Colorado Business Podcast

Why can homes sit on the market while people still struggle to afford a place to live? Jill Gaebler of Pikes Peak Housing Network joins the Colorado Business Podcast to unpack the difference between a listing price and the cost of actually buying a home.Jill brings eight years of Colorado Springs City Council experience and her work as the network's executive director to a conversation about housing, local business and the future of the city. She discusses why the monthly payment matters, how housing choices affect employers and workers, and what makes a neighborhood livable.In this conversation:- Seller expectations, mortgage payments, insurance and property taxes- The gap between the homes being built and what households can afford- Smaller homes, accessory dwelling units and neighborhood zoning- Downtown businesses, walkability, bike lanes and community life- Condo construction, HOA fees and deferred maintenance- Principled leadership and investing in local institutionsGUESTJill Gaebler, Executive Director, Pikes Peak Housing NetworkLearn about the network and its housing resources:https://pphousingnetwork.org/THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSEXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/Junk Jockey COS: https://junkjockeyscos.com/Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/BrightLeaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/Atma Health: https://atmapmf.com/LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Coming up00:48 Meet Jill Gaebler: from the Air Force to City Council07:14 Tiny homes and workforce housing09:58 City Council and City for Champions15:08 Sponsor messages18:42 Why Pikes Peak Housing Network was created21:38 Downtown apartments and the housing data25:55 Livable downtowns and local businesses30:40 Walkable neighborhoods, density and city costs37:38 Why young buyers struggle to afford a home41:00 Smaller homes, ADUs and neighborhood zoning43:51 Housing opposition and downtown development49:47 Sponsor messages52:19 Bike lanes, PikeRide and getting around54:19 Why homes sit unsold while people need housing57:06 The monthly payment beyond the listing price1:00:21 Condos, HOA costs and construction challenges1:05:33 The next chapter of growth in Colorado Springs1:10:24 Principled leadership and investing in community1:16:19 Where to find Jill and closing thoughts1:16:57 OutroCONNECT WITH COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTWatch more conversations and subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastVisit the show:https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/What would make your neighborhood a better place to live and work? Share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations with Colorado business owners and community leaders.Episode 351 | Jill Gaebler

Growing a business starts with developing the people inside it. Joe Marzocco joins the Colorado Business Podcast to talk about leadership, hiring for potential and building a company that supports the life you want.Joe shares his path from working in his family's construction business in New York to leading teams in Colorado and starting LionShare Growth Partners. Through stories about employees, entrepreneurship and climbing mountains, he explains why people, process and product matter, how discipline carries you when motivation fades, and why growth sometimes requires changing the way you work.In this conversation:- Recognizing potential and giving people room to develop- Moving from corporate leadership into coaching and business advisory work- Taking action through fear and uncertainty- Finding the right roles as a company grows- Creating repeatable processes without losing the human side of business- Defining success around family, purpose and the cost of your timeGUESTJoe Marzocco, LionShare Growth PartnersLeadership training, coaching and business guidance:https://lionsharegrowthpartners.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Coming up01:06 Meet Joe Marzocco02:09 Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs09:14 Faith, identity and finding purpose in Colorado18:27 Sponsor messages21:36 Building a business by investing in people29:28 From corporate leadership to LionShare Growth Partners34:46 Family entrepreneurship and Overdrive Raceway39:02 Resilience, fear and the next step45:31 Discipline when motivation runs out49:28 Sponsor messages51:51 Growth ceilings and changing how you operate59:19 Define the business and life you actually want1:02:34 Capability, capacity and the right roles1:05:39 Repeatable processes and the customer promise1:08:39 Protecting family time while building a business1:12:31 What is next for Joe1:17:09 Where to find Joe and closing thoughts1:17:47 OutroTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSEXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/BrightLeaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/CONNECT WITH COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTWatch more conversations and subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastVisit the show:https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/Which leadership lesson would make the biggest difference in your business? Share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations with business owners and operators.Episode 350 | Joe Marzocco

What makes content feel like it could only come from you? Spencer McKee of OutThere Colorado explains why personality, firsthand experience and a connection with the audience matter, even as AI changes how content gets made.For business owners and creators, this conversation explores how to find stories worth sharing, learn from audience feedback and keep a recognizable voice. Spencer also takes us behind the outdoor reporting, travel experiences and career decisions that shaped his work.Spencer is Director of Content and Operations at OutThere Colorado. He covers Colorado news and outdoor adventures, and his team earned the 2022 Outdoor Media Summit People's Choice Blog of the Year award. In Episode 349, he shares how a loan from his dad helped him stay in Colorado long enough to pursue the job that became his career.The conversation moves from the economics of digital media to community feedback, AI and creative identity. Along the way, Spencer discusses Colorado's mountain towns and music scene, a memorable month in India, via ferrata adventures and the alligator wrestling class he took while reporting for OutThere Colorado. He closes by sharing how listeners can connect with his work and UpaDowna's outdoor community.TOPICS- Finding stories through firsthand experience and curiosity- Building a distinct voice that resonates with an audience- Website advertising, sponsored content and digital media- Separating useful criticism from online noise- AI as a creative tool and the importance of personality- Colorado adventures, travel stories and outdoor communityGUEST LINKSOutThere Colorado: https://www.denvergazette.com/outtherecolorado/Spencer McKee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencermckeeUpaDowna: https://upadowna.org/SPONSORSThank you to the sponsors featured in this episode.Diamond read:EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/LINE-X read:LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Cold open: career, content and adventure00:46 Colorado Business Podcast intro00:56 Meet Spencer McKee02:20 Finding a new life in Colorado07:54 Mountain towns, bears and Colorado life13:16 The career break that led to OutThere Colorado19:36 Diamond sponsor read22:51 Website ads, sponsored stories and the business model24:25 Colorado's live music and comedy scene29:34 Finding stories your audience cares about33:02 Reading feedback and learning from criticism39:02 AI, authenticity and keeping your own voice50:57 Walking, reflection and the creative process54:22 LINE-X sponsor read56:45 Travel, curiosity and a month in India1:04:22 How travel creators change the way we explore1:10:04 Via ferrata and Colorado adventures1:14:45 Wildlife encounters and outdoor responsibility1:22:47 Spencer's alligator wrestling story1:36:57 Where to find Spencer and UpaDowna1:39:06 OutroABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTConversations with Colorado entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders about building teams, creating value and serving their communities.Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastExplore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/What makes your content feel unmistakably yours? Share your perspective in the comments.#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #SpencerMcKee #OutThereColorado

What can an orchestra conductor teach a business owner about leadership? Devin Patrick Hughes explains how to earn influence, raise standards, and bring skilled people together, even when everyone knows their own instrument better than you do.Devin describes the preparation, trust, shared vision, and rehearsal work that help skilled musicians perform together. For leaders of creative or highly skilled teams, the episode offers a different way to think about getting the best out of people.Devin is Music Director of Boulder Symphony & Music Academy and Artistic Director & Conductor of Symphony of the Rockies. He shares how a childhood love of music, college baseball, and a change of direction from pre-medicine led to his career on the podium.The conversation explores music education, the discipline of rehearsal, what gives creative work lasting impact, and how leaders keep growing alongside their teams. Devin also discusses building a music academy, making concerts accessible, his perspective on AI and live performance, and balancing family life with demanding creative work.TOPICS• Earning influence with experienced specialists• Shared expectations, healthy pressure, and preparation• Music education, collaboration, and community access• Mozart, Beethoven, and the context behind enduring art• Creativity, career direction, and finding your calling• AI and the human experience of live musicGUEST LINKSDevin Patrick Hughes: https://devinpatrickhughes.com/Boulder Symphony & Music Academy: https://bouldersymphony.org/Symphony of the Rockies: https://www.symphonyrockies.org/Find current concert dates and tickets through the orchestras' websites.SPONSORSThank you to the sponsors featured in this episode.Diamond read:EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/Bellwether read:Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Cold open: leadership and teamwork00:36 Colorado Business Podcast intro00:46 Meet Devin Patrick Hughes01:33 From Springfield to a career in conducting05:42 What a conductor actually does10:04 Interpreting music and telling a story14:24 Why music education matters19:40 What makes a performance feel seamless24:34 Diamond sponsor read27:47 What makes great work last?33:56 Raising standards without burning out the team40:09 Preparation, trust, and empowering musicians43:35 Creativity, passion, and finding your calling52:00 Building the Boulder Symphony Music Academy55:11 Bellwether sponsor read57:37 The future of classical music59:43 AI, artistry, and the human connection1:07:23 What comes next for Devin1:08:56 Family and the demands of creative work1:14:13 Concerts and connecting with the orchestras1:17:16 OutroABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTConversations with Colorado entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders about building teams, creating value, and serving their communities.Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastExplore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/How do you earn trust and bring out the best in a skilled team? Share your experience in the comments.#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #DevinPatrickHughes #Leadership

Mike Kinner created Air O Sport around a simple challenge: how could he play a sport he loved with his daughter, his aging father, and friends who did not see themselves as athletic? In this conversation, he explains how a family-business upbringing and a difficult stretch as a founder shaped a game intended to bring different generations together.The Colorado Springs founder and inventor also shares how play has informed his work with families and business teams, why he values screen-free creativity, and what he hopes to build through the Air O Sport Foundation.In the episode, Mike talks about growing up around the Donut Mill, learning from his parents, the value he found in reading, and the product-design challenge that helped shape Air O Sport. He describes using play in corporate team experiences, the lonely stretch when the business felt difficult to sustain, parenting and screen-free play, and his hope to create more opportunities for people to play together.GUEST LINKS: Air O Sport: https://playairosport.com/ | Air O Sport Foundation: https://airosportfoundation.org/ | Peak Play Performance: https://peakplaypro.com/GUESTMike KinnerFounder and InventorAir O SportCHAPTERS00:00 Cold open: play across generations00:50 Colorado Business Podcast intro01:00 Meet Mike Kinner and Air O Sport02:44 The Donut Mill and family business08:00 From basketball to self-development15:55 Reading, focus, and flow19:49 Diamond sponsor read23:51 Why Mike created a multigenerational sport26:52 Product design and the patent challenge28:59 Play, confidence, and corporate teams35:19 The setback that nearly stopped the dream37:15 Relationships, trust, and team building44:03 What pushed Mike past the setback?45:06 Parenting and screen-free play49:59 Creativity and the gift of boredom51:29 LINE-X sponsor read54:33 A sport that makes room for more people56:52 Breaking loneliness through play59:47 Where Air O Sport is going1:02:27 Family, community, and the mission1:05:09 The next million play moments1:07:59 OutroSPONSORSDiamond sponsor read:EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/LINE-X sponsor read:LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/RAIN: https://rain.tech/Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/Review note: The recorded Diamond read includes Pioneer Rodeo event copy for dates that have passed. Confirm an updated read or approved use before episode lock.ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCASTThe Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community.Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradobusinesspodcastExplore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/What should Colorado protect as it grows, and what should it be willing to build? Share your perspective in the comments.#ColoradoBusinessPodcast #AirOSport #ColoradoSprings #Play