The Partnership Podcast

It's a real "plodcast" this time with Vail Valley Mountain Trail Alliance as we hike and talk! Erik is joined by Ernest Saeger, Executive Director with VVMTA and Nicky Asselin, Development and Engagement Manager.  Join this trio as they head up Boneyard in Eagle on a cold Spring morning to talk about spring trails, hiking, protecting our resources (including wildlife!) best hiking s...

Erik gets a tour of the new medical spa in town, Apres IV, Aesthetics and Dental Haus from Dr. Hillery Oliver.  Dr. Oliver talks with Erik about their multifaceted business, from skincare to dental and more while trying not to look too closely at how Erik himself is aging.  Yes, he was invited back for a free consultation and you are too! Dr. Oliver talks about the business community in Avon, what...

Erik has a chance to visit an actual podcast room in the Slifer House , Slifer Smith and Frampton's shared workspace, with guests Jay Peterson and Kim Fritzler. They discuss the Slifer Foundation, why community involvement is so important and the upcoming Skivenger event to benfit the Community Market. The 4th annual Skivenger Hunt is a fun-filled day on Vail Mountain to give back to the plac...

Erik has a chance to chat with Nancy Heard, GM of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and it's such an enlightening conversation!  From the history of the Caverns, to the creation of the first attraction, to the addition of Iron Mountain Hot Springs, this longtime local business has been growing strategically and with community in mind.  Nancy shares stories from the Caverns as well as some great...

Erik had a chance to take his mic on the road for another "plodcast" and couldn't be happier to visit the fabled Alliance Moving Systems warehouse.  Owner/Operator Andy Clark takes Erik on a tour of the facility that includes residential moving, document storage and shredding, what you might expect from this type of business. Then things get a little different. T There's also a...

Erik is joined by Vail Valley Partnership President and CEO Chris Romer to discuss Senate Bill 24-033 that has recently been introduced in the Colorado Senate.  Vail Valley Partnership’s board has expressed opposition to this legislation due to the negative impacts on our economy. We believe it will essentially destroy spring, summer, and fall tourism and lead to a sizable decrease in our transien...

In this episode Erik gets a chance to sit with Barb Waters, owner and founder of Peak Business Management, to talk about the world of project management.  There is a good chance you are actively involved in project management right now (even if it may be called something else!) and Barb talks about ways to not only maximize your results but perform in an agile way. Peak Business Management guides...

Erik gets a chance to sit down with SpotSurfer Founder and President James Hohenlohe and Marketing Director Marissa Selvy to talk about this incredible idea and how it came to fruition.  Not only are travelers taking aware of this new option but both businesses and homeowners are finding a simple passive income stream. The location-based app provides ski drivers a hassle-free way to locate and sec...

Erik has a chance to sit with Cam and Marcus from Mountain Youth to talk about the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and why it's important to our students, families and businesses. The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is an important tool for educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers and community program providers to truly know what issues young people are facing and how we can work together to hel...

Erik is happy to be joined by Sue Nikolai, the Program Director for the Land and Rivers Fund to talk about an important way to give back for businesses and consumers. Protecting healthy rivers and open spaces in our community is simply good business. It is an investment in the future of our economy and community. We are fortunate to live in an area where the natural beauty attracts tens of thousan...

One of Erik's favorite guests is back!  Author, speaker, coach athlete and more Holly Johnson returns with a new message and a new book! If you’re a chief executive officer (CEO) or business owner struggling to attract and keep the employees that matter, Holly understands your frustration. Prompted by three decades of her own experiences managing two public relations (PR) and marketing firms...

Erik is joined by VVP's Anna Robinson to talk about the One Valley Healthcare Program, in partnership with the Small Association Leadership Alliance (SALA) Healthcare Program, is a comprehensive and cost-effective alternative to traditional plans. While not a replacement for traditional health insurance, this new program offers affordable, accessible, and effective healthcare options for Vail...

It's time to talk about how we can serve others!  Brooke Skjonsby, Executive Director of Vail Valley Charitable Fund and Eagle County Gives expert talks to Erik about this important day in our community. Founded in 2010, Eagle County Gives is a coalition of over 50 Vail Valley nonprofits dedicated to strengthening the collaboration, fundraising capacity and awareness of the non-profit sector...

Join the Vail Valley Partnership staff and trusted guests for Community Conversations, where we’re able to share thoughts, challenges and ideas around a specific topic in a relaxed and welcoming setting. VVP will invite subject matter experts on the topic and let the conversation go from there. As business leaders, we are stronger when we’re able to collaborate with like-minded professionals and l...

Erik Williams from VVP welcomes Erin Janklow, the Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Elevar , an ecosystem building program to prepare and support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to launch businesses in Eagle Valley. Erin is the Founder of Entrada ESL , a workforce program to teach immigrants English in 100 days. She currently splits her time consulting in European cities and also developing pro...

Erik gets a chance to sit with Bob Bandoni, Executive Director of Students Shoulder to Shoulder,to talk about the unique lens through which they teach ethical leadership by case studies and living examples. Shoulder-to-Shoulder is an organization of four partner groups: schools, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropists. Together, we create a broad range of programming for all members in our mis...

One of our favorite quotes at VVP is "Be brave enough to have conversations that matter."  SpeakUp ReachOut lives by this tenet every day...and teaches us how we can be brave as well.  Erik is honored to be joined by Leslie Robertson, the Awareness and Brand Manager for SpeakUp ReachOut and she shares her views on the state of our valley, what resources are available now and education op...

Erik is joined by Vail Valley Partnership President and CEO (and University of Colorado Alum!) Chris Romer to talk about the player-centric coaching style of new head football coach "Neon" Deion Sanders.  Coach Prime's innovative and immersive style is taking the college football world by storm and Chris breaks down for us how that parallels our business here in the  Vail Valley and...

Erik gets a chance to sit at the feet of the master, local legend Steve Leigh, when it comes to on-air presence, local radio strategies and the future of radio (spoiler...it's not going away...hyper-local content works!)  Let Steve's rich baritone voice wash over you while both entertaining and educating on what the local radio landscape looks like...and will the robots take over?  Liste...

Vail Valley Partnership's Christy Beidel and Erik Williams discuss the Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program CareerWise as well as CareerX, the career exploration services from Eagle County School District.  Learn how your business can take advantage of our growing workforce pipelines that are putting our students into positions that are serving both them and the companies they work for. Christ...

This podcast was originally recorded in 2021, but this amazing course is offered annually. For upcoming course dates, visit www.vailvalleyworks.org .  We at Vail Valley Partnership are really excited about these guests. We've been following the work of Dr. Jill McCrory and Dr. Steve Swafford with Leadership Outfitters. These are two nationally recognized educators and they join us for a conve...

VVP's Erik Williams steps just a bit out of his comfort zone to receive a wellness IV live on the podcast.  If you've always wondered what it feels like?  What are the medical benefits?  Why is taking vitamins in this manner so much more effective?  If I'm not an extreme athlete, does this make sense for me?  Well...Erik asks all of the above and more while having the process done. ...

Erik heads down the road here in Riverwalk to the Diamond Building to visit Orisek Brothers Accounting.  Joe and Chris Orisek join him to talk about the importance of professional bookkeeping services in the valley and what are some of the most often asked questions by small business? They also discuss how Joe and Chris came to be in this place, what it's like working with family (spoiler: mo...

Erik thoroughly enjoys this conversation with Vail Jazz Artistic Director Drew Zaremba about his history, vision and all things jazz.  Like an improvised piece of music, they both let this conversation unfold and carry them in it's wake:)  Drew talks about the importance of legacy, the incredible work that is being done in the local schools and of course previews what he's looking forwar...

Erik get a chance to sit with Charlotte Lin, Sustainability Coordinator with the Town of Avon to talk about everything they are doing around sustainability and hold on because Avon is quickly moving in some very positive directions!  Charlotte shares some stories from her past life as a climate scientist studying tundra ecosystems in the Canadian Artic and how she's taking those lessons and a...