It's been an unusual end to our third season as we all adapt to worldwide changes due to the pandemic. So as we wrap up this season, I checked in with a few of our past guests to get an update on what’s been happening with their business here in Bonita. In this episode, you'll hear April 2020 updates from: Shelley Anderson, Blush Salon Adam Botana, Bay Water Boat Club Debi Brandle, Bonita Boarding Kennel & Pet Camp, and Fred Fung, Bonita Bay Club So as we wrap up season three, let me say thank you. Thank you of course to our amazing sponsor, Spotlight News magazine, your local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Spotlight hasn’t missed a beat through all of the chaos, and continues to land in our mailboxes with its’ gorgeous covers and interesting coverage of local people. Please join me in supporting the businesses who advertise in its pages—it matters. Also, of course, a big thank you to you, our listener. You may be someone who’s lost your job, or is now on an uncertain furlough, or have taken a pay cut in order to preserve other jobs. Or, you may be one of our retired residents, your activity in our community cut back and the isolation setting in. No matter who you are, we see you, and you’re not alone. When you need someone to talk to, or if you need more specific help, don’t hesitate to start with me. I’m at Darcy@RedCapeRevolution.com and if I can’t get you what you need, I’m honored to know enough people in our community who can. Also, if it’s useful, I’ve developed an audio series you can get each day in your inbox, designed to give you a quick boost of encouragement for your business and career. It’s free for you when you sign up at RedCapeCareer.com.

Bonita Business Podcast with Coach Darcy

Our Season Three Wrap Up

As we came closer to the end of this third season of our local podcast, the world changed--fast. In this bonus episode, I catch up on the changes with tech leader Alex Allen of Two39 Group, co-owner of the year-old Bonita co-working space Two39 Work.  Alex and I talked not only about disruption to his business due to the worldwide virus pandemic, but we looked at how this new world will likely change the tech community in Southwest Florida and as well as other companies relying on local technology talent. Thanks again to our sponsor, Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Now, let’s listen to this bonus conversation with Alex Allen of Two39 Group.

Bonus: Pivoting in the Pandemic with Alex Allen of Two39 Group

My next guest tells me that One good day on the water is worth a thousand words. Well, if you’re listening to this episode right when it comes out in April 2020, you know that we’re all ready for one and hopefully many more good days soon, when the threat of the coronavirus is vanquished for good. When that will be? We don’t know. But it will happen—I know it. This conversation with my guest Adam Botana was recorded prior to this stunning shift in our lifestyles and economy here in Southwest Florida, and of course our state’s stay-at-home orders are impacting his family’s company, Bay Water Boat Club, as they are yours, mine and so many others. Adam’s also running for Florida state representative, which at present is still scheduled for a primary election in August. In this conversation, we talk about the other crisis that drove him into the campaign—that red tide/blue green algae nightmare of a few years ago. Remember them? They seem tame right now, but they were devastating to so many businesses in our area. But  I’m remembering how those businesses bounced back, and it gives me a dose of hope right now. I also get hope and great local info when I read the work of our sponsor, Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, since you might need some new books to listen to right now, remember our friends at Audible, who’ll will give you a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. Enjoy the interview and come over to Bonita Business Podcast for more!

Work & Our Water with Adam Botana of Bay Water Boat Club

One of the reasons I started this podcast is to tell the story about how our area was becoming more than just a gorgeous vacation or retirement community. I had started to see how many interesting and different businesses were thriving here, and I wanted to go behind the scenes to tell more of those stories. My next guest and I share this goal of wanting to spread the word about the tech and entrepreneurial opportunities in Southwest Florida--and don't let the current economic environment fool you--there WILL be opportunities. He’s Alex Allen, who’s the co-founder of the Two39 Group, a tech startup hub that owns Two39 Work, a co-working and connection space for tech companies and entrepreneurs. At the time of this interview, the coworking space just celebrated its first year, home to several tech professionals and entire entrepreneurial companies. As you’ll hear, Alex has an entrepreneur’s passion with a heart for our local community—after all, the company’s called 2-3-9—ring a bell? But beyond the coworking space, he’s focused on creating opportunities to connect, engage support and even fund the sometimes hidden tech talent we have here in Southwest Florida –and there’s a lot more of that than you might think. I know you’ll enjoy my interview with Alex. But first, would you help me thank our sponsor,  the Spotlight News Magazine. It’s local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which offers our listeners a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today.

Connecting the Tech Community with Alex Allen of Two39 Work

My guest Greg DeWitt became Bonita Springs' fire chief in January 2020, but brings years of Bonita history as well as a vision for Bonita's future.  In this second part of my two-part interview, we talk more about the future of Bonita Fire and the city itself, balancing all the needs our growth entails.  If you haven't listened to the first interview yet, do that soon--in that episode, Chief DeWitt shares more about the current state of Bonita Fire Thanks to our sponsor, the Spotlight News Magazine: local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which offers our listeners a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. Be sure to visit BonitaBusinessPodcast.com for all our episodes, plus show notes. Now, let’s listen to the second part of my conversation with Chief Greg Dewitt of Bonita Fire.

Part 2: Planning for the Future with Chief Greg DeWitt of Bonita Fire

When you think of local businesses, you’re probably not thinking about one very big, very important local business. In fact, this business had a budget last year of $38 million, and if you pay taxes in Bonita, about 70% of that was funded by you and me. I’m talking about the Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue district, and today’s guest is Greg DeWitt, who became the CEO—better known as the fire chief—in January of 2020. We dive into the business of the department, and surprisingly, it’s more than just putting out fires. As you might expect, it’s a capital-intensive business, with a lot of physical properties to maintain—not just the trucks we think of, but firehouses themselves and all the speciality equipment that goes on a rig, and even a boat—which makes sense for our water-centric community, right? But you might not expect that Bonita Fire is debt free, with careful planning ahead to be able to buy properties or replace equipment to support our town’s growth. As a new chief but with a lot of history, we had a lot to talk about. So I’ve broken this interview into two separate episodes. At a high level, in this, the first part, we talk about the past and the present of the fire department; in the second, we talk more about the future. That episode will be released next, so watch for it! Better yet, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and that way you’ll never miss an episode. I know you’ll enjoy my interview with Chief DeWitt. But first, would you help me thank our sponsor,  the Spotlight News Magazine. It’s local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which offers our listeners a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today.

Planning for the Future with Chief Greg DeWitt of Bonita Fire

One of the things I love about living and working in Southwest Florida is that no matter where I am, if I look up and pay attention, I’m surrounded by wildlife. From the ibis and egret overhead, to the teeny geckos at my feet or  the bright green anole lizard who stares me down outside my office window—well, our animals are everywhere. For the most part, that’s a good thing. But when it’s a problem—when an animal gets caught where it shouldn’t be, or when an invasive animal gets out of control, that’s when it’s time to call my next guest. He’s Butch Smith, and he’s the founder of Southern Trappers Nuisance Wildlife Removal, based right here in Bonita Springs. I met Butch through a friend whose community hired Southern Trappers specifically to handle the cane toad infestation we’ve all been hearing so much about in the past few years. And while at one time, his business was more like an advanced version of pest control, in recent years, the work as become a critical part of helping us managing our environment and protect the wildlife populations that are getting overtaken by species such as the cane toads, igauana and pythons. Before we dive in, your Bonita Business Podcast is supported by the Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which offers our listeners a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. Now, let’s listen to my conversation with Butch Smith of Southern Trappers, based here in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida. Get the show notes with pictures at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com.

Where the Wild Things Are w/ Butch Smith of Southern Trappers

You probably know that starting a new retail service business can be hard. But how would it be if you were starting it with your mom? Or if you’re a mom who’s retired from a successful career in the buttoned up world finance, would you be willing to dive into a new creatively-driven business with your daughter? Well, in this interview, we meet two women who are taking on that challenge. Shelley Anderson and Sarah Thompson are the mother-daughter team behind Blush Salon, a full-service salon located next to Bonefish right here in Bonita Springs. Blush just celebrated its first year in business, and in this interview, we have an honest talk about their lessons learned in that year, their struggles and surprises, and their vision for a one-stop salon—a model that’s not as common in the beauty industry these days. Whether or not you’ve ever been to a salon, I think you’ll find the conversation interesting and useful as you think about your own career and business. Oh, and a special note: not long after this interview, Shelley announced that she’ll be running for Bonita Springs City Council in the March 17 2020 special election, filling the seat that was open after Greg DeWitt resigned to become the fire chief. By the way, look for my interview with Greg on the podcast, too! Shelley’s district is roughly Old Bonita, an area she’s lived in and raised her family, including her now business-partner daughter Sarah. So we don’t talk about the election or City Council on this interview, just in case you were wondering. But if you’re curious about that part of her world, you can go to Facebook.com/ShelleyforBonita. My thanks to our sponsor,  Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com.  Plus, thanks to my friends at  Audible, who offer you a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy. Remember, you can get the show notes and other links & info at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com. While you’re there,  click on the big red button and sign up to get my weekly behind the scenes emails—that’s where I share stories I don’t share anywhere else. Enjoy this interview with mother/daughter owners of Blush Salon, Shelley Anderson and Sarah Thompson.

Building for Growth w/ Shelley Anderson & Sarah Thompson of Blush Salon

Here's something I see happen all the time when I'm coaching leaders and up-and-coming professionals. They’ve mastered their current role, and they’re hungry to grow. But, the next logical spot for them is one that’s already filled—often, by their boss, and at the time, it doesn’t seem like that boss is going anywhere. So, that ambitious person leaves to get the growth and opportunities they need. But if you do the work to be a great company in your industry, something interesting happens. Those employees boomerang back, and rejoin your organization down the road. And that’s exactly what happened to Fred Fung, who in late 2019 re-joined the Bonita Bay Club after a couple years away, but this time in the top job of general manager. Fred shares what’s happening behind the scenes in this company of 350 full-time employees serving a membership of 3600 people at one of the country’s top five clubs in terms of size. And that size includes not only five golf clubs and 18 tennis courses, but the ownership & operation of the 3-story, 60,00 square foot office building next to the promenade that not only houses the club’s fitness center and spa, but is home to offices not connected to the club, including Finemark, Hotwire, and several doctors and specialists. So they’re in the real estate business, too. We also get in to the future of the club business as populations age, and hiring gets harder, and as environmental pressures grow. Before we dive in, your Bonita Business Podcast is supported by the Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which will give you a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. And a quick reminder that after the show, come over to BonitaBusinessPodcast.com. There you’ll find show notes with more resources, photos, and other tools related to the episode you’re listening to right now. You can also sign up to get regular email updates from me as new podcasts come out—that’s where I share the dish that doesn’t make it into the podcast. You won’t want to miss what’s ahead, so be sure to visit BonitaBusinessPodcast.com today.  

Art of the Boomerang with Fred Fung of Bonita Bay Club

It’s no surprise to anyone who’s trying to make a left hand turn off US 41 our local population is growing—even in the summer. But you might not realize that 70% of each new family who moves here, full or part-time, will have a pet. That’s good news for those in the pet care business, like our next guest, Debi Brandle, owner of the Bonita Boarding Kennel and Pet Camp, off Bernwood near Shaw Development and the Bonita Springs Charter School. Debi and her family own and operate the day care and overnight boarding service which has been in business for over 10 years. In this interview, Debi tells us about the real work of a business like this—and it’s so much more than just loving on our four-legged friends. Before we dive in, your Bonita Business Podcast is supported by the Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which will give you a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. Now, let’s listen to my conversation with Debi Brandle, owner of the Bonita Boarding Kennel and Pet Camp, here in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida.

The Business of Business with Debi Brandle of Bonita Boarding Kennel

Okay, a little confession. Making this podcast isn’t always easy. Sure, there’s a recipe—pick good guests, coordinate with their schedules, record a good conversation, write and record opening and closing snippets like this, then mix it all together with all the behind-the-scenes tech that brings a finished episode to your ears. But the recipe doesn’t work without great ingredients, and that’s what I’ve got here today for you with this interview with Chef Allen Fisher of Harvest & Wisdom. Harvest & Wisdom opened in 2019 in the historic Shangri-la Springs property, which, if you’ve lived here for a while, know has been coming back to life slowly but surely, and the restaurant is just further proof of that. But what’s unique about the place is that it sources 80% of its menu from the organic gardens right on the property, tucked away behind the original springs that give our town its name. In the interview, Chef Allen explains the process of planning and preparing a garden-driven menu, which adds a layer of complexity you might not realize. That’s not to say he’s not able to cook on the fly, a talent Allen demonstrated in a stint on the Food Network’s Chopped. Plus, how do you talk to a chef without also having a little snack? Chef Allen shared some yummies with me, and so my apologies for the occasional slurp—it’s all in the name of bringing you the real deal behind the scenes. Plus, at the end of this podcast, you can hear him describe the dishes I got to taste—and you’ll want to check out the pictures over at the show notes page at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com. Before we dive in, let’s thank our sponsor, Spotlight News Magazine, Spotlight is the local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. You can read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Now, on to my lunch—uh, I mean interview-- with Chef Allen Fisher of Harvest & Wisdom, located right in the heart of Old Bonita at the Shangri-la Springs.  Enjoy, cause, as you’ll hear, I did.

Feeding Body & Mind with Chef Allen Fisher of Harvest & Wisdom

Welcome to a sneak peak of Season Three of the Bonita Business Podcast! We’re continuing our journey to bring you behind-the-scenes insights and unexpected ideas that are creating business and career success right here in my chosen hometown of Bonita Springs, Florida. Maybe this is your first time here—if so, hi! I’m Darcy Eikenberg, and I’m the founder of the leadership & career development firm Red Cape Revolution and author of Bring Your Superpowers to Work: Your Guide to More Clarity, Confidence & Control. While I have the great honor to be hired to coach and teach business professionals all over the world, I made the decision about five years ago to move my company and my life to Bonita Springs, Florida. While I’ve been here, I’ve discovered a secret. I’ve discovered is that while Bonita means beautiful, it also means business. This is no longer just a sleepy little retirement or vacation region—great work is happening all around us, and my goal with this podcast is to bring some of those stories to you. To those of you who’ve been listening since we started, a huge thank you. If you haven’t caught up on Seasons One and Two yet, now’s a great time! And coming up this season, I’ll introduce you to even more business professionals making a difference right here, right now, in our Southwest Florida town. People like Chef Allen Fisher of the Shangri-la Springs organic restaurant Harvest & Wisdom; Debi Brandle, owner at Bonita Boarding Kennel and Pet Camp; and Fred Fung, the new general manager at the Bonita Bay Club Also, while we’re not a political show, it is an election year and Bonita business people are at the heart of Bonita’s local government. So, I’ll have interviews with Bay Water Boat club’s Adam Botana, who’s running for state representative, and Shelley Anderson, who with her daughter and business partner Sarah Thompson owns Blush Salon, and while we didn’t know it at the time of our interview, Shelley is running for Bonita City Council. And also this season, we’ll talk to new Bonita fire chief Greg Dewitt, who had previously served on the city council. Bonita business people are making an impact everywhere, and so you won’t want to miss any of these conversations. So, do me a favor--hit subscribe on the podcast service you’re using right now so that new episodes come to you automagically on your favorite digital device. Plus, here’s a secret. When each episode is released, I also send a short email with other info or behind-the-scenes details you only get from me. To get those, though, you have to sign up, all for free, of course.  Just go to BonitaBusinessPodcast.com and you’ll see the red button to sign up there. One plus about connecting with me through email is that you can always write me back, too—and I love to hear from you. The Bonita Business Podcast is supported by the Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com. Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which will give you a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today. So, if you live in, work in, or just plain care about business in Bonita Springs, Florida, let’s get started with season three of the Bonita Business Podcast. Again, I’m your host Bonita Business Coach Darcy Eikenberg, and remember, Bonita may mean beautiful, but it also means business.  Enjoy the shows!

Our Season Three Preview

Wow—I can’t believe we’re at the close of our second season. When I launched the Bonita Business Podcast, my goals were simple. I wanted to take you behind the scenes to meet some of the companies and business leaders right here in my chosen hometown of Bonita Springs, Florida. I wanted to hear what’s happening in their companies and careers, and I wanted to get their insights on what’s happening in our local business community overall. Well, if you’ve listened to our interviews this season, you know we did just that. In this second season, we continued talking to leaders in companies who shared great stories about their own career journeys and their work today right here in Southwest Florida. If you haven’t caught up on all of the episodes to date, find them all on BonitaBusinessPodcast.com, or on wherever you’re listening to the podcast right now! Plus, you can also catch up with our season one episodes there, too—those chats are still really useful and insightful. This season, I started off talking to leaders at three different healthcare organizations currently serving our community—Alex Greenwood at Lee Heatlh Coconut Point. Sara McCallum at the Bonita Commuity Health Center, and Wendell McClurg of NCH Bonita. I was super curious to get behind the scenes in the two new facilities built by both Lee and NCH –and, to hear how that’s affected a property both companies share—the Bonita Community Health Center. If yu’re interested in the state of healthcare services in our area, you’ll definitely want to listen to all three interviews. Plus, I also talked to dentist Victoria Renando, and while we were focusing on the lessons she’s learned starting up a new business in Bonita Springs, I did learn a little about the medical side of dentistry, too. What else did I learn this season? Well, a couple of our interviews had to do with critical services that come directly into your house. First, there’s water, here with Bonita Springs utilities executive director John Jenkins. And also coming into your house is internet service, including tv and phone service, and we met Theresa Fletcher., executive VP of Hotwire Communiations to talk about that. The winner for most interesting company name—and maybe coolest company—came from my interview with Jameson Yingling of Sugarshack. Okay, a few final thoughts as we wrap up our second season. The biggest one is that I’m grateful. I’m grateful to every single person who took time out of their schedules to sit down with me and tell me their story so I could bring them to you. I’m grateful to Peter O’Flinn, publisher of the Spotlight News magazine—the local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Peter went out of his way after our first season to encourage this work to continue, and this year you may have seen the podcast inside the pages of the Spotlight. We’re grateful to their sponsorship, and encourage you to go read the Spotlight at SWSpotlight.com. I’m grateful to audiobook giant Audible, who’s committed to helping smaller podcaster s like me by offering a free audiobook to our listeners who sign up for a free 30-day trial at AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy. Most of all, thank YOU for listening and for telling your friends. This work doesn’t mean anything if it isn’t useful to you. If you haven’t yet left us a rating and a review, it really does matter, even for a local podcast like this. If you like what you’ve heard this season, please click the stars or write a few words in a review. We’d like to bring you even more great interviews and ideas from our own backyard. So tell me this—who would YOU like to hear from? I’d love to have your suggestions and introductions. You can hit the green “suggest a guest” button on BonitaBusinessPodcast.com, or just email me at Darcy@RedCapeRevolution.com. In the meantime, don’t forget -- Bonita may mean beautiful, but it also means business.  I’m Bonita Business Coach Darcy Eikenberg, and thanks for being here with me on the Bonita Business Podcast.

Our Season Two Wrap-Up

If you’ve listened to the Bonita Business Podcast a while, it’s clear that in many corners, Bonita Springs is booming. But as companies grow, there’s always a risk that bad behaviors grow too, like discrimination and illegal employment practices.   In an age of Me Too and other public movements, I was curious about how discrimination issues were emerging in the local marketplace. So I turned to Kim Hastings. Kim’s a local independent employment and business lawyer, and she counsels and litigates issues of discrimination faced by her small business clients. We dive into the difference between what’s illegal, and what’s just plain bad business behavior. Spoiler alert—there’s a lot less that’s illegal than you may think.  If you want to help your business stay healthy and out of court—whether that be a real court, or the court of public opinion—you’ll definitely want to listen to this interview with Kim.  Find more resources at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com.

Law & Local Business with Kim Hastings, Employment Lawyer

How often do YOU think about what goes on behind the scenes to bring TV or internet service into your home? Maybe not a lot. But if you live in one of our local communities whose homeowners associations have recently fired the traditional providers and hired tech upstart Hotwire, you’re likely learning a lot, fast. In this interview, I talk with Hotwire Communication's new executive vice president and general manager Theresa Fletcher. Theresa recently moved here from the east coast of Florida, and she’s helping how Hotwire’s lay down roots in Southwest Florida while it’s laying down miles of fiber optic cable. The company’s negotiated and won contracts to be the technology service provider for all their residents at communiteis at Pelican Landing, Bonita Bay, Shadowwood among others. And these contracts are often for ten years or more, and so I was curious how they planned to stay current, be profitable, and most of all, continue to serve the residents of these communites well into the future. Whether you live inside one of these communities or not, you won’t want to miss this conversation that’s not just about technology, but also about trust, building relationships, and building a team. Find the show notes and more at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com. Plus, know a Bonita Springs businessperson with a great story to tell? Suggest a guest at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com, too.

Tech, Trust & Time with Theresa Fletcher of Hotwire Communications

While I have the great fortune to coach business leadership strategies all over the world, I made the decision a few years ago to move my own company and my life to Bonita Springs, Florida. What I’ve discovered is that while Bonita means beautiful, it also means business. This is no longer just a sleepy little retirement or vacation region—great accomplishments are happening all around us. I’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with some amazing professionals locally here, and I wanted to bring some of their stories to you. So, over the course of this local podcast, I’ll introduce you to business professionals making a difference right here, right now, in our Southwest Florida town. For more, visit us at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com.

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Bonita Business Podcast with Coach Darcy

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