Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast

Toni Shelaske purchased Healthy Pet Products in 2008, and she has grown it to four locations. Her company stands out for its customer service and for specializing in raw pet food for dogs and cats. In our conversation, she explains the benefits of being a raw feeder and how she expanded that part of her business. By the way, this is a great episode for learning more about the reasons why someone would buy an existing business inste...

The theme for this season is “in studio” as I’m back in the studio recording with all of my guests. Check out the incredible lineup that I have for you in Season 12:

Toni Shelaske, owner of Healthy Pet Products

Jeff Krakoff, owner of Krakoff Communications

Steve Dawson, owner of Fat Butcher

Jen Worley, owner of Jen Barker Worley Photography

Sidney and Terri Sokoloff, owner and founder of Specialty Group

Patrick Schober, owner of Poetica ...

Getting to tour Destin LeCornu’s recording studio was an incredible opportunity. In this episode, he invites us behind the scenes to see everything that goes into making a state-of-the-art facility. The place has vintage vibes, and the multi-room setup gives you the sense that you walked onto a movie set.

Destin is an audio engineer, producer, teacher, and accomplished musician. He plays several different instruments, and he is a vo...

During our conversation, Claire told the story of how she transitioned from theatre management to working for herself full time. She described how Chez Lapin evolved from a home-based Etsy shop to an established business with a full-fledged production facility.

Claire’s focus on eco-friendly and cruelty-free products is clearly an important part of her mission. Over the years, she has donated her time and a percentage of profits to ...

Chi Ilochi is a one-of-a-kind fashion stylist whose work stands out in the local scene. Although Pittsburgh isn’t generally thought of as a fashion hub, Chi has managed to build a successful brand and business right here at home.

Her refreshing approach has been one of inclusiveness and accessibility. Core to her mission is reaching groups of people who traditionally have been written off by the mainstream fashion industry. Chi has ...

In this episode, I took a tour of Iron City Boulders in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Dean Privett, a co-owner of the indoor bouldering gym, showed me around while we talked about his impressive facility and the growing climbing industry. His journey to entrepreneurship was 10 years in the making, and he shared his amazing story with me during our time together. You can tell from listening to Dean just how much he loves climbing ...

Dr. Nikhil Asher realized his dream of creating an integrated health and wellness center when he opened Aspirational Health in 2022. The brand new facility, which was the site of a former fast food restaurant, features a spacious on-site yoga and fitness studio. In addition to traditional medical services, patients also have access to a complete wellness program, including nutrition management, fitness instruction, and physical the...

In this episode, I take a look at a beautiful local venue from a unique vantage point. My guest, Jill Garcia, owner of The Hutton Group, gives me a tour of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in downtown Pittsburgh. This is just one example of the many event spaces that she utilizes in and around the city for her business meeting and event planning company. Jill also travels throughout the United States and abroad, as she creates and executes...

In this exciting “behind-the-scenes” episode, Danielle Bombash, co-owner of Bombash and Earley, gives us a tour of her store and production space. She and her husband, Tim, run the business out of a charming storefront that resembles a cottage-style home in McMurray, PA. Their impressive and extensive lineup of botanical skin care products is made entirely by hand in small batches from this location.

After viewing their retail displ...

Season 11 consists of episodes that are all recorded “on location” at unique venues. I decided to get out of the studio and into the city in order to bring you behind the scenes of some amazing local businesses. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the nitty-gritty of how a business operates, then this is the season for you. Each episode includes a tour of the location, and we get access to parts of the business that most peopl...

If you have any questions or if you’d like to chat, you can reach me at my contact info below. The purpose of this podcast is to share ideas, inspire action, and build a stronger small business community here in Pittsburgh. So please say hello, tell me what you think, and let me know how I’m doing. It means a ton!

YOU CAN REACH ME AT:

Website: https://www.proprietorsofpittsburgh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proprietorsofpi...

If you have any questions or if you’d like to chat, you can reach me at my contact info below. The purpose of this podcast is to share ideas, inspire action, and build a stronger small business community here in Pittsburgh. So please say hello, tell me what you think, and let me know how I’m doing. It means a ton!

YOU CAN REACH ME AT:

Website: https://www.proprietorsofpittsburgh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proprietorsofpi...

I’m pleased to welcome three incredible guests back to the show – Lauren Marts, owner of Baked True North, Duztin Watson, owner of The RiP Group, and RJ Huebert, owner of HBT Digital Consulting. In this in-depth episode, we cover a wide variety of topics, including the critical role that small businesses play in the community and how to attract and retain talented people on your team. Plus, each of our guests gives us an update on ...

In this all-star lineup of Pittsburgh entrepreneurs, Dr. Natalie Gentile, TJ Fairchild, and George Cook are all back on the show. We cover a wide variety of topics including the importance of investing in our local communities, when to build team, how to navigate a hybrid work environment, dealing with growth challenges, and much more. It was such a pleasure to sit down and chat with these dynamic small business owners. I was blown...

Welly was born from the lasting impression that Ben Kander’s late mother had on him and from his passion for addressing the water insecurity that is prevalent in much of the developing world. In fact, the name Welly stems from the combination of the word “wells,” which is central to the company’s mission of funding clean water projects, and the word “Elly,” which was the name his mom was affectionately known by. Ben decided that he...

If you have any questions or if you’d like to chat, you can reach me at my contact info below. The purpose of this podcast is to share ideas, inspire action, and build a stronger small business community here in Pittsburgh. So please say hello, tell me what you think, and let me know how I’m doing. It means a ton!

YOU CAN REACH ME AT:

Website: https://www.proprietorsofpittsburgh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proprietorsofpi...

Hello Pittsburgh. It’s your host, Darin Vilano, and I’m super excited to bring you the next season of the podcast. Season 10 is truly special. I will be bringing you some very unique episodes including a “live audience” recording, two group panels with prior guests, fascinating discussions with leading Pittsburgh entrepreneurs, and a conversation with my mom, Donna Vilano.

Thanks for listening and for your support. If you’re enjoyin...

Samantha Story-Camp’s purchase of a homemade soap recipe book was supposed to be a creative way for her to provide gifts to fellow theatre actors after the final night of performances. One evening, she found herself at a local small business association workshop on how to start a business. Her and a friend were interested in creating a singing telegram company with a unique spin. Their idea never got off the ground, but what she le...

Brandon Gilbert decided to put his business and mechanical engineering background to work in his own company when he started the Pittsburgh Mobile Tire Shop. After numerous subpar experiences at traditional repair stores, he decided that there had to be a better way to provide this important service. Low startup costs and lack of competition in the region enticed Brandon to launch a mobile operation where he could bring the tire sh...