Arizona Originals

Our guest is Russ Perry, the founder of Design Pickle - a subscription-based, on-demand graphic design service based in Scottsdale, AZ.  Russ recently released his new book, The Sober Entrepreneur. Russ is a 3rd generation Arizonan with roots in the historic Copper Triangle mining area.  Our conversation not only covers his personal story, but includes insights on a wide range of issues affecting your personal and professional life.  Russ also shares a powerful story about a Pepsi vending machine...you will not want to miss that story or the moral of that tale. Find us at Arizona Originals!

This week our guest is Shiva Planjery - the co-founder and CEO of Codelucida, a Tucson-based company working to improve error-correction solutions for everything from flash drives to hard disk drives. Shiva shares his story which took him from the US to South Korea to India to Canada and, ultimately, to Tucson. He not only shares insights about life and work stemming from his formative years, but how they help inform how he approaches his life as an entrepreneur. It’s another great story coming out of Tech Launch Arizona at the University of Arizona...I know you will learn from our conversation.

In Season 2 Episode 12, we spoke with David Kolbe, the CEO of Kolbe Corp.  If you haven’t already listened to that episode, we encourage you to do so.   David was kind enough to share his thoughts on a variety of topics in short, topical episodes which we will share intermittently over the coming months.   This week we spend a few moments with David on the topic of millennials and the multi-generational workforce.  He shares some common-sense insights which demystify what many make out to be complex and potentially counterproductive.   Reach us at contact@azoriginals.net   Check out what is happening at the AZ Chamber

This week our guest is Jordan Lancaster - the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Avery Therapeutics, a Tucson-based company working to solve the problem of heart tissue regeneration. Jordan comes from a long line of cardiologists and has found himself focused on the research side of the heart…and now is leading an entrepreneurial endeavor to bring scientific innovations to make the next leap forward in cardiac care. Jordan, who cycled for the University of Arizona and rode his first El Tour de Tucson at the age of eight, discusses topics ranging from mentoring, to building a culture of teamwork, to bringing research into the entrepreneurial space. SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST Avery Therapeutics on LinkedIn McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship - Eller College of Management - University of Arizona Tech Launch Arizona Zach Ferres podcast Hickman's Family Farms podcast Reach us at contact@azoriginals.net Check out what is happening at the AZ Chamber 

This week our guest is Mac Perlich - the president and publisher of ON Media Publications. Mac shares what I believe are two of the best life lessons we can all learn from and discusses her journey from nursing into publishing. I know you’ll enjoy her insights and her passion for everything she is involved with from publishing, to the Culture Pass program, to the Act One Foundation. We cover a wide range of topics from how to develop meaningful and mutually-beneficial business relationships, to thoughts about retirement, and much more. Follow us on our new social media channels - Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (thanks to Beth Lewellen for all her help on this)!  

Joann MacMaster brought extensive background in entrepreneurship and startups to her position as the Director of Business Development for the University of Arizona's Tech Launch Arizona.  In addition to having three successful exits (including one IPO) in private enterprise, she has served as Director of the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI) technology business incubator, Program Director for the UA McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, and is a UA Academic Leadership Institute Fellow. Among the many topics we cover, Joann discusses how to create a healthy corporate culture, mentorship and building mentor networks, and changes in the culture of entrepreneurship. SELECT LINKS: Art of the Start 2.0 by Guy Kawasaki Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath The Rainforest - by Victor Hwang Prescott College  Regulonix Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net    

John Phelps is the CEO and executive director of the State Bar of Arizona, an organization focused on improving the administration of justice and the competency, ethics, and professionalism of lawyers in Arizona. John's introduction to Arizona came when his father was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona.  Ultimately, John became a second generation career Army officer where he also became an intelligence officer before pursuing a law degree from the University of Arizona and joining the US Army's JAG corps.  Following his 25-year career in the Army, John served in the Arizona Office of Homeland Security, the Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross, and as the chief of staff at the US General Services Administration. John discusses topics ranging from the challenges of leading in a "zero-defect" environment, balancing "gut feelings" with data, leading in non-profits and government organizations, surrounding yourself with trusted advisers, and so much more. SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins Hamilton by Ron Chernow Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net

We’re joined by three generations of leaders from Hickman’s Family Farms - Bill Hickman, Sr., Glenn Hickman, and Branden Hickman. Each one shares stories and insights I know you will enjoy and learn from. They share some unique insights to being part of a family business, engaging with community, the importance of education, and how they approach changing production requirements in response to customer demands for products such as cage-free eggs. SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST Arizona's Future of Education Vision event on 12/12/17 (Glenn mentioned in the podcast) Dirty Jobs w/ Mike Rowe at Hickman's Family Farms (Season 4, Episode 25) Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net

David Kolbe - the CEO of Kolbe Corp - shares insights into how they help individuals and companies thrive, how leveraging technology can grow your audience and simultaneously reduce costs, and how seeking feedback from users can lead to new product offerings.   Additionally, David shares his story which takes him from Brophy College Prep to the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.  After a brief stop on Capitol Hill, he returned to Arizona to attend law school at Arizona State University, practice law, and ultimately join Kolbe Corp. David’s mother, Kathy Kolbe, founded Kolbe Corp in Phoenix in 1975.  Kolbe Corp helps businesses and individuals identify, understand, apply, and leverage their unique instinctive strengths so they can be more productive and more fulfilled.  SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST Wonderlic Personnel Test Michael Hyatt podcast where he discusses the Kolbe A Index Takes Two 5 Love Languages assessment Elvis Costello Rex Orange County Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net

This week we talk with Zach Ferres - the CEO of Coplex, a startup accelerator focused on founders who are not coders.  Zach grew up in Ohio and we talk about everything from leadership lessons he has learned from Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, to lessons he learned from his parents who instilled a strong, customer-centric work ethic.    Zach shares his thoughts on coders being founders, lessons from sports, risk management, whether startups need business plans, the essentials of culture and emotional intelligence, and his love of gluten-free pancakes and Family Guy.     SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST   Reebok Ragnar del Sol   Zach's Entrepreneur Magazine article about poker   Zach's Entrepreneur Magazine article about Coach Urban Meyer   The Hard Thing About Hard Things - by Ben Horowitz   Above The Line - by Urban Meyer   Scaling Up - by Verne Harnish   Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator - by Randall Stross   Family Guy Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net