Ken Collins

Behind the Counter

Business EN ↓ 30 episodes

Behind the Counter - Business Stories from the Four Corners: Real Businesses. Real Conversations. Right Here in Our Community. Every week, I sit down with local business owners to hear the real stories behind their work — the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Whether they run a bakery, a repair shop, or a creative studio, each of them has something powerful to share. This is more than a podcast — it’s a celebration of the hustle, heart, and humanity that keep the Four Corners thriving.

Author

Ken Collins

Episodes

How A Woodworker Turned Fine Furniture, Smart Jigs, And Instagram Into A Thriving Business 23.10.2025 45:34

Send us Fan Mail The best furniture tells a story you can feel in your hands—and sometimes hides a secret. We sit with master maker Ramon Valdez to unpack how marquetry, tight joinery, and magnetic hidden compartments evolved into a resilient business that reaches customers around the world. Ramon traces his journey from cabinet shops and gallery floors to a modern model fueled by Instagram, commu...

The Filler Episode That Accidentally Becomes A Masterclass 22.10.2025 51:53

Send us Fan Mail A confession with teeth. We missed a week, and instead of glossing over it, we break down why new projects fall through the cracks—and how to build systems that keep your work on track when life gets loud. I walk through my path from Farmington kid to Air Force process junkie, from executive support at Langley to the IT bust that knocked me flat, and the hard climb back through ci...

River, Roots, and Rafts 06.10.2025 52:01

Send us Fan Mail Imagine floating past sunlit bluffs while otters slip through willow shadows and a guide turns river science into basketballs-per-second. That’s the unexpected magic Cody Dudgeon and Desert River Guides bring to Farmington—a city more famous for oil and gas than river tourism. We talk with Cody about building a thriving rafting culture where no one was searching for it, training t...

A Legacy on Air: Partnership, Reinvention, and the Joy of Not Quitting 29.09.2025 1:00:20

Send us Fan Mail It's all about InterWest Concepts We trace how a radio lifer (David Mills) and a systems-savvy producer (Ren Harris) built a genre-hopping Sunday show on KSJE by mixing curiosity, comfort, and live-to-tape honesty. Partnership, process, and community ties fuel a steady climb past 135K downloads while keeping the joy intact. • origin story from bakery to broadcast • KSJE partn...

Behind the Scenes of Local Business 14.08.2025 4:44

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the inaugural episode of Behind the Counter, a podcast that explores the authentic stories of small businesses in the Four Corners region. Host Ken Collins introduces the show's mission to uncover the real narratives of local entrepreneurs—their grit, growth, setbacks, and creativity that don't make it into their marketing. • Weekly conversations with business...