You are in for a treat listening to this truly inspiring story from Josue Gomez. A life of hardship, evading gang recruiters, supporting his family, and utterly dominating high school soccer. - All before the age of 18. Josue, thank you for sharing your absolutely inspiring story with us - We hope to speak to you again.
What a great conversation about competition, martial arts, self defense, and life with Howard “Howie” Steer from Yell County, Arkansas. Thanks for joining us on the podcast Howie!
Jen Brown, owner of Grow With Jen Brown Marketing, has joined us today to talk about her story, growing profitable businesses, and the work she’s been doing in our communities. It is a great listen for any business owners, big or small that are ready to consider new ideas, optimize their margins, and improve their systems. Thanks Jen for coming on to the LevelUp Podcast with Obee and Tal!
How Everything Rose in Pottsville is providing a platform for local entrepreneurs, parents, community members, and more.
We sat down with Stacey Rose Daughtrey from Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce , we delve into her beginnings at the chamber, her community outreach efforts, and her personal journey.
Obee and Tal sit down to talk about the 2024 Eclipse and what happened in Russellville, AR.
Russellville Community Market is our local, online & year-round farmer’s market! We are joined by Ariel Finkenbinder to talk about how easy, affordable, and delicious is it to access LOCALLY produced food in the Russellville-Area.
“You’ve got to be willing to grow…” Today we are joined by Amber Smith & Shellee Romero from Next Level Barbershop to explore how the business has quickly grown over the past 2 years. Next Level Barbershop is located next to Funky Town Mall in Russellville, Arkansas
Discover the Co-Create Innovation Hub by Chris & Tara Abington! This vibrant hub promises to be a game-changer for entrepreneurs, creators, teams, and anyone looking to build value together in our community. The inception of this Hub comes from a powerful question - “Why Not Russellville?” We’ve seen the departure of many talented individuals, visionaries, and dedicated entrepreneurs over the years. But guess what? The economic potential of Arkansas is on the rise, and Russellville is right at the heart of this growth! It’s high time our community evolves to tap into this potential. Join the Co-Create Innovation Hub on their exciting journey as they work to open their doors this summer: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554171901695
Arkansas is right in the middle of a total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024. Russellville could see upwards of 150,000+ visitors that weekend. Which is over 3x the local population. Christie Graham has been a key player in the community to ensure safety, economic benefits, and communications. This is a MUST listen podcast if you live in Russellville or the River Valley.
Uncover some history of Russellville today with us as we talk to Randy Hendrix, President of the Friends of the Latimore Tourist Home. The Latimore Tourist Home served as the ONLY accomodation for black travelers between Ft Smith & Little Rock during the Jim Crow era. The building STILL exists in Russellville today, and they are trying to restore it to its original status so the community can utilize it…. BUT, they need your help. Support Them Here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081035784100 — Follow us on FACEBOOK for EXCLUSIVE Content on our Communities 👇 River Valley Town Square - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556669543856 LevelUp - https://www.facebook.com/LvlUpRsvl Eleva - https://www.facebook.com/elevarussellville
Today we’re joined by Justen Roberts with Smoky Row Tattoo to talk about the upcoming #ArtWalk in #DowntownRussellville, the tattoo industry, his business in Downtown Russellville (Smoky Row Tattoo), and more! Find more about Justen and Smoky Row at: https://www.smokyrowtattoo.com/
Jennifer Rogers joins us with Rhea Lana’s of Russellville and shares some incredible insights about Rhea Lana’s operations, services, and benefit they provide to the community. Rhea Lana’s next event is March 4-9 in Russellville, you can find all of the information you need at https://russellville.rhealana.com
Meet Jesse and Kristi Johnson, owners of Hometown Flair in #downtownrussellville Hometown Flair provides creators & entrepreneurs a platform to market themselves and sell their locally crafted products, in a prime location with amazing traffic. If you want to find locally produced goods or sell your own, make sure to visit Hometown Flair on W Main St in Downtown Russellville! (There was a mic issue with Tal, so you will only hear audio from Jesse and Kristi)
Tammy Janssen and her family have a vision for Russellville - a vision of learning to grow your own food, achieving sustainability, and fostering a community of knowledge. Green Thumb Nursery provides various services including retail, landscaping, education, classes, and multiple venue locations for events.
Owner of The Hippie Palace in Russellville, we had the privilege of an unexpected conversation on the LevelUp Russellville Podcast. After learning some great things about Joshua’s business - we dig into some spiritual topics - The kind that Tal and Joshua don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on, and you likely won’t either. But that didn’t stop us from having a respectful and genuine talk about what is important in life. Thanks for joining us, Joshua. While Tal may not believe the same as you, he certainly does respect you for sharing your thoughts and being kind.
On this occasion Obee sits down with Dr. Carmela Montez Knoernschild from https://www.clearlydrk.com They speak about her childhood, her Mexican father and American mother, her time as a waitress at her parents’ restaurant, and her efforts at school until reaching a high level in orthodontics.
This man teaches people how to save their own lives. As we sit down and interview Zach Cole, we will explore what it takes to skydive, how to teach people in high-adrenaline scenarios, building a career in the sport & more. Zach holds a myriad of skydiving ratings and is also recently appointed as an S&TA to the USPA Board (United States Parachute Association). He’s making a name for himself in the sport and is ‘ALL IN’ on sharing his passion with everyone else.
Today we sit down with Cole Hendrix to discuss The American Legion, Post 20 in Russellville, AR. He and the other members are currently focused on revitalizing the organization in the area and focusing on obtaining more members. What does the American Legion actually do? “Today, the organization is active throughout the United States, supporting current military personnel and veterans, sponsoring American Legion Baseball, Boys State, Oratorical Contests and other activities for youth, and pushing for the adoption of a constitutional amendment to prohibit desecration of the U.S. flag.” - From legion.org You can contact Post 20 on FB: https://www.facebook.com/RussellvilleARAmericanLegion20/
This episode is a bit different - it won’t suit everyone and that’s okay. I’m joined by Ian to talk about game development, the recent game-jam we hosted in Russellville, and why our community has an abnormal number of game-developers.
Today we interview the Director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, Ronda Hawkins. She’s consulted with hundreds of small businesses on startup plans, financial management, sales, marketing, and more. You can reach out to her at: rhawkins2@atu.edu Her consulting services are at NO-COST to for-profit small businesses in Arkansas
Today we sit down to talk to RJ about his group fitness program on the north end of town, RV Fit Level. We discuss his training style, students, efforts with ARVAC, and more.
Meet Obee Rosales, the newest addition to the LevelUp Team who will be launching ‘Eleva Russellville’ to service the hispanic community of the River Valley. https://www.facebook.com/elevarussellville
I’ve known Beau and Sarah Gumm for a while, they’re great people and they’ve decided to focus on giving back to the community of Russellville and Arkansas. They’ve recently founded a non-profit, The Arkansas Paint Project, and this is the first time they’ve sat down on camera/audio to talk about it. Read more about the organization here: https://arkansaspaintproject.org/
Walter Reese & Addison Wooten from Orr Auto Mall join us to spill the beans on the car industry, share mindset hacks that help them operate in a commission-driven world, and why they love their communities.
Chloe’s Cakes & Tasty Bakes joins us on the LvlUp Russellville Podcast today to talk about: starting a business right out of school, growing in the River Valley, and more!
Today we sit down with another podcaster, Nicole Holmes, who has the show “Nicole Please”. We discuss her journey: how she started, how’s she focusing on growing her podcast, and more! If you’re looking to start a podcast, this is a good listen!
MMA takes a toll on the mind & body - and add the stresses of building a business! That’s exactly the path that Brian Wilson from FORCA MMA in Russellville decided to take over a decade ago. This episode is an interesting one, buckle up!
Before I had the opportunity to sit down with Keith, I had never once thought about taking my entrepreneurial spirit and applying that to a franchise… How do you even get into that? Well, Keith is going to answer those questions and lay out some reasons you may want to consider opting for that path in life & business. Thanks for joining us Keith!
“Life is made out of small decisions that you make every day that add up over time to shape you to be the person you are. Motivation comes and goes, and if you rely on that as the thing that will propel you forward, you will struggle. Discipline on the other hand is unbeatable. Set up the cornerstone habits that you do every day to move you forward and you turn success into the only option.“ - Antonio Amaral
Drew Brent has decades of experience in broadcasting, including: tv, radio, journalism, print, and more. He’s now the AV Instructor at Russellville High School building a program from scratch with his team. He joins us on the LvlUp Rsvl Podcast to share exciting stories of what students are up to, share personal insights into Russellville, and more
I stopped chasing money, and I started focusing on becoming a master at my craft. That’s when things started to change for me. My confidence began skyrocketing in: Creating content Pitching my service Hopping on discovery calls Managing my team I Became Obsessive.
Americana Creative Workshop is dedicated to ‘making your creative vibes, come alive’. Let’s take a look into the business of Jannetta Carney and Sam Bloodworth as they run a mobile painting & creative workshop that operates in the River Valley Area.
If there’s anyone who has a passion for the Russellville-area, improving it, and making great food - it’s Johnny Konuk. All the way from Turkey to Colorado, and now to Arkansas - take a moment and learn more about him and how he’s decided to run The Old Bank!
If you’re looking for beta, Jeremiah’s the man. Jeremiah and Maura Cascairo have recently launched Arkansas’ Newest Climbing Gym, Climb Conway! In this conversation we talk about the future of climbing in Arkansas (it’s huge, one of the best states for it btw and will continue to grow economically and in popularity), what it’s like to start your own gym, and more.
The Crack House (Seafood, Burgers, and More) went nationally viral recently after a misunderstanding on Facebook. William Ford (owner) joins us to talk about the huge impact that’s had on his business, his goals for the future, and more on this new episode
Obee Rosales has made his way to Russellville, after building his career in Los Angelas. Sit down and enjoy a conversation with a fellow creative entreprenuer.
Beth Lortie joins us from CASA - a nationwide non-profit with a presence here in the Arkansas Area. They are 100% dedicated to helping children of abuse and neglect that are in the foster system. And rely on volunteers to make that happen. If you’re interested in learning more you can call (479) 880-1195 or visit arcasa5.org
Today we sit down with Doug Pehrson - SVP of Arkansas Nuclear One to talk about nuclear energy, plant operations, and the community of the River Valley. Short Bio: Doug Pehrson is the Site Vice President for Arkansas Nuclear One. Prior to assuming the GMPO role, Pehrson was the operations director and senior manager of maintenance. Throughout his career, Pehrson has held several positions in operations, including reactor operator, shift technical advisor, control room supervisor, shift manager and Unit 1 operations manager shift. In 2017, he assumed a rotational assignment at INPO where he functioned as a senior plant evaluator in operations. Pehrson, who served in the U.S. Navy, holds a bachelor’s in nuclear engineering technology from Thomas Edison State University. He holds a master’s in business administration from LSU.
A great conversation with Andy Garcia from Andy’s Buildings! They’ve made a strategic choice to invest significantly in YouTube content creation. This bold move not only sets them apart from competition but has also yielded profitable results. By consistently producing high-quality content on their YouTube channel, they not only enhanced their brand’s credibility and authority but also fostered trust among a substantial pool of potential clients.
Scooter Drama, Discipline, Hard Work, and a lot of Sweat 💦 w/ Ryan K Crowley Full Force Exteriors Remember those Bird Scooters that were in town for a long while? This is the man who was responsible. Ryan Crowley also runs the top ranking pressure washing on Google when you look up “pressure washing in Russellville”, something vital to capitalize on for small businesses. Sit back, relax and enjoy a great conversation!
Sales Funnels! What are they? How do they work? How can you use them to drive sales? We’re going to answer all of these questions & more in this episode!
You will walk away from this podcast having learned a few things: BBQ is as much art as science, Russellville’s Food Scene is BLOWING UP, and the bonds friendship can create really cool things. Meet Robert Couser and Grant Hall, best friends and Russellville natives. Robert and Grant’s interest in barbecue and great food started in the backyard and grew into the passion that drives both of them today. Their commitment is to put in the dedication necessary to their craft, to ensure that customer’s get the absolute best product every single visit. If you drive by at 2:00 am, you’ll find them there, working the fire and getting ready for lunch service.
Brian Tynes is directing a play with the River Valley Art Center this month (Steel Magnolias) in Russellville, AR. We talk about the play, AI generated art, an outsider’s perspective into Russellville, and more!
Cici is a vendor on the Russellville Community Market - a channel you can connect with local farmers and buy local goods, produce, meats, etc. In this episode we discuss how she started, how you can connect more with your local community, and skydiving!
The River Valley Arts Center is on a mission to provide art programs & classes that serve the Russellville-area. These are classes that you and your family could attend. As a non-profit, they focus on serving the communities that “for-profit orgs” normally would miss due to financial obstacles. In short, if you want to learn art, pick up a new hobby/skill, you can do that on the cheap with RVAC next to the Russellville City Park. Jennifer and Brent hopped on the show to share their experiences and promote Art in Russellville!
When Terrance from Daisy Lawn Care reached out, wanting to share his story of addiction, rock bottom, and the journey of self-discipline he embarked on… of course we said ‘let’s go’. It’s easy to put people on a pedestal & idolize them and use their successes as an excuse for discipline and action on your end. Terrance clearly didn’t others stop him from doing what he had to do. He kept his goals, faith, and family in mind. And used those to build a successful business in less than 7 months. We can learn a lot from his story and how he successfully operates his business.
Not many 19 year olds are eager to bet on themselves and put everything on the line. But that’s exactly the sort of mindset that Tito had when pursuing his passion. He’s an excellent example of an Entrepreneur. Someone who’s hustling for themselves and building a better community. Go check out Tito’s Taqueria in Russellville, AR - The food is superb!
William Ford, Owner of The Crackhouse in Russellville, AR The podcast where we sit down with the leading entrepreneurs in the River Valley and talk life, business, and mindsets behind their success.
A breakdown of the past 2.5 years - building a business with $0 (kinda) - and some great updates happening at Rsvl!
The Walton Family is working hard on opening up more State Parks to recreation (Petit Jean, Mt. Magazine, Etc.) What are the impacts of the growth? How will it affect our communities and businesses? Who’s to blame if it all goes wrong?
Starting the week off strong with another quick car podcast and thoughts on the evolving concept of “Level Up Russellville”.
Topics Discussed: Community Improvement Entropy is the enemy Future Hopes for Podcast, Community, and Self