Connections That Matter

Business Networking Done Right
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Connections That Matter is a business networking podcast featuring real stories of growth through relationships. Host Andrew Johnson interviews Northern Colorado entrepreneurs and small business owners who share how strategic networking, trust, and referrals shaped their journeys. You’ll learn practical insights on networking, referral marketing, and relationship-based business growth—plus the mindsets and habits that help local leaders build communities and businesses that last. Connect with Andrew + Northern Colorado Networking Events Want to meet our guests (and maybe be a future guest yourself)  Upcoming Next Level Networking events: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/nia-next-level-networking-3697909

  1. 6d ago ·  Video

    Episode 85: What Noe the Barber Hears in the Chair with Noe Rodriguez from Sanctuary Barbers

    A barber's chair is one of the most honest rooms in town, and Noe Rodriguez has learned to treat every conversation in it as a chance to actually know someone. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Noe Rodriguez of Sanctuary Barbers about building loyalty one haircut at a time, and how that same approach turned into a seat on a county fair board and a published book. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Noe says "you are the brand," and how one bad interaction can undo years of built-up trust with a client. 🔹 The two intentional questions Noe asks every client in the chair: what's something you're working on personally, and what's something you're working on in your business. 🔹 How Noe went from cutting his own hair with his sister's clippers in seventh grade to barber school by 2017. 🔹 Why Noe was recruited onto the Boulder County Fair board by his own client, and previously served the Hispanic Education Foundation raising scholarship money. 🔹 The referral chain that led Noe onto this very podcast, one client connection leading to the next. 🔹 How Noe wrote and published a book, Powerhouse, grown out of years of journaling, with a sequel already taking shape. 🔹 Why Noe stopped trying to sell haircuts and instead leads with being genuinely interesting, an author, a fair board secretary, a community volunteer. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn why personal-service providers, like barbers and stylists, sit on some of the richest referral networks in town. 🔹 Understand how asking more intentional questions changes the depth of every conversation. 🔹 Discover how one client relationship can open doors to boards, nonprofits, and new referral circles. 🔹 Hear practical grooming advice for showing up polished to your next networking event. How to Contact Noe Rodriguez Website: SanctuaryBarbers.com or NoeTheBarber.com Phone: (720) 726-1776 Location: Sanctuary Barbers, Longmont, Colorado Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Noe Rodriguez and Sanctuary Barbers. 01:22: How Noe got into barbering, starting with his sister's clippers. 02:18: Treating a haircut like a canvas that can shift someone's whole outlook. 03:39: The two intentional questions Noe asks every client in the chair. 05:48: Advice for networkers on asking better, more genuine questions. 06:13: Serving the community: the Boulder County Fair board and Hispanic Education Foundation. 08:16: How Noe got recruited onto the Fair board by his own client. 09:00: Building the Sanctuary Barbers brand and protecting his reputation. 13:48: Writing the book Powerhouse, and the sequel already in the works. 17:24: The referral chain that led Noe onto this very podcast. 18:29: What "networking wherever you go" actually looks like day to day. 21:31: How to book an appointment with Noe at Sanctuary Barbers.

    Episode 85: What Noe the Barber Hears in the Chair with Noe Rodriguez from Sanctuary Barbers

  2. Oct 19 ·  Video

    Episode 84: The Toilet in the Mudroom That Started a Viral Video Series with Brent Fletcher

    "What if the best marketing for your business is just posting exactly what makes you say 'don't do that' out loud?" In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Brent Fletcher, owner of Fletcher's Home Inspections and founder of Happy Hour Real Estate Networking. Episode Highlights 🔹 What a home inspector actually looks for, a condition report, not a pass-fail. 🔹 The origin story of Brent's viral "don't do that" video series, born from a toilet in a mudroom. 🔹 Why preventative maintenance, like caulking, saves homeowners the most money over time. 🔹 How a growing social media following shifted his business toward direct client referrals instead of relying only on agents. 🔹 Why Happy Hour Real Estate Networking ditched name tags and formal introductions for a relaxed rooftop happy hour. 🔹 How the group grew from 10 people in a bar with a broken furnace to over 1,000 members by focusing on the after-party. 🔹 What it takes to earn a spot on Brent's vetted contractor referral list. 🔹 Brent's plans to open a Denver branch of Fletcher's Home Inspections. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn how everyday work can become authentic, high-performing content. 🔹 Understand why preventative home maintenance is the cheapest insurance a homeowner can buy. 🔹 Discover how a relaxed, low-pressure networking format can outperform a traditional one. 🔹 Get Brent's criteria for building a trusted referral list the right way. How to Contact Brent Fletcher Website: https://fletchershomeinspections.com Phone: (970) 691-1444 Instagram: https://instagram.com/inspector_fletch Facebook: https://facebook.com/FletchersHomeInspections TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@inspector_fletch YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Inspector_Fletch Facebook Group (Happy Hour Real Estate Networking): https://facebook.com/groups/hhren Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Brent Fletcher and Fletcher's Home Inspections. 00:58: What a home inspector actually does, day to day. 02:28: The maintenance tips that save homeowners the most money. 03:25: Building client relationships directly versus relying only on agent referrals. 04:06: How Brent decides what makes the cut for his social media videos. 04:50: The strangest things Brent has found in attics and crawl spaces. 06:45: The origin story of the "don't do that" video series. 08:21: How Happy Hour Real Estate Networking got started. 09:43: Meet the team behind the group's growth. 13:13: How the group grew from 10 people to 1,000-plus members. 17:04: How Brent vets and builds his contractor referral list. 19:00: Where to find Happy Hour Real Estate Networking.

    Episode 84: The Toilet in the Mudroom That Started a Viral Video Series with Brent Fletcher

  3. Oct 12 ·  Video

    Episode 83: From Painter to Trusted Advisor with Travis Diener from Renewed Creations Painting

    Most painting companies show up, paint, and leave. Travis Diener built his business on being the person homeowners trust to help them decide. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Travis Diener, owner of Renewed Creations Painting, about earning that trust job after job and how a year of consistent networking helped him land some of Fort Collins' biggest names as clients. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Travis sees himself as a trusted advisor on color choices, not just the guy holding the paintbrush. 🔹 The story of a 97-year-old client, who built his own home, getting it restained, a job that took two full consultations to get every detail right. 🔹 How stepping back from doing every job himself, after two and a half years of solo work, freed him up to start networking and grow the business. 🔹 Why Travis calls himself "further down the referral chain" from realtors, and still earns repeat business by treating every job the same regardless of whose client it is. 🔹 The lesson that some of his best referral partners aren't painters, or even in a related trade, at all. 🔹 How consistently showing up to the same rooms built trust with Fort Collins Chamber members who've been in business 40 to 50 years. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn how a trades business builds a referral network beyond just realtors and property managers. 🔹 Understand why showing up consistently beats chasing the perfect pitch. 🔹 Discover how handing fieldwork off to a crew can open the door to real business growth. 🔹 Hear why the best referral partner might be someone outside your industry entirely. How to Contact Travis Diener Website: renewedcreationspainting.com Google: search "Renewed Creations Painting" for reviews Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Travis Diener and Renewed Creations Painting. 01:04: How Travis handles a homeowner's bold (or risky) color choice. 02:38: Carving out a place in a crowded painting market. 04:25: The story of a 97-year-old client getting his self-built home restained. 07:01: How Travis got started networking, a year in with no business background. 08:32: What Travis learned from more experienced networkers. 10:16: How consistent showing-up led to bigger jobs, including the Fort Collins Chamber. 13:26: Stepping back from fieldwork to hire and manage a crew. 15:37: Travis's referral partners: realtors, lenders, and property managers. 17:10: How Travis reinforces trust with the person who made the referral. 18:49: Advice for a brand-new networker. 21:01: Where Travis networks: NIA, the Fort Collins Chamber, and NoCo Connect. 22:33: How to book a painting estimate with Renewed Creations.

    Episode 83: From Painter to Trusted Advisor with Travis Diener from Renewed Creations Painting

  4. Oct 5 ·  Video

    Episode 82: The Concussion Comeback with Dr. Jane Brewer from Precision Chiropractic

    We don't think to get our neck checked when our blood pressure runs high or we're catching every cold that goes around, but the nervous system that controls all of it runs straight through one small bone in the neck. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Dr. Jane Brewer, owner of Precision Chiropractic and an upper cervical chiropractic specialist, to talk about what that specialty actually treats and the referral relationships she's built across Northern Colorado's medical community. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why the upper cervical model centers on the atlas, the single bone where the skull meets the spine, and the passage point for nearly every nerve fiber in the body. 🔹 How Jane discovered upper cervical care through her own chiropractor's transformative treatment, then went back to school at 32 to become a specialist herself. 🔹 Why there are only two of Jane's specialized adjusting instruments in use anywhere in Colorado, and the multi-step certification required to use one. 🔹 The story of Oliver, a teenage baseball player whose concussion recovery accelerated so fast after one adjustment that his own concussion clinic doctor called to ask what she'd done. 🔹 Why Jane's mentor taught her to "never let the hand that touches money touch the hand that serves people." 🔹 How symptoms like vertigo, POTS, blood pressure swings, and a weaker immune system can all trace back to neck alignment. 🔹 Jane's referral partnership with Colorado in Motion's vestibular therapists, and why dizziness issues usually trace to the eyes, ears, or neck. 🔹 Why Jane treats Northern Colorado's health and wellness networking circles, including Ann Barron's Northern Colorado Community group, as core to growing her practice. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn what upper cervical chiropractic actually treats, and how it differs from a standard adjustment. 🔹 Understand how a single neck misalignment can show up as headaches, vertigo, POTS, or immune trouble. 🔹 Hear a concussion recovery story that surprised the patient's own doctor. 🔹 Discover how deep referral relationships get built between healthcare providers in Northern Colorado. How to Contact Dr. Jane Brewer Website: https://precisionchiroco.com  Businesses Dr. Jane Brewer Recommends 🔹 Colorado in Motion: vestibular and physical therapy; Jane specifically credits therapists Mandy Shockey and Jennifer Farnell for handling eye- and ear-related balance issues her office can't resolve alone. 🔹 Northern Colorado Community: a networking group led by Ann Barron, who Jane calls an "incredible connector of people." Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Dr. Jane Brewer and Precision Chiropractic. 01:04: What upper cervical chiropractic is and why the atlas bone matters. 02:44: Why Jane chose upper cervical care after her own chiropractic transformation. 04:10: How other chiropractors refer their own families to Jane's specialty. 05:16: The rare instrumentation behind a precise upper cervical adjustment. 09:58: Seeing 45–50 patients a day and remembering every relationship. 13:05: Oliver's story: a concussion recovery that surprised his own doctor. 16:31: Symptoms that can trace back to neck alignment, from headaches to POTS. 20:35: How Jane's referral relationship with Colorado in Motion's therapists works. 24:13: Where Jane networks in Northern Colorado's health and wellness community. 26:16: How to book a complimentary consultation at Precision Chiropractic.

    Episode 82: The Concussion Comeback with Dr. Jane Brewer from Precision Chiropractic

  5. Sep 28 ·  Video

    Episode 81: Healing After Child Abuse with Kathleen Baumgardner from Child Safe Colorado

    Most people never think about what it actually takes to help a family heal after child abuse, the therapy, the funding, and the years of trust-building behind it. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Kathleen Baumgardner of Child Safe Colorado about how the nonprofit supports survivors from age 2 to 78, and how Northern Colorado's business community keeps that work funded. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Child Safe's clients range from age 2 to 78, including adult survivors who don't seek help until decades later, often around age 50. 🔹 How just 0.9% of Child Safe's revenue last year came directly from clients paying out of pocket, the rest comes from grants, donations, and events. 🔹 The range of therapies used, from play and art therapy to EMDR and neurofeedback, matched to each survivor's age and needs. 🔹 How a single coffee shop fundraiser raised $10,000 for Child Safe in one day, a dollar per drink sold. 🔹 Why Child Safe's new Loveland office shares a building with partner nonprofits, including on-site horticulture therapy with Loveland Youth Gardeners. 🔹 How the organization grew from 10 families served by a small group of therapists in 1986 to 641 survivors served last year. 🔹 Why group therapy for non-offending parents, helping them let go of guilt, matters as much as therapy for the child. 🔹 The everyday challenges of running a nonprofit: funding swings, a hard-to-fill workforce, and the need for bilingual and specialized clinicians. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn what real support for child abuse survivors and their families actually looks like. 🔹 Understand how a nonprofit builds a funding model that keeps care accessible to everyone. 🔹 Discover how co-located nonprofits can serve families with fewer barriers. 🔹 Hear how a business can partner with a cause like this, from a percentage-of-sales night to a golf tournament. How to Contact Child Safe Colorado Website: childsafecolorado.org Tours: childsafecolorado.org, look for "Visit Us" under Get Involved Businesses/Partners Child Safe Works With 🔹 Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center: shares Child Safe's Loveland building; children can go downstairs for therapy with parent permission and an MOU in place. 🔹 Loveland Youth Gardeners: Child Safe runs horticulture therapy sessions directly in their gardens. Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Kathleen Baumgardner and Child Safe Colorado. 01:00: What Child Safe does and who they serve. 02:57: What therapy and healing look like across a wide range of ages. 04:44: How referrals reach Child Safe, from case workers to other therapists. 07:34: The funding model: grants, donations, and why only 0.9% comes from clients. 09:25: How local businesses partner through third-party fundraisers. 13:37: The biggest challenges of running a nonprofit: funding and workforce. 15:41: Child Safe's history, from 10 families in 1986 to hundreds served today. 20:39: What family healing looks like, session by session. 23:03: Sharing a building with partner nonprofits in the new Loveland office. 24:03: Where Kathleen and Child Safe network across Northern Colorado. 25:13: How to reach Child Safe, volunteer, donate, or book a tour.

    Episode 81: Healing After Child Abuse with Kathleen Baumgardner from Child Safe Colorado

  6. Sep 21 ·  Video

    Episode 80: Why Nobody Wants to Be Sold with Matt Roberts from Affectus Sales Partners

    The fastest way to lose a sale is to pitch before you understand the problem, and Matt Roberts has coached that lesson into salespeople for years. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Matt Roberts, sales coach at Affectus Sales Partners, about building a repeatable sales process and what most networkers get wrong right after a great conversation. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why pitching too early is the most common mistake Matt sees, in networking and everywhere else in sales. 🔹 The "cookbook" method: a written set of top weekly behaviors every salesperson needs to hit their revenue goals. 🔹 Why Matt believes there are two winners in every sales conversation: the one who wins the business, and the one who finds out early they won't. 🔹 How partnering with the Sandler sales method reshaped Matt's entire process, down to how a meeting opens. 🔹 The story of coaching a 30-year veteran financial advisor's two new hires to a record eight new clients in one month. 🔹 Why referral leads should close at nearly double the normal rate, and the mistake salespeople make by skipping straight to the pitch anyway. 🔹 Matt's own start in sales: a college painting internship at 19, knocking on doors and getting his "teeth kicked in." Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn the most common mistake salespeople make right after a great networking conversation. 🔹 Understand why a written, repeatable sales process beats winging it on passion alone. 🔹 Discover how to turn a warm referral into a near-guaranteed close. 🔹 Hear practical advice for pushing through call reluctance and the fear of rejection. How to Contact Matt Roberts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matt-roberts-affectus Networking: Network in Action and the Elevate Group in Fort Collins Timestamps 00:00: Welcome and introduction to Matt Roberts and Affectus Sales Partners. 00:49: What a sales coach actually does, day to day. 01:46: The most common sales mistakes Matt sees in networking rooms. 03:19: How to use rapport-building as a filtering mechanism, not just small talk. 04:29: Why getting ghosted usually means you lost the deal way earlier. 06:35: How to uncover what's really holding a prospect back from buying. 08:08: Why Matt partnered with the Sandler sales method. 09:43: Matt's first sales job: a college painting internship at 19. 11:20: Overcoming call reluctance and the "cookbook" of weekly behaviors. 15:18: Case study: coaching a veteran financial advisor's team to a record month. 19:03: How referrals should change and speed up the sales process. 20:20: Why confidence makes up more than half of selling well. 22:03: How to connect with Matt and follow his sales content.

    Episode 80: Why Nobody Wants to Be Sold with Matt Roberts from Affectus Sales Partners

  7. Sep 14 ·  Video

    Episode 79: Nick Dunagan on the Rock Climbing Gym That Did What Medication Couldn't

    "What if veterans didn't need to be shown as broken to get support, because that's exactly what keeps them from feeling empowered?" In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Nick Dunagan, founder of Health4Heroes, a nonprofit that empowers veterans and first responders to take command of their physical and mental health. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Nick left the military early after a mental health crisis following a deployment to Afghanistan. 🔹 How finding a veterans' community at a rock climbing gym became the turning point in his recovery. 🔹 Why Health4Heroes intentionally never uses the word "help": "we empower, we support." 🔹 The real steps behind starting a nonprofit: recruiting a board of directors, filing for 501(c)(3) status, getting it right the first time. 🔹 How the business membership model lets over 40 local companies support veterans and first responders year-round. 🔹 Why Health4Heroes publishes an annual impact report and holds Better Business Bureau charity accreditation. 🔹 Why the organization is expanding into online programming to reach heroes beyond Northern Colorado. 🔹 The size of the veteran population in Larimer County alone  (over 140,000) and why the need is bigger than most realize. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn why strength-based messaging can be more empowering, and harder to fund, than crisis-based messaging. 🔹 Understand the real steps to founding and funding a nonprofit organization. 🔹 Discover how a business membership model can create authentic, ongoing community partnerships. 🔹 Hear a personal story of resilience that reframes what recovery and purpose can look like. How to Contact Nick Dunagan / Health4Heroes Website: https://health4heroes.org Email: Nick@Health4Heroes.org Instagram: https://instagram.com/health4heroes Facebook: https://facebook.com/Health4Heroes.HQ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and introduction to Nick Dunagan and the Health4Heroes mission. 01:04 — Nick's personal journey through military service and a mental health crisis. 05:19 — How to reach out to a friend who's withdrawing or struggling. 08:04 — The real steps to founding a nonprofit, from board recruitment to 501(c)(3) filing. 11:05 — Why Health4Heroes serves both veterans and first responders. 11:33 — The conscious decision to market strength instead of struggle. 14:37 — How a nonprofit networks differently than a traditional business. 15:51 — The business membership model and how 40+ companies support the mission. 19:11 — Plans to expand Health4Heroes' programming online. 20:26 — Health4Heroes' current service area, from Cheyenne to Longmont. 20:34 — Where to find Health4Heroes and get involved.

    Episode 79: Nick Dunagan on the Rock Climbing Gym That Did What Medication Couldn't

  8. Sep 7 ·  Video

    Episode 78: Why Vulnerability Wins in Networking with Rebeccah Silence

    "What if the best networking strategy isn't a stronger pitch, but the courage to be fully yourself?" In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Rebeccah Silence, an emotional health and relationship coach and author of Coming Back to Life. Episode Highlights 🔹 The difference between your "survival self" and your "healed self" — and why the healed version connects more. 🔹 Why Rebeccah teaches that you don't need a breakdown to break through. 🔹 How to identify what you actually want by starting with what you know you don't want. 🔹 Her concept of "high-functioning unhappiness" and how it shows up in even highly successful people. 🔹 Why she reduces emotional healing to a healthy relationship with five core emotions: anger, fear, grief, joy, excitement. 🔹 Her own story of beating cancer with a 5% survival chance while seven months pregnant. 🔹 How to turn a business partner or team conflict into a chance for both sides to heal, not just settle. 🔹 Why leading with curiosity about the other person is the most effective networking strategy there is. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn why vulnerability builds stronger business connections than a polished pitch. 🔹 Understand the difference between managing your past and actually healing from it. 🔹 Discover a practical framework for identifying what you want out of life and business. 🔹 Hear a powerful personal story of resilience that reframes what success can look like. How to Contact Rebeccah Silence Website: https://theunsilentwoman.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/rebeccahsilence Book: Coming Back to Life (on Amazon) Timestamps 00:15 — Welcome and introduction to Rebeccah Silence. 00:49 — What Rebeccah does and her definition of networking as freedom. 01:49 — The difference between your "survival self" and your "healed self." 04:39 — How to start discovering your highest, most capable self. 06:47 — A client case study: high-functioning unhappiness and redefining success. 10:04 — Letting go of survival mode and the five core emotions. 13:03 — Advice for supporting an employee through personal tragedy. 15:08 — Navigating trauma-driven conflict inside a business partnership. 18:03 — Overcoming fear and vulnerability in networking settings. 19:26 — Rebeccah's cancer diagnosis and her fight for survival. 26:03 — Where to find Rebeccah Silence and get started.

    Episode 78: Why Vulnerability Wins in Networking with Rebeccah Silence
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Connections That Matter is a business networking podcast featuring real stories of growth through relationships. Host Andrew Johnson interviews Northern Colorado entrepreneurs and small business owners who share how strategic networking, trust, and referrals shaped their journeys. You’ll learn practical insights on networking, referral marketing, and relationship-based business growth—plus the mindsets and habits that help local leaders build communities and businesses that last. Connect with Andrew + Northern Colorado Networking Events Want to meet our guests (and maybe be a future guest yourself)  Upcoming Next Level Networking events: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/nia-next-level-networking-3697909

Information

  • Creator
    Business Networking Done Right
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Connections That Matter
  • Show Website
    Connections That Matter