The IBJ Podcast

The IBJ Podcast episodes:

• 07.01.2024

  WWE is bringing three marquee pro wrestling events to Lucas Oil Stadium

  WWE and the Indiana Sports Corp. announced a first-of-its-kind agreement last week that will bring three of pro wrestling's top events to Lucas Oil Stadium over the next eight years. The deal means Indianapolis will host "Royal Rumble" on Feb. 1,...

  
• 06.24.2024

  Why does the hospital count in Hamilton County keep growing while other counties lose care?

  Over the last four decades, residents of Hamilton County have amassed a wealth of options for hospital care. The county is already home to 11 acute-care and specialty hospitals with a total of nearly 800 beds—while many Indiana counties have...

  
• 06.17.2024

  Sushi eatery owner expanding in Mass Ave area with new restaurant, refreshed Metro

  Earlier this month, the owner of the Mass Ave sushi eatery Forty Five Degrees celebrated the restaurant’s 16th anniversary. Bill Pritt was told he was crazy in 2008 for trying to create a restaurant at the six-lane intersection of Massachusetts...

  
• 06.10.2024

  Pete the Planner on the best and worst ways to handle a big inheritance

  Our subject today is a little touchy, but it requires some discussion due to the effect in can have on your financial future and the quality of your relationships with family members. This episode is all about inheritance, including the...

  
• 06.03.2024

  Dissecting the ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ and how it can boost the future of the WNBA, Fever and Indy

  Usually when we’re talking about economic impact in Indianapolis we’re referring to a multimillion-dollar real estate project or a one-off sports or convention event like GenCon or the Super Bowl. But much of the talk in the last few months...

  
• 05.28.2024

  Downtown soccer battle update—stadium design, burial sites, Simon family land

  Three weeks ago, we released an episode of the IBJ Podcast explaining the sudden, multilayered and high-pitched battle over building a soccer stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Since then, the drama has taken several turns with fresh revelations about what’s underneath...

  
• 05.20.2024

  Her goal was to finish high school. Now she's launching a college at Butler for underserved students.

  Carolyn Gentle-Genitty grew up in Belize, the eldest of five children whose parents operated a food cart and canteen. She applied to a private all-girls high school and, upon being accepted, worked with her parents to negotiate the terms that...

  
• 05.13.2024

  Black Circle Brewing owner on planting flag on 46th Street, getting an MBA and the pressure to keep creating

  Our guest this week is Jesse Rice, who took a circuitous route to becoming one of Indianapolis’ most unpredictable arts, entertainment and community entrepreneurs. He grew up in a blue-collar family in a small town, and then went to Purdue...

  
• 05.06.2024

  Explaining the Indy Eleven stadium, MLS soccer bid drama

  Less than two weeks ago, everything that we had assumed about the future of pro soccer in Indianapolis and the creation of a publicly owned downtown stadium for the Indy Eleven soccer team received a swift kick between the stitches....

  
• 04.29.2024

  New AES prez on goals, growing up in Indy and system upgrades that led to billing mess

  Our guest this week is Brandi Davis-Handy, who in February was named president of AES Indiana. That’s the electricity utility for Marion County and portions of the greater Indianapolis area, serving more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. Davis-Handy...

  
• 04.22.2024

  Pete the Planner on what your career earnings should tell you about retirement savings

  This is the 300th episode of the IBJ Podcast, which debuted on June 3, 2018. In what has become a tradition for the podcast's anniversaries, host Mason King checks in with Pete Dunn, aka Pete the Planner, to get his...

  
• 04.15.2024

  John Stehr, news anchor turned Zionsville mayor, on tackling one of the town’s most contentious issues

  If you’ve lived in central Indiana for more than a few years, you’re probably at least familiar with John Stehr, a lead news anchor for WTHR-TV Channel 13 for 23 years before retiring in 2018. He since has gone from...

  
• 04.08.2024

  Meet the minds behind the man-eating, soul-singing plant in IRT's 'Little Shop'

  When Benjamin Hanna assembled the schedule for his first season as artistic director of the Indiana Repertory Theatre, he placed “Little Shop of Horrors” as the closing production for the 2023-24 season. The IRT, founded in 1972, had not previously...

  
• 04.01.2024

  Chick McGee of ‘Bob & Tom’ on happiness, regrets, mortality and (of course) Tom

  Chick McGee has been a fixture on Indianapolis radio for 38 years as a cast member of “The Bob & Tom Show,” the morning show which originates from WFBQ-FM and is heard on close to 100 radio stations across the...

  
• 03.25.2024

  BSU hoops star turned bank CEO talks leadership tips, that UNLV game and making moves

  Back in 1990, Mark Hardwick had a courtside seat on the Ball State University bench for one of the most memorable games in March Madness history. Those were heady times for the redshirt freshman from tiny Dunkirk, Indiana, and a...

  
• 03.18.2024

  Civic Theatre’s music director, fellow BSU alum create Carpenters cabaret show, take it to NYC

  You don’t need to be 50 years old to remember the Carpenters, the brother-sister duo that helped define pop music in the 1970s with gold-gilded melodies, pristine production and a certain yen for heartache. The music is timeless and has...

  
• 03.11.2024

  Startup guru Christopher Day on boosting Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, getting investors to say ‘yes’

  When serial entrepreneur Christopher Day walks into a room, he should be followed by somebody with a boombox playing “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Christopher Day gathers no...

  
• 03.04.2024

  IU Indianapolis chancellor driving big changes on downtown campus

  Change can be hard. Systemic change, or massive change across a large organization with lots of stakeholders, can be particularly tough to manage. About three weeks ago, Latha Ramchand started her new job as incoming chancellor for Indiana University Indianapolis,...

  
• 02.26.2024

  Tony Pancake, the PGA's pro of the year, walks fine line at Crooked Stick

  Central Indiana isn’t necessarily known as a golf mecca, but it's well represented on the national championship stage by Crooked Stick Golf Club and its singular course designed by the legendary Pete and Alice Dye. It recently announced that it...

  
• 02.19.2024

  Pete the Planner asks, ‘Can ambitious people feel fulfilled in retirement?’

  As you know, we discuss retirement planning fairly regularly on the IBJ Podcast, but in retrospect it’s been a little one-dimensional. We almost always are focused on how to hit a particular number—the amount to have squirreled away that will...

  
• 02.12.2024

  Inside the plan to pack a million meals for food pantries in 24 hours of All-Star Weekend

  This is the week of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, which officially tips off on Thursday and will run through the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night. Over the next week, Indianapolis will be the site of star-studded concerts,...

  
• 02.05.2024

  Here's what to see and do during All-Star Weekend

  The NBA’s All-Star weekend is just about 10 days away, and the calendar is filling up fast with official and unofficial events. There are concerts, forums, theater, comedy and lots of art. Guest host Lesley Weidenbener talked with IBJ arts and...

  
• 01.29.2024

  RecycleForce founder on new HQ, hiring ex-offenders and his own story of second chances

  The concept behind the local not-for-profit group RecycleForce can be stated in a very elegant maxim: “We’re recycling electronics, and recycling lives.” When you get into the nitty-gritty details, RecycleForce is not nearly as refined, but accepting things that are...

  
• 01.22.2024

  Huddling with the Indiana artists painting 24 massive basketballs for All-Star Weekend

  At least as far back as the 2012 Super Bowl, Indianapolis has built a reputation not just for its excellence in stitching together all of the elements of large sports events but also for finding ways to weave the work...

  
• 01.15.2024

  New play about Oscar Robertson, historic Crispus Attucks team to debut in Indy

  For people outside of Indianapolis, the focus of NBA All-Star Weekend next month will be an offense-only exhibition game between the league’s biggest stars. But the expansive festivities surrounding the game in Indianapolis will essentially be a celebration of Black...

  
• 01.08.2024

  Pete the Planner bullish on 2024 stocks, housing market (with a Constitutional caveat)

  Stocks went up about 25% in 2023, a welcome correction from a lousy 2022. Don’t say we didn’t give you a heads-up: On the IBJ Podcast a year ago, Peter Dunn, aka Pete the Planner, predicted a “bonkers” year for...

  
• 01.02.2024

  Statehouse reporters preview the upcoming legislative session

  Indiana lawmakers will return to the Statehouse for their 2024 session on Jan. 8 with plans to talk about water rights, literacy and apprenticeships for students. But House and Senate leaders have said they don't expect to tackle any especially...

  
• 12.18.2023

  “We’re survivors”: How the family firm that founded Clancy’s Hamburgers and Grindstone Charley’s evolved to The Fountain Room

  Welcome back to the podcast everybody. Noblesville-based Clancy’s Hospitality has been creating and running restaurants in central Indiana—and much of the Midwest—for nearly 60 years. The names are instantly recognizable for folks who have lived in these parts for a...

  
• 12.11.2023

  Former drag racer Morgan Lucas now in driver’s seat at Lucas Oil Products

  His last name literally is up in lights on downtown’s biggest stadium, although he probably could wander through a crowd of 60,000 Indianapolis Colts fans in near-complete anonymity. Morgan Lucas is the president of Lucas Oil Products, and quite literally...

  
• 12.04.2023

  How Westfield resident Joey Chestnut makes a good living in competitive eating

  Joey Chestnut is the king of competitive eating. You almost certainly have seen video clips of him gulping down dozens of hot dogs, boiled eggs, tacos, wings, burritos, Twinkies and/or spears of deep-fried asparagus. He in fact has more than...

  
• 11.20.2023

  Pete the Planner on the five things everyone should know about their financial life

  We’re entering the holiday season, of course, and that critical six-week period in which we are encouraged to indulge in conspicuous consumption. IBJ Podcast host Mason King has it circled on his calendar, since his goal this year is to...

  
• 11.13.2023

  From humble beginnings, apartment developer built $500 million firm in 10 years

  Over its first 10 years, The Garrett Co. has been one of the fastest-growing—if not THE fastest-growing—company in the Indianapolis area. Not coincidentally, it also has become one of the largest companies in the state of Indiana. To put it...

  
• 11.06.2023

  Indy anesthesiologist quit career to become whiskey-making entrepreneur

  You certainly hear a lot of people these days talk about changing careers, especially to start their own business—maybe a restaurant, coffee shop or microbrewery. Juliet Schmalz hears from a lot of people who are impressed that she actually did...

  
• 10.30.2023

  Debby Knox hopes to lose news ‘addiction’ in second shot at retirement

  Legendary local newscaster Debby Knox has been on the air in Indianapolis, with the exception of a short break, since 1980 when she joined WISH-TV Channel 8. She worked as a reporter and anchor for 33 years until retiring in...

  
• 10.23.2023

  Carmel filmmaker, 23, prepares to air 8-hour JFK documentary on History Channel

  It might not be surprising that the History Channel is planning to air an eight-hour docu-series on the life of President John F. Kennedy next month to mark the 60th anniversary of his assassination. You might be very surprised to learn...

  
• 10.16.2023

  Pete the Planner on understanding your (and your partner’s) relationship with money

  IBJ columnist Peter Dunn—aka Pete the Planner—joins the podcast this week to talk about the ways in which people relate to money. He describes four money personalities—or "scripts," as they are called by Brad Klontz, a Boulder, Colorado-based psychologist and...

  
• 10.09.2023

  Shawn Fain, UAW’s firebrand prez, was forged in Kokomo’s union hotbed

  Shawn Fain seemingly came from nowhere to win the United Auto Workers presidential election in March by a razor-thin margin. He ran on a reform platform promising to toss out the status quo and stand up to the Big Three...

  
• 10.02.2023

  Phish fan, philanthropist builds huge wireless retail business, branches into cannabis

  You could say Scott Moorehead, the 45-year-old owner and CEO of Fishers-based Round Room, is in the connections business. Round Room is the holding company for TCC, which is one of the largest Verizon retailers in the United States, and...

  
• 09.25.2023

  On the frontlines of adopting revolutionary AI as firms ask, “What’s in it for me?”

  A sudden leap forward in the evolution of artificial intelligence has brought the technology’s benefits and risks into much sharper relief and into everyday conversations. Businesses hear warnings that they need to take advantage of AI or else drift into...

  
• 09.18.2023

  Restaurateur Mike Cunningham on Pacers’ Commission Row and more new concepts opening soon in Indy

  Founded in 1997, Indianapolis-based Cunningham Restaurant Group now counts 17 distinctive dining concepts spread over a total of about 40 establishments in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. A sampling: Mesh, Rize, Provision, Bru Burger Bar, Modita, Union 50, Nesso, Stonecreek Dining...

  
• 09.11.2023

  The story behind Peterman’s wild growth across Indiana since brothers took over

  Chad Peterman and his younger brother Tyler grew up with their dad’s business, Peterman Heating Cooling & Plumbing. Pete Peterman received at least one offer for the Greenwood-based business, but he kept it in the family and handed over day-to-day...

  
• 09.05.2023

  Brothers behind tech firm Qualifi on being Black founders, raising capital, ‘unwillingness to die’

  Darrian and Devyn Mikell grew up in central Indiana, played sports, went to college, tried a few things to get their careers started and ultimately launched a tech firm together. They have some juicy stories from their early days of...

  
• 08.28.2023

  State flipping public-input process for upgrading I-65, I-70 through Indianapolis

  The process for designing and upgrading interstates in Indiana hasn’t exactly been a two-way street. Typically, the Indiana Department of Transportation draws up plans for its projects and then the public has an opportunity to provide feedback. You’ll recall the...

  
• 08.21.2023

  Sam Schmidt on his paralysis journey, basing national clinic expansion in Indy

  For 25 years, Sam Schmidt has been a beloved figure in the IndyCar Series, first as a driver, then as a team owner and a champion of innovation, persistence and the human spirit. During a practice session in Florida in 2000,...

  
• 08.14.2023

  The story behind booking Taylor Swift’s tour in Indy as stadium prepares for ’generational phenomenon’

  When people say Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour could have a seismic impact on Indianapolis during its three-show gig next year, that’s not just a figure of speech. When Swift performed in July at Seattle’s Lumen Field, the show generated...

  
• 08.07.2023

  Farming challenges mount as Indiana gets hotter and wetter, but crops will have staying power

  In 2018, a raft of Purdue University researchers published a report on the impact of climate change on Indiana agriculture. It looked at the ways increasing temperatures and rainfall could affect the growing season for crops, the types of crops...

  
• 07.31.2023

  Pete the Planner faces the ‘financial chaos’ of raising teenagers

  IBJ personal finance columnist Pete the Planner has a teen and a tween at home. Pete has been helping people with family finances for decades, and even he admits now to being humbled in this new season of his financial...

  
• 07.24.2023

  List of most influential Hoosiers contains dozen of new names

  Last July, IBJ Media unveiled the inaugural issue of the Indiana 250—a compendium of the state’s 250 most influential and impactful business and community leaders. The definitions of “influence” and “impact” were intentionally broad, and the list included C-suite executives,...

  
• 07.17.2023

  Inside the $89M plan to turbocharge Motor Speedway’s museum

  It’s not hard to find the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum if you’re a fan of the track: It’s tucked on the inside of the short chute between turns 1 and 2. The ironic thing is that while the Speedway was...

  
• 07.10.2023

  Fast-growing MOTW Coffee and Pastries expanding from Indy to Chicago

  Two years ago, Sajjad Shah entered the Indianapolis coffee shop market with his eyes wide open and a hook that could help differentiate his locations from the herd of java joints. His coffee shops would have a built-in audience through...