What if powering an intelligent building was as simple as running speaker wire?

In the 93rd episode of Simply Business, host John Jennings sits down with Matt Laherty of Cinch IoT, a company building a two-wire, low-voltage intelligent building platform that powers and connects lighting, sensors, air quality monitoring, people counting, and more — all over a simple, safe cable.

Matt shares his unconventional path from a history degree and tech recruiting, to Cisco, where he worked on service provider routing and became one of the early leaders behind Power over Ethernet and Cisco’s digital ceiling initiatives. That journey ultimately led him to ask a big question: If all these networks end up in buildings, why are we still using complicated, high-voltage infrastructure to power them?

Together, John and Matt dig into:

How Cinch IoT uses a low-voltage, two-wire platform to dramatically simplify smart building design and installation.

Why simplicity, safety, and lower total cost beat “cool but complicated” when it comes to real-world adoption.

The realities of building and scaling hardware: designing boards, managing supply chains, and preparing for big orders.

Go-to-market lessons for selling disruptive tech into a traditional electrical and construction ecosystem.

New applications like continuous thermal monitoring in data centers, and why overheating and power cycling are such big risks.

In the 92nd episode of Simply Business, host John Jennings sits down with Sheri Darby, President of Walker Mechanical, to unpack what it really takes to step into the top seat, turn around a struggling business, and lead in a male-dominated industry.

Sheri shares how she moved from CFO to President inside an employee-owned (ESOP) mechanical contracting firm and why she walked into the boardroom during a rough patch and said, “I think I can fix this.” From there, she takes us through the reality of rebuilding: stabilizing the company, reshaping bidding practices, and resetting a culture that sometimes cared more about “beating the competition” than making money.

You’ll hear:

How ESOPs work as an exit strategy and as a way to create long-term ownership for employees

Why Sheri believes great leaders don’t have to live in the technical details but must trust the experts on their team

The tough mindset shift from “we’ll win the job at any cost” to “we only win the jobs that build a healthy business”

What it’s like to be one of the only women in the room in construction and mechanical contracting and how Sheri earned a seat on her industry’s board

How transparency, financial clarity, and honest conversations helped Walker Mechanical get “right-sided” and profitable again

What’s next for Walker: acquisitions, geographic expansion, and building a pipeline of young talent

If you’re a business owner, leader, or aspiring executive especially in construction, trades, or any project-based business this conversation is a practical masterclass in leadership, courage, and simplicity.

What happens when you stop treating patients as isolated individuals and start caring for entire families in their homes, especially those on Medicaid?

In the 91st episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Mike Meador, Chief Financial Officer of Nest Health, a home-based primary care company serving lower-income families in Louisiana and Arizona. Mike shares how Nest Health is building a whole-family, preventive-care model designed to reduce ER visits, improve outcomes, and create real value for Medicaid plans and the people they serve.

Mike unpacks the realities behind the buzzwords of “value-based care” and explains why Medicaid is both incredibly complex and full of opportunity. He walks through how Nest Health chooses where to launch next balancing payer partnerships, geography, population density, and operational constraints while resisting the temptation to “serve everybody” and instead staying laser-focused on the families they can help most.

You’ll also hear how Nest Health runs as an early-stage, venture-backed company with a leadership team spread across the country, and how Mike’s own journey from teaching math, to Medicare Advantage analytics, to in-home care ultimately led him to Nest Health’s simple but powerful idea: care for whole families, not just individuals.

If you’re interested in healthcare, leadership, or what it really takes to build a mission-driven business in a broken system, this conversation is for you.

👉 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to follow Simply Business for more real-world conversations with leaders building meaningful companies.

This week on the Simply Business podcast, host John Jennings is joined by Mark Lewis, Founder and CEO of Advanced Business Solutions (ABS) the largest IT services provider in the Louisville region.

Mark shares the remarkable 30-year journey of ABS, from humble beginnings to a team of 120 employees and over $20 million in revenue. Hear how his leadership style evolved from doing it all himself to empowering a team to lead with purpose.

We explore the power of timing in business, how to build lasting client relationships, and what it takes to grow and sustain a successful service-based company.

🎧 Tune in for valuable lessons on scaling, staying relevant, and leading with vision.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the episode!

In this Simply Business conversation, host John Jennings sits down with Jamie (James) Fender, Partner at Grimes Pools in Bloomington, Indiana. Jamie shares how a third-generation family business has sustained momentum for 50+ years moving from a franchise “kit pool” start to a full-service, white-glove operation.

You’ll hear how Jamie earned trust by listening first, learning the craft (even hand-drawing designs at ¼-inch scale), and then translating that craft into standards the whole team can live by. We get practical about leading on jobsites in the era of Ring cameras, holding people to a higher bar, and doing the hard succession work—mapping roles and expectations before emotions take over.

What you’ll learn

• The mindset shift from “helping out” to owning standards
• Why process matters (and how to build it without losing craft)
• Tactics for jobsite professionalism when customers are always watching
• How to approach family-business transitions with clarity and care

If you’re growing a trades or service company or navigating a family transition this episode will give you simple, actionable ideas you can use this week.

Business owners call lawyers most often after a problem explodes contracts go sideways, terminations go wrong, partners fall out. In this episode, Kevin Eddins, Co-founder and Partner at Eddins Dominion Law Group in Louisville/St. Matthews, explains why the smartest move is proactive counsel on the front end when it’s cheaper, calmer, and far more controllable.

Kevin shares how he grew from associate to entrepreneur, the identity shift from “lawyer doing the work” to “owner building the firm,” and the culture he insists on: humility over hierarchy, collaboration over ego, and getting the right people on the bus. He walks through hiring beyond the conference room, building a network that actually sends business, and the uncomfortable but necessary choice to pull the ripcord and bet on yourself.

You’ll learn: practical moments when to engage counsel, how to think about team fit, what real networking looks like, and a simple mantra for anyone debating a big move: overcome inertia and go.

If you’re a founder, operator, or professional considering your next leap, this conversation will give you both the mindset and the moves to do it wisely.

In the 87th episode of Simply Business, I sit down with Jeremy Esposito, Partner and Owner of Esposito Construction, a third-generation home building and remodeling company serving Louisville and Oldham County.

Jeremy shares what it means to lead a family business with deep community roots balancing tradition with growth, weathering the challenges of construction, and finding ways to give back beyond the job site. From leadership lessons to nonprofit involvement, his story is about building more than structures: it’s about building a legacy.

Whether you’re running a family business, working in construction, or simply interested in what it takes to create something that lasts, you’ll take away valuable insights from this conversation.

In the 86th episode of Simply Business, I talk with Charles Renne about his unique journey through business, leadership, and mentorship. Charles brings both professional and personal wisdom, sharing stories of resilience, accountability, and the value of surrounding yourself with people who will push you forward.

We explore how leadership is less about titles and more about the impact you make, why mentorship can change the trajectory of a career, and how staying grounded keeps success sustainable.

This conversation is equal parts practical and inspiring a reminder that business is built not only on results, but also on relationships and values.