Let's talk energy savings! With winter breathing down our necks we all are wondering the same thing, "Am I prepared?" Black Hills Energy is ready for this question and happy to help. Erik is joined by Amy Fiala, Energy Efficiency Expert and Jason Auslander from Public Affairs to talk about simple steps we can all do to make our houses more efficien…

Erik gets a chance to go on one of his "plodcasts" where he walks and talks with a local business and is so happy to tour the newly renovated Eagle River Inn in Minturn. Tierney Delude, General Manager at the Eagle River Inn provides the tour and information, guiding Erik through the idea, the renovation process and the reception the Inn has receiv…

Erik gets a chance to talk with someone he has long respected in this valley, Bob Bandoni, Executive Director of Students Shoulder to Shoulder. For years Bob and his team have shared ethical leadership practices with the youth of this valley and it's a better world because of it. Bob explains how leadership influences every part of society, and its…

In this episode, VVP's Erik Williams welcomes Katie DiGiacomo, President and Owner of Hot Jobs Staffing & Recruiting, recent honoree of Coloradobiz’s Top 100 Woman-Owned Businesses. They talk about hiring in the high country vs the front range, retention strategies, trends in the workplace, and the future of hiring for jobs in places where housing …

Erik has a chance to spend time with a truly extraordinary person, Brielle Kelley. Brielle is a school-based therapist at Homestake Peak School and Eagle Valley Elementary School as well as as working at Your Hope Center. Her passion is for her students to succeed and it comes through loud and clear with the strategies and techniques she employs in…

Erik get's a chance to spend time with Gracie Rounds, which is always time well spent! Gracie's Coffee was named Best Emerging Business of the Year at this year's Success Awards and Erik and Gracie go through her timeline of seeing a need, starting a business, growing that business and...spoiler alert...selling the business to another up and coming…

Erik has a chance to sit with Ryan Santilli, Director of Sales with AVA Rafting and Zipline, for a wide-ranging discussion of trends in outdoor recreation. They discuss the COVID "bubble" of outdoor tourism, where it stands now, and the challenges of hiring and retention in a highly seasonal business. Ryan also teaches Erik what Via Ferrata is and …

In this podcast Erik gets a chance to chat about HR trends, challenges and solutions on a national scale with Yutaka Takagi, Principal Product Evangelist with isolved and how that transfers to our mountain communities with local isolved Business Coach Scott Trainer. They discuss what national trends are happening around employee engagement and rete…

Erik is joined by Tony Martinez, Founder and President of Cornerstone Insurance and Financial Group to discuss the vital role that proper insurance coverage plays in owning and operating a business of any size. Tony talks about some potential pitfalls that may occur but focuses more on the idea that working with an insurance broker is relational ra…

It's a real "plodcast" this time with Vail Valley Mountain Trail Alliance as we hike and talk! Erik is joined by Ernest Saeger, Executive Director with VVMTA and Nicky Asselin, Development and Engagement Manager. Join this trio as they head up Boneyard in Eagle on a cold Spring morning to talk about spring trails, hiking, protecting our resources (…

Erik gets a tour of the new medical spa in town, Apres IV, Aesthetics and Dental Haus from Dr. Hillery Oliver. Dr. Oliver talks with Erik about their multifaceted business, from skincare to dental and more while trying not to look too closely at how Erik himself is aging. Yes, he was invited back for a free consultation and you are too! Dr. Oliver …

Erik has a chance to visit an actual podcast room in the Slifer House, Slifer Smith and Frampton's shared workspace, with guests Jay Peterson and Kim Fritzler. They discuss the Slifer Foundation, why community involvement is so important and the upcoming Skivenger event to benfit the Community Market. The 4th annual Skivenger Hunt is a fun-filled d…

Erik has a chance to chat with Nancy Heard, GM of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and it's such an enlightening conversation! From the history of the Caverns, to the creation of the first attraction, to the addition of Iron Mountain Hot Springs, this longtime local business has been growing strategically and with community in mind. Nancy shares sto…

Erik had a chance to take his mic on the road for another "plodcast" and couldn't be happier to visit the fabled Alliance Moving Systems warehouse. Owner/Operator Andy Clark takes Erik on a tour of the facility that includes residential moving, document storage and shredding, what you might expect from this type of business. Then things get a littl…

Erik is joined by Vail Valley Partnership President and CEO Chris Romer to discuss Senate Bill 24-033 that has recently been introduced in the Colorado Senate. Vail Valley Partnership’s board has expressed opposition to this legislation due to the negative impacts on our economy. We believe it will essentially destroy spring, summer, and fall touri…

In this episode Erik gets a chance to sit with Barb Waters, owner and founder of Peak Business Management, to talk about the world of project management. There is a good chance you are actively involved in project management right now (even if it may be called something else!) and Barb talks about ways to not only maximize your results but perform …

Erik gets a chance to sit down with SpotSurfer Founder and President James Hohenlohe and Marketing Director Marissa Selvy to talk about this incredible idea and how it came to fruition. Not only are travelers taking aware of this new option but both businesses and homeowners are finding a simple passive income stream. The location-based app provide…

Erik has a chance to sit with Cam and Marcus from Mountain Youth to talk about the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and why it's important to our students, families and businesses. The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is an important tool for educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers and community program providers to truly know what issues young people a…

Erik is happy to be joined by Sue Nikolai, the Program Director for the Land and Rivers Fund to talk about an important way to give back for businesses and consumers. Protecting healthy rivers and open spaces in our community is simply good business. It is an investment in the future of our economy and community. We are fortunate to live in an area…

One of Erik's favorite guests is back! Author, speaker, coach athlete and more Holly Johnson returns with a new message and a new book! If you’re a chief executive officer (CEO) or business owner struggling to attract and keep the employees that matter, Holly understands your frustration. Prompted by three decades of her own experiences managing tw…

Erik is joined by VVP's Anna Robinson to talk about the One Valley Healthcare Program, in partnership with the Small Association Leadership Alliance (SALA) Healthcare Program, is a comprehensive and cost-effective alternative to traditional plans. While not a replacement for traditional health insurance, this new program offers affordable, accessib…

It's time to talk about how we can serve others! Brooke Skjonsby, Executive Director of Vail Valley Charitable Fund and Eagle County Gives expert talks to Erik about this important day in our community. Founded in 2010, Eagle County Gives is a coalition of over 50 Vail Valley nonprofits dedicated to strengthening the collaboration, fundraising capa…

Join the Vail Valley Partnership staff and trusted guests for Community Conversations, where we’re able to share thoughts, challenges and ideas around a specific topic in a relaxed and welcoming setting. VVP will invite subject matter experts on the topic and let the conversation go from there. As business leaders, we are stronger when we’re able t…

Erik Williams from VVP welcomes Erin Janklow, the Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Elevar, an ecosystem building program to prepare and support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to launch businesses in Eagle Valley. Erin is the Founder of Entrada ESL, a workforce program to teach immigrants English in 100 days. She currently splits her time consu…

Erik gets a chance to sit with Bob Bandoni, Executive Director of Students Shoulder to Shoulder,to talk about the unique lens through which they teach ethical leadership by case studies and living examples. Shoulder-to-Shoulder is an organization of four partner groups: schools, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropists. Together, we create a bro…

One of our favorite quotes at VVP is "Be brave enough to have conversations that matter." SpeakUp ReachOut lives by this tenet every day...and teaches us how we can be brave as well. Erik is honored to be joined by Leslie Robertson, the Awareness and Brand Manager for SpeakUp ReachOut and she shares her views on the state of our valley, what resour…

Erik is joined by Vail Valley Partnership President and CEO (and University of Colorado Alum!) Chris Romer to talk about the player-centric coaching style of new head football coach "Neon" Deion Sanders. Coach Prime's innovative and immersive style is taking the college football world by storm and Chris breaks down for us how that parallels our bus…

Erik gets a chance to sit at the feet of the master, local legend Steve Leigh, when it comes to on-air presence, local radio strategies and the future of radio (spoiler...it's not going away...hyper-local content works!) Let Steve's rich baritone voice wash over you while both entertaining and educating on what the local radio landscape looks like.…

Vail Valley Partnership's Christy Beidel and Erik Williams discuss the Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program CareerWise as well as CareerX, the career exploration services from Eagle County School District. Learn how your business can take advantage of our growing workforce pipelines that are putting our students into positions that are serving both …

This podcast was originally recorded in 2021, but this amazing course is offered annually. For upcoming course dates, visit www.vailvalleyworks.org. We at Vail Valley Partnership are really excited about these guests. We've been following the work of Dr. Jill McCrory and Dr. Steve Swafford with Leadership Outfitters. These are two nationally recogn…

VVP's Erik Williams steps just a bit out of his comfort zone to receive a wellness IV live on the podcast. If you've always wondered what it feels like? What are the medical benefits? Why is taking vitamins in this manner so much more effective? If I'm not an extreme athlete, does this make sense for me? Well...Erik asks all of the above and more w…

Erik heads down the road here in Riverwalk to the Diamond Building to visit Orisek Brothers Accounting. Joe and Chris Orisek join him to talk about the importance of professional bookkeeping services in the valley and what are some of the most often asked questions by small business? They also discuss how Joe and Chris came to be in this place, wha…

Erik thoroughly enjoys this conversation with Vail Jazz Artistic Director Drew Zaremba about his history, vision and all things jazz. Like an improvised piece of music, they both let this conversation unfold and carry them in it's wake:) Drew talks about the importance of legacy, the incredible work that is being done in the local schools and of co…

Erik get a chance to sit with Charlotte Lin, Sustainability Coordinator with the Town of Avon to talk about everything they are doing around sustainability and hold on because Avon is quickly moving in some very positive directions! Charlotte shares some stories from her past life as a climate scientist studying tundra ecosystems in the Canadian Ar…

Erik has the honor of sitting down with two of the amazing staff at Your Hope Center, Executive Director Carrie Benway and Clinical Director Dr Teresa Haynes, PsyD. to both celebrate being named the 2023 Vail Valley Partnership Best Non-Profit by their peers in the business community but more importantly to talk about their ongoing and vital work. …

Erik gets a chance to sit with Marc Brennan, Ph.D. Vice President and Campus Dean of CMC Vail Valley to discuss their latest win in the 2023 Success Awards, Best Place to Work. Marc discusses not only the reason for the best place to work (hint: it's the people!) but also what CMC means to the people of this valley and how our local community colle…

Erik gets a chance to chat with former Vail Police Chief and this year's Vail Valley Partnership Chairman's Award recipient Dwight Henninger. Dwight reflects on his years in the valley, the importance of a strong team and community partnership and also advocates for more resources dedicated to first responders. Vail Valley Partnership (and the comm…

Erik gets a chance to sit with Christine Holmberg, Executive Director and have an awesome conversation about where Foresight has come from, where it's going and how you can get involved, particularly in the upcoming summer programs. Learn more about all of that below! SUMMER CAMP FOR BLIND YOUTH ​JUNE 19-21 AND JULY 10-12, 2023 Foresight Adventure …

Erik gets a tour of the Venture Sports warehouse from Owner/Operator Mike Brumbaugh, meets some of the team and learns about all things spring biking in the valley. From what you need to get the machine up and running again, to some of the newer technology coming out, best trails, hero dirt, favorite road rides and more, they cover it all. While Er…

Feed neighbors in need and get tax credit and marketing benefits? It’s a win-win! More than 38 million Americans lack reliable access to nutritious meals. In Eagle County alone, over 8,700 community members are food insecure. Meanwhile, 108 billion pounds of food go uneaten in the U.S. — the equivalent of 40% of the country’s food supply. REcover, …

Erik is joined by Vail Valley Partnership's own Anna Robinson to talk about the LEAD Eagle Certification. They discuss who this is for, what the programs entail and why the certification came about in the first place. New in 2023, Vail Valley Works is pleased to introduce the LEAD Eagle Certification (Leadership Education And Development). This cer…

What does it take to make it long term in this valley? What does it take to put down roots in this place and see them grow? Erik is joined by Bratzo Horruitiner, Executive Director of My Future Pathways and Seth Ehrlich, Executive Director of SOS Outreach to talk about the idea of BELONGING in this community. Through the lens of their individual or…

Erik heads over to Walking Mountains Science Center to learn more about this year's Climate Action Week...or 10 days...c'mon it should be everyday! He's joined by Elizabeth Baer, Sustainability Fellow and Will Barror, Climate Action Coordinator and they discuss highlights from the upcoming week and how this initiative only works with COMMUNITY behi…

Erik heads to Cooley Mesa Detailing for a tour and conversation with owner Chris Baddick. They discuss a number of different business issues including the joys and challenges of taking over a family legacy business. Chris also discusses how a former professional cyclist came to work in the auto business and how he and his team can work towards posi…

Erik is joined this week by John Burns, owner/operator/co-founder of Slalom Fox cocktails. Based in the Front Range but with a strong mountain presence, John recounts the story of how this company came to be, what challenges they faced building their dream and how it is moving into the future. They talk candidly about challenges around brand awaren…

Erik is joined by Shannon Grant, Director of Post Secondary Learning and Career Readiness for Eagle County School District and Carolyn Tucker, Regional Business Services Coordinator for the Colorado Workforce Center to discuss WORK WEEK! It's not Shark Week, it's Work Week. Work Week 2023 March 28 – March 30 Join us for the new, week long spring hi…

In this podcast Erik steps WAY out of his comfort zone to talk taxes...and finds out it's not really that uncomfortable after all! Brush Creek Financial Advisors' Matt Welsh joins Erik to talk about new additions to the tax code, things we should be aware of in the coming year and some simple strategies that make sense for people of all income leve…

Childcare. Early Childhood Education. It's a topic frequently in the news, it's a strategic priority for Eagle County but what does it look like from a local childcare provider perspective? Whitney Young, Executive Director of The Family Learning Center (FLC) and Cristina Betancourt Santos, Site Director at FLC invite Erik into the school (during n…

This is the podcast where host Erik Williams says "Really?" and "No way!" far too many times, however we dare you to listen and not feel the same! Local archeologist, founder and curator of The Museum at Dinosaur Junction, Billy Doran takes the listener on a private tour of the museum, sharing stories of Eagle County's incredibly rich dinosaur hist…

VVP's Erik Williams learns about the world of professional coaching, not sports however, you'd be surprised at some of the parallels. Kim Smith talks about her personal journey to becoming a coach, working with teams and maximizing potential that exists in both us and the system around us. Learn more about Kim Smith and Professional Coaching HERE T…