Kansas City Business Cast

This is Phil McDowell’s second appearance on KCBC! In this engaging conversation, Phil and Michael Risinger discuss the evolution of Armor Marketing, the challenges faced in the business landscape, and the importance of authenticity in marketing. They share personal anecdotes about their journey, the impact of faith in their work, and how empowering others through video content can lead to growth...

In this episode of Kansas City Business Cast, host Michael Risinger interviews Shelia Johnson, the passionate host, producer, and creator of Gangsta Goodies Kitchen, a YouTube show that features local artists, politicians, leaders, and business owners in Kansas City. The show is 8 seasons strong! Shelia shares her inspiring journey from being a teenage mom to becoming a successful entrepreneur and...

Tiana Thompson is the Founder of Train with Tee LLC and Chief Operating Officer of Combat Cardio KC. In this conversation, Michael and Tiana explore her journey from a people-pleasing athlete to a confident trainer who emphasizes the importance of mental health in fitness. Tiana shares her insights on empowerment through combat training, the significance of identity, and the challenges of navigati...

Gabriel Garcia is amongst the most consistent and interesting podcasters in the Kansas City area. Founder and host of To Bring About Podcast, Gabriel will talk to anyone local, about anything, and any time. He has made a reputation for creating meaningful longform discussions with the people in our region doing incredible things. He has also appeared on several notable local podcasts in the Kansas...

In this episode of Kansas City Business Cast, Michael welcomes Stephanie Risinger, LCMFT back to the show to discuss her journey in motherhood as a mental health professional and the launch of her new podcast, Motherhood in America. They explore the challenges and realities of motherhood, the importance of community support, and the need for open discussions about the challenges and solutions for...

This is the season 3 finale, last episode of 2024, and the first “KCFC” episode. From here forward, all episodes that feature professionals in health & wellness fields will have the special Kansas City Fitness Cast stamp as pictured in the cover art for this episode. Caleb Blankenship is a KC local that runs Body Shop Gym, which has 2 locations, as well as his fitness coaching business, Blank...

Matt Nixon has over two decades of experience building teams in various industries. Whether he was working as a manager, director, or executive, he has always led by example and it shows when you hear him speak about his experience and leadership approach. Known for his sharp business acumen, witty sense of humor, people skills, and passion for serving others, he is currently the Director of Opera...

Clarisa Evans is a California native who relocated to Kansas City and has launched her own midwifery practice, called Out of Eden Midwifery. In this conversation, we discussed her origin story, the legacy of midwifery passed on from her grandmother, and her new initiative, Kira's Voice, which is aimed at supporting teen mothers through pregnancy, childbirth, and their postpartum journeys through m...

Baer Halvorson is the founder, producer, editor, & creative genius fueling the Security Today Podcast. This is a conversation that will cement itself in the KCBC hall of fame! Whether you are a security aficionado or complete noob, you will find invaluable insights in this episode. We discussed trends in the physical & cyber security industries, the fine line between personal privacy &...

Becca Pratt joins us to talk about the impacts of illiteracy and how she partners with parents to help their kids accelerate in their reading journey. This is a great talk, especially for parents navigating literacy challenges with their kids! As a teacher with 12 years of experience, she has devoted her professional life to exploring evidence-based approaches for teaching students to read. Over t...

KCBC season 1 veteran Heather Snyder returns to the show to talk about her new, revolutionary AI-powered marketing company, ProMode.ai! Heather's experience working with hundreds of B2B companies as Director of Strategy at a digital marketing agency makes her uniquely equipped to know what great B2B marketing is made of and how the marketing agency model is broken. High turnover in agencies, antiq...

Emily Linhardt, Owner of Silverstone Bookkeeping provides monthly bookkeeping solutions for individuals and businesses. An early supporter of the show, and bookkeeping provider for several small businesses we know personally in the KC metro, Emily is an absolute pro. She is also very candid about her experience and the experience of newer smaller businesses in our area. Her professionalism, transp...

A good friend and long-time supporter of the show, Emily Franchett, runs ENF’s Design Studio, an interior design consultancy here in the Kansas City metro. She will get you thinking about things in a new way. She will also challenge you to re-think your approach to designing, decorating, and arranging your own home! We have personally witnessed the result of her work and heard testimonials from he...

William Fondren II is a husband, father, US military veteran, beekeeper, & business owner here in the Kansas City region. A longtime supporter of the show and someone we’ve sought to bring on since we started this whole thing, we are very proud of how this conversation turned out! What started as a fascination with bees has now become a business with bees as his business partners. Learn about...

She’s got jokes, a potty mouth, and a heart of gold! Megan Colwell’s approach to niching down on pet pyrography and helping business owners design their social media presence is inspiring! From 5 years of living in her camper on the road across the United States, she created a career for herself as a virtual assistant in the real estate industry. Always an artist, she also perfected her craft in p...

Cassidy Wheeler is amongst the top 40 real estate agents under 40 years old here in Kansas City. She has been validated by her peers as an expert negotiator, exceptional communicator, and committed advocate for her clients. She is also one of the kindest, most well-connected networkers we know. We have watched her make meaningful connections amongst business owners that aren’t even operating in th...

Ryan Newton is a new guest on KCBC, but has been part of our tribe since its inception in the summer of 2023. Part of the Referral Madness group which Michael and other guests have mentioned numerous times, we have watched him hone his business acumen and grow his own solar company. 
 Based on his extensive experience as a sales and regional management executive, his knack for research, and levera...

Chase Forsyth is the co-founder of Hardwear Clothing LLC, a professional bodybuilder, and fitness coach (for all people, all shapes, all sizes, all goals). He runs Hardwear along with 3 other bodybuilders located here in the Midwest. We discussed injuries, setbacks, bodybuilding, and the innerworkings of Hardwear on this episode. He also busted a few myths about bodybuilders, described what it is...

You need to hear this. Tell a friend to tell a friend! Bump Jonas is a creative at his core. Everything he does comes from his confidence, conviction, and compassion to connect with others and bring awareness to the awesomeness happening here in Kansas City AKA “the KardiaC”, as he calls it. He is the host of the Sprinkle Sum Salt podcast, co-founder of ThraxX Pastry (a cannabis-based edibles serv...

Charon Thompson is our season 1 finale guest and we could not be more pumped about this conversation! This man is a legend in KC and one to know if you don’t already! Charon is a God-fearing husband, father, entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, heavy equipment operator, and co-founder of Black Drip Coffee & The Porterhouse KC. We talked about his origin story, hobbies, music, philosophy on entrepre...

Tanner Sutton is an east coast native that moved to Kansas City just before the pandemic started in 2020. A musician, connector, promoter, business analyst, data guy, Doctoral candidate, & change management nerd…he proves that we don’t need to stay in one lane to be successful. He started The Garden DIY concert venue out of his backyard to offer a space for artists to perform, grow in their co...

Aside from being one of my best friends, mentors, and wise counselors, Rob Wegner is one of the founding leaders and directors of the Kansas City Underground, which exists to fill Kanas City with the beauty, justice and Good News of Jesus through unleashing the gifts, mission and creativity of everyday people in every place in our city. He also serves as the north American Director of NewThing, a...

Korey Balakrishnan is a California native that relocated with her family to the Kansas City region in 2020, with no connections here. She has deep, personal experience helping others recover from trauma, injury, and immobility through movement. After working several years for other corporations and studios, she built The Sweat Vault in Overland Park, Kansas. They offer hot yoga, barre, Pilates, TR...

Dr. Zach and Meagan Nelson are co-founders of Vita Chiropractic and Vita Vitality Wellness, based in Merriam, Kansas, a city within the Kansas City metropolitan area.  Personally, I have heard testimonial after testimonial, on a weekly basis, for the last 8 months of knowing them.  They are pillars in our community, doing amazing work for residents of all ages in our region! Through neurologically...

This is a powerful conversation with a powerful dude you must know in Kansas City! Sidharth “Sid” Balakrishnan is the first US Military combat veteran & business owner to interview on the show. He runs Beastified Sports Nutrition & Performance which will become one with the Beastified Gym in Overland Park as soon as they break ground in 2024. He holds two Masters degrees in Clinical Psycho...