CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast

Ever feel like you're going 180 mph in every direction at once while actually getting nowhere? Truth is, you're not alone. In the entrepreneurship and sustainability program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, we are equipping our students with tools for success in every walk of life. They learn growth mindset, grit, redefining failure, and opportunity seeking alongside key strategies of balance and wellness. Guest Emily Baumann, therapist and life coach, shares her techniques for meaningful reflection to help us truly understand who we are and how to create necessary balance in our lives.

In this episode, I interview Cat Frazer, a 2020 graduate from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and a current junior at the University of Dayton. She has a double major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Sustainability. Working as an Education and Engagement Team Leader for the Hanley Sustainability Institute, she leads the Sustainability Activation Program (SAP). This year, Cat opened a clothing re-sale business in Dayton called Flyer Thrift. In her free time, Cat serves on the board as a volunteer with Make A Kid Merry, is the Vice President for the UD Diving Club, is a leader for bible studies with Cru, and participates in the Pi Sigma Epsilon marketing fraternity. 

This episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast features Nichole Sims as she helps listeners navigate career choices and understanding why work matters. Nichole is a speaker, job coach and career strategist. As a Talent Acquisition Professional for over 20 years and Adjunct Professor, Nichole has seen many people struggle with their career choice, oftentimes choosing the wrong profession for the sake of earning a paycheck. Her greatest joy as a Recruiter and Professor is helping others identify their God-given gifts and strengths to land the career they were created for. This desire to assist others in all aspects of the job search from establishing career goals to resume writing to interviewing led her to leave her corporate role after 27 years to establish her company, Bold Career Consulting, LLC. 

Cherylanne Skolnicki walks through key aspects of finding balance and fulfillment despite the hectic expectations placed on us by society.  Cherylanne is an expert on how to ease the tension between women's ambitions and their family lives. She has taught thousands of brilliant women around the world how to re-engineer their lives so they can play big both at work and at home. As the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Brilliant Balance, she hosts the top rated Brilliant Balance podcast. Her work has been featured on NBC, ABC, and CBS, and in publications like Forbes, Working Mother, and The Huffington Post. She is a Forty Under 40 Honoree, one of Cincinnati's 100 Wise Women, and a member of the American Academy of Achievement. 

When it comes to discussing the entrepreneurial mindset, it's hard to think of someone more qualified than Jeff Domagala. As the Managing Director of the Sanger Leadership Center at the University of Michigan, Jeff speaks as a teacher, director, and impassioned advocate for understanding the importance of developing leadership skills. Throughout this conversation, he discusses the growth mindset, how to redefine failure, the importance of collaboration, how to live a values-based life, and the importance of balance. You can learn more about Jeff and his work by visiting https://sanger.umich.edu/For more on the Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, please visit https://www.chca-oh.org/academics/eands/entrepreneurship-sustainability

Don't wait until you're out of college and in your mid-twenties to start the business of your dreams--get started today. That's the message from Michael and David Siman, graduates from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (class of 2018) and true entrepreneurs. What started as a sneaker and streetwear flipping business in their dorm room has turned into a six-figure apparel design company selling to large household names (Kofi Kingston, Sara Kelly, Owen Saxon) and YouTube Influencers (Hannah Bayles). You can check them out on Instagram (@michaelasiman) or LinkedIn (Michael Siman, David Siman). You can see their recent products at: https://hannah-bayles.myshopify.com/

This episode flips our traditional format and host Stephen Carter becomes the interviewee while CHCA's Marketing Communications Director, Jennifer Murphy, takes on the role of interviewer. Stephen is the Director of Entrepreneurship at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and most recently he is the founder of The Seed Tree Group--a business aimed at teaching personal finance to young adults. He has just published a book (The Seed Tree: Wealth Building and Money Management Lessons for Teens) on Amazon (available as an ebook, paperback, and audiobook) written as a fable to promote money management for teens. In this interview, he discusses his own journey of entrepreneurship while teaching students the fundamentals of the entrepreneurial mindset (including goal setting, habit forming, and prioritizing). 

Xander Wynn owns and operates X.Wynn Films, a business specializing in videography and photography. And he’s only 17 years old. A junior at Colerain High School, Xander is involved with the Digital Media Program at Butler Tech and has grown his business from scratch starting with a short film he produced at age 14. His story of his entrepreneurship journey is nothing short of inspirational. For more details on the CHCA Entrepreneurship Program, check out our webpage at https://www.chca-oh.org/eands..

Dr. Jeremy Flowers, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, discusses a range of topics including the need to get different people in the room (in a team setting and in a leadership setting), the importance of listening and understanding, the necessity of creating an equal playing field for everyone, and the necessity of establishing diversity as a culture. His insights cover a wide range of settings from the classrooms and hallways to the workplaces and boardrooms, and he explains the need to achieve diversity of thought.

This podcast features guest Kyle Peterson—Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University. Kyle provides unique insights into what students interested in entrepreneurship studies should know in order to experience success. He covers everything from the need to take risks and change the way one thinks to why fabrication and graphic skills are important and how entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. For more information on Cedarville's program, check out  Cedarville Beyond.

Sarah Sloyan is the Senior Vice President of EntreLeadership, part of the Dave Ramsey Network. EntreLeadership focuses on helping small businesses grow and part of that comes from their ideology around leadership, team building, and delegation. Sarah shares her thoughts on these topics including how to find a balance in one's life between seeking results and maintaining relationships--she explains that leadership starts by "leading yourself."

This episode is a throwback to a 2019 interview with Wes Duren leading up to the CHCA Food Symposium event. Wes, the co-owner of Marvin's Organic Gardens, is part entrepreneur, part educator, part gardener, and part advocate. His insights on edible landscaping and organic gardening are key to the vision of the Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

This episode of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion around branding and why it is important to develop a story for your brand. Bill Rempe, the president and co-founder of Velvet Hammer Branding, is the podcast guest and his insights into increasing consumer engagement and answering the large "Why" of the business are invaluable to consumers and business owners alike. Additionally, he touches upon the role branding plays in the life of the individual in terms of perception. For more information on Bill and his company, check out Velvet Hammer Branding and to learn more about the Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and opportunities to sponsor this podcast, go here.

When looking for someone focused on creating opportunity, making a difference, and impacting lives, look no further than Cordia Harrington. Recently named one of Forbes America's richest self-made women, Cordia has spent her life's journey embracing the notion that the path to success is to persist through difficult times. Known as "The Bun Lady," Cordia is the CEO and President of the Bun Company and in this podcast she shares her wit, her wisdom, and her insight.

So you want to start a business? Have an itch to be an entrepreneur? Christine Sandoval, owner of Cocoon Coffee in Mason, Ohio breaks down the entrepreneur's journey and describes her own experience in starting a coffee shop bent on providing outstanding coffee, outstanding service, and outstanding atmosphere. Christine talks about defining her why, understanding consumer behavior and targeting customers, as well as dealing with COVID while finding balance.

Jim McCarthy--marine, business owner, leader--shares his insights on everything from work ethic and relationships to taking risks and discipline. Jim is the co-founder and former president of Intelligrated, an automated material handling company, which was purchased by Honeywell for $1.5 billion and rebranded as Honeywell Intelligrated. Jim goes in-depth on the traits of leadership, developing and communicating a vision, and portraying confidence.

In this episode I interview David Taylor, chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble. David has been at the company 40 years and he discusses several leadership lessons he has learned along the way. Additionally, David goes in-depth on the environmental and social initiatives at the company and why P&G is taking such a strong stand on sustainability.

Scott Collins, the president and CEO of Linkage, knows his stuff--with a career focused on leadership and vision, he discusses the need to empower your team, to create empathy for the customer, to craft discovery questions, and to bring about ideation and innovation. Scott fuels the conversation with practical advice that is a must for any student or aspiring business leader.

Formerly the host of the EntreLeadership Podcast in conjunction with Ramsey Solutions, Alex Judd is the founder of Path for Growth--a company focused on speaking, team training, and executive coaching. The company's purpose is to help leaders clarify vision and achieve success. Alex shares his story of discovering his life's passion and understanding what it truly means to chase one's passion. Throughout the conversation, he touches on the need for authenticity, a case for integrity, the importance of balance, and the necessity of personal growth.

As a venture capitalist and managing partner of Refinery Ventures, Tim Schigel knows what it takes to have an entrepreneurial mindset. In this talk he discusses the importance of servant leadership, working on time management, and handling a hyper growth atmosphere. Additionally, Tim touches upon social media with a warning about the illusion of real relationships it causes. Don't miss this podcast and the chance to learn from Tim's business acumen.

In this day and age, there are many definitions of sustainability floating around. Today's guest, Diana Andrew from the Urban Green Lab in Nashville lays out a clear definition of sustainable living alongside tips and techniques to achieve such a lifestyle. From a discussion of the impact of "the three pillars" (economy, environment, society) to aspects related to food waste, Diana presents both a broad and specific approach to sustainable practices.

In this episode, I interview Max Vonderhaar, current junior at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Max is an avid chef who is known throughout the CHCA community for his culinary skills--skills he hones by cooking for his lucky family members and friends. Max and I discuss the culinary world and its applicability to the CHCA Entrepreneurial program including the school's newly formed teaching kitchen which will be released Fall 2020 alongside the horticulture program to bring true farm-to-school education to the campus of CHCA.

In this episode of the podcast I interview Kam Siu--entrepreneur and owner of the Panda Trading Company LLC. Kam's company provides produce to restaurants and, when COVID-19 changed the whole face of what that looked like, he quickly converted his company to Panda Fresh Foods (https://www.pandafreshfoods.com). Panda Fresh Foods is an online sourcing tool to bring home delivery of fresh produce to those in the Cincinnati and Dayton area. Kam discusses his journey as an entrepreneur including what he learned along the way and the skillset needed to succeed as a business owner.

In this episode I talk with Connor Espenshade--current sophomore at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Connor is well-versed in synchronous learning because of his work with online education which extends well before the COVID-19 crisis. Connor has also done extensive work with app development through Apple and is currently working on building a collaborative learning network at CHCA. All in all, Connor is always involved in something exciting and constantly learning new skills.

In this episode I talk with Cory Martin, 2011 graduate from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Together with his brother, Cory is a co-owner of Tri-State Waterworks--a company specializing in pure water systems for homes and businesses (https://www.tri-statewaterworks.com). Cory discusses how important the role of networking has been for him as he moved from a manager at Lens Crafters to entrepreneur/business owner. He also talks about business ethics and letting go of ego when it comes to sales.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast, I interview both Alex O'Brien (class of 2017) and Maria Pancioli (class of 2019). Alex O'Brien began building the CHCA Organic Garden as a 7th grader and, upon graduation, handed the project off to Maria Pancioli. Alex discusses how building the garden taught him the importance of collaborating in teams for problem solving, and Maria discusses how the garden was instrumental in her path to study horticulture. The CHCA Organic Garden is a core part of the burgeoning entrepreneurship program at the school and will be used in bringing farm-to-school hands-on learning to all grades at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Amy Connor. Amy is the President & Owner of CMO-OnLoan™, an organization that serves mid-market companies in the Cincinnati region, helping them with the strategic marketing focus and integrated implementation needed to grow in competitive environments. Throughout the episode she discusses the importance of mentorship, the need for confidence and speaking up, as well as the significance of establishing trust. For more on Amy Connor's business, go to https://www.cmo-onloan.com.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Benita Munnerlyn. Benita is a 2014 graduate of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and a 2019 graduate of the University of Cincinnati where she majored in marketing, international business, and entrepreneurship. Benita is the original founder of Wholistic Brands--a company whose mission is to improve the diet and wellbeing of urban communities. Benita discusses her biggest challenges as an entrepreneur along with ways in which CHCA helped prepare her for her future as a business owner.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Paul Picton--co-owner of Maverick Chocolate in Cincinnati, OH. Maverick Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate store specializing in ethically sourced, high quality chocolate. Paul discusses his role as entrepreneur after leaving the corporate world and how he became an "accidental social entrepreneur" through championing doing the right thing with his business. He also discusses the current COVID-19 crisis and what that means to him as a small business owner.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Candace Pfister. Candace is a sophomore at the College of Charleston and also a graduate of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. She worked at the school's Leaning Eagle coffee bar for three years and went through the school's business entrepreneurship program. Last year her college team won the startup accelerator grand prize for their food waste app proposal.

Dr. Dean Nicholas is the guest in this podcast as we discuss the role of the teacher as problem solver in today's current educational crisis as a result of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Teachers across the nation are stepping up to address these challenges with flexibility and creativity--this is highlighted at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy where teachers are infusing their passion for education into remote learning techniques.