Big Time Small Business

On this episode I talk with Mary Allen Lindemann, co-founder and community builder of Coffee By Design ("CBD" if you are a local), a Maine-based community coffee house and wholesale roastery that will roast over 550,000 pounds of coffee this year. Approaching their 25th anniversary, CBD has been through three waves of coffeehouse competition and has learned how to start, grow, and sustain a successful organization along the way.

Mary Allen is steadfast in her company's commitment to steady, sustainable, and responsible growth – to the point where she says "No" more than "Yes" and is comfortable no longer being the first in an effort to be the best. She engages in a level of honest introspection only an entrepreneur of her tenure could accomplish and has sustained an enthusiasm for her business that is emblematic of a mission-driven founder.

Questions, comments, or know someone who would be great on the Big Time Small Business podcast? E-mail in at [email protected]

On this episode, I talk with Luke Livingston, founder of Baxter Brewing, a craft brewery that has grown to the third largest brewer by volume in Maine since its founding 8 years ago. Once the 16th brewery license in the state, Baxter was the first in New England to produce beer exclusively in a can or a keg — in part for the environmental benefits and in part to serve its mission of accessibility and portability.

Luke talks about competition as an incumbent in an industry that locally is seeing supply outstrip demand and his company's focus on product consistency to serve its growth ambitions which include exporting to the UK and Canada

On this episode, I talk to Barrett Takesian, founder and executive director of Portland Community Squash, a nonprofit focused on community engagement and youth development in Portland, Maine. Over the past 6 years, Barrett has pioneered a hybrid business model that blends a for-profit division into a nonprofit structure and in 2017 was recognized as the United States Olympic Committee Development Coach of the Year for his work in growing the sport of squash.

Barrett and I talk about what it’s like developing human capital as a precursor to financial capital, the entrepreneurial struggles of starting an untested business model from scratch, and his focus on sustaining PCS’ mission for the next 100 years.

On this episode, I talk with Seth Page, co-founder of Misfit Athletics, a fitness company that does everything from operating CrossFit gyms to running an apparel brand, to remote coaching for high-level Crossfit Games athletes and everything in between. Since starting their business from a garage gym almost 10 years ago, MisFit Athletics has grown to a tribe (their term) of 40,000 'MisFits' who look to Seth and his team to help them get healthy, fit, and engage with a community of like-minded people. For those that follow the sport of CrossFit, you can see their athletes all over the competition floor with multiples more in the stands (just look for the purple).

I talk with Seth about what has made MisFit Athletics so sought after by competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, how growth forced Seth to change how work gets done and decisions get made, and the similarities (and differences) between being a coach and being a boss.

Questions, comments, or know someone who would be great on the Big Time Small Business podcast? E-mail in at [email protected]

On this episode, I speak with John Rooks, co-founder and CEO of Rapport, a software-as-a-service company helping small and medium-sized businesses capture and quantify their environmental footprint while saving them money along the way. Since winning an investment from Steve Case during his Rise of the Rest tour, Rapport is on a mission to democratize sustainability. I talk with John about one of my favorite topics, authenticity, through the lens of a data-centric software company, how blockchain has made its way into the sustainability space (you read that right), and the outlook for sustainable business models in a post-consumerism world.

On this episode, I speak with Jordan Milne, Founder and CEO of Hardshore Distilling Company, a craft distillery based in Portland Maine that recently won the title of best craft gin in the US by USA Today. While only two years into production, Jordan and I talk about the four year lead up to starting Hardshore, the difference between being a gin maker versus an alcohol professional, and the importance of authenticity in creating a differentiated brand. I came away impressed with the focus and vision Jordan has for his company and appreciative of his candor discussing both the good and the bad of Hardshore's journey thus far.