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. 1d ago

    LoCo Experience EP 281 | A Legacy of Family, Team & Community - with Fort Collins Heating and Air

    Today I was honored to sit down with longtime LoCo Think Tank member Glenn Frank, the CEO of Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, along with his key leadership team today and into the future - Anthony Taylor and Jesse Frank.  Anthony serves as President & COO, and Jesse as Quality Assurance Supervisor.   We spent some time on the evolution of the business in recent years - the addition of plumbing - and then electrical to the Fort Collins Heating & Air offerings - and the relatively recent launch of Origin Plumbing - Heating - Cooling - Electrical and their efforts to grow market share outside of Fort Collins and the immediate surrounding area.  We talked about technology and trends in the industry, roles and responsibilities - and especially, the significance of saying yes to being a part of a multigenerational family business.   HVAC and Veterinary services are two industries that have been bought up like crazy by private equity in recent years, to the point where very few remain privately owned.  It’s clear that Glenn and his boys are proud to continue the quality of service - and care for team and community - that family businesses are known for.   We chased some squirrels, had some laughs, and I learned a lot about business and family today - so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Glenn & Jesse Frank and Anthony Taylor.

    LoCo Experience EP 281 | A Legacy of Family, Team & Community - with Fort Collins Heating and Air

  2. Jul 29

    People and Pivots and all about China with Albert Wolfe - Adaptive Leadership Coach & Author

    In May, I got an email from Albert Wolfe, sharing that he’s travelling to Fort Collins area visiting family soon, from Guangzhou, China, and that he loves what I’m doing with LoCo Think Tank, and has been listening to and enjoying The LoCo Experience podcast - and would I be interested to have him on as a guest? Flattery will get you everywhere with me, so of course I said yes - and we had one opening during his stay here - the day before his departure. In the meantime, we shared a pair of lunches, one with my other China-expert friend Kim O’Neil, and we shared a podcast conversation full of more twists and turns than a road course in Formula 1!   The biggest pivot in Albert’s career was when he left a career in education - as Director and Associate Professor of an English language department at a university in Guangzhou - to become the GM of a long-established brand, Healthy Household, Ltd. - which had been a catalog company much like the Sears catalog of old time USA.  He oversaw a transition to e-commerce, and also shifted the use of real estate to become a high-end bilingual kindergarten - where he became the founding principal.  The school grew quickly and Albert exited after about 3 years, and took something of a sabbatical.   But - his contacts kept calling him to do consultancy work for their businesses, and now, 6 years later, Albert has joined the team at international coaching and training company, Adaptive Leaders - and co-authored a book Performance Leadership: 4 Keys to Extraordinary Results (https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Leadership-Keys-Extraordinary-Results/dp/B0F2Z66ZCB).   I doubled my knowledge of China during Albert’s stay in Fort Collins, and also learned that “not very good” at ping-pong in China is “better than most, including Curt” in America.  There’s a ton of great business insight in this one, and a lot of laughs, so please enjoy my conversation with my new American friend in China, Albert Wolfe.

    People and Pivots and all about China with Albert Wolfe - Adaptive Leadership Coach & Author

  3. Jul 22

    The LoCo Experience | Dancing Farmer becomes a Networking Expert! - Andrew Johnson

    When Andrew Johnson was yet a pre-teen, his older sister started taking dance classes - and he’d be dragged along.  Soon, there was the inevitable odd-numbered class, and Andrew was volunteered to be partnered up - and it was quickly apparent to all - that boy can dance!   Soon after, Andrew was training with private tutors, and entering Pro-Am competitions around the country - and later, around the world!  He was farming with his family as his primary income source, also teaching dance classes and tutoring locally, and building an impressive semi-professional dance resume - and then he fell in love with one of his dance class students!  Sarah tagged along for a while on the dance circuit, and then started having babies - which preceded a change in track.   Farmstrong Coaching was born, combining Andrew’s love of fitness, coaching, and technology, and he soon joined a local BNI chapter.  Soon after, he became the chapter President and they achieved incredible growth.  Soon, he was offered a part-time job as the Colorado launch director, and then full-time as Regional Launch Director - then an executive role as the National Launch Director - all in the span of about 2 years and during the pandemic!  I’ll let you listen to the show to find out how that chapter ended - but born out of that high-intensity education was Business Networking Done Right.   Andrew shares abundantly from his bag of best practices when it comes to networking in this conversation, and transparently about his priorities in business, and why they do what they do at BNDR.  Andrew has also become a podcast host - tune in to the Connections that Matter podcast in a few weeks to hear our conversation on his show recorded only a week apart from this one.  He’s an inspiring young man, and I’m proud to call him a LoCo Think Tank member and a friend, so please tune in and enjoy my conversation with Andrew Johnson.

    The LoCo Experience | Dancing Farmer becomes a Networking Expert! - Andrew Johnson

  4. Jul 15

    LoCo Experience Ep 278| Kelly Sage, President & CEO of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership

    I had a ton of fun in today’s podcast - kind of a get-to-truly-know someone you’ve known and appreciated for 25 years already - Kelly Sage - FKA Kelly Jones - FKA Kelly Peters when we first met circa 2001.  Kelly has worked in economic development since I first moved to Fort Collins in 1999, and was instrumental in the launch of the Rocky Mountain Innosphere and the Warehouse Business Accelerator, she’s served on more boards than I can count on both hands - and she’s currently the President and CEO of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership.   Kelly and I share so many characteristics, that I teased during this conversation that we were siblings separated by birth.  We sing The Star Spangled Banner together in this one - acapella - and our personal values are much like mirrors.  But our journeys couldn’t be more different.  Her hippie mom left the family in Waterloo, Iowa when Kelly was twelve - and she became the responsible adult of the household.  Her dad was a rock and roll star locally - and travelled and opened for big names - and he ran a successful home supply business - until his alcoholism overcame and his business went bankrupt.   A few years later, Kelly moved in with her mostly estranged mother to Northern Colorado - and she began her pursuit of building economic prosperity and security through a philosophy she early subscribed to called economic gardening.  Too many stories to share in this intro - but you have my promise that you will very much enjoy - as I did - my conversation with Kelly Sage.

    LoCo Experience Ep 278| Kelly Sage, President & CEO of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership

  5. Jul 8

    LoCo Experience #277 | Grow Food Where You Live! - with Matthew & Quint Redmond of Agriburbia

    In today’s conversation, I sat down with Matthew & Quint Redmond - and learned that Quint is also Matthew - Matthew Cook Redmond the 5th as it were - and I can safely say that it’s the first time I’ve been in a room with a 5th and a 6th of a family name.  Quint is the Co-Founder and CEO of Agriburbia (https://agriburbia.com/) - along with his wife Jennifer - which began as a leading-edge consultancy in the area of sustainable real estate development.  Helping people and agriculture live together, so to speak, and enabling high-efficiency food production in urban and suburban environments - built into the development plan!  Their mission is to help create and integrate 30 million successful urban and suburban farmers.   Matthew the 6th is leading their design and technology division, and is likely their future CEO.  He has been incorporating automations and AI to help their systems provide optimal production - and is supporting an intentional pivot from a pure consultancy to a product-based company.   Their E.A.T. Systems - Environmentally Augmented Trellises - are particularly impressive and offer many advantages for growing high-value crops.  Their systems provide enough support to keep plants productive and protected from frost - but don’t require the energy consumption or permitting or infrastructure of greenhouse-type systems - think kinda like clothesline gardens but with support and water and cameras and frost protection built in! I love local food AND local business - and Agriburbia hits both those buttons for me.  I learned so much in this conversation - and am inspired to grow even more food in my backyard!  So - please enjoy, as I did, and be inspired by, as I was - my conversation with Matt & Quint Redmond of Agriburbia.

    LoCo Experience #277 | Grow Food Where You Live! - with Matthew & Quint Redmond of Agriburbia

  6. Jul 6

    The NOCO Pulse | Week of July 6th 2026

    Welcome back to The NoCo Pulse for the week of July 6th, 2026, where Curt Bear and Kelsi Harris bring you one final episode keeping our finger on the pulse of what's moving in Northern Colorado. We hope you had a safe 4th of July despite around 50 firework shows being canceled over the holiday weekend, and we're declaring our independence from the extra work of producing this show.\n\nWhat's moving features Copaco's Honey opening their second retail location at 237 Linden Street in Fort Collins. The family owned business has been operating since 2004 and started with a passion for bee rescue, offering to pick up swarms and rehome them to loving families. Owner Ben Gilmore has been a longtime LoCo Think Tank member and has more than doubled his business and added two jobs since joining. The walls are painted, floors refinished, and shelving is being installed, so follow their social channels for the opening date. In sadder moving news, The Urban Egg on College is closing their Fort Collins location at the end of August, so grab some of their great brunch offerings and that delicious Urban Beet juice while you still can. Community gatherings spotlight Ginger and Baker's Farm to Floor murder mystery event on August 18th, so grab tickets now before it sells out like their previous events. The Loveland Museum presents their Manga Dreams exhibit with an anime themed weekend at the Rialto featuring three anime movies including Spirited Away on Friday night and Howl's Moving Castle on Saturday, with tickets available for both the films and the exhibit. The FoCo Fondo annual gravel ride and race takes place July 16th through 19th, drawing hundreds of riders from around the state and nation with events at New Belgium Brewing and Wolverine Farms, featuring rides from 12 miles up to the quadruple dog dare you route of 118 miles with 7,400 feet of elevation gain, plus education sessions and short track rides.\n\nKeeping the beat features Tommy Ventura's acoustic jam every Wednesday night at Mars Cabins and Tavern in Red Feather from 6:30 to 9 PM through July and August, playing all your favorites in a great escape from the mid to upper 90s temperatures. The Foot Lagoon concert series in Loveland offers free music all July on Thursdays, with Ain't No Mountain High performing July 9th.\n\nCommunity support highlights Berthoud's first 10K Gastro Dash on August 8th at 10 AM, a fundraiser for Scroungy Dogs and Pretty Pups Rescue featuring required food stops throughout the course, with child care available for kids under eight and signups open now. Brothers Fountain performs in duo form at Verboten North Brew Pub on Thursday July 9th from 7 to 9 PM as a fundraiser for the Matthews House in collaboration with Miles Beyond Running and KRFC, with free admission but donations encouraged.\n\nBusiness news celebrates longtime LoCo Think Tank member Becky Lordson and her team at IOME Mental Wellness being recognized as an awardee by Colorado Companies to Watch. Becky was a founding member of the FoCo Think Tank chapter, which celebrates its seventh anniversary next month in July 2019, with five members still in the group from seven years ago.\n\nFood picks feature Corn Doggies at the Greeley Stampede, the only corn dog worth eating at fairs and county fairs, with traditional corn dogs around five fifty to six dollars making it reasonable fair food that kids will actually eat. The Taco Stop on LeMay in the Sprouts Shopping Center offers three dollars off nachos on Wednesdays, featuring homemade chips with the perfect ratio of toppings to chips and beautiful queso, owned by the awesome couple Bernice and Caesar.\n\nSpecial announcement that this is the final episode of The NoCo Pulse. Kurt and Kelsi aren't going anywhere, with Kurt continuing The LoCo Experience podcast and LoCo Think Tank, and Kelsi continuing This Is NoCo and Discover NoCo Magazine. Many events shared on the show are listed on the This Is NoCo website, so bookmark that page and follow on Instagram or TikTok to stay connected with community news and events. If anyone is interested in taking over The NoCo Pulse concept, the Instagram page, domain name, and TikTok are available, similar to how Ben and Kelsi started by purchasing the NoCoDateNights Instagram account. Thank you to all the partners who supported this collaborative effort including Breeze Through Car Wash, Miles Beyond Running, and Ginger and Baker. Stay loco for local business, NoCo."

    The NOCO Pulse | Week of July 6th 2026

  7. Jul 1

    LoCo Experience # 276 | Three Cheers for Liberty! - with Bob Schaffer - Headmaster of Liberty Common

    My guest for today’s conversation was Bob Schaffer, Headmaster of Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, and Chairman of Leadership Program of the Rockies.  Bob presented to my Rotary club a couple months back, and was kind enough to share time with me on The LoCo Experience podcast! Long before his focus on education - because he had yet no children - Bob got into politics mostly as a writer.  His first real job was as an Intern/speechwriter for the Republican caucus in Ohio - and he was good at it! - and it translated well to a similar role for the then-majority Republican party when he and his wife moved to Colorado.  One thing we agree upon - is that writing is thinking - and Bob’s good at both - which is why he was appointed at age 25 to finish a departing State Senator’s term - the youngest in Colorado history to serve the role.   And it’s also why - after his own littles started arriving - that he turned his focus toward education - first in the Colorado Senate, then the US House of Representatives.  And that’s where Wikipedia notes he also sponsored a balanced budget resolution and amendment to the Constitution - which unfortunately for all of us - was unsuccessful.   But - since our country is broke - we’re gonna need smart kids to dig us out - and that’s where Liberty Common School comes in.  Bob shares widely about how they’re different - and why - and how everyday moms and dads and grandparents can be involved in their children’s classical education.  Bob’s the kind of guy I could enjoy a 6-hour conversation with, so consider this hopefully a part I - and please enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Bob Schaffer.

    LoCo Experience # 276 | Three Cheers for Liberty! - with Bob Schaffer - Headmaster of Liberty Common

  8. Jun 24

    Building the Foundations of Stronger Communities - Kristin Todd, President & CEO of NoCo Foundation

    On today’s episode of The LoCo Experience podcast, Kristin Todd returns to share some updates from the NoCo Foundation.  Kristin was previously my guest on Episode 136 - when she was yet fairly new in the role - so listeners might choose to tune into that episode for the deeper dive into her life and career journey.   The biggest news up front - is that yet another past guest of The LoCo Experience has started a podcast!  The NoCo Voices Podcast (https://nocofoundation.org/noco-voices-podcast) officially launched in March, and features topically focused conversations with community leaders.  So far, they’re 5 episodes in and have a few more on the docket - so give ‘em a listen and a follow if you love Northern Colorado! Our conversation today was spent pulling back the curtain on what community foundations do in general - and what sets NoCo Foundation apart.  Kristin details their three pillars of core foundations services, strengthening the nonprofit sector, and convening regional stakeholders to address complex issues.  Kristin has also introduced a new client engagement model since joining the team, which has resulted in active community grant activity increasing from $7MM to $16.5MM during her tenure. Later in the conversation, she also shared some life and family updates, sampled our Crazy Ginger hot sauce, and shared a loco experience of backpacking with a friend for a semester in Europe, sleeping on trains and not deciding on the next stop until getting to the train station and seeing the schedule.  She’s a leader of leaders, and a great conversationalist, so please enjoy my conversation with Kristin Todd, President & CEO of NoCo Foundation.

    Building the Foundations of Stronger Communities - Kristin Todd, President & CEO of NoCo Foundation
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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
    338
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The LoCo Experience
  • Show Website
    The LoCo Experience

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