Off the Record is a podcast exploring the lives and stories of Twin Cities executives. Join the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, in partnership with Platinum Bank, for robust conversations with local leaders as they share pivotal moments in their lives, some of their career highlights, and their goals for the coming years. You know their names and faces, now get to know their stories.
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Todd Duesing, president and CEO of Hennepin Arts, on big, bold visions
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. When Todd Duesing became the president and CEO of Hennepin Arts, formerly Hennepin Theatre Trust, one of the first things he wanted to do was make some bold decisions about the Twin Cities’ theater district. He saw so much potential there, he says on the latest e…
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Renee Alexander, Minnesota State Fair CEO, on behind-the-scenes magic
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Renee Alexander realized she loved being a part of creating performance magic as a young girl in southeast Kansas, when she and her siblings would put on after-dinner theatre for their parents. On this episode of the Off the Record podcast, Alexander, now the CEO…
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Laura Monn Ginsburg, co-founder of Apparatus, on being excited by the possibilities
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Laura Monn Ginsburg, partner and principal of Apparatus GBC, is the kind of person who feels energized by potential. From launching Apparatus, a general benefit corporation that seeks to serve the common good, to then deciding to specialize part of her consultancy work in cannabis, Monn Ginsburg believes people who care can get things done, she say…
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Dan Vansteenburg, Spin the Planet CEO, on what happens when you change your mindset
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As Dan Vansteenburg knows, mindset can make the difference between success and failure. Now the CEO of Spin the Planet, which owns and operates 46 Jimmy John's franchise stores and other restaurants, Vansteenburg admits he had to overcome a lot of challenges during his school years. He was small and unathletic for his age and a “horrible student,” …
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Jill Renslow, chief marketing officer with Mall of America, on embracing what’s new in retail and entertainment
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. When Jill Renslow saw the joy she could create for others as the events chair with her college’s American Marketing Association chapter, she knew the event marketing field was right for her. Deciding her dream job at Disney presented a geographic challenge after …
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Marvin CEO Paul Marvin on committing to showing up and being present
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Paul Marvin is part of the fourth generation of his family to be involved with the eponymous family business. As the CEO and board chair of Warroad, Minnesota-based Marvin, he has learned a lot about building the highest-quality windows and doors over the years —…
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Cale Johnston, founder and CEO of Roy and former CEO of ClickSWITCH, on his entrepreneurial drive and his legacy
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Cale Johnston enjoyed noteworthy success with his first fintech startup, ClickSWITCH, which he sold in 2021. But despite his positive experience, Johnston is prioritizing a smaller-scale legacy as he looks at his career in aggregate, he says in this episode of th…
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Nikki Rohloff, managing partner of Rohloff Associates, on facing “one of the hardest things ever” with her company
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In the professional services industry, relationships are the differentiator. One of the biggest challenges Nikki Rohloff has faced in her career was the sudden loss of her firm’s business partner, she says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast, brought to you by Platinum Bank. She’s now the managing partner of Rohloff Associates, but back i…
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Heide Olson, founder and CEO of Accountinuity and Veracity Pros, on jumping into entrepreneurship before you’re ready
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Heide Olson, founder and CEO of Accountinuity and Veracity Pros, believes there may be no time like the present to start a business. In her case, she left her job and “threw out her shingle” just before she and her husband were due to have their first baby, Olson…
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Sara Dziuk, Junior Achievement North CEO, on identifying her “aha moment”
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Sara Dziuk still has the pencil drawings she used to do of the stapler and tape dispenser in her cubicle at a previous job. Dziuk, now the CEO of Junior Achievement North, says she keeps those drawings as a reminder of her “aha moment” of realizing she needed a j…
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Dan Stoltz, Blaze Credit Union CEO, on thinking boldly enough to overcome business challenges
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Dan Stoltz took the reins at Spire Credit Union (before it became Blaze) in 2010 — just as the economy was facing some serious difficulties. “It was a tough way to start out as a CEO, but I love challenges,” Stoltz says in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast. “I’ll never forget calling in my leadership group, sitting in a room just lik…
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Allison Gettings, CEO of Red Wing Shoe Co., on proving herself
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Even though Red Wing Shoe Co. is her family’s business, it wasn’t always clear to Allison Gettings that she would eventually become the company’s CEO. She had to prove herself, and she faced her first test during her college years, Gettings explains on this episode of the Off the Record podcast. “It was a tough few years in the sense that, like any…
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Kelly McGrath, GM and executive director at Xcel Energy Center, knows how to change on the fly
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Traveling abroad as a leader of a youth ministry at age 22 taught Kelly McGrath a few key things about teamwork. As a regular overnight guest in strangers’ homes, she quickly learned to navigate conversations in a way that put others at ease. In her team leader r…
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Kris Kowalski Christiansen, CEO of Kowalski Co., on learning from those you respect
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Even though she’s now the CEO of Kowalski Co., Kris Kowalski Christiansen wasn’t especially passionate about groceries in her youth. She also never felt pressured to be a part of her family’s grocery business. But she did have a deep respect for the way her mom a…
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Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis, on acknowledging the city’s challenges and changemakers
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. When Melvin Tennant’s mother learned he would become the CEO of the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1990 — only a few years into his career — she was pleased, but not surprised, he says. “She never placed limits on anything I could do,” according to Ten…
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Brian Bruess, Ph.D., president of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, on creating environments for optimal growth
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Brian Bruess, Ph.D., president of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB+SJU), has a clear memory of a conversation he had with his wife when they were leaving graduate school in Athens, Ohio. “After (we spent) five years grinding away in …
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Dave St. Peter, president and CEO of the Minnesota Twins, on his career’s big break
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Dave St. Peter, president and CEO of the Minnesota Twins, recognizes how much the experience of a game matters to sports fans — from the talented players on the field down to the malt cups in the stands. On this episode of the Off the Record podcast, St. Peter sh…
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LeeAnn Rasachak, CEO of WomenVenture, on making the leap as a first-time CEO
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. WomenVenture CEO LeeAnn Rasachak admits she’s known for not necessarily staying in her lane. Over her career trajectory, she’s worn many hats, including those in PR, retail and financial services, she reveals in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast. “…
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Luke Palen, president and co-owner of Spectro Alloys, on a facilitative style of leadership
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Luke Palen, president and co-owner of Spectro Alloys, once learned some key leadership lessons from two tarps and a rope, he tells listeners in this episode of Off the Record. At an outdoor challenge experience in the Canadian backcountry just before his first ye…
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Dave Wellstone, CEO and co-founder, Pathfinder Solutions, on identifying what’s important
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Five years ago, Pathfinder Solutions CEO and Co-founder Dave Wellstone had an epiphany in a helicopter. He had just had a heart attack and a “weird calmness about what’s important to me” came over him as he was being transported to the hospital, he says in this e…
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Pete Scherer, chairman and CEO of Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., “rolls the tape way back” in a career conversation
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Pete Scherer’s family business, the Scherer Bros. Lumber Co., was started by his grandfather and his great uncle back in 1930. “They were the two original Scherer Brothers. They started it from nothing (at) the height of the Depression and made something of it,” …
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Brian and Kent Roers, cofounders of the Roers Companies, on taking advantage of life’s opportunities
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Now the co-founders of Roers Companies, a Plymouth-based real estate developer, brothers Kent and Brian Roers had a hand in business from a young age. From power washing pig barns for the family farm to selling hockey skate sharpeners to their junior high classmates, the Roers brothers know what it’s like to work hard and take advantage of life’s o…
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Ethan Casson, CEO, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, on “grit” and “points of differentiation”
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A basketball player starting in childhood, Ethan Casson, CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx recalled, “There was a grit, (to) outwork everybody, no matter what the circumstances, component to it,” in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. That drive shapes his approach to work today. When interviewing young job candidates, Ca…
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Nancy Korsah, founder of Black Business Enterprise, on entrepreneurship and activism
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Nancy Korsah founded Black Business Enterprise, a hub of resources to help minorities get ahead. She can relate to the trials of fellow people of color in the U.S. and abroad. She recalls her teenage years in Italy where, “if you’re of color there, you’re not getting a job. Definitely not that early,” she says in this episode of the Off the Record …
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Ravi Norman, chairman and CEO of Sagiliti, on “the synthesis of Black and green”
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Today, Ravi Norman serves as the CEO and chairman of energy management services company Sagiliti — but in truth, his first entrepreneurial endeavor was his newspaper route, he says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. “I learned a lot about how business works inside that paper route,” Norman said to hosts Kathy Robideau, market president …
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Dario Otero, founder and CEO of Youth Lens 360, on inspiring others to create
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As a student, Dario Otero didn’t love school. “I had all these other skills, (but) school didn’t necessarily rank,” says the founder and CEO of video production service Youth Lens 360 on this episode of the Off the Record podcast. But when he took a job in a St. Paul high school during a career transition, he knew he had to reframe his thinking. “H…
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Michele Henry, founder and CEO of Face Foundrié, on learning as you go and pivoting quickly
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Face Foundrié Founder and CEO Michele Henry knows what it’s like to be scrappy in business. Years ago, to secure a loan for her first company, Primp, she put up her Mitsubishi as collateral. She didn’t mention to the bank that the car didn’t work — and that she planned to ride her bike to Primp’s retail buildouts, she says in the latest episode of …
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Dr. Mark Lobanoff, founder and president of OVO LASIK + Lens, on making permanent, positive changes
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Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. When he was carrying out his medical school rotations at the University of Michigan, Dr. Mark Lobanoff thought the people working in the ophthalmology clinic somehow seemed the happiest, he says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. That positive attitud…
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Kalyn Hove, regional SVP at Comcast, on sharing your authentic self in the workplace
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There once was a time when Kalyn Hove — now a regional senior VP for Comcast — felt like she couldn’t bring her authentic self to work. In an earlier sales role, she was the lone woman managing a team of men, all of whom who were older than her, she says in this episode of Off the Record. “I seldom talked about my kids or anything like that because…
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Matt Majka, president of Minnesota Wild, on listening well and celebrating Minnesota’s heritage
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Minnesota is known by many as “the State of Hockey.” It’s a moniker that Matt Majka, president of the Minnesota Wild, finds beautiful, as he says in the latest episode of the Off the Record podcast. “It’s not marketing mumbo-jumbo. It’s true. You don’t have to explain it to a Minnesotan. They know it. They’re proud of it,” Majka says. “Some sports …
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John Naylor, president and CEO of Medica, on Midwestern values and mission moments
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Medica President and CEO John Naylor vividly remembers the rotary phone on the wall of his dorm at Drake University. As a senior in college, he used that phone to call a St. Louis-based company, Tillinghast, to inquire about a job back in his hometown — but no one picked up. Instead, Naylor ended up taking an actuary position with Transamerica, a r…
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Jennifer Hellman, CEO of Goff Public, on finding the thing that distinguishes you
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Jen Hellman, CEO of independent communications agency Goff Public, has always managed to stand out from the crowd. In high school, for example, of all the instruments she could have played, she made a rare choice: the piccolo. “Want to know the best thing about playing piccolo?” Hellman asked Kathy Robideau, MSPBJ market president and publisher, an…
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David Wilson, Manny’s Steakhouse general manager, on creating an environment where good things happen
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Before David Wilson became the general manager of renowned Manny’s Steakhouse, most of his career journey in the restaurant industry seemed like a traditional one. In his youth, he worked in a restaurant owned by his family. As a young man, he took a corporate role with a major chain to learn how to establish new restaurants. Oh, and there was that…
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Margaret Murphy, CEO and founder of Bold Orange, on what it takes to build a high-quality brand
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Faced with the disheartening prospect of a summer without corn dogs and slushies, 16-year-old Margaret Murphy decided to step up. With their father’s help, Murphy and her brothers spent the summer operating their town’s local drive-in for the owner, who was otherwise unavailable that season. It was her first crack at becoming an entrepreneur, Murph…
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Gavin Kaysen, chef and founder of Soigné Hospitality Group, on serving others with intention
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When Gavin Kaysen was a teenager making sandwiches at his local Subway, the owner of the fast-casual pasta place next door came in on a regular basis. It didn’t take long for him to see Kaysen’s potential. One day, according to Kaysen, the guy from Pasta Time told him: “You understand how to interact with customers. Your hands understand food. I wo…
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Jatin Setia, Twin Cities Film Festival founder and executive director, on finding his smile and expanding opportunities for Minnesota filmmakers
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Jatin Setia did not start in the business of film. The founder and executive director of Twin Cities Film Fest has always been a cinephile with an entrepreneurial bent, but early in his career, he worked in corporate America. It was a layoff during the Great Recession that gave him the opportunity to “find his smile,” as his wife put it. “Growing u…
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Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, on pivotal career moments and the hunger moonshot
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Growing up in South Minneapolis, Allison O’Toole, now the CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, learned the importance of community connection at her family’s store. Her dad and grandpa owned O’Toole Drug Store. It was there she shaped her early entrepreneurial spirit — by selling cigars at the counter at age 7. “(My dad) would have me run the cigar cou…
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Chuck Runyon, co-founder and CEO of Anytime Fitness, on a high-performance culture and the ‘symphony of motivation’
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The inception of Anytime Fitness didn’t come from CEO and Co-founder Chuck Runyon’s deep passion for health and exercise. “Still, to this day, I probably couldn’t pass a personal trainer test,” he says in this episode of Off the Record, a new podcast about the personal and professional lives of business leaders in the Twin Cities, brought to you by…
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Kris Lindahl, CEO of Kris Lindahl Real Estate, on making his own opportunities
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When it comes to business and making an impact in the community, Kris Lindahl, CEO of Kris Lindahl Real Estate, likes to do things differently. His signature ‘arms out” pose is one example of his unique approach to marketing his company — and his clients’ homes. The attention-grabbing gesture exemplifies inclusion. It’s meant to show generosity and…
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Starting this January, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal and Platinum Bank are teaming up to launch a new podcast called Off the Record. Hosted by MSPBJ's Market President and Publisher Kathy Robideau and Platinum Bank's President and CEO Dave Faust, the show will feature a deep dive with well-known business leaders in the Twin Cities. You …
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