The Partnership Podcast

Erik heads to Cooley Mesa Detailing for a tour and conversation with owner Chris Baddick.  They discuss a number of different business issues including the joys and challenges of taking over a family legacy business.  Chris also discusses how a former professional cyclist came to work in the auto business and how he and his team can work towards positive social and environmental outcomes.  As Chris shares, the rental car experience is often someone's first "handshake" with the valley and wouldn't you like that handshake to be competent and CLEAN?!

Founded in 1988 and locally owned ever since, Cooley Mesa Detailing has established itself as the Vail Valley’s primary high touch auto detailing specialist. Located at the Eagle County Regional Airport, Cooley Mesa Detailing built it’s reputation by providing exemplary service to passengers flying in and out of the Vail Valley Jet Center.

Learn more about Cooley Mesa Detailing HERE

Erik is joined this week by John Burns, owner/operator/co-founder of Slalom Fox cocktails.  Based in the Front Range but with a strong mountain presence, John recounts the story of how this company came to be, what challenges they faced building their dream and how it is moving into the future.   They talk candidly about challenges around brand awareness, local market share and running a small business with a regional and statewide focus.
Join us as we look at small business through the lens of a craft cocktail company and I imagine you'll be surprised at what can apply to business of any size.
Learn more about Slalom Fox cocktails HERE

Erik is joined by Shannon Grant, Director of Post Secondary Learning and Career Readiness for Eagle County School District and Carolyn Tucker, Regional Business Services Coordinator for the Colorado Workforce Center to discuss WORK WEEK!
 
It's not Shark Week, it's Work Week.

Join us for the new, week long spring hiring event! Over 100 business positions available. Explore what business is right for you. There are options to participate both in-person and virtually. Resumes are required.

Join us at one of the following locations to chat with businesses in-person.

*View businesses participating in-person.

Virtual Participation

*View businesses participating virtually.

Is your business interested in participating in work week? Click here to fill out the business registration form. If you have already signed up and wish to participate in virtual interviews, click here to register.

In this podcast Erik steps WAY out of his comfort zone to talk taxes...and finds out it's not really that uncomfortable after all!  Brush Creek Financial Advisors' Matt Welsh joins Erik to talk about new additions to the tax code, things we should be aware of in the coming year and some simple strategies that make sense for people of all income levels.

There's also an impromptu Mettalica "quote-off" and perhaps the best answer you've ever heard when a financial planner is asked "tell me the future".  Join Matt and Erik for this fun and informative conversation and learn more about Brush Creek Financial Advisors HERE.

Childcare.
Early Childhood Education.

It's a topic frequently in the news, it's a strategic priority for Eagle County but what does it look like from a local childcare provider perspective?

Whitney Young, Executive Director of The Family Learning Center (FLC) and Cristina Betancourt Santos, Site Director at FLC invite Erik into the school (during naptime...you'll hear how that went!) to talk about what Early Childhood Education looks like from the ground level.  They discuss the push for more educators in this field and the steps being made to fill those positions.  Both Whitney and Cristina stress the need for greater community awareness and knowledge around the issue of childcare so...thanks in advance for listening and sharing!

Learn more about the Family Learning Center HERE

This is the podcast where host Erik Williams says "Really?" and "No way!" far too many times, however we dare you to listen and not feel the same!

Local archeologist, founder and curator of The Museum at Dinosaur Junction, Billy Doran takes the listener on a private tour of the museum, sharing stories of Eagle County's incredibly rich dinosaur history, how he came to find some of these pieces, and who he calls first when he makes a big discovery (spoiler, it's mom...and then the scientists!)

The Museum at Dinosaur Junction is dedicated to inspiring, educating and enriching life in Eagle County and Colorado as a whole by deepening the understanding and appreciation of history and science through the research, preservation and exhibition of paleontological discoveries.
Exhibits cover a comprehensive 200 million year history of the region, from fossil dinosaurs beginning in the Triassic, through the Jurassic, and into the Cretaceous including fossils from the Western Interior Seaway that covered the land millions of years ago.

Learn more about the Museum at Dinosaur Junction HERE:

Also, on Feb 8th Vail Valley Partnership will be hosting their monthly mixer at the Museum, learn more and register HERE:

VVP's Erik Williams learns about the world of professional coaching, not sports however, you'd be surprised at some of the parallels.  Kim Smith talks about her personal journey to becoming a coach, working with teams and maximizing potential that exists in both us and the system around us.
Learn more about Kim Smith and Professional Coaching HERE

They also discuss Vail Valley Works Industry Groups new offering "Women in Business"  The Women in Business Series will be focused on challenges and opportunities that women face in business and their careers. There will be a focus on leadership and what that can look like for any stage of your career.  The group will meet for eight 90 minute sessions, starting in March 2023 and going through October 2023.  Each session will go over a topic designed to build a foundation of leadership, awareness, insight and skills for success.
Find more information and register HERE

President John F. Kennedy once said in a speech “No American is ever made better off by pulling a fellow American down, and every American is made better off whenever any one of us is made better off. A rising tide raises all boats.”

The non-profit collaboration and coordination in this valley is a testament to those words, however it hasn't always been the case.  Learn a little about the history of non-profit collaboration in the valley as well as updates on current programming.

Erik Williams is joined by Vail Valley Partnership's Maren Cerimele and local Non-profit expert Robin Thompson to talk about the non-profit learning series and Professional Fundraising Certificate program and how you can get involved.

Learn more on Jan 25th with The Key to Charting your Course in 2023
Register HERE
The Nonprofit Learning Series is kicking off 2023 with a new program on January 25th featuring inspirational Ted Talk style presentations on topics that are vital to your nonprofit work. Then, the presenters will be part of a panel discussion where you can ask the experts questions culminating in an interactive roundtable session with the speakers and topics. Sign up today so that you don’t miss this in-person program to help chart the course for a great 2023!

Learn more about the Non-Profit Network HERE.

Professional Fundraising Certificate dates:
Thursdays, Weekly (11am – 1pm, lunch provided)

• February 16 & 23
• One week off for Eagle County Schools’ Winter Break
• March 9, 16, 23 & 30
• April 6 & 13

Learn more about the Professional Fundraising Certificate program HERE:

Host Erik Williams at VVP is honored to be joined by this year's Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards Community Impact award winner Ariana Gonzalez.  Ariana is a true success story from this community with as much as she has already accomplished.  She has worked with United Way, Community Consciousness and TEDX Youth Vail. She has also served on the District Accountability Advisory Council, the Youth Equity Stewardship team and more.  She's now using her skills at Battle Mountain High School through the AmeriCorps program. She's quite simply...awesome.

Ariana graduated in 2021 and shares her unique perspective on growing up in this valley.  They also get discuss opportunities for students of color and what we as a community can do to build stronger relationships.

Join Vail Valley Partnership and host Erik Williams as we take a walk (Plodcast?) through Little Bird Commissary Kitchen and Gourmet Market.

Owners/operators Anne and Scotty lead the conversation around many relevant business topics including effectively listening to your customers and changing business plans and adapting to current conditions.

Learn about what a commissary kitchen is (think "shared space" in the personal chef/food truck world) and how Little Bird is accepting new partners and seeking to build community.

Oh, and the market!  You're just going to have to listen...

Learn more about Little Bird Commissary Kitchen HERE.