Podcasts about portland business journal

Nonprofit leaders know that creating meaningful change in legacy organizations requires both bold vision and deep empathy. In this episode, Spencer is joined by Bess Goggins, President and CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette, to discuss leading transformative change, building a culture of belonging, and the role of communications in advancing equity. This episode is ideal for health nonprofit leaders navigating complex systems, team culture, and digital engagement strategies. About the guest Bess Goggins is the President and CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette and the first woman to lead the organization in its 157-year history. She began the role in May 2025, bringing nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership to advance the Y's mission of community well-being, belonging, and opportunity across the Portland metro and Southwest Washington region. She previously served as CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, where she led strategic growth and secured a $1.7 million Early Literacy grant from the Oregon Department of Education to expand K–3 tutoring. Bess holds dual bachelor's degrees in English and Communications and dual master's degrees in English with concentrations in Technical Writing and Rhetoric. Now based in Portland, she is inspired by the YMCA's commitment to holistic health, inclusion, and thriving communities. Resources The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gatheringRadical Candor: https://www.radicalcandor.com/The Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/The Columbian: https://www.columbian.com/The Reflector: https://www.thereflector.com/The Bee: https://thebeenews.com/Portland Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/portlandCoaching For Leaders Podcast: https://coachingforleaders.com/The Art of Manliness Podcast: https://www.artofmanliness.com/podcast/Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks: https://matthewdicks.com/Books/storyworthy/The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93409.The_Fine_Art_of_Small_Talk Contact Bess Website: https://www.ymcacw.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bessgoggins/YMCA CW's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ymca-of-columbia-willametteBess' email: bgoggins@ymcacw.org

Longtime journalist Rob Smith is back in the studio! He was the Executive Editor for Seattle Magazine/Seattle Business Magazine when we recorded our 3rd ever episode. And now he returns to talk about his career shift to Formidable, his take on billionaires owning media companies, and why Seattle has the most expensive Ubers. In honor of Bumbershoot happening, we also recap the business history of this iconic festival.Top Stories:1. Bro-PO: More IPOs, less women2. King 5 and KONG owner Tegna to be acquired3. New rewards program and facial recognition for Alaska Airlines 4. Uber Eats pays $15M to Seattle in settlement5. Cannonball Arts opened downtownAbout guest Rob Smith - Executive Editor, Formidable:Rob has a long history of journalism. He was the Editor-in-Chief at the Portland Business Journal, moved into the Editor-in-Chief role at the Puget Sound Business Journal. Then he was the Executive Editor for Seattle Magazine and Seattle Business Magazine before his recent move to Executive Editor for Formidable – a media and membership company.Rachel's event for queer women:Lesbian Chronicles LIVESaturday, October 18thReverie Ballroom7pm: Social Hour8pm: Show9:30pm: After PartyBuy TicketsAbout host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego. Contact:Email: info@theweeklyseattle.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Kent Lewis grew up in the Seattle area. In college he studied business and marketing. After college he went to work for a PR agency but left to go into the digital marketing industry in 1996. Kent has formed several marketing agencies during his career. He is quite up front about challenges he faced along the way as well as what he learned from each issue he faced.   Kent's philosophy about community is quite interesting and well worth adopting. He believes very much in giving back to his community. Today his day job is serving as “Executive Director of NextNW, a non-profit trade association that unifies the Pacific Northwest advertising & marketing professionals interested in professional development, sharing best practices, and collaborative problem-solving”.   Kent gives us many relevant and timely business insights. I hope you agree that this conversation gives us some good business lessons we all can use.     About the Guest:   Kent Lewis, Executive Director, NextNW Lewis is currently Executive Director of NextNW, a non-profit trade association that unifies the Pacific Northwest advertising & marketing professionals interested in professional development, sharing best practices, and collaborative problem-solving. He is also Founder of pdxMindShare, Portland's premier career community, with over 12,000 LinkedIn Group members. With a background in integrated marketing, he left a public relations agency in 1996 to start his career in digital marketing. Since then, he's helped grow businesses by connecting his clients with their constituents online. In 2000, Lewis founded Anvil Media, Inc., a measurable marketing agency specializing in search engine and social media marketing. Under his leadership, Anvil has received recognition from Portland Business Journal and Inc. Magazine as a Fastest Growing and Most Philanthropic Company.  After selling his agency in March 2022, he became a CMO for the acquiring firm. Beyond co-founding SEMpdx, Lewis co-founded two agencies, emailROI (now Thesis) and Formic Media. As a long-time entrepreneur, he's advised or invested in a host of companies, including PacificWRO, Maury's Hive Tea and ToneTip. Lewis speaks regularly at industry events and has been published in books and publications including Business2Community, Portland Business Journal, and SmartBrief. For twenty years, he was an adjunct professor at Portland State University, and has been a volunteer instructor for SCORE Portland since 2015. Lewis tours nationwide, averaging 30 speaking engagements annually, including a regular presenter role with the Digital Summit conference series. Active in his community, Lewis has been involved in non-profit charity and professional trade organizations including early literacy program SMART Reading and The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO).  Industry recognition and awards include Portland Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40 Award, American Marketing Association Oregon Chapter Marketer of the Year, and Top 100 Digital Marketing Influencers by BuzzSumo.   Ways to connect with Kent:   Links https://kentjlewis.com/   And LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentlewis/     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today. We get to chat with an award winning entrepreneur, and he just told me a really interesting factoid. We'll have to, we'll have to talk about it, just because it is about one of the most fascinating things I've heard in quite a while, and a very positive thing. But I'm not going to give it away, because I'm going away, because I'm going to let him talk about it, or at least start the discussion. I'd like you all to meet Kent Lewis. Kent has been an entrepreneur for a while. He helps other entrepreneurs. He works in the non profit arena and does a variety of different kinds of things. And rather than me telling you all about it, you could read the bio, but more important, meet Kent Lewis and Kent, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Kent Lewis ** 02:05 It's, it's a pleasure to be on the show. Thank you for having me, sir.   Michael Hingson ** 02:10 Now where are you located? I'm based in Portland, Oregon, yeah. So you're, you are up up the coast, since I'm in Southern California. So yes, you know, one of these days I'll be up that way again. Well, Alaska Airlines will fly me up there.   Kent Lewis ** 02:27 Yeah, totally right. Yeah, good   Michael Hingson ** 02:29 to have you, unless you come this way first. But anyway, well, I'm really want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. And why don't we start? I love to do this. Tell me a little bit about kind of the early Kent growing up and all that stuff.   Kent Lewis ** 02:44 Yeah, so I grew up in Seattle, Washington. I think something that's influenced me is that my dad was is, or is, a retired architect. And so there was always this design esthetic, and he was an art collector enthusiast, I should say. And so I was always surrounded with art and mid century, you know, furniture and there's just style was a it was a thing. And then my mom was always in when she was a social worker and went into running nonprofits. And so I grew up around that as well of just giving back. So if you ever heard that common term, you know, learn, earn, return. Start your life you're learning, then you're maximizing your earnings during your career, and then when you in and around later in life, you start giving back, right, returning, right. And I learned from my mom that you never stop you never stop learning. You never stop returning. And my my mantra as an entrepreneur is never stop earning right? So, so I've always been giving back and donating my time, and I've always appreciated sort of good design and well thought out things. And I think that's influenced my career in marketing and as an entrepreneur, business owner, and now more of an advisor, Coach type,   Michael Hingson ** 03:59 well, so growing up in Seattle, did you visit pikes market very often?   Kent Lewis ** 04:04 My dad used to work right, right, like, two blocks away. So I would go there all the time. In fact, I remember when there was just one Starbucks when I was a kid, yeah, at Pike Place Market, and they used to sell large chunks of delicious, bitter sweet chocolate, I know, you know, in the behind the counter, and it was a very hi and you could smell the teas and all that. It was a very different experience, very cool place. And so, yeah, love   Michael Hingson ** 04:33 the pipe waste market. I understand that they don't throw the fish anymore. No, they do. They do. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Maybe it was just during the pandemic that they decided not to do that, but   Kent Lewis ** 04:44 think you're right about that. But they definitely, they, they're still, it's still a major attraction. It's too big of a thing to stop.   Michael Hingson ** 04:51 Wow, that's what I was thinking. And that's just way too big of a thing to to stop. My probably not the greatest fish fish catcher, I've been there, but I. I never caught a fish.   Kent Lewis ** 05:02 Yeah, that's only got, like, one or two in my life. And I don't, I don't do it much, but   Michael Hingson ** 05:08 Well, well, that's the place to go anyway. So where did you go to college?   Kent Lewis ** 05:13 I went to Western Washington University in Bellingham, uh, just 1020 minutes from the Canadian border, because, in part, when I was in school, it was a 19 year old drinking age in Canada, so I was 20 minutes away from my earlier drinking age. Turns out, I grew up going to Vancouver, BC quite often for the soccer exchange program when I was a real young youngster. So I fell in love with Vancouver, and as I've had been fortunate enough to travel the world a bit, I realized that it was one of my favorite cities, and it still is. It is such a global, amazing egalitarian, like, no matter your color, race, creed, you could be a millionaire or you could be a bus driver. There was no not the same class, classism you see in other US cities or around the rest of the world. It's truly an amazing and it's also, of course, beautiful   Michael Hingson ** 06:04 there. I found that true throughout Canada, and I've enjoyed every Canadian city I've ever been to. One of my favorites is really going to Toronto. I was always impressed as to how clean it really was.   Kent Lewis ** 06:17 You know, that's true. I've been there a couple times in conferences, and I found it to be clean and impressive, you know, and then, but my, one of my favorite, other cities I only spent overnight, there was Montreal. What a beautiful, beautiful place, absolutely stunning. I   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 spent two days in Montreal once when I was selling some products and turn the TV on at 1131 morning that I was there and watched the Flintstones in French. That was unique. That was unique. Cool. How cool is that? Yeah, it's awesome. That was kind of fun. But, you know, so you, you went to college. What did you major in?   Kent Lewis ** 06:58 I majored in business with a marketing concentration, which is great because I ended up doing marketing for a career, and for 22 years ran my own agency, or my own business, basically.   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 So what did you do when you got out of college?   Kent Lewis ** 07:14 I went immediately into the world of public relations agency life. I always wanted to be a found out after college that I, what I really wanted to be was a copywriter, you know, writing ads. I just coolest thing as a kid. I just didn't know that. It's, I didn't realize what it, what it you have to go to Ad School. You can't, you can't graduate regular college and become a copier. At least you weren't able to when I was, you know, back in the mid 90s. So I started in PR because it sounded hard to pitch the media and try and get them to say what you want them to say about your brand, your client and your brand. And that did me well, because when I got in from went from PR in 94 to digital marketing, SEO, search engine optimization 96 my PR background was extremely helpful. You know, in in that, in that whole world. So because doing PR builds Domain Authority, which builds your rankings in Google, and the rest is history. So, so it was very helpful. It gave me a bit of an edge. And then my business background meant I was better equipped to to go from doing the work to managing people, they're doing the work, to doing my own thing, you know, and running a instant running team, I was running a business. So that was super cool. You   Michael Hingson ** 08:38 know, it's interesting. I've especially because of the World Trade Center, but not only, but before it as well, I learned a lot about dealing with the press. And I've, I've watched a lot of press interviews today, and it's, it's amazing how often and then people have said that this is the way you should do it. No matter what the press person asks you, you answer with the with the answer you really want to give, whether you answer their questions or not. And I think that's an interesting approach, and I suppose it can be positive, but especially for for politicians who don't want to answer the tough questions. But I I know that for me, I've always tried to structure my answers in such a way that it gets them to take the question that they originally asked that I might sort of answer and reframe it so that I will answer a lot of times that, for example, talking about blindness and blind people, there are just so many misconceptions about it and and all too often, like first time I was on Larry King lives, Larry was asking questions about guide dogs. And he said, Now, where did you get your guide dog? And I said, from San Rafael, California. He said, well, but the but the main. School is a new is in Michigan, right? And I said, No, it's a different organization. And what we learned after doing that interview was that the way to deal with Larry was to program him and send him questions in advance with answers. Then he did a lot better, because the reality is, he didn't really know necessarily the answers in the first place. It's just amazing how you know how a lot of times it's just shallower. The Press tends to over dramatize. But I appreciate what you're saying about marketing and PR, I've done so much of that over my lifetime, and for so many reasons, in so many ways, I know exactly what you're talking about.   Kent Lewis ** 10:47 Yeah, yeah. That's, yeah, it's, it's a fascinating world that I've, that I've, you know, been live, living and working in. And I, yeah, I'm impressed, yeah, Larry King Live. That's pretty cool. And, you know, hopefully you've helped people just side note, you know, get a clear understanding of what it is, what it is both like to be blind and then how you navigate this world successfully, as if you're, you know, fully sighted. You know,   Michael Hingson ** 11:18 well, one of the things that I actually learned over the last couple of years is something that I've actually written an article and had it published about, and that is that we've got to change our view of disabilities in general. People always say, well, disability is a lack of ability. And I say, and I always say, No, it's not. And they say, Well, yes, it is. It begins with dis. And I said, then, how do you equate that with disciple, discern and discrete? For example, you know they begin with D is the reality is, disability is not a lack of ability. You think it is. But I've added to that now when I point out that, in reality, every person on the planet has a disability, but for most people, their disability is covered up. Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, or at least we give him credit for it back in 1878 so for the last 147 years, all we've done is spent so much time improving on the technology that provides light on demand, which just covers up your disability, but it's still there. And I realized that one day I was at a hotel in Los Angeles at three in the afternoon when we had a power failure, and everybody started to scream, even down in the lobby, when they had all these nice big windows that were letting in all sorts of light, but it wasn't giving them the light that they wanted and the amount that they wanted, and people panicked. So I realized then, oh, well, now the reality is they're light dependent, which is as much a disability as my light independence is. It's just that it manifests itself differently, and there are a whole lot more light dependent people than light independent people. But we've got to really change our definition and how we view it. So   Kent Lewis ** 12:58 that's really insightful. It's good to think about.   Michael Hingson ** 13:01 Yeah, it's kind of fun. But, you know, so, so where did you, where did you go off and go to work in the in the marketing world? So you did? You didn't go to Copyright School? Or did you? No, no,   Kent Lewis ** 13:13 I just know. I once I talked to the creative director at this agency in Seattle where I did my first internship. He's like, Yeah, you'd have to go back to art school. And I was like, what school I just finished? So, you know, it didn't really matter. And we So, with that said, we, you know, I moved into PR, and then I moved to down to Portland from Seattle, because I could actually get a paying job because the internship I did three months full time, virtually, basically no pay, I found a low paying job instead in Portland. So I moved I only knew one person here in Portland, my cousin. She's still here. We both have families now, and I know a lot more people, but I basically have, since moving here to do my second agency job. I've been, I've been a part of 10 agencies in my career. I've been, I founded two, co founded two, fired from three and exited the four that I created, or co, co founded, basically. And so right now I have a consultancy. I could say that's my 11th agency, but I don't even really count it as an agency. I'm just a fractional CMO, you know, marketing advisor at this point, just a few hours a month, because my my day job as of January, is running a nonprofit called next northwest.org which is a it's a trade organization for marketing and advertising and creative community, the creative services world. And it has 119 year history in Portland. And now it's, it's now expanded to five states and into Canada. And so I've got this I'm working. I manage a board of, you know, decent sized board, and a decent sized advisory. Committee that I created, and just the last couple months, and we do learning events for the creative community and networking events and celebrations, like, you know, awards, award shows to celebrate the work. So that's kind of my day job. And then I also speak and write a lot you and I share a passion for for education and learning and sharing knowledge. And so I've been, I've probably averaged 25 speaking engagements a year for the last 20 years, and last year was 30. For instance, I fly yours, mentioned your your travel. I'm flying to Tampa on Sunday to present on Monday, on a panel about AI in the senior care space, for instance. And then I come back and I, I, you know, got it. I got one or two more. But I, you know, I typically do a dozen fly flying gigs, and then I do a lot of webinars and local gigs as well.   Michael Hingson ** 15:55 So what are you what are you going to say? What are you going to say about AI in the senior care space?   Kent Lewis ** 16:01 That's a great question. So what my focus as a marketer is, here's how you can use AI to streamline and automate and maintain or improve quality. So it's not meant to it's not a secret hack, cheat code to lay people off. It's a It's get more out of your current resources, basically, and do more with less, and do it more effectively. That's kind of, that's, you know, that's my, what I'll be talking about is the how you know how to use it for research, ideation, content creation, content editing, reporting, synthesizing information, customer service, that kind of thing. So I only have, you know, it's a panel event, so I'm only doing like a 10 to 15 minutes part, and then there are other presenters doing their part, and then we have a little Q and A, usually, I'm a sole presenter on whatever topic, usually digital marketing or employee engagement, which is what I got passionate about. Once I sold my agency. After 22 years, I became an employee at that the agency that acquired my company, and I was immediately underwhelmed and disappointed in what it was like to be an employee, and wanted to fix it. So that's what I had been focusing on when I given a choice. I want to evangelize. You know, what I learned from my experience, and I've done a good amount of research, and, you know, two weeks ago, I presented in Portland on the topic to entrepreneurs. Then the next day, I flew to Denver and did the same presentation to a group of agency owners. And then the next day, I did a webinar for similar group of entrepreneurs, you know, so three versions, three days in a row, a 3060, and 90 minute version. So,   Michael Hingson ** 17:42 pretty fun. Yeah. So how many books have you written?   Kent Lewis ** 17:47 Ah, I knew you'd say that so or ask that. I have not written any books, but I have, darn but I've written, you know, probably 200 articles. I could easily AI them into some sort of book, if I wanted to. You know, I went from writing 80% to 90% of my art content was on digital marketing for the first 20 years. And then the last 10 years, I focused almost exclusively on writing about entrepreneurship and and business ownership, leadership and employee intention, retention, engagement. And, you know, so I mostly syndicate my articles, like business journals, occasionally in Ink Magazine, etc. So if I were to write a book, it would be about the business side of things, instead of the second, I would write something about digital marketing. Not only am I no longer an expert, and consider myself an expert relative to others, those books are outdated the second they're printed, right? So, so it doesn't make sense to really write a book on digital marketing, and everything's already been said, etc. So, so if I wrote a book, it would be probably more on the employee engagement side versus anything. But I will say that I don't know if you know who Seth Godin is. He's the number one marketing blogger in the world. He's written many best sellers, Purple Cow, permission, marketing, etc. He's remarkable guy. And I had was fortunate to talk with him and then meet with him over lunch in New York City 15 years ago. And he said, after our two hour lunch, he charges $75,000 for speaking engagement. So it gives you a sense of who he is. He has for for 20 years. And so he said, Kent, you've got a book in you. I was like, I wish you hadn't said that, because now I don't want to, I don't want to disappoint him, right? So there you go.   Michael Hingson ** 19:31 Well, if you write one at some point, you have to send us a picture of the cover and we'll stick it in the show notes whenever. Yeah, that sounds great, but yeah, I you know, I never thought of writing a book, but in 2002 we went to the AKC Eukanuba canine championship dog show in Orlando. It was in December, and among other people I met there. Here I met George Berger, who was at that time, the publisher of the American Kennel Club Gazette, and he said, You ought to write a book. And I went, why? Well, because you you have a great story to tell. You should really write a book. Well, it took eight years and a lot of time sitting in front of Microsoft Word to get notes down, but eventually I met someone named Susie Flory who called because she was writing a book called Dog tails. And it was a story of what she wanted to write stories of, actually, 17 different dogs who had done some pretty interesting and miraculous things. And she wanted to write a story about my guide dog at the World Trade Center, Roselle. And she said, Tell me your story, if you would. And I did. And when we were done, there was this pause, and then she said, You need to write a book. And since I've written books, I'll help you. And a year later, underdog was published, and it became a number one New York Times bestseller. So that was pretty cool.   Kent Lewis ** 21:01 That's fantastic. Congratulations. Very impressive.   Michael Hingson ** 21:04 And then last year, well, in 2013 we published a children's book called running with Roselle, but more adults by a thing kids, because it's not a picture book, but it tells the story of me growing up and Roselle growing up, and how we met, and all that. So it isn't really as much a World Trade Center book. But then last year, we wrote, live like a guide dog. And the intent of live like a guide dog is to say to people, look fear is all around us, and so many people just allow themselves to be paralyzed, or, as I say, blinded by fear, so they can't make decisions. They don't learn how to control it. But if you learn how to control fear, you can use fear as a very powerful tool to help you stay focused, and you'll make better decisions. So we use lessons I learned from my guide dogs on my wife's service dog to write, live like a guide dog. And so it is out there, and it's it's a lot of fun, too. So you know, it isn't the easiest thing to write a book, but I would think you have a book in you, and you should, well, I   Kent Lewis ** 22:03 appreciate that vote of confidence. And hey, I mean, you did it, and you had an amazing story, and you've done it multiple times. Actually, it's great inspiration for me.   Michael Hingson ** 22:16 Well, I'm looking forward to reading it when it comes out. You'll have to let   22:20 us know. Yeah, will do so   Michael Hingson ** 22:23 you at some point, switched from being an employee to being an entrepreneur. How did that all happen? Why? Why did you do it? Or what really brought that about?   Kent Lewis ** 22:38 Well, I kept getting fired.   Michael Hingson ** 22:40 So why'd that happen?   Kent Lewis ** 22:42 Yeah, so that's the fun part. So I I've never been fired for cause like a legit clause. I'm a high powered, high performer, and so I actually, that's why. So the first time I was fired was by the guy that invited me to co found an agency. His name was Ryan Wilson. He was my he was my boss. And then he was fired by our larger agency. He ran a team that I worked on. I worked for him. I was inspired by him. I I was mentored by him. I thought the world of him. So when he came to me three months after he got fired, it was about, it's always about a girl. So he he basically, he got divorced. And so this other woman, they met at the office, and they were soul mates, and they he had to clean up his life. And he did, and he said, I've got an agency die. I've got two clients ready to sign. I need key employees, and you're one, one of them, then I would hope you would join me. I said, No, the first time he got his act together. I said, yes, the second time, and that. So I we built an agency together with, you know, we start with six people. I brought in two other people and another gal that ran the PR side. I was running the digital side. She brought in somebody said we had six of us on day one, and a year later, we didn't have a formal share shareholder agreement for our percentage of the company that went from being worth zero to being worth a few million dollars, and we felt that we should have something in writing, and before he could, we could get something formally in writing. My, my other partner, she, I didn't really want to do the business with her, but I didn't really have a choice. I want to do the business with him. She said, I'm asking for more equity. I said, Okay, I feel like that's fair. I think we've earned it, but, and I'll, I'll be there with you, but I wouldn't have done this if she hadn't said, I'm going in. Are you with me? So when I we asked, she asked me to make the ask. I wasn't necessarily prepared or thinking about it, and it really offended him. He was really mad, and he was playing to fire her, and by me teaming up with her, he felt, you know, slight. And he fired us both, and the next week, I started anvil, my agency, Anvil Media, that I ran for 22 years, I did a couple other starts, one with a college friend and a guy I had met at that that at one of the first, one of the earlier agency agencies I'd worked at. He and we, he and I and my college buddy started an email marketing agency in 02 and then I decided, well, this isn't for me, but I now learn it's not that scary to hire employees. So then I started hiring employees at anvil and late 03 and so I ran anvil with employees for, you know, 20 years. Two of those first two years were just me and some contractors and and then, oh, wait, I started a second agency because I needed a more affordable solution for my partners in small business called Formic media. Ran that for five years before I merged it with with anvil. But in between, I was also fired. When I first started anvil, I was it was just a hang of shingle in 2000 to do some consulting, but I wanted a full time gig, and a year later, I had an opportunity to run my my team from the agency. I was fired from that company. That agency was sold to another agency for pennies on the dollar. And when my old boss died, rest in peace, we hadn't really cleared the air yet, which is it still is one of my greatest regrets. You know, for nine months we didn't talk, and then he passed away. Everybody peace, not before he passed away, I was able to get, yeah, his his soul mate. They weren't married yet, but they were going to get married. She told me that two weeks before he died, he expressed regrets and how we had ended the relationship, how he had fired me, and he was looking forward to reconnecting and re engaging our friendship. And so that made that meant the world to me. I had a lot of peace in knowing that, but I so the first the second place I got fired was this agency again about a girl. So the first time was a girl telling me, you need to ask the boss for more money or more equity. And I did, and that offended him. And the second time was my girlfriend at the time, who's who moved over from that agency to the new agency where my my old boss died before he could really start there. She was dating on the side the Creative Director at that agency, and he'd been there over 20 years. And so when I started there, I saw something was up, and I was like, Is there anything going on? She's like, No. And so eventually I just broke up with her anyway, because I just it wasn't working, even if she wouldn't admit that she was having a side relationship. But I was eventually fired because he was a board, you know, he was on the board. He was, he wasn't my boss, per se, but he was one of the senior partners, and they just wanted me out. You know, she might have money. Wanted me out. He definitely wanted me out. So that was the second time I got fired. And then the third time I got fired was it kept the stakes get given, getting bigger. When I sold my agency 14 months later, they fired me, really, not to this day, not for any cause. It's that they asked me to take an 80% pay cut a year into my buyout, and I and then I they were going to close my Portland office, which I was, I own the building, so I didn't want to lose my own myself as a tenant, so I offered to reduce my rent 30% so I basically, for two and a half months, worked for free for this agency that had bought my agency. So they were making payments to me. I was carrying the note, but they they couldn't. A year later, they're like, I'm sorry. So they a year later, I took a pay cut for two and a half months, and when I asked them, you know, when am I getting back to my pay? They said, Well, you know, we can't guarantee. We don't have a path for you back to your full pay. And I was like, Okay, well, then I told my wife, let him inform them that we're going to go back to, we are going to go back to our full rack rate on our rent. And when I, when we notified them, they they totally, they totally fired me. So they canceled the lease, and they fired me, and so they so it. And you know, I, my team was slowly being dismantled, a 10 of us, 11 of us, I guess 10 or 11 us went over, and within a year, there were only two wait. Within two years, there was only one person left on my team. So it was a really sad, sad experience for me. It wasn't as hard to sell my business as I thought. It wasn't as hard, you know, just emotionally, it wasn't as hard to sunset my brand after 22 years. Wasn't easy, but it was way easier than I thought. What was hard for me was watching them was was closing the office. It broke my heart and and then watching them dismantle my team that I spent, you know, two decades building, most of that team was within 10 years, the last 10 years, last even five years of of our business. Us. There was a relatively new team, but we were so tight, and it was just heartbreaking. So, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 30:09 yeah, wow. So what do you think was your biggest mistake in running your own agency?   Kent Lewis ** 30:19 That's a great question. I think the biggest, biggest mistake was not understanding the Hire great people and get out of the way. Lee Iacocca, you know, to paraphrase him, I hired great people and I got out of their way. But what I didn't do was make sure they had all the proper training, alignment of core values that they had, there was enough trust between us that they could come to me with they were struggling or failing. Apparently, I was a fairly intimidating figure for my former my young recruits, but most of that time, up until the last five years, I always had a senior VP my right hand. I hired her with the attention that she might take over the business someday, she was totally creating a wall between me and my employees, and I didn't know it until 2012 and so, you know, I had 10 years to try to undo what she had created the first 10 years, basically of a fear based management style, so that that didn't help me, and I didn't believe it. I didn't really see it. So then I rebuilt the company, and from the ground up, I blew it up in 2013 so 10 years after of having employees, 13 years of having the business, I completely dismantled and blew it up and rebuilt it. And what did that look like? It started with me just not wanting to go to work in the building, and I realized I can't quit because I'm the owner, so I have to fix it. Okay? I don't mind fixing things. I prefer to fix other people's problems instead of my own, but I really a lot of people do, right? Yeah. So I wrote a credo, basically, what would it take for me? What are, what are it got down to 10 truths, what? What are the truths that I need to go into work and that others around me, co workers, team members, need to also agree on so that we can work together successfully. So it went from being about clients to being about the team and being about accountability. And you know, it was so it was so decisive. It was so radical for my current team that had been with me five to 10 years of they lose clients, I get more clients. And I eventually told them, I can't replace clients as fast as you're losing them. It's not a sustainable business model, so you need to be accountable for your actions and your decisions. That's the new anvil. You and you're out. I gave them 72 hours to think about it and sign it. Signed literally to these credo. It's not a legal document, it's just a commitment to credo. And half the team didn't sign it, and they quit. And then within 12 months, the rest of the team either quit or we've I fired them because they did not fit in the new anvil. And it's funny because everybody else that I brought in didn't even it didn't even register. The credo was so unremarkable to them, because we were already aligned by the time we hired them, we'd done our research and the work to know who fit, and so they didn't register. So eventually we just dropped the credo was no longer needed as a guide or a framework. It's still on the website, but, but you don't, you know it doesn't really matter. But that's what I got wrong, is I did not build the trust. I did not have I had processes in place, but but without the trust, people wouldn't tell me how they felt or that they were struggling. So a lot of process wasn't recognized or utilized properly. So I rebuilt it to where and rebuilt the trust to where the team that was with me when I sold I was very close with them. There was 100% trust across the board, a mutual respect, arguably a mutual love for the craft, for each other, for the company, for our clients, and it was a lot of fun to work with them. I didn't sell because I was unhappy. I sold because I was happy, and I thought now's a good time to go and find a good home. Plus my wife was my operations manager for five years, and she wanted out. Frankly, I thought it was easier to sell the business than try to replace my wife, because she was very good at what she did. She just didn't like doing it, yeah? And she also didn't like, you know, me being her boss. I never saw it that way. But once she explained it, after I sold, she explained, like, you know, you boss me around at work, and then you try to boss me around at home, and I'm not having it. You pick one? Yeah, so, so I was like, I think, like, I bossed you around. And she's like, Hey, you just, it was your company. It was always going to be your company. And, you know, that's fine, but you know, I want to move on. I was like, Okay, why don't we just sell and so that, yeah, they the operational people. And so it took her, took that load off of her. She's worked for. Nonprofit now, so she's happy, and so that's good.   Michael Hingson ** 35:05 Well, it also sounds like there were a lot of people that well, first of all, you changed your your view and your modus operandi a little bit over time, and that's why you also got you fired, or you lost people. But it also sounds like what you did was you brought in more people, not only who thought like you, but who really understood the kinds of goals that you were looking at. And so it was a natural sort of thing. You brought in people who really didn't worry about the credo, because they lived by it anyway.   Kent Lewis ** 35:38 Yeah, that's exactly right. And that was, that was my lesson. Was, you know, I always knew there's a concept called Top grading. You know, you thoroughly vet client, you hire slow and you fire fast. Most entrepreneurs or business owners hire fast and fire slow, and it's very, very expensive and but, you know, I got that part and I just better. I was far better at, I was far better at, what would I say, creating processes than kind of feeling, the love? And so once I figured that stuff out, it got a lot it got a lot better.   Michael Hingson ** 36:16 It's a growth thing. Yes,   36:18 exactly, yeah. Well, you   Michael Hingson ** 36:21 have something, and you sent me something about it. You call it Jerry Maguire moment. Tell me about that.   Kent Lewis ** 36:28 Yeah. So that's, you know, I just, I just sort of backed into the story of just being unhappy. But what ended up happening more specifically that Jerry Maguire moment was putting my son to bed in March of 2013 and I mentioned that feeling of not of dread. I didn't want to go to work. I was frustrated with my team, disappointed in my clients, not appreciating the work we were doing, frustrated with some of my partners. You know, in the business, I felt disconnected from the work of digital because I'd worked on the business for longer than I'd worked in the business by that point, and so I just, it was, it was, I was a bit of a mess. And I realized, like, I need a reason to get up and go to work in the morning. And that's when I came up. I was inspired by Jerry Maguire's manifesto from from the movie, and apparently you can find it online. It's a 28 page manifesto. So I ended up distilling into those 10 truths that we called the credo, and so what happening is just again to recap, it took me a like a couple days. I had instant clarity. I like I fell asleep like a rock. Once I realized I had a plan and I had a framework, I felt better about it, even though there was much work to do. So as I mentioned, you know, half the team quit within the first week, the other half bled out over the next year. That meant 100% employee turnover for two years in a row. As like as I upgraded my team, that was painful. I had to hire three people in order to keep one good one. You know, as I as I search, because we don't have formal degrees in the world of digital marketing, right? So it's hard to find the talent, and you want to hold on to the good ones when you get them. So it took a long time to get the team dialed. Meanwhile, my clients got tired of the turnover. As I was trying to figure it out, they started leaving in droves, and so in 2014 in March, a year later, exactly, I lost my five biggest clients in a 30 to 45 day period. So I lost, you know, 40, over 40% of my revenue vaporized, and I could not replace it fast enough. So I didn't take a salary for nine months. I asked two senior execs to take small pay cuts like 10% and as we hunkered down, and so I didn't have to lay off any good talent, and so I didn't, and we sprinted, we rebuilt, you know, the pipeline, and brought some new clients in. By the end of the year, I paid back my my two senior employees, their 10% that they pay cut. I paid them back, but I didn't take a salary for nine months of that year. It was the worst year I'd ever had, and the only time I ever had to take a pay cut or miss a paycheck myself. So that was the price I paid. The plus side is once I realized that the focus should be on the employees, which was what the credo was, I didn't realize at the time that it wasn't about my clients anymore. They were the life blood. They were the blood flow, right? But we have this organism that needed love, so we I breathe life back into it, one employee at a time until we had a higher functioning group. So it took me five or six years, and in 2019 so six years after I blew the business up, I had an offer on the table, had a sale agreement finalized, and we were less than a week away from funding, and I backed out of the deal because I felt, one, it wasn't a good cultural fit, and two, there was more work to do. It wasn't about increasing my valuation more. It was about finishing my journey of an employee first agency and. Three years later, I sold for one and a half x higher multiple, so an additional seven figures to to another agency based on a stronger profitability, even though the revenue is about the same, stronger, you know, profitability right better. Happy clients, stable clients. It was a lower risk acquisition for them and the so that was the high point. The low point was becoming an employee and wanting to be the best damn employee that agency had ever seen to being a very disappointed, disengaged, disheartened, disheartened employee. And I then I decided I started writing notes of everything, not to do that they were doing wrong. And I decided, once they let me go, I need to focus on this. I think I needed to help my other fellow entrepreneurs ways to avoid going through what I went through as an employee, because I had just been one, and most of my employ, my entrepreneur friends, haven't been an employee for over 10 years. You easily, quickly forget what it's like to be an employee, and I want to remind them and as other senior leaders, how important it is to put your employees first, otherwise you can never deliver on your brand promise no matter what it is, because they won't deliver to your standards. Because it's you know, they don't feel the same attachment to a business if they as if they're not owners, right?   Michael Hingson ** 41:22 But it sounds like you also, when you did sell, by that time, you had employees, one who had bought into the credo, into the philosophy, and two were satisfied. So it was a much better situation all the way around. Anyway,   Kent Lewis ** 41:38 exactly. It's right? And that's, that's the thing is, I realized it's not about throwing money at a problem. It's about throwing time and care at a problem. And the problem is that most employers, there is no loyalty employ to employees anymore, and therefore there's no employee loyalty to brands anymore, to their employers. And so I'm trying to unwind that. And it's not about pension plans, per se. It's not about bonuses, really at all. That's one of 120 items on my punch list of auditing and employee journey is, yeah, do you have a bonus program? Mine was basically spot bonuses, little spot bonuses for timely things, because the big cash bonuses blew up in my face. You know, i i the biggest bonus check I ever wrote. The next day he quit and created a competing agency. Now, he had planned that all along it, the bonus was only helped him do it faster, but I realized there was no appreciation for the bonuses. So stop doing that. So instead, I would bonus, reward the team with experiences rather than cash. And they the cash they got from a really, I paid over market, so that money was not an issue, and so that experiences were the memorable part and the fun part, and it helped motivate when we'd have a little contest with, you know, the wind being a dinner or whatever it was, something fun, right?   Michael Hingson ** 43:00 I was, earlier today, talking with someone who's going to be a guest on the podcast. He's in Germany, and we were talking about the fact that there's a major discussion in Germany right now about the concept of a four day work week, as opposed to a five day work week, and in the four day work week. Inevitably, companies that subscribe to the four day work week have higher productivity, happier employees, and some of those companies have a four day work week with a total of 36 hours and up through a four day work week with 40 hours, which is, of course, 10 hours a day. And what he said, I asked the question, did it make a difference as to whether it was 36 or 40 hours? What he said was mainly not, because it was really about having three days with family, and that that whole mental attitude is really it that we, we have forgotten, I think, in this country, about employee loyalty so much, and we just don't see anything like what we used to see.   Kent Lewis ** 44:09 100% you are correct,   Michael Hingson ** 44:13 and so it is. It is an issue that people really ought to deal with in some way. But you know now the new chancellor in Germany wants to go back to a five day work week, just completely ignoring all the statistics and what's shown. So the discussion is ongoing over there. I'll be interested to see how it goes.   Kent Lewis ** 44:36 Yeah, yeah, totally. I would be in Troy. Yeah. We know for whatever reason, for whatever reason that they've you know that well, I guess it kind of makes sense. But you know, you wouldn't think you could be more productive fewer days a week, but the research is showing that these people, that you know, that the like the Northern Europeans, are the, you know, Finnish and Scandinavians are like the half. People on the planet, despite not being in maybe the friendliest climate, you know, 12 months of the year because of a lot of how they value, you know, work life balance and all of that. And I think that's the thing, you know, we we came from an industrial age where unions got us the weekends off. You know, it's a very different we've come a long way, but there's still a lot more to go, so I, I will be interested to see what happens with the with that concept that four day work week.   Michael Hingson ** 45:26 Well, the other part about it is we had the pandemic, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic, at least, I think, in the minds of a lot of employees, was even working at home, and having to do that, you still got to spend more time with family and people value that. Now I don't know how over time that's going to work, because I know there's been a lot of advocating to go back to just everybody always being in the office, but it seems to me that the better environment would be a hybrid environment, where, if somebody can work at home and do at least as well as they do at the office. Why wouldn't you allow that?   Kent Lewis ** 46:04 Right? Yeah, I think it's that's the other thing is, I do believe hybrid work is the best solution. We were doing three three days, two days in the office, required, one day, optional flex. I ended up going in most days of the week before I, you know, even after we sold and we sell at the office, because I like, I'm a social being, and I really enjoyed the time at the office. And it was, it was, I designed the space, and it was, you know, as my place, and it was my home away from home, you know. So I feel like I've lost a little bit of my identity, losing that office. Yeah, so, but yeah, I do think that it makes sense to be able to do remote work, whatever, wherever people are most effective. But I do know there is a reality that companies are fully remote have a struggle to create cohesiveness and connectiveness across distributed teams. It's just it's just science, right? Psychology, but you can be very intentional to mitigate as much as you can the downside of remote and then play up as much as you can the benefits of remote people having their life and they see, on average, I heard that people valued their remote work about to worth about $6,000 on average, that there's a number that they've quantified.   Michael Hingson ** 47:21 Wow. Well, I know I've worked in offices, but I've also done a lot of work at home. So for example, I had a job back in the late 1970s and worked and lived in Massachusetts until 1981 and the company I worked for was being pursued by Xerox. And the the assumption was that Xerox was going to buy the company. So I was asked to relocate back out to California, where I had grown up, and help integrate the company into Xerox. And so I did. And so that was the first time I really worked mostly out of home and remotely from an office. And did that for two and a half, almost, well, a little over two and a half years. And my thanks for it was I was terminated because we had a recession and the big issue really was, though, that Xerox had bought the company and phased out all the people in sales because they didn't want the people. They just wanted the technology. And I've always believed that's a big mistake, because the tribal knowledge that people have is not something that you're going to get any other place. Totally, totally agree. But anyway, that occurred, and then I couldn't find a job, because the unemployment rate among employable blind people was so high, since people didn't believe blind people could work. So I ended up starting my own company selling computer aided design systems, CAD systems, to architects. Some of the early PC based CAD systems. Sold them to architects and engineers and so on. So I did have an office. We started, I started it with someone else, and had an office for four years, and then decided I had enough of owning my own company for a while, and went to work for someone else, and again, worked in an office and did that for seven years. Yeah, about seven years, and then I ended up in at the end of that, or the later part of that time, I was asked to relocate now back to the East Coast, because I was selling to Wall Street and New York and Wall Street firms really want, even though they might buy from resellers and so on, they want company, companies that make products to have them an office that they can deal with. So I ended up going back and mostly worked out of the office. But then, um. I left that company in 1997 and it was, it was a little bit different, because I was, I I had my own office, and I was the only person in it for a little while. We did have some engineers, but we all kind of worked in the office and sometimes at home. But for me, the real time of working at home happened in 2008 I was working at a nonprofit and also traveling and speaking, and the people who ran the nonprofit said, nobody's interested in September 11 anymore. And you know, you're you're not really adding any value to what we do, so we're going to phase out your job. Yeah, nobody was interested in September 11. And three years later, we had a number one New York Times bestseller, but anyway, your face yeah, so I ended up opening the Michael Hinkson Group Inc, and working out of home, and I've been doing that ever since. I enjoy working in an office. But I can work at home and I can, I can adapt. So my exposure to people and working not at home is when I travel and speak and get to go visit people and interact with them and so on. So it works out   Kent Lewis ** 51:05 that's, that's fantastic, congratulations. That's awesome.   Michael Hingson ** 51:10 It is, it is, you know, sometimes a challenge, but it works. So for you, what is your philosophy? You obviously do a lot of giving back to the community nowadays, is that something that has kind of grown over time, or you always had that? Or what's your philosophy regarding that?   Kent Lewis ** 51:29 So I I believe that, as I mentioned, I believe earlier that learn and return us. I believe that you should giving, giving back your entire life, as soon as you're able to, in whatever way. And so I, you know, when I first moved to Portland, I barely knew anybody. I was volunteering at this local neighborhood house where it was, you know, as tutoring this kid, and ironically, in math. And I'm terrible at math. Then I went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters for a while, and then I for the last 19 for last 25 years, I've been a volunteer, and for eight or nine of those years, I was on the board of smart reading. It's a, it's a, it's not a literacy program in that you're not teaching kids to read. You're teaching kids a love of reading. So you just sit with, you know, title, title, one school kindergarteners in an area near you, and you sit and read with them for 10 to 15 minutes, that's it. And it's a game changer, because some of them didn't own any books. And then they get to take books home with them, you know, like scholastic style books. So anyway, I I decided, of all, like I have friends, that their their passion is pets, others, it's like forests or planet or whatever. To me, I think I can, I can solve all of those problems if I invest in children, because they're shaping our future, and we can put them on a trajectory. So for instance, statistically, prison capacity is based on third grade reading levels in blue. So if you're if you can't learn to read, you can't read to learn, so you need to have a be a proficient reader by third grade, or you're left behind, and you're more likely, 10 times more likely, to be in the system, and you know, not in a good way. So I realized, well, if I can help these kids with a love of reading, I was, I was slow to learn reading myself. I realized that maybe we, you know that one kid that you find a love of reading, that finds books they love and is inspired by the books and continues to read and have a successful educational career, then that's that person may go on to solve cancer or world hunger or whatever it is. So that's kind of how I look at so that's my theory in general about giving. And then specifically my passion is children. So that's kind of my thing, and I think there are a lot of different ways to do it. Last night, I was at my wife's auction or the fundraiser for her nonprofit, which is around the foster system. It's called Casa court, important court, court appointed special advocate. So these kids in the foster system have an advocate, that that's not a lawyer or a caseworker, you know, by their side through the legal system. And I think that's a fantastic cause. It aligns with my children cause. And I was, I had seven my parents fostered seven daughters, you know, Daughters of other people, and the last two were very that I remember were transformative for me as an only child, to have a sister, you know, foster sister that was living with us for, in one case, two years. And it was invaluable and helpful to me. She helped me find my love of reading, helped me learn my multiplication tables, all that things that your parents might be able to do, but it's so much cooler doing with somebody that's, you know, I think she was 17 when she moved into our house, and I was, like, nine, and she was so helpful to me, so inspiring. So in a nutshell, that's, that's what we're talking about   Michael Hingson ** 54:55 when you talk talk about reading. I'm of the opinion and one of the best. Things that ever happened to reading was Harry Potter. Just the number of people, number of kids who have enjoyed reading because they got to read the Harry Potter books. I think that JK Rowling has brought so many kids to reading. It's incredible.   Kent Lewis ** 55:14 Yeah, yeah. 100% 100% I Yeah. I think that even you may, you know, you may or may not like rolling, but I as a person, but she did an amazing thing and made reading fun, and that that's what matters, yeah, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 55:33 yeah, well, and that's it, and then she's just done so much for for children and adults. For that matter, I talked to many adults who've read the books, and I've read all the books. I've read them several times, actually, yeah, now I'm spoiled. I read the audio versions read by Jim Dale, and one of my favorite stories about him was that he was in New York and was going to be reading a part of the latest Harry Potter book on September 11, 2001 in front of scholastic when, of course, everything happened. So he didn't do it that day, but he was in New York. What a you know, what a time to be there. That's fantastic. But, you know, things happen. So you one of the things that I've got to believe, and I think that you've made abundantly clear, is that the kind of work you do, the PR, the marketing, and all of that kind of interaction is a very time consuming, demanding job. How do you deal with work and family and make all of that function and work? Well,   Kent Lewis ** 56:41 good question. I, I believe that that the, well, two things you have to have, you know, discipline, right? And so what I've done is really focused on managing my time very, very carefully, and so I have now keep in mind my oldest, I have three kids, one's graduating college as a senior, one's a sophomore who will be a junior next next year, and then The last is a sophomore in high school, so I'm there at ages where two are out of the house, so that's a little easier to manage, right? So there's that, but similarly, I try to maximize my time with my youngest and and with my wife, you know, I built in, you know, it was building in date nights, because it's easy to get into a rut where you don't want to leave the house or don't want to do whatever. And I found that it's really been good for our relationship at least once a month. And so far, it's been more like almost twice a month, which has been huge and awesome. But I've just intentional with my time, and I make sure 360 I take care of myself, which is typically working out between an hour and an hour and a half a day that I'm I really need to work on my diet, because I love burgers and bourbon and that's in moderation, perhaps sustainable, but I need to eat more veggies and less, you know, less garbage. But I also have been at the gym. I go in the Steam Room and the sauna, and I'm fortunate to have a hot tub, so I try to relax my body is after my workouts, I've been sleeping more since covid, so I work out more and sleep and sleep more post covid. And because I'm working from home, it's really I find it much easier to get up and take breaks or to, you know, just to manage my time. I'm not traveling like I used to, right? That's a, that's a big factor. So, so anyway, that's, that's kind of my take on that. I don't know if that really helps, but that's, that's kind of where I'm at.   Michael Hingson ** 58:59 The other part about it, though, is also to have the discipline to be able to be at home and work when you know you have to work, and yeah, you get to take more breaks and so on, but still developing the discipline to work and also to take that time is extremely important. I think a lot of people haven't figured out how to do that   Kent Lewis ** 59:19 right exactly, and that is so I do have an immense amount of, I do have an immense amount of, what would you say discipline? And so I don't know, yeah, I don't have that problem with getting the work done. In fact, my discipline is knowing when to stop, because I get into it, and I want to get things done, and I want to get it off my plate, so I tend to do sprints. But the other lesson I have from covid is listening to your biorhythms. So, you know, we're a time based society, and we look, you don't want to be late for this and that I you know, that's great, fine. But what's really more important in my mind is, um. Is to, is to be thinking about, is to let your body tell you when it's tired, if and and more importantly, is to not stress about in the mornings when I wake up early. By that, I mean between four and 6am before I really want to get up at 630 and I just if I'm awake, then I'll write stuff down to get it out of my head, or I will just start doing my start my day early and and not stress about, oh, I didn't get enough sleep. My body will catch up, yeah, it will tell me to go to bed early, or I'll sleep better the next day, or whatever it is. So that was important, and also to learn that I'm most I can get a lot of tasks done in the morning. And I think bigger picture, and that's what, that's why I wake up early, is all the things I need to do that I forgot. I didn't write down or whatever, and I think of them at between four and 6am but the other is that I do my best writing in the afternoon, like between four and six. So I told my, my wife and my, you know, my my kids, you know, my first figures out when they were both in the House. I was like, I may be working late, jamming out an article or doing whatever right before dinner, or I might be a little late. Can we can wait for dinner for a little bit? They're like, Yeah, that's fine. We don't care, right? So, but normally I'd be like, I gotta get home because it's dinner time. But now that I'm already home, I just keep working through, and then, and then, oh, I can take a quick break. But my point is, they're totally adaptable.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:27 But you communicate, yes, communication issue is key. Is key, absolutely. That's really the issues that you do communicate.   Kent Lewis ** 1:01:36 It's all about setting expectations. And they had no expectations other than eating dinner. And we've been eating dinner later. Just, just a natural evolution. So it's not, it's not even an issue now, because I don't want to, I don't want to, what, right? What? Late at night, I just found it late afternoon, I just in a zone. Anyway, yeah, you listen to your body, and I'm way less stressed because I'm not worried about, oh my god, I have to get to bed at a certain time or wake up at a certain time. It's like, just kind of run with it, you know, and and go from there. So what's next for you? What's next? So I want to shift from going from speaking for free to speaking for a fee. There you go. And the re the reason why is I never asked for, and I'd even waive, you know, honorarium or pay because I got more value out of the leads. But now that I don't have an agency to represent, two things. One is, I want to get paid to do my employee engagement retention talks, because it's I'm getting great feedback on it, which is fun. But I also am being paid now by other agencies, a day rate, plus travel to go speak at the conferences. I've always spoken on that like me and want me and I just represent. I just changed the name that I'm representing. That's it, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:56 well, and there's value in it. I realized some time ago, and I k

Send us a textPresident Robin Baker has been leading George Fox University since 2007 and in that time, George Fox has grown to become the largest private university in Oregon. George Fox is also consistently ranked among the top 3 Christian universities in Oregon. President Baker has also won numerous awards and in 2023 was named by Portland Business Journal as one of its top executives of the year. Baker also sits on numerous national commissions and committees, and is widely recognized as a leader in Christian higher education.In this episode, President Baker shares about the history of George Fox University and how the university impacts the city of Newberg.In our conversation, you'll learn:How George Fox University beganWhy George Fox the person was such an important figure in historyHow George Fox impacts the city of NewbergDetails on the new childcare center being built in partnership with A-decChallenges facing Christian colleges around the countryHow AI is affecting higher education and how George Fox is adaptingTo learn more about George Fox University, visit https://www.georgefox.edu/This episode is brought to you by The Joyful Roberts Group, a local family-run real estate team led by Daniel Roberts. To subscribe to our newsletter, click the link above.Support the show

Oregon's wine industry has been juggling several challenges recently: Sales are down, tariffs are looming, and immigration crackdowns have rattled vineyard workers — all while wildfire season creeps closer. And yet the Willamette Valley was just named the best wine destination in the world. Today, Portland Business Journal reporter Pete Danko helps us make sense of just what's going on with the Oregon wine industry right now. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 2nd episode: Women in Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orca Security just acquired Opus, Portland Startup Week 2025 draws to a close, Columbia River Pitch applications are due, and Demolicious heads north. All this and more in Portland startup news. Let's get into it…PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- NedSpace in the Portland Business Journal https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/inno-insights/2025/05/14/inside-portlands-reimagined-nedspace.html- Mike Ulin leaves Paxton https://pioneeringthoughts.substack.com/p/turning-the-page-reflecting-on-paxton- Columbia River Pitch applications are due May 20 (I said May 19) https://www.tieoregon.org/pitch-oregon/columbia-river-pitch- Demolicious Seattle https://www.meetup.com/demolicious-portland/events/307831573/- Chatting with Juan Barraza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIW_DF6rTW4PORTLAND STARTUP NEWS 00:00 Unicorn Orca Security acquires Opus01:23 Portland Startup Week 2025 ends02:45 See you at the Portland Startup Week 2025 closing party…?03:09 Celebrating AANHPI startup founders and community leaders06:07 NedSpace featured in the Portland Business Journal 08:15 Paxton founding CTO is moving on to something new09:49 Columbia River Pitch applications are due 10:40 Demolicious Seattle 12:40 The Long Con with Juan BarrazaFIND RICK TUROCZY ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- Portland startup news on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/portland-oregon-startup-news-silicon-florist/id1711294699- Portland startup news Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2cmLDH8wrPdNMS2qtTnhcy?si=H627wrGOTvStxxKWRlRGLQ- The Long Con on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-con/id1810923457- The Long Con on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/48oglyT5JNKxVH5lnWTYKA- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/- https://pdxslack.comABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

The Portland Business Journal's latest project explores how federal executive orders, tariffs, and funding cuts are affecting daily life across Oregon. They're sharing stories from all of Oregon's 36 counties, showing how these policies are reaching people in urban centers, coastal towns, and rural communities alike. Today, we're talking with editor Suzanne Stevens about what her team uncovered in conversations across the state. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 12th episode: League of Women's Voters Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the on-again-off-again tariffs and the cancellation of federal funding, Oregonians across the state are affected by the many changes coming from the federal government. Reporters at the Portland Business Journal set out to take the temperature of business, nonprofit and political leaders across the state, three months into the Trump administration. Elizabeth Hayes, reporter for the Portland Business Journal, joins us to share what they found out.

Portland is facing a serious housing crisis, but at the same time, over 30% of office space in the central business district sat vacant at the end of 2024. Now many people are eyeing those empty buildings for conversion into housing. But it's not easy. Today, Sara Edwards of the Portland Business Journal is talking to executive producer John Notarianni about two big commercial-to-residential renovation projects getting underway downtown, and what they can tell us about the future of our city's housing crunch. Join City Cast Portland at the 503 Day Block Party, Saturday, May 3, at downtown Portland's Ankeny Alley!! Details and RSVP here. Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 21st episode: Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST PaintCare Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Ossur. To learn more about their ‘Responsible for Tomorrow' Sustainability Campaign, and how you can get involved: CLICK HEREEpisode Overview: The traditional infusion care experience is overdue for a consumer-centered transformation. Our next guest, Torben Nielsen, is leading this revolution as CEO and Co-Founder of Uptiv Health. With 15+ years building innovative healthcare solutions and executive experience at retail giants like LEGO, Torben brings a unique consumer-first perspective to healthcare delivery. After successful leadership roles at ZoomCare and HealthSparq, he's now reimagining infusion care for patients with chronic conditions through Uptiv Health's retail-based centers. The platform combines comfortable, private treatment suites with a comprehensive digital experience that extends care beyond the infusion chair. Join us to discover how Uptiv Health is delivering spa-like experiences at half the cost of hospital settings while setting a new standard for whole-person care in the $150 billion infusion market. Let's go!Episode Highlights:Uptiv moves infusion care from hospitals to retail locations, offering a "spa-like" experience at 40-70% lower cost.Private suites and a 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio help achieve a remarkable 99 NPS score.90% of patients use Uptiv's app for appointment management, messaging, and health data access.Beyond infusion, Uptiv provides whole-person care including behavioral health screening and therapy services.Raising Series A funding to expand, while seeking partnerships with health systems to shift biologics to retail settings. About our Guest: Torben is the CEO and Co-Founder of Uptiv Health, a fast-growing tech-enabled infusion care platform providing in-person and virtual infusion and chronic condition management services. Prior to Uptiv, Torben was CEO of ZoomCare, an on-demand retail & virtual healthcare platform, scaling it to the largest primary and urgent care provider in the Pacific Northwest serving 350,000+ patients annually. Prior to ZoomCare, Torben co-founded a software-as-a-service company, HealthSparq, in 2012 and grew it to the second-fastest-growing digital health company in the US in 2016. Before entering healthcare, Torben held executive roles in technology and consumer companies like XEROX and LEGO. His leadership was recognized by the Portland Business Journal as "Executive of the Year" in Oregon in 2021. Links Supporting This Episode: Uptiv Health Website: CLICK HERETorben Nielsen LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREUptiv Health LinkedIn: CLICK HEREMike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK HEREVisit our website: CLICK HERESubscribe to newsletter: CLICK HEREGuest nomination form:

$24M VC raised by two startups, $100k prize for a new Oregon UAS "counter drone" competition, Portland Business Journal coverage, a bunch of free events coming up, and more. PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS- Portland Business Journal: Where are they now…? https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/news/2025/02/20/pitch-black-where-are-they-now.html- March: Where are they now…? https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/306123862/- April community event https://www.meetup.com/pie-portland-startup-community/events/305535888/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events-  @OregonUASAccelerator  $100k competition https://oregonuas.org/pages/proven-in-pendleton-cuas-challenge- Shotsy https://shotsyapp.com/- Beneficial Ownership Information https://fincen.gov/boi- Please vote https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3kn9tUJ4uPnLfsudMlX4w/community?lb=UgkxEjhw3hKTzAT6eBuz_ES133uHWAyKVAxwPORTLAND STARTUP NEWS00:00 Portland startup news intro00:26 Portland Business Journal covers startup founders2:04 Upcoming events4:50 Oregon UAS counter drone challenge 9:45 Perceived boundaries in Portland cultural12:00 Intel spin out raises capital14:00 Shotsy raises capital18:35 Beneficial Ownership Information is due March 21, 202521:12 I could use your inputFIND ME ON THE INTERNET AT…- https://patreon.com/turoczy- https://linkedin.com/in/turoczy- https://bsky.app/profile/turoczy.bsky.social- https://siliconflorist.substack.com/ABOUT SILICON FLORIST ----------For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog, newsletter, and podcast that covers entrepreneurs, founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet.ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ----------Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird.https://siliconflorist.com#pdx #portland #oregon #startup #entrepreneur

Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, BPA and other electricity providers throughout the West are weighing two new "day-ahead" energy market proposals. It’s important because the choice could cost electricity consumers billions over the next decade. Pete Danko wrote about this for the Portland Business Journal and joins us to explain.

Dr. Erica Zelfand is the executive director of Right to Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering people around psychedelic healing and other life-saving techniques that conventional medicine has ignored. Dr. Zelfand's training and skill set span the spectrum of both conventional and natural approaches. She treats people of all ages and stages of life, from newborns to those approaching the end of life. Areas of focus within her family practice include: autoimmunity, endocrinology, and integrative mental health. She is deeply committed to patient-centered, root-cause-oriented, nature-honoring approaches to healing. Dr. Zelfand is also a facilitator of therapeutic psycho-spiritual experiences, and regularly lectures on psychedelic science at medical institutions worldwide. She also trains practitioners in person and online, and is listed in the Portland Business Journal as a psilocybin trailblazer. Dr. Zelfand loves sharing her knowledge, her reverence for nature, and her zesty sense of humor with her colleagues, her patients and clients, and audiences of all sizes worldwide. She is also a fan of dark chocolate and group hugs. To learn more and connect, please visit www.DrZelfand.com. Topics covered in this episode:  Leaving the conventional medical system Challenges of running a private practice Setting boundaries and working smarter Insight to help navigate the “friends and family” policy Understanding acid reflux & why so many in our community struggle with it Addressing antisemitism in the psychedelic community Links & Resources:  Visit Right To Heal to learn more about one-on-one health consultations  Visit Rise Up Journeys to learn more about retreats! Find Dr. Zelfand on Facebook Find Dr. Zelfand on Instagram The House Call Vet Academy Resources:  Download Dr. Eve's FREE House Call & Mobile Vet Biz Plan!  Find out about The House Call Vet Academy online CE course   Learn more about Dr. Eve Harrison   Learn more about 1-to-1 coaching for current & prospective house call & mobile vets.  Get House Call Vet swag!  Register TODAY for the House Call & Mobile Vet Virtual Conference, February 1st-2nd, 2025!!!!!! Music:  In loving memory of Dr. Steve Weinberg.  Intro and outro guitar music was written, performed, and recorded by house call veterinarian Dr. Steve Weinberg.  Thank you to our sponsors!  Chronos  O3 Vets  This podcast is also available in video on our House Call Vet Cafe YouTube channel   

Dr. Erica Zelfand is the executive director of Right to Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering people around psychedelic healing and other life-saving techniques that conventional medicine has ignored. Dr. Zelfand's training and skill set span the spectrum of both conventional and natural approaches. She treats people of all ages and stages of life, from newborns to those approaching the end of life. Areas of focus within her family practice include: autoimmunity, endocrinology, and integrative mental health. She is deeply committed to patient-centered, root-cause-oriented, nature-honoring approaches to healing. Dr. Zelfand is also a facilitator of therapeutic psycho-spiritual experiences, and regularly lectures on psychedelic science at medical institutions worldwide. She also trains practitioners in person and online, and is listed in the Portland Business Journal as a psilocybin trailblazer. Dr. Zelfand loves sharing her knowledge, her reverence for nature, and her zesty sense of humor with her colleagues, her patients and clients, and audiences of all sizes worldwide. She is also a fan of dark chocolate and group hugs. To learn more and connect, please visit www.DrZelfand.com. Topics covered in this episode:  Dr. Zelfand's inspiring journey into integrative mental health Exploring integrative mental health philosophy The mental health crisis in the veterinary field The connection between depression and inflammation Unpacking the "Illusion of Healing Responsibility" Depression, psychedelics, and pathways to recovery Challenges within the healthcare system, both human & veterinary Links & Resources:  Visit Right To Heal to learn more about mentorship calls for fellow practitioners Visit Right To Heal to learn more about one-on-one health consultations  Visit Rise Up Journeys to learn more about retreats! Find Dr. Zelfand on Facebook Find Dr. Zelfand on Instagram The House Call Vet Academy Resources:  Download Dr. Eve's FREE House Call & Mobile Vet Biz Plan!  Find out about The House Call Vet Academy online CE course   Learn more about Dr. Eve Harrison   Learn more about 1-to-1 coaching for current & prospective house call & mobile vets.  Get House Call Vet swag!  Register TODAY for the House Call & Mobile Vet Virtual Conference, February 1st-2nd, 2025!!!!!! Music:  In loving memory of Dr. Steve Weinberg.  Intro and outro guitar music was written, performed, and recorded by house call veterinarian Dr. Steve Weinberg.  Thank you to our sponsors!  Chronos  O3 Vets  This podcast is also available in video on our House Call Vet Cafe YouTube channel   

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the dwindling prospects of Oregon landing more tech jobs, our new city leaders' stance on much-needed climate action, and our city starting to tow vehicles without notice. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week's Friday news roundup are Portland Business Journal reporter Malia Spencer and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed in Today's Episode: Oregon's Chance for Semiconductor Hub Diminished by Trump Victory, Intel Tension with Biden Administration [Oregonian]  One Last Chance for Hillsboro and Oregon To Win Big Tech Lottery With Trump's Influence Shrinking Our Chances [Hillsboro Herald]  Will a Fresh Batch of City Leaders Transform Portland's Climate Leadership? [Portland Mercury] Portland's Impending Environmental Disaster [City Cast Portland]  State Puts Hold on Zenith Energy's Controversial Air Permit Process in Surprise Move [Oregonian]   PBOT Starts Towing Vehicles Without License Plates or VINs Without Warning [OPB]  Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this November 15th episode: MUBI - You can start streaming for 30 DAYS FREE at mubi.com/citycast  Habitat for Humanity Portland Region ReStores Forrit Credit Union Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kent Lewis is the Managing Partner at Anvil Unlimited, specializing in advising businesses on digital marketing strategies.   He co-founded his first digital agency within four years and faced his first termination as a co-founder just a year and a half later.   He's also an accomplished speaker and writer, contributing to publications like Smart Brief and Portland Business Journal, and serves as an adjunct professor at Portland State University.   Kent emphasizes that employee retention and engagement hinge on workers feeling empowered, valued, and impactful.   Kent also shares his approach to leadership, defining being a CEO as helping foster a movement that meets societal needs rather than merely focusing on profit.   Kent highlights the importance of prioritizing employee well-being and development - organizations can cultivate a more engaged and productive workforce. LinkedIn: Kent Lewis  Website: Kent J Lewis  Other sites: pdxMindShare   Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.  I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

What a week in Portland Oregon startup news. One company secured more than $100 million in PE. Another secured $9.2M in VC. And there's still a ton of other Portland startup news to cover. As well as a secret story that I can't yet reveal. PORTLAND STARTUP LINKS Icon $9.2M https://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-dea... PayRange PE deal https://payrange.com/news/ridgeview-p... Portland Business Journal on PayRange https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/... Pitch Latino Portland 2024 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pitch-la... TODOS Media    / @todosmedia   Haasan Hates Portland ‪@JumptownTV‬ Bend Venture Conference https://bendvc.com UpStart Collective https://upstartcollective.org PORTLAND STARTUP NEWS 00:00 Crazy week in Portland startup news 01:19 ‪@iconsavingsplan375‬ raises $9.2M in venture capital 04:18 ‪@PayRange‬ lands a 9 figure Private Equity investment 08:02 Pitch Latino Bend and Pitch Latino Portland 11:50 Portland Water 12:41 ‪@watchtodos‬ 16:24 Bend Venture Conference 19:29 First Friday and Hacklandia 22:20 Big news for small business in Portland is coming Friday afternoon 24:45 Thank you so much for hanging out with me

Hearings on the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons ended on Tuesday in Portland. The grocery chains argue that the merger is necessary for them to compete with non-traditional grocers like Costco, Amazon and even Dollar General. But the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal in federal court in Oregon on the grounds that it would harm workers and consumers. Lawsuits against the merger are also slated to begin soon in Washington and Colorado. In the meantime, U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson’s ruling on the Oregon case is expected to have significant implications for the deal. Elizabeth Hayes has been following the proceedings as a reporter for the Portland Business Journal. She joins us with more details on what she heard over the past few weeks. 

U.S. Bank announced they will not be renewing their lease at the U.S. Bancorp Tower, more commonly known as "the Big Pink" in downtown. While they are moving out of downtown, the regional headquarters will remain in Portland and will now be found at the Columbia Center in Northeast Portland. The banks four branches and their client center will remain downtown at 900 Southwest 5th Avenue. Still, people are expecting an economic hit from the headquarters leaving the downtown area. “These are hundreds of employees that are going to be leaving downtown; that's going to affect restaurants, the bars, the ancillary businesses that work with US Bank," said Andy Giegerich, managing editor of the Portland Business Journal. "The vacancy rate downtown right now is 31%, according to Colliers, and so that means 1 out of every 3 office spaces is empty," he continued. City commissioners also were not thrilled about the news. “It's disappointing, but it tells us where our work is cut out for us, to keep investing and doubling down in community safety, public safety," said Commissioner Carmen Rubio. "It's never a good time, especially right as we're trying to recover in our economy." During Thursday's city council meeting, Mayor Ted Wheeler also said that the news was disappointing, and they tried to work through issues with U.S. Bank and Unico, the property owner, but the bank still made the decision to not renew. In a statement, U.S. Bank does not address any issues and instead provided this reasoning for the decision to move to northeast Portland: "In the simplest terms, the decision came down to a confluence of factors — an expiring lease on our space in the building, a reevaluation of our space in 24 key markets we have identified for future growth like Portland, and the availability of a nearby facility that the bank owns where we would accommodate our teams that are not client-facing. These changes have no impact on the way through which most in the local community engage with us, our branch presence in Portland and the surrounding area." In a separate statement to the Portland Business Journal, U.S. Bank also said no employees will lose their jobs. They also said that all employees will move to other locations around town by the end of the year. The city also noted how since the pandemic, many businesses have left downtown and are aware crime and the issue of homelessness contribute to some. However, they said there have been improvements. “Downtown is getting cleaner; it is safer than it was two years ago, but it's not nearly where it was in 2019," said Commissioner Rene Gonzalez. “We have to dramatically change the environment in our city in terms of tax burden and public safety." During the city council meeting and in a statement, the mayor explained more businesses have come to Portland in recent years, and crime has dropped a bit. Part of the statement from the mayor's office reads: "We are continuing to see promising data trends in crime rates, a 16% increase in business openings in 2023 (including Hoka, The Ritz Carlton, SoHo House, and Daimler Truck North America), notable increases to downtown foot traffic, progress on homelessness, and we led in the development of a business tax incentive to encourage businesses to lease office and retail space." Despite this, Wheeler also said it's likely more businesses will leave the area, but also urged the public to keep an optimistic view of the city. Close Ad

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the Fred Meyer strike as the biggest grocery merger ever is debated in a local court, the frantic wrangling over plans as Measure 110 officially comes to an end, and the sky-high costs of building renovations as Portland Public Schools resume classes. Joining executive producer John Notarianni on this week's Friday news roundup are Malia Spencer of the Portland Business Journal and our very own producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed in Today's Episode: FTC Trial Continues: Exec From Specialty Grocer Sprouts Called as Witness Against Kroger-Albertsons Merger [

We all know that success in the classroom relies on powerful and innovative technology. That's where CTL comes in. For over 35 years, CTL has manufactured and serviced award-winning cloud computing solutions that today empower schools in more than 55 countries. From Chromebooks to Chromebox and Google Meet, CTL offers a complete range of solutions to keep students, teachers, and administration both learning and productive. CTL works side-by-side with you, increasing IT efficiency with customized configurations and comprehensive lifecycle services. And, recently, CTL achieved B Corporation™ certification for their commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. If you're looking for a true partner to help innovate your next ChromeOS success, visit CTL at CTL.net. In this episode, I chat with Erik Stromquist from CTL. Erik is the CEO of CTL and shares some insights on the new Chromebook Plus. This device must meet some rigorous requirements in order for it to be name the “Chromebook Plus”. He discusses who this device is for, how it came to be, and CTL's vision on how it could be used in school settings. This is a great conversation and believe me, this device is a one of a kind Chromebook! Buen provecho! Connect With Gabriel Carrillo EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com EdTech Bites Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechbites EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites EdTech Bites Threads: https://www.threads.net/@edtechbites EdTech Bites Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/edtechbites EdTech Bites YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@edtechbites About Erik Stromquist Erika Stromquist serves as CEO of CTL, overseeing all domestic and international operations. Currently, he directs product strategy, account expansion, operational efficiency, and growth strategy. Under his leadership, CTL has won numerous awards for its products, growth, and community involvement. Before becoming CEO, Erik served in multiple critical roles at CTL, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Erik holds degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Oregon and completed Cornell's Executive Leadership Program in 2016. In addition, Erik is a licensed CPA and serves on several executive and advisory boards, including Intel's Customer Advisory Board and Western Oregon University's Finance Committee. Erik was recognized by the Portland Business Journal on the prestigious 40 under 40 list, which identifies rising business stars. Erik enjoys running, playing music, and spending time with his family in his spare time. He lives in Portland, OR, with his wife and identical twin boys Nikko & Viggo. Connect With CTL And Erik Stromquist CTL Website: https://ctl.net CTL On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ctl-corporation/ The Book Is Officially Out! My first book “Cooking Up Experiences In The Classroom: Focus On Experiences, Not Just Lessons” is officially out! A HUGE shout out to Lumio for helping sponsor this book. I'm super excited about this project. It's filled with ideas on how to make memorable experiences for your students. In addition, each chapter also lays out a specific recipe mentioned in that chapter along with a video tutorial on how to prepare that dish. Make sure you get your copy and cook up some experiences for your students and loved ones! Click Here To Purchase Your Copy On Amazon

Content warning: Today's episode discusses the sexual abuse of a child.  Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the death of a disgraced Oregon politician, the capture and arrest of the accused traffic enforcement camera shooter, and the new recycling service hitting the curbside of some Portland area residents. Joining me on this week's Friday news roundup are the managing editor for the Portland Business Journal, Andy Giegerich, and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed in Today's Episode: Former Mayor and Governor Neil Goldschmidt Dies at 83 [Willamette Week]  Neil Goldschmidt's Sex-Abuse Victim Tells of The Relationship That Damaged Her Life [Oregonian]  Donate To The National Sexual Violence Resource Center [nsvrc.org] Man Accused of Shooting Portland Traffic Cameras Racked Up 4 Speeding Tickets in Less Than 3 Months [KGW]  Portland Debuts Curbside Battery Recycling Service for Some Residents [Willamette Week]  Is Recycling Plastic Actually Useless? [Portland Monthly]  Battery Recycling [Portland.gov] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this June 14 episode: 6th Annual Edgefield Brewfest June 21 - 23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the state of our restaurant industry, Gov. Tina Kotek's $376 million housing package that lawmakers approved, and how much housing prices in Portland have jumped in the last four years. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week's Friday news roundup are Portland Business Journal reporter Malia Spencer and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Stories Discussed in Today's Episode:  Expanded Ticket To Dine Launched To Bring Portlanders Out To Eat [Portland Business Journal

Top Stories1. Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems⁠PSBJ article ⁠(Spirit Aerosystems)⁠Seattle Times article⁠ (NTSB)2. In-N-Out coming to WA⁠The Columbian article⁠3. Pfizer shuts down Seagen facility⁠PSBJ article⁠4. Phase Genomics gets grant from Gates Foundation⁠Geekwire article⁠5. Are college athletes employees?⁠AP News article⁠Co-Host Rob Smith:Rob is the Executive Editor for the Seattle Magazine and the Seattle Business Magazine. Prior to this he was the Editor-in-Chief for the Puget Sound Business Journal and the Editor-in-Chief for the Portland Business Journal along with some consulting and freelance work.Host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego. Contact:Email: theweeklyseattle@gmail.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: ⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

The Nine Figure Mindset: Achieving Over 100 Million in Net Worth Brandon Dawson, Cardone Ventures – The Sharkpreneur podcast with Seth Greene Episode 1025 Brandon Dawson A respected and sought-after lecturer and CEO advisor on entrepreneurship, leadership, and business-building strategies, Brandon Dawson specializes in creating value for businesses operating in industries with poor single- or multi-unit economies of scale, industry consolidation, or increasing large-scale competition. Brandon believes that people move businesses, and therefore is dedicated to helping his clients, colleagues, and employees achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals. As the founder of Audigy Group, Brandon grew the company from $500,000 in revenue in 2005 to approximately $35 million in 2016, when he sold it for $151 million—77 times—EBITDA on the basis of its model for fast, scalable business growth, which incorporates unique business operations methodologies, technology platforms, and leadership and performance development programs. The Portland Business Journal honored Audigy as one of its Fastest Growing Private Companies for six consecutive years. Inc. chose Audigy five times as a member of the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000; twice as a winner of the Inc. Hire Power Award for outstanding success in job creation; and twice as one of the Top 100 Places to Work. Brandon has twice been named a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Pacific Northwest. At the age of 29, Brandon listed Sonus Corporation and rang the Opening Bell on the American Stock Exchange, as the founder of Sonus. He served as its CEO for seven years, raising $38 million in four equity transactions and $20 million in strategic debt financing. He acquired over 100 businesses, creating the Sonus Network of over 1,000 locations. In addition to these accomplishments, Brandon has identified and negotiated over $750 million in a variety of real estate and other financial transactions as a partner, principal, and representative. Most recent, Brandon Co-Founded Cardone Ventures and 10X Health with Grant Cardone. Cardone Ventures has gone from a pure start up 45 months ago, to generating over $150 million in revenue with no outside capital, debt, or funding. This was done by using the elements Brandon teaches and applies in his business. Listen to this informative Sharkpreneur episode with Brandon Dawson about achieving over 100 million dollars in net worth. Here are some of the beneficial topics covered on this week's show: - How wealth isn't created overnight, so patience is key. - Why you don't need a college education to break out and build something significant. - How resilience and the ability to identify patterns of decision-making can lead your business to success. - How there are seven specific breakpoints to scale a business from zero to $125 million in revenue and what they are. - Why having a good mentor and coach is vital to starting and scarling a successful business. Connect with Brandon: Guest Contact Info Links Mentioned: ninefiguremindset.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Canzano talks to Demi Lawrence of the Portland Business Journal about her conversation with Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty and what it means in the ongoing developments for the Portland Diamond Project's attempts to purchase the RedTail Golf Course acreage from the City of Portland and the local impacts on bringing baseball to the area. Subscribe for great content.

John Canzano delivers a message to parents in youth sports, plus P.J. Carlesimo talks Pac-12 hoops and '92 Dream Team memories and Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman gets honest about his coaching future in Eugene. Portland Business Journal's Demi Lawrence details her conversation with Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty concerning the potential MLB to PDX efforts to bring a stadium to the RedTail Golf acreage in Washington County. Subscribe for great content.

For some downtown Portland business leaders, the new year is a time for optimism. Some say government attention on the area, like an emphasis on the region through the Central City Task Force convened by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, could mean positive changes for downtown. Jonathan Bach is a real estate and finance reporter for the Portland Business Journal. He recently wrote about the outlook for downtown business leaders and joins us to share what he’s been hearing from them.

On this episode we are joined by Demi Lawrence of Portland Business Journal to celebrate her winning the Co-Sportswriter of the Year award in the state of Oregon. Demi is just the 4th woman in the states history to win the award that dates back to 1959!

This week in Portland Oregon tech and startup news, I'll cover PitchBlack 2024, WordCamp US 2024, AI Portland, a list of Portland and Oregon startups to watch, Oregon Venture Fund, and more. PORTLAND TECH AND STARTUP NEWS 00:00 Portland Oregon startup and tech news for the week ending Dec 15 2023 00:30 PitchBlack 2024 https://pitchblackpdx.com 01:43 AI Portland - Artificial Intelligence meetup https://www.meetup.com/ai-portland/ 02:43 WordCamp US 2024 Portland Oregon https://www.instagram.com/p/C0t--MjrlNL/ 04:34 Portland Business Journal 2024 startups to watch https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/inno/stories/awards/2023/12/13/startups-portland-venture-capital-2024.html 05:33 Oregon Venture Fund origin story https://oregonventurefund.com/perspectives/2023/12/6/origin-story 06:44 Portland startup Radious sees substantial Bay Area growth https://hello.radious.pro/blog/radious-grows-bay-area 07:53 Pew Research on 2023 teen social media habits https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/ 08:56 Get some rest ABOUT SILICON FLORIST ---------- For nearly two decades, Rick Turoczy has published Silicon Florist, a blog and podcast that covers founders, startups, entrepreneurship, tech, news, and events in the Portland, Oregon, startup community. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a startup or tech enthusiast, or simply intrigued by Portland's startup culture, Silicon Florist is your go-to source for the latest news, events, jobs, and opportunities in Portland Oregon's flourishing tech and startup scene. Join us in exploring the innovative world of startups in Portland, where creativity and collaboration meet. ABOUT RICK TUROCZY ---------- Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for nearly 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the “OG”s of startup ecosystem building by the Kauffman Foundation. And he has been humbled by any number of opportunities to speak on stages from SXSW to INBOUND and from Kobe, Japan, to Muscat, Oman, including an opportunity to share his views on community building on the TEDxPortland stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj98mr_wUA0). All because of a blog. Weird. https://siliconflorist.com #portland Music: https://uppbeat.io/t/richard-bodgers/the-headlines Photo courtesy PitchBlack. Used with permission.

Metro Councilor Chrisinte Lewis has had an extensive career in Oregon politics. A Portland Business Journal "40 Under 40" honoree, she graduated from Reed College and quickly entered the world of political organizing. She has worked as campaign manager for former Senate President Peter Courtney, former State Rep. and Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey, and several ballot measures. She also worked on the "official side" (non-campaign) for then-Speaker Tina Kotek, the City of Portland, and the Bureau of Labor and Industries. In 2018, she was elected as a Metro Councilor representing a large district including much of Clackamas County and parts of Multnomah and Washington.    In this episode, we talk about Christine's career in politics and how Metro intersects with the most important policy issues facing the Portland area today: housing, homelessness, transportation, and more.

Ride Report got acquired. Built Oregon shares a list of gift boxes for your holiday giving. Oregon Entrepreneurs Network held their annual awards ceremony, and other Portland startup news. https://siliconflorist.com PORTLAND OREGON STARTUP NEWS Ride Report acquired https://inrix.com/press-releases/inrix-acquires-ride-report/ Portland Business Journal startups to watch in 2024 https://siliconflorist.com/2023/11/14/portland-business-journal-seeks-startup-suggestions/ Hello, Portland startup community: Tracy Chao https://siliconflorist.com/2023/11/14/hello-portland-startup-community-im-tracy-chao/ Built Oregon holiday gift box list https://siliconflorist.com/2023/11/14/searching-for-a-locally-sourced-gift-box-this-holiday-season/ Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Awards https://www.oen.org/2023/11/16/2023-oregon-entrepreneurship-awards-winners-announced/

Today on City Cast Portland we're talking about dubious crime rate data, the Portland Police Bureau's new independent monitor, and Portland General Electric's rate hike (yet again). Joining host Claudia Meza on this week's news roundup are Portland Business Journal reporter Malia Spencer and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Stories Discussed in Today's Episode: ‘It's Gotten Worse:' Lower Crime Rates Belie Portland's Actual Picture [Portland Business Journal

www.CPOPLAYBOOK.comEpisode TranscriptAboutIn Part 2 of our episode series, we take a closer look at fairness, benefits, and HRIS systems, with a focus on both established giants like IBM and Workday, as well as emerging players looking to make their mark. We also explore companies that are expanding their product offerings to meet the changing demands of the HR landscape.*Tobias Kennedy, President at Montage Insurance & Chief Strategy Officer at Bene AppTobias is the President of Montage Insurance Solutions, the CEO of Simpolicy Insurance, the Host of The HIT Podcast and the Chief Strategy Officer at Bene App Inc. Tobias has won several awards from various business publications including, among others, the “Most Trusted Advisor Award” in 2015, as well as the “Leaders of Influence'' award in 2023. His professional career spans nearly two decades of working with companies to assist them in crafting their insurance policies.Robert Sheen, Founder & CEO at TrusaicTrusaic is a leading software company focused on pay equity, DEI, and healthcare. Prior to Trusaic, Robert founded First Capitol Consulting in 1999, serving over 5,000 global, national, and regional companies. In 2003, he founded and chartered US Metro Bank, which is currently valued at over $1 billion. In 2006, he partnered with Intuit to develop TaxAdvantage, a tax-centric data solution for Intuit's 1.4 million customers.Nathan Christensen, CEO at MineralMineral is the HR and compliance leader for more than 1 million small and mid-size businesses nationwide. Nathan has been named a “Game Changer” in the HR field by Workforce magazine and was selected by the Portland Business Journal as a member of the “Forty Under 40” class. Nathan holds degrees from Stanford University and The University of Chicago Law School.Ben Mandelstein, Worldwide Sales Leader at IBM watsonx OrchestrateBen is a passionate and innovative business leader, possesses a wealth of expertise in guiding clients towards the utilization of distinctive technology solutions for seizing fresh business prospects. His keen understanding of the distinctive challenges and advantages inherent to emerging technologies equips organizations to strategically prioritize technology solutions that offer maximal value.Lester Lee, VP, Partnerships at LatticeLester is currently VP of Partnerships at Lattice, and was previously the company's first Head of Revenue. In between his two tours at Lattice, Lester co-founded a Y Combinator-backed startup (Slapdash, acquired by ClickUp). He started his career in Enterprise sales at Microsoft before building revenue teams at progressively smaller and earlier startups.Aashna Kircher, General Manager of Talent Product at WorkdayAashna is responsible for the overall strategy and performance of the Talent Product suite, which includes Help, Journeys, Learning, Onboarding, Peakon, Recruiting, and Talent. She joined Workday in 2014 and has spent the last ten years in numerous roles building enterprise products for some of the world's largest companies. Aashna holds an MBA at Harvard University and a BS in Psychology from Duke University.*Be a guest on the showAll media inquiries: media@cpoplaybook.com

For Bend and other Oregon startups, it's High Desert Innovation Week in Bend, Oregon, with Bend Venture Conference (BVC) and more. But that's not the only thing in Oregon startup news, this week. There's stuff in Portland startup news, as well. Portland startup news, this week https://siliconflorist.com Bend Oregon High Desert Innovation Week https://www.hdinnovationweek.com/ Built Oregon + Cultivate Bend = Built Festival 2023 https://siliconflorist.com/2023/10/19/built-to-bend-collaboration-with-cultivate-bend-culminates-in-successful-built-festival-2023/ Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) Venture Out https://www.bendoutdoorworx.com/ Bend Venture Conference (BVC) https://www.bendvc.com/ Chaos Town https://www.youtube.com/@chaostown Hello Portland startup community https://siliconflorist.com/2023/10/18/hello-portland-startup-community-im-erik-blanchard/ Pitch Latino 2023 https://www.latinofounder.com/ KGW features Finnegan the Dragon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs8xbACrjq4 TiE XL Boot Camp https://siliconflorist.com/2023/10/18/need-the-basics-for-building-a-startup-or-maybe-just-a-refresher-course-tie-xl-boot-camp-may-be-the-answer/ Portland Business Journal on venture capital in Oregon 2023 https://siliconflorist.com/2023/10/18/portland-business-journal-on-portlands-lackluster-q3-funding/ Climate Curious https://www.climatecurious.co/ a16z Techno Optimist Manifesto https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto

Kathleen Stuart has held many of the top jobs in the Oregon Democratic campaign world--deputy director for the Senate Democratic Leadership Fund, Executive Director for FuturePAC, and head of the Democratic coordinated campaign effort in 2018 (where Gov. Kate Brown won by 6 points). She now owns her own firm, Stuart Collective, and was recently selected as one of the Portland Business Journal's 40 under 40.   In this episode, we talk about Kathleen's relatively rapid promotions in the political world, and her career trajectory from private sector public relations to politics. We cover how caucus campaign committees work, and what the "coordinate campaign" does. We also talk about compensation for public officials (legislators, judges, and statewide officials) and her recent piece in the Oregon Way called: "Where can Oregon step up to support women serving in office?". For more information on Kathleen, you can visit: www.stuartcollective.co  

A PR pro and a journalist? It's a tale as old as time. On this week's episode of #AllShineNoFlash, Ann sits down with Portland Business Journal's Malia Spencer to discuss her perspective on being a woman in journalism, how AI is affecting the communications industry and reasons to feel optimistic about Portland's community and future. She also dives into her favorite tip for PR pros (hint: you can look it up), advice for aspiring journalists and why it's not always a bad idea to let people underestimate you.

John Canzano speaks with reporter Demi Lawrence of the Portland Business Journal about the latest developments in the ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit against NIKE, what comes next, and the future sale of the Portland Thorns. Subscribe to this podcast for more great content.

John Canzano breaks down Damian Lillard's non-answers to Marc Spears on the Trail Blazers and his trade request, plus reporter Demi Lawrence of the Portland Business Journal details the latest in the sexual harassment lawsuit against NIKE and Josh Newman of the Salt Lake Tribune shares the latest on Utah Utes football one week from their season-opener vs Florida. USC football legend John Papadakis stops by the show and Anna brings the 5 at 5. Subscribe to this podcast for more great content.

The 35-story, $600 million Ritz-Carlton Portland is preparing to open this summer. It will be home to some of the most expensive real estate this city has ever seen. So how do we feel about this new slice of Portland ultra-luxury? We'll break it down with Portland Business Journal real estate reporter Jonathan Bach and Suzette Smith, culture editor of the Portland Mercury. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tax burdens are piling up for small business owners in Portland as they face fees from the city, county and state. Some owners say they regret investing in Portland and wish they had set up shop in Washington instead. For those who choose to stay in Oregon, tax burdens are smaller in Lake Oswego and Beaverton. And in Multnomah County, a May ballot measure could mean more taxes for businesses. Pete Danko reported on these issues for the Portland Business Journal. He joins us with details.

Today we're talking about restaurant break-ins, the legislative fight over rent control, and oyster-stealing green crabs. Host Claudia Meza is joined by two colleagues from the Portland Business Journal: managing editor Andy Giegerich and reporter Malia Spencer. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we welcome Jarvis Sam founder a leading voice in the world of diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I), CEO & founder of The Rainbow Disruption, and former head of DEI at Nike. In a thought-provoking and wide-ranging conversation we discuss the business imperative behind being more welcoming to various communities and the range and contours of diversity. We touch both on the theoretical frameworks and well as the practical realities of driving meaningful change through strategy, operations and optimization. It's a veritable Masterclass in one of the most important leadership issues of our time.But first we open with the latest retail news with a discussion of the continued volatility and uncertainty in the wake of gyrations in the banking industry. Then we dip into earnings reports from Nike, Williams-Sonoma, On Running, and Chewy, before turning out attention to Foot Locker's just announced “Lace Up Strategy.” The latest news from Bed, Bath & Beyond is decidedly mix as their stock sinks below $1, but they are having success re-leasing many of the stores they've closed. We wrap up with news from the Great White North as Zeller's is relaunched and tidbits are released from Nordstrom Canada's bankruptcy filing.About JarvisJarvis Sam is the CEO and Founder of the multi-services DEI firm Rainbow Disruption and the former Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Nike Inc. He was recently named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports class of 2021 as well as Portland Business Journal's 40 Under 40. In his previous role, he oversaw a team of people focused on driving diverse representation, inclusive leader and social justice education, professional development and the ecosystem of promoting and creating a culture of belonging inside and outside of Nike.Prior to being named CDEIO at Nike, Jarvis held various roles focused on acquiring new talent capabilities for the company and driving large programs, partnerships and initiatives aimed at impacting representation and accelerating the flow of Nike's diverse talent pipelines. Additionally, he led Nike's candidate experience and talent attraction/ employer branding efforts – driving best in class approaches and strategies to amplify the company's employment voice and obsess the candidate.Jarvis frequently liaised with the sports marketing function and product teams to execute on key initiatives with signature Nike athletes like Serena Williams and League partners like the WNBA and NFL. Prior to Nike, Sam worked as the first Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Snap, Inc., (Snapchat) where he was accountable for building the company's first ever D&I strategy, all whilst driving key technology recruiting approaches to scale the company 6x through IPO. Before that, Sam worked at Google as a Diversity Program Manager and led part of the diversity recruitment practice.Jarvis began his career as a strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte Consulting in Houston, primarily focused on clients in the oil & gas industry. Jarvis is a graduate of Rice University where he studied History, Public Policy, and Sport Management with emphasis in race and gender rhetoric. Jarvis received his MBA from Brown University and IE School of Business.He is an adjunct faculty member at Brown University and has lectured at numerous universities and institutions of higher learning around the world. Sam has given more than 400 public speeches, fireside chats, keynotes and panels and is considered an expert in the space.In his spare time, Jarvis does musical theater, most recently acting as Jimmy Early in a production of Dreamgirls. He loves concerts, film, sports, karaoke, and can be frequently seen doing a rendition of Tina Turner's greatest hits around Portland, OR, where he currently resides. About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

I have the pleasure of welcoming to the show Traci Rossi, Executive Director of Friends of the Children, Portland Chapter. Traci has over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience with an emphasis in education, community outreach, and service to girls, women, children, and families. Traci was recently named a 2020 Woman of Influence by the Portland Business Journal. Friends of the Children's mission is to “Impact generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors for 12+ years. No matter what.” This literally changes lives and generations. Learn more at https://friendspdx.org/.  To sponsor a podcast, email me at a.livingston@worldventure.com or to donate click here.  Go to https://justicehopefreedom.com/ to learn more about fighting and preventing sex trafficking.

Starting in 2017, all new apartment buildings built in Portland with more than 20 units must dedicate a portion of their units for low and moderate income housing. But some developers are choosing to pay a penalty instead of creating affordable housing. The developers of the new Ritz-Carlton building downtown may be paying more than $7 million dollars. Portland Business Journal reporter Jonathan Bach has been following Portland's inclusionary zoning efforts and joins us to explain.

We're rounding up headlines that caught our attention this week, everything from Governor Kotek's proposed housing plan to the possibility of the Florida Tampa Bay Rays moving to Portland. Joining host Claudia Meza are Andy Giegerich, managing editor for the Portland Business Journal, and City Cast Portland's lead producer, John Notarianni. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 is going to be a rocky year for home buyers. Portland homes were selling for record-breaking prices during the pandemic, and last year we saw mortgage rates skyrocket. Today on the show, host Claudia Meza talks with Jonathan Bach of the Portland Business Journal about the tricky year ahead in real estate – and what “Breaking Bad” taught him about negotiating rent.  We're also on Twitter! Follow us here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lakayana Drury (He/Him/His) is the founder and Executive Director of Word is Bond (https://www.mywordisbond.org/). Lakayana Drury is an educator, storyteller, and community organizer. Lakayana was recently named one of Portland Business Journal's Class of 2021 Forty Under 40. Lakayana Drury was raised in Madison, Wisconsin by his hardworking mother and is the eldest of three children. He experienced adversity at an early age, most notably a learning disability diagnosis in sixth grade and the absence of his father for most of his adolescent years. He overcame those challenges and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stout and went on to pursue a career as an elementary and high school teacher which lead him to Portland, OR. Lakayana is of Sudanese and Irish ancestry and has done considerable work exploring his biracial identity, particularly his African roots. His lived experience drives his passion for culturally-grounded education, mentorship, healthy masculinity, community investment in Black communities, and reimagining community safety. Lakayana serves on the Black Male Achievement Steering Committee, Local Public Safety CoordinatingCommittee (LPSCC) Executive Committee, and the Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) Guiding Coalition with Portland Public Schools.

Fawn Bergen leads Intel Corporation's Global Water Stewardship program. Using her 21 years of experience as an environmental engineer, she manages Intel's global water strategy and their commitment to achieve net positive water use by conserving water in operations and restoring more than 100% of their global water use by 2030. Under her leadership Intel has been honored with the 2018 US Water Prize by the US Water Alliance, 2019 Sustainability Champion by Arizona Forward, and 2019 Innovative Partnerships in Philanthropic Giving by the Portland Business Journal, for their achievements in water stewardship. Fawn is a graduate of the University of Florida. Fawn Leads Sustainable Nation to Discuss: How Intel set their RISE 2030 Goals on climate, water and waste  Carbon neutral computing The critical importance of water in manufacturing semiconductors and Intel's water goals Advice and recommendations for sustainability professionals Fawn's Final Five Questions Responses: What is one piece of advice you would give other sustainability professionals that might help them in their careers? I would say: keep an open mind. I've known so many people that I went to school with; they had their career path set and of course, things changed. A lot of people would have no idea who they would be working for. That's been a fun part of my journey, the unexpected changes. The sustainability field itself is changing and growing so rapidly as the world realizes that sustainability is not a nice to-do, it's critical. Keeping yourself agile and learning new things is really important in this field. Just keep fighting the good fight. Sometimes it feels like you're only moving the needle a tiny bit, but then when you look back at what you've done, you realize that it really was a big impact. It can be daunting when you're just making that incremental change because sometimes it's one step forward, two steps back, but you have to keep trying to make just that little step forward and you will make progress over time. What are you most excited about right now in the world of sustainability? Other than our net positive water goal, our net zero greenhouse gas bill. That is going to be an immense challenge, not just for Intel, but our whole industry. What excites me is thinking about the huge impact it's going to have by getting Intel there and working with other companies as well to get everyone there. It's a huge hill to climb, but I think once we get there, it's going to have a profound impact. That potential has me very excited to work through all of these challenges. What is one book you would recommend sustainability leaders read? I think my favorite sustainability book is called Let There Be Water by Seth Siegel. It was a fantastic book, very well written, and I just kind of flew through it. The book is all about how Israel built one of the best (probably along with Singapore) role models of what a country can do to value water. It's a really fascinating story about how Israel did that and how they're in a desert now, but they're a very water secure country. They can even at times share water with neighboring countries. Really fascinating; it just opens your eyes to what countries can do. What are some of your favorite resources or tools that really help you in your work? Our resources that I love are our partners; our external partners, our nonprofit environmental groups like the Nature Conservancy, the National Forest Foundation. Why I consider them a resource is because they're experts in building and supporting natural resilience of our watersheds, reforestation after wildfires. We really look to them as the experts and they shape a lot of the projects that we fund. I take back what I learned from them as far as water challenges and what companies like Intel can do from a broader sustainability standpoint. Water is so connected to climate, so a lot of our investments in water projects also have a climate benefit, they have biodiversity benefits. I learn so much from all of them. They're just a tremendous resource. Where can our listeners go to learn more about you and the work being done at intel. Intel.com/responsibility is where you can get our corporate responsibility report and a lot of other details, and intel.com/water where you can read all about the projects that we funded.

At Xenium, it's always been about the people. We can't support you and your people without taking care of our own. Which is why we're so proud to announce the Portland Business Journal has awarded us with second place in their Oregon's Healthiest Employer program. In this bonus episode, Brandon Laws sits down with the President of Xenium, Anne Donovan, to discuss some of Xenium's wellness program initiatives. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST