Conquering Columbus Podcast

Summary: Dave Colina co-founded O2 Oxygenated Natural Recovery drink in Columbus in 2014, because him and his partner were sick of unhealthy sports and energy drinks. With electrolytes, natural caffeine, and added oxygen to help your body process toxins faster, O2 helps you recover from everything you give your all – your workout, your family, …

Summary: Kevin Stoller is the CEO of Kay-Twelve.com, an Author, and a Podcaster. Kay-Twelve.com is passionate about improving learning outcomes, and it drives everything they do as an organization. They help schools, colleges, and corporations create better learning environments. In this episode, Kevin takes us through his childhood, college, MBA, path to helping create Kay-Twelve.com, …

Summary: Amy Franko is a keynote speaker, consultant, and thought-leader in the world of sales and leadership training/development. She is also the Founder and President of Impact Instruction Group, which works with growth-oriented B2B companies to advance sales performance and cultivate future leaders amongst its employees! In the episode, we cover her background, growing up, …

Summary: Sam Havelock is a former U.S. Marine, Former U.S. Navy SEAL, and a serial entrepreneur. As a civilian, he dedicates his time to SOFX, an organization that provides information and connectivity of extreme value to special operators and a global network of high influence people, so that evil may be defeated and suffering averted …

Summary: Nathan is the CEO and one of the Co-Founders at the locally (Columbus, Ohio) based startup, Healthy Roster. Healthy Roster is the only sports medicine injury documentation tool that allows athletic trainers to build deeper relationships with parents and prove school outreach works for their system. The speed and efficiency of Healthy Roster let …

Summary: If you’ve ever been interested in performing at a higher level and getting more out of yourself, this is the episode for you. Tim and Brian Kight are the founders of Focus 3, an organization committed to providing resources that help people perform better, leaders perform better, and businesses perform better. Focus 3 continuously …

Summary: Jordan Miller is the President & CEO Central Ohio at Fifth Third Bank, a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jordan is also a native of Columbus, Ohio, growing up in Milo Grogan. In this episode, he takes us through his childhood, family background, path to the University of Maryland, time serving …

Summary: On this episode of Conquering Columbus we sat down with Blane Walter, who is currently a partner at Talisman Capital Partners. Before joining Talisman, Blane was the founder and CEO of InChord Communications, which he grew to be the largest independently owned Healtcare Communications company in the world. We talk about his journey to …

Summary: Darren and Brad are Managing Members of the, now two, Columbus, Ohio Duck Donuts franchises. Duck Donuts was founded in 2006 by Russ DiGilio in Duck, North Carolina. His intention? To solve a family vacation problem: “Our family wanted a place to buy warm, delicious, made-to-order donuts!, and when we couldn’t find one, we …

Summary: Nick Gesue is the CEO at Columbus, Ohio based Lancaster Pollard, a specialized financial services firm focused on commercial real estate finance for health care, senior living, and affordable multifamily housing properties. Moreover, Nick became the CEO over a 17-year span, climbing the ranks from an entry level intern role! In this episode, Nick …

Summary: Mike Liddy is the Chief Digital Strategist, Creative Director, and Producer at Choptank. Choptank works with companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 to mid-size, while also doing pro-bono work for causes they’re passionate about. They specialize in creating powerful and memorable digital marketing strategies for their clients. In this interview, Mike takes us …

Summary: Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, is director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, chief executive officer of Ohio State’s James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and holder of the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research. He also is a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and …

Summary: Steve Weyl is the Founder of ABLE Roof, which he grew to $105M in revenue before exiting the business. Steve’s story is pure entrepreneur from the beginning – He’s a natural visionary in business and has some of the best sales skills you’ll ever hear. In this episode, the takes us through growing ABLE …

Summary: Michael Mapes is the current Chief Executive Officer at Exal Corporation, the global leader in premium aluminum packaging. Before Exal, Michael climbed the ranks of Greif, the global leader in industrial packaging, along with spending sometime as a consultant at McKinsey and Company. Academically, he’s spent time at some of the top schools in …

Summary: Roger Blackwell has been a keynote speaker in over 3,000 business meetings across six continents – He’s a world-renowned marketing expert, and he’s worked with the likes of some of the most highly respected business leaders in the world, including Les Wexner and Jack Welch. Not to mention, he’s an all-around wealth of knowledge …

Summary: Dress for Success Columbus empowers women to regain their dignity, realize their potential, and achieve + retain economic self-sufficiency through innovative and engaging programs. Vicki Bowen Hewes is the CEO of the Columbus branch, and in this episode she takes up through her path to where she is today, how she founded Dress for …

Summary: Kwame Christian is the host of one of the top negotiation podcasts in the country, Negotiate Anything. He’s also the founder and owner of his own law firm, The Law Office of Kwame Christian, a mediator, a public speaker, and all-around just one of the best people you’ll ever meet. In this episode we …

Summary: Nate DeMars is the Founder and CEO of the Columbus, Ohio based company, Pursuit, a company targeted at “suiting the next generation”. In this episode, Nate takes us through his childhood, climbing the corporate ladder, going back for his MBA at The Ohio State University, graduating from his MBA and turning down the corporate …

Summary: Frankie is a former professional soccer player and current brand ambassador for the Columbus Crew SC. Frankie spent 16-years playing soccer professionally, during which he represented the United States in two World Cups and two Olympics, and competed in two MLS Cup Championships (including the Crew SC’s 2008 MLC Cup victory), just to name …

Summary: Dustin Myers and Cory Gregory are lifelong friends, fitness gurus, cofounders of Old School Gym (aka the Midwest Mecca, which has featured the likes of several world-class athletes, including Arnold Schwarzenegger), and part of the founding team of Max Effort Muscle . In this episode we talk about the process of building a brand …

Summary: Lisa Ingram is the President, CEO, and Board Member of one of the most iconic hamburger chains in the country, 95-year-old, 4th-generation, and family owned, White Castle. The brand has been affiliated with the likes of Alice Cooper, The Beastie Boys, and Stan Lee, just to name a few, and it’s even been the …

Summary: As a first generation entrepreneur himself, Randy Gerber knew the challenges of starting his own company, and he knew entrepreneurs needed a partner to help them through the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. In this episode, Randy talks about why he founded Gerber, LLC, and how they are helping first generation entrepreneurs …

Summary: Alex Frommeyer is the Founder and CEO of Beam Dental, a Columbus based dental company that employs a unique and state-of-the-art approach to dental coverage. In this episode, Alex takes us through his childhood years, where he initially discovered his passion for building things, his time in college where he built his first company …

Summary: Mark Fazzina is the Principal at Executive Search Partners, which specializes in recruiting c-level positions for companies across Central Ohio and abroad. Mark specifically focuses on the financial sector, filling roles in accounting, banking, finance, and more. In this episode Mark takes us through his childhood and upbringing, his collegiate experience, his path to …

Summary: Rick Malir is the President and Co-Founder of the nationwide barbeque chain, City BBQ! If you can breakdown who Rick is into just a few lines, he grew up on a rural farm in Kansas, and when asked how he felt about the words ‘live uncomfortably’ he responded “…in life, never be satisfied, you …