Inside The Box w/ Andrew Bartlett

What does it take to go all-in on a business, grow it faster than expected, and keep looking for the next opportunity?

In this episode of Inside the Box, we sit down with Alex and Nicole of Prime Moovers to talk about the story behind one of Springfield, Illinois’ growing moving companies and everything that has happened since they decided to bet on themselves.

Prime Moovers officially started in May 2024, but the road to launching the company started long before the first truck hit the road. Alex and Nicole share how they met while working in banking, Alex’s eventual move into the moving industry, and the frustrations that ultimately pushed them to build a company of their own. That decision meant putting their house on the line, maxing out credit cards, and figuring things out as they went.

Since then, Prime Moovers has grown quickly, expanded its team, completed moves across the country, and started looking beyond moving alone. Alex and Nicole explain their bigger vision of creating a group of services that can make the entire moving process easier, including junk removal, cleaning, and potentially even more services in the future.

They also take us behind the scenes of the Prime Moovers brand, including how the Highland cow mascot came to life, why branding and marketing were priorities from day one, and how they wanted to create a moving company that felt different from the traditional industry.

The conversation gets into the realities of running a growing service business, from hiring and training employees to seasonal demand, moving regulations, equipment costs, customer service, estimating jobs, packing services, preventing damage, and knowing when to turn down a job. Alex and Nicole also share some of the more unusual things they’ve been asked to move, including a Picasso, hot tubs, pianos, pool tables, gun safes, and more.

Later, we talk entrepreneurship beyond Prime Moovers, including businesses Alex tried when he was younger, the bar Alex and Nicole nearly opened before COVID, their partnership in SmallCakes, and what they’ve learned about operating multiple businesses together as a couple.

From a new 15,000-square-foot location to the possibility of eventually expanding Prime Moovers into another market, Alex and Nicole are still thinking about what comes next.

If you’re interested in small business, entrepreneurship, moving companies, marketing, business growth, customer service, or the Springfield, Illinois business community, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to build a company while you’re still figuring things out along the way.

00:00:53 – Expanding Prime Moovers into cleaning and additional services

00:02:20 – How Alex and Nicole got started in the moving business

00:04:14 – Going all-in: risking their house and maxing out credit cards

00:05:48 – The surprising regulations behind running a moving company

00:08:50 – Growing the Prime Moovers team and dealing with seasonality

00:10:08 – How the Prime Moovers cow mascot and brand came to life

00:15:12 – The biggest challenges of rapid business growth

00:18:35 – Same-day moves, advance bookings, and making moving easier

00:22:54 – Wild moving jobs, a Picasso, hot tubs, safes, pianos and more

00:28:09 – Prime Moovers’ new location and outgrowing previous spaces

00:35:28 – Long-distance moving and expanding beyond Illinois

00:46:35 – How marketing helped accelerate Prime Moovers’ growth

01:03:48 – Automation, customer service, and how Prime Moovers creates estimates

01:11:03 – Running businesses as a couple and partnering in SmallCakes

01:27:31 – Future growth, potential expansion, operations, and what’s next for Prime Moovers

What happens when a rabbi, entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, tank collector, and community builder sits down inside the box? You get a conversation with Rabbi Rob Thomas that covers everything from building a billion-dollar company to restoring World War II tanks, investing back into Jacksonville, and why kindness may be the legacy that matters most. In this episode, Rabbi Rob shares lessons on leadership, business growth, failure, community, AI, cybersecurity, and what it means to leave the world better than you found it. His challenge for all of us? “Tomorrow when you get up, make it your goal to make one person happier.”

In this episode of Inside the Box, Andrew sits down with Michael Thomas — Director of Business Development at Express Employment and a leader deeply rooted in the Springfield community.

They cover:

• What it takes to perform at a top level in a competitive national system

• How the workforce is changing (and what employers are getting wrong)

• Why culture, flexibility, and development matter more than ever

• The power of consistency in business and life

• Michael’s journey to 12 years of sobriety — and the mindset shift that made it possible

• The impact of community involvement, leadership, and giving back

This is a conversation about growth — professionally and personally.

If you’re building a business, leading a team, or working on yourself… this one’s worth your time.

On this episode, we welcome David Hilst.
David helped build and sell six La-Z-Boy stores and is now the owner of an American Family Insurance agency. We dive deep into his entrepreneurship journey—what it took to grow, lead, and scale a team, plus the real challenges he faced along the way.
If you're into:
✔️ Entrepreneurship
✔️ Leadership & team growth
✔️ Real-world business challenges
…this one’s for you.
We also break down the insurance industry—what actually matters, what to look for in your policies, and how to make smarter decisions.

In this episode, Luke Luginbuhl, founder and CEO of Legacy Solar and Electric, shares his journey from being a high school physics teacher to starting a solar energy company. He discusses the benefits of solar energy, the importance of understanding incentives, and the future of solar technology, including battery storage. Luke also reflects on the challenges of balancing family life with running a business and emphasizes the significance of networking and partnerships in entrepreneurship. The conversation touches on personal experiences, including family trips and the impact of AI on the energy sector.

In this engaging conversation, Santrell Carson shares his transformative journey from a college dropout to a successful entrepreneur, real estate investor, and author. He discusses the lessons learned from his early financial mistakes, the challenges of building a clothing brand, and the importance of financial literacy. The conversation also touches on the impact of COVID-19 on the real estate market, the significance of budgeting, and the value of diversifying investments. He emphasizes the need for a proactive approach to financial decisions and the cyclical nature of trends in business. In this conversation, the speakers delve into various aspects of train operations, the significance of real estate investing, and the importance of financial literacy. They discuss the dangers associated with train operations, the impact of real estate on achieving financial freedom, and the creation of a comprehensive real estate course. The conversation also touches on property management, the significance of knowledge in real estate, and the challenges of navigating a competitive market. Additionally, they explore the value of real estate as an investment, the subjectivity of value in art and real estate, and the importance of having multiple properties for financial stability. The discussion concludes with reflections on preparing for parenthood and the financial planning that comes with it.

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