Business growth expert Mike Michalowicz joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the new version of his best-selling book "Profit First: Transform Your Business From a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine." Mike is the entrepreneur behind three multi-million dollar companies. He's also the author of The Pumpkin Plan and the entrepreneur’s cult classic, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Mike is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and the former business makeover special...
Apr 07, 2017•28 min
In January 2011, Laura Schmidt had an idea. A few months later, she started developing a product line and a company based on that idea. The company, notes to self, llc puts Laura's belief in the power of positive thinking into action. Her first product was notes to self® socks—high-quality athletic socks that have positive affirmations woven-in on the toes and the bottoms as the socks are made. The affirmations are phrases such as "I am confident" as well as other motivational words. The socks a...
Mar 31, 2017•25 min
What happens when you combine your talent with your passion? According to Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams, you find your “success intersection.” In this episode, Pat discusses his most recent book, “The Success Intersection: What Happens When Your Talent Meets Your Passion.” Listen in and learn how to identify your greatest talent, pursue your greatest passion and multiply your efforts through teamwork. Basketball hall-of-famer Pat Williams is the founder and senior vice president of the O...
Mar 31, 2017•24 min
Jennifer Hart, owner of Hartline Construction, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss entrepreneurship and how she's grown her company. Hartline Construction specializes in interior construction and finishing, including metal studs and drywall, doors and frames, finish carpentry, accoustical ceiling, painting and construction management. Among the projects the company have been involved with are Argosy Casino, Isle of Capri and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Mar 24, 2017•19 min
Coss Marte, a former drug kingpin turned fitness CEO, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share his story of transformation from NYC cocaine ringleader to business owner. Marte, who is the owner of ConBody, came up with the company’s business plan while he was in prison serving time as the head of a multi-million dollar cocaine operation. His doctor tod him that his weight would lead to a heart attack and eventually kill him—probably within five years. Realizing his sentence was seven years, Marte did n...
Mar 24, 2017•22 min
Mark O'Renick, co-founder of Will & Grail, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk about building socially responsible companies. Mark is an experienced business leader, brand strategist and entrepreneur. As co-founder of Will &Grail, Mark helps companies use collaboration and design thinking to create believable, purpos- driven brands that build stronger, more profitable relationships with customers, employees, shareholders and the community. Mark also leads initiatives to foster conversation ...
Mar 17, 2017•21 min
With a pink slip in her hand and the words "You're fired" echoing in her ear, our guest today, Bernadette Boas, went on a journey to discover, confront and shed her bitches of fear, insecurity and low self-worth. That journey led her to create and accelerate the riches she has today. Bernadette joins host Kelly Scanlon to share her 5-step Shift to Riches formula so listeners can consider what bitches they need to shed to finally create the riches they deserve. Bernadette is the founder of Ball o...
Mar 17, 2017•22 min
Restaurant veteran Gary Zancanelli joins Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his entrepreneurial rise through the restaurant industry. Starting as a cook and busboy working in the family restaurant, Zancanelli went on to build a group of 70 KFC restaurants, including all the KFCs in the Kansas City area. After selling them to a private equity group in 2011, Zancanelli introduced the Red Door Woodfired Grill in April 2013 in Leawood, Kan. Find out the behind-the-scenes story that inspir...
Mar 10, 2017•25 min
Have you ever been in a situation in which you didn't know the proper workplace etiquette "rule"? Etiquette and civility expert Rosalinda Randall joins Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon to offer common-sense based advice for dealing with ever-changing relationship dilemmas at the office and at networking events. She mixes in a good dose of humor as she provides options rather than rules for handling situations such as whether you can hug a co-worker or pull out a female colleague's chair, what ...
Mar 10, 2017•28 min
Adam Ehlert, founder and president of the Kansas City T-Bones Baseball Club, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk "independent" baseball. Adam and his family had owned and operated the team in Duluth Minnesota, as the Duluth-Superior Dukes for two years before bringing the club to Kansas City for opening day 2003. During the club's 14 years in Kansas, it has made six playoff appearances, won one championship (2008), and has been a pioneering success in promotions and family-friendly entertainment th...
Mar 03, 2017•25 min
What happens when you combine your talent with your passion? Pat Williams, founder of the Orlando Magic, says that's when you find your "success intersection." Pat joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his latest book, "The Success Intersection: What Happens When Your Talent Meets Your Passion." He'll share how to identify your greatest talent, pursue your greatest passion and multiply your efforts through teamwork. Basketball hall-of-famer Pat Williams is the founder and senior vice president of ...
Mar 03, 2017•24 min
Ryan Wing, founder of The Sundry, joins host Kelly Scanlon to share his entrepreneurial vision and journey. Ryan Wing's vision was to open a grocery, deli, restaurant and specialty food shop that harkened back to another era when the neighborhood grocery was a full-service shop with local products and sustainable food. A place where customers could expect consistent quality and friendly service. In 2014, he opened The Sundry in the heart of Kansas City's Crossroads district. Find out about how R...
Feb 24, 2017•23 min
Tamara Kleinberg joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how businesses can achieve innovation breakthroughs simply by continuing to change the status quo. Tamara is the founder of LaunchStreet, an online innovation program and community, and she’s the creator of the proprietary Innovation Quotient Edge. A sought-after keynote speaker, she's part of an elite group of TED speakers.This episode covers the greatest barrier to innovation, why most ideas die before they leave the meeting room, how to use...
Feb 24, 2017•27 min
Fashion in the kitchen? You bet, as long as the cook’s wearing the Kitchen Boa, the creation of Laura Laiben, founder and owner of the Culinary Center of Kansas City. Located in Downtown Overland Park, the Culinary Center offers cooking classes, hosts team building events and private functions, and houses a retail shop that also offers grab-and-go meals. Now Laiben’s creativity in the kitchen has literally spilled over into designing and making wearables for cooks and other kitchen items. Her fi...
Feb 17, 2017•26 min
Corey Poirier—international best-selling author, TEDx presenter and award-winning speaker—joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the common traits of influential leader, how to identify your purpose and passion, why the word "no" is more important than the word "yes," and the difference between a personal legacy statement and a personal mission statement. Poirier has been dubbed the modern day Napoleon Hill—you won't want to miss the advice he provides in this podcast so you can start sharpening yo...
Feb 17, 2017•32 min
Acquisition and a willingness to embrace new market opportunities have been the keys to growth for third-generation, family-owned Towner Communications. The company started as a television repair company in 1965. Today it is a thriving B2B telecommunications company. Tune in to hear Julie's story and her advice for growing your business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2017•26 min
Brothers Michael and James Fry and their wives launched Brown Button Estate Sale Services after having a bad experience at an estate sales in 2011. With no industry experience, but a strong will to offer a better alternative, the couples pooled some money and opened for business. Then they went one step further and co-founded an industry association dedicated to advocating best practices and raising standards. Tune in and hear their story. For a full list of Smart Companies Radio podcasts, visit...
Jan 20, 2017•26 min
Making Kansas City a more fit and healthy place, one person at a time. That’s the mission of fitness power couple Micah and Diana LaCerte, co-owners of Hitch Fit Gym & Hitch Fit Online Personal Training. These entrepreneurs and World Champion fitness athletes have graced the covers of both fitness magazines and Thinking Bigger Business, and have pursued their mission passionately since 2009. They have aided clients locally and globally shed over 250,000 pounds of fat. Micah and Diana launche...
Jan 06, 2017•26 min
Dan Gregory, co-founder of the Impossible Institute, joins Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how he helps businesses achieve the seemingly impossible by teaching them a process for approaching challenges differently and reframing traditional questions. Dan is a behavioral researcher and strategist, as well as an author, educator, international speaker and social commentator. He is a regular on ABC's Gruen Planet and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world: Coca-Cola, ...
Dec 30, 2016•26 min
Chanda Bell, co-founder and co-author of “The Elf on the Shelf,” shares how she and her twin sister and mother turned a cherished family tradition into an iconic brand that delivers holiday magic. Listen to other entrepreneurial stories in the Smart Companies Thinking Bigger podcast archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 23, 2016•18 min
After an experience in a hospital with her young son, Kourtney Govro set out to find a way to make life better for both patients and caregivers. The result was Sphere3, a company that offers an award-winning patient data analytics platform called Aperum®. Aperum® is the only patient experience management platform that integrates both the patient’s perception and behavior based on their nurse call activity. Aperum® provides insights into caregiver workload management, patient satisfaction, and pa...
Dec 16, 2016•25 min
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council President Karen Kerrigan joins Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon to discuss what could be in store for small businesses under a Trump administration. Among the topics we'll tackle are regulations, taxes, access to capital and trade. Listen to the complete lineup of Smart Companies Thinking Bigger podcasts in the archives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 09, 2016•24 min
Jared Nichols joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss what the future holds for small business and what they must do to prepare for new opportunties. Nichols, a deep futures strategist, executive advisor, speaker, and coach, provides tools to help leaders and organizations gain competitive advantage, seize new market opportunities, drive in new revenue, and increase profits. Nichols is one of the few people in the world to hold a master’s degree in strategic foresight. Jared is also the host of a sm...
Dec 03, 2016•29 min
Listen in as Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon talks with entrepreneurs Joe and Judy Roetheli, creators of Greenies dog treats about how they built a business that started simply as a way to cure their dog Ivan's halitosis. The Roetheli's recipe experiments resulted in Greenies®, which was a hit with dogs. Eventually, other pet creates were also created and were selling in more than 60 countries. In 2006, the Roetheli's entrepreneurial venture came full circle when they sold to Mars, Inc. But J...
Nov 28, 2016•28 min
Serial entrepreneur and best-selling business author Ruth King joins Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon to share strategies from her books The Ugly Truth About Small Business and The Courage to Be Profitable. Ruth is a serial entrepreneur who has owned eight businesses during the past 25 years. Currently, Ruth operates Profitability Revolution Paradigm, an Internet broadcasting network with programming geared towards helping small businesses excel in finance, operations, and management. Listen i...
Nov 18, 2016•26 min
Mark Brigman is the founder and principal consultant at Kansas City-based Fidelis One, a training and consulting firm that specializes in helping companies grow by leveraging the power of strategic partnerships. Mark talks with Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon about situations in which a strategic partnership can be beneficial, how to identify a good strategic partner, how to set goals, communicate effectively and measure results. Be sure to listen to the full lineup of podcasts in the Smart C...
Nov 18, 2016•26 min
Air Force-disabled veteran James Dressler created Liberty Candle to honor and bring awareness to our troops and their families. Each handcrafted soy candle includes a poem/prayer that the candlelighter is encouraged to read and reflect upon as the candle is lit. The company also donates 10 percent of gross proceeds to veterans' causes. Hear the story of what inspired James to start the company, learn about the products and how the company is assisting veterans and their families. Be sure to list...
Nov 11, 2016•25 min
Mark Brigman is the founder and principal consultant at Kansas City-based Fidelis One, a training and consulting firm that specializes in helping companies grow by leveraging the power of strategic partnerships. Mark talks with Smart Companies host Kelly Scanlon about situations in which a strategic partnership can be beneficial, how to identify a good strategic partner, how to set goals, communicate effectively and measure results. Be sure to listen to the full lineup of podcasts in the Smart C...
Nov 11, 2016•27 min
On this week’s episode of Smart Companies Radio with host, Kelly Scanlon, you’ll meet Gary Fish, CEO, and Founder of Fishtech Labs; Founder, former CEO, Chairman of the Board of Fishnet Security; and Founder and Chairman of the Board, Firemon. Fish will be recognized November 10th as Regional Entrepreneur by UMKC’s Henry W. Bloch School of Management. Find out what keeps this serial entrepreneur going, what motivates him and what’s next on the horizon. You’ll also meet Jeff. Hornsby who assumed ...
Nov 04, 2016•19 min
Cynthia Kay joins host Kelly Scanlon this week on Smart Companies Radio. For more than 25 years, Cynthia Kay and Company has produced high-quality communications used on the national and international scene. Find out about her efforts on Capitol Hill as an advocate for small business, testifying before the Congressional Sub-Committee on Small Business in 2015. Discover out how Kay made the transition from an award-winning broadcaster to a successful small business owner and advocate? She’ll also...
Nov 04, 2016•26 min
