Podcasts about Sun Prairie

Sat, Jun 20 7:53 AM → 8:51 AM Missing person search in Sun Prairie Radio Systems: - DANECOM

Shahayra Majumder and Jonathan Chizever - Hydrate IV Bar Madison, WI On Focusing on What Really Matters: "They're passionate about their health, which is your only wealth at the end of the day." What good is money if you're spending your time hurting and not able to enjoy this great gift of life that we have all been given?  Health is arguably the most important thing to focus on, to make sure you can do the things you want to do.  Whether that is growing a business or enjoying time with friends. Shahayra and Jonathan set out to help boost the health of the midwest by starting a Hydrate IV Bar franchise in Madison, Wisconsin. Through our candid conversation you will learn what is a IV bar, why do people get IV drips and how they started this business in the IV drip world. Learn how they identified a gap in the Midwest's wellness market, navigated the highly regulated and rapidly evolving IV bar industry, and brought a community-focused approach to health and hydration. Are you curious about how IV therapy went from hospital wards to vibrant wellness lounges?  Or what it takes to build a franchise rooted in both science and local values?  This conversation will open your eyes to the business challenges, customer stories, and passion that drive this growing trend. Shahayra and Jonathan share some great insights into franchise selection, the science behind vitamin infusions, building a winning team, and the power of connection within a unique new “third space” for health-minded people. Listen as they explain the power of IV drips and how they can help you in your health and life journey. Enjoy! Visit Shahayra and Jonathan at: https://hydrateivbar.com/locations/madison/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Bringing IV therapy to Madison 05:39 Navigating Franchise Regulations 07:47 IV therapy goes mainstream in Tokyo 12:50 Curated med spa offerings 14:44 Choosing Hydrate IV Bar for Madison 19:02 Starting with franchise questions 20:37 Building a Health-Focused Community 24:53 Benefits of Vitamin D Supplementation 27:55 Challenges with supplement patents 32:20 Functional medicine consultations at Hydrate 34:08 Patient advocacy and safe care 39:05 Frequency of sessions per week 41:33 Supplements and their credibility 47:04 Choosing the right location 48:42 Optimizing franchise location space 52:48 Hiring nurses for IV procedures 56:16 Spa services and mobile options Podcast Transcription: Jonathan Chizever [00:00:00]: This gentleman with Parkinson's started supplementing the NAD with us, and the results we're seeing are just, like, amazing. He's not perfect in running marathons, but he's walking around without his hunch in his cane. I check in with his wife the next day, like, hey, how's he doing? And she's like, I couldn't believe it. I woke up and I walk out and he was up before me, which is rare. And he's sitting in his chair in the living room, giant smile plastered across his face. And. And it's like, what's going on? And then I see him get out of the chair, stand up with no cane, no hunch, and he's like, I feel better than I felt in a long time because of something that we all. James Kademan [00:00:41]: You have found authentic business adventures business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com we are locally unwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Sahara and Jonathan of the Hydrate IV bar. So, Sahara, Jonathan, how are you guys doing today? Jonathan Chizever [00:01:06]: Wonderful. Excited to be here. James Kademan [00:01:08]: Yeah. Shahayra Majumder [00:01:08]: Woot, woot. James Kademan [00:01:09]: Let's talk about Hydrate IV bar. I don't know what in the world an IV bar is, and I bet a lot of people don't either. So let's just start with what is an IV bar? Jonathan Chizever [00:01:18]: Happy to tell them you want to go or want me to go? Shahayra Majumder [00:01:20]: Um, yeah, I'll kick it off if you want to add in, if there's anything that I miss. But have you ever had an IV before? James Kademan [00:01:28]: I had. Yes. I had a saline IV thing when I had a. A gut thing, a stress gut thing Shahayra Majumder [00:01:35]: way back when, probably in the hospital. James Kademan [00:01:37]: Yeah. Yeah. Not a fan. Shahayra Majumder [00:01:39]: Yeah. James Kademan [00:01:41]: Not a fan of being in the hospital. Shahayra Majumder [00:01:42]: Yeah, right. Yeah, I. A lot of people are used to thinking about IVs being something that you get in the hospital or at urgent care in an emerg situation. But an IV bar actually takes those services outside of an emergency situation and lets you be a little more proactive about rapidly rehydrating your body. James Kademan [00:02:04]: All right. Shahayra Majumder [00:02:05]: For your different health and wellness goals. There's lots that we can do with supplementing things that you might be deficient in or if you're just feeling certain ailments that could be improved with additional vitamin supplements, meditation, or hydration. That's usually why people come to an IV bar. For me, it's been more of a proactive thing. I realized as I started doing IVs on a regular basis, I felt more energy. I was getting sick less. I didn't really let anything get me down as much. Like during cold and flu season. Shahayra Majumder [00:02:49]: Yeah. Anything that you would add to that, Jonathan Chizever [00:02:52]: I think that sums it up. Great. Yeah. James Kademan [00:02:54]: All right. How do you get in the IV bar business? Shahayra Majumder [00:02:58]: You take that one. Jonathan Chizever [00:03:01]: So we both, in our travels, neither of us are from Madison. I've been here 10 years. Sahara's been here seven. And we've both, in our travels and living other places, seen this as a more established concept in other places. And, you know, in the Midwest, whether it's fashion trends or wellness modalities, we're generally the last to get just about everything. And so here we are. And so, you know, IVs have saved us in numerous occasions from feeling bad, and really, until we got in the business, didn't yet understand how much it can make you feel good in a consistent and proactive sense. But we just saw this as a market that makes so much sense for it, because, you know, what people traditionally associate it with is hangovers, at least in the selective sense, which it is phenomenal for, I've heard, at least. Jonathan Chizever [00:03:54]: But. But beyond that, you know, like, the founder of our brand, she got into this. She was a Broncos cheerleader, and she noticed all the guys in the team are doing these IVs routinely, all the time. And that was part of her origin story of getting into this. And so athletes love it, and athletes have been ahead of the curve and, you know, taking advantage of this. So for athletics and drinking Madison, we have a lot of bubbles, and turns out. James Kademan [00:04:24]: Yeah, yeah. Jonathan Chizever [00:04:25]: So. And then beyond that, we also have a very vibrant wellness scene. You know, we have a population that likes to take care of themselves. And, I mean, in so many ways, it made sense, but it was something that we saw being severely underserved. So it wasn't like we wanted to start a business. And we're like, what business do we do? It was like we noticed that there was a gap in the availability of these types of services in a place that it makes so much sense to have them. And the rest kind of naturally came from there. James Kademan [00:04:55]: Right on. So did you hunt down a franchise, or did you get introduced to the franchise? And you're like, yes, that's what we want. Shahayra Majumder [00:05:03]: Little column A, little column B. I did interview, like, every franchise under the sun doing IV stuff. James Kademan [00:05:09]: All in the IV stuff. Shahayra Majumder [00:05:10]: Yes. James Kademan [00:05:11]: Okay, how many are we talking here? Shahayra Majumder [00:05:12]: Oh, my God. I think I Started talking to folks in September of 2024, and then we signed our franchise agreement February of 25. So, yeah, I mean, that gives you a little gauge. It took me months and months of. James Kademan [00:05:27]: So just talking like, I don't know how many franchise I've seen. Are we talking five? We talking 50? Jonathan Chizever [00:05:32]: Oh, no, I'd say a dozen and a half maybe. Shahayra Majumder [00:05:35]: Yeah, maybe closer to like the 20 or 30. Jonathan Chizever [00:05:37]: Wow. Shahayra Majumder [00:05:39]: Yeah, franchise franchises. And there are a few that dominate the market. There are a few that are bigger. But what's interesting is this industry, it's very highly regulated, but the regulations are different state to state. So if you know a little bit about franchising, you know that franchises have to be registered in every single state. And some states are harder to get registered in. And so I talked to a lot of the folks that I was able to get their franchisees on the phone and get honest opinions about the kind of support they're receiving, how the market has received them. I particularly talk to folks in the Midwest or familiar with the Midwest because, you know, the market in the Midwest is not going to be what it is in, you know, Nashville, Tennessee, for example, where you're getting a lot more tourism and. James Kademan [00:06:38]: Yeah, sober me up. Sober me up. ...

It's been a hard week in Madison. Today, Rob remembers Michael Johnson as a mover, and a vocal supporter of Madison365 and its mission to amplify voices and create a more informed community. Then, we meet the Summer 2026 class of Madison365 reporting interns, and hear about the stories they're working on: girls' flag football in Madison schools, the Madison Pubilc Market's soft launch, a youth entrepreneurship event for the Harmony Apartments community and Juneteenth in Sun Prairie. Plus, a big union vote at a Madison hospital. Follow Madison365 on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Blue Sky, subscribe to our newsletter and bookmark Madison365.org to keep up with the latest.  Links: St. Mary's nurses overwhelmingly vote to unionize Built from the Block brings youth entrepreneur event to Madison's East Side, offering mentorship and community engagement Madison Public Market welcomes shoppers for first "pop up" MSCR kicks off inaugural season of high school girls' flag football "A day of joy and liberation." Sun Prairie Juneteenth celebration set for June 19

Rowan Childs - Madison Reading Project On Building Up Youth: "We want to make sure every kid is excited and sees themselves on the cover or as the main character." Often we take the skills we have for granted.  We want this and that, but rarely take the time to have gratitude for all that we have.  I'm not talking material things, I am speaking of opportunities and education.  As business owners, we know how to read. Did you know that many children have challenges achieving the literacy needed to understand the other subjects in school?  Rowan Childs saw this need and built a non-profit to help children get access to books to read.  Not just any books.  These are books that kids want to read.  Madison Reading Project is a non-profit that offers free books and literacy resources to children to ignite a love of reading. The beautiful thing is Madison Reading Project has blossomed from a small startup to a non-profit that continues to serve thousands of books to children.  This is truly an amazing success story and a story that is making the world a better place. Enjoy! Visit Rowan at: https://www.madisonreadingproject.com/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Starting a reading pilot program 04:15 Addressing literacy challenges 07:50 Finding support and gathering books 13:52 Benefits of being a smaller team 14:32 Navigating diverse board challenges 19:27 Building trust with the community 22:38 Offering diverse book options 26:55 Selecting books for community programs 30:36 Lessons from volunteering at food bank 33:00 Donating books through our program 37:20 Giving out books during holidays 39:20 Paper fashion design contest 43:41 Deciding to make paper dresses 45:51 Building Awareness and Finding Volunteers Podcast Transcription: James Kademan [00:00:00]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggles, stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at https://drawincustomers.com.  We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we are welcoming, slash, preparing to learn from Rowan Childs of Madison Reading Project. Rowan, I'm super excited to be here. Rowan Childs [00:00:32]: Thank you. Welcome. James Kademan [00:00:34]: This is amazing. We got. I mean, people can see we got whatever, 5 billion books behind us and all that stuff. So tell us the story. What is Madison Reading Project? Rowan Childs [00:00:44]: Yeah. So we are a nonprofit. We provide all kinds of literacy resources, whether they are physical books, digital resources, and our wonderful stuff. We're here to support adults and children in support of them learning how to read in support of them re engaging or engaging in reading and love of books, ultimately to help raise literacy rates in Dane county and now just in Sauk county as well. Yes. That's a brand new thing. James Kademan [00:01:27]: Wow. Rowan Childs [00:01:27]: Yeah. James Kademan [00:01:28]: All right. Rowan Childs [00:01:29]: But we're really here to make sure that kids have their books and to help remove some of those barriers that they have. So whether it's been from the very beginning through what we do today, we do that in a way more sophisticated way than how we started, but it really is to try and provide really high quality materials that children and adults can keep. So we want to make sure that kids are excited about the books and about reading and that they ultimately are inspired to want to hang on to those and to continue to read and love books. James Kademan [00:02:08]: Nice. I love it. I love it. It's so interesting because when you give me address to the place, I just follow gps. And I was like, it's just going to be some warehouse or something like that. But this is a very bright. It's vibrant, it's welcoming. It's not just some dingy, like, there's the books in the back kind of thing. Rowan Childs [00:02:25]: Not at all. James Kademan [00:02:25]: So this is cool. This is very nice. Rowan Childs [00:02:28]: Good. That's how we want everyone to feel. James Kademan [00:02:30]: Yeah. I love it. Let's go back to the way back when, when you first started this 12 years ago, you said, yep, that is a while. We got pandemic. We got. Rowan Childs [00:02:41]: Man. James Kademan [00:02:42]: I feel like every few years there's some kind of a crisis. So I don't remember all the crisis we've been through. But what triggered you to start Madison Reading Project? Rowan Childs [00:02:51]: Yeah, I had just helped my own son re engage in reading. He liked reading things at home, but not so much the books that he was reading at school. And after I helped him figure that out, it just got me thinking about what if I hadn't understood the teacher who had messaged me at home? Or what if they hadn't messaged me? It took me some time and resources to figure that out. So I started just researching and couldn't really find what I was looking for, which wasn't necessarily volunteering on helping kids how to read, it was the other piece of it. And so I spent some time interviewing at some schools and some other after school locations and no one really knew of something of what I was describing and eventually had this idea of potentially how I this pilot program idea. But I wanted to find a pilot program location that would be smaller versus starting somewhere that had 200 kids. So I eventually found a program at Salvation army on Darbo drive that had 30 kids. And Zarbo Drive area is a pretty impoverished area. Rowan Childs [00:04:15]: And the director at that time said he was actually trying to help the kids with homework, but they were behind in reading and he was trying to engage kids in reading. So it was this perfect sort of timing. And the week that we met, the Race to Equity report came out, which was a five year data set on everything that you kind of need for the proof of why literacy is so important. So anything on the actual literacy rates of every school in the county, comparing not just districts and schools, but also third grade reading levels, fifth grade high school in poverty rates, and also race, comparing kids who are white and black or Hispanic. And some of the differences not only were maybe 10 or 15%, but some of the schools were up to 40% differences. And that's just heartbreaking. Still, every time I talk about it, it makes me just really sad because if you can't read whether you're in third grade, you. You're just always going to be behind. Rowan Childs [00:05:28]: Ultimately, you might still be able to struggle through school, but what kind of job are you going to be able to get or can even get your driver's license? You know, it's just snowballs from there. James Kademan [00:05:40]: Yeah. Rowan Childs [00:05:42]: And Will, who was the director at the time, was really adamant that if you can't read, it's just going to be a really difficult life or could lead to a life of incarceration. And so the two of us were very passionate about trying to figure something out. And then the last piece was the funding. James Kademan [00:06:05]: It's a pretty big piece, kind of. Rowan Childs [00:06:07]: I had no money to put towards my pilot program. Someone I had mentioned what I wanted to do, said you really need to have the right money to do the pilot program. Correctly. James Kademan [00:06:19]: Thanks. Rowan Childs [00:06:20]: Yes. And wrote me a check for $1,000. Oh. Which is really nice. That way I could actually purchase the right materials to make the program the pilot. Correct. James Kademan [00:06:32]: Wow. Rowan Childs [00:06:33]: So that was the last piece for that. So we did a three month pilot program that went really well. The parents, the kids were really engaged and excited about clearing out some of the old books that nobody wanted to read, putting in new books that the kids helped so select. The teachers were excited to have new materials so successful that they asked me to come back and do it again. James Kademan [00:06:59]: All right. Rowan Childs [00:07:00]: Which we did. And one thing led to another. But it definitely, as we stayed and sort of kept learning from that, that really was the beginning of learning that. Absolutely kids do want to learn how to read. They absolutely do want to read great books and to select books. And there's a lot of pride in being able to select their own books. And we stayed at that location exclusively for nearly two years, just learning with the kids and the parents and the teachers really what we did or didn't want to do or what we could do before we were going to scale at all. And that was great. Rowan Childs [00:07:50]: And the other piece was, how are we going to fund all of this apart from that initial check? And while we were doing that initial pilot program in that first year, people just started giving me boxes of their nice books that they had never used or just unsolicited. They're like, oh, oh, by the way, I have a box of books for you. Like, oh, thank you so much. Or people were asking me how they could donate some money because they loved what they had heard what I was doing, whether I really knew them or not, till the point where I had a basement full of books in my house. And I was like, this seems like we have something here. So we have definitely children in a population in Madison initially that absolutely would love to have more books and programs. We have people who absolutely seem to love books and want to provide books....

Fred Fisher  - Fisher Consulting On the Unrealistic Expectations We Have in the Insurance World: "You have to know more about your insurance needs than the guy selling it, the guy who has to take continuing education classes." Insurance is basically paying for a promise you hope you will not need to ask to be kept.  To avoid great financial loss, or to have the support of a team of lawyers, insurance is a necessary evil.  Like most things that are necessary. Fred Fisher of Fisher Consulting has been in the insurance world for decades.  He has been working in insurance in different roles throughout his career and knows the industry inside and out.  What he shares is both educational and a bit frightening. Listen as Fred Fisher shares hard-earned insights gained through decades in the industry as a claims expert, lawyer, consultant, and author. He uncovers the pitfalls of buying on price alone, exposes the risks of working with “order-taker” insurance agents, and explains why business owners need to demand more from their insurance brokers. Enjoy! Visit Fred at: https://www.fishercg.com Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Pursuing law to help artists 06:12 Understanding legal claim complexities 14:22 Undisclosed potential claims risk 17:01 Handling an insurance claim oversight 23:41 Managing legal risks and disclosures 31:51 Handling policy order requests 36:00 How Farmers handles declines 39:30 Unexpected renovation challenges 44:34 Understanding building code coverage 48:41 Understanding tech liability policies 55:16 Delayed claims denial examples 01:01:21 Restrictive insurance policy drafting 01:09:55 Choosing not to compete anymore 01:12:29 Challenges in insurance claims handling 01:19:56 Treating renewals as new business 01:22:53 Program introduction and sponsorships Podcast Transcription: Fred Fisher [00:00:00]: I used to tell my staff, never take a renewal for granted. Treat every renewal as new business because our competitor will. They're going to dive deep, they're going to find a hole, they're going to find out that our insured's doing something new that we didn't know about, that that we're not covering. And they can. So treat every renewal as new business because our competitor is going to do that because it is new business for them. So either we dig deep and compete or we lose the account. James Kademan [00:00:31]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, the Bold Business Book and as well as Live Switch. And today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Fred Fisher of Fisher Consulting. And Fred, I gotta say I'm excited. Though you probably don't hear this very often, I'm excited to talk insurance with you. Fred Fisher [00:01:05]: That's, that's really interesting. That's the fastest way to clear the room is. Oh yeah, we're talking about insurance tonight. James Kademan [00:01:10]: We're going to talk about insurance. I got a thing at that place, right? Fred Fisher [00:01:14]: Absolutely. James Kademan [00:01:14]: No, I'm, I am super excited for a few reasons, right? One, I have some property insurance that's due, so it's top of mind. Two, I live in southern Wisconsin and we just got hit with I think four out of five days. We had hail, there's tornadoes. I got some buddies that had some baseball size hail. And I'm like, man, if I was an insurance company, I'd be like, oh, we gotta write checks. We're supposed to collect the checks, not write them. So anyways, it's top of mind. Fred Fisher [00:01:43]: That's the product though, that's the whole problem. The claim department is where, and this is a quote from a colleague of mine, Chantelle Roberts. The claim department is where the product is produced. James Kademan [00:01:57]: Ah, I like it. Fred Fisher [00:01:59]: I do too. And I will never take credit for it. It's Chantel's. No, she's a phenomenal professional. James Kademan [00:02:06]: That's awesome. So tell me a story about your business and how you got started by accident. Nah, as per usual, it's all good. Fred Fisher [00:02:15]: You know, up until recently, the insurance industry has never been a destination profession. Everybody got into it by accident. You don't go to business school, say, I want to be working for an insurance company. That just does not happen. It Is more so now, though, because more and more colleges and universities do have risk management insurance curriculums, which is unnecessary. But for me, when I went to University of California, berkeley in the 60s, at least I think I did, and I graduated with a social science field major, but I'm more of a gestalt thinker. And so I couldn't just take political science because what good is that without knowing something about journalism or know something about sociology or know something about psychology? In the real world, all that works together. And so that's why I did a social science field major. Fred Fisher [00:03:06]: But when you graduate with a degree like that, where you're going to end up is probably selling life insurance, which is exactly what happened. But I intentionally had already enrolled in law school to go at night. And the reason I did that and the reason why it was intentional is back then, everybody wanted to be a lawyer. And so unless you really were smart, you didn't get into the top law schools. And even then, if, even if you did, if you didn't graduate in the top 10% of your class, you probably didn't have a job waiting for. James Kademan [00:03:36]: For you. Wow. Fred Fisher [00:03:38]: And I didn't, you know, and I didn't want to work for corporate America or whatever anyways. I wanted to be an entertainment lawyer. I wanted to represent artists and musicians because I had a lot of friends who were artists and musicians in Berkeley, in the Bay Area at that time. And I thought, well, I could help protect them, you know, from the evil of corporate America, what have you. And one thing led to another, and I got a job as a law clerk eventually. And the other reason I did this too, is because if you went to the top law schools, like I said, you wouldn't have a job. But if you went to a night law school and you could get a job in the legal industry during the day, you had a job waiting for you was 90%. I like those odds. Fred Fisher [00:04:15]: I like those odds. So I ended up kind of getting a job as a law clerk in what was called an insurance defense law firm. And I have nothing but good experience from that. The gentleman who was heading that firm up, and we were all employees of an insurance company, so this was in house counsel. And he loved teaching, he loved young people and helping them really learn. And as a result, you, if you work there, you, you could move to another law firm, you know, after a year and a half or so, and one thing led to another, and I did that. And then I. And then, unfortunately, the partner of that law firm, after eight months, decided, well, we don't really need a law clerk. Fred Fisher [00:04:57]: What we need is somebody who's licensed and can do Fred's job and also go to court, you know, on minor motions, so. Enough to send somebody heavy out. And so I got laid off. Boo. Yeah. But he actually did me a favor. I had friends that were work. I had a couple of friends that were working at this claim adjusting firm, and they were doing something I didn't even know existed. Fred Fisher [00:05:19]: They were handling nothing but what were called professional liability claims. They were handling cases against lawyers, insurance agents, real estate brokers, medical malpractice, which I stayed away from. A little too real for me. And oddball stuff for Lloyd's of London, including Seedman Zo, you know, for companies that manufacture seed, you know, for. For farmers, so to speak. James Kademan [00:05:42]: Yeah. Fred Fisher [00:05:42]: Coat it with this little clay stuff so that it could be put into a mechanical planter so they could have control over one seed every six inches. How do you like that? I mean, if you're. If you're going to be planting seed in 500 acres, you know, that's a lot of seed if you don't manage it correctly. And it's really expensive. So this was a whole different world. And so I handled a claim involving that where nothing grew. 500 acres, nothing. It was like what happened. Fred Fisher [00:06:12]: You know, I'll never forget the phrase necrosis of the cotyledon boy. There's a federal regulation on it, and I'll never forget it. But it was interesting work and I was good at it. And especially when it came to lawyers and insurance brokers, you had what was called a claim within a claim. I mean, at first you had to decide that the attorney screwed up or did the insurance broker screw up, and then what was the underlying matter they were working on? Because that's where the damages are, supposedly. And so you didn't know whether you were with an attorney malpractice case, whether you were going to handle a personal injury statute of limitations problem, or the attorney didn't file the lawsuit on time. And then the next case has to do with a merger and acquisition. Wow. James Kademan [00:06:55]: You see, What a variety. Fred Fisher [00:06:56]: Yeah, exactly....

Host Ben Jarboe Takes us through how fishing for him has been since the Governors Open on May 2nd. Curtis Cecchi, a guide with Fox Valley Outdoors, also joins the show to give a look at how the Northwoods fishing has been. He says now is the perfect time to head up there and hook into some trophy smallmouth. This episode is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops in Sun Prairie and Petland in Janesville.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's May Day, and the 365 Amplified crew digs into A Day Without Immigrants, the general strike organized by Voces de la Frontera, and why the day's meaning extends far beyond any single administration. Plus: the Madison school district moves to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary, the Center for Black Excellence and Culture prepares for its grand opening, a Middleton Mandarin teacher earns a 21-state teaching honor, and NFL offensive lineman James Daniels talks about opening a Black-owned bookstore in Sun Prairie. Then, Jeff Oloizia — former New York Times editor and Madison magazine writer — joins to preview his new podcast Writing Forward, celebrating Wisconsin's literary community. And a breaking story on a public health employee charged with drug trafficking raises questions about public trust. Links: "A Day without Immigrants" rallies will take place Friday in Madison, Milwaukee Madison will rename César Chávez Elementary School Middleton High School's Qin Tian honored with 2026 Heartland Chinese Teacher Award A New Chapter: Former Bears, Steelers lineman James Daniels, with wife Erin, opens bookstore in Sun Prairie Appeals Court Judge Pedro Colón announces bid for Wisconsin Supreme Court Takeaways from the Supreme Court's historic Voting Rights Act opinion and what's next for the midterms Public Health Madison Dane County employee arrested, charged with drug trafficking Don't forget to the subscribe to the podcast, bookmark Madison365.com, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Blue Sky, and Instagram for the latest.

Michael Shapiro  - Ketubah.com On How the Artist Gets Inspired for the Ketubah: "There would be a discussion of the couple's values, maybe how they met, maybe where they met, and the artist would be listening for things that were important to them, including things between the lines, maybe that they weren't speaking about, but that they got a sense of" Business owners that become business owners because they learned a craft and saw a need are some of the most fascinating people to speak with. Michael Shapiro learned about Ketubahs and took the bold step of starting https://ketubah.com/.  The website connects ketubah artists with Jewish couples soon to be wed. After speaking with Michael, you learn about his keen awareness of what couples want, what artists can offer and combines this to help couples get a beautiful piece for their special day, and beyond. Listen as Michael explains what it takes to make a great ketubah and how he has built his business around helping others. Enjoy! Visit Michael at: https://ketubah.com/ Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Reviving historical Jewish art forms 04:21 Understanding the Ketubah document 09:03 Ketubah sizing and ceremony use 11:43 Early ketubah art practices 15:12 Blending tech with craftsmanship 16:28 The significance of ketubahs in weddings 22:28 Transition to online services 24:10 Custom calligraphic font for Ketubahs 29:06 Starting the first website 32:02 Early marketing efforts 33:26 Providing custom design options 37:19 Meeting artists in Israel 42:02 Struggling to break even 43:39 Learning to delegate tasks 46:52 Managing through pandemic challenges 50:01 Managing cash flow challenges 53:09 Following your passion and persistence Podcast Transcription: Michael Shapiro [00:00:00]: There are some. It's something that usually the couple, you know, there's been some dream of it for years and years, in some cases since childhood, people have imagined what their wedding day was going to be like. On top of that, add the hopes, dreams and expectations of parents, other family members. So it can be a very stressful thing. So I'm very proud of the fact that at least with the purchase of the ketubah, thanks to my team's expertise, empathy and real human customer service, the ketubah is one thing that you can just relax. It's not something you're going to have to worry about. We're there to hold your hand every step of the way and make sure that everything is absolutely right. James Kademan [00:00:40]: You have found authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link Fun to draw in customers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie calls on call, Extraordinary answering service, both business book as well as live switch. And today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Michael Shapiro of ketubah.com and I gotta say, Michael, I'm excited because we're talking about what looks to be some art that. It's funny, I had no idea stuff like this existed. So let's start with the foundation. What do you do? Michael Shapiro [00:01:18]: Absolutely. So ketubah.com sells ketubahs. What is a ketubah? The ketubah at its core is the Jewish marriage contract. The traditional text of it goes back more than 2,000 years. And there is a tradition which is only a thousand years old, if you will, of making this document into something beautifully written and beautifully decorated. James Kademan [00:01:43]: Is this so thorough? Thousands of years who or thousand years who, I guess. Tell me how that has translated over the course of modern times. Is it essentially the same that it was forever ago? Michael Shapiro [00:01:57]: Very, very interesting. And, and you know, I, I actually just, just published a book that looks into the history of this art form and then brings it up to date because there was a very interesting ebb and flow, which is it all started that the tradition of decorating these started in the land of Israel and in Egypt about a thousand years ago. It then moved through Europe all the way to Spain. And then after the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, it moved all throughout the Mediterranean into the Middle East. Then over time, with the invention of the printing press and the application of the printing press to making inexpensive versions of this, the art form started to die out. From sort of the late 1800s onwards. Then in North America, starting in the early 1970s, some Jewish artists in the United States and in Canada started to bring the art form back to life. And that's what the book is about. Michael Shapiro [00:02:55]: My book is called Ketubah Renaissance and it's about the modern revival of this ancient art form in a North American context. And that really is what made my business possible. James Kademan [00:03:07]: That is incredible. It's so funny something that I would consider this to be pretty major that I must be just living under a rock because I had never heard of these until connecting with you. Michael Shapiro [00:03:18]: Don't feel too badly. I actually, until 1995, I wasn't aware of this tradition either. So my parents and grandparents just had a simple Ketubah, a simple marriage document that was given to them by the rabbi just on a piece of paper filed away. So that was, you know, that was from the period time when this tradition of the beautifully decorated one had died out. So it was only in 1995, when I was studying in Jerusalem, networking with Judaica artists with an idea to open a shop when I came back to came back home to Canada that I met my first Ketubah artist. So don't feel too bad because I didn't know about this tradition either until, well, 30 years ago. And then I started the company. James Kademan [00:04:01]: Right on. That is awesome. So tell me about the contract itself right before we dive into the art, which is probably more fun. Part, tell me about the contract. Is this just a typical copy paste from every other marriage out there or is there some type of a conversation that happens between the parties, the husband, wife, as to what's going to be included there? Michael Shapiro [00:04:21]: So yes and yes. So the handed down text has changed very little up until this period of the Ketubah revival. And it was a revolutionary text for its time. Imagine in biblical times a woman on her own, either because her husband died or because they became divorced. And divorce is allowed in Judaism, not encouraged, but it is allowed in Judaism. Women and her children on their own could be in serious financial straits. So this was a document that basically was a little bit like, if you will, a prenup slash insurance life insurance policy, which is that if she ended up on her own, she would have financial sum that would be available to her so that she and her children would be okay. That very legal text changed very little up until, as I said, the early 1970s. Michael Shapiro [00:05:17]: Around the time, and this was one of the contributing factors that opened up the, the revival of the art form, there started to be A proliferation of texts, and these included texts that went outside of the religious legal framework that the original text had come down. By that time, not all Jews were practicing sort of Orthodox Judaism. Their reform there was conservative and a whole range of texts that were more like what you're mentioning in your question. Many of them now are more like love documents, commitments of shared value, rather than a legalistic sort of a document. James Kademan [00:05:54]: Gotcha. You know, it's interesting because I'm thinking that the. The men are essentially assigned to support the women. So if the guy goes away for whatever reason, divorce, death, whatever woman is taken care of, does it also. I mean, we're in a time now where that could be flipped, where the woman is the one making all the money. So does that go both ways? Michael Shapiro [00:06:12]: You know what? That's a really interesting question. The traditional text, as far as I know, does not take that into account. And the more I would say contemporary texts, they don't get into the financial end of it at all. So I guess in that circumstance, it would really be up to the state laws in terms when a couple divorces to make sure that they're treating each other fairly versus the religious document requiring that. James Kademan [00:06:43]: Right on. And then last question, in regards to the contract itself, is this a legally binding document? So if some. A divorce happens, the spouse can say, hey, or the ex spouse can say, hey, this is. You owe me, according to this. Michael Shapiro [00:06:58]: Well, it's. So it's binding within a Jewish rabbinical court, if you will. It is. There have been some attempts to bring the ketubah to the so sort of, you know, courts of the state, so to speak. I'm not an expert in that field. I don't know how successful they have been. So I guess the answer is kind of yes and kind of no. James Kademan [00:07:20]: All right, fair enough. Let's get into the fun stuff. Tell me about the art side of these. Michael Shapiro [00:07:25]: Okay, so as I mentioned, the art form, it, you know, goes back about a thousand years. It's a very rich art form. And one of the things that I find fascinating is the.

Grant dives deeper into LaFleur's comments from the coaches meetings, and covers more entertaining stories from around the NFL. Is Luke Fickell Figuring It Out? Zach and Ebo check in from Monk's in Sun Prairie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant reacts to the Brewers 14-2 win over the White Sox on Opening Day. Mike Clemens chimes in as he leaves the ballpark, Zach and Ebo check in from Monk's in Sun Prairie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Muir  - J. Muir & Associates P.A. On the Bold Truth: "But long story short, litigation has to be part of your comprehensive business plan." It is always best to have an attorney before you need one, especially in business. Jane Muir is a business attorney that has seen almost everything.  She started her law practice to help entrepreneurs navigate the law. From the basics of forming your business entity to protecting yourself through solid contracts and smart bookkeeping, Jane Muir shares invaluable advice for business owners at every stage. She discusses common pitfalls companies face, such as collecting unpaid invoices, navigating litigation, and when (or if) it's even worth chasing what you're owed. You'll also hear about the often-overlooked power of credit reporting, and why a solid business plan includes preparing for legal disputes, not just dreaming big. Jane Muir gets candid about her own journey: growing up in a family of lawyers, how market downturns led her to start her own practice, and why embracing technology and AI has helped her firm stand out and serve clients more efficiently. Plus, she recommends the essential business books every entrepreneur should read (hint: it's not all about law). Listen as Jane explains what to look for in a great business attorney and how an attorney can help you prevent and solve some issues you may come across. Enjoy! Visit Jane at: http://www.jmuirandassociates.com/ Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Business Entity Options Explained 05:45 "Small Claims: Worth the Chase?" 08:51 "Litigation: A Business Strategy" 12:59 "Enforcing Judgments with Legal Writs" 16:03 "Fighting for Justice and Fees" 18:49 Settlements vs. Trials: Key Insights 21:01 Partnerships and Legal Financial Dynamics 26:20 Beginner Business Tax Tips 28:49 "Credit Reporting Agencies Explained" 33:02 "Gemini and AI Automations" 34:07 Automated Document and Scheduling System 39:03 "Spot, Read, Decide Quickly" 42:00 Vespa Insurance Coverage Gap 46:24 "Starting a Law Firm" 50:33 "Legal Challenges and Opportunities" 51:21 "Assessing Threats and Opportunities" 56:23 Bookkeeping: Your Business Backbone Podcast Transcription: Jane Muir [00:00:00]: in whatever that area is. You could be a painter or a social media marketing person, but if you're not getting your invoices out and getting paid, you're just not going to have a business. Well, that's really so important that we make sure everybody is aware that bookkeeping is the backbone of your business and you might not like it. It might be boring. So you got to find someone who's going to do it for you. But if you don't have your bookkeeping in order, then you're lost and you'll never be able to succeed. James [00:00:39]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumph and successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found on the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, The Bold Business Book, as well as LiveSwitch. Today we are welcoming/preparing to learn from Jane Muir of J. Muir and Associates, PA. Jane, how is it going today? Jane Muir [00:01:09]: It's a beautiful day in Coral Gables. How are you? James [00:01:12]: I am doing well. You know, you and I were chatting right before here about the initials after the name, J. Muir and Associates, the PA. So let's dig into some legal stuff right away. What is the PA? Jane Muir [00:01:26]: Every state has statutes that define the different types of corporate entities that they allow. And in order to tell the public what corporate entity you have, there are little letters at the end of the name of the company, like Inc. or LLC or Co. And those are designed to give notice of what rules and, um, rights and responsibilities apply to that corporate entity. Uh, my entity is called a professional association, which is specific to professionals who hold a license. It can apply to accountants, architects, engineers, lawyers, doctors, and it's essentially a partnership form. Um, which is an option just for licensed professionals. James [00:02:18]: Nice. So that would be in addition to, or instead of an LLC or S corporation, something like that? Jane Muir [00:02:26]: It would be instead of. James [00:02:27]: Uh, instead of. Jane Muir [00:02:28]: A professional group like lawyers or doctors, they can have a PA or a PLLC, or they can have another thing called a limited liability partnership, an LLP. Theoretically, they could have other types of entities to allow non-licensed professionals to participate. Like if, if I were going to start a non-law firm business, for instance, I can have anything I want. It could be an LLC, it can be an Inc. And in Florida, they allow us to kind of make a Frankenstein where we take features of the different statutes and make them into one. Corporate entity that has features of all of them. Uh, but really anything goes and the, the little letters at the end are supposed to just kind of give the public an idea of what to expect. James [00:03:24]: Interesting. Is that, is the PA thing newer or has that been around for a while? Jane Muir [00:03:29]: No, it's ancient. It's, it's one of the earliest corporate forms. James [00:03:33]: Oh, really? Jane Muir [00:03:34]: All right. James [00:03:35]: How cool is that? And just outta curiosity here, why did you or your team choose PA versus LLC or LLP or whatever? Jane Muir [00:03:44]: I think, well, I, I'm the sole shareholder of our firm. We have partners, but, um, I'm the sole shareholder and I just think it's a classic choice. It, to me, it conveys that we're traditional even though We're advanced in technology and we're advanced in, in our approach to managing matters. We, we do want to convey to the public that we're old school lawyers doing real legal work. James [00:04:18]: Right on. I love it. So let's dig into that, Jane. What is, what do you do? Jane Muir [00:04:24]: I'm a business lawyer. I'm located in Miami, Florida. Our firm has offices in Dade, uh, Palm Beach, and, um, opening soon in Alachua County. James [00:04:36]: Nice. Jane Muir [00:04:37]: And we help business owners with their legal issues from mainly contracts and, and issues relating to permits needed or, or business licenses, troubleshooting all kinds of random things that can pop up in a business. Uh, and then the remainder of our practice is commercial litigation. James [00:04:59]: Oh, that sounds like fun. Jane Muir [00:05:01]: I don't, yeah, we deal with a lot of conflict. James [00:05:05]: All right. All right. So let's dig into that cuz that sounds like fun, right? Uh, tell me about the conflicts that a typical business owner or business entity would run into. Jane Muir [00:05:15]: I would say mainly it's collecting money. All right. Or dealing with— James [00:05:20]: it always comes down to money, right? Jane Muir [00:05:21]: Yes. It's always money. James [00:05:23]: All right. Um, and is this because somebody put together a partnership that's bad or more, uh, vendor-customer type relationship? Jane Muir [00:05:32]: We do have the partnerships gone bad, but I would say the majority of our work is vendor and customer relationships. Like someone owes you and you need to sue to force them to pay. James [00:05:45]: All right. So in my extremely limited experience. There is a dollar amount threshold where it's just not worth chasing from the headache and the way the system is set up. I guess in the, the little experience that I had of going to small claims court, it was annoying. It was expensive. And in the end, even when I won, I still didn't get paid. So tell me a story from, uh, what you would like small business to know, small business owners to know when it comes to collecting money, when it comes to dollar amounts. Or who's worth chasing and things like that? Jane Muir [00:06:19]: What a great question. That's, that's my every day. I process that question. What, what the cost benefit analysis is for a litigation. So first you want to know how much is at issue. And let's say if it's under $50,000, I really don't, I usually tell people, don't throw your good money after bad. And the reason is because our average litigation has expenses of about $50,000. And takes 2 to 2.5 years to come to a conclusion. Jane Muir [00:06:50]: Wow. Our, our least expensive litigations are $10,000 to $15,000, and they either resolve early by settlement or we win by default. And then the most expensive litigation we've had so far was a 3-year litigation. It had expenses of like $800,000. We ended in a jury verdict of $6.3 million. So that justified the expense, but whether we're ever going to collect on that is still an open question. So question number 1 is how much is at issue? Does it make it worthwhile to pursue? Then you want to ask, is there a way to recover the fees if you win? Because you don't just want the money you lost, you want to get the fees back. So oftentimes when I consult a business owner, I'm looking at their agreements with their customers and they don't have a prevailing party fee provision, which makes it not really worthwhile to pursue. Jane Muir [00:07:51]: So you want to see if you can collect fees and then you want to see that there's a pocket to pull the money out of either insurance or a property that's not protected by homestead or some other exemption that makes it uncollectible,

It's the end of an era...and the start of a new one! For the last episode of "What Are We Building?" I welcomed Police Chief Kevin Warych to the show. Chief Warych was an open book, willing to discuss staffing challenges, and the impact of the referendum, as well as issues around immigration enforcement and Flock cameras.I also gave an update on my newest venture, Sun Prairie Rising (and the Sun Prairie Rising podcast), along with updates on new condos, Sonic, and the Derby District. Follow @sunprairierising on Facebook and sunprairierising.com for new episodes, news and info!

Hilary Berning - Gio's Garden On the Unrealistic Timelines of Insurance Companies: "It's a 6 to 9 month process just to get a wheelchair. I really need some way to get my son from point A to point B." Families with special needs children already have some challenges.  These families need help and some guidance on where they can get this help.  This is where Gio's Garden comes in. Gio's Garden is a one-of-a-kind therapeutic respite center based in Middleton, Wisconsin, and recently expanded to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Their essential mission: to provide safe, enriching respite care for children with special needs aged 0–7, giving parents the chance to take a break, run errands, or simply breathe. Hilary Berning shares the struggles many of these families face.  From finding a place to care for your child temporarily since you can't just leave your medically complex child with the teenager down the block. Gio's Garden fills that gap with one-on-one care, specially trained staff, and a joyful, home-like atmosphere. Their houses are filled with arts, crafts, sensory rooms, gym equipment, and caring people who “never like to say no” to a family in need. Listen as Hilary explains the needs and complexities of these children and their families and how Gio's Garden is a place that is doing all they can to help these children and their families. Enjoy! Visit at: https://giosgarden.org/ Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Local, Unique, Community Focused" 06:03 Supporting Families Through CLTS 08:49 Greek Life Fundraising Show 11:10 "Sanfilippo Syndrome Journey Shared" 13:51 "Growth, Funding, and Strategic Planning" 19:18 Franchise Expansion Plans 20:56 Inclusive Childcare and Respite Plan 25:14 Emergency Presidency Amid Crisis 27:07 "Sun Prairie Location Announcement" 30:07 "Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis" 35:42 Sun Prairie Studio Renovation Details 38:07 Wiseman Center Connection Insights 40:48 "Planning Ahead for Kids' Safety" 44:38 "New Podcast Venture Launch" 47:10 "Reinventing With Youthful Engagement" 51:00 Nonprofits: Vital, Challenging, Impactful 52:00 Supporting Local Nonprofits Podcast Transcription: Hilary Berning [00:00:00]: Um, because you have the big nationwide organizations, right? Make-A-Wish, Boys and Girls, like they're all over the nation. They've got nationwide people telling them what to do when providing all these things. And then you have organizations like mine, like there's no one else that does this. We are the only one that does it. We're doing it on our own. We are local. We're serving local people. All the money stays here and goes back to the kids. Hilary Berning [00:00:22]: People can really think that through a little bit where we don't have We are local, we're serving local, and we're doing good. Goal and focus on those nonprofits. James Kademan [00:00:35]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumph and successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found on the podcast link from drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Hillary Berning of Gio's Garden. So Hillary, how is it going today? Hilary Berning [00:00:58]: I'm good. Thanks for having me. James Kademan [00:01:00]: So let's start with the foundation here. What is Gio's Garden? Hilary Berning [00:01:03]: So Gio's Garden, so we are a respite center. We are located in Middleton, which is our original location, and we recently just opened a new location in Sun Prairie. James Kademan [00:01:11]: Nice. Hilary Berning [00:01:11]: So what we do is we provide therapeutic respite for children with special needs from ages 0 to age 7. So respite means to take a break. So it's really hard for parents of special needs kids to get a break. James Kademan [00:01:23]: Mm-hmm. Hilary Berning [00:01:23]: Because you can't just leave your special needs child with the teenager down the street. So we provide that opportunity for them to come leave their child with us and they can go and have a break. James Kademan [00:01:33]: Nice. So when you say special needs, tell me the gamut there. Hilary Berning [00:01:36]: We will see, um, everyone with, from autism to cerebral palsy to diabetes, to babies who have had strokes in utero to rare genetic disorders. We have kids with seizure disorders, so we kind of really don't say no very often. There's a few higher-grade medical needs that we can't see, like if they would have a tracheostomy or something like that. But otherwise, we don't— our motto is we don't like to say no. James Kademan [00:02:04]: Fair. And what does the care look like? Because I imagine it's not just an empty room. Hilary Berning [00:02:09]: It isn't, no. So our original location in Middleton, it's a house. It's a 100-year-old house. But we have specific rooms set up for different activities. So we have a sensory room. A lot of our kids have sensory sensory issues. So it's a quiet, subdued room where they can go and have quiet time. We have a reading room. Hilary Berning [00:02:26]: We have an arts and craft room. We have a gym that has swings that hang from the ceiling and an indoor play structure that kids can play on. Wow. Um, in Middleton, we also have outdoor, um, fenced-in yards so kids can run around and we have a place, a play structure out there as well. James Kademan [00:02:42]: Okay. I imagine you need people to be there present, right? Hilary Berning [00:02:45]: Absolutely. Yes. James Kademan [00:02:46]: It sounds like you'd need a lot. Hilary Berning [00:02:47]: We need a lot of staff. Yeah. So we provide one-on-one care. Oh, you do? Oh, wow. For every child that's in our care, they have an adult with them. James Kademan [00:02:54]: Okay. Hilary Berning [00:02:55]: So we currently have, including our executive director, 6 full-time employees. And then we have around 24 part-time employees that kind of comes and goes depending on the semester. James Kademan [00:03:06]: Okay. Hilary Berning [00:03:06]: And then we have a ton of volunteers that work with us. We are blessed to be in the Madison area where we have 3 colleges essentially that we can pull from and a lot of students who are going into medical fields or educational fields or occupational therapy or recreational therapy who need experience working with children with special needs. So we're able to provide that opportunity for them. So we're lucky that we have a large pool of students to pull from. James Kademan [00:03:33]: That's amazing. Hilary Berning [00:03:34]: But also means we have a lot of turnover and their availability changes every semester. James Kademan [00:03:38]: So that's just the nature of students. Hilary Berning [00:03:40]: It's just the nature of the, the, our staff that we work with just because we working with students, but we're blessed to have them and we, we give to them just as much as they give to us. James Kademan [00:03:50]: So nice. Hilary Berning [00:03:50]: It's really great. James Kademan [00:03:52]: So I got a lot of questions for you. Hilary Berning [00:03:53]: Nice. James Kademan [00:03:53]: So I'm gonna try to keep on task somehow. How do you let the students know that you exist even as an opportunity for them? Hilary Berning [00:04:00]: So we are on like all the job boards, like through the university and we're well connected within the different disciplines in the universities at Edgewood and at UW and at, is it Madison College? MATC? I don't— sure. James Kademan [00:04:13]: Sounds good. Hilary Berning [00:04:13]: Yeah. Yeah. So we are heavily involved in word word just kind of has gotten out about us and the people. And there's a special program, especially at UW-Madison, where they can get— part of a class credit is to volunteer at organizations. So they know about us. So they send a lot of students our way as well. James Kademan [00:04:29]: Gotcha. I imagine there's an interview process. Hilary Berning [00:04:32]: There is. Yep. There is an interview process. It's not just like, hey, come on in. Yes. There's a background check that we put all of our employees through. And it all varies depending on if you're coming in as a volunteer basis or you're coming in as a paid employee. James Kademan [00:04:44]: Okay. Hilary Berning [00:04:44]: Because your level of Um, if you're coming in as a volunteer, you're kind of paired with a full-time or part-time paid staff member, um, versus we won't just have 6 volunteers and 6 kids in the house at once. We will have paid staff to kind of help balance with that. James Kademan [00:05:01]: All right, let's talk funding. Hilary Berning [00:05:03]: Funding is— with nonprofits, yes, it is. My life revolves around funding quite a bit. James Kademan [00:05:08]: With for-profits, it's a big deal. Hilary Berning [00:05:10]: It really is. Yes. James Kademan [00:05:11]: Tell me a story. The parents of the children, are they paying? Hilary Berning [00:05:15]: They, yes and no. So when we first, when they first started opening Gio's Garden back in 2012 is when they opened their doors. It was a small subset of parents that got together and be like, we need help, we need help. We have special needs kids and there's no one to help us. So they, the idea of Gio's Garden was born. It's named after Charlotte de Lassiter. She used to be on Channel 3 News and her husband, Ron, it's their son Gio. Okay.

In celebration of Women's History Month, this week's episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and MassPotential's Mary Tamer speak with Roxana Robinson to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe, the pioneering artist often called the “Mother of American Modernism.” Drawing from Robinson's 1989 biography Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life, she traces O'Keeffe's life from the farmlands of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to the bustling cultural landscape of early 20th-century New York City and to North Central New Mexico. The artist's reverence for natural landscapes, color, and light was shaped by her rural Midwestern upbringing and formal artistic training in Virginia. Robinson explains how O'Keeffe's stark transition to city life is reflected in her artwork, which often explores the line between modernism and traditional landscape painting. O'Keeffe's personal and professional relationship with celebrated photographer and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz marked another major turning point in her life and career. While Stieglitz championed her artistic talent, O'Keeffe also became the subject of more than 350 of his photographic portraits—some sparking public acclaim and controversy, while also helping shape her carefully constructed public image. Ms. Robinson further explores O'Keeffe's most famous works including Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue and Ram's Head, White Hollyhock – Hills, as well as her large-scale, magnified floral paintings, Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 and Red Canna. From O'Keeffe's early abstract experiments to her late-life desert visions, Robinson shares how the artist's expansive body of work reshaped American art and left a legacy that continues to inspire artists, scholars, and students in the 21st century. She closes with a reading from her book Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life.

Hosts: Rob Chappell, Stephanie Díaz de León, Omar Waheed Dee Star's big moment: Three major milestones for Dee Star, host of the OuttaDeeBox podcast: February 3 has been declared Dee Star Day in Sun Prairie; the Out of Dee Box podcast will be the first podcast enshrined at the Wisconsin History Museum and the Sun Prairie Historical Society; and he's receiving a legislative citation for community impact. Omar caught up with him about what it all means. Hip-hop in the classroom: Omar visited Kennedy Elementary to check out a hip-hop artist residency featuring Lex, a clean hip-hop artist, author, poet, DJ and educator. Lex spent two weeks visiting 16 MMSD schools, performing and helping kids process emotions through music — and it was anything but a corny after-school special. School funding crunch: MMSD is already laying groundwork for next year's budget, and the outlook isn't great. The hosts dig into why: a state legislature that funds only about 5% of school district budgets (compared to 60-70% in Minnesota), federal special education cuts, and a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's funding model as unconstitutional. Dane County's $31 million problem: Rob obtained a budget memo showing the county faces a roughly $31 million deficit heading into 2027, as post-COVID surpluses dry up and health insurance and employee costs climb. Balancing the budget could mean cutting around 241 full-time positions. Only one county supervisor responded to Rob's request for comment. County contracting review: County Executive Melissa Agard has ordered a comprehensive review of county contracting practices. Rob spoke with Agard, Human Services Director Josh Luter, and several nonprofit leaders. The recurring theme: a need for greater transparency in bidding, scoring and feedback — plus structural issues like one-year contracts for five-year projects with no built-in cost-of-living increases. On the radar: Stephanie flags the November 3 election, which will include a Republican-backed constitutional amendment that would prohibit DEI policies at any state government entity, including UW. Also coming up: spring county board elections with a few competitive races. Question of the week: How big would a worm have to be before you'd tell somebody about it? We're hiring!  

Jake Isham - Creative Minds On Knowing Who You Are Competing Against For Views: "You're not competing with your competitors anymore. You're not competing with this podcast right here. You're not competing with other entrepreneurial podcasts. You're competing with Netflix. You're competing with Coca-Cola." Marketing as a business owner is necessary.  Jake Isham argues that marketing yourself, essentially as your business, can help your marketing explode.  People buy from people they like and they trust.  and they need to know you, in order to trust you. To help entrepreneurs with this marketing need, Jake Isham built his marketing agency, Creative Minds.  Drawing from his own experience as a filmmaker and marketer, Jake Isham shares actionable insights on how entrepreneurs can leverage their personal brand to drive revenue, why social proof matters, and the importance of consistency in content creation. Plus, hear why being the “face” of your business isn't just about fame.  It is a strategic move for building lasting trust and relationships. Listen as Jake explains what tools to use (which you probably already have) to grow your marketing in this world that has the largest opportunity that we have ever seen for a brand to grow so quickly. Enjoy! Visit Jake at: https://jakeisham.com Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Actors and Entrepreneurs: Business Challenges 08:00 "Personal Branding Mindset Shift" 12:18 Accidental Path to Creative Agency 21:13 "PR: Perceived Reality Redefined" 24:41 "Authentic Marketing in TikTok Era" 31:24 Know Your Audience First 37:37 "Roofing Content for Local Needs" 40:23 "Finding Your Core Principles" 46:40 Personal Branding Through Authenticity 52:23 Consistency and Learning in Content 57:56 Consistency Builds Niche Recognition 01:01:22 Overcoming Paralysis Through Action 01:05:46 "Creative Minds Digital Show" Podcast Transcription: Jake Isham [00:00:00]: And it's the same thing, you know, to go back to kind of that conversation that we had at the very beginning about actors is that they know acting. They don't know how to run a business. A buddy of mine who is a very successful entrepreneur gives this speech all the time when he does seminars, which is, you know, you're a car mechanic, you're the top car mechanic at the shop and you see the boss making all the money and you're like, well, screw him. I wanna open up my own car shop until you realize you have to understand HR, accounting, Promotion, sales, marketing, advertising. Like, that's what the boss did. Yeah, there's a couple things to it more than just turning it into all the risk. Yeah. James Kademan [00:00:39]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls on Call Extraordinary Answering Service, The Bold Business Book, as well as LiveSwitch. And today we're welcoming/preparing to learn from Jake Eicham of Creative Minds. So Jake, we're talking marketing today, right? Jake Isham [00:01:10]: Yes, sir. James Kademan [00:01:11]: I am super excited because I don't— I've been in this marketing kick and I was talking actually with a— I'm going to call it a friend of mine who's in the marketing world way deeper than me. And it was interesting, the conversation that we had. So I'm excited to talk marketing more with you. It's just top of mind. So, and all businesses need it. So let's get started. First up, what is Creative Minds? Jake Isham [00:01:35]: We're a creative agency based in Los Angeles. We've done over a billion views online, driving millions in revenue for our clients. And we focus on helping build personal brands and really helping that entrepreneur scale their attention so that they, you know, because at the end of the day, attention drives revenue. James Kademan [00:01:56]: Interesting. Now you touched on something there and I want to dig into this a little bit because another conversation I had was the, it's kind of like chicken and egg thing or nature nurture. It was personal brand versus company brand. Which one do you push? So you as a marketer, if we were to ask you that question. Jake Isham [00:02:14]: It depends a little bit on the industry and the entrepreneur who I'm talking to, but you could say what's gonna beat out in my opinion is personal brand. James Kademan [00:02:25]: All right. Jake Isham [00:02:26]: Because at the end of the day, most entrepreneurs don't stick with one business, just majority, you know? James Kademan [00:02:36]: Yeah, yeah, you're not wrong. Jake Isham [00:02:37]: They sell or they give up or they, or whatever, you know, life comes around. And personal brand, you know, I think one of the individuals who's done it the best regardless of politics is Elon Musk. You look at what he's been able to do as a marketer and as an entrepreneur, purely that, right? James Kademan [00:02:58]: Right. Jake Isham [00:02:58]: This isn't a politics show. James Kademan [00:03:00]: Right, right. Jake Isham [00:03:02]: Yeah, it reminds me of, uh, have such an ultimate personal brand to be able to do that. Another gentleman who came before him was Steve Jobs. He was the face of Apple. And to be honest, if we look at the era of Steve Jobs Apple versus Tim Cook Apple, it's not as good. James Kademan [00:03:23]: Not even close. Yeah. Jake Isham [00:03:24]: Not a force to be reckoned with, but because that was a personal brand also, even though it was a company brand. And, you know, and I'm gonna take, I'll go one step further on this, right? People will, you know, bring up the example of sports and Nike. All right, Phil Knight is not a personal brand. Yes, but what he did was really intelligent. He's not a top athlete, but he got the best athletes to be the personal brand of the brand Nike, right? He got MJ, he got Kobe, he got LeBron. Like, he got these top individuals to be the personal brand of Nike, right? James Kademan [00:04:02]: It makes sense. Makes sense. It reminds me of, uh, somebody was, uh, there's an article that I was reading, I'm sorry, that was talking about these tribes in way out in Africa, and they had heard of Michael Jackson. Wow. I didn't know anybody else famous, right, that we would relate to. I mean, we're talking the '80s here, but they knew Michael Jackson. Like, it had reached like Coca-Cola and Michael Jackson. It had reached that far. Jake Isham [00:04:28]: He, I mean, he is the ultimate persona of you know, the greatest personal brand to ever have done it. He was literally the biggest celebrity on the planet as your example right there. James Kademan [00:04:41]: Yeah, surreal. So, let's dig deeper into that. How do you market yourself as a personal brand knowing, and this is the caution that I have, or I should say the concern that I have, is you market yourself as your personal brand. Now, you always have to be on and you always have to be that voice, or you always have to be pumping out content that you can't necessarily farm out to anyone else because they're not you. So you have to give all the presentations and do all the things. So tell me about that. Jake Isham [00:05:14]: But that's— I, I have two things. The first overall is that's the, that's the business you're going getting into. If that, that is the roles and responsibilities of a CEO. That is like, all right, then don't be a CEO. Don't be an executive. Like, look, you don't have to do a personal brand. I'm gonna 100%, I know lots of millionaires and a few billionaires who you could not point out in a crowd, who you could never name by, like, you would never know their name, never know anything about them. And they are unbelievably successful. Jake Isham [00:05:49]: Okay. 100%. So I'm not saying, oh, you have to or you will never be successful, but if it's just a different path and it's a different— again, it depends on that niche you're in. If you want to be like hyper B2B, you can slightly stay, but you're still going to be known within your industry. Like your personal brand doesn't have to reach the millions of people, right? If you say you service the top 100 law firms in the US, you still have to be the personal brand that is known by those top 100 law firms in the US. Now, Joe in Iowa doesn't need to know you, but you, Better make sure every partner in all those top 100 law firms know you so you can service them. And that's where the personal brand is so important. Like, you know, I mean, as simple as this, you think about like, it's silly, I forgot this example until now. Jake Isham [00:07:04]: Some of the biggest brands that we know were all personal brands. Ford. It's a guy's last name. Walt Disney. That's his name. There was a dude named Walt, last name Disney. J.P. Morgan. Jake Isham [00:07:23]: These are, these are just people, and they literally built a company based on their name. So That's where it's like, again, personal brand is everything. And you don't have to name the company after your name, but there's an aspect of knowing who's running the company, who's the face of the company, who— where does the buck stop, who's leading it? And I think that's where it's so important. So that's kind of— I know I got off a little bit of a tangent on your question, but— James Kademan [00:07:57]: Oh, you're good, you're good. That's the game. Jake Isham [00:08:00]: It's a mindset shift that a lot of entrepreneurs get scared. Oh,

Vance Morris - Deliver Service Now Institute On the Customer Experience: "Every detail in your business is either enhancing or detracting from the experience. There is no middle ground." Many businesses focus on customer acquisition, but not all businesses focus on customer retention.  Some businesses just have a hard time figuring out what to do beyond being nice to retain customers. Vance Morris has taken his Disney work experience, along with his other life experiences and created a coaching platform to teach business leaders how to retain customers.  He does this by teaching these entrepreneurs how to build their brand by expanding the positive perceptions their customers have of their business, by giving these customers wonderful experinces as they do business.  Helping their customers feel something almost magical. Vance reveals the power and profitability of focusing on the customer experience. You'll hear how small details can set your business miles ahead of the competition, why customer retention often beats new lead generation, and how “Disney-fying” your business can create raving, repeat customers. Plus, Vance Morris discusses creative, actionable low-cost ideas to wow your clients, and explains why any business, from the boring financial services to routine oil changes, can become a premium brand with the right approach. Listen as Vance explains how you can make doing business with you something clients actually look forward to. Enjoy! Visit Vance at: https://vancemorris.com/ Also at: https://wow52ways.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Customer Retention and Experience" 06:21 "Franchise Search After Corporate Exit" 09:15 "Flexible Franchise and Challenges" 11:13 "Contract Dispute Leads to Exit" 16:15 Grassroots Marketing Success Steps 18:55 "Recruiting College Students Effectively" 21:35 "Importance of Personal Thank You" 26:39 Mold Removal and Home Renewal 27:46 "Fogging Walls with Pencil Holes" 32:55 Networking Leads to Unexpected Opportunities 34:15 Disney's Lesson: Attention to Detail 37:22 Kwik Trip vs. BP Station 41:35 Chick-fil-A Ownership Model Explained 46:12 "Building Fanatical Brand Loyalty" 48:42 Differentiation Through Office Experience 51:36 "Transforming Financial Advisor Client Experience" 54:29 Professional Technician Standards Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Vance Morris [00:00:00]: So now she can charge whatever price she wants to charge, but she still was just a dentist. I said, we've gotta niche down. So I said, who do you like working with? She said, oh, I love working with the kids. I said, okay, great. Let's just have you be a pediatric dentist. So now you work with them from, you know, 2 to 18. And after that, they— you don't talk to them. And I said, okay, great. Vance Morris [00:00:20]: Now you specialize. So you're gonna get a little bit more, um, elasticity in your pricing. You'll be able to charge more cuz you're a specialist. I said, but you need, you need something from your personality to really make this work. I said, what's your favorite movie? And she says, Peter Pan. Great. So you're going to be the pirate dentist. So she dresses up like Captain Hook. James Kademan [00:00:40]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found on the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls on Call Extraordinary Answering Service, The Bold Business Book, and LiveSwitch. Today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Vance Morris of Deliver Service Now Institute. So Vance, how is it going today? Vance Morris [00:01:09]: It is fantastic, James. Hopefully we'll drop a couple of golden nuggets today. James Kademan [00:01:14]: That's, uh, that's the goal here. So why don't we start with what is the— oh my gosh, what was it? Deliver Service Institute? Deliver Service Now Institute? Vance Morris [00:01:21]: Yep. James Kademan [00:01:22]: All right. What is that? What is that? Vance Morris [00:01:24]: That's a great question. It is a place where, um, I teach business owners, entrepreneurs, uh, really about customer retention. Cause there's a lot of gurus out there that are, you know, can give you, you know, 10,000 leads by Monday afternoon and, you know, you know, flakebook ads, Google, all that stuff. There's not a lot of folks focusing on retention. Um, and then of course, in order to have retention, you've gotta have great customer experiences. So those are the two areas that I really focus on. Um, you know, showing businesses how to— word I've been using a while is Disney-fy. So taking all of the boring mundane things that we have to do day in and day out in the business, uh, finding a way to create an experience out of them. Vance Morris [00:02:12]: So that we become memorable, uh, we're top of mind, um, and, uh, you know, people are doing that, uh, word-of-mouth marketing for us. James Kademan [00:02:22]: Nice. So tell me, how do you get involved in this? Vance Morris [00:02:26]: That's a great question. Um, well, here in Maryland, I have, uh, 3 home service businesses, so I'm, I'm not one of those consultants that have never done anything. James Kademan [00:02:36]: I read a few books, right? Vance Morris [00:02:38]: You know, yeah, you know, I went to consulting school, I got the little, you know, thing. No, it's not, not who I am. So I own 3 home service businesses here in Maryland, mold remediation company, Oriental rug washing facility, and a traditional carpet cleaning company. All very sexy businesses, I will tell you. James Kademan [00:02:56]: Yeah, super duper. Well, they're based on dirt and— Yeah, right. Vance Morris [00:03:00]: Dirt and all the good stuff. James Kademan [00:03:01]: Right. Vance Morris [00:03:03]: So, you know, I— when I started those businesses, I've had them now for 19 years. Um, I knew that I was going to be aiming for an affluent client. I didn't want to be, you know, scrubbing down and dirty rentals and things like that. I wanted to, you know, really have a premium service just like Disney, uh, for affluent clients. And so from day one, that is the direction that I went with my marketing, with the service, with the experiences. Um, after a few years, um, people started asking me, you know, Vance, you don't look like you're working too hard. Um, What's your secret? How do you do it? Um, so I said, well, it's really simple. This is actually the first thing I learned. Vance Morris [00:03:44]: I worked for Disney for 10 years. First thing I learned there was that Disney runs on systems. They got marketing systems, operation systems. You wanna learn— you wanna change a tire on a bus, they got a system for that. Carry a tray in a restaurant, they got a system for that. So all I really did was take all of that, put it into those businesses. Um,, and 7 years ago I actually was able to hire, uh, a GM and fast forward to today, I spend about 90 minutes a week on, on those 3 businesses. James Kademan [00:04:16]: Very cool. Very cool. And how do you— let's just take these one by one, cuz I imagine you didn't start all 3 of those businesses at the same time. Vance Morris [00:04:25]: Did not. James Kademan [00:04:26]: Nope. And I would imagine carpet cleaning came first. Vance Morris [00:04:29]: It did. All right. Yes. Um, and actually I, I, uh, started with a franchise. Um, you know, because I— it had a great proven concept. You know, I was new to business ownership. I'd been in, you know, corporate muckety-muck for 20-plus years. And so I needed something that had a system behind it. Vance Morris [00:04:51]: So I was with the franchise system for about 15 years and then jettisoned it and went out on my own. Along the way, you know, people— I hated walking into people's homes And stepping over things that I could be cleaning, but I didn't know how. When tile floors, wood floors, Oriental rugs. Uh, so I was like, well, might as well add Oriental rug washing. Nobody is doing it in our area. Um, and so we added that service. It was great. I already had a built-in customer base. Vance Morris [00:05:23]: All I had to do was go to them and market that service and boom, we were up and running. Um, and then about, uh, 6 years ago we added the mold company. Again, we had the existing customer base. I mean, I got 10,000 names in my database. Just had to market to them and say, hey, uh, we are now in the mold business. If you like this for cleaning, you'll love us for mold. Well, not love us, but you know what I mean? James Kademan [00:05:47]: Yeah, right. Nobody's in a good mood when they have mold. Vance Morris [00:05:50]: Nobody's in a good mood for that. James Kademan [00:05:52]: So tell me a story with, uh, franchise. Let's back up. I mean, we're talking a long time ago, so yeah, way back when machine here. How did you choose which carpet cleaning franchise to use or to join? Because there's hundreds, probably thousands of them. And that's a, that's a big, that's a big ask to figure out what you're gonna do. Cuz the equipment's expensive. The capital outlay's pretty intense. It is. James Kademan [00:06:16]: The theories and the marketing and all that kind of stuff. Some are well known, some are not. Tell me about that. Vance Morris [00:06:21]: So yeah, I worked with a, um, I didn't know these things existed, but I worked with a franchise headhunter, um, after I left corporate, uh, world. And, you know,

Grant talks about the increasing likelihood the Bears move to Indiana, which leads to a larger conversation about urban sprawl. Does Pat Murphy need a small tweak to his messaging? Zach and Ebo check in from Monks in Sun Prairie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Bowker - Mindful Insurance Agency On Common Mistakes in Medical Billing: "She ended up getting a bill for $14,000 for a pee test." Health insurance in the United States is a pain.  We all know that.  As business owners, we often get stuck needing to shop for our own insurance.  Only during certain times of year and only with all of these rules.  But how do you buy health insurance, without going crazy? There is a marketplace, but it isn't exactly like going to buy grapes.  It helps to have an expert on your side, as with most things.  In this case, the expert offers their expertise at no additional cost to you. Taylor Bowker is the health insurance expert.  She started Mindful Insurance Agency to help people navigate the murky waters of health insurance.  As an entrepreneur, a business owner with multi-state employees, or someone simply trying to make sense of the marketplace, this episode breaks down the trends, challenges, and solutions in health insurance. Listen as Taylor offers tips on choosing the right coverage, using HSAs, and understanding group versus individual enrollment periods. Enjoy! Visit Taylor at: https://mindfulinsuranceagency.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Starting My Own Business" 05:11 Health Insurance vs. Cost Sharing 12:34 Cost Challenges in Employee Insurance 19:59 "Updating Marketplace Applications Challenges" 26:40 "$14K Surprise Medical Bill" 29:26 "Health Insurance Subsidy Reduction Impact" 37:36 Snowbirds, Coverage, and Emergencies 38:45 Healthcare Coverage Tips by Age 45:35 "Streamlined Application Support Platform" 51:59 "Insurance Enrollment Rules Explained" 55:45 Employee Coverage Plan Explanation 01:01:10 "Specializing in Individual Coverage" 01:08:09 QSEHRA Benefits and Marketplace Savings 01:11:50 "HSA Usage and Restrictions" 01:16:07 FSA Contributions and Usage Rules Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Taylor Bowker [00:00:00]: I saw the largest health insurance increase of my entire career this past open enrollment because these folks no longer qualified for a subsidy because their income— your income could literally go a dollar over the threshold to receive a subsidy and you no longer qualify for $1,000 a month's worth of savings. You could owe, you know, $12,000, $13,000, $14,000, $15,000 back at tax time if you go even a dollar over. So that's kind of where the issue lies. James [00:00:35]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we are welcoming slash preparing to learn from Taylor Belker of Mindful Insurance Agency. So Taylor, How is it going today? Taylor Bowker [00:00:59]: Hello. Good. Staying warm or attempting to. James [00:01:02]: Wisconsin, here we are. So tell me a story. What is Mindful Insurance Agency? Taylor Bowker [00:01:07]: Oh, sure. So at Mindful Insurance Agency, we assist individuals and businesses get health insurance, health, dental, and vision. And we are a brokerage. So we are essentially the middle person between the members and the health insurance carriers and just try to advise and educate and help people get health insurance. James [00:01:30]: Right on. How do you end up in health insurance? Taylor Bowker [00:01:33]: Well, um, so I started in the insurance industry back in 2012. I was 5 years old. I'm just kidding, I was a little bit older than that. Um, yes, yes, yes. Um, so I started very entry-level job at an agency in Waunakee, around town here. Um, again, just doing very entry-level things. And then I shortly got promoted to a business development role. Um, and then from there, there there was a different agency hiring that was focusing on health insurance, and I was ready for a change. Taylor Bowker [00:02:11]: They needed a customer service rep, front desk person, so I went there to work, and within a year of me working there, they actually asked me if I wanted to become an agent or a broker, and I had never thought that that was something I wanted to do. Insurance, it can be a very just like cutthroat kind of a situation with sales and quotas and things like that. And that always kind of made me a little nervous. But I am very much a people person. So I, you know, I thought, why not? Let's give it a try. So I got licensed and became an agent back in 2016 now. And then, so started as an agent there doing health, dental, and vision, like I said. And then back in 2019, I decided to start my own business. James [00:03:05]: So that's awesome. Taylor Bowker [00:03:05]: Yeah, I've been doing that for 6 years now. James [00:03:08]: So what was the motivator to start your own gig versus just maintaining with where you were at? Sure. Taylor Bowker [00:03:12]: Yeah. Well, I guess I've always kind of just been somebody who works just, I prefer to kind of be on my own. Being my own boss sounded really great. I was in a group of individuals at the time and other business owners, the group that you're in with me now where we met. And again, there were just a lot of business owners there and they were doing a really good job of owning a business. And it just sounded like a feasible option for me and something that I wanted to do. I also felt like I kind of had learned everything I really could being at the place I was at previously. So I figured, you know, why not give it a shot and rip the Band-Aid off? And it's been, yeah, it's been working out well so far. Taylor Bowker [00:04:00]: So that's good. James [00:04:01]: Right on. Taylor Bowker [00:04:02]: Yeah. James [00:04:02]: So has health insurance changed much over the past, what are we talking, 9, 10 years? Taylor Bowker [00:04:08]: Sure. So I would say yes, yes and no. So I think the biggest thing that's changed is rates, insurance rates. James [00:04:19]: They keep going down. Taylor Bowker [00:04:20]: Yeah, that would be amazing. No, similar to a lot of other things, they just keep increasing and by a lot, especially the last couple years. So a lot of other products have come into play to try to help mitigate those premium costs for people. There's a lot of other products out there now that aren't necessarily health insurance as it is defined by, you know, the commissioner of insurance, if you will, or the government. But there are other products out there that are designed similarly to help people, you know, still get the care that they need and save money on their premiums and their out-of-pocket costs. So I would say prices have changed and other products have been developed in the market to try to help with those pieces. James [00:05:08]: And other products, you mean, I guess, help me what you mean by other understand products. Taylor Bowker [00:05:11]: Sure, yeah. So obviously you have typical health insurance. This would be either through, it's all kind of under the Obamacare umbrella as we've known it for a while now. It can be a group plan through an employer that you work with, or it can be an individual plan on the marketplace or direct with an insurance carrier. And that would kind of be your more typical, just average health insurance policy. But as of the last, say, maybe decade, a couple of new products have come out, one of them being referred to as medical cost sharing. So medical cost sharing in layman's terms is essentially a product that you pay a monthly subscription fee for, similar to a premium, and you choose what's called an initial and shareable amount, similar to a deductible, where essentially you're saying, I'm willing to pay this cost upfront in the event that something catastrophic were to happen to me. And so because it's covering you for more catastrophic occurrences and not the full shebang like a regular health insurance policy would,, they tend to be less expensive for certain people in certain situations. Taylor Bowker [00:06:24]: Those types of products also work really well for lucky individuals that are more healthy, that don't necessarily use their benefits all the time, but just want something there in case. That also works well with what's called direct primary care, which is a newer model, at least around the Madison area. It's where you work with a primary care doctor directly. So they're not affiliated with any any hospital systems. You do pay them a small monthly subscription fee to utilize their services. However, it's, it's really very worth it because a direct primary care doctor is always going to make sure they have same-day or next-day appointments available for their patients, which is very unheard of nowadays. Yeah, unfortunately. And then they can also do a myriad of things for you, you know, because you're paying that monthly fee. Taylor Bowker [00:07:18]: They can run labs for a couple of dollars, which is also very crazy to say. They can run prescriptions for people at cost. If you have an appointment with them, it'll be either a 30-minute or an hour-long time block, which again is not very common if you go to a clinic through a hospital system. They can help you with most acute and even urgent care needs as well. So that can just be, yeah, those two things specifically go hand in hand pretty well together. There's also things out there that have been out there for a while, like short-term policies, you know, through UnitedHealthcare or Allstate or something like that. Those can be less expensive for folks,

Wed, Feb 11 6:50 AM → 7:12 AM Monona PD pursuit into Sun Prairie Radio Systems: - DANECOM

Doug Brown - CEO Sales Strategies On Knowing What to Look For: "Number one, we help companies find revenue, hidden revenue that they already paid for but they haven't collected in their bank." There's a funny thing about business, and that is that your entrepreneurial journey will take you places you may have never dreamed of.  This can often mean that you are in a situation, with a business, that you may not fully understand.  That can lead to you leaving money on the table.  So how do you make sure your business sis as profitable as possible? Doug Brown learned these lessons early on.  Trial by fire, similar to how many of us entrepreneurs get taught.  After years of experience and some profitable success, he decided it was time to share his knowledge. From sweeping floors at his father's electric machinery repair shop as a young child to discovering multi-million dollar opportunities inside companies, Doug Brown shares his journey through entrepreneurship, the lessons learned from the trenches, and the emotional impact of helping business owners transform not just their companies, but their lives. Listen as Dough explains some things to look for in your business to make sure you keep of the cash you have earned. Enjoy! Visit Doug at: https://ceosalesstrategies.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Entrepreneurial Journey and Business Insights" 05:29 Early Lessons in Business Leadership 15:06 Medicine to Music Business Shift 16:48 From Medicine to Business Success 25:18 "Straight Talk Changed My Life" 26:58 "Moral Obligation to Guide Others" 33:37 "Connection Builds Rapport" 37:36 "Preventing Revenue Leakage" 43:57 Customer Insights Through Questions 47:42 "Seeking Feedback on Past Missteps" 56:06 Effective Prospecting Leads to Opportunities 01:01:24 "Hiring: Learning and Improvement" 01:03:34 "Preparing for Top Talent" 01:10:10 "Skate to Future Success" Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Doug Brown [00:00:00]: So what they would do is they did a two and a half hour business training and at the end of the, toward the end of the training, they would go around the room and say, hey James, what did you find here? And you go, Well, I found $600,000 in my business, you know, and they go from person to person to person. They were small rooms, they were only like 10 to 20 people. But what they were doing after that, you know, I mean, they were literally finding sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars in these trainings. Right? James Kademan [00:00:30]: You have found Authentic Business Ventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link phone@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, the Bold Business Book and Live Switch. Today we're welcoming Slash, preparing to learn from Doug C. Brown of CEO Sales Strategies. So Doug, how are you doing today? Doug Brown [00:00:59]: James? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me here. I'm so grateful. James Kademan [00:01:02]: Yeah, you know, it's funny, I just came back from a trade show in Florida, so. And when you work in a booth, the name of the game is sales. So I'm excited to talk to you now because maybe I should have talked to you last week before I went to this thing. Let's just lay the foundation. What is CEO Sales strategies? Doug Brown [00:01:19]: So the company itself is a company that does primarily four things. Number one, we help companies find revenue, hidden revenue that they already paid for but they haven't collected in their bank. And I don't mean, you know, outstanding invoices, I mean in the whole customer journey, there are places where revenue just stagnated, stopped, not optimized. Could be, you know, something as simple as pricing dormant clients, lack of follow up, something like that. Where we get in there, we find what that revenue is and we, we go, you know, identify it and then help collect it and put that money in the bank for the folks. We also do that with margins, ebitda, so profit, if you will, in some capacities. We manage or build, you know, teams of sales people as well for companies. And then we end up coaching CEOs and founder led businesses on how to do all of the above. James Kademan [00:02:28]: All right, and how do you get involved in something like this? Imagine you don't. Just, you're not born with sales strategies for CEOs. Doug Brown [00:02:37]: No, no, I actually it started when I was very young. I didn't realize it until, you know, I'm 63. This year and I was doing a podcast and somebody asked me, how did you learn what you're doing? And I actually started working for my father's business when I was three years. And. Yeah, three, all right. Yeah, I was sweeping floors for 25 cents a week. I loved it because they used to bring me to the, to the lunches, you know, so we'd go to like the, the local, you know, pub and grub, if you will, or whatever. They prop me up on the bar stool, give me my Roy Rogers and they'd sit and have business conversations. Doug Brown [00:03:19]: I hear my mother wasn't too pleased they took me to the bars. James Kademan [00:03:22]: But, you know, you learn in all kinds of places. So it's all. Doug Brown [00:03:28]: So, you know, a lot of that stuff when we're with children, it sets in. Like you hear CEOs and business owners talking and, and so along the path, you know, we started selling at 5 or 6 to clients, but it was a family owned business, so the family helped me. And one day I sold a part for $20 and we paid 10 for it. And I realized I was making 25 cents a week at that point, which was still pretty good for that time. But I had to work a whole week for 10 bucks. And I just did this in like six minutes. Right. So what I realized is you can make money by looking at ratios and numbers and that's where it kind of started. Doug Brown [00:04:10]: So even in my dad's business when I was a young boy, I mean, 10 years old, I'm looking at his inventory and trying to figure out, because, you know, when you have inventory at the end of the year, you got to pay taxes on it. And so I was looking at, like, how do we widen out the margins in the company? And I, I always had my own businesses growing up since 13, and you know, I always worked my dad until I was up to about 19, before I went into the military. And so I was kind of doing this with all these businesses back then and that's how it sort of started. I didn't realize it, but then as I got into larger businesses, you know, tens of millions and hundreds of millions, I realized that they had the same challenges that businesses in the hundreds of thousands or the millions, multi millions still have, just on a different level. But when you look at the math and metrics in all of this, you can find all these great stories that tell you the story of where you're supposed to be going. Once you figure that out, then you just optimize the point. So it's, I guess I Don't know if I was born with this or it just kind of, you know, it certainly the skill grew over, over time, but I enjoy doing it because to me it's like a treasure hunt. James Kademan [00:05:23]: Sure. Fair. It sounds like you were sent on that trajectory with your dad's business. What type of business did your dad have? Doug Brown [00:05:29]: He had an electric machinery repair company, so industrial machinery, and it was sales and service and you know, so I was constantly around all kinds of different businesses from manufacturing to, I mean, you name it, pretty much we were, we were around anything that had a, like even in an office building, they had a commercial fan or something. We would, you know, we would work on that. So it was a great, wonderful part of my life that, you know, I love doing it. And you know, sometimes when you're a little, little kid, you don't realize some of the things that shape you as you get older. But as I start to look back on things, you know, even my dad ended up in the hospital one time. He had a heart attack and I was 17 years old and I had to run the company for a little while and that was a super learning experience. But I got at certain levels of the books I never got at before, so I was able to kind of look at it. So when he came back, I was like, dad, I think we should do this and this and that. Doug Brown [00:06:33]: And one of the things that was successful in my dad's business was actually raising prices because he hadn't done it in over 10 years. James Kademan [00:06:40]: Oh, wow. Okay. Doug Brown [00:06:41]: Yeah, yeah. So my dad was a brilliant guy. He just wasn't the, he was a guy who knew how to build a business around him, but he didn't know how to build a systematic, functional, you know, business without him being present. James Kademan [00:06:57]: Sure, that's fair. So the inspiration for, I guess growing the business or seeing even that the pricing should be different. Imagine a 17 year old. That's not necessarily something that every 17 year old in the world is going to be aware of or even know that it's a thing, let alone no look at it. Doug Brown [00:07:16]: Well, I mean, Most of the 17 year olds I meet are really smart. They just, they didn't, they weren't around it probably for 14 years. Right. And so, you know, and I, I had, you know, I, I could, I could look and see things that, and spot things that could be monetized a lot of times. So for example, even when I was, I think I was 8 years old and I wanted to, you know,

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, talking about beautiful alchemy, taking adversity and doing good with it.  In the first half, Dr Kim Whitmore joins us to talk about the pain of losing a child and her work channeling that pain into helping others.  In the second half, Dee Star from OuttaDeeBox Podcast joins us to talk about his honor today from the city of Sun Prairie, joined by Kingston Robertson from Holy Godz Clothing to talk about coming from incarceration to business and giving back to the community, plus a quick call from Jackie Brodean! More information about the 7th annual Alana Rose Foundation Butterfly Ball coming up on February 22nd at Monona Terrace: https://www.alanarose.org/annual-butterfly-ball  More information about Dee Star, and to listen and Subscribe to OuttaDeeBox Podcast: https://outtadeeboxpodcast.buzzsprout.com/  To learn more about Kingston and Holy Godz Clothing: https://www.holygodz.store/  Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (starting in February!), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up in March! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21922107/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Beautiful Alchemy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On this week's 365 Amplified, we have yet another Sun Prairie schools update, where the former West High School principal now faces charges of failure to report child abuse -- including in a case not previously known. Plus, the Forward Madison Academy was in Minneapolis for a match last weekend, and immigration authorities grabbed the mother of one of the players. The club and soccer community have rallied to the player's aid while his mom remains in custody. Then, former Badger Freddie Owens joins the show to talk about his memoir, Echoes of Stark Park, set to be publised next month. 365 Amplified is produced by Rob Chappell for the 365 Media Foundation, a nonprofit local media organization in Madison, Wisconsin. Follow Madison365 on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads, and check Madison365.org every day for the latest news.

Protests popped up in communities around Wisconsin over the weekend in response to the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration agent. The largest were in Madison and Milwaukee. A former principal is facing a criminal charge for failing to report sexual misconduct by a school staff member in Sun Prairie. And, with flu activity high in the state, some counties are stocking vending machines with free flu tests.

It's a long one today -- we've been off for a couple weeks and have a lot to catch up on! First, Omar talks through a few highlights of the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr Day celebrations and activities around Madison. Then, Rob has an update from Sun Prairie, where the school district released the results of the investigation into the dean of students who was arrested on 16 charges of child pornography and exploitation in July, and how district administrators responded. We learned that allegations started six months earlier than previously known, and that the first student who made them was suspended for doing so.  Next up, a harm reduction drop-in center proposed for the East Side has prompted pushback and stirred controversy due to a potential conflict of interest, a questionable proposal process and some potential cultural competency issues. We have the full rundown. Then, Green Bay Police posted a photo of their new recruits, one of whom had a tattoo representing an extremist militia movement. We have some thoughts. And before the break, an alert listener flagged a Cap Times column for us called "When we were a happier country," which prompts us to ask: happier for whom? Then, we talk to Quentin Riser and Quinlan Riser, twin brothers -- one a professor of child development, one a financial adviser -- who have published a children's book on personal finance, hoping to get parents talking with their kids about money early. And finally, as promised at the end of last year, our top albums of 2025!

Get email-exclusive insights and subscriber-only episodes - absolutely free: https://realestateteamos.com/subscribeThis week, you've got two episodes in one! Both were recorded live on stage at Unlock by Zillow in November 2025. The first half takes you inside The Nickley Group in Florida and the second half takes you inside HomeTeam4U in Wisconsin.TOM AND ALEXIS NICKLEYAlexis and Tom Nickley, co-team leaders of The Nickley Group in Orlando, credit team culture with the growth and success of their 65-agent, 20-staff real estate team pacing for 900 transactions and $400M in sales. Learn two key roles, four core values, and three things they're focused on in the year ahead!Watch or listen for insights from Alexis and Tom on:A bold decision to leave sales productionThe division of labor between husband-and-wife, co-team leadersWhy their recruiter's job is so challengingThe purpose and role of the Director of Culture and Engagement (and specific tactics you can take for yourself)The purpose and role of their Director of Growth (it's FAR bigger than recruiting)Three things they're focusing on in 2026A key takeaway for you: “Keep the underdog mindset! At the end of the year, challenge your systems and processes to improve your client and agent experience.”Their key takeaway from Unlock (uniqueness and diversity!)JEN STAUTERJen Stauter serves as team leader of HomeTeam4U in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She walks you through the personality types that work within their 32-agent organization, how she plans to get to 50 agents, two specific ways the Agent Success Coordinator roles has helped her and the team, a unique quality of their mentorship program, and more!Watch or listen for insights from Jen on:Growing a team from 4 family members to 32 agents (and counting)The purpose and role of their Agent Success Coordinator, including two specific, high-value projects she took on and where they found herHow they structure their mentorship program and one of its unique qualitiesWhich changes the EOS process (the VTO, specifically) forced them to makeKeys to successful recruiting en route to 50 agentsA key takeaway for you: “You don't need to do more. You just need someone who makes sure it happens.”A key takeaway from Unlock (recruiting!)Connect with The Nickley Group:→ https://www.instagram.com/thenickleygroup/Connect with Jen Stauter:→ https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_stauter_kornstedt/Connect with Real Estate Team OS→ https://www.realestateteamos.com→ https://linktr.ee/realestateteamos→ https://www.instagram.com/realestateteamos/

Heather Reekie - Casa de Corazón On Working With the SBA: "Getting the SBA loan was literally the hardest thing I've ever done. And I've given birth twice, naturally." We all wish we were smarter.  As we get older, it becomes more difficult to learn new things. What if children could learn new things while they have a developing brain that can handle faster education.  What if you could immerse a child into an environment that helps children learn another language, eat healthy and fresh food and do it all with peers that are learning and playing alongside you?  It is with questions like these that Casa de Corazón got started. Heather Reekie is the owner of the Madison, Wisconsin based Casa de Corazón.  She shares her inspiring journey from speech and language pathologist to entrepreneur, detailing the transformation of an old translation office into a thriving early childhood center focused on nurturing bilingual minds and compassionate hearts. She highlights Casa de Corazón's unique approach, including their in-house app for real-time parent updates, commitment to organic meals and sustainable practices, and the importance of intercultural learning. Heather details the challenges of launching a business, the joys of fostering a strong community, and the impact of quality early education. Listen as Heather gives more insights into how passion and purpose can create lasting change, one child at a time. Enjoy! Visit Heather at: https://casaearlylearning.com/location/madison-wi/ https://www.instagram.com/casa.madison.wi/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Bilingual Boost at Casa" 06:54 "Acquiring a Language-Focused Property" 16:20 "Connected to Franchise Core Values" 17:17 "Eco-Friendly Childcare Practices" 23:33 Franchisee Frustration with Franchisors 29:09 "Teachers Genuinely Care Deeply" 33:39 "Raising Thriving, Empathetic Early Learners" 42:15 Playground Requirements and Safety Standards 44:48 "Overcoming Leadership and Loan Challenges" 53:19 "Staff Excellence and Parent Resources" 59:12 Infant Curriculum and Monthly Themes 01:02:37 Storm Shelter and Flags Display 01:07:09 "Elevator and Furnace Challenges" Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Heather Reekie [00:00:00]: But the Casa app is special to the Casa brand and it's real time updates on what your child is doing throughout the day, including photos. So that's throughout the day innovation. Yep, yep. And so you know, like no notates when the child falls asleep for rest time or what they, you know, how much of the lunch they ate and you know when they used the bathroom or had a diaper change and that kind of thing. James Kademan [00:00:23]: Holy cow. So that's cool. Heather Reekie [00:00:26]: It's informative and just fun to interact with as well. James Kademan [00:00:35]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found on the podcast link found drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie and today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Heather Ricci of I'm going to destroy this. But I don't mean to Casa de Corazón remotely close Casa de Corazón and I just learned is that House of Hearts. Heather Reekie [00:01:05]: House of Hearts. House of Love. James Kademan [00:01:07]: All right, very cool. So let's go on. What do you do, Heather? Heather Reekie [00:01:12]: Well, so I'm the owner operator of Casa de Corazon Madison, which is a franchise from the corporate offices which are in Minnesota and we opened almost exactly two years ago, November 15th of 2023. James Kademan [00:01:28]: Nice. Heather Reekie [00:01:28]: And so I am trying to keep. James Kademan [00:01:31]: Running the place and this place, I gotta say, this place is huge. I expected a little daycare and this is. We're in two story building. Heather Reekie [00:01:41]: Yes. James Kademan [00:01:42]: In what I would consider to be the southern heart of Madison. So we get the belt line right here and all that. So I got a lot of questions for you, so let's just knock it out first. So Heather, tell me about the Spanish immersion. Heather Reekie [00:01:54]: So that's the icing on the cake of just a really high quality childcare and preschool situation. Here at Casa de Corazón, Spanish immersion is help helping grow the synapses in the children's brain. So even if you don't go on to a bilingual or Spanish immersion elementary school after attending casa, you will have reaped the benefits of growing your brain cells by becoming bilingual or learning a second or sometimes in some cases a third language. Because what it does is it gives you multiple words for the same vocabulary and the same sentence structure. And all you're just learning all of these ways to think about language. It increases your empathy, it increases your ability to start talking at a younger age and communicate your thoughts and feelings. One mom told me about her two children who attend here. They're siblings and they speak in Spanish when they're playing together at home. James Kademan [00:03:00]: It's oh nice. Heather Reekie [00:03:01]: Sounds really adorable. And then they're code switching when they're talking to her because they know that she's not fluent in Spanish like they are and so they'll switch to English to talk to. James Kademan [00:03:10]: I'm just imagining a pair of kids that know a language that the parents don't. I don't know if it's good or bad. Heather Reekie [00:03:14]: Yeah, it could be fun. James Kademan [00:03:16]: Interesting. So the, the age. I guess I never asked you that. What are the ages that attend here? Heather Reekie [00:03:23]: We are licensed to provide care for children starting at six weeks and then up through school age. So we have had some school age children attend on days off of school school, you know, old older siblings a lot of times and also in the summer when they're not in public school or the school year school and but technically the franchise caters to birth through four year old kindergarten. James Kademan [00:03:52]: Okay. Heather Reekie [00:03:52]: Right before they would go to 5 year old kindergarten in an elementary school. James Kademan [00:03:57]: Tell me. So the daycare is way back when I had to deal with daycares and stuff like that when I had a kid. I shouldn't say I did, my wife did. I didn't have anything to do with it, but I learned from other people that there's wait lists and all that other kind of stuff. Where are you guys at with the wait list? Or is there a wait list or that whole people can't find daycare anywhere? Is that still a thing? Heather Reekie [00:04:19]: It can be, yes. Because we're still Fairly new at 2 years old, we have been able to enroll children for their desired start date. So we do have a wait list. It's through the branded CASA app it's called. And we keep track of families based on when they tour and when they want to enroll their child. And for certain ages, the younger the child wants to be enrolled, those are our smaller classrooms with lower teacher to student ratios. So those ones fill up more quickly. And then because we're still like the children who started with us at a young age haven't grown into be a three year old and able to attend or be enrolled in one of our older age level classrooms where the ratios increase so those classrooms are not full. Heather Reekie [00:05:20]: And we are sitting in one of our our 11th classroom which we haven't opened yet. We've opened the other 10, but this is our pre K room. The franchise calls it pre K which is essentially a four year old kindergarten classroom because we are currently combining the three And a half year olds and four year olds together. James Kademan [00:05:39]: Okay. Heather Reekie [00:05:40]: In our two preschool B classrooms. So there's a little multi age learning going on right now and so we have more capacity to enroll those older children right now. James Kademan [00:05:54]: Well, I imagine if somebody starts with you at birth or early, whatever, six weeks that they'll go with you through until they get to school age, is. Heather Reekie [00:06:03]: That safe to say that is the, the most beneficial way to benefit from a Spanish immersion environment. James Kademan [00:06:10]: Yeah. Heather Reekie [00:06:11]: And just the high quality education and the loving teachers. Yeah. Yes. That is the, the corporate idea is that the children would start with us, you know, as soon as they find out about us whether their babies are a little bit older and then. Yes. Stay through that four year old year and then possibly go to kindergarten when they're five or six. James Kademan [00:06:32]: That's cool. That's super cool. They'll find out about you on a podcast. So it's all good. Tell me, how did you end up. A couple years ago you opened this place. So let's first talk about location. So to me this is pretty, I mean you can get to this place anywhere pretty easily. James Kademan [00:06:51]: So how did you end up in this building? Heather Reekie [00:06:54]: I had hired a broker to find a location and there just weren't a lot that were in a price range that I could afford. And so we looked at several options but kept coming back to this. And this used to be Geo Co. Geo Group, which did translations in all different languages for like manuals and, and auditory, verbal, you know, and written translations. I'm sure they did way more than that.

Mike Zlotnik - Tempo Funding On Investment Advice: "At the end of the day the best risk mitigation strategy is prudent diversification." Investing in real estate is often thought to be a great place to grow your wealth.  But often investors have other things going on and they don't want to deal with tenants, paperwork, searching out properties and all of the headaches that come with doing your own real estate investing. What if there were a way to invest in real estate in other ways?  Investing in the loans other people have on real estate, or investing with a group and getting into large commercial properties with leases that run decades long? Mike Zlotnik started Tempo Funding to help investors grow their money with real estate, without needing to get their hands dirty.  He shares his journey in the tech world to discovering the power of passive real estate investing, buying his first apartment in Brooklyn back in 2000, and growing into large-scale commercial projects like industrial facilities and open-air shopping centers. He explains Tempo Funding's focus on marrying “money and opportunity,” helping individuals, often those who have exited businesses or cashed in on appreciated assets, find reliable income streams backed by real estate. Listen as Mike explains his real estate investing strategies and how they may work for you. Enjoy! Visit Mike at: https://tempofunding.com/ https://www.instagram.com/tempofunding/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Triple Net Leasing Explained" 03:50 "Predictable Returns in CRE Investments" 08:17 "Long-Term Commercial Lease Structures" 10:46 Ground Leases and Property Ownership 13:36 Real Estate Tax Implications Simplified 19:31 Deploying Capital for Investments 21:29 Quarterly Distribution Expectations Explained 26:18 "Low Rates, Inflation, and Stimulus" 27:41 "Understanding Capitalization Rates" 32:22 Moore's Law and AI Progress 35:29 Interest Rates and Real Estate Trends 37:13 Industrial Investment: Focus on Longevity 40:49 "Branch Closures and Lease Management" 44:39 "From Tech Exec to Real Estate" 49:21 "Real Estate Value Through Leasing" 50:00 "Value-Add Real Estate Strategies" 54:07 "Strategic Capital for Specialists" Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Mike Zlotnik [00:00:00]: I had a successful career, had some exits. I was doing well, but I was a little burned out. I spent almost 15 years in technology. I had great friends. I liked it. Technology. Felt like I wanted something that I really didn't have to work all the time, something that I can make investment decisions and the money could work for me. So I discovered real estate passively in year 2000, buying my first apartment in Brooklyn. Mike Zlotnik [00:00:25]: And then I continued to buy more and passively. James Kademan [00:00:33]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in podcast link found at https//:drawincustomers.com We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service as well as the Bold Business Book. And today we're welcoming Slash, preparing to learn from Mike Zlotnick of Temple Funding. That's TF Management Group. Is that safe to say, Mike? Mike Zlotnik [00:01:01]: Yeah, yeah, but the easier way, people call me Big Mike. I am six four. So Big Mike. James Kademan [00:01:05]: Well, you can't tell on the screen, so. All right, that is a. That's a Big Mike. Big Mike, indeed. So, Big Mike, what is Tempo funding? Mike Zlotnik [00:01:15]: We are the best way to describe Tempo funding. We marry money and opportunity. We are a platform for folks with capital to invest, typically in real estate, kind of. I don't want to call myself exactly one trick pony, but I am mostly one trick pony. It's real estate. We have a team, we have organization that focuses real estate projects, industrial, open air shopping, multifamily, et cetera. James Kademan [00:01:42]: Okay. Mike Zlotnik [00:01:42]: And then we have folks with capital who sold businesses, they've sold highly appreciated stock, they sold bitcoin, whatever, they made their money and then now they're looking for steady, predictable income. And that's what we try to bring them. That's kind of what we do for many, many years. James Kademan [00:02:01]: You mentioned steady predictable income. And can you elaborate on that? Because sometimes in the real estate world that's not always the case. Mike Zlotnik [00:02:08]: Yeah, so today the world's changed quite a bit and we really gravitated towards predictability. I literally have an article that I wrote and a video comparing high IRRs versus predictability. Wide majority of people, especially with monetary event where they've got significant lump sum, they're looking for predictability. So what is predictability? So normally it means the assets themselves have a great engine, how they generate predictable income. Take an example, triple net industrial. This is just a simple way to explain. It's right before the call we were talking about made in China versus made in America. Well, there's a renaissance now to build in America. Mike Zlotnik [00:02:50]: Made in America and industrial production in America is welcome. So quite often there are companies that manufacture here and the real estate underneath it gets sold by the owner of the business. They sell the real estate, lease back and stay in that property. So where does predictability come from? Well, that business has been there for 60 years. They sell real estate, they use capital for further investment or to pay their parent company and then it's a mission critical property. And to make long story short, they're there, they have a 20, 25 year lease and it's triple net, meaning that all the expenses, taxes, insurance, everything else is covered by the tenant. So as a landlord you collect rent and every year it goes up between 2 to 3%. So you have high predictability of outcome simply because it's contractually guaranteed with a credit quality tenant with long term lease, with rent escalation clauses, with triple net structure. Mike Zlotnik [00:03:50]: So you're collecting this, you're an equity investor, but you're collecting it like a bond. You get your coupon today, this year. So what does that coupon look like? For example, year one you could start with 7%, maybe even higher. And year two goes up, and year three, it goes up. So it begins to look like a predictable investment because it's so contractually built to be predictable. So you know, initial cash flow, you know, year two cash flow, year three, year four, year five. And then that increased NOI drives forced appreciation. Because in commercial real estate, the price of the asset is a function of net operating income. Mike Zlotnik [00:04:24]: You hear these fancy terms, cap rates. All the cap rates describe is what do you pay per dollar of income. The lower the cap rate, the higher the price per dollar of income. So as interest rates obviously impact cap rates, but in general, the structure itself grows. Niy, if interest rates don't do anything, they stay flat. You're still growing the value of the asset because the NOI is growing. That's a predictable structure. You see these structures in real estate quite a bit. Mike Zlotnik [00:04:50]: And I'll shut up for a second, let you chime in more questions because I can talk on this probably for hours. James Kademan [00:04:55]: No, that's awesome. That's awesome. It's interesting you mentioned real estate that's essentially large scale commercial. It sounds like you're talking manufacturing. Yes, this isn't just the small mom. Mike Zlotnik [00:05:06]: And pop house, it is a manufacturing facility quite often gets bought for $25 million. There are of course bigger projects, but the sweet spot is anywhere from, you know, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, $30 million small manufacturing. I'm not talking about AI data centers that are getting built for a billion dollars, not, not for that. James Kademan [00:05:29]: Okay. I guess, I think as you're talking here, I'm thinking south of me on the north way north of Chicago is Belvedere, Illinois, which has a car manufacturing plant that I think since I've been driving to and from Chicago every once in a while, I want to say that thing has changed hands four or five times. And that thing, that property, I don't know if it's necessarily one building, but that complex, it's probably the size of a small city. Sorry, it sounds like you're getting into stuff that big. Mike Zlotnik [00:06:04]: Not that big, but an example, we do have an asset in New Castle, Indiana, again, Midwest. And it's a, you know, it's called $25 million asset. It is a multi acre property and it produces stainless steel and it's been in that business and that location over 60 years. So that kind of a facility. All right, not a small city, but for that local town, it's a significant manufacturer and industrial facility. James Kademan [00:06:32]: Oh, I bet it's huge. And for something like that. Do you. I mentioned the equipment goes with the building. Just because it took so much to get that equipment in there, it's like an old pool table. To get it out is a big deal. Mike Zlotnik [00:06:45]: They end not moving so effectively you own real estate as an investor, but they've made so many tenant improvements themselves over the years for their own business, plus all the equipment, everything else. They're going to stay there, they're going to continue to.

Jessi Ricci  - New Life Greens On Being Present: "It's definitely life changing when you put your phone down for a meal." In the mad rush that is our world, we often take for granted some important things.  Some of those things are nutrition, flavor, time spent with friends enjoying a great meal.  Celebrating the gift of life that we have instead of just rushing through it. Jessi Ricci started New Life Greens, partly as a way to help people enjoy life.  In the food they eat and the people they share the experience with.  At only 19 years old, she is already a successful entrepreneur. In this inspiring conversation, Jessi Ricci opens up about how her dream of becoming an environmental science teacher at UW Madison took an unexpected detour when a part-time job at an aquaponic farm introduced her to the world of microgreens. From those first nervous meetings with chefs, armed with living trays of fresh greens, to building relationships with supportive mentors and her own family, Jessi Ricci reveals how authenticity, faith, and hustle fueled her success. Listen as Jessi details what she has learned and how she has made New Life Greens a success. Enjoy! Visit Jessi at: https://www.newlifegreensco.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Microgreens: Nutrient-Dense Seedlings" 06:43 "Helping Mike Sell Microgreens" 14:19 "Choosing Business Over College" 16:58 "Defying Expectations as a Woman" 23:29 "Smooth LLC Transition Thanks Mike" 28:12 "Back Door Delivery Reflections" 35:57 "Grateful for Restaurant Connections" 40:55 "Living an Unexpected Dream" 45:45 "Intentional Dining and Presence" 49:51 "Local Restaurants Embrace Teen's Microgreens" 54:07 Blind Tasting Microgreens Experience 01:02:04 "New Life Through Faith & Food" Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Jessi Ricci [00:00:00]: And I, like, came in with plants for them, like an alive plant and a cut plant. And I really do not feel like I'm pushy. I just really believe in my product, and I think it speaks for itself. Like, I don't need to talk to them. I can leave them these microgreens, and they speak for themselves. So I'll come in. Jessi Ricci [00:00:19]: And bring my price sheets and everything and a live tray of greens. Like an alive plant of greens, some cut product and. And talk to them. Just show it to them, have them eat it. And they're like, whoa, this is so flavorful. James Kademan [00:00:36]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie and today we are welcoming slash, preparing to learn from Jessi Ricci of New Life Greens. So, Jessi, how is it going today? Jessi Ricci [00:01:00]: I am doing great. How are you? James Kademan [00:01:02]: I am doing well. I'm in green. Jessi Ricci [00:01:04]: I know. I love that you're in green. I always wear green. James Kademan [00:01:07]: So you really. Jessi Ricci [00:01:08]: Yep. James Kademan [00:01:09]: That's cool. Is nature of the business. Right. Jessi Ricci [00:01:10]: But I love that you're in green, too. James Kademan [00:01:11]: Oh, thank you. Tell us the story. What is New Life Greens? Jessi Ricci [00:01:14]: Yeah. So New Life Greens is a microgreens farm based in Verona, Wisconsin, and we distribute just to the greater Madison area. And we focus on distribution to chefs, which is what kind of sets us apart. We grow specialty microgreens with chefs in mind. James Kademan [00:01:32]: All right, now I'm going to play dumb. Jessi Ricci [00:01:34]: Yeah. James Kademan [00:01:35]: Or maybe I am. Whatever. What is a microgreen? Jessi Ricci [00:01:38]: That's not dumb. I did not know what a microgreen before I started my business. So you. James Kademan [00:01:44]: Did you say when you started your business? Jessi Ricci [00:01:45]: No, before. I did not know before I started my business. James Kademan [00:01:49]: All right. Jessi Ricci [00:01:51]: Yeah. I still don't know. James Kademan [00:01:53]: These things just ship up and I sell them and. What? Jessi Ricci [00:01:56]: Yeah, yeah. The textbook definition of a microgreen is that it is a young seedling of an edible flower, vegetable or herb. So if you. Do you have a garden? James Kademan [00:02:08]: I'm going to say yes. But I mean, it's. Jessi Ricci [00:02:11]: Do you start your own plant starts or no, it's fine if you don't. James Kademan [00:02:15]: Tomatoes, you do Okay. I grow things that are very easy to grow. We're talking rhubarb, tomatoes, cucumbers, stuff that you could probably light the entire world on fire and they would still grow. Jessi Ricci [00:02:25]: Yes. James Kademan [00:02:26]: That's what my skill set is. Jessi Ricci [00:02:28]: It's funny that that's the vegetable that you said, because tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, so they actually are deadly in microgreen form. James Kademan [00:02:35]: Really? Jessi Ricci [00:02:36]: Yes, because they are. They like. Well, it's a whole thing. But basically, if you think of your garden and your plant starts, if you're starting like a pea pod or a cantaloupe or what's another one? Radishes, that little start, that's a couple inches, it's what is what is technically classified as a microgreen, just so it' easier to, like, envision. Usually they're like the size of a blade of grass. And since they are microgreen and they're harvested before they actually produce fruits and before they run out of nutrients in their seed and start using from the soil, they are extremely nutrient dense. So that's kind of the appeal from the consumer. But chefs really don't care about the nutrition. Jessi Ricci [00:03:15]: They just care that they are really beautiful. They're very colorful and flavorful. So they're a great way to garnish. So a lot of high end restaurants will garnish their dishes with them. But I do partner with some restaurants, like Settled Down Tavern, who puts it in a burger, or Youngblood who puts it on a hot dog. But typically they're used as more of like a fancy garnish. James Kademan [00:03:34]: All right. Jessi Ricci [00:03:35]: Yeah. James Kademan [00:03:35]: So how do you get into the microgreen business? Jessi Ricci [00:03:38]: Yeah, you know, I was trying to think of. I knew you probably would ask this, so I was trying to think of my answer for this, and it's really confusing. I mean, if you look back, because I started my business in high school. I'm 19 right now. So if you look back back in your high school, I'm sure, you know, it's totally a blur. And even though it was just a few years, for me, high school was totally a blur. I started my business kind of by accident in a way, actually. So all of high school, I always dreamed to go to UW Madison, be an environmental science teacher, or go to UW Madison. Jessi Ricci [00:04:15]: I said, go to UW Madison, be an environmental science teacher, be in the band. And so my whole high school was just. My whole high school career was filled with trying to accomplish that dream. So I was 4.0 student. I joined all the clubs. I was in band. I joined a sport just to make my application look better. And kind of like the final seal of that was me applying to be a youth apprentice my senior year to make my college application look better, which I did not go to college. Jessi Ricci [00:04:41]: I Don't know if you. I did. I would be in college right now. I would be in class right now. So I'm not there. Jessi Ricci [00:04:50]: Yeah. So everything I did was with that goal in mind. And the job in which I started my business out of was literally. I got the job because I wanted my application to look better. So I got a job at an aquaponic farm in Paoli, Wisconsin, which is definitely the up and booming little area near Madison, at Clean Fresh Food. And they provided an array of products to restaurants. When I started working for them, they only had one restaurant client, but it filled up, like, a third of their capacity. And so I started working there, and I was thinking, you know, this is kind of. Jessi Ricci [00:05:24]: They grow all year round, which is really environmentally friendly. So I was thinking, this will look so good on my application for UW Madison. I'm gonna be a part of this farm who has really great values. And I thought it would really set me apart. Little did I know. I mean, it set me apart so much that I'm not going there. Jessi Ricci [00:05:43]: Yeah. So this farm was the hub for my business. The owner of the farm, Mike Knight, helped me incubate my business. It all started out just with me. My dad always raised me to have, like, a strong work ethic, and so there wasn't that much work for me to do at the farm. There was one other. I had one other co worker and me, and it was just us two, and he worked in the mornings, and I worked, like, at the end of the school day, and so I never saw him. So I would show up to the greenhouse, unlock the door, and I was all alone, and I would just kind of find things to do, like organize or do whatever. Jessi Ricci [00:06:20]: But my dad, like, just knowing him, I could never sit down. I, like, when I was working, I was working, and I didn't have anyone watching over me, so. So I could have done whatever, but this, like, strong work ethic of mine ended up with me reaching out to the owner. And, I mean, I. I love this guy. He is like my business mentor. He's an amazing guy.

Carrie Stevens  - Fed Up Foods On the Knowing What it Takes to be Successful: "When you're setting up your business, you want to make it convenient for the customer, but also it needs to be convenient for us because if we can't maintain it then we're going to get burnt out and we can't sustain it." Thousands of pounds of produce goes to waste every year.  This is due to many things, often having nothing to do with the actual taste or health of the produce.  Sometimes it just isn't pretty enough.  So what can be done with all of this good food that should be consumed? Carrie Stevens has a farm, butchers animals to sell and recently purchased the business named, Fed Up Foods.  This is a business that takes less than pretty food and turns it into beautiful sauces, relishes and pickled produce. Fed Up Foods got its start in the local farmers markets, thanks to Wisconsin's pickle law. Carrie Stevens is building on that foundation to bring locally sourced, shelf-stable products—ranging from pickle relish and maple ginger beets to cranberry applesauce—to more retail shelves and customers. Discover the surprising details behind what it takes to buy and run a canned goods business, from PH testing and food safety to sourcing "imperfect" produce and managing labels and inspections. Listen as Carrie explains her journey and what she has learned from building her sustainable food businesses. Enjoy! Visit Carrie at:https://www.fedupfoodswi.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Woman-Owned Artisanal Canned Goods 03:41 Pickle Business Journey and Growth 09:04 Pasture Management and Livestock Rotation 10:44 Horseback Observation Resolves Calf Issues 13:23 Wisconsin Food Finance Support 17:00 "Work to Eat Philosophy" 21:21 Pickling Process and Variations 22:58 "Imperfect Produce Solutions" 27:59 "Pickled Beets Worth the Effort" 30:04 "Lard Pigs, Not Lean" 32:04 "Food Business Quality Challenges" 35:50 "Product Testing & Process Authority" 40:27 Scaling Production with Co-Packer 43:41 Cost-Effective Labeling Challenges 46:33 Frozen Meat Storage Advice 50:26 "Balancing Business and Convenience" 53:47 Cranberries: Creative Uses and Recipes 55:03 "Podcast, Support, Share Sauce" Podcast Transcription: Carrie Stevens [00:00:00]: And I said, hey, why don't you try the cranberry sauce in there? Because, you know, muddled cherries kind of look like cranberries in the cranberry sauce. And I picked them up just that day from the Mr. Ayan Rousch from Roush Century Farms in central Wisconsin. He gave me a nice little tour of his cranberry farm. Organic cranberries. Fantastic. James Kademan [00:00:20]: Sounds like another podcast guest. Yeah. Yes. Carrie Stevens [00:00:22]: So, yeah, just a little cranberry sauce in your old fashioned. James Kademan [00:00:27]: How about that? Carrie Stevens [00:00:27]: Make it the rest of the way however you like, your favorite way. James Kademan [00:00:30]: Foreign. Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link fundedrawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie and today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Carrie Stevens of Fed Up Foods. Carrie, I'm so freaking excited. We're talking about food, which is always good. Carrie Stevens [00:01:00]: Always good. James Kademan [00:01:01]: We're talking about pickles, which is always good. Carrie Stevens [00:01:02]: Absolutely. James Kademan [00:01:03]: And we're talking business. So I feel like we got the trifecta here. Carrie Stevens [00:01:06]: Yeah, absolutely. James Kademan [00:01:07]: How's it going today? Carrie Stevens [00:01:08]: Good, good. James Kademan [00:01:09]: All right, tell us the story. What is Fed Up Foods? Carrie Stevens [00:01:12]: So Fed Up Foods is a woman owned Wisconsin based artisanal canned goods company. So I purchased the business this past August. So I'm fairly new to it. However, it has been around for about five years. So it was started by a woman in central Wisconsin and her, her background, she was a produce buyer at the food co op and, and kind of different roles like that, very involved in the farmer's market and she saw a lot of produce going to waste and that was bothersome to her. Well, you know, and if you, we also own a farm, I'll talk about that more. But for a while I was getting produce from the grocery store, feeding it to our animals when it's, you know, there's a lot of beautiful produce, but you know, what happens to that produce after they can't sell it anymore. James Kademan [00:02:03]: So you would get the stuff that was blem essentially or just didn't look pretty. Carrie Stevens [00:02:07]: Yeah, or it was too, you know, I had been there for a couple weeks and it was okay, it was going mushy or whatever. James Kademan [00:02:14]: Pigs like it, humans don't love it. Carrie Stevens [00:02:15]: Right, all right. Yeah. And humans go, so, so anyways, what do you do with that, that produce as it's going bad or almost going bad and it's not selling? So the previous owner had started with Doing some home canning, home pickling. And in Wisconsin there's a pickle bill. So you can pickle at home and sell at farmers markets up to a certain dollar limit. James Kademan [00:02:40]: That's fairly new, right? Carrie Stevens [00:02:42]: You know, I don't know the, the history of it. James Kademan [00:02:44]: Okay. I mean last 10 years or something like that, I feel maybe, maybe. Carrie Stevens [00:02:49]: And then there's like there's the cottage baker law too. So that's a different one. Bakers, they can just bake in their house and sell. James Kademan [00:02:56]: Is there a limit like you can't for bakers? Carrie Stevens [00:02:58]: No, I don't, I, I do not believe so. But don't quote me on that. James Kademan [00:03:01]: Okay? Carrie Stevens [00:03:02]: Contact your lawyer for that. All right, fair. But for picklers canners there is a dollar limit. So Once you hit $5,000 in sales for the year, then for the year you flip over to not being under the pickle law. So the previous owner had grown, the business, passed the pickle law. So that means I now produce out of a commercial kitchen. I have all sorts of licenses and fun inspections. But that also means the product I'm producing is PH tested and I temp test everything so it is safe to consume. Carrie Stevens [00:03:41]: But that, so that started, she started from that under the pickle law, making it in our house, selling it at farmers markets and grew a business to where it's in retail stores, food co ops, kind of boutique stores or stores that specialize in local products. So shelf stable product that is taking a consumable product that is going to go bad and preserving it. So, so you can put it in your pantry and eat it when you get to it. So I purchased the business and have, am continuing the same recipes, getting restocked in the same stores, selling through website. We also sell it through our farm. So we have a customer base that purchases from our farm, so we sell through there too and just kind of looking at different new avenues as well. But it's been quite the learning experience we've started. My husband and I have started a business before but purchasing a business is a little different. Carrie Stevens [00:04:46]: So a lot of interesting learning but you know, good, bad and otherwise. Right. Some good things, some things that I'll change but it all is a good learning process. So, so it's been, been interesting and you know, little bumps through the, in the road. But you know, my husband keeps reminding me that one thing at a time and just it's. And it's going to take time. So with any, with anything it is going to take time to figure it out. I burnt a whole batch of pear sauce. Carrie Stevens [00:05:18]: And you burnt a whole. James Kademan [00:05:20]: How big is the whole batch? Are we talking a cauldron? Carrie Stevens [00:05:22]: Like a hundred? Some jars. James Kademan [00:05:24]: Well, that's a fair amount. Carrie Stevens [00:05:25]: That's a fair amount. Yeah. I mean, but my kids still like it, so. Hey. James Kademan [00:05:28]: Oh, well, there you go. Maybe it's a new product. Right? Carrie Stevens [00:05:30]: Burn. So white elephants at Christmas. Going to be fun. James Kademan [00:05:34]: If people drink Zima, they'll eat burnt pear sauce. Right? Carrie Stevens [00:05:38]: I mean, it's not totally burnt. It's just a little burnt. James Kademan [00:05:40]: All right. A little t. It's charcoal, right? Like, what is that, tequila? Carrie Stevens [00:05:43]: Like a zest of charcoal. James Kademan [00:05:47]: Tell me. So you have a farm that you butcher stuff at, right? Carrie Stevens [00:05:51]: Yeah. So we raised beef, cattle, pigs, chickens, chickens for meat and chickens for eggs and sell all direct to consumers. So we purchased the farm seven years ago, moved onto the farm. It'll be six years ago this fall and pre pandemic. So fall of 2019, we took our first steers to the butcher, sold to friends and family. And then when the pandemic hit, I said to my husband, and maybe I should have taken these words back, but I said, hey, I think we can sell this. And now we. So that was fall of 2019, when we took two steers into the butcher. Carrie Stevens [00:06:33]: Now we take anywhere from three to five steers into the butcher every month. And we do about 50 pigs a year. I did 450 meat chickens last year. I'm gonna double it this year. James Kademan [00:06:50]: Wow. Carrie Stevens [00:06:51]: Because I sold out in about two weeks. James Kademan [00:06:53]: Holy cow. Carrie Stevens [00:06:55]: Yeah.

Send us a textSummary: In this episode of the PIO Podcast, Chief Kevin Warych of the Sun Prairie Police Department discusses his transition from Green Bay to Sun Prairie, emphasizing the importance of community policing and building relationships. He shares insights on transparency in law enforcement, the challenges of balancing operational security with public information, and the role of social media in connecting with the community. Chief Warych also highlights the importance of fostering a culture of openness and accountability within the department, while outlining his goals for community engagement and the need to invest in law enforcement's reputation. He concludes with advice for fellow leaders and reflections on the challenges and rewards of police work.Sun Prairie PD WebsiteSupport the showOur premiere sponsor, Social News Desk, has an exclusive offer for PIO Podcast listeners. Head over to socialnewsdesk.com/pio to get three months free when a qualifying agency signs up.

You get 2 Alders for the price of 1 on this one.  I spoke to both Casey Drengler from District 1 and Santiago Rosas from District 2 about a number of issues affecting the budget and the upcoming referendum, including TIDs, the use of Flock cameras, and how the city can communicate better with residents.I opened the show talking about 2 new locally-owned businesses that recently opened, as well as his thoughts on funding for the Neighborhood Navigators.

Jacob Walter  - VP of Finance - Patriot Properties On the Property Management Conundrum: "We look really good when everybody's making money. You know, we're always the problem when they're not." The thing about investing is that the financial part is the important part.  It's all fun and games until you realize you aren't making money, or worse. This is where it pays, literally, to have a smart finance guy in your corner.  Jacob Walter is the VP of finance with Patriot Properties.  As the guy watching the money go in and out for themselves and clients, he is in charge of making sure the numbers are not in parenthesis in the wrong spots. Listen in as Jacob Walter shares his journey from college intern to finance executive, offering a behind-the-scenes look into the complexities of managing thousands of rental units, navigating the fast-paced real estate market, and building a team that can handle everything from apartment complexes to storage units. Whether you're an aspiring investor, experienced landlord, or simply curious about the business of property management, you'll hear plenty of candid advice, funny client stories, and hard-won lessons on scaling up in a competitive industry. Enjoy! Visit Jacob at: http://www.patriotpropertieswisconsin.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriotpropertieswi/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Client Forgot Their Property" 05:12 "Life Insurance: Niche Necessity" 08:30 Hiring Considerations for Job Roles 11:35 "Client Forgot Their Property" 13:24 Property Deals and Financing Insights 18:08 Madison's Rental Market Trends 20:52 Real Estate Rent Challenges 24:24 "Leaky Boiler Water Feature" 28:30 "Unrealistic Deal Evaluation" 31:01 Unit Maintenance and Value Maximization 35:19 Madison Property Repositioning Strategies 36:53 Tired of Property Management 41:37 Barrack-Style Madison Property Sold 43:49 Less Competition, Greater Opportunity 46:28 "First Deal Matters Most" 50:15 "Scaling Property Management Success" 53:26 Competition and Property Pricing Factors Podcast Transcription: Jacob Walter [00:00:00]: I do have a funny story. One of my clients, he, he left for, I believe like Italy or Greece or something. He was gone for like two, three weeks. That was right. You know, when he came back was like, right when we were sending out our monthly statements and he called me, he's like, Jacob, like, I forgot I had this property. I'm like, what do you, what do you mean? He's like, yeah, you just, you guys have been handling. I haven't had to worry about it. Nice to see that there's plenty of money in the account. Jacob Walter [00:00:23]: Like, this is great. This is exactly what I want. James Kademan [00:00:31]: Have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Jacob Walther, the VP of finance at Patriot Properties. Jacob, how's it going today? Jacob Walter [00:00:56]: I'm doing well, thank you. Thank you for having me. James Kademan [00:00:58]: Let's start with what is Patriot Properties? Jacob Walter [00:01:00]: Yeah, Patriot Properties, full service property management company. So we kind of joke around that if you can rent it, you know, we will manage it for you. We do. Obviously our bread and butter is multifamily. We do short term rentals. At one point we did camper van rentals. James Kademan [00:01:19]: Oh wow, you weren't joking. Jacob Walter [00:01:21]: Yeah, yeah, don't do that anymore. That was, that was an interesting time. But storage units, whatever you can rent, real estate wise, we can manage. James Kademan [00:01:32]: All right. And how long have you been with them? Jacob Walter [00:01:35]:

TWall, TIF, Traffic & Transparency...this is The Derby District in Terrence Wall's own words.  A massive development planned for 130+ acres on Sun Prairie's west side, the Derby District has the potential to dramatically reshape the area around Hwy C (Grand Ave) and Hwy 19.  Terrence Wall and Fernando Escobar describe the plans for the site and address some of the concerns that have been raised by local residents.     I also opened the show with some notes on construction projects around town.

Cole McCloskey  - The Electrician, Inc. On the Appreciating the People: "I don't know that it's necessarily a bad thing that we, as a society, in business, are adopting a culture of being appreciative and valuing people for more than just what they produce." Flip a switch, the lights come on.  Plug in your phone charger at night and your phone is ready to go when you wake up.  We take things like this for granted, but what does it take to make the lights turn on and the power to move through a house? Cole McCloskey, co-owner of The Electrician, Inc. shares with us what it takes to become one of the people that do what they can to make sure the lights can turn on the and the electricity can move through the right wires. The conversation goes beyond the nuts and bolts of working with electricity, delving into the challenges and rewards of starting a business, the importance of building trusted relationships in the trades, and the lessons learned from managing and growing a team from just a handful of employees to nearly one hundred. Cole opens up about the pivotal moment he became a partner at The Electrician Inc., why he believes in empowering team members rather than binding them with golden handcuffs, and how genuine appreciation and leadership can make all the difference in retaining good people. Listen as Cole explains his journey and how others can follow his path to become not only electricians, but entrepreneurs as well Enjoy! Visit Cole at: https://theelectricianinc.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theelectricianinc/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 From Construction to Electrician Journey 06:10 "From Apprentice to Entrepreneur" 08:17 Succession and Growth Strategy 12:13 Reluctant but Generous Mentorship 15:27 Organic Leads Build Relationships 18:43 "Freedom Over Golden Shackles" 20:01 Retaining Good Employees 25:03 "Code Exceptions and Missteps" 28:53 Journeyman vs. Master Licenses 29:54 Master Electrician: Skill vs. Integrity 33:38 Madison Electrician Training Insights 36:32 Electrical Practices and Misconceptions 42:13 Trusting and Empowering Others 44:36 Prioritize Valuing Top Performers 46:51 "Embracing Appreciation in Business" 50:16 Strategic Approach to Tough Conversations 54:23 Entrepreneur Stories & Electrician Insights Podcast Transcription: Cole McCloskey [00:00:00]: You do have to have a master electrician license to have your own business, because to have your own business to pull permits, you have to have a contractor's license. You have to have a master license to get the contractor license. So if that's a route someone wants to go, they do have to pass that exam. James Kademan [00:00:14]: So if they pass that test, then they have achieved master electrician status. Cole McCloskey [00:00:18]: Yeah, really above that, you can get into credentials for being an inspector if you want. The master exam is the first step towards that. If that's route you want to go. James Kademan [00:00:30]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. We are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie and downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at https://drawincustomers.com Today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Cole McCluskey of the Electrician Inc. And we are talking construction, electrician, electricity, all the good stuff. So Cole, how is it going today? Cole McCloskey [00:00:59]: Going very well. Thank you for having me. James Kademan [00:01:00]: Let's talk about the foundation. What is the Electrician Inc.? Cole McCloskey [00:01:04]: So we are a full services electrical contractor. We do jobs large and small across all sectors from residential to commercial to industrial. We do also fire alarm and low voltage access control systems. So we cover a wide variety of the market in that w...

Isabelle Blaser  - Vet Receptionists On the State of the Veterinary Field: "I think it's just a nationwide thing. That vet hospitals are understaffed and overworked and they always need an extra set of hands." Pets are like family to a great majority of our population.  As living creatures, these pets need help.  Sometimes just a checkup, and sometimes something deeper, such as surgery.  Regardless of what they need, they are the animals we care about and so we want them to be taken care of. The world of veterinary medicine is a challenging one.  The volume of pets is increasing, the volume of veterinarians and technicians is decreasing.  The workload is simply too much for most people to bear for anything considered long term. But does it have to be this way? Isabelle Blaser is the incredible manager at Vet Receptionists, a company designed to lift much of the burden found in most veterinary clinics, by taking calls and helping reduce the workload of the overworked staff.  By doing this, Isabelle and her crew at Vet Receptionists are able to help their client's employees keep doing all they need to do, keep them sane and keep them happily employed. In this episode Isabelle shares the problems facing most veterinary clinics and the solutions that can turn a struggling practice into a place of happiness.  Though most veterinary clinics may not be struggling financially, mentally and culturally they are often a house of cards.  Many times without the doctors or clinic owners even knowing of the issues or demands being made on their team. Listen as Isabelle explains the need for improved customer service to allow your clients to be treated better, as well as your employees. Enjoy! Visit Isabelle at: https://vetreceptionists.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetreceptionists/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Supporting Overworked Vet Hospitals 04:20 Staffing Shortages and Owner Misunderstandings 08:15 Vets Avoiding Independent Practice 09:49 Veterinary Staff Experience Insights 13:12 Teamwork in Hospitals Explained 16:57 Veterinary Medicine: Broad, Demanding Expertise 19:31 Healing Through Puppy Care 23:08 "Clinic Growth and Staffing Strain" 28:08 General Practice Veterinary Hospital Size 29:58 Dominance of Market Software Leaders 34:05 "Veterinary Hiring Knowledge Test" Podcast Transcription: James Kademan [00:00:00]: What is Vet Receptionists? Isabelle Blaser [00:00:01]: Vet Receptionists is a remote reception service for veterinary hospitals. James Kademan [00:00:06]: Nice. Isabelle Blaser [00:00:07]: In short, that's. James Kademan [00:00:08]: That's cool. That's cool. Why is that important? Isabelle Blaser [00:00:11]: It's important because I'm sure you've been to a veterinary hospital sometime recently. The staff is more than you'd like to admit. I think it's just a nationwide thing that vet hospitals are understaffed and overworked and they always need an extra set of hands. That way they can take care of the patients that are in the hospital. Isabelle Blaser [00:00:29]: So that's where we come in. James Kademan [00:00:34]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the banks of Sun, Bank of Sun Prairie. Woof. Calls on Call, Extraordinary Answering Service as well as the Bold Business Book. And today we're welcoming, slash preparing to learn from Isabelle Blaser, at Vet Receptionists. So, Isabelle, how is it going today? Isabelle Blaser [00:01:04]: It is going just fabulous. How about yourself? James Kademan [00:01:07]: Sweet. It's going well. I'm excited. We're talking about veterinary receptionists. Let's just start there. What is Vet Receptionists? Isabelle Blaser [00:01:14]:

TWall, TIF, Traffic & Transparency...this is the Derby District In Terrence Wall's own words.  A massive development planned for 130+ acres on Sun Prairie's west side, the Derby District has the potential to dramatically reshape the area around Hwy C (Grand Ave) and and Hwy 19.  Terrence Wall and Fernando Escobar describe the plans for the site and address some of the concerns that have been raised by local residents.     

Allen Curran  - Curran Cabinetry and Design On the Knowing Your Users: "So if you have teenagers at home, it might come in really handy to be able to slow that down so they don't have the opportunity to slam things shut." We all live in homes with a few of the same types of rooms.  We all have kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and a place to do laundry and maybe even a place to hold stuff in the garage.  In almost all of these rooms we have cabinets.  That is where the similarities deviate. Cabinets can be made of a variety of materials, and styles.  How do you choose the best cabinets for your remodeling project. Allen Curran, owner of Curran Cabinetry and Design, knows a thing or two about cabinets.  He has been in the industry for years and has seen designs come and go and come back again. Listen as Allen explains the nuances of cabinets, the different design options and even the things you don't see, but you actually feel when using the cabinets.  It opens up a whole new world to making your house a much nicer home. Enjoy! Visit Lane at: https://currancabinetrydesign.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curran.cabinetry.design/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Timeless Cabinet Color Choices" 04:00 "Architect Encounter on Flight" 09:45 Soft-Close Drawer and Door Features 12:17 Toolbox Over Kitchen Cabinets 14:46 Friendship, Friction, Sales Strategy 20:07 "Connecting with Amish Artisans" 22:55 "Helpful Advice From Retiree" 25:19 "Shop Machinery and Systems" 29:37 Local, Quality-Focused Service 33:07 "Custom Cabinets, Semi-Custom Pricing" 37:39 Muted Colors for Timeless Kitchens 39:17 Oak's Decline and Revival 42:38 "Microwave Drawers and Filtration Systems" 46:56 "Counter-Depth vs Full-Size Refrigerators" 49:43 Ethical Start in Remodeling Business 53:30 Modern Trends in Door Desgin 57:20 "Efficient Kitchen Showroom Design" Podcast Transcription: Allen Curran [00:00:00]: White or shades of white are still the most popular. Gray, blue, and green are the other options. And if you look at the blues and the greens, they will tend to have a shade of gray in them. And the reason for that is so much easier to decorate with other colors. If you wanted cobalt blue cabinetry, certainly we can do it. We offer all the Sherwin Williams paint colors as standard, different colors to choose from. But if you want cobalt blue, my biggest concern and first question is going to be how long before you get tired of that color? James Kademan [00:00:42]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link find@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Alan Curran of Curran Cabinetry and Design. I almost forgot the and design part. Allen Curran [00:01:06]: Perfect. James Kademan [00:01:07]: So, Alan, how is it going today? Allen Curran [00:01:09]: Today's going well. It's a beautiful sunny day. James Kademan [00:01:11]: Yeah. We're talking cabinetry here. Allen Curran [00:01:13]: We are. James Kademan [00:01:14]: So let's just start with the foundation. How do you get in the cabinetry business? Allen Curran [00:01:18]: Well, how I got into the cabinetry business is I applied for a job, having had experience selling to general contractors and found out a little bit later that I was the only one who applied and dressed in a suit. That's my claim to fame, is I wore a suit the right day. James Kademan [00:01:37]: You know, that is. That's funny. You say that side anecdote here. I'm hiring, I guess you've been doing some hiring. And I get people in Zoom meetings. You probably, I imagine, have people in person. Allen Curran [00:01:48]: A bit of both. James Kademan [00:01:49]:

It's a jam-packed show this month on What Are We Building?  Starting off with some new businesses in town and a massive plan for the "Derby District" at the QBE site near Grand & Windsor St.  Then, I had a very candid conversation with Lisa Goldsberry about the school board, empathy, engagement, and Grey's Anatomy. We discussed how the board responds (or not) to citizen issues, the situation with Principal Coleman at SP East, and the ongoing handling of the allegations against former Dean Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier.

Tracy Anderson  - Big Brother Big Sisters of Dane County On the Value of Being a Mentor to a Kid: "When you spend time with a child, it's shown to prove that they'll likely go to college when they grow up or have a better paying job or not partake in violence, alcohol or drugs." As entrepreneurs, we strive to do our best every day.  We push and drag ourselves, our employees, our clients and our vendors to join us in growing our business.  We do all of this for many reasons, but for many of us, that reason is based on two words, Growth and Freedom. What is interesting is that not everyone has that mindset, or has even had the opportunity to be exposed to that mindset.  Not everyone knows that you can do and be better.  Some people simply have not been shown all of the opportunity they really have. That is one of the reasons I became a Big, with Big Brothers Big Sisters and why we are lucky to have Tracy Anderson, of BBBS Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin to chat with us about the difference a mentor can make. Tracy explains what all Big Brothers Big Sisters does for kids, adults, the community and society at large.  All of this rolling around the idea of people sharing time, experience and ideas with each other, thinly veiled as just having fun hanging out. If you have ever wondered how you could make a difference in the world, as a way to show gratitude for the success you have achieved, I'd highly suggest becoming a Big. Listen as Tracy explains what it takes to be a Big and the challenges Big Brothers Big Sisters has continued to overcome, just like any business.  Often success can be measured by a bank account, more importantly, it can be measured in smiles and expanding the opportunity that you were lucky enough to learn about. Enjoy! Visit Tracy at: https://www.bbbsmadison.org/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Building Birdhouses and Life Lessons 03:59 Mentoring Program: One-on-One Impact 07:04 "Child Signup Process Overview" 12:07 Revamping Recruitment Post-COVID 14:58 Interview Process for Kids and Bigs 18:14 Event Hub: Free, Discounted Activities 21:27 Unbreakable Bonds Through Mentorship 23:50 Podcast vs. Gaming Popularity Dilemma 28:31 "Community Outreach & Partnerships" 31:03 Economic Uncertainty Hits Spending 34:54 Dane County Scavenger Hunt Adventure 36:56 Team Roles: Fundraising and Missions 38:58 Mission-Based Team Challenges 44:43 "Team Building and Mission Alignment" 47:46 Transformative Experience Perspective 48:44 Mentorship Boosts Future Earnings 54:38 "Girls on the Run Program" 57:52 Local Giving Transparency in Madison Podcast Transcription: Tracy Anderson [00:00:00]: So it's a one to one mentoring program. So it's all about spending that one on one time. It truly makes a difference. And when you spend time with a child, we create new matches, ages 6 to 13. Another great reason why mentorship works. I mean, you're getting out of a different environment and you're being asked to do things that you know are going to help you when you become an adult. James Kademan [00:00:34]: You have found authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. We are locally interwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link fund@drawincustomers.com and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Tracy Anderson of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Dane County. So, Tracy, how is it going today? Tracy Anderson [00:00:58]: Good, good. James Kademan [00:00:59]: I'm excited for you to be here. Tracy Anderson [00:01:00]: Thank you. James Kademan [00:01:01]: I've been a big. I guess I'm not technically a Big anymore, but I was a Big with Danny. We got connected when he was 11. Tracy Anderson [00:01:08]: Okay. James Kademan [00:01:08]: So it's like I said, is almost forever. It's been a while.

Therese Merkel - Tricky Foods On the the Goal of Being a Business OWNER and not a Business OPERATOR: "How do I build a machine that works without me so that I can still be involved in this business, but I'm not the one working Friday, Saturdays and weekends?" The food business can be tricky.  You've got health codes to deal with, so people don't get sick.  You've got the whole issue of spoilage, so you need to keep product moving.  Then you've got the fluctuating prices of your ingredients.  Add in the challenges of employees, and property and customers and different tastes and you have a very challenging business. That is why it is so incredible to chat with people like Therese Merkel, of Tricky Foods. Therese Merkel always loved cooking and has brought that passion to her charcuterie board business for Madison, Wisconsin (soon the world) visitors to love. Therese's journey from a traditional tech career at Epic to building a thriving cheese and charcuterie business is filled with twists, hustle, and a whole lot of Wisconsin pride. She shares how she turned her culinary passion, and a timely Instagram trend, into a storefront that's more than just a stop for cheese boards.  She added a wine and beer bar, event space, and catering hub that celebrates all things local. In this candid conversation, Therese opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from bootstrapping her business with just $10,000, to navigating Madison's real estate market, negotiating everything from kitchen rent to employee wages, and learning how to build systems that let her step back from day-to-day service and focus on expansion. She discusses the inspiration behind launching shippable charcuterie boards using Wisconsin cheeses, the powerful impact of authentic social media marketing, and the ongoing challenge of scaling up while keeping her signature brand of creativity and local spirit. Listen as Therese explains how she used her persistence, skills, and a bit of luck along with her incredible wit and charm to get things done in such a blisteringly fast way it must be heard from her to be believed.  Therese is nothing less than amazing and you will be inspired after just listening to her tell the tales. Enjoy! Visit Therese at: https://www.notsotrickyfoods.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Driven by Money, Not Passion 08:51 Considering Investing in a Storefront 13:36 Unexpected Offer for Dream Space 19:30 Adjusting Business Hours 24:38 Indifferent Sports Parent 28:28 Madison's New Entrepreneurship Hub 34:05 First Experience with Delegation 41:51 Creative Holiday Charcuterie Artists 43:32 Navigating Bureaucracy for Permits 49:29 Prioritize Engagement Over Acquisition 55:55 "Profitable Meat Shipping Realization" Podcast Transcription: Therese Merkel [00:00:00]: Opposed to using. As opposed to using like Harry and David or like 1-800-FLOWERS. They can support a local company and shippable boards that only uses Wisconsin cheeses. And we're from Wisconsin. It just feels like a good way. It. It's serendipitous with like, my feel on community and supporting local and like the. The local economy. Therese Merkel [00:00:19]: Here. James Kademan [00:00:28]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link fund@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Therese Merkel of Tricky Foods. We're talking foods today, so that's always a good thing. How's it going today? Therese Merkel [00:00:54]: It's going good. Yeah. Nothing really crazy going on such a sweet podcast. James Kademan [00:01:00]: I know, right? Therese Merkel [00:01:01]: You're right. This is probably the most exciting thing I've done today.

Danielle Burken - Danielle Burken Marketing On the How Marketing with Human Design Helps Your Business: "You're attracting the clients that you want to work with because you are showing up as the version of yourself that really trusts in the work that you're doing." We all have a voice.  In marketing our business, we often try to sugarcoat or use an inauthentic voice that may not really align with us.  Or really even sound anything like us. If you've ever wondered how to find greater alignment in your work, or felt frustrated by “cookie-cutter” marketing formulas that just don't fit for your personality, you won't want to miss this conversation. Danielle shares how she went from running a successful food blog to managing a marketing agency, and ultimately discovered the power of applying human design—a system based on your birth details—to help entrepreneurs market and run their businesses in a way that genuinely feels right for them. James and Danielle dive deep into what human design is, how it differs from traditional personality tests, and why knowing your own design can clear the noise and confusion so common in the modern marketing world. Danielle offers up real-life stories from her own journey and client work, discussing the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of authenticity, and even the tough conversations she faced when leaving her day job to take the leap into business ownership. Listen as Danielle explains how using Human Design can be a great way to bring your own voice into your marketing for your business. Enjoy! Visit Danielle at: https://www.danielleburken.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Personalized Business Marketing Strategy 07:14 Journey from Blogger to Marketer 13:24 Human Design Holistic Wellness Success 17:06 Human Design: Understanding Your Type 24:33 "Understanding Human Design Differences" 27:20 Clarity Through Actionable Planning 36:53 "Human Design Marketing Strategy Shift" 38:16 Aligning Content with Human Design 46:23 "Attracting Genuine Marketing Enthusiasts" 52:14 Authentic Marketing through Collaboration 57:10 Entrepreneurial Loneliness and Accountability 01:03:04 Pursuing Side Business Dreams 01:05:31 Pursuing Passion Beyond Stability Podcast Transcription: Danielle Burken [00:00:00]: I do everything through the lens of human design. So for audience members who haven't heard about human design before, it is a tool similar to, let's say, Enneagram, disc assessment, Myers Briggs, those personality type tests. However, this goes a layer deeper because it's based on your birth date and time. And when we apply it to marketing, business becomes so much easier. James Kademan [00:00:28]: Oh well, easy business is best. You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. We are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link fun@drawincustomers.com and today we're welcoming preparing to learn from Daniel Burken of Daniel Burken Marketing. So Daniel, how is it going today? Danielle Burken [00:01:02]: I'm good, how are you? James Kademan [00:01:03]: I am excited because I was poking around your website. Danielle Burken [00:01:07]: Yeah. James Kademan [00:01:07]: And you do marketing, but it, it goes a little deeper than that. Danielle Burken [00:01:10]: It does a lot deeper. I do everything through the lens of human design. So. James Kademan [00:01:15]: Okay. Danielle Burken [00:01:16]: For audience members who haven't heard about human design before, it is a tool similar to, let's say, Enneagram Disc Assessment, Myers Briggs, those personality typ tests. However, this goes a layer deeper because it's based on your birth date and time. So it's not answering any questions which I feel can sometimes skew your results.

Grant reacts to the Brewers winning the finale in Chicago and massive fights between the Packers and Seahawks. Mike Renner joins at 5:00 to preview the NFL season and Ebo and Zach check in live from Monks in Sun Prairie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Gantz - Patriot Properties Property Management On the How the Internet Has Changed the Real Estate Industry: "Now you have the democratization of that MLS book, right? So that value is completely gone for the broker because everybody can see everybody everywhere at all times." Investing in Real Estate is often a great way to add to your investment portfolio.  There are a few main ways to invest, and one of them is to own property that you pay for someone else to take care of the property.  This includes preparing the place for rent, marketing the property, and finding some sweet people to rent the place.  Chris Gantz of Patriot Properties knows property management and real estate investing. Unlike the usual interviews with investors and agents, Chris brings a boots-on-the-ground perspective, sharing what it's really like to manage thousands of units across Wisconsin—including multifamily buildings, self-storage, mobile home parks, and short-term rentals. This is the guy doing the things that the other investors pay people to do.  Chris is the real deal and explains in candid detail what you need to look for when hunting for your property manager.  He also discusses a few things to look for in the rental property you are looking to acquire. Chris delves into Patriot Properties' innovative decentralized model, how technology is transforming the industry, and the strategies his team uses to stay ahead of the competition—like same-day showings and rapid application processing. He also explains the challenges and perks of active management, pricing strategies, the ever-evolving rental market, and how landlords can maximize returns in both cash-flow and appreciation-focused markets. Listen as Chris explains tips for finding off-market deals and managing tenant relationships (including some wild stories!). If you're thinking about investing in real estate or want to learn what it takes to truly succeed in property management, you won't want to miss Chris's thoughtful insights and candid stories from the field. Enjoy! Visit Chris at: https://patriot-properties.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Instant Self-Showing Rental Advantage" 05:52 Apartment Leasing: Act Fast Strategy 12:36 Operational Success Determines Investment Outcomes 18:07 Madison Real Estate Investment Surge 22:43 "Challenges of First Property Investment" 29:56 Real Estate Market Evolution Gaps 32:30 "AI Transforming Company Operations" 39:51 Balancing Maintenance with Convenience 43:36 Maintenance Included: No Chargebacks Policy 52:08 Strengthening Client Relationships 54:10 "Value Add Strategy Explained" 01:04:09 Unconventional Property Account Management 01:05:49 Client Communication and Strategy Adjustment Podcast Transcription: Chris Gantz [00:00:00]: I would say so. You know the Burr method, right? House hacking, I think that's always a great way. One of the things I've always said is, in my opinion, you know, one of the fastest ways to make money in real estate is to fix and flip. So if you can find the single family home, you're going to live in it, or the duplex, you're going to live in it, fix it up. While you live there, you're putting in all the sweat equity, do as much work as you can. Foreign. James Kademan [00:00:33]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. We are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link funded drawincustomers.com and today we're welcoming Slash, preparing to learn from Chris Gantz of Patriot Properties. We're going to be talking about property management. So, Kris, how is it going today? Chris Gantz [00:00:59]: Good, good. Excited to be here. James Kademan [00:01:01]: Yeah, thanks for being on the show. I'm excited here because I've interviewed quite a few people in the real estate...

Welcome back to work, yo. Another weekend gone by. Another five days of torture in front of us. We kicked off the week with an update on the flooding in Milwaukee, including info on vouchers for the State Fair. Also in the news this morning, the Holmen robbery suspect from last week has been captured, and police in Sun Prairie are investigating a body that was found in a manure pit. Plus, an update on the CDC shooting suspect, and a tiny space rock crashed into a home in Atlanta the other day. In sports, the Brewers remain red-hot with a big comeback win over the Mets yesterday, a recap of the first week of the NFL preseason, a MASSIVE field goal from Cam Little of the Jaguars, and a significant injury to Rondale Moore of the Vikings. Elsewhere in sports, results of this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race and an Xfinity driver who had a bit of trouble getting out of his car after a victory. Wisconsin center Jake Renfro suffered a setback in training camp, and two Japanese boxers died from brain injuries just days after fighting. We let you know what's on TV today/tonight and we had a funny story about a tiny Pomeranian that scared off a bear that had wandered into a home. Plus, a record-breaking sunflower! Had an interesting list of little-known facts, including a recall on BMWs in Germany, how much cardboard is produced in America every year, and a town in Michigan with a very interesting name. Are electric vehicles making you more carsick than traditional gas-powered vehicles? They might be! Plus, an online debate about the worst song ever. And in today's edition of "Bad News with Happy Music", we had stories about some thieves who stole over $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls, a woman who got her arm stuck in a game at a Chuck-E-Cheese & had to be rescued by the fire department, a shooting suspect who got caught jerking off in a parking lot of a grocery store, a guy in Texas who creeped on some girls while wearing a diaper, a dude in Arizona who's going to jail for attempting to kill his former boss, and a claim that people who have masculine names get more food when ordering through an app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Molly Hildebrandt - Hildebrandt Consulting LLC On Learning and Knowing Thyself: "Being able to help people tap into their unique energy source will help them then be able to figure out where do they get energy? What are the energy drains?." Every professional athlete has a coach.  The great athletes typically have an incredible coach.  With business professionals, it is no different.  But how do you choose a coach?  What will the coach help you with? Molly Hildebrandt has a lifetime of experience in the business world and experience, first hand, some challenging times.  Challenging enough for her to stop, rethink where she was heading and make a shift.  With this awareness she made moves to build a business to help other professionals. We all know that entrepreneurship can be stressful, challenging and sometimes make your mind go a little crazy.  This is where a professional like Molly can help. Listen as Molly explains a simple mental test to help you understand who you are, so you can then determine what you can do best to get into the groove of building your successful empire. Enjoy! Visit Molly at: https://www.mollyhildebrandt.com   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Unlocking Personal Energy Sources 06:38 Discovering Your Intrinsic Self 12:39 "Overloaded Mental Load" 19:39 Avoiding Burnout Through Prioritization 26:08 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Struggles 30:25 "Motherhood and Business Expectations" 33:04 "Building Genuine Self-Esteem" 40:52 From Bullying Roots to Leadership 43:35 Choosing Executive Coaching Over Personal Training 52:26 "Handling Criticism and Self-Esteem" 56:10 Empowering Leadership Development Autonomy 59:16 "Parenting: Recognizing Teen Growth Moments" 01:04:39 Mother-Daughter Bonding Through Communication 01:10:32 "Growth Amid Relationship Challenges" Podcast Transcription: Molly Hildebrandt [00:00:00]: Leaders and parents to discover who they are intrinsically, their uniqueness, so they can truly and intentionally lead from who they are, that the whole authentic leadership. James Kademan [00:00:11]: Yeah, you know, we love that word authentic. Molly Hildebrandt [00:00:13]: We love authentic. So authentic leadership. But then we really start to work through different thought processes and understand how their mind and their brain work so that they can dissolve and get to the root issue of various mental wellness hurts, hurdles and challenges. To really help them start stepping into mental resilience and to be able to hold their thought process regardless of what's going on with the kids or with. James Kademan [00:00:42]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. We are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com and today we are welcoming Slash, preparing to learn from Molly Hildebrandt of Hildebrandt Consulting. Molly, how is it going today? Molly Hildebrandt [00:01:05]: Oh, fantastic. Thank you for having me. James Kademan [00:01:07]: Thank you for being on the show here. Let's just start out with the basic foundation. What is Hildebrandt Consulting? Molly Hildebrandt [00:01:13]: Hildebrandt Consulting is a leadership development company. James Kademan [00:01:16]: All right. Molly Hildebrandt [00:01:16]: I facilitate leaders and parents to discover who they are intrinsically, their uniqueness, so they can truly and intentionally lead from who they are. That the whole authentic leadership. James Kademan [00:01:28]: Yeah, you know, we love that word, authentic leadership. Molly Hildebrandt [00:01:30]: We love authentic. So authentic leadership. But then we really start to work through different thought processes and understand how their mind and their brain work so that they can dissolve and get to the r...

Joe Seltzner’s farm has seen four decades of transformation, rooted in family legacy and shaped by change. In 1980, his father started farming the land with little more than a barn, a house, and a few tractors. He sold it to Joe and his wife two decades later. Since then, the house has been expanded four times, a new one built nearby, and nearly every original building is gone. What was once a humble start with chickens and corn cribs is now a 350-acre operation bordering the ever-encroaching city of Sun Prairie. Joe knows development pressure is closing in, but he’s holding fast. If the farm is ever sold, he dreams of starting fresh, somewhere quieter. Still, his favorite memory remains simple: his grandfather, handing out apples from his pocket after a long day baling straw.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Grulke and Cat Munson - Animal Center for Emergency and Specialty (ACES) On the Reality of Working in Veterinary Medicine: "You're gonna have to talk with the family that can't necessarily afford to take care of their animal all the time. You're gonna have to lift a 80 pound dog. There's just certain things where we can make your life easier and better financially, but there's certain things that are just part of the job." The veterinary field is a challenging one.  For those that are working in the field, you need to work with animals that cannot necessarily tell you what hurts.  On the same side, they are communicating with the variety of pet owners.  Another significant issue comes down to the money.  Many people have left the veterinary profession for other, arguably easier, jobs for similar pay. The veterinary field is a business that requires the love of pets to be accepted as part of the reason you are in the field. Add onto the issue of growing demand as populations climb and pet ownership grows along with it and the declining or typically static existence of veterinary care facilities makes the business of veterinary medicine interesting, to say the least. Lisa Grulke and Cat Munson saw the need, and decided to build from scratch a veterinary practice of their own, the Animal Center for Emergency and Specialty (ACES) in Madison, Wisconsin.  They went full in with a new building, new equipment and processes for everything gained through their individual veterinary paths. Listen as Lisa and Cat explain how they got to be the admirable veterinary entrepreneurs they are and how they came to make the decisions they did.  The process was seemingly clinical in execution and the result has been nothing shy of amazing. Enjoy! Visit Lisa and Cat at: https://acesvetmed.com/     Podcast Overview: 00:00 Following My Husband's Career Path 06:02 Career-Specific Tracking Schools 08:36 Farm Production Challenges 11:37 Wildlife Conservation Career Challenges 14:48 Veterinary Staff Shortages Escalate 17:31 "Valuing Licensed Technicians' Worth" 20:59 Building Trust Through Relief Work 24:34 Evening Urgent Care Focus 26:34 Demographic Survey for Market Analysis 29:26 Collaborative Emergency Care During Pandemic 33:33 Chemotherapy Misunderstanding Explained 37:14 Optimizing Veterinary Clinic Layout 39:22 Building Transformation Insight 45:24 Networking Through University Program 46:07 Overconfident Small Business Owners 50:46 Relying on Unreliable Fax Machines 55:25 Office Troubleshooting & Cloud Solutions Podcast Transcription: Speaker [00:00:00]: I got into an argument with one of my friends on the playground and said, screw this. I'm not working with people because people are awful. And so then I was like, well, I'm gonna work with animals instead. And I stuck with it. Speaker [00:00:12]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from Cat and Lisa of ACEs Veterinary. So, Cat and Lisa, how is it going today? Speaker [00:00:37]: Good. Speaker [00:00:37]: Pretty good. A little bit tired, but we're good. Speaker [00:00:40]: We're here. Speaker [00:00:41]: Let's start out with foundation. Tell us what ACEs is. Speaker [00:00:44]: So ACEs, or Animal Center for Emergency and Specialty, is a brand new after hours urgent care in the Madison area. We also have oncology during the week. But our primary focus and where it was born from was extending the reach and availability of care for sick or injured pets. Speaker [00:01:03]: All right, does ACEs stand for something? It's an acronym, right? Speaker [00:01:07]: Yep, yep, yep. All right,

Amanda Marek - Active Youth Wisconsin On Getting the Style Right: "I always like to say that, from an unbiased standpoint, our events are really, really awesome. And I say it's unbiased because I got to experience the events before I was an employee of active youth Wisconsin." It seems kids have all sorts of gadgets and ways to watch, listen and play while sitting in a chair and staring at a screen.  While this may be entertaining, it is also not great for their bodies.  Every body needs to move and be active.  That is a habit that should start early.  But how do you get kids off the couch and off their screens? Amanda Marek is the director of Active Youth Wisconsin, a non-profit that helps get kids moving through many programs.  These programs include donations to schools for physical education equipment, after school programs, triathlons for kids and even some adult fund-raising to get adults active. Discover how Active Youth Wisconsin removes barriers, from providing "no questions asked" financial aid for entry fees and gear, to carting bike trailers to schools so every child can experience the freedom and confidence that come with moving their bodies. Amanda opens up about the challenges and triumphs of running events, working with schools, wrangling city permits, and, most importantly, ensuring that every child—regardless of means—has the opportunity to build healthy habits and a sense of community through activity. Whether you're a parent, educator, entrepreneur, or just someone who believes in the power of movement and inclusion, this episode is packed with heartfelt stories and valuable insights. Listen as Amanda details how they are helping get kids moving and making sure the opportunity is available to everyone. Enjoy! Visit Amanda at: https://www.tri4schools.org/     Podcast Overview: 00:00 Early Specialization in Youth Sports 05:22 Pandemic Sparks Outdoor Education Shift 08:45 Event Planning Logistics Explained 09:58 Supportive Community Partnerships 14:25 Youth Sports: Financial Barriers 18:58 "Full Entry Fees Donated to Schools" 22:47 Exceptional Event Experiences 24:01 "Team Effort Boosts Kids' Triathlon" 27:44 Modified Triathlon Course for Kids 30:09 Comprehensive Event Insurance Essentials 34:36 "Abandoned Fancy Bike On Trail" 37:44 "Adopting Business Approach for Survival" 41:59 "Short Attention Span Challenges" 45:09 Active Youth Wisconsin Structure 48:06 "Grants for Wisconsin Schools Open" 51:09 Goggle Donation Success Story Podcast Transcription: Amanda Marek [00:00:00]: Or now more and more is starting to become. Kids are specializing earlier. Right. So when you're six years old, they're saying, all right, football's your sport, you know, and so we're gonna go do the elite program at the gym and we're gonna do the weightlifting and all of these. Right. It's amazing to see these kids developing as athletes. I think it's really awesome. But it's so exclusive that you have this big chunk of kids, kids that are being essentially left behind. Amanda Marek [00:00:30]: Right. James Kademan [00:00:33]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found@drawincustomers.com we are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming, preparing to learn from a. Amanda Merrick, the director of Active Youth Wisconsin. I had to double check the name because you guys changed recently, right? Amanda Marek [00:01:01]: That's right. Big, big, big changes. James Kademan [00:01:03]: Big change. Amanda Marek [00:01:04]: Yeah. So we just, In December of 2024, transitioned from Tri 4 Schools to Active Youth Wisconsin. James Kademan [00:01:13]: All right, so let's lay the foundation here. What is Active Youth Wisconsin? Amanda Marek [00:01:17]:

In today's episode we chat with former Sun Prairie East Cardinal and current Iowa Hawkeye Addison OstrengaTOPICS COVERED1- Addison talks about being a 3 sport athlete 2. We talk about what a great influence the Sun Prairie community has on athletics and what a great lead Coach Kaminski is for all athletes3. We talk being recruited by Iowa for both baseball and football4 Addison gives his GET YOUR EDGE ADVICE5. HERE IS THE LINK FOR ADDISON'S CAMP MAY 17https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:6ff47934-71d6-4a8c-b059-71061b73e6c2If you enjoy the podcast please share it with your athletes- teachers- parents and other coaches.Help us grow our GET YOUR EDGE community and share the podcast.#chop-itGET YOUR EDGE PODCASTInstagram and X- @getyouredgepodDean Contactwww.foxvalleythrowsclub.comInstagram and X- @foxvalleythrowsBrian Contactwww.sportsadvantedge.comInstagram- @sportsadvantedge / @brianbott23X- @botter23 / @sportadvantedgeappletonEmail- Brian@sportsadvantedge.comGraphics and Logo- Bailey MarashInstagram and X- @bmarasch13#foxvalleythrows #getyouredge #sportsadvantedge #hardwork #athlete #makernation #foxvalley #fireit #feedthecats #loadthedawgs