Founding Stories is a collection of interviews with business founders that share the sometimes quirky and funny beginnings of businesses through seven questions. These interviews are intended to uncover the early stories that are key to understanding who the founders and their companies are today. I hope that readers will find inspiration and a lot of laughs from these recollections.

Chris McKee

CEO

Holly Mason of MasonBaronet on maintaining the brand through an ownership change and why she wears heels, even for a Zoom call

Jolene Risch shares about having to settle for her second choice of business name and remembering her company’s values

Wade Yeaman of Fluid IT Services tells us about his happy dance and how to land a Fortune 500 company as your first customer

Kathy Steele of Red Caffeine on Culture Club and thriving after a “business divorce”

The Glass Doctor Larry Patterson shares stories about a great mentor from his youth and confesses to kiting checks

Scott Baradell of Idea Grove talks about ripping the band-aid off and why he’s sleeping better at night these days

Kevin Winters of CompanyMileage talks about financing his first company with 13 credit cards and having to paint their first CompanyMileage office themselves

Darin Klemchuk of Klemchuk LLP on fighting fires (literally) and his “Jerry Maguire” moment

Ken Baker tells the story of having to come up with a company name in 15 minutes and using outplacement funds from his last employer to start his company

Chris McKee of Venturity on trading Cowboys tickets for office furniture and what he says when he leaves the office every Friday

Ches Williams of Frontera talks obnoxious ice breakers and hiring an Elvis impersonator to do sales