Team Nerd Tech Show with Tim Gillen

It's all about hunting and fall this week as we hang with Chris Smith, local freelance author, illustrator, and waterfowl hunter. We talk dogs in hunting - including e-collars, a passion of Tim's- hunting with kids, Chris' experience illustrating the 2020 duck stamp, and more. 

We're hanging out this week with two of the founders of Thermavance, climate-controlled technology that revolutionizes heated and cooling wearables and fabrics. You'll have to listen to the episode to hear how this innovative product heats and cools according to YOUR temperature -for maximum comfort at all times, no matter your location or activity- but we also dig into the startup culture in Traverse City, including the incubators, angels, and investors that make it possible and growth-oriented. 

Small business owners: you're gonna need to bookmark this one! We're talking all things work at home, including how to migrate to a hybrid office (where half works at home and half comes in, then switch), as well as the setups you NEED in your home office to keep things running safely, smoothly, and consistently. It's not as simple as buying a consumer-facing backup system, and Tim explains why. This is an old-school style episode, with just Ruthy and Tim talking about a topic, no guests! 

This week we caught up with Sean Skarshaug of Traverse Repro and Copy Central in Traverse City. We had a fun convo all about how his company has morphed from doing strictly blueprints in the area to providing printing services of all kinds. Plus, how Sean and his wife Blythe have built a company culture that keeps his staff strong and loyal, as well as how they pivoted during the pandemic- and the messaging they've honed that gotten them through it.

*Please enjoy this encore presentation of one of our favorite past episodes. We'll be back with a brand new episode next week!* We sat down with Marsha Minervini this week, who is an absolute joy. If you weren't passionate about up north real estate before you listened to this episode, Marsha may just change your mind! We discussed not just what she loves (and finds difficult about) running her real estate and development business here in northern Michigan, but also how she's set up systems and processes with her technology to make her business run smoother and, ultimately, help her gain more profits. 

This week, Tim and I caught up with Nathan Griswold, of Inhabitect in Traverse City. Inhabitect designs and builds green roofs, which assist with stormwater drainage and cooling, along with providing the spaces for building inhabitants to use and enjoy. We chat with Nate today about what it’s like to run his green company in an area still embracing some forms of green infrastructure, the technology challenges he faces with his office in Leelanau County, managing staff, and more.

We're hanging out this week with a dear friend, Skip Brown of Freedom Builders of America. As you’ll hear in our episode, Freedom Builders helps people on a deeper level than just home repairs, bringing the ministry of God’s love and grace to everyone involved. Skip says he wants the people his foundation touches to know that they matter. He shares with us today what lead him to start Freedom Builders, the technology they use to connect volunteers together while on jobs and back in the office, and more.

We're hanging this week with Mike Carey of Atlas Space Operations. Atlas provides the software and ground control communication services needed by spacecraft companies to run their equipment. Mike chats with us today about the software his company wrote that powers satellites all over the world, the reasons why his company is headquartered in northern Michigan, what he finds people still misunderstand about the space industry, and more.

This week we're chatting with Baris Atmaca from Socks Kick, located in East Jordan. Baris has such a cool story, as he is originally from Turkey, and came to East Jordan as a Rotary exchange student in the early 2000s. He fell in love with the area and came back years later to run his socks manufacturing company in northern Michigan. We chat today about why he chose to run a business in northern Michigan when he could have gone to any big city, the local difference in terms of community support, and what makes his socks better. 

We're hanging out this week with Rex Rudolph of Padgett Business Services in Traverse City. Rex's company is a franchise operation that does accounting and tax services for small businesses, and he's had a crazy year so far with switching to full remote during the coronavirus lockdowns in the middle of tax season. He talks about that switch, the advantages he finds in running a franchise, how using outside experts like Terapin Networks has helped his business, and more. 

We had so much packed into our chat with Chris Fredrickson of TC Whiskey Co. in Traverse City that we had to make a bonus episode! Listen in as Chris describes a little more about what it really means to be a “craft” whiskey company in today’s spirits marketplace. Chris also shares a little more details about their new production and tasting room facility, located out in Leelanau County. 

This week, we're hanging out for a bit with Chris Fredrickson, one of the owners of the award-winning, hugely popular Traverse City Whiskey Company. Chris spoke about how he and his team come together collaboratively to solve problems that pop up, how they lean on their community for ideas and support, what it was like in the early days of the pandemic when TC Whiskey switched from making spirits to providing hand sanitizer, and how technology helped them supply the massive response they had from that. 

This week, we're hanging out with Debbie Craig of Craig Wealth Advisors. She’s a passionate advocate for her customers when it comes to managing their money, and she also understands how technology helps make that all happen. She shares why she thinks the financial field is so male-dominated, and how to bring more women and minorities into the fold. She talks about her struggles as a working mother, and dealing with different rules and regulations set forth by the state and federal government, and more.

This week's we're chatting with Al and Gary from Great Lakes Trim, a tier 1 supplier for the Big 3 auto manufacturers in Detroit as well as other manufacturers like John Deere. Al and Gary talk about staffing issues, traffic affecting their supply chains and trucking routes, innovative changes coming in the auto industry, and more. 

We enjoyed our conversation with Kim White so much that we couldn't fit it all into the half-hour show! In this bonus episode we chat more in-depth about the consistency of expertise and collaboration she follows with her clients, the safety measures she takes both for her own business as well as what she does for her customers, how she connects to people, and more. 

Tim and Ruthy sit down with Kim White of Cherryland Accounting, in Traverse City, to talk about how safe online practices are important not just in your personal life but as a professional as well (including VPNs on vacation- stay off the hotel wifi, guys!) as well as how Kim connects to her customers on a personal level to be a better accountant. 

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We sat down with Marsha Minervini this week, who is an absolute joy. If you weren't passionate about up north real estate before you listened to this episode, Marsha may just change your mind! We discussed not just what she loves (and finds difficult about) running her real estate and development business here in northern Michigan, but also how she's set up systems and processes with her technology to make her business run smoother and, ultimately, help her gain more profits. 

This week Ruthy and Tim hang out with Shawn Zipser of Zeez Management in Traverse City. Zeez has multiple businesses under its umbrella: Arby's franchises, Harley Davidson stores, tax and attorney services. We chat with Shawn about dealing with different municipalities, how it's like working in a family business (something we know a little about ourselves!), and then Tim and Ruthy, later on, discuss how small companies can work with limited connectivity as well as the importance of cyber insurance. 

Our guest this week is John Zimmerman of Brightstar Care, who has run his in-home healthcare and medical staffing franchise since the mid-2000s. Today he joins us to talk about things like staffing issues, policy changes in the medical field, the things he loves about up north living, how his company’s technology set-up has propelled his business forward, and more. After, Ruthy & Tim chat about SIP and VOIP phones that help businesses like John's expand in today's economy.

Our guest this week is Mike Drilling, from Windborne Photographic Studios and Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realty. Mike's been running his studio for over 4 decades, and he's established himself as an innovative, creative, and adaptive business owner- and now brings that same creativity to realty. After our chat, Ruthy and Tim delve into the topic of backups, including what to look out for in a backup system, and the frequently-recommended brand that Tim says is inadequate for business.

We had such a good time chatting with Tim Brick of Brick Wheels, and we talked for over an hour! We can only fit 30 minutes of content into our official show episodes, so we put all the bonus extras in this episode. Enjoy!

Tim and Ruthy sat down at the start of June with Tim Brick, owner of Brick Wheels in Traverse City. Tim’s shop sells many types of outdoor sporting gear, including ebikes, fat bikes, and tunes and repairs snowboards and skis of all types. Our chat was long, and it was hard to condense it into our half hour! We covered tons of topics, including what he loves -and what he doesn’t love- about running a business in northern Michigan. 

Welcome to the special bonus episode of Season 2, Episode 1 with Tim Gillen. It's packed with all the good stuff we couldn't fit into the first 30 minutes. In this one, Tim talks about what it was like growing up in a family of entrepreneurs and his very first owned business, a marina in Leelanau County; the instance that lead him to tech, while running his second business, a tool resale business with SnapOn; his favorite parts about running a business up north and the people he encounters, and more. 

Welcome to Michigan Small Biz Stories! In this season, Tim and Ruth chat with small business owners in Northern Michigan about the real, frank realities of running a business up north.  For our first episode, Tim takes a step back as host, as Ruthy interviews him on what it was like starting Terrapin Networks in 1990, how his company has changed, what he really thinks about business in Michigan, and more.  **Don't forget to unlock the bonus content at mismallbizstories.com!

This week, Ruth and Tim chat with Dr Bryan Shumaker of Headlands International Dark Sky Park. We discuss the cultural impactor the dark sky, how people interested in astronomy or stargazing can get involved, and Elon Musk's SpaceX program completing its first successful rocket launch, with 2 astronauts inside. 

This week, Ruthy and Tim are breaking down more nerdy tech and science news for your nerdy ears. We discuss a local pirate legend come to life with a shipwreck in northern Lake Michigan, a great list of remote tools for work-at-home business owners to check out, a disinfectant spray booth possibly coming to an airport near you, and a simulator that lets you fly a SpaceX craft form the comfort of your own home. 

This week, Ruthy and Tim talk about a new sleep science study that  proves what our dreams are really processing, we celebrate (?) World Password Day, discuss the Narnia-like place in this world without any coronavirus, agree that contact tracing apps, while hopeful in slowing the spread, offer little protection in terms of privacy, and a vulnerability with ShareFile that business owners need to know about. 

Tim and Ruthy break down all the nerdy tech news that's happening in the world.  This week, 5/3/20: Google Meet is free for Gmail users, Bubonic Plague is like the coronavirus (but not really), contact tracing apps and API from Google and Apple (is this a privacy violation? Guess what our opinion is), a PPE disinfectant out of Michigan State University, and an update on Elon Musks' Starlink and his possible solution for light pollution the satellites will bring. 

This week Ruthy and Tim connect with Rex Rudolph, owner of Padget Business Services in Traverse City. Padgett Business Services might seem like a company well suited for remote work, but the sudden switch wasn't as easy as it might have seemed. Rex shares with us the struggles his company has gone through, what they plan on changing when the country opens back up, and what he wants other small business owners to know about moving their operations from in-house to remote. 

This week, Tim and Ruth are chatting about their favorite video conferencing apps- and the ones they stay away from, and why. We'll dig into what exactly "zoombombing" is, as well as talk about the privacy issues concerning Zoom and the many other platforms we're talking about. 

In a break from our typical type of talk, Ruthy discusses how she contracted (she thinks) COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. She also gets into what it was like taking the controversial drug cocktail, hydroxychloroquine and a z-pack, to help her recover. 

This week, Tim and Ruth discuss some recent updates regarding coronavirus, and how it continues to affect the way we work as small business owners. We're expanding even more on our recent work-from-home conversation, and sharing our favorite Twiter threads that help to break down coronavirus information in an easy, digestible way. 

This week, Tim and Ruthy chat about how small businesses can shift their business operations to operate more employees as work-at-home...for the long term. We're covering the concept of making it a permanent part of your business. These are strange times with covid19 threatening the way our world works, and we're here to help you figure out how to adjust your business strategy seamlessly. We also cover a new type of Nigerian Prince email scam, and chat about our favorite video conferencing platforms. 

This week we have a special guest hanging out with us: Steve Kiger, from Rocketsource.com. Steve talks how small business owners can better connects with their customers, by asking what they want, following up at just the right time, and following their journey beyond their initial purchase. He's also sharing info about Rocktsource's new Platstack.com, an incredibly easy way for people to share information with each other.

This week, Tim and Ruth talk all things smartphones. We kick things off in Tech News with a rundown of cellphone battery myths and truths, and then we jump into the discussion of Android or iPhone in your small business- does it matter to declare your company "for" one or the other? Lastly, we're chatting about the EFF's browser extension Privacy Badger, and talking a little about why the EFF is such an important institution for online privacy matters.

This week's we're all about web domains for your business! Have you updated the account info? If not, you might be in for a scary awakening. Watch this to see what you need to get done, how to repair past mistakes, and why it's so important for your small business. Plus, an update on Elon Musks' Starlkink and SpaceX rocket and satellite launch, and an app that tells you which IoT appliances near you are tracking your moves.

This week, Ruth and Tim talk about a problem almost everyone has encountered- spotty internet. You were promised clear, fast internet by your cable guy... but in reality, it's not everywhere you need it to be, the connection drops, and sometimes it's randomly slow. What gives? We chat about what you can do to fix it, what to look out for next time, and why funky connectivity happens in the first place. Plus: What you can use instead of Google, Whatsapp, Facebook and Gmail. And why do we even have Leap Year, anyway?

Your printer locks up, or stutters, stops printing halfway through, or you need to get up and push a button on the printer in order for it to print... defeating the reason you installed the printer wirelessly in the first place! Today we're talking wireless printing and how small business owners can choose and install the right printer set-up for the least amount of printing headaches. Plus, Clearview getting sued by Google and YouTube (ha!) and the rise in anti-surveillance products for everyday people. 

This week, Tim and Ruthy are chatting about VoIP Phones - as in, a phone line that runs through your internet connection, as opposed to landlines of yore. What's the difference? We talk the ins and outs and what small business owners need to be aware of before installing a VoIp system.  In Tech News, we talk the 23AndMe company-wide layoff, and what this means for your privacy and genealogy companies. Plus, Tech Gadget covers how Google is (spoiler alert!) probably listening to you right this very second. 

This week, we're discussing what you need to know when you're moving your staff from an in-house position to something remote. Whether you're closing a physical office or dealing with a life event that requires someone to work from home, there are a few key details you can't miss when it comes to your business set-up.  We also cover Tech News regarding how Google is changing the look of their Search Ads, and in Tech Gadget, the weather apps you need to look out for. 

In this week's episode, Tim and Ruth talk about how NOT to get blacklisted by Gmail. The easiest way around that? Make sure you're using a quality ESP (Email Service Provider) when you're sending emails to more than a few people at a time. Plus, we get into the nitty-gritty about the new Windows 10 patch the NSA recommends everyone to apply, and Ruthy talks about her ongoing efforts to not be so enamored with her smartphone. 

Welcome back to the Team Nerd Tech Show in 2020! This week, Tim and Ruthy are chatting about 5 tech moments in 2019 that changed the conversation around how we approach technology as consumers and business owners. We're covering: ransomware attacking small and mid-size municipalities, consumers becoming more aware of privacy concerns, the rise (and need) of dual sims, regulations (self-imposed as well as political) on data privacy, and the ride in edge computing and how that affects our daily lives.  

It's 2020 and along with celebrating a new year, we're celebrating what was GREAT about 2019. We started the show in mid-February 2019, which means we're coming up on 12 months of pure nerdy goodness from your favorite tech show. Listen in to our 6 favorite moments on the show, from expert interviews to Tim's favorite tools for small business. Thanks for being a part of this journey for 2019, and we're excited to see where this new year takes us! 

This week, we've got a special guest hanging out with us: Rob Pritchard, from Cyber Security Expert in the UK. Rob's worked on cybersec at places from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street, and he's a voice of reason from the other side of the pond. You need to hear what he thinks are the biggest threats small businesses face, and what they can do to prevent attacks in their company. It's almost like he says the same things we've been saying, just in a different accent.... 

This week, Tim and Ruth are taking a break for the Christmas holiday and we're playing this encore presentation of one of our more popular past episodes. This episode originally ran as #23, and we're talking about why you should NEVER use the free wifi you access in an airport... or a hotel... or using a found USB key or USB-enabled cord. You might be surprised at the insidious ways bad actors try to access your data! We also chat about best practices for onboarding and offboarding employees, including the things you should make sure to have on your checklist so you never miss a step. 

This week's episode is all about those "scary" tech terms you hear bandied about by your tech team that sound important... but are they? Tim's going through a list of essential terms every business owner should know and breaking them down, one by one. And we discuss a warning the FBI put out about your IoT devices, so listen in if you're gifting (or been given) a new device for Christmas. Lastly, make SURE you're not doing this one dumb thing with your boarding passes when you fly. You'll thank us later.

This week, Tim and Ruth are joined by Scott Taber from the Michigan Small Business Development Center. Scott is the SBDC's Cyber Security Awareness Program Specialist, and he heads their initiative, "Small Business, Big Threat", which helps small businesses understand their role in protecting company data from cyberthreats. He shared with us a few proven ideas for small business owners to takeaway when it comes to educating their staff. 

For episode 41 (not episode 40 as accidentally stated!) we’re chatting about TrueDialogue’s database exposing millions of SMS text messages. We also talked more about ransomware, and how 3 companies that use Tim’s tech team survived and recovered from ransomware attacks in their business. We’ll discuss what they did to be attacked, how they recovered quickly, and what Tim’s team did to mitigate the damage and prevent more attacks from occurring. We’re also chatting grayscale on your phone, and why there’s a new movement that encourages people to use grayscale all the time.  

*Please note: this is an encore presentation of episode 29. Have a happy Thanksgiving!* This week we're talking about the Cambridge Analytica bust-up and how Facebook may have known more than they let on. We also chat about the new privacy changes Facebook is rolling out- are they in good faith? Then, Tim breaks down his 4 favorite cloud sharing apps for small businesses: Dropbox, GDrive, ShareSync, and OneDrive. Are they all the same? What should you look for when choosing a platform? He's sharing the good, the bad, and what you might not have thought about yet.