The LoCo Experience

Hosted by Curt Bear

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341

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The LoCo Experience is a long-form conversational podcast that dives deep into the journeys of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in Northern Colorado. Hosted by Curt Bear, Founder of LoCo Think Tank, the show brings real, raw, and unfiltered conversations—where guests share their successes, struggles, and lessons learned along the way. LoCo Think Tank is Colorado’s premier business peer advisory organization, founded in Fort Collins to help business owners gain perspective, accountability, and encouragement to grow both personally and professionally. LoCo chapters bring together business owners at all stages of the journey into professionally facilitated peer advisory chapters, led by experienced business veterans. These groups provide a trusted space to share challenges, seek advice, learn togethter, and support each other’s success. The LoCo Experience Podcast extends this mission beyond the chapter meetings— bringing the wisdom, insights, and stories of local business leaders to a wider audience. Our triad mission with this podcast is simple: Inspire through real stories of resilience and success. Educate by sharing valuable business insights. Entertain with engaging, unfiltered conversations. If you love “How I Built This” and the free-flowing style of Joe Rogan - but with a Northern Colorado focus - you’ll enjoy The LoCo Experience!  Our closing segment, "The LoCo Experience," asks guests to share their craziest stories — and we get some doozies! It’s a passion project with purpose, and we invite you to listen, follow, and share, and maybe consider sponsoring. Know someone with a great story?  Nominate your favorite business leader for an episode!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 9, 20261 hr 40 min

The LoCo Experience Ep 286 | Scott Dillon & James Merkley w/ NoCo's United for Youth

In today's conversation, I was joined by two highly active representatives from northern Colorado from United for youth, formerly NoCo unify this organization of under 40 business leaders has been among the most active fundraising organizations in Northern Colorado since its founding in 2007. 00:00:17:17 - 00:00:32:14 Speaker 1 They're the creators of some of the best parties in the region the Down in Derby Party, Every Me and the Suitcase Party every August, which we were on the heels of as we recorded this episode. Last year they brought back The Saint Patrick's Day party or parade to Old Town Fort Collins as well. James Merkley is an active member at Unify and also CEO and Chief Creative at Storey Path Marketing. He's a local think tank member, and we're also both members of a somewhat similar but very different organization realities for children. James has a diverse background of his own, largely focused on worship music, marketing and storytelling. Scott Dillon is the business intelligence director at Powder Valley Rei, our local electric cooperative, and also serves on the board of directors for Northern Colorado United for youth. Scott's journey helps explain his passion for kids causes, and his involvement. Here is just one way he goes back. Storytelling and business intelligence are the sweet spot for these guests, so I know you'll enjoy, as I did my conversation with Scott Dillon and James Merkley representing Northern Colorado United for youth.

September 2, 20261 hr 17 min

The LoCo Experience EP 285 | Losing Your Big Brother on 9/11 - Craig Woodall's Journey of Grief

Today, I’m here recording from the Fort Collins Food Truck Rally (https://www.focofoodtruckrally.com/) - where we’ve got the Tank parked in a row of food trucks and trailers - because this episode comes out tomorrow and we needed to use the just-in-time machine! For this week’s episode, I sat down with Craig Woodall, retired Educator, Speaker, Coach, and Author of the new book “Overcome - Rebuilding Hope After Losing My Brother on 9/11”. Craig retired as the Principal of Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, where he’d served for 12 years, with plans to initiate a leadership coaching business - and perhaps write a book about leadership as part of the plan. But - his mind had other plans, and after he retired the first priority was a book that forced its way to the front of the line. Overcome was the result, and it’s full of stories of grief, and challenge, and resilience - and ultimately - growth. It is a leadership book - but not in the common sense, and it really focuses on the notion that the most important person for you to lead - is yourself. Craig is a great conversationalist, and a servant-hearted leader from the start - and I know you’ll enjoy our time together in this episode.

August 26, 20261 hr 14 min

The LoCo Experience EP #284 | Better Architecture through Diverse Experience

In today’s podcast, I sat down with Chris Aronson and Jeff Fleischer, the Principals at VFLA in Fort Collins. VFLA has arguably been the leading architecture firm in Northern Colorado since its founding in 1986, and this year celebrates 40 years of service to the commercial and residential construction industries. My connection with VFLA goes back to my banking years in the late 90’s, but is personal because of the L that’s now missing. Justin Larson was my primary “highly-spirited canyon riding” companion for several years, until his untimely death in 2019 - in a motorcycle crash in Mexico. Justin had merged his firm with the then Vaught-Frye in 2011, and led the firm during my transition from banking into LoCo Think Tank - which he was always an advocate for. But back to our guests - Chris Aronson was interviewing with both Vaught-Frye and with JCL Architecture back in 2011, and when he came in for a final interview - the leadership of both firms were there to share news of the impending merger! He became a Principal and part of the leadership team in 2014. Justin lured Jeff Fleischer back to the firm only 3 days before his passing. So for me, this podcast was a bit of a cleanse. And - both men have fascinating journeys all their own, and perspectives on architecture that I found truly refreshing! So I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy my conversation with Chris Aronson and Jeff Fleischer, Principals at VFLA.

August 19, 20261 hr 33 min

The LoCo Experience EP283 | Sheri Ridgeway, CEO of Ridgeway Group Innovations

In today’s podcast, I sat down with Sheri Ridgeway, CEO of Ridgeway Group Innovations (RGI for short), which she runs alongside her husband, Ross and she’s also the current Board Chair at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. RGI has two divisions - one, a contract provider of technical support services to government agencies - and the other, a consulting business helping other small businesses do business with the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world - the US Federal Government. As our conversation unfolded, I came to understand how Sheri’s background in journalism prepared her for what is effectively a translation business. Sheri speaks and communicates fluently in “government-ese” and “nerd-ese” languages, and in normal American English - which allows her to navigate regulations and requirements and communicate deliverables - and help others do the same. Today’s episode is full of navigation of strange territory for me - the government - but I had a wonderful translator, and we shared many laughs and a few tears near the end. So please tune in, as I’m sure you’ll enjoy, my conversation with Sheri Ridgeway.

August 12, 20261 hr 53 min

The LoCo Experience EP 282 Power Partnership w/ MO Benefits with Nima & Valeria Ortiz Mousavizadeh

In today’s conversation I sat down with a pair of founders who also happen to be newlyweds! - Nima Mousavizadeh & Valeria Ortiz Mousavizadeh - of MO Benefits Consultants. Valeria is a returning guest, having been on Episode 115 as the founder of Vortiz Insurance - which she retains. Nima has been an impact player for Journey Payroll & HR since 2021, starting in sales, and moving through Director to VP to President of Strategic Growth & Partner before co-founding MO Benefits. When Valeria was on the podcast, we detailed her journey from single mom from Puerto Rico to bilingual Medicare expert in Northern Colorado. In the time since, she added ACA benefits consulting to the practice, and that capability was part of the operational foundation for MO benefits. In today's conversation, we focused more on Nima's journey, including his roots as the son of a Persian immigrant from a Muslim background and a Catholic mother. His father was aligned with the Shah of Iran and had multiple companies - and the family struggled as immigrants to the USA and eventually found themselves in Trinidad, Colorado, where Nima grew up. Nima built his skill set as a corporate trainer in South Korea, working especially for Samsung Electronics. His enthusiasm for relationships and helping people, and Valeria's expertise in operations, create a fun partnership, and the love story is a big bonus to this conversation. So I hope you'll join me and enjoy my conversation with Nima Mousavizadeh and Valeria Ortiz Mousavizadeh.

August 5, 20261 hr 42 min

LoCo Experience EP 281 | A Legacy of Family, Team & Community - with Fort Collins Heating and Air

Today I was honored to sit down with longtime LoCo Think Tank member Glenn Frank, the CEO of Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, along with his key leadership team today and into the future - Anthony Taylor and Jesse Frank. Anthony serves as President & COO, and Jesse as Quality Assurance Supervisor. We spent some time on the evolution of the business in recent years - the addition of plumbing - and then electrical to the Fort Collins Heating & Air offerings - and the relatively recent launch of Origin Plumbing - Heating - Cooling - Electrical and their efforts to grow market share outside of Fort Collins and the immediate surrounding area. We talked about technology and trends in the industry, roles and responsibilities - and especially, the significance of saying yes to being a part of a multigenerational family business. HVAC and Veterinary services are two industries that have been bought up like crazy by private equity in recent years, to the point where very few remain privately owned. It’s clear that Glenn and his boys are proud to continue the quality of service - and care for team and community - that family businesses are known for. We chased some squirrels, had some laughs, and I learned a lot about business and family today - so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Glenn & Jesse Frank and Anthony Taylor.

July 29, 20261 hr 42 min

People and Pivots and all about China with Albert Wolfe - Adaptive Leadership Coach & Author

In May, I got an email from Albert Wolfe, sharing that he’s travelling to Fort Collins area visiting family soon, from Guangzhou, China, and that he loves what I’m doing with LoCo Think Tank, and has been listening to and enjoying The LoCo Experience podcast - and would I be interested to have him on as a guest? Flattery will get you everywhere with me, so of course I said yes - and we had one opening during his stay here - the day before his departure. In the meantime, we shared a pair of lunches, one with my other China-expert friend Kim O’Neil, and we shared a podcast conversation full of more twists and turns than a road course in Formula 1! The biggest pivot in Albert’s career was when he left a career in education - as Director and Associate Professor of an English language department at a university in Guangzhou - to become the GM of a long-established brand, Healthy Household, Ltd. - which had been a catalog company much like the Sears catalog of old time USA. He oversaw a transition to e-commerce, and also shifted the use of real estate to become a high-end bilingual kindergarten - where he became the founding principal. The school grew quickly and Albert exited after about 3 years, and took something of a sabbatical. But - his contacts kept calling him to do consultancy work for their businesses, and now, 6 years later, Albert has joined the team at international coaching and training company, Adaptive Leaders - and co-authored a book Performance Leadership: 4 Keys to Extraordinary Results (https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Leadership-Keys-Extraordinary-Results/dp/B0F2Z66ZCB). I doubled my knowledge of China during Albert’s stay in Fort Collins, and also learned that “not very good” at ping-pong in China is “better than most, including Curt” in America. There’s a ton of great business insight in this one, and a lot of laughs, so please enjoy my conversation with my new American friend in China, Albert Wolfe.

July 22, 20261 hr 35 min

The LoCo Experience | Dancing Farmer becomes a Networking Expert! - Andrew Johnson

When Andrew Johnson was yet a pre-teen, his older sister started taking dance classes - and he’d be dragged along. Soon, there was the inevitable odd-numbered class, and Andrew was volunteered to be partnered up - and it was quickly apparent to all - that boy can dance! Soon after, Andrew was training with private tutors, and entering Pro-Am competitions around the country - and later, around the world! He was farming with his family as his primary income source, also teaching dance classes and tutoring locally, and building an impressive semi-professional dance resume - and then he fell in love with one of his dance class students! Sarah tagged along for a while on the dance circuit, and then started having babies - which preceded a change in track. Farmstrong Coaching was born, combining Andrew’s love of fitness, coaching, and technology, and he soon joined a local BNI chapter. Soon after, he became the chapter President and they achieved incredible growth. Soon, he was offered a part-time job as the Colorado launch director, and then full-time as Regional Launch Director - then an executive role as the National Launch Director - all in the span of about 2 years and during the pandemic! I’ll let you listen to the show to find out how that chapter ended - but born out of that high-intensity education was Business Networking Done Right. Andrew shares abundantly from his bag of best practices when it comes to networking in this conversation, and transparently about his priorities in business, and why they do what they do at BNDR. Andrew has also become a podcast host - tune in to the Connections that Matter podcast in a few weeks to hear our conversation on his show recorded only a week apart from this one. He’s an inspiring young man, and I’m proud to call him a LoCo Think Tank member and a friend, so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Andrew Johnson.

July 15, 20262 hr 0 min

LoCo Experience Ep 278| Kelly Sage, President & CEO of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership

I had a ton of fun in today’s podcast - kind of a get-to-truly-know someone you’ve known and appreciated for 25 years already - Kelly Sage - FKA Kelly Jones - FKA Kelly Peters when we first met circa 2001. Kelly has worked in economic development since I first moved to Fort Collins in 1999, and was instrumental in the launch of the Rocky Mountain Innosphere and the Warehouse Business Accelerator, she’s served on more boards than I can count on both hands - and she’s currently the President and CEO of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership. Kelly and I share so many characteristics, that I teased during this conversation that we were siblings separated by birth. We sing The Star Spangled Banner together in this one - acapella - and our personal values are much like mirrors. But our journeys couldn’t be more different. Her hippie mom left the family in Waterloo, Iowa when Kelly was twelve - and she became the responsible adult of the household. Her dad was a rock and roll star locally - and travelled and opened for big names - and he ran a successful home supply business - until his alcoholism overcame and his business went bankrupt. A few years later, Kelly moved in with her mostly estranged mother to Northern Colorado - and she began her pursuit of building economic prosperity and security through a philosophy she early subscribed to called economic gardening. Too many stories to share in this intro - but you have my promise that you will very much enjoy - as I did - my conversation with Kelly Sage.

July 8, 20261 hr 46 min

LoCo Experience #277 | Grow Food Where You Live! - with Matthew & Quint Redmond of Agriburbia

In today’s conversation, I sat down with Matthew & Quint Redmond - and learned that Quint is also Matthew - Matthew Cook Redmond the 5th as it were - and I can safely say that it’s the first time I’ve been in a room with a 5th and a 6th of a family name. Quint is the Co-Founder and CEO of Agriburbia (https://agriburbia.com/) - along with his wife Jennifer - which began as a leading-edge consultancy in the area of sustainable real estate development. Helping people and agriculture live together, so to speak, and enabling high-efficiency food production in urban and suburban environments - built into the development plan! Their mission is to help create and integrate 30 million successful urban and suburban farmers. Matthew the 6th is leading their design and technology division, and is likely their future CEO. He has been incorporating automations and AI to help their systems provide optimal production - and is supporting an intentional pivot from a pure consultancy to a product-based company. Their E.A.T. Systems - Environmentally Augmented Trellises - are particularly impressive and offer many advantages for growing high-value crops. Their systems provide enough support to keep plants productive and protected from frost - but don’t require the energy consumption or permitting or infrastructure of greenhouse-type systems - think kinda like clothesline gardens but with support and water and cameras and frost protection built in! I love local food AND local business - and Agriburbia hits both those buttons for me. I learned so much in this conversation - and am inspired to grow even more food in my backyard! So - please enjoy, as I did, and be inspired by, as I was - my conversation with Matt & Quint Redmond of Agriburbia.