Pam Bricker – Leading Greeley’s Downtown Transformation; The Greeley Blues Jam; Friday Fest and More
In this episode of the Pathfinder Podcast, Pam Bricker, a driving force behind the revitalization of Greeley’s downtown, shares her journey from business owner to community leader. Pam reflects on the growth of Greeley’s downtown, her role in launching the Greeley Blues Jam and Friday Fest, and her vision for the future of the city. Tap or click the play button below to listen to: “Pam Bricker – Leading Greeley’s Downtown Transformation; The Greeley Blues Jam; Friday Fest and More” Pam Bricker discusses her pivotal role in transforming Greeley’s downtown into a vibrant hub for culture and community. From starting her own business, Mariposa Plants and Flowers, to becoming the first executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, Pam’s efforts have helped shape the city’s unique atmosphere. She delves into the origins of the Greeley Blues Jam, the success of Friday Fest, and the importance of preserving Greeley’s historic charm amid rapid growth. A heartfelt look at the dedication and passion behind one of Greeley’s most influential community leaders. Leading Greeley’s Downtown Transformation; The Greeley Blues Jam; Friday Fest and More Transcript Pam Bricker: We love New Orleans. We do a lot of visit to New Orleans because it’s just such a fun place. Al said one time he said, Wow, Well I wish we had something like this and I just looked at him and said, well, why couldn’t we have something like this? Lori Gama: Welcome everyone. Today’s episode of the Pathfinder podcast. Today we’re thrilled to have a very special guest with us. Pam. Bricker Pam is a Cornerstone of community development, and revitalization in downtown Greeley from her early involvement, as a business owner downtown. And then, as the first executive director of the DDA Pam’s vision, dedication, and tireless efforts, have not only enriched our local culture, but have also created a sense of belonging and community. That is truly unique to Greeley. Let’s start first. With you started a business here in Greeley. What year did you start it? And what it, what was it called? Pam Bricker: Oh gosh, I can’t even remember how many years ago. It was a long time ago. And I had a partner Christine Thomas, who she and I loved plans we we did plant care for businesses as we started. And then as we grew, we decided to open a shop And that is still thriving, Mariposa, plants and flowers. Lori Gama: And then Years later you decided to move downtown, right? Pam Bricker: Yes. Lori Gama: But at that time around like what year was it that you moved there? Pam Bricker: It was probably about Maybe 15 years ago and I loved what I saw because I love the historic building. But I also saw a pretty sleepy place that didn’t have a lot of businesses and or a lot of action. Lori Gama: So when you located down there and you looked around and saw that What happened then, Pam Bricker: Well I got involved with the Downtown Development Authority. That wasn’t existent. And I I just got real active with that organization and started thinking, what do we need to do here, you know, to make more things happening. And that’s when, You know, I, I was asked To say, well, would you be interested? Kind of running things downtown. And I said, well, I’ve got a business, I have to run and I went to my employees and I said, you know, they want me to do this and they said, do it. We can handle this. They had worked for April a long time so that’s how I got involved. And You know a A place actually downtown where people could go to to see the downtown area and And have somebody to talk to about it. Um and then at that point too, then I started going around to all the businesses and started talking to them about what do we need to do? How do we need to grow? And Yeah, that was kind of the beginning of it. Lori Gama: So first of all, you have your team at that point in the business was running so well that you the business owner could step away. Yeah, that’s really, really good. That’s what business owners should strive for. Pam Bricker: Yeah, and it wasn’t like, I just stepped away, right? And yeah, you know, and because I stayed very busy with Mariposa for quite a while, Um, but they, they really did the share of the work. And and let me Help downtown. Lori Gama: And I really think that’s great that you went around to all the business owners downtown and just ask them for their thoughts and ideas, right? Pam Bricker: Absolutely, absolutely. Lori Gama: How helpful was that? Pam Bricker: Um I think very helpful But I will have to tell you what what was the biggest change is when we started being able to have common consumption In the downtown, also known as the go cook as the go cup. And That was we were one of the first communities to do that And it was because there was some legalities before you bore that. And that is what really started bringing particularly West Really into downtown, which was very important. Um, and of course, the go cup. You know, was in Spring and summer Every Friday night. So that was, that was a big, big plus, Lori Gama: big game changer. And when did you, and how did you guys think of the idea of Friday Fest? Pam Bricker: I’ve always been a music lover, And I also had employees that were using lovers and that’s that’s what draws people, you know, to come downtown. It wasn’t just to come downtown and drink a beer. It was to listen to music and have fun and that is still going on today, Lori Gama: You and Al your husband, Al and your whole
Women Over 50 – Start Your Purpose Driven Life Beyond the Dream Board with Viveka Von Rosen
Viveka Von Rosen’s core mission is to empower her clients to bring their legacy dreams to life. Put an end to burnout. Reignite your passion. Exit the boardroom and start your purpose-driven life. Live Beyond The Dream Board with Viveka Von Rosen’s Post Executive Coaching for Women Over 50. Tap or click the play button below to listen to: “Women Over 50 – Start Your Purpose Driven Life Beyond the Dream Board with Viveka Von Rosen” Women Over 50 – Start Your Purpose Driven Life Beyond the Dream Board with Viveka Von Rosen Transcript Lori Gama: So once you come to the conclusion that, okay, I need to make a shift and I need to take off this Teflon three-piece Teflon business suit, um, and really expose who I am and release what’s no longer serving me, all of a sudden, there’s just this well of energy that comes up. Welcome to the Pathfinder podcast, my friends. I’m Lori Gama. Here, you’ll find inspiration for going full-time with your passion or, if you already own a business, find some inspiration to take it to the next level. My guest today is Viva Von Rosen. Welcome. Thank you. And this studio is so cool, isn’t it? It is. We’re so lucky. Thank you for being here. Viveka Von Rosen: My pleasure. Lori Gama: Viva Von Rosen, a celebrated LinkedIn expert, best-selling author, and transformational speaker, is dedicated to empowering successful executives and entrepreneurs with their brand and business pivots. With over 19 years of experience in LinkedIn marketing and sales, she is recognized as an authority in the business world. As an accomplished author and international speaker, Viva captivates audiences with her keynote addresses on transition and transformation, catalyzing people to find their voices and create their own transformative ventures. Outside her professional pursuits, she embraces adventure, whether soaring the skies on hang gliders, exploring the ocean depths through scuba diving, or hiking amidst the picturesque Colorado Foothills and Costa Rican Landscapes. Viva’s core mission is to empower her clients to bring their legacy dreams to life. Lori Gama: So, you’ve walked down many paths in your life, literally worked many different careers since you were like 15 years old, and you know, maybe some of them were fulfilling, some of them weren’t so fulfilling, right? I can relate. But the path you’re on now, yeah, tell me about that. How fulfilling is it? Viveka Von Rosen: Yeah, I think when you finally go, “Okay, yes, I will do what I’m supposed to be doing,” it just, it takes living to a whole other level. I mean, to, to answer your question, there’s no short answers. Anyone who knows me knows that. Um, so to answer your question, yes, it’s, um, I’m, I’m loving this path I’m on right now. And while I’ve loved everything else I’ve done, and I felt passionate about everything, well, some of the other things that I have done, it, it wasn’t, I wasn’t motivated for my very core. And what I’m doing now with working with women and helping them with their own transformations, that’s that core work. That’s allowing me to tap into those internal gifts that, quite frankly, lay dormant for a long, long time. So it’s, um, I’m so excited that I finally said yes to this. Lori Gama: That’s awesome. Like, did you have like an aha moment when you recognized, “Hey, wait a minute, this is really the path I’m supposed to be on?” Tell me about that. Viveka Von Rosen: Yeah, interestingly enough, um, you know, I’ve had this opportunity, and it’s been in retrospect pretty clear, like back in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2017, lots of sevens there. I’ve had the opportunity to make the pivot into kind of what I was really put on this Earth to do, um, and I just went a different direction. I went a safer direction. And this time, it was kind of like the universe going, “Yeah, honey, you don’t have another choice here. Like, you have to make this pivot. You have to start living authentically.” So the actual moment was literally lying in a hospital bed, um, in my, you know, working on, I think it was, uh, I was writing, um, grants, which I’m not a grant writer for my last company, and I just had this like, “What am I doing? Like, this is insane.” Uh, also, you know, turning 55, realizing I’ve got less before me than I had behind me, it was, it was kind of one, one of those moments where I just, I, you know, I shook my head and went, “I can’t, I cannot do this anymore. And I really, in order to be fully alive, um, I need to be doing the work that I was put on this Earth to do, right?” Lori Gama: And so many of the women that you help and want to help are living beyond the dream board, and that’s the name of your website, right? Viveka Von Rosen: Exactly. Beyond the dream board.com. Lori Gama: Yeah, tell me more about that, ’cause you’ve probably achieved more than one dream board. And please tell us, for people who are watching or listening, some people might not know what is a dream board. Viveka Von Rosen: Yeah, so I mean, for me, it’s a metaphorical dream board, but yes, I mean, dream boards, vision boards, those things that we always create on, you know, January 1st, with all of our ideas about what we want in our lives, the houses, the cars, the, the spouses, the whatever, um, and ironically, I had been cleaning out my garage, as one does, and I found one of my old vision boards or dream boards, and you know, it even had like the same car on it that I drive now. Not that I consciously bought the car, I mean, it, anyway, that’s how they work. That’s how they work. Exactly. Like, I didn’t even know I
Entrepreneurship? Yes or no? Just do it!
Want to go full-time with your passion, or own a business and want to break through to the next level? We help you create work that you love doing while making a living doing it. In this episode, Lori Gama discusses with Nina Duran-Gutierrez about entrepreneurship and finding the drive to do it. Tap or click the play button below to listen to: “Entrepreneurship? Yes or no? Just do it!” Entrepreneurship? Yes or no? Just do it! Transcript Nina Duran Gutierrez: …got started with a insurance company Corporation here in Greeley and I went to an interview and everything looked good on paper. I thought I did all my things I needed to do and they’re like, Okay, we’re gonna hire you going to be an entry level position, and you’re going to start in our Mail room and I was devastated. Lori Gama: Welcome to the podcast, my friends. I’m Lori Gama. This podcast is for people who want to go full time with their passion, or if you already own a business to break through to the next level, bottom line, create work that you love doing while making a living doing it. And my guest today is Nina Duran Harris. I’m so excited you’re here. Nina Duran Gutierrez: Glad to be here. Thank you for having me. Lori Gama: And Nina, you and your husband John Gutierrez own Can Do Concrete a second generation business here in Greeley, Colorado. You have double bachelor’s degrees. In sports medicine and in the Spanish language from Colorado State University. Following in your family’s entrepreneurial footsteps in construction, you decided you enjoy the challenges of owning your own business. You started out your career as a real estate agent in northern Colorado. Working in the new construction arena. You can build other businesses and sold them. We’re talking to a business Rockstar here today. And so excited you’re here. I started my business when I was 33 years old and I thought I was late to the party. But I read that recently I read that when the average age that most business owners do start a business is 36 years old. So it does take a bit of a journey to get to that point where as we both know, could you share tell me about what started you on your path to starting your first business. Nina Duran Gutierrez: You know, entrepreneurship, like you said it was kind of in my bloodline. There were three things that were pretty impactful for me to consider being on my entrepreneurial journey. The first being is that’s what I grew up with. was raised by my grandparents and my grandfather, and my uncles have their own excavation company. They just celebrated their 50th year in business. And I saw the benefits of what being in business afforded us as a family. And so I was always inspired by that I loved that. They had the flexibility and the time freedom for the most part. So I was always intrigued by that. The second part would be I did go to Colorado State University had two degrees. My family encouraged me to you know, go to school, get good grades, and then we don’t want you to start a business for yourself. We want you to find a job with good benefits and climb that corporate ladder. And you know, I did that I had the two degrees and right out of college I had no idea what I was going to do and I got started with a insurance company Corporation here in Greeley and I went to an interview and everything looked good on paper. I thought I did all my things I needed to do and they’re like, Okay, we’re gonna hire you gonna be an entry level position. And you’re going to start in our mailroom, and I was devastated. I was like, I bet that’s not how this was supposed to work I thought and I suppose to get into professional grab I have two degrees and nonetheless, I was eager and I was willing to work my way up I said I’ll do whatever I had to do and and that mailroom I had to test myself I have to say okay, how fast can I open these letters and file them and get them out into you know, the office and really had to challenge myself because I was pretty bored with a job. It wasn’t something that you know, I was like, Oh, when I grew up, I want to open mail for a living. But I eventually plugged into the corporation earned a professional job. I think it was one and a half years of being there. And it wasn’t for me. I felt that I was trading my time for money that no matter how hard I worked, I knew every week my paycheck was gonna be the same. I knew that I had x amount of vacation days, and I had to clock in Monday through Friday from eight to five and I am not an eight to five type of person. So against the advice of my grandfather, I said I’m gonna go into business for myself and I’m quitting and I’m gonna get started in real estate and I freaked him out because at that time I had just purchased my condo here in Greeley, I had a mortgage, I had bills, all the things that he was worried that weren’t going to get paid as this business doesn’t go well because he’s they struggled you know. So there there was times in the areas where their business had some hardships and he knew that all too well and he didn’t want me to experience that. Nonetheless, I went against his advice and I just dove in and I have not looked back since then. And it’s been a great ride and like you said, I’ve been involved in