This week on the podcast we chat with local business owner Matt Arnold of Detour Athletics. This dad of two has been in the fitness industry for fifteen years and is passionate about helping people. Matt opened his current business in 2014 to meet people where they are at with their fitness goals. On the show today, we talk about Detour’s expansion to a larger space at the end of 2019, surviving 2020, using mistakes for positive growth, and more. Don’t miss out on today’s episode to learn more about this local business.

Links from today’s show:

Detour Athletics

Website: https://detourathletics.org

Facebook: @detourathletics

Instagram: @detour_athletics

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Help us keep Rochester Rising going through our fundraising campaign: https://www.4giving.com/donation/1B6D

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

6:02 Matt’s background

7:49 Getting to Rochester

8:40 History in health and wellness

15:20 Making the decision to open a business

17:12 About Detour Athletics

20:37 Moving into a larger space in 2019

23:30 Assessing risk

25:13 Navigating 2020

33:34 Outlook on 2021

36:56 Advice for new business owners

38:23 What drives Matt to be in business

39:22 Final thoughts and how to connect with Detour Athletics

40:59 Conclusions

42:06 End

This week on the podcast I got to chat with the incredible Betsy Wall of Betsy Wall Photography. This entrepreneur first came to Minnesota to study computer science at Bethel University in Saint Paul, where she also met her husband Pete. While Betsy’s strengths aligned with a career in software engineering, this creative knew she was a people person and she felt isolated sitting in front of a computer all day. After taking engagement photos for her sister-in-law with no prior photography experience, Betsy took on a part time job as an assistant photographer before striking out, full time, on her own. You won’t want to miss out on this engaging conversation today as we talk more about Betsy’s photography business, how she built up a very focused customer base, her move to Rochester seven years ago, and much more!

Links from today’s show:

My Travel Health

Website: https://www.betsywall.com

Instagram: @betsywallphoto

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

7:20 Intro to Betsy

12:16 About Betsy Wall Photography

15:30 Original draw to computer science and move into photography

23:39 Technical background and photography

25:40 Taking her first steps into the photography business in the Twin Cities market

29:12 Building up her first customer base

35:56 How to turn down customers

39:54 Moving the business to Rochester seven years ago

44:22 How the business has changed over its lifetime

45:17 Advice for new entrepreneurs

49:20 Why Betsy was drawn to business ownership

50:44 Final thoughts and how to learn more about the business

51:26 Conclusions

52:45 End

For today’s podcast we sat down with startup financial expert and cofounder Rashid Fehmi. Rashid is the CEO and co-creator of Travel Health and Wellness LLC, a company launched as part of Mayo Clinic’s Employee Entrepreneur Program (EEP), a system that allows Mayo employees to license technology from the organization to start their own businesses. Travel Health and Wellness was one of the first startups to be created through this program. They’ve licensed technology from Mayo for their flagstaff product, a mobile app called My Travel Health. This product leverages the Travel Health and Wellness cofounders' passion for travel; the app centralizes health information for safe travel. Join us as we talk with Rashid about creating this app in the Rochester community, hear what he thinks all entrepreneurs need to keep in mind when starting a side hustle, and much more!

Links from today’s show:

My Travel Health

Website: https://bit.ly/3jORTqg

Facebook: @MyTravelHealth

Instagram: @mytravelhealthapp

Twitter: @MyTravelHealth

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

5:17 Introduction to Rahid

5:48 Rahid’s background and getting to Rochester

8:54 Opportunity gap he saw in the community

15:24 Going through the Mayo Clinic EEP Program

22:01 Options to travelers prior to the My Travel Health App

29:09 Working with Brandhoot to develop the app

32:45 Plans to develop the app for Android devices

34:46 Finding balance between entrepreneurship, life, and work

37:48 Final thoughts and how to find out more about the business

38:55 Conclusions

39:57 End

Today we launch back into brand new interviews on the podcast, starting with the amazing Darcy Tello, owner of Med City Installation. Darcy worked as a caregiver in the healthcare field for many years before transitioning into a career in flooring installation. In April 2019, she started Med City Installation, a commercial flooring installation company, which is her very first business. Med City Installation is a total family affair. Darcy’s first hires were her fiance and brother. Now, her daughter is learning the flooring business as well. You won’t want to miss out on today’s podcast as this powerhouse business woman talks about how she started her company, why she’s certified as a woman and minority owned business and thinks others should consider it as well, her appreciation for the freedom she gets through running her own business, and much more.

Links from today’s show:

Med City Installation

Website: https://www.medcityinstallation.com

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

5:06 Intro to Darcy

5:53 Getting to the Rochester area

6:39 About Med City Installation

8:08 Regions served by the business

9:04 Transitioning from healthcare to flooring

10:58 Starting up the business in Rochester

13:19 The team at Med City Installation

15:11 Getting certified as a woman and minority owned business

20:31 What 2020 was like for the business

22:10 What drives Darcy to be an entrepreneur

24:16 Final thoughts and how to connect with the business

25:32 Conclusions

26:37 End

This week is the final podcast in our summertime rewind series before we get back to brand new interviews! Today on the podcast we go all the way back to podcast episode 64, which originally aired on December 13, 2017 with Dr. Victor Montori, a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic. When we spoke for this podcast, Dr. Montori had recently self-published his very first book called The Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care: Why We Revolt. This manifesto calls for a fundamental change in today’s global healthcare system, advocating for patient care that’s kind, careful, and based on love. Dr. Montori has a deep interest in patient-centered care, working to better understand how to deliver care without disrupting the lives, either by the disease or by the burden of treatment, to his patients. On the podcast today, we talk about his work with The Patient Revolution, an organization that promotes a fundamental change in the way that patient care today is delivered.

Links from today’s show:

The Patient Revolution

Website: https://patientrevolution.org

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

4:42 Introduction to Dr. Montori

5:38 Journey to Rochester

7:06 How he got interested in patient-centered care

10:30 The Patient Revolution

12:37 Dr. Montori’s self published book

15:04 Discussion of key topics in the book

33:20 Why now is the time to start the conversation about a patient revolution

41:46 Reception of the book so far

43:55 Final thoughts and how to connect

44:55 Conclusion

45:56 End

This week on the podcast we take a look back at podcast episode 106, which originally aired on November 7, 2018. During this episode, we travel to the Offices at China Hall for a chat with Bucky Beeman and Peter Andrews. The Offices at China Hall is located in the heart of downtown Rochester. This business is a coworking space that includes a conference room, kitchenette, and six private offices. Listen in to revisit the early days of this Offices at China Hall with Bucky and Peter!

Links from today’s show:

Offices at China Hall

Website: https://www.officesatchinahall.com

Facebook: @officesatchinahall

Instagram: @officesatchinahall

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

5:26 Introductions

5:36 About the Rochester entrepreneurial ecosystem

6:36 Offices at China Hall

8:01 Layout of office and coworking space

9:47 Experience at the business

10:53 Need for the business in the community

11:38 Finding a location for the business

13:22 What people can expect from the business

14:19 Personal interest in creating a coworking and private office space

15:21 How to get in touch and learn more about the business

16:03 Conclusions

17:37 End

Welcome to our first podcast of August! For the next few weeks, we are continuing our summertime rewind series taking a look back at some of your favorite podcasts from the last five years of shows at Rochester Rising. Today, we are revisiting podcast episode 119, which originally aired on February 27, 2019. This episode was part of our ‘From the Edge’ series where we talked about trends in entrepreneurship with regional guests. In this episode we chatted with Courtney Bergey Swanson, a Community and Business Development Specialist with Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) and Nathan Wiedenman, who at the time was a Senior Technology IP Development Manager and is now the Director of the Office of Translation to Practice at Mayo Clinic. We have a really full conversation to share with you today about tech and high growth entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurship, and building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Don’t miss out on this conversation!

Links from today’s show:

CEDA

Website: https://www.cedausa.com/

Facebook: @cedausa

Twitter: @cedausa

Instagram: @ceda_usa

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

5:20 Introduction to guests

7:48 Reactions to Silicon Valley venture capital model

17:24 Trends in rural entrepreneurship

32:13 Building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems

49:40 Ending thoughts

50:00 Conclusion

51:06 End

This summer we’re taking a short break from airing new podcasts to revisit some of your most downloaded podcasts over the past 5 years at Rochester Rising. Today we’re sharing the very first episode of our Ecosystem North podcast, aimed at telling the stories of entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. This podcast was hosted by Collider Executive Director Jamie Sundsbak. I was honored to join in the conversation last July 2020 as the very first guest. Listen into the conversation today to learn more about the creation of Rochester Rising and the very early stages of Collider Foundation.

Links from today’s show:

Rochester Rising

Website: https://mnmedicaltechnologies.com

Facebook: @RochesterRising

Instagram: @rochesterrising_mn

Twitter: @RochesterRising

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

Into

Amanda’s background and getting to Rochester

Falling into biomedical sciences and how that training applied to other careers

Creation of Rochester Rising

Recording of 200 podcasts

Time with the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship

Work at Collider Foundation

Bright spots during the pandemic

Vision of the future of entrepreneurship in Rochester

Final questions

24:48 End

For the next few weeks we’re taking a break from airing new interviews to revisit some of our most popular podcasts over the five years of Rochester Rising. This week we tune back in to episode 8, which aired on September 7, 2016, where I talked with serial entrepreneurs Jim and Philip Conway, who currently serve as President and Vice President, Production Technologies at MN Medical Technologies in Stewartville. Jim and Philip are brothers from a family with deep entrepreneurial roots. The brothers co-founded Arcon Corporation in 1979 and later founded Rochester Medical Corporation in 1989. Rochester Medical Corporation began by selling silicon folding catheters and silicon male external catheters and was sold to C.R. Bard in 2013. The Conway brothers broke ground with their latest business, MN Medical Technologies, in the Schumann Business Park in Stewartville, Minnesota in October 2015. This company provides a solution for fecal incontinence, a massive global problem.

Links from today’s show:

MN Medical Technologies

Website: https://mnmedicaltechnologies.com

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

4:29 About MN Medical Technologies

6:53 Selling of Rochester Medical Corporation and transition to new focus

8:06 Growth of family businesses in Stewartville

9:14 Buildout of new facility in Schumann Business Park

10:31 Journey of these serial entrepreneurs

13:26 History of Rochester Medical Corporation

16:06 The Conway brothers’ passion for entrepreneurship

20:01 Advice for other entrepreneurs

23:43 Conclusions

24:48 End

Right now, we’re taking a small break from airing new interviews to revisit some of the most popular podcasts since the beginning of Rochester Rising in a special Summertime Rewind series. This week, we’re going all the way back to episode 66, which originally aired on January 10, 2018. During this show, I got to visit with local entrepreneur Garret Sorensen to learn more about his business, Mandala Tea. On the podcast today, during which Garret and I were participating in a tea ceremony, we talked more about Mandala Tea, how it developed naturally from Garret’s massage therapy business, how he’s built relationships to source tea, how he’s sustained the business for over thirteen years, and much more.

Links from today’s show:

Mandala Tea

Website: https://www.mandalatea.com

Facebook: @MandalaTeaShop

Instagram: @Mandalatea

Twitter: @Mandala_Tea

Our sponsors:

CliftonLarsonAllen

Website: https://www.claconnect.com/

Rochester Rising Tip Jar: https://www.4giving.com/donation/5307

Music Attribution: Like That by Ano Domini Beats is licensed through the YouTube Audio Library.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Start

4:06 About Mandala Tea

8:42 Types of tea provided by the business

9:53 From plant to product

13:56 About a tea service

20:05 Beginnings of Mandala Tea

21:54 Sourcing tea and developing connections

25:15 Introducing tea into the local market

29:39 Maintaining the business for thirteen years

35:56 The team at Mandala Tea

38:28 The importance of outside perspective and help to sustain a business

40:18 Where to find the business online and in the community

41:43 Future for Mandala Tea

43:38 Conclusions

44:53 End