Business & Beyond with Gerry Dick
Business and Beyond with Gerry Dick is a weekly conversation with Indiana leaders in business, politics, sports, entertainment…and beyond. The 30-minute podcast explores the successes, failures and memorable moments that have shaped the lives of high profile, high-performing individuals with a Hoosier connection. Inspirational, informative and sometimes emotional, Business and Beyond is an intimate conversation with well-known guests who share their personal, unfiltered stories and what motivates them in their daily pursuit of success and happiness, personally and professionally.
101
Carlos Diaz: Teeing Off on a New Life Adventure
“I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life, but I truly believe the most rewarding hat is the one of husband and dad.” Carlos Diaz has spent his professional life in front of a camera, reporting for some of the biggest names in television. But after ditching the microphone for the Florida sunshine, he’s living his best life with a golf bag strapped to his shoulder. In episode 121, the Greenwood native talks about family, life changing moments and the joy of being a “daddy caddy.”
35 min
102
Audrey Taylor: Adventurer Turned Entrepreneur
“Everything we built from that day to this came from that original $500 and the American Express card.” Netlogx founder Audrey Taylor’s passion for adventure brought her to the United States with scant resources and absolutely no knowledge of Indianapolis. In episode 120, she talks about her path to entrepreneurship, talent and what makes Indiana special.
33 min
103
Blake Jones: A Spirit of Entrepreneurship
“We literally cashed out our 401k’s, maxed out as many credit cards as we could get, and got a small SBA loan.” It sounds like risky business, but the whiskey business was a natural fit for Bedford native Blake Jones, who, along with his brother and a buddy, founded West Fork Whiskey. And they just may have found lightning in a bottle. He talks about the entrepreneurial journey to create a “boldly Indiana” whiskey distillery that is quickly becoming an agritourism destination.
30 min
104
Jimmie McMillian: Driven to Change the Future, ...
His passion for what he does is rooted in a difficult childhood, growing up in a tough southside Chicago neighborhood. For Jimmie McMillian, the mantra “never give up” has special meaning. In Episode 118, the senior corporate counsel and chief diversity officer at Penske Entertainment talks about how that upbringing, a Firestone store in Bloomington, and his first trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway changed his life.
32 min
105
Elaine Bedel: Homegrown Hoosier Helping Grow th...
Elaine Bedel has traveled many miles from the southeast Indiana farm where she grew up, creating a successful a business along the way. Now, as CEO of the Indiana Destination Development Corporation she is, in a sense, back home again, selling the state she loves. In episode 117, the Hanover College grad gives us her Hoosier sales pitch.
33 min
106
Tom Battista: Free Spirit with a Passion for Pe...
He may just be the most interesting man in Indiana. Restaurateur. Renovator. And for 30 years, on the road with Jimmy Buffett. But that’s only part of Indianapolis native Tom Battista’s rambling career journey. In episode 116, find out how the Brebeuf High School and Indiana University graduate is continuing to create a better future for his community.
33 min
107
Lin Dunn: Leaving it Better Than She Found It
“We used to pile in the back of my red Impala. Drive down the road, play somebody, get back in the car, and drive back.” Lin Dunn knows about women’s sports pre-Title IX because she lived it. The Hall of Fame coach and trailblazer, who led the Indiana Fever to an improbable championship, talks about the path to progress, legacy, and the source of her competitive fire.
34 min
108
Christopher Day: Living Life in a Front Row Seat
“I didn’t have a TV growing up. We worked and played basketball…with a rim nailed to the barn.” Christopher Day has gone from a low-tech childhood to the heights of high-tech success by always leaning in. The CEO of Elevate Ventures talks about life on the farm, creating “Indiana’s South by Southwest” and why it’s Toph, not Christopher.
36 min
109
Mung Chiang: From Harley-Davidson to Häagen-Dazs
Purdue University’s 13th president is an academic, an entrepreneur and an ice cream lover, who describes the transition from former President Mitch Daniels as “Harley-Davidson to Häagen-Dazs.” Mung Chiang immigrated to the United States, using education as his ticket to success. He’s also started three companies and has more than two dozen patents. In episode 113, Mung talks about Purdue’s next great leap, his love for America and the importance of putting “the who before the what.”
34 min
110
David Becker: Charting His Own Course
First Internet Bank CEO David Becker says his entrepreneurial journey started as a ten-year-old paperboy, hawking newspapers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I figured out that I could control my own destiny and control my earnings,” said Becker, who has launched and sold five Inc. 500 companies and created the first state-chartered, FDIC-insured bank operating solely on the Internet. In episode 112, he opens up about the banking crisis, Indiana’s changing tech landscape, and lessons learned cleaning pig barns in Morgan County.
37 min
111
Angie Hicks: Growing a business, one door at a ...
“It was miserable…I had a lot of doors shut in my face.” Angie Hicks is a self-described introvert who thought she was destined for a career as an accountant. So how then did she decide on starting a business by going door to door on the streets of Columbus, Ohio? The Angie’s List co-founder talks about how it all started, growing up in Fort Wayne and life lessons learned from her parents.
30 min
112
Dennis Murphy: From Saving Souls to Saving Lives
Dennis Murphy always knew he wanted to make a difference. And at the age of 14, he left home to do just that, enrolling in a Catholic seminary. While he ultimately opted for a career in healthcare instead of the priesthood, it was an experience that changed his life. In episode 110, the CEO of the state’s largest health system talks about the importance of giving back, family, and the challenging state of healthcare.
31 min
113
Morgan Lucas: “Trying to make oil cool and sexy”
“I rolled a car at about 175 MPH and was knocked out and airlifted to the hospital when I was about 17.” You could say cars and racing are part of Morgan Lucas’ DNA. And while he has hung up his helmet, he remains in the fast lane, charged with growing the family business. The president of Lucas Oil Products opens up about risk, family and why the company is all in on Indiana.
33 min
114
Colette Pierce Burnette: A “Passionate Collision”
She is an engineer turned educator with no experience in the world of museums. But Colette Pierce Burnette has never been one to shy away from a challenge, so she says it was a natural to for her to accept the CEO role at Newfields as the organization endured one of its most challenging periods. “There's so much opportunity for us to enrich lives…who would shy away from that?
34 min
115
White River State Park: After 35 years, positio...
It is the result of vision ,persistence and a belief that more than 200 acres of neglected property along the White River could be something special. 35 years after opening, White River State Park is a gleaming collection of arts and culture, sports and entertainment attractions. But, as Executive Director Jake Oakman explains, this urban park’s relevance, and size, are about to grow.
30 min
116
Fanchon Stinger: Returning to her roots with a ...
From the bright lights of TV news to the rough and tumble world of the Professional Bull Riders circuit, Fanchon Stinger’s career has come full circle. The Emmy award-winning journalist bid farewell to news and is now bucking trends and breaking barriers for minority women in one of America’s fastest growing sports. A homecoming of sorts that takes her back to her childhood.
42 min
117
Andre Carson: Shooting down “stigma” surroundin...
“It’s also suspicious when you have these objects flying over our military installations. And I think it calls for deep concern.” From the downing of a Chinese spy balloon to prospects for high-speed rail, Indiana’s 7th District Congressman talks politics, his late grandmother and how his fascination with UFO’s began as a teenager.
39 min
118
Linsey Davis: Network News Star with an Indiana...
From the chaos of war to the pandemonium of a presidential debate, ABC News anchor Linsey Davis feels right at home in the heat of the action. In the opening episode of season three of the podcast, she talks about life in the fast lane of network news, her emerging profile as a children’s author and why Indiana will always feel like “home.”
34 min
119
Dan Dakich: Dakich Unplugged, the Second Half
In the second half of our 100th episode, the always opinionated sports talk host weighs in on playing for Bob Knight, his favorite teammates and the head slap that got him to IU.
33 min
120
Dan Dakich: From the region to radio with no re...
For episode 100, we begin a two-part Business & Beyond podcast with the one and only Dan Dakich. From his first recruiting trip to IU to playing for Bob Knight to his career as a firebrand media personality, this Gary native has lots of stories to tell. And he tells them with the passion, and humor, you’ve come to expect from the guy who shut down Michael Jordan.
35 min
121
Lorelei Weimer: Hometown Pride Fuels Park Passion
“I am a native of Porter County, and I think that's what makes this job even more special to me.” She grew up in the region and today leads Indiana’s first and only National Park. In episode 99, Lorelei Weimer talks about her dream job, Indiana’s “best kept secret” and why its economic impact is just beginning to be felt.
31 min
122
Rob Shumaker: Lifelong love for animals finds a...
Rob Shumaker has had a passion for animal conservation from a very young age and today is leading the Indianapolis Zoo through a transformational period. In episode 98, Shumaker talks about his passion for primates and how that passion is playing a role in the zoo’s next big thing.
40 min
123
Ann Craig Cinnamon: Media pioneer with a lifelo...
She’s an Indiana broadcast Hall of Famer who has left the business but is far from retired. In this episode, Ann Craig Cinnamon talks about breaking Indy radio’s glass ceiling, living in Iran, and life as an entrepreneur.
35 min
124
Senator Todd Young: A Call to Service
Growing up in Carmel, Todd Young was taught the value of service, a mindset that would lead him to the United States Naval Academy and ultimately a career in politics. In episode 96, Indiana’s senior senator talks about what drives him, his passion for soccer and how working out next to Chuck Schumer in the Senate Gym helped make the CHIPS Act a reality.
38 min
125
Amp Harris: Promoter with a heart to serve
”My brother died, basically, right in front of me.” He witnessed the murder of his brother and could have turned to life on the streets. But promoter Amp Harris chose a different path. In episode 95 he talks about life lessons, race relations and how his friendship with high profile athletes and entertainers helps him be a force for good.
33 min