Entrepreneur Stories

Schmidt Machine a Family Company

Before we sat down with Kevin Schmidt we didn't know much about how deep the family roots go when it comes to Schmidt Machine Company based in Ohio. In this brief conversation we learn much.  It truly is interesting how families can keep a business in operation years after the founding. A little known fact about Kevin is that he also does comedy.  No, really!  Meet Kevin:
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

Meet President Dan Waters of The National Tractor Parts Dealer Asso.

We've had the privilege of knowing Dan Waters and his Bride, Lindsey for many years.  They own and operate Waters Tractor based in Washington state. Recently Dan was elected as the President of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association (NTPDA) so we figured it would be a good time to sit down with him so you could get to know more about his business and the NTPDA.  Meet Dan:
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

Talking Cars with Karl Brauer of ISeeCars.com

We welcome back our friend Karl Brauer from ISeeCars.com to share some insight into the new and used car market. What is selling well,, what isn't and so much more about the auto industry. Plus you'll learn what ISeeCars.com is all about and perhaps you might use it the next time you are looking to buy or just...looking.  Meet Karl for this great conversation!
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Business News Headlines 3 March 2026 and Schmidt Machine

The price of gasoline continues to go up and we'll soon see travel from place to place will get much more expensive and that is where we start today.  This is the Business News Headlines for Tuesday the 3rd day of March, thank you for listening. In other news, anxious travelers are trying to find ways to get out of the Middle East. Iran strikes Amazon data centers. President Trump today threatened economic sanctions against Spain…and why. A high stakes trial gets underway which could change much with Ticketmaster. Target is spending $2 billion to reverse sagging sales. We’ll check the numbers from The Wall Street Report and users exit ChatGPT in record numbers and we’ll share why.  For the conversation you’ll meet Kevin Schmidt from Schmidt Machine a family owned manufacturing facility located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio…but first the news.
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Business News Headlines and More 15 January 2026

With the Trump Administration going all in on fossil fuel the future of EV's is in doubt and proof comes from the Detroit Auto Show. This is the Business News Headlines for Thursday the 15th day of January, thanks for listening. In other news, more Grok news for you as Musk backs down. Fewer Americans filed for unemployment and we’ll share the numbers. We’ll check the numbers from the Wall Street Report and Verizon explains what happened with that outage on Wednesday. For the conversation you’ll meet entrepreneur Stephen Wilson from NuDoseDaily.com.  The company that promises better days and restful nights.  But first the news.
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Business News Headlines and More 14 January 2026

It was a bit of a surprise as consumers stepped up their retail buying in November and we'll start with that story tonight.  This is the Business News Headlines for Wednesday the 14th day of January, thanks for listening. In other news, a Verizon outage made life rough for folks across the country. Big banks are reporting huge profits and we’ll detail. We’ll check the numbers in The Wall Street Report and a luxury retailer files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  For the conversation we’ll visit with Marni Hockenberg about her work with C-suite executives from her business Hockenberg Search in helping them polish their efforts to land another top level job.  We’ll also talk abut Exec Connect Iowa a program she started several months ago that brings executives together in a relaxed setting to chat it up about business. It’s a neat program but first the news.
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Sons of Gladys Kravitz with Wade Krieg

Yes, we do a business news show and there is plenty of business going on when it comes to music. Here my guest is Wade Krieg one of the members of The Sons of Gladys Kravitz who recently were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here we talk about the band, the members, the music and how young people are now tuning into music from the 70's and 80's. Meet Wade, a really great guy who's been playing his axe for 54 years! 
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Business News Headlines and More 5 January 2026

The markets reacted to the military action in Venezuela and that kicks off our newscast this evening. This is the Business News Headlines for Monday the 5th day of January, thanks for listening. In other news, a major tax break for multi-national companies made the news. The FAA announced it is replacing radar programs that date back to the 1980’s. West Virginia residents have seen massive increases in their electric rates and we’ll share why. We’ve got a story of some very expensive fish out of Tokyo. We’ll check the numbers in The Wall Street Report and yet another check on oil from Venezuela.  For the conversation you’ll meet musician Wade Krieg from The Sons of Gladys Kravitz that recently were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  But first the news.
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

Model, AFROTC, Social Media Influencer meet Jovie!

On Thanksgiving Day I asked my 17 year-old granddaughter, Jovie, to help me with some new studio recording gear. So we sat down for this conversation about all that she is involved with. From her work as a paid model to what she does with social media to her love for the AFROTC.  Not too shabby for a senior in high school. Frankly listening to her should give you great hope that the future is in good hands.  Meet Jovie...
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

The Business News Headlines 26 November 2025

That Campbell's executive that said lousy things about the company's food and workers...fired.  This is the Business News Headlines for Wednesday the 26th day of November and thanks for being with us again today.  In other news, cuts in 15 common drugs will save consumers plenty. Canada announces support for some key products hit by the Trump Tariffs.  Co-op kitchens are a booming business in Minnesota. Some good news for home buyers…the rate on the 30 year fixed is back down. We’ll check the numbers in The Wall Street Report and this year Thanksgiving comes with a huge helping of…uncertainty. Ready?  Let’s go!
Thanks for listening!
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.