Can Do: Essential Business Lessons: Recent Episodes
Arnie Sherman
Can Do, MTPR's podcast on business and entrepreneurship hosted by Arnie Sherman is in its fifth season. This season will feature the same informative interviews and the lessons Montana business owners and entrepreneurs have to share. But times are changing. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change how business is done. The main focus this season is on the here & now. How does a business survive in today’s volatile economy? How can you transition your business or start a new one? What can you do to make sure your finances are in order? We’ll be asking these questions to business experts in Montana and around the country. Listen to Can Do at www.mtpr.org or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are published every other Monday.
Hall and Hall director and real estate partner Bill McDavid shares insight into rural real estate in the western U.S.
Ilene Waterstone, former executive assistant for actor Steve Martin, talks about how her career took shape.
Heather Foster, CEO of the Missoula Family YMCA, talks about addressing childcare issues in the community.
Will Schmautz, co-founder and CEO of NOMAD Global Communication Solutions talks about the origins and growth of the company.
Richard Nicholson of Macquarie Asset Management talks about the global supply chain, and how it has been affected by Covid-19.
Megan Crawford, the driving force behind Montana Woman Magazine, talks about her experience building a publication from the ground up.
Owner/Founder of Bitterroot Cannabis Company talks about the regulations and science behind Montana's growing cannabis industry.
Commercial Real Estate Advisor Claire Matten explains the relationship between Montana business and real estate.
Attorney and accounting expert E. Martin Davidoff talks about tax season for individuals and businesses.
Documentary filmmakers Peter Tolton and Sam Steingraber talk about their recent project, "Edge of the Plains."
LMG Security founder and CEO Sherri Davidoff provides insight into the world of cybersecurity.
Chef Dr. Mike Fenster talks about culinary medicine through the lens of his multifaceted career as a cardiologist and professional chef.
Mallory Ottariano, founder of Montana-based activewear company Youer, talks about building a clothing brand from scratch.
Research economist Robert "Tino" Sonora and Montana restaurateur Jason McMackin reflect on 2021's economy, and discuss the uncertainty that comes with 2022.
Educator and visionary Joe McDonald talks about how he built Salish Kootenai College from the ground up.
Kendall Clifton-Short of the global firm Within People talks about shifting workplace culture.
This week on Can Do, we hear from John Roy Price, author and former senior domestic policy advisor to Nixon.
This week on Can Do, we go behind the scenes of rural health care in the West. 60 million Americans and approximately 44% of Montanans live in areas with less access to health care, resulting in a myriad of chronic health issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected rural areas, exacerbating problems that were already difficult to solve.To better understand these challenges, we speak with Angelina Salazar, CEO of the Western Healthcare Alliance and Chris Hopkins, CEO of Montana Health Network.
This week, we talk to Eric Stern about his experiences working in law, state government, and venture capital. Eric will offer his perspective on how Montana has changed in the last two decades, and share some insights into his father’s NBA legacy. Learn more now.
This week on Can Do, we talk with global business woman and celebrity chef Maria Loi, who has a deep love for Mediterranean cooking and a desire to spread the healthy and hearty food that she grew up with.
The world of retail is constantly changing, and savvy business people learn to evolve with it. The pandemic introduced a whole new set of rules into an already dynamic landscape. When change and chaos are the new normal, how can retailers continue to anticipate the needs of the consumer?
Daily unpredictability confronts many of the 60 million Americans employed in the gig economy. When, where, and which job should they work on any given day of the week? How much money are they earning across multiple gigs? Information and data is sparse for workers — and not being able to count on a predictable pay rate makes it nearly impossible to plan out professional life. It turns out there’s an app for that.
Can Do's fourth season unfolded in real time as business owners grappled with the impacts of the pandemic on their personal and professional lives. Some looked to innovate while others doubled down on what had made them successful in the first place. Whichever strategy they used, the wild swings and challenges of the past year forced every entrepreneur to reevaluate how they do business.
The economic downturn from COVID-19 has pummeled main street businesses, but the Payroll Protection Program loans of the Cares Act have saved hundreds of thousands of them. On April 3, 2020, the first day of the first round of PPP loans, the number one lender in the country was, surprisingly, Montana’s Stockman Bank.
Over the past five years, Montana has seen exponential growth in venture capital investment. From 2015 to 2020, the state attracted over $500 million in early-stage funding. In the previous 20 years, that figure had been just $144 million.
For more than a year, all types of territorial borders have been shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. International trade and commerce have been throttled, and industry experts predict that business travel will never return to pre-pandemic levels. Global business has long been reliant on building personal relationships; relationships that now must be cultivated and maintained digitally.
Ben Morris discovered the utility of three-wheeled cargo trikes, or pedicabs, during a stint in San Diego. After finishing his business degree at Northeastern University in 2005, he secured a small loan, bought five pedicabs, and launched Coaster Cycles. Soon, Ben had expanded beyond Boston to other cities, and he'd begun to incorporate outdoor advertising into his bike fleet.
The ninth of 11 children, Megan Harrington grew up understanding the value of competition and how to tell a great story. In the third grade, Megan wrote a poem that included the prophetic line: “When I grow up, I want to be a Lady Griz basketball player at the University of Montana.”
Montana isn't all cattle herds and fields of waving grain. This sprawling state is also full of food deserts — places without many affordable, healthy food options. The lack of access to healthy food for residents of many of the state's Indian reservations contributes to some horrible demographic statistics. The life expectancy for Native American women is 62, a full 20 years less than for non-Native women. For Montana's Native American men, it's 56. One 27-year-old woman of Blackfeet and Cherokee heritage is on a mission to improve Native people's lives through healthy diet and a return of indigenous food systems.
The agriculture landscape has changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Concerns about food security, health and safety measures, and product availability have continued to evolve. A dramatic shift to online purchasing has challenged the traditional standard of consumers personally selecting products.
While LifeScore COO Chris Walch is based in Bozeman, Montana, LifeScore is a fully remote company that produces its music at the iconic Abbey Roads Studio in London. LifeScore creates unique, real-time, and interactive music experiences with their adaptive AI music platforms. They start with world-class composers and musicians composing and performing sound that is organized as composable building blocks. Their proprietary technology then weaves these materials into music that suits a purpose, helping the listener have a completely unique experience.