Riding Tandem

Find out how brainstorming will become your favorite secret weapon for achieving greatness with your business. Vivian debunks the myth that creativity is limited to a select few and shares how anyone can generate great ideas. Whether you consider yourself "creative" or believe you're out of ideas, this podcast will inspire and empower you to unlock your creative genius and revolutionize your small...

Casey Putney is a John Maxwell certified leadership coach, speaker, and trainer. He's led leadership development programs and teams within the for-profit and non-profit sectors. For well over 25 years, he's dedicated himself to the study and implementation of leadership principles that help to create the cultures we all desire to be a part of.  In this episode, Casey and I explore what it would lo...

Jon Nelson, a business owner and idea guy juggles entrepreneurial success, family, and personal health as he navigates the complexities of the restaurant industry. Jon Nelson is determined to make his ideas a reality and take on whatever challenges come his way. Jon is a dad, husband, entrepreneur, and creative thinker. He owns four businesses and gets involved in creative solutions for people str...

Brad Arrowsmith owns Arrow Towing, one of the largest towing companies in the Midwest. Towing everything from passenger cars and airplanes off the interstate after a crash and assisting with complicated semi-extractions. Brad’s company also assists with fire and rescue efforts, mobilizing fleets of mail trucks, toxic spill cleanup, and many other projects.  He bought the business from his dad and...

When Kyle Ranney, a successful business owner and video producer, discovers he and his wife are expecting a baby, he realizes another shift in his personal and business life and flexes to hold his passion for creating compelling content with the demands of his growing family. Kyle is a 30-year-old videographer and business owner who recently welcomed his first child into the world. He runs Rainey...

In this episode, my business partner Machaela Clark returns to the podcast to chat about networking.  Machaela is a super-connector and passionate about building authentic relationships that benefit everyone involved. Machaela shares her tips and secrets for successful networking and how she uses her skills to stand out in a crowd. Machaela's approach to networking is rooted in curiosity and a gen...

Matthew O'Brien is a filmmaker, content creator, and YouTube expert who has worked in show business for 15 years. He edited content for live tours, including New Kids on the Block, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez & Gwen Stefani, runs a production company producing documentary films, and has a successful YouTube channel. In this episode, Matthew shares his story, how he...

Kirsten Parker, former theater stage manager and self-proclaimed "organizer," helps people organize their overwhelmed minds, drop their shoulders and make decisions they love, even when fear and self-judgment threaten to derail them. We talk about confident decision-making for business owners when so much is at stake. There's a balance to Planning, Action, and Mindset. Usually, when confidence is...

If everything you want is on the other side of fear, how do you get to the other side? On this episode, I'm talking to Marianne Chance, an accomplished trainer, author, and coach who is passionate about helping others conquer their fears and bet on themselves. Marianne has experienced the highs and lows of fear firsthand, so she is the perfect person to explore the topic of fear with. Described as...

00:46 Awesome feedback on past episodes, thank you!  02:25 Myth, I just can't stay consistent 04:15 The biggest indicator of success is the ability to channel your consistent behavior into good actions.  09:32 No business is launched because someone just has an idea and talks about it all the time. Real success comes in all of the day-to-day actions  11:26 The domino effect only works when all the...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 00:51 Megan Hale is today's guest. She is a business strategist and money mentor for experienced coaches, consultants, helpers, healers. We'll explore the whole idea of money and how we make it. 05:22 Megan's private practice and psychotherapy. When she went into online entrepreneurship, she realized she had a lot of money mindset work to do.  11:49 What's the li...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 00:48 Tiffaney Florentine joins Vivian to talk about discovering and pursuing passions. Tiffaney is a fitness, nutrition and mindfulness coach and expert at what she calls "taming the squirrels."  02:11 Tiffany is on a mission to change the health and fitness industry from diet centric focus to a client-centered approach rooted in mindfulness.  4:27 Tiffaney shar...

"The trick to successfully kicking off the first 90 days of the year as a business owner, or frankly,  just as a human,  is to approach it with a sense of both reflecting and strategizing." Unpacking this episode min by min: 0:52- Reflection and strategy  9:17-  Listen to your team 11:01 - List of questions to ask your team  24:46 -Same-page meetings 25:46- Get to know your clients 29:32- List of...

Neal Eilers left behind his corporate career and the traveling life he had been living. With the support of his wife, he opened a storefront, but the process was more difficult than expected. He encountered growing pains, such as learning about permits and dealing with contractors, and it took many months before his store was ready and Neal opened the doors. Despite the delays and setbacks, Neal r...

"If you find that passion in your life of what you're doing, it's very easy to talk about. I've been in corporate jobs and stuff and not really passionate about it. And it was probably a little harder to talk about because it's like, I don't really care about what I'm doing." -Neal Eilers Unpacking this episode min by min: 1:03 - Introducing Neal Eilers and NE Custom Framing and Furniture 4:15- Hu...

In this episode 1. What it's like to own and operate a bakery 2. Amber and Curts's secrets for a successful business partnership between friends - It's a batch made is heaven ;)     If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/ridingtandem and follow the simple instructions. Reach out! Send your feedback and comments. What would you like to hear about on this podcast?...

What you will find in this episode: "When you connect with people and you share some of your stories, things start to happen, right? Conversation sparks. They tell a story that relates to the story you said, or they start to ask questions about the story that you told." This is how it all works on social media! Let me show you how!  I recently taught a workshop where we talked about creating a cul...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 1:21 - Introduction to Alysia Hess and The Occasional Collective 2:40 - What you will find in The Occasional Collective - a cozy mix of all things local 3:24 - Saw a building for sale, and Alysia knew she had to do something awesome with it 4:42 - An article about a local meat producer inspired her idea 5:33 - Working at the zoo shaped her mindset for conservatio...

Machaela Clark, co-owner of Tandem Works, jumps onto the podcast to introduce herself and share how she started her own business, merged with Vivian to create Tandem Works, and shares thoughts on having a successful business partnership with a co-owner.  Unpacking this episode min by min: 1:49 - Machaelas first business selling fabric wreaths out of a wagon 2:22 -Publishing newsletters as kids, cl...

You started your business to have freedom, not feel stuck, and never be able to travel. Gain inspiration from Ilona Holland, who shares her story of traveling for 7 weeks with her family and leaving her business to operate without her. Vivian shares how she also traveled internationally and how it was nearly disastrous with her first business. She shares what she learned so she can travel successf...

A massive layoff after a successful career in Radio left Todd Studer with a critical choice to make, was this the time to start his own business? Todd and Vivian discuss what it was like to make that decision, especially later in his career, how pressure makes you hyper-focused and living life in forward motion.    Unpacking this episode min by min: 1:55- Introducing Todd Studer   3:10-  About The...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 1:00 - Two words that are the secret ingredient behind all our successful posts   3:31 - This is one of the most overlooked tactics, and it's also the key 3:40 - 4 key areas you can create delight on your social media 3:52 - The question, how do I stand out on Social Media? 4:00 -Many owners struggle with social media 4:51 - #1 create delight for yourself first;...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 4:00 - Both clients and business owners are often feeling similar emotions about a project 4:05 - Just because you haven't done it before doesn't mean you are not capable 5:11 - Moving with confidence into the unknown - Female-owned business owners often won't step into an unknown * 7:30 - Building in and charging for discovery during the start of a project 9:19...

Unpacking this episode min by min: 2:51 - Meet Nicole Lindquist from newspapers to Communications Director at Iowa West Foundation 4:15 - What is the Iowa West Foundation 5:22 - Iowa West grant partnerships explained 5:55- How Iowa West Foundation supports local business owners 7:54 - The proposal Iowa West Foundation offered us and why we turned it down 8:38 - How Nicole reacted when we turned do...

Unpacking this episode min by min:   00:37 - Who this podcast is for 1:10  - Meet Vivian 1:27 - Getting paid in silver coins 2:08 - Growing up in an entrepreneurial family 3:09 - Working will all kinds of clients from Crayola, Disney and mom and pop shops 3:48 - My first businesses, from renting my toys, sales, manufacturing, dance instructor, farmers markets and more 5:50 - Photography and video...