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MountainWest Capital Network: Welcome to the Winners' Circle

MountainWest Capital Network: Welcome to the Winners' Circle

By: MountainWest Capital Network
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 Meet Cheri Waldron and Jason Roberts, your hosts for the MountainWest Capital Network Podcast—the gateway to Utah's Winner's Circle. For nearly two decades, Cheri has been the driving force behind MountainWest Capital Network as Executive Director, orchestrating Utah's most prestigious business celebration, the Utah 100. Jason brings 22 years of global business consulting expertise as Managing Director of Protiviti's Salt Lake City office, having grown the local team from 2-3 people to over 70 professionals.

Together, they've created something unprecedented: intimate access to the exclusive Winners’ Circle—that electrifying pre-event gathering where Utah's fastest-growing company CEOs and founders connect before taking the stage. Now, for the first time, they're bringing that same energy and insider access directly to you through candid one-on-one conversations with the business leaders shaping Utah's economy.MountainWest Capital Network Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Politics & Government Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • From Credit Cards to 500 Employees: How Carson Poppenger Built Squeeze Into a Lead Conversion Powerhouse

    From Credit Cards to 500 Employees: How Carson Poppenger Built Squeeze Into a Lead Conversion Powerhouse
    Aug 14 2025
    What happens when a self-described "bad student" from Michigan decides to bootstrap a business during the 2009 financial crisis with nothing but $15,000 and a whole lot of stubborn determination?Carson Poppenger, founder and CEO of Squeeze, turned that exact scenario into a national lead conversion company that now employs over 500 people across multiple states. His journey from Target supervisor to Utah 100 honoree (four years running) proves that sometimes being stubborn is exactly the right strategy.Carson's path wasn't traditional. He jumped straight into business classes, skipped the typical undergrad route, and discovered his passion for profit margins while sneaking into Target's back office to study product data. After cutting his teeth at Prosper alongside future industry leaders, he spotted a massive gap in lead conversion and follow-up that became the foundation of Squeeze.From bootstrapping with credit cards to bringing on an equal equity partner (against everyone's advice) to eventually buying him out, Carson's story reveals the real challenges of scaling a service business while maintaining client relationships that turn into evangelists.Today, Squeeze serves top-tier mortgage, healthcare, and home service brands, delivering results that often outperform internal teams by 4x. But Carson's also preparing for the future with AI innovations like Peel Voice, which analyzes sales calls for customer sentiment and agent performance, proving that even established businesses need to stay ahead of the technology curve.What You'll Learn:[06:25] The Target back office breakthrough: How Carson's obsession with sneaking into Target's office to study profit margins on different product categories revealed his true passion for business profitability and set the foundation for his entrepreneurial journey[07:15] The 20% revenue solution that sparked Squeeze: Carson reveals how he built a lead conversion solution at Prosper that became 20% of company revenue and why spotting this gap in the market became his "aha moment" for starting his own business[10:00] The contrarian 2009 launch strategy: Why Carson chose to bootstrap during the financial crisis instead of seeking investors, including the advice that changed everything: "Don't waste your time entertaining PE people; just go out and sell"[14:23] The survival mindset: Carson's raw honesty about the terrifying lows of entrepreneurship, the friends who suggested he try something different, and how stubborn persistence became his secret weapon through the darkest moments[18:40] The 50/50 partnership everyone said not to do: The controversial equal equity split that "everyone advised against," how it led to 8x growth over 4 years, and Carson's eventual buyout strategy that proved the doubters wrong[29:02] AI disruption strategy from the trenches: Carson's insider perspective on why most AI voice startups won't succeed with enterprise clients, plus how Squeeze is building Peel Voice to analyze sales calls and prepare for the technology shift[33:14] Why Utah made the difference: The specific ways Utah's business-friendly environment, from regulatory simplicity to collaborative culture, enabled growth that Carson believes wouldn't have been possible in other statesWhether you're bootstrapping your first business, scaling a service company, or wondering how to prepare for AI disruption while staying human-centered, Carson shares practical insights from 15 years of building relationships, solving problems, and proving doubters wrong.Connect with Carson and Squeeze:Website: gosqueeze.comAI Technology: peelvoice.comLinkedIn: Carson Poppenger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonpoppenger/) Utah 100 Honoree: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 (#43)Inc 5000 award: 4x, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Want to Connect?Cheri@MWCN.orgzachary.reed@pwc.orgMeet the dedicated members of our podcast committee who curate content, organize interviews, and ensure the success of The MountainWest Capital Network Podcast “Welcome to the Winners’ Circle.” Cheri Waldron, MWCN Executive Director Jason Roberts, MWCN Podcast Chair and Managing Director, Protiviti Kevin Jessop, MWCN President and Chief Marketing Officer, IMA Garit Lawson, MWCN Podcast Vice-Chair, Managing Director, Forbes PartnersZachary Reed, MWCN Podcast Producer, Senior Associate, PwC LLPKatie Brown, MWCN Business Opperations SpecialistThe LaunchPod Media Team.
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    39 mins
  • Building an 8-Figure Business from College: Ben Perkins' Blueprint for Turning Ideas into one of Utah's Fastest Growing Companies

    Building an 8-Figure Business from College: Ben Perkins' Blueprint for Turning Ideas into one of Utah's Fastest Growing Companies
    Jul 31 2025
    What happens when a 14-year-old's frustration with uncomfortable dress shirts in Hong Kong's sweltering heat becomes Utah's 8th fastest-growing company? Ben Perkins, founder and CEO of &Collar, proves that sometimes the best business ideas come from solving your own problems,even if it takes a decade to act on them.From sweating through church services in Asia to revolutionizing performance dress wear with recycled materials, Ben's journey shows how persistence, strategic thinking, and a willingness to learn from mistakes can transform a simple idea into a multi-million dollar business that's redefining an entire industry.

    Ben's journey reveals how international resilience, family influence, and micro-segmentation strategy create entrepreneurial advantages that most founders never discover. Moving countries as a high school senior, playing college soccer, serving an LDS mission in the Philippines, and turning a class project at UVU into a business that hit $10 million in annual revenue, Ben demonstrates how diverse experiences create entrepreneurial advantages.

    What You'll Learn:
    • How Ben's international childhood taught him teamwork and adaptability that became crucial business skills
    • The porta-potty moment after a soccer victory that shaped his "better to be a role player on a winning team" business philosophy
    • The "Under Armour dress shirt" idea that stayed with him for 10 years before becoming reality
    • Why he chose revenue milestones ($50K, $300K, $1M, $10M) as his key success metrics
    • The spreadsheet conversation with his dad that determined whether to pursue entrepreneurship full-time
    • How moving senior year to a new country prepared him for business uncertainty and change
    • The micro-segmentation strategy targeting missionaries, Orthodox Jews, teachers, and pilots
    • Why objective P&L assignments for each employee transformed their company culture
    • The founder-market fit advantage of starting a white dress shirt company in Utah
    • How international exposure influenced their customer service philosophy
    • Why he distinguishes between having an "idea" vs. a "dream" and starting businesses you don't love
    • The branding mistakes he'd fix (choosing a name people can actually pronounce and type)
    • How recycled plastic bottles become performance dress shirts
    • The employment-as-giving-back philosophy inspired by Mitt Romney
    Key Takeaways:
    • Market research matters: Ben calculated that more white dress shirts are sold per capita in Utah than anywhere else in the US
    • Don't wait for perfection: The company has trimmed from 24 to 17 employees while learning leadership lessons
    • Micro-segments can build empires: Targeting specific communities (20K male missionaries annually) creates predictable revenue
    • International experiences create resilience: Moving countries and cultures builds adaptability crucial for entrepreneurship
    • Family business dynamics: How Ben's dad's management consulting background influenced strategic decision-making
    Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur with an idea you've been sitting on, a young professional wondering about the leap to business ownership, or a leader looking to understand micro-segmentation and international market advantages, Ben's story offers practical insights wrapped in an inspiring journey from teenage frustration to business success.Connect with &Collar:
    • Website: andcollar.com
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andcollar/
    Special Thanks: We thank Ryan Dent, former president and current chairman of MountainWest Capital Network, and managing partner of PwC Salt Lake City, for joining as guest host and sharing his perspective on Ben's growth journey from an emerging elite company to a top 10 Utah 100 recognition.

    Want to Connect?

    Cheri@MWCN.org
    zachary.reed@pwc.org

    Meet the dedicated members of our podcast committee who curate content, organize interviews, and ensure the success of The MountainWest Capital Network Podcast “Welcome to the Winners’ Circle.”


    Cheri Waldron, MWCN Executive Director
    Jason Roberts, MWCN Podcast Chair and Managing Director, Protiviti
    Kevin Jessop, MWCN President and Chief Marketing Officer, IMA
    Garit Lawson, MWCN Podcast Vice-Chair, Managing Director, Forbes Partners
    Zachary Reed, MWCN Podcast Producer, Senior Associate, PwC LLP
    Katie Brown, MWCN Business Opperations Specialist
    The LaunchPod Media Team.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • The Lifestyle Revolution: How Rich Eggett & Ariel Faloon Built Rockwell Into More Than a Brand

    The Lifestyle Revolution: How Rich Eggett & Ariel Faloon Built Rockwell Into More Than a Brand
    Jul 17 2025
    What if your business wasn't just a company but a lifestyle that turns work into play and customers into family?

    Rich Eggett, founder of Rockwell, and his daughter Ariel Faloon have built something remarkable: a company where relationships matter more than anything else and work feels like play. Their "compound" headquarters doubles as an adventure basecamp, reflecting Rich's philosophy that came from a European backpacking trip where he discovered Utah's Bryce Canyon actually beats the Swiss Alps. Ariel's journey from starting at $7.25 an hour to becoming their manufacturing mastermind shows how this father-daughter team uses authentic passion and faith-driven values to turn a business into a movement.

    Rich and Ariel have revolutionized Italian handcrafted sunglasses and developed breakthrough floatable eyewear. They live by the philosophy that you should avoid having too many fires, not too many irons in the fire. Their legendary compound includes a gym, football field, and volleyball court. Their destination distribution strategy only partners with places they'd actually want to vacation. Rich and Ariel prove that relationships come first, and everything else follows.

    What You'll Learn:
    • Rich's "fire theory" that changed his approach to business growth and focus
    • How Ariel went from unpaid intern to manufacturing leader negotiating with Italian craftsmen
    • Why their "compound" workplace creates employee loyalty through lifestyle integration
    • The floatable sunglasses breakthrough that could disrupt a billion-dollar market
    • How faith-based values guide business decisions while staying competitive
    • The "Hero Mission" giving program that lets customers choose their impact
    • Why they only distribute to vacation destinations and how this strategy works
    • How treating business contacts like family builds relationships that survive tough times
    Whether you're building a family business, scaling a lifestyle brand, or looking to integrate your values with growth, Rich and Ariel share practical insights on relationship-building, innovation, and creating work that actually feels enjoyable.Connect with Rockwell:
    • Website: rockwelltime.com
    • Social: @RockwellWatches and @RockwellSunglasses (Instagram)
    • Hero Mission: Use code "HERO MISSION" for their give-back program

    Want to Connect?

    Cheri@MWCN.org
    zachary.reed@pwc.org

    Meet the dedicated members of our podcast committee who curate content, organize interviews, and ensure the success of The MountainWest Capital Network Podcast “Welcome to the Winners’ Circle.”


    Cheri Waldron, MWCN Executive Director
    Jason Roberts, MWCN Podcast Chair and Managing Director, Protiviti
    Kevin Jessop, MWCN President and Chief Marketing Officer, IMA
    Garit Lawson, MWCN Podcast Vice-Chair, Managing Director, Forbes Partners
    Zachary Reed, MWCN Podcast Producer, Senior Associate, PwC LLP
    Katie Brown, MWCN Business Opperations Specialist
    The LaunchPod Media Team.
    Show More Show Less
    56 mins
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