Market Meets Podcast

Most creative when faced with a challenge, Kathey Pear enjoys problem solving and is committed to bringing individuals together to create sustainable environments, healthy communities, and healthy lives. The ultimate networker, Pear is always on the lookout for new and interesting interconnections and opportunities to address the opportunities presented by a continually evolving world. Pear has 30 years of commercial real estate project and contract furniture industry experience.

Kathey founded Pear Commercial Interiors, still one of Colorado’s largest office furniture dealerships, opening showrooms in Boulder in 1984 and Denver in 1988. Following the sale of Pear Commercial in 1998, she became intrigued by the vast lack of support resources for later adopters of technology who simply wanted to enjoy the benefits of computers and the Internet. Teaming up with Aardvark Networking Services, TechButler’s mission was to explore new ways to flatten the learning curve and reduce the complexity and frustration that present challenges for less technical users. TechButler was formed in 1999 to develop live, remote support applications that could be used over the Internet to support PC users at home, at work, or in the field. As CEO of the company, Pear was instrumental in providing her vision for live, remote, real-time technology support. In 2004 Kathey opened Citron WorkSpaces, a contract furnishings resource for corporate, healthcare, education, and shared workplace environments (co-working) and sister company, FacilityCycle, to address the growing problem of how to handle old office furniture. FacilityCycle focused on sustainable reuse, refurbishment, donation, and recycling of excess furniture and cubicles. In 2012 and 2013 The Boulder Daily Camera named Citron #2 among Boulder’s Top Women Owned Businesses and Citron was selected as a Colorado Companies to Watch honoree in 2013. Citron was acquired by Source Office and Technology in 2014.

Her current venture, Pear Project Services (PPS), adds furniture “re-homing” to the mix. By helping companies who are moving or upgrading to decommission their no-longer-needed furniture, PPS saves many tons of old furniture from ending up in landfills. As the self-titled “Queen of Crap”, Kathey and her associates take excess furniture from large companies, resell some and donate some to non-profit organizations and smaller companies that need furniture.

Pear earned a B.F.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut, an M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Washington State University and part of an M.B.A. at the University of Colorado. She was the Boulder BPW Business Woman of the Year in 1992 and an Entrepreneur of Distinction at “Esprit Entrepreneur” in 1993.

Special Guest: Kathy Pear.

Everyone knows the word co-working, and what typically comes to mind are large market share companies like WeWork or Regus or maybe even Industrious. Today we are interviewing Jesse Day, the Boulder Native that launched Niche Workspaces in Boulder. Talk about that local, ya’ll!
He is a Boulder born entrepreneur with a background in tech and e-commerce. In 2015 he made the big decision to transition into real estate and launched the local community based Niche Workspaces at 944 Pearl Street.

Special Guest: Jesse Day.

Women everywhere are still trying to figure out “how to have it all.” I’m no different. Here was my dilemma: How could I feed my desire to own my own business, maintain a work/life balance, be a present and available mother and wife and continue to work on my passion as a hairdresser?

I’ve always been a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it. It’s almost to a fault because I don’t stop to think before I jump. Graduating from beauty school, I knew I wanted to work at a salon on Pearl Street. That is where I envisioned myself and a few short years later, that is where I ended up. I was blessed to work for three of the most amazing mentors around. They were all stylists, they were all women and they were all just who I wanted to be in the industry. The salon culture was based around leadership and life-happiness. Instead of having product reps come into the salon to teach us how to sell more product, they had leadership coaches come in to teach us how to be happier. This created a better work environment – and what I noticed – higher sales and a more team-based environment (which you don’t always see in salons). I quickly saw what was happening and I jumped all over it. I invested my own time and money to work individually with the leadership coach. At the time, I thought I was simply preparing myself to be a manager one day. Little did I know, this self-development would put me on the path that led me to do other great things in my life.

Being a stylist in commission-based salons led me to want to do something different. I had maxed out at my dream salon, and I had added being an educator for an international production company to my plate. Yet I still found myself getting bored. I needed the next step. It was time to open my own salon. The first rule in business is to be able to give people what they want. You have to fix a problem for them. I wanted to fix the problem for hairdressers. Hairdressers are constantly leaving salons and starting over. Why? They get bored, there is no more potential to grow, they decide hairdressing is not a career or they lose their passion for hairdressing because they burn out. I wanted to do something different. So, I asked myself, what could be done that hasn’t been done before and give experienced hairdressers a chance to feel enlightened again? Instead of an answer, I got a question: “What do I like best about hairdressing?” The answer is: “People”: The connection I feel with others. The power of touching their hair and becoming a part of each other’s lives. The ability to mentor other stylists and help them see things in themselves that they are afraid to see. But let’s not forget the one thing that also keeps people going: the money. This led to other questions: How can I use my skills as a hairdresser to connect with my clients on a deeper level? How can I use my leadership to mentor other like-minded stylists? How can I make hairdressing a career, instead of a job, for so many who have a passion for it? So, I created a mobile hair salon to bring something different to the beauty industry and as a way to train and mentor other stylists and honor their creativity.

Special Guest: Jamie Nelson.

Martyn is the owner of Eco Snow Removal, located in Boulder, Colorado. His unique life story adds an enriching dynamic to the world of business and life in general. Once given only a short time to live, Martyn prevailed to become a world traveler, outdoorsman and extreme sportsman. His passion for life, people and relationships is at the core of everything he does.

As a consultant, Martyn has directed programs for companies such as Merck, Tommy Hilfiger and Glaxo Smith Kline. In addition, he served as the principal contact to the investment management company, Vanguard, coaching their leaders and facilitating staff trainings on a regular basis.

As a leader, Martyn has held key positions spanning multiple fields including retail corporations, residential summer camps, educational institutions and not-for-profits. Groups of all sizes, from a small Board of Directors to a staff of over 200 young adults, have had the benefit of his dynamic, effective leadership style.

Now a successful business owner and entrepreneur, he applies his rich background and knowledge in his own business practices. His vibrant personality and charisma appeal to the masses and his story has captivated many audiences.

Special Guest: Martyn Church.

Have you heard of Biggerpockets? How about being a boss babe? Today we are talking with Whitney Elkins-Hutten of Boulder, CO, a real estate investor and personal finance trainer whose vision is to help thousands of families on their path towards financial independence. We met her at the Boulder Badass Real Estate Meet Up and you may have listened to her on BiggerPockets as well. Today we are talking to Whitney about her own story about buying rental properties, owning and managing syndicates and being a boss babe!

Special Guest: Whitney Elkins-Hutten.