Unscripted with Versique

Wayne Packard started his business as one of the original Culligan dealers in 1946, passing the leadership to his son John, who in turn, has now handed over the title of President & CEO to his son Derek. In this entertaining episode hosted by Kathy, John reflects on his career journey, growing the business to over 600 employees in 10 states. Derek adds his vision for the future, and both father & son enjoy a few laughs as they recall navigating the transition from one generation to the next.

Connect with Versique 

Gerald "Jerry" Reiter grew up with nine siblings on his family farm, and when the 80's economic crisis hit, his father encouraged him to find another career path. Gerald went to work in banking and never looked back, rising through the ranks and ultimately buying, saving and transforming Granite Bank into one of Minnesota's most trusted lending partners. In this episode, Gerald retraces his career steps with Kathy & Chris, sharing tips on family business success.

Connect with Versique 

With a resume spanning 30 years, from entrepreneurial ventures to all levels of corporate America, Aretos Advisory Founder & CEO, Author and Executive Advisor Eric Mahler has seen and done it all. In this engaging episode, Kathy & Chris invite Eric to share his journey from growing up in Iowa, navigating the corporate and entrepreneurial world, to calling the Twin Cities home. Eric also previews his book, "The Center of the Compass", ahead of its December release.

Connect with Versique 

You may remember her from the popular TV show "Small Business Revolution", and Amanda Brinkman's on screen persona is exponential in person. In this motivational and inspiring download, Amanda joins Kathy & Dardy in the Versique podcast studio to share her message on purpose, and how kindness goes a long way in business success.

Connect with Versique 

St. Paul Area Chamber President & CEO B. Kyle brings a unique perspective to her role as a leader for over 1700 Twin Cities companies. A veteran Army officer and mother who worked her way up from an admin to leadership roles in the private sector, her focus is always on servant leadership. In this download, she shares her inspirational life journey with Kathy & Dardy, and also explains why she fired, and subsequently rehired Kathy!

Connect with Versique 

From a modest upbringing with high standards, to key leadership roles in Twin Cities non-profits, Joy King gets results. In just 15 months as the new CEO of Animal Humane Society, she already has a three-year strategic plan in place after detecting "mission creep" when she took over. In this inspiring episode, Joy sits down with Kathy & Dardy to share her journey from small towns to the big city, and the moment just over a year ago when it all came full circle for her.

Connect with Versique 

A true entrepreneur will admit that you have to be a dreamer and often ignore the status quo in your quest to disrupt an industry and change the world. In this episode, Kathy & Dardy invite John Hutchinson to share his journey from growing up in the family sporting goods business to founding and selling CARE Counseling. John proves that perfectionism can hold you, your teams and your company from achieving your goals.

Connect with Versique 

Growing up with a struggling single mom had a profound impact on Great Clips President & CEO Rob Goggins. At the outset of his professional career, he vowed that his family would be better off. Thanks to his work ethic and straightforward approach to business leadership, he's now leading one of America's greatest and most successful franchise companies with over 4,400 locations serving 1.7 million customers weekly. In this episode, Goggins sits down with Kathy & Dardy to share his career journey.

Connect with Versique 

The term "entrepreneur" wasn't a cliche when Alexis Walsko founded her PR firm as a 21-year-old, it was just what dreamers did when nobody else was doing it. Her passion has always been connecting people & products, solving problems and the hustle. In this download, she shares her backstory with Kathy & Dardy, and opens up about leadership, strengths, shortcomings and believing in yourself.

Connect with Versique 

If there's one word to describe Lisa it's "growth"- both professional, personal, and non-stop. She's been a key player in the growth and transitions of companies including Twin Cities staffing company Salo, which was acquired by Korn Ferry. In this episode, Lisa joins Kathy & Dardy to share her career journey, key takeaways in leadership and what inspires her.

Connect with Versique