Explore every episode of the podcast Leadership Unplugged!

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Brook Fitzgerald of The Restoration Project to the podcast! Brook shares her incredible journey—from corporate banking to opening a downtown Cedar Rapids coffee shop (even though she didn’t drink coffee!) to co-founding a life and leadership coaching practice that’s all about helping people lead from alignment and intention.

She gets real about entrepreneurship, faith, burnout, and what it really means to be a leader—not by title, but by how you show up. Plus, hear how The Restoration Project is expanding its reach through online courses and tools built from real-world client experiences.

If you’re a leader, a dreamer, or just someone looking for clarity and connection, you won’t want to miss this one.

Listen in to Ray Brown, CEO of ESCO Group, as he discusses his journey from accountant to CEO of a 100% employee-owned company. Ray dives into pivotal leadership moments, the mentors who shaped his approach, and the early challenges that drove his growth. Discover how Ray leads ESCO Group—a leader in electrical construction, automation, and safety consulting—through change, innovation, and community impact. Tune in to hear Ray's insights on why Marion is the ideal place to raise a family and grow a business!

Listen in as Tom Pientok shares about leadership and what it means to him. You may be surprised as to what his super power would be!

In this episode of Leadership Unplugged, we sit down with Marion’s City Manager, Ryan Waller, and Deputy City Manager, Kim Downs, to discuss their journey in public service and their roles in driving positive change in Marion. Ryan, who became Marion’s 10th City Manager in 2021, brings over 20 years of experience from various Illinois communities and Indianola, Iowa. Kim, who joined the City of Marion in 2022, has over 24 years of experience and previously served as the City Manager of Hiawatha.

Together, Ryan and Kim have been instrumental in streamlining operations and fostering a collaborative spirit within Marion. In this engaging conversation, we dive into their leadership strategies, the factors that drew them to Marion, and the exciting initiatives they’re spearheading to engage the community and enhance the city’s growth. Tune in to hear how this dynamic duo is shaping the future of Marion and what makes "Team Marion" so special.

Today, we have a very special guest: Mayor Nick AbouAssaly. His dedication to public service is unparalleled, as evidenced by his long list of accomplishments. From his early days on the City Council to his numerous community involvements and accolades, including being named Mayor of the Year, Nick's impact on Marion is undeniable. Join us as we delve into his journey and explore what it means to be a leader in this dynamic community.

Tune in for an engaging conversation with two distinguished educators, Superintendent Amy Kortemeyer of Linn-Mar and Superintendent Janelle Brouwer of Marion Independent, as they delve into their profound perspectives on leadership. Join us as they discuss the essence of leadership, drawing from their wealth of experience and dedication to shaping the future of education.

Join us as we chat with the team at Marion Chamber of Commerce and Uptown Marion Mainstreet as they share how they're leading and making a difference in our community. You might even get to know what they wish their super powers were if given a choice!

Rapids Wholesale Foodservice Equipment & Supplies is your "one stop shop" for all things food related. If you serve food - they've got you! From their full lineup of commercial cooking equipment and refrigeration products to the plates and tables you serve your culinary masterpieces on, they've got it!

Listen in as the Rapids team shares their story, where they've been and where they're going!

MEDCO’s Startup Spotlight hosted a conversation with Lesley Vossenkemper of Scale-Up Strategies. Lesley is the first woman in the Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Iowa City area to earn the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation. An individual who earns the CEPA credential assists business owners with the development of a strategy and plan for business succession.  In a release from the CBJ in early September 2023, Lesley had the following to share, “As the daughter and granddaughter of local entrepreneurs, I have a special place in my heart for business owners and want to help them proactively plan and successfully leave their legacy. Combining this specialized training with my experience leading high-growth businesses makes me uniquely equipped to educate others on the proven methodologies to enhance business value and bring a forward-thinking, holistic approach to succession planning. I’m grateful to be the local expert to assist our local business owners in achieving their goals for their businesses and their lives."

Startup Spotlight is MEDCO’s intentional commitment to supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to scale and gain awareness in the Marion community and surrounding area. 

The Marion Independent School Board candidates are uncontested. This portion of the recording was an open house where candidates shared their thoughts and plans for the coming term. Candidates include Denise Allison (Incumbent), Jon Fitch (Incumbent), Carl Lantermans (Incumbent), and Michelle Rains.

Please remember to vote in the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 7th and enjoy listening to these individuals as they share updates and progress about the district!

This forum featured Linn-Mar School Board candidates. Candidates include Barry Buchholz (Incumbent), Justin Foss, Katie Lowe Lancaster, Tom Law, Brittania Morey (Incumbent), Kevin Slaman, Laura Steffeck, and Jodi Treharne. This forum followed a question and answer format of predetermined questions.

Please remember to vote in the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 7th and enjoy listening to these individuals as they share their perspectives and thoughts on the district. 

Listen to the live recording of the 2023 City Council and Mayoral Forum. 

The Marion City Council and Mayoral races are uncontested. This portion of the event featured an open house where candidates shared their thoughts and plans for the coming term and answer questions from residents and business leaders. Candidates running for reelection are: Mayor, Nicolas AbouAssaly; At Large, Steve Jensen; Ward 1, Gage Miskimen; Ward 2, Grant Harper; Ward 3, Will Brandt.

Listen in on our conversation with Lee Ulrich, the owner and operator of Iowa Coffee Roasters located on the east side of Marion. Lee has been roasting coffee for almost 20 years now and has grown a following of customers who he loves to share his passion and his coffee with. Lee shares his entrepreneurial journey as well as his lessons of small business ownership.

Listen to the live recording of The Story of Farmers State Bank featuring  FSB’s President and CEO Gene Neighbor, current FSB Chairman Kent Neighbor, current FSB Vice Chairman Doug Neighbor, and current Executive Vice President Steve Neighbor as they recount the family history of the bank.

Listen in to a live recording of our quarterly Startup Spotlight featuring Ben Davis. Together with his wife Katy, Ben owns the Marion Chocolate Shop in Marion, IA. He purchased the business two years ago after a twenty-year career in the National Guard.

Ben shares his entrepreneurial journey and keys to his small business success.

In 1985, David Martin, started a small architecture firm in Uptown Marion known as Martin Design Consultants. Dave and his team provided design services for a significant number of retail, religious, residential, and commercial structures throughout the United States. In 2006, David’s son Kyle Martin joined the company as an Intern Architect and in 2010 the company acquired Gardner Architecture and officially changed its name to what it is today. Upon Dave’s retirement in August of 2017 the company welcomed Kyle as the new President and Principal Architect of Martin Gardner Architecture, a position he continues to hold today. Still located in Uptown Marion, Martin Gardner Architecture is a 12-employee architectural firm with a second office location in Oelwein. True to its humble beginnings, the company continues to handle a wide variety of architectural projects for individuals, businesses, local governments, and institutions in the Cedar Rapids, Marion, Iowa City, Waterloo, and Dubuque metro-regions and throughout Northeastern Iowa.

We welcome President Kyle Martin to the podcast as we listen to his recent presentation at Marion Economic Development called, The Story of Martin Gardner Architecture.

Startup Spotlight is part of Marion Economic Development's commitment to supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to scale and gain awareness in the Marion community and the ICR region.

Recently we welcomed Taylor Matteson, founder of Tay's Hemp to the Startup Spotlight stage at Cowork 1107. Founded in late-2021, Tay's Hemp is an e-commerce retailer and wholesale distributor of full-spectrum cold pressed hemp extract products. Rich in cannabinoid CBDA, their products focus on ingestibles (Tincture, Gummies) and topicals (Salve, Soap) that support a wide variety of benefits including pain & inflammation reduction, anxiety reduction, brain health, sleep, and skin health. 

The company recently located to a small manufacturing facility in Marion. Join us for a conversation about their startup journey and overcoming the stigma of hemp and its history, and what's in store for Tay's Hemp in 2023.

The City of Marion continues to be a statewide leader in new housing construction and overall community growth. But how do we best understand the current and long term housing needs of our community? How many new single family homes, multi-family units, income qualified properties, or senior living options are in demand over the next five years? How might this demand influence public policy needed to support a diverse mix of housing options?

Maxfield Research and Consulting, LLC performed a housing needs analysis for Marion, which was received and filed by City Council on October 6, 2022. The study analyzed demographic and economic data, and housing market conditions, and provides calculations of housing demand between 2022-2030. It also suggests housing product types and amounts necessary to satisfy current demand and the demand of projected growth.

Join Marion Economic Development as we host Tom Treharne, Community Development Director for the City of Marion, IA,

CLICK HERE to download Marion's full 2022 Housing Needs Assessment.
CLICK HERE to download the presentation Powerpoint slides.

In 1964, Wayne and Shirley Engle, started a small electrical contracting business in their Marion home. By the 1970s, ESCO had grown into one of the most successful electrical companies in the Midwest, working on both residential and commercial projects. Through multiple generations of family leadership, the ESCO Group has now grown to serve industrial markets across the United States including a client list of Fortune 500 companies. 

Marion Economic Development Corporation welcomes ESCO’s founder Wayne Engle alongside current CEO Ray Brown for "The Story of The ESCO Group."

Hey Marion! Get ready to meet Cowork 1107, the newest coworking space opening November 1 in Uptown Marion.

Check us out at www.cowork1107.org

Marion Economic Development Corporation recently launched a new series titled "The Story of."  It's a platform to share the success stories of entrepreneurs in our community with those who aspire to do the same.

This month we feature “The Story of Bob Sternowski.” Bob is the owner of Marion based Softronics, a company he grew from a hobby to a successful company working with global customers. We hosted him on May 19th 2022 with a live audience.  

Would you consider your organization healthy? Maybe not in the physical sense, but do your team members understand their unique gifts, know how to apply them as part of your team, and then work cohesively to achieve true organizational health?

Chad Greenlee with BerganKDV joins us to preview a cutting edge training series that launches April 14th powered by Marion Economic Development Corporation leveraging the curriculum of Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group.

Registration is now open at www.medcoiowa.org

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation and the Marion Chamber of Commerce. 

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation and Marion Chamber of Commerce.

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation & the Marion Chamber of Commerce.

It's Economic Development Week in the U.S. We're inviting the entire Marion Economic Development team to the microphone to provide a glimpse into the broad areas we influence as a community economic development organization.

We welcome Senator Liz Mathis to the podcast as she shares some of her leadership principles, the roots of her leadership style, and some fun stories around the importance of investing in the next generation of leaders.

Lee Eilers, President & CEO of Marion Process Solutions shares some of his timeless leadership principles. Grab a pen and get ready to take notes on some easily applicable ideas that will influence your own personal leadership.

Nick AbouAssaly, Mayor of the City of Marion, IA provides an inspiring perspective of true leadership through community crisis.

The team at Marion Economic Development Corporation in Marion, IA opens up about both the challenges and silver-linings of supporting a local business community while navigating the complexities of new routines from home.