Listen Now

Jason Holmers is the founder and president of Oxsome Web Services. Jason is a leader in the digital marketing space. He creates and manages websites for business owners throughout the country. Oxsome Web Services has been recognized as a top web design agency. In this episode Jason spends time explaining to our listeners how they can create and optimize their local google listings.

Steve Erickson – Vistage Private Advisory Board Chairman A few months ago I had a great conversation with Steve Erickson about succeeding in business, life, and personal fulfillment. Steve shares the experience and knowledge he gained as the president of Erickson Companies and how it helped him become a Chairman of Select Private CEO Advisory Groups with Vistage International. Vistage is an organization which provides education and development for executive leaders. Steve helps Minnesota CEOs and other business leaders to become the better versions of themselves.  If you are a CEO or senior leader at a company with over $1 million in annual revenue you can click here to learn more about Vistage Minnesota. About Steve Erickson Steve is the past President of Erickson’s Diversified Corporation. He is currently the Director of Coaching, Leadership, and Development at Two Wolves in Minneapolis, MN. He is involved with Recovery Services and life skills coaching. Steve is also the Founder President of The Speed of Life, a lifestyle catalyst for professional men and women in business.      

Spark-Y I had an incredible conversation Zach Robinson, an energizing and magnetic entrepreneur who is also the Executive Director of Spark-Y. Spark-Y is a non organization that empowers youth through hands-on education that is rooted in entrepreneurship and sustainability. I am so grateful to have been introduced to Zach and the incredible organization that he leads. Zach explains the organization much better than I am able to do while I sit here typing this from my bed at The Clamshell Beach Resort in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. I’m so excited to spread the word about Spark-Y that I am posting the completely un-edited and raw interview we had yesterday in my office studio. Zach Robinson Executive Director of Spark Y

The Horkey Handbook Gina Horkey is a professional writer, online marketing consultant and the founder of Horkey HandBook, LLC. In 2014, she began a freelancing writing side hustle and within 6 months turned it into a full-time career. After finding great success working for herself, Gina decided she wanted to help others obtain similar results, adding step-by-step courses to HorkeyHandBook.com. This training empowers her students to monetize skills they already have or learn new ones to help small business owners run and grow their businesses. In addition to teaching people how to start a virtual assistant business, Gina also instructs individuals on how to build and launch their own website or blog to market their services and find their voice online. Lastly, she also helps existing small business owners find and hire a virtual assistant to scale or maybe just work a little less. Gina has put together all of the tools you need to become a freelance writer, a virtual assistant and grow your existing small business.s.

I’ve known Joel Eshelman since high school but hadn’t seen him in person for years. I knew he started a personal training company, but it didn’t catch my attention until he started putting out great content on social media. When I saw this post on social media it jumped out at me and I knew Joel would have some fantastic advice for our readers, watchers, and listeners. “I’m so humbled by the awesome people in my life… I’ve been in a place where I’m needing and yearning to take my life in all ways to the next level… I’ve never been more grateful as a business owner… And as a person… Your environment is everything! These next couple years are going to be an amazing ride. I can’t wait to take it! If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far in this new year! Is be intentional about every aspect of your life! When you make that decision… You will start to show up differently! The people that matter and don’t matter will show up differently! And people you never knew who mattered will show up!” Joel Eshelman If you don’t already know Joel, you will quickly understand what a thoughtful, kind, and caring person he is. Joel’s self-awareness, enthusiasm, heart, and energy are contagious. I’m grateful Joel came into the studio to share some of the things he has learned as an entrepreneur. He talks about his journey through the physical fitness world and how it led him to open up his own personal training company and brand, Apex Personal Training. Joel founded Apex Personal Training in 2011. They offer One On One training, Personalized Group Training, Nutrition Counseling and Supplementation, Business Coaching and for new people entering the fitness world Brand Consulting, and Consulting for Gyms.   He is also launching a For Purpose entity in the online training world called India Fit.  

Jason Holmers has been building, designing and optimizing websites since he was a high school kid almost 20 years ago. In my recent interview with Jason, I learned how he started and quickly grew his website services business, Oxsome Website Services. Jason shares his journey and what he has learned about internet marketing, website building, design, conversion, social media marketing, and entrepreneurship along the way. Oxsome Web Services This Minnesota website services business has grown quickly through referrals from satisfied businesses and the founder Jason Holmers is looking for more talent. Jason talks about why he loves the website services business, why he believes it has been so successful, and what he is looking for in his next hire.

In a sit down I had with Erik Radtke I discovered that he is every bit as grounded, humble, spiritual, smart and wise as I had been told he would be. I am so grateful that our mutual friend and past guest Jake Huotari put us in touch. It is incredible how often similar themes come up when I discuss success principles with my guests. Sucess for so many of the entrepreneurs that come on our show is described as the ability to control one’s own time and to live life on your own terms. Erik discovered his passion for entrepreneurship and desire to be in control of his own career after working what our society deems a “normal job.” Erik had an incredible upbringing and credits his parents with the successes he has had. They showed him how to follow through on your promises. The taught him to always do what you say you are going to do. This concept and advice seem basic at first but when he breaks it down, it is a lot easier said than done, especially when it comes down to parenting. The App business Erik is the Chief Revenue Officer for a company he co-founded called Espire. Espire is a top new age digital marketing firm that helps Apps to become the most downloaded applications in their industry. If you are an App company that wants to get your App to the top, it is worth checking out Espire. Erik shares some brilliant advice about doubling down on your strengths and delaying gratification. He talks about what it takes to make it in the App business and how to become a media influencer. Erik talks about the many things he’s learned through childhood and into his Thirty’s. I could have sat and talked to Erik for hours. He has so much to share and an attitude and hunger for life that is contagious.

Eric Dayton is a childhood friend and a fellow hockey goalie. As kids living in Southwest Minneapolis, we played baseball and hockey together. Eric is one of the smartest guys I know. Eric and I stayed in touch here and there over the years but it had been several years since we last saw each other. We played hockey for Southwest in our early years and were lucky enough to have a former all-state goaltender Mark Dayton as our private coach. Eric was a fierce competitor on the baseball field and ice rink. I have great memories of attending Vladislav Tretiak’s Goaltending School with Eric as High School kids. His work ethic and ability to make all the other goaltenders laugh were what I remember most. It was fun to visit the businesses he has built, to see how happy the people around him are, and to sit down reminisce and catch up with him. The Business Side Eric and his brother Andrew founded three of North Loops’ hottest destinations for food, drink, and dress. The Bachelor Farmer, Marvel Bar, and Askov Finlayson have been racking up awards and accolades since opening in 2011. Most recently they opened up The Bachelor Farmer Cafe in the space previously occupied by Askov Finlayson. They moved Askov Finlayson to a larger space next door to make way for the 1,000-square-foot cafe in the same building as their Bachelor Farmer restaurant. Eric’s Humble Advice Getting Eric to open up about his personal accomplishments is never easy. He is incredibly down to earth and humble. In this short podcast interview, I was able to get Eric to talk about some of the steps he’s taken since purchasing the North Loop Real Estate in 2009 and developing it into a thriving food, entertainment, and retail destination. Eric shares some advice and stories about business and life. One of the key takeaways for me is the importance of building a strong team and hiring the right talent.

Matt Lovgren Matt Lovgren is passionate about life, personal growth, cars, technology, music, and sales. He shares his experiences as a student, mentor, musician, medical sales executive, business development and client services director, a partner at MN BMW Car Club and owner-founder of DailyCarDrive.  The advice that Matt gives about personal development, business development, and entrepreneurship should be taught in schools but unfortunately isn’t. Matt has surrounded himself with mentors and is committed to learning through everything he does. He believes that failure is a good thing and stresses the importance of failing fast and failing forward. Failure teaches us and is the stepping stone to positive outcomes. If we can change the psyche of failure being a bad thing, we will influence the world in ways that are hard to imagine. In the medical field, almost every invention or cure starts with a failure or is the result of a failure. Develop Yourself as a Leader If you can develop yourself as a leader, learn how to empower others and become a master networker you will be in charge of your future. Corporate America does not promote or pay people with technical skills as well or as often as they leaders. Unfortunately, the school system trains students to become employees rather than leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners. Matt’s advice is to work on your social skills, learn how to connect deeply with others, tell stories, be humble and fail forward. What Do You Want Your Life to Look Like The question that school guidance counselors should be asking their students is, “what do you want your life to look like?” Matt believes that if students discover what truly makes them happy they will be able to shape a career around that. Too often counselors ask “what are you good at?” and then try and lead the student down a path to become an employee in a field that the student believes they are good at. This question can lead to happy and fulfilling careers for some people, but Matt believes that asking a different set of questions will lead students to a more satisfying future. Matt and I have a similar purpose in life and that is to awaken the dream in people. Matt believes that dreaming and failure somehow became a bad thing in school and in many of our society’s teachings. Through this interview Matt’s passion for helping others achieve personal satisfaction is contagious. One by one we will both continue to help people dream and understand that failing forward is the way to go.

Jake Huotari Jake Huotari shares his journey to finding satisfaction and fulfillment in his life. A key take-away for me was how Jake explains to his 13-year-old what a gentleman/gentlewoman is.  He says, “a gentleman will take responsibility for another person’s good experience while he’s with them a jerk takes responsibility for another person’s bad experience while he’s with them. Jake talks a lot about the importance of having a mentor and how his mentor has impacted his life in ways he could have never imagined