Bar Napkin Business

Adam Holmberg and Matt Gohring are the owners of Code Beer in Lincoln, Nebraska. In this interview, we talk with Adam about his experience starting the brewery while still keeping his full time job and the challenge of growing a brewery following in a community that was quickly becoming saturated by craft beer and tap rooms. While they thought they knew what it took to brew beer, Adam and Matt quickly realized that building a business around their hobby was harder than anticipated. Learn how they bought their equipment from Goose Island, had to haul it back to Nebraska, the mistakes they made, and the plans gone awry. Learn more about Code Beer at codebeer.co or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Infogressive, a fast-growing company that provides around-the-clock cybersecurity services with custom and personalized support to keep your organization safe and protected. In this interview with Founder and CEO, Justin Kallhoff, we dive into how he started his business, some of the lessons he learned the hard way in growing his business, the common ways most businesses compromise their own security, and how they adopted the "Netflix" business model for the next generation of their company growth.  Justin is also a fellow through Pipeline, a network of high-performing entrepreneurs who call the Midwest home. Learn more at Infogressive.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

Devon Seacrest has tried his hand at a number of entrepreneurial pursuits. Starting first with hand sewing clothes for beannie babies, he now focuses his efforts on ScoutSheet -- a high growth software company helping businesses transform the outbound sales process.  ScoutSheet is designed for high-growth technology companies doing outbound sales.  This smart list-building technology allows you to build your own custom lists of people or companies using relationship mapping and live data gathering. In this interview, we talk about the challenges they face, the entrepreneurial program that's help contribute to his success, and the common question people ask about data privacy. 

Defy Ventures is an entrepreneurship, employment, and character development training program for currently and formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth. On this episode, we talk to Jeremy Bouman, executive director of Nebraska, about his experience in helping individuals launch and start a company after serving time in prison.  Learn about the types of businesses prisoners can start for less than $20,000 and some of the success stories from Defy Ventures nationwide. Defy Ventures transforms the lives of business leaders and people with criminal histories through their collaboration along the entrepreneurial journey. To get more insight about Defy Ventures, visit defyventures.org.

John is a Professional EOS® Implementer, Visionary, and Founder of Gear80. He helps business owners stop spinning their wheels and get more profit, enjoyment from their work, and time with their families. An EOS® Implementer combines a passion for helping entrepreneurs and their leadership teams with the skills and experience to help strengthen all Six Key Components™ of their business. Learn why John is building a business this way, how he helps others find sanity and grow their business, and the failures and learnings it took to get to where he is today. Visit Gear80.co for more information.

Edward Weginer is the founder of Alpha BTC, a trusted bitcoin (BTC) leader offering advocacy, implementation and consulting services for retail, eCommerce and other organizations in the Midwest. Bitcoin is a decentralized, digital currency used as a means to transfer value around the world. Released to the public in 2008, it has grown into a network of miners and users of all shapes and sizes worldwide. On this episode we talk about bitcoin, how to get started, and some of the ups and downs Edward has experienced in building a business based on cryptocurrency.  Learn more at alphabitcoin.com or visit them on facebook. Learn more about the Midwest Block-a-thon at www.block-a-thon.com.

Pink Gorilla Events is an independent event production company founded in 2008. Events that are owned and run by Pink Gorilla Events include the Market to Market Relay Series, Good Life Halfsy half marathon, Born & Raced In Nebraska 10K Series, Leprechaun Chase 10K, Cornfield Cornfield 10K and Harvest Moon Hustle 10K. They excel at creating unique, large scale hyper-local, signature running experiences that appeal to elite athletes as well as the casual fun-runner. On this episode we talk with Zach Harsin, COO of Pink Gorilla Events and one of the equity partners of the company. Learn how his previous company merged with Pink Gorilla, the unique way he approaches sponsorship, and why customer service is the ultimate marketing strategy.   Learn more at www.pinkgorillaevents.com or visit them on Facebook. 

Whether you're looking for specific deals or a local place for food, drink, or shopping, there's a good chance you'll use your smartphone to discover options. That's exactly what Mailani Veney wants you to do. Her company, DealAnyDay, gives you a free, no-registration, no-coupon list of deals in your city. Your list is made by people, for people.  In this episode we talk about the idea behind the company, the philosophy of building a business the "Hawaiian way", and the desire for her to build a startup ecosystem other woman tech entrepreneurs like herself.  Learn more at www.dealanyday.com, download the app, or visit them on Facebook! 

Angela Garbacz believes in dessert at every meal. Which is fitting, considering she owns Goldenrod Pastries - one of Nebraska's favorite pastry shops. But her journey to owning a bakery started as a food blog, transformed into a side hustle, and eventually into a brick and mortar bakery.  In this interview, we dive into the challenges Angela faced in building her business, including a frustrating first meeting with a banker when trying to get a bank loan; challenges in communicating with a construction crew when her only way to describe the build out was "it has to be cute"; and the social media philosophy that took her from a few fans to over 12,000 followers on Instagram.  Learn more at www.GoldenrodPastries.com or follow her on Facebook or Instagram at @Goldenrodpastries.

Evol Empire Creative is an end-to-end digital agency headquartered in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket. Andrew Tuzson is the founder and mastermind behind Evol Empire Creative. In this interview we talk about the most important ingredients for success in launching and growing a company. We also dive into his journey in founding two agencies in two different states, slowing down to scale up, and building a culture of hustle.  Learn more at www.evolempirecreative.com.

TJ Walker is one of the co-founders of Backswing Brewing Company - a new commercial brewing company that's less than 5 years old. The interesting thing about TJ's story is that he's kept his full time job while building this business on the side (mostly off hours and weekends). Learn about some of the risks they've had to take in growing the business, how he balances this crazy passion with his responsibilities as a dad and husband, and why he's looking forward to having a work-free labor day for the first time in 20 years.  Learn more at backswingbrewing.com or visit them on Facebook. 

This episode is Part II of the interview with Bulu Box co-founder Paul Jarrett. In this interview we dive deeper into the data and analytics side of the business - from the vision of what this looked like early on, to the sale of that part of the company to an outside party. Paul shares what he learned in collecting and managing "big data" and how the sale came from an unlikely conversation.  We also dive into the advice Paul has for entrepreneurs, and the books and philosophies that helped him grow Bulu Box as a whole. Learn more at www.bulubox.com. 

Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best.  Every month, you'll get a box filled with 4 to 5 premium, curated samples from top brands. In this interview, we talk with co-founder Paul Jarrett about his journey in building Bulu Box, spamming friends in the early days, and managing the tricky dance of asking for money.  In his career, Paul has launched million dollar brands such as Neebo and executed multi-facted campaigns for Lowe's and Nike. In 2010, Paul joined Complete Nutrition where he became the Vice President of Marketing and an Executive Board Member. He built the MarComm department, trained dozens of franchises and positioned Complete Nutrition and its products for success in a saturated market. The company's growth skyrocketed. In fact, it was one of the fastest growing startups in the U.S. Paul's experience at Complete Nutrition was the precursor to starting his own company. In 2012, Bulu Box was born. Learn more at www.bulubox.com. 

AMPT is a customizable employee engagement recognition platform for small, medium and enterprise size businesses. Started in 2013, the founders of AMPT realized the current system of engaging and recognizing employees was broke. Combining the talents of a human motivation expert and the founder of a gaming platform, AMPT was created to provide recognition AMPt-lified on the largest of scales. Craig Spilker joined the company as Chief Strategy Officer, after working in a sports technology startup and coaching baseball. In this interview, we talk about the "atta-boys" in the workplace, how you can build a thriving small business culture, and the mindset needed to overcome failure. Find out more about AMPT at www.amptnow.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. 

Tasty Good Toffee is a local favorite for sweets lovers -- boasting mouthwatering flavors and some fun surprises, like toffee with a hint of ghost pepper. But that wasn't always the case for owner Katie Becker, who started the business as a side hustle, or as she says, "more of a hobby to keep grandma's toffee recipe alive". However, after she lost her job, she was forced to act on her dream of taking the business full time. Learn how she has moved from craft shows and pop ups to wholesale, and the critical decisions she needs to make in order for her business to grow.  Learn more at www.tastygoodtoffee.com, or visit Tasty Good Toffee on Facebook or Instagram! 

In this episode of Bar Napkin Business, we delve into the previous 10 episodes and share nuggets of wisdom from each of our guests. Lessons range from hiring employees and the first scary years of entrepreneurship to money woes and making the numbers work. Get a quick recap of the top 10 lessons, and if you want to dive in even further, go back and listen to the episodes that interest you most! To learn more about Bar Napkin Business, visit www.barnapkinbusiness.co or visit us on Facebook or Instagram. 

While you receive the tools and training in hair school to be a good cosmetologist, the training of running and growing your own business often comes from the school of hard knocks. Salon owners Kylie and Steph attribute their business savvy and risk-taking tolerance to the advice of friends and family. Never being afraid to ask questions and keeping an eye on the future rather than short term gains has led them to leasing commercial space and launching the next phase of their business. Listen in on this interview as we talk about the pivotal moments in their business, why they decided to invest in a "suites" model, and what they've learned along the way.  Learn more about Bah-shah Salon & Suites at their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Bah-shah-salon-suites-151596654927756/. To learn more about Bar Napkin Business or enter the weekly giveaway, visit barnapkinbusiness.co or search Facebook or Instagram for Bar Napkin Business. 

Kelsey Hearnen was one of the early employees of Spreetail - an ecommerce company that started in the founders' garage in 2006, and now employs over 200 people. Fast growing companies like Spreetail have a unique perspective on hiring and on-boarding new talent, often bringing on multiple employees in a single day. In this Bar Napkin Business interview, Kelsey shares the lessons learned along the way, including their specific process for hiring, why culture is as important as salary, and the growing pains they've experienced with the rapid growth of their company! To learn more about Spreetail, visit www.spreetail.com or www.vminnovations.com or catch them on Facebook by searching "Spreetail". Enter to win the weekly Bar Napkin Business giveaway at our Facebook or Instagram page, or join the email list at www.barnapkinbusiness.co. 

Mac Rodgers has spent the last several decades building and growing businesses in a variety of industries. His resume includes regional manager of a national data company and CEO of a multimillion dollar organization. He now spends his time consulting with small businesses and startups to help them build healthy, sustainable, and profitable businesses. On this episode we dig into the common mistakes that small businesses make and how they can be avoided. Hint: A lot of the mistakes have to do with money, planning, and people. Get entered to win the weekly Bar Napkin Business giveaway by visiting our Facebook or Instagram page. Behind the scenes footage and tips showcased on our social media accounts as well. For guest ideas, email show@barnapkinbusiness.co.

SP Group is an accounting and CPA firm with a focus on helping clients with not only tax challenges, but also interpreting their numbers and making sound business decisions. Dave Swan, one of the founders of SP Group, started the business at age 27. Originally launching with a business partner, Dave's plans were rattled a bit when his business partner changed his mind a few days after launching the business. Learn more about his journey, tips for growing a service based business, and why they killed their mission statement. Learn more about SP Group at www.spgrouppc.com. Get entered to win the weekly Bar Napkin Business giveaway by visiting our Facebook or Instagram page.