Today I got to talk with Andy Karandzieff of the iconic Crown Candy Kitchen, St. Louis' oldest ice cream and soda fountain. Opened in 1913 by Andy's grandfather Harry, who brought his confectionary skills from Greece, along with a dream to provide a family-friendly environment to enjoy the delicious creations. Andy Candy as he's affectionately known, is the third generation keeping this legacy alive in North St. Louis. He's a huge advocate of the city, and he isn't afraid to put his money where his mouth is, living and working in the same historic neighborhood. We touch on a lot during this conversation, including the weight of carrying on traditional candy making, lessons learned from his father, and his mom's advice about taking vacations when you can still enjoy them. Let's roll!

Welcome to this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank. Josh steps into the ring with Chad Mueller—professional Muay Thai fighter, gym owner, coach, and now fight promoter. Chad’s journey into martial arts started at age 11, shifting to kickboxing by 16, and eventually leading him to Thailand, where he trained and fought with Team USA. Now back in the metro area, Chad has channeled his passion into building a thriving community of fighters, opening multiple gyms, and helping others pursue their own martial arts dreams. Josh and Chad dive into what it took to open his first gym from his parent’s basement, his vision for growing the sport, and the business metrics driving his mission. Get ready for an inspiring conversation on grit, growth, and leadership in and out of the ring. Let’s roll…

#muaythai #kickboxing #fighting #gym

On this episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh sits down with Jimmy Sansone, founder and co-owner of The Normal Brand, a fashion company focused on easy, comfortable clothing suitable for both workdays and weekends. In the nine years since launching with a small collection of hats, Jimmy and his brothers, Lan and Conrad, have opened 11 stores – in cities including St. Louis, Nashville and Indianapolis – entered partnerships with nearly 500 stores nationwide and have continued to build a strong online brand. They talk about leading through core values, making managed bets into the future and the value of working out with your dad. Let’s roll…

On this episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh gets the chance to catch up with Mich Hancock, the Co-Founder and License Holder of TEDx St. Louis, an independently organized TED Event, and the connection they share dating back to 2021 when Josh presented his TEDx talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/josh_allen_changing_our_culture_by_watching_our_waste?subtitle=en). She’s also the CEO of 100th Monkey, a digital marketing agency that specializes in human-to-human interactions They talk about the history and her vision for TEDx St. Louis, how her marketing work uncovers other business challenges that need to be addressed, and how her work with kindness is opening new doors for her into the future. Mich is a wonderful advocate for her community and a leader in amplifying what St. Louis is doing better than most. Let’s roll…

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has the immense pleasure of catching up with Chef Bill Cardwell. Best known as a pioneer of creative seasonal fare in St. Louis, Bill has been a fixture in the local culinary field for 30 plus years. It’s hard to remember a time when Cardwell wasn’t at the helm of one of the best eateries in town including Cardwell’s, Cardwell’s at the Plaza and BC’s Kitchen or out in the community promoting the value of sustainability and seasonal cooking. He was also the first restauranteur to purchase Josh’s bread in late 1993. They talk about the state of the St. Louis food scene in 1980s and 1990s, the obstacles Bill faced during his career and his feelings on what dining is like today. Fun stuff in this one. Let’s roll…

#chef #stlouis #restaurateur #seasonalcooking

On this episode, I get to chat with Brett Arndt, co-founder and CEO of Experience Fresh, a full-service vertically integrated agency, with a focus across #advertising, #brandstrategy, #production, #design, and #performancemarketing. They also happen to be St. Louis' fastest growing company on this years #Inc5000 list. With growth of nearly 1100% in the last 3 years and an audacious plan for the future, Brett certainly has his hands full. We talk about staying true to your core values through accelerated growth, authenticity and transparency in agency relationships, and the challenge of keeping up with the relentless hustle. I even sneak in some of my own marketing questions to satisfy my own curiosities. Let's go...

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has the pleasure of sitting down with long time friend Mike Goldman, Vice President and General Counsel of Waterway, the 50-year-old car wash brand that started as a simple operation in Kirkwood, Missouri and has since grown into a nationally recognized market leader with 29 locations in St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Denver and Cleveland. Their secret sauce continues to be human touch and personal connections in an industry driven by technology and automation. Josh and Mike talk about Waterway’s commitment to training and development via their “Learn to Lead” management training program, intentional expansion and slow growth and what’s next for brand. It’s hard not to see the value in their focus on their people. Good stuff. Let’s roll…

On this week’s episode presented by Busey Bank, Josh has chance to sit down with Meredith Knopp, President and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. The Foodbank is responding to hunger in communities across 26 counties in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois by donating food to more than 500,000 people in the form of 40-50 million meals annually. Josh and Meredith talk about the logistics in serving such a broad audience with a relatively small team, the creation of and the ongoing use of core values in her leadership, and the upcoming 9/11 National Day of Service during which the Foodbank is hoping to pack 375,000 meals in a single day. Lots of for-profit and non-profit advice in this one. Let’s roll…

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, check out www.stlfoodbank.org.