Small Business Miracles Podcast

Come by any Meyer Music location and you are bound to meet a member of the Meyer family. The Meyer Music name is synonymous with childhood music education, and band & orchestra instruments in Kansas City for more than 60 years. Listen in as we talk to Mike Meyer, one of the family co-owners of Meyer Music, and Chairman and Founder of Band of Angels. Band of Angels is a 501c3 Charity that collects music instruments and provides them to children in need for free so they can join band and orchestra programs. If you think music education and Kansas City, your first note was probably conducted by the Meyer family.

We’ve been doing the Small Business Miracles Podcast for 100 episodes! And yes, it’s about time we had EAG President & CEO Michele Markham on the show. That’s the thing about EAG. It’s not about a single person, and it’s never about ego. It’s about the hustle for entrepreneurs every day. On this episode, we sit down with the leader behind the culture that makes us all this way: Michele Markham! Michele’s origin story isn’t just inspirational — it’s filled with lessons for small business owners and a perfect conversation for our 100th episode.

Leading Edge Safety is a U.S.-based manufacturer and innovator of rooftop fall protection systems. They protect lives with OSHA-compliant safety solutions for commercial and industrial roofing, including the industry standard in mobile fall carts. Listen in as Steve Hammond, Chief Operating Officer at Leading Edge Safety talks with the Small Business Miracles Podcast about management style, moving obstacles out of the way for the team, and building a culture that continues to generate success

In this episode, we dive into the world of threat assessment, training, and indicators of violence with Bret Brooks, Chief Operating Officer of Gray Ram Tactical. Bret’s career in both law enforcement and the Army National Guard makes him the right person to guide us through everything from helping small businesses prepare for the FIFA World Cup and helping your employees stay safe by understanding how to de-escalate violence to understanding how to let go of excessive anxiety in our modern world.

Entrepreneurs have grit and tenacity. You know, the kind of determination you’d need to have to start a moving company with a Honda Civic. Listen in to a great origin story about Pantheon Moving, followed by service expansion to better address customer needs, and the emotional intelligence to know that everyone is stressed on moving day!

This week, we caught up with Deena Gage, State Director for the Kansas CASA Association! We’ll find out about the work CASA is doing in the state, and talk about the moments in the lives of volunteers that make this important work so rewarding.

Today, we’re going on camera! Or, on a microphone. Or both! Today the call is coming from inside the house - EAG Chief Public Relations Officer Ryan Gerding is with us to talk about the importance of media training. If you’re important enough to be interviewed, you’re important enough for media training. Whether it’s a Good story — and especially if it isn’t — being prepared can make all the difference in the world, and it may even save your reputation and your business.

On this episode we’re talking to Brad Slaughter, Co-Owner of Bark Productions and 19 Below, about video production past, present, and future. Building and maintaining a creative and collaborative culture are essential in video production, and they’ve covered it end to end. From a McDonald’s ad to Instagram, Brad and his team bring the creative storytelling to life.

On this week’s episode, we’re featuring Paul Whitten, Founder of Nashville Adventures. His path took him from Army service to the Peace Corps to being a UK Parliamentary Fellow — and then to his entrepreneurial journey with Nashville Adventures. We’re talking about service marketing, community partnerships, working with your competitors… and somehow at the same time we’re talking about ghosts, hot chicken, distilleries, pub crawls, corporate tours — and let’s not forget about that hassle-free bachelorette party. Caution: You just might learn some history in the process.

When you build a business with the mindset to solve problems for customers and franchisees, you’re headed down the right path. We sit down with Alisa Sparks, Founder & CEO of Linden Creek to learn about her journey to transform a startup, solo business to a scalable, service-driven brand.

Quality pet supplements require quality controls from start to finish. We think science rules, and Alan Mattox agrees. Alan is the Director of Quality Assurance at Bimini Pet Health, where they contract manufacture pet supplements with human-grade ingredients. Alan walks us through what that looks like at Bimini, start to finish.

EAG recently acquired Ink Inc Public Relations, giving us even more power in our public relations offering. We’re skating to where the puck is going to be in AI-powered search engine optimization (yes, those two things are related) — and making sure small business brands get the media attention they deserve. Listen in on a conversation with EAG’s first Chief Public Relations Officer, Ryan Gerding!

When you’re ready to let your expertise shine, one great strategy is to appear on other people’s podcasts. In what may be the most meta (lowercase m) episode for us yet, we catch up with Carrolee Moore, CEO & Founder of the Podcast Pitching Society to learn about the power of appearing on other people’s podcasts, how to leverage that placement so it continues working for you, and gives us a look at her small business miracle. Plus, she has an offer for our listeners! Tune in to learn more then sign up here.

From concept to succession, KCSourceLink provides resources for entrepreneurs. Their signature event each year is Global Entrepreneurship Week — and Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City (GEWKC.com) is where entrepreneurs find their community and level up, locally. We caught up with Becca Castro, Senior Director and Network Builder at KCSourceLink as she gears up for the 2025 event at Union Station Nov. 17-21, 2025.

Jon Morris, Founder & CEO of Fiscal Advocate joins the show to talk about intentionality. Business owners should be intentional about their strategic planning and the importance of having (and sticking to) an ideal client profile. Listen in to hear his growth story, and Jon’s advice for business owners.

But not if you follow it in your entrepreneur journey! Today we’re joined by Maliha Khan, the CEO and Founder of Khanect the Dots to learn about the consultancy she has built, what fuels her, and which popular soda brand re-fuels her along the way.

The Kansas City Economic Development Corporation serves Kansas City business owners with solutions and resources in business and real estate development, job creation, and community investment, with resources and connections to help grow Kansas City. Business Development Officer Jenna Scott rejoins the podcast to talk about how the KC EDC can help entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Listen in!

This may be one of the most challenging times in history to be a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit expert Sidney Smith understood the assignment and has created The Nonprofit Guild to bridge business gaps for nonprofit organizations of all kinds and help them move forward.

Cynthia Robinson drops into the studio for a conversation about self publishing! Do you have an idea for a book that keeps rattling around in your head? Cynthia is the founder of LaunchCrate Publishing, where she makes it easy to self publish, to learn about writing a manuscript, and all while making the financial picture shift in favor of the creatives for a change.

Don Jalbert knows trade shows, and he’s ready to share that wisdom with you. This podcast is loaded with tips and tricks for trade shows and brand activations, with expertise and advice from Exhibit Associates where Don is a Partner. How can we get the best bang for the buck in terms of ROI? Listen in to Don’s 4 hacks and find out.

From executive presence coaching to giving companies an edge with emotional intelligence, Rich Bracken does it all. And by all, we mean those things, plus being a DJ, and emcee, a client service expert… the list goes on and on. He’s even built a playlist of “must sing out loud songs” to give you the energy to complete your to-do list.In today’s marketing tip, we ask what AI knows about your company. And...as promised here's the DJ Rich Bracken curated playlist for your listening pleasure: Car Karaoke Playlist

We’re joined by Casie Murff - an entrepreneur and master barber with a heavy technology background he just can’t shake. We learn about his newest concept, The BeVel Grooming Lounge, and dive into his model and their exceptional customer experience.In today’s marketing tip, are you feeling pressure to be on every social media platform with your business? We’re here to give you a break.

Dave Tingley is the Sales Director at Kansas City WinAir Company, and an entrepreneur who has been there and styled that in the barber shop world. In today’s tip, what is your website telling a prospective new employee?

Are you feeding your pet raw food or dry? Grain free? A rotational diet with novel proteins? The secret to keeping your pet happy and healthy starts with food, and there’s no better expert in the Kansas City metro area than Debra Manfield, owner of Four Paws Pantry & Spa. In today’s marketing tip, we’re continuing our marketing tips on AI’s impact on Search Engine Optimization with strategies you can use to optimize your site content for Conversational AI.

Today, the call is coming from inside the house. And there isn’t a better person to talk to than EAG Advertising & Marketing’s own Wynn Shepard, Director of Web Product, when the topic is Search Engine Optimization and AI search. We’re going to find out why we see what we see in search. We’re also seeing new traffic to websites from AI and business owners want to know how to get ranked for AI search, so we’re about to find out.

It can be inspiring to talk to Lindsey Rood-Clifford, the President & CEO of Starlight Theatre. Starlight continues to innovate in the community, with programming and performances that inspire. Where else can you watch The Lion King and hear an actual lion roar next door at the zoo? In this week’s marketing tip, sometimes you just need to ask why.

Dr. Donetta Watson and Lisa Watson from The Black Mastermind Group bring the energy to this week’s episode. The potholes on the road to entrepreneurship can be plentiful — and the way to navigate the road ahead is through education and access to capital. But that’s okay - because they’re here to give you the GPS you need to succeed. In this week’s marketing tip, we dive deeper into AI Search — perfect for anyone with AI on the brain

In today’s episode, we hear about the small business journey of Porshia Mitchell, who saw a need for a flexible event space and brought her vision to life. From engineer to entrepreneur, Porshia has created a community space that continues to support small businesses and event attendees alike. In today’s marketing tip, we learn about how AI searches are different than the way you’re used to searching.

This week we have a conversation with Sherrie Ortiz, the entrepreneur and founder behind Just One Day Tours, a fully curated tours company designed to make your time in Kansas City fun and hassle-free. In today’s marketing tip, we talk about judging creative without your eyes.

This week we sit down with entrepreneur, consultant and trainer Sarah Wolters of Sarah Wolters Company and learn how to make sure the right voices are heard within your organization so you can be successful. In today’s marketing tip, a quick word about why you want to be in the top 3 search positions.https://www.sarahwoltersco.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmorefield/

Shawn Lee House is a Professional Photographer and the entrepreneur behind Shawn Lee Photography & Art. Her approach to corporate branding and imagery is designed to get you on the same page quickly, presenting your brand in the best light. For today’s small business marketing tip, we talk about why you want to rank higher in search engine results.https://www.justshawnlee.comhttps://www.instagram.com/justshawnlee/

If you can stomp once and clap twice, STEP Movement can teach you how to step for the rest of your life! This week we hear about the steps CEO and Founder Jacquinta Nelson took to create STEP Movement and bring a step community to life in Kansas City. In today’s marketing tip, we consider where on the floor we want that trade show booth at our next conference.

Instructional designers can help your business move the needle when it comes to education and training. But don’t take our word for it — you should hear it from Tory Hord of Tory Hord Consulting! In today’s marketing tip, how many different ways can you use that great content piece on your website? It’s a lot, as it turns out

Whir is a new proximity-based platform where customers can find deals and events, and business owners can drive foot traffic from those customers. We talk to Co-Founder & CEO Blake Coffee about the process to launch, where he’s headed next and creating a self-taught curriculum to make it all happen. In today’s marketing tip, we talk about why it’s so difficult to get apples-to-apples comparisons from a marketing agency.

AlphaGraphics Kansas City’s President and Owner Haley Haar has confidence in her team. Enough confidence to say “Call me if you have an idea that ‘can’t be done.” That’s bold, unless you back it up the way they do. Hear about her approach to creative problem solving and everything you wanted to know about AlphaGraphics in our featured segment! But first, what’s the image you’re putting out there at your next trade show?

On this episode, we underscore the importance of gathering great Google reviews as we talk to Jennifer & Eric Benz, the owners of Click Fun Photo Booth! In our marketing tip, some things are about to change in search, thanks to AI.

Who doesn't love a clip show?!? We're taking a retrospective look at the amazing entrepreneurs and nonprofit execs we've spoken with in 2024 and shared a few shareable moments to re-gift. Speaking of holidays, be sure to listen to the end to catch our special holiday show music created by your talented friends at EAG - we think we're hilarious.

Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT) has been prolific since their founding in 2020 — and their impact on black-owned businesses has been strong. In this week’s show, Co-Founder and CEO Brandon Calloway talks with us about growing GIFT and changing lives. In this week’s marketing tip, is your company telling a story worth re-telling?

Continuity is A 501(c)3 organization expanding diversity in media production through skills-based training, mentorship and opportunities for untapped talent. And they do that in part through a series of CREW Workshops that demystify and spotlight the variety of roles on a production set while jump-starting Missouri film industry careers. We learn more from instructor and freelance filmmaker Angela Guo. In today’s marketing tip, you should probably be spending more on your website - and we’ll tell you where! Register for the upcoming Continuity CREW KC Set Basics Workshop, on Sat., Dec. 14th, 2024 or check your local listings! https://www.continuitystl.org/crew-workshop https://angelajguo.com IG: @continuityCREW

Ray Ruecker leads Connect 5000, a Kansas City-based lead generation and inside sales training and consulting firm. Listen to our interview with Ray for sales wisdom, a cold-calling hall of fame opener and entrepreneurial advice! In today’s tip, we suggest applying for that award.

Today’s podcast features Sertoma International’s Executive Director, Jason Camis. He’s leading Sertoma and the Hearing Aid Project on the next step in its 100-year+ journey to serve mankind in communities across the continent. In today’s marketing tip, it’s okay to let that email subscriber unsubscribe, as long as you’re paying attention.

Co-owners Lenora and Rickey Leathers knew the way they wanted the business to run, even though the rest of the industry was headed in a different direction. From there, Savvy Salon KC built and implemented a model that works. In today’s tip we encourage you to watch a user browse your website. And if that statement terrifies you, it’s past time to make it happen.

Michael Mackie is a renaissance marketer and media expert who has interviewed just about every famous person you’ve ever thought of twice. He’s taken his wealth of experience and applied it to creating and improving your personal brand. Get ready for quick, captivating and clickable content. In today’s marketing tip, let’s talk about your brand standards!

Caleb Blankenship is the owner of Body Shop Gym & Personal Training. There, he’s focused on improving customer service interactions to set his business apart from the competition — finding that balance between tough love, compassion, and knowledge. There’s a lot entrepreneurs can learn from his approach! In today’s small business marketing tip, is video part of your next strategic plan?

Alex Beltrame from F.I.T. Muscle & Joint clinic joins us to talk about their unique combination of specialists that combine to help patients do everything from walk up the stairs with groceries to finding that elusive par 4 birdie. In today’s marketing tip, is that special marketing opportunity special enough?

In Emerson & Company’s 18 years of experience, they’ve been known to roll up their sleeves, get to work, and solve problems for their clients. CEO and Founder Tim Emerson takes us on a tour from back office and payroll to insurance and bookkeeping, and throws out some advice about being patient. In our marketing tip we ask a really nuanced question: do you own your own website?

Datasource Background Screening Services is celebrating a big milestone this year, and it’s easy to see why. Amazing culture, integrations with your favorite HR systems, and a service-focused staff working hard to be the best. In today’s marketing tip, let’s make sure you have a meaningful unique selling proposition!

Creating smiles and laughter for people of all ages and walks of life, including your next business event. Dennis Porter is the entertainer and entrepreneur behind Happy Faces Entertainment. His business is funny. Literally.

In this episode we sit down with Taeler Roberts, founder of Kai Strategic Media, to talk about the role of good organic social media. All shoutouts to DuoLingo's social team and Don Draper. In today's tip we find out when it's appropriate to buy your own brand name in your paid search marketing.

Boodleshire Aquatics owner Brian Blake decided it was time to go all in on his aquarium business. He started with a website that drove search traffic his way — based on providing great educational content through his well-written blog. In today’s tip we ask if paid search marketing is right for you.