Shining Light on Minnesota

Shining Light on Minnesota
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Shining Light on Minnesota, hosted by Karissa Dunham, is a podcast that shines a light on the hardworking and innovative local businesses in the state of Minnesota. The show features interviews with business owners from a variety of industries, delving into their humble beginnings and the challenges they faced on their path to success. The goal of the podcast is not only to promote these local businesses, but also to inspire and motivate future entrepreneurs by sharing these stories.

  1. 5d ago

    From Front Desk to Division Manager | Andrea Wood, Kraft Mechanical #103

    Andrea Wood started at the front desk of Kraft Mechanical, a mechanical contractor based in Woodbury, and now leads its St. Cloud division. She shares how she earned trust, stepped into rooms full of men, and learned that a no just means not right now. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Andrea Wood, division manager at Kraft Mechanical, to talk about growing a career and a community in mechanical contracting. In this episode: ☀️ How Andrea went from answering phones at the front desk in 2013 to leading the St. Cloud division☀️ Why she left high school headed for dental and never left mechanical contracting☀️ Earning trust from coworkers who first knew her as the young girl at the front desk☀️ Walking into a pre-bid meeting as the only woman in the room☀️ The advice she would give her younger self about hearing noFind Andrea Wood and Kraft Mechanical: kraftcm.com Chapters0:00 Career journey, front desk to controls1:11 From dental plans to mechanical contracting3:21 Earning trust as a young leader4:51 Opening the St. Cloud division5:56 Mentors and family7:48 Building community trust8:54 A woman in the room11:52 Life outside work13:52 Growing Kraft through relationships20:02 Advice to her younger self22:02 Travel and cooking23:25 How to find Kraft Mechanical ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtube.com/@shininglightonminnesota🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday.📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com📸 instagram.com/shininglightonmn Episode #103. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  2. Oct 20

    Why Hiring Is Broken and How AI Is Fixing It | Fletcher Wimbush, Discovered.ai #102

    Most hiring still runs on resumes, gut feel and staffing models that fail both employers and job seekers. Fletcher Wimbush explains how structured, fact based hiring and AI are changing who gets hired and why. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Fletcher Wimbush, CEO of Discovered.ai, to talk about talent assessment and recruitment automation. In this episode: ☀️ How his father's business coaching shaped his belief in getting the right people on the team☀️ Why traditional staffing and contingent recruiting fall short, and the case for defining the job before you hire☀️ What resume embellishments mean for employers, and why AI skills are becoming a hiring requirement☀️ Extreme ownership, the lessons he learned from his mentors, and why employers and job seekers should not settleFind Fletcher: discovered.ai and FletcherWimbush.com ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday episode📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com📸 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Episode #102. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  3. Oct 16

    From His Dad's Website to a 28 Person Digital Marketing Team | Kyle Scott, Northwing Digital #101

    Kyle Scott talked his dad into a website for the family construction company, built what he now calls the worst website he has ever built, then bought SEO for Dummies at Barnes and Noble to figure out how to make it work. The phone started ringing, and he saw marketing tied to revenue from day one. Today he leads Northwing Digital, a Minnesota digital marketing company with 28 full time team members, he says. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Kyle Scott, founder and CEO of Northwing Digital, to talk about building a digital marketing company from a first website, a first hire and a belief in helping businesses succeed with digital tools. In this episode: ☀️ Buying SEO for Dummies and watching the phone start to ring ☀️ Hiring his first full time employee in 2019 and growing a team of 28 ☀️ The most common problem Kyle sees: a lack of prioritization from a return standpoint ☀️ Why AI is quietly making marketing more complex, not simpler ☀️ Why search is spreading beyond page one of Google ☀️ Building a business intelligence dashboard with Claude ☀️ Growing alongside clients, from a pest control company to YMCA of the North ☀️ A Boundary Waters trip, a soaked log and a perspective check ☀️ Trust your intuition first, confirm with outside advice, and never give up Find Kyle Scott: northwingdigital.com or Kyle Scott on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by Sun Control of Minnesota, Elite Tinting & Graphics and Bravo Protection Products. Chapters: 0:00 Meet Kyle Scott of Northwing Digital 0:25 From his dad's construction company website to SEO for Dummies 1:59 The University of Minnesota, an agency job and starting Northwing 2:35 The first full time hire and growing to 28 team members 3:26 The biggest marketing mistake: a lack of prioritization 5:45 Cautious adoption of new technology 6:44 Search is spreading beyond page one of Google 8:34 Staying genuine instead of writing for the algorithm 10:18 Getting your house in order for AI and crawlers 11:42 Prompt based web design and Claude Code 12:48 A business intelligence dashboard built with Claude 13:41 Big world events and why face to face still wins 15:28 Biggest wins: a pest control company and YMCA of the North 17:32 Give and take with vendors and learning to delegate 18:49 Disconnecting: hunting, hiking and the Boundary Waters 21:00 Canada deer hunting and getting engaged in Ireland 22:16 Playing golf in Ireland with his father 23:09 Mentors and bringing in an outside EOS implementer 25:37 Going from solo to delegating 27:22 Advice: trust your intuition first 29:42 Never give up if you are on the right path 32:28 What he would tell his younger self 33:23 Where to find Kyle Scott ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtu.be/cOCdd4uqgGo 🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday. 📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com 🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com 📸 instagram.com/shininglightonmn 👍 facebook.com/ShiningLightOnMinnesota 💼 linkedin.com/company/shining-light-on-minnesota Episode #101. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

    From His Dad's Website to a 28 Person Digital Marketing Team | Kyle Scott, Northwing Digital #101

  4. Oct 6

    From an Australian Sheep Farm to a UK Leadership Company | Cherie Concannon, RPO Global #100

    Cherie Concannon, founder of RPO Global, flew in from the UK to record in Minnesota and share her story, from an Australian sheep farm to building leadership infrastructure for businesses. In this Minnesota business podcast episode, she shares how one plant went from 26th out of 27 to first. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Cherie Concannon, UK based founder of RPO Global, to talk about leadership infrastructure, human centered AI at work and why you should jump off the diving board. In this episode:☀️ How a benchmarking exercise took a plant from 26th out of 27 to first and gave RPO its name☀️ Why AI should fill the leadership gap while people stay human☀️ Eliciting discretionary effort, the effort you cannot buy☀️ Running a fully flexible team across the UK, Minnesota and New Zealand☀️ Advice for anyone ready to start a business: jump off the diving board Chapters0:00 Meet Cherie Concannon of RPO Global0:29 An Australian sheep farmer's daughter1:33 From secretary to national sales director2:34 Going bankrupt and becoming an executive coach4:50 The plant ranked 26th out of 27 and how RPO began6:12 Digitizing RPO with her son7:20 AI and keeping work human8:26 Eliciting discretionary effort11:05 Why feedback matters14:37 Her mojo and her mission19:26 "You cast a big shadow"20:48 A fully flexible team23:44 What brought her to Minnesota25:06 Why her family left Australia29:03 Her biggest obstacle31:14 Women in male dominated industries33:41 Who she would invite to the table38:17 Advice: jump off the diving board40:05 Her biggest successes42:39 What is next for RPO Global44:30 Walking, yoga and a trip to Japan46:19 How to find RPO Global46:53 Closing thoughts ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube: youtube.com/@shininglightonminnesota🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday.📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com📸 instagram.com/shininglightonmn Episode #100. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  5. Sep 29

    Next Generation in Construction | Ana Lowery and Aalayha Traub, Knutson Construction #099

    How do you bridge the gap between the next generation and the construction industry? Two members of the Knutson Construction team share how networking and being yourself open doors. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Ana Lowery and Aalayha Traub of Knutson Construction. In this episode: ​☀️ The Knutson Alliance Program (KAP)​☀️ The power of networking​☀️ Why being YOU matters​☀️ The latest in construction design and technology​☀️ Bridging the gap with the next generation in the industryChapters: ​0:00 Meet Ana Lowery and Aalayha Traub​1:15 The Knutson Alliance Program (KAP)​2:20 Virtual design and construction​3:45 Youth and technology as a gateway​7:15 Youth, AI, and using tech as a tool​9:30 Bridging the generational gap​12:30 The BuildUp mentorship program​14:30 Why mentorship matters​17:55 Communication and learning from every bid​22:35 Reaching youth in schools and the community​24:15 Staying true to who you are​30:35 The power of networking​36:50 Safety, robotics, and the future of construction​41:15 What's next for Knutson​48:15 How to join KAP and connect with Knutson​57:55 Leading by building leaders​1:00:35 Advice for the next generation​1:03:35 What they would tell their younger selves​1:08:30 Be brave and go for itFind Knutson Construction: facebook.com/KnutsonConstruction Thank you to our sponsors: Sun Control of Minnesota, Elite Tinting & Graphics, and Bravo Protection Products. ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday episode📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com📸 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Episode #099. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  6. Sep 22

    Turning Scars Into Healing | Jamie Mosley, Justin Center #098

    Every scar has a story, and Jamie Mosley turns hers into something that helps other people heal. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Jamie Mosley, author of the upcoming book Shattered Unicorns and an advocate through her work with the Alexandra House and the Justin Center. In this episode: ☀️ Jamie's life story and the road to where she is now☀️ Her upcoming book, Shattered Unicorns☀️ Her work with the Alexandra House☀️ Her work with the Justin Center☀️ Why this conversation matters for Mental Health Awareness MonthFind Jamie: jamiemosley.com ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube 🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday episode 📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com 🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com 📸 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Episode #098. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  7. Sep 1

    From Troubled Teen to Personal Branding Strategist | Carey James, Brand Alchemy #097

    At 15 Carey James had already been arrested once and kicked out of school twice. A small town librarian told him what she saw in him, and that one conversation changed everything. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Carey James, a personal branding and thought leadership strategist who has worked in about 20 countries and is releasing his first book, Blind Spots: How to Unlock Your Hidden Genius. In this episode: ☀️ The librarian who read his label back to him at 15 and changed the direction of his life☀️ Why the smartest people in the room are often the worst at selling themselves☀️ Over $30M in revenue closed with everyone from Facebook, McKinsey, Amazon and Bain to mom and pop shops☀️ Why your identity is not inside you, it lives in the people around you☀️ How to bring pen and paper business owners along on AI instead of leaving them behindFind Carey: careyjames.co ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube 🔔 Follow Shining Light on Minnesota so you never miss a Wednesday episode 📩 Guest and sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com 🌐 ShiningLightOnMinnesota.com 📸 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Episode #097. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

  8. Aug 27

    Leaving High Tech and a 12 Year Startup for Total Surrender | Mondo Davison, Man of God #096

    Honest, unexpected, and the kind of conversation that stays with you. Host Karissa Dunham sits down with Mondo Davison, who built a life in the high tech world before everything shifted. Completely surrendering, what he believes about life after death, and how he finally found peace on the other side of it. In this episode: ☀️ Life in high tech ☀️ The moment everything shifted ☀️ Total surrender ☀️ Finding peace ▶️ Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shininglightonminnesota 🔔 Hit follow so the next Minnesota story lands in your feed every Wednesday. 📩 Guest or sponsor inquiries: info@shininglightonminnesota.com 🌐 https://www.shininglightonminnesota.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shininglightonmn Episode #096. Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️

    Leaving High Tech and a 12 Year Startup for Total Surrender | Mondo Davison, Man of God #096
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About

Shining Light on Minnesota, hosted by Karissa Dunham, is a podcast that shines a light on the hardworking and innovative local businesses in the state of Minnesota. The show features interviews with business owners from a variety of industries, delving into their humble beginnings and the challenges they faced on their path to success. The goal of the podcast is not only to promote these local businesses, but also to inspire and motivate future entrepreneurs by sharing these stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Shining Light on Minnesota
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Shining Light on Minnesota
  • Show Website
    Shining Light on Minnesota