Although the Confluence Cast only launched in July, this new Columbus podcast quickly gained traction with local readers during its run throughout the rest of the year. Host Tim Fulton and Columbus Underground have collaborated on the effort to bring new information to locals in a new format. Each week, Fulton speaks with members of the community to talk about arts, civics, lifestyle, food, creativity, politics, development, neighborhoods and more.
Below are the top 10 most popular episodes of the year, based on total listeners (thus far). And as always, you can follow the Confluence Cast in 2017 by subscribing via iTunes.
10. Launching a Business in Columbus
We’ve talked about what it’s like to run your own business and be an entrepreneur. But what if you’re just getting started? In this episode, representatives from ECDI talk about how they help businesses get going and the financing options that they have available.
How do you rebuild after you lose everything? We sit down with Robert Grimmett, the founder and CEO of Robert Mason Company to discuss day-to-day operations, how Robert Mason got started, how it evolved, and how it was rebuilt after a shocking loss.
Columbus is home to the nation’s largest resident theater company, Shadowbox Live. Meta-performer Amy Lay sits down in this episode of The Confluence Cast to talk about her craft, the importance of play, what’s coming up at Shadowbox, and why she chooses to stay Columbus.
7. The History of Independents’ Day
When a group of people that are dedicated to making Columbus awesome get together you get a festival with more than just beers and bands. Independents’ Day in Franklinton puts the creative spirit of Columbus on display. Organizers Adam Brouillette and Patrick Locy talk about the festival’s origins, evolution, and why they do it.
What’s it like to own a restaurant and what drives people to do it? We sat down with two restaurateurs with very different perspectives. First up, Sangeeta Lakhani, co-owner of The Table who speaks from her perspective on dealing with customers, employees, and the city. Then, an interview with Joe Deloss, founder and head fryer of Hot Chicken Takeover, who talks a bit about chicken, but primarily focuses on his human resources model.
5. The Blake Compton Interview
Starting a business isn’t easy. Truly knowing your role in it is harder. Compton Construction CEO Blake Compton talks about the lifecycle of being a business owner and the virtue of coaches and mentors.
4. Issue One
For the inaugural episode of the Confluence Cast, we decided to do a deep dive on Issue One, the ballot measure that proposed the addition of ward representation to Columbus City Council. A special election took place on August 2nd, where voters decided upon this legislation.
How do you take your coffee? You sure? We sat down with two roasters, Crimson Cup and Brioso Coffee, to talk about what makes a good cup of coffee, a bad cup of coffee, fair trade, and a little about running a small business.
People like the idea of living without a car. Why don’t they? This episode has it’s foundation in an interview with Cleve Ricksecker, the executive director of the two Downtown Special Improvement Districts (SID). We discuss SIDs, commuter culture in Columbus, and have a frank discussion about the race and class lines here. Cleve’s passion for a transit-based lifestyle inspired us to also sit-down with two carless Columbusites: Jacob Taylor and Zach Henkel.
1. The Columbus Real Estate Market
There are three things that matter in real estate: location, location, location. While that adage is true, there are a couple more things to know about the Columbus real estate market. In this episode we spoke with Marc Conte from the Downtown Special Improvement District to talk about the real estate landscape in Downtown — how it changed, how its growing, and why we have some catching up to do. After that we had an in depth conversation with local realtor Joe Peffer on the ins and outs of buying a new home, working with your realtor, and why it’s important to wash your windows.
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