#69 - Kenny Koepnick - The Toy Department

The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Radha Agrawal. She is a social entrepreneur, community architect, public speaker, & author. She is the CEO & co-founder of Daybreaker, an early morning dance movement in 26 cities around the world with over 500,000 multigenerational community members. Daybreaker’s goal is to reinvent the morning while designing and defining a new culture that’s 5am-9am instead of 9am-5pm. Daybreaker celebrated it’s 10th anniversary last year and is currently on its Peace Tour using the power of dance & joy to unite communities and the upcoming Purple Tour which will bring people of all political persuasions together as the election approaches. Daybreaker is also proud to introduce The Belong Center, a non-profit initiative aiming to further the mission of fostering community and wellness, expanding the reach and impact of Daybreaker's ethos.

In this episode Mark & Radha talk about the pandemic of loneliness, resetting success metrics in our brains, meaningful relationships, composting problems, and having experiences over luxuries. Radha also talks about her book “Belong” and digs into the updated definition and the cardinal direction of belonging.

Find out more about Daybreaker:
https://www.daybreaker.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dybrkr
https://www.instagram.com/dance
https://www.facebook.com/dybrkr

Find out more about Radha:
https://www.radhaagrawal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhaagrawal/
https://www.facebook.com/radha.agrawal
https://www.instagram.com/love.radha/
https://twitter.com/radhatwin?lang=en

Order a copy of "Belong":
https://belongbook.com/#preorder

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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Don Oeters, former owner of Watsons in Cincinnati, OH. Currently, Don is the president at EnterTRAINment Junction- "Voted Ohio’s Best Family Entertainment Center”. EnterTRAINment Junction is similar to an indoor theme park featuring the largest indoor train display in the United States, a railroading museum, and play center for kids that draws over 125,000 visitors annually from all 50 states and dozens of countries around the world.

In this episode Mark & Don discuss growing up without money, growth opportunities, finding better ways of doing things, continuing to learn, and dealing with issues head-on. Don also talks about the process of buying Watsons, picking the right business partner, his fascination with trains, and what he would do if he were starting a new business in 2024. Stick around as Don offers his best advice for success that anyone can apply to life.

Find out more about EnterTRAINment Junction
https://www.facebook.com/EnterTRAINmentJunction
https://www.youtube.com/c/entertrainmentjunction
https://www.instagram.com/entertrainmentj/
https://twitter.com/entertrainmentj
https://www.tiktok.com/@entertrainmentjunction?_t=8emirNZ55mI&_r=1

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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Clay Busch, founder of SiX 18 Media. This new agency empowers artists, athletes, influencers, and other brands to explore & create ancillary monetization models, leveraging their intellectual property, name, image, and audience to create new multi-vertical brands. Clay's vast experience, including pivotal roles in elevating independent live events and developing global stars at Interscope / Geffen / A&M Records, makes him a noteworthy figure in the industry. His innovative approach to artist development, marketing, and brand partnerships has consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional entertainment business models.

In this episode Mark & Clay talk about brand collaborations, consolidating talents, and treating artists like businesses for marketing campaign purposes. They also discuss following intuition, executing your ideas, and focusing on the long term while balancing the digital age with the real world. Stick around as Clay explains what he calls “sticky moments”.

Find out more about SiX18 Media:
https://www.six18agency.com/
https://www.instagram.com/six18agency
https://www.facebook.com/six18agency
https://twitter.com/six18agency

Find out more about Clay Busch:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claybusch/
https://www.instagram.com/claybusch/
https://www.facebook.com/clayBEAR
https://twitter.com/claybusch

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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Brian Ambs. Brian is a photographer by trade but also a content creator focusing on spicy foods, sour foods, cooking, & skateboarding. He is an avid marathon runner too, but his main passion lies in promoting the hot sauce industry. Check out Brian on YouTube where he eats and reviews spicy foods including a variety of peppers and hot sauces.  In this episode Mark & Brian discuss the growing hot sauce community, cross breeding peppers, the endorphin rush and physical pain associated with consuming spicy foods. Brian talks about his favorite hot sauce ingredients as well as creating his own hot sauce, “Ghost of Saffron” made by High Desert Sauce Co. They also talk about running social media like a business, normalizing the impossible, and becoming more resilient the older we get. Stick around as Brian talks about 36 agonizing hours rolling around on a hotel floor in Las Vegas in physical pain following a spicy wings challenge.

Find out more about Brian:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brianambs 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianambs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBria...

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brianambs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-amb...

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The Necessary Entrepreneur we welcomes Phil Treadwell, Founder & Mindset Coach at M1 Academy, as well as a national speaker and podcaster with nearly 20-years experience as a top-producing mortgage professional. Phil collaborates with industry thought leaders and has built teams in markets nationwide. He has been named one of the Top 10 Founders You Should Follow in 2024 by USA TODAY. He’s also the host of the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast where he interviews mortgage & real estate industry’s elite performers as they share firsthand tips and advice on how to build a more productive and profitable business. You can find out more about him at philtreadwell.com

In this episode Mark & Phil talk about refining yourself through failure, putting in the work to do a great job, getting your mind right, educating yourself, taking action, and to keep going. They also discuss the definition of a real friend, that willingness can’t be taught, providing value for people, and Mark's favorite that "almost anyone can do almost anything". 

Find out more about Phil:
https://linktr.ee/philtreadwell

Connect With Us:
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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Micah Carroll, President & CEO of The Rookwood Pottery Company located in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood right here in Cincinnati. The company was first founded in 1880 by pioneering artist Maria Longworth-Nichols. She built the company into a world-renowned ceramics studio, attracting the attention of famed artists and ceramicists all over the world. Today, Rookwood continues to build upon its rich heritage and creates the highest quality Art Pottery and Architectural Tile in the United States.

During the conversation, Mark & Micah talk about being present, investing in people, & taking ownership in every task. They also talk about sweat equity, making big BIGGER, measuring efficiency & effectiveness, risk tolerance, and taking the time to understand our own “why”. Stick around as Micah tells us why knowledge is the biggest drug in life.

Find out more about The Rookwood Pottery Company
https://rookwood.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rookwoodco
https://www.instagram.com/rookwoodpottery/
https://twitter.com/Rookwood_Co
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rookwood_Pottery_Company
@rookwoodpottery414

The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Rick Bell, co-founder & designer at Cincinnati Watch Company. Rick is an avid watch collector. His hobby led him to taking apart watches and then rebuilding them in his basement. In 2016, Rick Bell & Mark Stegman created Build Your Own Watch, providing watch fans the ability to assemble and case their own watches. Rick's video instruction is still available on YouTube. In 2018 Build Your Own Watch evolved into Cincinnati Watch Company with the Union Terminal Watch and P-40M Pilot watch bringing watchmaking back to Cincinnati, creating jobs locally for American watchmakers. By 2020, they added Jordan Ficklin as co-owner and in-house certified watchmaker. Rick spends years on single watch designs which are historically American based. Each watch is a unique custom-developed timepiece.

In this episode, Mark & Rick talk about the history of watchmaking, how the US created the first assembly line for watches, the cool factor about mechanical watches, and the cost of ownership. Rick also talks about microbrand watches, partnering with Union Terminal right here in Cincinnati, design inspirations, handling adversity, and most importantly doing the preparation and hard work for when luck shows up. Be on the lookout for new limited edition designs launching in 2024.

Find out more about Cincinnati Watch Company:
www.cincinnatiwatch.com
https://www.instagram.com/cincinnatiwatchco/
https://www.facebook.com/cincinnatiwatch
https://twitter.com/cincywatchco
@CincinnatiWatchCompany 

Connect With Us:
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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Tim McDaniel, the Kentuckian who moved west to chase dreams. Tim is a freelance film production professional currently working in LA for HBO. He has a background in movies, tv shows, commercials, and corporate video. He is experienced as a line producer, production manager, production coordinator, and assistant accountant.

During the conversation, Mark & Tim discuss the entertainment industry, news media, comparison syndrome, being resilient, and the pros and cons of a college education. They also talk about happiness vs joy, the drive to prove people wrong, creating a safe space to believe in yourself, understanding that most people are seasonal, and fighting for yourself because no one else is going to fight for you.

Find out more about Tim McDaniel:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3575880/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_0_nm_8_q_tim%2520mcdan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timdmcdaniel/
https://twitter.com/timdmcd
https://www.instagram.com/timdmcd/
https://www.facebook.com/TimDMcD

Connect With Us:
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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Kassandra & Courtney Pike, Co-Founders of Fliptable Plus. Fliptable Plus is a transformative mobile app, enhancing the hiring experience for both employers and job seekers in the restaurant & hospitality industry. Fliptable allows businesses to take control with easy-to-use hiring, POS, and payment software.

In this episode, Mark, Kassandra, and Courtney discuss problem-solving pain points in the restaurant industry, why they chose the tech route vs opening restaurant better than the competition, and pioneering in a small town. They also talk about identifying purpose, putting yourself in situations you aren’t ready for, not having a plan, staying focused, & taking action.

Find out more about Fliptable Plus:
https://fliptable.io
https://linkedIn.com/company/fliptableplus
https://facebook.com/fliptableplus
https://instagram.com/fliptable_app

Find out more about Kassandra & Courtney Pike:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassandrapikebusinessstrategyconsultant/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-pike-23514943/

Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenecessaryentrepreneur.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNecessaryEntrepreneurPod
X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/MPerkinsTNE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tnepod/
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The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Josh Quinn, Co-Founder of Boone County Distilling Company. Josh has a background in law enforcement and was an investigator for the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Josh and his best friend and business partner, Jack Wells, founded Boone County Distilling Company in 2012 which is located approximately 15 miles south of Cincinnati, OH and is a member of the Kentucky Craft Bourbon Trail. 

During the conversation, Mark & Josh talk about the origins of the company, building trust over time, human connectivity, cultivating relationships, being underrated, and that past performance is the best indicator of the future. They also discuss the involvement with sponsoring The Cincinnati Reds & Bengals and partnering with NBA All Star Stephen Curry to launch his signature Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon.

Find out more about Josh Quinn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshquinn-ky/

Find out more about Boone County Distilling Co:
https://boonedistilling.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_County_Distilling_Co.
https://www.facebook.com/madebyghosts
https://kybourbontrail.com/distillery/boone-county-distilling-co/
https://www.eventcenterboonedistilling.com/
https://www.instagram.com/boonecountybourbon?fbclid=IwAR1sXL-hezfmyFi8tZL9pCJbj7pxyMOs_w06UwU6Oq5ftFBJrQVGDQ1nlKI