Beyond High Street

Kevin George: CMO, Harvest Health & Recreation

So good to catch up with Kevin George, the new CMO of Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. – a vertically integrated public cannabis company. That’s right, a cannabis company. Kevin has spent the past 20+ years in global leading roles at Unilever, Beam Suntory and the marketing agency Mosaic. He is taking his plethora of experience, knowledge and relationship into one of, if not, THE fastest growing industries in the United States. He now has the chance to build a slew of brands from scratch – ones they have acquired and others they are incubating. They have raised nearly $300 million to capitalize the business and as he says, this is like the day after prohibition for the alcohol industry. The opportunity is immense with no clear leader. There are challenges ahead, it is a state-by-state industry that is not federally legal (yet). As he always does, he also shares great wisdom for Miami students in the pod.

Jeff Gooding: Senior Director of Marketing and Advertising, Ace Hardware

Welcome back to Beyond High Street! One area I want to focus on with this podcast is innovation/transformation, and retail is the perfect industry for that. Our guest today is Jeff Gooding, who oversees all Marketing and Advertising for ACE Hardware. He shares great thoughts on what it takes to change in today’s business environment and how to work in a co-op environment (as he says, “it’s like having 4,500 bosses”). Jeff also shares a perspective about job hunting for college kids - that it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. Point being, internships or getting a foot in the door somehow is more important  than landing your dream job at 21. Enjoy the pod.

Marc Bushala: CEO, Heaven’s Door Spirits

Happy New Year Beyond High Street friends. Marc Bushala has passion to be an entrepreneur. You can hear it in his voice in how he thinks through challenges and opportunities. He shares some great stories about taking advantage of opportunities (especially when you are young) and how to find openings in the marketplace. All of this business and entrepreneurial work led him down a path into the spirits world. And after a deep dive almost a decade ago, he has been building and creating some incredible whiskey products including Angel’s Envy and now Heaven’s Door in collaboration with Bob Dylan. Google his background. It’s very impressive. Enjoy the pod.

Jeff Tennery: Founder & CEO, Moonlighting

Jeff Tennery is the founder & CEO of Moonlighting and has spent 25+ years in senior executive leadership roles in the mobile space via Verizon, AT&T Wireless and Millennial Media. Jeff has spent the past year “moonlighting,” helping friends and co-founders on nights and weekends build the first on-demand mobile marketplace (you will hear his commentary on the 41^st hour in the pod! and when/how/why to start a business). Prior to founding Moonlighting, he was responsible for delivering hundreds of millions of dollars annually across 50,000 applications worldwide, playing an instrumental role in Millennial Media’s 2012 IPO. He has incredible insight for those that want to start a business, the future of blockchain plus a stroll down memory lane at Miami talking MGT 495, being a Miami Merger and loving his cheese fries!

Mark Satkiewicz: Partner, SBT GRVL

Mark Satkiewicz has spent the past 20+ years working with and building mission-based businesses. All of that work is guided off a simple phrase from him: are you a contributor in life or a consumer? And a recent near fatal health issue (resuscitated to life!) has made him refocus on what’s important for him and his family. He is taking that new focus back to Steamboat, CO with his family to better the community and move it forward. Like many, he credits Miami for four of the best years of his life.

Donn Davis: Founding Partner, Revolution Growth

The conversation with Donn Davis gave great insight into how he thinks. He is a Founding Partner of Revolution Growth as well as Co-Founder and Chairman of the Professional Fighters League. The commonality of those two businesses: disruption. And that is what we focus much of the conversation on. We also dig into the differences in being an attacker v. defender and a builder v. manager. His perspective and tips for college students and those in their 20’s is worth paying attention to. He is also the first person on the pod to create an actual business class at Miami, called Real Business after 20-years in the business world. I hope you enjoy the conversation. I did.

Rob Snow: Founder, Stand Up 4 Downs

This podcast with Rob Snow defines Miami and the type of people that graduate from the university. I am super proud of what Rob is and will do to create change. Life presents situations that make each of us alter what we do. It’s when those situations happen that bring out the best in people. Rob’s son Henry was born with down syndrome in 2009 and immediately Rob knew he had a chance to do more. He has combined his comedic chops and personality along with his family life to create Stand up 4 Downs and the IMPROVANEERS – the world’s first ever improv team featuring a full roster of young men/women with down syndrome. They practice weekly and will perform LIVE together later this year. The IMPROVANEERS are learning eye contact, ability to think on their feet, voice projection, self-confidence and many other tools to help them socially and in the work force. It’s a must listen pod. And PS – you will love his story about Doc Shriver.

Greg Van Kirk: Co-Founder, Community Enterprise Solutions

Greg Van Kirk is co-founder of Community Enterprise Solutions and Social Entrepreneur Corps. He has been recognized as the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year and a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He is very thoughtful and measured in his approach to teamwork, collaboration and combining public/private partnerships. Greg provided one of my favorite lines in all of the pods to date: “I want to solve wicked problems that are intellectually challenging.” Like many, he credits Miami’s Luxembourg program in his journey. It’s there that he learned empathy, the need for a better life for individuals and how to adjust to different cultures. I am proud to work alongside Greg on Miami’s Entrepreneurship Advisory Council.

Derek Block: President & CEO, Touchstone Merchandise Group

Derek Block could give a TedTalk on the value of coaching. The discussion about this subject is something of importance to all ages. He talks about beginning to understand that when he was a Miami University varsity hockey player twenty years ago, and he has carried that lesson into present day. And not just for account coordinators but for the C-suite. This line is lasting for me – if leadership is so important, how can you not afford to give them a coach. Simple yet profound. I also enjoyed his thinking on the subject of learning and how maintaining culture and relevance keep him up at night.

P.J. O'Rourke: Author

P.J. O’Rourke has written nineteen books (including some New York Times bestsellers) and his most recent one, None Of My Business, is a must read. He explains money, banking, assets, liabilities and why he’s not rich and neither are you (there is always humor in everything he writes and says!). You can hear the passion of Miami in his voice throughout our conversation as he continues to give the school props. Plus, his stories about late professor David Frazier (giving him a D on a mid-term paper, turning his life around and creating a long-term bond) and Dr. Shriver are fantastic. He never knew that Dr. Shriver knew who he was, but he sure did. We even chuckle together about what technology meant to him as a blossoming writer – long hand, not even a typewriter and no spell check. We begin the conversation discussing what gives him inspiration in writing on subjects.