We sit down with Steve Ritz, owner and founder of Fitness First in Chaska, to hear his perspective on doing doing business in Carver County. In the second half of our podcast we talk about health and fitness, and how to be successful when making changes towards a fitter, healthier lifestyle.

We talk with Sarah Amundsen the founder and owner of Hayloft Studios and Travis Glenzer the General Manager of Southern Social Chaska about how businesses engage with their community, and the business climate in Carver County.

In this episode, we explore the nonprofit funding ecosystem in Minnesota and Carver County with Dominic Papatola of the Community Giving Foundation and Laura Helmer of the Carver County Community Foundation. We talk about where funding comes from, how it is managed, distributed, and how these foundations ensure that contributions make it to the hands of people who are most in need. Tune in for more!

In this episode, we talk with two Chaska restauranteurs and small business owners, Andy Mooney of the acclaimed Red Bench Bakery, and Kent Kramp of the long-time local favorite, Cy's Bar and Grill. We talk about how they got started in the restaurant business to what drives them, community engagement, and running a successful business. Tune in for some great conversation and insights!

In this episode, we talk with Brian Dahlke and Kevin Westerhaus about the Chaska Lions and their deep connections to our community. They share with us how Lions has impacted our community both through the international organization as well as the local chapters through programs such as supporting first responders, planting trees in our community, and raising money to fight childhood cancer.

In this episode, we talk with Ryan Seibert and Matt Podhradsky, the co-presidents of Chaska Rotary, where they share with us the mission of Rotary, both locally and internationally. They also share some of their success stories, and how Rotary's many contributions to the community over the years ranging from the Miracle Field to repairing homes of those who are in times of need, can have deep, meaningful impact within our community.

In this episode, we talk with Jessica Bartholomew, founder and executive director of ACT United, and learn how she reaches out to over 3,000 children and parents a year to help teach them to identify warning signs of human trafficking, and how to avoid being a victim. Also, we dive into the nuts and bolts and share some important information on how you can protect yourself and your child from these crimes.

We spend some time interviewing Al Norby, the Executive Director for LoveINC of Carver County, a community nonprofit that helps residents in need. This past year, LoveINC has helped over 800 families in our county in addition to taking over 2,300 calls for assistance, while being support by 30 churches throughout the county.