Southside Voices

Core Managed grew from one employee to 42. But the growth did not happen without risk. John Wright talks about hiring, culture, opening new offices, shutting down plans that did not work, and why being honest about mistakes matters just as much as celebrating wins. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business owners and community leaders shaping Johnson County and the Southsi...

Brad does not pretend business ownership is neat or easy. In this episode, he talks about what changed after buying Rascal’s, why the right team matters, how weather can affect the whole season, and why every owner needs people around them who actually care if the business succeeds. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business owners and community leaders shaping Johnson Coun...

There is a lot Aspire does that people never see. Responding to companies looking for a new home. Helping businesses make connections. Working on childcare, workforce, policy, and growth. Creating spaces where people can actually meet and build relationships. Christian Maslowski pulls back the curtain on the work behind the work. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business o...

Sonia Ware McGwire has spent 18 years leading Girls Inc. of Johnson County, and she still calls it her dream job. In this episode, she shares what most people misunderstand about Girls Inc., why it is so much more than after-school care, and what it takes to keep growing a mission that serves more girls every year. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business owners and commu...

Franklin has become one of those places people want to be. But that kind of growth comes with real challenges. Bigger events. Higher rents. Parking pressure. Volunteer burnout. Weather-dependent revenue. And the constant work of keeping small businesses supported. On this episode of Southside Voices, Danny Causey from Discover Downtown Franklin talks about what it really takes to build a downtown...

A chamber is not just networking, and Rosie Chambers makes that clear fast. For the Franklin Chamber, the work is part business support, part community connector, and part steady voice when things get messy. In this episode of Southside Voices, Rosie talks about the 31 Corridor project, the pressure of leading in public, and why Franklin’s growth has to stay centered on people. It is a candid conv...

There is a lot of good work happening quietly in Johnson County, but quiet does not always help people understand where money goes, how decisions get made, or what problems are still left unsolved. In this episode, Jennifer and Scott sit down with Kim Kasting, president and CEO of Johnson County Community Foundation, to talk about the real work behind giving, grants, scholarships, childcare, housi...

Some businesses grow because everything goes right. Mark Clark’s story is more honest than that. From radio sales and publishing to buying Whits Inn, Mark has learned that growth usually exposes the problems you did not know were there yet. More revenue can help, but it can also put pressure on your people, systems, kitchen, margins, and patience. In this conversation, Jennifer and Scott talk with...

“The biggest myth about being your own boss is that you can do whatever you want whenever you want.” Kent Beeson does not sugarcoat business ownership. In this episode, he talks about the real cost of being responsible for customers, employees, family, and a company with your name on it. It is honest, practical, and full of lessons you only learn by living them. Welcome to Southside Voices, the sh...

“No one gets denied. You’re just put on a plan.” That line from Mike Wood says a lot about how Bailey & Wood approaches people who are not ready to buy today, but could be ready later with the right guidance. This episode is a candid conversation about business, mortgages, communication, and building a company around doing things the right way. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotli...

Building a business is one thing. Building it while caring deeply about people is something else. In this episode, Eshaan of Golden Physical Therapy talks about stepping into entrepreneurship through a family legacy, learning how to balance patient care with the reality of running a business, and why one-on-one care still matters in a world that often feels rushed and transactional. Catch all the...

Sometimes the business you end up building is not the one you planned for. Chia Chu did not set out to become a business owner. She started as a student, became an instructor, then stepped into ownership when the opportunity came. What followed was a crash course in payroll, hiring, pricing, pressure, and learning how to lead while still figuring it out herself. Welcome to Southside Voices, the sh...

Starting a business sounds exciting until the checks clear, the contracts kick in, and you realize you are now the doctor, the owner, the marketer, and the HR department. In this episode, Dr. Matt Steiner talks honestly about what it took to open Game Day Men’s Health, why he chose a franchise model, and what hit him once the doors were finally open. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spot...

When your child gets sick and nobody can give you a real answer, everything changes. That is where this conversation starts. Christie Geitner did not set out to build a wellness business. She started asking harder questions because her son was struggling, doctors were missing it, and her family had to fight for answers. What came next was years of learning, traveling, investing, and building somet...

Some businesses are built on big ideas. Others are built on long hours, steady instincts, and knowing how to keep showing up year after year. In this episode, Mary Kirchner of Miss M’s Home and Garden talks about what it really takes to grow a business that depends on the seasons, the weather, the market, and a whole lot of trust. This conversation gets into the real side of ownership. Hiring, cas...

What does a counselor tell business owners when the pressure keeps building? Start with rhythms. Then boundaries. Then figure out what is actually sustainable. Lisa Franklin from Peace Family Counseling talks about the emotional side of leadership, burnout, and what it takes to run a business without losing yourself in it. Listen now and tell us what stood out to you. Catch all the episodes over a...

One of the clearest takeaways from this episode is simple. You better love what you do. Scott and Julie Cooper talk about the pressure, the pace, and the problems that come with building a business, but they also make it clear why the work is worth it when you care deeply about the people you serve. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business owners and community leaders sha...

Forty years in business does not happen by accident. In this episode of Southside Voices, Mike Duke shares what it looked like to start young, learn on the job, survive hard seasons, and keep building through change. This is a real conversation about leadership, trust, community, and what it takes to stay in business for the long haul. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the busi...

Jake Duke didn’t build Duke Collective by chasing attention. He built it by chasing excellence, then letting the work do the talking. In this conversation, he gets real about what it actually feels like to start out in real estate as a “lost puppy,” land that first tiny deal, and slowly learn that every transaction has its own curveballs, even when the process looks the same on paper. What makes t...

Starting a business is not a “get rich quick” move. Jessica signed her franchise agreement over a decade ago. She is three years into operations and still building. If you’ve ever wondered what real entrepreneurship looks like, this one is for you. Welcome to Southside Voices, the show that spotlights the business owners and community leaders shaping Johnson County and the Southside of Indianapoli...

People love to say, “How hard can a boutique be? You buy cute clothes and people show up.” Sara Slaughter smiles at that, because she has lived the real version. The one where you are the buyer, the trainer, the marketer, the problem-solver, and sometimes the IT department too. Sara talks about the early years of Brianne’s Boutique, when they were still figuring out what the store really was, how...

In this episode of Southside Voices, Jeremiah Hamman shares the behind-the-scenes story of bringing Mo’s A Place for Steaks to Greenwood from the hush-hush deal-making and “math has to math” decisions to what it’s like leading a team of 100+ people. We also get into why purpose matters more than money, how community partnerships (Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance, the Office of the Ma...

Pricing gets weird when it comes to your beauty. Becca Daly of Balanced Beauty doesn’t dodge that tension. She talks openly about why she refuses to be the cheapest option, what it actually costs to do things safely, and how years of training, mistakes, and confidence changed how she values her work. This conversation isn’t about Botox trends or flashy results. It’s about trust, long-term thinking...

Aaron Kyle, co-owner of Tak Epoxy, breaks down what people don’t see: the prep work that makes the whole floor last, the difference between water-based DIY kits and solvent-based systems, and why so many “simple” garage projects end up getting replaced. He also shares the hard lessons of underbidding older concrete, how they handle surprises without dumping it on the homeowner, and the little thin...

Most people don’t leave their doctor because of one bad visit. They leave because they’re tired of feeling rushed, unheard, and stuck on the same path with no real answers. In this conversation, Dr Robyn Wright of Healthy Evolutions walks through the long road that led her into naturopathic medicine and why she stepped away from faster, surface level care in the first place. Scott and Robin dig in...