Podcasts about Mike Knapp

In this episode of "Building Texas Business," I sit down with Molly Voorhees, the president of Beck's Prime, Winfield's Chocolate Bar, and Agnes Cafe. Molly shares her journey from Silicon Valley back to her roots in Houston's culinary scene. She talks about how her passion for food and community has shaped her approach to running family-run businesses and the importance of customer service. We explore the challenges of maintaining a successful family business, emphasizing the importance of respecting individual expertise and fostering a collaborative environment. Molly discusses how she integrates technology into operations, which can be challenging for mid-sized companies. Her experiences provide insight into the practical hurdles of implementing new systems while maintaining efficiency. Molly also reflects on the entrepreneurial spirit in Texas, particularly in Houston, where local businesses benefit from a supportive community. She shares how this environment has been beneficial, despite the uncertainties and challenges in the business world. Her approach to leadership involves patience and listening to her team, allowing them to voice their opinions and ideas. The conversation also touches on the importance of authenticity and resilience in business. Molly shares how facing challenges early on, like financial struggles and an empty restaurant, taught her valuable lessons. She emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness in corporate culture and maintaining open dialogue about success and failure. As Molly looks forward to upcoming projects, she invites listeners to experience the culinary adventures that celebrate innovation and community. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS   Molly shares her journey from Silicon Valley back to Houston, taking on leadership roles in Beck's Prime, Winfield's Chocolate Bar, and Agnes Cafe, emphasizing her passion for food and community. The episode explores her innovative approach to maintaining high standards in Beck's Prime while expanding into the chocolate business, highlighting the importance of customer service and community connection. Listeners gain insights into managing a family-run business, where respecting individual expertise and fostering collaboration are essential for effective decision-making and business success. We discuss the integration of technology in operations, acknowledging the challenges faced by mid-sized companies and the potential for improved efficiency through technological advancements. The supportive entrepreneurial spirit in Houston is highlighted, showcasing how local businesses benefit from a community eager to see them succeed, even amidst ongoing challenges and uncertainties. Her reflections on entrepreneurship emphasize authenticity, resilience, and mental health awareness in corporate culture, encouraging open dialogue about success and failure. Excitement for upcoming projects is shared, inviting listeners to join in a culinary adventure that celebrates innovation and community in Houston's vibrant food scene. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Beck's Prime GUESTS Molly VoorheesAbout Molly TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: In this episode you will meet Molly Voorhees, president of Beck's Prime, winfield's Chocolate Bar and Agnes Cafe. Molly shares her passion for bringing people together over quality food and service and how, in difficult times, she looks for the next right thing to do to keep the company moving forward. Molly, I want to thank you for coming on Building Texas Business. Thanks for coming in today. Molly: Thank you for having me Excited to be here. Chris: So we have a lot to talk about with you because you cover a lot of areas. So let's start Just tell everyone kind of what it is you do, the companies that you're involved in and what they're known for. Molly: So we started Beck's Prime back in 1985. I was just 10 years old so I did not start it, but my dad, a lawyer, winn Campbell, and an operating partner, a guy named Mike Knapp, started it together. And really my dad, winn, loves food and grew up in the burger business in Dallas. Chris: Ok, what was the burger place in Dallas? Molly: It was golf. Chris: I've had lots of golf, yeah, so he was 14. Molly: He tells some fantastic stories about, you know, his first day on the job, cutting onions and being a human trash compactor and sort of all the love, and ended up getting a law degree. But always loved the food industry, always wanted to be in it and came up with the concept of Vex Prime in 1985. I convinced a lot of people to gamble with him and invest and that was the very first Vex Prime on Kirby. Chris: OK. Molly: I was 10, just kid watching, watching it all happen, while I, you know, played sports and did all the things you do and went to college, ended up in um tech out in silicon valley for a long time during the the boom and bust period okay and which was fun went to business school and then wanted to to come back and be in the restaurant industry and grow it. Food is fun. It's very personal. I had sold being in tech. You're not selling something that brings necessarily as much moment-to-moment joy as feeding people Okay, necessarily as much moment to moment joy as feeding people. And I really felt like with Beck's Prime we had something great and then it was time to grow it and so I've moved back here in 2006, back to Houston, and we started growing and building more Beck's Prime and then we took over the management five years ago, chocolate bar and rebranded that Winfield's chocolate bar and built a factory and new stores and now we're selling wholesale and corporate gifting. And then we have a little side concept that I did with a friend called Agnes. Chris: Okay. Molly: Agnes Cafe and Provisions. Chris: Oh, we're off the internet, right. And that was my crazy covid baby I was. Molly: I thought everyone wanted to get back to work and we needed to create jobs and he's desperate for community and the restaurant industry to come back. And there was a restaurant that had closed there and decided to open up a neighborhood cafe with a friend who was crazy enough to say yes when I brought her the idea and we opened Agnes four years ago in June and it is a local neighborhood favorite. Chris: That's great. That's great. So original inspiration, I guess obviously is your dad, and being exposed to the business Great. So original inspiration I guess obviously is your dad and being exposed to the business. What was it that got you to kind of branch into chocolate, because that's much different than kind of a full service meal concept. Well, in theory it was going to be easier. Molly: Famous last words. Famous last words. You know, I love how food brings people together and what we do at Beck's Prime is really hard, which is, you know, you walk up to the window or you drive through our drive-thru and I mean we are cut, grinding and patting all the burgers every day. Nothing's frozen. I mean we're cutting those French fries it is busy back there and we're going to get you a made from scratch meal in eight to ten minutes. And that's hard. So I thought, okay, let's be in the food business, but let's scoop ice cream and cut cakes and sell chocolate. Um, well, when we took the business, they weren't doing the highest quality version of that. So I was like, okay, well, I'm going to apply the Beck's Prime model to it and I'm going to make it all really high quality and we're going to make all of our own cakes and ice cream. And so now I've made it as hard or harder than go back to your roots. I mean, nothing is easy. Chris: Right Molly: But yeah, I think they're similar in the sense of how you manage a restaurant, all of the different services, and how you buy food and how you work on cleanliness and operations. So there's a lot of similarities. Chris: And, I would think, critically important to people you hire to be customer-facing. Right, to make that experience, the food's got to be great, but if the people aren't great as well, right, you have to get both right. Molly: Yeah, and there's actually some evidence that the people matter more than the food. So you'll be surprised the number of text messages I get and there's some science behind this too, not just anecdotal. But oh my gosh, that guy over at Memorial Park. Or the cute drive-thru cashier over there at Kirby who always gets my sandwich right and says, hello, I love her so much, she loves my dog. There's nothing about what they ate or if they enjoyed their meal or it tasted good. It's the people. So you know, I think that part we've done well, which is why we're still in business. Chris: So let's kind of go down that route a little bit. What is it that you have done? I guess it that you have done, I guess first at Beck's and now at Winfield chocolate to focus on getting the hiring right, the processes you put in place, what did mistakes you made that you learned from, kind of. To me that is the key to the kingdom and I think our listeners could learn a lot from what you've done to put such a good system in place to get the right people. Molly: So it's interesting. I think the basics matter right how we treat people every day. I think we've always done that really well inside of our team how we hire. So when we hire managers, we will never hire a general manager for a store. We will only hire an assistant manager and then they can move up to a general manager. But when we hire, we actually take a team member through a number of different steps. You know. Obviously they interview with our management team, they interview with other managers, they interview with the other managers, then they'll do a shadows shift where they'll come and work a shift with the team. So we're really trying to make sure we get people who see themselves working in our environment. Chris:Right. Molly: Right. If you don't, if you want to be a white tablecloth restaurant manager or employee, we're not the right place. So sometimes people will come and they'll spend a shadow shift with us and they don't want to be in the environment. And then we'll also ask them. We'll give them dinner passes and we'll say bring a loved one to lunch or dinner with you here. And we'll say bring a loved one to lunch or dinner with you here. And that test is does somebody who's close to you see you working here? Chris: Oh yeah. Molly: You know, and so we try to help employees find a couple touch points so that they know whether or not, culturally, we're a good fit for them. But from my perspective it's really interesting. I think we have incredibly loyal long-term team members who've been with us forever. If you ever go in one of our stores, you'll see these posters that celebrate, you know, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 years of with us. People are like, oh my gosh, those people have been with you for so long and I'm like, well, those are just the people on the poster that year. Right, and really I think it comes down to basic manners, boundaries, respect, helping each other. But just treating people as you would want to be treated goes a really long way. Chris: Yeah, like I said, that's the basics right, and to have that longevity in your industry is remarkable. Molly: Transparency, kind but also clear. Hey, this is how this needs to happen, Not having policies. We're not a big policy company. Chris: I love that because. I feel, the same way. I think. As soon as you create a policy, then all you're dealing with is all the reasons there should be an exception to the policy. Exactly so just treat people humanly, and humanely and reasonably. Molly: Yeah, and if we need to figure it out we will. But you know, if we had a policy that you know you can't take care of a customer if it's going to cost us more than $15. Let's say we had some limit, or something. And that would just be such a buffer. And it turns out the manager who's trying to take care of the customers all of a sudden handcuffed Right Right, and they just want the ability to do the right thing. Chris: Right. Molly: They're in the service business. People don't go into the service business unless you enjoy serving people. Chris: Well, and if you know, I think if you're watching your business, if someone's abusing a system, you'll see it and that's not a policy issue or lack of policy issue, that's a character issue, right, that surfaces, that you maybe didn't catch in the hiring process. I also like what you said because I think I'm hearing more of this in the corporate world the experimental part of the interview process where you you put someone in a skills assessment situation. So you said the shadow session or whatever. I know we're trying to do that and assessing skill. You know it's one thing to ask questions and be you know in a conversation, but people's skill sets matter in these jobs, right, that's how they're going to sink or swim. So I think that you've incorporated that is something that I see more and more people trying to do. Yeah, and I love to bring the loved one in. Molly: We try to do the same as well. Chris: It's like do something social with your spouse or significant other, because you're going to be away from them with us a lot. Molly: you're going to be away from them with us a lot they're going to spend more time with us than they are, you know, with you so? Do you see them and you know? Chris: okay with us, yeah do you like? Molly: do you like us? Yeah? Chris: so let's let's back up a little bit, because you mentioned, obviously, dad and a partner started VEX Prime. At some point you come in and kind of take over. What was that kind of transition? Molly: like it's still in transition. Chris: Okay so. Molly: I would say we certainly do not have a policy of nepotism in our business, policy of nepotism in our business, but to say that we don't have a lot of dads and daughters and family members and cousins and aunts and uncles all working together, we would have a long laugh. So my dad is still involved in the business. He's still a full-time lawyer. He's still a full-time lawyer and he is, you know, he helps us with all sorts of higher level finance, legal type ideas. I mean he's all over the map there, Our chief operating officer, Mike Knapp, the original partner. He's still working and he manages all of our managers and operating team. His daughter is our HR director and we have a marketing director who's been with us for almost 20 years and her husband is a project manager for us. So, and then on our you know extended family, I mean we really we have have tons and tons of family members working together and we actually view it as a real asset because we're all so passionate and deeply engaged in the business, because we're looking for it to be as best as it can be, but we are also, I would say, have investors from our community and our friends and family. We've raised a lot of money and so we are very careful because we're trying to make money for all of our investors. We have a fiduciary duty to that. So, I think in many ways, part of our culture is we are a family business, but we're not run like a family business at all Right. So how was it? I guess? Chris: you coming back in and you know I guess dad and his partner letting go of some things, and I mean you know, I know from experience. You know we have clients that go through this and I've had some guests on the podcast. You know everyone experienced a little different. What can you share about maybe some of the things that, looking back, probably could have done better or things that actually went well? ADVERT Hello friends, this is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the firm at boyMillercom, and thanks for listening to the show. Molly: Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things I mean it's always hard and I think that there's an ebb and flow to it. And you know, one of the things I think we did really well and we still do really well is we stay in our lane and I think we're really good at the active debate and listening and having hard conversations but listening to each other's points and coming together to make a decision that is methodical and thoughtful, versus well, you know, it's going to be my way, or the highway, like we very rarely would let someone just take something and run with the decision. We're very consensus oriented but we also stay in our lane. So, if you know, I've probably my strongest background is in marketing. If I feel really passionate about something related to marketing and and I've got my reasons and I'm, you know, persuasively getting everyone on board everyone's gonna be like, okay, cool, cool, yeah, you got it, got it, you know. Or my dad's like the contract needs to read this way. You know, with the Cisco vendor, we're like, okay, cool, great, you got it. So I think one thing we've done well is we. We have a lot of people with very specific expertise and we're able to learn from each other, but not stomp on each other. And so, like Mike Knapp, who's our chief operating officer, and we have got some other great operators on our team they know how to run a restaurant. Well, if I go in there and tell them how to do it, like I'm way overstepping them my lane. Chris: Right. Molly: Right. But if I go in there and I'm like, hey, I noticed like this seemed inefficient, what's going on there? They'll either be like oh gosh, we got to go fix that, Thank you. Or well, this is why we're doing it this way and I can learn from that. Chris: I think there's a lot of humility in that for the whole team Right. Molly: Yeah, you know, or feedback, that happens. Chris: Yeah, you know, no egos. Molly: Yeah, I mean we all have egos. But yeah, I mean I can say to my dad, if we cross that out, we're never going to make this deal, Like, stop being a lawyer. Chris:Right. Molly: I mean you know how it goes. It's like there's always the lines there, but I think we do a good job of being honest, transparent, giving feedback and then, when we cross the line which family members can do, we do a good job of like coming back together. Chris: Good, so there's grace too, right. Molly: Forgiveness grace. That wasn't my best moment, I'm sorry. Chris: Yeah, okay, wasn't my best moment, I'm sorry, yeah, okay. So let's talk a little bit about you know you're, you've grown this business and you've added to it. What are you think about like technology or innovation? Are there things in that realm that you've implemented to kind of help either with the growth or, once the growth has happened, help kind of manage and make it more efficient? Molly: So I came from tech right in Silicon Valley, so it's like, okay, let's get some platforms on this business right. 2000 was the year, and so I've now been through a lot of point-of-sale changes and QuickBooks to Great Plains Accounting, all these Clover, uber, online ordering, and we have tended to actually be pretty early adopters. We probably had online ordering off your phone earlier than most companies in Houston, and it's interesting because they're so great and, in theory, they're going to make your life so much easier and everything is going to be faster and more efficient. I don't always feel that it has worked out that way. Oh okay, feel that it has worked out that way. Okay, you know, I think the layers, the layers can add just more work or buffer or time, even in how long it maybe takes to place an order. And I think we went through. If we go back a decade, I think that was the painful era of technology in the restaurant space, I think. Where we are now with some of the point of sale systems and how they're integrating, how can I let me explain this when a decade ago, or even five years ago, you would be in our restaurant and you would see we'd have our point of sale system, we'd have the drive-thru speaker, we'd have an Uber iPad, a DoorDash iPad, a Favor oh wait, favor called in and then paid with a real credit card. So just imagine. All of that is like just messy. Chris: And you'rust trying to keep up. Molly: Right, we're just coming at you and all we want to do is take the order, take your money and send you on the way with your food right. So, like that transaction, for us that 20 years ago was you walked up to the counter, you paid and you left. Now we've got all these things right and and if the DoorDash order comes in on this tablet, I've got to enter it in this system on the cash register, or it won't go to the kitchen and then the kitchen doesn't get a ticket. So it seems like, in theory, we should all love all of this. And for the consumer who's like beep, beep, beep. Chris: On the sofa at home, right. Molly: Great. It's great for them. For us, it's been hard, you know, and and it has taken a lot of time. And now what? What? My point with technology now is that all those systems are finally talking to each other, and so we were taking more orders through a single unit. There's less double entry. Chris: So technology is catching up right Kind of with the innovation, all the innovation of all that. Now technology is catching up, so it's integrated. Molly: And then behind the scenes is like how our accounting and everything flows over whether it's from our vendors that we're buying food from, and finally everything is catching up. But I think we all take for granted how easy that integration is, and when you're a mid-level size company, like we are, you don't have the financial resources to spend money on the consultants that you really need to hire to help you integrate that, and so it just can be hard. Yeah. Chris: Well, that's a great point, I think, with aspiring entrepreneurs, right, that you you've got to face these challenges and sometimes the only way through them is you know it's going to be extra time and hours on you to figure it out because you don't have the capital to just go hire a consultant to come fix it. And that's one of those lessons learned, right? It sounds easy, sounds fun, but when you're in the middle of it it's either you're going to do it or it's not going to happen yeah, and you get. Molly: I mean, there's so many great ideas out there and great technologies and great marketing ideas, but the the thought process around implementation and execution typically isn't thought through by many companies that we're partnering with. Right. You know, oh, you just do this, this and this, which is a trigger for all of us. We always laugh when we're in a meeting. It's like, oh, it's no problem to switch from this point of sale system, this point of sales, and we're like right they're never there. Chris: That's sweet they're never there past the sales delivery. Right, it's just like. Then they're gone. You're off to sell someone else, that employee will quit if if I say we're gonna switch yeah well, let's talk a little more about. I guess you know you're born and raised here. Becks started here Chocolate Bar. Winfields now, what are some of the advantages that you feel like that you've experienced as a result of being a Texas based? Molly: company. I think Texans are unique in that we embrace entrepreneurs. In Houston, I have, in particular, found this to be an incredibly warm and receptive and we believe in you, molly attitude. I'm out there hustling chocolate so hard. I'm out there selling to businesses and people want to see us succeed. It's not like being in a part of the country where I feel sometimes like well, we'll see if she can make that happen, where they kind of mock you, whereas here I feel like people are behind us and that's such a positive that happen. You know where they kind of mock you, whereas here I feel like people are behind us and that's such a positive place to work, whether it's people who you're partnering with or buying from you or, you know, just giving you money to go make it happen. Right, it's hard to make a business happen without the ability to raise money. Chris: Sure. Molly: And there's faith involved in someone giving you their money to go make something happen. I mean, you never know, right, right. Chris: No, it makes sense. I couldn't agree more. I don't think what you described as kind of that spirit of Houston, houstonia, just kind of a very entrepreneurial, very welcoming and supportive community, love to see others succeed. So you know, let's talk about the contrast of that as we sit here today, and you're in the middle of it, and you're in the middle of it. Molly: What are some of the headwinds that you are dealing with or that you kind of see around the corner, that you're trying to prepare for? You know, I think everything feels a tiny bit chaotic right now, and I think it doesn't matter. You know where you are on any sort of belief system as a business person, you're sort of like what's happening right? And I think our hr director always says this. She's like what's the next right thing to do? What's the next right? And I think, with all the challenges and headwinds, and I think, with all the challenges and headwinds which I have to just globally say I can't specifically mention I'm like, oh, I could be like, oh, the tariffs are this or that. Maybe the tariff goes away tomorrow. It's not really a worry, but it could be a worry. It's just the uncertainty. Yeah, and uncertainty can be a significant economic headwind. Uncertainty can be a significant economic headwind because when we go into uncertainty mode, we are stuck. And we just. It's like we're all of a sudden we're standing on the Galveston beaches and our feet are sinking in that squishy sand. That's so warm right now and lovely. Chris: And we literally can't come out of it we don't do anything. Molly: It creates paralysis. We just go into, like, and so I think what's hard as a leader and as a texan and as an entrepreneur, is to not let that stop us from making decisions and moving forward. Yeah, so I go back to my hr director and says okay, what's the next right thing I need to do? Chris: let that stop us from making decisions and moving forward. So I go back to my HR director and says, okay, what's the next right thing I need to do? Yeah Well, I mean, I think it's one good you have a partner, whether it's any officer or not, but someone that you can lean on and have that. What's great about that is it's simple right. It's how you eat the elephant right, one bite at a time. So big picture can be overwhelming, create a lot of uncertainty, could create paralysis. So, okay, let's go back to the basics and what's the next right step, right, and then maybe with one step, it's easier to take the second step which leads to the third step and all of a sudden you've built some momentum. Molly: Yeah, and you can do something with that. Chris: Yeah. Molly: But it is you know, and at the same time as you take the next step, you've got to kind of know where you're driving towards. Chris: Yeah, so let's talk a little bit about leadership styles, and how would you describe your leadership style? How do you think that's evolved over time? Molly: You know I think I'm not very patient and I think that's hard, and I think it's hard to probably work with me, because we all have a tendency of we've got a great idea. We wanted to have happened two weeks ago. Chris: Right. Molly: Right, not just, not just an idea. It's like oh, that's a great idea, why don't? Why aren't we already doing it? Chris: And why is it already? Why isn't it done already? Molly: Like what's the problem? And so I think one of the things I've really had to work on is patience as a leader, and it's far more fun to be part of a team with a patient leader versus a chaotic always and and I don't do this perfectly well, and so either. I would believe you if you said you did, yeah, you wouldn't you know me for half an hour and you can tell this, but I think I love being a leader that people can say no to now. I think I love being a leader that people can say no to now. I think, it's really hard sometimes to be. You can be the type of leader people can't say no to because they're scared of you or they don't want to say no. But when my team has now in a place where we're close enough and capable enough, where they can say molly, that is a great idea, and if we try to do that right now, we will fail yeah like, okay, I can be mature enough to hear that now and I appreciate you saying that. So I think, I think I don't want to stop pushing us, but I've tried to learn as a leader where kind of thinking of an organ? Right now right, which pedals I should be pushing harder on or less hard? Chris: I think you raise a great point, because I think it's like anything. I think if there's too much of one thing, it's not good. It's that statement of everything in moderation, and I think one of the challenges of a leader is to know when to push and when to back off. So you had to when to be a little forceful versus empathetic and, you know, maybe demonstrating some more grace. But every situation is a little different. So a good leader assesses it and go okay, what type of leadership does this moment call for? Yeah, and it's that awareness, almost right, and learning to be a little bit versatile, because I think if you're all one all the time, you're not going to be as successful as you want. To be right, you will be in some moments, but you're going to fail miserably in others. And again, that's much easier said than done in practice, right? Molly: I mean, it's much easier said than I don't know. You know, I'm so critical of my own leadership skills. It's hard to even walk in here right now and be positive. And yet I would say I'm doing so much better than I was, and, in part, I think it's having people around me who have helped coach me to be a better leader. I've hired coaches, or I have people who've helped me through how to handle certain situations. I think tools help. It's interesting Six months ago, about a year ago we implemented this easy calendar tool so we could watch our projects and hold each other a little more accountable, and we got so crazy. We got off of using that tool and the team was like, hey, can we bring that back? Oh yeah, why do we stop doing that? And so I think when you do have tools that help you as a leader lead, they can be really useful. If they become a way for you to stop having, I think, the productive conversations and you're just kind of using it as a checklist, I think it can be dangerous, but there's ways to use all this technology and tools out there to benefit us as leaders. Sure, and I think that's something I've learned to do a little bit better in recent years. Chris: Any anything you can point to. I always like to ask this is not the fun question but failure or mistake that you experienced or encountered, that you learned from that. You're like that was a growth moment. In hindsight, man, it felt terrible, whatever I look back. And what a growth moment for me, anything you can share there, because I always find that that's such a great learning and it hopefully dispels for listeners, right, because you feel like you're the only one out there failing and he's like, no, you're not. Molly: Oh my gosh, you're going to learn from it. Yeah, and I think you know there's so much shame we only talk about our successes or people only talk about their successes, right, or it's more fun. I mean, I don't want to walk around talking about all the things I've done wrong, and this was a little while ago and I rely on it now because not everything we try. We've just released product at Central Market in June. We just yeah, super exciting. Chris: A chocolate product, a chocolate bar. Molly: We've got truffles and boots and some go to Central Market and buy our products. But also at the airports in the market, we've got some great fun Texas themed products at Intercontinental Airport. So if you're going through the airports, buy some Winfield's chocolate. So you go out there and I'm so excited right now to tell you about this. Right, we're in these great new major retailers and we're in 12 Kroger's. Well, what I'm not telling you is I've been in 15 Kroger's and now we're in 12 because we only find those. I'm not going to tell you about the three that we're not in anymore because they're not. You know, the others are doing great. Go find us at the Buffalo Kroger or the West Gray, go find us at the airport, and I'm not going to come back and be like, well, that didn't work. They never bought from us again. Which is, you work so hard to make those deals happen and get out there in the world and there's so much hustle and it may just not work. So, going back in time, I had an investor and this was a decade ago and we had opened some stores in Dallas, some Bex Prime restaurants, and one of them had failed and we were going to close it and I mean, I was devastated, ashamed, sad, all of the things, and I'd gone out and raised $2 million and I had lost that money. It was over and I had to call our investors and let them know what had happened. Phil Plant, he says so you stubbed your toe for the first time. I was like I did. He's like, yeah, you're going to keep stubbing your toe if you keep at this long enough. Chris: If you keep trying hard enough, right? Molly: If you keep trying hard enough and you keep putting these projects together and businesses. He's like you're going to have some wins and you're gonna have some losses and you're gonna stub your toe but keep going. And it meant I can't. I'm gonna cry thinking about it. He's a really great person and but that meant so much to me in that moment because I mean I had failed big time. I had the. Chris: It didn't work, you know talk about the value of having the right people around you, right? Wow, that's pretty cool. Molly: You know and with Agnes I mean that restaurant took a solid two years to take off. You know I had to go borrow some money to keep it going and now it is a place where our community meets and people love it and then it is neighborhood joy and connection. I could not be more proud of it. But I'm telling you, walking into a restaurant on a Friday night, that you have opened and convince people to give you money to open, and there there's not a single soul in the place not a single soul. Very humbling. Chris: Right, you wanted to go walk the neighborhood streets, going, come on. Molly: Yeah, and so I think you know now with my team I can, we can take the wins and the losses with a little more grace. Chris: Yeah. Molly: You know well, that didn't work. What are we going to try next? Chris: Yeah Well, I think you know it sounds like part of the culture, right, is you said? The one thing about you said as a leader is people aren't afraid to tell you no. And it sounds like you've created a culture where people aren't afraid to fail and learn from it and keep going, and that's to me a sign of a really strong culture. Molly: Well, and it's okay to say like well, that sucked. I screwed that up pretty bad. Chris: Well, we're conditioned to, like I said, we don't talk about failures. I think we're conditioned that, oh, don't talk about that, because it's got to look like it looks on Facebook and everybody's smiling and happy when we know that's not reality. And so we can get past that and just be transparent. Molly: Yeah, authentic. Chris: I think the better off we're all. Molly: But don't you think being more authentic has happened as part of post-COVID? Chris: era. Molly: Don't you think people are more open about their wins and losses? Chris: I think, so I don't know. It's kind of the chicken or the egg. I think Brene Brown started talking about it a lot more and it caught on in the corporate world and that was happening pre-COVID but close to COVID, and then with that the world goes upside down. I don't think anybody knew what. So about uncertainty, no one knew. So I think it did create a feeling of I don't know what's next and this okay to be authentic. And as we started coming out of that, then there's a lot probably exposed more in the sports world about mental health and all that kind of just built on itself, where I think we're learning it's okay and it's more acceptable to be more authentic. Right, it's a good thing, it's a great thing. Molly: It's way more fun to live in this world. I think I'm not. Fun is not the right word, it's just grounding. Chris: Yeah. Molly: It's more real. Right, I meet more real people. Chris: Agreed, agreed. So well, let's turn to a little bit more of a light side, okay, okay, so what's your favorite vacations place? Molly: Oh my gosh. Well, I'm a, I love adventure. So you know, skiing, hiking, colorado one of those Texas and Colorado type people for sure Love going down to Galveston and fishing and being on the beaches down there, and then we love to scuba dive. So hit the Caribbean. Chris: Awesome, that's all great things. Molly: I can identify with that Stay out of the sun. Chris: You're in the food business, but, and so this is my favorite question to ask every guest Do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Oh man Hardest question of the podcast. Molly: This is so hard that I might have to Gosh. You know I'm probably a barbecue person. I think I'm going to go. Chris: We have a lot of good barbecue around here. Look, it's a hard question for a reason we have a lot of good barbecue, a lot of good tex-mex. You know, I've even had people try to answer it by combining both there's not. Molly: you know, look at levi good, he's got his tex-ex and his barbecue. He's sort of doing it right, that's right, that's right. Chris: So well, I want to, you know, just wrap this up by saying thank you for coming on and sharing your journey, excited to see what you're doing. Obviously, we watched the Becks on Kirby get redone because we're right around the corner, but what you're doing with the windfield chocolate sounds exciting and uh. Hopefully, now people hear this, they'll know more about agnes and yeah, come to all of ours. Molly: You can do breakfast at agnes, lunch at beck's, dessert at windfields. Chris: You hit them all I like it, yeah, so there you go, uh kind of a full service yeah, integrated, you can do it. Them all love it it Well, Molly, thank you for coming on. Molly: Thank you for having me. Chris: Really appreciate you taking the time. Special Guest: Molly Voorhees.

Alex Gintz and Mike Knapp run through a hectic Indy 500 qualifying process to examine its merits and surprises. Source

Friend of the show, Mike Knapp, @15DaysInMay joins Abby this week for a collaboration to discuss the upcoming #Honda200 at Mid-Ohio, sponsor drama, and driver predictions. Thanks for listening. Enjoy!

John and Glen chat about failed vote yesterday and bishops call for fating and prayer for peace Friday. Mike explains what it means to be an Arian Evangelical and what drew he and his wife to the Catholic faith after being strictly Anti-Catholic. Abby shares her reactions of the protests and leaked Supreme Court decision and gives practical answers to the most common pro-abortion objections.

Jodie Fox was always meant to be a lawyer but the universe had other plans. A chance conversation on a Gold Coast beach led to her abandoning her career to start Shoes of Prey with cofounders Michael Fox and Mike Knapp. Jodie was the face of the business. The brand's rapid rise to success saw it gain fame as a startup darling and cemented Jodie's status as one of Australia's leading entrepreneurs. Then after almost a decade of riding a wave of success, the brand went pear-shaped and Jodie was faced with the heartbreaking decision of closing the doors on a business she has described as “her baby”. In this episode of First Act, Jodie takes a look back at her entrepreneurial journey, explains why she left a career in law and marketing behind to go into business for herself, dives into the genesis of Shoes of Prey, explores the startup's rise and demise and shares the many learnings she's had along the way. It's a raw and emotional story and Jodie never holds back on the details - no matter how painful.

Jodie Fox was always meant to be a lawyer but the universe had other plans. A chance conversation on a Gold Coast beach led to her abandoning her career to start Shoes of Prey with cofounders Michael Fox and Mike Knapp.Jodie was the face of the business. The brand's rapid rise to success saw it gain fame as a startup darling and cemented Jodie's status as one of Australia's leading entrepreneurs. Then after almost a decade of riding a wave of success, the brand went pear-shaped and Jodie was faced with the heartbreaking decision of closing the doors on a business she has described as “her baby”.In this episode of First Act, Jodie takes a look back at her entrepreneurial journey, explains why she left a career in law and marketing behind to go into business for herself, dives into the genesis of Shoes of Prey, explores the startup's rise and demise and shares the many learnings she's had along the way. It's a raw and emotional story and Jodie never holds back on the details - no matter how painful.

Mike joins Abby again this week to discuss their thoughts on the most recent INDYCAR race. They discuss passes, drivers, and one hell of a race finish! Join us for a listen! www.fastcarsfastgirls.com

We chat about Texas, we talk about ovals in general, and we discuss how we think different drivers will do this weekend. Enjoy!

@thatguynamedmike MK Ultra, Mike Knapp returns to chat some more about the Kitsap music scene in the 90's, Q Anon, and of course some more Trump Impersonations. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dubseven/support

illfunk sits down with SixTwoSeven bass player and songwriter Mike "MK Ultra" Knapp, most famous for his political satire as @thatguynamedmike on Tik Tok. The pair discuss everything from family, skateboarding, being in a band together, working at a nursing home during the pandemic, to NFT's and Simulation Theory. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dubseven/support

Today, we're trying something a little different. Instead of talking to one interesting person, we're going to speak with two — Kate Watters and her husband, Dr. Mike Knapp, proprietors of Wild Heart Farm in Rimrock, AZ. Kate is a trained botanist and master gardener, and Mike is a naturopath and holistic physician. I met them quite by accident — they listed their farm as a place where a transient camper like myself could post up for a few nights, and something about camping at an organic neighborhood farm felt like exactly the right choice for this project. Beyond being wonderful hosts, they're both great cooks and amazing musicians. We had dinner a few times while I was there, and on more than one occasion, they broke out their guitars and sang in beautiful two-part harmony while I plated our meals. Their farm is an amazing little oasis in the middle of the high desert. They have gardens full of food for themselves, and Kate makes her living growing and selling stunning flower arrangements for all kinds of events. I came to stay with them because I needed a place to stage myself while I found a more permanent spot closer to Sedona. We recorded this conversation almost two months ago, and had dinner together that night. We went shopping in their garden for our ingredients. They made beautiful battered squash blossoms stuffed with queso fresco and herbs. I made a bright and spicy posole verde using their chilis and an herb called pepicha — strong like cilantro, but without the soapiness that apparently only I can taste. After dinner, we sat in the cool autumn evening and recorded this conversation. Forgive the audio here and there — like I said, this was an experiment, and I only have two mics, so they were sharing. If you're a Patreon subscriber, be on the lookout for some bonus content from this episode where they take us on an audio tour of their gardens. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Digital transformation is so hot right now! And isn't it amazing that  my guest today suggests that our superpower of facilitation can help create this transformation in organisations?! Mike Knapp believes there is a better way for business owners and leaders to build their businesses and achieve their big goals. In this conversation, he shares how he transitioned from the IT guy, to someone who led digital transformational projects, leveraging facilitation to make the change effective. “Mural Mike” also creates incredible templates using Mural, and he structures these in a way to create stories and contrast in his sessions.  He also shares the importance of energy and how his practice in meditation allows him to create a welcoming space for his groups. This is a great conversation to listen into if you work in complex organisations implementing change, or you want to step into the world of change management. Click here for show notes Join The Flipchart, a free Facebook group for First Time Facilitators Tweet Leanne your number 1 takeaway! Support the ideas behind the show: Buy Leanne a coffee Shhh... I'm releasing 5 secret podcast episodes over 5 days to help you book out your facilitation business, BUT you need to register to get access.Head on over to bookedoutfacilitator.comSupport the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

The Huskies brought the fight to Eastern Michigan, but did not take home the win in a 41-33 battle to close their season. James Krause and Mike Knapp talk about what's next for the program after a winless COVID-19 shortened season. The two discuss returning players, the incoming freshman class and Mike bids farewell to the Northern Star. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp

The Huskies found themselves with a chance to snatch their first win of the season entering the fourth quarter last week, but 17-unanswered points gave the Toledo Rockets the 41-24 win. NIU tries to pick up the pieces and avoid a winless season when they travel to Ypsilanti to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Mike Knapp and James Krause breakdown all things NIU football ahead of the season finale. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp.

NIU was close but no cigar in their quest to knock off the undefeated Western Michigan Broncos, losing 30-27 thanks to a late field goal. What was the difference in the Huskies closest contest of the year? Mike Knapp and James Krause breakdown the game while getting you ready for what fans and players have dubbed 'Toledo Week'. Plus, Jordan Gandy joins the show fresh off a great performance and earning a scholarship from NIU. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp.

The Huskies were close but no cigar in the Battle for the Bronze Stalk, coming up short against Ball State and dropping to 0-3. Halfway through the season, NIU now searches to knock off the only undefeated team in the West division, the Western Michigan Broncos. Mike Knapp and James Krause breakdown the matchup ahead and talk to wide receiver Cole Tucker about the progress the offense has made through three weeks. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp.

The Huskies took another beating last week, this time at the hands of the Central Michigan Chippewas in a 40-10 loss. Mike Knapp and James Krause discuss quarterback play and other issues the Huskies will need to address going into their first road game of the season in Muncie, Indiana. The two also explore the meaning rivalry games carry as NIU gets ready for the Battle for the Bronze Stalk against the Ball State Cardinals. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp.

The Huskies were downed by five turnovers in their season opener against Buffalo, losing to the Bulls 49-30. Mike Knapp and James Krause discuss what NIU can build on ahead of their next game against the defending MAC West champions, the Central Michigan Chippewas. Plus, redshirt senior defensive lineman Weston Kramer joins the program and more! Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp

It's baaaack. After an offseason of doubt, NIU football is back and starts with a big cross-conference meeting with the Buffalo Bulls on Wednesday night. Reporter James Krause and columnist Mike Knapp are back as well, talking about the changes to expect from the Huskies this season in Thomas Hammock's second year as head coach. Plus, redshirt senior linebacker Kyle Pugh joins the show ahead of his first game since being sidelined with injury last season. Hosted by James Krause and Mike Knapp.

It's October and we are still racing in the IndyCar series! In this episode, Eric Hall and Mike Knapp talk about the 2021 schedule, late-season driver changes, and the Harvest GP. Photo credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar Media

The Sideling Hill (2019) & American Guinea Pig : Sacrifice (2017) discussed

What happens when you're supposed to discuss Open-Wheel Unification but start talking INDYCAR and the Indianapolis 500 and don't stop? This amazing episode! Big thank you to Mike Knapp for joining us to discuss all of the new announcements around this year's Indianapolis 500, and other fun INDYCAR news and opinions. You can find Mike's blog at https://15daysinmay.com/ and his podcast  at https://soundcloud.com/user-79671787, of course he's @15DaysinMay on all social media!  If you enjoyed this please subscribe, rate, review, and share this podcast with your friends and family. Past episodes, show notes, and blog entries can be found on our website: www.fastcarsfastgirls.com please visit, contact us, and let us know what you think. Twitter @FastCarsin317 Instagram FastCarsFastGirls Facebook.com/FastCarsFastGirls

In this episode of Cyber Monday, Christian & Dominic speak with Mike Knapp, Business Growth Coach & Advisor at Incrementa Consulting Inc. Mike calmly and methodically unpacks critical business subjects such as business growth, the difference between strategy and execution, managing business risks (including cyber risks) and mindfulness & meditation. Hear about Mike's (un) consulting approach to helping businesses scale and succeed and allow it to provoke change and improvement in your organization.

With their loss last week to Eastern Michigan University eliminating them from postseason play, the Huskies turn their attention to closing out the year on a high note with a win over Western Michigan University on Senior Night. Mike Knapp and James Krause breakdown the Huskies' loss and talk about how NIU can play spoiler against the MAC West leaders.

NIU held off a late Toledo surge with a last-second field goal by John Richardson to keep postseason hopes alive for the Huskies. The team returns to DeKalb for Tuesday night #MACtion against the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Mike Knapp and James Krause preview the action and breakdown the Huskies win over the Rockets. Tight end Mitchell Brinkman joins the show.

The Huskies were down early and often against Central Michigan, losing 48-10 and falling to 3-6 on the season. NIU enters the last quarter of the season with postseason hopes on life support as they hope 10 days of rest results in a win over the Toledo Rockets Wednesday night. James Krause and Mike Knapp preview the action and first-year linebacker Nick Rattin joins the show.

The Huskies are riding a wave of momentum following a 49-0 homecoming win over the Akron Zips last week. Can NIU turn one win into a two with a win against Central Michigan this weekend? James Krause and a returning Mike Knapp breakdown the Huskies ahead of their trip to Mount Pleasant while wide receiver Cole Tucker joins the show.

Our guest this week has been on an incredible journey in the past decade - building an iconic online retail empire to global heights and then having no choice but to close it all down last year. We’re talking about Shoes of Prey co-founder, Jodie Fox.  The trailblazing Shoes of Prey became a global start-up and fashion darling during its nine years in business - offering shoes that its customers could personally design and customise online. It was a truly innovative concept.  Big name VC firms thought so too, and Jodie and her two male co-founders raised around $30 million over the life of the business before coming to the heart-wrenching decision to cease trading in August last year. The problem? Despite a stunning launch years earlier, they simply couldn’t get the scale to make the business sustainable in the long term.  Jodie was the Chief Creative Officer and public face of Shoes of Prey, so coming to terms with having to shut down the business, and its global offices, has been particularly confronting for her in the past year having spent the past ten years living and breathing the brand.  In this episode you’ll learn : How and why Jodie went from being a risk averse young lawyer to a start-up co-founder  What it was like to be married and then divorced to one of her co-founders whilst still having to work in the business together The three key lessons she’s taken away from the high profile failure of their venture And, how vulnerable she feels sharing so much of her personal story in her new book. This is Jodie’s first podcast interview since Shoes of Prey was shut down and it comes as she’s launching her book about the incredible journey she’s been on: ‘Reboot - More Than You Ever Probably Wanted to Know About Starting a Global Business’.  We loved this discussion and Jodie’s generosity in sharing what she’s learnt. Be sure not to miss this one and be among the first to hear her fascinating stories. Plus, enter our competition to win one of ten copies of Jodie’s book that we are giving away to lucky subscribers.  Happy Listening!   Jodie with co-Founders Michael Fox and Mike Knapp; the early days of Shoes of Prey; a Shoes of Prey concept store in the US; Jodie Links of interest Jodie's website Win one of 10 of Jodie's new book Jodie's Youtube Channel Jodie on Insta Jodie on Linkedin Buy Jodie's new book - Reboot, More Than You Probably Ever Wanted to Know About Starting a Global Business Booktopia - Australia Amazon - US Amazon - UK   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a back-and-forth contest, it took a last-second field goal by kicker John Richardson to give NIU their first win since their season opener, beating Ohio 39-36. James Krause and Mike Knapp talk about the Huskies turnaround and preview their Mallory Cup matchup this weekend against Miami of Ohio. Joining the show this week is safety Adam Buirge fresh off his first career touchdown.

After losing the Bronze Stalk trophy for the first time in 10 years to Ball State, how will the Huskies rebound from a 27-20 loss where they led at halftime? Senior safety Marshe Terry joins the show to talk about the team keeping their heads up and focusing on Ohio this weekend. James Krause and Mike Knapp also talk about one of the best players in the MAC, Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke.

The Huskies came up just short of a win in Nashville over Vanderbilt last week, but the Huskies return to DeKalb for their first Mid-American Conference contest of the year. It's the Battle for the Bronze Stalk as NIU hosts the Ball State Cardinals. James Krause and Mike Knapp preview the potential passing slugfest and NIU quarterback Ross Bowers joins the show.

As if a 44-8 loss to Nebraska wasn't bad enough, several big names on defense are going to be missing significant time for the NIU football team. James Krause and Mike Knapp will discuss the Nebraska game, injuries, and what to expect when the Huskies head to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commanders. Also joining the show is senior safety Mykelti Williams to discuss facing Riley Neal, a former Ball State quarterback now sporting the black and gold of Vandy.

NIU is on a by this week, and so are James Krause and Mike Knapp. The show will resume next week with a recap of a 44-8 loss to Nebraska and a preview of the game in Nashville against Vanderbilt. Until then, here is a brief update from James on news around the Northern Star and it's football content.

Mike and Mike Knapp speak with Max Chilton directly after practice as Max got ready for qualifying in this weekends race at Road America

This week, Mike is joined at the track by blogger Mike Knapp and they talk to lead mechanic/air jack operator, Scott Davin.

This week, at Circuit of the Americas, Mike and Mike Knapp talk to HSR engineer Tyler Bell, one of the newest members of the HSR crew.

Mike and Mike Knapp, our blogger, conduct interviews around the trade show floor at PRI in Indianapolis! A transcript of the interviews is available on the "15 Days in May" blog at www.pitlaneparley.com

In this episode Phil speaks with Mike Knapp, a former lawyer and ex-Google software engineer turned entrepreneur. Mike co-founded Shoes of Prey, a company that allows women to design their own shoes. He has a passion for investigating new business models and writing code and has previously lived in San Francisco, Shanghai, Dongguan and LA.Today, Mike is an Entrepreneur In Residence at River City Labs. *********Thanks for listening! If you'd like to be the first to know when new episodes are available, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow the show on Spotify or sign up for the insider's newsletter!

Mike and Rich continue their attempts at keeping the podcast going by recording a new episode. This week we welcome back our friend Mike Knapp from the WIOX radio show the Main Event. We start out talking about Meta World Peace being sexually assaulted by a ghost. Move onto a surprising and disturbing discussion on serial killers and end the night talking about how many Oreo cookies can you eat and still consider yourself on a diet. Please listen and review to the show on iTunes or Stitcher. 

This week we are trying out a new segment. Clickbait the fake news game show. Mike and Rich invite some special guests tot he show for this special episode. We welcome back our old friend Scott and host of the main event Mike Knapp joins in on the fun and test out this new game.Listen to the guys try to figure out how many eyeballs a man has up his ass or for what unusual reason two boys hired hookers. If you like the game and want us to do it it again reach out to us on twitter @rbdpodcast or email rbdpodcast@gmail.com.

In this series of episodes, we talk to many of the scientists at Blue Sky Studios, which created the Ice Age series of animated features, including the recently released Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs . In episode 3, we hear from co-director Mike Thurmeier, art director Mike Knapp and head of lighting Andew Beddini. Special thanks to Hugo Ayala. Web sites related to this episode include www.blueskystudios.com and www.iceagemovie.com