Voices on the Wind Podcast

Welcome to Episode 34.Toby is joined today by Kelsey Giroux, founder of Artful Impact Creative, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing art and creative expression to rural, under served communities.Kelsey shares her journey from growing up in a small town in Wyoming to starting a nonprofit focused on using the arts to heal and build protective factors for youth impacted by trauma. We dive into the transformative power of art, the impact of childhood experiences, and how the arts can play a role in reversing the effects of trauma.“Art was the one place where I could finally have a little freedom.”“It’s not art therapy—it’s a sneaky way to build emotional regulation and communication skills.”“You can’t heal trauma with words alone—sometimes you need a brush, a lens, or clay.”Episode 033Release Date: December 2, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Kelsey GirouxGet in touch with Kelsey by contacting Toby Lyles at: FB- https://www.facebook.com/toby.lyles.1Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tobyblyles/Listen at a link below: Spotify:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twentyfoursound7322/playlistsRumble: https://rumble.com/user/TwentyFourSoundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/toby.lyles.1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobyblyles This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

The Art of Reinvention | Starting Over With MomentumWelcome to Episode 33.Toby is joined today by Lexie Garrett, owner of Alexis Drake, a company dedicated to high quality hand made bags, designed and created in her studio in Wyoming.Lexie tells the story behind the story. Starting as an art major, creating jewelry, becoming a mother and how every season, every pivot, grew her and led to Alexis Drake. “Everyone else was sculpting these huge, beautiful cheetahs, and I just couldn’t make it work. Everything I made was two-dimensional — until my professor said, ‘I think I know someone who can fix you.’”“I think that one of the biggest milestones for any artist is when you’re really confident in what you do and you’re okay with somebody saying, you know, I really don’t like that or it’s just not the right fit for us. And so that’s a good thing. I think when we start making stuff and you start perfecting the collections that you’re making, you realize that you’re the fit. You’re the fit.”“My husband looked at my reusable grocery bag and said, ‘Can you please just go buy a purse?’ I couldn’t find one I liked — so I started making my own.”“When someone says, ‘Your bags are too expensive,’ I say, ‘I know — because we make them.’”Episode 033Release Date: November 25, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Lexie GarrettGet in touch with LexieWebsite - https://alexisdrake.comFB - https://www.facebook.com/wearalexisdrakeInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearalexisdrake This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 32.Toby is joined today by Dennis Humphrey of Capitol Roofing. Capitol Roofing started as a side hustle to get from rodeo to rodeo, now it has been in business over 40 years and has earned the trust of a community. Listen in as Dennis shares the stories of his beginnings and what drives him to this day. “When I was home I would work and we’d bring some cowboys home and we’d roof some houses. They’d stay with me for a couple days, we’d roof a house or two and get some money and go ride some more bulls and bucking horses.”“After 40 years of being in business, I’m convinced and I think our stats will show this that probably upwards of 70 plus percent of the business that Capital Roofing does is either from repeat customers and or referrals of repeat customers.”“...when people come in there and trust you first like that, those are the ones you for sure want to take extra care, don’t take advantage of anybody. And I am 100 % convinced that if you do the right thing long enough consistently, success will find you. I believe that money and wealth is a byproduct of the service first.”“I think my...free spirit, if you will, kind of led me to be looking for something more to where I can kind of control my time and to a large degree even my income.”Episode 032Release Date: November 18, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Dennis HumphreyGet in touch with DennisWebsite: https://www.capitolroofinginc.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/capitolroofing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 31.Toby is joined today by Chef Petrina Peart owner of Gaiya’s Harvest. A contestant on Yes, Chef, former Air Force and a creator of intimate gatherings around food. Chef Petrina has quite the story full of calculated risk and pleasant surprises. Listen in to how she describes the power of food and gathering people around a table. “And it’s funny how food can evoke that kind of emotion from people. I one time made someone cry with a pesto.”“...Food is the only art that incorporates all five senses. And I always tell people that because you can literally transform someone’s mood and their entire being with a meal.”“So we would have different chefs that would host different pop-ups in different venues, not always a restaurant. Sometimes someone’s home, someone’s backyard, anywhere from three to seven courses. And just like, you could collab with different chefs to do it, or you could just, you know, invite people to your home to do it. And so I fell in love with that scene and I started doing that same thing at my house.”Episode 031Release Date: November 11, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Chef Petrina PeartGet in touch with Chef PetrinaWebsite: https://gaiyasharvest.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054232747402Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaiyasharvest This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 30.Toby is joined today by Ashley Savage, owner of Hollowberry Manor, a women’s creative retreat venue. Join us for part 2 with a deeper focus on mental health. A diagnosis doesn’t have to be a limiting factor, it can be the understanding that leads us to our greatest place of thriving.“I stood in the middle of my house for 10 minutes because I couldn’t figure out if it would be more efficient to go out the front door or the back door. I wanted to start in the front yard and set my phone and my water down. But I had to go to the backyard to get my gardening shoes and my gloves. So which one? Which way do you go? And I spent 10 minutes and I would literally take two steps this way, two steps that way, two steps this way, two steps that way. And I was stuck in this loop.”“Everything I read was me to a T. And I joined some Facebook groups and started reading stories of other women, same boat as me, you being diagnosed after age 35. And there’s reasons for that. ADHD wasn’t diagnosed in little girls in the 80s because it didn’t present the same as boys. It didn’t exist basically. Yeah, it was very unacknowledged and unrecognized. And so we’ve got all these women in my generation who are discovering this about themselves. It’s changing their lives. And so it looks like an epidemic, but really it’s just a massive discovery, social discovery. And so reading stories of these other women who their lives are also being changed and how they’re learning to, for lack of a better word, cope with life. know, the world isn’t really designed for us, and so we figure out ways to cope. And I’ve been doing that my whole life. I just didn’t understand what I was doing.”“...it’s been an incredible transition for me to know that my brain can work the way it’s supposed to when the conditions are right.”“...when I’m here at the house, I don’t need to take my medication. And it’s weird, but in a positive, incredible way.”Episode 030Release Date: November 4, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Ashley Savage (Part 2)Get in touch with AshleyWebsite: https://hollowberrymanor.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/HollowberryManorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollowberrymanor This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 28. Toby is joined today by Brad Koch, owner of Game Masters for Part 2. Brad shares how mental health and finding support was a big part of launching his business and succeeding. Is ADHD a disability? Or a superpower? Brad has something to say about that. “I have three boys, you know, they’re in their twenties and someday I’ll probably have grand kids. What am I doing? I’m not setting them off for success. There’s that fear. The mental health is there. When you’re constantly getting rejection and rejection and rejection, you can justify it all you want, but no matter who you are, that’s going to wear down on you.” “ADHD has been a part of my life since 1988. It is a superpower, it’s blessing and a curse. I never would have been able to have the energy to do both the full-time job and this, but also how many things that I forget. I’m oh, we’ve got to set up this account or we’ve got to, it’s, hey, I should do the schedule. So it’s one those things of the mental health part of it is huge. I’ve been in a therapeutic journey starting when I got laid off.” “I can’t stress enough how much that’s been for me as a person, as a man, as a husband. And honestly, as a business owner and as a leader here, I can tell you, I know many people that worked for me over the decade at GameStop, I’m still friends with them. They would not recognize me as the leader here because of the mental health part of it and learning and becoming a better person.” “These are all hobbies and hobbies are a great way for people to come together. It’s a general common ground. We talked about mental health. I’m very neurodivergent. almost a lot of people I know. I always jokingly say the Venn diagram of neurodivergence in gamers is a perfect circle. And the reason why is regardless of where we are, we have something in common.” Episode 028 Release Date: October 21, 2025 Host: Toby Lyles Guest: Brad Koch (Part 2) Get in touch with Brad https://www.gamemasterscheyenne.com FB - https://www.facebook.com/GameMastersCheyenne Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gamemasterscheyenne This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 27.Toby is joined today by Brad Koch, owner of Game Masters. Brad shares how various experiences hobbies and skills led to the business idea and after a long stent of no call backs from job interviews the timing felt right. An idea became a business with the help of some local resources, community and some good old hustle. Listen in and be inspired by Brad’s story and how he created a place for community. “So I was looking in Salt Lake, I was looking in Pittsburgh, I was looking in Charlotte, because I was looking for places with more opportunities, because I kept striking out, striking out, striking out. Couldn’t figure it out. And then it was a off the cuff, just maybe I should open a game store. And I don’t even think she looked up from her phone. She goes, why don’t you?”“...you want to be realistic in projections and you’re like, can this work? And you’ve got all those nerves in your stomach. But when you put your heart and soul into it, I really do believe that if you build it, they will come. And the community has just shown that if you, if you scratch that itch and you do what they need, just, it, it snowballs and then you just got to hang on.”“First off, to get that kind of vote of confidence from your spouse is amazing. Again, as I said, she’s got her MBA, she’s the smart one. She put us in contact with the SBDC, the Small Business Development Council. We did some market research. We knew there was already some game stores downtown, but there was no retro video game stores. There was no place that really did cards and games the way we did. And we looked into it and we were like, it could be feasible.”Episode 027Release Date: October 14, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Brad Koch (Part 1)Get in touch with Bradhttps://www.gamemasterscheyenne.comFB - https://www.facebook.com/GameMastersCheyenneInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/gamemasterscheyenneSBDC - https://wyomingsbdc.org/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to Episode 26.Toby is joined today by Vante Anderson, owner of Wyoming Wave Studios. Vante built a business for others out of his own passions and need to capture that creative idea as quickly as possible. From the love of music, to ideas for beats working a blue collar job, to buying gear so that he could get those ideas down in recording. That gear turned into a production company. Listen in to his story, how he went from A to B. “I want you to leave happy when you leave the studio. I want you to be able to tell your friends about what you just recorded. I want you to post your music online. That means a lot to me more than anything else. I want to see other people shine.”“I needed to know the basics. I needed to know what I wanted. I wanted to know what my sound was like. And I couldn’t really understand that without the equipment”“I started off mixing hip hop, that’s all I mix. Now I mix everything. Bring a mariachi man in here, I’ma mix them. Bring me a rock band, I’ma mix them. You bring me some hip hop, I’ma mix them. You bring me a uh country singer, I’ma mix them. I just, I don’t want to limit my avenue to recording. Why just limit it to one genre when there’s so many genres?”Episode 026Release Date: October 7, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Vante AndersonGet in touch with Vante Website - https://www.wyomingwavestudios.comFB - https://www.facebook.com/WyomingwavestudiosYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKIXScuc_J5ATYce1C2nh2A This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Welcome to the beginning of Season 3 with Episode 25.Toby is joined today by Mayor Patrick Collins, owner of the Bicycle Station. Long before he entered city leadership, Patrick started a business. The Bicycle Station has been serving the city of Cheyenne for over 40 years. Living in a city, raising a family, owning a business all led to a bigger picture to impact a city and small businesses. Listen in to hear more about a fellow small business owner turned Mayor. “And we started. My wife was literally in the hospital having our son, our first son, and I quit my job and we started a bike shop.” “I'd worked in the market for a long time, so I knew the customers and I knew what needed to be done. And I think having an owner in the store versus a chain store, there's a difference between having an owner and a manager in the store. And I thought we could take advantage of that and have proved to be true. I mean, the very first day we sold the bike.” “I've been out of the bike shop for five years now... David is a great guy, my manager, and he's worked really hard to, you know, do the day-to-day there. We worked together for a lot of years. But yeah, we were able to segue away. When I wanted to run for mayor and become mayor, I recognized that I couldn't be in there. If you're going to pay me to do this job, you can't have me working in my bike shop too, right?”Episode 025Release Date: September 30, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Mayor Patrick CollinsGet in touch with Mayor Collinsmayor@CheyenneCity.org(307) 637-6300The Mayor’s Minute - https://www.cheyennecity.org/News-articles/The-Mayor%E2%80%99s-Minute-from-Mayor-Patrick-Collins-%E2%80%93-September-26Join the city council meetings every Second and Fourth Monday, 6:00 PM, at 2101 O'Neill Avenue in the council chambers This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 011:Release Date: June 25, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Mona GamboaWelcome to Episode 11 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Mona Gamboa. Mona tells us why she started a business working for herself and how although she knew the technical side of what she started, she had to learn the business side. A lesson many entrepreneurs learn. You can be good at writing code, but do you know how to do your taxes? Mona tells us about how to take ownership of the whole business. "So those are mistakes thatare big and bad that will bring down any company. I regret them, but in my mind they were just partof the journey. Now today I know how to check up on, I do the things that you're supposed to do asa business owner, you know, trust but verify." - Mona GamboaCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Mona Gamboa at: https://happyjacksoftware.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 010:Release Date: June 18, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Brian GrossWelcome to Episode 10 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Brian Gross. What is true wealth? In this episode Brian talks about what true wealth is and how to leverage that in your life. So many good quotes and ideas in this episode. Enjoy!"So I started out very young trying to build my skillset. So learn as many things, not master many, but learn as many things as possible that I could stack together to be able to be successful." -Brian GrossCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 009:Release Date: June 11, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Denise PattonWelcome to Episode 9 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Denise Patton. Denise is a local Cheyenne artist who has successfully proven the old adage "starving artist" false. She runs a successful art gallery featuring many local artists. Listen in as she talks about how to be a thriving artist and how mental health played a part in her journey. "It took a long time for me to say I aman artist. A very long time, to sort of own that inherent profession and everything that it suggests." - Denise PattonCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Denise Patton at: https://denise-patton.square.site This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 008:Release Date: June 4, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Cody and Samantha DavisWelcome to Episode 8 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Cody and Samantha Davis. Sometimes you catch that really good idea and you begin running with it only to find there's all these rules and regulations around what you want to do. Well, that is what Cody and Samantha had to wrestle with and won. Listen in as they discuss the unknown and how they learned quickly. How they made good relationships with those in charge of regulations and licenses and were able to launch a successful fruit stand and build community."...starting a business is risky. You invest your own money into, all of these things and you just expect for it to just go smoothly and it doesn't always work that way." -Samantha DavisCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Cody and Samantha Davis at: https://www.wyodavisfamfarms.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 007:Release Date: May 27, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Steve AustinWelcome to Episode 7 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Steve Austin. Steve is an intrapreneur as his endeavor is entrepreneurial in a nonprofit setting. As an advocate for mental health, specifically as it pertains to those who have served our country, Steve works with Hunting with Heroes to help fellow veterans heal and as he put it, to know that even people who do not know them love them. A really important message and much needed. Listen to Steve share his journey through mental health struggles and how he found his purpose. "I really want to portray that idea to these guys and these gals that people you don't even know loveyou and they want to keep you here. They want, you you're important to them." - Steve AustinTrigger warning in this episode. Steven talks about going into a dark place for a moment. https://huntingwithheroes.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 006:Release Date: May 20, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Niel SmosnaWelcome to Episode 6 of Voices on the Wind with host Toby Lyles. He is joined today by Niel Smosna. Niel started out as a teacher from a family of teachers. Until she began her family and chose to stay home to raise her kids. In the midst of raising kids the desire to teach continued to pull and that led to an unplanned business that is now thriving. Join us as we listen to the twists and turns that led to a business that allows Niel to do what she loves and be home with her children. "We started our business very slowly and very small and grewit very organically from the beginning. We didn't have lofty goals at first. Our goals were never centered around income. When we made a profit, it was like, wow, that's crazy."- Niel SmosnaCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Niel Smosna at https://www.noco-tutoringandenrichment.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 005:Release Date: May 13, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Kishore KodruWelcome to Episode 5 of Voices on the Wind. Join our host Toby Lyles as he sits down for a chat with business owner Kishore Kodru. Kishore went from curiosity about owning his own business to owning multiple successful businesses around Cheyenne. As Kishore jumped into multiple businesses, he and his family quickly grew and learned how to make each one successful. His heart for his children and his eye on being a generous employer has lead him to where he is today. "So we thought, okay, we'll take a shot at it. The reason being it will also create a good employment, not like seasonal employment, but a stable employment because you can efficiently use staff cross train and they can have a stable employment and a better pay." - Kishore KodruCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Release Date: May 6, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Tate SchrockWhat do tractors and space have in common? In this episode guest Tate Schrock went from growing up on a farm fixing tractors to reverse engineering a weather balloon. Where it has lead him is nothing but inspiring. Listen to how Tate found his path and works to inspire young people. What You'll Learn in This Episode1. Curiosity is a great place to start2. Perseverance is key3. There is something in your hand, or front yard, right now that can become a business or tool to help others. “It simply comes down to don't put your blindfolds on all the time. Don't keep your fingers in your ears and pay attention how they say it, what they say, when they say it, and from there you'll develop the discernment necessary to find out the character of a person." -Tate SchrockCheck out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Tate Schrock at: https://edgeflyte.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 003: Release Date: April 29, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Jon and Renee JelinekWelcome back to Episode 3 of the Voices on the Wind podcast. This week we dive into part 2 with Jon and Renee Jelinek. We get a look into the variety of business they have owned and improved as well as some of their non-profit ventures. They faced many challenges and changes, but persevered through each one. Finding connection and the ability to leave a legacy on the other side. Enjoy the conclusion of their story and be inspired towards your own curiosities and dreams.Check out our newsletter: https://votw.substack.comConnect with Jon and Renee Jelinek at https://www.thelincolncheyenne.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Episode 002: Can You Make Money off of Getting in Trouble? Part One of the Jon and Renee Jelinek StoryRelease Date: April 22, 2025Host: Toby LylesGuest: Jon and Renee Jelinek Today's episode of Voices on the Wind features Jon and Renee Jelinek, founders of multiple local businesses, most notably the Lincoln music venue. Jon and Renee were working overtime to make ends meet when their son was born. He became the inspiration for business ownership. They acquired time with their son (and each other), they were able to make a space that built community for their son, and the city they live in. Fulfilling dreams and having the authority to do it their way. Such an inspiration to make that side hustle a business.On the fence about signing up for our newsletter? Hop off the fence and onto the wagon: votw.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com

Super excited to share season one with you. We put together a little showreel, you know, like walking through Costco and getting delicious samples. Buen provecho and happy sailing my friends!-Toby This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit votw.substack.com