Behind the Region
What’s happening to spur economic vitality in the South Bend, Indiana, Region, and surrounding areas? And who are the people behind these efforts? We'll dive deeper beyond the headlines to keep you informed on the people and businesses making things happen in the region. You’ll hear casual and candid conversations with real people—business and community leaders driving the region forward. Hear authentic, unscripted stories from entrepreneurs, business owners, elected officials, and more!
Episodes
86 episodes
Larry & Sherry Swank, Founders | Jeanie Shuck, Executive Director | JWAS Foundation
Get ready for a powerful episode, as Larry and Sherry tell us the heartbreaking story of how the JWAS Foundation came to be, and how they have taken an unimaginable tragedy and turned it into something amazing for families, and specifically chi...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 18
•
35:10
Amanda Miller Kelley | President & CEO, WNIT-PBS Michiana
Amanda will tell us about her interesting career path and how it led to the corner office. She will talk about the history of public broadcasting, not just nationally but also here in Michiana, and how the future looks.&...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 17
•
27:37
Donald Swift | Director of Development, Resurrection Lutheran Academy
Donald will tell us the history of RLA, the biggest challenges facing private schools, how they attract and retain their teachers and staff, and their future plans.
•
Season 3
•
Episode 16
•
18:26
Kierstin Eifler | CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Michiana
Kierstin will tell us precisely what RMHC is and does, the local history of the house, and how it came to be. What plans are being made to make it an even better resource for the community, and how can you get involved?
•
Season 3
•
Episode 15
•
26:16
Emilie Utigard | Executive Director, Children's Museum of South Bend
Emilie will discuss the sweet reason why she started the museum, what you can expect when walking through the doors, and what her future hopes and dreams are for the museum. Annie Johnson, a member of the Board of Directors, will also join us a...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 14
•
27:08
Craig Heatherly | Risk Advisor & Former D1 Collegiate Basketball Coach
Craig was a standout basketball player at Mishawaka High School and a D1 College Basketball Coach. He will talk about when he knew it was time to give up coaching, what went into the decision to hang up his whistle, and how he knew what was nex...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 13
•
26:36
Cale Bolinger | General Manager, Knollwood Country Club
Cale will tell us what changes to expect since the club is now under new ownership. He will also describe his path to becoming the general manager of a country club, and we will see if he can give Jeff some tips to improve his short game.
•
Season 3
•
Episode 12
•
28:00
Jay Mattern | Owner, President & CEO, Villing & Company
As a marketing firm, Jay will discuss the state of marketing today and how Villing & Company keeps up with the ever-changing industry landscape.Jay will also talk about what went into the decision to buy a marketing firm, shortly aft...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 11
•
26:30
Ryan Matthys | Managing Partner, RSM
Ryan will tell us, as a hometown boy, why he chose to stay in South Bend to raise his family, and some of the changes he has seen over the years.He will tell us what steps he takes to attract and retain his top talent.Why is it im...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 10
•
28:02
Joe McGuire | CEO, Pure Green Farms
Did you know there is a pretty good chance that the lettuce you are eating is grown right here in South Bend? Joe will tell us how that works. He will also talk about how he attracts and retains his specialized team, and what are the future pla...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 9
•
27:11
Justin Reinke | Owner & President, HGR Group
Justin will tell us what it's like to run a 4th generation construction business. With all the projects they are involved in, how do they attract and retain their top talent. And what does the construction industry's future look like in S...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 8
•
27:01
Jason Osterhage | President & CEO, Everwise Credit Union
Jason will tell us about his journey from big city credit unions to South Bend, and why he chose to call Michiana home.He will talk about the rebranding of Teachers Credit Union to Everwise, and why the change.Jason will also tell...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 7
•
26:48
Andrew Shackleford | Location Manager, That 1 Painter
Andrew will tell us the pros and cons of working for a franchise. What separates them from other painters in the area and how do they attract and retain their top painting talent?
•
Season 3
•
Episode 6
•
27:33
Regina Emberton | Chief Executive Officer, ChoiceLight, Inc
We will learn what ChoiceLight, Inc is, and how the idea for ChoiceLight was way ahead of its time. Regina is also very active in helping to restore downtown South Bend, by buying old buildings and bringing them back to their glory, and she wil...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 5
•
28:35
Matt Metzger | Co-Founder & Owner, Leadership Tap
Matt tells us his journey from giving up his regular paycheck to fulfilling his dream of starting his own company with his friend Josh. What challenges do they face, and how do they overcome those challenges?.
•
Season 3
•
Episode 4
•
26:50
Mark Tarner | Owner & President, The South Bend Chocolate Company
Mark Talks about how a guy who makes candy, has branched out into the restaurant industry. He will also tell us about his interesting hobby, and how that led him to building a museum to share his hobby with the public.
•
Season 3
•
Episode 3
•
29:49
Joe Hart | President, South Bend Cubs
Joe discusses all the renovations happening this off-season at Four Winds Field and what fans can expect next season and beyond.He tells us why, after 30 years in baseball, he is still running a single-A Club in South Bend, Indiana. Her...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 2
•
29:41
Randy Kelly | Executive Director, Leadership South Bend-Mishawaka
The program, founded in 1974, just celebrated its 50th anniversary. For the first 41 years, it was a Chamber program. In 2015, it elected to leave the Chamber and go out on its own.Randy will tell us about the program and how it has tra...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 1
•
31:05
Julio De La Cruz | Owner, DLX Studios
Julio has an interesting path on how he got to where he is today, experiencing both success and failure, and he will tell us about both. He talks about as a business owner, how you overcome failure and how you have the strength and drive to kee...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 41
•
12:36
Rich Carlton | President & CEO, Aunalytics
Rich will tell us what Aunalytics does in the I.T. space. How do they keep up with this ever-changing industry, and how do they attract and retain their top talent, especially with new, national brand competition coming into the market?<...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 41
•
26:06
Josh Gobel | Owner, Gobel's Commercial Cleaning Service
Josh tells us about his journey from law enforcement into entrepreneurship. How he went from owning one company to several within a very short period of time, and all from different industries. With a company that is constantly growing, how doe...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 40
•
28:10
Kristian Stankiewicz | Founder & CEO, MAKS Plastics
Kristian's journey to owning MAKS Plastics is interesting, and he will tell us about it. He will also tell us why he owns MAKS Plastics and why he comes to work invigorated, and it's probably not for the reasons you think. He also has a dedicat...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 39
•
26:33
Anne Witsken | Director of Marketing & Area Manager, StretchLab
Anne will explain StretchLab and its health benefits. There are only seven StretchLabs in Indiana, so what led to us getting one here in Granger? How does StretchLab attract and retain specialized talent in such a niche market?
•
Season 2
•
Episode 38
•
16:29
Tony Stearns | General Manager, Mishawaka Fieldhouse
Tony will explain the Mishawaka Fieldhouse, its economic impact on the community, and how you can utilize the facility.
•
Season 2
•
Episode 37
•
27:43
Tom Stout | President, Burston Marketing
Tom's story is very unique and he will tell us how he got his start at a very young age. He will tell us how he was able to land a major contract with General Motors without having a physical building or employees at the time. How does Tom attr...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 36
•
26:57
