Blogger Local Kansas City Issue 1

Kansas City’s Go-To Magazine for Social Media & Web Savvy Businesses & Consumers!
Kansas City Edition
Author. Entrepreneur. Blogger
Check out Gary Lezak’s forecasting tech
venture & his popular new children’s book
ALSO IN
THIS ISSUE
Kansas City’s
Top 50 Bloggers
& Social Media
Influencers
CELEBRATING KANSAS CITY’S SMALL, LOCAL & FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES
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Kansas City Edition
Kansas City’s Top 50
Bloggers & Social Media Influencers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A Message from the
Team at Blogger Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cover Story:
Renaissance Weather Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
K-Guard Owner on the
Challenges of Small Business Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Marketing Agency Behind Some of
KC’s Fastest Growing Small Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Kansas City’s
Outdoor Memory Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Helping Kansas City Make
Better Insurance Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
A Local Law Firm That
Stands Out from the Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Enhancing Your Landscape with
European Garden Charm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Making Customer Friendships
While Doing What You Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
No part of this magazine or its content may be reprinted or reproduced in any way without the
permission of BloggerLocal.com. "Sponsored Content" is content that resembles editorial content but
is paid for by an advertiser and intended to promote the advertiser's company, products or services.
In this magazine, Sponsored Content is labeled at both the top and the bottom of such content.
5

A Message from the
Team at Blogger Local
HOWDY KANSAS CITY!
Welcome to the very first issue of Blogger Local!
While you may recognize our name from your Google
searches for local services in Kansas City (seriously, we
crush it on Google), print is a new medium for us.
WHY A PRINT MAGAZINE?
Kansas City has tons of great magazines that support
family, business, fashion and lifestyle, but BloggerLocal is
unique in how we feature small, local and family-owned
businesses with a print magazine supported by a podcast,
a web TV show and a high-traffic website.
When given a choice, Kansas Citians want to buy from
local companies - from people and companies they know,
like and trust – it’s the Kansas City way. We’re going to shine
the light on many of the local businesses that power our
local economy and make our city great!
WHAT IS OUR MISSION?
Well, it’s two-fold:
1. Support Kansas City’s small, local and family-owned
businesses;
2. Cover Kansas City’s social media scene…because
magazines are cool and all, but let’s face it, the Internet
is where all the action is.
HOW WILL WE DO IT?
It’s all about storytelling. You’re going to hear from
business owners, their personal struggles and successes,
what motivates them, how they give back to our
community, and what food, places and services they really
love in this town.
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE
OR WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?
Do you know any great local businesses that you think we
should cover? Do you know of a local business that could
use a break? Send them our way! Sure, we sell advertising
like everyone else, but we also have plenty of free ways to
collaborate with local businesses. We’re also looking for
guest writers and guest post contributors (agencies take
note!). Let us know!
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Check out the website for more information and content,
and be sure to listen to the podcast interviews.
KansasCity.BloggerLocal.com
7

8

Gary Lezak is KC's most
trusted meteorologist, but
did you know he is also an
accomplished children's
book author and technology
startup entrepreneur?
9

Cover Story • Renaissance Weatherman
As chief-meteorologist at
KSHB-TV, Gary Lezak has long
been a household name in
Kansas City. More recently, however,
Lezak’s passion for weather and his
entrepreneurial vision have motivated
him to pursue new projects
- projects driven by a desire to make
a larger contribution to the field of
meteorology – and not just in Kansas
City, but around the world.
Specifically, Lezak founded
Weather2020, LLC ten years ago.
The goal of Weather2020 is to share
Lezak’s breakthrough in weather forecasting:
a way to provide advanced
warning of weather events using an
innovative weather forecast method
that has achieved incredible forecasting
accuracy rates over the past
few years for forecasts 200 days into
the future!
Lezak is also a published author,
having released It’s a Sunny Life: An
Adventure Fit for Rain or Shine! in 2016.
Blogger Local had the opportunity to
catch up with Lezak and learn more
about his journey as an entrepreneur
and how blogging became a foundational
part of Weather2020 and his
career with KSHB-TV. He also shared
news that his 30 years of research
was recently published in a peer-reviewed
scientific journal.
The Path to Meteorology
Lezak was always on the path to
meteorology. His love of the weather
began as early as five years old and
continued throughout his childhood.
“I learned about the upper level
winds of the atmosphere while I
was growing up and kept a weather
calendar,” he tells Blogger Local. “The
Star Wars Calendar of 1978, I believe it
was the first calendar I began writing
my weather entries.”
After graduating from the University
of Oklahoma in 1985, Lezak began
his television career. Even though
studying and working on meteorology
were things he was interested
in from a very young age, being
on TV came as a surprise to him. It
was never something he thought he
would do, but after a break here and
I learned about the upper level
winds of the atmosphere
while I was growing up and kept
a weather calendar. The Star
Wars Calendar of 1978.
a break there, suddenly he became a
popular weatherman.
“In 1992, I moved on to Kansas
City and I’ve been the Chief Meteorologist
at KSHB-TV since 1999,” he adds.
Passion Drives Discovery
While Lezak’s TV career was thriving, his
love for studying weather was playing
out in other ways. For as long as he can
remember, tracking the weather has
been his passion, and it eventually led
him to make the discovery that would
become the basis of Weather2020.
“Thirty years ago, the 1987-1988
winter, I noticed something incredible
happening in the upper levels of the
atmosphere,” he tells Blogger Local.
“There was actually ‘organization’ to
the chaos in the atmosphere. So I
started learning about it, studying it,
and 30 years later...we have now developed
a new weather forecasting
method and system.”
That system is the LRC, coined by
weather bloggers of the early 2000s
after his name (Lezak’s Recurring
Cycle). Weather2020 uses cycling
weather patterns to make amazingly
accurate weather forecasts from the
next day to many months into the future.
Their predictions have become
so accurate, in fact, that it’s become
Weather2020’s mission to share this
methodology with the world to help
save lives and mitigate losses from
weather sensitive companies.
Although Weather2020 was founded
nearly a decade ago, Lezak and his
company are ready for growth - and
their recent accurate predictions of
major weather events are making people
and major corporations take notice.
“We just made a weather forecast
of major hurricane, Harvey,” he
says. “The major disaster Harvey was
predicted 55 days before it even had
a cloud, and then we predicted it
would become a major hurricane in
front of a large insurance company
three weeks before it happened.
We had already made high profile
forecasts in the past...So, we’ve been
making these accurate forecasts
for years with our knowledge of the
cycling weather pattern.”
As grateful as Lezak is for his
successful, three-decade television
10

career, he passionately believes he
has something bigger to share with
the world and that passion has driven
his hard work on Weather2020.
“That’s what my entrepreneurial
effort is all about,” he says. “Getting
this technology in the hands of meteorologists
around the world so they
can improve their weather forecasting
for not just the next few days, but
up to 300 days in the future.”
A Sunny Life
In addition to his work at KSHB-TV
and his entrepreneurial endeavors
with Weather2020, Lezak released
a children’s book in the summer of
2016 called It’s A Sunny Life: An Adventure
Fit for Rain or Shine!, which
combines his passion for weather
and his love for dogs.
“I love my dogs and Sunny is now
3 years old. All of the dogs in my life
make appearances in this beautiful
children’s story. I’ve had weather
dogs Windy, Storm, and Breezy before
Sunny, and the book’s about Windy,
Stormy, and Breezy adopting this
dog in...and Sunny becoming part of
the family. Of course, there is a big
weather element to the book.”
Lezak is also a published author,
having released It’s a Sunny
Life: An Adventure Fit for
Rain or Shine! in 2016.
A Love of Kansas City
When Lezak isn’t caught up in his
many professional aspirations, he
loves to be involved in our city. He is
a big supporter of Kansas City sports
teams. His favorite restaurant is Thai
Orchid, where he regularly orders
their Peanut Butter Chicken.
Lezak also makes his health a priority,
working out regularly with his personal
trainer David Schlossman, owner
of Results Personal Fitness. “He helps
me stay in top condition,” says Lezak.
Lessons in Entrepreneurship
and Blogging
As Lezak works diligently to get his
forecasting methods and systems
out into the world, he has had the
chance to learn a lot about being
an entrepreneur. This biggest lesson,
perhaps, has been the importance
of surrounding yourself with the right
team that can help you take your
idea and transform it into a successful
business.
When it comes to marketing,
Lezak has been pleasantly surprised
by blogging, it’s early start on the
digital landscape, and how it has
continued to be a major way to get
your message out into the world -
even with the rise of social media.
“We started the Action Weather
Blog at KSHB back in 2002 or 2003,
before the social media explosion,”
he says. “Yet blogging has survived to
this day. Blogging thrives if you have
something that you are passionate
about, to blog about, and you connect
with your audience every single day.”
Between the KSHB-TV Action
Weather Blog and the Weather2020
blog, Lezak and his team blog 365 days
a year, sometimes more than once a
day. “My childhood weather calendars
were likely the seeds for blogging,” says
Lezak. He personally does much of the
blogging with help from KSHB-TV Meteorologist
Jeff Penner when he takes
time off. From his blogging success, he
offers advice for beginners and local
businesses hoping to make their mark
in the blogging world — be passionate
about your subject matter, keep connecting
with your audience, and make
sure what you are sharing with your
audience is unique.
“It’s fascinating to see how
blogging has continued to grow...I
think it’s because you get your niche
audience. You get your audience that
loves your topic, that wants to hear
what you have to say...If you have
something that you have to share,
whether it’s some kind of culinary
effort of yours or some kind of other
interest or business, you can start a
blog and be successful at it.”
You can share in Gary’s blogging
experience by reading the Action
Weather Blog at KSHB.com and share
in the comments section on Weather2020.com’s
daily blog posts. The
new weather pattern has just set
up and Gary will share the accurate
forecasts and discussion as we move
through 2019.
11

SPONSORED CONTENT
K-Guard Owner on
the Challenges of Small
Business Ownership
One of Kansas City’s Highest Rated Gutter Cover
Companies Shares Its Story
Co-owners of K-Guard Heartland,
Travis Burch and Carter
Clond, serve a territory that
spans from St. Louis to Manhattan, KS,
and everything in between - with their
primary market being Kansas City.
Travis and Carter were bitten by the
entrepreneurial bug after working with
a competitor in the same industry.
K-Guard solves problems for
homeowners by eliminating the dangers
of climbing a ladder for gutter
maintenance, and solving drainage
issues caused by gutters that don’t
evacuate water properly. K-Guard’s
leaf-free gutters are complete systems,
as opposed to a hoods, filters or
screens offered by many competitors.
Blogger Local talked to Carter and
discussed his path to entrepreneurship,
what he has learned from owning
a business, and what advice he’d like
to offer to other small business owners.
The Perks of
Small Business
For Clond, one of the biggest perks of
running a small business is one that
many entrepreneurs can relate to —
owning your own business isn’t boring!
He isn’t a fan of the day-to-day
monotony of a 9-to-5 job. Running
his own business gives him the
chance to learn new things, keep
busy, and avoid growing bored with
what he does.
“Some days you’re doing stuff
on the sales side, and some days
it’s on the installation side, and
some days it’s in the office,” he says.
“Other days involve working with
insurance or advertising. There are
12 | Sponsored Content

just so many different avenues that
challenge you.”
Running a small business is all
about problem solving. Clond enjoys
connecting with customers and educating
them about the problems that
K-Guard products solve.
Using the Internet
to Drive Consumer
Education
There is no doubt that the Internet
has changed the way consumers
buy products and services. In
Clond’s mind, one of the most notable
changes is how consumers are
able to self-learn about products
online, how they solve the specific
problems they’re facing, and which
brand or service provider can best
meet their needs.
“We’ve found that a lot of people
will call and say, ‘Hey. I’ve already
read your reviews online. I’ve decided
that you’re the company that I want
to go with,’” he says.
“I think it really separates the top
businesses from weaker players because
the top guys are going to stand
out. They’re going to have all sorts of
reviews. You can read them. People
are going to say great things. I think
that people are now more educated
about who they want to work with.”
Making the Leap
For many, taking the leap into small
business ownership feels intimidating
and risky. Clond hopes that more
would-be entrepreneurs will not get
caught up in the fear, but prepare
We’ve found that a
lot of people will call
and say, “Hey. I’ve
already read your
reviews online. I’ve
decided that you’re
the company that I
want to go with,”
off. The business is more profitable
and they’ve been able to delegate responsibility
to focus their time “on” the
business rather than “in” the business.
“I think people watch a show like
Shark Tank and be like, ‘Oh my gosh.
They did $10 million in sales and this
guy’s rich. That must be so easy.’ It’s
not. That person put a lot of time, a
lot of effort. He spent a lot of time
educating himself on how to grow
his business. But the payoff is there,
as long as you’re willing to put in the
hard work.”
Travis’ & Carter’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
Slaps BBQ
Joe’s KC BBQ
National WWI Museum
Truman Library
Boulevard Brewery
themselves for the inevitable challenges
by focusing on hard work and
looking ahead to the future payoff.
“You’ve got to be prepared to put
in a ton of work, especially in the very
beginning,” he says. “I remember we
walked away from our previous jobs
and my income got cut by 75% of
what I was making before, and working
twice the hours.”
At the time, Clond and Burch
knew they were making an investment
in the future. Three years later, they
are now seeing the hard work pay
Learn more about K-Guard Heartland at
www.kguardheartland.com or call (913) 735-1407
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Carter on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
www.kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content |
13

Meet One of Kansas City’s Leadin
SPONSORED CONTENT
The Marketing Agency
Behind Some of KC’s Fastest
Growing Small Businesses
How a Computer Science Flunky Built a Thriving Digital Agency
and Became a Nationally Recognized Google Marketing Expert.
Phil Singleton is a web designer,
a search engine marketing
expert and an award-winning
author. Since 2005, he has owned
and operated a digital marketing
agency based in Overland Park.
Phil co-wrote a book on Google
search engine optimization called
SEO for Growth: The Ultimate Guide
for Marketers, Web Designers &
Entrepreneurs. The book has been
on the Amazon bestsellers list for
three years in a row and has been
featured on MSNBC, Entrepreneur
and Inc. Magazine. SEO for Growth
was also named by Forbes as the #1
SEO book on its list of “Essential SEO
Books for Every Startup to Read”.
Phil lives in Overland Park with
his wife Vivian and twin sons Ostyn
& Ely, both students at Timber Creek
Elementary. He enjoys fishing, road
tripping, and hanging out in the man
cave with his sons.
In the following Q&A format, Phil
provides insight on his background, his
entrepreneurial journey, and how his
agency helps small businesses grow.
Are you from Kansas City?
Phil Singleton: I spent a good chunk of
my childhood in Kansas City. I went to
grade school through 5 th grade at Cure
of Ars, and from 6 th grade through high
school, I lived in Clearwater, Florida.
After living and working abroad for ten
years in Asia, my Taiwanese wife and
I moved back to Kansas City in 2005,
where my family has its roots. My wife
Vivian really loves Kansas City.
You run a web design agency, is
that what you studied in college?
Funny story. I have an undergraduate
degree in Finance and an MBA in international
business. I almost flunked out
of computer science in college, which
is ironic because I make a good living
on computers today. I was a true industry
outsider and learned this business
from the outside in, but I think my
background in business and finance is
unique in the web design industry and
has been a big advantage.
How did you get into web design?
Long story short, I learned about search
engine optimization (“SEO”) in the early
2000’s. I was fascinated with how much
power Google had, and has even more
so today, over the consumer purchase
process. At one point in 2005, I convinced
a local business owner to let me
build my first website on barter. His new
website popped up on Google quickly,
generating many new customers and
sales. It was the most professionally
rewarding experience I ever had. At
14
| Sponsored Content

ing Web Design & Online Marketing Companies
that moment, I knew I had a great
business opportunity. Flash forward a
decade and a half later, we now have a
thriving digital agency that has helped
thousands of businesses in Kansas
City and around the country - through
digital marketing services, software
and education - generate substantially
more leads and business online.
What makes you different from
other web designers?
We have a big problem in the web
design industry in that agencies focus
primarily on design and functionality,
but often fall short on marketing strategy
and SEO. So, our industry creates
great looking sites that meet the clients’
technical and creative specs, but
they don’t always have clear messaging
or the other ingredients needed
to show up highly on Google and perform
well on social media. My agency
is different in that we create websites
that are engineered to generate leads
and sales from the ground up, rather
than addressing marketing goals
after a new website is launched. This
is important because websites are the
key to modern marketing. I think our
strategic and consultative approach
to web design is what sets us apart.
Why do you love what you do?
Even though our customer base has
grown nationally, my favorite thing is
working with local businesses right
here in Kansas City. We have many
Phil’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
Spin! Pizza
Maggiano’s
Red Door Grill
Arthur Bryants BBQ
McClains Bakery
KCTrends
SEO is a long game
for sure, but for
businesses that
have patience and
commit to it long
term, the payback
can be huge.
long-term local clients and it’s been
amazing to watch them grow into larger
businesses and bigger metro area
employers. I love working-by-side with
local business owners and entrepreneurs,
becoming a part of their team,
and playing an active role in their
growth. There is nothing more satisfying
than earning the trust and respect
of a fellow small business owner.
Any advice for local Kansas
City business owners?
Yes! if you don’t have a strong web
presence, make it a priority now. If not,
you risk companies like mine helping
your competitors use the web to
erode your market share. And please
don’t treat your website like a digital
brochure. Start using it as the central
hub for all of your company’s marketing.
Work on your online reputation,
participate on social media, commit
to a weekly blogging routine, and tie
all this back to your website so your
business can popup on the first page
of Google. Finally, consider investing in
SEO. It can help you get a lot more out
of your marketing dollars. SEO is a long
game for sure, but for businesses that
have patience and commit to it long
term, the payback can be huge.
What do you love about Kansas City?
So many great things! Nice people,
lower cost of living, vibrant downtown…with
pro baseball, soccer and
football, we have all the benefits of a
big city and still manage to keep our
small-town charm and friendliness.
Learn more about Phil Singleton and Kansas City
Web Design at www.KCWebDesigner.com
or call (913) 735-9105
Listen to Phil’s Podcast
Phil hosts a popular business podcast called
Local Business Leaders where he interviews some
of Kansas City’s most successful entrepreneurs as
well as marketing experts from around the world.
www.kcwebdesigner.com/
local-business-leaders-podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content |
15

SPONSORED CONTENT
Kansas City’s Outdoor
Memory Maker
Growing From a Lawn Mowing Service into
KC’s Top Hardscaping & Pool Company
Hinkle Hardscapes builds
pools, outdoor living spaces,
and patios for homeowners
in Kansas City and the surrounding
areas. They’ve experienced amazing
growth over the last decade
and owner Zach Hinkle spent a few
minutes sharing their story with
us. We talked about how they’ve
navigated a complete change of
strategy, how they’ve adjusted their
marketing, and how they’re serving
families in the metro area.
On Scaling and
Changing Directions
Hinkle first began his journey as an
entrepreneur during the housing
crisis. The company he was working
for was struggling and he knew he
needed to make a change. He decided
to start a lawn mowing and landscaping
business, calling it KC Lawn
and Landscaping. As a new
business, they operated
out of the garage at
Hinkle’s home.
A lot has
changed since then.
They no longer offer
mowing or landscaping
services and they’ve
rebranded to reflect this
change. They’re now Hinkle
Hardscapes, a name that better
reflects the services they provide.
They create complete outdoor
living environments including kitchens,
fireplaces & fire pits, custom
patios and swimming pools.
“I’m passionate about building
these things,” says Hinkle. “We’re
building outdoor living areas for
people and families to enjoy. So,
it’s really a pleasure to be able to
do this for a living and design and
work with families and
listen to what their
priorities are for
their backyard…
and just being able
to put that dream
on paper and then
bring it to life when
we build it.”
On Giving Back in
Kansas City
Hinkle and his team have created
a non-profit called Hinkle Cares as
a way to give back to Kansas City.
Recently, they held a raffle for a full
backyard makeover, with a value of
$60,000 to benefit a special family
in Kansas City. The proceeds of the
fundraiser are being used to help
fund their adoption.
“This local family had tried
in-vitro and they had tried a cou-

ple different options to try to have
kids, and they weren’t successful in
doing that, so we raffled off an outdoor
living area and the proceeds
from the raffle went to help them
with the expenses of adopting.”
On Making the Switch
to Digital Marketing
When Hinkle first started his small
business, marketing was much different.
His business began in 2007
and they were mostly using print
advertising with a little bit online
marketing here and there. They
used print advertising services like
Zach Hinkle’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
HinkleCares.com
(local charity)
Q39 BBQ
Sporting Kansas City
Ixtapa Mexican
When it comes
to starting a
local Kanas City
business, Hinkle
advises wouldbe
entrepreneurs
to focus on
perfecting their
product or service.
Valpak, Home Mag, and RSVP. As the
world of marketing has changed,
so has their approach to reaching
their ideal customers.
“Now, we’re almost all digital,”
he says. “We do a lot of social
media, Facebook, Instagram, You-
Tube...we also do Google AdWords
and work consistently on our SEO
as well.”
As they focus on building their
reputation in Kansas City (with
over 100 five-star Google reviews),
they also make consistency across
social media a major priority,
using tools for Facebook to make
sure they are targeting the right
demographic with their content.
They’ve also created educational
resources, like eBooks and buyer
guides, to establish authority in this
space and position the company
as Kansas City’s go-to resource for
outdoor living projects.
When it comes to starting a
local Kanas City business, Hinkle
advises would-be entrepreneurs to
focus on perfecting their product
or service. He also emphasizes the
value of learning how to market in
your particular industry. Above all
else, he says to prepare for your
business to take off — be committed
to deliver on promises to your
customers, and keep working hard
day in and day out.
Learn More about Zach Hinkle and Hinkle
Hardscapes at www.hinklehardscapes.com
or call (816) 741-2035.
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Zach Hinkle on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content |
17

SPONSORED CONTENT
Helping Kansas
City Make Better
Insurance Decisions
Learn How Insurance Pros Prepares
Individuals and Small Business Owners
to Make the Best Insurance Decisions
for Their Needs
Chris Goodwin is the owner of
Insurance Pros, an insurance
broker specializing in helping
individuals and small businesses find
the right insurance options to meet
their needs.
Insurance Pros was founded in
1999. A lot has changed for Goodwin, the
insurance industry, and small business
owners over the last two decades. We
had the opportunity to chat with Goodwin
about his business, how the Internet
has affected how he does business, and
what he loves about Kansas City.
All About Insurance Pros
Goodwin and his team at Insurance
Pros work with three very specific
markets to provide education and
guidance during their search for the
right insurance plan.
First, they work with small businesses
that want to provide their
employees with insurance benefits.
These businesses have between 2
and 25 employees.
“It’s an underserved market that
typically doesn’t get the same level of
attention, so we take a lot of pride in
helping these companies understand
the differences between all of the
products in the group health insurance
market, the dental, and the vision, and
the short-term disability markets for
smaller businesses,” says Goodwin.
Secondly, Insurance Pros works
with individuals that don’t have access
to group health insurance coverage.
“We regularly help our clients
secure plans on HealthCare.gov,
because that’s such a complicated
market,” he explains. “We have
limited our exposure in this area by
really just helping our existing clients,
but we still do have a presence
in this market.”
The last market Goodwin and
his company work with are individuals
who qualify for Medicare or who
are approaching that season of
their life.
“I teach classes all over our area,
which is mainly Johnson county...
teaching people how Medicare works.”
The Internet and the
Insurance Industry
For Goodwin’s team, and really anyone
working in the insurance industry,
the Internet has really changed the
way they do business. While at times
it’s a double-edged sword - over-
Goodwin has
spent a lot of time
promoting his
company in the
area by providing
education to
businesses and
individuals alike.

Health Insurance
Benefits
For Businesses
Supplemental
Medicare Insurance
For Individuals
whelming individuals with information
or lead services - it is also an
incredible source of education.
“When it comes to Medicare,
we can give people rates and other
market intelligence immediately.
Medicare has an incredible site to
help people find the right prescription
drug plans and the right Medicare
Advantage plans for them,” he says.
“When it comes to groups, small
businesses, we’re just able to get
them information quicker through
quote systems that compare the
various companies’ plans on an apples-to-apples
basis.”
Chris Goodwin’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
Burnt End BBQ
Prosperity Advisors
Harvesters
Meierotto Jewelers
Lakebrink Dental
Marketing Through
Education and
Relationships
As a small business that has been
operating in Kansas City for nearly
20 years, Goodwin has spent a lot of
time promoting his company in the
area by providing education to businesses
and individuals alike.
“We have regular classes, kind
of in a restaurant environment,” he
explains. “We’ll invite small businesses
to come and learn about employee
benefits, and what’s new in the employee
benefits market.”
Goodwin and his team also offer
Medicare classes to individuals at
YMCAs and other community venues
throughout the Kansas City area. These
classes not only help provide answers
to the questions people have about
insurance options, but also help Insurance
Pros spread the word about the
services they provide. The company
also relies on Facebook and existing
relationships they have built with
business coaches to connect with new
prospective clients in the area.
What Entrepreneurs
Need to Know
About Insurance
If Goodwin could offer one piece of advice
to entrepreneurs, he would want
them to know that they have options for
insuring themselves and their employees,
and that securing coverage isn’t as
overwhelming as they might think.
“Entrepreneurs should know that
there are quite a few more options in
the group health insurance market than
in the individual market,” he says. “You
can offer a plan in many cases, without
any contribution for employees.”
This means that, as a small business
owner, you can still provide access
to group plans with only a small
amount of administration fees to cover.
“That message isn’t getting to
a lot of smaller businesses because
going through an underwriting
process is a little bit time consuming
and takes more work for the broker
or agent, or whomever you’re using,”
Goodwin explains.
Learn More About Chris Goodwin and the free
classes provided by Insurance Pros at
www.insuranceprosinc.com or call (913) 944-4465.
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Chris on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
www.kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content | 19

SPONSORED CONTENT
A Local Law Firm
That Stands Out
from the Crowd
How Bautista LeRoy Started & Grew an Award-Winning
Personal Injury Law Firm in Kansas City
Bautista LeRoy, established in
2011, is a boutique law firm in
Kansas City that handles personal
injury cases such as vehicle
accidents, as well as specific types
of cases involving train accident
injuries or deaths, and nursing home
negligence cases. The firm also
works with cases that involve the
injury or death of someone who was
incarcerated at the time of the incident
or who was interacting with a
law enforcement officer at the time
of the incident.
José M. Bautista and Andrew LeRoy
began their journey as entrepreneurs
in 2011 when they made the decision
to step away from working with larger
firms and start their own, smaller firm.
“It started with one little room
with a couple of Apple computers
and iPhones,” says Bautista.
“We were able to grow the firm to
what it is today, which is four lawyers,
supporting staff members and
a growing practice where we are
litigating cases in various states, often
highly complex civil litigation. We were
able to buy our own office building
here in Midtown KC, which has been
nice milestone for our firm and a great
way to invest back into Kansas City.”
Old Fashioned
Networking Still Works!
As a plaintiff’s law firm, Bautista LeRoy
relies on consistent networking to
connect them with new cases.
“We truly believe that old-fashioned
networking is really the way
to initially get some good cases,”
says LeRoy. “We enjoy working with
other attorneys on a lot of co-counseling
type of work, with attorneys
throughout Missouri as well as
Illinois, and Arkansas.”
Using network marketing as
heavily as they do doesn’t negate
their need for strong digital marketing.
In fact, the time and money they
have invested into building a website
with high quality, informative
content supports their networking
efforts. It’s the second touch in their
marketing strategy.
“They meet Jose and I, we have
conversation about some cases,
and then we want to make sure that
we have a fair amount of information
of what we talked about on our
20
| Sponsored Content

website, that the other attorneys,
and other potential clients can
access,” says LeRoy. “Then we also
want to make sure that we have a
very easy way for them to reach
us, whether that be via email or via
chat, or a phone call.”
Getting A Digital
Marketing Boost
Like many entrepreneurs, Bautista
LeRoy had limited funds when
they first began their firm. And like
many entrepreneurs, their budget
required them to do things themselves
that most, larger companies
would hire out.
This meant that, from the start,
Bautista built their first website
himself and wrote the content
based on self-guided research
on search engine optimization. Six
months in, however, they knew their
website wasn’t working for them. It
wasn’t drawing attention to their
firm like they had hoped and that’s
when they made the decision to
invest in hiring a local professional
to take over.
“That’s when we approached
our current digital marketing partner,”
says Bautista. “They put it all
together...SEO, content, social media,
reviews, videos and integrated it into
our web presence. They built us a
new website because they had to get
results – and over time, it worked.”
Like many
entrepreneurs,
Bautista LeRoy had
limited funds when
they first began
their firm. And like
many entrepreneurs,
their budget
required them to do
things themselves
that most, larger
companies would
hire out.
Helping Others
Succeed & Giving Back
Knowing how challenging starting
out as a new attorney or firm can be,
Bautista LeRoy made it their mission
to help others succeed. Because they
believe so strongly in the value of
networking, they created the Bautista
LeRoy Entrepreneurial Scholarship.
In addition to covering attendance
of the Missouri Solo & Small Firm
Conference, this scholarship covers
membership in the all the specialty
bars here in Kansas City.
“When you’re just starting out after
college, or after law school, a $2000 investment
into the local legal bars and
associations, on what you might see
only in terms of social or recreational
value, may not seem appealing to a
young lawyer just starting out,” says
Bautista. “But we believe, especially
in a place like Kansas City, where the
bars are very tight knit, it is crucial for
the development of your career to get
out and start meeting people in this
profession. We’ve believed in this for a
long time and we know it works.”
Learn More About Jose Bautista and Andrew
LeRoy at www.bautistaleroy.com
or call (816) 221-0382
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Jose and Andrew on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
www.kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Jose & Andrew’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
KCMBA
Asian Bar Association
Café Europa
Underdog Wine Company
Union Hill
Bier Station
KC Bier Co

SPONSORED CONTENT
Enhancing Your
Landscape with European
Garden Charm
High Prairie Landscape Group Specializes in French,
Italian and English Gardens & Landscapes
High Prairie Landscape Group
sets themselves apart in
Kansas City by doing things
differently. They’ve created their own
hardscape construction process,
known as the Legacy Method, using
elements from both European and
American construction processes.
“The result is something that lasts
for decades as opposed to just a few
years,” says Robyn Schmitz, who spent
a few minutes chatting with Blogger
Local about growing their business
and using digital marketing to spread
the word about what they do.
High Prairie Landscape Group
creates European style gardens and
outdoor living spaces in Kansas City
and the surrounding areas. They
place a high emphasis on craftsmanship
and attention to detail,
which allows them to create outdoor
spaces that last for years to come.
On Always Looking Ahead
Schmitz and the entire team at High
Prairie Landscape Group know the
importance of constantly growing
and learning new things about their
craft. They’ve gone above and beyond,
aspiring to be the first to bring
new ideas and cutting-edge landscaping
to the Kansas City market.
“We tour the country every year
viewing plant trial gardens, and
that’s cool because we’re able to see
what’s cutting edge and coming up
in the market before other people
even know it exists,” says Schmitz. “We
get it to Kansas City and start growing
it here before anyone else even
knows that it’s a possibility. Our clients
love that because they’re getting the
latest and greatest, which gives them
more bang for the buck.”
22

Empowering
Home Owners
By Educating Them
In September of
2018, Schmitz’s
first book, “Outdoor
Living: A
Guide to Design,
Construction, and
Budgeting” was
published. Within
the pages of her
book, readers will
learn how to prevent costly mistakes,
select a contractor for their outdoor
project, and create a rough budget.
No other book on the market combines
all three factors into a single
guide. Consumers are able to make
the best decisions for their unique
needs when they’ve been provided
with a clear, transparent guide on
reaching their project goals.
Building a Local
Business Through
Building Relationships
When Schmitz first began her business
in 2010, they were a small startup
running their business with nothing but
an old jeep. In 2013, they hired their first
full-time employee, and in 2016 her husband
joined the business. Today, they
have 25 highly specialized employees.
They’re the first ever full-service landscaping
company to receive the top
25 Under 25 Businesses in Kansas City
Award and a member of the Helzberg
Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program.
Schmitz attributes a lot of different
factors to their growth. They have
worked hard to set themselves apart
and to establish their reputation as
a contractor who won’t cut corners.
It is building relationships in the local
community that she believes has
helped them create a strong marketing
strategy that continues to generate
leads for their business.
“I think business revolves around
relationships,” she says. “Because of
that, referrals are always going to be
an important part of our marketing.”
In addition to making building
relationships in the local community
their first priority, High Prairie uses
digital marketing to maintain a strong
online presence, allowing them to
diversify their market and reach more
people in the local community.
“Through our marketing partner,
we invest in content marketing and
search engine optimization, as well
as Google pay-per-click advertising.
We’re also creating informational
videos through a local company
called Real Media, and then last and
certainly not least is we’re providing
value to people through free educational
content.”
Lessons Learned
From Entrepreneurship
For Schmitz, being an entrepreneur
and becoming a small business owner
has been a wild ride. She’s learned
Robyn Schmitz’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
Helzberg Entrepreneurial
Mentoring Program
Stand Down KC
(Charity Event)
Avenue of Life (Charity)
Tom’s Town for cocktails
Char Bar for BBQ
Martin City Brewing
Company for pizza
a lot over the years from starting and
growing her business, and these are
the lessons she’d like to pass on to
entrepreneurs who are just beginning
their journey.
“I think first you have to know
yourself well enough to capitalize on
your strengths,” she says. “But the other
side of that equation, is to be humble
enough to know your weaknesses
and outsource those weaknesses.
Whether that’s within your organization
or outside, know what you’re not
good at and fill that void.”
Lastly, Schmitz believes there is
power in being able to say no. She
has learned that, as a small business
owner, you have to be able to remain
faithful to your vision, even when that
means turning away opportunities.
She believes that understanding your
vision and knowing you can’t say yes
to everything is essential to success
as an entrepreneur.
Learn More About Robyn & High Prairie
Landscape Group at www.GoHPLG.com or call
(816) 398-2901, and be sure to check out High
Prairie’s special and promotional offers at:
www.gohplg.com/special-offer/
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Robyn on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
www.kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
high-prairie-landscape-group
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content |
23

SPONSORED CONTENT
Making Customer
Friendships While Doing
What You Love
Kansas City’s Heating and Cooling
Experts Discuss Growing & Giving Back
For Cates Heating and Cooling,
serving the HVAC needs of
Kansas City area home and
business owners has always been
a family affair. In 1974, Jim Kiekel
began Cates Heating and Cooling
with a partner. In 1975, Jim bought
full ownership of the company.
Since then, the company has
been offering both residential and
commercial HVAC services here in
Kansas City and has made a name
for their business by offering quality
services paired with excellent customer
service.
Recently, Jim’s son Jeff Kiekel
shared a little about the company, his
role in their growth, and how they’re
using marketing to reach more customers
in the metro area.
A Love for the Business
Jeff Kiekel began working in his family’s
business in 1975 as a part-time
technician while he was in college.
After graduation, he moved into a
full-time role as a service technician.
Since then, he has acted as a
salesman, as operations manager,
and currently acts as the company’s
President.
Over the years, the industry
has changed and Kiekel has found
a lot of enjoyment in exploring new
technology and watching how these
improvements provide better HVAC
options to Kansas Citians. One way he
I think the one thing
I love the most
is the people in
general. Midwest
attitude. Everybody
wants to be
friendly, take care
of themselves and
their neighbors.
has watched the industry change is
through the Internet.
“I think it gives people the opportunity
to look at us and see all of
the reviews we have online, and also
an opportunity to do a little self-research
and find out if we are providing
an item that is related to what
their need is at the time, or what their
future need is going to be.”
Above all, Kiekel enjoys the relationships
he builds in his work.
“Most of all, the friendships we
make with our customers. We try to
treat them as if they’re a family member,”
he shares. “We only hire people
that believe in that same concept,
that it’s not just a single service call, it’s
an investment in them as a customer.”
Investing in the
Community
As a company and a family, the
Cates’ team has made a habit of
investing not only in their customers
but in the city as a whole. They
share a love for Kansas City and for
24
| Sponsored Content

giving back in ways that match with
their interests and passions. This has
included being involved in the sports
programs at UMKC and supporting
the Cars 4 Heroes program.
“We have worked the last couple
years with Rex Hudler in the Up for
Downs Syndrome Charity,” he says.
“We provided tickets to 200 kids for
the baseball game last year.”
Jeff Kiekel’s
KANSAS CITY FAVES
Cars 4 Heroes (Charity)
Up for Downs Syndrome
(Charity)
Aristocrat Motors
Jack Stack for BBQ
Q39 for BBQ
Don Chilitos for Mexican
Jose Peppers for Mexican
vorite things about KC. He loves Kansas
City BBQ — citing Jack Stack and
Q39 as his favorites — and following
Royal’s baseball games. More than
anything, he loves the people and the
sense of community.
“I think the one thing I love the
most is the people in general. Midwest
attitude,” he says. “Everybody
wants to be friendly, take care of
themselves and their neighbors.”
Building a Strong
Company
There is no hesitation when we ask
Kiekel to offer advice to aspiring and
new business owners — he immediately
says that building a strong
business starts with building the
right team.
“You have to put those people
in a job they can succeed in,” he
says. “Then you have to give them
the ability to make decisions, so that
you can concentrate on growing the
business and they can concentrate
on providing the business message
through work and diligence with
their customers.”
Kiekel has also used a combination
of traditional advertising
and digital marketing to grow the
Kiekel also shared some of his fabusiness
and reach new customers
in the metro area. They’ve invested in
pay-per-click campaigns, blog regularly,
and have consistent TV campaigns
featuring Rex Hudler and Joel
Goldberg testimonials, both of whom
are customers.
“We believe that every home
is different and comfort issues are
unique to that individual customer
or family. Having the ability to sell all
major brands gives our technicians
the ability to customize solutions for
each home, which in the end, creates
happier and more loyal customers.”
Learn More About Cates Heating and Cooling
at catesheatingandcooling.com
or call (913) 888-4470.
Listen to the full interview!
Listen to Jeff on the Small Business
SuperHeroes Podcast, available on
the following link and on iTunes:
www.kansascity.bloggerlocal.com/podcast/
Listen on
iTunes
Sponsored Content | 25

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