The Art of Improvement

Brian Hoppe, Co-Founder of Lonolife LonoLife, a company that manufacturers Collagen Supplements and Bone Broth. He started the company 6 years ago with some of his lifelong friends as a “break” from his 10+ year career as a management consultant. Six years later, his “consulting break” has turned into a new career path, as LonoLife remains a national leader in Bone Broth and Collagen products.

Gretchen San Miguel, MD is a board certified primary care physician with over 10 years of experience. She is the Medical Director for Medi-Weightloss Corporate. She has practiced in a variety of settings, including primary, geriatric, and fast-paced urgent care. Her core competencies include diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic disease, time management, communication, and practice operatio...

Austin Wright, CEO of The California Beach Co. tells the story of how the company was launched by two parents who struggled for years to find a great playpen that was portable, lightweight and well built. After teaming up with a top outdoor-goods manufacturer, they launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and now he heads a company known for The Pop N' Go, widely known as the world's best plaype...

Dawn Kelley, President and CEO of Barney Butter comes from a background of executive leadership in the technology and e-commerce industry, previously holding executive positions at United Tote, Orbitz.com and Careerbuilder.com. Dawn set out to grow Barney Butter, a tiny California Almond Butter company, into the best-in-breed brand both domestically and internationally. Barney Butter is now the th...

Neil Gill, CEO and President of Dogtopia Enterprises has spent more than 35 years in franchising with international brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Brinker International and more than 11 years at Gloria Jean’s Coffees International as CEO, opening more than 1,000 stores across 39 countries. He has experience in taking franchise brands through IPOs and worked in a variety of sectors from on-line edu...

Jake Rouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Braxton Brewing Co. is an avid craft beer fan and is fired up about reinventing the Taproom by introducing new and unique ways to enhance the beer drinking experience.

Investing since late 2003, Dan Francis has done hundreds of Creative Real Estate transactions including wholesales, flips, "Sub2" and Wraps. Now he is focused on growing StepStone Realty, SafeLoanServicing.com and is the Chairman of the Board of StepStone Charities which holds an annual charity Golf Tournament The Black Sheep Open.

Nicholas "Nico" LaHood, Managing Partner of the LaHood Norton Law Group talks about his practice and being part of a group of aggressive former Prosecutors and dedicated San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers. The former Bexar County District Attorney discusses how his firm is a made up of accomplished trial lawyers with a proven track record of success.

Marcy Westcott is the founder of The Still State and is dedicated to helping others improve their well being and quality of life through the practice of meditation and mindfulness. She says while there are many different types of meditation, it can be an accessible and secular type of practice. Meditation can be used to effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and cope with the pressures of modern day...

Jon Barbera, CEO of PRYME Homes talks about his quest to set new standards in real estate by providing a realistic way for people to build to financial freedom. His goal is to bring real estate investing to everyone by allowing anyone to partner with his company and leverage his knowledge and resources to succeed.

CEO of Rise Recovery, Evita Morin talks about her civic and nonprofit career. Her work at Rise Recovery is deeply influenced by the experiences and exposure to remarkable innovative spaces such as the City of New York Mayor's Office and San Antonio's Haven for Hope. Her interests are in community stewardship, program development, strategic planning and operational growth. A San Antonio native, she...

Andrew Franke, CEO of Medina Agriculture Products talks about how the family company has provided the highest quality, biologically based soil conditioners and natural/organic fertilizers since 1962. He says the idea for Medina started when Arthur Franke met James Martin at the Frontier Cafe in Hondo, Texas and they planned to make some of Mr. Martin’s catalyst that stimulates microbes to use on M...

Amy and Coley House, CEO's of Growin' Out Loud Darlin' tell the story of how their organization grew organically through hardship. The couple does professional business and life consulting providing businesses and owners the tools to find the gold in business and life.

Gertrude Allen, CEO of PetPlate has more than two decades of experience growing consumer-facing businesses in the US and Europe. She's been the CEO of PetPlate since 2017. PetPlate delivers human-grade, fresh cooked meals and USDA organic treats for dogs directly to consumers nationwide. Allen talks about her career and the importance of healthy food for your furry family members.

Bobby Jenkins, President and Owner of ABC Home and Commercial Services talks about how his company grew organically through the years. He also discusses the desire for ABC to give back to the community. He says as his business grew and prospered, he felt the business owed a debt of gratitude to the community which fostered the growth.

Managing Partner at RMD Advertising Sue Reninger talks about her beginnings in the field of advertising and her journey to becoming the Managing Partner at RMD Advertising. The firm has shaped the business to serve national category leaders in the challenger food industry and boasts such clients as Southern Recipe pork rinds, Graeter's, ParmCrisps, Thinsters and many more on its client roster.

CEO and Founder of GOOD PLANeT Foods David Israel is an experienced entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the food and beverages industry. In 2018, David founded GOOD PLANeT, setting out to revolutionize the plant-based cheese category with clean ingredients, a sustainable and environmentally-friendly mission and a focus on the communities the brand serves.

Doug Hall, Director of Marketing for Raybern's Foods, tells the story of the company that makes millions of sandwiches a year! He says over thirty years ago, two guys named Ray & Bernie had a delicious dream: to share their love of New York style deli sandwiches with the world. In his quest to perfect the recipes, Bernie taste-tested sauces, meats and breads on his family and friends until he got...

Yavonne Sarber, Founder of Agave & Rye talks about her modern Tequila and Bourbon Hall that creates EPIC experiences – from the menu to the service, from the way they treat each other to the way they treat our guests. Every restaurant location looks different, bringing its own feel from the surrounding community to blend both Agave & Rye and its chosen location together into one EPIC experience. S...

As the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Rudolph Foods Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of pork rinds, Mark Singleton has accumulated diverse experience in sales, marketing, and business development. Joining the company in 2003, Singleton has helped to grow the Rudolph Foods brands, including Southern Recipe, Pepe’s and Lee’s pork rinds, as well as Gaslamp Popcorn. Preceding his po...

Elizabeth Fauerso, CMO at Pearl is a creative, energetic and skilled marketing executive with longstanding roots, connections and a love for the city of San Antonio. Elizabeth talks about how she got connected with the Pearl and everything it entails! If you haven’t been there yet, now’s the time to check it all out. The 22-acre Pearl site is home to multiple retail stores, dining, picturesque gre...

Brothers Ken and Michael Ehrman talk about their invention, Halo Collar, the only smart collar for dogswith intuitive training, GPS location, and smart fences in one, designed with Cesar Millan’s world-renowned dog psychology.

Brothers Gutters CEO Nathan Hiebert says he's been an entrepreneur for as long as he can remember, and he enjoys both the benefits and challenges that come with business ownership. You can find comfort in the fact that when you hire The Brothers That Just Do Gutters, you are hiring a local-family-owned business with over 10 years of professional gutter installation and business ownership experienc...

Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits CEOs Chris Ware and West Stone had always been in the hospitality business but decided to branch out on their own at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. The team does it all and their story about liquor pricing will stun you, make you laugh and may change all future decisions you make when shopping for alcohol.

CyberFortress CEO - Huw Edwards talks about the huge growth of eCommerce brought on by the lockdowns with COVID-19. He stresses the need for eCommerce insurance for small businesses that rely on their online sales and what they can do to protect themselves.