Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Rodrigo Salas, executive director of Entrepreneurship for All Northwest Arkansas, also known as EforAll. EforAll is a nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization that partners with communities to help under-represented NWA residents successfully start and grow businesses. It works to ensure all individuals are presented with the same opportunities, especially through its Spanish program, EparaTodos. Throughout the show, Rodrigo discusses his entrepreneurship background, his passion for NWA’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how EforAll provides value to Hispanic entrepreneurs in the form of mentorships and programs.
Show Notes:
(1:01) Introduction to Rodrigo
(1:41) Rodrigo’s Origin Story
(8:26) About EforAll
(13:03) The Importance of Bilingual Resources
(18:33) Filling Bilingual Service Gaps
(21:35) Building Bridges within the Community
(24:54) About Chamoy
(31:39) What’s on the Horizon for NWA
(37:18) Advice to Younger Self
(38:43) Closing Questions
Links:
Quotes:
“It’s between an incubator and an accelerator because what we do is get deep into business understanding because a lot of the people that come through our program are struggling with that part, like knowing how to structure the business or determine who is their customer segment.” - Rodrigo Salas, (10:36)
“We all know that networks make a big difference for success…Every touchpoint they have with anybody from the community helps them expand their network. So that’s the objective of the program as well.” - Rodrigo Salas, (17:10)
“We’re experiencing this tremendous growth from a population perspective, from an economic perspective, and from an entrepreneurial perspective…So looking at the size of the ecosystem that has been built here in Northwest Arkansas, it’s amazing.” - Rodrigo Salas, (31:42)
Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Randy Wilburn, founder of I Am Northwest Arkansas, a website that showcases business, culture, and life right here in the Ozarks. Additionally, Randy hosts the I Am Northwest Arkansas podcast, an informative interview-based show that highlights everything that makes NWA one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. As an unexpected transplant to the area, Randy embraced the community and he embarked on a mission to share its vibrancy with everyone. Throughout the episode, Randy discusses some of the most memorable moments he’s had on air, shares why podcasting is good for businesses, and gives insight into why NWA is a great place to live.
Show Notes:
(1:02) Introduction to Randy
(1:37) Randy’s Origin Story
(9:19) About the I Am Northwest Arkansas Podcast
(12:16) Podcast Strategy Consulting
(13:19) The Importance of a Podcast’s Digital Footprint
(19:22) What Makes the NWA Community Special
(22:47) What’s Next for I Am Northwest Arkansas
(25:08) Maintaining a Collaborative Culture
(28:14) Experiencing NWA
(39:32) Memorable Guests
(47:06) Advice to Younger Self
(48:39) Closing Question
Links:
Quotes:
“The one thing I can say about podcasting is that it’s such a powerful medium that allows you to shift and listen and consume really great information that is either really wide open or super narrow and hyper-focused.” - Randy Wilburn, (5:22)
“I think the technology’s there, and from a marketing standpoint, that’s the beauty of something like a podcast, and that’s why anybody listening should consider creating this type of content…you can take it and chop it up into different pieces.” - Randy Wilburn, (16:12)
“The thing I really appreciate about the people here is that they take you at face value…they’re going to take you for who you are right then and there. And so you don’t have to wait for an invitation to sit at the table, the table’s already open.” - Randy Wilburn, (19:03)
“We’re not only trying to build what we have right here, but we’re also trying to export it to other places and build relationships that matter in the same way.” - Randy Wilburn, (25:26)
Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill sit down with James Bell, vice president of Bentonville Economic Development and host of the Bentonville Beacon Podcast, a show that tells the stories of triumph and growth through the lives of the business leaders, executives, and business owners of Bentonville, Arkansas. Additionally, James is an accomplished senior executive and previous founder with more than twenty-five years of experience in diverse business environments. His passion for economic development and entrepreneurship led him to return to Arkansas to help advance Bentonville's recognized success. Throughout this episode, James discusses his excitement about seeing Bentonville continue to establish itself as a place where his son can grow up and explore, as well as the state of innovative healthcare and mobility coming to Northwest Arkansas.
Show Notes:
(1:06) Introduction to James
(4:54) Working at the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce
(6:17) Starting a Business in Bentonville
(8:20) Northwest Arkansas’s Healthcare Ecosystem
(17:02) What Makes Bentonville Special
(22:33 About The Ledger
(27:37) Bentonville’s Exciting Future with Mobility
(34:44) James’ Favorite Barbeque
(37:37) Advice to Younger Self
(40:02) Closing Question
Links:
Bentonville Economic Development
Quotes:
“I love that I get to help people do the things that they most want, that they’re most passionate about. I get to help them build their businesses or decide whether they should be here in Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas.” - James Bell, (5:42)
“If you look at that breadth of businesses, starting from the standpoint of potential customers to just the opportunity to learn from experts and access an amazing workforce, it’s all here.” - James Bell, (6:57)
“...they’re going to build a transformational healthcare system. I can’t wait to see what all that means, but what I do know from my experience is that all this transpired in the past five years. I can’t imagine it happening anywhere else in thirty, forty, or fifty. And I think that says a lot about this place and how people think here.” - James Bell, (14:03)
“You have this amazing place where people are sort of pulling and working together and moving in the same direction. You can stand in the square in Fayetteville, stand in the square in Bentonville, in Rogers, in Springdale, and you can feel the energy.” - James Bell, (18:23)
Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode, hosts Victoria Dickerson, Jeff Amerine, and Caleb Talley sit down with Ricky Ludeman, founder of Ozark Compost & Swap, an environmental protection organization on a mission to make composting mainstream. Ozark Compost & Swap makes composting convenient by offering pick-up services at your doorstep. Throughout this episode, Ricky discusses his entrepreneurial journey and how Ozark Compost has grown over the years from another idea to an actionable concept that promotes sustainability to the NWA community.
Show Notes:
(0:47) Introduction to Ricky
(2:17) About Ozark Compost
(7:22) Ricky’s Vision for the Future
(9:19) Supporting Local Businesses
(11:31) What Items Can and Can’t Be Composted
(15:21) Implementing New Processes
(20:23) Ozark Compost’s Marketing Strategy
(26:43) Advice to Younger Self
(29:41) Closing Question
Links:
Quotes:
“They talk back and forth and the plant tells the microbes what it needs. The microbes bring exactly what the plant needs back to it and in exchange it gives it carbohydrates and sugars. So it’s this really cool relationship, and you get these really beautiful gardens with this worm casting.” - Ricky Ludeman, (5:06)
“There’s this quote that I love and it's, ‘Either my business is growing or I’m growing.’ And I think it’s this really cool, positive way to look at entrepreneurship as it’s awesome when your business is growing, but when you get in some ruts, that just means you’re growing.” - Ricky Ludeman, (14:01)
“...when we talk about sustainability, there is this huge leadership aspect. Like let's get the big leader in the community to help with this and show that they can do it and it’s easy. And that kind of trickles down with the employees and then the rest of the community. So businesses are a huge focus for us right now.” - Ricky Ludeman, (23:19)