HyperLocal(s): Recent Episodes
Emily Harrington
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and Champaign, IL native bringing you a podcast from kitchen table studios in the ever evolving sometimes- boring-flatlands of Champaign-Urbana. HyperLocal(s) is a weekly pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. The podcast was born out of a dormant journalism background mixed with genuine curiosity and the ability to listen without judgement. With two sons now in school, it’s time to ignite the fire that dimmed while my attention was fully on raising two baby boys into two young men. So, listen up to catch the characters behind our beloved twin cities of C-U. Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Search and follow HyperLocal(s) C-U on socials!
For 4 1/2 years I've interviewed townies and transplants orbiting the Champaign-Urbana area. What an immense privilege. That's 224 consecutive Tuesdays where I have released an episode first from kitchen table studios and finally from WCIA. Special thanks to my husband, Andrew, for being my first, last and reoccurring guest.
This was an idea born out of a need to do something creative, tap into a dormant space in my brain and carry me through the transition of full-time stay-at-home-mom to the bit of "free time" that comes when your kids grow to school age.
From the name to the concept to the content, it was all mine. All mine and 200 plus brave, wonderful souls that let me dive deep into some of the most vulnerable parts of their being. Champaign-Urbana is not short on amazing people with incredible stories. I never scrambled to find guests, people to feature here were abundant. This experience has made me proud of the townie title. What I used to hide, I now feel pride.
To the listeners. If I didn't receive the messages, comments and words of encouragement, I may not have had this long of a run. Thank you so much for giving me your priceless time.
I wanted to do something I enjoyed and something that I was good at. Podcasting became a natural fit. Making a house a home is also what I love to do. The next adventure will be running our new Airbnb. This is already proving exciting, challenging and FUN.
In addition to mom, wife, retired communications liaison, I get to add "podcaster" to my bio. Thank you for making that happen, C-U and beyond.
My eps will always be up if you need a friend. See you around, byeeeeeee.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Anthony joins me AGAIN on the podcast to talk about life after the military, including the simple joy that dog training brings him.
Listen as this South Carolina country kid talks about becoming a dog trainer, injuries in the field, what a typical day looks like, how his training cycles go and box store dog walks. I couldn't believe the many layers to Anthony. The more he talked, the more I discovered about this former military man turned dog trainer.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts. WATCH on the WCIA3+ streaming app (Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, Roku) and on YouTube @hyperlocals_cu.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a high energy, community-driven all-around good guy. I thought my email would get buried under stacks of more important notices. I was delighted with a quick response and a willingness to be a pod guest.
Listen as this trademark townie talks philanthropy, Dancing With the Stars, dogs, real estate, community development, fatherhood, local art, picking up trash around our park, the nepotism stereotype and Robeson's Department Store. This family namesake forever shaped Champaign-Urbana, and for that we are grateful.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This all-American sport has his whole heart. From hosting batting practice to watching his son coach to learning from the pros, he loves it all.
Listen as this perfect representation of a melting pot; born in Jamaica, Bronx raised and Midwest rooted, talks travel baseball, glove restringing and restoration, service above self, the long last art of the conversation, Panera's social network, the importance of education, working with young baseball players, bringing back nuggets from pro games, dating his wife for 15 years, raising a future lover of the game and the brother and sisterhood of baseball. Anyone who wants to learn, he'll teach. Any glove that needs help, he'll repair.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Barber, marketing consultant, friend and trading card aficionado RETURNS to discuss his current passion/hobby and big source of JOY, trading cards. His alter ego, J. Bizzler, literally enters the chat.
Listen as this St. Louis area-born, Champaign-rooted, scissor master talks all things trading cards. The hobby from my generation's youth has made a comeback in a BIG way. With modern tech and platforms only fueling the fire, trading cards have become big business and big money for the buyer and seller. The art, the player and the pristine level of the card all contribute to its value. We also talk about the continued fandom behind Pokemon. We are in a flow state convo over this fascinating subject.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I am so grateful to meet, know and interview such an exceptional human being. She gives selflessly to others and wants to make a difference in the community.
Listen as Fort Wayne native talks about boundaries and work-life balance, licensed social work, teaching a course in grief (not only in death but in life changes) and teaching a course about hospitalized children at U of I, the role of a Child-Life Specialist, displaying a passion for pediatric health care, mentoring professionally and leaving a legacy through foster parenting. She has the ability to overlook the to do list in order to prioritize mothering and teaching others. A real gift.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and I recount the highs, lows, ups, downs and incredible core memories from our two week family vacation in Italy.
Listen as Andrew comes back to the studio after a brief hiatus to talk about why my phone keeps going off, why hasn't been on an episode in a while, helping a friend, the flight, Venice, Sorrento, Rome and meeting Pope Leo, pasta, pizza, gelato and McDonalds and everything that went right and the few flubs that come with every vacation.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This sweet, soft spoken gentle man, joins me on the podcast to talk about his road to and from the air force. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Listen as this South Carolina country kid talks about the decision to go into the military, childhood and police officer parents, performing/entertaining in the military, wheelchair basketball and adaptive sports, shoe sales, gig musicianship, healing through music, the pivot to dog training, St. Joe, The Blend Spot and Crones. I couldn't believe the many layers to Anthony. The more he talked, the more I discovered about this former military man turned dog trainer.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a great time talking to this silly, light-hearted science buff and comic lover.
Listen as this St. Joe born and raised standout talks about his unorthodox hairdo and the regime for maintaining his Weird Al Yankovic/Slash-like locks, comic books, Comic-Con, Conjunction Junction, singing (surprise song!), self-publishing, freelance writing, video games and self-deprecating humor. Todd was game for anything and a force of energy and smarts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
She knew what would be interesting to talk about and kept me on track, a real pro in so, so many ways. Everyone's cheerleader and a respecter of time and energy, Lisa is a 10/10 human.
Listen as this Ohio-born girl talks briefly about her normal childhood before diving deep into the real estate industry in town, taking the real estate tests, competing against your peers and office mates, open houses, setting boundaries with your time, motherhood, being a wife to a firefighter, philanthropy and winning the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club Dancing With the Stars event by an all-time margin! So easy to be around and talk to. The time flew by with Lisa.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Warm and sweet, open and vulnerable, the beyond likeable, Ashlee came to share about her personal and notable professional life.
Listen as this Urbana-raised girl talks about being the high school mascot, having an odd childhood, coming out and being rejected, online dating, That's What She Said stories, losing a dog and a brother, divorcing a partner, healing, managing Jarling's Custard Cup and what the nostalgia means to our community. What a gift Ashlee is to C-U. After a hell of a 2025, I hope 2026 brings levity and light.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Many sports functions overlap in the realm of boy raising. Ron is co-raising three busy boys as well as working a full-time career, coaching and advocating for often overlooked populations in our community.
Listen as this Decatur-born gentleman talks about meeting his future wife, picking on peers, wrestling, cutting weight, being a nurse anesthetist, running for the local school board and why attending practices with your kids is important. What a local legend and asset to our community.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
For about a year my son and I have been in her orbit enrolling and participating in theater-based classes. Her passion and knowledge for our local fine arts radiates from her high-energy personality.
Listen as this Chicago area born and raised city girl talks technical difficulties, the Penguin Project, practice vs. innate talent, auditioning, majoring in "anything other than drama," raising daughters within the arts, NYC and Broadway, internships, directing and casting, marriage, innovative online teaching during COVID, the Champaign fine arts scene and her theater programming business, Class Act. What a pleasure to meet someone so dedicated to their art and the art of our youth!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This guest made it very easy on me. She was a dream to interview and meet, wise beyond her years and an asset to the local Rape Advocacy, Counseling & Education Services (RACES).
Listen as this Alabama born and raised, Illinois transplanted, sexual violence prevention worker at the community-based, non-profit, RACES, talks about April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Darkness to Light Award, eye-opening statistics, what services RACES provides: like support to those affected by sexual trauma, prevention and response services. Thank you, Abbi, for making CU a safer, more supportive place. For more information, please visit www.cu-races.org.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I don't know if I've ever interviewed someone as conscientious as April. Thank you notes, gifts, informative emails—she would have got the job if I was hiring.
Listen as this North Dakota born, South Korea and all over the US raised, military daughter talks about high school in Monticello, food and cooking, growing up too fast, being raised primarily by your father, losing your father, the onslaught of decision making that comes with a familial death, pivoting your career and teaming up with your sister and the introduction of the funeral registry. We tee up brides and moms-to-be with registries, why not help the bereaved in the same way?
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This sweet, charming guy described himself as "kind of blah." I beg to differ.
Listen as this Taylorville grown broadcaster talks about losing his father, his change of plans when the farm he thought he would inherit was no longer in his future, combining farming with broadcasting, the marketing of soybean ink, communicating with farmers, telling their stories, writing on all things farming, keeping up with technology and policies and the Farm Progress Show. This super sharp farming expert was a breeze to interview as a consummate professional.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Breaking into an industry where you are usually the youngest one in the room can be intimidating. This girl boss has fought any preconceived notions every step of the way, using knowledge and professionalism as proof of concept.
Listen as this townie talks about her return to Champaign, learning from the best, taking over her mom's ownership position at Champaign Estate Sales, looking and sounding youthful as a personal plus and a professional battle, hoarding, auctioneer licensing, grief in an estate sale, generational changes in the way we inherit items, the art of the haggle, giving items dignity and trends in resale.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Listen as this Gibson City guy talks all things meteorology. Why this field? What fascinates men about inclement weather? What is the most intense weather situation he's ever been involved in? How does he navigate consumers who are upset by inaccurate weather reports, being a local celebrity, data gathering in order to best predict weather and the backlash when the data predicts the wrong outcome! Finally we touch on hair, makeup and wardrobe when TV reporting. I will always trust his predictions when preparing for our crazy CU weather! Thank you for being a trusted resource in our community.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
It's just me. For the first time in almost four years I take to the MIC by myself. I answer online questions during an open and honest question and answer session.
Listen as this Champaign native gets uncomfortable when answering questions about herself for once. Learn how I describe myself in 10 adjectives, OCD, regrets, weaknesses/strengths, what I admire in others, who am I when no one is watching, what fills my cup, what have I learned about myself lately, self-consciousness and much more, Fifty two minutes of honest conversation. With myself.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Two previous guests, Emily Donohoe (#114) and Shauna Boatright (#180), bring along a new face to the podcast, Sherrie Carter, to talk about a photographic project, Through Purple Eyes.
Listen as these three women, all with different backgrounds and stories, come together to talk about a project they are collaborating on. Mahomet fine art photographer, Emily Donohoe of Pixels by Emily, currently has two willing participants in an ongoing creative endeavor: Through Purple Eyes. The artist project honors resilience, courage and the quiet strength found on the other side of abuse-domestic, emotional and psychological. Donohoe wants to increase her philanthropic efforts using her art as a tool to do so. With sensitivity and training, the participation and privacy of those involved is respectfully handled. Sessions are shaped by each participant's comfort level, timing and story. If interested in participating. Contact hello@pixelsbyemily.com if interested in capturing your story in photos.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
The following week, Blakely comes into the studio again, this time on mic and accompanied by her now husband, Kristian. This beautiful couple lays out their perspective of before, during and after those unforgettable two months where everything could have, and medically should have, gone horribly wrong.
Listen as these locals talk about the American Heart Association, the importance of lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), navigating the future-son-in-law role during such a sensitive time, Team Blakely's round-the-clock support efforts, mistakes made in health care, bracing for the worst, hoping for the best, life's forever changed perspective, prioritizing health and self-care, shifting wedding plans, their future in parenthood and what that will look life for a medically challenged mama. "Take care of the ones you love." "Life is precious."
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts. WATCH on the WCIA3+ streaming app (Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, Roku) and on YouTube @hyperlocals_cu.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Interviewing family is a funny thing. The words and stories feel precious and protected, sacred and special. This effervescent sparkler defines what it means to be a mom: devoted, selfless, caring and strong.
Michigan transplant, but to all that have the pleasure of knowing her, she is a townie, lover of friends and family and a great time.
Listen as Kris Harrington relives her young, seemingly healthy daughter's, fast and steep decline due to off-the-charts triglyceride levels/pancreatitis. Anything that could have gone wrong, did. How did Kris navigate the complicated twists and turns of Blakely's shocking illness and keep up communication with the worried community that rallied around the family? Kris outlines the hospital visits, complications and diagnosis that left her daughter hospitalized for over forty days. I am so incredibly thankful to have Kris be a part of this story. Only a mother can recall the details and emotional strain that a child's illness can have on a family.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A great laugh and a warm spirit resonates throughout this passionate self-taught chef.
Listen as this Urbana native talks growing up in the diversity of Urbana, the opposing demographics of the Broadlands, team sports, alternative schools, working in dozens of kitchens, the importance of culture and food, the misery of manual labor, the incomparable feeling when cooking for others, couch surfing, working 20-hours per day and finding a home at the VFW 630. There are so many lows in this story, Benny took a lot of hits. However, he kept finding himself returning to the kitchen to find direction and happiness.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A podcast listener reached out with the desire to tell her story and the impact her life has had on her profession. On such a sensitive and timely topic, I was happy to have an expert explain their relationship with immigration—both personally and professionally.
Listen as this New York born, Palestine rooted, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor talks living out the American Dream, making a family move to Palestine, dividing time and energy between cultures and teaching. What a joy to meet a listener turned guest. Thoughtful and understanding, Nadia has a caring disposition that makes her so easy to talk to.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
He wanted to be the 200th episode. He has seen me through the trajectory of the podcast from beginning to now. Request granted.
Listen as this St. Louis adjacent native talks about his education and interest in music, private and public barbering, timeliness, faith, grounding in nature, talk therapy in the barber chair, fishing for sport and relaxation, philanthropy and giving haircuts rooted in cultural traditions. Jake has heard and seen it all. During this interview we get a deeper look into Jake the friend, counselor and confidant. Jake is one of my absolute favorite conversationalists on and off record.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Two early birds set up and execute a podcast in under eight hours! A record scheduling feat. Patient, soft spoken and flexible, Illinois muralist and window painter, Leslie, brought so much to the podcast table.
Listen as this Peru, Indiana transplant talks about her strict religious upbringing, getting married young, having children young, planting a church, breaking away from her religious roots, teaching music, divorce, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), using art for therapy and beginning life again as a muralist and window painter. She is as vibrant and playful as her creations and a pleasure to interview.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I was delighted when Emergency Department Nurse, Sarah Bloomstrand, came on the podcast a year ago. Now, Sarah returns with husband and fellow ED professional, Dr. Kurt Bloomstrand, to talk life as a doctor in a high pressure, high stakes environment.
Listen as this Loda transplant talks about growing up in a smaller town, developing a yearning and learning to help with medical needs at a young age, surviving medical school and the other educational benchmarks, working in Emergency Services and meeting Sarah, why Emergency medicine over other specialties and finally a passion project that comes to life this week, in the middle of flu season, FirstLine Urgent Care! Our community is so lucky to have these providers at the helm of a project sure to fill a need for availability to urgent, more convenient care. What a lovely pair full of heart, conviction and knowledge.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and I reflect on the completely unexpected responsibility given to us. This responsibility would become a gift that we will never forget or take for granted. With no family or children, my husband became the caretaker for a recently widowed man with a newly discovered dementia diagnosis.
Listen as my husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" better half returns to talk about a years-in-the-making arrangement that came to fruition, spending each lunch hour with a heartbroken, rapidly aging former piano teacher with no kids or family to rely on, going from the position of student to caretaker, the last email from his ailing wife, navigating insurance, doctors appointments, the health care system and assisted living. After two years of daily visits and chats, Andrew takes time to reflect on how he will remember his childhood piano teacher ... and friend.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Don't judge a book by its cover. This realtor that rocks was an open book. She shared vulnerabilities and insights that can only come with experience and reflection, successes and fails.
Listen as this Danville native and former Burger Chef employee talks growing up in Danville, her high school temperament, parenting your kids over friending your kids, rock star Bret Michaels and the band family, speaking your mind, divorce, dating, unemployment, bankruptcy, real estate, giving back, sharing political views and fur babies. What a pleasure it was to get to know the interesting woman beyond the billboards!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Previous guest, Cedar King, returns to talk about C-U At Home's largest fundraiser of the year, One Winter Night. Participants spend a night out in the elements to paint a poignant picture of what just a handful of hours can feel like for our local unhoused community. This episode Cedar brings a success story with him, Elizabeth Campbell, to share her story of growth, resilience and the comeback.
Listen as Cedar, Michigan transplant and Liz Campbell, Bloomington-Normal transplant, talk all things trauma, family dynamics, addiction, mental health, manipulation and the consequences of this dangerous mix of behaviors and events; losing a marriage, a home, kids and yourself. Wait for the end to get to the happy ending of recovery, therapy and putting the pieces of life back together one relationship at a time. Looking to give back? The February 6 fundraiser, One Winter Night, can always use support. Visit p2p.onecause.com/own2025 for more information.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This magnetic ray of chaos, smiles and energy was an easy interview. Proud of both his history as a Marine and present as a DJ and Toys for Tots Coordinator, he brought an energy that was undeniable.
Listen as this Chicagoland transplant talks about his unique upbringing with a two year high school sabbatical in Japan, using athleticism to shape his diligence and work ethic, surviving and thriving during bootcamp and beyond, the urge and disappointment of never becoming a drill instructor, getting his MBA, opening a DJ business and mobile tailgating set up and becoming a famous icon at Illini games. On Thursday, December 11, Ceasar, along with the WCIA team, will be behind the WCIA building (509 S. Neil St.) accepting unwrapped kids' toys for the youth in our community. These youth may otherwise be overlooked this holiday season if it wasn't for the contributions from Toys for Tots.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
The sweetest vet answered my texts when I needed emotional support, encouragement and someone to say, "You are doing the right thing."
Listen as Bloomington native and University of Illinois graduate, Dr. Mary Laptew talks about her background in veterinary medicine, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and all things end-of-life animal care. When is the right time to put your animal "down," what are the options for end-of-life services, what does each scenario look like and how do you navigate a couple on different sides of the issue? If you want to know you are making the best, toughest decision for your fur and human family, listen to this ep.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My prayers have been answered. My dream has come true. Not email, nor text was answered. A good old-fashioned drop by was what it took to win an interview with the elusive, Thad Morrow.
Listen as this Jacksonville, IL native talks about his love for all things Italian, living and studying abroad, falling madly in love with European culture, getting a chance in the restaurant business, culinary school, cubicle life, Mario Batali, starting restaurants, closing restaurants, managing staff, having a son, burnout, going corporate and finally finding his happy, little sweet spot in Champaign-Urbana. What a treat for me to interview this talented, mysterious and endlessly interesting chef.
I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. A gifted private Simply Santa session, keepsake artwork and a joyful memory will brighten many Christmas' this year. The more local businesses that sponsor, the more families will be eligible! If you would like to sponsor a lucky family or are in need of a session yourself, pixelsbyemily.com/santasponsorshipprogram to sign up.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
He wanted to make sure he wrapped up his podcast under the honest reality that most recovery stories don't play out the way his did. The stats tell a much different outcome. Through years of struggle and working the program, Jay shares the recovery years.
Listen as townie Jay Ramshaw returns to talk about the years after he quit drinking. Jay describes the work; the program he adopted, the help he received and the help he gave. He knows and appreciates that everything he has good in his life today, is because of this turning point he made at the young age of 19! Learn about his coping mechanisms, his approach to sharing his lifestyle with others, being the sober one at the party, how he will approach drinking with his three children and finishing college in a much different way than it started. Want to donate or attend the event Jay is speaking at and support those in recovery and needed help? Visit givebutter.com/JSjBfi
I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. A gifted private Simply Santa session, keepsake artwork and a joyful memory will brighten many Christmas' this year. The more local businesses that sponsor, the more families will be eligible! If you would like to sponsor a lucky family or are in need of a session yourself, pixelsbyemily.com/santasponsorshipprogram to sign up.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Thomas Holmes, a guest from April 2023 episode #72, wanted to promote an upcoming event featuring a keynote speaker that has been on my interview list for quite some time. This combination of recovery and giving back and makes for a compelling interview of storytelling and awareness.
Listen as Thomas, from the Chicago projects, mixes with townie, Jay Ramshaw, to talk about their upcoming event, Milestones & Miracles: A Recovery Happens Celebration on November 20 from 6 to 8 at Hyatt Place in downtown Champaign. Jay provides a personal story of recovery while Thomas outlines the purpose behind the event. Igniting the addiction, the explosive early years of binge drinking, the ripple effects on family, friends and teammates, the rock bottom and getting help. I knew Jay way back then and am proud to know him even better now, healthier, happier and dedicated to his sobriety and helping others. Want to donate or attend event and support those in recovery and needed help? Visit givebutter.com/JSjBfi
I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. A gifted private Simply Santa session, keepsake artwork and a joyful memory will brighten many Christmas' this year. The more local businesses that sponsor, the more families will be eligible! If you would like to sponsor a lucky family or are in need of a session yourself, pixelsbyemily.com/santasponsorshipprogram to sign up.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I needed a confidence boost. She was there for what I needed when I needed it most. I was tickled to see her public, professional persona matched her warm and friendly demeanor in person.
Listen as this Chicago suburbanite talks journalism schooling, why TV news, stories she will never forget, a familial workplace, mentoring the next generation, losing public anonymity, taking criticism then and now, hair, makeup and wardrobe, feeling pride and comfort in her career trajectory and how to end RBF. The tips, tricks and overarching advice of giving myself grace while adding the video component to my always audio podcast, will forever be appreciated and remembered.
I'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. A gifted private Simply Santa session, keepsake artwork and a joyful memory will brighten many Christmas' this year. The more local businesses that sponsor, the more families will be eligible! If you would like to sponsor a lucky family or are in need of a session yourself, pixelsbyemily.com/santasponsorshipprogram to sign up.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
She didn't have to say "yes" to my request of coming on the pod. She does not need or want the recognition. I believe as a personal favor and to highlight the efforts of the United Way, she gave me her time and voice. Through this interview, you get a clearer picture of the position Hope plays in our community. Literally and figuratively.
Listen as this Missouri-grown Midwesterner talks about the surprising scope of the Fighting Illini community, the change in trajectory the Illini programs have seen since they came to town, being a college athlete then vs. college athletes now, raising little ones, talking Illinois sports, philanthropy, teamwork in a marriage, from the corporate world to "SAHM," befriending new Illini wives and misconceptions. Hope is about as down-to-earth as one gets, someone you want to be friends with. Grateful for the easy conversation and the opportunity to get to know her better.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Another palette cleansing episode to refresh the soul. Alyssa is all things food and drink in Champaign-Urbana. I've lived here my entire life, and I learned more in under an hour than I have in a decade of adulting from this human sparkler.
Listen as this Orlando, FL transplant talks living in the biggest tourist trap in our nation, maintaining anonymity while testing area restaurants, the changing donut scene, donut as a primary food group, local favorite eating categories, how to politely and publicly review food and beverage, the grit and determination it takes to be in the restaurant business, farmer's markets, payment and freebies and finally the ins-and-out of writing for the popular local media resource, Smile Politely.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I've seen her around for the past few years, and I always wanted to learn more about her. The megawatt smile and relatable social media presence made her a perfect interview candidate.
Listen as Wisconsin native and That's What She Said sister talks perimenopause, the natural health space, chiropractic medicine, parenting guilt, all the "lasts" that come with raising children, getting married young, youth ministry, the privileged yet challenging stay-at-home mom title and finding and meeting half of her family tree. She was such a thoughtful and easy guest with a natural presence behind the microphone. She made it easy for me!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Back by popular demand, my only recurring guest, Andrew Harrington, graces the studio on wheels in this travel pod discussing summer on the first day of fall.
Listen as my husband, co-townie, BFF4E, producer and attorney talk smoothies, summer camp drops, Michigan summers, McDonald's lately, fireworks foibles, bike riding, rain, rain, rain, having NFL players over for dinner and concerts. This episode is sandwiched in between some very serious and difficult topics as a way to reset and smile.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I was in-the-pocket with this interview, mouth agape and blown away by the brutal honesty and vulnerability that Rod showed during our hour together. I learned so much about two afflictions that can really effect someone's life.
Listen as this Rantoul native talks about being a man in the woman's world of hairdressing, drama and acting, marrying a younger woman and the assumptions that come with that, being ahead of COVID protocols, living with Tourette's Syndrome, living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, watching your father pass in front of your eyes and the angel that he still talks to.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Shauna Boatright. Prison Employee and Inmate, Part 2. HyperLocal(s) Podcast Episode 180.
I continue to be amazed at the composure my guests have when recounting their tragedies and their traumas. This is the second part, the most recent and fresh, that Shauna recounts as a former prisoner employee and former inmate.
Listen as this Rantoul native talks candidly about her failed marriage, rape and getting caught selling tobacco within the prison system. Watch part 2 of Shauna's documentary at youtube.com/watch?v=0lVWQJ5rYSQ.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I continue to be amazed at the composure my guests have when recounting their tragedies and their traumas. This is the first part, the formative, childhood part, that Shauna recounts growing up with her father.
Listen as this Rantoul native talks candidly about the abuse she endured while living with her father, the progression from child pornography to molestation, the degradation of her confidence and self-worth, exposing the truth, getting help, hope in the system and her father's sentencing. Watch Shauna's documentary at youtube.com/watch?v=6iYrt4u7FzA.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Oftentimes one interview leads to another, to another. As is the case with Alyssa. The CEO at the YMCA, Jeff Scott, oriented me in the direction of this sweet, smart, savvy mom and director of the incredible local resource, Larkin's Place.
Listen as the Chicago suburb transplant talks about growing up in a home with a sister who has a disability, picking a career path in special education, becoming a medical mom, directing a local resource center for children with special needs, fetal surgery, making your expectations clear at the hospital, Spina Bifida, clubfeet and her two beloved children. I continue to be absolutely amazed by the strength parents have when it comes to their kiddos. Alyssa is a powerhouse of love and advocacy for Millie and the many others in need of resources and advocates.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Ageless, friendly and easy going. I had the privilege of interviewing his wife previously, and I was pleased to get to know the other half of the power couple that runs the thriving local retailer, Art Mart.
Listen as this fellow tried-and-true townie talks risky hobbies, sharp career changes, a stress-free kind of love, being an introvert that loves talking to people, working in retail, photography, beer, wine, cheese, Art-Mart through the years, working with your spouse and staying in your lane, having your mom as your teacher, the history of geology in the family and raising two sons. CU is lucky to have him, and I am lucky to have interviewed him.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
There are some people who have the gift of teaching, and Anna is one of them. She is soft, kind, warm and structured. I loved listening to her gratitude and appreciation for being a mom and for the other parents that entrust her with their children.
Listen as this South Side Chicago mom, wife, teacher and preschool leader talks all things kids, potty training, learning through play, child loss at 7-months pregnant, being a grandma, new school year anxiety, separation anxiety, the importance of saying goodbye, "Covid kids" entering kindergarten, marrying young, having trouble in school, further education later in life, the importance of fine motor skills and staying in shape for your kids. This conversation is a deep breath before the hustle and crawl of the coming weeks.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
These three talented, confident and hardworking young men join me for an impromptu podcast where we talk on a personal level about the game of football.
Listen as these tropical transplants: Jer'Zhan (Johnny) Newton of the Washington Commanders and Denzel Daxon of the Dallas Cowboys, both former Illinois defensive linemen, talk with Jershaun (Shauny) Newton, freshman quarterback for the Fighting Illini squad. The juxtaposition of perspectives and age is highlighted within these stories of two NFL athletes and one athlete who is just beginning his college career. Nice smiles, hair, the draft, kids in football, the familial connection and starting the game later in life are just a few topics touched on. I couldn't stop smiling while interviewing these young stars. Can't wait to watch you all this fall!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Talk about a champion of both physical and mental growth. Emily is the epitome of discipline, control and practicing what you preach. The world of natural bodybuilding is layered and admirable.
Listen as this Carbondale gal talks about the fascinating world of bodybuilding, prepping your body for competition, earning pro status, posing, the world of steroid use and natural competitions, reintroducing your body to a norm after competition, trauma and disordered eating and exercise, adding tools to your toolbox, letting go of control, certifications, playing macro Tetris, art and art therapy, putting puzzles together for others, being a coach and being coached. She has learned how to turn life's hurdles into pivot points for changing courses while adding goals and challenges. Emily is a champion of both physical and mental growth.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This trio is a community-driven powerhouse of commitment and dedication to kids and the game of football.
Listen as this mix of townies and transplants talks about youth football in our community, the popularity peak in the late 80s/early 90s, the fade out in the early 2000s and the rise again as Champaign-Urbana and surrounding towns build and strengthen youth football teams to participate in "the ultimate team sport," their personal experience in college-level football, feelings behind their own children playing football, safety concerns and guidelines and why playing contact football at a young age imprints important safety techniques and finally why we believe there is no other youth sport that fosters development six days a week, two hours a day like this extraordinary program of heart, mental toughness and physical strength.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocate's (CASA) representatives stop by to passionately and compassionately explain why the kids in our community need CASA to to be their voice.
Listen as Candi, a townie and CASA volunteer, and Laura, a Peoria transplant and Director of Development, talk about how they attach themselves to the child abuse and neglect cases in Champaign County, the wide and vast volunteer base that makes up the majority of their workforce, how the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) and CASA differ and align, why this is an organization worth dedicating time and money to and the numbers CASA are able to help in our area. Without volunteers like Candi and staff like Laura, our community would lack the resources needed to support the little ones in our area that need an advocate supporting them.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and I download this non-stop season of life.
Listen as my husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, returns to talk wrapping basement construction, "stolen" haybales, parent failures, having "the talk" as kids and with our own, the neighborhood car chase and accident, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, teaching Science Olympiad, tree troubles, having a dramatic child, challenging your kid to get uncomfortable, the deal with choosing the same side of the bed and Andrew's dysfunctional handyman process. Thank you for listening to our beautiful mess.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a local treasure. Champaign-Urbana is so very lucky to have someone who cares about creating, maintaining and improving beloved businesses in our community.
Listen as this Michigan/Florida transplant talks about her commitment and ownership to five touchstone businesses in our town, Central Illinois Bakehouse, Espresso Royale Cafes, Martinelli's Market, Pekara Bistro and Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, exceptional customer service, intentional sourcing and producing, considering her and her team as problem solvers over farmers and last, but certainly not least, champion cheese talk and a word from her son.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
The introductions go wayyyy back to Franklin Middle School then Central High. Two of the four Cornett sisters, Amanda Overmyer and Jodi Davis, join me for a look back, snapshot of the present and glimpse into the future.
Listen as these Champaign natives talk sisterhood, family dynamics and roles, unexpected blessings, midwest mannerisms vs. southern hospitality, why Jodi will forever be mad at Amanda, parenting styles, career choices, kids "now and then," public schools, kids leaving the nest and keeping connected across state lines. If you want a feel good catch up peppered with laughter, this is it.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Coming in fresh from a day of summer school, this fixture at Central High School takes me through the trajectory of his teaching and coaching career.
Listen as this small town Iowa farm kid talks farming, "kids these days," technology, the longevity of his career at our local high school, the approach of empty nesting, travel baseball, emotional coaching vs. skills coaching, bringing a team together, a frustrating end to the season, your own kid letting go of the sport you love, 500 wins and shedding tears vs. anger. I feel so grateful to catch Mr. Staab after such an epic season. You're leaving a legacy.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Busy, kind, funny and self-deprecating. Jess stayed cool, calm and collected under pressure as the definition of a multi-tasking mom unfolded right in front of me in order to get the job done.
Listen as this Chicago-area transplant talks micropreemie, losing a twin, infertility, the endless NICU stay, taking home "the sickest, smallest baby at Carle," trach life, regrets and therapy, COVID isolation, long-term challenges, sharing her family's story publicly and the decision not to monetize, getting to kindergarten in a public school, the decision to have another child and non-profit work. This is what a superhero looks like.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I couldn't take in all of the poetic and prophetic words fast enough. Wise beyond words and kind beyond the capacity of most, Carlos has used his tonsorial talent to give back to select groups of youth in our community.
Listen as this Champaign native talks all things grooming, the importance of looking good to feel good, feeling good to perform good, abuse, divorce, being a dad to a big brood, the priority to support your children, athletics, failing to pass a college entrance test, selling drugs, getting caught, getting shot, creating a business plan, the love of a loyal woman and cutting hair throughout it ALL. The artistry and talent behind cutting hair led him to give back through, "A Cut Above the Rest Barber Academy." What an honor to meet someone who is representative of coming full circle.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A local newspaper article led me to her. She had surprised herself by winning an award for "Dispatcher of the Year." After talking to the 9-1-1 call center operator, there was no doubt she was deserving of this award.
Listen as this Monticello Sage lights up the MIC with her tales from behind the drawn windows of the local 9-1-1 call center, the importance of food on the job, night shift adjustments, car napping, busy signals, changes to the influx of calls with weather and seasons, the trope of annoyed dispatchers, dating within the industry, multitasking computer screens, triaging emergencies, swatting and why not to hang up on 9-1-1. If I were to call in an emergency, I would want this human sparkler on the other end.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Open and honest, warm and approachable. Father O'Brien gives priests a great name. He has made such a positive imprint on our community, and we are sad to see him move on to his next assignment, as is the dedicated life of a priest.
Listen as this Bloomington native turned nomadic priest talks rectory life, choosing to attend seminary and the low rate of graduates, what his parents thought of his life choice, keeping a line between being the "cool" priest and reverence, the new pope and the excitement that brings to the country and the faith, relying on a greater power to inform all decisions and finding peace in that. What an honor to interview someone so open to any and all questions regarding a calling that is often stigmatized. Father O'Brien was a pleasure, thoughtful and a great example of practicing what you preach.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
It is much more than bell ringing and disaster relief, this couple upholds the promise to do the most good with the resources provided by The Salvation Army.
Listen as this Nebraska native, Kenyon, talks about his story as a foster youth, how his mother needed and used the Salvation Army to bring their family back together, how the Salvation Army gave them the opportunity to have a Christmas, how the couple met through their faith and continue to serve the community through this valuable resource and the structure and military influence the Salvation Army uses as a framework for their processing. Between the two of them, they know all things Salvation Army, and I was lucky to learn how much the organization provides to those in need.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This red-headed delight has come up many times in previous episodes, so I thought it only right she comes on and tells her story.
Listen as this Easton, IL native (home to 400 or less) talks about her life as a photographer, the niche she has carved in the industry, going from small town to big city, photographing campus shenanigans as her first gig, volunteering for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (an organization that takes precious photographs in the hospital of newborns that have passed) and how she views the competitive photography market in our area having best friends as her direct peers. Keep documenting the beautiful in each of us, Holly.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a joy and pleasure and light and well-rounded person Jae was to interview. There's no shortage of adjectives for this well-spoken delight. She is a That's What She Said Sister, therapist, financial guru and simply a great person to have met.
Listen as this Naperville native and University of Illinois grad talks about the lifetime's worth of trauma she has experienced in just a decade. Jae describes her suicide attempt, sexual assault, travel sports and the huge impact that had on her life, disordered eating, college softball, boxing, depression, "little T and big T trauma," financial therapy, clinical therapy and bridging the gap between wealth and wellness. I was and am in awe of the progress, outlook and perspective Jae has gained in her short 23 years.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This smooth operator joins me at Kitchen Table Studios after a long day of teaching and dadding.
Listen as this Kankakee-born musician talks skipping a grade, clutching a high-honor scholarship, falling a few credits short, mastering his degree later in life, becoming a teacher of music and playing his voice all over our community while trying to manage a tricky relationship with finances. Finally and after some persuasion, Brandon sings for the podience to my delight!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Her intellect, presence and breadth of talent was inspiring. Her disposition and mellow nature was calming. She was a lovely interview and an honor to sit down with.
Listen as this German-born, California-raised and Champaign-rooted, talks how music influenced and shaped her education, her love life, her career and her family dynamics. Julie's main instrument is piano, however: conducting, directing, teaching and most recently heading the Lyric Theater with husband and previous guest, Nathan, at the University of Illinois is her main gig. While growing her career and resume, she also raised five children! Saying she is impressive would be selling her short. Lovely, kind and generous of her time and gifts would help fill the dictionary of adjectives that define this renaissance woman.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My family of four gather around our dining table aka Kitchen Table Studios to excitedly provide content.
Listen as my children, husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, graciously provide content during a rousing Q & A game, expose family secrets, tell us why they know mom and dad love them, what are mom and dad not good at, lots of secret fast food content, what makes our kids laugh, what are least favorite article of clothing for each other is, the first thing we bought together and if Andrew and I were a traffic sign what would we be? A real look at our perfectly imperfect family dynamic.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
We saw the same episode of the same trash TV show. We thought the same thing as the same time. She reached out and I was ready to listen and record.
Listen as this Champaign girl turned Bloomington-Normal resident returns to talk about the most controversial topic on the planet. Heated, political, polarizing and emotional. This one is all hers, however. The spring break we will never forget followed up by the summer that pushed the limits of friendship, adulting and keeping secrets. She bravely opens up about her unexpected teen pregnancy, the choice that followed, the decisions made, how she feels about the decision now as a mom, how she will teach her daughter about sex and promote an open line of communication and how she kept the choice quiet for so long. Most importantly, Natalie shares why she wanted to talk about it decades later. No more shame. No more secrets. No regrets.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Bubbly is an understatement. She is bouncy, beautiful and ultimately driven by a love for her business. Her second child.
Listen as this Tuscola woman talks about working at the outlets, always wanting to be at work over school, following what she excelled at over what she envisioned for her future, scaling down the dream of a family of five to one, managing a home and business with a commuting husband, not liking to rely on others for help, the constant cycle of adjustments and caring and conversing over selling and the bottom line. Her raspy voice, love for talking and obvious zest for life made for a compelling and easy conversation.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Sweet and hardworking, altruistic and loving. She is the definition of selfless and the embodiment of maternal resilience.
Listen as this Urbana-born woman breaks free from a traumatic childhood by seeking refuge at a woman's shelter near her neighborhood, prioritizing work over a higher education, eventually getting straight A's and building a career in respiratory therapy, finding love on the early iterations of online dating, enduring more miscarriages than she can count, carrying and delivering a child with a "death sentence," describing how this child changed the trajectory of her life, fostering dozens of children and adopting those that needed her to. Kelley decided to use a room in her home for good instead of a shrine. Now, she is running for the mayor of Clinton in an effort to further the spread the good!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
She is a ball of energy with a desire to change and help those that don't have a voice. At our first formal meeting she tells me all about her job at our local alternative school.
Listen as this townie talks working at the juvenile detention center, earning trust and respect, becoming an accidental liaison for the lost pets in our community, turning off social media for self-preservation, losing students to gun violence, student success stories and taking away any excuse not to move forward by providing resources and support to kids who need it. And want it. Alexis has a gift to relate and communicate to those who need help. Thank you, Alexis, for providing our community with brighter futures.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
When I saw her on stage at That's What She Said 2025, she shined like a diamond. Authentic, sweet and funny. A few messages later, and I got to meet the star for a long-form interview of her performance.
Listen as this Farmer City girl talks about the unique spelling of her name, her career in philanthropy, infertility treatments, the heart-wrenching ending to the birth of her triplets, how to approach a grieving mother and family and the effects child-loss has on parenting her son Hudson and girl Cooper. We then make the worst transition ever into divorce, online dating, dating coaching and her future in divorce coaching. Finally, and most importantly, Lesa talks about how she has never been happily. No one deserves a happier ever after more than this bright light.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Ommmmmmm. She has a calming affect that is unmatched. Flowers, yoga and an overall conscious lifestyle cloaked in spirituality, sustainability, staying grounded and an appreciation for nature.
Listen as this Korea-born, nomadic youth and now local business woman shares a story of yoga, the Dahlia diva, gardening, being a librarian, spirituality, losing her mom after healing their relationship, living in a co-op household, the COVID business boom, delivering flowers on her bike and now planting and harvesting cut flowers on her 5-acre farm. Delight Flower Farm. Aptly named as Maggie is the definition of delightful.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a character! What an entertainer! Energy and talent bubble out of this Jim Morrisonesque style icon while he graces the stages of Champaign-Urbana.
Listen as this New York transplant talks about his youth as a performer, relative pitch versus perfect pitch, his ongoing residency at Urbana's Canopy Club, the history and resurrection of Piano Man, the most requested songs and finally how many unbuttoned buttons is too many buttons unbuttoned?
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
When you realize someone you have always known strictly as an authority figure has a personal life, you begin to see them in an entirely different way. A dad, a husband, humanized, vulnerable. My former high school teacher had an entire story unfolding outside of the brick and mortar of Central High School.
Listen as this tight local father-and-daughter combo come to Kitchen Table Studios to talk adoption, the One-Child Policy in China, the influx of adoptions and societal dynamics only a few decades ago, the families that connected during this time for the same goal, the weekend that pivoted the Scott's life plan and the big brother. I will never forget the independent thinking daughter, Ella, and the respect and space that she was given by her dad to tell her story, pursue her lineage in any way she chooses and the consideration she gave to where she came from.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A lot can happen in two years. On September 12, 2022 the first podcast was released with this single mom. She returns to give a life update on the growth of her family and her heart.
Listen as this Urbana gal talks about her move to a small town, going from a mom of one to a mom of two overnight, her faith, her support system, how she manages stress, the adoption process, how they celebrated the adoption, sibling rivalry, managing stress, dating and the part I'm really in awe of, her selflessness. There was a need and she met it. There was a little girl who needed her and she raised her hand. She added to her mental, physical and emotional load because she believes this is what she was called here to do. The world needs more Mahalas.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
An early flight. A long-awaited couple's getaway. A welcome third wheel.
Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" road trip warrior talks with our dear friend, Jamie Wellman, on our way to the airport. We reminisce, discuss our Austin plans, talk music and get to know this repeat podcast guest a little better. Festivals, wookies, concerts, interrupting, lunch dating, caregiver stories, being a landlord, Veo bikes, a rogue bug and so much more. Need a random stream of consciousness? This is it.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
For the last two seasons of basketball at my son's school, I've watched this gentleman run back-and-forth while relentlessly trying to keep pace with the unwavering energy of middle school boys. Little pay, evening hours and most importantly an onslaught of unhappy customers makes officiating a job that I had to know more about.
Listen as this Pesotum-adjacent lifer talks about his own sports history from the beginning. He even includes present day full-circle moments with his children's athletic endeavors. He is my husband's cousin who I never got to truly know until this delightful sit down. We dive into his side hustle as an IHSA referee, diffusing situations on the court, in the stands and on the bench and how he keeps his cool. Chaotic, overstimulating and high-stakes, how does he keep all of the pressure from boiling over? Good, respected refs are in high demand and it's no wonder why. Officiating isn't exactly a glamorized position. Whether umping baseball or tossing flags on the football field, you are often the punching bag during losses and simply background noise during wins. Not a lot of thanks for the ones that truly allow us to play ball.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Two years ago I started working with her to incorporate weights into my weekly routine. She also overhauled the way I eat, view food and think about cardio.
Listen as this Oregon native and professional mover (in more ways than one) has returned to the podcast to talk less about her role as an Illini football wife and more about her role as creator of Amy Miller Fitness, gym etiquette, the old-school fear of women being "too buff," the simplification of calories in vs. calorie expenditure, our love of the walking pad, imposter syndrome, the comparison game, using the new year as a time to take inventory of the past, present and future, longevity and SO much more. She has forever changed my approach to health and wellness, influences me in the most positive ways and makes me want to be better. Thank you Amy for your researched, thoughtful and challenging approach to health and fitness.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I took notice of her unique approach to fitness on social media. Approachable, fun, silly, doable and high on positivity/low on shame.
Listen as this Danville native talks all things New Year's resolutions, ditching the concept of "new year, new you" and adopting a "word of the year," how she views her own body, "cold girl walks," talking to kids about food, fitness events culminating in a brewski or ice cream, building community, Ozempic and what's wrong/right in the wellness industry. Ali is a delight. She is fun, energetic and would be a great coach aka friend to support those wanting to shift their health and wellness goals.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I could have talked to Jason about his profession for hours. The dynamics and processes and protocols and community inside the firehouses in Champaign are tightly aligned and something the residents of CU should hear more about.
Listen as this multi-generational townie talks about the testing to become a firefighter, the drop in applicants over the decade, moving up the firehouse ranks at a comparatively young age, attending a college that specialized in a firefighting career, the alarming suicide rate and toll on mental health firefighting has on its employees, PTSD, the spouses left at home, cooking in the firehouse, Dancing With the Stars and why firemen have a reputation of being hotties!?
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
It was a beautiful day. A beautiful day for a walk. A beautiful day for pickleball. A beautiful day to take the afternoon off work.
Listen as this multi-generational townie and all around nice guy talks about the day he was hit by a car, the injuries sustained, the recovery, the stranger that held his hand, the EMTs who came to his side and called his firefighter son, the consequences for the under-the-influence driver, the PTSD that follows, the bracelet that everyone should have and the interesting way your personality sustains itself even in these traumatic situations and the worst parking lots in Champaign-Urbana! He has persevered through business wins and losses, career changes and is the king of reinvention. He will persevere through this life altering event, too.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A foursome I will never forget. During construction you become entangled with ALL kinds of people. These people are in and out of your most intimate of spaces for what seems like a long time—under typically stressful conditions. This particular group of people made the experience as painless as possible.
Listen as three of the Spectrum Design Group's six employees talk about the fails and wins during their first years in business, learning how to manage the flow of a project and overall portfolio, managing so many personalities and dynamics under one roof, the design trend to avoid, building a strong team, knowing when to bring on extra help and saying "yes" to small tasks that can lead to big payoffs. This is not a sponsored post, in fact, I paid them. They are just that good. They took a space that was a recurring shitstorm on the podcast and made it a beloved part of our home.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
The only competitor of his high-voltage smile is his unwavering energy and passion. This is the fuel he has to have to oversee storefronts, warehouses, construction sites and a "full" family life.
Listen as this Champaign-born Charger talks about his move to the big city, finding his partner in life and business, furniture rehabbing from a small scale to packed warehouses, closing the family business (Mosser's Shoes), the HGTV show and magazine, MegMade, entrepreneurship, consistency, keeping business and home separate and handling good news vs. bad news.
This interview was a road trip worth taking to catch up, download and visit the homecoming king that has moved away and never looked back.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Pure joy. Full of nostalgic references. The easiest conversation. We talk about a
hundred different things in under an hour, and we find many parallels along the way.
Listen as fellow Central Maroon talks about hosting impromptu luncheons for high schoolers, marrying at twenty with zero regrets, being average at a hundred things (her words-NOT mine), being too humble (my words-NOT hers), teaching, fitness kickstarting her life outside of littles, vasectomies, climbing the multi-level marketing ladder, Perimenopause, raising young teens and getting her real estate license. We talked a little about EVERYTHING. She is a wheel of reinvention and a seeker of doing and being your best. Mission accomplished, Katie.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
His son, Travis, provided a connection and background on this local legend. He lived up to the hype. Sharp and media savvy, this 93-year-old Illini sports expert is a true icon.
Listen as this Kentucky born, raised Monticello Sage, University of Illinois grad and media legend talks playing sports, covering sports, his early and current jobs in journalism, uncovering controversial stories in our town, making enemies and making friends, the best lunch spot in Champaign, thoughts on retirement, family, ego and the secrets to longevity. He lives and breathes the Illini. I was nervous for this interview, intimidated. It was an honor and a privilege.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Growing, birthing and losing a child at a month old. There is an unimaginable, almost out-of-body feeling to this interview. How does someone have the strength to progress through life after the worst possible thing happens?
Listen as this St. Joseph sweetheart opens up about the details of losing her daughter and first born, Reagan. She talks candidly about the pregnancy, birth and the four weeks of life with Reagan, her passing, all of the unknowns in utero and out, the celebration of life in the NICU and the grief, processing, healing and children that followed Reagan. Stephanie was lovely, open and a beautiful representation of the strength that a mother can pull from within when faced with immeasurable odds.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Surprising. He was so unexpectedly humble, thoughtful and intellectual. A self-proclaimed "nerd," Tyler bucks all the jock stereotypes with his articulate answers and analytical thinking. Not to mention sweet, "Home is wherever my family is."
Listen as this Macomb, IL born (add many moves in between), now happily rooted in Champaign, University of Illinois basketball player turned coach talks adding value wherever he can on the court. We also chatted nepotism, basketball as an art, carrying a book over carrying a phone, blaming coaches vs. players, trolling haters and his passion and allegiance to the community and athletic program. For the guy who wants to talk about anything other than basketball, I so appreciate his time and wish him a unforgettable season. ILL.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
By the time October 31st comes around it can feel like you've already been tricked and treated a dozen times. You're pooped, and your costumes are looking worse for the wear. This Halloween was no different—eventful would put it mildly.
Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" interrupter talks creeping it real in our Halloween costumes, not breaking character in his Freddy Kruger ensemble, when your kiddo's costumes go from cute to scary/sassy, the family costume era, getting "dress down day" at a uniformed school wrong and what it is like for a mom to have too many brain files open and finally the story of the stolen skeleton and the "peaceful transaction" between two pissed parents, the perps and the Champaign, Urbana AND University of Illinois Police Departments. The most celebrated Harrington holiday was scary but merry!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
AF. Alcohol-free. It's a trend sweeping the nation. No hangovers, decreased anxiety, a clear conscience and no sweat and regret.
Listen to this Centennial graduate, banker and Champaign native talk about a complete change to his lifestyle, mood, outlook and relationships based on removing a constant and consistent vice. Booze. Cary reflects on his rock bottom, his marriage lows, his parenting and his career with alcohol and without. I reflect on the difference I see in Cary from a professional and personal standpoint. Bright and happy over dark and moody, the change is apparent and inspiring. Thank you, Cary, for your honesty. May others change their lives from both your poor and positive choices. Also, thanks for the laughs!
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
You can't keep a good girl down. What would depress and ruin many, she used as a flotation device to give her purpose and direction.
Listen to this Centennial graduate and Champaign native talk about a 98' boating accident on Clinton Lake, seeking justice without any resolution, finding and using prosthetics, taking an athletic background and finding a new outlet with sitting volleyball, her incredible Paralympics history, her engagement and her current position for the City of Champaign. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong crowd, I can think of a hundred near-miss moments like the one Nichole describes on the lake that summer. She isn't defined by that boat ride, however, she is defined by strength, athleticism and now love.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
He was full of good advice, warm and talkative. Easy to get along with. He is the type of person that will always say hi and always stop to have a conversation. Smart. He will tell you some of the best decisions he ever made were the ones he didn't. He will also tell you he loves taking risks, but he wants to take less and less in the next phase of life.
Listen to this Champaign-Urbana native talk about making his literal mark throughout our town with iconic bars and real estate. Scott talks about the ultimate goal of making money while you sleep, being a good business partner by giving 60 percent and expecting 40 back, trying to hit singles and doubles over homeruns, being an emulator and the concept of using your limited energy pellets wisely. His bars made a big impact on my early adulthood and continue into the current generation. Thank you for the memories, Scott, from what I remember.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a doll. I could literally picture her day-to-day baddasery while working alongside a crew of men. The constant battle to prove herself, learn the most and be her best while keeping her femininity hidden behind neon work shirts and ponytails.
Listen as this Villa Grove gal talks about her family history in iron working, how her parents met in the industry, college vs. the trades, the proud concept of being in a union, changing her earrings to keep some of herself in her masculine work uniform, the protection and camaraderie she gets from fellow iron workers on the job site, her genuine love of welding and metal and the creativity she hopes to build from that and where she is now in her apprenticeship and the places she wants to go in that trade. She has a blinding smile and a sweet disposition. Don't be fooled, however, she can hold her own. Stature and femininity will never determine her incredible strength and ability.
Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
From afar, I've seen his comments and likes. His support. I asked him to tell his story, as I had a hunch there was one there.
Listen as this Michigan transplant, born Edward John King, talks disordered eating, working at a non-profit, decades of sobriety, codependency, mental health struggles, the unwanted hand-me-downs that come with a family of alcoholics, childhood trauma and being homeless. Higher education, exercise and a ton of self-reflection and work have helped right his ship. Each day he makes a choice to stay sober, exercise and stay focused on his own health and wellness. His honesty, sweet nature and vulnerability made him so incredibly likeable. Thanks for listening, Cedar. Keep rowing.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
On one of our MANY road trips this summer, in the wee hours of the morning, we talk and talk and talk about everything and nothing.
Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" segment producer talk more basement sewage problems, stress, the Illinois Football NIL deal, the band no one has ever heard of, the disaster of a camp drop off, Andrew's unfulfilled dreams of becoming a comedian while workshopping bits and finally listener complaints about the podcast content.
I’d like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels is running a SPECIAL for anyone who registers for an October Magical Santa Experience session. If you book before September 30, you’ll also receive an October Early Bird Bonus: a $200 product credit OR 20 custom Christmas cards. Knock holiday cards and one-of-a-kind gifts off your TO DO list at the Magical Santa Experience by Pixels. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/santa-experience for more information.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Some call him polarizing, some call him an honest fan, an Illini expert and a media personality, he is entertaining, well spoken and not afraid to state his opinion.
Listen as this Urbana native talks podcasting, his professional background in radio, his unique hair routine, teaching at a local public middle school, the state of modern kids, taking and responding to criticism and finally writing a book, "The 200 Level." In the book, "Carp," documents an Illini fan's journey. He is not afraid to say what's on his mind. It's refreshing to hear from someone who takes feedback and criticism from an obviously passionate fan base, the Illini community. However, he knows that's what makes our community special—the fire behind the fans. You can hear about his recent project, and you can find out his predictions on the football and basketball seasons.
I’d like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels is running a SPECIAL for anyone who registers for an October Magical Santa Experience session. If you book before September 30, you’ll also receive an October Early Bird Bonus: a $200 product credit OR 20 custom Christmas cards. Knock holiday cards and one-of-a-kind gifts off your TO DO list at the Magical Santa Experience by Pixels. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/santa-experience for more information.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A reunion, an interview a reflection on the moment I want to forget and the moments she will never forget. Working in the Emergency Department is full of the good, the bad and the ugly. The heroes that work the floor deserve more accolades than this podcast could possibly provide. Still, thank you. Thank you for all you do.
Listen as this Champaign townie talks out her climb to local Emergency Department (ED) educator. Fellow Central grads discuss late nights, department camaraderie, our personal ED interaction, maintaining empathy, decompressing, learning under her mom's experience and her mom's honest conversations when Lizzy told her she wanted to become an ED nurse. It's not a job for anyone and everyone. It takes a special person. Lizzy is it. Special, compassionate, efficient, knowledgeable and sparkly.
I’d like to thank this episode's sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels is running a SPECIAL for anyone who registers for an October Magical Santa Experience session. If you book before September 30, you’ll also receive an October Early Bird Bonus: a $200 product credit OR 20 custom Christmas cards. Knock holiday cards and one-of-a-kind gifts off your TO DO list at the Magical Santa Experience by Pixels. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/santa-experience for more information.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
More than a year ago I emailed this local business owner. Since the inception of HyperLocal(s) I wanted her to come on the podcast. I wanted to tell her what an imprint her family's business made on my childhood. Thankfully, my email made it to the top of her inbox, and we were able to sit down and talk shop.
Listen as this Urbana made mother of two, wife of one, talks about the inception and evolution of a Champaign-Urbana touchstone. Art Mart. Courtney shares the familial female badassery that knocked down norms when women wearing literal and figurative pants weren't exactly celebrated, the difficult, yet necessary, move from Urbana to Champaign, parking woes, the famous cookies and croissants, having to shut the computer down and put on your mom hat and my amazement at how damn good she looks for her age.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Articulate and sweet and obviously loved, Michelle has been through it. However, she has been through it with her high school sweetheart by her side.
Listen as this Centennial High School graduate talks not having prescription coverage during kidney failure, a close circle raising more than $70,000 to help pay for prescriptions, undergoing three kidney transplants, not being able to have biological children and not grieving that fact, doubling her body weight, using surgery and weight-loss drugs to lose that weight, accepting and appreciating the tools available to get help, providing resources to those who need financial guidance and last, but not least, supporting the art community. Michelle is a muse to her artist husband and those around her. Her perseverance and appreciation for love and life is unmatched. She was a privilege to meet and interview.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
She's a mom at my school, and I didn't even know it! Maybe I need to open my eyes more, look up in the hallway and make an effort to know the parents around me. Many of us are so much more than what we see on the surface. Not only are we balancing the biggest job of raising kids, but some of us are keeping massive companies thriving, a family legacy alive and a mindset of both progression and tradition.
Listen as this Southern Illinoisan talks about the importance of challenging yourself, how volleyball goes from sport to business, marrying an Abercrombie model and professional beach volleyball player, the utility of a stay-at-home husband, homeschooling and running the 5th generation of furniture stores. Most commonly known as Ashley Furniture, Ellen walks us through the evolution and success of this now household name. Glad to meet you, Ellen, you are a shining example of how to create a balance between professional and personal success.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily’s Magical Santa Experience! Pixels by Emily on Franklin Street in Mahomet is NOW ACCEPTING registrations for photo shoots among the holiday sets constructed and curated to the teeniest, finest detail. A private meet and greet with the big guy himself awaits while Emily snaps away in the background. Sign up NOW, this will sell OUT. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/santa-experience.
Mindfully Gay Podcast
Hosted by Nick Walton, John Cottrell, and Jerry Buie
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Unexpected. This interview was an honest conversation about what I take for granted. It's a luxury for most—growing up in a place where opportunity is abundant. Dalitso came to the states for an education with few directions and not enough money to house and feed himself.
Listen as this born Malawian moves himself from Africa to the Midwest in search of an education. This higher education experience would be very hard for him to get from his homeland. He isn't given the correct prep instructions before heading to the states, leaving him homesick and financially at a disadvantage. He would depend on the kindness of those around him to house and feed him as he completes his education and works his way into the nonprofit and public service space. A coincidental meeting of a fellow Malawian, a job at the Regional Planning Commission and an adoption of a healthy lifestyle round out this interview.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily’s Magical Santa Experience! Pixels by Emily on Franklin Street in Mahomet is NOW ACCEPTING registrations for photo shoots among the holiday sets constructed and curated to the teeniest, finest detail. A private meet and greet with the big guy himself awaits while Emily snaps away in the background. Sign up NOW, this will sell OUT. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/santa-experience.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This gal is 100 percent good, authentic and sweet. She is a ray of light. If you come in contact with her in or outside of the Emergency Department, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. I do!
Listen as this Galesburg transplant made her way slowly but surely to Champaign-Urbana where she has planted her roots and grew her family. Married to a physician, she and her husband are able to share war stories from their daily experiences at neighboring hospitals. Sarah shares tales of the Emergency Department, why she left and returned and how she balances a young family and a emotionally and physically demanding job. The Emergency Department has always been a place that both scares and fascinates me. Its doors see tragedy, addiction, poor choices and bad luck. Old and young, rich and poor, chronically ill or tragically afflicted, no one can avoid the necessity of care our local Emergency Departments provide. The people that work within their walls are admirable. The ones that forge through their day with grace and patience, like Sarah, are heroes.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Most teachers don't get a unanimous vote of AWESOME from all their students. This one, however, does. Mrs. Pritchard appreciates that all kids learn differently, all kids ARE different, school should be fun and experienced through projects.
Listen as this Chicago suburb transplants to our town of CU with her townie husband and young son. This mom found little outreach for NICU moms locally, so when she found The Nest Postpartum she quickly knew she'd found a place to get and give support to other families like hers. Current (and local) NICU families that need childcare, meals, lodging and transportation are welcome here. The nonprofit hopes to remove barriers so parents can be with their babies. Period. Claire is one of the care coordinators that uses her own experience to help others in her specific niche of the NICU unit, specifically, micro preemies. Her own son was about the size of her forearm when he arrived. Her story, and the stories of the other care coordinators, provide a base of knowledge and empathy to this organization. Want to help? Visit thenestpostpartum.org. They earn an A+ from me!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
These two absolute shining stars taught me a lot. When they left Kitchen Table Studios, I was in a better mood than when we started. Wise beyond their years, these brothers should be so proud of their accomplishments. I'm excited to see them soar in the upcoming years.
Listen as these Urbana brothers explain their parent's journey from the African Congo to the great state of Illinois, where they fall in a big family tree, Peace's transition from Urbana schools to Holy Cross Catholic School in Champaign, why football is a LIFE giving sport for both of them, their higher education decision- making process, how they stay focused on "the main thing" and how asking questions, staying later and making some SHAKE put you in the figurative and literal game. I am so glad to have met these two. Their parents deserve a pat on the back and a "job well done."
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Disordered eating and eating disorders have changed in terms of language, scope and target demographic. What used to be a common topic in library books and after school specials is now talked about less as other mental health topics take center stage. However, more than ever with social media, weight loss drugs and misinformation, disordered eating needs to be a trending topic.
Listen as this townie, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker talks about her personal story with eating disorders, how her experience makes her an expert ear when helping others, talking carefully to your kids about their own bodies, the chronic effects disordered eating can have on your body, reality vs. altered photos and finally how the popular Rx weight loss drugs play into diet culture. Kaitlyn is not only an expert, but she knows what it feels like to feel the emotional and physical pull from disordered eating. If you or someone you know is struggling with this disorder, she can help.
What It's Like To Be...
What's it like to be a Cattle Rancher? FBI Special Agent? Professional Santa? Find out!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Insurance is supposed to be dry. Not a lot of flair, color and charisma involved. Austin bucks that stereotype. His education in communications and creative outlets bring a fresh perspective to the industry, and sales, in general.
Listen as this Southern Illinois boy meets even more southern girl and builds a family and a business here in C-U. By day he is a desk jockey selling insurance plans with a philosophy of fishing for clients over the sometimes off putting tactic of hunting for sales. By night he is a rapper, graffiti artist, podcaster and overall creative mind. With three kids and a wife that works with him, life is full, business is good and Austin continues to make a name for himself in the community. Learn about talking about hard things on hard days, how he wooed his wife as a luchador wrestler, why he got scolded after a frat party, why he calls his wife "baby bundles" and the realization that he doesn't like being told what to do. Autonomy is paramount for Austin, and he has achieved just that.
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Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This pod is an oldie but a goodie. We pushed this episode back to release the Boston ep for timeliness reasons. When we have nothing left to talk about, we play a game. Art imitating life. We do this sometimes when walking or waiting impatiently for something.
Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" segment star talk "bringing the funk, upping the energy and being a basic bitch," voice mocking and a Q&A game. Find out where we want to be in the future? What we want our legacy to be? What we value in a partner? What we value in a friend? The best moment of our lives? And who loves each other more than the day we got married?
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Another That's What She Said cohort visits Kitchen Table Studios. She is smart, powerful, commanding and confident in her abilities and talents. Jen is no stranger to business, grief and going after what she wants.
Listen as this Arizona born, Champaign raised, fixture in our community shares her opinion of our little-big community, her love of animals, losing her husband unexpectedly while gaining a flailing business, taking the business from the red to the black, removing one thing a day from her home, finding a new kind of love at a tailgate and her recent venture, MOVIES. Jen is bringing Hollywood to Central Illinois with Shatterglass Films. Jen is someone you want in your corner. She has grit and determination, and I look up to the woman she is today because of the obstacles she endured in the past.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Unfiltered. He warned me. This sweet guy isn't afraid to speak his mind, speak the truth and raise a little hell once in a while. Please excuse the MIC sounds, we did our best with the remote location.
Listen as this proud Villa Grove born-and-raised seasonal farmer, horseman and new business owner talks about his family farm, "Team Block," assisting horses when they give birth, living and loving a country lifestyle, starting his own arborist business, working for Champaign County, avoiding the city life and spontaneous and unfortunate bull riding. Connor is a hoot. He takes us on a wild ride.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Authentic, sweet, vulnerable and warm. She is everything you'd want in a teacher, her first vocation. She is everything you'd want in a realtor, her career now.
Listen as this townie talks about switching careers, her ultimate purpose of helping people, building the life that you want, low level anxiety and spells of sadness turning into debilitating anxiety and depression, admitting you need help out loud, being uncomfortable with something new, pulling back instead of quitting, adding tools in your toolbox, the fear of letting people down, failing and having anxiety about having anxiety. Finally, Bridgett gets back to work on "having a BIG life."
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Because of sound quality and the irreplaceable connection that comes with face-to-face interviews, I avoid Zoom and phone interviews at all costs. However, if something or someone’s message trumps those variables, I make an exception. That’s the case for Patrick Stokes and his son, Seán.
Listen to a recall of May 17, 2024 when Patrick got a call no parent ever wants to get. His son, Seán, had been in an accident and was at Decatur Memorial Hospital. Patrick and his wife made the drive to rescue their son, not knowing any details of what had happened or how he was. In fact, for hours they wouldn’t be able to see him or know anything about his current state. The couple only knew he was in exploratory surgery. This surgery will be the first of many as they piece, secure and bring Seán back to the teenager he once was: athletic, intelligent, entrepreneurial and passionate about mechanics. If you are interested in learning more, Patrick downloads Seán’s day here: facebook.com/patrick.stokes.1485
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I met SoeYun during the 2024 That's What She Said (TWSS) rehearsals. She was well spoken and full of good advice and thoughtful observations. Then came the humor. Her storytelling was second-to-none, sandwiched with takeaways and pearls of wisdom.
Listen as this now midwesterner explains how she went from Seoul, Korea to the tiny town of Tolono! She retells what is was like for her family to immerse themselves into a majority white community, her "kicking a**" dad doing martial arts in the local park, being a certified acupuncturist in the Eastern Medicine modality as well as a hospice nurse within the conventional Western Medicine system, Florida living and finding love in an unexpected person in an unexpected place. SoeYun makes us all laugh, but her partner is her favorite audience member. Watch SoeYun's TWSS performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5UrzdV6P_I
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I met Emily D. when I was an eager mom who has since peaked at parenthood. Sign up for all the things. Take all the notes. Fill up the calendar. She was president of our pre-k board and patient with my onslaught of questions. At this time, Emily was laid up and recovering from one of MANY surgeries to repair and reconstruct the bones that keep failing her.
Listen as this Florida native, 4th generation in fact, talks about what brought her to the Midwest, her Certified Public Accountant background, her now passion and successful photography business, the risky moves she made to get to her new storefront in Mahomet, her one-and-done birth with crippling post partum, the multiple surgeries she has endured in the fight for comfort and mobility and finally the choice to move her family for a chunk of the year to the island of St. Johns. Work hard, play hard and hire the right team for support—keeps the Emily in Pixels by Emily innovating in photography like no other.
Mr. Pick Me & The Manhater
Join as we laugh and discuss some of most toxic advice and people on the internet.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
What a pleasure it was to sit across from a professional in communications. I had a lot more in common than I expected with this old soul, wise-beyond-her-years, grounded girl.
Listen as this Champaign native talks purity before marriage, leaving the popular ciLiving local lifestyle show, maintaining uncompromisable roots while being flexible enough to travel for her husband's professional baseball career, making your mess your message with her book "It's OK, Finding Peace in Unexpected Places," having a career in a business where appearance matters, dwelling on the social outskirts and reaching the goal of running a marathon and writing a book before entering holy matrimony. Her parents raised a good one with Grace. I can't wait for her next chapter.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Big personality. Red hair. Red lip. Huge heart. Her life ballooned beyond blue collar expectations into a higher education in performance. A built-in family and a special needs child lead her to a life of nurturing, advocating and creating a new normal.
Listen to this Pontiac, Illinois transplant talk operatic music, singing as a learned skill, big age gap in sibling dynamics, her stage partner becoming her life partner, marrying an older man with two little ones, struggling to get pregnant and finally giving birth to her son. Nicole refers to her family as the "1 percent family." If it could happen, it did. Enter Maxwell, the love of her life and the focus of her day-to-day. Stay tuned for the end of the podcast for future predictions.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Electric. Energetic. Magnetic. He doesn't even drink caffeine anymore. He is high on life. Brett feeds off people, hard work, momentum and passion. New to his schedule and routine, is the hard-to-achieve concept of BALANCE. This is the only podcast I didn't have to edit and the only podcast guest that brought a professional videographer/photographer with them!
Listen to this Champaign townie, Centennial graduate, and success, in every sense of the word, share his story. The loss of his mom changed the course of his life. Losing the person that provided unconditional love, warmth and affection was a loss of such magnitude that his entire life was forever altered. For the next decade, Brett would build wealth, clout and business experience with a foundation of unlawful practices and an unsustainable lifestyle. Addiction would follow. Recovery would come. A business would be created and rebuilt to unimaginable heights. Throughout it all, Brett would use his love of people, his dynamic personality and innate business sense to become the vibe setter that his friends and employees have come to love and appreciate.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A farming family gave Nicole the foundation for a degree in agriculture, a husband in agriculture and a first job in agriculture. Two kids later, Nicole has traded in corn and soybeans for color analysis. This home-run business has kept her calendar full beyond her wildest expectations.
Listen to this Ursa native, a town of 600 people, talk small town feelings at a big college like the University of Illinois, roommates and sorority recruitment, going from no fun to too much fun, cold calls to sell seed, golf cart dates and finally the resurrected world of color analysis. In the 80s my mom "had her colors done." Now, decades later, this process of draping women and men in various colors to determine what family of colors brings out the best in their features, is in FULL force. This UK company is leaving Nicole with a schedule full of bookings and the luxury of having to turn some appointments down. What's your season!?
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from our Boston hotel room. Our third guest, the hotel housekeeper, makes multiple off-MIC cameos. We are in Massachusetts in an effort to follow the Illini Basketball Team through March Madness. This obsession (of Andrews) leads to an achilleas injury from overuse of the gas pedal during these 14-hour up and back drives.
Listen as we discuss if the injury effect Andrew's marathon training? How did he fare in his past marathons? How did hernia surgery go and was Andrew a good nurse? The beginning of this "Tales From Two Townies" starts out rough with a placating apology from my caretaker. Lastly, Andrew the vigilante strikes again when calling the police on a naked man walking around Savoy. And. Another. Basement. Flood.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I had the pleasure of meeting weekly with Airiel Sadler during the 2024 rehearsals of That's What She Said. She was shy, then sweet, then vulnerable, then funny then articulate. Each time I listened to her speak, her words became more dynamic and more meaningful. She got 7 minutes on stage. Here is the full story of her glorious mess.
Listen as this Champaign-born, Chicago-raised, Champaign-adulting sweetheart of a women talks about her formative years running around the streets of Chicago while her mom worked full-time as a nurse. This 14-year-old girl became pregnant and gave birth to the love of her life, Mae. She chose to raise her daughter with pride and strength and more love than one mother can hope to give. Physical pain, trauma and debilitating mental health struggles were only a few of the hurdles she faced while earning her licensed clinical social worker credentials. She is also an advocate for vulnerable populations and an author of multiple books. Now she faces her next chapter as her daughter prepares to fly the coop. She calls everyone, "family," and now she is part of mine.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
It's not easy to follow your dream, to start something from scratch, to hustle and practice and hone your craft in the hopes that you are talented enough, or lucky enough, to one day be discovered for the gifts that you have to share.
Listen as this local talks about her background in dance. This background would create a craving for the stage. She's a star. A funny star. A comedienne who has trained in Chicago, Australia, the West Coast and now she is back in our community! This funny girl hustles and "slashes" as a bartender/doula assistant/juice barista/yoga instructor/shoe salesperson. She pursues her dreams with no fear or worries about what others may think. Her only fear is being stuck in an ordinary world of complacency with no creative outlets. Hear her talk about coming up with material, how living with an elderly woman in the pandemic effected her plans and performing in front of family. Rachel is performing Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Yellow & Co. Events in Mahomet.Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/413-730pm-yellow-and-co-presents-comedian-rachel-lindemann-tickets-822607119037
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
How did this once cubicle dwelling-ad salesman turn into the modern-day ice cream man?
Listen as this local talks about his college days: the good, the bad and the ugly, how these days led to a need to prove himself, how my own good, bad and ugly days overlap with his, his full circle return to his fraternity house as a mentor to the younger guys, buying a literal fleet of Kona Ice Trucks and his dad's reaction when he told him about his idea, his most recent endeavor: Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck, employing family, the importance of his business being recognized as local and finally (most importantly) becoming a husband and dad. Not that anyone would ever thought he needed it, but Wes certainly got his redemption story by adding a well-recognized fixture of fun and family to our community.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This professionally trained chef, with wife Stef, fell in love with cooking food when he saw his cousin's face light up while eating his first solo dish. This passion won out over his second love, basketball, and would lead him to the pursuit of higher education at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. This militant environment would widdle a thousand students down to a few hundred by the end of the year.
Listen as this Tennessee transplant talks about having three girls under two, cooking and eating the fresh catch of the day which earned him the nickname "the meat man," crying in the kitchen, the popularization of pressure cooker kitchens in popular media and art imitating life, having a vision that is clear only in your head, Stef stepping fully into a stay-at-home mom role while practicing and perfecting the baking side of their Dining With Dee business and finally the surprise interview that landed him his current job bringing fresh, elevated food to a local retirement home. This pair is the perfect combination of sweet and spice!
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This retiree of the US Navy, changed his course entirely at the height of his military career. Move up or move out. He didn't opt for travel and noon naps, rather he chose steering a ship full of high school students.
Listen as this Brooklyn-born New Yorker talks about meeting the woman that will get him to Heaven, being the Chief Operating Officer of the high school your teenage son attends, moving your family over a dozen times, negative press, dispelling rumors and negative connotations about Saint Thomas More: too far, too small, too expensive. Finally, Anthony (never Tony) explains why he has an "ask me anything" approach to leadership.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Once upon a time at a local baby pool, a talkative, pretty, friendly mom with a 100-watt smile struck up a conversation with me. Almost a decade later, this mom and I would end up living in parallel orbits as our sons traveled through summers, sports and school together.
Listen as this Chicago suburbanite talks about her life raising three boys into gentlemen, talking to kids about consent and sex, fighting your way back into the corporate world after taking time off to provide full-time car service, emotional support, tutoring, catering and athletic directing to your three busy boys, her first breakouts in news media, the hardships that can come with getting pregnant and when she can finally earn her the townie title! I question if this is a derogatory term, and she warmly answers that Champaign is a great place to come home to.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I finally meet the multi-talented, teacher, musician, YMCA Body Attack King and hair God, Ryan Groff. Ryan has been on my potential list since the beginning of the podcast as a male "gotta" interview.
Listen as this Southern Illinoisan talks about his crossover from jock to rock, teaching all musical abilities through tons of instruments over 60 lessons a week, the current status of the popular musical group, Elsinore, and the inception of the local Modern Drugs Band, building a backyard studio from the ground up, how to handle musical instruments with your kiddos and my son's sudden interest with the LARGEST instrument EVER. Ryan is the most pleasant human on earth. YOU must LISTEN TO THE END for the EXCLUSIVE on his latest acoustic creation.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I catch up with a current LA (former Urbana) couple while they visited family during the holidays. A sweet email from Steve's biggest cheerleader, wife Megan, brought the potential interview to my attention and ultimately my kitchen table.
Listen as Steve talks about his former professional life in baseball, the current state of the sport, starting Steelo Sports, twin life, West vs. Midwest, showing initiative at a young age, the dichotomy of being both creative and athletic: music, fashion and sports, unifying, integrating and normalizing all races into baseball and finally what it's like to hang up the bat while your peers are already a few years along in the corporate world. Megan ends the interview by sharing their age difference and how they first met.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from our honeymoon spot 13 years and a lot more literal baggage later. In Maui we touch on a WIDE range of topics and Andrew tries not to mock my voice.
Listen as these two townies talk about renovation PTSD, frozen poo in a bucket, our son calling incessantly from school, young love, my previous work bully and my current call out on social media from an old schoolmate. While Andrew tries to divert the conversation into safe waters—Emily dives right in! Lastly, we acknowledge the 100th episode of the podcast! Andrew continues to be my self-appointed producer and #1 fan.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I've met a lot of new people while building the podcast. This interviewee was one of the most approachable and friendly guests I've met. What used to get him in trouble, his "life-of-the-party" way of life, has now turned him into a successful event coordinator and venue owner.
Listen as this Urbana boy and former college football player becomes an Amway Multi-Level-Marketing convert. This one career decision became a pivot point for his future and the choices and moves that followed. Dan talks candidly about living in his car for a few weeks, steroid use, ultimatums in love, high school jail time and the long ride home, what unconditional love in parenting looks like and running Hudson Farms while planting the literal seeds for future ventures.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
I’ve had the privilege of working with and interacting with these two Champaign powerhouses during my That’s What She Said (TWSS) production prep. Kerry and Jenette are friends, colleagues and a perfect blend of business, theater, dreams and realistic goals.
Listen as this duo explains the evolution of the popular, annual production of TWSS. With a full plate, Kerry hesitantly handed an eager Jenette the foundation of the production. Jenette took the baton and brought TWSS back from hiatus using Kerry’s fundamental tenants: no drinking before/during, no f*** bombs, use first person only (aka talk about YOURSELF), no religion/politics and no marketing/selling. Jenette has respectfully taken these foundational elements and used the “fishbowl of ideas” to grow the show premise into different mediums: From the Stage to the Page book, The She Said Project Podcast and a dozen markets performing their own TWSS. Learn about their dynamic and what’s important to them: the power of yes vs. no, appreciation toward the ordinary day, beach wave syndrome and the night you’ll ugly cry and belly laugh. BUY tickets to That’s What She Said https://thevirginia.showare.com/orderticketsvenue.asp?p=1761&src=&_ga=GA1.1.1587177955.1706545403&_gl=
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Champaign girl and old friend used to be a social media fiend. She used to feel good only one week out of the month. The past two years have thrown curve balls and a lot of changes, but she believes she is now on the upswing of these recent challenges.
Listen as this bubbly, everybody-knows-your-name, type talks about an event that hurt her business and confidence in ever again putting her entire life on social media, her recent (quiet) engagement, her life changing surgery and the physical and emotional drain that led her to this drastic but necessary step, growing up as an only child after losing her dad as a baby and finally Kristen and I talk about being a mom without a blood connection. Kristen is on her way to marriage while continuing to raise two young girls who never felt like anything but her daughters. Kristen is the type of person that you will always see around town, who will always remember your name and who will always bring a smile to your face.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Champaign gal and fellow Central grad was feeling adventurous. She emailed me on a whim before visiting her folks over the holiday break. This now Austin resident prepped me with the chapters that made up her story, making my job easy and relaxed.
Listen as this friendly, self-actualized, trained social worker talks relatably about the challenges that have put her on a path of healing today. Traumatic pediatric bone cancer, adult ADHD diagnosis, job burnout and the pressure of having to coach clients through Covid when she was scared herself, led Leeann to an adulthood of uncertainty. Leeann also talks about the therapies that she has tried to improve her state of mind. These include typical anti-depressants, stimulants, art therapy and most recently, Ketamine therapy. When the weather looms cold and cloudy, Leeann is a great example that the sun can shine again—you just have to put in the work. Helping others through non-profits is one of the many ways Leeann uses her education and gifts to give back—subsequently feel better.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Indianapolis transplants met as kids, but they didn't become a serious couple until Andrew rescued Brook from a traumatic relationship. This heroic foundation of care and love is ever present in this interview as Brook looks to Andrew for the medical details and Andrew looks to Brook for unconditional support.
Listen as the parents of four explain their identical twin boys D-bifunctional protein deficiency diagnosis. Simply put, they can't digest long-chain fatty acids. Tragically put, they are put in the "failure to thrive category." The longest child has lived with this diagnosis for 4 years and 1 month, with the average child living only two years. They openly discuss the decision to opt out of tracheostomies, the high cost of, well, everything, Andrew's 1 a.m. work schedule, the genetic probability with their current pregnancy SPOILER, not having any family close and the support from their church and school. If you want to help this deserving family, message me OR Venmo @Brook-Cooper-5 OR gofundme.com/f/eyubx7
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Mattoon native refers to the struggles of getting pregnant as just the beginning of the challenges that come with being a parent. Pregnancy, it turns out, was the easy part. The raising them without losing your cool—there lies the real test.
Listen as this certified teacher, coach and mother of three discusses the benefits of being an older parent, stopping spanking and screaming, why she doesn’t instruct about ages beyond what her kids are, the value of having a meal together, hating the toddler years, switching from parenting with anger to parenting with compassion, giving kids a healthy dose of power, starting Real Life Families and setting boundaries around health, safety and character. If you find yourself wondering why your kids are so “difficult,” maybe your parenting approach could use a refresh?
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
The Chicago Suburbs brought us, yet again, an awesome transplant. Finding a reliable, affable, text savvy plumber that takes Venmo is priceless. The everyday person with an everyday job has a story, too.
Listen as we talk my personal plumbing tragedies including the latest sh storm, Aaron’s deceiving Italian background ala Mario & Luigi, why he doesn’t raise rates, living in a Brady Bunch situation, plumber’s crack and the dangers of entering a job with a feisty female behind the door. HHHhhaving a “dirty job” doesn’t always come with the stereotypes and stigmas from movies. TV and even personal experience. Aaron gets to to save a customer’s day call after call. Finally, do plumbers make more than lawyers? Aaron is a one-in-a-million service provider. He doesn’t need more work, however, if you need someone, Aspire is the company to call. P.S. Not sponsored. P.P.S. He’s the sh.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Champaign girl has moved around a bit in search of a feeling of family and stability. She’s finally found a good foundation of friends and job security just 45 minutes away in Bloomington. A few decades earlier we lived together in that same town for a few wild and eventful years.
Listen to Natalie and I catch up after decades of not speaking to each other. A dysfunctional senior year in college lead to the demise of our friendship. Years, space, reflection and the podcast led to a reunion. Motherhood is a great common denominator and an excellent place to start over. Natalie talks about escaping a dead-end relationship with the father of her daughter. She had the strength and foresight to remove him from their lives before a bad relationship turned worse. Worried she would never have a maternal bond to this little human, she quickly learned that maternal instincts can kick in when they are needed the most. In just a short time after sending the dad packing, her decision was solidified when he died from alcoholism’s collateral damage. Now she appreciates quiet nights at home crocheting over dating and crowded bars. Raising a tween girl is providing all the drama she can handle! So glad to reconnect with someone who is a part of more core memories than I can count. Her spicy spirit, easy laugh and tell-it-like-it-is personality reminded me of all of the good times while fading away the bad. Happy to call her a friend again.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This family friend has accomplished what I’ve always wanted to do. This educated queen has researched, Googled, learned from mistakes, enlisted help and finally self-published her first novel! The first book of the trilogy, The House by the Side of the Road, is available now where most books are sold.
Listen to Jean discuss her professional experience with understanding reading and the common learning disorder, Dyslexia. Jean advises on the concept of “reading to learn” and “learning to read,” and how this background fed into the reasoning behind publishing a book at age 67. “If other people can do it, why can’t I?” For three weeks Jean locked herself in a Milwaukee vacation rental to do nothing but walk her dogs and write. Using her local book club to review and her publishing company to edit, Jean created a print-on-demand piece of fiction for $6,000 from the ground up. This now-or-never approach is a motivational message for anyone needing a push to check off a bucket list item.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from Thanksgiving vacation in Florida, "the land of do as you please." An impromptu evening podcast (post Illini loss) and early morning addition (post endorphin-spiking run), round out the latest edition of, "Tales From Two Townies."
Listen as these two townies talk about the funny and not-so-funny current goings on where they often laugh so they don't cry. Bullying, social anxiety, falling on the treadmill, my latest personal endeavor and family Halloween costumes are all discussed in this latest ep.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Northern Illinois farm girl describes the love story of her and her late husband as the definition of teammates. As parents, as friends, as husband and wife, decisions were made together and support endless and abundant.
Listen to this witty lady talk about her fast courtship with the well known and locally revered, Lou Henson. For more than two decades Lou led the University of Illinois Basketball team to countless victories and the Final Four mountain top. All the while Mary took on the majority of the household management and raising four kids, which is often the case with the unsung heroes behind our esteemed coaches. With grace, Mary traveled and moved where Lou needed to go to further his career and increase his impressive coaching credentials. After losses, they would review the tapes together. After wins, celebrations quickly ended to focus on the next game. While refusing to take a job unless the school was integrated or facing adversity right here at the U of I, Mary was and still is Lou's biggest cheerleader. Finally, Mary gives her hot take on the state of this basketball season!
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This East St. Louis native came to Champaign to find the help he desperately needed. Being raised in a bar and mimicking the behavior around him combined with childhood molestation and addiction didn't set Steven up for success.
Listen to this mild mannered dad to two sons and a daughter (that he until recently thought was his biological child) explain the tattered tapestry that created the fabric of his life today. Regardless of the mess that was his childhood, teens, 20s and even 30s, Steven has worked hard to presently give back to others and create a safe place to raise his two sons. Fighting passionately to prove his worth and value as a citizen and dad, Steven has had to navigate the court system to legally get and keep his sons under his roof in Urbana. Letting go of childhood trauma, blaming himself for his father's death and absorbing the resources around him to recover from drugs and alcohol allowed him to clean up his act. Losing both parents to drug and alcohol abuse, going to jail, experiencing homelessness and having a girlfriend strip to keep bad habits afloat is just the beginning of this story with a happy ending.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Chicago Suburbanite literally starts her story at 72-hours old. From adoption to addiction to sick parents to divorce and remarriage, there was so much to talk through with Callie we needed THREE episodes.
Listen to the third episode where Callie and I talk about life today. To deal with the instability, Callie turned to teenage rebellion at an accelerated pace. Using, selling and getting busted became her norm followed by rehab and the start of a different life. Babies, marriage and losing her mom shifted her focus. Through time and self-reflection, Callie thankfully met her current husband and had two more children. Champaign has become a fresh start. A place to break the cycle of drama and grow strong roots with new friends that have become family. A place to raise a functioning, healthy family.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Chicago Suburbanite literally starts her story at 72-hours old. From adoption to addiction to sick parents to divorce and remarriage, there was so much to talk through with Callie we needed two episodes.
Listen to the second episode where Callie and I big talk about the tangled web of biological parents, adoptive parents and step parents. To deal with the instability, Callie turned to teenage rebellion at an accelerated pace. Using, selling and getting busted became her norm followed by rehab and the start of a different life. Babies, marriage and losing her mom shifted her focus. Through time and self-reflection, Callie thankfully met her current husband and had two more children. Champaign has become a fresh start. A place to break the cycle of drama and grow strong roots with new friends that have become family. A place to raise a functioning, healthy family. Stay tuned NEXT week for an UNEXPECTED Part 3!
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Chicago Suburbanite literally starts her story at 72-hours old. From adoption to addiction to sick parents to divorce and remarriage, there was so much to talk through with Callie we needed two episodes.
Listen to the first episode where Callie and I small talk about wrestling, pee wee football and youth sports in general. Callie then takes us along her childhood timeline where life is filled with more challenges than any little one, or adult for that matter, should have to process. To deal with the instability, Callie turned to teenage rebellion at an accelerated pace. Using, selling and getting busted became her norm followed by rehab and the start of a different life. Babies, marriage and losing her mom shifted her focus. Through time and self-reflection, Callie thankfully met her current husband and had two more children. Champaign has become a fresh start. A place to break the cycle of drama and grow strong roots with new friends that have become family. A place to raise a functioning, healthy family.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Urbana born and Tolono grown retired University of Illinois employee has heated up the chili competition circuit for 45 years! From Vegas, Missouri, Palm Springs and Myrtle Beach and back, Mark has thousands of dollars invested and countless wins, including nine state titles, under his belt.
Listen as Mark expertly explains the fascinating world of chili competitions. From participant to competition organizer, Mark leans on one rule of thumb: "If you were stranded on a desert island, what would be the chili you would want to eat for the rest of your life?" Mark’s recipe originated from an old newspaper column, “Mostly for Men.” From its inception, Mark has tweaked the recipe now using beer and mostly all his homegrown ingredients. Beans? Much to Mark’s chagrin, there are no beans allowed in traditional red chili and can lead to disqualification. Mark also talks about cheating among chili cooks and competing against your wife! Just in time for cool weather, give Mark’s award winning chili a try this fall and winter. The recipe will follow on social media.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This newish Urbana resident and newish CEO to the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club (DMGBC) is a much needed and welcome addition to our community. Her sweet demeanor, extensive experience in the non-profit sector and tireless work ethic is beyond commendable.
Listen as Amy talks about raising babies while going to school and working as a housekeeper, becoming a temporary guardian simply because there were kids in her orbit who needed a home, why she signs her emails "peace," the overall increase in guns and violence since she got her specialized degree a few decades ago and the overall decrease in violence in our community since she started at the DMBGC and why her house was the one kids gravitated towards. Lastly, Amy plugs a spectacular fundraiser: Dancing With the CU Stars on November 3, vote at one.bidpal.net/dwtcus23.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband’s uncle, mother-in-law’s brother, Champaign native and a man I feel like I just really met as he lived in Africa for most of my indoctrination into my husband’s family. Every few years he would be an honored guest and the life-of-the party when he made it back to the states in full African regalia—a stark contrast from the button-ups and pressed skirts that surrounded him.
Listen as Mike reflects on unimaginable adventures in rural villages in Africa, claustrophobic flights, a reference book provided as health care, stream baths, meeting his future wife and the days-long process of marriage and dowry details. Mike also tearily talks about raising his three kids abroad and the regrets and tough talks surrounding going in and out of stateside schools. When I referred to him as selfless he scoffs at the label, but you don’t meet many people who drop everything to go make the world a better place.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My BFF’s sister, mother of three, Urbana born and raised farmer’s daughter turned Chicago suburbanite talks candidly about what happens when motherhood just doesn’t “click.” The maternal instinct and excitement that is glorified is replaced with feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.
Listen as this eloquent and self-aware mom talks about panic attacks, therapy, medication, pregnancy, asking for and receiving help, postpartum lows, viewing a trip to Target as a win and ultimately valuing having a family over your need for control and calm. Lastly, Katherine discusses how her father’s failing health and ultimate passing played into these early days of motherhood when perceived joy was replaced with suffocating grief.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts. Also, find the podcast on Facebook and Twitter at HyperLocals C-U Podcast. Need more, hyperlocalscu.com
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My former Savoy neighbor and fellow grocery shopper, camp dropper-offer, fast casual dining consumer and YMCA member talk about how and why his family planted roots in Champaign. Jon explains why he never thought he’d add a decade-long line item of “Stay-at-home dad” to his resume.
Listen as these fellow play daters and lunch makers talk about Jon filling this typically female for the good of the family, keeping his doctor wife in the loop and still deferring to her for parenting decisions, the awkwardness of navigating a majority female playscape and what the next years look like as his three children grow. Jon shows his true and wholehearted love for his wife and children in this unique perspective from a stay-at-home dad.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
On October 24, 2021 Terry searched her house for any random bits and pieces that could help her son, Liam, finish his Halloween costume for a party he was anxiously anticipating. At the same time, 24-year-old Urbana High School graduate and recent University of Illinois graduate, Liam Gasser, went to North Prospect to look for materials at the local craft stores.
Listen as two moms reflect on this scene, this picture, this situation which is not unlike so many moms come October. Frustrations with last minute preparations, unrealistic expectations between mother and son and ultimately apologies and pushed aside plans in order to prioritize the child's needs. When we send our kids out the door, no matter their age, we expect they will come back to us as they left us. On this October day, Terry never expected the call from the hospital chaplain. Liam had been shot. In the head. The tip of the proverbial iceberg after a childhood peppered with health issues and a more recent loss of Liam's dad, her husband, to cancer. In late spring 2022 the alleged shooter was arrested. In the months to come Liam's mom will listen, learn, heed advice, research and prepare to see justice for the life sentence her son was given that day.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor The Lisa Rector Team at Keller Williams Realty.As a busy mom, Lisa, understands how valuable and priceless someone’s time is. No looking at houses out of your budget or out of the neighborhood you prefer, your deal breakers and must haves will be respected and remembered when showing you homes. Visit therectorteam on Instagram and thelisarectorteam.kw.com.
The LYLAS Podcast
If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My high school golf teammate, and overall sweetheart of a person, start our talk discussing the tribulations of being the only freshman on our upper-classmen heavy Central High School Girls Golf Team. We go through the podcast discussing what it's like being the minority gender in a vastly male career.
Listen as these townies talk corn, the new methodology behind cover crops, working with family while living with family, the mental health ramifications of a career controlled by mother nature, the upcoming predictions for this year's harvest and the thoughts behind raising a family in such a demanding and stressful lifestyle.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Amanda Williams of Dreamscapes Destinations. Grab your toothbrush and some pajamas and book a tiny home, microtel, tree house, apartment or multi-bedroom home! Visit http://airbnb.com/users/show/424922912 to look at the accommodations. If you have any other questions email Amanda at the discotheory@gmail.com.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I try to wrangle in our two little (or not so little anymore) sons on this special family episode.
Listen as these four townies reflect on the new activities they are trying this fall, what they did and learned over the summer, my colorful cosmetic procedure and change-of-seasons depression, passing out in public and a snot rocket from an aerodynamic biker.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Amanda Williams of Dreamscapes Destinations. Grab your toothbrush and some pajamas and book a tiny home, microtel, tree house, apartment or multi-bedroom home! Visit http://airbnb.com/users/show/424922912 to look at the accommodations. If you have any other questions email Amanda at the discotheory@gmail.com.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Mr. Guerrero, born in Kentucky and raised in Vegas and Mrs. Guerrero of South Bend, IN met on the mat. These well-credentialed black belts sparred their way into marriage and a big move to Champaign where they took over the responsibility of owning and teaching at Leaders for Life Martial Arts.
Listen as the power couple talk about their roles in life and in the business. Where he concentrates on teaching and instruction, she handles the bulk of paperwork and complaints. The perfect partnership. These two martial arts leaders are also researched experts in coaching, teaching, children and the desire to improve and grow. During our interview we talk about why they encourage parents to stay during classes and cheer their kids on rather than silence themselves behind glass, the three pillars of confidence, discipline and respect, promoting a team atmosphere with teachers and parents, when it's OK to quit, what the philosophy behind "1 percent improvements" is, giving specific praise to your kiddo over a general "good job," facing bullying and maybe the hardest thing to hear: why giving a kid a phone will end their childhood. Gulp.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Amanda Williams of The Disco Theory. Sound Journeys: SEPT. 5 https://www.ahuntdesign.com/product/sound-healing-journey-with-amanda-wallace/ SEPT. 6 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sound-journey-at-planted-tickets-694246589237?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Champaign city girl turned to the Sadorus countryside to raise her own son near the same farm that raised her up just a few decades ago. The flatlands and drying corn are a far cry from the lush tropics of where she spent her twenties—Maui, HI.
Listen as Ashley describes the preserved history that surrounded the once coveted town of Lahaina. Ashley and her now husband traveled to this area with nothing but wanderlust and a backpack. Ashley worked in a small schoolhouse teaching native islanders and soaking up smells and sunsets while making lifelong friends and memories. These friends are on the ground and communicating the hell firsthand. It’s not just a vacation spot or a blip in their life’s timeline. A piece of her, of them, is gone, forever lost, not unlike the hundreds of missing—many children—that are yet to be found amongst the indiscernible ash and ruin. Polluted water, looting and land grabbing are just a short list of the concerns the residents face. Inoperable fire hydrants, few and unsafe exits of evacuation and inaudible warnings only magnified the wildfire catastrophe. A U.S. gem was lost. Ashley encourages everyone to keep visiting Maui—keep talking about what happened. Ultimately, she doesn’t want this event to be easily forgotten. Her final hope is that Lahaina is able to rebuild to its former glory rather than a commercialized version of what other islands have become.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Amanda Williams of The Disco Theory. Sound Journeys: SEPT. 5 https://www.ahuntdesign.com/product/sound-healing-journey-with-amanda-wallace/ SEPT. 6 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sound-journey-at-planted-tickets-694246589237?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Paxton-Buckley-Loda graduate faced a few back-to-back, dream-crushing disappointments that changed the direction he was going each time. A knee injury and something as seemingly benign as not being picked up for an appointment, led Matt where he always wanted to be. After leaving a few steady labor jobs and a downward turn in our nation's overall perception of law enforcement, Matt became a Champaign Police Officer.
Listen as Matt tries to enter the military twice and finally listens to the universe's advice to find another dream. This dream comes from an overall need to serve others. In the wake of George Floyd's death, rioting, looting, ransacked businesses on North Prospect and across our nation, Matt "ran into the burning building," so to speak. From going to help repair and clean up the areas of unrest in our community, he joined the local police force when applications dwindled and positions became more prevalent. Working nights, worrying family and friends, drawing your weapon and pulling a girl off the train tracks. Of course, I have to ask about my recent ticket for not having a front license plate, ticket quotas, if crying helps get out of a ticket and why he will pull you over every time for driving and being on your phone.
This episode is sponsored by supporters of the 10-78 Foundation. This organization supports first responders, active-duty military, veterans and their families. The 10-78 Foundation, along with Never Forgotten Services, are hosting famed Country Singer Jerrod Niemann at the new Cadillac venue in Paxton on the evening of October 7 in the hopes of increasing awareness and available resources for the 10-78 Foundation. This organization uses community outreach and engagement initiatives to serve
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
These Champaign-adjacent residents of Pesotum were born in Paxton (Dave) and Ivesdale (Heidi). To say this couple has been through it would be an understatement. For much of their married life, Heidi has fought to be understood, heard and taken seriously for a rare health condition which caused her misery. While Heidi fought to be heard, Dave listened, remodeled a basement, took care of the kids and worked at the Urbana Fire Department.
Listen as these once exhausted lovebirds tell their story of meeting in a Dallas & Co., dressing room while learning about pirate dickies! These two reclaimed their lives through therapy, new hobbies and a consistent line of communication. These tools have helped them overcome the emotional damage caused by the rare Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. This disease is caused by a severe allergic reaction. For Heidi this meant drinking water felt like gasoline going down her throat, rashes, fever, mental exhaustion and mucous membranes like eyes and cheeks "melting" or "sloughing." Heidi had to undergo a tedious process of elimination to determine her triggers as she kept undergoing allergic reactions that would land her in the hospital where many wouldn't be able to help. Homeopathy, suicidal thoughts, a self-published book, the loss of identity and ultimately the Post-it note that made Heidi feel seen, are all outlined in this mega episode.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Overtime at the Fields. Shakes, energy drinks, protein coffees! keep it simple or add caffeine boosts, immunity enhancers or probiotics. Literally endless combinations. Conveniently located at the ever expanding Fields location 3401 Fields South Drive. A perfect blend of health, wellness and SATISFYING TASTE. Find them on Instagram and Facebook and Tell them HyperLocal(s) sent you!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This transplant from the Chicago projects and sweet soul meets me at Kitchen Table Studios to tell me his come up story. From childhood instability and addiction coupled with poor choices and rough crowds, Thomas was destined to fall through the cracks.
Listen as Thomas rebounds from getting shot twice in one week, losing jobs, losing relationships, losing kids, selling drugs, abusing booze and several DUIs. Along the way he functioned through work and coaching his daughter's basketball team; fueled by ego and pride. Thomas missed the final opportunity to see his sister the night before she died. He chose booze over visiting her. This final price he paid became the pivot point that led him to Champaign for treatment. He used every available resource to slowly climb his way into an ethical, hard working steward for others in need with a recovery house for men who want to turn their lives around. Now, a people person, he prides himself on "turning someone's worst day into their best day."
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Overtime at the Fields. Shakes, energy drinks, protein coffees! keep it simple or add caffeine boosts, immunity enhancers or probiotics. Literally endless combinations. Conveniently located at the ever expanding Fields location 3401 Fields South Drive. A perfect blend of health, wellness and SATISFYING TASTE. Find them on Instagram and Facebook and Tell them HyperLocal(s) sent you!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Jenna (Yambert) Galli. HyperLocal(s) Podcast episode 71.
My dear, sweet fellow classmate from Champaign Central High School 02' shares the haunting and beautiful story of her father's unexpected and unusual death.
Listen as Jenna worries about doing her dad's memory justice within the words of this podcast. Through tears and pure admiration for her late father, Jenna explains her dad's quirky personality. The oldest of five siblings, Jenna describes a local ER doctor, lifelong learner, avid hiker, outdoorsman and engaged father. Specifically he would come home from a 12-hour shift in the ER and shoot hoops with her in the driveway, take the bar in an effort to help a son study to become an attorney, invent and do science experiments where sub-zero temps and broken glass were involved and often unknowingly tuck his undies into his scrubs. He used nature to reset from the pressures and tragedy common within the ER. Hiking unimaginable heights, terrain and weather became his passion and a recipe for a "sleep when you're dead mentality." The beauty and irony of this story comes to a head in Colorado, now Jenna's home, where he goes missing on a visit to Jenna's mountainous homestead. Jenna became an investigator in the search for her father who they ultimately recovered. A few years later, Jenna is just now at the point of being able to reflect on a man many admired deeply.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This now sweet, small-town guy from Whitehall, IL (yes, I’ve never heard of it either) was once self-admittedly not-so-sweet, living in one of two opposing worlds: having no self-worth whatsoever or the mindset of, “I’m better than everybody else.”
Listen as Terry starts the pod stating his mother gave birth to him, was married and widowed before the age of 16. This premature start and the immediate absence of his alcoholic, biological father set Terry up for a tough road. This road included, but was not limited to, a daughter he discovered when she was 6, a Hepatitis C diagnosis, multiple incarcerations, failed relationships, seeing his partner overdose and die beside him from “body bag dope” he bought a few times a week (not his rock bottom) and watching history repeat itself in a son. A son that is angry and placing blame on his dad. Terry and I have a back-and-forth on the likelihood and reality of passing on the disease to your children. Terry isn’t sure he was born with alcoholism or drug addiction but for certain he says he suffers from moreism. His sobriety and the people who helped get him to where he is today: gainfully employed, relatively healthy and in love, is not lost on Terry. His tears and gratitude are very apparent in this brutally courageous conversation.
This episode's sponsorship is dedicated to the 2023 Harrington Law fundraiser. Harrington Law is running it back with the Fighting Illini Defensive Linemen Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph and putting their fundraising efforts toward families in need come back-to-school time. The Law Firm of Newton and Randolph are hosting a lemonade stand on July 20 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the corner of Randolph and John(ny) Street in Champaign. Come and make a child’s start to the school year sweeter.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A Mahomet athlete, turned bartender, turned soldier, turned law office personnel, turned Reiki Practitioner, turned sound healer, turned real estate entrepreneur turned wife and mom (and not necessarily in that order) has lived a thousand lives. Amanda uses hard work, serenity and a mindset of evolution as the basis for her personal growth.
Listen as Amanda tells me about carrying crystals in her pocket during basic training, choosing a (mobile) home as a place to spread seeds over planting roots, changing her lifestyle after a DUI, learning from failed and abusive relationships, marrying the nice guy, the challenges of being a new mom and what the majority of this episode focuses on—holistic modalities. Holistic modalities!? ASMR, crystals, meditation, Reiki, sound healing and yoga. Amanda will play a variety of instruments that create healing, meditative sounds much like the ones you’ll hear in the increasingly popular ritual of sound baths. These sounds make me MELT, and I hope you’ll find them hypnotic, too. Amanda is the most fascinating mix of assertive and sweet, soft spoken and spirited.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Hudson Farms in Urbana. Dan Hudson, the friendly face that helps coordinate and orchestrate your momentous occasion, is literally the epitome of service with a smile. He has vendor relationships, decor and storage galore. He has the energy and organization to make your event a reality. Big or small. Wedding or corporate event. Visit Hudsonfarmweddings.com and follow on Facebook at Hudson Farm and on Instagram at hudsonfarmweddings.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
An East Coast transplant has landed in our town to change the lives of those struggling with addiction. Passionate, smart and well versed in the complexities of the addict mind, Ozie has trudged through many treatment paths. From his own alcohol-ism to alcohol-wasm, he has educated himself on how to help others and pursued careers that do just that.
Listen as Ozie takes me through the buried traumas of his youth, the unavoidable genetic component that killed his dad, high school years fueled by liquor stashed in his locker, multiple failed marriages and gambling losses that started in his elementary school bathroom. In spite of all the ongoing personal destruction, Ozie made his way through higher education (getting drunk and lost on his way to graduation) and many careers helping others solve their own problems. He put himself through multiple treatment programs, denial and lies, wearing a sign that says, "I'm a Baby" in one program and cleaning ashtrays, sweeping and getting coffee at addiction meetings. Listen as he talks about going from the crack house to the White House, figuratively speaking, in the week's sweet and sassy episode.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily. I had the privilege of participating in The Magical Santa Experience last winter. The photography session gives 45 minutes of one-on-one time with Santa and your kids. Games, treats and Santa storytime, Do not wait. The availability is limited and the spots will fill up! Visit pixelsbyemily.com/magical-santa-experience-registration to register!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
An Atwood-born, Arthur adjacent, former Amish congregant talks candidly about leaving the church at age 11 with her immediate family. Why? In broad terms, her parents wanted to emphasize the family’s relationship with God and worry less about the stringent rules set forth by the church.
Listen as this fearless young woman confidently explains why the rules: using a riding lawnmower, going to a play, taking part in meals with people outside the church led to ex-communication until a formal apology is issued. Gayle talks about how she just wanted to be like everyone else, how her family was bad at being Amish, how you had to earn the right to know her history, how her remaining Amish grandparents are still her favorite people, the FASCINATING custom of Rumspringa and how the retention rate, despite the strict rules, remains high in the community. Clothing, education, food, marriage, technology and woodworking are all discussed. Listen up to learn about a mysterious community so close to us yet light-years away.
🎅📷 🎅📷I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels by Emily is hosting a FREE and EXCLUSIVE (are there two better words?) Christmas in June event on Thursday, June 29th and Friday, June 30th at her NEW Mahomet Studio, 704 E. Franklin St., in Mahomet. Here, Santa will be surrounded by decked halls, yummy treats and a personalized frame for each child to take home. Listen to Santa’s tales from his summer vacation on the 9:30 and 10:30 hour. Feel free to pop in when you can. Make sure your name is on Santa’s nice list before the event! Visit pixelsbyemily.com/storytime-with-santa to register!🎅📷 🎅📷
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels by Emily is hosting a FREE and EXCLUSIVE Christmas in June event on Thursday, June 29th and Friday, June 30th at her NEW Mahomet Studio, 704 E. Franklin St., in Mahomet. Listen to Santa’s tales from his summer vacation on the 9:30 and 10:30 hour. Feel free to pop in when you can. Visit pixelsbyemily.com/storytime-with-santa to register!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My dad's childhood friend and townie in the truest sense of the word, Steve Flynn, and I talk about his family's involvement in the Deluxe Restaurant. This 1935 billiards and bar establishment is now home to Legends on Green Street in our beloved campustown.
Listen as one generation tells the other about a time when everyone knew your name, neighborhoods were neighborly and safe and food was fresh, fast and sought after. The Deluxe fish sandwich was the backbone of this restaurant. Steve's dad literally gave everything he had to ensure its success. He was shot right outside the building, never fully recovering. Many years later, after the building was sold, Steve made the fish sandwich at his backyard parties and various restaurants in the hopes of finding a way for the sandwich to live on without compromising taste and quality. This has been a road with lots of misses, according to Steve, as it's a delicate balance that Steve knows through years of practice in both prep and taste. Steve has finally landed on packaging the dry ingredients to ensure the concoction is just right. Tune in for a ride down memory lane.
This episode's sponsorship is dedicated to the 2023 Harrington Law fundraiser. Harrington Law is running it back with the Fighting Illini Defensive Linemen Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph and putting their fundraising efforts toward families in need come back-to-school time. The Law Firm of Newton and Randolph are hosting a lemonade stand on July 20 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the corner of Randolph and John(ny) Street in Champaign. Come and make a child’s start to the school year sweeter.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and dog whisperer, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in about our overly anxious and under trained mini-Australian Shepherd, General Heppenheimer Harrington aka Hep.
Listen as two townies tell their revisionist sides of history regarding who wanted to bring a puppy into the fold, who trained or improperly trained the canine, who considers him a comrade and who considers him an enemy, who endures the wrath of his spite poops and exactly how many people has he bit? Tune in for some tales of a dog who only remains in our house because my husband is loyal—to a fault.
Across the Counter
Across the Counter exists to create space for real people to have honest...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
This episode's sponsorship is dedicated to the 2023 Harrington Law fundraiser. Harrington Law is running it back with the Fighting Illini Defensive Linemen Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph and putting their fundraising efforts toward families in need come back-to-school time. The Law Firm of Newton and Randolph are hosting a lemonade stand on July 20 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the corner of Randolph and John(ny) Street in Champaign. Come and make a child’s start to the school year sweeter.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Malaysian beauty may not look like her neighbors within small town Homer. However, she is fully embedded in the community and close-knit culture of Midwest Americana. From mompreneur to marketing maven, Nicole has been more than busy. This summer she, and many others, have decided to take a step back and slow down.
Listen as Nicole talks about looking different than her childhood classmates, how she handles the haters, growing a thriving online boutique business and a loyal community of women from the ground up, why our generation is scared to stop, slow down, lose followers, likes, momentum. Why do we feel guilty for not constantly producing, creating, pushing forward? Nicole also teases a new venture that has flexed her marketing muscles. Finally, Nicole talks about a miscarriage that made her dive deeper in her faith in order to cope, heal and grow.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Michelle’s Bridal & Tuxedo in Urbana. Tuxes, bridal, formalwear, mother’s dresses, bridal dresses. Your most special occasions warrant an investment in how you dress yourself that day. The image will live on in photos, in frames and on social media. Visit michellesbridalandtuxedo.com to book an appointment and follow on Instagram for inventory updates at michellesbridalandtuxedo.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A long-ago St. Louis area transplant now has roots deeply embedded in our community. She has seen first hand how coaches, schools, parents and the youth in our area can lift you up when you are down. Share a kind word. Spread a message. Keep one young man's name alive and well so that your biggest fear following the loss of a child isn't realized--that child being forgotten.
Listen as Prudence talks about the tragic accident that caused her to lose her only son and first born exactly three years ago to the date of this podcast's release. She openly and honestly and bravely discusses developing unhealthy habits to pound down her pain, doing the work in therapy and developing healthy coping skills, Drew coming through dreams and earthly signs when she needed him to say, "I'm OK," realizing that she can do hard things--impossible things, that relationships come before to-do lists, how to console someone who is grieving in the most effective way and why she in no longer irritated when someone calls her strong. Resilient. Brave.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Michelle’s Bridal & Tuxedo in Urbana. Each time I have visited the formalwear showroom, I'm met with warm smiles, attention to detail and an EXTENSIVE inventory under an array of labels, sizes and price points. Visit michellesbridalandtuxedo.com to book an appointment and follow on Instagram for inventory updates at michellesbridalandtuxedo.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Blue Ridge School graduate, Retired Sergeant in the U.S. Army, stay-at-home dad turned Community Outreach Coordinator and Student Recruiter for the University of Illinois Chez Veterans Center tells his story of a post-September 11th war with humor and zero regrets.
Listen as Garrett talks about 130-degree days in full body armor, marrying his now wife of 17-plus-years on a whim just days before deployment, trying to build relationships with Iraqis while never knowing a good guy from a bad guy with an AK-47 and how it wasn’t uncommon for women and children to literally become human bombs in the name of their religion. In a few months Garrett would see and experience more pain than most will see in a lifetime, yet he lives with no regrets. He lights up when he talks about coaching at area schools, his daughters and his wife, local attorney, Sami. He tears up when he talks about a fellow soldier and friend who could never recover from the injuries that Garrett sustained in an ambush—a severely broken jaw and a lost arm. His friend, Sonny, blamed himself to the point of no return. Through all this pain and remembrance, he still maintains a positive disposition as he recounts the way he always has to face the door at a restaurant in an effort to maintain vigilance. As Memorial Day approaches, think of Garrett and all other soldiers who fought for our freedoms—some returned forever changed and some never returned.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Leaders for Life in Champaign within Windsor at the Crossing. This superior martial arts facility is home to Champaign’s Best After School program. This after school program can make life much easier on you by first providing fully-insured transportation from you child’s school to the facility off Windsor each afternoon. Call (217) 278-1900 or visit champaignsbestafterschool.com to secure your spot in next year's after school program.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Champaign-based father and son (in-law) duo shares much more than business ventures. At the time of this recording, Dan and Greg were celebrating their 2nd year “kidneyversary.” When Greg’s kidneys were poisoned because of an undiagnosed prostate issue, family and friends around the globe stepped up to help in many ways.
Listen as they retell the story of Greg’s dramatic health decline. A previously energetic and youthful Greg shares the moment things went down, literally, as he was dancing the Cha-Cha at a wedding and could not get up after “going down low.” From that point many diagnostic tests and complications would lead to complete kidney failure. His son-in-law would ultimately be a willing match for a kidney transplant. These entrepreneurs talk about the importance of faith, family, selflessness, fear of the unknown and putting your ultimate trust in a higher power. You can hear the respect from Dan as he talks about protecting the patriarch of the family. You can hear the relief from Greg as his body and spirit continue to heal from months of poor health. When you are a mover and shaker and your energy is zapped, it’s hard to accept the change of pace. Both men show vulnerability and a true love of family in this story with a happy ending.
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Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts. Also, find the podcast on Facebook and Twitter at HyperLocals C-U Podcast. Need more, hyperlocalscu.com
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Leaders for Life in Champaign within Windsor at the Crossing. This superior martial arts facility is home to Champaign’s Best After School program. This after school program can make life much easier on you by first providing fully-insured transportation from you child’s school to the facility off Windsor each afternoon. Call (217) 278-1900 or visit champaignsbestafterschool.com to secure your spot in next year's after school program.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This townie actually attended middle school and high school at the same time as me! Different paths never intersected our stories, however, until this interview. Larcina hasn’t had an easy road, but she has remained steady and consistent in her choices—putting food, shelter and her two children at the top of her priorities.
Listen as this Certified Nurses Assistant talks about finding out she was pregnant in high school, never actually talking to her mom about the pregnancy, her obsessive budgeting, growing up too fast and getting behind in her studies—ultimately failing to graduate with her class. Years later, Larcina becomes pregnant with her second child. This time she has a devastating stillbirth. Later, she successfully gives birth to another child, a girl, leaving her with two children to raise on her own. Larcina prides herself on her children beating the odds as her oldest, Ray, is childfree and years older than she was when she had him. This mama worked hard to earn a CNA license while giving her kids a better life along the way.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Centennial grad chose to enlist in the military to gain discipline, direction and to see the world. He got much more than he bargained for after September 11th tested the defensive infrastructure of our nation. Thousands of men and women were sent overseas to fight in a war no one was anticipating or prepared for.
Listen as this United States Army Veteran talks about going from working at Bagelmen’s one day to being deployed to the Middle East the next, saying goodbye to his dad, his friends and all of his possessions except for a backpack. From training in the Wisconsin winters to 130-degree desert, Brian and his fellow soldiers were initially tasked with setting up a military base before a lot of the proper equipment was even in place—like bathrooms and showers. As the opposition became more organized and unpredictable, his company would escort supply vehicles on day long treks up and down dusty, sandy, treacherous roads. Saddam Hussein was captured during his stint, but this US victory was only the beginning of the battle where so many soldiers didn’t get to come home.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Decatur diva moved to the big city of Champaign to accelerate her career in hair design. Tara found that her destructive behavior followed her no matter what her zip code was. She found and partied with “connects” after hours until the party had to stop. After all, nothing changes if nothing changes.
Listen as this creative, dynamic, outspoken beacon of light explains why she always aspired to be a “drug dealers’ girlfriend,” what was happening at home that made her want to escape, getting shot at, dropping out of high school TWICE, saying goodbye to her love for the betterment of herself and lastly a DUI that forever changed her direction. Tara realized she had an allergy of the body and obsession of the mind to recover from. This realization led her away from darkness and into the light of faith and GRATITUDE.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband returns from the FIRST podcast episode over a year ago to document in real time, rather than reflecting on the past, the latest challenge in his recovery story.
Listen as Andrew, fellow townie, shares the continuation of his battle to live a life free of substances. And not just any life. A life of peace, contentment and calm. As mentioned in the first episode with Andrew, pot has been a huge point of contention between us. His addiction to marijuana caused him to lie and keep secrets while creating an overall lack of trust on my side. Most recently, he has experienced symptoms of panic attacks and physical withdrawals. Weed always gave him something to look forward to, something to "relax him," "keep him creative" and ultimately keep him on the marijuana maintenance program--a dry drunk. California sober and high and dry. Find out what happens after I let go of his tether and hand him the reins of his addiction.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Southern Illinois transplant found her talents wasted as an accountant wanting a lucrative career. She turned her focus on education and coaching in order to empower tweens and teens (and their parents) who made need a lesson in confidence and realizing their self-worth.
Listen as this author, coach, speaker and unapologetically authentic lipsticked, top-knotted mom, leaves us with these little pearls of wisdom each day on social media and all throughout this podcast. Erin created the backbone of her principles from the acronym: FIERCE. “Feel gratitude.” “I am statements (affirmations).” “Exercise (not just physical).” “Read (a quote each day).” “Create.” “Encourage.” By following Erin’s processes, you’ll be living a fiercer life. Erin schools me on: using a contract before allowing social media and a phone, overscheduling, establishing your family’s core values, mental health in your kids after the pandemic, talking about S-E-X, fighting back vs. walking away, car conversations, focusing on the difficulty of transitions, teaching the importance of listening to our bodies and finding a balance in the middle of pendulum parenting. Get ready to parent with a more purpose after this pod. Put her pearls into practice, and your life may get a whole lot easier!
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This townie tried to escape when touring the country as a traveling nurse. Now married to a farmer, living in the country and mothering to a little boy and girl, she has planted her roots firmly in the Midwest while working as a nurse practitioner.
Listen as this guest (and fellow Franklin Magnet Middle School Knight) reunite to explain how she made friends while moving rapidly from city-to-city in the world of health care. A slip in the grocery store and a mom’s intuition turned what Leah thought as an unsightly bump into a life changing mass with a 50 percent, 5-year survival rate. Leah shares how she was in the right place at the right time when a normally pediatric cancer aggressively took hold of her leg causing her to undergo surgery and treatment that would result in an adorable pixie cut and endless days without work and feeling down and out. In an emotional recollection, she remembers the countless people who reached out to wish her well. These moments, people and trinkets kept her afloat during the hardest days.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This townie turned Golden State golden boy is one of our nearest and dearest, oldest and bestest. He has made a life and a family on the west coast using his charm and knack for sales as a springboard into a new, booming venture with seemingly endless possibilities.
Listen as this guest explains how losing his sales job in an ailing company propelled him into the frenetic world of cannabis sales. Brian explains how the game of cat and mouse is a huge part of the appeal of the vast world of sales—from cold call to close. On this California-based interview I grill him on the differences between CA and IL. Will this born Midwesterner ever come back to the flatlands of IL? Or will the sunshine and warm temperatures be enough to help him forget the astronomical housing costs and rising unhoused population? This trip included unforeseen torrential rains which may have influenced my dreary outlook. However, getting to see Brian and all his blond babes just solidified that he’s in the right place. Flexibility, a casual environment and smooth talking help Brian go from corporate cubicles to a warzone of calls and credit card closures.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This longtime Champaign resident and neighbor of mine is a kindred spirit. She has created businesses based on her knack for organizing and her ability to disarm those she helps with a non-judgmental, sweet-natured approach.
Listen as this guest explains the cluttered, unsafe and unhygienic environments she has found herself spanning the past 15 years in this business. Karen explains the endless amounts of books, files and papers she has found herself surrounded by. Literally piece by piece and under the watchful of the client, she has to coach the client into letting go. Usually born of a trauma and a lack of resources at one time, she carefully navigates the slow, tedious and exhausting process with her clients. She explains how this disorder can isolate and cause shame to the afflicted person. Unearthing beds, creating pathways to move around a stuffed home and helping the client toss something as seemingly insignificant as a broken pen cap brings Karen a challenge she welcomes.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
If you keep sharing stories and keep listening—I will keep going CU (and beyond). I recorded a storytime after a meeting that was decades in the making. I was waiting and debating about when to put it out. This seemed like the right moment—this milestone episode celebrating the podcast. I’ve also included an opportunity to win a $100 gift card to any of the previous sponsors. Prove that you’ve shared this podcast (audio note, screenshot, email forward, etc.) to my email efletcharr@gmail.com, and you will be in the running to win!
Listen as this host acknowledges the main players that helped guide her in the right direction, get this podcast off the ground and keep it running for 52 consecutive episodes. Steve Holstein (mentor and communications expert) Nicole (Beals) Paul (patient editor and radio host on WIXY) have truly been instrumental in the success of the podcast. The guests, listeners and sponsors have also given content and motivation to keep it going. The vulnerability, feedback and confidence in the platform is beyond. Thank you. The podcast has given me creative freedom, purpose and forever linked me with the most amazing people.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This retired City of Champaign employee, owner of Anything Wild Animal Control and rural Urbana resident tells some crazy tails (pun intended) of the most common animals in our area: beaver, coyote, fox, geese, possum, racoon, skunks and more.
Listen as this guest explains the behaviors of area troublemakers with decades of knowledge and field experience behind his encounters. Skunk sprays, subduing angry geese, cockroach couches and midnight bat emergencies are all on Steve’s extensive list of house calls. Following licensing, rules and protocol to an absolute “T,” he traps, transfers, releases or euthanizes animals depending on their potential to carry disease. Steve also explains how pissed off passersby will sabotage his set ups and how I am illegally trapping rabbits in my backyard. Uh oh.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This honest mama and Villa Grove native talks candidly about body image, mental health, disordered eating and the connection with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and a childhood that caused the need for peace and stability.
Listen as the self-appointed CEO of ACE Homes, workhorse, content creator and full-time working woman, Alyssa, talks about building a 13K social media following while documenting the creation of their dream home and an aching struggle with mental health post-baby. Why did she choose to be a family of three? This episode focuses mostly on body image and why we never appreciate our body, how getting positive reinforcement for the way your body looks only fuels the disorder, making therapy a normal part of life, obsessive and controlled eating as part of OCD, saying goodbye to “skinny jeans” and finally, and most importantly, how not to push your issues with eating/body on your kids.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My couple friends return from episode 7 to talk about what happened after we stopped recording 10 months ago.
Listen as Mike, Champaign native, and Jordan (Oakes), Tolono honey, share the continuation of their fight to conceive, the importance of advocating for yourself within the labyrinth of the medical system, chilly nurses, resentments and never shaking the feeling that something will go wrong. Did this couple get what they have invested, stressed and dreamed over? Download to find out.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Urbana native has limitless talents and titles. She can sing, play multiple instruments, landscape, build outbuildings, nurse and has made a business out of being a chandler. AKA a candlemaker! Kayla did it all until she couldn't anymore.
Listen as this member of three local bands talks about how a personal need turned into a thriving business, Fire Doll Studios, why her "interesting" childhood led to a few bad habits and why she graduated high school with a different class than her own. For over a year now Kayla has lived a sober life after finding herself on the floor of her downtown business sick and tired and ready for a change. She describes the months, nights and days that led to this pivotal change and how her future is looking bright.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and defensive driving expert, Andrew Harrington, and I travel with our two little ones overnight (and well into the next day) from Illinois to Florida. While making our own memories, we reflect on the road trips of our own childhood.
Listen as two townies hit the dusty trail already behind schedule and with bad moods setting in. Vomit, coffee-cup pees and an expensive meet-and-greet with a Georgia police officer are all documented periodically during the course of this long trip where my husband refuses to let me drive and verbalizes his resentment for his sleeping passengers. This one is packed with relatable and cringey moments from the road.
HIGHERORBIT
Recorded in the back of a legal dispensary , obtain a higher orbit with our latest drop!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, The Venue CU. These historical buildings at 51 and 55 East Main Street in Downtown Champaign are seeing their finest days as a modern industrial event space. Add the services of sister companies, Bugbee's DJ Plus and Chikondi Craft Chocolate to create the most memorable occasions. For all information on all their ventures, visit thevenuecu.com and the venuecu on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This spirited townie has an intuitive nature. She senses, sees and feels what a typical passerby may not. From local haunted houses, to premonitions regarding someone's future to guiding the lost through a potential minefield, Deb has a way with interpreting someone's thoughts and feelings.
Listen as this former flower child, costume designer, creative and current intuitive talks about the resurgence in popularity of mystical practices like crystals, saging and reading tarot and the difference in psychics, mediums and her title of intuitive. Finally Deb sees something from my own life that rings true and zeros in on my aversion to risk by reading my cards! Cue the goosebumps.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
This Naperville transplant has a voice that likely everyone in the Champaign-Urbana area has heard. From WDWS to the University Of Illinois sports announcements, Scott is there covering games wherever he is needed for the love of sports, for the love of transmitting information and for the love of a dream that he will never let die.
Listen as this broadcaster talks about pivoting from engineering and music to broadcast journalism, how being the one answering the personal questions is a lot harder than asking them, reflecting on your own life after a tragedy and ultimately having to decide what's most important: dreams vs. reality and passion vs. contentment. Scott talks about the relatable anxiety that comes with having to say "no" to an opportunity that could lead to the next big thing. Little League shenanigans and drama round out the conversation with the hopes of a quiet spring season.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
In the fall of 2008 I went to Amy Armstrong's house as green as her front lawn. She was one of my first interviews as a big girl, full-time journalist. I was there to talk to Amy about her toddler, Larkin, and Amy's advocacy initiative, Larkin's Place at the Stephens Family YMCA. Fifteen years later, Amy and I talk about the next phase of Larkin's life and how Amy and her husband have to prepare to legally take control of Larkin before the age of 18 hits.
Listen as this momologist and long-time resident explains the list of Larkin's diagnosis and why Down Syndrome is the least of their concerns-the hidden disabilities being the most worrisome. Infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, epilepsy, Celiac disease and Autism occupy the family's mental space and sometimes makes them feel alone. Comparison being the thief of joy doesn't mean you don't notice what your daughter will never get to do or experience, even if she doesn't notice herself.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
One well-known townie and one transplant fall in love and move overseas to continue his dream of playing basketball for a living. A traumatic birth to twins and a need for familial support brought the couple back to the states TWICE to start a more pedestrian life filled with familial support and two more baby boys.
Listen (literally, as two littles were at the recording) to how this thoughtful mom and dad function as a family of six. Moving through life with a team mentality and a lens of "us," this unit uses their own personality traits to help fill in the gaps in what the other may lack, manage sibling rivalry and view "more kids" as more love, more gifts, more personalities, more joy over less time, less money and less resources. Trent and Theresa are a match made in wisdom and respect. Not perfection. Messes are still made, accidents still happen and meltdowns still occur. However, this interview shows how the mutual understanding and appreciation of one other can veil the day-to-day grind that parenting and life's stress can create.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Fellow townie, Central Maroon and thoughtful, "I need to sleep on it," personality, Devin Lietz, talks about her no-second-guesses needed road to adoption. The road, however, had a few false starts.
Listen as this former social worker details her process and decision to adopt rather than pursue other interventions. Devin always had adoption in the back of her mind as she married and then started "trying" to get pregnant. A miscarriage led her and her husband to believe getting pregnant may be more complicated than expected. Adoption was their next step to finding baby Jane, her biological mom and some other potential bio moms that never came to fruition-startlingly common, Devin explains. Devin's love and adoration for her now toddler fills this episode as she only sees Jane as nothing else than her precious baby girl.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
University of Illinois student athletes, Jer'Zhan Newton (St. Petersburg) and Keith Randolph Jr. (Belleville) are powerhouses on the defensive line this year. This dynamic duo was even given the moniker the "Law Firm" by their fearless leader Bret Bielema for their exceptional teamwork.
Listen as these two friends, roommates and teammates tease each other while expressing what the true life of a student athlete looks like. Their different personalities show through as they discuss the pressures, time constraints, fear of injury and tough transitions through coaching changes. Most importantly, Newton & Randolph talk about their future in football: The ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, declaring for the NFL and/or returning to college for the Fighting Illini. These two athletes were engaged, enjoyable, respectful and hilariously unfiltered. In the next few weeks many decisions will be made and one BIG game will be played, one thing is for certain, any team is lucky to have them.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Rantoul resident turned Urbana homeowner tells tales that the best fiction writer could not put into words. Tony's childhood debauchery quickly goes from juvenile to criminal spanning coast-to-coast.
Listen to Tony discuss his wrap sheet starting in early adolescence with a legitimate wildfire. This spark began a snowball effect of moves, booze, drugs, arrests and a baby girl. After too much being sick and tired of being sick and tired, Tony resorts to homelessness to rehab himself and clean up his act. Tony talks passionately about helping improve the growing homeless population in our own community. He also talks tearfully about pursuing a reunion with his now adult daughter and how that relationship grows today.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Former Centennial Charger explains how a recession landed her in a position that is never boring, mostly stressful and always comes with a long line of upset customers. This boy mom to two little ones impresses with legalese and consistent compassion for her clients as a local public defender.
Listen to Lindsey talk candidly about how much she makes, theft versus burglary, defending a former classmate, finding the good in even the most wanted, how poverty and how someone grew up should plays a part in someone's case, getting called fat behind plate glass, the difference between innocence and finding someone not guilty and running into a pissed off client at a pizza place!
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A Champaign townie and former local media young gun turned Nashville anchor, spends his time tracking wins and losses, baskets, touchdowns and RBIs. With a face for TV, Steve transitioned from radio to primetime and has even made it to the big show on ESPN+.
Listen as Steve recalls three pivotal moments that changed the trajectory of his life: a career-ending sports injury, being in the right place at the right time during a momentous sports moment and a critical car accident. The recent car accident led Steve to an epiphany rooted in contentment, living in the present and enjoying the journey because you don't know when it will end.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Seating and More. If you’ve see the new sign at Old Farm Shops in the heart of Champaign you may be wondering what’s inside. High end office chairs rescued, upcycled, recycled, cleaned, repaired and presented beautifully in this high end show room. Hundreds of desk and computer chairs that retail new for BIG MONEY. Follow and visit Seating and More on Facebook for all information regarding hours and merchandise.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
A Champaign born-and-raised dear friend and female BOSS recently leapt up the corporate ladder into a new position in Nebraska. Champaign’s loss and a big gain for the Huskies. We first met when she stole my middle school boyfriend, but we became fast friends in high school. This is where I met her family and her mom for the first time. Behind closed doors, you never know what someone is dealing with. I surely didn’t know.
Listen as Jackie, a tough, strong and typically unemotional person, stoically talks about her mom’s battle with depression and how she finally lost the fight. Jackie’s resilience grew from walking alongside her mom as she truly fought each day to get up, be a parent, an employee, a wife, a sister. It’s hard to imagine waking up each day and feeling an indescribable cloud and heaviness that just can’t be fixed. That can’t be solved. That won’t go away. That just won’t go away. Jackie’s hope is that talking openly about suicide and mental health will help the stigmas fade, allowing others to feel OK with not being OK. OK with asking for help.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Checkered Moon. There is no better place for a gift for someone else or a treat for yourself. Right now the store is dripping in all the things to deck your halls! Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook! Order from their abbreviated selection on their website checkeredmoon.com. They offer gift wrapping and free, local delivery! Holiday shopping has never been more filled with cheer!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
My husband and podcast super fan, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about our terrible, horrible and no good experiences (mostly mine) with the once illegal, now legal and more and more prevalent, wacky tobacky.
Listen as two townies swap stories of brazen lunch-hour busts in open air Jeeps, the smell of skunk permeating chemistry class, drinking lemon juice to kill a buzz, watching Die Hard and the clock, uncontrollable leg tweaking and the 72-hour high that I never came down from. Tune in for some more tales of debauchery and utter youthful stupidity. BONUSSomewhere within this episode is the opportunity to participate in a fun game with a little incentive.
I'd like to show my support and encourage others to do the same for Emily (Deters) Troy. This brave and ballsy fellow townie with the self-proclaimed two left feet is putting it all out on the dance floor to raise money for the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club at December 2nd's Dancing with the CU Stars Event. Follow this link https://one.bidpal.net/dwtcus22/browse/donation(details:item/11) to vote!
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Shanovia (NoNo) landed in Champaign after being taken out of Chicago with the intention of a happier upbringing. She left behind sadness, poverty and ailing or deceased caregivers. With little food and living conditions unfit to thrive in, Shanovia and her sisters moved to Champaign to face a new set of challenges.
Listen to why NoNo didn't let her environment define her. Why her inner light would shine on the path that would lead her to a future of service for others, further education and the desire to be a mother her daughter would look up to. NoNo credits many people who gave her a shoulder to cry on, a voice to express herself with, an ear to listen to and a warm, safe home to sleep in. Abby Hobbs, longtime Champaign resident, is one of these people. Abby is a well-known philanthropist and self-appointed second mother to Shanovia. Abby saw NoNo's potential and knew she was destined to take advantage of any opportunity given to her. With all of the cards stacked against her, Shanovia heeded everyone's advice, humbled herself and listened to others. She found a way to become the best version of herself despite the adversity she faced.
This is not a political podcast. I am not a political person. I am a center, neutral, apolitical type. I just want the best person for the job. That’s it. I’ve decided to release Sam’s podcast on actual election day so that by this time you listen, you’ve already probably decided who you are going to vote for. Therefore, this won’t really influence your decision but just promote an overall message of the importance of voting. However and whoever. Just vote.
Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!
Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.
Immigrant parents planted the Limentato roots in Illinois, growing the branches of Sam into the Champaign family. Currently, Judge Sam Limentato has found himself working tirelessly over the past months to retain his position as Circuit Judge in Champaign County.
Listen to why Sam found it difficult to label himself as one political party over the other since he's in a position of inherent neutrality, why the need to serve others caused him to take a leap away from his law firm and into the uncertain position of circuit judge, why he wears a red judge's robe once a year, the mix and balance of negative cases with positive outcomes like adoptions and marriages, why he tears up when he talks about his dad and the crossover in personal injury law and family courtroom judgements.
In commemoration of Harrington Law's 100th year in business, they have collaborated with the Law Firm of (Johnny) Newton & (Keith) Randolph in a Name, Image and Likeness deal to raise money for our local Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club. With each sack Newton, Randolph and their associates get, Harrington Law will donate $100 to the club. To date they have racked 25 sacks equaling to $2,500! Get em' guys! Visit harringtonlawllc.com for all information.
These welcome transplants under Bielema's reign are no strangers to packing up and heading to a new town with little (or no) notice. For the love of the game and their husbands, these independent women move themselves and their kids to a new city, new home and new school ultimately creating new loyalties and allegiances.
Listen at how these women transport their families across country, how their kids handle the many, many moves, how the family handles losing, living in a house sight unseen, never being able to grow roots, the re-entry period for a husband who devotes so much time to the team and making new friends while keeping the old. Take note at how this duo holds down the fort at home so their husbands can concentrate on improving and furthering the success of the University of Illinois football team. Shout OUT to these MVPs.
In commemoration of Harrington Law's 100th year in business, they have collaborated with the Law Firm of (Johnny) Newton & (Keith) Randolph in a Name, Image and Likeness deal to raise money for our local Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club. With each sack Newton, Randolph and their associates get, Harrington Law will donate $100 to the club. To date they have racked 25 sacks equaling to $2,500! Get em' guys! Visit harringtonlawllc.com for all information.
After circling Danville and Indiana in his younger years, Nathan laid strong roots with wife and teammate, Julie Gunn, in Central Champaign raising five kids while traveling the world as a baritone operatic performer. The duo met on their first days at the University of Illinois in the program they now run together, the Lyric Theater @ Illinois.
Listen as the man behind this rich voice describes singing at the MET, how the pandemic changed his lifestyle for the better, how being hidden by corn and soybeans allows him and his students to take risks they couldn't in press soaked areas like LA or NY, why auto tune has hurt modern music, why music and sports run parallel to each other and why he puts his "People Magazine Top 50 Sexiest" accolades at the bottom of his list of accomplishments. In the end, I sing Do, Re, Mi and Nathan counters putting my voice to shame. To support the Gunn's mission at the Lyric Theater @ Illinois, visit advancement.illinois.edu/2281867-2/?cfpage=/o/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/i/urbana-crowdfunding/s/lyric-theatre-giving.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels by Emily is offering an interactive Magical Santa Experience beyond my highest expectations. My boys were lucky enough to take part in the photo session. The November slots have filled up, but Pixels by Emily is gauging the interest of the community. Sign up on their waitlist asap and tell them HyperLocal(s) sent you! Join the wait list by visiting www.pixelsbyemily.com/blog/magical-santa-experience-waitlist
Mahomet mother-daughter duo may now live states apart but their love is so palpable in this episode as they describe the sharp and severe health decline of a young, healthy woman with her whole life in front of her.
Listen as the women behind the popular area hobby breeder enterprise-Snow Angel Retrievers-discuss why Gina couldn't trust Taylor to carry a glass of milk, how Gina ceremoniously cut Taylor's hair off as she was rapidly losing it during treatment, Taylor meeting her now husband sans wig in the Midwest summer, how they raised and were gifted a large amount of the enormous $125,000 Stem Cell Treatment bill, harvesting tomato soup and why Taylor was prepared for the pandemic before the rest of us.
I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor, Pixels by Emily. Pixels by Emily is offering an interactive Magical Santa Experience beyond my highest expectations. My boys were lucky enough to take part in the photo session. The November slots have filled up, but Pixels by Emily is gauging the interest of the community. Sign up on their waitlist asap and tell them HyperLocal(s) sent you! Join the wait list by visiting www.pixelsbyemily.com/blog/magical-santa-experience-waitlist
An Urbana farmer’s daughter turned Villa Grove farmer’s wife and my BFF, talks about her transition from city girl to queen of the cornfields as her married status uprooted her to a life with prettier views and different priorities.
Listen as Erin and I talk about making new friends and keeping the old, quality over quantity, unreciprocated friendships, pushing each other to be better, picking up with old and true friends right where you left off, FOMO, friendship jealousy, putting yourself in new and vulnerable situations in an effort to make new friends and friendship dating apps. Most notably, Erin and I talk about the ups and downs in our own friendship and how unconditional love can apply to not just familial relationships.
This episode is in recognition of Erin’s program YoungLives. YoungLives supports parenting and pregnant teens through mentorship and community. The program provides mentors and childcare workers weekly to give the girls fellowship, fun and a safe place to be teens again without judgement. Contact Erin @eringracewatson on Facebook or Instagram if you are interested in becoming a childcare worker, mentor or donor.
Former Champaign resident and podcast guest, Griffin Mulcahey takes the back seat as his wife and my friend, Bre, takes center stage in their makeshift, Austin studio during a recent trip to visit this Midwest-turned-Texan couple. The visit was in response to a call for help when the couple was overwhelmed with healing and emotions and exhaustion.
Listen as Bre relives the life changing call from her doctor during a mushroom microdose session, saying goodbye to her baby and toddler before undergoing brain surgery, the extreme precision in which the surgery must be performed to survive, the extremely slow recovery process and what the next months and years of her life will look like. While riding high from a lucrative business deal and dream move, the couple got news that will forever mark a pivotal period in their timeline of life. Now a hit to their reality has caused both Bre and Griffin to look at the minutiae of life as “get-to-dos” rather than “have-to-dos.”
A very special thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Austin and Kelsey Beaty of The Beaty Agency at Country Financial located on Country Fair Drive in Champaign. Call for a quote today. Austin is also very active (and entertaining) on most social platforms so find and follow Austin Beaty of Country Financial. Rest easy. Switch your car, life and auto plans today and put your safety in the Beaty’s hands. Search Austin B-E-A-T-Y at CountryFinancial.com for all the contact info.
Champaign townie shares her secrets to social media: the good, the bad and the viral. This branding and marketing professional uses her education and field experience to curate and spread beauty-one post at a time.
Listen as Grace explains why her day job is the least interesting thing about her, inauthentic vs. authentic content, her self-taught side hustle for lucky brides, wacky algorithms, how to take the best picture and why social media should be viewed as a fun tool and not a recipe for FOMO and jealousy. This millennial disproves the common stereotypes, showing how articulate, motivated and self-actualized this generation can be. Even though this was our first meeting, I saw the obvious beauty from the outside mirror what radiated from within this golden girl.
A very special thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Champaign Counseling at their new location on South Neil Street in Champaign. Therapy, and asking for help in general, is a brave choice. Marriage, work, kids, it all mounts and bubbles and leaves us feeling less than our true potential. You can get help here in less than 48 hours! Contact Champaign Counseling by visiting champaigncounseling.com. Take time for you today by promoting peace from within.
Champaign townie, sadly now a Minnesotan, and one of my oldest friends shares feelings on a subject that he is often reluctant to talk about–the loss of his dad, Paul Senior, and his slow battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Listen as Dan emotionally recalls his dad as his number one coach, the first Christmas where a tradition was regretfully forgot, losing him at an Illini game and saying goodbye over and over. Dan has become an incredible dad of four because of the lessons he gleaned from his coach, this is clear in this short and sweet podcast highlighting one’s own mortality and the genetic concerns surrounding Alzheimers. The respect and love is clear in each one of Dan’s words.
A very special thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Champaign Counseling at their new location on South Neil Street in Champaign. Therapy, and asking for help in general, is a brave choice. Marriage, work, kids, it all mounts and bubbles and leaves us feeling less than our true potential. You can get help here in less than 48 hours! Contact Champaign Counseling by visiting champaigncounseling.com. Take time for you today by promoting peace from within.
Urbana-born twenty something shares a story of falling head over heels for a little redheaded firecracker, managing his abandonment issues, figuring out how to balance a job while becoming a single mom overnight and thoughts on dating at this stage in her life.
Listen as Mahala explains how a weekend babysitting stint never ended, how her experience growing up in a loving family prepared her for a toddler, what it was like when she was called mom for the first time, what she ultimately wants for the little boy that swept her off her feet and how she is prepared to fight for his future safety and security. Mahala's story is testimony that motherhood and maternal instincts don't solely come from giving birth.
I'd like to send a big thank you to this episode's sponsor, Sun Singer Restaurant providing Wine, Spirits, Beer, Gourmet Deli & Gifts. As mentioned in multiple episodes Sunsinger, located at 1115 Windsor Road in Champaign, is our favorite spot to eat in town. Call and book a reservation today. You don't want to miss OYSTER week September 16 to 24. Visit sunsinger.com for more information.
My loves-the-spotlight husband and podcast super fan, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about excessive bathroom lines at a Yankees game, uncontrollable sweating, the event that inspired my brother-in-law's speech at our wedding and grounds for getting fired from our first jobs.
Listen as two townies swap stories of treading water down Mattis Avenue, ultra moist public speaking, bathroom negotiations and making it on Jay Leno for all the wrong reasons. Turn up for some skin crawling embarrassing moments!
I'd like to acknowledge the Harrington Law collaboration with the Law Firm of Newton and Randolph, and their associates, during this Illini Football Season. In commemoration of 100 years of service, Harrington Law will give $100/SACK to the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club. Let's go ILLINI!
Champaign townie turned Mahomet resident and Monticello teacher tells the story on behalf of her husband, Cameron Crouch, of young love, loyalty and the sacrifices her and her future husband endured for the love of each other and the love of the country.
Listen as Christy explains how as a teenager she sent her boyfriend off to war on July 4th in a post-September 11th world. After a year in Iraq, Cam was injured in a way that would change the quality of his life forever, but not their future as a couple. After 84 surgeries, two kids, interventions and adaptations, the couple moves through life much like the rest of us. Learn the true definition of a hero in Cam's story. Learn the true power of a partner's love in Christy's story.
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor Style and Grace Salon & Day Spa. I think I have seen every stylist at Style and Grace for a blowout at the least. They cover every aspect of self care from head to toe. Not to mention men's hair care, hair coloring, extension services, massage and other body services, nails, makeup, facials and wedding party services! Visit styleandgracecu.com to reserve an appointment and find a list of services.
St. Louis transplant, Illiniboard.com creator and host of the podcast We Love No Other talks Illini obsessions in preparation for the 2022 football season.
Listen as Robert Rosenthal explains how he retired from his landscape architecture job in pursuit of his love and loyalty for all things Illini (right before the pandemic shut down college sports.) Robert schools me on why my husband's white knuckling through games is actually a healthy outlet for emotions, why losses hurt more than wins feel good and why he is one of the few that appreciate Illini football over Illini basketball. We end on Robert's tight-lipped season predictions and the controversial subject of the Chief. Is Robert Pro or against?
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor Style and Grace Salon & Day Spa. I think I have seen every stylist at Style and Grace for a blowout at the least. They cover every aspect of self care from head to toe. Not to mention men's hair care, hair coloring, extension services, massage and other body services, nails, makeup, facials and wedding party services! Visit styleandgracecu.com to reserve an appointment and find a list of services.
Bible belt transplant and coach's wife plays by her own rules as principal of St. Matthew Catholic School in Champaign.
Listen as Mrs. Biggs explains how her plans to be a stay-at-home mom were derailed when her daughters' new school needed her to take on a position only her pumps could fill. Mrs. Biggs reflects on the last two emotional and exhausting years for herself, her staff, her own kids and her students. With an end presumably here, Mrs Biggs predicts this school year is going to be the best yet with an emphasis on higher expectations and a personal emphasis on self-care. This prolific principal shares advice on how parents and students can have a successful 2022-2023 school year. We end on a somber note, discussing the disturbing reality of school shootings and how schools prepare themselves for these increasingly common tragedies.
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor KleenRite. Your house could be cleaner, fresher and even safer with the long list of revitalizing cleaning services provided by KleenRite. Don't forget about their 24/7 emergency cleaning services! Mention this podcast and receive a free bottle of tile revitalizer when scheduling a tile and grout cleaning! Visit kleenrite.net for all the information you need to freshen up your space! Thank you again to this episode’s sponsor-KleenRite.
Townie dreamcatcher and flourishing florist speaks candidly about her West Coast divorce.
Listen as her story seemingly ends with a complex entanglement between a frenemy, husband and the future father of her two sons. With sunshine, blooms and new friends, Andrea slowly rewrites the future focusing on the main character this time around. In take THREE of this podcast, Andrea explains how she went from literally shoveling **** to coming up roses.
I’d like to send a thank you to this episode’s sponsor Confidentially Yours in the Round Barn Center in Champaign. Confidentially Yours is a discreetly located boutique in the heart of Champaign. Whatever your size, you can be custom fit to find the right undergarment just for you. While you are there, browse accessories and seasonal looks to round out your outfit. In fact if you mention this podcast, you will receive a free bra fitting! Thanks again to Confidentially Yours.
Champaign County lifelong resident, Mayor of Savoy and retired University of Illinois lieutenant talks about the pendulum swinging back in favor of local police.
Listen as John discusses three cases that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Trigger warning one of the cases involves an infant death. He also gives insight into the rumors behind police quotas, how to get out of a ticket and if there's really a 5 MPH buffer on speeding. John is an open book willing to bust misconceptions and myths surrounding local police.
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor KleenRite. It truly takes a professional service like KleenRite to improve your home. Your house could be cleaner, fresher and even safer with the long list of revitalizing cleaning services provided by Kleen Rite. Mention this podcast and receive 10 percent off upholstery cleaning! Visit kleenrite.net for all the information you need to freshen up your space! Thank you again to this episode’s sponsor-KleenRite.
Champaign townie discusses her tumultuous upbringing with five brothers and two parents: one that neglected and one that abused.
Listen as Amariah discusses the slap heard round-the-world, foster care, the grandparents that saved her, why her unstable beginning doesn't define her present, her self-admitted overprotective grasp on her two boys, her book deal and her commitment and passion for social services. You may need a cry and a nap after this episode featuring one resilient, strong, boundary-building queen.
I'd like to send a thank you to this episode's sponsor-Soccer Planet-located on Willow Road in Urbana. My youngest son is able to foster his love of soccer with their Lil' Kickers program (starting at 18 months old!) in the state-of-the-art indoor facility no matter the weather outside! No cancellations, refunds or confusion. Soccer Planet hosts classes, clinics, camps leagues and even birthday parties. Visit soccerplanetcu.com for information, programming and registration.
Chicago suburbanite, turned Champaign sweetheart, now Austin weirdo talks about abandoning the security of his post-college corporate gig to navigate telehealth and tech.
Listen as Griffin discusses spinning his wheels while trying different start ups, losing a year of sleep and moonlighting to make ends meet, never giving up the hope and dream of one day hitting the mark. And, finally, working tirelessly to create a "unicorn" business valued at more than one billion dollars and retiring at age 38!
I'd like to send a thank you to this episode's sponsor-Soccer Planet-located on Willow Road in Urbana. My youngest son is able to foster his love of soccer with their Lil' Kickers program (starting at 18 months old!) in the state-of-the-art indoor facility no matter the weather outside! No cancellations, refunds or confusion. Soccer Planet hosts classes, clinics, camps leagues and even birthday parties. Visit soccerplanetcu.com for information, programming and registration.
The tables have been turned. It's my turn to share as many others have in the weeks prior. My story. My problem. My secret. My issues. As with all the episodes, the hope is that the content makes others atypical feel typical, their abnormal feel normal, their quirks and idiosyncrasies a part of what makes them uniquely them-their superpower.
Listen as reoccurring guest Andrew Harrington interviews his townie wife and podcast host on her day-to-day internal struggles. Learn how anxiety manifested into OCD after kids, how it's her greatest strength and biggest weakness, how they can never have too many paper towels and Clorox wipes and how labeling a stapler "stapler" and tape "tape" started from the jump.
I'd like to thank the sponsor of today's episode-Modern Family Dinners. Order each week from freshly prepared, complete meals and frozen, comforting casseroles. Add in a dessert and you could have dinner under control for the week! Order now for local pick up Sat/Mon at their store just past the YMCA. First things first, get on the email list. Visit the website at modernfamilydinners.com and follow in Instagram @modern_family_dinners.
Cameron Williams aka Barry White, a college friend and once townie, calls in from the hills of Tennessee by way of New York by way of Los Angeles, to explain how my former formal date went from a straight, single make to a married, gay father of five since the last time we spoke.
Listen as this dancing king talks about coming out of the closet, being outed before he was ready, being an actor and now voice actor in both NY and LA and finding love and a ready made family with a man who not only has five children but a passion for rescuing monkeys! Cam details his personal and professional trajectory with twists and turns involving self acceptance and never giving up his passion.
I'd like to thank the sponsor of today's episode-Modern Family Dinners. Order each week from freshly prepared, complete meals and frozen, comforting casseroles. Add in a dessert and you could have dinner under control for the week! Order now for local pick up Sat/Mon at their store just past the YMCA. First things first, get on the email list. Visit the website at modernfamilydinners.com and follow in Instagram @modern_family_dinners.
I reached out. She graciously answered. Amber Oberheim, wife of the tragically slain Police Officer Chris Oberheim, rehashes the details of her husband's death-one year later. Amber talks openly and honestly about life before May 19, 2021, the details of the domestic disturbance that Chris responded to, the early morning knock on the door, writing eulogies and why she won't listen to any 911 calls or video from that night.
Listen as this empowered advocate explains how and why she has taken the lead and stage in the wake of a heart wrenching loss, turning tragedy into an opportunity to proactively support law enforcement and their families. Amber details her and her four daughter's creation of Peacemaker Project 703 to continue and honor Chris's legacy.
I'd like to thank the sponsor of today's episode-Modern Family Dinners. Order each week from freshly prepared, complete meals and frozen, comforting casseroles. Add in a dessert and you could have dinner under control for the week! Order now for local pick up Sat/Mon at their store just past the YMCA. First things first, get on the email list. Visit the website at modernfamilydinners.com and follow in Instagram @modern_family_dinners.
My expat neighbors talk about reclaiming land that was rightfully theirs, souls being lost in purgatory and surviving a political coup at seven days old.
Listen as these Australian/Greek transplants talk about transhumance lifestyles, pandemic adjustments and the importance of art and photography in their wanderlust lives. Download to find out how this creative couple's love story was founded in grit and commitment and why the conversation with these intellectuals left me feeling like a dumb American. For no other reason, listen for their amazing accents!
I'd like to shout out the sponsor of today's episode-Plantify. I stumbled upon the storefront at 16 E. Washington Street in Champaign on one dreary winter's day. The patient and incredibly knowledgeable owner helped me pick a variety of plants and complementary pots. Stop by today and tell them I sent you! You can also get inspiration from their Facebook, Instagram and website at plantifyhome.com. Thanks again to Plantify for being today’s episode sponsor.
My old and dear friend from a past life explains her rock bottom return to her hometown, why she started therapy and medication at a young age, her recent medical epiphany and why she is no longer on any Rx.
Listen as townie friends discuss triple threat diagnoses, the "everyone hates me syndrome," the art of being a chameleon and why her husband is a saint. Download to find out how this creative soul's constant passion for art has never wavered-only changed its palette.
I'd like to shout out the sponsor of today's episode-Plantify. I stumbled upon the storefront at 16 E. Washington Street in Champaign on one dreary winter's day. The patient and incredibly knowledgeable owner helped me pick a variety of plants and complementary pots. Stop by today and tell them I sent you! You can also get inspiration from their Facebook, Instagram and website at plantifyhome.com. Thanks again to Plantify for being today’s episode sponsor.
This household name amongst area parents describes the TWO times he got thrown up on in the pool, parents battling in the bleachers and navigating the uncharted waters of transgender athletes in competitive swimming.
Listen as this townie, former water polo player and current amateur drummer outlines his no nonsense coaching philosophy, why learning to swim should be considered a necessary life skill and why one bad apple can spoil the bunch in a team environment. Download to find out why Will has spanned the coaching scene from my high school girlfriends to my girlfriend's kids. This coach won't be using toys or nursery rhymes to coax the kids in the pool, but he will get the kids to learn how to swim come hell or high water.
Thank you to the sponsor of this episode-A. Hunt Design and the CU flower house along with Hunny Bunny Bakes. Visit the CU flower house at 2006 S. Neil Street for a chance to create your own bouquets. If you mention this ad, you'll get one free stem from their bouquet bar! Visit ahuntdesign.comand check out ahuntdesign on Instagram. Thanks again to A. Hunt Design and the CU flower house.
This Hunny Bunny boss babe relives the details of watching her first born hear sounds clearly for the first time after surgery.
Listen as Mary English Enright (Ratcliffe), Champaign native turned Chicken Bristle baddie, shares her side-by-side ride with son Hank as they navigate interventions in order to hear his sister's laughter and parent's praises. Download to find out why Mary lives for CAOS, why a search party was called at school and why she will always trust her mother's intuition.
Thank you to the sponsor of this episode-A. Hunt Design and the CU flower house along with Hunny Bunny Bakes. Visit the CU flower house at 2006 S. Neil Street for a chance to create your own bouquets. If you mention this ad, you'll get one free stem from their bouquet bar! Visit ahuntdesign.comand check out ahuntdesign on Instagram. Thanks again to A. Hunt Design and the CU flower house.
My back-by-popular demand mic hog, husband and BFF4L, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about contributing to minors (allegedly), bailing my dad out of jail and the bust that made the Sunday newspaper and grounded me indefinitely.
Listen as two townies swap stories of fence jumping, house alarms, running from the authorities and the one party that will live in infamy. If you are missing a cooler, DM me. It's still at my parent's house.
My new and reluctant best friend, Illinois State Senator and local attorney, Mr. Chapin Rose, tells me that I'm normal for not "picking a side" in politics but why it's not OK to flip a coin in the voting booth.
Listen as Mahomet's very own Chapin Rose explains the three things that should matter to everyone regardless of political stance, what his REAL first name is, why he shovels snow in shorts and why not to focus so much on the presidency but more on who fills the political seats at the local level.
My much younger mom friend talks about watching the slow burn of her father's diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer's.
Listen as Katy, Champaign born and raised, describes the moment they found out what their patriarch's inevitable decline would look like. The oldest of three looks back on their family's decade-long experience with watching their dad mentally age in reverse, the pain of not being able to see him during the pandemic and how she will forever remember him. Download to find out why the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with this life-of-the party daddy's girl.
Thank you to The Hoss McClellan Team for sponsoring this week's episode! The team at Keller Williams Realty is making its mark in this thriving real estate market, and the community agrees as they ranked in the Top 10 percent of all realtors in Champaign County in 2021 and are on pace to do even better in 2022! Jen and Nic McClellan are a dynamic husband and wife duo ready to buy/sell your home today! Contact them on their engaging social pages @homewithhossmcclellan.
My couple friends talk about their struggles to conceive, reproductive testing, infertility treatments and mounting medical bills.
Listen as Mike, Champaign native, and Jordan (Oakes), Tolono honey, simultaneously share laughs and tears over this heartbreaking topic. Download to find out why we are all crying, why fluorescent lighting isn't sexy, why Mike gives shots to citrus fruits and why there is no budget when it comes to getting a baby in the baby carriage.
Thank you to The Hoss McClellan Team for sponsoring this week's episode! The team at Keller Williams Realty is making its mark in this thriving real estate market, and the community agrees as they ranked in the Top 10 percent of all realtors in Champaign County in 2021 and are on pace to do even better in 2022! Jen and Nic McClellan are a dynamic husband and wife duo ready to buy/sell your home today! Contact them on their engaging social pages @homewithhossmcclellan.
My more-than-just-a hair stylist talks about her son's seemingly unbreakable struggle with heroin, his recent hospitalization, the three paths ahead and why she worries every time the phone rings.
Listen as Urbana mom to a Brady Bunch-sized brood talks about why she will provide her son endless opportunities to get sober. Tune in to find out why our third guest never made it to the interview, but why he will always be invited back to the table.
My once bridesmaid talks about the strain of having a business and two babies in quick succession, the implications of stress on a marriage, becoming a single parent, co-parenting and finally inviting your husband back in your heart.
Listen as townie best friends have a tough and honest chat about how love can hurt. This episode was a hard one for both husband and wife to confront. Thank you to both for letting the toothpaste out of the tube, so to speak. Listen up to find out why we will never eat at Subway again.
My former prom date talks about being sidetracked by ADHD, to medicate or not to medicate, the latest Tik Tok sub-culture and color coding files to stay sane.
Listen as long time townie pals compare adult ADHD with my son's recent diagnosis. This episode is rounded out with the sweet sounds of Jamie's constant pen clicking.
Visit Champaign County's Vice President of Marketing & Community Engagement breaks down C-U into five areas: agriculture, food, nature, arts & culture and technology. Terri dials in the best spots to visit in each area as we compare our favorite restaurants and date spots.
Listen as a Peoria transplant schools this townie on why Champaign is more than corn and soybeans.
My mom talks about being literally sick to your stomach with dread, PTSD and playing the blame game. Linda and I point fingers at Peter Rabbit and nail home the old adage, "Look both ways before you cross the street."
Listen as mother and daughter recount the worst day of their lives. Stay tuned until the very end for special guest, son, grandson and survivor.
As a show of support for the inaugural podcast, my typically closed book husband opens all the way up about his 15 year recovery with alcohol. Just when he was able to legally drink, at the ripe age of 22, Andrew took a path away from Guido's and into a life of higher education, marriage, fatherhood and novice landscaping.
Listen as two townies regale their worst nights out and why they no longer imbibe.