The LoCo Experience

Curt Bear
  • 4.8 (13)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The LoCo Experience is a long-form conversational podcast that dives deep into the journeys of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in Northern Colorado. Hosted by Curt Bear, Founder of LoCo Think Tank, the show brings real, raw, and unfiltered conversations—where guests share their successes, struggles, and lessons learned along the way. LoCo Think Tank is Colorado’s premier business peer advisory organization, founded in Fort Collins to help business owners gain perspective, accountability, and encouragement to grow both personally and professionally. LoCo chapters bring together business owners at all stages of the journey into professionally facilitated peer advisory chapters, led by experienced business veterans. These groups provide a trusted space to share challenges, seek advice, learn togethter, and support each other’s success. The LoCo Experience Podcast extends this mission beyond the chapter meetings— bringing the wisdom, insights, and stories of local business leaders to a wider audience. Our triad mission with this podcast is simple:  Inspire through real stories of resilience and success.  Educate by sharing valuable business insights.  Entertain with engaging, unfiltered conversations. If you love “How I Built This” and the free-flowing style of Joe Rogan - but with a Northern Colorado focus - you’ll enjoy The LoCo Experience!  Our closing segment, "The LoCo Experience," asks guests to share their craziest stories — and we get some doozies! It’s a passion project with purpose, and we invite you to listen, follow, and share, and maybe consider sponsoring. Know someone with a great story?  Nominate your favorite business leader for an episode!

  1. LoCo Experience #273 | Drink Like a Viking! - The Joy and Journey of Mead with Matt Ackerman

    18h ago

    LoCo Experience #273 | Drink Like a Viking! - The Joy and Journey of Mead with Matt Ackerman

    In today’s conversation on The LoCo Experience, I was joined by Matt Ackerman, a Co-Founder of and Brand Ambassador for Meadkrieger Meadery in downtown Loveland, Colorado.  Matt developed a taste for mead while exploring his passion for music, and was a semi-professional touring musician for several years before taking on a new challenge -  imagining and creating a production meadery and tasting room experience fit for a king - or for a Viking!   Matt shared some interesting stories from his metal-band days, and more interesting was the exploration of the tradition and process of making mead - honey-wine, basically, most popular in the times and lands of the Vikings.  Mead is an open palette in many ways, and Matt is continuing to develop his skills by studying Chemical Engineering at CSU.  And - you can’t just make the mead, you gotta move it - and so we explored distribution channels, production timelines and staffing, and how to draw people into community after so many patterns were changed by the Covid response.   Also, make sure to stay for Matt’s sampling of our “Crazy Ginger” hot sauce - nordic genes don’t react well to habanero and ghost pepper.  It’s a fun time with an interesting guy, so please enjoy my conversation with Matt Ackerman.

    1h 49m
  2. The Noco Pulse | Week of June 8th, 2026

    2d ago

    The Noco Pulse | Week of June 8th, 2026

    ["Welcome back to the NoCo Pulse for the week of June 8th, 2026, We open with a heartfelt tribute to Matthew Fugate, a friend of the show and member of the community who passed away unexpectedly. Matthew was featured on The LoCo Experience podcast episode 197 alongside his fiancée Gabrielle Judge, and he participated in multiple Wild West relay races. Our hearts go out to Gabby and his family during this difficult time. What's moving features Chef Fat Dan's All In Kitchen, a new food truck launching from the former head chef of Locust Cider. After Locust Cider closed their Fort Collins taproom in January 2026 despite having their best year, Chef Fat Dan spent six months planning his next venture with the slogan "take whisks go all in. The Fort Collins Aggies FC launched as a pre professional soccer team in alignment with CSU and serves as an expansion team for the women's professional soccer league. Catch their last two home games June 19th and 25th at the soccer field by Moby Arena, and listen for the upcoming LoCo Experience podcast episode on June 22nd featuring coaches Keely Hagen and Jamie Beamer Halsey. Community gatherings spotlight the FoCo Fringe Festival returning after a six year hiatus following COVID, running June 11th through 14th at venues spread throughout town similar to FoCo MX style. Over 50 performances feature theater, film, dance, and performing arts described as the unexpected, the beautiful, and the raw, with some free events and outdoor performances requiring no tickets. Open Stage Theatre Company presents The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Center for Creativity running June 11th through July 11th, with Thursday June 11th as pay what you can night and regular tickets starting at $18. Keeping the beat features Yonder Mountain String Band performing at Mishawaka on June 13th with $50 general admission tickets. The OG jamgrass band formed in 1999 in Nederland and pioneered the bluegrass plus fusion rock psychedelic sound described as improvised groovy bluegrass. Community support highlights the 19th annual Taste event on Thursday June 11th at the Forge Event Center in Loveland, featuring restaurants and chefs from throughout Northern Colorado with tickets starting at $70. Proceeds benefit Foothills Gateway and Summit Stone Child and Family Services, organizations supporting families staying together and providing disability services. The Stronger Together Summit gathers 150 nonprofit leaders on July 30th at TPC golf club in Berthoud for a half day of networking, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions focused on practical collaboration and helping nonprofits understand who does what really well instead of trying to do everything themselves. Business news celebrates Fort Collins Country Club completing a major remodel of their restaurant and clubhouse area, bringing the club up to modern standards with membership and enthusiasm at a 20 year high. Young families, kids, and busy pools mark the transformation, with the fourth annual LoCo Next Level Summit scheduled there for September 17th. Food picks feature Tacos Diablo at the FoCo Food Truck Rally, who adjusted their prices mid service and delivered delicious horchata with that grainy bottom texture showing it was freshly mixed, plus excellent carne asada burritos with sauce that tastes a little different than most burritos. Kurt shares his leftover hash recipe, combining smoked brisket, smoked potatoes, breakfast taco remnants, and pizza scraps all chopped and fried in a cast iron pan until crispy, then topped with fried eggs that run their yolk through the hash for a perfect cleaning out the fridge summer meal. Shout out to the sister in law who checked out the new downtown Greeley Edison's location and confirmed it's as amazing as expected. We want to hear what you're doing to support local in smaller towns like Timnath, Johnstown, and Berthoud. Stay connected, NoCo."

    16 min
  3. Aligning Heart-Math and Pencil-Math with Clint Jasperson, CFP and Managing Partner of Purpose Driven

    Jun 3

    Aligning Heart-Math and Pencil-Math with Clint Jasperson, CFP and Managing Partner of Purpose Driven

    In today’s episode of The LoCo Experience, I welcomed back Clint Jasperson, Founder and Managing Partner of Purpose Driven Wealth, a Thrivent Financial wealth management office.  Clint has been a member of LoCo Think Tank for nearly 5 years, and shared in part the blessing he finds there is a safe place for diverse opinions - rather than the crazies yelling at each other from the corners of the internet as we might believe if we spend too much time online.   Clint and I spoke more about mindset than toolkit in this conversation, especially how we can reconcile our heart-math and our pencil-math with intentional conversation and reflection.  We also touched on how a planning office can add the most value to a conversation far ahead of a liquidity event - i.e. the sale of a business, how protection and wealth-building must both be considered, and what the next chapter of growth looks like for his business.  He’s a philosopher not just a CFP, and I’m thankful to have Purpose Driven Wealth as a sponsor of The LoCo Experience podcast.  Clint faces down his own Purpose Driven Questions like a pro in this one, so tune in and enjoy my conversation with Clint Jasperson.

    1h 37m
  4. The Noco Pulse | Week of June 1st

    Jun 1

    The Noco Pulse | Week of June 1st

    The LoCo Experience

    16 min
  5. The Noco Pulse | Week of May 25th

    May 25

    The Noco Pulse | Week of May 25th

    Welcome back to the NoCo Pulse for the week of May 25th, featuring special guest host Patrick Sukup from the Living in Fort Collins YouTube channel while Curt Bear is away. Patrick joins Kelsi Harris of This is NoCo and Discover NoCo Magazine to bring you the latest community news, business updates, and local highlights as we kick off Memorial Day weekend and welcome summer to Northern Colorado. What's moving features Miles Beyond Running Community gearing up for their Weld Your Metal Running Festival happening May 30th and 31st in Eaton, offering distances from 7K all the way to ultra marathon on private property complete with saunas, cold plunges, camping, and mountain views. In major real estate news, Shake Shack opens May 31st at the Shops Along College at Foothills Mall, but the bigger story is the McWhinney family selling the Shops Along College portion to a national investment firm while retaining the mall itself. This sale should finally provide the capital needed to move forward with the long awaited redevelopment plans, including removing 200,000 square feet and creating an open air concept after years of stagnation due to development costs and challenges. Meanwhile, the Toy Library continues operating in a massive discounted space inside the mall, now hosting game nights and community gatherings in addition to their toy lending program. Community gatherings spotlight Ginger and Baker's eighth annual Dog Flower Crown Photo Day on Saturday May 31st, a free event where you can bring your four legged friends for flower crowns and portraits with RSVP requested on their website. Plantiness, founded by Monica in 2020, celebrates her birthday this week by giving away free plants Thursday May 28th at Old Town Music during Thursday Night Live featuring The Burrows. Monica has given away over 5,000 free plants since starting her happiness spreading mission and hosts pop ups and collaborations with tattoo artists, The Crowded Bookshelf, and other local makers. Downtown Loveland hosts their monthly Downtown Dress Up Night on the fourth Saturday with May's theme being Gala Night starting at 5 PM, when all downtown shops hold specials and events perfect for busting out those fancy clothes you rarely get to wear. Community support highlights Outreach Fort Collins, a nonprofit that serves as a buffer between the public and police by working with individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance use issues who aren't necessarily breaking the law. The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area Foundation hosts their art show and gala Tuesday June 2nd at the Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center, with all proceeds supporting river cleanup efforts, volunteer programs, and education about the heritage and history of the Cache la Poudre River. Business news celebrates local chefs Bri and Carmel, who are launching pop up events this year after working in high end eateries across Northern Colorado. They offer private chef experiences, catering, and company events, bringing their culinary expertise directly to your home or venue. Food picks feature Smoke and Rose Barbecue at the FoCo Food Truck Rally, serving incredible brisket mac and cheese and brisket nacho fries with friendly service perfect for families. The FoCo Food Truck Rally runs every Tuesday under new ownership, with Discover NoCo Magazine sponsoring this season and planning fun content nights throughout summer. Don't forget the Downtown Loveland Authority is giving away $100 every week to someone who shops downtown during construction, and yes it's real because Kelsi's in laws actually won. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and welcome to summer, NoCo. Tag us at The NoCo Pulse to share how you're supporting local. Stay connected, NoCo.

    16 min
  6. Passion and Perseverance with Ryan and Sarah Woodland

    May 23

    Passion and Perseverance with Ryan and Sarah Woodland

    I was honored to share time in studio with Ryan and Sarah Woodland recently, and I’m proud to call Ryan a member of LoCo Think Tank, and a friend.  In the 3+ years I’ve known Ryan, he’s grown his Woodland Home Marketplace from a $500K business into a ~$2MM / year and profitable operation - and largely worked himself out of a role for the company.  And - he’s been developing his skills acquired from decades of contracting, fix and flips, and custom home building - and has been building his systems to manage a 56-unit luxury patio home semi-custom production build project.   Sarah is co-founder of Woodland Family Homes, but spends most of her time in brokerage at Orr Land Company - which was founded by her grandfather.  She met Ryan when she was living in California - but was preparing to move back to NoCo - but decided to stay a while - and soon brought Ryan back to his deep family roots in NoCo going back to the 1800’s.  Ryan and Sarah trace their journey of passion for community and real estate - and business - and the journey of this family legacy project.   Not to miss in this episode is a LoCo Experience story from Ryan’s firefighting days in California, during EMS training - when a dirty needle from a regular customer poked him in the elbow - and caused a systemic infection that put him in the ICU and almost killed him.  So - please tune in - and enjoy - my conversation with Ryan and Sarah Woodland.

    1h 40m
  7. The Noco Pulse | Week of May 18th

    May 18

    The Noco Pulse | Week of May 18th

    Welcome back to the NoCo Pulse as we navigate the whirlwind that is May in Northern Colorado. Someone at soccer described it perfectly: "How's your May December going?" That busy energy perfectly captures this week's packed episode of community news, business updates, and local highlights. What's moving features Miles Beyond Running Community gearing up for their Weld Your Metal Running Festival on May 30th and 31st in Eaton, offering everything from a 7K run walk to ultra distance events complete with saunas, glamping, and mountain views. Following that is the Red White and Brew race on July 20th in Water Valley, closing at the Grainry at the Raynets, and the Greeley Freedom 5K downtown on July 4th. Bass Pro Shops is moving into their massive new 130,000 square foot location at the Brands at the Ranch, an 18 acre development that adds to NoCo's already impressive outdoor retail scene including Scheels, Jax locations, and Sportsman's Warehouse. Joyride is looking to move into NoCo as a bike cafe combining bike repair services with a coffee shop and cafe, founded by Rebe of Rebe Explores and focused on creating inclusive outdoor spaces for everyone from beginners to experts. Community gatherings spotlight Ginger and Baker's eighth annual Dog Flower Crown Photo Day on May 31st, a free event where you can bring your four legged friends for flower crowns and portraits with donations collected for Animal Friends Alliance. The Blues and Cruise car show comes to downtown Loveland May 30th from 10 to 3 featuring classic cars and electric guitars, not to be confused with the Blues and Brews festival on June 5th. Local musician Aubrey Dale releases her debut album Fireweed on May 24th at the Rング for just $29 including a free beverage, sponsored by Greeley Hat Works. Keeping the beat features the fifth annual A Brothers Fountain ABF at the Farm event on June 6th below Devil's Backbone in Loveland, with $30 suggested donation and 10% of proceeds benefiting Loveland Community Kitchen. The Global Sounds Music Festival returns to Old Town Fort Collins on May 30th, a free festival from noon to 6 PM on the big stage bringing music from around the world, presented by the Bohemian Foundation. Dancers from the suddenly closed Canyon Concert Ballet have partnered with Bas Bleu Theatre to present their Swan Song final performance May 22nd through 24th after raising funds to rent the space and pay the dancers. Community support highlights Breeze Thru Car Wash's fundraising program where organizations can raise money the second full weekend of every month through October 31st, with Breeze Thru matching dollar for dollar every donation made at their pay stations. The Boys and Girls Club of Larimer County celebrates 40 years with their Great Futures Gala on May 30th at the Lory Student Center Ballroom, featuring cocktail attire, complimentary drinks, elegant dinner, live auction, and recognition of youth and champions for children. Business news celebrates Verbal Bras, founded by Rebecca Thompson, a New Belgium senior executive assistant who created bras that support wearable breast pumps, saving working moms up to 30 minutes daily. The product has a utility patent and just started shipping this spring after Rebecca discovered the challenges three years ago when she had her daughter. Food picks feature Aloha Poke and Boba on College Avenue near Noodles and Chipotle, serving delicious poke bowls with exceptional service that even got the kids involved and eating. Friendly Nick's Butcher on Lemay Avenue offers the best quality meats from local sustainable farms, amazing house made beef jerky, Nick's Sticks, dog bones, stock, and fresh beef liver, plus they do incredible community work from fundraisers to food baskets to hosting art contests for kids. Tag us at The NoCo Pulse to share how you're supporting local. Stay connected, NoCo.

    16 min
  8. Faith in Action with Jeff Faust, Lead Pastor of Vineyard Church of the Rockies

    May 16

    Faith in Action with Jeff Faust, Lead Pastor of Vineyard Church of the Rockies

    I met Jeff Faust last summer, when I learned about and toured the bones of the Love FoCo Resource Center - and got to know him better at their benefit golf tournament last fall - which was my favorite “work” day of the year.  Love Foco  just held its ribbon cutting last month!  In this podcast, Jeff tells the tale of securing the real estate by gift, and the special community efforts that were made to build out the space into a full-service community health and resource center.   We also zoomed back with Jeff to his earlier chapters, including hands-on service work in the grittiest parts of Kansas City, his grooming as the future Lead Pastor of an established church there - and having a literal vision/call from God to head West and how he followed the call to Fort Collins.   Jeff is as entrepreneurial of a guy as you’ll ever get to know, and a heck of a communitarian - so please enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Jeff Faust!

    2h 4m
See All (327)

4.8
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

The LoCo Experience is a long-form conversational podcast that dives deep into the journeys of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in Northern Colorado. Hosted by Curt Bear, Founder of LoCo Think Tank, the show brings real, raw, and unfiltered conversations—where guests share their successes, struggles, and lessons learned along the way. LoCo Think Tank is Colorado’s premier business peer advisory organization, founded in Fort Collins to help business owners gain perspective, accountability, and encouragement to grow both personally and professionally. LoCo chapters bring together business owners at all stages of the journey into professionally facilitated peer advisory chapters, led by experienced business veterans. These groups provide a trusted space to share challenges, seek advice, learn togethter, and support each other’s success. The LoCo Experience Podcast extends this mission beyond the chapter meetings— bringing the wisdom, insights, and stories of local business leaders to a wider audience. Our triad mission with this podcast is simple:  Inspire through real stories of resilience and success.  Educate by sharing valuable business insights.  Entertain with engaging, unfiltered conversations. If you love “How I Built This” and the free-flowing style of Joe Rogan - but with a Northern Colorado focus - you’ll enjoy The LoCo Experience!  Our closing segment, "The LoCo Experience," asks guests to share their craziest stories — and we get some doozies! It’s a passion project with purpose, and we invite you to listen, follow, and share, and maybe consider sponsoring. Know someone with a great story?  Nominate your favorite business leader for an episode!

Information

  • Creator
    Curt Bear
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    327
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The LoCo Experience
  • Show Website
    The LoCo Experience