Baked-In with Josh Allen

Episode 21: Melany Robinson - Sprouthouse

On this week’s episode, Josh had the opportunity to catch up with Melany Robinson (LinkedIn: @melany-robinson) of Sprouthouse (LinkedIn: @sprouthouseagency) – a communications agency with offices in 11 markets across the US focused on helping clients in the restaurant and hospitality industry tell their story well beyond traditional PR. They talk a lot about food’s changing landscape and the power of listening even when your job is communicating. Melany brings such a unique perspective as a well-connected player who’s not stuck behind a stove.
#sprouthouse #linkedin #pr #culinaryworld #hospitality

Episode 20: Brian Lagerstrom - YouTube Chef!

On this week’s episode, Josh has the great opportunity to sit with @brian_lagerstrom, chef and YouTube sensation. Brian, who spent time working with both @nichefoodgroup and @loafersstl before leaving professional kitchens behind and embarking on a career behind the camera. What started as a pandemic side hustle has blossomed into a full-time gig – with Brian hitting the elusive 1 million subscriber threshold in July 2023. They talk about the secret sauce of content creation that honors his vision while resonating with his growing audience, the art of revenue generation and the challenges of such a metric driven profession. Super cool to peel back the onion of a whole new frontier.
#podcast #youtube #chef #influencer #contentcreator

Episode 19: Rick Erwin - City Museum

On this week’s episode, Josh sits with Rick Erwin, creative director at the City Museum in downtown St. Louis. Housed in the former warehouse of the International Shoe Company, the museum is the brainchild of internationally acclaimed and classically trained sculptors Bob and Gail Cassilly. The 625,000 square foot museum is full of all the weird and wonderful things cities leave behind. Rick leads the team of artists and certified playground engineers as they continue to build and expand the ever-evolving playground. They talk about the history of the museum, the inspiration to keep building and multiple leadership transitions including the death of Bob Cassilly in 2011 and the sale of the museum in 2018. Great to learn a little of the secret sauce of one of the region’s most celebrated attractions.
 

Episode 18: Michael Rubenstein - Wally’s!

On this week’s episode, Josh has the chance to sit with Michael Rubenstein of Wally’s. Established in 2020, Wally's is a luxury travel center proud to serve as the Home of the Great American Road Trip. Specializing in great service, delicious food, clean restrooms, and retail souvenirs for everyone. They discuss the challenges of ramping up from 0 to 250 teammates in less than 3 years, building core values while serving thousands of customers daily and where the brand is headed in the future. Michael is truly a leader who believes that the devil is in the details. Buckle up and enjoy the show.
 

Episode 17: Rung for Women: Ali Hogan & Leslie Gill

In this week’s episode, Josh has the honor of sitting with Ali Hogan and Leslie Gill, the founder and president respectively of Rung for Women – a career accelerator focused on helping women acquire the skills and training needed to uplevel their lives professionally and personally. They’ve already helped over 300 women in the St. Louis region gain traction in their careers and they’re just getting started! These two visionary leaders and their team at Rung believe in helping women go from “surviving to thriving” by taking a (w)holistic approach to advancement – offering child watch services, grab and go meals, financial education, healthcare services and counseling along with specific skills training in tech, geospatial and advanced manufacturing all a no charge to their members. Such an inspiring conversation.

Episode 16: Loryn Nalik - Balkan Treat Box!

On this week’s episode, Josh talks with Loryn Nalic from Balkan Treat Box about growing her wildly popular food concept from a food truck dream to one of the most versatile and exciting food brands in St. Louis. They talk about navigating the early chaos of the opening of CityPark, approaching business with the humility and willingness to ask for help, and mentoring the next generation of emerging food entrepreneurs. It’s easy to see that Loryn’s secret sauce is a quick smile and a hearty laugh…even when the lines are long. Let’s go…
 

Episode 15: Jon Franko - Gorilla 76

In this week’s episode, Josh sits down with Jon Franko of Gorilla 76, an industrial marketing firm here in St. Louis that he co-founded in 2006. Jon, in addition to helping his manufacturing clients (read: blue collar brands) grow revenue and retain employees, is a passionate believer in the power of company culture. They discuss the new normal of remote work, the value of defining and living core values and how running plays a major role in Jon’s life following a MS diagnosis in 2016. Lace up your shoes and let’s go…
 

Episode 14: Tamara Keefe - Clementine’s Creamery

On this week’s episode, Josh sits down with Tamara Keefe, founder, CEO and flavor temptress at Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery. In her late thirties, after a very successful career in consumer packaged goods on a global scale, Tamara opened a small ice cream shop in Lafayette Square in St. Louis, MO. Nearly 10 years and multiple locations later, she’s ready to grow across the country. They discuss obstacles and challenges and the stuff keeping her up at night. Grab a pint of your favorite flavor and enjoy.

Episode 13: Mitch Millstein

This week, Josh catches up with Dr. Mitch Millstein, Professor of Supply Chain Management at UMSL and co-founder of Supply Velocity, a lean manufacturing and supply chain consulting firm.  They discuss how supply chain management is having its “moment”, the secret sauce of becoming a you-can-count-on-me supplier and Mitch’s past work with Josh’s bakery on customer optimization. It all may sound like a mouthful, but Mitch has an uncanny ability to make complex business ideas super digestible (and pretty darn interesting) for all of us.

Episode 12: Tricia Zimmer Ferguson - Kaldi’s & More!

This week, Josh sits down with Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, co-owner of the Kaldi’s Coffee family of businesses which includes brands in St. Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Olympia, WA and the state of Hawaii. They discuss the secret sauce of building regional brands in multiple markets with a common thread of great coffee/tea and even better hospitality.