Off the Record

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Renee Alexander realized she loved being a part of creating performance magic as a young girl in southeast Kansas, when she and her siblings would put on after-dinner theatre for their parents. On this episode of the Off the Record podcast, Alexander, now the CEO of the Minnesota State Fair, recalls producing, directing and starring in those homegrown shows. 

“Honestly, I’m more of a behind-the-scenes person,” she says to hosts Dave Faust, CEO of Platinum Bank, and Jen Hellman, CEO of Goff Public. 

To illustrate, Alexander recounts an early summer working with the fair’s entertainment department, when New Kids on the Block were at the height of their popularity.  

“At that point in time, the venue itself was 21,000 seats. My boss took me backstage, and I got to look up to see 21,000 screaming people. To see that was just magic to me, to be behind the scenes of it, not to be the one actually on the stage,” she says. 

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

·       The annual “Super Bowl of food vendors” that determines what food will be served at the fair (9:48). 

·       When Alexander fell in love with the fair (11:07). 

·       The famous artist who made a huge impact on Alexander when they met (13:04). 

·       What it feels like on opening day when the gates open at 7 a.m. (17:37). 

·       Initiating innovation while honoring fair traditions (20:44). 

·       What Alexander wants to be remembered by (30:15). 

Leaders like Alexander understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Laura Monn Ginsburg, partner and principal of Apparatus GBC, is the kind of person who feels energized by potential. From launching Apparatus, a general benefit corporation that seeks to serve the common good, to then deciding to specialize part of her consultancy work in cannabis, Monn Ginsburg believes people who care can get things done, she says in the latest episode of Off the Record.

“The thing that was enticing to me was just the possibility of it all,” says Monn Ginsburg in her conversation with hosts Dave Faust, CEO of Platinum Bank, and Jen Hellman, CEO of Goff Public.  

Listen to the episode to hear more about: 

• The time management lesson that came from Monn Ginsburg’s first internship interview (13:56). 
• When she became a person with two last names — and why (17:32).
• What Apparatus is all about (21:24). 
• The launch of Apparatus’ cannabis division, Blunt Strategies (26:50). 
• Monn Ginsburg’s unique hobby, for which she has a dedicated Instagram account (35:13). 

Leaders like Monn Ginsburg understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

As Dan Vansteenburg knows, mindset can make the difference between success and failure. Now the CEO of Spin the Planet, which owns and operates 46 Jimmy John's franchise stores and other restaurants, Vansteenburg admits he had to overcome a lot of challenges during his school years.  

He was small and unathletic for his age and a “horrible student,” Vansteenburg tells Off the Record podcast hosts Kathy Robideau, former market president and publisher for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, in this episode. But one day, after his family moved to Brooklyn Park during his high school years, he had a moment of clarity. 

“I felt the hand of God on my shoulder,” Vansteenburg says. “I heard Him say, your arms work, your legs work, your ears and eyes and mouth work. You’ll never be the football player. You’re not going to go to state wrestling as a high school student. You’re not going to be a lot of things, but I want you to try. I want you to work at it. I want you to try.”

Listen to the episode to hear Vansteenburg’s success journey and more about: 

Memories of Vansteenburg’s early teaching career (21:17). 

• Doing the homework on where to open his first Jimmy John’s franchise store (27:35).
• Why Vansteenburg decided to give 25-30% of the monthly net income of each store to the store managers — and what impact that has had on the team (36:06). 
• The sign Vansteenburg put up in all his Jimmy John’s stores that the company founder saw and asked every franchisee to replicate (41:20). 
• The creation of Tenacity Restaurant Group and what’s on the horizon (50:19). 

Leaders like Vansteenburg understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

When Jill Renslow saw the joy she could create for others as the events chair with her college’s American Marketing Association chapter, she knew the event marketing field was right for her.

Deciding her dream job at Disney presented a geographic challenge after getting engaged to her college sweetheart, the Minnesota-based Renslow set her sights on “the Disney that’s closer to home” — in her case, the Mall of America (MOA).

She started as an events intern in 1997. Now, as the chief marketing officer, Renslow combines hospitality with a passion to lead the way in the entertainment industry. “If there’s something new in the retail and entertainment space, (customers) are going to expect us to have some facet of that. And that’s what we love,” she says on the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. “We want locals to have something unique to come and experience.”

Renslow shares stories about everything from riding roller coasters with Justin Timberlake to keeping a seven-acre theme park running during COVID-19 with hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank. Listen to learn more about:

• Spearheading MOA’s huge transition from “Camp Snoopy” to “Nickelodeon Universe” (18:37).
• What happens when COVID-19 meets a seven-acre theme park (21:19).
• Developments with the upcoming waterpark (31:28).
• How MOA provided free brick-and-mortar space for local businesses displaced in the wake of COVID-19 and the unrest stemming from the 2020 murder of George Floyd (34:29).
• The value of saying “no” as a working mom (47:04).
• Why taking risks to give back to employees pays off (49:24).

Leaders like Renslow understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Paul Marvin is part of the fourth generation of his family to be involved with the eponymous family business. As the CEO and board chair of Warroad, Minnesota-based Marvin, he has learned a lot about building the highest-quality windows and doors over the years — but he’s also learned what’s equally important when it comes to a family business. 

“To be a family business in perpetuity, which we aspire to be, you have to be a parent,” Marvin, who has six kids with his wife Maureen, says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. “You have to show up. You have to run the business. But if you’re neglecting your duties of being a good parent, how are you raising the next generation to run the company?” 

Listen to Marvin’s conversation with hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, as they discuss: 

• What’s special about growing up in a small town (3:35).
• The value of a liberal arts education (10:59). 
• What it was like for Marvin to start his own business at age 23 (19:27).
• The rules for ownership succession in Marvin’s family business — and how he decided he was ready to be all in with the company (24:04). 
• Being a “business-first” family rather than a “family-first” business (37:51).
• Qualities that made Marvin the right choice for CEO (40:07).
• How the company is innovating to help customers live better (48:05). 

Leaders like Marvin understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Cale Johnston enjoyed noteworthy success with his first fintech startup, ClickSWITCH, which he sold in 2021. But despite his positive experience, Johnston is prioritizing a smaller-scale legacy as he looks at his career in aggregate, he says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. 

“(Five years ago) my focus and my drive were about the company,” Johnston, who is now the founder and CEO of athletics platform Roy Inc., says, but it didn’t take long for people to forget about the business after he sold it. “My legacy needs to be focused on what goes on between the four walls of our house. My kids, my wife, my family.” 

Johnston talks with hosts Kathy Robideau and Dave Faust about his career journey. Listen to learn more about: 

• The value of a good coach (5:08). 
• What led Johnston to the idea for ClickSWITCH (9:40). 
• Working with check services company Harland Clarke (16:38).
• How the Q2 acquisition of ClickSWITCH came about in 2021 –  and why Johnston took the deal (23:25). 
• Finding fulfillment and purpose after a business sale (29:30). 
• Johnston’s goal to democratize sports with Roy (32:59).
• Coming full circle as a coach for his kids’ sports teams (47:38). 

Leaders like Johnston understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

In the professional services industry, relationships are the differentiator. One of the biggest challenges Nikki Rohloff has faced in her career was the sudden loss of her firm’s business partner, she says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. 

She’s now the managing partner of Rohloff Associates, but back in 2017, it was Roach Associates — named for her late business partner, Kevin Roach, who passed away in 2021. When it happened, Rohloff not only mourned her colleague, she says, but she worried about his client connections. 

“We weren’t sure if we were going to lose a bunch of clients because their relationship was with Kevin,” Rohloff says. “But the way we built the firm, with being very hands-on, where everyone gets to talk to everybody, our clients were amazing. They literally stood by us. They gave us all the grace in the world to be able to process his passing and work through how we keep things going.” 

Rohloff shares how they kept the lights on during "one of the hardest things ever" and more with hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, in this episode. Listen to learn more about: 

• Growing the firm’s fractional CFO business (19:25). 
• Showing vulnerability to your team as a business leader (21:18).
• The exciting launch of Canopy Accounting in November 2023 (27:37). 
• Rohloff’s ongoing struggle with impostor syndrome despite her many achievements  (31:38).
• Seeking balance between building a business and being present for family (36:25). 

Leaders like Rohloff understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Heide Olson, founder and CEO of Accountinuity and Veracity Pros, believes there may be no time like the present to start a business. In her case, she left her job and “threw out her shingle” just before she and her husband were due to have their first baby, Olson reveals in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. 

“My husband thought I was absolutely insane,” she says. But she points to the side business she had been doing all along and the relationships she’d been building as the necessary springboard to get her started. 

“The reality is, you’re never going to be fully ready. You just have to jump. And I would say that to any person who’s thinking about starting a business. You can’t wait until it’s the perfect time or until you have the perfect plan,” Olson says. “You just have to be semi ready, and then make the plunge.” 

Olson talks about her career challenges and achievements in this conversation with hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank. Check out the episode to learn more about: 

• The one thing entrepreneurs won’t learn in college (13:52). 
• Hiring for technical skills vs. hiring for core values (16:32). 
• What Accountinuity and Veracity Pros do to attract talent (23:16). 
• The tale of one client whose books “were completely off the rails” — and what Olson learned from that experience (26:51). 
• What gives Olson fulfillment in her work (33:00). 

Leaders like Olson understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Sara Dziuk still has the pencil drawings she used to do of the stapler and tape dispenser in her cubicle at a previous job. Dziuk, now the CEO of Junior Achievement North, says she keeps those drawings as a reminder of her “aha moment” of realizing she needed a job that would “fill her cup,” she says in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast.

“The environment just wasn’t the right fit for me,” she says. “I learned a lot, very quickly, about what I need to thrive in an organization and what is important to me.”

Instead, Dziuk realized later how comfortable she truly felt in the nonprofit world. “Where I feel really, truly passionate about the work I’m doing, that’s where I need to be,” Dziuk says.

Listen to the episode to learn how that passion led her to work with Junior Achievement North. Dziuk chats with Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, about her career journey. Learn more about:
•Dziuk’s one regret from her college experience. (9:08)
•Leadership takeaways from an early career role with the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce. (13:30)
•What Dziuk learned about being competitive in the first five or 10 years of her career. (17:10)
•Leading Junior Achievement’s capstone programs, including JA BizTown. (28:51)
•College Possible’s mission and impact in the Twin Cities. (33:22)
•What it was like to join Junior Achievement North as the CEO during the Covid-19 pandemic. (37:06)
•Reimagining the high school experience for students with the new 3DE model. (43:16)

Leaders like Dziuk understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

Dan Stoltz took the reins at Spire Credit Union (before it became Blaze) in 2010 — just as the economy was facing some serious difficulties. 

“It was a tough way to start out as a CEO, but I love challenges,” Stoltz says in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast. “I’ll never forget calling in my leadership group, sitting in a room just like this, and saying, ‘Look, we’ve got to do this. We’ve got to figure this out. That might mean some pay cuts for the short term. It might mean some downsizing. We’ve got to be careful and compassionate about that — but we also have to think boldly.” 

Stoltz then took a step he admits was a risky and unpopular move: he doubled down on advertising. And it paid off, he says. “Long story short, we were $500 million (in assets) in 2010, and with this merger that just happened a couple months ago, we’re at $4 billion.” 

Stoltz shares more details of the credit union’s journey and his own with Off the Record hosts Kathy Robideau, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal publisher and market president, and Dave Faust, Platinum Bank CEO. 

Listen to the episode to hear more about: 

• Advice Stoltz received from his father about business success (18:18).
• Why leadership is less about doing and more about being (21:26). 
• What worked well about the merger between Spire and Hiway to create Blaze Credit Union (25:07). 
• Being a ‘go-getter’ and a ‘go-giver’ every day (36:31). 
• Stoltz’s experience making a commercial with Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins (47:23). 

Leaders like Stoltz understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.