Connections That Matter

Most people never think about what it actually takes to help a family heal after child abuse, the therapy, the funding, and the years of trust-building behind it. In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson talks with Kathleen Baumgardner of Child Safe Colorado about how the nonprofit supports survivors from age 2 to 78, and how Northern Colorado's business community keeps tha...

The fastest way to lose a sale is to pitch before you understand the problem, and Matt Roberts has coached that lesson into salespeople for years. In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson talks with Matt Roberts, sales coach at Affectus Sales Partners, about building a repeatable sales process and what most networkers get wrong right after a great conversation. Episode Highlight...

"What if veterans didn't need to be shown as broken to get support, because that's exactly what keeps them from feeling empowered?" In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson talks with Nick Dunagan, founder of Health4Heroes, a nonprofit that empowers veterans and first responders to take command of their physical and mental health. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Ni...

"What if the best networking strategy isn't a stronger pitch, but the courage to be fully yourself?" In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson talks with Rebeccah Silence, an emotional health and relationship coach and author of Coming Back to Life . Episode Highlights 🔹 The difference between your "survival self" and your "healed self" — and w...

"What if the smartest person in the room only has some of the answers, but ten people together have all of it?" In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Curt Bear, founder of LOCO Think Tank and host of The Loco Experience podcast. Curt built LOCO Think Tank to give Northern Colorado business owners a place to get honest, experienced advice from fellow b...

What if the biggest thing costing you referrals isn’t your work, your pricing, or your network—but the fact that people can’t clearly explain what you do?  Your brand is more than a logo, color palette, or business card. It is the complete experience people have whenever they interact with you—and that experience can determine whether customers find, trust, and choose your business. In this episod...

Entrepreneurs rarely start a business intending to sacrifice their marriage or family. Yet without intentional boundaries, the company can slowly become the “mistress”—taking the time, energy, and attention once reserved for home. In this partnership edition of Connections That Matter, Angela and James Mitchell, co-founders of Love Intentionally, share how entrepreneurial couples can build success...

Business networking becomes more memorable when you have more than a business card to share. A professionally published book can build authority, support referrals, and keep your expertise in front of potential clients. Liz Mrofka, Chief Creative and owner of What If? Publishing, joins Andrew Johnson to share lessons from her 30-year career in publishing, marketing, and graphic design. Liz explain...

Being good at what you do is not enough if no one remembers you. In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Todd Schreier from Schreier Group to explore how business owners can stand out, build trust, and turn ordinary interactions into memorable experiences. Todd shares his unconventional approach to grassroots marketing, why fear of rejection keeps people from pur...

Business networking becomes much more powerful when a relationship develops into an intentional, working partnership. In this special partnership deep dive episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson welcomes back two previous guests: Joe Pucci, owner of Choice Moving Company, and Austin Foss, Senior Loan Officer with American Capital Mortgage Group. Joe and Austin operate at different sta...

What happens when your business is generating revenue—but you cannot figure out where the money is going? Or when you are working 80 hours a week and still feel like everything depends on you? In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Austin Odle, founder of Odle Consulting, to discuss how business owners can identify the real problems hiding beneath the symptoms....

Your health does not stay at home when you go to work. It affects your energy, focus, decision-making, follow-up, and ability to show up for the people who depend on you. In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew sits down with Gerri Kier from Complete Nutrition Alliance to discuss how nutrition, lifestyle choices, and individualized testing can help people better understand why they may...

What can happen when a new entrepreneur makes a vulnerable Facebook post asking for help? For Michael Weant, it led to a conversation over a beer with Tim Jordan, a mentorship relationship, and eventually a business partnership that became Service Catalyst. In this special partnership deep dive, Tim and Michael share how authentic connection, consistent follow-through, complementary strengths, and...

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew sits down with Desiree Gustafson, publisher of Loveland + South City Lifestyle Magazine. Desiree shares how she uses storytelling, intentional networking, and authentic relationships to spotlight the people, businesses, and nonprofits making Loveland, Berthoud, and Johnstown stronger. From helping business owners clarify their “why” to bringing pa...

In this special partnership deep dive episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew sits down with Jackie Stevens and Giuli Diaz, two of the three women behind The Mayorettes. The Mayorettes are building bridges between Northern Colorado businesses and nonprofits. Through social media spotlights, relationship-building, nonprofit tours, event support, volunteer connections, and good old-fashioned cof...

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew sits down with Michelle Gould from The Gould Agency, an insurance professional based in Casper, Wyoming, who serves clients across Wyoming, Colorado, and several surrounding states. Michelle shares how she has built a strong referral network across multiple communities by consistently showing up, staying involved, and being responsive to the peopl...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Norma Perez, Executive Director of the Windsor Area Chamber of Commerce, for a conversation about intentional connection, community leadership, and the momentum happening in Windsor. Norma shares her journey into the chamber world, her passion for advocacy, and how she is bringing fresh energy to the Windsor business commun...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Eric Weedin from Weedin Agency , a multi-generational Loveland insurance agency with deep roots in Northern Colorado business networking, referrals, and community service. Eric shares how Weedin Agency has grown from his grandfather’s start in 1956 to a 70-year family-owned business known for relationships, trust, and helpi...

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Ian Nelson from R.L. Farmer Wealth Strategies to talk about wealth strategy, business transitions, strategic networking, and what it really means to serve people well. Ian helps individuals and business owners navigate major financial inflection points, including retirement, buying or selling a business, building wealth, and...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew Johnson sits down with Ryan Ponto from The Spot Specialist to talk about carpet cleaning, air duct cleaning, trust-based service, and how intentional networking has helped him build strong referral relationships across Northern Colorado. Ryan shares how he approaches home services with professionalism, education, and care instead of high-pressure...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew sits down with Scott Mulhollen from Vensure Employer Solutions to talk about business networking, hiring smarter, and simplifying the employee lifecycle for small business owners. Scott helps business owners reduce the administrative headaches that come with hiring, onboarding, payroll, HR compliance, benefits, workers’ comp, and everything in be...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew sits down with Brian Howe, internationally known DJ, music producer, entrepreneur, and longtime Northern Colorado connector. Brian shares how he built and sold multiple businesses, including Howe Eventful , by focusing less on “networking” and more on creating real, organic relationships. From producing music behind the scenes for other artists a...

In this episode of Connections That Matter , Andrew sits down with Dan Christian, also known as Dent Repair Dan, to talk about paintless dent repair, craftsmanship, hail damage, business relationships, and how local connections can become one of the most powerful growth engines for a small business. Episode Highlights 🔹 Dan explains why dents do not simply “pop out” and how paintless dent repair...

Ryan Cox brings a powerful perspective to business networking, leadership, and personal growth. In this episode of Connections That Matter , Ryan shares how his background in the military, law enforcement, and entrepreneurship shaped the way he builds trust, serves others, and shows up with confidence. We talk about what it takes to start over, grow meaningful business relationships, and build the...

If you are a business owner, nonprofit leader, bookkeeper, or CFO, this episode is a great reminder that merchant processing fees are often more negotiable than people realize. Sean Kelly shares how Kelly Merchant Solutions helps businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate unnecessary credit card processing costs, why authentic networking has played such a big role in his growth, and why one str...