Homegrown Hustle

SUMMARY: Building wealth as an entrepreneur requires far more than maximizing profits or chasing investment returns—it demands intentional decision-making, strategic planning, and alignment between business, family, and long-term goals. In this episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Brian J. Adamek , Founder of E-Wealth Partners, to explore the unique financial challenges b...

What does it take to build a company that thrives for more than a century? In this episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Steve Gullickson , President of MGK (McLaughlin Gormley King) , to unpack the leadership principles, innovation strategies, and long-term thinking behind one of the pest management industry's most respected manufacturers. Steve shares MGK's remarkable jo...

What separates high performers from everyone else? According to Jason Verdugo, Athletic Director at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, it starts with learning how to handle hard things. In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with his former baseball coach and mentor, Jason Verdugo, to explore the intersection of athletics, leadership, organizational culture, and pers...

What separates a skilled tradesperson from a successful business owner? In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, Matt Eickman sits down with Nick Thelen, CEO of Thelen Plumbing, Heating & Air, to unpack the journey from working in the field to leading a rapidly growing home services company. Nick shares how the 2008 recession unexpectedly redirected his career path, ultimately leading him to launc...

SUMMARY: In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Tiff Hoeft, founder of Fierce Decorum, systems strategist, and mother of four, to unpack why so many entrepreneurs become trapped inside the businesses they created for freedom. Tiff shares her journey from corporate roles and network marketing into building a thriving systems and operations consulting business that hel...

What separates thriving businesses from those that constantly struggle to acquire and retain customers? In this deep-dive conversation, Dr. Mike Porter, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas, joins Matt Eickman to unpack the psychology, strategy, and research behind successful marketing. From qualitative research and customer discovery to brand positioning, customer journ...

In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Lucie Misfeldt, Community Engagement Manager at City & County Credit Union, for an in-depth conversation about the evolving role of community-centered business strategy. Lucie breaks down the misunderstood world of credit unions, explaining how member-owned financial institutions operate differently from traditional banks an...

SUMMARY: In this episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Evan Rechelbacher, founder of Zero Trace Baits, to unpack the intersection of entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, product innovation, and persistence. Evan shares his journey from teaching youth fish camps and studying entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas to building a disruptive fishing technology...

In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Ashley Kawuki, owner of PetVet365 Plymouth, to unpack the realities of transitioning from a nearly 20-year corporate veterinary career into entrepreneurship. Ashley shares the psychological shift from stability to ownership, the operational chaos of opening a veterinary clinic, and the systems-thinking required to scale a people...

In this deeply insightful episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Jeffry Brown, lead the Hal team who worked directly with Steve Jobs during the company’s formative years. Brown shares a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how Apple approached innovation, including a groundbreaking research project tasked with predicting the future of technology decades ahead. Drawing from over...

In this high-level, systems-oriented conversation, host Matt Eickman sits down with Kevin Remde, President & CEO of CMIT Solutions of the Twin Cities West, to unpack the rapidly evolving intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and operational infrastructure for small-to-mid-sized businesses. Drawing from decades of experience—including Remde’s tenure as a Microsoft technical ev...

In this high-level roundtable hosted by Matt Eickman, three seasoned operators—Wes Nichols (President of Pro Tree), Michael Lindstrom (President of Lindstrom Restoration), and Joe Uran (Vice President & Co-Owner of Nordic Waste Management)—break down the nuanced realities of scaling blue-collar service businesses with intentionality. Moving beyond surface-level entrepreneurship advice, this ep...

In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Nick Pintozzi, Founder & CEO of Astro Ads, to dissect one of the most misunderstood problems in modern business growth: the illusion that more leads equals more revenue. Nick challenges the dominant marketing paradigm by reframing growth as a systems problem rather than a traffic problem. Drawing from his journey—from Air Fo...

SUMMARY: In this high-level conversation, host Matt Eickman sits down with Leanne Reichhoff , Founder, CEO, and Lead Strategist of Re3 Creative, to unpack the deeper mechanics of business stagnation, strategic clarity, and scalable growth. Leanne reveals why her ideal clients are businesses that have plateaued after decades of “winging it,” and how true transformation begins not with tactics—but w...

In this deeply reflective and operationally rich episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman is joined by core leadership members of Abra Kadabra, Philip Eickman, Andy Eickman, and Maxwell Frederiksen to unpack the real, often unpolished journey of building a scalable leadership team inside a growing service business. This conversation goes far beyond surface-level leadership advice. It dissec...

SUMMARY: In this high-level conversation, host Matt Eickman sits down with Sarah Parrish and Kristine Clemens of Goldfish Swim School – Minnetonka to unpack the intersection of child development, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning design. This episode goes far beyond swimming lessons—it explores how structured play, cognitive psychology, and systems-driven business models converge to buil...

SUMMARY: In this high-level conversation, Dr. Axel Osborn , founder of Legend Chiropractic Excelsior, joins host Matt Eickman to unpack the intersection of neurological chiropractic care, human physiology, and modern small-business growth strategy. Dr. Osborn articulates a systems-level understanding of the human body—framing health through neural communication, cellular regeneration, and function...

SUMMARY: In this episode of Homegrown Hustle , entrepreneur, breaks down the entrepreneurial mechanics behind building a scalable service business in the pressure washing industry. What begins as a seemingly simple local service—cleaning driveways and commercial properties—reveals itself to be a sophisticated system of operations, brand positioning, client acquisition, and operational leverage. Mi...

SUMMARY: What happens when a passion for the outdoors collides with entrepreneurial thinking? In this episode of Homegrown Hustle , host sits down with Matthew Thompson , Executive Director of Wayzata Sailing, to unpack how a grassroots sailing organization transformed into a thriving nonprofit serving thousands of participants each year. Matt shares how he accidentally stepped into leadership jus...

SUMMARY: In this globally grounded and philosophically rich episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Dr. Brad Canham to unpack a remarkable journey to Greenland during a period of geopolitical tension and environmental extremity. Fresh from teaching and networking in Nuuk, Dr. Canham explores what entrepreneurship looks like in one of the most isolated and interdependent econ...

SUMMARY: In this episode of the Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Michelle Fuller, founder of Owl's Eye Art Collective in Saint Paul’s Lowertown Arts District. Michelle shares her journey from a digital creative background into building a physical, community-driven art studio that prioritizes accessibility, collaboration, and hands-on experience. Living with dyslexia and learn...

SUMMARY: In this PhD-level masterclass on modern marketing communications, Dr. Mike Porter, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas, joins host Matt Eickman to deconstruct the strategic realities behind social media. Moving beyond surface-level tactics, Dr. Porter reframes social media within the PESO model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) and challenges entrepreneurs to rethi...

SUMMARY: In this deep-dive episode of Homegrown Hustle , host Matt Eickman sits down with Dr. Mike Porter , Clinical Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas, to unpack the real mechanics of reputation management —beyond buzzwords and surface-level branding. Drawing from decades of experience in public relations, marketing strategy, and MBA education, Dr. Porter explains why reputati...

SUMMARY: In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman welcomes back Dr. Brad Canham for a deep, practitioner-meets-academic breakdown of why traditional business plans often fail entrepreneurs—and what to do instead. Anchored in the Business Model Canvas, the conversation explores effectuation, customer discovery, value propositions, and the emotional realities behind purchasing decision...

SUMMARY: In this high-level conversation, host Matt Eickman sits down with Umut Kaplan, Director of Business Development at Coccinella, to unpack what real growth looks like behind the scenes. Moving beyond surface-level sales tactics, Umut explores strategic partnerships, long-term value creation, and the mindset required to scale organizations sustainably. Drawing from real-world leadership expe...