Building Bellingham

Ben Kinney is a giant in the real estate industry, the owner of the Bellingham-based sales team that consistently is one of the top teams in the Keller Williams' US brokerages. Ben himself owns multiple brokerage franchises in the US and London, along with BRIVITY, BKCO Mortage, Place Inc and other companies ancillary to the real estate world. But Ben's story didn't start easily. Like in the game...

In this interview, we dive into culture, brand, and the PNW roots that created an environment for Woods Coffee to be successful. Wes goes deep into what it takes to make a business work. Planning for the ramp-up time, having enough capital to prepare for one or even two years before the business becomes profitable, and sacrificing to make it work. In the early days, Wes could be found changing the...

Our guest today is Ray Deck III, a high-octane human, Founding Director of Skookum Kids, and the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce CEO of the Year 2019. Throughout our conversation, Ray shares insights into what makes him a strong leader: taking natural talent and purposefully developing leadership as a skill, planning, preparing and surrounding himself with high-caliber team members who are humble,...

Bramble Berry CEO Anne-Marie Faiola, aka The Soap Queen, tells the story of how she built her soapmaking business, from selling in farmer's markets, to getting a master's degree in her field plus an MBA, to developing a huge Instagram following and creating professional how-to videos that get thousands of views.  Today she gives us a window into her life as the CEO of a multi-million dollar compan...

Ziad Youssef, local lawyer and legal care advocate, sat down with Leo to talk about how he's made a practice of noticing problems and intervening in them, how he earned success through service, and how he's initiating systemic change in our community.   Today, Ziad is working with cutting-edge legal technology that could cut down attorney time (and thus billable hours), making justice more accessi...

Dylan Langei, a local loan officer, sat down with Leo to talk about how he graduated with an MBA and nowhere to go, how he competed with longstanding veterans in the business, how the lessons of team sports inform his business today, and how we can face our fears through purposeful preparation. His story is especially inspiring for the young business person putting in countless hours and wondering...

Heather Simpson, longtime real estate agent and more recently, founder & director of She Leads Me, joins Leo to discuss her journey from living life on autopilot, to seizing each opportunity to live with intention.  We were inspired by the raw and real story of how she has developed moxie - force of character - through severe lows in her personal and professional life, and how choosing to grow fro...

Jesse Nelson, co-founder and CEO of Overflow Taps, joins Leo to discuss his journey from hearing no to saying yes. He tells the story of opening two taphouses in Whatcom County, and the training process, recharging strategies, and strict Monday routine that he's developed along the way. This debut episode is a must-listen for aspiring leaders. While he rarely addresses the concept of leadership di...