Connections That Matter

Business Networking Done Right
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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. 6h ago ·  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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Aug 31 ·  Video

    Episode 77: The Peer Group That Talked Curt Bear Out of His Dream Business

    "What if the smartest person in the room only has some of the answers, but ten people together have all of it?" In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Curt Bear, founder of LOCO Think Tank and host of The Loco Experience podcast. Curt built LOCO Think Tank to give Northern Colorado business owners a place to get honest, experienced advice from fellow business veterans, not consultants. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why Curt describes each LOCO chapter as "two parts board meeting, one part support group." 🔹 How buying local keeps jobs, tax dollars, and community ties in Northern Colorado instead of Amazon. 🔹 Why the builders, thinkers, and next-level chapter structure matches leadership challenges to business size. 🔹 How Curt's own peer group talked him out of scaling a food trailer business that wasn't the right fit for him. 🔹 Why deliberately slow member vetting protects the trust inside a peer group. 🔹 How genuine curiosity, really trying to picture life in someone else's shoes, leads to better conversations. 🔹 Why Curt's co-branded hot sauce and whiskey partnerships grew out of long-term trust, not sales pitches. 🔹 How The Loco Experience podcast grew from a marketing side project into 277+ episodes. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn what separates a true peer advisory group from a typical networking meetup. 🔹 Understand how to get honest, experienced feedback instead of well-meaning but under-qualified advice. 🔹 Discover how genuine curiosity about someone's story builds trust faster than any pitch. 🔹 Hear how small, authentic partnerships can grow out of long-term relationships instead of formal deals. 🔹 Get a first-hand example of how a peer group can help you recognize when to change direction. Businesses Curt Recommends 🔹 Matador Mexican Grill: co-branded "crazy ginger" hot sauce partnership; Curt sends listeners there for refills instead of selling it himself. 🔹 Seed and Spirit Distilling: supplies the whiskey Curt shares with podcast guests; opening a tasting room in the former Funkwerks location. 🔹 Old Town Spice Shop: carries "the local mix," a rebrand of Curt's original spice blend, with a nod to LOCO Think Tank on the label. How to Contact Curt Bear Podcast: https://thelocoexperience.com LOCO Think Tank (free "think" events): https://locothinktank.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/curt-bear/ Timestamps 00:17 — Welcome and introduction to Curt Bear and LOCO Think Tank. 01:11 — Why "buy local" sits at the heart of LOCO's mission. 06:56 — The difference between a true peer advisory group and a typical networking group. 07:06 — How LOCO chapters work as "two parts board meeting, one part support group." 13:37 — The builders, thinkers, and next-level chapter structure. 16:40 — How to get the most out of a mastermind or peer advisory group. 19:32 — Curt's own story of stepping back from a food trailer business. 26:19 — How The Loco Experience podcast started and grew to 277 episodes. 29:19 — How Curt finds and sources his podcast guests. 32:44 — Curt's advice for asking better questions and building curiosity. 35:41 — Building co-branded partnerships through trust, not pitches. 42:25 — Where to find The Loco Experience podcast and LOCO's free "think" events.

    Episode 77: The Peer Group That Talked Curt Bear Out of His Dream Business

  7. Aug 24 ·  Video

    Brand Clarity for Better Business Networking with Amy Taylor from O Hey Amy Design Studio

    What if the biggest thing costing you referrals isn’t your work, your pricing, or your network—but the fact that people can’t clearly explain what you do?  Your brand is more than a logo, color palette, or business card. It is the complete experience people have whenever they interact with you—and that experience can determine whether customers find, trust, and choose your business. In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson talks with Amy Taylor, brand strategist and designer at O Hey Amy Design Studio. Amy helps small businesses, nonprofits, and churches combine strategy with the soul of their organizations to create brands that connect with the right people. Amy explains how clear messaging makes it easier for customers to understand your value and for referral partners to confidently recommend you. She also shares how networking helped her overcome imposter syndrome, refine her elevator pitch, build a trusted referral network, and grow her business within the Northern Colorado community. Episode Highlights 🔹 Why your brand is much more than a visually appealing logo. 🔹 How to recognize when your business has outgrown its DIY branding. 🔹 Why strategy, messaging, and customer clarity should come before colors and fonts. 🔹 How networking events can become a testing ground for your elevator pitch. 🔹 Why your clothing, behavior, business cards, and follow-up all contribute to your personal brand. 🔹 How a clear message helps networking partners recognize and communicate referral opportunities. 🔹 Amy’s five-step branding process: soul, customers and competition, strategy, visual identity, and implementation. 🔹 Why the people in your referral network should reflect the quality, empathy, and customer experience of your brand. 🔹 A practical networking strategy introverts can use to confidently enter conversations. Why You Should Listen 🔹 Learn how to explain who you help and what problem you solve in one clear breath. 🔹 Discover why brand clarity can improve your marketing, networking, referrals, and customer trust. 🔹 Understand how to align the way your business looks with the experience it actually delivers. 🔹 Learn how to choose referral partners who serve your customers with the same level of care you provide. 🔹 Get practical advice for approaching groups, starting conversations, and building deeper connections at networking events. How to Contact Amy Taylor Website: oheyamy.com Instagram: @oheyamy.studio LinkedIn: Amy Taylor 🔹 Submit the discovery-call questionnaire on Amy’s website to discuss your branding needs. 🔹 Book a one-hour clarity session to brainstorm solutions and create an actionable roadmap. Timestamps 00:56 — What a brand strategist actually does. 02:49 — When a business has outgrown DIY branding. 06:46 — Using networking to test and improve your messaging. 08:11 — How your brand shows up at networking events. 12:30 — Making your business easier for referral partners to explain. 16:02 — Amy’s five-step branding and rebranding process. 20:13 — How referral partners become part of your brand. 21:34 — Amy’s networking advice for introverts.

    Brand Clarity for Better Business Networking with Amy Taylor from O Hey Amy Design Studio

  8. Aug 17 ·  Video

    Marriage and Business Success with Angela and James Mitchell from Love Intentionally

    Entrepreneurs rarely start a business intending to sacrifice their marriage or family. Yet without intentional boundaries, the company can slowly become the “mistress”—taking the time, energy, and attention once reserved for home. In this partnership edition of Connections That Matter, Angela and James Mitchell, co-founders of Love Intentionally, share how entrepreneurial couples can build successful businesses without allowing their relationships to drift apart. Drawing from Angela’s counseling experience, James’s background in entrepreneurship and coaching, and their own marriage, they offer practical systems for keeping love, family, and business aligned. They also explain why a healthy home life is “rocket fuel” for business success. When entrepreneurs feel supported and connected at home, they have more energy, focus, and confidence to grow their companies and strengthen their professional relationships. Episode Highlights 🔹 Create an annual vision retreat for your marriage and family 🔹 Hold a weekly marriage meeting that combines emotional connection with household logistics 🔹 Establish boundaries that prevent business conversations from consuming family time 🔹 Schedule intimacy without creating pressure around what it must look like 🔹 Use the FBID exercise—Fears, Boundaries, Intentions, and Desires—before networking events, vacations, and family gatherings 🔹 “Bookend” demanding business seasons with intentional connection before and afterward 🔹 Help your spouse understand how business networking supports your shared financial and lifestyle goals 🔹 Replace resentment and defensiveness with appreciation, validation, and honest communication Why You Should Listen If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or spouse of one, this conversation offers a practical framework for protecting your relationship while pursuing ambitious goals. You will learn how to recognize relationship drift before it becomes a crisis, create systems that keep both partners on the same page, and handle business networking without leaving your spouse feeling overlooked or resentful. Angela and James also share simple ways to make date nights more playful and keep connection alive during travel, deadlines, and demanding seasons. Businesses Angela and James Mitchell Recommend 🔹 Pinball Jones — A Fort Collins pinball arcade where couples can incorporate play, friendly competition, and something different into date night. 🔹 The Love Shack — An alcohol-free social destination in downtown Loveland with handcrafted mocktails and a basement gaming area designed for connection and fun. 🔹 Avogadro’s Number — A Fort Collins restaurant and live-music venue where Angela and James have enjoyed trying something new together, including swing dancing. How to Contact Angela and James Mitchell Website: loveintentionally.com Instagram: @loveintentionally.co Schedule a free 40–45-minute discovery call through their website Podcast: Married & Magnetic Book: Married & Magnetic: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to a Thriving Marriage and a Booming Business Timestamps 03:05 — How a growing business can create distance in a marriage 05:03 — Systems for keeping your marriage intentional 12:06 — Healing old wounds and changing relationship patterns 16:09 — Why a strong home life is rocket fuel for business success 20:01 — Creating boundaries around business conversations 23:54 — Including your spouse in business networking 29:05 — Using the FBID tool to protect date nights and relationships 32:06 — Staying connected during travel, deadlines, and busy seasons 34:46 — Playful Northern Colorado date-night ideas

    Marriage and Business Success with Angela and James Mitchell from Love Intentionally
See All (82)

5
out of 5
8 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
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Connections That Matter
  • Show Website
    Connections That Matter

You Might Also Like