Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast

If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that the ability and willingness to change are critical attributes for every business owner. Adaptation is important to survival, and it’s always been a mantra in modern business. But the pandemic has challenged us more than any other event in recent times. The really interesting thing is that entrepreneurs who are growth oriented and open t...

If you own a business, then the inevitable reality is that you are also a salesperson. You may not think of yourself as one, and you probably didn’t get into business to hone your sales skills, but this is a fact of entrepreneurship. Understanding this distinction can mean the difference between starting fast or slow during the critical early days of a company’s life. The good news is that “sales”...

Mike Sharp, owner of the Sharp Insurance Agency, is back on the show in this new Season 6, but this time he is a “guest host.” In this episode, we discuss the book “Mindset” by Carol S. Dweck, Ph. D. During a recent phone call, we both realized that we just read it and thought it would make an excellent topic to kick off this new season. The book is full of powerful insights as it pertains to busi...

Hey, Pittsburghers! I just wanted to say a few words about the pandemic, the state of the podcast, and what we’ve all been through this past year-and-a half. Season 5, which I started at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, has been a season of learning and adaptation. Like everyone else, I had to figure out how to go virtual and remote with my work and art. I’m so proud of the episodes in...

Growing up, Matt Blistan was surrounded by family members who would play an instrumental role in his choice of career. His uncle, father, and grandfather each taught him lessons in finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship. As someone who was attracted to business and eventually starting his own company, Matt decided to work in the accounting field, as it is universally known as the “language of b...

Karen Bartos became fascinated with photography at the age of nine when she received her first camera. Her love for the art form grew with her discovery of Ansel Adams, which inspired her own landscape work. Years later, she was asked by friends if she would consider taking their son’s high school senior photos. Karen decided to give it a try, and she instantly felt drawn to the connection of work...

Jason Cercone’s experience with podcasting expanded in 2019 when he launched the Breaking Brews Podcast. He transitioned his existing blog, which he started in 2014 to highlight the business side of the craft beer industry, into a podcast format in order to take advantage of the rapid growth happening in audio. With the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 and its subsequent slowdown of the food and be...

When Katy and Jose Rosa found themselves out of work in 2019, they decided to try something completely different. After years of working in oil and gas, they were worn out by the ups and downs of such a cyclical industry. Much to Jose’s surprise, Katy had just started to feed their family 100% plant-based meals. He couldn’t believe how great the food tasted and how good he felt, so he naturally wa...

Ten years ago, Kelly Bender was a single mother looking for a flexible way to continue her career in tax advising. After exploring several options, she decided that entrepreneurship was the right path for her, and she launched Total Business Solutions. Kelly eventually remarried, and her husband joined her in the practice. Over the years, several of their children have also worked in the business...

Sara Makin has always been an entrepreneur at heart. As a kid, she didn’t just run a lemonade stand. She did door-to-door lemonade delivery as a way to boost her sales! Sara was probably on track to go to business school and create the next big startup when she found herself in a battle with depression. Her life-changing experience with therapy and dealing with her own mental illness made her real...

Samantha Post is a second-generation co-owner of T&M Hardware & Rental, which was started by her parents in 1991. The “T&M” stands for Tim and Mary, and they raised their four kids in the family business. After a career of moving around the U.S. with his employer, Tim decided that it was time to move back to the Pittsburgh area and put his skills to work in his own business. They evaluated several...

Gina Vensel is a multifaceted entrepreneur who is involved in several organizations and numerous projects. In 2006, she started Easy Street Promotions, an event planning and marketing company. Her love for music inspired her to create Live Music PGH, an online database of Pittsburgh-area bands and DJs, which makes it easier for us to stay connected to our favorite local artists. Gina has also been...

Ruthann Bowen started her career in public relations, which was a natural fit given her personality and interests. After a twenty-year hiatus to raise her children, she decided to get back into the workforce by starting her own agency. A few years in, Ruthann realized just how much the industry had changed during her absence. The daunting task of building relationships from scratch, coupled with t...

Duztin Watson’s military career has influenced his leadership style and mindset, but it’s not the only thing that defines him. In our conversation, he was clear to point out that his military experience is just one part of his lifelong journey, which has been characterized by many ups and downs along the way. The series of sales and business development roles he held after reacclimating to civilia...

RJ Huebert, a Pennsylvania native, started his marketing career in the Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg area after finishing graduate school at the University of South Florida. It was there that he decided to put his entrepreneurial instincts to work by creating, organizing, and marketing several 5K races. The excitement and sense of accomplishment he received from developing these events fueled his pas...

In 1990, John Waldron had his “light bulb” moment. After working with a potential client to create a comprehensive tax, investment, and business restructuring strategy, John was asked by the client to execute the plan. There was only one problem. Regulations in place prohibited accounting firms from engaging in securities transactions on behalf of clients. Six months later, John left his Big Six a...

In 2013, Kristen Ricupero reached a turning point as her mounting debt finally reached a level where it could no longer be ignored. It was at that moment that she decided to educate herself on the subject of personal finances and to put a plan into place to take control of her spending. Within eighteen months, she freed herself from more than $25,000 of consumer debt. The feeling was liberating an...

Michael Wholihan is the Associate Director of the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center. This important non-profit organization is part of a wider network of small business development centers that span the nation and fall under the leadership of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Pitt SBDC is a vital resource for local small business owners and entrepreneurs, and the...

Naomi Hoppel’s love for design and the use of space led her to a career in architecture. She earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the profession, although graduating into a difficult job market in the wake of the 2007 – 2008 financial crisis gave her reason to consider alternate options. Naomi had always been interested in volunteering for the Peace Corps, and this seemed like the perfe...

This week, I have a special treat for you. Recently, I was a guest on The Third Growth Option Podcast hosted by Benno Duenkelsbuehler. I had the opportunity to talk about growing up in a family of small business owners and the influence it had on my life. I’ve wanted to be a business owner from the time that I was a kid. We didn’t really say “entrepreneur” in the 1980s in my little town. That woul...

Will Winter always felt that at some point he would own his own business. After relocating to Pittsburgh with his wife and family, he endured long commutes to work in the city. One day, he called the small accounting practice that he drove by on his route to the office, which led to his acquisition of the business. Will quickly realized the stark differences between working for a large accounting...

When Jeff Lovett and his wife moved from New York City to southeastern Ohio, they got back in touch with small-town living. It was the early 2000s, and the DIY movement was in full swing. The Lovetts experimented with things like home brewing and soapmaking, among many other endeavors. Whenever they shared their soaps and lotions with people, they received overwhelmingly positive feedback. People...

When the pandemic temporarily shut down her home inspection business, Jessie Tait started looking for a way to give back to the community. She wanted to feel useful in a time of need, so she began volunteering to clean police vehicles at her local precinct. She felt like she was doing good work, but she didn’t like the fact that the traditional sanitizing methods she used only meant that the vehic...

When Priya Amin had her first child, the trajectory of her career was forever changed. After two years as a stay-at-home mom, she decided that she wanted to get back into the workforce. That’s when she experienced firsthand just how hard it was to obtain accessible and reliable childcare as a working parent. Determined to solve her own problem, Priya decided to turn this challenge into a business...

A few years ago, Wendy Gilch and her husband were “move-up” buyers. They were selling a townhome and building a dream home for their growing family. This experience left Wendy frustrated, confused, and anxious about the entire process. Feeling rushed, they sold their townhome too fast and ended up moving twice. Although the real estate industry claimed to be looking out for consumers, Wendy felt t...