chca

In this episode, I interview Cat Frazer, a 2020 graduate from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and a current junior at the University of Dayton. She has a double major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Sustainability. Working as an Education and Engagement Team Leader for the Hanley Sustainability Institute, she leads the Sustainability Activation Program (SAP). This year, Cat opened a clothing re-sale business in Dayton called Flyer Thrift. In her free time, Cat serves on the board as a volunteer with Make A Kid Merry, is the Vice President for the UD Diving Club, is a leader for bible studies with Cru, and participates in the Pi Sigma Epsilon marketing fraternity. 

Don't wait until you're out of college and in your mid-twenties to start the business of your dreams--get started today. That's the message from Michael and David Siman, graduates from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (class of 2018) and true entrepreneurs. What started as a sneaker and streetwear flipping business in their dorm room has turned into a six-figure apparel design company selling to large household names (Kofi Kingston, Sara Kelly, Owen Saxon) and YouTube Influencers (Hannah Bayles). 

You can check them out on Instagram (@michaelasiman) or LinkedIn (Michael Siman, David Siman). 

You can see their recent products at: https://hannah-bayles.myshopify.com/

This podcast features guest Kyle Peterson—Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University. Kyle provides unique insights into what students interested in entrepreneurship studies should know in order to experience success. He covers everything from the need to take risks and change the way one thinks to why fabrication and graphic skills are important and how entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. For more information on Cedarville's program, check out  Cedarville Beyond.

Sarah Sloyan is the Senior Vice President of EntreLeadership, part of the Dave Ramsey Network. EntreLeadership focuses on helping small businesses grow and part of that comes from their ideology around leadership, team building, and delegation. Sarah shares her thoughts on these topics including how to find a balance in one's life between seeking results and maintaining relationships--she explains that leadership starts by "leading yourself." 

This episode is a throwback to a 2019 interview with Wes Duren leading up to the CHCA Food Symposium event. Wes, the co-owner of Marvin's Organic Gardens, is part entrepreneur, part educator, part gardener, and part advocate. His insights on edible landscaping and organic gardening are key to the vision of the Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. 

This episode of the podcast is dedicated to a discussion around branding and why it is important to develop a story for your brand. Bill Rempe, the president and co-founder of Velvet Hammer Branding, is the podcast guest and his insights into increasing consumer engagement and answering the large "Why" of the business are invaluable to consumers and business owners alike. Additionally, he touches upon the role branding plays in the life of the individual in terms of perception. For more information on Bill and his company, check out Velvet Hammer Branding and to learn more about the Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and opportunities to sponsor this podcast, go here.

So you want to start a business? Have an itch to be an entrepreneur? Christine Sandoval, owner of Cocoon Coffee in Mason, Ohio breaks down the entrepreneur's journey and describes her own experience in starting a coffee shop bent on providing outstanding coffee, outstanding service, and outstanding atmosphere. Christine talks about defining her why, understanding consumer behavior and targeting customers, as well as dealing with COVID while finding balance.

In this episode I interview David Taylor, chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble. David has been at the company 40 years and he discusses several leadership lessons he has learned along the way. Additionally, David goes in-depth on the environmental and social initiatives at the company and why P&G is taking such a strong stand on sustainability. 

Scott Collins, the president and CEO of Linkage, knows his stuff--with a career focused on leadership and vision, he discusses the need to empower your team, to create empathy for the customer, to craft discovery questions, and to bring about ideation and innovation. Scott fuels the conversation with practical advice that is a must for any student or aspiring business leader.

In this day and age, there are many definitions of sustainability floating around. Today's guest, Diana Andrew from the Urban Green Lab in Nashville lays out a clear definition of sustainable living alongside tips and techniques to achieve such a lifestyle. From a discussion of the impact of "the three pillars" (economy, environment, society) to aspects related to food waste, Diana presents both a broad and specific approach to sustainable practices. 

In this episode, I interview Max Vonderhaar, current junior at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Max is an avid chef who is known throughout the CHCA community for his culinary skills--skills he hones by cooking for his lucky family members and friends. Max and I discuss the culinary world and its applicability to the CHCA Entrepreneurial program including the school's newly formed teaching kitchen which will be released Fall 2020 alongside the horticulture program to bring true farm-to-school education to the campus of CHCA.

In this episode I talk with Connor Espenshade--current sophomore at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Connor is well-versed in synchronous learning because of his work with online education which extends well before the COVID-19 crisis. Connor has also done extensive work with app development through Apple and is currently working on building a collaborative learning network at CHCA. All in all, Connor is always involved in something exciting and constantly learning new skills.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast, I interview both Alex O'Brien (class of 2017) and Maria Pancioli (class of 2019). Alex O'Brien began building the CHCA Organic Garden as a 7th grader and, upon graduation, handed the project off to Maria Pancioli. Alex discusses how building the garden taught him the importance of collaborating in teams for problem solving, and Maria discusses how the garden was instrumental in her path to study horticulture. The CHCA Organic Garden is a core part of the burgeoning entrepreneurship program at the school and will be used in bringing farm-to-school hands-on learning to all grades at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Amy Connor. Amy is the President & Owner of CMO-OnLoan™, an organization that serves mid-market companies in the Cincinnati region, helping them with the strategic marketing focus and integrated implementation needed to grow in competitive environments. Throughout the episode she discusses the importance of mentorship, the need for confidence and speaking up, as well as the significance of establishing trust. For more on Amy Connor's business, go to https://www.cmo-onloan.com.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Paul Picton--co-owner of Maverick Chocolate in Cincinnati, OH. Maverick Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate store specializing in ethically sourced, high quality chocolate. Paul discusses his role as entrepreneur after leaving the corporate world and how he became an "accidental social entrepreneur" through championing doing the right thing with his business. He also discusses the current COVID-19 crisis and what that means to him as a small business owner.

In this episode of the CHCA Entrepreneurial Podcast I interview Candace Pfister. Candace is a sophomore at the College of Charleston and also a graduate of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. She worked at the school's Leaning Eagle coffee bar for three years and went through the school's business entrepreneurship program. Last year her college team won the startup accelerator grand prize for their food waste app proposal.