The LoCo Experience

In this episode of the LoCo Experience, I welcomed accomplished author, speaker, and teacher Gregg Vanourek into the studio.  We discuss his recent book 'Triple Crown Leadership,' which he co-wrote with his father. The book uses the metaphor of the Triple Crown in horse racing to describe the triple crown of leadership: excellence, ethics, and endurance.  We discussed the extensive research and interviews involved in developing their book and leadership model - which aims to help leaders achieve exceptional results with integrity and sustainability.

Gregg shares insights into his diverse professional journey, including his experience with think tanks and founding a startup foundation focused on education reform, which ultimately led him to move their family to Sweden.  There, he taught entrepreneurship and leadership at the Royal Institute of Technology - Sweden’s equivalent to MIT.   

The conversation delves into the significance of understanding oneself and discovering one's passions and strengths, especially for young adults. Greg offers advice on trusting oneself, paying attention to one's interests, and taking action to experiment and learn. He underscores the value of being in community with others to gain insights and support in navigating life's transitions.  Gregg also reflects on his family life, including the challenges and rewards of moving from Sweden back to the U.S. with his wife and daughters. He highlights the importance of finding balance and joy in both professional and personal endeavors.

The episode concludes with a light-hearted discussion about memorable life moments, such as Gregg's adventurous trip to the Netherlands without a passport, and the role of music in his life.   He’ll be our keynote speaker and workshop leader at the LoCo member event this fall - Aim to Thrive - and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know my new friend, Gregg Vanourek.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

In this episode of the LoCo Experience Podcast, I hosted Constantin Gurdgiev, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Finance at the Monfort College of Business. Constantin outlines his work in the fields of economics, geopolitics, and finance, sharing insights from his research on geopolitical risks, tariff impacts, and financial market volatility. He also discusses his teaching and research positions in the United States and Ireland, emphasizing his efforts to integrate real-world applications into academia through internships and student engagement.  

Constantin delves into the complexities of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, drawing on his expertise in Russian and Irish economics. He discusses the historical and geopolitical context that has contributed to the ongoing tension, and critiques the western approach to handling the situation. The conversation also touches on broader themes like the weaponization of economic systems, challenges to U.S. economic hegemony, and the multidimensional nature of modern global conflicts.

Constantin also reflects on regional development issues specific to Northern Colorado, including regulatory burdens, the high cost of living, and the need for regional cooperation between cities to maintain competitive advantage. He suggests practical steps such as reducing state-level taxes and regulatory burdens to foster business growth. The episode concludes with personal reflections on his family and life experiences.  It’s an intriguing journey, and I hope you’ll join me in enjoying my conversation with Constantin Gurdgiev.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

In today’s episode of The LoCo Experience, I was joined by Teres Lambert and David Haase - fellow members of the Breakfast Rotary Club in Fort Collins - which meets every Thursday morning at 7 am at Ginger & Baker!  They were here in part to talk about a pair of significant Rotary events upcoming this spring and summer - the Field of Honor  - May 23 - 26 - spearheaded by Teres, and talk with David about The Peach Festival - which will be held August 16th this year at Civic Center Park in Old Town Fort Collins - one of the few remaining downtown festivals!  

The Field of Honor is a service to the community, to honor heroes of all stripes on Memorial Day Weekend.  With 500 flags flying adjacent to the Veterans Plaza and Travelling Memorial Wall, this project allows community members to honor a veteran, a first responder, a foster parent, a teacher - or any other hero of their lives with medallions attached to each flag.  The Peach Festival is all things peachy and community and Rotary - with peach beers, live music, peach pie eating contests - and much much more.  

And - we get to learn about what makes a great Rotarian, and what inspires a career professional to take the plunge into community service.  Teres is a gifted writer, and a topical expert in anything beef or dairy! - and David is a veteran financial planner, who gives dozens of hours each year to the cause of building community.  This episode is all about service, career, and community, and I loved sharing a bit of the journey with Teres Lambert and David Haase.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Wade Keith grew up in Alabama, and came to Colorado as a raft guide - but after he found love and wanted to start a family he decided to pursue a professional career.  This journey included stops at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Odell’s Taproom, Otterbox, and now approaching 15 years “Working at the Carwash”.  But - not just any car wash - Breeze Thru Car Wash, the dominant membership car wash club in Northern Colorado.  Wade is now a partner in the business, and serves as Brand Manager and is also a community ambassador of sorts - and he’s a very insightful guy.  

This episode digs into the business of washing cars - the capital investment, the recycling of water, the continuous finding and development of entry level employees - and the heart of Wade’s why in finding joy in this journey.  

Wade’s journey was heavily impacted by a health scare - early in his relationship with his wife - in which an infection nearly severed his spine - and left him still unable to do some of the things he loves.  But he finds joy in his work, and in his music, and in his family - and you’ll hear about all of those things and more, so please join me in enjoying my conversation with Wade Keith.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work - if the Beer Tastes Great!  Josh & Angie Grenz, Owners of Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project in Loveland, and Verboten North Brewpub in Fort Collins.  

I met Josh and Angie Grenz in the early months of their opening their first Verboten location in a quiet industrial park in Loveland, and Angie actually came to the very first organizational meeting for the first LoCo Think Tank chapter - before I had come up with the name!  She didn’t join, and hasn’t yet - but I remain hopeful.  We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and reconnected more properly last year when they opened their second location in what had been Black Bottle Brewery in Fort Collins - which closed the fall before.  

Verboten means forbidden in German, and their selection of beers mostly has one thing in common - they use ingredients that would have been forbidden under historic German purity laws - which basically means you can have lager and you will love it!  Sours and Porters and Wine-Barrel aged Stouts and you name it - they’ve done it - and probably won a prestigious medal for it!  Josh and Angie eventually moved to a great downtown location in Loveland, and the Verboten North is at the corner of Prospect and College in Fort Collins.  

This is a journey of starting small, focusing on the product and the people, and growing into a regional brand.  In an industry that has experienced decline in recent years, Verboten continues to grow - and it’s due to hard work and smart decisions by Josh and Angie and their dedicated teams.  So please enjoy, as I did - my conversation with Josh and Angie Grenz.  

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

I met Josh and Angie Grenz in the early months of their opening their first Verboten location in a quiet industrial park in Loveland, and Angie actually came to the very first organizational meeting for the first LoCo Think Tank chapter - before I had come up with the name!  She didn’t join, and hasn’t yet - but I remain hopeful.  We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and reconnected more properly last year when they opened their second location in what had been Black Bottle Brewery in Fort Collins - which closed the fall before.  

Verboten means forbidden in German, and their selection of beers mostly has one thing in common - they use ingredients that would have been forbidden under historic German purity laws - which basically means you can have lager and you will love it!  Sours and Porters and Wine-Barrel aged Stouts and you name it - they’ve done it - and probably won a prestigious medal for it!  Josh and Angie eventually moved to a great downtown location in Loveland, and the Verboten North is at the corner of Prospect and College in Fort Collins.  

This is a journey of starting small, focusing on the product and the people, and growing into a regional brand.  In an industry that has experienced decline in recent years, Verboten continues to grow - and it’s due to hard work and smart decisions by Josh and Angie and their dedicated teams.  So please enjoy, as I did - my conversation with Josh and Angie Grenz. 

The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by: Purpose Driven Wealth Thrivent: Learn more

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

I met Edward Rinehart at my Rotary Club, where he was sharing his journey with DECA - Distributive Education Clubs of America - an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through educational programs and competitions.  Colorado had 9,000 participants in DECA programs in 2024, with the top competitors advancing through District Competitions to State and International.  

Edward has been involved in DECA all four years of his high school journey, made it all the way to International his Freshman year, and has served on the Leadership Team ever since.  He won the State Competition in Entrepreneurship this February - and we’re wishing him luck at Internationals in May!  

This is a different journey than most of our LoCo Experience episodes - just getting started.  But I learned a lot, and enjoyed a wonderful conversation - and you will too!  So especially if you’ve got kiddos still in school, or grandkids going to high school soon - or if you might want to be a volunteer judge for the District or State competitions - I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy my conversation with Edward Rinehart.  

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

This week, I was pleased to be joined by Jessica Dizmang, the Owner/Operator of the ONLY three franchised Ben & Jerry’s locations in Colorado, with scoop shops located in Fort Collins, Denver, and Boulder.  Her father had a career in corporate franchising, with a stop at Ben & Jerry’s, and made her aware of an opportunity in Boulder.  She was a fresh college graduate, and very not inclined to work at an ice cream shop - but a couple months later, in March of 2002, she became part-owner and operator of the Pearl Street Ben & Jerry’s location.

23 years later, Jessica has developed a three-piece set of thriving locations on the Colorado Front Range, each with an empowered team.  In 2024 she was named the Operator of the Year, and we explore her many lessons and learnings from along the journey.  And - she’s a LoCo Think Tank member!  

Don’t miss Free Cone Day, April 8 at Ben & Jerry’s locations around the nation, and please enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Jessica Dizmang.  

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

My guest today was Zak George, Founder and Owner and Head Coach at Zak George Landscaping, LLC.  ZGL - as the trucks around town say on the side - is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!  Zak has a strong history of growth in the Residential and Commercial Construction and Commercial Maintenance segment, plus a substantial snow removal operation to keep some of the guys busy in the winter.  

Zak has an interesting business model in that he relies heavily on long term HB2 Visa employees, who return seasonally - mostly from Mexico and Guatemala - and we discuss his concerns about labor force in 2025, and how ZGL was almost taken down by an HB2 shortage in 2017, amid over-reliance on seasonal workers.  Zak has a big beard and a big heart, is a fellow Rotarian, and is a joy to have a conversation with - so I hope you enjoy, as I did - my conversation with Zak George.  

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Ginger Graham returns to The LoCo Experience studio, and this time brings her hunky husband, Jack!  

Jack Graham came to Fort Collins to play quarterback for CSU, and was drafted into the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.  In his post-football career, Jack quickly became an innovative disrupter in the reinsurance industry, and he founded International Catastrophe Insurance Managers, distributing risks from natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes - and was recognized as the Earnst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.  He returned to Fort Collins and led the charge to build a new football stadium, and went on to the role of Athletic Director at CSU.

Ginger Graham is a country gal from Arkansas, who earned a Harvard MBA and went on to become CEO of several companies, including a Fortune 500 and a Nasdaq 100 firm - and she makes the best pies west of the Mississippi!  And she’s on my short list of favorite people.  

Since Ginger had shared previously (Episode 73), we focus in on Jack’s journey in this one, including his journey in football and reinsurance - and the challenges around the stadium project and tour of duty with CSU Athletics.  The Grahams share the short story of their romance and their why in Ginger and Baker, and Ginger settles my fears about Ozempic and similar weight-loss drugs - which I didn’t recall she’d been involved in developing!  And - we talk about all the great things going on in Northern Colorado now - and the even better times ahead! 

The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by:  Purpose Driven Wealth Thrivent: Learn more

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain