Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast
121 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 46 ratingsThis is Pittsburgh – a place where a rich heritage of making things and a fierce independent nature come together to create a thriving entrepreneurial community. Whether you’re a small business owner looking for ideas or inspiration or you’re an enthusiastic supporter of local businesses, you’ll find it here. I’m your host, Darin Vilano, and this is the Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast.
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Episodes
Introducing Season 7 | Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast
October 03, 2021 00:21 - 2 minutes - 12.3 MBHello, Pittsburghers. The line-up for Season 7 is impressive. I will be talking to Mark Caskey, founder of Steel Nation – a remarkable company that designs and constructs steel buildings in the oil and gas industry. I also have Derek Davies on the show. He is the owner of Café Conmigo – a tranquil oasis and gathering spot located in the North Hills. I sit down with Kelly Sanders and Monica Yope, owners of the love, Pittsburgh stores, which are wonderfully curated shops featuring locally made...
The Ability to Adapt Is More Important Than Ever | Mike Sharp, Guest Host
September 27, 2021 19:16 - 38 minutes - 45.3 MBIf the past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that the ability and willingness to change are critical attributes for every business owner. Adaptation is important to survival, and it’s always been a mantra in modern business. But the pandemic has challenged us more than any other event in recent times. The really interesting thing is that entrepreneurs who are growth oriented and open to ideas tend to have an advantage when faced with change under difficult circumstances. In other...
Why Every Entrepreneur Is Also a Salesperson | Mike Sharp, Guest Host
September 09, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 41 MBIf you own a business, then the inevitable reality is that you are also a salesperson. You may not think of yourself as one, and you probably didn’t get into business to hone your sales skills, but this is a fact of entrepreneurship. Understanding this distinction can mean the difference between starting fast or slow during the critical early days of a company’s life. The good news is that “sales” no longer has to mean high-pressure tactics or sleight of hand designed to get people to buy. T...
The Power of Mindset | Mike Sharp, Guest Host
September 01, 2021 03:15 - 43 minutes - 50.3 MBMike Sharp, owner of the Sharp Insurance Agency, is back on the show in this new Season 6, but this time he is a “guest host.” In this episode, we discuss the book “Mindset” by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. During a recent phone call, we both realized that we just read it and thought it would make an excellent topic to kick off this new season. The book is full of powerful insights as it pertains to business, relationships, parenting, and really all aspects of life. If you haven’t read the book, it’...
Introducing Season 6 and the State of the Podcast | Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast
August 24, 2021 22:49 - 2 minutes - 15.9 MBHey, Pittsburghers! I just wanted to say a few words about the pandemic, the state of the podcast, and what we’ve all been through this past year-and-a half. Season 5, which I started at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, has been a season of learning and adaptation. Like everyone else, I had to figure out how to go virtual and remote with my work and art. I’m so proud of the episodes in Season 5. If you want to get a feel for how the pandemic has affected many of our small busines...
Assemble a Great Team From the Start | Matt Blistan, Owner of The Blistan Group
August 01, 2021 03:35 - 34 minutes - 43 MBGrowing up, Matt Blistan was surrounded by family members who would play an instrumental role in his choice of career. His uncle, father, and grandfather each taught him lessons in finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship. As someone who was attracted to business and eventually starting his own company, Matt decided to work in the accounting field, as it is universally known as the “language of business.” He felt that this would give him a solid foundation and a variety of options as his ca...
Continue to Work on Yourself | Karen Bartos, Owner of Luxe de Fleur Boudoir Photography
July 23, 2021 18:16 - 33 minutes - 42.6 MBKaren Bartos became fascinated with photography at the age of nine when she received her first camera. Her love for the art form grew with her discovery of Ansel Adams, which inspired her own landscape work. Years later, she was asked by friends if she would consider taking their son’s high school senior photos. Karen decided to give it a try, and she instantly felt drawn to the connection of working with people. After seven years of senior photography, she began to realize that the mothers ...
Don't Get Discouraged Too Quickly | Jason Cercone, Owner of Cercone Consulting
July 15, 2021 15:46 - 40 minutes - 48.3 MBJason Cercone’s experience with podcasting expanded in 2019 when he launched the Breaking Brews Podcast. He transitioned his existing blog, which he started in 2014 to highlight the business side of the craft beer industry, into a podcast format in order to take advantage of the rapid growth happening in audio. With the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 and its subsequent slowdown of the food and beverage industry, Jason had the opportunity to reevaluate his career choices. Although he remaine...
Find Something That Moves You | Katy and Jose Rosa, Owners of Everest Eats
June 30, 2021 15:38 - 35 minutes - 43.9 MBWhen Katy and Jose Rosa found themselves out of work in 2019, they decided to try something completely different. After years of working in oil and gas, they were worn out by the ups and downs of such a cyclical industry. Much to Jose’s surprise, Katy had just started to feed their family 100% plant-based meals. He couldn’t believe how great the food tasted and how good he felt, so he naturally wanted to share it with extended family and friends. It was right around this time that they were ...
Don't Overcomplicate What You're Doing | Kelly Bender, Owner of Total Business Solutions
June 23, 2021 12:00 - 32 minutes - 41.5 MBTen years ago, Kelly Bender was a single mother looking for a flexible way to continue her career in tax advising. After exploring several options, she decided that entrepreneurship was the right path for her, and she launched Total Business Solutions. Kelly eventually remarried, and her husband joined her in the practice. Over the years, several of their children have also worked in the business in various capacities. Recently, Total Business Solutions expanded with an acquisition of an acc...
Do Your Research Before Starting a Business | Sara Makin, Founder of Makin Wellness
June 18, 2021 16:58 - 34 minutes - 42.8 MBSara Makin has always been an entrepreneur at heart. As a kid, she didn’t just run a lemonade stand. She did door-to-door lemonade delivery as a way to boost her sales! Sara was probably on track to go to business school and create the next big startup when she found herself in a battle with depression. Her life-changing experience with therapy and dealing with her own mental illness made her realize that she wanted others to achieve the same breakthroughs. After completing a Master’s Degree...
Novel Experiences Will Help You as an Entrepreneur | Samantha Post, Co-Owner of T&M Hardware & Rental
June 10, 2021 21:30 - 36 minutes - 45.1 MBSamantha Post is a second-generation co-owner of T&M Hardware & Rental, which was started by her parents in 1991. The “T&M” stands for Tim and Mary, and they raised their four kids in the family business. After a career of moving around the U.S. with his employer, Tim decided that it was time to move back to the Pittsburgh area and put his skills to work in his own business. They evaluated several opportunities, but ultimately, Tim and Mary decided to turn around a struggling hardware store ...
Take Time to Recharge | Gina Vensel, Owner of Easy Street PGH and Co-Founder of Plant Media Project
May 31, 2021 20:35 - 38 minutes - 47.1 MBGina Vensel is a multifaceted entrepreneur who is involved in several organizations and numerous projects. In 2006, she started Easy Street Promotions, an event planning and marketing company. Her love for music inspired her to create Live Music PGH, an online database of Pittsburgh-area bands and DJs, which makes it easier for us to stay connected to our favorite local artists. Gina has also been involved in marketing and organizing TEDx Pittsburgh over the past six years. Her love for buil...
Be Authentic and Be You | Ruthann Bowen, Owner of Wix DesignHer
May 21, 2021 19:06 - 35 minutes - 44.4 MBRuthann Bowen started her career in public relations, which was a natural fit given her personality and interests. After a twenty-year hiatus to raise her children, she decided to get back into the workforce by starting her own agency. A few years in, Ruthann realized just how much the industry had changed during her absence. The daunting task of building relationships from scratch, coupled with the challenges of being a generalist, caused her to rethink her approach. During this time, her i...
Work on Yourself Every Day of Your Life | Duztin Watson, Owner of The RiP Group
May 07, 2021 21:07 - 37 minutes - 45.7 MBDuztin Watson’s military career has influenced his leadership style and mindset, but it’s not the only thing that defines him. In our conversation, he was clear to point out that his military experience is just one part of his lifelong journey, which has been characterized by many ups and downs along the way. The series of sales and business development roles he held after reacclimating to civilian life were instrumental to developing the confidence and skills he needed to start and build hi...
Be Open and Share Your Knowledge | RJ Huebert, Owner of HBT Digital Consulting
April 27, 2021 14:50 - 34 minutes - 43.4 MBRJ Huebert, a Pennsylvania native, started his marketing career in the Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg area after finishing graduate school at the University of South Florida. It was there that he decided to put his entrepreneurial instincts to work by creating, organizing, and marketing several 5K races. The excitement and sense of accomplishment he received from developing these events fueled his passion for eventually starting his own marketing firm. In 2019, a few years after returning back t...
Stay True to Your Moral Compass | John Waldron, Founder of Waldron Private Wealth
April 14, 2021 15:47 - 35 minutes - 44 MBIn 1990, John Waldron had his “light bulb” moment. After working with a potential client to create a comprehensive tax, investment, and business restructuring strategy, John was asked by the client to execute the plan. There was only one problem. Regulations in place prohibited accounting firms from engaging in securities transactions on behalf of clients. Six months later, John left his Big Six accounting firm position to start his own private wealth management company. At the time, an inde...
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help | Kristen Ricupero, Owner of Financial Fitness Coaching
April 02, 2021 18:59 - 36 minutes - 44.9 MBIn 2013, Kristen Ricupero reached a turning point as her mounting debt finally reached a level where it could no longer be ignored. It was at that moment that she decided to educate herself on the subject of personal finances and to put a plan into place to take control of her spending. Within eighteen months, she freed herself from more than $25,000 of consumer debt. The feeling was liberating and exhilarating, and she wanted others to have this same experience. In 2016, Kristen started Fin...
Make Sure You Have a Support Team | Michael Wholihan, Associate Director of the Pitt Small Business Development Center
March 27, 2021 16:48 - 34 minutes - 42.9 MBMichael Wholihan is the Associate Director of the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center. This important non-profit organization is part of a wider network of small business development centers that span the nation and fall under the leadership of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Pitt SBDC is a vital resource for local small business owners and entrepreneurs, and the vast majority of their services are provided free of charge. As we continue to face the challen...
Remember to Bring Joy to Whatever You Offer | Naomi Hoppel, Owner of the Pittsburgh Juice Company
March 15, 2021 21:09 - 37 minutes - 46 MBNaomi Hoppel’s love for design and the use of space led her to a career in architecture. She earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the profession, although graduating into a difficult job market in the wake of the 2007 – 2008 financial crisis gave her reason to consider alternate options. Naomi had always been interested in volunteering for the Peace Corps, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it. After two years of service in Peru as a community development consultant, she ...
Darin's Guest Appearance on The Third Growth Option Podcast
March 10, 2021 22:21 - 35 minutes - 46.2 MBThis week, I have a special treat for you. Recently, I was a guest on The Third Growth Option Podcast hosted by Benno Duenkelsbuehler. I had the opportunity to talk about growing up in a family of small business owners and the influence it had on my life. I’ve wanted to be a business owner from the time that I was a kid. We didn’t really say “entrepreneur” in the 1980s in my little town. That would have sounded too highbrow. We’ve certainly come a long way since then! Even though I had plent...
Set Achievable Goals | Will Winter, Owner of Winter Accounting & Advising
March 02, 2021 17:48 - 29 minutes - 38.3 MBWill Winter always felt that at some point he would own his own business. After relocating to Pittsburgh with his wife and family, he endured long commutes to work in the city. One day, he called the small accounting practice that he drove by on his route to the office, which led to his acquisition of the business. Will quickly realized the stark differences between working for a large accounting firm and running a solo practice. But he instantly felt connected to the work, because he was di...
The Secret to Doing What You Want Is to Start Doing the Work | Jeff Lovett, Co-Owner of Lovett Sundries
February 15, 2021 20:02 - 30 minutes - 39.3 MBWhen Jeff Lovett and his wife moved from New York City to southeastern Ohio, they got back in touch with small-town living. It was the early 2000s, and the DIY movement was in full swing. The Lovetts experimented with things like home brewing and soapmaking, among many other endeavors. Whenever they shared their soaps and lotions with people, they received overwhelmingly positive feedback. People loved the fact that the products actually worked, and that they were comprised of simple, clean ...
Do Something That Adds Value to the Market | Jessie Tait, Owner of Enspra
February 05, 2021 22:36 - 30 minutes - 39.7 MBWhen the pandemic temporarily shut down her home inspection business, Jessie Tait started looking for a way to give back to the community. She wanted to feel useful in a time of need, so she began volunteering to clean police vehicles at her local precinct. She felt like she was doing good work, but she didn’t like the fact that the traditional sanitizing methods she used only meant that the vehicle was clean until someone sick came in contact with it. Was it possible that there was a produc...
Change Is the Only Constant in Life | Priya Amin, Founder of Flexable
January 30, 2021 01:02 - 33 minutes - 41.9 MBWhen Priya Amin had her first child, the trajectory of her career was forever changed. After two years as a stay-at-home mom, she decided that she wanted to get back into the workforce. That’s when she experienced firsthand just how hard it was to obtain accessible and reliable childcare as a working parent. Determined to solve her own problem, Priya decided to turn this challenge into a business opportunity. In 2016, after joining AlphaLab’s accelerator program, she and her business partner...
Don't Try to Be Perfect | Wendy Gilch, Owner of SellingLater.com
January 23, 2021 00:09 - 33 minutes - 42.1 MBA few years ago, Wendy Gilch and her husband were “move-up” buyers. They were selling a townhome and building a dream home for their growing family. This experience left Wendy frustrated, confused, and anxious about the entire process. Feeling rushed, they sold their townhome too fast and ended up moving twice. Although the real estate industry claimed to be looking out for consumers, Wendy felt that the whole process was built around benefiting real estate-related companies all along the va...
Have Patience to Develop Your Skills | Mark Mammone & Joe Bardakos, Co-Owners of Bridge City Brinery
January 15, 2021 22:32 - 35 minutes - 44.2 MBMark Mammone learned the art and science of fermentation while living in Los Angeles. As an aspiring actor, he practiced his culinary skills during downtime between gigs. After trying his hand at kimchi and making several batches of pickles, he decided to pick up a few books to really study and learn the fermentation process. Although he had some modest success as an actor, Mark ultimately decided to move back to Pittsburgh and put his heart into a restaurant career. At his new job with Pic...
Keep at It When Things Get Tough | John Tarallo, Owner of Steel City Salt Company
December 31, 2020 04:15 - 34 minutes - 42.9 MBJohn Tarallo was young when he discovered that salt could be mixed with herbs and spices to create unique flavors. His Sicilian grandfather often used an imported salt blend on his favorite dishes. This experience left an impression on John, as he realized the impact that spices could have on the taste of food. John grew up in a large family where gathering around the kitchen table for Sunday dinners and home-cooked meals was a way of life. He was raised by a family of small business owners,...
Entrepreneurship Is a Long-Term Commitment | George Cook, Co-Founder of Honeycomb Credit
December 17, 2020 20:30 - 38 minutes - 47 MBGeorge Cook comes from a long line of community bankers. His family has operated a small community bank in the Somerset, PA area for approximately 130 years. While he was earning his MBA at Dartmouth College, he met Ken Martin, an investment banker and main street business owner who would eventually become his co-founder in Honeycomb Credit. They both realized from their own experiences that there was a growing hole in the small business banking segment, due to the declining numbers of commu...
Don't Take Anyone for Granted | Ian Rosenberger, Founder of Thread International
December 01, 2020 01:23 - 36 minutes - 44.6 MBThe 2010 earthquake in Haiti had a lasting effect on Ian Rosenberger. During his volunteer trip to the devastated Caribbean nation, he kept a journal of his experiences there. One of his journal entries stated simply, “if Haiti could turn trash into money equals good.” This idea planted the seed for what would become Thread International. Five years and many iterations later, Ian and his small team learned how to make fabric out of recycled plastic and they landed their first global collabor...
Surround Yourself With Excellent People | Fiore Moletz, Founder of Burgh'ers Brewing
November 19, 2020 01:56 - 34 minutes - 43.5 MBIn 2008, Fiore Moletz noticed that there was a gap in the Pittsburgh culinary scene. The city needed a gourmet burger restaurant that used high-quality beef and ingredients served in a friendly, hometown atmosphere. There was only one problem. He didn’t have the money to get it off the ground. It took two years of saving, plenty of hard work, and finding the right partners to finally open Burgh’ers in 2010. Several years later, Fiore added a second location in Lawrenceville, but he realized ...
Don't Wait for the Right Time | Mike Sharp, Owner of Sharp Insurance Agency
November 06, 2020 20:07 - 36 minutes - 44.8 MBMike Sharp didn’t let the pandemic stop him from starting his own independent insurance agency. In August 2020, he realized his dream and opened the doors to his office in the Brentwood borough. Both he and his wife did the bulk of the renovation work to the space, which needed considerable upgrading before they could open to the public. Mike’s experience as a sales agent, manager, and recruiter with two large national insurance companies has given him the confidence and depth of knowledge n...
Follow Your Heart | Linda MacMurdo, Owner of The BANTU Collection
October 26, 2020 19:50 - 30 minutes - 39.1 MBLinda MacMurdo’s journey began in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was there that she was born to an African mother and a native Pittsburgh father who was also a Peace Corps volunteer. Linda spent much of her young childhood in various African nations, as her father moved the family from place to place for work. Civil and political unrest in Africa eventually led her family back to the U.S. Two years ago, Linda decided to honor her African heritage by starting The BANTU Collection, an on...
Always Expect the Unexpected | Ben Smith, Co-Owner of Reclamation Brewing Company
October 16, 2020 22:05 - 32 minutes - 41.7 MBWhen Ben Smith and his father opened Reclamation Brewing Company in Butler, PA in 2015, it became the first brewery to operate in Butler County since the days of Prohibition. After years of disappointment with the mass-produced, watered-down beers that most bars and restaurants offered, the Smiths decided to once again “reclaim the good name of beer” and open their own establishment. Their mission is to show the public that craft beer doesn’t have to be pretentious or snobby. Instead, they s...
You Have to Be Good at What You Do | John Vella, Owner of The John Vella Salon
October 09, 2020 17:12 - 37 minutes - 46.2 MBJohn Vella discovered his interest in hairstyling at the tender age of 13 when he helped his mother fix a haircut that she wasn’t happy with. After high school, he went on to cosmetology school in Pittsburgh to learn the trade that he hoped would fund his way through college. His love for hairdressing blossomed, and it ultimately took precedence over his plans to become an accountant. John’s first job was with Horne’s Department Store, and he quickly rose through the ranks in his corporate p...
Just Get Started | Alan Mabry & Sean Bailey, Co-Founders of Upstream Coding
September 30, 2020 15:39 - 33 minutes - 42.5 MBAfter participating in a coding boot camp in California, Alan Mabry was hooked on the idea of teaching and mentoring students to upgrade their skills and bring new products and ideas to life. Shortly after this experience, he moved back to Pittsburgh invigorated and excited to get started on his new business idea. In 2018, Alan Mabry, Josh Studl, and Sean Bailey founded Upstream Coding with the fundamental premise that programming, coding, and web development should be affordable and accessi...
Don't Take No for an Answer | Jen Urich, Owner of Farmer x Baker
September 21, 2020 22:48 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBJen Urich didn’t just start a new café. She started a new café out of an upcycled shipping container in a public park, while growing many of her own herbs and vegetables. Needless to say, starting the first shipping container restaurant in Western Pennsylvania presented numerous challenges and obstacles, not the least of which was finding the right location and meeting the stringent requirements of the health department. Jen and her husband, who tackled much of retrofitting and design, often...
There Is Power in Partnerships | Gregg Zegarelli, Owner of Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group
September 14, 2020 16:28 - 34 minutes - 43.2 MBWhen Gregg Zegarelli founded Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group in 1990, not only was his firm’s name unique, but so was his approach to building his practice. He was one of the first lawyers in Pennsylvania to advertise under the category of computer law. Today, Gregg focuses on the transactional areas of corporate and intellectual property law, but he also has considerable experience in litigation where he has represented clients in several high-profile technology disputes. Bo...
Now Is the Time to Get Creative | Christina Dickerson, Owner of Dickerson Creative Communications
September 05, 2020 22:35 - 33 minutes - 41.9 MBChristina Dickerson, owner of Dickerson Creative Communications, is a media relations, digital marketing, and event planning expert. Her impressive list of clients includes local celebrities, professional athletes, non-profit organizations, Pittsburgh-based corporations, and entrepreneurs. Dickerson Creative Communications has been involved in many of the area’s leading events including The Jerome Bettis Caring for Kids Gala and The First Tee of Pittsburgh, which featured President George W....
Be Open to Change | Janna Hockenjos, Owner of Inhale Yoga Together
August 29, 2020 19:59 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MBWhile living in New York City, Janna Hockenjos rediscovered yoga. Although she first encountered it as a teenager, this time around she developed a deep connection and mature love for the practice. City life was exciting and full of challenges. A busy social calendar, attending graduate school at New York University, and starting a career as a budding magazine journalist all added to the mounting pressures that she faced. It was at this point that she began to look for an outlet to release s...
Stop Working on Your Product and Just Go Sell It | Dr. Ben Schmidt, Co-Founder of RoadBotics
August 22, 2020 22:22 - 31 minutes - 40.5 MBAs co-founder and president of RoadBotics, Benjamin Schmidt, PhD leads a dynamic team in the rapidly growing “GovTech” space. RoadBotics offers artificial intelligence-based road infrastructure assessments for governments around the world. By leveraging standard smartphone camera and app technology, which is paired with cloud access, they are able to deliver their product in an accessible and easy-to-use format. Most governments struggle to maintain their road networks because the process is...
Focus on Your Why | Emma Ferrick, Owner of ELF Operations
August 15, 2020 19:04 - 30 minutes - 39.2 MBWhen Emma Ferrick started ELF Operations last fall, she didn’t expect to go full-time in her own business so quickly and in the early stages of a global pandemic. It just so happened that the economic shutdown this spring presented the perfect opportunity for her to dive head-first into her new venture, which was created to provide operational support, technology implementation, and business management services for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. As a single mother wi...
Excitement is Contagious | Luke Cypher, Owner of Blue Sparrow
August 07, 2020 23:37 - 27 minutes - 36.9 MBIn sailor tattoo culture, a bird represents a significant event or milestone in one’s travels. For Luke Cypher, the food truck business that he started five years ago, aptly named Blue Sparrow, is his great adventure. Globally inspired flavors and ingredients form the basis for accessible and unique street cart dishes. Luke’s food journey has taken him many places, including culinary school and gigs at Market District and Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville. He also took a detour for a while to h...
If I Can Do It, You Can Do It | Emily Bonk, Owner of Up in Suds
August 01, 2020 21:36 - 30 minutes - 39.7 MBEmily Bonk was introduced to soap making at the age of 14. Her kitchen was the center of activity for the hobby shared by her mother, aunt, and friends of the family. These warm memories would later fuel her passion to start her own handmade soap business in 2019. But making the choice to go full-time as a business owner wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Emily was just a few credits shy of an associate’s degree when she came to a crossroads. Should she move on to a four-year program and further c...
Share Your Story | Dr. Tammy Washington, Owner of Sea Moss Gel Lady
July 25, 2020 20:47 - 36 minutes - 45 MBDr. Tammy Washington’s ongoing quest for healthy superfoods led to her discovery of Irish sea moss. After teaching herself how to prepare it and turn it into a gel, she realized that her initial batch was much larger than she needed. So, like any good entrepreneur, Dr. Tammy set out to see if anyone in her social circle and community wanted to give it a try. To her surprise, the response was overwhelming. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she was on to something. After declaring h...
Collaboration Over Competition | Lauren Marts, Owner of Baked True North
July 18, 2020 16:31 - 33 minutes - 41.9 MBShortly after getting married, Lauren Marts decided to give a gluten-free diet a try. Her husband suffered from gluten intolerance, so Lauren often found herself getting creative in the kitchen with gluten-free alternatives. Growing up, she spent many hours baking with her grandma, so cooking and preparing food held a special place in her heart. Before long, she was perfecting a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe that she shared with family and friends. When her sweet treat won over he...
Communicate With Other Local Business Owners | Hannah Lane Critzer, Owner of HLane Dry Goods & Coffee
July 10, 2020 22:07 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBAfter relocating to Pittsburgh with her husband, it didn’t take long for Hannah Lane Critzer to realize her dream of owning a local business within walking distance from her home. HLane Dry Goods & Coffee is a modern, industrial-rustic coffee and dry goods store located in the Swissvale neighborhood. Stocked with distinctive, local items and vintage merchandise and clothing, it’s also a visual and experiential representation of Hannah’s vibrant personality. Inside, the coffee bar serves as a...
There Are No Mountains Without the Valleys | Connor Claussen, Co-Owner of Axel's Pretzels
July 05, 2020 00:00 - 28 minutes - 37.5 MBAxel Claussen longed for the kind of authentic, soft-baked pretzels that he once enjoyed in his native Germany. After his search in Pittsburgh came up dry, he decided to make some himself. Even though he didn’t have a baking or culinary background, he did know what a genuine German pretzel should taste like. After some trial and error, he nailed it and a budding business was born. After a short stint in college, Connor Claussen decided the traditional career route wasn’t for him. He approac...
It's OK to Reach Out for Help | Brittany Hartle, Owner of Yogi Be Wellness & Your CBD Store-North Hills
June 26, 2020 05:40 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBAfter working in several different industries, Brittany Hartle found her passion in health and wellness. She is currently the owner of two businesses – a unique yoga practice with one-on-one coaching and outdoor group sessions and a brand-new CBD store. Whether it’s teaching people how to find peace and strength through yoga or educating customers on the benefits of CBD products, helping others is at the core of what Brittany loves to do. After relocating here from California, she has embrac...
Constantly Develop Your Customer Pipeline | Dan Hersh & Sam Stein, Owners of Engaged Prospect
June 19, 2020 17:50 - 35 minutes - 43.9 MBIf you have a business, then you have to sell your product or service. For some people, this comes naturally, but for the majority, it can feel a bit awkward to sell what you make. In entrepreneurship there’s the pervasive attitude that just because the product is awesome, people will line up to get it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. This is where Engaged Prospect comes in. They understand that selling isn’t just telling and that having a product that solves a problem is only the f...