Twin Cities Podcast

“It didn’t start with a message, it started with curiosity.” Andy George is the host and creator of How To Make Everything (HTME), a popular YouTube video channel that features Andy attempting to make everyday items from scratch by hand. What started out as pure curiosity into the components of ordinary products has given Andy a regional Emmy award, an appearance on the Rachel Ray show, and nearly 30 million videos views. Perhaps more fascinating than the success of HTME, is Andy’s back-story and how this once “quiet” and “timid” kid made a conscious decision to redefine himself. He became dissatisfied with how he was living his life and started to make changes. Take a listen to this remarkable story of transformation, tenacity, and curiosity. Enjoy! TOPICS MENTIONED OR DISCUSSED: His $1,500 sandwich that went viral Video of Andy falling into a cranberry pit His five-month trip around the world Embracing failure and providing a narrative Active problem solving Raising silk worms in his apartment S

“I think bucket lists are limiting.” Shayla Hoheisel (IG: @livingonaoneway) is a world traveler, YouTube video blogger, and entrepreneur, but more importantly she is creating the life she wants for herself. And she wants you to do the same. The Lakeville, Minn., native caught the travel bug a few years ago and decided to take it up full time. After a few months on the road, her friends and family wanted frequent updates so she started a video blog called Living on a One Way. The blog has now exploded to more than 6,000 YouTube subscribers and is closing in on one million views. This charismatic nomad details her voyage in a comical and entertaining fashion. Even when Shayla talks about personal issues, her delivery remains light-hearted, but still genuine. Equipped with her optimism and gut feelings, Shayla does not hesitate to meet people and create new experiences. She talks about the importance of pushing past her fears and brining a good attitude toward every situation. Above all, Shayla believes in

“There’s no such thing as a once in a lifetime trip.” Meet Jared Kamrowski. Jared recently quit his full-time job as a federal bank examiner to focus solely on his passion project, Thrifty Traveler (@thriftytraveler). To put it simply, Thrifty Traveler is a website that posts daily flight deals and offers valuable insight on numerous topics including, credit card rewards, traveling on a budget, and many other helpful pieces of money saving content. Jared talks about the decision to leave a comfortable career to venture out on his own and what it feels to be his own boss. He walks us through a typical day, which starts around 5 a.m., and how he aggregates daily flight deals for the website and his subscribers. Jared is also a credit card rewards ninja and he provides us with helpful tips on the traveling hacking game. Over the last several years, he has signed up for more than 100 credit cards and has more points than he knows what to do with. A few minutes spent exploring his social media will give yo

“Shirts are for work.” Justin Sutherland (@jsnaps1084) is the Executive Chef at Handsome Hog (@handsome_hog), which is a contemporary southern restaurant with a pig-centric menu in St. Paul’s trendy Lowertown district. Handsome Hog opened its doors in March of 2016 and has been rated as one of the top restaurants in the Twin Cities ever since. Justin takes his classical cooking skills and applies it to southern comfort food with a major focus on seasonal ingredients and locally sourced foods. Oh, and more than 100 different bottles of bourbon await you behind the amber glowing bar! In his early 20’s, Justin quickly realized that a desk job would not satisfy his professional ambitions. He made a snap decision to enroll in culinary school and went on to hone his techniques at many well-known Twin Cities’ restaurants including WA Frost, Meritage, and the now closed Brasserie Zentral. When you consider the fact that Justin was gifted an Easy-Bake Oven at the age five, despite his father’s protest, it’s simple

Briana Bierschbach (@bbierschbach) is an award-winning journalist currently working for MinnPost (@MinnPost) as a political reporter. In this episode, Briana gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what its like to cover the people, policy, and purple politics of the Minnesota Legislature. She describes her role at MinnPost as trying to help people make sense of what’s happening at the state capitol, and focusing on the "why" of the story as opposed to the what. Briana analyses the strong civic engagement that many Minnesotans exercise, and the reasons for such high voter turnout year after year. She also talks about how covering politics has made her a better citizen, actively seeking opinions that are different from her own. Of course, we talk some national politics as well, diving into the Trump phenomenon, the 2018 midterms, and the affect Washington has on Minnesota affairs. If you can’t find Briana at the state capitol, you might spot her at the old timey movie house in Columbia Heights called The

“There’s nothing worse than regret.” Have you ever felt that itch to start something new or take a professional risk? If the answer is yes, then I recommend you listen to the story of Mickeli Bedore (@mickelibedore). Mickeli is the Founder and CEO of Bedore Business Group (@BedoreGroup), which is an outsource sales company that is comprised of highly experienced and talented sales professionals. Mickeli is also the co-founder of an outdoor adventure company called Otium (@OtiumOutdoors). Before starting both companies at the same time, Mickeli was a rockstar salesman for many years in Corporate America. He enjoyed a lucrative and comfortable career performing a job he was born to do. However, that enjoyment faded when Mickeli began to feel the entrepreneurial tug. This tug intensified with the impending birth of his soon-to-be daughter. Mickeli started to ask himself, “what kind of eyes do I want her to look in to?”  To which he replied, “I want her to see a man on fire.” Enjoy! Topics mentioned or dis

“No revolution can be won with negativity.” Craig Minowa is a composer and the lead singer of the indie rock band Cloud Cult (@CloudCult), and also the co-founder of Earthology Records. Cloud Cult has produced 11 albums in two decades, and in 2004, was named Artist of the Year at the Minnesota Music Awards. Earthology Records was the first record label in the U.S. to create 100% postconsumer recycled CD packaging. In 2002, Craig and his wife Connie unexpectedly lost their two-year old son Kaiden. This tragedy sent the couple into a long period of isolated grieving, where Craig wrote more than 100 songs to deal with the loss. He discusses the realities of this life event, music as a form of personal medicine, and the importance to talk about Kaiden and death in general.  Craig draws inspiration from “the big picture” issues of life and tries to develop music that recognizes the beauty in everyone and everything.  Craig and I recorded this interview at Papa Charlie’s in Lutsen, Minnesota, just hours before

“As a reporter, you never want to be a part of the story.” Amelia Rayno (@AmeliaRayno) is a food, travel, and features reporter for the Star Tribune. Prior to her current role she covered the University of Minnesota Athletic Department, mainly the Gophers’ men’s basketball team, for six years. In August of 2015, Amelia penned a very personal article detailing the sexual harassment she endured at the hands of former Gopher Athletic Director Norwood Teague, all-the-while having to report on the athletic department for her job. Amelia talks about the difficult decision to go public with her story and opens up about the realities for females who work in a male-dominant environment, like sports. Despite her horrid encounters with Norwood Teague, Amelia has fond memories of her time on the Gophers beat. She talks about the great stories that surround college basketball, the opportunity to develop as a sports journalist, and what it was like to cover legendary head coach Tubby Smith. Amelia also paints a hilari

“I have these periods where I just live life and grow. I explore new things about life, and when I’m ready, I make an album about that.” Brother Ali (@BrotherAli) is best known as a hip-hop artist with the local record label Rhymesayers Entertainment, but those who only know Ali for his music are missing out on the entirety of this fascinating human being. “Music is not my undying love. It is one of many,” he said. Ali and I spent nearly three hours together and he spoke intelligently about several topics that spanned well beyond music. He expanded on his ideas and experiences that we normally sample in his well-crafted lyrics. Some of his more controversial songs have pointed harsh criticisms in the direction of the United States, dominant culture, and men. However, Ali notes that he never critiques a group that he is not apart of. “My critique is always in the mirror,” he said. Ali spoke about the importance of truth and reality. This was on full display when he provided an in-depth analysis of what h

“It’s all about sharing it with somebody.” To be a nerd essentially means to be an expert in something, which is a perfect way to categorize Justin Severson (@stpaulrockcity), a self-described comedy nerd. Justin is the host of No Laugh Track Podcast, the official podcast for Minneapolis-based Acme Comedy Company, where he interviews headlining comics on a weekly basis. Justin’s guests are a collection of world-class comedians that have appeared on David Letterman, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Showtime, HBO, Netflix, etc. The St. Paul native talks about why he thinks comedy is some of the greatest art ever created and also provides us with many of his all-time and current favorite performers. Justin and I dive into some of the commonalities that he sees in comics (his answers might surprise you) and even offers up a few hilarious stories about some big name comedians. He talks about how comedy has helped him push through a few rough patches in his own life and discusses the role that comics play in today’s s

“There’s never going to be another Walter Cronkite, and that’s okay.” Tom Weber hosts a daily show on Minnesota Public Radio called MPR News with Tom Weber that focuses on topics and people related to Minnesota. Tom believes some of the best journalism in history is happening right now, but unfortunately he says we are also experiencing some of the worst. He gives us his take on the future of media and how the industry is currently undergoing a major transformation. He talks about interviewing high-profile figures and what he sees from his “unique chair.” Tom also dives into the art of the interview and provides some wisdom on how he extracts great answers from his guests. If you’re looking for some post Presidential election good vibes then listen to Tom’s State of the Union message at the end of our chat where he delivers an uplifting message. Enjoy! SOME TOPICS MENTIONED AND DISCUSSED: His love for the Chicago Cubs (FYI...this was recorded before the World Series win) How and when Tom caught the

“We started with a seed and a big dream.” Dr. Andy Bachman is the CEO/President and Co-Founder of LeafLine Labs, one of just two authorized providers of medical cannabis in the state of Minnesota. Dr. Bachman is a board-certified physician with more than a decade of emergency room medical experience. It was in the ER that Dr. Bachman saw firsthand the epidemic of opioid misuse in this country. After years of watching addiction and overdose rates soar, Dr. Bachman felt a responsibility to give his beloved Minnesotans an alternative. In May of 2014, Minnesota became the 22nd state in the nation to legalize medical cannabis, but it was the first state to provide governance under the Office of Medical Cannabis inside the MN Department of Health. According to Dr. Bachman, many states are beginning to model Minnesota's program, which is one of the more highly restrictive in the country. Today, Dr. Bachman and Leafline Labs treats a patient roughly every 30 minutes for one of ten qualifying conditions that have

“Let your freak flag fly.” Christiaan “Bacon” Tarbox is an award-winning journalist, freelance graphic designer, published musician, and co-creator of a Minneapolis cable access television show (And Now It's). He is all of these impressive things despite being born with Asperger’s Syndrome (ASP). In the interview, Christiaan provides an in-depth look at what it’s like to live with ASP and how he was able to suppress the many ticks and abnormalities that dominated his childhood. More importantly, he addresses the common misconceptions about ASP and autism that have been perpetuated by popular media for decades. The Maple Grove native turned a corner in his life after college when he moved to Uptown in Minneapolis at the age of 23. It was in that artistic community that Christiaan found like-minded creators who helped enable his originality. During this monumental period of growth and self-discovery, Christiaan’s ASP regressed so much that it plays only a minor part in his life. Individuals with autism or A

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that has jumped off of more docks on Lake Minnetonka than I have.” If Minnesota were to crown a modern day renaissance man, Josh Leddy would be the odds on favorite. Josh is the founder of Life’s A Beach Shoreline Services, a full service lake weed management company on Lake Minnetonka. Josh and his crew utilize good old fashion manual labor and pull the weeds by hand rather than using harmful and ineffective chemicals. He created the business in 2004 as a way to make summer money when he was home from college. A few years later the idea took off and today Josh serves roughly 350 homes on Minnesota’s most popular lake. Also in the interview, Josh provides details on his new brewery schedule to open in May of 2017 called Back Channel Brewing Collective. Josh plans to specialize in sour beers and also use the brewery as a means to educate people about the ecosystem of Lake Minnetonka. If that’s not enough, Josh has been running a youth hockey league for the past d

"The path we are on is probably unsustainable." Deepinder Singh is the CEO of 75F (@75f_oi), which is a massively innovative climate control company. He took home first place at the 2014 MN Cup, the largest state-wide startup competition in the nation, and has presented at Google Demo Days. He was also named a Titan of Technology by the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Business Journal. The genius behind 75F is its use of sensors and a cloud-based software to maintain comfortable temperature levels in office buildings, save consumers up to 70 percent in energy costs, and increase air quality. Our conversation took place in 75F headquarters, located in Burnsville, Minnesota, which is hands down the coolest workplace I’ve ever seen. Deepinder was born and raised in India and has been tinkering with gadgets since the age of four. That obsession turned into a career that brought him to Canada where he was hired by Verizon Wireless as a Network Engineer. If you use Verizon there is a 95% chance that your data goes over

“Think less, feel more.” Anne Rapp and Brandon Quittem (@theyoganomads) were tired of feeling like cattle being herded into a life they didn’t want. Working in “Corporate America” left them feeling unfulfilled, stressed, and dissatisfied. The two first met during a week-long on-boarding session at Oracle for new software sales reps. They were paired together for a training exercise, but blew off the assignment to talk about travel. (Do you sense any foreshadowing here?) The duo eventually became a couple and had also begun a deep dive into yoga. Over the next several months, yoga provided Anne and Brandon with a high level of clarity and awareness. They became much closer and started to ask themselves significant questions about their lives. These experiences on the mat also offered a stark contrast as to what they were enduring in 9-5 office culture. With all of this self-discovery swirling about, Anne and Brandon decided to make a change. Cue the good tunes, beer and some Pizza Luce (the Wrangler) at An

“There’s a taste revolution going on around the world right now, and everyone wants better.” If you enjoy craft beer, then this episode is a must listen! Ilan Klages-Mundt (@insightilan) is the co-founder/maestro of Insight Brewing, which occupies a 20,000 square foot facility and tap room in Minneapolis. Some of their well-known beers include Hell Chicken, Troll Way, Sunken City, Lambton Dragon, and Devil’s Companion. During college, Ilan tasted a craft beer in Denmark that literally changed his life. The Belgium beer, named Westvleteren 12, was voted No. 1 on a Top 50 beer list, and Ilan had purchased two expensive bottles to sample. After his first sip, Ilan’s lip began to quiver because he had never tasted anything so good before. From then on he knew his calling was craft beer. Ilan read stacks of books about brewing and then traveled the world for a year working at different breweries in England, Japan, Denmark, and Belgium. He had pulled together $3,400 and bought a one-way ticket to England were

“The brain that you have before the moment is different than the brain you have in the moment.” Handing out sports bar coupons while wearing hot pants and tube socks wasn’t exactly how Molly Mogren pictured her life after college as an entry level marketing professional. She had aspirations of becoming a food and travel writer, so she quit her demeaning gig and composed a well-crafted e-mail to a local chef named Andrew Zimmern who had just launched a new TV show called Bizarre Foods with the Travel Channel. In the e-mail, Molly detailed her desire to work for Andrew and three weeks later she was on board as an intern. She eventually moved into a full-time role, and the duo collaborated together for eight years, co-authoring books, hosting a podcast and building the Andrew Zimmern brand. Molly truly appreciated working for her celebrity friend, but there came a time when she needed to came back to her own voice. After reading a quote from former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt that said “Do one thing every da

Nate Beck is the owner of Natedogs, which is a hot dog cart that has been serving up delicious wieners for the past five years in the Twin Cities. In fact, Natedogs' tagline is "quality wieners, MN farms" because Nate acquires his hormone-free dogs from local farms. He has been dubbed by several local and national publications as “Best Hot Dogs in America” and even listed as one of the “Best Food Trucks in America.” The professionally trained singer uses his background in the arts to create a unique experience for his customers at the cart that emphasizes one-on-one interactions and will more than likely end in a big bear hug. Nate talks about the startup stages of the business and shares his process for creating the nostalgic Natedogs brand. He also talks about how he recently sold 1,295 hot dogs in one day during the 2016 Art-a-Whirl event. He provides a rather convincing and passionate opinion about America’s dependence on ketchup, calling it the “sauce of shame,” and also details a few hilarious custo

Frank DiCristina has many abilities when it comes to natural healing, but his bread and butter is sound therapy. With the use gongs and metal singing bowls, Frank tries to help people who usually view his services as a last resort. They’ve exhausted all other options and look to Frank for some type of relief at the Center for Harmonious Living in Deep Haven, MN. “When a person comes to me they’re ready,” said Frank. Frank began his treatments in 2004 and has since been tutored by some of the most well-known leaders in the field such as Slim Spurling, Suren Shrestha and Dr. Mitch Nur. Frank was recently invited to instruct a group of medical professionals about the benefits of sound therapy at the Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Frank discusses electromagnetic exposure and how the extreme saturation of cell phones, Wi-Fi, laptops, digital signals, etc… can be harmful to our health. He also dives into his work as a building biologist and how many of the older homes can be negatively af