The Vault at 201 N Broadway

Join us as we sit down with entrepreneur, nurse, and owner of SOMETHINGchic, Linda Brooks. Linda shares her journey from small-town Montana to nursing school, life in Boston, and ultimately returning home to bring her dream to life. She dives into the long road to opening her store, from co-winning the Downtown Billings Battle of the Plans to crowd-sourcing capital, and finding the perfect downtow...

Join us as we sit down with Jodi Mackay owner of Molly & Friends, a beloved dog daycare and boarding business in Laurel, MT. Jodi shares how a simple idea turned into a thriving small business, the importance of communication and customer service, and the special touches that make Molly & Friends a home away from home for dogs. Plus, a special appearance from her daughter, Allison, as they...

Join us as we sit down with Cindy Beers - dietitian, entrepreneur,  health advocate and Founder of Fresco Juice. Cindy shares her journey, from working in healthcare to launching her own business, driven by her personal gut health struggles and a transformative discovery of raw juice.  She shares how the encouragement from her community gave her the confidence to start Fresco. Cindy discusses thei...

Join us as we sit down with Andrew McDonald, President of the Billings Catholic Schools. From dreaming of a career as a spy to finding his calling in education Andrew shares his career journey and leadership insights. On this episode he discusses the importance of transparency, knowing your strengths and building strong teams. We dive into the power of relationships and mentorships and their role...

 Join us as we sit down with Katie Meier, the State Director of Montana HOSA, future health professionals of Montana. On this episode we talk about the role HOSA plays across the state to empower future leaders (high school students) through education, collaboration and experience. She dives into her passion for educating students and leveraging HOSA to provide students the real life experience to...

We are honored to start season 3 of The Vault, episode 79 with a very special episode featuring a special guest who is no longer with us. This episode was recorded in August of 2024 and our special guest, Kevin Kooistra passed away in December 2024. We are honored to have had this conversation with him and to share it with you. We hope that you are inspired by Kevin’s story.  On this episode Kevin...

On this vault short our hosts are solo to recap The Vault’s season 2 (Feb. 2024 - Jan. 2025). KaVo & Marce B dive into the key themes they heard from season 2 such as leadership, resources to launch a business, branding, listening to your customers, gratitude, and customer service. They share the episodes where these themes were most prominent, and their top takeaways, insights, expertise, and...

Join us as we sit down with the Senior Vice President of Talent Attraction at Development Counsellors International, Patience Fairbrother to discuss attracting and retaining talent in your communities. On this episode, Patience dives into why talent moves, what factors matter to talent when looking to move or stay in a place, and what we can do to attract talent. She discusses the work DCI does an...

On this Vault short we sit down with Program Manager, Veterans Navigation Network, Senior Master Sergeant (retired), USAF, County Veteran Service Officer (retired), Mike McManus to talk about the services VNN provides to facilitate a smooth transition for our Nation’s Service Members from military service to civilian life. In this episode, Mike talks about the network VNN creates to allow Veterans...

Join us as we sit down with Amanda Jungles, Regional Director of Business Development for Cushing Terrell. Amanda shares her journey from boarding school to following her family’s footsteps at Florida State University, a family tradition dating back to 1933. In this episode Amanda talks about the importance of research & how it sparked her interest in business development, client relations, th...

On this Vault short we interview Big Sky Economic Development team members, Rick & Justin to learn more about their program, Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC).  We talk with them about the types of services the VBOC offers, from business planning and mentorship to navigating funding options and government contracting opportunities. We dive into the service area they serve, the clients t...

In this episode, we sit down with Akvilina Rieger; community builder, connector, and cultural ambassador, to explore her inspiring journey of leadership and engagement. From studying International Business in Lithuania to earning a scholarship at Montana State University and building a life in Billings, Akvilina’s story is one of curiosity, connection, and resilience. We dive into how her search f...

Join us as we sit down with Karen Grosz - entrepreneur, team builder, speaker, and author to discuss the art of facilitation. Karen dives into the importance of facilitation done well, embracing your role as a facilitator, and knowing what you are trying to create.  In this episode, we dive into how to set your day up for success by focusing on your environment, collaboration, and embracing your u...

In this episode, we sit down with Riza Gilpin—entrepreneur, inventor, and tea enthusiast—to explore her incredible journey of innovation and reinvention. From building a successful career in dental sales in Florida to inventing the groundbreaking “Kitty’s WonderBox” and selling it to a national pet company, Riza’s story is one of curiosity, vision, and bold moves. We dive into her transition to Mo...

On today’s Vault Short our hosts, KaVo & Marce B are talking all about business entities. We delve into the different types of business entities and the structural difference of each business entity type.  If you are thinking about starting or growing your business, Big Sky Economic Development has free business advising and lending services to help you no matter which business building stage...

In today’s episode, we chat with Kaitlyn Bolotas, owner of House of Colour West Billings, about the transformative power of color analysis. Kaitlyn shares the history behind this innovative approach, her journey to introducing it in the Billings area, and how discovering your best colors can boost your confidence. We explore how understanding your best colors and styles can boost your confidence a...

On this Vault Short, we sit down with James Easton, Montana Chamber Foundation Workforce Specialist to talk about the programs they lead to encourage entrepreneurship among Montana’s K-12 and undergraduate students and administer funds that support workforce readiness and entrepreneurship programs in the Big Sky State.  On this episode we dive into their workforce programs, Montana Youth Entrepren...

On our latest episode we sit down with our fellow Big Sky Economic Development team member, Rick Brown - an Air Force Veteran, former member of the secret service, entrepreneur, degree in law, and a PhD in Psychology.  On this episode he dives into transformative projects he spearheaded, the partnerships he forged to tackle complex social issues, and the innovative strategies he employed to create...

On this Vault Short, we sit down with Candace Carr Strauss, VP of Marketing & Communications with the Montana Chamber of Commerce to talk about driving Montana forward through their work to create business opportunities for growth and prosperity across the state.  We talk with Candace about the Chamber’s extensive network, which includes businesses of all sizes, industries, and local chambers...

On our latest episode we sit down with husband and wife duo, Jason and Jen Marble, creators and owners of Marble Table and Marble Coffee. We talk with them about their inspiring journey to opening and creating Marble Table and their recent expansion, Marble Coffee. They share how they’ve crafted a menu that feels like family and created a dining experience that makes everyone feel at home. We dive...

On this Vault short we talk with Anastasia with Mountain Sass Creative. We discuss the benefits of virtual executive assistant services, virtual assistant mentorship, and content creation in your business. Anastasia dives into the tools and resources she utilizes to stay organized and efficient in her work and how those tools can help entrepreneurs and small businesses.  Learn more and connect wit...

Today, we are sitting down with Jon Wanderaas, Founder of Alaskan Seafood Guys, to hear about his journey from fishing in Alaska to building a thriving seafood business in Montana. Jon talks about what it was like growing up in Alaska, being part of commercial fishing crews, working on tenders, and managing a Cannery in Alaska before coming back to Montana.  We dive into how he started Alaskan Sea...

On this Vault Short we sit down with Allison Corbyn, the Executive Director of the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) to talk about strengthening Montana’s community and economic development through education, advocacy, and collaboration.  We talk with Allison about MEDA’s membership, which is made up of economic developers, small businesses, industries, lenders, and other partners acr...

Today we are sitting down with Katy Schreiner and Mehmet Casey with Downtown Billings for a conversation about the Downtown Billings Association. Downtown Billings houses multiple non-profit organizations ( Downtown Billings Association, Business Improvement District, Downtown Billings Partnership and Community Innovations and Spare Change for Real Change ) and in this episode we dive into what ea...

On this Vault short we sat down with Kristi and Kristy with Billings TrailNet.  We talk with Kristi and Kristy about the creation of Billings Trailnet, its evolution in the community, how TrailNet is structured, volunteer opportunities, and so much more. We dive into their past projects, strategic plan, and their plans for the future. We discuss the events they host, the TrailNet membership and al...