The LoCo Experience

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sat down with Chris Elder, Patrick Elder, and Austin Dodder, respectively the CEO, President, and COO - and Partners in Elder Construction, Inc.  We start by delving into their roles at Elder Construction, along with their roots in Northern Colorado - and previous to that, Colorado Springs.  Friends since birth and 1st grade, respectively, we explo...

In this episode of the Loco Experience, I welcomed Travis Luther - sociologist, researcher, writer, speaker, entrepreneur, and Founder of Time to Live LLC. Travis shares his journey from a tumultuous childhood with young parents to pursuit of a music career and eventually finding his stride as an entrepreneur. He recounts his entrepreneurial ventures, including starting a successful valet advertis...

In this episode of The LoCo Experience Podcast, I sat down with Dwight Sailer, the owner of HighCraft Builders based in Fort Collins, Colorado.  We discussed Dwight's background and the early days of his business, including his journey from apprentice craftsman in Monterey Bay to a fresh start in Colorado and how he started HighCraft with his longtime business partner Bryan Soth.  Dwight shar...

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sit down with Joe and Melissa Basta, co-founders of Tellus, an outdoor apparel brand (and social enterprise) based in Fort Collins. They share their founding story, focusing on their commitment to sustainability using recycled or organic materials and donating 100% of their net profits to environmental initiatives. Melissa explains her role in over...

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I welcomed Murph McIver into the Studio.  Murph is the Founder and Software Architect at Xeo Software, and moved his family from Honolulu to Fort Collins in 2021.  We discuss what brought them here, the unique attributes of Fort Collins, and the vibrant business culture. Murph shared insights into his company's founding story and mission to help...

In this episode of the Local Experience Podcast, I sat down with Sjeanne Cawdry, the Director and Founder of The Center of Liberation. Sean shares her diverse background, from being born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, to moving to Fort Collins, Colorado. Her journey includes a rich history in corporate investment banking in innovative roles, along with personal experiences that led her...

In this episode of the LoCo Experience, I welcomed accomplished author, speaker, and teacher Gregg Vanourek into the studio.  We discuss his recent book 'Triple Crown Leadership,' which he co-wrote with his father. The book uses the metaphor of the Triple Crown in horse racing to describe the triple crown of leadership: excellence, ethics, and endurance.  We discussed the extensive resea...

In this episode of the LoCo Experience Podcast, I hosted Constantin Gurdgiev, Ph. D. and Associate Professor of Finance at the Monfort College of Business. Constantin outlines his work in the fields of economics, geopolitics, and finance, sharing insights from his research on geopolitical risks, tariff impacts, and financial market volatility. He also discusses his teaching and research positions...

In today’s episode of The LoCo Experience, I was joined by Teres Lambert and David Haase - fellow members of the Breakfast Rotary Club in Fort Collins - which meets every Thursday morning at 7 am at Ginger & Baker!  They were here in part to talk about a pair of significant Rotary events upcoming this spring and summer - the Field of Honor  - May 23 - 26 - spearheaded by Teres, and talk with David...

Wade Keith grew up in Alabama, and came to Colorado as a raft guide - but after he found love and wanted to start a family he decided to pursue a professional career.  This journey included stops at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Odell’s Taproom, Otterbox, and now approaching 15 years “Working at the Carwash”.  But - not just any car wash - Breeze Thru Car Wash, the dominant membership car wash club in No...

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work - if the Beer Tastes Great!  Josh & Angie Grenz, Owners of Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project in Loveland, and Verboten North Brewpub in Fort Collins.   I met Josh and Angie Grenz in the early months of their opening their first Verboten location in a quiet industrial park in Loveland, and Angie actually came to the very first organizational meeting for the first LoC...

I met Edward Rinehart at my Rotary Club, where he was sharing his journey with DECA - Distributive Education Clubs of America - an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through educational programs and competitions.  Colorado had 9,000 participants in DECA programs in 2024, with the top competitors advancing through Distric...

This week, I was pleased to be joined by Jessica Dizmang, the Owner/Operator of the ONLY three franchised Ben & Jerry’s locations in Colorado, with scoop shops located in Fort Collins, Denver, and Boulder.  Her father had a career in corporate franchising, with a stop at Ben & Jerry’s, and made her aware of an opportunity in Boulder.  She was a fresh college graduate, and very not inclined to work...

My guest today was Zak George, Founder and Owner and Head Coach at Zak George Landscaping, LLC.  ZGL - as the trucks around town say on the side - is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!  Zak has a strong history of growth in the Residential and Commercial Construction and Commercial Maintenance segment, plus a substantial snow removal operation to keep some of the guys busy in the winter....

Ginger Graham returns to The LoCo Experience studio, and this time brings her hunky husband, Jack!   Jack Graham came to Fort Collins to play quarterback for CSU, and was drafted into the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.  In his post-football career, Jack quickly became an innovative disrupter in the reinsurance industry, and he founded International Catastrophe Insurance Managers, distributing risks f...

I met Pete Gazlay late in my banking career, as one of my colleagues was pursuing a banking relationship with the owner of a young but rapidly growing janitorial company - Total Facility Care.  Pete founded the business in 2010, after departure from a fast-growing middle-market company in the same industry.   At the start, Pete was a one-man team, selling janitorial services during the day - and e...

Alex Raymond is a 3x tech startup founder and entrepreneur who made the journey up from Boulder to The LoCo Experience studio to share his journey and some wisdom he’s learned along the way.  He was an early client of TechStars, and has been a long-term mentor in the program.  And - he share how listeners can expand their business brains and mindfulness at the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit - upcom...

This week, I was pleased to spend time with Scott Kissel, Executive Director of Sky Corral Ranch - located near the top of the full-year drivable portion of Old Flowers Road in Bellvue, Colorado.  LoCo Think Tank has held its annual Next Level Summit at Sky Corral the past two years, and we’re pleased to return this August for another amazing dose of mountain hospitality!   Scott has lived quite a...

Ann Baron is the Founder and CEO of Northern Colorado Community - an events and networking and business support organization with members across Northern Colorado - as the name would imply!   Ann has lived an extraordinary journey, in some ways starting when was adopted from a South Korean orphanage at 4 years old, and raised by a family in Oregon.  She became a teacher fresh out of college - didn...

Phil Gottula was my first guest to bring in a charcuterie plate - and we shared a beautiful bottle of white wine he also brought in - and we talked about the business of event rentals.  Specifically, his business which is the leader in Northern Colorado event rentals - FLEXX Productions.   The event rental industry is an interesting critter.  Unlike a retail transaction where the customer pays and...

Harpist Meredith McCrindle was in Northern Colorado for a few weeks this winter, visiting her parents on an extended trip away from her transplanted home in Ayr, Scotland.  For a portion of the trip, her close friend Jai McDowall joined her - his first time in Colorado.  I met Meredith when she was at our Rotary Club one morning, promoting her upcoming concert with Jai in Fort Collins.  She agreed...

Dain Johnson was a high-level mechanical and industrial engineer for a decade, during which time he worked under some great managers - and some terrible ones!  He developed a keen interest in psychology, eventually leading him to further his education with a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from CSU, and to the founding of his business, Rev 0. Dain is a coach for engineers turne...

Jane Brewer grew up in a diverse neighborhood in the heart of New York City, with a constant heart for people and service and adventure.  She signed up for AmeriCorps to work in support of Habitat for Humanity projects, and at 22 revealed that she didn’t have a driver’s license when asked to drive a truck and trailer to a project!   A few short years later she drove herself to Crested Butte, Color...

I became acquainted with Cole Strehlow circa 2012, when my wife and I first began attending The Crossing Church in Fort Collins, where Cole still serves as Chief Musician.  He was a gifted writer with a Theology degree from a small university in Northern Wisconsin, and was trying to string an income together through church music, freelance writing, and crappy jobs. A few years later, he was the fi...

Rick Gardner is an EOS Implementer in our Northern Colorado region.  He grew up in Leadville, Colorado, and had his dreams of a long professional bull-riding career ended by injury.  He’s gone on to a series of interesting professional and entrepreneurial ventures, and his previous chapter was founding and growing an Venture Accelerator and Investment Hub aligned with University of Buffalo in New...