AmplifIA

Zach and Ann Dobeck tell their story of how Kinship Brewing was born and landed in Waukee, IA. Zach's passion is palpable - moving here from Atlanta and building such a strong community in a relatively short period of time is a testament to that. Zach and Ann's vision of creating a place of connection to be the "community cheers" opened the beginning of 2021, but rightly already feels like a community staple. This brewery complete with bright murals done by an Atlanta artist, dog park, beer garden, food concept, and even other alcohol for us gluten-sensitive people, is made to feel like the main event instead of simply a stop during the day. 

The most common question I get asked is - why did I start this podcast? In this short intro to season 2, I share my why. I can't wait for you to hear the startup stories of local businesses this season!

If you would like to be featured on a future episode, or know someone who should be, please reach out to me at veronica@amplifiowa.com.

Beacon of Life is a transitional home for women coming out of incarceration, domestic violence, and homelessness. The Executive Director Melissa Vine joins as guest to share the Beacon's story. Melissa has recently taken the role of leading this nonprofit and with her background as a trauma-informed, licensed mental health counselor with many years of experience working with women in crisis, she's a perfect fit. Before that, she has also started, purchased, and sold businesses and speaks with organizations regarding mental health and fostering healthy work environments. We discuss systematic issues with prison, how privilege gives choices, and breaking down limiting beliefs to get through trauma.

Dr. David Robbins, the owner and founder of both Des Moines Plastic Surgery and it’s non-surgical cosmetic center Coachlight Clinic and Spa, joins us as guest for this episode. In 2017, Des Moines Plastic Surgery, which specializes in cosmetic surgical solutions, expanded its services in a brand new location which now houses both businesses. Coachlight Clinic & Spa is the Des Moines area’s destination for beauty and wellness with numerous Best Of Cityview Magazine awards. Dr. Robbins’ vision for Coachlight Plaza that has come to life also includes a salon and a fitness center with room to grow.

After working for corporate America for 10 years, Christina Moffatt decided she was tired of seeing people with no happiness in their day. Her mission became to find what makes people happy. The answer she found? Cupcakes and dessert, which is how Crème Cupcake was founded. Christina was able to combine her management and marketing experience with her culinary skills to take her dream from a home-operated bakery to a commercial kitchen in less than a year. Listen in to hear how Crème pivoted early during the pandemic and continues to be a staple of Des Moines. Christina also has valuable experience helping other small business owners and shares knowledgeable advice. 

Tractor Zoom connects farm equipment auctioneers and buyers in a similar way as Zillow and Car Guru connect buyers to their respective markets. With Tractor Zoom, finding farm equipment at auction has never been so easy. Our guests this episode Kyle McMahon founder/CEO and Zac Sandvig CFO tell their story of how Tractor Zoom has quickly spread to over 440 auctions across 47 states. Additionally, they have recently launched Iron Comps, which is a platform that values agricultural machinery that could be found on Tractor Zoom. 

Marshall Porter the Chief Bacon Officer of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival joins as guest to talk about all things bacon. He tells us the full story of how the Bacon Festival started with a small group of his friends and grew to a massive event attracting tens of thousands of people in Des Moines. They have also held festivals in Keystone, Colorado, Reykjavik, Iceland, and Kufu, Japan. This year, hear about how Marshall has pivoted to film still sharing his love of bacon and food with hopes of continuing the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in years to come!

Hip-Hope Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to utilize arts and culture to promote, advocate and support Hope wherever symptoms of hopelessness are prevalent. Bo James, the founder and executive director of Hip Hope, joins as our guest this episode. We dig into all of the programming that Hip Hope offers to youth in the Des Moines area, how they connect and gain trust, and how they are incredibly relevant to the current societal and cultural needs of our youth. 

People and relationships are the path to success. That is why Aaron Warner formed ProCircular to prepare and protect organizations from the ever-changing cyber threats that face us every day. Backed by Warner's 22 years as a biotech CIO and CTO, and a top-shelf team of cybersecurity experts, ProCircular helps clients educate and empower their people to become the real initiative against incursions so we all can safely enjoy more of what’s important in life. Listen in to hear what it's like to intentionally hack into businesses to find their cybersecurity gaps and what it's like to deal with ransomware attacks.

Power Life is a healthy lifestyle based yoga and fitness community that started right here in Des Moines and is quickly spreading throughout the Midwest. Annika Peick, the marketing director at Power Life, is the guest on this episode. Her journey from student to trade worker to teacher to studio lead to marketing director is unique because she has witnessed Power Life at nearly every stage. Today, Power Life has grown in 3 geographic markets, 9 locations, and countless lives touched, and Annika has crafted and honed-in Power Life’s brand. Listen in to hear all about how Power Life got started and how they emulate their values through every part of their business.