In this episode of The Best Dam Podcast, Jill catches up with Curt Gebers, owner and founder of Natural Blum. Curt shares about his journey, his commitment to pure health and wellness, and his line of CBD/CBG products

Curt also reflects on his eclectic life experiences—from breaking out in the oil fields at 15 to breeding national champion Cane Corsos and even acting in major film productions—all while serving the Boulder City community.

This isn't just a story about CBD and CBG products; it's about organic seed-to-sale farming without pesticides, using 300,000 ladybugs for natural pest control, offering top-shelf pet nutrition and treats, and celebrating the heart, compassion, and community spirit of small business in Boulder City.

DISCUSSION

1. Curt explains his commitment to providing 99.5% pure CBD and CBG isolates with absolutely zero THC for athletes, professionals, and wellness seekers.
2. The Power of CBG: Discovering cannabigerol, the "diamond cannabinoid," its entourage effect when paired with CBD, and promising research into memory and stress relief.
3. Seed-to-Sale Organic Farming: Growing plants in Southern Oregon without pesticides, utilizing green lacewings and 300,000 ladybugs for natural crop protection.
4. Top-Shelf Pet Nutrition: Bringing hard-to-find kibbles and unique, natural treats like turkey tracheas, duck heads, and frog legs to local pet lovers.
5. A Life of Diverse Experience: Curt shares his journey from working oil fields, playing college football, doing union finish carpentry on Vegas hotels, and running a 22-year tax practice.
6. National Champion Cane Corsos: Breeding the top Cane Corso in the country four times over 23 years and mentoring judges across the nation.
7. Hollywood Hobbies: Curt’s recent acting features alongside stars like Kim Kardashian, Jean Smart, and Reese Witherspoon productions.
8. Life Lessons and Legacy: Carrying forward his Purple Heart recipient father's legacy of honor, integrity, compassion, and patriotism while partnering with the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about Natural Blum, visit their shop across from the Coffee Cup in Boulder City's Histroic District or search "NaturalBlum Boulder City" to read their Google reviews. To learn more about the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, visit their website at https://www.bouldercitychamber.com.

KEYWORDS

Curt Gebers, Natural Blum, Boulder City, CBD, CBG, Organic CBD, Pet Treats, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, The Best Dam Podcast

#CurtGebers #NaturalBlum #BoulderCity #CBD #CBG #OrganicFarming #SupportLocal #TheBestDamPodcast

Podcast Transcript

Jill: So today we have the amazing privilege of being able to visit with Mr. Curt Gebers. He is with Natural Blum. You're the owner, founder, and, an amazing entrepreneur right here in Boulder City. Welcome, Curt.

Curt: Thank you, Jill. Pleasure to be here, and, excited to be in front of the folks of Boulder City, which is my favorite place in the world. Everybody here seems to be so genuine, loving. I recent or often rather, I often tell people it's like stepping back in time 60 years. Everybody here seems to be friendly, caring, loving, patriotic.

It's just a really good vibe here, and it's so calm and just a beautiful place to be.

Jill: It's the perfect location for a small business owner to really be able to intimately get to know their customers, their clients, and as well as interact with the tourists.

So it's just a, a great combination, right? we all love Boulder City.

Curt: It's heavenly.

Jill: I agree. So will you tell us a little bit about Natural Blum, what it is that you do at this location, the products that you carry, and, you know, a little bit about the passion that you have for this product?

Curt: Well, we are primarily A CBD, CBG, store. I'll tell you a bit more about what those are, but basically we're a health and wellness store. our products are for health and wellness purposes. They do not get you high. A lot of the misconception that seems to happen, people have a stigma that we're marijuana and THC, so they tend to, not wanna come in the store.

Actually, when I started, this company, I decided to take care of the other half of the world.

The half of the world that can have 0.0 THC. Not trace amounts, 0.0. Zero. I have professional athletes, MMA, UFC, world boxing champions business professionals, all walks of life, people that want 0.0, not even a slight trace of THC.

That's the other side of the spectrum. We're here to help people improve the quality of their lives. So that's the first thing I wanna say, is we are not a get you high kind of store.

Jill: Got it.

Curt: We have nothing that gets you high. On our window, we have a big, bold letter so those people don't even come in, "No THC on premises."

None.

Jill: Oh, that's interesting, 'cause I have seen that sign, but I guess I never really thought about it being more dissuasive, that it actually keeps those people from coming in, 'cause they're gonna assume that they can buy that product. But we don't have any place in Boulder City where you can purchase that.

That's why you've been so successful, because you have been so specific about that particular, the, that THC concept, the high concept, all of that is out the window. That is not at your location.

Curt: Not at all. Not even a trace. We, test all of our products. We're probably the top maybe 10, 15% in the country with our products.

We have CBG, which is cannabigerol. Typically, the amount of CBG [00:04:00] in a plant is less than 1%.

Jill: And so what does that do? I don't ... You need to tell me what CBD is.

Curt: Cannabigerol is more powerful than even CBD.

Jill: Really?

Curt: It has been used in major studies. For instance, Washington State just did a first ever human definitive study.

Substantial improvement, in memory. Really? they were doing a study for stress and anxiety, and were surprised to find that it actually helps substantially with memory. So now there's major studies going on of Alzheimer's, dementia. And that's another thing, let me tell you, we cannot make any type of medical claim here.

It's not permitted. the best thing I can offer for people, we're right across the street from the Coffee Cup, Natural Blum. We have nothing that gets you high. Absolutely nil. Nothing. Please come in, try a free sample Maybe it'll change your life like it has so many thousands of other people.

Jill: Yeah. 

Curt: And another thing I would ask you, please go to Google. Google Natural Blum, B-L-U-M, Boulder City. Read those reviews.

Jill: Oh, yeah.

Curt: You talk about compelling, honest reviews. I'm sure you will find many, dozens and dozens, that will relate to things that are restricting, your pursuit of happiness, so to speak.

Jill: You know, that's a good point. Restricting your pursuit of happiness. It's not, it's just that restriction, we don't think of it as a restriction. We think, "Okay, I'm sick. I can't do this. I hurt. I can't do this." The restriction is you. You're not finding the right natural way to do this. And so I appreciate that statement because that, helps remind me that it's my choice, right?

So there are ways to help, and you have a lot of suggestions. You are so good about the samples. And, so for me it was lotions and creams that we used those samples, so thank you for that. And now I know you also offer pet food and pet food samples. I have seen you really, embrace that, and happened to be outside of the store one day when a family was coming in to, make a purchase, and they said it was night and day difference for their older dog.

Curt: Well, thank you for that. I happen to be a huge animal lover, and as I just celebrated five years here in Boulder City, by the way.

Jill: Yes, you did. Congratulations.

Curt: So I used to be heavily involved in the dog world. I had the number one Cane Corso in the country four times in 23 years. I've mentored judges at the Westminster, the Eukanuba National Specialties, and I was sponsored by a lot of the major high-quality dog foods and know their owners well. So one day, I was looking out the window at the store like I do so often, people going by with dogs, cats, so many pets, and it dawned on me there's so many high-quality foods that are not available here.

Jill: That's right.

Curt: Why don't I call the owners, call my connections, and bring in some really top-shelf food and treats for dogs and cats?

So that's what I did, and the majority of our products cannot be found in a 15 mile radius.

Jill: That's awesome.

Curt: So then we priced them very moderately well. We have treats like turkey tracheas wrapped in beef, tongue- Duck heads, frog legs, tendons, twisted tendons, bully sticks, beef cheek. We have amazing treats priced at a fraction of the cost.

And our kibbles, we brought, ACANA, Origin, NutraSource, Pure Vita 

Jill: Wow 

Curt: Fromm, Four Star Nutrition, Victor's. We don't have a lot of space, so we brought in what we felt was the best of the best. And please stop by. your animals will love you for it.

Jill: Yeah. Absolutely. My daughter has a dog that has a feather allergy. It cannot eat any type of poultry whatsoever.

Curt: Okay.

Jill: And so it is very hard to find good food that, you can just buy at a store. You have to have it all special ordered. so grateful to know. She's now moved to Savannah, Georgia, but it's so nice to know that there are options right here.

We don't have to go over the hill, that you've got something for us. So thank you so much for that.

Curt: You're very welcome.

Jill: So tell me a little bit more about the individual products. I know of some of the lotions, the creams, but do you have vitamin supplements? Do you have protein drink I mean, what all do you have?

Curt: I do carry some vitamins from Nature's Lab. I know the owner of that company as well, so I brought in some of his vitamins, and right now we have them 50% off. I also have some supplements, but primarily it's the CBD, CBG, 99.5% pure, 0.0 THC products. Like I said, we wanted to be extremely pure, extremely potent, and make a difference.

My philosophy was, okay, I wanna take care of the half of the world that can't tolerate any dirty drug test 

Jill: Yeah 

Curt: anyone getting high. So I developed a line of products that were the best of the best.

Jill: So you have gummies?

Curt: We have gummies, we have tinctures, we have balms. And like I was saying, so my philosophy was our margins very very much smaller than a normal, type CBD, CBG store.

Jill: Oh, okay.

Curt: But I felt that if we had the best quality and the best results, that people would come back forever, tell their family, friends, neighbors, and they would all be repeat customers. 

Jill: Right. 

Curt: So in the long run, we would help a lot more people and do just as well, and that's how it's worked out by the grace of God.

Jill: Yeah, no, I love that philosophy. Thank you for that, not having that greed that you normally can see in some of these larger corporations, right? So I appreciate that. So kind of talking about that margin, when you were talking about CBG being such a small, its prevalence being so small within plants, does that make it more expensive?

Curt: It's much more expensive.

Jill: Okay.

Curt: Like I said, the average plant runs about 1% CBG, whereas CBD plant's 20 to 25%.

So to get 99.5% pure CBG, it takes a whole, a large, large hugely, huge volume of plants.

But that's what we do. CA- CBG, cannabigerol, I believe, is the diamond cannabinoid.

Studies are being used for digestive, indigestion.

Jill: Interesting.

Curt: and if you read our reviews or come in the store, you will see a lot of very compelling testimonials to that effect. So to me, CBG is my favorite cannabinoid. 

Jill: Okay.

Curt: And combined with CBD, it creates what's called an entourage effect, which is amazing, amazing. I can't, make any medical claims, but CBD with CBG is highly esteemed with all of the researchers and people doing research on the cannabinoids. The combination of those two seem to be the most effective.

Jill: And so how do you recommend people try it? do you just have them jump right into it and take a full dose? Do they ramp up? how does this work in your system?

Curt: So yeah, you can just take a full dose. You can't overdose on CBD or CBG.

Jill: Oh, interesting. Okay

Curt: There's no such thing. The recommended adult dosage is like 50, 50 milligrams a day. But people come in, I'll give them a little spoonful of our balm, it's very famous, our award-winning balm.

They rub it on where they're 

Jill: A joint hurts or aches.

Curt: Within two minutes, I see jaws drop.

Dozens of times, I've literally seen people break out in tears 

Jill: Wow 

Curt: tears of joy, going, "Oh my God, I can't believe this." Sometimes that brings me to tears.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: It's, just the humanity, the compassion of it all. It's very touching, and that's when I'm so grateful that I'm blessed to be a small part of this.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: But please, please, do yourself a favor. Come in the store.

Jill: And try it.

Curt: Try a free sample.

It doesn't cost anything. You got nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Jill: Right. Yeah, I absolutely agree. So, you and I had a conversation.

This has been maybe six months to a year ago. You had just come from your fields that you have, I think you told me it was in California?

Curt: Oregon.

Jill: Oregon. Southern Oregon. Excuse me. And so you really see this from start to finish, from planting the seed pod, whatever it's called, to the end result. You've seen this entire process, the growth cycle.

And so tell me a little bit more about what it is and how do they manufacture it?

Curt: So the terminology for that is called seed to sale.

Jill: Seed to sale.

Curt: So we plant, we, we get our fields ready. We do our rows, we do our planting, our irrigation, our fertilizing. However, when it comes to pesticides, that's where we throw the brakes on.

We don't use pesticides.

Jill: So then it's organic CBD?

Curt: Yes, it is. Okay. I seed my field with 300,000 ladybugs. 

Jill: Oh. 

Curt: An adult ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day.

Jill: Yuck.

Curt: So I walk up and down the rows and seed once the plants are waist high, so they don't fly away. And then I also seed with green lacewings. They eat the mites.

So we are pesticide-free. Interesting. We're very pure and very, very, organic product. And then when it goes to flower, you do all your harvesting. We have a dry facility, and it, takes a huge workforce. Huge workforce. It's a lot of work. And once all the plants are down and hung and dried and cured, from there we take it to an extraction facility.

Jill: Oh, okay.

Curt: They extract all the CBD and/or the CBG- BG because we run different strains, some for CBG, some for CBD, and they get it to what's called a distillate. Now, this is where we differ also. So distillate is typically 70, 80% pure, which means 20 to 30% minors, including THC. That's why almost 90% of CBD has point, may have up to .3 THC in it. We are taking care of those people that want none.

We throw the 20 to 30% away when we go to pure isolate. 99.5% pure CBD, 99.5 pure CBG, and then we do them on a 50/50. So we're extremely rare. We're, we're top shelf, and we're not the type of product you can find just anywhere. 

Jill: Okay, so the 20, 30% that gets thrown out, that's got the THC in it. Do you then sell that off?

Curt: No

Jill: So that you can make something from that disposed? 

Curt: I throw it away.

Jill: You throw it away. So isn't it valuable to somebody who wants THC?

Curt: Somebody it would be, of course. But that's not our 

Jill: Who you are

Curt: that's not our world. That's not what we do.

Jill: Interesting. So other bad, well, other companies.

They're not bad, excuse me. Other companies then would take that THC, and then they would use that at, like, these other cannabis stores. They would make that into gummies. Is that how this work? I'm so sorry that I don't know this. I really am interested.

Curt: The majority, most of them, would be using the distillate to make everything.

Jill: Oh.

Curt: We're a rarity. that's why when you go and get a tincture from a regular CBD, it says may have up to .3 THC, and tastes terrible. They try to cover it with lemon, cinnamon, vanilla orange We don't even flavor ours. We're 99.5 pure D and G. There is no flavor to pure isolates. So most of them use it to distillate.

The majority only go to distillate, 70 to 80% pure. That's what they make their gummies, tinctures balms, topicals with.

Jill: Interesting. I just, I'm 

Curt: We're a rarity.

Jill: Yeah. I love that, and I love that you're not trying to capitalize. I would just assume that there's a reason to use whatever that, you know, and whatever's produced that's extra that you could then sell it.

But it sounds to me like that's, you just don't want anything to do with it. You're just letting that go.

Curt: I'm Norwegian and Viking, and I like to be the best of the best, like my dogs, number one in the country 

Jill: Yeah

Curt: four times in 23 years.

Jill: Is it the same dog, by the way?

Curt: Different dogs.

Jill: Different dogs.

Curt: Different dogs.

Jill: I wanted to ask you that.

Curt: Red Wrock Corsos is what my dogs were called.

Jill: Yes. And that's your website and your email and everything. So I'm

Curt: just a stickler for being the best. 

Jill: I love it

Curt: All, all that byproduct and the THC 

Jill: Yeah 

Curt: I'm not gonna waste our time with it. We've got- 

Jill: Interesting

Curt: more important things to do in life.

Jill: Well, and you've got a crew that's very singularly focused to making the best.

Curt: Yes, ma'am.

Jill: I love it. That is so cool. Okay. So, I suppose now I should probably get back to my interview questions. I just, I don't, I didn't know enough about all of that. 

Curt: Are we gonna do an interview, too?

Jill: Yeah. We're gonna hang out, and I'm gonna ask you a few very important questions. So I know that I've, I have had this conversation, too. Who is a client that should come in? So do they have arthritis? Do they have cancer? Do they have, I know we can't talk medical, but who are the normal people that you target?

Is it just everybody?

Curt: Many, many people, with those types of things come in. That's why I kind of have deferred just for copacetic reasons to the reviews, but

Jill: Yeah 

They wouldn't come back if it wasn't helpful 

Curt: and everybody comes back.

Jill: Comes back.

Curt: 90, 95% come back for years.

Jill: Yeah. I find that so fascinating.

At your last re-grand opening that we did the big celebration with the pet food

Curt: Right

Jill: there was a gentleman that was there, had a motorcycle accident maybe or a car accident, and he... Or maybe it was him and he was talking about his child, but they had just were raving about the fact that they would not have found the quality of life that they had or even a survival element, to that traumatic, incedent for their family if they had not found you first.

And so I 

Curt: It touches my heart

Jill: Yeah ... 

Curt: And my soul.

Jill: Those are… These stories are happening all the time. I'm hearing them constantly

Curt: It happens, yeah, I see people start crying.

Jill: Yeah, I bet.

Curt: Chokes me up. What a wonderful thing to be a part of, though. I mean, truly. they even let me, I've done a couple recordings from the cage at the UFC Center.

Jill: Really?

Curt: I have probably 20 or 30 MMA UFC fighters that swear by our products.

Six world champion boxers.

Jill: That's so cool.

Curt: I'm in doctor's offices in Oregon and Nevada. I have referrals from doctors. Probably 10 doctors are sending their patients to me. Half a dozen vets that are sending their dog owners to me. It's really compelling. I'm, my products are in gyms and 

Jill: Yeah

Curt: we're not very big, but we are very high quality, very high quality.

Jill: High quality and super important and very valuable.

Curt: Thank you, ma'am.

Jill: Yeah, absolutely agree with that. What is your favorite part of all of this? You kind of just shared a little bit of those testimonials, but-

Curt: My favorite part When I watched so many people come in that could barely manage, and try our balm and break down in tears of joy.

That's the most wonderful feeling in the world. I was a high-end tax accountant. My wife used to be the controller for Lotus Broadcasting, COMP, The Point, ESPN, KINO.

Jill: Yeah, we've

Curt: She's business manager 

Jill: advertised with them quite a bit.

Curt: Business manager for Channel 13 KTNV ABC affiliate.

Jill: Oh, very good 

Curt: And it was great doing taxes and saving people money. There's nothing like seeing people cry tears, tears of joy.

Jill: Yeah. Yeah.

Curt: It's the most amazing thing and the most rewarding just, oh 

you're

I'm so blessed. Just so blessed 

Jill: you're making such an emotional, relational connection. It's not transactional for you. It is all about the relation.

Curt: Yes. 

Jill: Yeah, that is amazing. I love it. So, can you share maybe an aha moment? It sounds like you have a lot of aha moments, but can you think of any one in particular, a specific one that you might wanna share?

Curt: God, there's so many, 

Jill: Well, what about you? Do you take your own stuff and

Curt: I use it daily. I use my balm and my tincture daily, and it has in as I say, it enhanced the quality of my life, and that's our purpose, enhance the quality of people's lives.

Jill: And so what do you see it fixing? So here's a question: I don't hurt.

What should I come in and take it for?

Curt: Well, for myself, I, I have rheumatism arthritis. 

Jill: Oh. 

Curt: I have aches and pains. I used to be a power lifter. I used to leg press 1,115 pounds. 

Jill: Oh, goodness. 

Curt: I was really bulked up. I played college football. I was a sports fanatic. So I have issues that arise.

Jill: Sports ar-

Curt: yeah.

Curt: And, I find, improvement in many, many areas. 

And

Jill: you're not claiming a cure. You're just simply saying an improvement.

Curt: I cannot claim a cure. 

Jill: Yeah. 

Curt: And I'm trying to be very cautious of that.

Jill: Yeah. I appreciate that.

Curt: And I have to tell you, if I did not have these products, I would do extreme diligence to find somebody that has comparable. And we are a rarity, like I said.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: But yes, I use it daily. And, if I ever stopped using or producing or selling, I would diligently search under every rock to find somebody with the quality, purity, and potency of what we have.

Jill: So I know that we hear a lot about the, the different types, and this, I think it's actually THC.

I think it was called spider's web or something. But it was, a cannabis oil that is given to children for seizures. 

Curt: It's called Charlotte's Web.

Jill: Charlotte's Web.

Curt: That's what it was. It's actually a strain of CBD.

Jill: Oh, it is?

Curt: Yeah, it's a strain of CBD. They're out of, they originated up in Portland area, Oregon.

Jill: So things like that, I just, I'm so grateful that you are giving those families the access to that, or that they have access to that for something that really those children absolutely need. But to know that is a CBD and that's not a THC-type things for those children.

Curt: I have an instance, an aha moment I wanna share to you.

Jill: Okay.

Curt: It's very compelling. I just thought about this. It speaks volumes. So I have a cannabis attorney in Oregon. she's beautiful, wonderful woman. She called me about three years ago.

She was crying. She's from Canada. Her dad's in Canada. She said "My God, my dad has four stage lung cancer. He can't eat.

He can't sleep. He's miserable." And I told her, I said, "Manley, let me send him some balm and some tincture." She said, "Curt, don't even waste. He won't take it. He won't take it." I sent it anyway. Three weeks later, she called me again Her exact words were, "Oh my God, I just talked to my dad. He made me promise him.

He's, he said, 'Honey, whatever you do, don't ever let me run out of that.'"

Jill: Oh, isn't that incredible? Oh, that's just incredible. I'm so glad that she kind of had her dad do it. Oh, man. That is, those are those aha moments that make all of us feel good.

Curt: Yeah.

Jill: Right? Those warm and fuzzies. Yes. Okay. All right. So we're gonna go a different direction.

You got a funny story? Do you have some kind of a funny experience?

Curt: Oh, gosh, I don't know.

Jill: There's probably quite a few. I'm sure there's a reason you had to put that sign on the door that actually explained that, there is no THC products within this store. People probably come in all the time and just expect you to help them get high.

Curt: Oh, funny moment. A few times, probably three or four times over the last five years, I've had people come in the store, and I go, "Here, try this," and right in their mouth. I stick it right in their mouth, deep. They go, "No, no, no." I go, "Don't worry, it won't hurt you." Now I actually have a guy that comes in with a toothache that puts it on his gum.

Jill: Oh, interesting.

Curt: But yeah, they actually ate it instead of run it on, I guess rubbed it on, rather. I guess that's a or a funny moment, right?

Jill: Well, so that's a good question, though. So what about, like, brain fog, dementia, those kinds of memory issues?

Curt: There's a lot of studies on that.

Jill: And so do you think that, And that would be, you would consume that, right? You wouldn't

Curt: Yes 

Jill: rub that on your head.

Curt: Probably a tincture or gummy, yeah. Something like that. It wouldn't be a topical.

Jill: It would be

Curt: an ingestible Ingestible to go along those lines.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: Yeah, but please Google Natural Blum, B-L-U-M, Boulder City reviews.

Read those reviews. You will be motivated to come and see.

Jill: I'm actually gonna go check them out too, 'cause I don't know that I have for a while, so I will go find that out. I would imagine that your life has led you to this place where you now want to be so helpful and, making sure that you're doing high quality, top-of-the-line quality, providing an amazing service.

Your customer service is unbelievable, 'cause it's usually you that is there at the counter every, every day that I've been in there. And so tell me how... I wanna know more about how this man was built. So who, what was your first job?

Curt: Oh, God, my first job, I was 15, and it was summer, and my stepdad took me to the oil fields, told them I was 18, so I broke out in the oil fields.

I worked oil fields for a while. I also, at 15, ended up starting a used car, business on a lot and opened three roofing companies.

Jill: Oh my gosh, you've been all over the place, Curt.

Curt: When I was a child. Well, not a child, I was 11 or 12, a friend of mine had an older sister, and I grew up by Iceland in Paramount.

I'd go by there, and at her house, all these nice cars, Corvettes, Camaros, and her boyfriend's name was Mike. And I said, "You know what? I wanna be like Mike." And then early in life, I learned, if you want things, you have to work for them.

And the harder you work, the better you, better pay you get, the more you make.

Jill: So you learned early.

Curt: Yeah. So I learned a lesson. I broke at oil fields, roofing. then I played college football after that.

But I learned early on to be very meticulous and to excel at whatever I chose to do.

Jill: How the heck then did you get into taxes?

Curt: So I met my ex-wife. She was running, Lotus Broadcasting.

She was a CPA.

And, so we got married, and about a year after that, she decided to give her notice and we opened a tax practice.

Jill: Interesting.

Curt: First year was pretty dismal I must say. We did, like, 80 returns. She ended up going back, and working for KTNV Channel 13 as their business manager. I went back and worked the trades in the union.

Jill: Oh.

 Curt: I'm a fine finish carpenter as well.

Jill: Oh my gosh, dude. Is there something you don't do? That's incredible. So finish carpentry. So then you were with the union for quite a few years.

Curt: Yes. Yeah, I built most the big hotels and stuff like that. Yeah. I was on the finish crews, and usually the last one on the job, the lead.

Me and my partner. And so the next year, we opened a new location I have a great story for that. It started off pretty dismal, too, and she'd been a CPA since '92. We were halfway through tax season. We figured we needed to do 500 returns 

Jill: Oh my gosh 

Curt: to make just to pay the bills. And this might sound, you might call it crazy or whatever, but halfway through, we'd done 100.

We were pretty worried. And then one night, a girl came through the door crying, torn clothes and emotional. "Oh my God, We were getting ready to close. "Oh my God. Are you okay? Are you okay?" And I locked the door, and, "I've been raped." She had been raped.

Jill: Oh, no.

Curt: So I called Metro and said, "Please get over here.

This poor girl's been raped." And out there where we were on Jones and Russell, there were no houses at that time. That was in 2002. It was like the boonies. And I called the rape crisis hotline.

And, we finally got her to drink water, calm down, and I have all my dogs at homes, so I have to go feed dogs.

Well, now it's 8:30, 9:00, but of course that doesn't matter at this point. 

Jill: Yeah. 

Curt: Call Metro again, and they apologize. "We're very, very busy. We're trying to get someone out there." Called a second rape crisis, counselor.

About two and a half hours go by, no Metro. That must have been like a crazy weekend.

So I go, "Well, let me-" Take her over in the center. There was a DVD store that was open all night. Let me take her over there. So I said, "Hey, come on, let's go over here. Let me see if you can wait. My friends, I've got six dogs I got to get home and feed."

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: And she had calmed down pretty good after a couple hours, so we go in there, and I call him aside, and I whisper and tell him.

I was shocked when he told me, you know, "No, you need to get her out of here. I don't want her in here." I go, "What?" I go, "Shh." Don't... I didn't want to make a big deal. I go, "You know what, hon? Come on, I got a better idea. Let's go back to my tax office." So we got back, and she was calling her family, and she lived off Tropicana and Boulder City.

Jill: Wow.

Curt: I mean, in Boulder Highway yeah.

Jill: on Boulder Highway, 

Curt: So, she goes, "I just want to go home." "No, no, no, you're not going anywhere." So I ended up, I drove her up to Trop and Jones, took her in the Terrible Herbs, got her some stuff to eat and drink gave her money, waited for the bus, put her on the bus.

Curt: We've never had two people outside our store waiting, ever, in 22 years that even preceded that.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: The next morning, we showed up. There were a dozen people waiting in lines. Instead of doing 30 returns a week, we were doing 20 and 30 a day.

Jill: Oh my gosh.

Curt: Our tax practice blew up. I think it was a test from God.

Jill: Huh, interesting.

Curt: I think that was His way of saying, "You did the right thing."

Jill: Oh, that is amazing.

Curt: My wife became a believer in the Lord.

Jill: What a transitional moment.

Curt: Yes.

Jill: Yeah. Probably a transitional in your company too.

Curt: It was. We were in business 22 years. 

Jill: Wow. 

Curt: We had 2,000 tax clients. 

Jill: Wow. 

Curt: Did everything from CEOs and cardiologists all the way down to regular folk like you and me.

Jill: Wow, I love that. What a awesome story. That is a, a great way to 

Curt: Nice one to share that 

Jill: yeah, that's who and what you're all about, right? Well, I appreciate that. So, we had a little bit of a conversation about you showing dogs. how did you first start with Cane Corsos? Or was that like a, that your favorite dog?

You had one? I mean 

Curt: I had

Jill: how did you get into that?

Curt: I had bull mastiffs in the '70s.

Jill: So you just like big dogs?

Curt: yeah, I like... I'm a Viking. I'm Norwegian German.

Jill: Yeah, there you go. So 

Curt: They're actually, gladiator dogs.

Jill: Well, I think that's pretty awesome. They also, shed, and they are big.

Curt: No, very, very little shedding at all, and it's only

Jill: Really?

Curt: only dry mouth mastiff. They don't drool. They're, they'll drink and drag. They used to use them for the, after the gladiator days when they were pitted against tigers, lions, and bears. They used them, the farmers in Southern Italy, Puglia, and they would run with the merchants and the carts into town 30 or 40 miles and back, so they learned to retain their body fluids.

Jill: Oh, interesting.

Curt: Then when they got home at night, they may have to go hunt a pig So they're very agile, very athletic, very intelligent. Uncanny ability to read situations.

If the owner's okay with someone, they're okay. They'll keep an eye on them, but they're okay with them, too. So I took him to the vet, Dr. Dennis Harn, one of my dogs, 'cause I wanted to get him collected. And he goes, "You know, I know a guy who's been breeding these for 20 or 30 years. Can I give him your number? Your dog's amazing." So I did. So I took the dog over, and he goes, "Oh my God, you have no idea what you have here." He goes, "I show dogs.

This dog could be a national champion." He goes, "You need to show him." I go, "Listen, showing dogs really isn't my element, okay?" 

Jill: Yeah, It's not your thing.

Curt: I'm not a dog show kinda guy. He goes, "I tell you what, man, bring him by the park this weekend. Let me run him around." So we did that two weekends.

He goes, "Enter him in the dog show in California." So I entered him. We drove out there. The national champion's there. Everybody's smiles turned to frowns. He's was a national champion. My dog was 15 months old, had a total of an hour of training. He beat him every show. They retired the dog. We went straight to number one in the country, and his offspring did some of the same.

I mean, we've had the youngest gold grand champion in the breed, national champion four times. It's hard to do it once.

Jill: That's incredible.

Curt: People spend over 100 grand to get a national champion, and have to have the right stock.

Jill: Wow.

Curt: So that's how I got into them, but I've always loved dogs. I've had dogs since I was a little kid.

I've had parrots. How come- I just love animals. Horses

Jill: How come you never have them at the store? I've never seen them at the store.

Curt: I used to bring them to the store a lot. He passed away,

Jill: Oh 

Curt: my number one, my JJ passed away on me, you know?

Jill: I'm sorry.

Curt: He used to be there all the time. He had a fan club.

People used to come in on the... "I'm not here for anything else." Just for- "Where's JJ?"

Jill: Just came to see the dog.

Curt: Here's a story on his name. The reason he's named JJ, was born in a litter, two boys, both blue, so I called it the Blues Brothers litter.

Jill: Oh, cute.

Curt: Elwood and Joliet Jake,

Jill: so yeah. Yeah, so you get JJ out of that.

Yeah. That is cute. I love that. So what do you have now?

Curt: I have three females at home.

Jill: Oh.

Curt: Yeah.

Jill: How fun.

Curt: I had a dozen up on my farm 

Jill: Oh, my gosh 

Curt: up on the farm

Jill: Well, yeah 

Curt: up at three-and-a-half acre front one. They all live in the house on dog beds, no kennels. I don't do that. 

Jill: They're just like your children

I love dogs.

Curt: They are children.

Jill: They truly are. Do you have children? 

You do? 

Curt: Yes

Two boys, both grown, yes 

Jill: do they feel like they're totally left out because you love the dogs?

Curt: No, though my youngest was a huge dog lover, too. Oh. My older son, he's a serial entrepreneurist like me, so he's so busy doing stuff.

He doesn't-

Jill: That's awesome

Curt: feel left out. He's in the mix, nonstop.

Jill: And are they all still in Oregon, or anybody down here?

Curt: One's in Oregon. My other son's here in Vegas.

Jill: Oh, that's awesome. At least you get to be around family. That's so important.

Curt: Yeah.

Jill: Oh, that is so cool.

Curt: Yeah, I have a grandson, just turned a year. Granddaughter 

Jill: Oh, man

Curt: four years. Yeah,

Jill: So that's the fun stuff. 

Curt: Life's grand.

Jill: Yeah. That is great.

Curt: Yeah.

Jill: And do they call you Gramps?

Curt: Yeah.

Jill: Oh.

Curt: Gampa,

Jill: Gramps. Gampa. I love it. Yeah. I always love those names. Okay, so what book are you reading right now?

Not reading any books. I'm, I also, I'm sure you know, I've been in five movies this year, Yeah, you're a little busy.

Curt: Yeah, so I'm coming 

Jill: You're reading scripts

Curt: I just made the trailer for the new Lucky, coming out with Anya Taylor-Joy and Drew Starsky. Reese Witherspoon 

Jill: Yes 

Curt: produced it. So I even made the trailer. It releases July 15th. and it's just a hobby for me. I just have fun. I'm not 

Jill: I think it's awesome

I'm not a big actor. I'm... I just think it's awesome. And so when I got to see the trailer, I was so impressed. I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, a celebrity amongst us."

Curt: Yeah, no celebrity. Has everybody But I'm having fun doing it, yes. Have

Jill: they asked you for your autograph?

Curt: People do, and I just laugh 'cause that's kind of a joke,

Jill: I love it.

Curt: Yeah, just did one with Kim Kardashian called The Fifth Wheel. I was in two episodes of Hacks with Jean Smart, two episodes, called Wild Things about Siegfried & Roy story. That's right. And that was just in the last year, but been very blessed, and I have fun doing. I've got a very distinct look.

Jill: Yeah.

Curt: And I throw in a $5,000 really nice suit that I keep in a vault, but,

Jill: And all your rings, and

Curt: Yeah, yeah get

Jill: all blinged out. And they pull

Curt: me in, and they make me featured by the main star, so.

Jill: I love

Curt: It's a fun run. Yeah.

Jill: So fun for you. What a fun hobby.

Curt: It is. It is.

Jill: Yeah, that is great. It's a blast.

That's definitely something people probably didn't know about you, but so I would imagine that your parents taught you a lot, your father getting you out there at 15 on the oil rigs. What's 

Curt: That was my stepfather 

Jill: stepfather. Yeah.

Curt: Have

Jill: both? 

Curt: my father, he had a hard time. He was a prisoner of war in Dachau death camp.

Oh. He was shot down for the Army Air Corps, so

Jill: Wow

Curt: he left when I was about two. I didn't really see him much. But my stepdad got me in the oil fields. He was an oil field hand,

Jill: And what did... Did they teach you anything that has left a lasting legacy? Is there a, some kind of life lesson?

Curt: Be honorable.

My, father has three Purple Hearts. He's buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Jill: Wow.

Curt: He's in section 70 Honor, integrity, nobility

Jill: Service, patriotism

Curt: Yes Yeah Compassion, humanity

Jill: Oh, right. Yeah, helping others, serve others.

Curt: Yes, ma'am.

Jill: Yeah. I can, imagine that list goes on and on. Okay, so you and I have been working together with the chamber since you opened.

Congratulations on your five years.

Curt: Thank you.

Jill: What has been your impression? What are some of the things that you like doing, in the interactions with the chambers? Is there something that stands out?

Curt: Well, I made a comment to somebody the other night. I was so tired on the 4th of July show, and when I closed, I went over there anyway.

And just like everything, it was magnificent. And I told my friend Tony, I go, "You know, I was so impressed, but then again, I shouldn't be because everything Boulder City does, they do right."

This is an amazing community.

Jill: It is.

Curt: I'm honored

Jill: That's awesome

Curt: to be accepted

Jill: Well, thank you 

Curt: in this community.

Jill: We're honored to have you and, all of the wonderful things that you provide, not only with your products, your service, your customer service, who and what you are, but your understanding of it's important to bring the best, to be the best, and to try to serve the best. So thank you for all that you do.

We'll have so much more information. I've got some links and things that we'll have in the show notes so people can educate themselves more about CBD, CBG, and, have a fuller understanding of that. Because I think as they understand it more, it opens the door at your shop because they want to be a part of that.

So thank you for helping to educate us.

Curt: Thank you. And do yourself a favor, everyone, please come see me. Please come see me.

It can change your life, I assure you. Everybody have a blessed day, and truly an honor to be here and to be in Boulder City.

Jill: Thank you for who you are.

Curt: Thank you