Mile High Success Podcast

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder sits down with Melissa Aarskaug, founder of Executive Connect, to talk about leadership, career change, and the power of human connection.

Melissa has spent more than 20 years working in engineering, finance, gaming, cybersecurity, and business leadership. Her path has been full of twists and turns. She has built a successful career, faced hard times, and even experienced homelessness. Through it all, she learned that every challenge can teach us something new.

Melissa shares why changing careers does not mean starting over. Every job...

Leadership That Lasts: Juana Bordas on Building Community, Inspiring Others & Leaving a Legacy

What makes someone a great leader? Is it their job title, their success, or the lives they change along the way?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder sits down with Juana Bordas, also known as Tia Juana, to talk about what it means to lead with heart, help others grow, and build strong communities.

Juana has spent decades helping people become better leaders. Her story began when she came to America from Nicaragua as...

What does it take to become a licensed engineer without going to college? Kevin Rohr did just that, and his story shows what hard work, good habits, and great mentors can help you achieve.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder sits down with Kevin Rohr, a U.S. Army veteran and electrical design professional at Encore Electric.

Kevin grew up on a small farm in Southern Colorado before serving six years in the Army. After leaving the military, he started as a first-year electrical apprentice. Over the next 26 years...

What if you could grow your business, save money, and help people build better lives at the same time?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder sits down with Crystal Ware, founder of DOXA Talent, to talk about a smarter way to hire great people from around the world.

Crystal started DOXA Talent because she saw a problem with the way many companies hire workers overseas. Too often, the focus was only on finding the lowest cost. Crystal wanted to do things differently.

Her company uses a model...

Protecting Small Businesses: Cybersecurity, AI & Entrepreneurship with Steve Felsen

Could one cyberattack put your small business at risk? And how can AI help you save time and grow?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder talks with Steve Felsen, founder of Acceleration Solutions. Steve has spent more than 20 years working in technology. Now, he helps small and medium-sized businesses stay safe online, save money, and find tools that make work easier.

Steve shares how losing his job after a company buyout led him to start a new business...

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build comes to an unexpected end? For Dr. Sheri Poznanovic, it became the start of a whole new journey.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, host Nick Elder sits down with Dr. Sheri Poznanovic, founder and CEO of Optin Health and Nutrition in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

After nearly 15 years as a successful pediatric ear, nose, and throat surgeon, Sheri developed a hand tremor that forced her to leave the operating room. It was a hard change, but it also gave her the...

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Pamela Mass, founder of Law Mother, to talk about building a successful business, growing a social media following, and finding the courage to take big risks.

Pamela has spent 16 years helping families protect their wealth and plan for the future. She is also an author and business owner who has built an Instagram following of more than 1.5 million people.

But her path to success was not easy.

Pamela shares how she went from being a trial lawyer to starting...

What makes a great leader? For Joe Byrne, it starts with trust, empathy, and putting your team first.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Joe Byrne, an aviation leader with more than two decades of experience. Joe’s career started when he joined the United States Navy at 17 and became a structural mechanic. He later continued his aviation career and moved into the world of in-flight internet connectivity and customer support.

Joe shares how taking on jobs outside his comfort zone helped shape his career. One of th...

What happens when the people who once cared for you suddenly need you to care for them?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Colorado author Thomas Denning to talk about his new book, Goodnight Mom and Dad: How Terminal Illness Transformed an Ordinary Family.

Thomas grew up as one of 12 children. He helped his family care for his mother as she faced brain cancer and, years later, helped care for his father through his own terminal illness.

Thomas shares why terminal illness is rarely just...

What if AI is making us more productive while actually slowing down true innovation?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with inventor and technology entrepreneur Trevor Chandler for a fascinating conversation about artificial intelligence, invention, patents, and where technology may be headed next.

Trevor has more than 30 patents across areas including artificial intelligence, robotics, medical technology, language translation, and other emerging technologies. His path to becoming an inventor was anything but traditional. Before building technology companies, Trevor spent years traveling as a musician. He later worked at Microsoft...

What happens when you spend 30 years building a successful career and realize you are ready for something new?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder talks with Bryan Jepson, a former board-certified emergency medicine physician who made a major career change into financial planning.

After three decades in emergency medicine, Bryan knew he was ready for a new chapter. But simply retiring did not feel right. His career was a big part of his identity, and he still wanted to learn, grow, and make an impact.

So Bryan went...

What does it take to keep building businesses for 20 years? For Jeremy Ostermiller, it comes down to finding work you love, hiring the right people, thinking bigger, and never being afraid to pivot.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with entrepreneur Jeremy Ostermiller to talk about the lessons he has learned over roughly 40,000 hours as an entrepreneur.

Jeremy started his first business at 15 and later built Altitude Digital from just $500 into a digital media company that generated more than $250 million in revenue before a successful merger. Today, he...

What does it really take to build a company, take risks, and keep moving when self-doubt shows up?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Dana Hawthorne, founder of Modernize and a longtime technology entrepreneur. Dana has built three technology services companies, successfully exited two of them, and grown Modernize to around 80 people.

Dana shares how his career started in recruiting and how asking questions helped him learn the technology business from the inside. He talks about the mentors who shaped his career, why relationships have played such...

What does it take to keep moving forward when life seems stacked against you?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with veterinarian, entrepreneur, author, and speaker Patrick Kalenzi.

Patrick’s journey began in Uganda, where he faced poverty and serious challenges from an early age. He survived polio, experienced violence and hardship, and worked to pay his own school fees. Through determination and education, Patrick earned his veterinary degree and eventually made his way to the United States.

Starting over was not easy. Patrick cleaned houses an...

What does it take to lead great people in a world where technology keeps changing?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with IT leader and educator Jadd Miller to talk about leadership, technology, artificial intelligence, and the power of moving with intention.

Jadd has spent more than two decades working in IT. His career has taken him from infrastructure engineering and project management to leading software development teams. Along the way, he learned that great leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about helping other...

What happens when people are afraid to admit mistakes at work? Problems get hidden, teams stop learning, and businesses can miss chances to grow.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder talks with Marianne Boone, founder of Front Range Leadership Development. Marianne spent nearly four decades leading large global teams and helping struggling teams improve their performance. Today, she uses those lessons to help leaders build stronger teams and better businesses.

Marianne explains why psychological safety is so important. When people feel safe enough to speak up, share ideas, and talk...

What happens when you take over the family business and suddenly have to prove you can lead it your own way?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with James Phifer, president and owner of ACCU, to talk about leadership, family business, community management, failure, and building a strong company culture.

James grew up around the community management business. His father started the company in 1970, and James began by doing hands-on jobs like picking up grounds, deadheading flowers, and moving trash cans. He eventually became a community manager, worked...

Water is something we all need, but most people do not think about it as an investment opportunity. Steve Kloos does.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Steve Kloos, Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, to explore the growing world of water technology and venture capital.

Steve has spent much of his career working with technology, early-stage companies, and climate-focused investments. Today, he helps find and support companies that are building new ways to solve water problems.

Steve explains why water is such a large and...

What happens when you stop limiting your career to one industry, one country, or one way of doing things?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Tyson McDaniel, an architecture, engineering, and construction professional with more than 20 years of experience.

Tyson has worked on major projects connected to organizations such as NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. He has also helped create standardized processes that have saved organizations millions of dollars.

But Tyson’s story is about much more than buildings and projects.

Tyson sh...

What does it take to build a successful real estate career when you start during one of the toughest housing markets in history?

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Jesse Laner, co-founder of C3 Real Estate Solutions, to talk about Jesse’s path from growing up in a small community in Alaska to building a successful real estate business and investment portfolio in Northern Colorado.

Jesse entered real estate during the 2008–2009 housing crisis. Instead of seeing a bad market as a reason to stay away, he saw an o...

What if the most important skill in a technical career has very little to do with technology?

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Craig Hollabaugh, a longtime engineer, consultant, programmer, and startup veteran whose career has taken him across industries including medical technology, transportation, petroleum, national security, and solar.

Craig shares one of the biggest lessons he learned as a consultant: doing great technical work is not enough. He says his work is about 5% technical and 95% human relations.

Craig learned this lesson the hard way...

Success in business often means making tough decisions when the outcome is not guaranteed. For trial attorney Adam Massaro, learning how to manage risk, prepare for different outcomes, and stay willing to fail has been a major part of building his career.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Adam Massaro, a litigation partner at Reed Smith who helped launch the firm’s Denver office.

Adam shares how his career grew alongside Denver and how he went from building a broad corporate litigation practice to helping establish the De...

Change is happening faster than ever. AI is changing how we work, how companies grow, and what skills people need to succeed. So how do you keep up without losing sight of who you are?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with award-winning speaker, author, and workforce futurist Josh Davies to talk about thriving in a world of constant change.

Josh shares his journey from hospitality leadership to entrepreneurship and the creation of the Center for Work Ethic Development. His work has helped people build the basic skills...

What does it take to build a successful career when the work is hard, the stakes are high, and every case brings a new challenge?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Henry Baskerville, a partner at Fox Rothschild. Henry represents clients in complex commercial litigation, white-collar criminal investigations, and construction disputes.

Henry shares the story of his career, from starting out in Chicago to building his practice in Denver. He explains why communication, hard work, and being willing to adapt have played such a big role in...

What if an old factory or abandoned industrial site could become part of the future of AI?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Gabe Andrews, a data center veteran with 25 years of experience. Gabe has helped deploy data centers on six of the seven continents and in 49 of the 50 U.S. states.

Gabe shares how his career started after nine years in the military. What began as a search for his next job turned into a career that has taken him around the world.

Today...

What happens when you achieve success, do everything you thought you were supposed to do, and still feel exhausted or empty?

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Dr. Laura Schwindt, a former practicing dentist and practice owner who experienced severe burnout after years of growth, responsibility, and constantly doing more.

Laura shares how burnout changed the direction of her life and helped her discover that sustainable performance is about more than having the right strategies and systems. It also requires learning how to manage your energy, reconnect...

What happens when you spend seven years building a business without making money—and almost everyone around you thinks it may be time to quit?

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with entrepreneur Zach Garfias to talk about the long and difficult road behind building and eventually selling his real estate software company.

Zach’s path was anything but simple. He started in real estate at a young age, moved into distressed property investing, built a demolition company, and eventually decided to take on the real estate software indu...

What does success look like after more than 50 years of writing software? For Jim McMaster, it comes down to staying curious, solving problems, and never stopping the learning process.

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Jim McMaster, a veteran software engineer whose career spans an incredible period of change in technology. Jim shares stories from the early days of programming, his transition from IBM 370 assembler to Java, and his experience as the fourth person on the team that eventually produced Google Drive.

Jim also gives listeners a...

What if you could use your W-2 career to slowly build the freedom to leave it behind?

In this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Mark Greer to talk about the plan Mark and his wife followed for nearly 20 years.

Mark spent much of his career at Zebra, eventually serving as Director of Manufacturing Innovation. As his career grew, so did his interest in real estate.

Instead of using bonuses for new cars or expensive vacations, Mark began putting that money toward rental properties.

His...

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast with Nick Elder, Nick sits down with Craig Feldmeier of Money Ripples to talk about building wealth, creating cash flow, and working toward your own “work optional” number.

Craig started his career on Wall Street, where he worked in private wealth management and helped high-net-worth clients preserve and manage their wealth. Today, he works as an investment coach, helping people build personal financial roadmaps based on their goals, income, assets, expenses, and lifestyle.

Craig explains why there is no one-size-fits-all plan for financial freedom. Some investors want...

What does it really take to build a business from scratch, grow it through unexpected challenges, and eventually walk away with the freedom to choose what comes next?

On this episode of the Mile High Success Podcast, Nick Elder sits down with Denver entrepreneur Darren Crotchett to talk about his journey from starting a concrete lifting company in 2012 to eventually selling the business.

Darren's story started with curiosity. After discovering polyurethane concrete lifting, he traveled across the country to learn more about the process. He returned to Colorado, built his own equipment, and began practicing...