Business Over Beer episode 110 with Gus Farah | Executive VP of Operations for the Ridgefield Raptors
“Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack”… because we’re going out to the ball park with Gus Farah, Executive VP of Operations for the Ridgefield Raptors baseball team.
In this episode, Gus shares with us that he was born in Cuba and his family relocated to Portland, OR when he was a young child. Professionally, he spent 17 years running the revenue generation side for five CBS Radio Stations in Portland. Also, he ran sponsorship sales for the Portland Trail Blazers before joining the ownership group of the Raptors.
The West Coast League that the Raptors play in, along with the the Cowlitz Bears that Gus and his partners also own, has expanded by five teams for the 2022 season including several teams in Canada, showing that this is a great way to build community around baseball and to give a professional level development for college players.
The Raptors are committed to affordable family friendly entertainment for all of Southwest Washington and bringing the joy of baseball to new generations of players and fans.
Business Over Beer #109 with Escape Zone 360 Owner Ben Bevard
On this episode of Business Over Beer, we have Passages To Success member and owner of Escape Zone 360, Ben Bevard.
Ben originally had the idea for his escape room while taking a marketing class in college, and when the pandemic hit, he found himself in a position to start his own business. Not only was he able to get it up and running, he has expanded, adding a second escape room in 2021.
Escape Zone 360 provides immersive – device free – entertainment, that is family friendly, perfect for birthdays, youth groups, and celebrations of all kinds. In addition, Escape Zone 360 is great for businesses for a fun day out of the office, or through team building with a professional business coach.
Starting and growing your own business is never easy, but as Ben has shown, if you have the courage to take some risks, it can pay off by turning your dream into reality.
Business Over Beer Episode #108 with Diana Rutherford | Redefining the Realty Playbook
On this episode of Business Over Beer, we have Passages To Success member and local realty expert, Diana Rutherford.
A former Collegiate Athlete, Diana’s experience playing softball has helped her develop more of a teammate approach to her real estate business as a way to best serve her clients. She first got into Real Estate though her dad’s business, and is now taking a fresh approach to the real estate industry centered around service. Diana believes that we are all better together and through more human connection we can build a better community.
Business Over Beer #107 | Live from Victor 23 with Head Brewer Todd Britt
On this episode of Business Over Beer, we recorded live from Victor 23 Brewing with Head Brewer, Todd Britt. Victor 23 is a great local brewpub, complete with all the regulars saddled up at the bar, there to support the brewery.
In this episode, we learn about where the name “Victor 23” originated from. Also, Todd talks about his journey from the Midwest to The Pacific Northwest, brewing for institutions like Goose Island and Rock Bottom, before landing the head brewer job for Victor 23. Todd talks about the art of brewing and his passion for barrel aged beer, but understanding that this is a business, and he needs to brew beer that his customers want.
“Somebody’s gotta buy it,” Todd told us. “It Doesn’t matter if its the best beer in the world, if I can’t get you guys to drink it, it doesn’t matter what I think of the beer”
Business Over Beer #106 | Passages To Success Series with Charles Swatzell & Dave Barcos
Welcome to the first episode in our Passages To Success series, recorded live at our recent Sales and Marketing Seminar in January 2022, featuring Charles Swatzell, Formos CEO and Dave Barcos, Formos Director of Business Development.
Formos, the self proclaimed “Best Kept Secret in Vancouver”, is an enterprise software development company headquartered in Vancouver, WA with global offices in Vietnam and Ecuador, and a newly opened a new US office in Nashville, TN.
In this episode, Charles shares with us lessons he learned from his acting days and how doing a character study on those you want to do business with will help you understand their motivation and help you earn the right to sell to them. People buy things for their reasons, not yours.
You will also get a real explanation of what Business Development is versus Sales along with some tangible takeaways on hustle, tenacity and telling your story, which will help you be a better business owner.
In the end, running a successful business means showing up day after day, putting in the work and practicing with intention to get better at the different aspects of your business.
Business Over Beer episode #105 with Kim Harless | Making our community a better place for everybody
Business Over Beer welcomes back Vancouver, WA City Councilor, Kim Harless, for part 2 of her interview.
A lifelong resident of Vancouver, Kim has spent her entire adult life in service, working with non-profits and government agencies. Elected to the first ever Clark County Charter Commission as the only person of color, she has become the first Indigenous person elected to Vancouver City Council.
In this episode, Kim shared with us that she is not viewing her City Council seat as a
