Joining Mary McKenna, filling in for Host Kelly Scanlon on this week’s episode of Smart Companies KC is entrepreneur Damian Garcia, co-founder of Dark Horse Distillery and director of sales. He’ll explain how he and his siblings all with separate career paths elected to start a small business together running a craft distillery in Lenexa, Kansas. He'll share the story on how they built the business complete with trips to the state capital to change some laws. To listen to additional episodes of ...
Dec 19, 2014•29 min
Lovers of Bobblehead dolls unite! On this episode of Smart Companies Radio with host Kelly Scanlon, Phil Sklar the co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum will stop by to chat. Sklar explains why he gave up the security of his job; Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young; and Manager of Treasury Analysis and a Corporate Financial Analyst at Sensient Technologies Corporation to head up a life-long “bobblehead” dream in Milwaukee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Dec 19, 2014•29 min
After 25 years in the radio/tv news business, Bob Benish decided to launch his next role, a part he was born to play, as the owner and bakery chef of Benish's Bakery. What started as a specialty bakery in 2007 selling biscotti to specialty shops has turned into an expanded line of baked goods with a national following. Shoppers who stop for coffee at Nordstroms across the country can now nibble on some of the bakery's goodies. Bob's love of baking goes back to his childhood and his business laun...
Dec 12, 2014•29 min
It’s a billion-dollar business opportunity, but some activists and small business people feel that entrepreneurs or "potrepreneurs" may be getting the short end of the regulatory stick, as big business and big government "under the guise of control" may be squeezing out smaller business owners. Joining Host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Smart Companies Radio is Julie Dooley, co-founder and president of Julie's Baked Goods, a purveyor of cannabis-infused snacks in Denver, Colorado. Dooley who ...
Dec 12, 2014•30 min
Former NFL quarterback Tyler Palko joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about developing leadership skills. Now the director of Business and Leadership Development at Solutions 21, Tyler discusses Solutions 21's leadership development programs, leadership development, knowledge transfer, and developing young talent in the workforce, especially millennials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 05, 2014•28 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is best-selling author John Jantsch, who wrote the classic business books “Duct Tape Marketing,” “The Referral Engine” and “The Commitment Engine.” In this podcast, John discusses his latest book, "Duct Tape Selling." Find out why Jantsch thinks successful salespeople today must flip the traditional business model—where marketers owned the message while sellers owned the relationships—on its head. These days, he argues, marketers must get better at relationships and sa...
Dec 05, 2014•26 min
Host Kelly Scanlon welcomes Casey Adams, owner of The KC Drone Company, to talk about the commercial use of drones. You'll find out about safety concerns, current rules and regulations, how drones can be used in business, and liability issues. Caseyjoined the Kansas Army National Guard during his junior year in college. He deployed to Egypt in 2009 as part of the MFO operation, and was introduced to unmanned aerial systems (UAS). He then went on to study UAS and aviation, gaining a hands-on know...
Nov 28, 2014•29 min
Pat Brown Dixon, the SBA's Region VII Administrator, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about the impact of shopping small and shopping local. Find out how Small Business Saturday got started; what it's designed to accomplish; the economic impact of shopping and eating at small, local establishments; how small businesses can compete with their larger counterparts; and some of the programs the SBA offers to help small businesses. To listen to more podcasts hosted by Kelly Scanlon, please visit the ...
Nov 28, 2014•30 min
In recognition of International Fraud Awareness Week, Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon welcomes Kenneth Hitt, Senior Vice President of Consumer Banking at Enterprise Bank. Kenny will provide tips that help business owners spot fraud and stop it before it happens, including: How businesses are affected by fraudThe key characteristics of fraudstersThe top 5 fraud tips for business ownersWhere businesses are most vulnerableCommon types of fraudHow to combat fraudHow to train employees to recogniz...
Nov 21, 2014•29 min
Host Kelly Scanlon welcomes Everykey CEO Chris Wentz. Everykey offers a wearable bracelet that encrypts and manages all of a user's passwords. In today's podcast, we'll learn about Wentz's entrepreneurial journey, how Everykey works and why the product is needed, as well as Everykey's Kickstarter campaign. To listen to more podcasts in the Smart Companies Thinking Bigger® lineup, please visit the archives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 21, 2014•27 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is Bo Fishback, co-founder and CEO of Zaarly, the online marketplace for high-quality, vetted home service providers. He’ll share his story on how Zaarly has evolved as a small business and what’s next for the company. As the former vice president of entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, Bo is passionate about small business. He created Zaarly to help bring communities closer together and to highlight the products and services of the small businesses that are th...
Nov 14, 2014•30 min
On this episode of Smart Companies Radio with host Kelly Scanlon, you’ll meet Will Regan and Jason Arriola, brothers-in law who drove straight from the carpool lane to the world of entrepreneurship. They came up with the idea for the Cardiff Booster Seat Headrest when they got tired of watching their kids heads flop when they fell asleep in the car. The headrest is currently in more than 200 retail stores, and they have plans to create a headrest for airplane travel. You'll hear their entreprene...
Nov 14, 2014•24 min
Joining Host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Smart Companies KC is the Owner and General Manager of City Gym and Former professional soccer player, Hailee Bland-Walsh who says she's passionate about connecting people to their bodies. She says she's one part trainer, one part best friend, one part sensei, one part street fighter, and final part cheerleader. Bland explains her reasoning behind the tremendous growth and success of City Gym KC and how dedication and passion has grown what could hav...
Nov 07, 2014•28 min
On this episode of Smart Companies Radio with host Kelly Scanlon you’ll meet the CEO and Co Founder of New Belgium Brewing. A dream of her husband, the original brewing company started in the basement of their home. Their goal was to be a $100 million company by 2010. New Belgium hit that a year and a half early and in 2013 the annual revenue was $190 million, making New Belgium the country's third-largest craft brewer. And discover how New Belgium has embraced the CEO's passion for the environm...
Nov 07, 2014•30 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is best-selling author John Jantsch, who wrote the classic business books “Duct Tape Marketing,” “The Referral Engine” and “The Commitment Engine.” In this podcast, John discusses his latest book, "Duct Tape Selling." Find out why Jantsch thinks successful salespeople today must flip the traditional business model—where marketers owned the message while sellers owned the relationships—on its head. These days, he argues, marketers must get better at relationships and sa...
Oct 31, 2014•29 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is Blake Masters, co-author of the best-selling book Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future. Listen in as Masters discusses how his former university instructor, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel, believes we can learn to think for ourselves, find ways to create new things (rather than replicate what we already know), and change our future. Blake was a student at Stanford Law School in 2012 taking a “Computer Science 183: Startup” clas...
Oct 31, 2014•29 min
This week, host Kelly Scanlon visits with Sheila Weiford of Kookiedoodle Crafts, a local arts and crafts studio for children ages 3 to 12. Founded by mother-daughter entrepreneur duo Katie and Sheila Weiford, the Kookiedoodle arts and crafts studio provides a safe, fun and bright environment for children to work with stencils, decoupage, felt, paint and more. Children can decorate a beeswax candle, try out sand painting, and explore other mediums too. The studio also opens its doors for events a...
Oct 24, 2014•28 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon this week is Drew Solomon, coordinator of entrepreneurship and industry initiatives for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. Drew will share why Kansas City is quickly attracting national attention and earning the title of "America's Most Entrepreneurial City," including tools and programs available for attracting and retaining entrepreneurs, community engagement, success stories, and the economic benefits of the city's commitment to entrepreneurship. V...
Oct 24, 2014•29 min
Carolyn Rouchka, a business banker for Arvest Bank in Greater Kansas City, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about why it's important for women business owners to learn about the advantages of getting certified with the government and other certifying agencies. Carolyn also discusses the Women's Certification 101 event that Arvest Bank will be hosting on October 29 in Kansas City, Mo. A passionate advocate for women, Carolyn Rouchka's guest appearance is part of a lineup of women business experts...
Oct 17, 2014•24 min
Cass Phillipps, global producer of FailCon, joins guest host Mary McKenna to discuss FailCon, a conference for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and designers to study their own and others' failures and prepare for success. FailCon is produced in more than a dozen cities on six continents. The next conference is in San Francisco on October 24, 2014. FailCon was started in San Francisco in 2009 as a response to events repeatedly highlighting only success, while providing no guidanc...
Oct 17, 2014•27 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is Scott Miller, CEO and co-founder of Dragon Innovation, to talk about how the company helps startups turn their product ideas into real products. Scott has been fascinated by hardware since, as he puts it, he was old enough to hold a screwdriver. He's gone on to work on high efficiency robotic tunafish, life-size robotic dinosaurs for Disney Imagineering and robotic baby dolls for Hasbro. He was also led the Roomba technical team and led the production of 3 million R...
Oct 17, 2014•28 min
Serial entrepreneurs Shimika and Eddie Kennison (the Chiefs wide receiver legend!) join host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how this Kansas City power couple keeps all the balls of multiple businesses and a family in the air. Plus, they’ll discuss their passion for and support of The Eddie Kennison Foundation for lupus research. Eddie is the former star wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs and is now the owner ofCellar and Loft, a wine bar and restaurant. He's also trotting out his old jersey numb...
Oct 16, 2014•29 min
Joining Host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Smart Companies Radio is Judy Robinson Rogers, Ph.D., the eleventh president of Cottey College, a liberal arts college for women located in Nevada, Missouri. Throughout her career, Dr. Rogers has taken a special interest in the education of women and girls, and co-chaired the Leadership and Education Subcommittee of the Governor’s Task Force on the Economic Status of Kentucky’s Women. Since coming to Cottey, Dr. Rogers has continued to participate in...
Oct 10, 2014•27 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is Michele Markey, Kaufman Fast Trac Vice President, who will discuss her new book, SheVenture: Success Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs, which helps women as they launch, develop, and grow their businesses. Michele is part of the line up of women entrepreneurs and experts who will join Smart Companies Radio during October, as part of Women's Small Business Month. Markey is a seasoned business executive with more than 25 years of business experience, including 15 ye...
Oct 10, 2014•29 min
Serial entrepreneurs Shimika and Eddie Kennison (the Chiefs wide receiver legend!) join host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how this Kansas City power couple keeps all the balls of multiple businesses and a family in the air. Plus, they’ll discuss their passion for and support of The Eddie Kennison Foundation for lupus research. Eddie is the former star wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs and is now the owner of Cellar and Loft, a wine bar and restaurant. He's also trotting out his old jersey num...
Oct 03, 2014•29 min
Join host Kelly Scanlon and her guest Tiffany Wright for tips and insights into cash flow management and how to find often overlooked sources of capital for your business. Tiffany Wright is the person the owners of small to mid-sized businesses call on when they need money for their businesses. A consultant, speaker and author of a new book called"The Funding is Out There!, Tiffany has helped numerous companies find funding from a variety of sources. Tiffany is also the author of "Solving the Ca...
Oct 03, 2014•27 min
Charlotte Clary, one of two entrepreneurs who whipped up their latest concoction in the garage and now it’s a hit! Charlotte and her partner Bev Vines-Haines will share their secrets behind “Ice Chips” candies and explain why their Shark Tank near-miss was the best thing that could have happened for business. To learn more about the grannies and ice chip candy go online to https://www.icechipscandy.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 03, 2014•26 min
Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard joins us to discuss his latest book, The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success. Rich stresses that although shrewd strategy and execution are crucial to success, companies cant achieve sustainable success unless they embrace what he calls the "soft edge" on the Triangle of Lasting Success Rich Karlgaard has been a regular panelist on Forbes Fox since the show's inception in 2001, Rich is also a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Upside Magazine...
Oct 02, 2014•29 min
Gabriel Weinberg founded search engine Duck Duck Go in 2008 with one key differentiator from its powerful competitors: Duck Duck Go does not track its users: they dont collect or share personal data. The search engine also puts "instant" answers above any links and ads; features s clean design; does not bias search results towards what they think particular users would already agree with and is driven by community, not just algorithms and servers. Tune in to hear the story of Duck Duck Go's foun...
Sep 29, 2014•28 min
Joining host Kelly Scanlon is G3 Consulting founder and CEO Walter George, a food industry expert with more than 30 years of executive experience with growing companies. G3 Consulting specializes in serving small and medium-sized companies, enhancing value for both food and consumer product companies. Walt is an Investor Shareholder and a Corporate Director of Old World Spice and Seasoning Company, a position he has held since September of 2013. Mr. George served as President of the American Ita...
Sep 26, 2014•31 min
