In this episode, Adam sits down for a great conversation with Ike Winter, a Milwaukee wood artist who creates elaborate pieces using only found materials and minimal tools.

Ike has gained national attention through viral works like a giant Crayola box, driven by his philosophy of "delusional optimism" - the belief that any day could bring amazing opportunities while staying authentic to his creative vision.

It’s an inspiring story of how focusing on what naturally interests you, combined with an optimistic mindset and dedicated work ethic, can lead to unexpected success.

Jump in with us to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is the Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own, NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you Milwaukee.

In this interview, Steve and Adam talk with Stephanie Grady, a former Fox news anchor turned entrepreneur who co-founded Influential Athlete, a company helping high school athletes navigate Name, Image, Likeness or NIL opportunities through coaching and education rather than traditional sports agency services.

The conversation explores both her professional transition and her personal journey from competitive figure skating to broadcasting, with humorous moments including a co-anchor literally diving behind the desk during a live broadcast and her observations about Midwest culture, particularly how Wisconsin is "too nice to have four-way stop signs."

The episode also captures the changing landscape of high school athletics in Wisconsin, with Stephanie's company working to help pass NIL legislation while teaching young athletes valuable business and life skills.

Learn more about Influential Athlete at https://influentialathlete.com

Jump in with us to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is the Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own, NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you, Milwaukee.

Welcome to another episode of our Milwaukee Legends Series, presented by the one and only iconic Harley-Davidson, a committed partner not only to this podcast, but to our local and global communities.

The Milwaukee Legend Series has been presented in partnership with Harley-Davidson’s 2024 Homecoming Celebration.

This episode features Milwaukee legend Fred "Freedo" Berry, a former Milwaukee Admirals hockey player from Edmonton who came to Milwaukee in the 1980s and never left, eventually opening the Hockey Haven, a beloved hockey superstore. 

After playing junior hockey from age 15 and spending time in various minor leagues, Berry found his home in Milwaukee where he played for seven years, drawn to the city's down-to-earth people and strong sports community - and he continues to serve the hockey community today through his store which has become something of a local gathering spot, like "the old town barbershop.”

Jump in with us to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Thanks for listening. 

Love you, Milwaukee.

This episode, featuring our friends Jonah from Molson Coors and Blanca from i.c.stars, was recorded LIVE at Summerfest Tech 2024.

Since 2018, Summerfest Tech has been shining a spotlight on Wisconsin's growing tech scene, bringing together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to network, educate, and celebrate tech in our great city.

In this episode we learn more about how i.c.stars builds successful partnerships with companies like Molson Coors through a 16-week technology internship program for non-traditional candidates. From this, Molson Coors has hired nine i.c.stars graduates.

The partnership goes beyond just financial sponsorship, focusing on mentorship, career development, and community engagement, with Molson Coors being named i.c.stars Corporate Partner of the Year in 2023 and offering opportunities for graduates to work across their North American operations.

Jump in to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you Milwaukee.

In this episode, Steve explores First Stage Milwaukee's production of Pete the Cat through conversations with educators and a couple of kids who, although they had a great experience, were endearingly random in their humorous responses.

The two kindergarten teachers, Erin and Andrea, shared their experiences taking their classes to see the show, explaining how Pete the Cat's message of resilience resonates with young students and highlighting First Stage's commitment to high-quality theater for children and all age audiences.

The interviews Connor, age 6, and Fletcher (Steve's son), age 5, bounce delightfully between plot points about "the BW bus" and entertaining tangents about naked crayons, showcasing the wonderfully unpredictable nature of talking theater with kids.

Jump in to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you Milwaukee.

In this episode I sit down with Emma and Maria from the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra's (MYSO) philanthropy team to discuss their upcoming Play Your Part event.

Side note, in my day job I head up marketing for MYSO. So I have a little inside info on this, too.

Anyway, this FREE community celebration on November 9th from 10am to 6:30pm at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center in Brookfield showcases all of MYSO's ensembles - from orchestras to jazz bands to steel pans - featuring 1,000 talented student musicians.

Whether you stay for one performance or make a day of it, the MYSO Play Your Part extravaganza perfectly captures the energy and excellence of Milwaukee's young musical community.

RSVP for MYSO's Play Your Part concert here!

Now jump in with us to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on our random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you, Milwaukee.

In September, NVNG, a boutique investment firm based in Madison, WI, hosted a unique event in Milwaukee called Venture North, to showcase how collaboration between venture capital and corporations can further propel Midwestern industries to become engines of economic growth.

During the event, I sat down with Nick Fallucca, a speaker at Venture North and Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Milwaukee based Palermo's Pizza.

You might know Palermo's as the frozen pizza of choice in your grocery store. But, in this conversation, Nick reveals how Palermo’s is quietly working to transform Southeast Wisconsin into the Silicon Valley of food and beverage.

It's a great example how an established brand can use its expertise in manufacturing and distribution to lift up the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Jump in to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you Milwaukee.

October is Wisconsin Tech Month so we’re going to drop a number of special episodes recorded at Summerfest Tech 2024 that took place this summer.

Since 2018, Summerfest Tech has been shining a spotlight on Wisconsin's growing tech scene, bringing together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to network, educate, and celebrate tech in our great city.

This episode features an interview with Betsy Allen-Manning, a keynote speaker, author, and business consultant on workplace communication and relationships.

In a super fun conversation, Betsy provides insights from her book "Win with People," which offers weekly tips on workplace communication while emphasizing the importance of empathy in leadership and the role of forgiveness in reducing workplace stress.

She also shares some hilarious things that have happened when giving keynote presentations, including a cockroach on stage!

Join us as we explore how technology and people are shaping experiences and driving innovation in unexpected places in Milwaukee.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you Milwaukee.

In this episode, Steve and Adam chat with Jacob, the co-owner of Fox Den, a unique smash burger restaurant located inside Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee.

Jacob shares the ups and downs of the journey from food truck aspirations to establishing a brick-and-mortar location to running a restaurant known for unconventional flavor combinations.

Here are a few highlights:

• Jacob and his partner Sherry Lynn started with a food truck concept, faced challenges, and eventually found a home for their unique smash burger restaurant called Fox Den at Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee.
• Fox Den specializes in "weird" burgers with unconventional flavor combinations inspired by regional cuisines, aiming to provide customers with dishes they can't easily make at home.
• While being located in the back of the distillery presents visibility challenges, the restaurant is gaining popularity through word-of-mouth and offers fast service for their creative menu items.

Jump in with us to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is the Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official legal THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own, NEWSKI. Finally, get in on random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you, Milwaukee.

October is Wisconsin Tech Month so we're going to drop a number of special episodes recorded at Summerfest Tech that took place this Summer. 

Since 2018, Summerfest Tech has been shining a spotlight on Wisconsin's growing tech scene, bringing together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to network, educate, and celebrate tech in our great city. 

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, where we chat with Adam, the Information Technology Director. 

From managing the complex systems of a 24/7 entertainment venue to implementing cutting-edge audiovisual technology in their new sportsbook, Adam's insights offer a fascinating glimpse into the diverse and dynamic world of tech in Milwaukee. 

Join us as we explore how technology is shaping experiences and driving innovation in unexpected places in Milwaukee.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on our random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you, Milwaukee.

In this episode, Steve talks with his new friend Greg who runs an annual Halloween event and fundraiser, called Scare ALL, with his family and neighborhood in Cudahy.

The "ALL" stands for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Here are a few highlights:

• With the idea coming from his wife, Greg transformed his family's Halloween tradition into a community fundraiser for leukemia research after his 18 month old son’s battle with leukemia.
• The event, Scare ALL, combines a haunted walk with family-friendly activities, aiming to raise awareness about childhood leukemia while having some fun.
• Greg’s positive outlook, despite facing his child's life-threatening illness, stems from realizing that everyone's difficulties are different and choosing to focus on hope and giving back to the community.
• And like all great stories, the scariest part comes near the end of this episode.

Jump in to learn more about your city and the people that make it great.

Experience Milwaukee is generously presented by Nicolet Law. Wanna meet some Milwaukee Legends? Check out the series in our stream, sponsored by Harley-Davidson. Our home studio is in Transfer Pizzeria Café. Our official beer partner is New Barons Brewing Cooperative. And our official THC beverage partner is Crescent9 Seltzers. Intro and outro music provided by Milwaukee’s own NEWSKI. Finally, get in on our random Milwaukee experience giveaways at TextMKE.com.

Thanks for listening.

Love you, Milwaukee.