Colorado Business Podcast

What makes content feel like it could only come from you? Spencer McKee of OutThere Colorado explains why personality, firsthand experience and a connection with the audience matter, even as AI changes how content gets made.

For business owners and creators, this conversation explores how to find stories worth sharing, learn from audience feedback and keep a recognizable voice. Spencer also takes us behind the outdoor reporting, travel experiences and career decisions that shaped his work.

Spencer is Director of Content and Operations at OutThere Colorado. He covers Colorado news and outdoor adventures, and his team earned the 2022 Outdoor Media Summit People's Choice Blog of the Year award. In Episode 349, he shares how a loan from his dad helped him stay in Colorado long enough to pursue the job that became his career.

The conversation moves from the economics of digital media to community feedback, AI and creative identity. Along the way, Spencer discusses Colorado's mountain towns and music scene, a memorable month in India, via ferrata adventures and the alligator wrestling class he took while reporting for OutThere Colorado. He closes by sharing how listeners can connect with his work and UpaDowna's outdoor community.

TOPICS

- Finding stories through firsthand experience and curiosity

- Building a distinct voice that resonates with an audience

- Website advertising, sponsored content and digital media

- Separating useful criticism from online noise

- AI as a creative tool and the importance of personality

- Colorado adventures, travel stories and outdoor community

GUEST LINKS

OutThere Colorado: https://www.denvergazette.com/outtherecolorado/

Spencer McKee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencermckee

UpaDowna: https://upadowna.org/

SPONSORS

Thank you to the sponsors featured in this episode.

Diamond read:

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

LINE-X read:

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: career, content and adventure

00:46 Colorado Business Podcast intro

00:56 Meet Spencer McKee

02:20 Finding a new life in Colorado

07:54 Mountain towns, bears and Colorado life

13:16 The career break that led to OutThere Colorado

19:36 Diamond sponsor read

22:51 Website ads, sponsored stories and the business model

24:25 Colorado's live music and comedy scene

29:34 Finding stories your audience cares about

33:02 Reading feedback and learning from criticism

39:02 AI, authenticity and keeping your own voice

50:57 Walking, reflection and the creative process

54:22 LINE-X sponsor read

56:45 Travel, curiosity and a month in India

1:04:22 How travel creators change the way we explore

1:10:04 Via ferrata and Colorado adventures

1:14:45 Wildlife encounters and outdoor responsibility

1:22:47 Spencer's alligator wrestling story

1:36:57 Where to find Spencer and UpaDowna

1:39:06 Outro

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

Conversations with Colorado entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders about building teams, creating value and serving their communities.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

What makes your content feel unmistakably yours? Share your perspective in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #SpencerMcKee #OutThereColorado

What can an orchestra conductor teach a business owner about leadership? Devin Patrick Hughes explains how to earn influence, raise standards, and bring skilled people together, even when everyone knows their own instrument better than you do.

Devin describes the preparation, trust, shared vision, and rehearsal work that help skilled musicians perform together. For leaders of creative or highly skilled teams, the episode offers a different way to think about getting the best out of people.

Devin is Music Director of Boulder Symphony & Music Academy and Artistic Director & Conductor of Symphony of the Rockies. He shares how a childhood love of music, college baseball, and a change of direction from pre-medicine led to his career on the podium.

The conversation explores music education, the discipline of rehearsal, what gives creative work lasting impact, and how leaders keep growing alongside their teams. Devin also discusses building a music academy, making concerts accessible, his perspective on AI and live performance, and balancing family life with demanding creative work.

TOPICS

• Earning influence with experienced specialists

• Shared expectations, healthy pressure, and preparation

• Music education, collaboration, and community access

• Mozart, Beethoven, and the context behind enduring art

• Creativity, career direction, and finding your calling

• AI and the human experience of live music

GUEST LINKS

Devin Patrick Hughes: https://devinpatrickhughes.com/

Boulder Symphony & Music Academy: https://bouldersymphony.org/

Symphony of the Rockies: https://www.symphonyrockies.org/

Find current concert dates and tickets through the orchestras' websites.

SPONSORS

Thank you to the sponsors featured in this episode.

Diamond read:

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

Bellwether read:

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: leadership and teamwork

00:36 Colorado Business Podcast intro

00:46 Meet Devin Patrick Hughes

01:33 From Springfield to a career in conducting

05:42 What a conductor actually does

10:04 Interpreting music and telling a story

14:24 Why music education matters

19:40 What makes a performance feel seamless

24:34 Diamond sponsor read

27:47 What makes great work last?

33:56 Raising standards without burning out the team

40:09 Preparation, trust, and empowering musicians

43:35 Creativity, passion, and finding your calling

52:00 Building the Boulder Symphony Music Academy

55:11 Bellwether sponsor read

57:37 The future of classical music

59:43 AI, artistry, and the human connection

1:07:23 What comes next for Devin

1:08:56 Family and the demands of creative work

1:14:13 Concerts and connecting with the orchestras

1:17:16 Outro

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

Conversations with Colorado entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders about building teams, creating value, and serving their communities.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

How do you earn trust and bring out the best in a skilled team? Share your experience in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #DevinPatrickHughes #Leadership

Mike Kinner created Air O Sport around a simple challenge: how could he play a sport he loved with his daughter, his aging father, and friends who did not see themselves as athletic? In this conversation, he explains how a family-business upbringing and a difficult stretch as a founder shaped a game intended to bring different generations together.

The Colorado Springs founder and inventor also shares how play has informed his work with families and business teams, why he values screen-free creativity, and what he hopes to build through the Air O Sport Foundation.

In the episode, Mike talks about growing up around the Donut Mill, learning from his parents, the value he found in reading, and the product-design challenge that helped shape Air O Sport. He describes using play in corporate team experiences, the lonely stretch when the business felt difficult to sustain, parenting and screen-free play, and his hope to create more opportunities for people to play together.

GUEST LINKS: Air O Sport: https://playairosport.com/ | Air O Sport Foundation: https://airosportfoundation.org/ | Peak Play Performance: https://peakplaypro.com/

GUEST

Mike Kinner

Founder and Inventor

Air O Sport

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: play across generations

00:50 Colorado Business Podcast intro

01:00 Meet Mike Kinner and Air O Sport

02:44 The Donut Mill and family business

08:00 From basketball to self-development

15:55 Reading, focus, and flow

19:49 Diamond sponsor read

23:51 Why Mike created a multigenerational sport

26:52 Product design and the patent challenge

28:59 Play, confidence, and corporate teams

35:19 The setback that nearly stopped the dream

37:15 Relationships, trust, and team building

44:03 What pushed Mike past the setback?

45:06 Parenting and screen-free play

49:59 Creativity and the gift of boredom

51:29 LINE-X sponsor read

54:33 A sport that makes room for more people

56:52 Breaking loneliness through play

59:47 Where Air O Sport is going

1:02:27 Family, community, and the mission

1:05:09 The next million play moments

1:07:59 Outro

SPONSORS

Diamond sponsor read:

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/

Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/

Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

LINE-X sponsor read:

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/

RAIN: https://rain.tech/

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/

Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

Review note: The recorded Diamond read includes Pioneer Rodeo event copy for dates that have passed. Confirm an updated read or approved use before episode lock.

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

What should Colorado protect as it grows, and what should it be willing to build? Share your perspective in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #AirOSport #ColoradoSprings #Play

Most employees never choose the health plan their employer buys for them. Mike Markland believes that model is ready for a rethink.

In this episode of the Colorado Business Podcast, Mike shares the personal healthcare experience that pushed him into employee benefits, the numbers that convinced him to leave a traditional brokerage, and why employer-funded individual coverage may give workers more control over how they use their benefits.

Mike and the hosts unpack ICHRA, now discussed in the episode as CHOICE Arrangements, the incentives built into group health insurance, direct primary care, the role of consumer choice, and the pressure rising costs place on employers and employees. The conversation also moves into building ATMA PMF, hiring people who default to action, systems over goals, personal responsibility, and the standards Mike learned through sports and family.

Specific savings figures and healthcare-system claims discussed in the episode reflect the guest's experience and perspective. Results and plan suitability vary by employer, employee, market, and coverage design.

FEATURED GUEST

Mike Markland  

Founder, ATMA PMF  

Website: https://atmapmf.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 The health plan choice most employees never get  

00:52 Colorado Business Podcast intro  

01:01 Meet Mike Markland of ATMA PMF  

07:19 Climbing Kilimanjaro and pushing through the summit  

12:16 The health experience that changed Mike's direction  

16:18 How employer-funded individual coverage works  

19:02 Diamond sponsor read  

22:56 Why Mike left to build ATMA PMF  

25:44 Who carries the rising cost of health insurance  

32:20 What healthcare can learn from unbundling cable  

36:20 Direct primary care and access beyond insurance  

40:38 What changes for employers and employees  

43:15 Opting out of the traditional group model  

45:19 The pressure building across American healthcare  

48:14 Why the policy has bipartisan momentum  

49:17 Bellwether sponsor read  

52:29 Industry pushback and employee responsibility  

57:29 Using AI to help employees choose coverage  

58:10 Building the company and hiring for action  

64:30 Books, mentors, and systems over goals  

73:20 Responsibility, agency, and changing yourself first  

79:45 What football taught Mike about standards  

83:24 Where to find Mike and ATMA PMF  

83:54 Outro

SPONSORS

Diamond sponsor read:  

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/  

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/  

RAIN: https://rain.tech/  

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/  

Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/  

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/  

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/  

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/  

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

Standard sponsor read:  

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/  

Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/  

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/  

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/  

Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/  

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/  

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/  

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/  

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado's business community.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast  

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

If your employer gave you a benefits budget instead of one group plan, what would matter most in your choice? Share your answer in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #MikeMarkland #EmployeeBenefits

What happens when the business you bought starts running your life? Logan Bryson, owner of LINE-X of Colorado Springs, joins the Colorado Business Podcast to share how he went from installing truck accessories to owning the operation, working 68-hour weeks, and learning to lead beyond the day-to-day work.

Logan explains how his father's truck sparked an interest that eventually led him to LINE-X, how his mother helped him acquire the business in 2020, and why the transition from skilled employee to owner was harder than he expected. He also breaks down the systems, scorecards, hiring decisions, community relationships, and outside guidance that helped him step out of the weeds.

The conversation covers burnout, cash flow, hiring for drive, the franchise model, practical uses of AI, family responsibility, and Logan's definition of success. It closes with the story of Charlie, the 2008 F-150 that connects his father, his business, and the legacy he hopes to pass to his children.

GUEST

Logan Bryson

Owner, LINE-X of Colorado Springs

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://www.linex.com/us/line-x-of-colorado-springs-f1367

Logan Bryson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-bryson-1194303b2

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: the cost, the turn and the hard part

00:37 Colorado Business Podcast intro

00:46 The truck that started Logan's story

04:18 Buying LINE-X in his mid-20s

06:32 Learning the owner side of the business

10:58 When the business is running you

13:09 Systems, delegation and hiring the right people

14:40 Sponsor: Diamond

18:42 Would Logan choose entrepreneurship again?

24:57 Revenue, profit and business scorecards

32:00 Hiring for drive and accountability

37:39 Community over competition

41:45 Defining success and the life you want

46:48 How Logan uses AI in the business

48:34 Sponsor: LINE-X

51:38 The strengths and limits of a franchise

1:00:30 Pressure, identity and family responsibility

1:09:16 The support behind the entrepreneur

1:19:07 Charlie, the truck and his father's legacy

1:22:36 Outro

SPONSORS

Diamond sponsor read:

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/

Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/

Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

LINE-X sponsor read:

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://www.linex.com/us/line-x-of-colorado-springs-f1367

RAIN: https://rain.tech/

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/

Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado's business community.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

What lesson helped you stop working only in the business and start leading it? Share it in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #ColoradoBusiness #ColoradoSprings #Entrepreneurship

What does it take to build a business that can thrive beyond its owner? Lauri Armstrong, Founder & Owner of Little Fins Swim School, joins the Colorado Business Podcast to share the water-safety mission, one-on-one teaching model, and team culture behind the Colorado Springs business.Lauri explains how Little Fins grew from a small swim-lesson idea into a larger operation, why water safety matters for Colorado families, and how a difficult family season forced the business to develop stronger leadership systems. The conversation also covers community involvement, training young team members, and the communication skills that help a service-driven organization grow.Lauri Armstrong is the Founder & Owner of Little Fins Swim School in Colorado Springs. Little Fins provides one-on-one swimming lessons and water-safety programs for children, adults, and families.TOPICS IN THIS EPISODEWater safety and survival-swim foundationsWhy one-on-one lessons are central to the Little Fins modelScaling a service business without losing cultureBuilding a team that can operate beyond the ownerCommunity involvement and Hope on the RocksTraining young employees to communicate, serve, and leadLINKSLittle Fins Swim School: https://littlefinsswimschool.com/Hope on the Rocks tickets and donations: https://givebutter.com/hopeontherocks2026GUESTLauri ArmstrongFounder & OwnerLittle Fins Swim SchoolCHAPTERS00:00 Water safety, growth, and building the team00:44 Colorado Business Podcast intro00:54 From lifeguard to Little Fins03:50 Why one-on-one swim lessons matter05:50 Water safety for Colorado families11:55 Scaling Little Fins without losing the mission15:25 Sponsor: Diamond19:18 Building a team beyond the owner35:15 Hope on the Rocks and community impact50:38 Sponsor: Bellwether53:50 Culture, service, and developing young leaders1:07:45 The call-a-thon and teaching communication skills1:24:34 OutroABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTThe Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community.Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastExplore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/What would change in your business if the team could run it without you? Share your perspective in the comments.#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #LauriArmstrong #LittleFins #ColoradoSpringsBusiness

Colorado is growing, but the bigger question is whether its communities are prepared to handle the projects, infrastructure, housing pressures, and business consequences that come with it.In Episode 343 of the Colorado Business Podcast, Andrew, Marcus, and Chris sit down for a candid roundtable on several of Colorado’s biggest business and development debates. They examine Project Taurus and the proposed AI data center near Colorado Springs, the One Vela high-rise, the planned Buc-ee’s north of Monument, Denver’s housing slowdown, crime, politics, and the growing friction between development and resistance to change.The conversation also moves beyond individual projects. The team discusses regulation, water and energy infrastructure, public-private collaboration, what healthy businesses owe their communities, and why owners must move from survival mode into a position where they can serve, invest, and create opportunity.ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTSAndrew HazzleeMarcus AlvaradoChris SeegersCHAPTERS00:00 Cold open: growth, business and Colorado’s future00:58 Colorado Business Podcast intro01:08 The roundtable and the stakes03:19 Project Taurus and the AI data center fight16:22 Diamond sponsor read20:24 AI infrastructure, water and regulation35:06 One Vela and downtown Colorado Springs51:51 LINE-X sponsor read54:55 The cost of blocking growth57:24 Buc-ee’s and economic opportunity1:10:29 Denver housing, crime and the business climate1:21:34 Colorado politics and the governor’s race1:24:44 Business owners, government and opportunity1:26:11 Why successful businesses serve more1:29:56 Survive to thrive1:31:29 Big projects and Colorado Springs’ future1:32:57 If you’re not growing, you’re dying1:33:42 OutroSPONSORSDiamond sponsor read:EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/LINE-X sponsor read:LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/RAIN: https://rain.tech/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTThe Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community.Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastExplore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/What should Colorado protect as it grows, and what should it be willing to build? Share your perspective in the comments.#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #ColoradoBusiness #ColoradoSprings #EconomicDevelopment

Andrew Graff did not step into his family’s jewelry business at the top. After serving in the Navy and building a corporate retail career, he joined Luisa Graff Jewelers by applying through HR, interviewing with his mother, and starting at the bottom wiping counters.

In this episode of the Colorado Business Podcast, Andrew explains how he earned his way into ownership, built role-specific training systems, helped his mother retire, and became CEO of the Colorado Springs jewelry store his family built. He also shares the leadership rule he returns to under pressure: when you want to react, don’t.

The conversation covers family-business succession, military discipline, people management, customer feedback, authentic advertising, custom jewelry, parenting, faith, work-life balance, and Andrew’s plan to train the next generation of bench jewelers.

FEATURED GUEST

Andrew Graff

CEO, Luisa Graff Jewelers

Website: https://www.luisagraffjewelers.com/

Team: https://www.luisagraffjewelers.com/about/luisa-graff-team/

CHAPTERS

00:00 The rule, the legacy, and the system

01:03 Colorado Business Podcast intro

01:13 Andrew Graff and Luisa Graff Jewelers

03:52 A Colorado family legacy in gold

07:12 Learning jewelry at six and joining the Navy

13:47 Starting from the bottom in the family business

14:46 Diamond sponsor and sponsor read

18:39 From corporate retail to a family business

22:10 Becoming a partner and building training systems

27:21 Helping his mother retire and taking ownership

31:26 Customer feedback and a service-first team

33:19 Building custom jewelry in-house

37:21 Authenticity and fun in advertising

43:58 Family legacy, faith, and parenting

46:47 Balancing business and family

52:47 Bellwether sponsor read

55:59 Leadership lessons from business and family

58:19 Presence, execution, and Navy values

60:32 The next generation of bench jewelers

63:42 Outro

SPONSORS

Diamond sponsor read:

EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/

LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/

RAIN: https://rain.tech/

Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/

Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/

Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/

Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/

Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/

Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/

Standard sponsor read:

Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/

Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/

Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/

Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/

Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/

Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/

Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/

FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/

Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcast

Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

What is one responsibility you had to earn before you were ready to lead? Share it in the comments.

#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #AndrewGraff #FamilyBusiness

Doug Price remembers arriving in Colorado Springs in 2011 when streetlights were dark, parks were not being watered and the city was struggling to pay its utility bill. Fifteen years later, Colorado Springs has built a national identity as Olympic City USA and the Pikes Peak region welcomes more than 25 million visitors a year.

In this episode of the Colorado Business Podcast, Visit COS President & CEO Doug Price explains how tourism, civic leadership and coordinated investment helped transform Colorado Springs. Doug shares lessons from a 52-year hospitality career, the creation of City for Champions, the development of the Olympic City USA identity and the business impact of attracting visitors throughout the year.

The conversation also explores destination marketing, downtown and regional growth, the local sports and live-music ecosystems, Labor Day Lift Off, Fountain Creek, smart growth and the leadership required to keep building a city where people want to visit, work and raise a family.

FEATURED GUEST

Doug Price

President & CEO, Visit Colorado Springs

https://www.visitcos.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-price-889aba34/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Colorado Springs: Then, Now and Next

01:06 Colorado Business Podcast Intro

01:16 Doug Price's 52-Year Tourism Career

03:24 Arriving in Colorado Springs in 2011

06:03 What Visit COS Actually Does

08:33 Building City for Champions

17:59 Diamond Sponsor and Sponsor Read

22:02 Creating Olympic City USA

27:54 More Than 25 Million Visitors

33:22 Growing Tourism Beyond Summer

36:18 Conventions, Downtown and Regional Growth

41:14 The Economic Impact of Tourism

44:18 Live Music, Neighborhoods and Local Pride

51:51 Sponsor Read

54:55 Andrew's Tiny House Festival Story

57:22 Sports and Labor Day Lift Off

59:23 Planning a Colorado Springs Visit

1:02:17 The Next 10 Years and Fountain Creek

1:04:28 Leadership, Government and Smart Growth

1:09:42 Community Collaboration and Legacy

1:14:02 Doug's Plans for Retirement

1:19:33 Visit COS and Closing Thoughts

1:21:39 Outro

ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST

The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders and leaders shaping Colorado's business community.

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Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/

Brandon Kirk returns to the Colorado Business Podcast with his biggest Planet Duct update yet: the Colorado Springs company has been acquired by another local home services business.In this episode, Brandon explains what selling a business actually looks like, including due diligence, financial negotiations, employment agreements, company culture, and the difficult process of giving up control over something you built.But the acquisition is only part of the story.Brandon also opens up about the fear that shaped his leadership, losing everything after 9/11, going through bankruptcy, putting his business ahead of his marriage, and finally confronting the anger and ego that were affecting his life.Whether you own a trades company, operate a home service business, or are building something you eventually hope to sell, this conversation offers a candid look at business acquisition, leadership, family, failure, and legacy.Learn more about Brandon and Planet Duct:https://planetduct.comSubscribe to the Colorado Business Podcast for conversations with the entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders shaping Colorado.What would be harder for you as a founder: selling your company or giving up control after the sale? Let us know in the comments.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to the Colorado Business Podcast02:12 Planet Duct has been acquired05:05 Inside the business acquisition process09:43 Local acquisition versus private equity11:57 Lessons from joining a larger company12:30 Why Brandon stopped paying hourly18:33 Letting go of control21:32 Better systems and accountability26:11 Life after the acquisition30:36 The move that helped save his marriage32:38 Counseling, anger, and ego37:37 The cost of ignoring your well being39:50 Mentorship and paying it forward45:14 Teaching his son entrepreneurship48:32 Building a family business legacy50:10 Brandon’s next business55:07 Marriage advice for entrepreneurs59:53 Improving his health1:02:21 Bankruptcy and the root of his fear1:07:00 A message to his wife1:08:52 Closing thoughts#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #BusinessAcquisition #Entrepreneurship