Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Theresa Foxley, quickly recognizes her as someone people want to listen to and immediately like. She humbly describes herself as “the unabashed cheerleader for the State of Utah”, but Theresa is also very strategic, intelligent, and people smart!
After her many successes as Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), in January Theresa became the president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah). It seemed so appropriate for us to interview Theresa in EDCU’s conference room with breathtaking views of Salt Lake City, the University of Utah, our Wasatch Mountains, and the “Silicon Slopes” that flow southward into Utah County. Trained as an attorney, Theresa is a passionate leader with a bold, sweeping vision for Utah’s future. Her goals go beyond Salt Lake and Utah Counties and into rural Utah, and her unique accomplishments include convincing numerous companies like Procter & Gamble, eBay, and Adobe to relocate or expand their presence all along the Wasatch Front! Theresa has vision and gets things done.
We hope you enjoy this podcast with this gifted strategist, corporate influencer, and powerful leader!
“Successful entrepreneurs do not wait until the Muse kisses them and gives them a bright idea; they go to work!” – Peter Drucker
Our recent interview with Brad Ouderkirk reminded us that the founders of high-growth companies don’t take no for an answer. In the words of the late Peter Drucker, “they go to work!” Five years ago, Brad was a successful general contractor who hated the leaky gas cans he often had on his job sites. So he began building lots of wooden prototypes of spill-proof gas cans that would be safer and easier to use. After five years of innovation, Brad launched “SureCan.” He has never looked back!
Over the past two years Brad’s spill-proof SureCan has won numerous awards, including the “Most Innovative New Product Award” at the National Hardware and the Retailers Choice Award. He has national distribution in thousands of stores like Lowes, Ace Hardware, TruValue, and 300 stores in Utah. His advice to other entrepreneurs is to “keep swimming and ask your self is this impossible or just hard?” We hope you enjoy this interview with Brad Ouderkirk, a successful entrepreneur that had a bright idea and went to work!
We were inspired by the creative mojo we felt during our recent visit with Troy D’Ambrosio and Garrett Holm of the Lassonde Studios. Troy is the inspired Executive Director who worked with one of the University of Utah’s biggest benefactors, Pierre Lassonde, to create a special place where students, researchers, engineers and professors could come together to create new companies. Garrett is the young, determined undergrad that serves as Lassonde’s Company Launch Director.
Pierre Lassonde graduated with an MBA from the University of Utah in the early 70’s and became one of the most successful entrepreneurial leaders in the history of mining. He wanted to create an ecosystem for creative thinkers, a place where calculated risks would be celebrated and students pushed themselves to go beyond the obligation of earning great grades and degrees. Troy D’Ambrosio and the students at the U answered the call!
This interview with Troy and Garrett is inspiring on multiple levels. It’s obvious that Troy D’Ambrosio loves what he does and has built a place and a culture to do it well! As we listened to Troy, a successful entrepreneur, and Garrett, a spirited up and comer, it was obvious that everyone is respected and equal. There is no hierarchy at Lassonde, and everyone feels they can achieve anything if they want it bad enough!
Ten years ago, Rhonda Nicoloff became the president of A&K Railroad Materials, the leading supplier of new and used track materials in the United States. But Rhonda’s path to the top of A&K Railroad began in 1991 when she began her career at A&K as an entry level sales professional. She has never looked back!
A graduate of Indiana University, Rhonda has always had her feet firmly planted on the ground. She is quick to credit her success to her parents and the recruited mentors in her life. Yes, Rhonda is the president of a big company in a male dominated field. Yes, before that she was, perhaps, the most successful Vice President of Sales in the railroad supply industry. Yes, she even made time to raise a family and earn her MBA at Harvard.
Rhonda draws from a deep well, and her personal standards are very high. She is very intuitive and very determined. She is a humble, persuasive business leader who knows how to move others to take action. We hope you enjoy Rhonda’s unique story of success in an unlikely industry.
Sometimes you find innovation and inspiration in the most unexpected places. In this week’s Influence Podcast we experienced both as we had the pleasure of meeting with Jeff Miller the Co-owner and General Manager of both Mark Miller Subaru Dealerships and JCO Financial. Jeff and Mark are counterintuitive disruptors in the automotive industry. Their flagship stores, one located in a dealership that Larry Miller closed in 2009, look and feel and smell like a hot technology company. That’s the vibe!
Sixteen years ago, Jeff Miller graduated from USC and with his father, Mark, and his wife, Tatiana, began refining their unique culture and reinventing the entire experience of buying a car. They have created a loyal, nurturing, honest environment that brings out the best in every member of their team. “What makes us successful is that we take care of our people, and because we take care of them, they take care of our valued customers.”
They have won every national award in their industry–the Subaru Stellar Award for excellence in customer-focused performance, as well as the only Edmunds.com Five Star Dealer rating in Utah for any brand, etc.–but find the most meaning in their “do good, feel good” culture. They love giving their time, along with very generous donations to the Ronald McDonald House, the Boys and Girls Club, or plant trees for TreeUtah, serve the homeless, or sponsor a community mural.
Please enjoy this inspiring podcast that celebrates the road less traveled!
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Westwood, the founder and CEO of Simplus, a young, determined SaaS company that is the recognized leader for “quote to cash” solutions. Ryan is the founder of several successful companies, the author of a recent national bestseller, and an angel who helps young companies succeed. He is frequently featured in the Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post but is also a humble, positive giver who goes all out to help others.
The Simplus lobby features two life-sized “underdogs” that are symbolic of Ryan’s commitment to push hard for the things he believes in. Ryan has had to work hard and fight for everything, and tenaciously protects the culture that makes Simplus a winning company. Even the most impressive candidates are not hired unless they have an underdog’s history of overcoming significant obstacles. You basically have to be an intelligent and caring “junkyard dog” to join this team of 120 determined people in six offices!
Enjoy this inspiring interview with Ryan Westwood, a savvy entrepreneur who works hard to stay ahead of the game!
“When a kindness is done, it has to be paid back 10 times.” – Margo Provost
After a successful career in marketing, in 1985 Maxine Turner wanted to raise a family and continue to contribute to make a difference in Utah. So she started a catering company, Cuisine Unlimited, opened a small deli, and very worked hard. Her new company took off, and Maxine’s husband, Marvin, left his corporate career to help her run her rapidly growing company. Cuisine Unlimited was on its way to becoming one of the most decorated and celebrated catering companies in the United States!
But Maxine’s success in building her own high-growth company is not the focus of this engaging interview. It’s more about bringing happiness to people and following her passion to create celebrations around food. More than anything Maxine Turner is a giver who, like her friend Margo Provost, the founder of Log Haven, believes that “when a kindness is done, it has to be paid back 10 times.”
Maxine serves as the chairwoman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Council on Small Business, the U.S. Chamber’s principal policy committee representing small businesses. She serves as a board member for the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and was a member of the first national Key for Women Advisory Board for Key Bank. We hope you enjoy the wisdom and insights of Maxine Turner, leader who has done so much on a national and community level as force for good!
“All life is problem solving.” – Karl Popper
There is something immediately appealing about Natalie Gochnour, the Associate Dean of the David Eccles School of Business and Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. As if that’s not enough, Natalie also serves as the Chief Economist for the Salt Lake Chamber.
Intellectually gifted and emotionally engaging, Natalie, has spent her career “translating” complex data and bringing together decision makers in the business, policymaking, and academic communities. In short, Natalie is a problem solver with an energy that radiates outward, a humble thinker with a heart!
Utah is fortunate to have Natalie’s uncanny ability to identify challenges and opportunities that others don’t fully see, then unpack intelligent solutions and ideas that build consensus. Please take time to listen to this podcast. You may find yourself nodding in agreement or, if you have a different point of view, seeing new points for agreement. Natalie Gochnour has a way of doing that!
In 2009, Amelia Wilcox had nowhere to go but up. The Great Recession hit hard and her massage therapy practice was leveling off as clients cut costs and prepared for the worst. Her husband’s e-commerce business was also dropping fast. Things were tough. So she sold their inventory (and other things that were even important to her) at a great loss, and with $1,500 started Incorporate Massage.
Unlike so many business leaders who are often in the spotlight, Amelia Wilcox is a very humble and determined person. She quickly began to grow her company brand through social media, and a new website. She “traded massages” for a new logo and identity and things started to grow. It wasn’t long before Amelia had so many clients, her strong hands could no longer keep up. She began to screen, interview, and hire the best massage therapists in Utah who shared her vision and passion to be the best. Amelia began winning what she calls “the war for talent”, Incorporate Massage is now in 42 U.S markets, and her husband now calls her his “sugar mama.”
So much of Amelia’s success was and is fueled by hard work, drive, and the will to be successful. Even though she started Incorporate Massage to survive, she finds real meaning in mentoring and helping her team. “Part massage therapist, part entrepreneur,” Amelia Wilcox is helping her team, and the corporate clients that they serve, thrive and improve! We hope you enjoy Amelia’s valuable insights!
After 20 years of practicing internal medicine, in 2007 Dr. Donna Milavetz wanted to dramatically improve care for her patients. She was also, like some of her patients, feeling “healthcare fatigue.” At the height of her career, this accomplished MD who trained at one of Harvard’s hospitals, worked at the Mayo Clinic, and holds a master’s degree in public health from the prestigious University of Minnesota, decided to walk away from a broken system.
Dr. Milavetz made several bold strategic moves. She left the traditional fee-for-service model behind, raised capital, and made a “cold call” to Susan Johnson, the President of Futura Industries. Six short weeks later, she opened her first clinic at Futura Industries. Futura’s employees loved their personal care, their overall health improved dramatically, and the company enjoyed major cost savings from their new and innovative healthcare. OnSite Care was born!
Ten years later, OnSite Care is a much bigger success story, and Futura Industries, OnSite Care’s first corporate clinic and client, continues to thrive. Their employees are healthier, and they have not had a single increase in the company’s healthcare costs over the past ten years.
It’s nearly impossible to listen to Dr. Donna Milavetz without sensing her intelligence and passion and love for people. She is a compassionate doctor and a bold leader who enhances the lives of everyone she meets and personifies the power of one!
“PEOPLE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME READING THEIR BUSINESS CARDS”
An Influence Podcast with Susan Johnson, President, engineer, and humanist
It was our recent pleasure to sit down and talk with Susan Johnson, the outgoing President and CEO of the most profitable metal extruder in North America, Futura Industries. Over the past 22 years, Susan has led Futura Industries to national prominence by investing in the future and exceeding the expectations of Futura’s employees and the loyal customers they serve.
A graduate of Cal Poly where amazingly smart people “learn by doing,” Susan is a brilliant business leader, one of the very best. She also has amazing instincts when it comes to inspiring and leading people. Susan has spent her life building companies by providing new opportunities for her family of employees to grow and taking care of clients. She knows everyone’s name, and “has never forgotten what it’s like being at the bottom looking up.”
Under Susan’s steady leadership, Futura Industries has enjoyed incredible growth and has literally filled several rooms full of awards as Utah’s best employer for the past 13 years! Always an innovator and builder of people, Susan opened an on-site medical clinic that takes care of the primary medical need for all of Futura’s employees and their families. There is so much to learn and appreciate about this special leader and place.
This podcast provides a refreshing glimpse into the mind and heart of a very rare leader who believes that “people spend too much time looking at titles on business cards.” Susan Johnson produces amazing results through innovation and efficiency, but she ultimately judges the success of any company by "the countenance of the worker!"
“BIG LESSONS: STAY CALM & GET THINGS DONE FAST!”
This week, we interview a former BYU student entrepreneur who in 1996 began building websites at the dawn of the Internet, John Pestana. His earliest company was JP Interactive, a company that he sold all his (and his wife’s) wedding gifts to buy a computer for, a company that eventually became Omniture. John and Josh James, his partner, put everything on the line to survive the dot-com crash, raise money, meet payroll, and land Fortune 500 clients. Through sheer determination and grit, they built Omniture into a successful public company that was acquired by Adobe Systems in 2009 for $1.8 billion dollars. Early investors in Omniture enjoyed 100x+ returns and hundreds of others, became multi-millionaires! Most founders would have immediately retired. John, like Josh, did not!
John Pestana went on to co-found ObservePoint, a SaaS company based in Provo that improves the technology and data quality of clients engaged in online marketing. Even though he is very busy managing a portfolio of real estate properties that include apartment complexes and commercial office buildings, he still feels most comfortable running another high-tech, high-growth company with Rob Seolas his co-founder and CEO of ObservePoint.
We have had the pleasure of interviewing many of the best entrepreneurs and business leaders in Utah, but no one quite like John. He is versatile and well-rounded, focused but very eclectic, a real Renaissance man! He owns a model train company, writes and records music with his band, SilentMonk, has the best “man cave” in the country–complete with very cool car collection, an amazing aquarium, arcade, recording studio, spa, and two slides, etc. John is also very generous in spirit and deed. We hope you enjoy this illuminating podcast with John Pestana!
INNOVATION AND BRANDING GURU – JEREMY ANDRUS
Everyone who knows Jeremy Andrus–one of the most innovative and charismatic CEO’s on the planet–is glad he decided to move to Utah in 2005! Jeremy graduated with a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School before joining Skullcandy, an edgy headphone company. Under his energetic leadership, Skullcandy went from a startup with a few million in sales to $300 million before their successful IPO in 2011. He was and is the right leader at the right time!
It’s difficult to label Jeremy. He was an “entrepreneur in residence” when he was just a kid, a title he later had with Solamere Capital after eight amazing years at Skullcandy. He is an impact player that has left his mark at Marriott, Monitor Company, BYU, Harvard, Lehman Brothers in London, and Skullcandy where he blew the brand through the roof with the Vans Warped Tour and funky music events with rapper Jay-Z.
For the past three years, Jeremy has led Traeger Wood Fired Grills out of obscurity and darkness to become the preeminent brand for grilling and chilling in the backyard. He is an amazing leader who can connect in Cambridge, recruit Kevin Durant of the NBA to sell Skullcandy headphones or add amazing new innovation and sizzle in a category (wood fired grilling) that is as old as the stone age. He has boldly transformed Traeger Wood Pellet Grills from being a small regional company into an iconic and innovative brand with a cult-like following. Please enjoy this Influence podcast. Jeremy has a humanity and passion and energy that makes everything he touches new and special!
“STRATEGY ON A SPREADSHEET”
Lately, it seems like the Wasatch Front is home to more startups per capita than any other mid-size market in the United States. Just a few weeks ago in downtown Salt Lake City, the Silicon Slopes Summit drew over 5,000 techies together to connect and learn and celebrate what we are building. It is against this backdrop that we had the pleasure of interviewing Kent Thomas, the founder of Advanced CFO Solutions. Kent launched Advanced CFO Solutions 20 years ago and is highly respected by many the leading founders of Utah’s most impressive high-growth companies.
Always quick to recognize his awesome clients and his friendship with CEOs like Paul Allen (Ancestry.com) and Jeremy Andrus (Skullcandy & Traeger), Kent Thomas is a recognized thought leader who has had a huge impact as a trusted advisor to many of the best executives in our growing ecosystem. More than anything, Kent has been successful in “putting strategy on a spreadsheet” and helping the founders of Utah’s most dynamic companies make the right strategic moves. Kent is humble, but he’s got game!
Kent seems far too young to “retire”, but he recently did just that, selling Advanced CFO Solutions to his able partners so he can now focus on his family and various “projects” that will undoubtedly become more great companies on Utah’s Silicon Slopes. Please enjoy the insights of this great man!
The Other Side Academy: An innovative, self-help academy and residence where some of the most disadvantaged (and incredible) people in our community are learning new ways to succeed.
We weren’t with Tim Stay, CEO of The Other Side Academy, very long before he suggested that we talk with one his students. Within five minutes we had the pleasure of meeting Shawn, who looked street-smart and was very people-savvy. Tim talked about things like being in “the safest place I have ever been” and a culture of “pulling each other up.” It was inspiring to meet Shawn. The inspiration continued with Tim as he talked about keeping it pure and building a sustainable model so even more lives can be changed. It wasn’t long before Parley, “the rescue dog”, joined our conversation by walking into the meeting room with his tail wagging. Even Parley has a mission: to make people happy and feel loved.
It’s a positive irony that Joseph Grenny, the world renowned change agent for the Fortune 500, recruited Tim Stay so they could start The Other Side Academy. Isn’t it cool that the former cast-offs of society are using “Fortune 500 principles” to transform their very lives, perhaps the greatest transformation of all? Please enjoy this glimpse into The Other Side Academy, a learning laboratory where people acquire new life skills and courage is contagious!
Two key facts
Life before the Other Side Academy
“The toughest of the tough!”
Average number of arrests: 23
After the Other Side Academy (one of many positive Yelp reviews)
“These guys were fantastic. We used them to move within Park City and they were really quick, courteous, and hard working. I would definitely recommend them in the future.”
Average service rating: 5 Stars
TECH SAVVY & STREET SMART – INSIGHTS FROM SILVERVUE’S ERIC SMITH
We live in a fast-paced, complex, and sometimes careless world. And it’s rewarding when we can learn from someone who is tech savvy, street smart, and amazingly successful. It’s also impressive if that same person has the ability to connect with people and, in spite of their success, hasn’t gotten caught up in what Tom Wolfe calls “The Bonfire of the Vanities.”
This week’s podcast features just such a rare person, Eric Smith, an entrepreneur and technical visionary who is the co-founder of SilverVue, one of Utah’s most promising high-growth companies. Over the past 20 years, Eric and his business partner, Will West, have successfully launched several leading companies. SilverVue is a company that reflects the vision and experience of Eric and Will, a software care platform that solves complex problems, like providing a simple dashboard that monitors and coordinates patient care in and out of the hospital!
Eric has a real gift for developing sophisticated, yet elegant solutions to complex problems. Prior to founding SilverVue, Eric developed the intellectual property that has made all of his ventures with Will West successful: Control4 (sophisticated home automation), STSN (now iBAHN Broadband), and PHAST Corporation (home automation). Eric knows how to “pivot on the fly” to be successful. He is also grateful for everything he has experienced and for his partnership with Will West. Please enjoy Eric’s passion for building great companies and for living life to the fullest!