Central Illinois Business Leaders Podcast

Work comp is every business owners FAVORITE topic...    

Workers' compensation insurance can be a huge frustration for businesses.  It's often one of the largest expense items as well.  Many business leaders are misinformed when it comes to the work comp system and how it works.  Our goal with this BIZ TIPS series is to educate our listeners on how work comp really works.  

Join us as Bob Woodard of Illinois Public Risk Fund explains the work comp system and what Central Illinois business owners should understand about this confusing product.  In session 3, Bob explains how work comp works and responds when an employee gets injured.   

Make sure you catch this 4-part BIZ TIPS series to gain control over one of your largest business expenses!

We've eclipsed the 50 episode mark!  

In honor of making it to #50, we're sharing a throwback to our first CIBL Podcast interview with Josh Rohrscheib.    Josh is an Injury Lawyer with BRE Law.  This was a fun first interview with a great Central IL leader.  

Tune in to see how far we've come in 50 episodes.  Thanks to all our listeners for the incredible support!!

Work comp is every business owners FAVORITE topic...    

Workers' compensation insurance can be a huge frustration for businesses.  It's often one of the largest expense items as well.  Many business leaders are misinformed when it comes to the work comp system and how it works.  Our goal with this BIZ TIPS series is to educate our listeners on how work comp really works.  

Join us as Bob Woodard of Illinois Public Risk Fund explains the work comp system and what Central Illinois business owners should understand about this confusing product.  In part two of this session, Bob explains who needs it and the consequences for not having it. 

 Make sure you catch this 4-part BIZ TIPS series to gain control over one of your largest business expenses!

Work comp is every business owners FAVORITE topic...    

Workers' compensation insurance can be a huge frustration for businesses.  It's often one of the largest expense items as well.  Many business leaders are misinformed when it comes to the work comp system and how it works.  Our goal with this BIZ TIPS series is to educate our listeners on how work comp really works.  

Join us as Bob Woodard of Illinois Public Risk Fund explains the work comp system and what Central Illinois business owners should understand about this confusing product.  In part one of this session, Bob explains how work comp premiums are calculated.  

Make sure you catch this 4-part BIZ TIPS series to gain control over one of your largest business expenses!

As an entrepreneur, I'm sure you've heard the term "persistence pays off."  But just how persistent do you need to be to make your dreams a reality?  

Jeremy Yost, CEO of Yost Enterprises and Yost Management Services, joins the CIBL Podcast to talk about how persistence helped him and Yost Enterprises build a hotel conference center in the middle of a pandemic.    

As most people know, the hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit sectors during the COVID pandemic.  Due to this, lenders decided to pull funding from the hotel conference center project due to the uncertainty of the industry.  Jeremy took it upon himself to make sure the project pushed forward, so he made over 300 calls to lenders worldwide until he found one that was willing to work with them.  #persistence   

Jeremy also talks about how Yost Management Services evolved and became one of the largest management services in Central IL.  He also shares some of the craziest stories he's experienced over the years as a property manager.    

As the new Hilton Garden Inn and McKenna-Yost Convention Center moves closer to its grand opening, make sure you tune in to see how this new gem of Central Illinois came to be. You'll grow an appreciation for what Jeremy and all other Central IL entrepreneurs do to bring us these awesome businesses.

If you're a business leader, you know that problems occur on a regular basis.  Having an understanding of how to handle them can make or break your business' success.    

Join us on this CIBL BIZ TIPS series with special guest Chris Harrison.  Chris is a Managing Broker at Main Place Real Estate in Decatur, IL.  Chris has taken on the "Problem Solver" role at Main Place.  In his BIZ TIPS sessions, he helps guide us through the steps you should take to developing a solution for any problem you're faced with.    

In the third and final session, Chris explains that communication is key when solving a problem.  In today's technology-driven world, communication and customer service can sometimes be over-automated.  Simple communication can help solve a lot of problems in the business world.

Tune in as Chris spits some problem-solving knowledge in this session!

Do you put culture at the top of your list in your business?  As a business leader, do you prioritize your team's wellbeing to help drive growth?  

Join us as we interview the President & CEO of Zeller Electric, Co-Owner of Halo Solar, and College Basketball National Champion, Seth Zeller.    In this episode, Seth talks about his personal and professional background.  He highlights his time in Austin, TX where he had some negative job experiences that pushed him back to Illinois.  He then shares how he started in the family business at Zeller Electric.  You'll also hear about his new adventure with Halo Solar, a local solar provider based in Goodfield, IL.    

As the CEO at Zeller Electric, Seth puts an emphasis on building a strong culture and adhering to the company's core values.  Zeller Electric's purpose statement is to lead, live, and love well.  Seth takes it upon himself to make sure every employee is being taken care.  It is apparent by the company's growth that Seth is having a positive impact on the company culture.    

One of Zeller Electric's clients is Rivian in Normal, IL.  Seth finishes up by explaining his experience driving a brand new Rivian electric truck.    

Make sure you don't miss this fun episode with an incredible Central IL business leader!

If you're a business leader, you know that problems occur on a regular basis.  Having an understanding of how to handle them can make or break your business' success.    

Join us on this CIBL BIZ TIPS series with special guest Chris Harrison.  Chris is a Managing Broker at Main Place Real Estate in Decatur, IL.  Chris has taken on the "Problem Solver" role at Main Place.  In his BIZ TIPS sessions, he helps guide us through the steps you should take to developing a solution for any problem you're faced with.    

In session two, Chris talks about staying calm and deciding if the problem is really a problem.  As a leader, the ability to keep your composure and perform under pressure can help you resolve problems in a more professional manner.  

Tune in as Chris spits some problem-solving knowledge in this session!

As a business owner, have you ever had questions about how commercial lending works?  Are you nervous about the loan process?  

In this CIBL episode we interview John DeFreitas and Nick Gentile of Town & Country Bank in Springfield, IL.  John and Nick are both commercial lenders who work with business owners in Central Illinois.    

In this interview we learn about John and Nick's background and how they ended up in commercial lending.  You'll also learn about what to expect in the commercial loan process and how to get started.  John and Nick finish up by talking about the crazy changes that are occurring with interest rates and how to handle these unique times.    

If you're a business owner looking to grow and improve your business, you need to get to know these guys!

If you're a business leader, you know that problems occur on a regular basis.  Having an understanding of how to handle them can make or break your business' success.  

Join us on this CIBL BIZ TIPS series with special guest Chris Harrison.  Chris is a Managing Broker at Main Place Real Estate in Decatur, IL.  Chris has taken on the "Problem Solver" role at Main Place.  In his BIZ TIPS sessions, he helps guide us through the steps you should take to developing a solution for any problem you're faced with.  

In session one, Chris talks about taking ownership of the situation.  We also reference a great book written by Jocko Willink titled, "Extreme Ownership".  This book is a great guide for leaders when it comes to solving problems.  

This is an awesome session that you're guaranteed to learn something from!