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Empowered Owners

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by Empowered Owners

5.0(4 reviews)
66 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Overview

Creating connections is essential to building a community. It’s even more important when the people you’re trying to connect with aren’t in the same location. Businesses and companies have always found geographic distance to be a challenge to building a really great community-oriented culture. At Empowered Ventures, the same challenge holds true, which is why we decided to start Empowered Owners, the podcast that takes you inside Empowered Ventures. In each episode, CEO Chris Fredericks will have a discussion with one of our employees to discover and highlight their distinct personalities, perspectives, and skills while also keeping you in the loop with exclusive news, updates on company performance, and a glimpse into the future plans of Empowered Ventures. Not only is this an opportunity for Chris to learn more about our amazing employee-owners, but it’s also an opportunity for you to hear regularly from Chris and others from within Empowered Ventures.

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Publishing Since

4/28/2023

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for Partnership Not Pricing with Firstar's Luke Orszag

May 19, 2026

Partnership Not Pricing with Firstar's Luke Orszag

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-orszag-75840915/">Luke Orszag</a>, President of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstar-precision-corp/">Firstar Precision</a>, returns to Empowered Owners to recap a year he describes as "a tale of two halves." The first six months saw demand almost disappear entirely, then September hit, and everything changed. Firstar spent the rest of the year digging out of the backlog, with workers voluntarily taking on extra hours, training new employees, and showing attitude and effort that stood out more than any previous year. He digs into two major initiatives that defined the year: pursuing defense certification to break into a regulated industry with massive opportunity, and launching a strategic marketing effort focused on building credibility and awareness rather than generic advertising. Luke explains why the certification documentation was far more difficult than expected, but it opened the door to what should become one of Firstar's largest customers. On the marketing side, he shares how Firstar crafted content around knowledge-sharing and expertise, then delivered it directly on LinkedIn to targeted companies and position titles in industries where Firstar wanted to grow. Luke breaks down Firstar's competitive positioning: they don't want to compete on price—they want to be partners who help customers solve difficult problems by tackling hard-to-source parts with challenging materials, geometry, or tolerances. Looking ahead, Luke is focused on finishing CMMC L2 defense certification, seeing where the marketing efforts lead, and building out employee development systems to address a shortage of skilled machinists.</p><p> </p><p>Edited by <a href="https://www.karpfilm.com/">Mateusz Złakowski</a></p>

Episode thumbnail for Legacy, Leadership, and Letting Go with Brad Benoure

May 5, 2026

Legacy, Leadership, and Letting Go with Brad Benoure

<p>Brad Benoure returns to Empowered Owners, just over a week after officially stepping away from the President role of a 60 year old family business. It's the culmination of a two-year process that began when Empowered Ventures bought <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/benoure-plumbing-heating/">Benoure Plumbing, Heating &amp; Air Conditioning</a> in 2024. Brad reflects on what mattered most in choosing a buyer and why EV's promise not to "swoop in and start changing the company around" made all the difference. He shares how the leadership team slowly took the reins starting in October 2025, and why he knew they were ready: collaboration, complementary strengths, and the same commitment to customers and employees. Brad offers candid advice for business owners considering a sale: get the right help, understand it's a lot of work when you're already at capacity, and take time to assemble the right leadership team because it doesn't come quick. He wraps up with reflections on what's next and a reminder to himself and others: find hobbies before you need them, because when your life is your business, you don't have much time for anything else—and he's got a lot of life left to live. </p><p> </p><p>Edited by <a href="https://www.karpfilm.com/">Mateusz Złakowski</a></p>

Episode thumbnail for From Dartboards to Data with EV's Kim Dinwiddie

April 21, 2026

From Dartboards to Data with EV's Kim Dinwiddie

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-dinwiddie-shrm-scp-cpc-4aab0554/">Kim Dinwiddie</a>, VP of HR, returns to Empowered Owners to unpack EV's healthcare transformation—moving from fully insured to self-funded. Kim defines Healthcare for Us, with priorities focused on being better stewards and empowering employee owners to become better healthcare consumers, and explains the mechanics of going self-funded. She answers why EV decided to unbundle everything and, more importantly, highlights the benefits for all EVers: adding Teladoc's $0 out-of-pocket virtual visits, better customer service, and access to data to help EV refine its healthcare approach. No more throwing darts at a dartboard. This is a multi-year effort with ongoing work, not just at renewal time, and Kim stresses that employee owners are in the driver's seat together. The goal? Stabilize premium increases, offer great coverage, and keep exploring partnerships in order to make healthcare work better for EVers.</p><p> </p><p>Edited by <a href="https://www.karpfilm.com/">Mateusz Złakowski</a></p>

66 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Empowered Owners?

Creating connections is essential to building a community. It’s even more important when the people you’re trying to connect with aren’t in the same location. Businesses and companies have always found geographic distance to be a challenge to building a really great community-oriented culture. At Empowered Ventures, the same challenge holds true, which is why we decided to start Empowered Owners, the podcast that takes you inside Empowered Ventures.

In each episode, CEO Chris Fredericks will have a discussion with one of our employees to discover and highlight their distinct personalities, perspectives, and skills while also keeping you in the loop with exclusive news, updates on company performance, and a glimpse into the future plans of Empowered Ventures. Not only is this an opportunity for Chris to learn more about our amazing employee-owners, but it’s also an opportunity for you to hear regularly from Chris and others from within Empowered Ventures.

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates weekly.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

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