The Hutch Podcast

Hosted by Conor Hutchison

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Mar 2024

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About the show

Welcome to The Hutch Podcast hosted by Conor Hutchison. The Hutch Podcast interviews highly successful and highly impactful members and alumni of the Iowa Community. For each episode, host, Conor Hutchison will interview some of the most widely known members of the Iowa Community and even some not-so-known members. We will dive into their stories; where did they come from? What was their time at the University of Iowa like? How did they become so successful? And what is their advice for you to chase your dreams and change the world? Sit back, relax, and dare to listen to some of the most inspiring stories to come out of your community.

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12 recent

March 8, 202421 min

The China Challenge: Insights from Congressman Zach Nunn on Competing Globally

On today's episode, we sit down with Congressman Zach Nunn. Congressman Nunn is currently in his first term serving Iowa's third congressional district. He is a 6th generation Iowan and grew up on his family's farm raising sheep, poultry, and growing row crops. As an intelligence officer, Zach served our country for almost two decades in the US Air Force. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee in Congress. He is also a prominent member of the congressional executive commission on China. During today's episode, we dive further into our competition with China and how Iowans and the heartland can combat the intrusive actions of the PRC. To learn more about Congressman Nunn go to his website and follow him on Instagram Follow Me on Linkedin for more information about the show and our guest Follow the show's Instagram HERE.For Information on the China Commission and its mission visit it HERE. On today's episode, we cover:Congressman Nunn's background. What is the Congressional-Executive Commission on China? What is its purpose? Is an economic decoupling possible between the US and China? What might US-China cooperation look like in the future? Cyber Warfare with China. TikTok and other social media's role in this fight. Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

March 7, 202443 min

Mane Attractions: The Art and Business of Elite Hair Styling in Iowa City with Bobby Thompson

On today's episode, we sit down with Bobby Thompson, co-founder and owner of Thompson & Co Hair Salon. Bobby is a local entrepreneur in Iowa City and founded the popular hair salon with his wife Kayla back in 2015. Having gone to college here in Iowa City Bobby worked different service jobs around downtown before deciding to pursue his passion of making people feel great and confident about themselves. Today Thompson & Co has two locations in Iowa City and Coralville and is a popular destination for students and locals looking for premium cuts and services. Listen in as we go behind the scenes of his business, discussing the origins of the salon, its mission, and what makes it tick. Check out Thompson & Co on their websiteFollow me on Linkedin for more updates on the show Follow our InstagramIn today's episode, we discuss: 1. Personal JourneyBackground and journey to the founding of the salon Career before Hairstyling.2. Thompson & Co Salon How did Thompson & Co. come to be? Biggest challenges when starting the company. What do you look for when hiring a new stylist? In what ways do you guys foster your relationship with the local community?3. Career and Life Advice How do you define success? How do you balance your career with your personal life? What does Bobby see as the greatest obstacle to success in his life? What has brought Bobby the most joy and happiness in life? Why? Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

February 21, 202449 min

Healthcare of the Future, Navigating Fundraising and Operating as a CEO, and Keys to Success with Jon Lensing

Jon Lensing is the Co-founder and CEO of Openloop. OpenLoop is a Des Moines-based startup powering the telehealth industry from end-to-end solutions that streamline virtual care. After graduating from medical school at the University of Iowa, Jon and his co-founders started OpenLoop. As the pandemic shocked the world OpenLoop found itself in a unique position to capitalize on the rapidly changing healthcare industry. Today, OpenLoop serves thousands of clients worldwide and continues to grow and expand operations to connect patients with medical professionals. In this episode with Jon Lensing, we discuss: 1. Personal Journey and Founding of OpenLoopJon's background and journey to founding OpenLoop. Current business model of OpenLoop. How do early founders build moats? 2. Telehealth Industry trends, size, competitors, and futureWhat does the future of healthcare and telehealth look like? How close are we to the human-to-model healthcare interface? What will AI's effect on the industry look like? What is the relationship between telehealth and mental health look like? 3. Fundraising Lessons and TipsWhat to expect from Iowa VCs vs coastal investors. Do all VCs add value? How do you maintain the growth of the company while fundraising? Fundraising and acquisition strategies. Is it good to fundraise in a heavily regulated market? 4. Leadership Lessons Biggest leadership lessons over the past 4 years. What is the core role of a CEO? What is the key to a motivated and talented workforce? What is the greatest piece of advice you've received as a founder? Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

January 29, 20241 hr 7 min

Statecraft, Spying, and the Moral Dilemmas of Modern Espionage with James Olson

Check out James Olson's books: Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying To Catch A Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence In this episode with James Olson, we discuss: 1. Personal Journey and Public Service:James' Background and how he was contacted by the CIA How did Jim get discovered by the CIA?2. Historical Roots of Intelligence: What are the historical roots of intelligence and its uses in history?3. College Campuses and Higher Education in Espionage Operations: How are the PRC and MSS infiltrating our higher education institutions in the US? How do we combat the intrusion of the Chinese government in education?Why should college students care about these operations? 4. Modern Intelligence Gathering and Operations: What is the current state of US intelligence operations? What more should we be doing? What is the difference between the Chinese Intelligence and US intelligence operations? Will HUMINT always be essential to the mission? What should the relationship between the public and intelligence agencies look like moving forward? Is modern statecraft an Infinite or Finite game? 5. Fair Play: Moral Dilemmas of Spying Deciphering what is moral and immoral in spying. Is intelligence a war weapon? Does it come under St. Thomas Aquinas' Just War Theory? Spying in historical philosophies and arguments. How did you ground yourself in your faith while undercover? Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

November 16, 20231 hr 7 min

Inside the US Congress and Current Events with Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks

It was great to sit down with Congresswoman Miller-Meeks to discuss her journey and career prior to Congress and to discuss her perspectives on recent events both in Congress and around the world. If you would like to learn more about Congresswoman Miller-Meeks you can head over to her website at https://millermeeks.house.gov/. Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcastSome show notes: Childhood and Background01:15 Childhood and Background 08:00 Career in the military and achieving graduate degrees11:15 Miller-meeks advice on how to take calculated risk14:00 Meaning of leadership Congressional Career and Legislative Priority 18:42 Winning her first election by only 6 votes24:45 Just how hard is it to get a bill enacted into law in Congress? 28:35 Healthcare PolicyCurrent State of US Congress34:50 Recent Speaker election in House of Representatives44:12 Leadership in the HouseUkraine, Israel, and the United States role in the world 52:40 United States' role in Ukraine 1:00:00 Israel-Hamas and the Importance of Israel in the Middle East Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

November 3, 202358 min

Eric Engelmann on Venture Capital and the State of VC in Iowa

Eric and I had a great discussion about Venture Capital in Iowa and the greater Midwest. From discussing Eric's journey as an entrepreneur to an investor as well as digging into his $22M fund ISA Ventures, Eric drops a ton of knowledge and advice for listeners!For more information about ISA Ventures, you can visit their website here: https://www.isaventures.com/Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast To contact Conor you can send an email to hawktalkspodcast@gmail.comHere are some show notes: Entrepreneurship Journey 01:25 Eric's journey to entrepreneurship 05:50 Founding Geonetric 07:50 Getting into investing 11:00 Why it's important to have an exit strategy as a founderISA Ventures 12:50 What is Venture Capital? 15:00 Who are the LPs in ISA Ventures18:25 Pros and Cons of sticking to only Iowa investments20:30 What do you look for before investing in a company and team? 22:05 Analyzing market sizes of potential investments24:13 ISA Ventures $22M fund model 29:26 Balancing risk and diversification on investments32:30 What happens when a company has a liquidation event? State of Iowa VC 35:15 Upcoming industries to look at in Iowa and the Midwest 37:25 Iowa Innovation 42:07 Do you need to be an expert in a specific industry? 46:45 Local groups helping bridge the gap between startups and VC 50:15 How does Iowa position itself for more outside VC investment? Wrap Up Questions52:15 How can students learn more about VC?54:40 Books and Podcast that Eric recommends: Built to Sell Radio Podcast20VC by Harry Stebbings Scaling People by Claire Johnson Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

October 20, 202357 min

Miss Iowa USA 2023 Grace Lynn Keller

It was great to sit down with Miss Iowa USA 2023, Grace Lynn Keller. Grace had some great stories about her time as a student and advice for listeners and young women looking to follow in her footsteps. If you would like to reach out to Grace be sure to find her on her social media platforms @missiowausa and @gracelynnkeller. Some notes from the show: 02:00 Grace's time at Iowa 05:25 Start in pageantry competitions 09:00 Miss America vs Miss USA competitions 13:18 Breakdown of pageantry competitions19:50 What it means to have a public image 23:55 Importance of being vulnerable and being yourself 26:00 Advice for younger women looking to go into pageantry30:00 Representing Iowa's values and culture32:45 2023 Miss USA competition 40:00 Read to Succeed Initiative Books Grace recommends: Confidence Code by Katty Kay The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Anything Hemingway! (the best suggestion so far!)Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast and visit our website www.hawktalkspodcast.comThanks for listening! Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

October 14, 20231 hr 3 min

Developing Yourself as a Leader with Mark Kaufman

It was great to hear about Mark's journey and his wisdom on leadership in your professional career and personal life. Athletico's success as one of the largest physical therapy companies in the country is a true testament to Mark's leadership and the culture built at Atheltico. It was great talking with Mark about his company and life!Some notes from the show: 02:00 Mark's time at Iowa09:30 Outpatient physical therapy and its need for improvement14:20 Athletic Trainers vs Physical Therapy 19:30 Why relationships matter so much in the founding of a business 24:45 Why failure isn't an option27:25 Developing confidence as a founder and leader29:35 Importance of your personal network34:18 How leadership roles change with the growth of your company38:12 Keeping the best version of yourself42:45 What it means to be a life long learner48:00 Building your personal board of directorsBooks and Podcast Mark recommends: How I Built This Podcast by Guy RazPour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz Setting The Table by Danny Meyer Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast Thanks for listening! Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

October 10, 202347 min

Steve Davis Founder and CEO of Bio::Neos

We're back with another great episode with a local entrepreneur Steve Davis! It was great to sit down with Steve and talk about his time at Iowa as well as his career and journey building his company Bio::Neos. Here are some notes from the show:01:05 Time at Iowa 09:15 Interest and passion for computer programming 14:40 Best ways to learn full-stack and web development 21:00 Start of Bio::Neos on campus 24:20 Bio::Neos 29:40 Integrating AI into our lives35:40 The importance of side-hobbies38:30 Wrap up Books and Podcast Steve suggests: Endurify Podcast by Mario Minnaert Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Series For more information about Bio::Neos and Steve visit their website https://bioneos.com/Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast Thanks for listening! Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/

September 28, 202344 min

Matt Swift Founder and CEO of Big Grove Brewery

This is another great episode! Matt is a rockstar in the local Iowa community with all of his successful ventures. It was a pleasure to sit down with Matt and discuss his journey and advice for students and young professionals. Here are some show notes from the episode: 01:30 Matt's background in Iowa 05:30 Matt's start in the restaurant business partnering up with his Mom08:25 The start of Red's Alehouse and craft beer journey 11:40 Starting a craft brewery career out of a basement13:20 The founding of Big Grove Brewery in Solon, IA 19:30 Scaling BGB to one of the largest breweries in Iowa 21:30 Maintaining a positive culture and relentless hospitality while you're scaling your business26:45 Determining what the concept is for new ventures31: 20 The state of craft beer in Iowa and the Midwest38:00 Career and life advice for college students 39:42 Books and podcast Matt recommends: Atomic Habits by James Clear Culture Code: The secrets of highly successful groups 41:00 Rapid Fire round Thank you to Matt for coming on! There are a ton of good lessons and advice for listeners in this episode. Be sure to check out Big Grove Brewery on their website https://biggrove.com/pages/iowa-city and on their Instagram @biggrovebrewery For more information about The Hutch Podcast visit www.hawktalkspodcast.com and follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast Thanks for listening! Check out and subscribe to my Substack for more information on episodes and guests: https://conorhutchison.substack.com/