"What if the smartest person in the room only has some of the answers, but ten people together have all of it?" In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Curt Bear, founder of LOCO Think Tank and host of The Loco Experience podcast. Curt built LOCO Think Tank to give Northern Colorado business owners a place to get honest, experienced advice from fellow business veterans, not consultants.

Episode Highlights
🔹 Why Curt describes each LOCO chapter as "two parts board meeting, one part support group."
🔹 How buying local keeps jobs, tax dollars, and community ties in Northern Colorado instead of Amazon.
🔹 Why the builders, thinkers, and next-level chapter structure matches leadership challenges to business size.
🔹 How Curt's own peer group talked him out of scaling a food trailer business that wasn't the right fit for him.
🔹 Why deliberately slow member vetting protects the trust inside a peer group.
🔹 How genuine curiosity, really trying to picture life in someone else's shoes, leads to better conversations.
🔹 Why Curt's co-branded hot sauce and whiskey partnerships grew out of long-term trust, not sales pitches.
🔹 How The Loco Experience podcast grew from a marketing side project into 277+ episodes.

Why You Should Listen
🔹 Learn what separates a true peer advisory group from a typical networking meetup.
🔹 Understand how to get honest, experienced feedback instead of well-meaning but under-qualified advice.
🔹 Discover how genuine curiosity about someone's story builds trust faster than any pitch.
🔹 Hear how small, authentic partnerships can grow out of long-term relationships instead of formal deals.
🔹 Get a first-hand example of how a peer group can help you recognize when to change direction.

Businesses Curt Recommends
🔹 Matador Mexican Grill: co-branded "crazy ginger" hot sauce partnership; Curt sends listeners there for refills instead of selling it himself.
🔹 Seed and Spirit Distilling: supplies the whiskey Curt shares with podcast guests; opening a tasting room in the former Funkwerks location.
🔹 Old Town Spice Shop: carries "the local mix," a rebrand of Curt's original spice blend, with a nod to LOCO Think Tank on the label.

How to Contact Curt Bear
Podcast: https://thelocoexperience.com
LOCO Think Tank (free "think" events): https://locothinktank.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/curt-bear/

Timestamps
00:17 — Welcome and introduction to Curt Bear and LOCO Think Tank.
01:11 — Why "buy local" sits at the heart of LOCO's mission.
06:56 — The difference between a true peer advisory group and a typical networking group.
07:06 — How LOCO chapters work as "two parts board meeting, one part support group."
13:37 — The builders, thinkers, and next-level chapter structure.
16:40 — How to get the most out of a mastermind or peer advisory group.
19:32 — Curt's own story of stepping back from a food trailer business.
26:19 — How The Loco Experience podcast started and grew to 277 episodes.
29:19 — How Curt finds and sources his podcast guests.
32:44 — Curt's advice for asking better questions and building curiosity.
35:41 — Building co-branded partnerships through trust, not pitches.
42:25 — Where to find The Loco Experience podcast and LOCO's free "think" events.

What if the biggest thing costing you referrals isn’t your work, your pricing, or your network—but the fact that people can’t clearly explain what you do?

Your brand is more than a logo, color palette, or business card. It is the complete experience people have whenever they interact with you—and that experience can determine whether customers find, trust, and choose your business.

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Amy Taylor, brand strategist and designer at O Hey Amy Design Studio. Amy helps small businesses, nonprofits, and churches combine strategy with the soul of their organizations to create brands that connect with the right people.

Amy explains how clear messaging makes it easier for customers to understand your value and for referral partners to confidently recommend you. She also shares how networking helped her overcome imposter syndrome, refine her elevator pitch, build a trusted referral network, and grow her business within the Northern Colorado community.

Episode Highlights

🔹 Why your brand is much more than a visually appealing logo.

🔹 How to recognize when your business has outgrown its DIY branding.

🔹 Why strategy, messaging, and customer clarity should come before colors and fonts.

🔹 How networking events can become a testing ground for your elevator pitch.

🔹 Why your clothing, behavior, business cards, and follow-up all contribute to your personal brand.

🔹 How a clear message helps networking partners recognize and communicate referral opportunities.

🔹 Amy’s five-step branding process: soul, customers and competition, strategy, visual identity, and implementation.

🔹 Why the people in your referral network should reflect the quality, empathy, and customer experience of your brand.

🔹 A practical networking strategy introverts can use to confidently enter conversations.

Why You Should Listen

🔹 Learn how to explain who you help and what problem you solve in one clear breath.

🔹 Discover why brand clarity can improve your marketing, networking, referrals, and customer trust.

🔹 Understand how to align the way your business looks with the experience it actually delivers.

🔹 Learn how to choose referral partners who serve your customers with the same level of care you provide.

🔹 Get practical advice for approaching groups, starting conversations, and building deeper connections at networking events.

How to Contact Amy Taylor

Website: oheyamy.com
Instagram: @oheyamy.studio
LinkedIn: Amy Taylor

🔹 Submit the discovery-call questionnaire on Amy’s website to discuss your branding needs.

🔹 Book a one-hour clarity session to brainstorm solutions and create an actionable roadmap.

Timestamps

00:56 — What a brand strategist actually does.
02:49 — When a business has outgrown DIY branding.
06:46 — Using networking to test and improve your messaging.
08:11 — How your brand shows up at networking events.
12:30 — Making your business easier for referral partners to explain.
16:02 — Amy’s five-step branding and rebranding process.
20:13 — How referral partners become part of your brand.
21:34 — Amy’s networking advice for introverts.

Entrepreneurs rarely start a business intending to sacrifice their marriage or family. Yet without intentional boundaries, the company can slowly become the “mistress”—taking the time, energy, and attention once reserved for home.

In this partnership edition of Connections That Matter, Angela and James Mitchell, co-founders of Love Intentionally, share how entrepreneurial couples can build successful businesses without allowing their relationships to drift apart.

Drawing from Angela’s counseling experience, James’s background in entrepreneurship and coaching, and their own marriage, they offer practical systems for keeping love, family, and business aligned. They also explain why a healthy home life is “rocket fuel” for business success. When entrepreneurs feel supported and connected at home, they have more energy, focus, and confidence to grow their companies and strengthen their professional relationships.

Episode Highlights

🔹 Create an annual vision retreat for your marriage and family
🔹 Hold a weekly marriage meeting that combines emotional connection with household logistics
🔹 Establish boundaries that prevent business conversations from consuming family time
🔹 Schedule intimacy without creating pressure around what it must look like
🔹 Use the FBID exercise—Fears, Boundaries, Intentions, and Desires—before networking events, vacations, and family gatherings
🔹 “Bookend” demanding business seasons with intentional connection before and afterward
🔹 Help your spouse understand how business networking supports your shared financial and lifestyle goals
🔹 Replace resentment and defensiveness with appreciation, validation, and honest communication

Why You Should Listen

If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or spouse of one, this conversation offers a practical framework for protecting your relationship while pursuing ambitious goals.

You will learn how to recognize relationship drift before it becomes a crisis, create systems that keep both partners on the same page, and handle business networking without leaving your spouse feeling overlooked or resentful. Angela and James also share simple ways to make date nights more playful and keep connection alive during travel, deadlines, and demanding seasons.

Businesses Angela and James Mitchell Recommend

🔹 Pinball Jones — A Fort Collins pinball arcade where couples can incorporate play, friendly competition, and something different into date night.

🔹 The Love Shack — An alcohol-free social destination in downtown Loveland with handcrafted mocktails and a basement gaming area designed for connection and fun.

🔹 Avogadro’s Number — A Fort Collins restaurant and live-music venue where Angela and James have enjoyed trying something new together, including swing dancing.

How to Contact Angela and James Mitchell

Website: loveintentionally.com
Instagram: @loveintentionally.co
Schedule a free 40–45-minute discovery call through their website
Podcast: Married & Magnetic
Book: Married & Magnetic: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to a Thriving Marriage and a Booming Business

Timestamps

03:05 — How a growing business can create distance in a marriage
05:03 — Systems for keeping your marriage intentional
12:06 — Healing old wounds and changing relationship patterns
16:09 — Why a strong home life is rocket fuel for business success
20:01 — Creating boundaries around business conversations
23:54 — Including your spouse in business networking
29:05 — Using the FBID tool to protect date nights and relationships
32:06 — Staying connected during travel, deadlines, and busy seasons
34:46 — Playful Northern Colorado date-night ideas

Business networking becomes more memorable when you have more than a business card to share. A professionally published book can build authority, support referrals, and keep your expertise in front of potential clients.

Liz Mrofka, Chief Creative and owner of What If? Publishing, joins Andrew Johnson to share lessons from her 30-year career in publishing, marketing, and graphic design. Liz explains how print-on-demand has opened new opportunities for independent authors—and why publishing a successful book involves much more than writing a manuscript.

From professional typography and cover design to Amazon categories, keywords, reviews, and author pages, Liz reveals the details that help a book look credible, reach the right readers, and strengthen an author’s professional reputation.

Episode Highlights

🔹 How print-on-demand made professional publishing more accessible.

🔹 Why typography, layout, and cover design affect the reader’s experience.

🔹 How a book can establish authority and create new business opportunities.

🔹 Creative ways businesses can use books as interactive marketing tools.

🔹 How Amazon categories, keywords, reviews, and author pages improve visibility.

🔹 Why the best place to begin writing a book is with the table of contents.

🔹 How writing groups and intentional networking create valuable relationships.

Why You Should Listen

🔹 You have a book idea but do not know how to begin.

🔹 You want to use a book to establish yourself as an expert.

🔹 You need help understanding the publishing, design, or marketing process.

🔹 You want to make your business networking more intentional and memorable.

Businesses Liz Mrofka Recommends

🔹 Writing Heights Writers Association — A supportive writing community offering education, networking, collaboration, and opportunities to connect with other writers and publishing professionals.
https://writingheights.com

🔹 Bargain Booksy — A promotional resource for discounted book campaigns that can help authors reach new readers, generate reviews, and improve their rankings.
https://www.bargainbooksy.com

How to Contact Liz Mrofka

🔹 Website: https://www.whatifpublishing.com

🔹 Email: liz@whatifpublishing.com

Want to meet Andrew, connect with podcast guests, and build relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders? View upcoming networking events here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/nia-next-level-networking-3697909

Timestamps

00:25 Introducing Liz Mrofka
01:01 Liz’s path into publishing and print-on-demand
03:24 The details behind professional book design
04:28 Cover research, categories, and keywords
10:53 Using a book to build business authority
12:47 The story behind a successful coloring book
15:02 Generating authentic book reviews
17:23 Author pages and search visibility
18:08 The best way to begin writing
19:28 Intentional networking and writing groups
21:41 Becoming an authority through publishing
24:20 How to connect with Liz

Being good at what you do is not enough if no one remembers you.

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Todd Schreier from Schreier Group to explore how business owners can stand out, build trust, and turn ordinary interactions into memorable experiences.

Todd shares his unconventional approach to grassroots marketing, why fear of rejection keeps people from pursuing opportunities, and the two questions every business owner should be able to answer: What problem are you solving, and what question are you answering?

From sending a QR-code cake to a major prospect to wearing a Buc-ee’s onesie during a keynote presentation, Todd demonstrates what it means to break through the noise while remaining strategic, authentic, and focused on results.

Episode Highlights

🔹 How Todd used a cake with a QR code to transform a cold pitch into an unforgettable experience.

🔹 Why the answer is already “no” until someone gives you a “yes.”

🔹 The two questions every business owner should revisit regularly.

🔹 Why understanding your audience matters more than assuming you already know them.

🔹 How making a deposit before making a withdrawal builds trust in business and networking.

🔹 What Buc-ee’s can teach small-business owners about branding and creating raving fans.

🔹 Why 1,000 high-intent views can be more valuable than 20 million views from people who do not care.

🔹 How persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to risk rejection create new opportunities.

Why You Should Listen

🔹 Learn how to break through the noise without relying on generic cold messages.

🔹 Replace the fear of rejection with a more useful perspective on sales and business networking.

🔹 Discover practical ways to create memorable experiences for potential clients.

🔹 Build trust by providing value before asking for someone’s business.

🔹 Focus your marketing on meaningful results instead of vanity metrics.

🔹 Better understand the problems your business solves and the audience it serves.

How to Contact Todd

Company: Schreier Group
Website: SchreierGroup.com
Email: todd@schreiergroup.com
Phone: 970-970-TODD (970-970-8633).
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-schreier-3357471a4/

Timestamps

1:01 – Inside Schreier Group and turning moments into memories.
3:18 – Standing out through strategic grassroots marketing.
5:39 – Two questions every business owner must answer.
9:23 – Why the answer is already “no” until it becomes a “yes.”
13:18 – Building trust by making deposits before withdrawals.
16:54 – Branding and customer-experience lessons from Buc-ee’s.
19:11 – High-intent attention versus vanity metrics.
22:41 – How to connect with Todd and Schreier Group.

What happens when your business is generating revenue—but you cannot figure out where the money is going? Or when you are working 80 hours a week and still feel like everything depends on you?

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Austin Odle, founder of Odle Consulting, to discuss how business owners can identify the real problems hiding beneath the symptoms.

Austin explains why many supposed marketing problems are actually sales-process problems, why every business owner needs to understand their numbers, and how the right systems can help owners regain control of their businesses and their lives.

They also explore Austin’s approach to networking, his commitment to the Severance business community, and why adding value without expecting an immediate return can make networking a powerful force multiplier.

Episode Highlights

🔹 Why repeatedly trying the same solution may mean you are solving the wrong problem.

🔹 How a company spending $15,000 per month on leads discovered it actually had a sales-process problem.

🔹 Why business owners must understand where their money is coming from and where it is going.

🔹 How Austin helps owners and their teams make meaningful behavioral and operational changes.

🔹 Why Austin’s goal is to help clients reach the point where they no longer need him.

🔹 How curiosity, thoughtful questions, and authentic relationships shape Austin’s networking strategy.

🔹 Why stepping into leadership can deepen your involvement and visibility within a community.

🔹 How networking creates opportunities far beyond finding your next client.

Why You Should Listen

🔹 You are working more hours but are not seeing that effort reflected in your income.

🔹 Your business keeps experiencing the same problems despite repeated attempts to fix them.

🔹 You want to separate the symptoms in your business from their underlying causes.

🔹 You are looking for practical ways to improve your sales process, leadership, or operations.

🔹 You want to make networking a more intentional part of your business-development strategy.

🔹 You believe your business should support your life—not consume it.

Free Business Resources

Austin offers a collection of free tools for business owners, including an eight-question Business Analysis Tool designed to identify where a business may be experiencing stress and what could be causing it.

Explore the tools: odleconsulting.com/free-tools

How to Contact Austin

Website: odleconsulting.com
Email: austin@odleconsulting.com
Phone: (970) 502-1318
LinkedIn: Connect with Austin Odle

Your health does not stay at home when you go to work. It affects your energy, focus, decision-making, follow-up, and ability to show up for the people who depend on you.

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew sits down with Gerri Kier from Complete Nutrition Alliance to discuss how nutrition, lifestyle choices, and individualized testing can help people better understand why they may feel tired, foggy, uncomfortable, or simply not at their best.

Gerri shares the personal health crisis that ended her successful photography career and led her into the natural health field. She explains why warning signs such as fatigue, headaches, digestive discomfort, and stiff or sore joints should not automatically be dismissed as normal aging.

Andrew and Gerri also explore practical ways busy professionals can make healthier choices during networking lunches, coffee meetings, happy hours, and other business events—without expecting perfection or trying to change everything overnight.

Episode Highlights

🔹 Simple ways to start your morning with better hydration and nutrition.

🔹 Warning signs that your body may not be functioning at its full potential.

🔹 How Gerri’s own health breakdown forced her to completely change careers.

🔹 Why individualized testing may provide better direction than guessing with random supplements.

🔹 Practical ways to prepare for networking events without arriving hungry and making impulsive choices.

🔹 Why lasting health improvements require lifestyle changes—not merely temporary solutions.

Why You Should Listen

🔹 Understand how your physical health can directly affect your business performance.

🔹 Learn how small, consistent choices can improve your energy and quality of life.

🔹 Discover why health and nutrition solutions should account for each person’s unique circumstances.

🔹 Hear an inspiring example of turning a major personal setback into a new purpose and successful business.

How to Contact Gerri
Complete Nutrition Alliance
Phone or Text: 303-815-3567
Email: gerri@completena.com
Website: CompleteNA.com

Gerri offers a complimentary 30-minute consultation to learn more about your concerns and determine whether working together would be a good fit.

Timestamps
2:18 – Simple nutrition and hydration choices to start your day.
8:01 – The health crisis that ended Gerri’s photography career.
13:32 – Using individualized testing to search for underlying causes.
21:15 – Making healthier choices at networking and social events.
24:33 – Creating sustainable lifestyle changes one step at a time.
30:35 – Why do-it-yourself health solutions can become frustrating and expensive.