The Daniels Effect: The Business of Better Business
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In this episode, host Joshua Ross engages in a fascinating discussion with Ben Burgert, the entrepreneurial founder of Ben’s Cycles and a University of Denver alum. Burgert shares his profound passion for bicycles and the inspiration behind establishing his business, which specializes in restoring and selling classic bikes, allowing cycling enthusiasts to experience the charm and nostalgia of vintage bicycles.
In just their second season, the NHL’s Seattle Kraken put together a solid record, made the playoffs and even won their first-round playoff series. But during an 82-game pro hockey season, losses are inevitable—which means teams need to find ways to send their fans home happy, even when the customer may not be satisfied with the on-ice result. Sam Holloway (MA 2007, MBA 2012), the co-owner and co-chair of the Kraken, is working to build a fanbase, create a winning culture and center the team’s off-ice values. Holloway joined the Voices of Experience podcast to talk about building a brand, whether winning cures all and how to separate the emotions of being a fan from the pragmatism of being a business owner.
Table of contents • 1:42 The sports industry vs. others • 2:30 Building a fanbase in Seattle • 4:09 What it means to be “customer obsessed” • 5:33 Delivering a good experience during a loss • 7:48 “Stick to sports?” • 9:42 From psychology to business • 11:12 Using “context switching” to balance priorities • 14:11 Returning for an MBA • 16:29 Separating emotions from business decisions • 17:55 Tactics for hard conversations • 19:00 Are you on the hot seat? • 19:45 Advice from other owners • 20:57 “Your career is a journey” • 21:56 Show notes and credits
This issue’s student spotlight is Burns graduate student Shawn Didde. As a Marine Corps veteran, Shawn has lived and worked in faraway places, but intentionally chose to attend graduate school in his home state of Colorado. While here, Shawn has embraced opportunities...
In this episode of the E@DU podcast, host Joshua Ross has a conversation with Caroline Creidenberg, the innovative founder of Wedfuly and University of Denver alum. They explore her journey of building a successful wedding business, adapting and pivoting through a global pandemic, her experience pitching on Shark Tank, and finally the reasons behind her decision to sell Wedfuly.
If you’re distilling Mary Beth Cote-Jenssen’s career into three words, they’d be sustainability, water and partnership. As a global water stewardship executive at PepsiCo, she knows the importance of bringing people together to tackle a global issue. Her career North Star has been creating access for water, and that has followed her to roles at Keurig, global non-profit Water for People, and now PepsiCo. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, the Daniels alumna shares how water access is being addressed on the global stage, gives a few keys to build strong partnerships and details how your personal and professional lives are more intertwined than you might realize.
Table of contents
• 1:21 An entryway into sustainability and water • 3:20 How PepsiCo approaches water stewardship • 6:42 Partnering with your competition • 8:33 Bringing the public and private sector together • 10:41 “We bought a motorhome” • 15:16 Lifelong friendships at Daniels • 17:50 How to conduct business globally • 22:20 An intertwined personal and professional life • 24:44 Show notes and credits
One year. Eighteen episodes. Twenty-nine guests. The University of Denver’s Entrepreneurship Podcast launched in January 2023. Every month, DU student and alumni entrepreneurs have shared their firsthand perspectives on innovation and problem-solving in a wide range...
Featuring Beatrice Meyer, MSEd, PHD
In this podcast episode, join Joshua Ross for an interview with Josh Berlo, vice chancellor for athletics and Ritchie Center operations at the University of Denver, and Niko Blankenship, director of athletics communication, as they delve into the profound impact and importance of name, image and likeness (NIL) in collegiate athletics. Learn how this rule change has impacted college sports by enabling student-athletes to earn money through their name, image and likeness.
Artificial intelligence is entering the business world, welcome or not. Binh Diep (MBA 2012), general manager at Slalom, a consulting firm, is doing his best to prepare his company and his clients for the future. On this episode of the Voices of Experience podcast, Diep explains how Slalom is taking a “human-centered approach” to the new technology and discusses how he sees AI shaping the consulting business. Plus, he offers his top piece of advice for building a relationship while networking.
Table of contents • 1:09 Aligning values and organization • 3:16 Creating a culture like Slalom’s • 6:01 “Let’s thrive in turbulence together” • 7:42 Maintaining culture through layoffs • 10:22 What’s next at Slalom? • 11:58 “Human-machine collaboration” and AI • 14:02 How AI might change consulting • 15:30 The most important skills for an AI workplace • 16:13 From engineering to business • 21:02 How to build a relationship • 21:02 Show notes and credits
