In this episode of the LoCo Experience Podcast, I had an intriguing conversation with Johnny Fimple, Founder of Resonate, a Fimple Plan. Johnny is a business coach, and shared his journey from being a passionate drummer in the music industry to pioneering a unique coaching perspective centered on improving employee-customer interactions.

We delved into his early years as a musician and music store manager in San Francisco, his transition into the restaurant and retail sectors, and how his personal and professional life evolved, including meeting his wife Natalia. Resonate focuses on enhancing business communications and fostering a positive work culture, driven by Johnny's vast experience and genuine enthusiasm for helping others succeed.

His approach combines practical business wisdom with the improvisational spirit of a jazz band; he shared a lot of Fimple wisdom, and we shared a lot of laughs, so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Johnny Fimple.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Jenna Lee Dillon spent her growing up years in Southwest Colorado - in the small town of Mancos - on the way from Durango to Mesa Verde National Park. Her father was in the real estate business - some construction but especially buy, fix, and flip - a decade before it was cool. After high school, she wanted someplace bigger and warmer, which landed her at Arizona State University.

Just out of school, Jenna Lee landed a job in marketing - a remote job for a California agency - and she soon evidenced her gutsy personality by starting her own freelance agency on the side, and exploring the most interesting places to live. With stops in Austin, Chicago, Portland, Dublin and Fort Collins before finding her current home in Arvada, Jenna Lee lived the digital nomad lifestyle a decade before it was cool! She’s a 6X Founder, and is turning one of her ventures - Screen Freed Revolution - into a non-profit in 2026.

In this conversation we explore financial best practices and emotions, the urge to start new things and to run Spartan Races, and discuss why Jenna Lee and her family should move back up to Fort Collins. There’s lots of smart business content, many fun and inspiring stories, and plenty of laughs, so please join me in enjoying my conversation with Jenna Lee Dillon.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

John Palke and I were introduced at a Realities for Children event some months back, and when we finally enjoyed a coffee together, I knew he had a story that I had to dig into and share! In real estate since 2019, John had previously been a commercial fisherman in Alaska (where he once fell in the water and nearly froze to death), was a partner in one of my favorite band bars, Hodi’s Half Note, and worked in operations at Vestas - until he realized giant windmills were a mostly a heavily subsidized boondoggle.

After getting into real estate with a name-brand firm, John became a partner in a property management business, Big Bear Properties. During the refi boom, he referred a full-time income worth of mortgages to a friend - who encouraged to become a licensed mortgage broker - allowing him to provide full-service real estate for investors - or a la carte for anyone! In 2025, he decided to go his own way in real estate, founding BBP Realty almost exactly a year from when this episode was released.

John’s a great storyteller, and I enjoyed every bit of this conversation - and I think you will too. So please join me in getting to know and love my new friend John Palke.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Rachael Ardanuy is a purpose-driven attorney, as passionate about business and community as anyone I’ve come to know lately, and also an adjunct professor, Certified Jazzersize Instructor, and co-founder with her husband of Grow Your Own Fort Collins - a design and install firm focused on home gardening. We traded some home grown gifts before the show, and enjoyed a lovely conversation.

Rachael came to Colorado as a marijuana industry attorney - helping with formations and contracts and navigation of the regulatory hurdles in the still-young industry. As the pace of growth in the industry slowed - and regulatory hurdles in other industries increased - she has expanded to become a full-service contracts and counsel firm with a specialty in regulatory navigation.

In this conversation, Rachael shares a lot about what you didn’t know about the marijuana industry and the local constrictions to growth - and some ideas about what’s ahead. Smoking lounges, ketamine healing centers, and guided psychedelic journeys are all on the radar. She’s a smart cookie, and a lotta fun, so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Rachel Ardanuy.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, we welcome Ben Holtz and Ava Munos to discuss their journeys and roles within the Loco Experience team. Ava, the outgoing podcast producer, reflects on her time at Loco and her future plans in sales, while Ben shares insights into his varied career and his growth in the Director of Growth and Operations role. We recap the season, highlighting key podcast episodes, memorable moments, and impactful guests.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

In this episode of The Loco Experience podcast, I sat down with Kevin Pallaoro, the CEO of Grass Fed Foods. Kevin shares his journey from growing up on a ranch in Salida, Colorado to becoming a leader in the natural beef industry. Did you know that Salida was heavily settled by Italian immigrants? - well you do now.

We delve into the history and operations of Grass Fed Foods and its brands Teton Waters Ranch and Sun Fed Ranch. Kevin's passion for healthy, sustainable food is evident as he discusses challenges in the industry, including the economics of beef production and honoring commitments to animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Did you know that most “grass fed beef” in the US is fed pelletized grass in a feedlot?!

We also explored Kevin’s family and career path, from financial roles in various food companies, including a season in Germany - to his current leadership position and how he ascended to the role. Kevin emphasizes the importance of balancing work and family, and drawing wisdom from experience and from mentors. Overall, it's a rich conversation about values, business strategy, and the drive to make a difference in the food industry. So please join me in enjoying my conversation with Kevin Pallaoro.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

In today's episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sat down with Stu Crair, the founder and executive director of the Digital Workshop Center, a musician as well as an adjunct professor at CSU. Stu shares his history, balancing professional commitments and musical pursuits, offering insights to his roles, kind of creating a job at CSU and Elsewise, and the evolution of the Digital Workshop Center from his garage to now a nice office in downtown Fort Collins.

We also discussed his journey from Ohio to Fort Collins and how music brought him here, the changes in the music industry and how one can make a buck in today's music world, as well as the diverse music from Dead Floyd, Musketeer Gripweed and Ruby Stew. Stu also shares kind of a pivot in his later life becoming a husband and then now a father over the last few years, as well as the impact of that on his day-to-day existence. He's also got a great loco experience that you'll have to tune in for with a little bit of mobster action.

So please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Stu Crair.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Brett Kemp is the President of Flood & Peterson, an employee-owned insurance brokerage since 1939, and the strongest market share among property & casualty insurance brokerages in the region. With career chapters in the Air Force, pharmaceutical sales, and manufacturing, Brett was a darkhorse candidate for ascendance to leadership.

Aaron Eide visited Fort Collins almost exactly 25 years (to the day!) before we recorded this podcast. He’s a UND graduate and came through the same Credit and Management Training program at Community First National Bank as yours truly - only a few semesters later. Aaron had come out to scout out an apartment and see the town before moving to Fort Collins weeks later. I gave him the nickel tour, took him out to see some live music at Lucky Joe’s and then to Elliot’s Martini Bar - and we don’t remember much after that!

But/and - though we only worked together for about a year and in different offices - we’ve maintained a professional relationship through all these years, and that’s part of the theme of today’s podcast. Brett’s prior experience in the military, and in manufacturing, and likewise Aaron’s career in credit and banking gave them added perspective on business and risk - and especially, people - that propelled their career growth.

Lot’s of great business and relationship sales content in this one, and a bit of inside-baseball on the insurance industry, and three guys who all moved to the region in a short span of time - giving us a shared perspective - and so please enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Brett Kemp and Aaron Eide.

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain