Entrepreneurially Thinking: Innovation | Experimentation | Creativity | Business

Joining us today are Rita Childers and Candi Haas, Co-owners of Core + Rind. Both are certified Culinary Nutrition experts and together have created Cashew Cheesy Sauce to make your journey to health not only easier, but tastier as well. In this episode: Rita and Candi talk about how similarities and struggles with their own health, motivated them to create and market a product that would not only benefit them, but others as well. Rita and Candi talk about the process of taking their product from something personal to a product of scale and the difficulties of 'letting go of the reigns' per say in order to grow to the next level. This 'cheesy duo' discuss how the Ignite program helped them move through the development phase of Consumer Product Goods. Candi talks about how opportunity turned into preparedness and how Cashew Cheesy Sauce ended up on Whole Foods shelf space. Candi tells us about the different events and ways they promote their product line and what the future has in store for Core + Rind.

Joining us today are Jacob Resch and Kevin McCulloch, Founders of FLOAT STL. FLOAT STL is St. Louis' first float center and was opened in February of 2015. FLOAT STL has facilitated over 42,000 floats and continues the mission to help create a better access to healing modality. In this episode: We learn what the craft of floating is and the experience of floating. -Jacob shares about his RN & Psyche background and the role it played to help build their float center experience. -Kevin gives light on how helping people with eating disorders and working at a treatment center led to meeting and working with Jacob. -Both talk about a weekend trip in 2012 to Chicago leading to conversations on opening a float center in St Louis. -Kevin describes what a float tank actually is, how it works, and the experience for an individual. He adds why they decided to focus only on the float craft instead of adding other services like massage for self-care. -Jacob describes their hiring and training of employees to ma

Joining us today are Kate Loar of Venture For America and Chisom Uche, Alumnus of Venture For America and current Senior Associate at SixThirty. Kate works with Venture For America Fellows, company partners, donors and support systems in St. Louis and Kansas City. Chisom serves on numerous boards, one of which empowers students to direct their own lives and learning. In this episode: Kate discusses her many roles with Venture For America Chisom tells us how he became a "fellow" with Venture for America and how he fills his role as an alumni of the program. Kate talks about the criteria Venture For America looks for in the "fellow" selection process and what strategies they use in choosing the perfect candidate. Kate tells us about a few benchmark milestones that Venture For America recently hit. Chisom discusses the diversity within Venture For America community. Chisom goes into detail just how exactly the "fellows" of Venture For America contribute to the start-up community. Learn More: Kate Email:

Joining us today is Sloan Coleman, Business Development Director, AKA Monster Marketer, of Tiny Little Monster. Sloan, A lifelong entrepreneur with a background in art and graphic design, began her entrepreneurial career by co-founding a graphic and web design business at the age of 26. Through learning about marketing, networking and SEO while in the graphic design industry, Sloan stumbled into the screen printing industry, the seed was planted; Tiny Little Monster was born in her basement and the rest is history. In this Episode: Sloan talks about how her inner entrepreneur skills started when she was a child. Sloan tells us about how her start in the SEO/Website development business led her to an interest in the screen printing business. Sloan talks about how opportunity met preparedness with the name Tiny Little Monster and a preexisting SEO database. Sloan gives great feedback for staff and new growth practices. Sloan explains what makes Tiny Little Monster different from all the other screen print

Today, enjoy some of the best ETHINKSTL episodes of the season. Each show is filled with unique and valuable insight, experience and perspective. Check out this highlight episode for your must have entrepreneurial punch-list and be sure to come back for more in the full episodes of your favorites!! We are celebrating our favorite moments from practitioners, coaches and wise women. In our PRACTITIONER segment: Jeremy Nulik, lead futurist and strategist from Big Wide Sky gives us some tips on how to work through a major future change. Learn More: Diego Abente, Vice President of Economic Development of the International Institute and President of the International Institute Community Developmental Corporation, discusses how he helps immigrants achieve the American Dream. Learn More: . Maria Meyers and Kate Pope-Hodel of KC SourceLink talk about how to build relationships and the importance of making the correct network connections. Learn More: In our COACHING segment: Quentin Ortega, President of QCO C

Joining us today is Steve Epner. Steve has over 40 years of consulting experience. He served as “Entrepreneur in Residence” at Boeing and founded and manages the St. Louis Innovation Round table. Steve currently works with The Gateway Venture Mentoring Service, St. Louis Regional Entrepreneurship Educators and he teaches Corporate Entrepreneurship in the MBA program at St. Louis University. It has been said that Steve’s playful approach to business has allowed him to create supportive mentoring communities throughout his career. In this episode: Steve discusses his feelings on how higher education could better include entrepreneurship in it's curriculum. Steve tells us how he uses Venture Cafe in St. Louis as a lesson tool for the students enrolled in his classes. Steve gives us an idea on how to best get an advantage against competitors by thinking outside of the box. Steve explains the importance of getting out of our 'old ways' of thinking and start thinking outside of the box in a world that is evo

Joining us today is Marissa Paine, Founder of Painefree Coaching & Consulting. Marissa started Painefree in 2012 as a vehicle for living out her life's purpose, which is to inspire and support other leaders in realizing their full potential. Marissa Paine and her dynamic team are passionate about serving you and helping you become your best you! In this episode: Marissa talks about the launch of the new brand "Marissa Q. Paine" and reasoning for it, plus putting all the services offered under that umbrella & being a "culture shifter." Marissa talks about taking a pause from the work she is good at doing with Painefree Coaching & Consulting but not finding the joy in it anymore and get back to self-care habits. Marissa speaks about 25 years of marriage and the next chapters on the home front and shifting of roles of each partner in the marriage. Marissa explains how "shifts" open things for transformation and then allows change to happen. Marissa shares about the new media platforms on the ho

Joining us today is Derek Mays of REAL Cannabis Company and John Payne of Amendment 2 Consultants. REAL Cannabis Company is a St. Louis based group that seeks to open a combined cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and dispensing facility. John Payne is Co-Founder of Amendment 2 Consultants which pioneered Missouri's new approach by leading the campaign for medical marijuana in Missouri. In this episode: Derek talks about what motivated him to leap into the field of cannabis amendment support and business development. Derek talks about the lack of access to capital for minority entrepreneurs and how he felt the need to use his skill sets to change that in the cannabis industry. John discusses regulatory requirements to apply for a cannabis license in Missouri. John tells us what needs to be taken into account when entering the cannabis industry. Derek describes all of the different stages of cannabis distribution. John reviews Amendment 2, recently put forth in legislation. Learn More: Email: Derek Ma

Joining us today is Grady Phelan, a St. Louis based serial creative and entrepreneur. Grady founded Pro-XR, LLC in 2013. The Pro-XR bat has a grip technology that helps athletes achieve their most powerful swing while preventing injury. Grady worked to achieve a patented design of an angled knob that works with the batters' hands to increase coverage, protection, precision and power.  In this episode: Grady talks about how a near accident in his own back yard drove him to make a 'better', more safe wooden baseball bat. Grady fills us in on the 3 year process of prototyping, patenting, testing and approval from Major League Baseball. This approval is the first major design change allowed by MLB in 135 years.  Grady talks about how a partnership with Old Hickory allowed him to take the Pro-XR bat to the next level of production and wide-range marketing efforts.  Grady tells us about how he saw a need for a change in other sports equipment such as hockey sticks and golf clubs and how his new design is now h

Joining us today is Lawanda Brooks, Award winning Licensed Cosmetologist, Entrepreneur, Educator, Author and Cosmetic Chief. Lawanda is the Owner of 3 local salons by the name of SweetHead Naturals. SweetHead Naturals salon is a natural salon and a distributor of Lawanda's very own line of toxic free products. In this episode: Lawanda talks about 'the moment' she knew she wanted to be a stylist. Lawanda discusses her business plan and talks about the reason she chose the business model she chose. Lawanda talks about her passion for creating not only a safe product for her clients but a safer product and work environment for her employees as well. Lawanda tells us about how using her harmful chemical free products in her salon on just her clients, grew to a whole new level and a manufacturing/distribution business. Lawanda talks about the ingredients she uses in all of her SweetHead Naturals products. Learn More: Company Website: Facebook: Instagram:

Joining us today is Emily Zwilling, Founder of EZ Wellness. Emily is a Wellness Coach, Nutritional Counselor, Speaker and a cross-fit gym owner. Through EZ Wellness, Emily dedicates herself to encouraging and empowering others to make their realizations and to develop healthy habits, routines and mindsets that will genuinely change their lives for the better. In this episode: Emily talks about how a start up job motivated her to pull her inner will out and how to run with it. Emily tells us about the struggles she faced in starting her own business and what she did to overcome those struggles. Emily discusses how she and her business partner share the responsibilities in the business and how each person fits into each role. Emily explains the difference between Integrative Nutrition and Precision Nutrition. Emily talks about how she got over her fear of speaking in front of large groups and how she hopes to one day speak in front of even larger groups at major conventions. Learn more: Email: Company

EP #1XX-S10-E01-Lisa Hu Joining us today is Lisa Hu, founder and designer of Lux and Nyx. Lux and Nyx is a line of luxury handbags designed with the working female in mind. Lux and Nyx handbags are a line of 'work and play' bags that take women from Yoga class in the morning through drinks on the rooftop at night with style. In this episode: Lisa shares her experience with jumping from the corporate world into entrepreneurship. Lisa explains how her need for a multi-functional handbag pushed her to the drawing board and then to Asia for prototype design efforts. Lisa talks about how her connections have manifested and how she chooses to tie in Women in History to her line of handbags. Lisa describes in detail the difference between a Lux & Nyx bag and other handbags on the market. Learn more: Email: Website: Facebook: Twitter:

ETHINKSTL--S9-E13-Katie Petty | Wild Heart Joining us today is Katie Petty, president of Wild Heart, LLC and inventor of The Brushless Paw Wash. In 2002, Katie came up with a thought that later turned into the invention of The Brushless Paw Wash. Katie used her 6th grade Science Fair as a way to test this new product and after rave reviews, Katie developed and patented her well-thought out invention. In this episode: Katie talks about the need for The Brushless paw Wash after her childhood dog tracked mud into her home when she was 12 years old. Katie states that she is the first Inventor in a family full of entrepreneurs. Katie discusses the problems she encountered with patent infringement and knock-off products and she talks about how she was able to go after those folks for royalties. Katie talks about the importance of resilience in the wake of challenges she faces as an entrepreneur. Learn More: Website: Facebook: Instagram: @wild_heart_co

EP #121-S9-E12--Justin Barr | STL from Above Joining us today is Justin Barr of STL from Above. In 2017, Justin added an aerial photography drone to his equipment kit to bring new dimensions to his usual business of wedding photography. Little did Justin know the fame he would gain from his drone work. In just 2 short years, Justin' s photos taken via drone, have landed on numerous book and magazine covers, commissioned pieces, articles and a fan base that continues to grow. In this episode: Justin talks about how a hobby turned into a full-blown photography business. Justin discusses the ins and outs of drone photography including FAA Regulations, permits and licensing protocol. Justin talks about how he handles a family, a full-time job and the new found fame he has found himself in with the drone scene and business opportunities it poses. Learn more: Email: STL From Above Website: Justin Barr Photography: Company Facebook: Company Instagram:

EP #120-S9-E11--Quentin Ortega Joining us today is Quentin Ortega. Quentin is an S&T graduate whose entrepreneurial journey started at a young age and put him on a path of serial entrepreneurship and in a prominent role as a mentor and advisor in the St. Louis entrepreneurship ecosystem. Among his roles, IT Track Leader for CET's SQ1 Boot Camp Program, Entrepreneur in Residence at ITEN and Executive VP of Business Development at Great Data Lake. In this episode: Quentin talks about how his dream of becoming an entrepreneur started at the ripe age of 5 years old. Quentin discusses his involvement in multiple tech companies and how he has evolved in the tech industry. Quentin explains how he got involved in business mentoring through multiple outlets such as Square 1 and ITEN. Quentin mentions the importance of an entrepreneur spending time learning about all aspects of a business even the ones you may not be handling on a day to day basis. Learn more: Email: LinkdIn: Twitter: @quentinortega #b

Joining us today is Tami Lange, CEO and Founder of Save the Girls Touchscreen Purses! Tami is a resident of Edwardsville, she is married and has 5 wonderful children as well as 3 dogs and a plethora of cats. Simply put, Tami was fed up! In one week, both of her daughters had mishaps with their phones. One had lost it on a hike and the other sent her phone into the washing machine abyss, by accident of course. Tami’s sister in law suggested the girls carry their phones in their undergarments (bra) to avoid any future mishaps. That just didn’t seem like the solution either. This drove the inner entrepreneur in Tami to the drawing board. It didn’t take her long to come up with the PERFECT solution. Tami created a one of a kind purse that not only carries credit cards, license and our cheaters, but it also has a clear backing pouch that your phone slides into that allows you to fully operate your phone without ever having to take it out of your purse. Just when you thought this concept couldn’t get any better,

EP #118-S9-E09--St. Louis Hop Shop Joining us today are brothers Justin Harris and Ryan Griffin, Co-Owners of St. Louis Hop Shop. STL Hop Shop is a one-stop shop that carries a wide range of craft beers as well as numerous other types of liquors. Located on the city's South Side, this business offers a communal atmosphere within a learning environment. Their motto: Good People, Good Beer, Good Times. In this episode: We learn how opportunity met opportunist. Justin talks about how he saw a gap in the St. Louis brewery scene and how he made an active decision to fix the gap. Ryan tells us about the 'experience' that St. Louis Hop Shop offers. Just and Ryan both discuss the ups and downs of learning about business growth and development strategies and how they applied their lessons learned to each experience. How St. Louis Hop Shop uses Social Media to promote business and customer interaction. Learn more: Website: Facebook: Instagram:

EP #117-S9-E08--Psyche Southwell Joining us today is Psyche Southwell, Creator and Editor of the Economy of Style Blog. Psyche is a Social Science Researcher and Educator who credits her fashion inspiration on her Caribbean roots. Psyche has been featured in several publications including Cosmopolitan and RedBook and has also been named as a winner of RedBooks' 'Real Women of Style' award. In 2018, Psyche was named Best Beauty Blogger in St. Louis! In this episode: Psyche talks about how her student financial woes gave her the idea to create a fashion blog that would help others in her financial situation feel and look their best. As an entrepreneur, Psyche discusses the business strategies she used to get her start in the influencer world. Psyche talks about how she uses social media to 'reach' brands and companies to grab their interest and she discusses how she uses that interest to build her own brand. Psyche gives advice to other entrepreneurs on how to develop a business and how to keep it growing

EP #116-S9-E07--Perry Drake MDMC Joining us today is Dr. Perry Drake, Professor of Digital and Social Media Marketing at The University of Missouri, St. Louis. Perry is also the founder of the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference, the largest Digital Marketing Conference hosted right here in St. Louis. The MDMC boasts an attendance of over 1,500 attendees and hosts 130 speakers with topics ranging from Data, Digital, Social Media and E-Commerce. In this episode: Perry discusses the MDMC and the topics it covers such as artificial intelligence, content creation and Facebook live stream operation. Perry tells us about the new advances coming in the future for LinkedIn. Perry discusses the difference between social media and digital marketing. Perry explains the many different courses offered through UMSL to assist with digital marketing education. Learn more: Email: Midwest Digital Marketing Conference info:

EP #115-S9-E06--Kesha Kesh Joining us today is Kesha Kent, Owner and Founder of MrsKeshSpeaks, LLC. Kesha is a passionate speaker, emcee and loves helping individuals learn how to 'sell' themselves and teaching them about the power of relationships. She is a master at mentoring women and young ladies on how to overcome life's obstacles. In this episode: Kesha talks about the importance of networking. Kesha talks about her involvement with Venture Cafe St.Louis. Kesha shares a story on how a high school teacher changed her mindset and helped her refocus on who she really could be. Kesha gives advice on how to WAKE UP, SHOW UP and KEEP IT MOVIN' in the world of networking. Learn more: Email: Facebook: Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/kesha-kent-ba-maol Twitter: Instagram: