Real Success with Nate Kaeding

On this special episode of Real Success, I sat down at the Iowa Athletic Club for a live podcast recording with Bob Bowlsby and Beth Goetz, who both have incredible careers in athletics and happen to represent two generations who have taken on the mantle as Athletic Director of the University of Iowa. Bob Bowlsby served as the fourth commissioner of the Big 12 Conference from 2012 to 2022. Prior t...

"On today’s episode, I sit down with Bill and Charlie Nusser, the father and son duo behind Hands Jewelers, a venerable family-operated store in Iowa City providing jewelry, gems, and watches, for over 165 years. Bill and Charlie both share their respective stories about how they first joined the family business, how they navigate the line between business and family, and they explore the unique w...

"On today’s episode, I sit down with Leslie Epstein, Owner and CEO of Your Tanning Bar, the airbrush tanning solution in Cedar Rapids, Coralville, and Bettendorf that provides a UV-free alternative to being bronze. Leslie shares how her father influenced her entrepreneurial spirit when she was young, the story of how tanning an entire sorority gave her a first taste of success, and how she capital...

Cale Henderson, Tim Kindl, and Justin Zehr are three of the owners of Fun Not Fancy Restaurant Group, a collection of popular restaurants in Cedar Rapids and Marion. The group shares their unique origin story, the backwards way they approach their restaurant concepts, and how they navigate the modern challenges of restaurant ownership. They also dig into BlocktoberFest and their philanthropic effo...

On today’s episode, I sit down with Doug Alberhasky, third-generation Owner and Operator of John's Grocery. Doug shares what it was like growing up within the family business, the surprising ways the community has changed his life, and how selling imported beer reinvented John’s Grocery. Doug also digs into the exciting historical film he’s working to bring to life, how John’s Grocery got the nick...

On Today's Episode: Nate sits down with Andrew Lehman, Tournament Director of the John Deere Classic, the annual professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour that takes place in the Quad Cities.  Andrew shares information on his internship with the golf tournament and how he was in the right place at the right time, what it is like to have an engaged sponsor like John Deere, and they take an...

On the 50th episode of the Real Success podcast, Nate sits down with Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach of the University of Iowa Football Team, a position he has held for 25 years.  The two discuss how he has seen the landscape of football change since he started his career in the ‘80’s, how they continue to see big returns from small innovations, and how his job at Iowa compares to his time in Maine....

On today’s episode, Nate sits down with Scott Keplinger, CEO of Intellisee, the real-time artificial intelligence (AI) risk mitigation platform working to detect and mitigate threats before an incident occurs by using a company’s existing passive surveillance cameras. Scott shares with how his passion for businesses that solve REAL NEEDS has informed his work, his thoughts on how AI will change ou...

On Today's Episode: Mark Kaufman is the founder and chairman of Athletico Physical Therapy, a successful national company with local Iowa roots. Mark shares with me how he started with a single rehabilitation center in Chicago back in 1991, his unique insight into how camaraderie motivates rehabilitation, and his perspective from being on the front lines of the new college athletics landscape. Mar...

On Today's Episode: Tara Cronbaugh is the founder of Java House Coffee Roasters, a local coffee staple in the Iowa City community for nearly 30 years. Tara shares how she researched over 50 coffee houses in California before launching Java House in Iowa City, how partnerships were the cornerstone of her company’s success, and how big chain coffee shops have actually helped her business grow. Addit...

On Today's Episode: Chip Reeves is the newly appointed CEO of MidWestOne Bank, the largest headquartered bank in Iowa and official sponsor of this very podcast. Chip shares what it was like to pick up his life and move from Florida to Iowa in the middle of winter, how he sees the future of technology impacting the future of the banking industry, and how his athletic background has influenced his a...

On Today's Episode: Jeff Quint is the founder and owner of Cedar Ridge Distillery, the award-winning distillery that was the first to open in Iowa since Prohibition and is currently home to the number one-selling bourbon in Iowa for two years straight.  Jeff shares how his father influenced and inspired his passion for brewing wine and spirits, why he felt it was time for Iowa (the number one...

On Today's Episode: Nate sits down with Leslie Nolte, the celebrated entrepreneur and artist behind the Nolte Performing Arts Academy, The James Theatre, and the forthcoming ICON Arts Academy high school in Iowa City, Iowa that will welcome its first boarding students in August of 2023. Leslie shares how injuries forced her to reevaluate her career as a professional dancer, what she learned from h...

On Today's Episode: Nate sits down with Caitlin Clark, awarded point guard for the University of Iowa Women’s Basketball Team. For this interview, Caitlin sets down the basketball to talk business, exploring how the opportunity for college athletes to monetize their own Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), has changed her life. 
 Caitlin also shares how her family and her team have supported her in he...

On Today's Episode: Nate sits down with Paul Rasch, owner and “Chief Apple Officer” of Wilson’s Apple Orchard and Farm on the outskirts of Iowa City. The two discuss his experience being born into an apple-growing family, what he learned starting the first commercial apple juice company in China, and why Iowa was the place he wanted to put down tree roots when he returned to America. Paul also sha...

On Today's Episode: Nate talks real success with Janet Godwin, the CEO of ACT, the nonprofit learning organization. ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, employers, and more around the world with learning resources, assessments, and credentials designed to help them succeed beginning in elementary school and throughout their career. The two chat about how Janet grew from writing test quest...

On Today's Episode: Nate talks real success with Chad Pregracke, the founder of Living Lands & Waters, an environmental non-profit that was established in 1998 and has grown to be the only “industrial strength” river cleanup organization like it in the world. The two talk about what motivated Chad to form Living Lands & Waters, the lessons he learned forming a 501(c)3 non-profit, and the o...

On Today's Episode: Nate sits down to discuss Real Success with Matt Swift, the serial entrepreneur behind Big Grove Brewery and many other popular corridor restaurants and bars. Matt discusses his personal formula for success in the restaurant industry, why identifying a need is key to building a successful business, and how segmentation allows for him and his partners to oversee so many pro...

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Jamie Powers, owner and executive pastry chef of Deluxe Cakes and Pastries in Iowa City. Jamie talks about how she got her start in the restaurant industry, the struggle of being an early morning pastry chef and surprising challenges that came along with starting a bakery. Presented by MidWestOne Bank.

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Andrew Dasso, owner and architect of Streamline Architects and Artisans, a full-service architecture firm founded in the Quad-Cities in 2015. I talked to Andrew about his relationship with the fear of growth, navigating his transition from architect to entrepreneur, and how a house fire motivated him to launch his own company. Presen...

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Sean Moeller, writer-turned-entrepreneur behind successful music recording and performance venues, such as Daytrotter, Codfish Hallow and The Raccoon Motel. Sean discusses making a living in the performance and entertainment industry, how he finds ways to bring artists to Iowa, and how content influences culture and empowers artists...

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Chris Klitgaard, the entrepreneur behind MediRevv, a company aimed at helping other health care institutions with their revenue cycle challenges. Nate talked to Chris about why he chose to stay in Iowa, the struggles of growing a company from a basement to an organization with an annual revenue north of 85 million, prioritizing a wor...

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Matt Kroul, a former professional football player who is now the entrepreneur behind Kroul Farms, about the dynamic of working with a family business, the importance of a strong team and workforce, and his decision to return to the farm. Presented by MidWestOne Bank.

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Pankaj Monga, president/CEO of Channel Fusion, about the origin of Channel Fusion, and how he is driven by his passion for competition. Presented by MidWestOne Bank.

Former NFL athlete and Iowa entrepreneur Nate Kaeding talks with Iowa native and professional golfer Zach Johnson about how he approaches his golf career like a business and surrounding yourself by the best team possible. Presented by MidWestOne Bank.