The Good Life Small Business Podcast

Curt Smith is a former professional baseball player and Lincoln Saltdog legend. With his career coming to a close, Curt had an idea for custom made baseball equipment that could be personalized for players across the country. We had a great conversation about how he came up with the name, his transititon from professional athlete to small business owner, and what he wants the future of Dream Glove...

I had a great time sitting down with Nicka Johnson, owner of Budget to Success in Omaha. Nicka has an amazing story.  She recognized at an early age what she didn't want to be, and took the steps in her life to set herself up for success.  After she graduated college, she started working as a mortgage broker and climbed her way to the top of the company. Eventually though, she realized that the co...

I had a great time sitting down with Richard Barajas, owner of Kearney Combat Sports. We had a great conversation about his business, what he struggles with, and what he sees for the future of Kearney Combat Sports. Make sure to check them out on Facebook and Instagram , or learn more on their website .

I had a great time meeting Brett Mayo, co-owner of Sweetwater Hemp Company in Pleasanton. After a tour of their facility, I had a chance to sit down with Brett and learn how their business came to be, the challenges they have had to overcome in their first year and beyond, and what they would do differently if they had the chance start again. If you would like to know more about Sweetwater Hemp Co...

Last December, I had the opportunity to sit down with Michael, Amy, Dustin, and Lindsey, owners of The Upper Room Brewery. At the time, they were hoping to be up and running after the first of the year.  It turned out to be the end of January. There was a nervous anxiety that you could almost feel hanging in the air last year.  The burden of what needed to be done, and the unknown of what was to c...

I had a great time sitting down with Pat Slack and talking about his journey as a small business owner. Pat is the owner of C21 Midlands, which is the local Century 21 Real Estate Brokerage here in Kearney. We talked about how a two week class to learn the business of being an auctioneer lead to him getting his real estate license, how he works to motivate and educate his agents, and the struggles...

Retirement for many is a time to enjoy the things they didn't have time for while they were working. For Betty Ann Sayers, it was the perfect time for her to start a business. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Betty Ann, owner of Buzz Savories out of Holdrege, to learn more about her business, her love of honey bees, and the joy she gets from growing her business. To learn more about her, an...

I had a great time sitting down with Jessica Kraus and Kim Hines, co-owners along with their husbands, Mark and Jason, of Lost Way Brewery in Holdrege. It was great to hear the story of how these Michigan and New Mexico transplants, ended up in small town Nebraska.  Even better is how their drive, ambition, and reliance on each other have made this brewery a gem in the Holdrege community. Sit back...

RaChell Merklin never planned on being a small business owner.  She had a career in real estate and was very happy. When she became a small business owner, she never planned on being involved in the day to day operations of Small Cakes.   Baking and decorating cakes...no thanks.  She said she would "never" do that. Seven years later..."Never say never," RaChell says with a smile. RaChell and I had...

Kombucha... Never heard of it?  Well, me neither...until I sat down with Nathan and Jessi Hoeft, owners of First Street Brewing and Ensign Beverage Company. It was a great time to sit down with Nathan and Jessi to hear more about their small business story, how they pulled through the pandemic with the help of the Hastings community, and of course, more about this tasty beverage known as Kombucha....

Renee Sobotka started True North Technologies as more of a side hustle to her real passion at the time...real estate. But as most small business owners can attest to, things don't always go as planned. I enjoyed sitting down with Renee and getting to know more about her and True North.  We talked about what it was like for her to leave her full time job to pursue her passion, how she has had to le...

In the middle of the pandemic last year, Justin Vrooman & Derrick Kleeb started Heartland 3D. I really enjoyed my time getting to know them both, as well as getting an education on 3D printing, which is something I have an interest in, but don't know much about. Besides a better knowledge of how 3D printing works, I gained a respect for Justin & Derek and how they started Heartland 3D.  Two guys w...

I've known Dr. Mike Gilbreath, owner of Premier Eye Care in Kearney, almost since the day he opened his practice.  Our paths as business owners are parallel in a lot of ways.  We usually end up talking about business when we see each other, and I am excited to bring his story to the podcast. In this episode, Mike and I talked about what led him to want to become an Optometrist, the uncertainty tha...

What started out as a home based, "garage sale" style greenery, has literally grown into one of Kearney's newest businesses. 🪴  I had a great talk with Abbie and Diego Castaneda, owners of Rooted Plant Co. We discussed the advantages of owning a business with your spouse, how their business has evolved over the last couple years, and some of the struggles that they are trying to improve as they g...

Recently, some members of my family had booked appointments at Studio 51/50.  I had heard of the business, but didn't know much about it. After the rave reviews from my family when they got back, I figured I had to learn a little more about Matt Decker and Studio 51/50. I was learning about Matt and his business for the first time when we sat down for this podcast.  This is the first time we had m...

I really enjoyed talking with Grant Stahla, owner of Stahla Services, for this podast episode.   Grant grew up in a home where being a entrepreneuer was the norm.  Throughout college, he was thinking and dreaming of ideas that he could turn into a business. After a trip to the east coast to visit family, he came back with an idea. Grant walked me through how he got his business off the ground, how...

I had heard of GROW Nebraska before.  And I had seen their retail store in the past, whether it was at the Hilltop Mall in Kearney, or at their current location near the interstate. But when I sat down with Janell and Tiffany, I learned that GROW Nebraska is SO much more than just a retail store. GROW Nebraska is a resource for small businesses' in the state like no other.  And one that many may n...

I really enjoyed sitting down with Dr. Natalie Gile and her husband, Nathan, owners of Gile Family Dentistry. While they are one of the newest dentist offices here in Kearney, they have teamed up with an experienced dentist to help them along the way. They really do have a great story!   From how they first got in touch with Dr. Jay Sawyer, how they each handle their different roles within the off...

In this episode of the Good Life Small Business Podcast, I took time to sit down with Shad Getz, owner of Radon Pros. Shad is a serial entrepreneur.   When I first met him, he had recently started a business known as Property Pros.   But a chance meeting with the owners of a radon mitigation company changed the direction of his business. Most small business owners have a vision for what they think...

Seth Maschmeier and his wife Karah, owners of Gambinos Pizza in Kearney, have a great story when it comes to the roller coaster ride of being a small business owner. With opening getting pushed back a month to early 2020, three weeks after the birth of their youngest child, to the "honeymoon phase" that comes with a new restaurant in town, and then the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed the game for...

I had a great time sitting down and catching up with Jesse Jacobs, owner of one of the newest small businesses here in Kearney, The Brickwalk Gallery. The thing I got out of this conversation is that the thing Jesse values most...is time.  We talk about why he started his business, (while working 80 hours a week), how he realized that putting in those kind of hours doesn't give you much time for a...

Erika Moore started her own, unique, small business when she turned 50.   I have had the pleasure to know Erika for the last couple years, and have been able to watch her small business grow and change.   Moore Organized is a company that is designed to give you "More Time For The Things You Love".  By helping other get organized, in both their personal and professional lives, Erika has found an e...

I had a really great conversation with David Lano, owner of Control Yours, for this episode of the podcast. Besides getting a little into the weeds when it come to social media and digital marketing, we talk about how Control Yours got started in website design. There are a ton of great lessons that small business owners can take from this conversation.   We get into perseverance, lessons learned...

It was great to sit down with Erika Godfrey, third generation owner of Hawthorne Jewelry. In this episode, we talk about what it is like to take over a family business, and all of the things that Erika had to learn along the way.   While she had WAY different plans when she graduated high school, a phone call from her dad one day made her realize that she needed to keep the family business in the...

This episode of the Good Life Small Business podcast features a business that is still a few weeks away from opening! The Upper Room Brewery is a collaboration between Dustin and Lindsey Favinger, and Michael and Amy Frietag, that is almost ready for the rest of the world. I had a great time talking with this crew, and it brought back all the emotions that come with starting a small business.  Bel...