at 13th and Baltimore, and Explorers– the last stanchion, located in front of Union Station.

Voyage: A Journey through the Solar System takes cosmic learning outside the walls of a classroom, offering a perspective that goes beyond science textbooks. The permanent replica promises to be a must-see, must-do field trip option for science classes throughout the region.

 

 Dr. Jeff Goldstein, creator of the Voyager Exhibition [24:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Unstoppable, Rock Solid Growth

It was announced recently that a Kansas City, Kansas based Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was selected as part of the approval of legalized gaming in Kansas. This new Hard Rock location will be part of the Kansas Speedway complex.

While not everyone agrees with the strategy or the tactic of theoretically “state owned” gaming, this area will only continue its burgeoning growth as a very popular Midwest tourist and visitor destination.

The focus is on the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. I truly believe that we “ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” I don’t think we can even fathom how great this will be for the Kansas region, for the Kansas City metro and for tourism. The market force of powerful brands is literally unstoppable.

Cream of the Crop

The Shatto Milk Company is a small, family owned dairy farm located just north of the Kansas City metro area. Known for “milk at its finest,” they recently released a brand new line of premium ice cream. The line has two flavors, vanilla and chocolate, but boasts itself as the only local super premium ice cream option from this area. What started out as a way for Leroy Shatto to keep his cows, now has led to a trophy room full of awards for product quality, small business accomplishments, tourism and even a picture of the President of the United States drinking his cow’s milk.

 

 Leroy Shatto of Shatto Milk Company: Play Now | Play in Popup

Standing Up for the Rest

“In early 1995, quite deliberately, I stepped down as CEO of H&R Block, where I was making nearly a million dollars a year,” Thomas Bloch writes in his introduction. “I had decided on a higher calling: teaching math to inner-city kids. This is the story of how that decision changed my life and the lives of the kids I tried to help.” The journey from CEO to teacher and observations on how to improve education are detailed in Bloch’s first book, “Stand for the Best: What I Learned After Leaving My Job as CEO of H&R Block to Become a Teacher and Founder of an Inner City Charter School.”

 

 Thomas Bloch, author "Stand for the Best" [25:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Ready to Party Like a River Otter

Get ready to Strut, Waddle or Gallop down the red carpet. It’s Jazzoo ‘08, and the Kansas City Zoo is bringing out many of KC’s Animals (the 2-legged “party” variety) to celebrate.

Friday, June 6, Kansas City will help unveil the Zoo’s new Front Entry Plaza while enjoying delectable bites and libations from approximately 80 Kansas City restaurants and numerous drink stands. If you’re not YET planning to attend, mark your calendars for one of this City’s most fun charitable events.

 

 Rick & Emily Boeshaar, Max Evans for Jazzoo [18:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Going to the Dogs (and, Cats)

Do your dogs get treated better than you do? Mine do and they know it. Thankfully, they are good at “showing the love.” Anybody who has pets knows what I mean.
People consider their dogs and cats as part of the family and as nutrition becomes a more pressing issue in our country, people are putting […]

 

 Scott Ragan of Three Dog Bakery [31:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Former Sons of Birch have New Gig

What did David Scott and David Hollingsworth learn from their time at Birch that they have carried over to Avid?

“Not to give up control of your company, although we never really had that option at Birch. Birch was in the old world where you had to play the game by the same rules as the big guys. And so, we had to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to build the business. This time around we’ve been given the luxury of building the business by what David calls ‘golf course funding’ where we can get people locally to back the business but it’s still controlled by the two of us. And we can make the decisions about how it grows,” said Scott.

 

 David Scott & David Hollingsworth of Avid Communications [23:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Is Your Company “Traveling 33 RPM in an iPod World?”

This is an “in your face” reminder to some of the more sleepy markets, cultures, managers and companies that we run across. It is also a wake-up call to many major corporations. An obvious comparison to aging marketing practices and stagnant product portfolios, with direct ties to decaying bottom-line growth and profits.

This is also a commentary on aging cultures and organizational structures. Are your employees actively engaged? Is your company awake or asleep?

Meet Barclay Martin

With all of the hullabaloo around David Cook and his bid to be the next American Idol, we still have a number of great musicians and artists in this area trying to make it the old-fashioned way…through hard work and word of mouth.

Barclay Martin is one of those artists.

 

 Barclay Martin [27:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Wizards a Winner for Kansas City

While they’re just getting their season warmed up (currently they are 3-3-1 and mired in the middle of the tough Eastern Division standings) the Wizards are scoring goals all over town with their philanthropic efforts. The Wizards (or, Dynamo the Dragon, the Starting 11 Girls, etc.) are regularly about town making appearances and contributing their time to everything from Youth Soccer to health related fund raisers.

 

 Robb Heineman [32:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup