Storia Cucina means "kitchen history" in Italian. This popular downtown Bellingham restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Jonathan Cicotti, formerly a restauranteur in San Francisco. The restaurant opened in May 2020 and quickly became a Bellingham favorite, thanks to delicious recipes from Jonathan's Italian heritage and the his commitment to sourcing ingredients from local and organic farmers. Recently, Chef Jonathan opened a sister company just down the street in the Lightcatcher Building court...
Nov 18, 2021•55 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Kelsey’s entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of 11 with her Grandpa Paul, who taught her the secrets about connecting first, and selling second. Today, she’s built her business around that concept as a branding educator and photographer. Known for her big personality, bold colors, and wearing a jumpsuit to photoshoots, Kelsey is an unapologetic cheerleader for leaders in business. Recently, Kelsey launched The Connection Method , a book that “acts as a permission slip to be yourself a...
Oct 21, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 2
When you think of Hardware Sales, you're probably thinking of the place you go when you need nuts and bolts, or to rent a power washer (and you'd be right). But did you know about the 56,000 sq ft warehouse in Indiana? Or the consulting work they do for Amazon sellers in their industry? Or how one idea from an employee saved 132 hours of labor per year? It's all right here. For exclusive content, follow the show at https://www.facebook.com/building.bellingham
Sep 16, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Season 3 is just around the corner, but before that, here are some thoughts from Leo! Building Bellingham's host reflects on the last two years of conversations with local entrepreneurs. He also goes into why the topic of failure comes up in every interview. Website: https://livebellinghamnow.com/building_bellingham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/building.bellingham Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/
Aug 18, 2021•5 min
Frank Muljat founded the Muljat Group Realtors, a brokerage that now has multiple offices in our county, and has become a widely-recognized name. In 2017, Frank Muljat sold the business to his son, Troy Muljat, himself known for his 30 years of commercial appraising and investment experience. Troy is a trusted housing market data source, regularly quoted in the Bellingham Herald and KGMI. Under second generation leadership, the Muljat Group continues to grow as a local real estate brokerage. And...
May 03, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Brothers Ryan & BJ Flood took over the brewery and offsite tap-room in 2019. Menace Brewing in the Fountain District has played host to trivia nights, open mic, and movie showings. The Local is nestled between Casa Que Pasa and Cafe Adagio on Railroad, and has 36 rotating taps, showcasing independent local breweries. They’re also known for having the best Reuben sandwich in town. For exclusive content, follow the podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/building.bellingham...
Mar 25, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Gretchen was drawn to Bellingham by the outdoor lifestyle - snowboarding, mountain biking and sea kayaking. These Pacific NW elements, along with bright colors, crisp lines, and large-scale design, make up her signature style. Her work can be found on the walls of local breweries and climbing gyms, to the sides of buildings in Bellingham, Seattle and Denver. Gretchen’s ‘big kahuna?’ A mural of the North Cascades that’s two football fields long and took an entire month to create on the side of a ...
Feb 18, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Brist Mfg began as a clothing line popular in the WWU student bookstore. The company now manufactures private label hats, t-shirts, flannels and beanies, offers screenprinting & design, AND provides e-commerce and web store management and fulfillment services. Today, their nationwide client list includes Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, the Seattle Mariners, and iconic local brands like Woods Coffee, Kona Bikes, and Aslan Brewing Company. For exclusive content, follow the podcast on Facebook: h...
Jan 14, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Greenhouse began in 1972 and Eric & BreAnne Green purchased the business in 2017. Bre manages the store and is the primary buyer, hand-selecting high-end, premium pieces of home decor, housewares, and furniture. Greenhouse pairs nicely with their real estate business, as they stage homes or work with buyers on making their new house a home. With the holidays approaching, the store on the corner of Holly and Cornwall is a glittering winter wonderland. Today, Bre and Eric balance two businesse...
Dec 17, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 4
A brewer, a beertender and a business man walked into a bar...Aslan Brewing Co began in 2012 as a team of three friends. They brewed over 130 pilot batches and determined the core values that guide every development in their company: the Triple Bottom Line model, which places People and the Planet prior to Profits. Two years later, after an extensive construction process, Aslan Brewing Co opened its doors on the corner of Magnolia & North Forest St. Today, Aslan - which is the Turkish word f...
Nov 19, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Erin Baker’s all began in a 4-H kitchen at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds in 1994, when the concept of a nutritionally dense ‘breakfast cookie’ was a brand new concept. In the early years, Erin made deliveries on a blue Schwinn bicycle, but today, Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods can be found in grocery stores in 17 states and also purchased at erinbakers.com. The goodies have been featured in the Oprah magazine, Women’s Health, and included in the menus for both Delta and American Airlines. F...
Oct 22, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Faithlife all began as a software side project for a Microsoft developer, and the first copies of Logos 1 were shipped from Bob’s parents’ kitchen table. Today, 28 years later, the software giant has tools available for over 3 billion people worldwide to study theology in their first language. In this episode, Bob talks about Thomas Edison's mining failures, how money is an accelerant, and the grounding effect of going back to 'first principles'. For exclusive content, follow the podcast on Face...
Sep 24, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Ben Kinney is a giant in the real estate industry, the owner of the Bellingham-based sales team that consistently is one of the top teams in the Keller Williams' US brokerages. Ben himself owns multiple brokerage franchises in the US and London, along with BRIVITY, BKCO Mortage, Place Inc and other companies ancillary to the real estate world. But Ben's story didn’t start easily. Like in the game Monopoly, for Ben it started with one deed and then one green house. Ben was working as a cable guy ...
Feb 17, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 8
In this interview, we dive into culture, brand, and the PNW roots that created an environment for Woods Coffee to be successful. Wes goes deep into what it takes to make a business work. Planning for the ramp-up time, having enough capital to prepare for one or even two years before the business becomes profitable, and sacrificing to make it work. In the early days, Wes could be found changing the oil in someone's car, with a phone to his ear talking over the next Woods expansion. There's more -...
Jan 27, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 7
Our guest today is Ray Deck III, a high-octane human, Founding Director of Skookum Kids, and the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce CEO of the Year 2019. Throughout our conversation, Ray shares insights into what makes him a strong leader: taking natural talent and purposefully developing leadership as a skill, planning, preparing and surrounding himself with high-caliber team members who are humble, hungry and smart. Ray's story stretches from being a camp counsellor to moving across the country, t...
Dec 16, 2019•59 min•Ep. 6
Bramble Berry CEO Anne-Marie Faiola, aka The Soap Queen, tells the story of how she built her soapmaking business, from selling in farmer's markets, to getting a master's degree in her field plus an MBA, to developing a huge Instagram following and creating professional how-to videos that get thousands of views. Today she gives us a window into her life as the CEO of a multi-million dollar company, and into the mindset that fuels her life: That a relationship with customers is a privilege, that ...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 5
Ziad Youssef, local lawyer and legal care advocate, sat down with Leo to talk about how he’s made a practice of noticing problems and intervening in them, how he earned success through service, and how he’s initiating systemic change in our community. Today, Ziad is working with cutting-edge legal technology that could cut down attorney time (and thus billable hours), making justice more accessible to everyone, and is also spearheading the #InclusionDeed initiative, an idea he had while walking ...
Oct 21, 2019•57 min•Ep. 4
Dylan Langei, a local loan officer, sat down with Leo to talk about how he graduated with an MBA and nowhere to go, how he competed with longstanding veterans in the business, how the lessons of team sports inform his business today, and how we can face our fears through purposeful preparation. His story is especially inspiring for the young business person putting in countless hours and wondering when -or if- it will ever pay off. Now, still in his late twenties, Dylan is the manager of the Bar...
Sep 17, 2019•55 min•Ep. 3
Heather Simpson, longtime real estate agent and more recently, founder & director of She Leads Me, joins Leo to discuss her journey from living life on autopilot, to seizing each opportunity to live with intention. We were inspired by the raw and real story of how she has developed moxie - force of character - through severe lows in her personal and professional life, and how choosing to grow from these episodes has led her to start a growing training and support community for professional w...
Aug 20, 2019•57 min•Ep. 2
Jesse Nelson, co-founder and CEO of Overflow Taps, joins Leo to discuss his journey from hearing no to saying yes. He tells the story of opening two taphouses in Whatcom County, and the training process, recharging strategies, and strict Monday routine that he’s developed along the way. This debut episode is a must-listen for aspiring leaders. While he rarely addresses the concept of leadership directly, Jesse is constantly referring to principles that entrepreneurs and business managers - or re...
Jul 16, 2019•56 min•Ep. 1
