Best JR Erickson Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 57: The Murder of Helene Pruszynki 30:02

1M ago30:02

30:02

In January of 1980, twenty-one-year-old Helene Pruszynski was interning at a radio station in Denver, Colorado. At the end of her shift she left to take the bus home to her aunt and uncles' home in Englewood, Colorado. She never arrived. The next day her brutalized body was found in a barren field. Her murder would go unsvolved for forty years. Fin…

1
15: Winning Customer Experience Strategies with Road Runner Sports President Mike Gotfredson Jr. 28:06

2M ago28:06

28:06

Road Runner Sports President and Owner Mike Gotfredson Jr. joins the podcast to share how his athletic shoe company evolved into a nationwide retailer over 41 years. Mike also talks with Vistage CEO Sam Reese about how his company uses technology to transform the in-store experience and create new levels of customer personalization and brand loyalt…

1
14: Secrets to Building & Scaling a Business with Cleanlogic Co-CEO Mike Ghesser 23:03

3M ago23:03

23:03

Cleanlogic Co-CEO and Vistage Member Award Winner Mike Ghesser joins Vistage CEO Sam Reese to talk about how his passion for prioritizing workplace accessibility grew from his personal experiences as a father and friend. Mike also shares how he persevered through challenges and roadblocks to build a thriving business from the ground up. For show no…

1
Episode 56: Interview with Psychic Medium Tammy Schuster 1:03:18

3M ago1:03:18

1:03:18

Tammy Schuster is a psychic medium, life coach and paranormal investigator in northern Michigan. In this episode we talk about her experience as a medium, her beliefs about good and evil and her experiences doing paranormal investigations. You can find Tammy on her website here: https://www.tammyschuster.com/ Show Sponsor: The Troubled Spirits Seri…

1
Episode 55: Bitter Endings is Now Called Between Light and Dark 2:50

3M ago2:50

2:50

This is a short update with information about some changes happening on the podcast. Primarily those include the name change from Bitter Endings to Between Light and Dark as well as new episodes featuring interviews with mediums and paranormal investigators in addition to true crime cases.By JR Erickson

1
13: AmeriVet CEO Tom Thill on Managing Massive Growth & Successful Business Transactions 28:01

6M ago28:01

28:01

AmeriVet Veterinary Partners CEO Tom Thill joins the podcast to share how his values-led approach to acquisitions has fueled explosive growth and led to happier vets and healthier pets. Tom also talks with Vistage CEO Sam Reese about what he learned navigating PE acquisition and why a CEO’s vision is so crucial to a successful sale. For show notes …

1
Episode 54: The Murders of Tammy, Leslie and Kristen 32:23

6M ago32:23

32:23

The horrors began in Scarborough, Ontario in Canada in 1987 with the rape of a young woman who was attacked in front of her parents’ home. Eventually the rapist would gain a partner and escalate his crimes from rape to murder. The couple behind the terrible crimes would eventually be dubbed the Ken and Barbie killers. Show notes: The Biter Endings …

1
12: The Line Up Owner Deb Erickson on How an Accidental Entrepreneur Built a Culture of Success & Successors 22:19

7M ago22:19

22:19

The Line Up Owner and Founder Deb Erickson joins the podcast to share her journey from working in social services to making apparel for some of the biggest sports teams in the country. Deb also talks with Vistage CEO Sam Reese about how learning to ask for help unlocked new potential for herself and her company, and the lessons she’s learned while …

1
11: Ricos CEO Tony Liberto on Inventions, Innovations & Achieving the Impossible 21:14

11M ago21:14

21:14

Ricos Products CEO and Vistage Lifetime Award Winner Tony Liberto joins the podcast and shares the amazing story of the invention of the ballpark nacho and how smart diversification strategies have helped his family business thrive through four generations. Tony also talks to Vistage CEO Sam Reese about how his investments in marketing and company …

1
10: Greyston CEO Joseph Kenner on the Win-Win-Win Approach to Hiring 23:50

12M ago23:50

23:50

Greyston President and CEO Joseph Kenner joins Vistage CEO Sam Reese to share his organization’s bold ideas for re-thinking hiring, mentorship and advancement in today’s workforce. Joseph also explains his experience reshaping his organization as a first-time CEO and his plan to work with major brands to make a $3B economic impact. Discover how Jos…

1
Episode 53: The Murder of Diane Drake 30:49

12M ago30:49

30:49

It was March 21st of 1980, and residents of Newport, Rhode Island were on the cusp of spring and 19-year-old Diane Drake was in the spring of her life. A time when most young people have given little thought to their own mortality. Unfortunately for Diane, that March would be her last. After departing for work on that stormy Friday, she was abducte…

1
Episode 52: The Disappearance of Angela Hammond 39:32

1+ y ago39:32

39:32

It was after eleven pm on April 4th, 1991 in Clinton, Missouri when twenty-year-old Angela Hammond’s friends dropped off at her car which was parked in a grocery store parking lot. She walked to the payphone and called her fiancé. As they spoke a man in a green pickup truck pulled up to the phones and violently abducted Angela. Horrified, her fianc…

1
09: Woom CEO Mathias Ihlenfeld on the Balancing Act of Scaling a Business 20:44

1+ y ago20:44

20:44

Woom CEO and “Chief woomster” Mathias Ihlenfeld takes us on his journey from assembling kids’ bikes in a garage to leading one of Inc.’s fastest-growing privately held companies in the US. Mathias also shares lessons learned trying to reimagine a 200-year-old product and the importance of creating magical moments for customers. Discover how Mathias…

1
Episode 51: The Murder of Joleen Cummings 24:31

1+ y ago24:31

24:31

It was May 12th, 2018, an ordinary day in the life of Joleen Cummings, but one tinged with excitement because the next day was her birthday and Mother’s Day. The mother of three worked her shift at Tangles Hair Salon in Yulee, Florida. What came after would be a mystery that baffled her family, friends, and investigators. It appeared that Joleen ha…

1
Episode 50: The Murder of Mina Dekker 48:56

1+ y ago48:56

48:56

Mina Dekker was just nineteen years old when she walked into work in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 4th, 1938. She would never walk back out. Sometime in a span of mere minutes while she was alone, someone walked into the building and brutally beat Mina Dekker to death. Show Notes at Bitter Endings Show Sponsor: Ashes Beneath Her (a North…

1
Episode 49: The Murders of Eve Wilkowitz and Christina Harris 25:58

1+ y ago25:58

25:58

Today's episode covers two unrelated murders that I originally released on my Patreon as mini episodes. Eve Wilkowitz was murdered in New York IN 1980 and the idenity of heR killer would remain unknown for more than forty years. Christina Harris was murdered in Michigan in 2014. Her family would spend years demanding justice when police ruled her d…

1
08: FC Cincinnati Co-CEO Jeff Berding on Winning on and off the Field 18:40

1+ y ago18:40

18:40

Fresh off his team’s banner season, FC Cincinnati Co-CEO Jeff Berding shares how he turned his audacious dream of bringing a professional soccer club to his hometown into a reality. Plus, Jeff discusses how he used a grassroots approach to create a culture of raving fans and brought different stakeholders together to build a world-class soccer stad…

1
Episode 48: The Vanishing of Evelyn Hartley 35:01

1+ y ago35:01

35:01

Saturday, October 24th, 1953, was an otherwise ordinary day for fifteen-year-old Evelyn Hartley. She left her home to babysit the young daughter of her father’s colleague. That evening as many of the community in La Crosse, Wisconsin were attending a homecoming game, someone would enter the house where Evelyn was babysitting and violently abduct he…

1
Episode 47: The Murders of Carol Ann Cole and Stacey Chahorski 16:26

1+ y ago16:26

16:26

This episode of the Bitter Endings Podcast was originally a mini episode for Patreon members. It features two unrelated cases of girls who vanished and were later found murdered. Caroll Ann Cole and Stacey Chahorski were both young women from Michigan who went missing and met with foul play in other states. Show notes: https://bitterendingspod.com/…

1
07: JEM Group CEO Jessica Meyers on Building to Improve Lives 21:23

2y ago21:23

21:23

JEM Group President & Owner Jessica Meyers shares how increasing diversity has helped her women-led company raise the bar in the construction industry. Plus, she talks about the work it takes to cultivate an authentic leadership style and why she ties business growth to lives impacted. Learn more about how Jessica has: Established transparency with…

1
Episode 46: The Murder of Lesia Jackson 20:10

2y ago20:10

20:10

It was September 7th, 1979, a time of freedom for young people including twelve year old Lesia Michelle Jackson who lived in Conroe, Texas. That Friday the shy, blonde Lesia swam in the lake after school. When she emerged from the water, she had no idea that the day would be her last. That evening Lesia disappeared, her brutalized body would be fou…

1
Episode 45: The Murders of Valerie Pride and Her Daughters 30:54

2y ago30:54

30:54

It was labor day, usually a time for celebrating but for Valerie Pride and her two daughters it would be the last day of their lives. Valerie was just 24 years old on September 6th, 1982. She’d just moved into a beautiful new home with her beloved little girls, Shonita who was eight and Duana who was four. She could not have imagined when the she p…

1
Episode 44: The Murders of Lauren Barry and Nichole Collins 32:31

2y ago32:31

32:31

The weekend of October 3rd, 1997 began as a fun weekend of camping for fourteen year old Lauren Barry and sixteen year old Nichole Collins in Kalaru area near Bega, Australia. Hanging with friends, horseback riding and siting around the bonfire were the extent of their plans. However, on Sunday October 5th, the girls made a fateful choice to leave …

1
Episode 43: The Brutal Murder of Athalia Lindsley 30:42

2y ago30:42

30:42

Almost five decades ago on January 23rd, 1974, 56-year-old Athalia Ponsell Lindsley was brutally attacked and murdered on the front steps of her home in St. Augustine, Florida. A month later, a man was arrested and charged with her murder—and yet, to this day, the case remains officially unsolved. Shiw notes: https://bitterendingspod.com/podcast/at…

1
06: Burns 1876 CEO Braydan Shaw on Staying Ahead of the Curve Through 145+ Years 26:03

2y ago26:03

26:03

Burns 1876 CEO Braydan Shaw shares how he balances 145+ years of company tradition with a relentless spirit of innovation. Plus, Braydan discusses how viral TikTok videos and a spot on the hit TV show Yellowstone have brought Cowboy swagger to a new generation. Discover how the company has: -Found a new and distinct customer base in recent years -R…

1
Episode 42: The MacDonald Murders (Part 2) 56:15

2y ago56:15

56:15

This is episode 2 of the MacDonald Murders. You’ll want to listen to episode 41 before listening to today’s episode. Part 2 begins with the convening of a grand jury hearing to examine the evidence that Jeffrey MacDonald murdered his wife, Colette and daughters, Kimberly and Kristen. Show sources: https://bitterendingspod.com/podcast/macdonaldmurde…

1
Episode 41: The MacDonald Murders (Part 1) 47:47

2y ago47:47

47:47

This is a two part case on the murders of Colette, Kimberly, and Kristen MacDonald. They should have had it all and for a time it seemed they did. Jeffrey MacDonald was a surgeon and a green beret. Colette MacDonald was his beautiful, doting wife, pregnant with their son. They had had two lovely daughters, Kimberly and Kristin. The life before them…

1
Episode 40: The Disappearance of Mary Lands 32:38

2y ago32:38

32:38

It was a cold Michigan night on March 12th, 2004 when 39-year-old Mary Denise Lands vanished without a trace in Marshall, Michigan. Allegedly she got into an argument with her boyfriend Chris Pratt that evening and leaving her cell phone and keys to her Dodge Durango behind, she walked into the frigid night. She was never seen again. Show notes: ht…

1
Episode 39: The Murder of Susan Smith 38:09

2+ y ago38:09

38:09

If life had unfolded for Susan Smith the way it did for most residents of Pikeville, Kentucky, she never would have met FBI agent Mark Putnam. But life is unpredictable and in Susan’s case, a relationship which should have been among the safest in her life turned out to be the deadliest. Susan vanished on June 8th, 1989. It would be a year before h…

1
Episode 38: Debora Green: The Mother Who Murdered 35:28

2+ y ago35:28

35:28

It was a windy October night in 1995 when the family of Debora Green and Michael Farrar was forever ripped apart. A fire had started at an upscale house in Prairie Village, Kansas, and by the time it had run its course, the once immaculate home would be little more than charred ruins. Amongst those ruins lay the bodies of 12 year old Tim Farrar and…

1
Episode 37: The Murder of Pamela Dorrington 23:26

2+ y ago23:26

23:26

It was an ordinary morning in Helena, Montana for nineteen-year-old Pamela Dorrington on February 17th, 1968. Pamela slept in her second story apartment, her black lab nearby, as her cousin and roommate left for her shift at the hospital. Pam’s roommate would return that afternoon to find Pam gone. The vanishing of Pamela Dorrington would spur a ma…

1
05: Cosmos Corporation CEO Landon Hobson on Sustaining Success Through Three Generations 21:49

2+ y ago21:49

21:49

In this episode of A Life of Climb podcast, Cosmos Corporation CEO Landon Hobson shares why his family business has continued to thrive over three generations in spite of the fact that many family businesses fail. Then Vistage CEO Sam Reese talks with Landon’s executive mentor and Vistage Chair Allen Hauge about how to tackle the talent challenges …

1
Episode 36: The Body in the Blueberry Field 37:46

2+ y ago37:46

37:46

It was a chilly spring day on May 8th, 2002 when a farmer drove onto his wooded property in Ottowa County, Michigan. It was an area where he grew and harvested blueberries. As he drove through the property he made a chilling discovery. A burned body lay in a trunk in an area of scorched forest. The murder victim would remain unidentified for more t…

1
Episode 35: Nannie Doss, Murderess 32:59

2+ y ago32:59

32:59

She looked like an ordinary housewife, a mother, a grandmother. Full bodied, always smiling as she prepared dinners and baked pies. But the innocent appearance of Nannie Doss belied a much darker, much uglier persona. Nannie was a murderess, a woman who killed not only callously, but casually, eliminating husbands and members of her own family with…

1
Episode 34: The Murder of Amanda Davies 46:35

2+ y ago46:35

46:35

It was Sunday, April 12th, 1992 when nineteen-year-old Amanda Davies left her home in Dansville, Michigan to meet a friend. She would never return home. Eleven days later her brutally murdered body would be found in an isolated location in Mason, Michigan. Complete show notes: https://bitterendingspod.com/podcast/amandadavies Show sponsor: https://…

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33: The Halloween Vanishings of Pamela Hobley and Patricia Spencer 33:24

2+ y ago33:24

33:24

It’s been fifty two years, more than five decades, since a terrible mystery that continues to haunt a small northern Michigan town occurred. It was Halloween day, October 31st 1969, when 16 year old Patricia Spencer and 15 year old Pamela Hobley walked away from Oscoda High school in Oscoda, Michigan. They had fun plans for the evening, which inclu…

1
Episode 32: The Murder of Danielle Shinaver 37:23

2+ y ago37:23

37:23

It was an unseasonably warm day on March 13th, 1996 when 25-year-old Danielle Shinaver finished work and prepared for an evening hanging out with friends at her new apartment. Danielle’s life had not been easy, but the tide was turning and things were looking up. However, sometime in the early morning hours of March 14th, 1996 a person entered Dani…

1
Episode 31: The Murders of Stacey and Jacob Falcon-Dewey 41:56

3y ago41:56

41:56

It was the kind of crime that lingered, that ripped apart families, that left detectives sleepless and wondering. It was October 28th, 1994, just three days before Halloween when the bodies of twenty-three-year-old Stacy Ann Falcon-Dewey and her three-year-old son Jacob were found shot and discarded in the middle of an isolated street in Renton, Wa…

1
04: Sealstrip President Heather Chandler on Leadership Lessons as a First-Time CEO 21:47

3y ago21:47

21:47

Sealstrip President Heather Chandler joins A Life of Climb podcast to talk about reinforcing a great company culture in difficult times and leadership lessons she gained as a first-time CEO. Then Vistage CEO Sam Reese talks with Heather’s executive mentor and Vistage Chair Joni Naugle about the art of balancing theoretical leadership learnings with…

1
Episode 30: The Murder of Rose Larner 43:50

3y ago43:50

43:50

It was December 7th, 1993, weeks away from Christmas when eighteen-year-old Rosie Larner climbed into a car in the cold, early morning hours in Lansing Michigan. She had no reason to be afraid. She was with friends, people she loved and trusted. She did not know she was hours away from breathing her blast breath, and that her brutal murder would se…

1
Episode 29: The Body in the Wych Elm 25:17

3y ago25:17

25:17

It was a spring Sunday on April 18th, 1943 when four boys wandered into Hagley Wood in Worcestershire, England. They had no idea they were about to stumble upon a crime scene that would mystify the world for decades to come. Hidden inside a strange looking tree known as a wych elm was the body of a woman. This woman's identity still remains a myste…

1
Episode 28: The Murder of Anita Carlson 38:49

3y ago38:49

38:49

On June 30th, 1987 22-year-old Anita Carlson had a lot to be excited about. Two months before she’d graduated with honors from Bemidji State University with a degree in communications and she’d already been offered a job at a television station. The upcoming weekend was an exciting time for residents in Bemidji. It was the fourth of July and many p…

1
03: ME Engineers Managing Principal Ed Bosco on Building a Team for Long-Term Success 23:35

3y ago23:35

23:35

What do most leaders get wrong when it comes to hiring for long-term success? In this episode, ME Engineers Managing Principal Ed Bosco talks about what it takes to build a team that works on some of the largest, most complex engineering projects in the world. Then Ed’s mentor and Vistage Chair Jerry Cahn talks with Vistage CEO Sam Reese about the …

1
02: Hunt A Killer CEO Ryan Hogan on Managing Explosive Growth 30:44

3y ago30:44

30:44

Hunt A Killer CEO Ryan Hogan joins A Life of Climb podcast to talk about the challenges of managing explosive growth and going from a good idea to a sustainable business. Plus, Ryan shares how failing at a Zombie relay race sent him on a path to #6 on the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. Then Vistage CEO Sam Reese talks with Ryan’s mento…

1
Episode 27: The Murder of Chris Northon 1:01:43

3y ago1:01:43

1:01:43

It was an odd weekend for camping on October 8th, 2000 in Wallowa County, Oregon. The weather was cool and would soon be turning cold, especially in places like the Wollowa-Whitman National Forest, but that didn’t deter 44-year-old Chris Northon and 38-year-old Liysa Northon from taking their three-year-old son into the mountains for a weekend in t…

1
Episode 26: The Murder of Ann Fox Smith 31:37

3y ago31:37

31:37

It was warm spring day on Friday April 25th, 2008 in Aiken, South Carolina when 47-year-old Ann Fox Smith didn’t show up for work. Ann was a beloved special education teacher at Kennedy Middle School and this was definitely out of the ordinary. As the day went on with no word from Ann, her friend and fellow teacher, Sally Ferriter drove to Ann’s ho…

1
01: MAGNET CEO Ethan Karp on Innovation in the Face of Adversity 23:54

3y ago23:54

23:54

On the kickoff episode of A Life of Climb Podcast, MAGNET CEO Ethan Karp shares how his organization pivoted to mobilize thousands of manufacturers in Ohio to make life-saving PPE supplies during the COVID pandemic. He shares how the experience taught him about the power of relationships to make lasting change. Then Ethan’s mentor and Vistage Chair…

1
00: Introducing A Life of Climb: The CEO's Journey a Podcast from Vistage Worldwide 1:30

3y ago1:30

1:30

CEOs are in the business of making decisions. And it's the outcome of those decisions that define their success. So how do leaders rise to the challenge day after day, year over year? In A Life of Climb podcast, CEOs share how they've overcome some of the most difficult challenges of their careers. And Vistage CEO Sam Reese will connect with execut…

1
Episode 25: The Vanishing of Cherryl Lamont Pearson 47:16

3y ago47:16

47:16

Nothing about Cherryl’s day on Friday January 4th, 2002 foretold the trouble awaiting her. The 37-year-old pediatrician lived in Bartlett, Tennessee; a city located northeast of Memphis with a population of more than 50,000 people. That evening, she attended a Memphis Grizzlies game at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis. Cherryl had season tickets and as…

1
Episode 24: The Disappearance of Joan Risch 42:09

3y ago42:09

42:09

It was a seemingly ordinary day for thirty-one-year-old stay-at-home mom Joan Risch on October 24th, 1961 at her home in Lincoln Massachusetts. Joan was married and lived with her husband and two children, a son and a daughter, in a nice suburban home in a quiet, safe neighborhood. That morning Joan’s husband went of of town on a business trip, and…

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