Baked-In with Josh Allen

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has the immense pleasure of catching up with Chef Bill Cardwell. Best known as a pioneer of creative seasonal fare in St. Louis,  Bill has been a fixture in the local culinary field for 30 plus years. It’s hard to remember a time when Cardwell wasn’t at the helm of one of the best eateries in town including Cardwell’s, Cardwell’s at the Plaza and BC’s Kitchen or out in the community promoting the value of sustainability and seasonal cooking. He was also the first restauranteur to purchase Josh’s bread in late 1993. They talk about the state of the St. Louis food scene in 1980s and 1990s, the obstacles Bill faced during his career and his feelings on what dining is like today. Fun stuff in this one. Let’s roll…

#chef #stlouis #restaurateur #seasonalcooking

On this episode, I get to chat with Brett Arndt, co-founder and CEO of Experience Fresh, a full-service vertically integrated agency, with a focus across #advertising, #brandstrategy, #production, #design, and #performancemarketing. They also happen to be St. Louis' fastest growing company on this years #Inc5000 list. With growth of nearly 1100% in the last 3 years and an audacious plan for the future, Brett certainly has his hands full. We talk about staying true to your core values through accelerated growth, authenticity and transparency in agency relationships, and the challenge of keeping up with the relentless hustle. I even sneak in some of my own marketing questions to satisfy my own curiosities. Let's go... 

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has the pleasure of sitting down with long time friend Mike Goldman, Vice President and General Counsel of Waterway, the 50-year-old car wash brand that started as a simple operation in Kirkwood, Missouri and has since grown into a nationally recognized market leader with 29 locations in St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Denver and Cleveland. Their secret sauce continues to be human touch and personal connections in an industry driven by technology and automation. Josh and Mike talk about Waterway’s commitment to training and development via their “Learn to Lead” management training program, intentional expansion and slow growth and what’s next for brand. It’s hard not to see the value in their focus on their people. Good stuff. Let’s roll…

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has chance to sit down with Meredith Knopp, President and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. The Foodbank is responding to hunger in communities across 26 counties in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois by donating food to more than 500,000 people in the form of 40-50 million meals annually. Josh and Meredith talk about the logistics in serving such a broad audience with a relatively small team, the creation of and the ongoing use of core values in her leadership, and the upcoming 9/11 National Day of Service during which the Foodbank is hoping to pack 375,000 meals in a single day. Lots of for-profit and non-profit advice in this one. Let’s roll…

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, check out www.stlfoodbank.org.

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh gets the chance to sit with David Drier, the executive director of Pedal the Cause. Pedal provides critical funding for cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital through their annual cycling challenge. Since 2010, over $45 million has been raised – with 100% of those funds directly supporting 223 cancer research projects. This is an organization that is hugely important to Josh and his team at Companion. They’ve participated since the beginning – in a handful of events throughout the year and feeding 3,000-4,000 riders breakfast the morning of the event each September.

David and Josh talk about his long-term involvement in Pedal in honor of his daughter Victoria who passed away from brain cancer in 2018, staying relevant as a maturing organization and the process of strategic planning for the next 15 years. Lessons applicable to all kinds of companies. Let’s roll…

Please note: if you’d like to get involved with Pedal the Cause this September as a donor, rider or volunteer, please visit - https://pedalthecause.org/

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, I have the chance to catch up with Trip Straub from Straub’s Fine Grocers, the 123-year-old specialty market here in St. Louis. Trip and I share very similar family upbringings and it’s nice to talk legacy with someone carrying the torch for the fourth generation of his family’s business. We talk about the changing landscape of the grocery industry, the lessons learned from his big expansion mistake in 2008 and bringing in the next generation of leadership. Good one today. Let’s roll…

On this week’s episode, Josh sits down with good friend, Doug Stritzel—founder and owner of Pickleman’s Gourmet Café who developed a love for food and an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age. Doug worked as the Chief Operating Officer in the QSR field with Jimmy John’s and Ritter’s Frozen Custard along with lots of experience with Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s. During that 15 years, he was creating and evolving the Pickleman’s brand which he eventually opened in 2005. Doug is a whirlwind of passionate drive on building systems and culture. They talk about the most important attributes of a restaurant franchise, his hands off approach to leading people and the power of deliberate growth in the hospitality industry. Take a deep breath and let’s roll…

#franchise #deli #business 

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has the immense pleasure of chatting with Nicole Indovino of IndoVINO Wines, a young, energetic, passionate winemaking entrepreneur producing wines in both Spain and Colorado. She also happens to be the daughter of two of his most favorite people in the world – Jill and Jay Indovino whose generosity and community service via Girls on the Run and Pedal the Cause respectively are hugely inspiring to him.

It's great to hear Nicole’s story of falling love with agriculture and harvests and the routine and monotony of winemaking – incredibly familiar to Josh relative to breadmaking. They talk about the challenges of launching a business in Spain, making bets on yourself and how important it is to find a sense of place in what she’s doing. To learn about Nicole’s business and projects, please visit www.indovinowine.com. Lots of great stuff in this one. Let’s roll…

On this episode we’re joined by Dave Holler, GM of the United Football League’s St. Louis Battlehawks. As a general sports fan I really enjoyed learning more about the structure of the league, how their helping develop players for the NFL, and have been of an experimental playground for innovative rules and technology. We talk about the hub league model with all the players living and training in Texas, fixed salaries for all positions, and the all hands on deck approach to launching a startup league… it’s a lot like any entrepreneurial journey, let’s roll!

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh sits down with Fred Burmer, the newly appointed CEO of St. Louis’ beloved Lion’s Choice. Burmer started working in quick-service restaurants as a part time worker at Pizza Hut restaurants while attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando and ultimately grew that franchise company from six to more than 50 locations. He later spent years with Yum Brands – the corporate leader of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. He brings all that expertise to the 57 year-old, 30 unit Lion’s Choice. They talk about the value of working in the service industry, his initial focus after extensive customer research and the future plans of expansion. Lots of great stuff in this one. Let’s roll…