Cream City Dreams: Recent Episodes
Meagan Schultz and Shelly Roder
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
I'm relinquishing the mic to my daughter and her friend today! It's a summer special!
A Calm Kids podcast.
They set the music, they decided the topic, they wrote the script ... and I think it's one you'll like. Especially if you've got kids in your life with BIG emotions. Heck, even if YOU'VE got big emotions.
Listen as this 8 and 10 year old explain how we can handle anger and frustration and anxiety. And I know I'm biased here, but I have to say, I think their advice to kids is pretty wise. (now if only I saw it around my own house more often, but maybe that's a different episode).
I also plug a local author, Jamie Lynn Tatera and highly recommend her Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids, Volumes 1 & 2.
And if you loved this episode, I KNOW Zoe and Maeve would love to hear from you. Drop me a line in one of the ways below and I'll be sure to pass on the fan mail!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Over the years, I've taken myself on many-a-writing retreat and each of them has been magical in its own way. On my latest retreat, however, one of my circle-sisters wrote a short story to share her experience and it was so fun, I knew I had to share it in a bonus summer episode!
It was such a SWEET little story that captured the essence of our retreat so well. People often ask, what do you DO on these retreats? Well, let me tell you, by way of this story from Sally.
But more than her story, we talk about what it was like for her to sign up and join this circle of women. Sally, a self-described introvert, talks about her fears of sharing her writing, her stories, and her full self. Fears we ALL have when we are in new spaces with new people. But what happens when we take one small step? When we sign up? When we raise our hand? When we say YES to the unknown?
MAGIC.
I hope you enjoy this sweet story and let it inspire YOU to say YES to something on your list this summer.
Want to experience the MAGIC of a writing retreat like the one Sally describes in today's episode? Check out Laurie's Webpage HERE or Jen's Webpage HERE.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
On today’s episode, I’ll fill you in on where I’m at and what my plans are for summer and for this podcast.
For now, I’m on hiatus.
I realized that I’ve been podcasting for the last 4 years - and specifically these last two years on my own - with nary a week off!
One of the things I'm most excited about is getting off my screen and actually being with people this summer. IRL, face to face. I want to bring people together with some pop-up events around town, in the forest, in my backyard, or maybe around a fire pit (maybe with a guitar?).
I’m also taking the summer to think more about what I want this podcast to be, how I want to be helpful with this platform, and the kinds of guests that can help me inspire listeners to find the courage to gather, connect and create more in their own lives. And it’s hard to figure this out when I’m in the middle of producing it.
If you’ve got ideas for me, feedback on the podcast, stories of ways you’ve built community successfully, or people you think I should know about, I’d love to hear from you. Which episodes have you loved, which have you skipped? I’d love to know! Reply to this email or leave me a voice note HERE.
There’s still a chance you’ll hear my voice on the pod this summer, but nothing planned. You may hear my daughter take over the podcast one week, or maybe I’ll read a poem or a meditation. Maybe I’ll leave you with some writing prompts, or invite you to a gathering I’m hosting locally or online. That’s the joy of having my own podcast, I can play.
But I hope you’ll stick around, stay subscribed and stay connected.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
I wasn’t actually planning on this episode, I had intended to end the season today, but it dawned on me that it has been exactly one year since I gave up social media, and I thought that deserved an episode.
(Social media = Facebook and Instagram for me)
Not because I want the kudos or the congratulations although I am proud, and I think it’s OK for us to be proud of our accomplishments, but because I thought some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way might be helpful in case you were thinking of taking a break this summer yourself.
Maybe you need a gentle nudge to delete the app, or put the phone down, or doom scroll for one less hour a day. If that’s the case, I hope this episode will be helpful.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
In an effort to continue sharing ways to gather, connect and create, I wanted to talk with Parisa Shirazi Chavoya, owner and Founder of Parisa Yoga Shala about this sacred experience of sound, where the instruction is simply to show up, put your phone down, lie on the floor, feel the vibrations of crystal bowls, gongs and chimes, and let your body RECEIVE.
Last week on the podcast, Thekla and I talked about summer screen balance and the intentional questions that might lead us to more balance: how do we want to feel as this season unfolds? What does it look like to show up, without distraction, present to ourselves and the people we love?
Enter the sound journey!
If you are new to sound bath, let this be a guide AND an invitation to find a sound journey near you! Or if you're local, experience one with Parisa.
Find her website HERE
Or her Instagram HERE
And here is the LINK for the woman on Youtube I mention in the podcast if you're looking for a taste before you try it out in person!
And if you try it out, be sure to let me know!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Before the checklists fill up and the calendar gets away from you, there's one question worth sitting with first: How do I actually want to move through this summer? Not just what you'll do, but how you'll show up, especially when it comes to your screens and devices.
Today's episode with Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross is all about how to find and maintain that balance as we head into the long, lazy days of summer! How do we fill them intentionally and not fall prey to the dreaded doomscroll?
It's easier than you think! And we'll share tips and strategies, though ultimately, it's not a one-size-fits-all package, so you'll need to do the work!
Here are a few of the links we talked about:
Find Thekla on LinkedIn or her website
High Tech Low Play: the report from the Institute for Family Studies
The AI Doc: from Institute for Human Technology
Your Attention Please documentary
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
In this episode I sit down with my friend and certified Forest Therapy Guide Megan Bollen to talk about forest bathing — what it actually is (hint: it's not a hike), and what happens when people finally slow down long enough to let nature do its thing.
We also talk about Megan's own path to becoming a guide, her training through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT), and the recurring themes she witnesses on every single walk — no matter the group.
PLUS hear about my collaboration with Megan on Monday, May 18th and how you can join us (if you're local to Milwaukee) for a Forest Bath + Writing Circle. We'd love to slow down with you in the woods and on the page! Grab a spot and register HERE to join us.
And find Megan online at Juniper Trails HERE. (but you're REALLY going to want to catch her in the forest IRL)
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Front porch or back porch? It sounds like a trivial choice. But as Dr. Jane R. Shore unpacks this question in a recent Substack essay, that decision carries real weight, shaping who we encounter and how connected we might become in our own neighborhoods. And indeed, in our own lives!
Find that essay HERE.
Jane is the writer behind the Substack School of Thought and author of People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human. Today we dig into one of her essays that uses this deceptively simple image as a lens for something much bigger: the way small, everyday choices determine whether we're open to the world or closed off from it.
This is the conclusion of a two-part conversation on People-Based Learning in community, together, and across difference. Start with last week's episode if you haven't yet, then come back for this one.
It turns out where you sit matters more than you think.
Connect with Dr. Jane R. Shore:
Website: schoolofthoughtphl.com
Substack: schoolofthought.substack.com
People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human — Amazon | Routledge
Twitter/X: @shorejaneshore
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
What does it really mean to learn with people, not just from them? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jane R. Shore, learning scientist, researcher, visual storyteller, and founder of a beautifully illustrated Substack, School of Thought, to explore her framework for People-Based Learning and why human connection is so incredibly important in education, workplaces, and everyday life.
Seems obvious, right? It's almost too simple. And that, as you'll hear, is exactly what makes it so powerful.
Her debut book, People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human (Routledge, 2026), is the culmination of years of research, storytelling, and gathering people in meaningful ways.
In this episode, you'll hear us talk about what People-Based Learning actually looks like in schools, with real examples from her own life and research; why belonging and relationship make learning 'sticky' and the three core elements of the PeBL framework: Connect, Reflect, and Affect.
Stay tuned next week for the conclusion of our conversation when we hash out the Substack that inspired me to approach Jane for the podcast in the first place! Find that essay HERE.
Connect with Dr. Jane R. Shore:
Website: schoolofthoughtphl.com
Substack: schoolofthought.substack.com
People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human — Amazon | Routledge
Twitter/X: @shorejaneshore
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
As kids we didn't need a reason to start a club. A treehouse, a secret handshake, a made-up name (as in my case, The Silver Binder Club) ... and that was enough.
But somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that clubs needed a purpose, a committee, and very likely, an exorbitant membership fee.
Let this episode be your reminder that they don't! Just a shared interest and a willingness to show up is all it takes. Today, I've got some great examples of clubs I've been invited to (or heard about) recently and I hope they inspire some club formations of your own!
If they do, I'd love to hear about it! I'm always looking for ideas to share, so drop me an email or a voice memo (below).
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
This week another short and sweet story about what it means to be a good neighbor.
A full-circle story of gratitude, connection, and what happens when we share of ourselves with abundance.
If you need a pick-me-up this week, give this episode a listen and be inspired by the good deeds of local kids on a mission, neighbors who answer the call and volunteers who listen.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
If showing up to a room full of complete strangers, or to a networking event, or to any situation where you must interact with people you've barely met gives you even the slightest amount of anxiety ... today's episode is for you.
Today I talk with Nydia Maurás-Jones, cofounder of Banter Design Co. about the art of small talk. We talk about ways to approach new people, what makes for good conversation, and equally how to escape a bad one.
Find Nydia and her team HERE.
OR meet Nydia in person at Milwaukee's Chapter of Creative Mornings on the third Friday of every month, where Banter is a cosponsor (and responsible for bringing the name tags!) 🎉
If you've got a small talk strategy that works for you, I'd love to hear about it (links below to reach me in all the ways!).
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Now there's a podcast title that will gain NO SEO traction whatsoever.
But it's worth it.
It's a name my mother invented for my daughter, and you'll hear all about how it's run, how it got that title, and why I wanted to share it with you.
Short and sweet this week. If you want a chuckle, give it a listen!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the podcast, I’m excited to introduce you to a small (but mighty) practice that has changed my life, and the woman who created it. Laurie Wagner is a writer, teacher, retreat leader, traveler, published author, and the founder and guiding force behind Wild Writing, a practice she has been sharing with the world for more than twenty-five years.
At our core, we are all storytellers. Yet so many of us hesitate to call ourselves “writers” because we've been shaped by childhood messages, or that ONE teacher (you remember the one), or our inner voice that measures our words against some idea of what “good writing” is supposed to be.
But Wild Writing is not about "good" writing. It's about "true" writing.
It's about writing so fast and so free, that there isn't time to edit for clarity, or perfection or even soundness of mind. It's about getting the words onto the page that you mean to say, even if they aren't pretty. (And they aren't always pretty!)
But what makes Wild Writing different is the practice of sharing our words aloud, in community.
Listen today as Laurie and I talk about how she got her start with Wild Writing over 35 years ago and how she continues teaching it today to thousands of people around the world.
Links and poets we talk about:
Laurie's own website and ways into Wild Writing
Laurie & Andrea's Wild Wonder Retreats
Write with ME (if you live locally in Milwaukee!)
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
James Crews
Maya Stein
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Garrett wears so many hats that we could have gone in so many different directions with this conversation, but in today’s episode, we talk about his latest undertaking: The Declaration of Interdependence Relay. (Or just The Relay, for short).
50 gatherings in 50 states in one year.
You’ll hear us talk about where this idea came from, why now, and what he hopes comes from this ambitious project, though admittedly so much is unknown at this early stage, which is just part of the beauty of it!
And while there can only be 50 “official” Relay gatherings, that shouldn't stop any of us from participating, from being a part of this community building movement. Because ultimately, The Relay is asking us to reach out to neighbors, to introduce ourselves, to solve problems for our community in community with each other.
I hope after listening to this, you will follow along! Check out the very throrough website for The Relay with ALL the information you might need to apply to host. (I know he’s still looking for hosts in Alaska!) You can also subscribe to Garrett’s Substack, The White Pages, follow him on Instagram if you are there, or pick up a copy of his book, The Right Kind of White. And after you've check out ALL those ways, get on his mailing list so that you can join a Barnraisers Project Cohort when they open again later this year!
Speaking of gatherings, registration is open and spots are filling (fast!) for my women’s circles starting in April! And I would love to have you join me if you’re local. Click HERE to find out more and to register!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
In today's episode, my friend and neighbor Maura Flaherty, shares the secrets of her longstanding Cookbook Club. For the last 4-5 years, she and 6 other women have been meeting and sharing recipes from a rotating cast of cookbooks and (sometimes) celebrity chefs.
And while the recipes have had their moments (see below for some of the faves!), they aren’t the true stars of these evenings. That honor belongs to the friends, and to the friendships they’ve built, nurtured, and deepened across all the courses life has served. (and life has served them some gristle, as you'll hear).
I'm so happy to share the tips from Maura about how you might consider creating one of these clubs yourself. And before you turn up your nose because you don't consider yourself a foodie - there's always room at the table for a cocktail or a mocktail! So don't let your skills in the kitchen be a deciding (or limiting!) factor.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the podcast, I'm reflecting on the last four episodes of the podcast, where I've talked at great length about screens. It's a conversation that isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so it's important that we keep talking about it. But if this conversation about screen time brings up feelings of shame or embarrassment, guilt or discomfort, then today's bite-sized episode might leave you feeling a little better.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And in this screen-obsessed, screen-addicted culture we find ourselves in, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. We've been given these pocket-sized slot machines without an instruction manual. We're all learning this together.
Plus I end with a beautiful poem from Laura Grace Weldon
Instead of Clicking on ChatGPT.
Enjoy!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the podcast, I'm excited to introduce you to my niece, Sophia and my sister, Molly.
In less than a week, Sophia will turn 13 and I wanted to bring her on the podcast so that - for this last episode of the February series on screens - I could stop talking about teenagers in the hypothetical and start talking to teenagers in real life.
Molly texted me after our conversation and asked if there were anything I wanted her to redo, or elaborate on or otherwise say to make it better. But I think this episode is beautiful just as it is.
I hope you hear that too.
Initially I set out to review the book The Amazing Generation, written by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, released earlier this year. Jonathan Haidt also wrote The Anxious Generation and he's been making the rounds promoting screen-and-social-media-free-childhoods for the last few years. (No doubt, you've heard of him). This book is written for kids, tweens and teens, calling itself "a handbook for living a happy and exciting life that isn’t hijacked by a smartphone."
But what you also get (consider it my two-fer to you) ... is an insightful, raw and honest conversation between a mother and daughter (and auntie!). You hear what a conversation about screens can sound like, and a template for sharing the vulnerabilities that come with wanting to move beyond the 'do as I say, not as I do' parenting model.
You'll hear why I didn't want to change a thing when my sister asked if there were anything she could have said to make it better.
Maybe this will inspire you to have a similar conversation if you've got kids. And if you don't, surely you know someone who might benefit from a conversation like this? I'd be grateful if you'd share it!
Links:
Book: The Amazing Generation
Authors' websites: Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price
Wait until 8th pledge
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
A few weeks ago, Thekla Brumder Ross and I hosted a live panel with last week's guest, Kat Zilka, Founder and Executive Director of Dis/Connect, and two of the high schoolers who are a part of the Dis/Connect movement.
It was eye-opening, to say the very least!
Today on the podcast, Thekla and I breakdown our three most inspirational takeaways from this conversation. You need not have been present to understand the profundity of what the students had to teach us.
Plus, we catch up on what has been happening since our deep dive on attention last May and some exciting news in Thekla's world. (cough, cough, BOOK DEAL, cough, cough, COMING SOON!) Hear more about what this is about and when you can expect to see it on shelves near you!
And if you are inspired to reach out to Thekla to connect or share a personal story with her that could be included in her book, you can find her on LinkedIn.
Also - I would love love LOVE to hear tiny steps YOU'VE been taking (if you have) to notice your own screen time use, or to check yourself, or to keep yourself accountable. I hope to have a short and sweet episode sharing fun ideas we can ALL try to be more present and connected with ourselves! Would you leave me a voice memo HERE? (or just reply to this email if that feels more comfortable!)
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today's guest is the founder and Executive Director of Dis/Connect, a local non-profit attempting to create screen-free spaces for teens and young adults in our community. But let this conversation inspire you, wherever you live, to look for those spaces in your neighborhood.
If you’re in the mood for a how-I-found-my-calling-and-dropped-everything-to-follow-it story, this week’s episode is for you.
And it's incredibly powerful.
Kat was a high school English teacher during the pandemic and saw first-hand the havoc that that screens and social media (and doomscrolling, comparisons, FOMO and dangerous algorithms) had on her students. She had a front row seat to the mental health crisis of this generation of teens.
So what did she do?
She got the teens to talk about it. She asked them questions. She listened.
"We need help," they begged.
She heard that call, left her job at her high school and set out to create the spaces these teens needed to have the difficult conversations and find the support and off-screen accountability with their peers.
Whether you’re a parent or not, this is a vital conversation we all need to be having. I hope you’ll listen and join in.
I also invited my friend (and friend-of-the-pod), psychologist and addiction-medicine specialist, Thekla Brumder Ross. Longtime listeners will remember my series with Thekla last spring all about attention, mindfulness and how we can change our relationships with our screens. If you haven't listened to that, it's worth going back to listen! Thekla really is an expert here! (start HERE!)
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
In today's episode, Christina Dinur and Amanda Metropolus from RECONNECT MILWAUKEE talk about how and why they founded this group and what they hope to offer kids instead of endless (and mindless) screen time.
A screen free childhood movement is growing (see links below) and it's powered by local folks who are trying to offer other ways for kids to connect, play, and experience the world IRL instead of behind a screen.
There are so many ways to tap into the movement, but here are a few links, and we talk about more in this episode. And it's so much more helpful to navigate this journey with screens (and kids) together.
Links from the show:
RECONNECT MILWAUKEE
Wait until 8th Pledge
Smartphone Free Childhood US
Off February (global)
Off February (Milwaukee)
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
If you've ever met someone and thought 'GAH I wish we lived closer, I'd love to be friends.' This episode is for you!
It's also for you if you are tired of texting or emailing and want to put more emotion (and less emojis) into your friendships.
Today, meet my dear friend Angie, who lives in Canada. We hardly ever talk in real time, and we've only ever met in person for less than a week. But we call ourselves soul sisters, voice friends, die-hard voice memo devotees!
That's how we communicate. Hundreds and hundreds of memos later, we have a deeply connected friendship.
And today we're talking about how to start up your own friendship via voice memo, what it takes to keep it going, why it's worth it, and what it's meant to us.
Short and sweet - and if you give it a try, I'd love to hear!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another way to gather and connect!
Join me today as I talk with Rebecca Jankowski and Theresa Kopak of Interwovxn who alongside professional Event Planner Grace Fuhr are organizing quarterly dance parties for midlife women that promise to have attendees home at a reasonable hour! (my DREAM! yours too?)
We talk about their upcoming dance in Milwaukee, of course, but also - the logistics and behind-the-scenes work that goes into these events. It's a movement! Women around the world are organizing these events for each other, and if you aren't in Milwaukee, maybe you'll want to bring one to your community? Today's episode might help.
LINKS:
If you are local, here's the link for tickets for the next dance on Friday, January 30.
Find out more about Interwovxn HERE or join their substack HERE.
Listen to my episode with Grace Fuhr HERE.
And info about the Hmong American Women's Association that this dance will support HERE.
And lastly, grab a ticket for the Gather for Good Yoga and Recipe Tasting class I talked about HERE.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
I love this story of my friend Dorthy and her family, who share a meal, week after week, with the same family. They rotate houses, they cook the food, they share the meal, they put away the dishes and then they go home. It's simple. It's no fuss. No cleaning beforehand. NO guests to impress.
Just one meal each week that they can count on together. And they've been doing this for years.
In this conversation, we dive into what it's like to build community and deep connection in this way, what it means for their children, and tips for setting something like this up for yourself.
Do you do something like this? I'd love to hear about it if you do!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
It's been over seven months since I've been on the socials! And it feels GREAT.
AND ... also slightly disconnected from reality, from my community and from my creativity. So I'm back in a new way. Or, really, an old-school way. A blog!
Sharing this experience and a few other thoughts I have about creativity online in today's bite-sized episode.
What are you doing in 2026 to stay creative, connected and present? I'd love to hear about it!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today I am SO excited to introduce you to the woman who has inspired me for the last two decades (at LEAST). I've been following Andrea Scher from her earliest blogs back in the early 2000s and have learned so much about creativity, wonder, attention and delight by absorbing her teachings and being a part of her community.
Andrea Scher is a Bay Area artist, creative, photographer, jewelry maker, retreat leader, podcaster, wonder-seeker, author, coach and all around beautiful human being. And I am so happy to call her a friend.
Today we talk about where this comes from in her, and what it means to dream big. So much goodness in our conversation that I couldn't cut it short - but fans of Andrea won't mind.
And if you are listening to this early on December 31st, it may not be too late to join Andrea in her Manifest 2026 live zoom from 9-11am (pacific time). But even if you miss it, there's a recording and a self-guided e-course option too! I'll be there!
I hope you love this conversation as much as I did, and I hope you'll get yourself to Andrea's website (and Substack) to sign up for all the things she's got on offer.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Happy ALL THE Holidays today. A short and sweet episode about a book I recently read with my daughter. Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed, by Emily Pearson. A beautiful book with an extraordinary message about the power of kindness.
AND an invitation to join me for a year end reflection with Andrea Scher. Andrea is offering an e-course on December 31st from 9-11 (Pacific Time) called Manifesting 2026: Visioning your New Year with Power, Clarity and Magic. I've signed up and I'd love for you to join AND Andrea will be on the podcast next week ... so I wanted to give a heads up so you don't miss out!
You'll hear next week why I love everything Andrea offers!
Sign up HERE.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the show, how can we gather, connect and CREATE through music? With voice, with song and with breath, we are ALL musicians and creators. Today's guest Holly Haebig is Milwaukee's musical maven and talks with me about the power of music to bring us together, into belonging, into love, and perhaps most importantly, into ourselves.
Over the past 20+ years Holly has played regularly with well known groups such as One Drum, Kirtan with Ragani, Devanation, Painted Caves, De La Buena, Urban Empress and The Urbanites, The Earth Poets and Musicians, Express Yourself Milwaukee and a popular duo with her brother-in-law Jeff Bray.
Connect with Holly on Facebook, or email her HERE.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
If you have been longing for connection in a safe and - dare I say - sacred space, filled with people who are authentic, and who bring their full selves, look no further than a circle. And if you've not experience the magic of a good circle, let this episode be your guide on how to create one for yourself (and your people).
Today I am talking with a friend and fellow circle gatherer, Nora Oaks. In addition to a gatherer of women, Nora is a community folk herbalist, a birthworker, mother, and half of the folk hip hop band Never DeadBeat Poets.
And bonus, if you are in Milwaukee, get on Nora's list by emailing her HERE or find her on the web HERE.
Other links from this episode:
Tabi Po Poetry
Angela Davis @ UWM
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
What does it mean when you invite dozens of people but only three show? Is bigger always better? Is more really merrier? This week I dive into how we define successful gatherings and whether we should be looking at numbers as the holy grail of a well planned event.
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Or NEW (!) even more fun, drop me a voice memo HERE!
And definitely stay in the loop when new episodes drop by signing up for my newsletter HERE! (I swear I never spam!)
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the show: a gathering of words.
I'm talking with Milwaukee Poet and interdisciplinary artist, Angela Voras-Hills. She and her co-host Danielle Harms have organized a semi-regular book reading they call Book Drop MKE, inviting local and national authors and poets to read their new collections on a stage for local readers. Held at a nearby brewery, this event invites the audience to interact with authors, and with each other in a much more engaging way than your typical book reading. Icebreakers, raffles, laughter and poetry all on a Friday night.
If you've been looking for a creative way to gather and you're local, make your way to a Book Drop in December (or follow on IG to find their next event). And if you aren't local, Angela and I talk a little about how you might set up a Book Drop in your own community.
Key takeaway for me (again): If you host it, they will come. People want to gather.
Links for Book Drop MKE and Angela
On Instagram
On Facebook
Angela's Website
Angela's book: Louder Birds at Boswell
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today a tiny tip for getting people to share when it's their turn at the table. Use this at the Thanksgiving table, or any table where there's a go-around that requires a creative answer. It's my new favorite trick at any gathering where I'm hoping to spark conversation and connection.
If you try it, let me know how it went for you!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today, meet my friend Lizzie. Lizzie is super cool. Earlier this year, Lizzie was angry, overwhelmed, disheartened and ________ with the state of the world (fill-in-the-blank with any/all the exhausted words). So Lizzie decided to do something. Lizzie boiled a pot of spaghetti noodles, sauced them up and invited friends to her house to share their hopes and fears for our country. And now Lizzie hosts a 'protest potluck' every month for anyone who can show up.
But don't worry - we aren't talking politics in this episode. We're talking about what it takes to organize one of these for yourself - even if, or maybe especially if, it sounds intimidating. Or, if - like my friend Lizzie - you sometimes experience social anxiety and would rather just stay home.
I hope you'll tune in and listen - and maybe even try a potluck of your own making! If you do, I'd love to hear about it!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Call me crazy, but I love name tags. So much, that I've got an entire episode devoted to the art of the name tag: why to use them, when to use them, how to use them, and why I think they are so special.
If you are gathering people together this holiday season, even if it's family and even if the crowd knows each other, give this is a listen and see if it doesn't change your mind about the name tag.
And here's the link to my wonder-seeking friend Andrea Scher who I mentioned in this episode. I hope you dive into her offerings and try one for yourself. (you're welcome, if you do!)
And IF you made it all the way to the end ... THANK YOU! You heard me talk about name tags and FoodRight ...
Want to donate to FoodRight to keep these kids cooking, donate HERE. 🫛🥕🥦
🥒 And want to try those delicious zucchini fritters for yourself, find the recipe HERE!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
On today's episode, I'm wondering why we aren't gathering as much these days? I have some ideas, maybe you do too? I also share a simple practice of noticing the ways in which we gather, connect and create on the daily. (and psst: we do it more than we realize, and the simple act of noticing might help us do it even MORE!)
Plus here's a link to Priya Parker's new substack Group Life.
I'm still figuring out the nitty gritty backend of a rebrand - so yes, it still says Cream City Dreams ... but the move is coming. (remember the #1 lesson of Cream City Dreams guests ... start before you're ready.) So that's what I'm doing.
The titles and logistics will catch up - but I couldn't wait to get this out. Thanks for sticking with me!
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
The podcast about gathering, connecting, and creating in community, together.
Today a bit of background on the move from Cream City Dreams (don't worry Milwaukee, I love you, still!) to Gather Connect Create. What I hope listeners take away from these episodes and why it was important to me to switch it up.
I'm still figuring out the nitty gritty backend of a rebrand - so yes, it still says Cream City Dreams ... but the move is coming. (remember the #1 lesson of Cream City Dreams guests ... start before you're ready.) So that's what I'm doing.
The titles and logistics will catch up - but I couldn't wait to get this out. Thanks for sticking with me!
Oh, and here's the video I mention about the First Follower!
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
It's here, it's here!
Well, the trailer anyway! Hear what I've got up my sleeve for the new iteration of the podcast. Move over Cream City Dreams, here comes Gather, Connect, Create.
Who's with me!?
And I'm STILL off the socials - so come join me on my newsletter where you'll hear all about the next chapter, and find ways to Gather, Connect and Create in REAL LIFE!
For now, sign up at www.creamcitydreams.com (scroll down the homepage to sign up!)
Support the show
I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: meagan@meaganschultz.com
Cream City Dreams is now Gather Connect Create!
New name, same host 👋🏼 Bite-sized episodes with big connection!
Join me weekly for inspiration, interviews and simple ideas you can use in your own community to create more connections IN REAL LIFE, no matter where you find yourself!
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
It's been a whirlwind of a month over here at Cream City Dreams! Which, as you know, is a one-woman-show. (that's me!) Today, after a month away from the airwaves, I'm returning with an update of what's next for Cream City Dreams ... or what I'm beginning to envision and dream into life. I'm not quite ready to be consistent yet ... it's still in the planning stages ... but today, a glimpse into what I'm throwing into the pot to let simmer.
I'm still on hiatus, but lots happening behind the scenes. Thanks for sticking with me!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Thank you thank you thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for listening, subscribing, sharing and enjoying the pod. In today's episode a look at what might be ahead for Cream City Dreams after an indeterminate hiatus. See what's been reverberating in my mind as I think about the next iteration.
If you've missed any of the episodes in Season 8, now would be a great time to go back and listen to the incredible women of Milwaukee!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, and this time hear from FOURTEEN of this season's guests about JOY. I've taken snippets from each conversation with these incredible women and compiled them to help YOU, dear listeners, find more joy in your own life.
I hope you take their words to heart. I hope you find YOUR joy.
And if these snippets inspire you, I hope you'll go back and listen to their episodes in their entirety. They are all such awe-inspiring women with phenomenal stories that deserve to be heard, far and wide.
Thank you for being a part of this season of JOY.
Until next time Milwaukee, keep on dreaming!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week off the socials ... and I thought this week I'd FINALLY hop back online to see what I've missed. But I just couldn't pull the trigger. Find out why in this week's short and sweet Cream City Digest.
But if I would have popped back on, it would have only been to promote the Party in the Park at the site of the new (coming in 2026!) Stella's Playground. It's happening this Sunday at Kilbourn Reservoir Park from 2-5pm. More info can be found HERE.
If you've enjoyed this summer digest series, I'd love to hear from you. Shoot me a text from the link above (remember to leave your name) OR drop me an email HERE.
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another incredible Milwaukee woman!
She's back, for the last episode (with a guest) of the summer, and today we are reflecting on a summer off the socials. The JOMO, the FOMO, the emotional triggers (and baggage) that come with our digital lives, our hopes for taking what we've learned back into the season of routine (aka, the fall), and how the language around addiction can help us identify and reflect on our journey off screens.
There will be more to come on this topic, I have no doubt.
Stay tuned, and sign up for the Cream City Dreams newsletter HERE so you are the first to know what's next for the podcast!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Every so often, I reread books. I don't have that many that I'll put up with again and again, but Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic is one of them. So today, a little excerpt from the book for you. Something I needed to re(read) this week, so in case it helps you ... here it is!
I'd love to hear the fears you're facing and how you're living creativity despite them!
Back next week with another INCREDIBLE Milwaukee woman!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Rese Schneider is Stella’s mom. And when life handed her the kind of news no parent should ever have to hear, she didn’t shut down—she rolled up her sleeves.
When Stella was eight, she looked at a neighborhood playground and said,
“That playground isn’t for me.”
After a cancerous brain tumor diagnosis in 2023, the slides, swings, and monkey bars that once brought joy had quietly become off-limits to this sweet, dragon-loving girl who was struggling to walk and even smile on her own.
Instead of accepting that reality, Rese set out to change it—not just for Stella, but for every child in Milwaukee. The result is Stella’s Playground, a universally inclusive play space where everyone belongs, coming to Reservoir Park in late summer of 2026.
Today we talk about the story of this playground, and one mother's fierce, fierce love for her daughter. Grab a Kleenex for this one, you might need it, I know I did!
🐲 🛝 More about Stella & Stella's Playground online:
Website: https://stellasplayground.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellasplaygroundmke/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellasplaygroundmke/
Meet Stella, MACC Fund Featured Fighter
Stella on TMJ4
Stella in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Stella on FOX6
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Another Digest and I've got lots of links for you, SO MANY incredible Milwaukee women doing cool things this summer. I would have shared ALL of these online (and more) had I been on the socials ... so instead, a summer roundup.
Here are the links I mention:
Girls Rock Showcase
Marissa Jablonski Greenwashed & Confused Pilot Episode
Magical Mondays with Karlies Kelley
Art Blaze with Joy Engine
Style Pop Cafe
Fruition MKE
Interwovxn Newsletter (and DANCE PARTY info)
Forest Bathing with Juniper Trails
We Got This MKE
Motherhood for Good Newsletter with Kate Duffy
Persisters Newsletter
But honestly, there is SO much in Milwaukee, it's hard to list them all!
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Another week, TWO more incredible Milwaukee women!
If today's episode is the first time you're hearing about Creative Mornings, you are in for a TREAT. A global movement with a chapter here in Milwaukee, Creative Mornings is the monthly burst of creative caffeine you need to feel inspired and connected to the Milwaukee community. Today I'm talking with the inimitable chapter hosts, Annie Werner and Kelly Winarski.
But this episode is SO much more than just an explanation of these intentional monthly gatherings. This episode is why I started this podcast. I love the stories behind the women who start these ventures. Women who bring their full selves to the stage, even if their full selves include a tinge of stage fright. It's SO relatable. And I think you'll hear that in today's interview with Annie and Kelly. So grab a cup of coffee or head for a walk, click the link below and enjoy! And then don't forget to get your ticket to the next Creative Mornings Event ... the third Friday of every month.
🎟️ Creative Mornings Milwaukee online:
https://creativemornings.com/cities/MKE
CM on Instagram
CM on Facebook
Join their mailing list HERE
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This week's episode is chock FULL of tips on how to set boundaries if and when we decide to return to social media after this summer detox. If you've been following along on your own detox, but fear the dip back into the socials like I do, this is the episode you don't want to miss. Thekla and I talk all about protecting ourselves and being mindfully aware of our intentions upon return.
And if you want to dive more into some of the research we talk about in today's episode, here are the links you'll want (h/t Thekla!)
Self-Compassion in the Age of Social Media Resources
Scholarly Articles
- Castelo, N., Kushlev, K., Ward, A.F., Esterman, M., & Reiner, P.B. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus, 4(2): pgaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf017. PMID: 39967678; PMCID: PMC11834938.
- Kuchar AL, Neff KD, Mosewich AD. Resilience and Enhancement in Sport, Exercise, & Training (RESET): A brief self-compassion intervention with NCAA student-athletes. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2023 Jul;67:102426. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102426. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 37665879.
- Wadsley M, Ihssen N. A Systematic Review of Structural and Functional MRI Studies Investigating Social Networking Site Use. Brain Sci. 2023 May 11;13(5):787. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13050787. Erratum in: Brain Sci. 2023 Jul 17;13(7):1079. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13071079. PMID: 37239257; PMCID: PMC10216498.
Websites/Organizations
- Center for Humane Technology. humanetech.com
- Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital. digitalwellnesslab.org
- After Babel by Jonathan Haidt. (Substack)
Scales/Measures
- The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS)
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Another week, another incredible Milwaukee woman!
In this episode I'm talking with Grace Fuhr, Events Director at Historic Milwaukee, and she is cracking open the city for us —one door at a time— to explore some of the Cream City's most unique, historic, and sometimes hidden spaces during Historic Milwaukee's annual Doors Open Milwaukee.
If you've always wondered what’s behind the curtain at the Milwaukee Ballet, or what lives under the streets in Milwaukee's sewers, or who might be six feet under at Forest Home Cemetery, or what's inside the delightful teas at Honeybee Sage Wellness & Apothecary, you can thank Grace for the chance to find out next month!
🚪DOORS OPEN Milwaukee online:
Doors Open Milwaukee
Doors Open on Instagram
Doors Open on Facebook
(Just because it's so fun and celebrates Milwaukee, check out Grace's wedding pics)
🪩 Also that dance party we talked about ... Revel and Release ... get your tickets HERE and we'll see you on the dance floor! 🪩
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This week we are going deep! If you've been following along this social media detox I've been taking this summer, you've heard me talk about the spaciousness it has allowed. And today, I'm talking with Thekla Brumder Ross - friend and clinical psychologist - all about the questions it has brought up. We wax existentially about validation, how we find it with social media, how we find it in ourselves, and where we look when the socials are gone. This is maybe one of my favorite conversations yet with Thekla, so I hope you join in!
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Another week, another incredible Milwaukee woman.
Talk about bringing a dream to life. Style Pop Cafe has been at LEAST two years in the making (and MANY more years in the dreaming) ... and finally, coffee is brewing on the corner of Mineral and 5th! Rosha Brister, owner and founder of Style Pop Cafe, talks with me today about the journey of getting to the space. From pop up pink trailer to brick and mortar, she is serving up so much more than coffee at her new cafe. She's serving up community, connection and the opportunity to reflect on what's important ... over delicious coffee and nibbles, of course.
Here are just a few of the events we talked about and ways to connect - but the best way of all is to get yourself to the cafe and support a new local, women-owned business! You won't be sorry!
Events: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/upcoming-spc-events
Space Rental: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/cafe-rentals
Online Ordering: https://www.doordash.com/store/style-pop-cafe-milwaukee-34049959/66519546/?event_type=autocomplete&pickup=false
Catering: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/style-pop-catering
Live Podcast: I'm not that straight: https://stylepopcafe.com/products/im-not-that-straight-live-podcast-with-the-shellasphere
Fitness on the Patio: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/upcoming-spc-events
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Thekla is back today! Regular listeners will remember that Thekla is a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction medicine and self-compassion who shared the mic with me in May for my series on attention. She's also along for the ride on this social media / tech detox and today's episode shares some of her experiences these last two month, with some helpful tips of what she's been doing to be more intentional with her own attention. PLUS be the first to hear about the book she is writing on this VERY subject!
Find Thekla on LinkedIn here to connect with her!
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Today on the podcast, I'm talking with Rita Bertrand and Marjorie Moon, the founding members of Milwaukee's very own Threshold Choir. These two women, along with eleven other members of the Milwaukee chapter's choir sing soft, quiet and calming songs, in harmony, in the rooms of people who are on the threshold. Mostly these are people who are at the threshold of death, but they've also been invited to other thresholds as well, as we talk about on the pod.
You might imagine this kind of work as somber or sorrowful, but what we found was something far more hopeful: connection, compassion, and yes — JOY. These women aren’t afraid of silence. They bring presence, patience, and the kind of care that asks for nothing in return.
🎶 Find the Threshold Choir online here:
https://thresholdchoir.org
Email them HERE
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This week I'm keeping it short and sweet with my reasoning for a new tech device in our household. Nope, not a smartphone, a landline!
Here's the article I referenced in case you want to try a landline too!
Plus another poem shared with me by my friend, and forest therapy guide, Megan Bollen of Juniper Trails. May we all be drunk on the memories we are making this summer! (Ripe by Emory Hall)
And tune in next week for more incredible Milwaukee women!
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Yep, in this episode we're talking about butts. That's because my guest is Rachal Duggan, the esteemed Milwaukee artist and illustrator famed for drawing butts. She's so much more than butts, but of course, when you draw butts, that's what people remember. But fear not, we move beyond the backside in today's pod.
Today we talk about joy through humor. Joy through creativity. Joy through connection.
If you've ever had the feeling that you were alone, or "I thought it was just me," and were too afraid to share -- because, let's face it, being VIP [Vulnerable in Public] is HARD! -- then you will definitely find inspiration in today's episode.
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Today on the digest, thoughts from a listener on the social media detox, plus details on the forest walk I took with a group of Cream City Dreamers and a forest healing guide!
Links I mention:
Juniper Trails (forest guide, Megan Bollen)
Slate How To Podcast with Courtney Martin and Molly Caro May
Fruition MKE
and next week's guest Rachal Duggan
Follow for more incredible Milwaukee women, week after week!
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Today I am SO excited to introduce you to Tiffany Miller, the founder and owner of Fruition MKE - an INCREDIBLE space on 27th Street where some serious creative magic is happening.
Fruition MKE is a cafe, a makers space, a co-working space, a gallery, and a mini-makers market. But it's a space that embodies Aristotle's phrase 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,' because taken altogether, this place is a true GEM in Milwaukee's Near Side.
And the woman who runs it, Tiffany Miller, is JOY embodied! If you are looking for a new coffeeshop, a space for some quiet concentration, or a place to bring a creative project that could use a little attention, PLEASE listen to this episode and get yourself to Fruition MKE.
🥭 Find Fruition MKE online here:
https://www.fruitionmke.com
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Today on the Cream City Digest, I'm talking with my seven-year-old daughter. I wanted to get HER opinion of what it's like to see her mom on screens. Find out what kids notice, what she wishes I'd do less of, and her thoughts on social media. And listeners, I get EXPOSED. Ouch. But so important to understand that the kids are watching us, so I'll happily take this one for the team.
Back next week with Tiffany Miller of FruitionMKE, another incredible Milwaukee woman!
And here's the link to my friend's Forest Therapy Healing website, Juniper Trails!
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Today's guest is the woman in town that people turn to when they want uniquely creative, impossibly JOYFUL and unconventionally fun outdoor events. Steph Salvia is the Executive Director at Joy Engine, the small non-profit responsible for the incredibly joyful art instillations that pop up from time to time around Milwaukee (think the Cosmopods on the beaches last summer, the oversized swallows at Lake Shore State Park, and the gigantic full Moon over Catalano Square.
Listen today as we talk about the mission of Joy Engine, why it's so needed in Milwaukee, and how YOU can join in on the fun. In addition to their accessible-for-ALL art installations, Joy Engine also provides 'Joy Grants' to promote local artists and creatives who have innovative ideas on spreading joy in the 414.
🐙 Find Joy Engine online 🐙
Website: https://joyengine.org
Joy Engine Cosmopods on TMJ4
And Steph's own event organizing business HERE
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A treat today listeners! Thekla is back and we are debriefing the detox. I bring the stories, the updates and allllll the feels ... and she helps me put it in perspective with the expertise and neuroscience behind the experience. Listen as we talk about cross-addiction, titration and self-compassion around our screen time.
PLUS ... an invitation to join me on a guided forest walk next week! Friday June 27th - there's room for 15 of us - so nab a spot before they're gone! Click HERE TO REGISTER!
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Ever dreamed of being a rockstar? I know I did!
Today's guest knows ALL about this dream, she's a musician in her own right. But she is also making this dream a reality for girls, women, non-binary, trans and gender expansive individuals right here in Milwaukee! Mary Joy Hickey is the Executive Director of Girls Rock MKE, and helped develop Ladies Rock MKE as well nearly a decade ago.
This is the band camp you always WISHED you'd been a part of. (and hey, it's not too late).
Today we talk all about music as a place and space for belonging, acceptance, authenticity and living the DREAM. We talk about how their camps - for youth and adults alike - foster a sense of community, collaboration and creativity ... all while allowing participants to write, sing, strum and belt out their own songs on the stage.
🎸 Girls Rock MKE on STAGE and in the WILD! 🎸
- Sunday, June 22 7:00-8:30pm - Ladies Rock Camp Session 2 Showcase at Radio Milwaukee Studios
- Sunday, July 20 12:00-1:30pm - Girls Rock Camp Session 1 Showcase at Vivarium
- Sunday, July 27 2:00-5:00pm - Milwaukee Teen Idol with School of Rock Shorewood at The Cooperage
- Sunday, August 17 12:00-1:30pm - Girls Rock Camp Session 2 Showcase at Vivarium
Or find them online here:
Instagram.
LinkedIn.
Website: https://girlsrockmke.org/
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Today, more reflections on life off the socials. I thought I'd have FOMO, but turns out, if a tree falls, I don't hear it! What do I hear instead? Listen today to find out.
I'd love to hear how you are doing if you are following along and attempting any kind of shifting in your own attention. Would you hop over to the website and leave me a voice memo, or send me an email? I'd love to hear from you!
Back next Wednesday with another incredible Milwaukee woman!
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If you can walk you can dance. So says today's guest, Karlies Kelley, founder of Pandanza Dance Company!
Yes, we're talking about dance today, but lest you think this isn't for you because you wouldn't ordinarily call yourself a dancer ... let me say quickly that dance is for everyBODY. You'll feel this too as soon as the conversation begins, Karlies is very clear that there is room for everyone on the dance floor.
But this conversation is about more than dance simply as embodied movement. We talk about dance as a form of meditation, an outlet for JOY, as a saving grace, and as a means of healing. It certainly saved a young girl of 15 who arrived in this country to learn the language and who found her community around the drum.
💃🏻 Find Karlies and Panadanza online here:
https://panadanza.com
https://www.facebook.com/panadanzaofficial
https://www.instagram.com/panadanza_dance_company/
Other links we talked about on the show
https://delaware-house.com
Good News (her husband's album!)
https://www.proyectobembe.org
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Today, a short and sweet reflection on how it's going 6 days into the social media detox. Are you following along? Are you experiencing the joy (or maybe the pain?) of giving up screens? In this episode, I reflect on how it's been going for me, what I'm missing, but also, what I'm loving about the untethered life off IG and FB!
A few links:
Come dance with Panadanza on Mondays
Listen to this week's episode with Dana Spandet of Flour Girl & Flame
Register for this month's Creative Mornings event on June 20
Heck yeah, you can buy me a coffee, too!
Better yet, JOIN ME IN PERSON for a REAL coffee! Monday, June 9th from 9:30-11 at Valentine Coffee on Downer with Thekla Brumder Ross!
I'll be back next Wednesday with another incredible Milwaukee woman!
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Another season begins and I'm excited to introduce so many MORE incredible Milwaukee women!
Like today's guest, Dana Spandet, owner of Flour Girl & Flame Pizza, Everyone's Ice Cream, and Everyone's Table. She is a true Milwaukee rockstar. If you don’t know her yet, consider this episode your first gift of summer. Sure, she slings unforgettable pizzas (with that famous spicy honey crust!), but she’s also stirring up something much bigger: a hospitality culture rooted in inclusivity, justice, and JOY! And we talk all about this in today's episode.
Tune in and share this episode with the pizza-loving, justice-warrior in your life!
Here are a few links she mentions:
https://www.wyeastpizza.com
https://caradaroclubpizza.com
https://www.happyjoycandyco.com
🍕🍕 And here's how to reach Flour Girl & Flame in the wild:
Website: https://www.flourgirlandflame.com
Find them IRL here: https://www.flourgirlandflame.com/find-us
More on Dana from Lori Fredrich at OnMilwaukee's Women in Food Series.
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Be sure to listen to the end to get a glimpse into the summer season of JOY and a look at the lineup of incredibly JOYFUL Milwaukee women I'll have on the pod.
AND a few last minute reflections on this June detox / screen free hiatus I'm undertaking come Sunday. If you're joining along with me, maybe you're experiencing some of these too.
Plus find out how you can join me in person for a meet up if you live locally! (HINT: you'll need to subscribe to the newsletter to get the details!)
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Welcome to the last week of the mini-season on our attention and where we put it (and where we give it away). I am back with Thekla Brumder Ross, clinical Psychologist and addiction specialist and today there are three things Thekla said in particular that are sticking with me. I want to share them verbatim so they can sit with you too. (Might I invite you to take a deep breath between each one and read them slowly?)
- Social (media) is observational, real life is participatory.
- Boredom is the space where creative energy flows.
- Like food, we are going to coexist with technology for the rest of our lives
If these are all true, then there is SO much to be said for paying attention to our attention NOW and not letting anyone (or any platform) steal it from us.
Listen in as Thekla gives practical advice on how to break from screens, what to expect and how to combat the cravings with self-compassion and awareness.
PLUS - newsletter subscribers get a special invitation to an IN PERSON meet up in Milwaukee on June 9th - so be sure to sign up HERE if you want the link in next week's letter!
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This week a quick reflection on the importance of IN REAL LIFE gatherings.
Social media, sch-mocial media ... I'm starting to call it 'isolation media' these days - and much preferring the real life gatherings, walks, talks, and events that bring us together. Maybe you're feeling this way too?
Also part TWO on the Caramel Delight story from last week.
A few links from this week:
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Mindfulness & Self Compassion Workbook for Kids by Jamie Lynn Tatera
The copycat cookie I probably should never have known existed.
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Are we avoiding something when we reach for our phones? Boredom? Anxiety? Frustration? Hunger? Sadness? And what happens when we pay attention to those feelings, and let ourselves FEEL them.
Phew. That's the juicy part that I'm talking about today with my friend and clinical psychologist, Thekla Brumder Ross. How can we be more self-compassionate to ourselves AND think more intentionally about who (and how!) we give our attention?
There is so much food for thought in this episode, and I hope you'll give it a listen. Your future self will thank you, and who knows who else may thank you?
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This week I'm musing on what I'm noticing as this "in-between season" on attention reaches the half way mark. If you've enjoyed hearing the conversation with Thekla Brumder Ross on Wednesdays, this is the chance to hear me reflect on what I'm doing with all the new ways of approaching attention.
Today ... it's all about attention given and attention received. It's about caramel delights and you'll hear me read a myth I wrote about my future self. Curious? Listen in, it's a short one today!
Back next week with more of my conversation with Thekla and on June 4th, Season 8 begins with more incredible Milwaukee women!
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This week, Thekla Brumder Ross is back and we’re diving into the science of what’s happening to our brains on screens. Primitive instincts and impulses, dopamine roller coasters, cravings, reinforcement loops, withdrawals, time warps … we’re talking about it all as it relates to our use on screens and socials. But lest you think it’s all doom and gloom, fear not! We also talk about neuroplasticity and the brains incredible ability to change and how there are four pillars of well being we can look to guide us in that rewiring and change. PLUS, we issue a challenge and an invitation. Join us, won’t you?
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The Cream City Digest is back, this time with some reflections on attention and noticing where mine goes. Maybe you'll join me this month and take a peek at your own attention!
Links from this week!
Women's Entrepreneurship Week
❤️ Listener Amanda from Fresh Therapy LLC
Molly Caro May on Attention
Be sure to listen to this week's episode with Thekla Brumder Ross where we talk ALL about attention and break down where we're going with this month's in between series.
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If you've found yourself struggling with the amount of time you hand over to your screen ... If you've found yourself promising just five more minutes, then I'll put my phone down ... If you've found yourself at once frustrated with and consumed by FOMO or I'm not good enough ... If you've found yourself insatiably checking how many likes or thumbs your post has gotten ... Or found yourself constantly saying I wish I had more time ...
Then let me just say: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And you just may want to tune in to these episodes.
I'm talking with my friend and clinical psychologist Thekla Brumder Ross and we are breaking down what is happening to our brains on screens, what the companies are doing, why they're so hard to put down, AND what WE can do to manage our attention so that these screens don't manage us. We are going deep in conversation in May.
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It's been a season! Boy howdy, has it been an incredible look at the women of Milwaukee who have made major life pivots and come through shining!
On today's Cream City Digest, I recap the season, plus give a look at what's coming in the month of May with my friend and clinical psychologist Thekla Brumder Ross.
Also, a link tothe peony bush incident. https://www.wuwm.com/podcast/lake-effect-segments/2018-06-08/essay-the-peony-bush-incident
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Closing out Season 7 with another Milwaukee woman who knows a few things (or ten) about this season’s theme: pivoting. Tonda Thompson has been SO many things. A basketball star, a runway model, a mother, a bereaved mother, an advocate, a public speaker, a photographer and videographer, and now a self-taught carpenter. (and those are just to name a few, there’s more!) Listen as we talk about how pivoting helped her move through, forward, and beyond where she thought she’d be and what she thought she’d be doing.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.sheslangswood.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheslangswood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheslangswood
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Sarah Ornst Bloomquist of Moms Mental Health Initiative. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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If you've been following along, you know yesterday was the Gathering of the Guests and 20 of Cream City Dreams' previous guests got together to share coffee, conversation and connections! This week on the Digest, hear how it went, plus an invitation for newsletter subscribers and a permission to BE BIG from poet, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.
So many incredible Milwaukee women at one table. Maybe YOU can join us next time, make sure you're on the newsletter to find out when!
Support the show
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
It's back! Women's Entrepreneurship week 2025 runs from May 5-9 and you aren't going to want to miss a single session if you can help it! Today I'm talking with Sarah Haas, organizer and planner extraordinaire of this phenomenal week of networking, learning, and community building. Listen as we talk about what you can expect from the week, what's changed since 2024, and how you can make the most of an all-in ticket!
More info on tickets and purchasing can be found HERE.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
This week's episode with Dasha Kelly Hamilton
A Line Meant - released and in the wild. Join Dasha at one of these launches!
Women's Entrepreneurship Week (May 5-9)
And of course, BUY ME A COFFEE linked here, if you want to LITERALLY THIS TIME buy some coffee for me and the other Cream City Guests from Seasons 1-7.
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
She’s back! Dasha Kelly Hamilton is back with me on the show today talking about creativity, humanity, and how to live in alignment with each other. We also chat about where she’s been since 2022 … which has basically been ALL over. I caught up with her cruising in her RV somewhere in Kansas on her way to LA to perform her show, Makin’ Cake, now three years on the road … but fortunately for all of us, Milwaukee is still home for her! And boy are we lucky!
Catch Dasha in the wild here:
Website: https://dashakh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dasha.kelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dasha_kellham/
A Line Meant: https://alinemeant.org/
If you loved this episode, you'll definitely want (no, NEED) to go back and listen to our first conversation with Dasha from Season 2! Listen HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, I am so grateful to listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter on the website. And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Listen this week as I talk about the synchronicity (or is it serendipity?) coming at me this week inviting me to let go of perfectionism.
Here are the links I mention:
Laurie Wagner and Wild Writing
Panadanza Dance Company
Delaware House
Sherrill Knezel of Meaningful Marks
Alesia Miller of SoulBrew Kombucha and her SHOW THIS WEEKEND
Shelly Roder - Tuesday Morning Meditations, sign up HERE to join us!
Creative Mornings (register for next week's event)
And of course, BUY ME A COFFEE linked here, if you want to LITERALLY THIS TIME buy some coffee for me and the other Cream City Guests from Seasons 1-7.
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Death and taxes - the two certainties of life, right? So why is it so hard for us to talk about it? It’s not for this week’s guest. Shantell Riley is the owner and founder of Dignity With Departure, where she works with clients to navigate end of life decisions, details, and stages from a holistic viewpoint. Shantell also runs the monthly Death Cafe MKE, a safe space for facilitated conversation around death and dying (and also LIVING!). Listen as we talk about how important it is to bring death out into the open, to appreciate the gift that it gives us, and to prepare for its coming. (yes, even if you don’t think it’s anywhere near your time).
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://dignitywithdeparture.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dignitywithdeparture/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dignitywithdeparture/
Death Cafe MKE: https://www.facebook.com/deathcafemke/
The Zen Dragonfly
Essentially Empowered
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Miranda Malone. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Harper Marten this week's guest on creativity!
Also a new, as yet unreleased podcast, "Calm It Down, Kids!" (let me know what you think, would you listen?!)
Molly Caro May on attention
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week on the podcast, another encouraging lesson on what it means to be creative. At any age. This week’s guest, Harper Marten, owner and founder of The Arts of Aging, works in memory care and assisted living facilities all around Milwaukee offering the opportunity and the permission for their residents to call themselves artists through hands-on classes and workshops. Listen as we talk about process art, creativity, and how our society might just be better off with more of these social prescriptions that foster community and engagement. And find out how you can connect to her offerings no matter where you live!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://theartsofaging.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartsofaging
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/theartsofaging/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Anne Basting where we talked about creative care for our friends and family living with dementia. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Poem: At Albany Bulb with Elaine by Alison Luterman
Andrea Scher and her book, Wonder Seeker
Dasha Kelly Hamilton (coming soon to the pod!)
Shelly Roder's Loving Kindness Meditation
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
The topic of this week’s conversation may be triggering to some, but death is the one thing we all have in common, we’ll all get there one day, and we will all lose the people that we love. Today’s guest is an expert in grief and loss. Miranda Malone, owner of New Moon Therapies and the Milwaukee Motherless Collective knows the pain of grief all too well, having lost her own mother at the wee age of five months. Too young to remember anything about her own mother, she has spent her career helping other women who have also experienced this specific kind of loss. Listen as we talk about the important work she is doing with women in this city to collectively grieve and process mother loss.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.newmoontherapyllc.com/
Facebook (private group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1388599778705031/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeemotherlesscollective/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themotherlosstherapist/
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon
VOTE VOTE VOTE
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Today on the podcast, I am excited to introduce my dear friend Nell and the story behind her departure from Milwaukee's culinary scene where she was (and still is) revered as a friend, mentor, connector, go-getter and all around STAR. But in 2019, she made the decision to pivot out of the food industry and into a new life.
So far this season, I've talked to women who have pivoted INTO something - and we've focused on where they ended up. But I wanted to bring on a woman who could speak to us about pivoting OUT of something as well. (though where she pivots is equally as interesting, and we DO talk about that, too). It's equally as brave to decide to leave a career, especially if (and when) you're at the pinnacle of your place in the industry, like Nell.
Nell was also my collaborator on the Wilcuma Dinner for the Hanan Refugees Relief Group last week. You can find out more about the dinner on the segment on TMJ4 here!
Locals and Links:
Want to work with Nell, here is her web page at Shorewest Realtors
Want to check out her cookbook on Ramen, here it is at Boswell
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out the episode with Lori Fredrich, Food Writer for OnMilwaukee.com HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Love the pod? Buy me a coffee! (pretty please!)
Persisters (I made it to a meeting last week! You can too!)
Listen to their episode from last week! (the PERSISTers)
Hanan Refugees Relief Group - donate today!
Bojana Zurić Martinez - her episode from last season! (a refugee story)
Chefs from the Wilcuma Dinner (support their restaurants, they support community!):
- Gregory León from Amilinda
- Dana Spandet from Flour Girl & Flame
- Justin Aprahamian from Sanford
- Mary Kastman from Purslane
- Jennifer Grundy from Seven Swans Crêperie
- Gil Petrovic from Buckley's
- and Nell Benton** from Shorewest
** Listen NEXT week for Nell on the podcast!
Threshold Choirs!
National Diorama Month
EVENT: 2025 Diorama-Rama at Amorphic Beer
Street Life Communities
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Join me as I talk with Stephanie Ciatti, founder of Babbling Babes, a local organization determined to be more than ‘just another moms group’ for women who are more than ‘just mom.’ Community, connection and FUN are all on tap at these local meetup groups. And ALL moms are welcome in these judgement-free spaces where they can show up and share their whole, authentic selves. Listen as we talk about why these spaces are needed and the story behind how she created this from her own need when her children were young.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.babblingbabes.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babblingbabes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkebabblingbabes/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Meagan Johnson of Milwaukee Diaper Mission and how they TOO are helping new moms around the city! Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Persisters
Listen to their episode from this week! (the PERSISTers)
Poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer's new book The Unfolding
Andrea Scher - Moonflower Oracle Cards
Hanan Refugees Relief Group - donate today!
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, this time TWO inspiring Milwaukee women.
“Nevertheless, she persisted.” YES. SHE. DID. Oh Mitch McConnell, look what you started.
Today on the podcast, get ready to be inspired to start SMALL, to take ACTION, and to DO something. This week I’m talking with two local sisters, Lisa Williams and Cheryl Juech, who started their own home-grown activism with their group the PERSISTers. The PERSISTers began around Lisa’s dining room table in Wauwatosa in 2016 with a handful of friends and a few postcards. And it has steadily grown into a local movement - meeting weekly to share heartbreaks and hopes and - most importantly - committing to tangible and concrete weekly actions that demand more from our elected representatives. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the chaos of the state of our nation, let this week’s interview give you small, immediate steps you can take today to stay alert and stay active.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.persisterswi.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/221757688298097
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/persisterswi/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!
Persisters
Sherrill Knezel on IG
Become a Secret Agent of Change
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
If the world is getting you down and you just need to feel GOOD for a minute, let this episode envelope you with ALLLLL the feels from today’s guest, Jamila Riley (aka JRiley). Jamila is a creative, an entrepreneur, a designer, a motivational speaker, a stylist, a brand strategist, and a supporter of women to find and feel beauty from the inside out. Listen as we talk about authenticity, JOY, accountability, truth and tribes! If this conversation doesn’t have you running over to Jamila’s shop in the Sherman Phoenix for an in-person hug, I don’t know what will. We need more intentional community builders in our city like Jamila. Learn from the best with this conversation!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.iamjriley.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjriley/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjriley/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to my episode with Jamie Phoenix, another stylish Milwaukee woman who knows what it means to live authentically YOU. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Today on the podcast, I'm talking about JOY. Yes JOY, yes REALLY. More specifically, I'm asking if you can connect me to JOY in Milwaukee. AND I'm reading a poem by everyone's favorite poet, Mary Oliver.
Who doesn't need JOY right now?
Also - if you want to support Hanan Refugees Relief group - Please donate HERE!
And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week on the pod I’m talking with one of the founders of Street Angels, Eva Welch. Street Angels are Milwaukee’s own HOPE dealers for our neighbors who are living in shelters and/or on the streets. More than just hope, they deal in dignity, compassion, friendship and love. PLUS they dole out lunches and dinners, blankets, socks and other essentials. Prepare to have myths around homelessness busted and your own hope and compassion increased THREEFOLD after you hear Eva’s stories of her work with Street Angels.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://streetangelsmke.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AngelsOutreach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_angels_milw_outreach/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Caitlin Cullen at Kinship Community Food Center. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
More Incredible Milwaukee women helping our community today!
Today, a big announcement with a HOT TICKET! You'll want to get your hands on one of these tickets before they are GONE! A dinner in support of the Hanan Refugees Relief Group ... to be held on Monday, March 10 at Amilinda. (so you KNOW Chef Gregory León will be there!)
Tickets and more information on sale today HERE.
LINKS I talk about in today's episode:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/01/31/trumps-stop-work-order-leave-refugees-resettlement-agencies-in-panic/77995297007/
https://nellbenton.shorewest.com/
https://hananrrg.org/
https://www.lsswis.org/service/housing-and-residential/refugee-resettlement-2/
https://iiwisconsin.org/refugee-resettlement/
(My Episode with Bojana Zorić Martinez on the refugee experience in Wisconsin) https://www.buzzsprout.com/1969604/episodes/16075938
https://amilinda.com/
https://creativemornings.com/cities/MKE
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Where are you on the self-improvement hamster wheel these days? Are you pushing yourself to DO more, MAKE more, BE more? This week's guest, Ashley Jordan, knows this hamster wheel all too well. She was an achiever, though not a happy one. Until at 38, she had an experience that triggered an avalanche of grief, shame and trauma that led her down the path toward a spiritual (re)awakening. Just this past fall, Ashley released her book, "Unhappy Achiever, Rejecting the Good Girl Image and Reclaiming the Joy of Inner Fulfillment," describing her journey and everything she had to let go of in order to find her own joy and self-love. Today we talk about just that.
If you appreciate a good story of personal transformation, you will want to listen to this episode where we talk all about what went into her 'unbecoming' (though without giving EVERYTHING away), and how she ended up writing her book to share the experience with others.
💛💙 Find Ashley online and IRL 💛💙
Website: https://msashjordan.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/msashjordan
IG: https://www.instagram.com/msashjordan/
Ashley's book! The Unhappy Achiever
Join Ashley for an in-person workshop at Brookfield Public Library
Want more? Listen to her on another incredible MKE podcast, Interwovxn
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with my dear friend Michael Anderson, another story of transition and self-love.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Short and sweet again today, because there is STILL so much noise out there. This week I'm reflecting on small joys and small actions. (because sometimes it seems like that's all there is right now.) Hear me talk about, hip hop, lasagne, Sharon McMahon, crackly phone lines and joy-as-responsibility.
What's bringing YOU joy?
And also, a call for future JOY related guests. Do you know an incredible Milwaukee woman who is spreading JOY as their mission? I want to talk to them!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
When Liberace and the Universe signal that Milwaukee (and West Allis in particular) is the right spot for you, YOU LISTEN. At least that’s what this week’s guest, Jamie Phoenix did when she relocated to her spot on National Avenue in 2022. Jamie is the owner of Ultratwist Vintage - a super cool vintage clothing store that has something for every shape and size and style. We talk about her journey to the Fresh Coast, why she chose Milwaukee, and why she wanted to move from Portland at mid-life and start again. This is an episode for anyone who might be considering taking the plunge and trying something totally new, or who needs a little more color in their life. You can’t NOT find inspiration in Jamie’s flair!
If you want to check out Ultratwist Vintage for yourself, get over to her store on Tuesday, February 11th from 4-7 for her Galentine's Shopping Happy Hour! (or anytime, really!). But on this particular day, enjoy nibbles + sips, clearance bins and a mystery discount for in-store purchases! More details on her website (below).
Locals and Links we love!
Ultratwist Vintage:
www.ultratwistvintage.comhttps://www.facebook.com/ultratwistvintagehttps://www.instagram.com/ultratwistvintage
Mindful Stylist:
www.mindfulstylistmke.comhttps://www.instagram.com/mindfulstylistmke
Vintage Mix e-book:https://www.ultratwistvintage.com/product/the-vintage-mix-e-book/505?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=34
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to our very first episode of Cream City Dreams with another West Allis fashionista, Madam Chino (aka Vanessa Andrews). Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! odcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Short and sweet again today, because there is STILL so much noise out there. This week I'm reflecting on how our need to gather is stronger than ever, but it feels different than it did before. Hear my thoughts on this. PLUS, I shout out some organizations and people who are gathering us in ways that are regenerative and necessary right now. Including a special invitation from my former co-host Shelly Roder.
Here are the links you'll want:
PERSISTers
Fuel Milwaukee
An invitation to meditate with Shelly (and me!) - REGISTER at this link!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
There are SO many incredible women in Milwaukee I really don’t need to reintroduce previous guests … unless they have incredible stories that align perfectly with the season’s theme. Like this week’s guest, Emerald Mills-Williams. Emerald was a guest back in Season One when Cream City Dreams was just getting its legs. Back then, Emerald hadn’t yet opened her restaurant and incubator for rising chefs, Turning Tables & Eatery, nor did she have a hyphen in her name!
A lot has changed since then. For one thing, she married her true love (woot!). And since our episode aired, she opened and closed one establishment and has since opened another, Diverse Dining Market. Realizing what was important to her, Emerald is returning to the mission of her brainchild, Diverse Dining, and the mission of Diverse Dining Market: connecting us, building change through relationships and uplifting and supporting minority owned businesses.
Listen as we talk in this episode about the ups and downs that came with opening her first restaurant, and the lessons she took from shutting it down and starting again. And stick around to the end to hear what might just beome my all time favorite line ever spoken by a guest on this podcast. I am not horsing around when I say that.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.4diversedining.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4diversedining Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diversediningmarket/ PRESS on DDM from UrbanMilwaukee.com HERE PRESS on DDM from OnMilwaukee.com HERE
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with
Lori Fredrich, another Milwaukee foodie (and food writer) who is lifting up and elevating local restauranteurs and aspiring chefs with her work. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Also, Emerald mentions Lauren Feaster as someone who inspires her, check out our episode with Lauren HERE to see for yourself what a powerhouse she is for our city and in our community!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Short and sweet again today, because there is SO much noise out there. But if you're feeling overwhelmed and not sure where or how to start, here's an idea: start small, start local, start today. Hear what's inspiring me to do just that this week on today's Cream City Digest.
Back next week with another incredible Milwaukee woman.
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week on the podcast: a precautionary tale from a Milwaukee woman brave enough to share her story so that we can learn from her experience. In 2023, Kaitlin Henze lost her life savings in a sophisticated phishing scam. Imagine working your entire life, only to lose it in the course of three weeks, with no recourse to recuperating it. Listen as Kaitlin shares the details of her story as well as tips on how YOU can avoid becoming a victim. This is a great episode to share widely so that we can all stay safe and secure.
Locals and Links we love!
Listen to Kaitlin on Fox news HERE and HERE Listen to Kaitlin on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast HERERead the press release from Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Cyber Crime
Here are resources Kaitlin shared with Cream City Dreams that she wishes she’d known about earlier:
- IAFCI podcast
- Cybercrime Victim Services: Canadian nonprofit that also helps US victims. They provide PI assistance to victims and have recently taken on my case
- The Cybercrime Support Network: support network and resources for victims This is another nonprofit
- The Identity Theft Resource Center: has fabulous educational materials to prevent identity theft from occurring.
- Cybercrime Magazine podcast and blog: this is a direct link to the episode on me, and you can reference other educational resources and hear stories from both victims and experts
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Brenda Campbell of Secure Futures. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Hey hey - I'm away this week but managed to sneak a microphone in my bag to make a small recording from Oaxaca, Mexico. I promise I won't rub it in to all my friends shivering back in Milwaukee. But I WILL point out some lessons learned that remind me of the lessons I've been learning over the three years of interviewing incredible Milwaukee women in the Cream City.
Here's the retreat I'm on in case you're interested!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week’s guest Meg Bruzan and her husband made a conscious decision when they bought their first home together that it would be in one of the poorest zip-codes in the state, 53206. They may have set out to change the world, as the young are wont to do, but they soon realized that the changes would need to be more systemic, because the issues surrounding them were not overnight fixes. Listen as Meg and I talk about the evolution of their neighborhood and indeed, her own reflection of herself as a neighbor to others and what it means to live in community. (And then do yourself a favor and listen to HER podcast, 53206 Cast).
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://53206.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megbruzan/ On Spotify HERE We Got This MKE: https://wegotthismke.com/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Venice Williams of The Table and Alice’s Garden. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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Inspiring Milwaukee women inspiring ALL of us on this podcast.
Today's Digest is short and sweet (as usual on these Friday episodes). And this is the equally short and sweet show note where I link to things I talked about.
Wild Writing with Laurie Wagner
You Don't Have to be Everything by Maya Stein
This week's Episode with Kristin Brey
Need your own habit tracker? Try this one.
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
If 2025 is the year you are determined to understand what the heck is going on in our political landscape - both at the local, state and national level - you are going to want to tune in to this week’s episode with Kristin Brey. Kristin is a radio personality, a writer and producer of online content, and a Milwaukee woman who is determined to help us all care a little more about what’s happening around us by breaking the news down into bite sized pieces that are easy to digest and understand. And while she’s hesitant to call herself a ‘journalist’ or ‘comedian,’ I would argue she’s definitely both. Hilarious and informative. Side-splittingly funny and also a helpful and articulate guide to comprehending today’s world.
Listen as we talk about Kristin’s fairytale journey to Milwaukee. She’s living her dream job, married to her prince charming, and yes … there’s even a real-life Cinderella story in there, too! Listen to hear her ‘Once Upon a Time.’
Locals and Links we love!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinbrey/ Journal Sentinel: https://www.jsonline.com/staff/9430601002/kristin-brey/ Spanning the State on WTMJ: https://wtmj.com/spanning-the-state/ Website: https://asgoeswisconsin.com/ (though watch for updates in 2025)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsGoesWisconsin
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Lori Fredrich, another writer and online content creator who LOVES all things Milwaukee and Wisconsin especially through the lens of food! Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
Happy New Year, Cream City Dreamers! I hope the holiday season was good to you and that you’ve landed in 2025 feeling rested, rejuvenated, and READY to go. I know I am! Today on the podcast, a short and sweet episode from yours truly about what to expect in this new season of incredible Milwaukee women. Dare I say their stories will be nothing short of life-changing.
And as I start off yet another season of this passion project that I love so much, might you consider supporting me in one of these ways?
☑️ Buy me a coffee ☑️ Share your favorite Cream City Dreams episode with a friend, spread the word!
☑️ Leave a review on Apple podcasts, stars are great, written reviews are even better!
☑️ Be sure you follow/subscribe wherever you listen and on Facebook or Instagram ☑️ Leave me a voice memo, let me know what you liked about this season
☑️ Suggest a guest for an upcoming season!
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Yep, it's December. The holidays are upon us. Which means, I'm taking a small break. But before I do, let me recap the lessons from Season six and remind you of the INCREDIBLE Milwaukee women who have been on this podcast for the last few months!
If you missed any of these episodes, you'll want to go back to listen to them wherever you get your podcasts! They are timeless and they are sure to inspire you whether you caught them when they aired or not! But they all have ONE thing in common, and I'll talk about that in this episode!
I'll be back in 2025, Until then Milwaukee ... Keep on dreaming!
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I mention a few inspiring ways to think about local gift giving this season in today's Cream City Digest. Short and sweet - and maybe it'll get you into the holiday spirit and even excited to give this year.
MKE Women Notes & Coupon Book
What's your Love Language?
Buy Nothing Project
Courtney Martin's Gift Guide on her Substack, The Examined Family
Mark Nepo and Laurie Wagner in Conversation
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Today on the podcast, another incredible Milwaukee woman! Today meet Lisa Kingery, CEO and Founder of FoodRight - an organization empowering youth to choose foods that sustain life-long health. Listen as we talk about what FoodRight is doing to change the landscape of the Milwaukee school food scene and how they are making changes both systemically AND one-student-at-a-time.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.foodright.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodRightInc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodrightinc Bombay Bhel popcorn HERE
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to last week’s episode with Nalani Moesch of Teens Grow Greens. There are SO many women working to empower our youth in this city! Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
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Happy Day-After-Thanksgiving! Hope you are sufficiently stuffed today and haven't spent too much $$ in the sales yet! Today, a short and sweet episode with a special request for friends of the podcast. Support local. Support storytelling. Support women. Support local women storytellers! And yep, I'm asking for it: please support THIS PODCAST! Find out how many hours I've spent on this labor of love and if you love it too, this week I'm asking you to buy me a coffee.
Click here to inject the caffeine!
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
You may know Teens Grow Greens from their delightful collection of summer herbs and vegetables over at Weber’s Greenhouse (and if you don’t, you should!) But did you know that MORE than just greens, this organization is growing the next generation of leaders in our city. Through their internship and apprenticeship programs, Teens Grow Greens gives these young leaders the opportunity to try their hand in the garden and the greenhouse, as well as in roles that nurture their business acumen, marketing and entrepreneurial skills.
Today on the pod, I talk with Nalani Moesch, the greenhouse lead and apprentice mentor with Teens Grow Greens about their offerings beyond what we can look forward to next spring when the annuals and perennials are ready for our planting beds!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.teensgrowgreens.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teensgrowgreens Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teensgrowgreens/
Nalani’s music on Spotify click HERE Nalani on IG HERE
If you loved this show on organizations working to inspire our next generation of leaders, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Jasmine Deacon of PEARLS for Teen Girls. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
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Short and sweet Digest on the things that inspired me this week! And BIG NEWS: Cream City Dreams reached 100 episodes and 10,000 downloads! 🎉💯🎉.
Inspirations I mention include:
Dancing for Coffee
Kinship Community Café
Caitlin Cullen Interview on Cream City Dreams (secret to her fried chicken)
Beech Trees changing color!
AND if you want to celebrate right along with me, happy dance your way over to Buy Me A Coffee and make a donation to keep the lights on over here at Cream City Dreams!
Support the show
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Can you even begin to imagine what half a million pounds of food looks like? Today’s guest, Sarah Bressler, can tell you exactly. That’s because she and her team of farmers at Hunger Task Force in Franklin are growing and harvesting THAT MANY fruits and vegetables for local food pantries, shelters and families around greater Milwaukee. Listen as we talk about how she got into farming and why she stays. AND if you’re feeling inspired, there are several ways you can get involved in the supply chain from Farm-to-Table at the Hunger Task Force. Website links included below on how to get in touch and get your hands in the dirty!
***Locals and Links for Cream City Dreamers!
Website: https://www.hungertaskforce.org/**Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hungertaskforce.mke*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hungertaskforce/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Caitlin Cullen of Kinship Community Food Center. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
I had a 'peppier' episode recorded ... with all the things I thought were inspiring me this week. And it was true. But it wasn't as true as it could be. So I went for a walk, and re-recorded this episode to reflect what's REALLY keeping me going this week. Turns out, it's more chocolate and bread than I'd like to admit. But I will anyway.
Here are the links to other things I mention this week:
Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American Substack.
Balance Meditation App
Wild Writing with Laurie Wagner
Heavenly Hunks (seriously delicious)
And get a set of my Grounded in Gratitude cards HERE!
Support the show
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The election is over, we’re on the other side. But this week, I’m not talking about the election or reflecting on what could have gone differently (I’ll leave that to other news outlets). Nope, I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work highlighting another incredible Milwaukee woman. There is still work to be done, and there are women out there who are still doing it!
Women like this week’s guest, Bojana Zorić Martinez. Bojana is the Director of the Bureau of Refugee Programs with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, as well as the Wisconsin State Refugee Coordinator. And more personally, she was a refugee herself. But as she says in this episode, "Once a refugee always a refugee." Listen as we talk about the refugee experience in Wisconsin and the ways in which her own experience shaped her leadership around refugee resettlement in this state.
Want more after listening? More links here:
🕊️ How you can get involved and help the refugee community
- Firstly, understand the experience even more by watching this video with Bojana!
- Find an organization near you on this list of resources and contact them for ways to volunteer!
- Watch for the next Tables Across Borders meal and support and enjoy delicious food made by refugees in Milwaukee.
- Hanan Refugee Relief Group is another organization working with refugees in MKE.
- Watch for special events at Lynden Sculpture Garden that celebrate refugees in our community.
If you love this conversation, you'll definitely want to go back and listen to the conversation with Christie Melby-Gibbons of Tricklebee Cafe who also lives by the values of generosity, dignity, grace and abundance. (and who happens to host some of the refugee dinners listed below!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
This week - a Digest from the other side of the election. It's been a week. I'll share the Milwaukee women who are inspiring me in the aftermath of the election, and two poems by a new favorite, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Short and (bitter)sweet this week. But we have to get up and keep moving forward.
Venice William's poem in full:
You are awakening to the
same country you fell asleep to.
The very same country.
Pull yourself together.
And,
when you see me,
do not ask me
"What do we do now?
How do we get through the next four years?"
Some of my Ancestors dealt with
at least 400 years of this
under worse conditions.
Continue to do the good work.
Continue to build bridges not walls.
Continue to lead with compassion.
Continue the demanding work
of liberation for all.
Continue to dismantle broken systems,
large and small.
Continue to set the best example
for the children.
Continue to be a vessel of nourishing joy.
Continue right where you are.
Right where you live into your days.
Do so in the name of
The Creator who expects
nothing less from each of us.
And if you are not "continuing"
ALL of the above,
in community, partnership, collaboration?
What is it you have been doing?
What is it you are waiting for?
And if you want to hear more about Venice Williams, go back and listen to the episode from Season 2 when Shelly and I talked with Venice about where she got her start and what inspires her to keep going. A timeless conversation about dreaming in Milwaukee.
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The day we’ve been talking about for weeks and months has come and gone. It’s the day after the election and who KNOWS where we’ll be today. So I’m doing something different for this Cream City Dreams episode.
It’s just me on the microphone.
I’m exhausted, I’m tired, and sometimes I just need a reminder to breathe. Maybe you do, too? So today there is no guest. Just me, some music, and an invitation to pause and breathe.
If meditation is not your thing, I hope you find a way to do what you need to do today to stay in as much equilibrium and balance as you can muster.
I’m rooting for you. I’m rooting for all of us. Because we really are in this together.
Namaste
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
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Today’s Cream City Digest clears up a little misinformation on the voting process for young people/college students after an egregious text went out on October 10th telling this group of voters that if they violated WI Statutes they could end up in jail or with fines of $10,000. Clearly intimidation, which itself is illegal. So I called on Debra Cronmiller, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin to help clear this up and share the FACTS.
If you have, or know of, a young voter who may have gotten this text, or who may be confused about what they can or can’t do, you’ll want to share this short Digest.
Also in this episode: a sneak peek at what I’ll have coming next Wednesday in lieu of a guest, and also a recommendation for something that may help with the anxiety in the run up to the election next week. (Hint: you'll want to be sitting down for both of these!)
Locals and Links we love!
She Should Run Meditation with Sharon SalzburgFind your (Wisconsin) Municipal Clerk HERE! Acceptable Photo IDsAcceptable Proof of ResidencyElection Day Voting Information
And if you’re thinking of going canvassing this weekend in a last minute effort to GOTV (Get Out The Vote) … listen to the Cream City Digest on canvassing HERE before you head out!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week on the podcast, I talk with Angela Lang, Executive Director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC). Listen as we talk about BLOC’s mission of building political power in Black communities through grassroots organizing, voter engagement, and leadership development. More than that, hear a little of Angela’s background in politics (starting in the 3rd grade!) and how that fueled the passion that would ignite one of the city’s most powerful and transformative advocacy groups.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.blocbybloc.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blocbyblocMKE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blocbyblocmke/
Sign up for BLOC’s newsletter HERE Donate to BLOC HERE BLOC in the news HERE
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Dr. Erin Winkler when we talk about race, and how to talk more deeply about race (with children AND adults). Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Are you feeling that low-grade (maybe high-grade) anxiety right about now? Is your feed filled with last-minute requests for your time, money, vote and attention? Today I'm offering a poem and a few minutes of respite from the noise. And a few suggestions on how to shut it down for just a moment. Go on, you know you need it!
But you have voted, right?
Sign up for canvassing shifts here:https://www.mobilize.us/
Info on Milwaukee early voting here:https://city.milwaukee.gov/earlyvoting
Support the show
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Listen up moms! And dads, and grandparents, and cousins, and sisters and brothers, and well … anyone who cares about reducing gun violence in this country! Today I’m talking with Jenny Hoffman-Jonas about her work with Moms Demand Action. You’ve seen their red shirts, now hear more about what they do and how you can join them to make a difference. It’s not a fast moving change, but it’s important work, it’s lifesaving work, it’s work that MUST be done to protect our families.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://momsdemandaction.org/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandActionWI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wi_momsdemandaction/ Find your gun safe candidates here: www.gunsensevoter.org See Sherrill Knezel’s graphic illustration HERE.
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Dr. Megan Schultz and our conversation about what she sees in the ER and why she is so fired up about gun safety. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Last weekend I went door knocking for the first time this election season. I had fears. Maybe you do too? This week, advice from volunteers on what to say, how to handle confrontation, and why it's important. Bundle up, grab a friend and head out to the campaign office this weekend. It's not too late!
Hear from two of my friends who went with me, PLUS one of the volunteers at the WisDems HQ on Brady Street.
Sign up for canvassing shifts here:https://www.mobilize.us/
Virtual Statewide Phonebank for Gun Sense Candidates:Sunday, October 20 at 3:30pm
Virtual via Zoom
Support the show
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Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman.
This week I’m talking with the founder and CEO of She Should Run, a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization working to increase the number of women considering a run for public office. If your mind immediately goes to state capitols and white houses when you think politics, think again! Politics is local, and this conversation can’t help but inspire listeners to get involved (whether you run for office or not). When women run, they win. And when women win, we ALL win!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.sheshouldrun.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheshouldrun Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheshouldrun
Find out which public office you should run for with their fun quiz HERE.
Encourage a friend to run with their free e-postcards HERE.
ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE OR HAVE YOU VOTED EARLY? Find everything you need HERE.
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to last week’s episode with State Rep Deb Andraca and her Campaign Director Erin Stilp. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
A friend with a new book, a podcast that is inspiring me lately, and why I'm only doing social media when it feels joyful. (which might not be as often). Short and sweet today friends. Happy weekend!
AND here's my call to action for YOU, dear listener. When YOU find inspiration in your life, would you share it with me please? I found a cool widget that will let YOU record a voice memo to ME on my website. In under 90 seconds, tell me about someone who inspired you that you want to elevate and celebrate and I'll put it on a Friday Digest (assuming it's appropriate!) I can't wait to hear from you! Leave your message directly from my website or the use the link here: https://www.speakpipe.com/CreamCityDreams
Support the show
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This week, yet MORE inspiring Milwaukee women ... But first ... Are you registered to vote? This is an important election, especially in Wisconsin. Nobody knows this better than our guests today, State Representative Deb Andraca and her Campaign Director, Erin Stilp. But this is not your typical stump speech in podcast form. We dive deep into the how and why behind their involvement in politics and what made them take the plunge back in 2019 (before we knew the world would come crashing down with a global pandemic). Turns out, what makes us angry is sometimes the best fuel for creating change, which is exactly what happened with Deb’s campaign in 2020.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.debforwi.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debforwisconsin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debforwi/
Other references on today’s pod:
Register to VOTEMoms Demand Action - WIEmerge WisconsinPERSISTersMotherhood for Good
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Kate from Motherhood for Good. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
Back on Friday with another Cream City Digest. This one short and sweet and hopefully a brief moment of respite for you on this autumn Friday (or whenever you're listening!) Shout outs this week to YOU dear listeners, to my husband, a to yoga teacher in town. PLUS a SURPRISE snippet from a listener who used the new widget on the website to record a message of something that inspired her this week. Listen to find out who it is!
AND here's my call to action for YOU, dear listener. When YOU find inspiration in your life, would you share it with me please? I found a cool widget that will let YOU record a voice memo to ME on my website. In under 90 seconds, tell me about someone who inspired you that you want to elevate and celebrate and I'll put it on a Friday Digest (assuming it's appropriate!) I can't wait to hear from you! Leave your message directly from my website or the use the link here: https://www.speakpipe.com/CreamCityDreams
Support the show
CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)
Hooooboy! Starting off Season Six with a familiar voice. And if you loved her the first time on the pod back in Season Two, you’re REALLY going to love her this time. Listen as I talk with Marissa Jablonski the Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, water engineer and highly sought after public speaker in the world of plastics reduction and environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry. But more than that, she is a seriously JOYFUL Instagram influencer who helps us all take SMALL steps toward a more sustainable earth for us all.
Marissa helps me usher in Season Six where the theme of the season is DO SOMETHING by talking with me about what motivates people (including herself) to get up and DO the THINGS each and every day. If you are sitting on an idea because you’ve seen something that needs doing but just need the nudge to get you moving, you don’t want to miss this episode.
Listen as we talk about …
- Permission not to get it perfect, or do it perfectly 100% of the time
- How she got started making videos on Instagram and what keeps her going
- How we’re all in this together and why that mindset helps us DO SOMETHING. Yay, go team!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.marissajablonski.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marissajablonski
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marissajablonski/
If you loved this show, you’ll definitely want to go back and listen to the first episode with Marissa. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
Support the show
CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
It's back. The bite-sized nuggets are back. This time, I'm looking EVERYWHERE for inspiration, and when I find it, I'll share it here. It might be the guest from the episode this week, OR it might just be something I saw in the news, or something in some other facet of my life that I think is worth sharing.
Like today, some gratitude for handwritten letters, teachers with brilliant ideas, and inspirational drawings.
Since I mention them by name, you might want to go back and catch the episode's with Michael and with Sherrill. You won't be sorry!
AND here's my call to action for YOU, dear listener. When YOU find inspiration in your life, would you share it with me please? I found a cool widget that will let YOU record a voice memo to ME on my website. In under 90 seconds, tell me about someone who inspired you that you want to elevate and celebrate and I'll put it on a Friday Digest (assuming it's appropriate!) I can't wait to hear from you! Leave your message directly from my website or the use the link here: https://www.speakpipe.com/CreamCityDreams
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CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from!
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In this season I am talking with and celebrating women in Milwaukee who DO SOMETHING. Inspired by the one and only Michelle Obama and her call to action at last month's DNC, I'm hoping to leave you with ways you can do something in your own community. The women I'm talking to are women who saw a need and found a way to address it. And guess what, YOU can do that too!
Plus I’ll share what’s new for season 6 and a little more of what happened behind the scenes over the summer, AND a call for guest suggestions! Use the link above to text me if you’ve got an idea of a woman who would be great for the show!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.creamcitydreams.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creamcitydreams Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creamcitydreams/
If you loved this show, and want more, check out the final episode in Season 5 where I recap ALL of the guests of the last season and their advice to would-be-dreamers-and-doers (that’s all of us!) on how to go for it even when you’re scared. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)On this very last Cream City Digest of Season 5, I've created a smorgasbord of advice from our Season 5 guests on what to do if you're sitting on a dream. It's the question I asked (almost) all the guests at the end of the show and I've put together their answers in one DREAMY compilation.
If you are sitting on a dream, what are you waiting for? These guests will tell you why you ought'n't wait much longer. GO FOR IT!
And if you know someone who's sitting on a dream, please share this episode! Perfect for recent graduates or anyone on the cusp!
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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No guest today, dreamers, just your host talking about the podcast, reflecting on the incredible women I've had the chance to interview in Season 5. In addition, I share my pre-interview warm up routine that I do before each call with a guest and how it helps me calm my nerves and feel confident in my game. Maybe it can help you too?
Also, a call for FEEDBACK! What have you loved? What do you want more of on the pod? Who would you like to hear me interview? Where should I put my focus for Season 6 and beyond? I'd love to hear directly from you and there are SO many ways to get in touch.
Until next Season, be sure you are signed up for the newsletter, subscribed to the podcast, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram! Heck, while you're at it, if you love the podcast, you could always Buy Me A Coffee or Leave a Review!
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This week, a REAL question that I've wondered myself; one that has made ME nervous; and if I'm honest, has even stopped me from signing up to volunteer around election season (but NOT anymore!). What is it actually like to door-to-door canvas for a candidate? What do I say when someone opens the door? What if they challenge me? How will I know how to respond. Kate shares her perspective on this experience and how it's not as awkward as you might think.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)
This week on the pod meet Kate Duffy, Founder of Motherhood for Good, previously known as Moms for Mandela. Though she wouldn’t call herself an ‘influencer,’ she is certainly making waves on the Instagram with posts about what democracy in action can and SHOULD look like. She and her team are breaking it down for the rest of us, helping put politics in plain and easily digestible language, and reminding us that one person CAN make a difference.
Listen as we talk about …
- The last proverbial straw that finally had her pushing publish on her first post that would begin her movement.
- How she’s able to let go of ‘mom guilt’ and embrace action.
- Why and how we should all get involved in politics (hint: it’s personal and it’s easier than you think)
- Her brush with celebrity!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.motherhoodforgood.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherhoodforgood/ Facebook (Public page): https://www.facebook.com/motherhoodforgood Facebook (Private group - request access): https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherhoodforgood TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motherhoodforgood
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)**On this week's Cream City Digest, I ask Erin a very specific question: what do I say to my kids who notice very real and structural differences as we drive across town. Whether you live in Milwaukee or not, her answer is universal, and you'll want to hear it!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams**
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)
How do we talk to our kids about race and racism? How do we talk to each other about it? How do we move from our segregated silos to make Milwaukee a more just and equitable city for everyone? This week, I dive deep with Dr. Erin Winkler, Associate Professor in the Department of African & African Diaspora Studies and Urban Studies at UW-Milwaukee.
And more than just talking about race … how do we move into action so that our lived experience reflects our values and our desire to not simply pay lip service to our support for black and brown lives. If this conversation feels uncomfortable, that’s okay! Thresholds and paradigm shifts can be hard … but this one is worth it!**
** All thoughts and opinions are Dr Winkler's own.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://uwm.edu/african-diaspora-studies/people/winkler-erin-n/ Rid Racism Milwaukee: https://ridracismmke.org/
Tips for talking to kids about race and racism (resources):
- https://www.buzzfeed.com/erinwinkler/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-race-and-racism
- https://uwm.edu/news/talk-children-race-uwm-researcher-offers-advice/
- https://www.racepride.pitt.edu/erin-winkler-pride-speaker-series-being-intentional-race-young-children/
- https://nmaahc.si.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/resources/children_are_not_colorblind.pdf
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)This week on the Digest I share the part of our conversation where DeShanda reminds us what it was like to be young, and what the young people she works with at Pathfinders REALLY want. (Hint: it's no different than what WE wanted WAY back when, or maybe not so WAY back). Short and sweet and under 9 minutes this week!
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This week I talk with DeShanda Williams-Clark, Senior Vice President of Programs & Services at Pathfinders about how their organization takes care of so many of our at-risk youth in the city. Whether through their drop-in center, emergency shelter, or street outreach, Pathways has a variety of touchpoints for homeless and struggling youth to welcome them into their care and to promote their healing and long-term stability. Listen as we talk about what these youth need, which is not different from any of the stories we’ve heard this season: compassion, validation, and acceptance. We also talk about how adults (that's us!) can stop ‘adultifying’ youth to make this acceptance possible.
Website: https://www.pathfindersmke.org/our-services/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathfindersmke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pathfinders_2/
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)Less than 10 minutes this week and I'm sharing some of my favorite 'snippets' from this week's episode with my dear friend Michael Anderson. (yes, the first man on the podcast!) Really these are just teasers because I HOPE you will go back and listen to the conversation in its entirety. If you have a trans friend, know a trans youth, or are just trans-curious, this is the episode for you!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)
As we wrap up Pride Month, pull up a chair for this intimate conversation between me and a very dear friend of mine. This week I interview Michael Anderson. But wait, I hear you say, Michael doesn’t sound like a woman. That’s right, nor does he live in Milwaukee. (but he used to, so I’m making an exception!).
Listen as we talk about what it’s like to transition to a man in his 40s, and what it means to live into his authentic self. You’ll hear me ask questions that ONLY a dear friend can ask about transitioning. And you’ll hear what’s appropriate and what’s not to ask. (spoiler alert: I ask some inappropriate questions FOR SURE). Let me save you from future embarrassment and hopefully provide some insight around this topic.
**We hear SO much in the news these days about transphobia and anti-trans legislation and policies, but rarely do we hear what this experience is like firsthand. As Maya Angelou famously said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,” and we need to do better for our transgender friends.
Trans resources:*Schuylar BailarBook: He/She/TheyTrans Youth Equality FoundationStand with TransAdvocates for Trans Equality* And if you loved this episode, be sure to listen to episode 70 with Brenna Creamer of Courage MKE Show your love for Cream City Dreams**
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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(If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!)
Another short and sweet Digest with Calie Herbst of MKE with Kids where she gives some SOLID advice on what it means to publish something Good Enough, and what it means to share with generosity. If you're sitting on a dream, you NEED to hear this advice. I know I did.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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School’s OUT for the summer … do you know what you’re doing with the kids? Even if you don’t have kids, this week’s guest, Calie Herbst, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MKE With Kids, has some GREAT ideas for ways to fill these long summer days. Calie started the website and blog MKE With Kids in 2013 when she was looking for ways to keep her own kiddos entertained and now TENS of thousands of families around the city have come to trust her site for up-to-date and dependable information on all things family-friendly in the Cream City.
Locals and Links we love!Website: https://www.mkewithkids.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MKEwithKids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MKEwithKids
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This part didn't make it into the full podcast because we had SO much to talk about ... but here on this Cream City Digest you'll hear Jen and Amanda's favorite things about the three different Urban Ecology Center Branches. Washington Park, Menomonee Valley and Riverside Park all have their own unique offerings and Jen and Amanda let us in on what they are.
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Connecting people in cities to nature and each other. That is the mission of the Urban Ecology Center. And this week, I talk with two dreamy women who are making REAL connections in our city’s natural spaces. Executive Director, Jen Hense, and VP of People and Culture, Amanda Panciera, are working to ensure that nature is accessible and enjoyable for everyone in the Cream City. AND … as if that wasn’t enough, they are working to create a dialogue - indeed a MOVEMENT - around what it means to work at a non-profit. Must stewards of the land, and of our communities accept low wages and minimal compensation as the price for a career in service to others? These women don’t think so and they are working to change the narrative. Listen in and then JOIN them!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanecologycenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanecologycenter/Dan Palotta’s TED Talk
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BE KIND. It really is this simple, folks. But this simple kindness could very well be life-saving. Literally suicide prevention. A lesson from Brenna Creamer at Courage MKE for us all on how we can be better allies to our LGBTQ+ youth.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Happy Pride Month! This week, I talk with Brenna Creamer of Courage MKE, a Milwaukee-based organization that provides services, support, resources and housing to LGBTQ+ youth across the state of Wisconsin. Sure we hang our rainbow flags and celebrate pride in the month of June but we need to be celebrating, valuing and seeing our LGBTQ+ community ALL. YEAR. LONG. This is exactly what they do at Courage MKE.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://couragemke.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourageMke/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragemkeCourage MKE Amazon Wish List Donate to Courage MKE HERE
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, a short episode on the importance of paying attention to and FUNDING organization that work with mental health. Remember that keeping organizations like the African American Breastfeeding Network afloat can be as simple as donating diaper wipes. The statistics may feel (and they are) dire, but there's always work we can do as a collective society.
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We want to imagine having a baby is all snuggles and cuddles and sweetness. But for many in our city, it is not. Nationally, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than non-Hispanic White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. However, in Wisconsin, they are five times more likely to die. FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY! That statistic is part of what drives today’s guest, Dalvery Blackwell and her mission at the African American Breastfeeding Network to do what she does for pregnant women in and around Milwaukee. Listen as we talk about the difference her organization and her doulas are making and the way they are moving statistics in the right direction for black and brown mothers.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://aabnetwork.org/ (watch the video on their home page!)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanAmericanBreastfeedingNetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aabn_mke/
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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This week, a short and sweet segment from the podcast on self-love, self-acceptance and looking in the mirror. It's good for teenage girls, but really it's good for ALL of us! In under five minutes, two challenges for your week ahead. Are you ready for it?
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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When you’re in the business of building relationships with teen girls, it’s easy to find hope in the youth of today’s Milwaukee. Today’s guest, Jasmine Deacon, Director of Program Services at Pearls for Teen Girls knows this first hand. Pearls runs programming for girls in 5-12 grade encouraging them to grow AND glow, survive AND thrive. Listen as we talk about how Pearls is continuing to inspire girls to lean into their dreams as they have done since 1993.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.pearlsforteengirls.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlsforteengirls
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearls_mke/
Video of PEARLS made by Lionart Media (previous Cream City Dreams Guests from Season 1!): https://youtu.be/nmxmh-gzpN0?si=hDv62No-pOuVfFKl
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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How and when do we start talking with our teens about sex? And what do we say when we do? Especially if it's a subject that makes us feel awkward! Listen to what Dr. Michelle Pickett, this week's guest and expert on teens sexual health, has to say about this. You won't hear this snippet in this week's episode so make sure you listen here! (You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's appropriate for younger ears, but it may be just the episode you need to get the conversation started!)
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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**Yep, we’re doing it, we’re talking about sex today! Specifically, I’m talking about adolescent sexual health with Dr. Michelle Pickett, Emergency Department Physician at Children’s Wisconsin, and associate professor of pediatrics for the Medical College of Wisconsin. Get the lowdown on what’s happening in our city as it relates to teens and sex, and also, what parents can do to keep their kids healthy and safe. We’re keeping it real in this episode, but that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of humor served up as well. Listen in … and use your discretion if you’ve got little ears nearby.
All views are Dr Michelle Pickett's own in this conversation.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://childrenswi.org/physician-directory/p/pickett-michelle-l
More of Dr. Pickett’s work on suicide can be found here:
60 Minutes interviewChannel 12 interviewWPR interviewChildren’s Hospital Association articleMKE Lifestyle Magazine
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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If you've ever wondered what to say to a mother who may be experiencing grief, overwhelm or any of the serious perinatal mood disorders that accompany 1 in 5 women into motherhood, you will want to listen to this episode. Sarah talks us through what TO say and also what NOT TO SAY. (and PSSSSST ... it's never too late to apologize if you find you've said the wrong thing).
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One in five women will experience some kind of perinatal anxiety or mood disorder - and that is a statistic based on women who self-report. Thank goodness for organizations like Moms Mental Health Initiative, co-founded by this week’s guest, Sarah Ornst Bloomquist. Sarah and her team are making sure women have the support they need by sharing information, connecting them to resources and providing peer-driven support. One in FIVE means someone you know has needed this kind of support. Keep this episode in your pocket to offer to someone who could benefit from learning more!
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.momsmentalhealthinitiative.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmhi.mke
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsmentalhealthinitiative/
Other notable mentions!
Close to the Heart Boutique https://ctthboutique.com/
BOMB Doulas https://city.milwaukee.gov/Health/Services-and-Programs/MCH/BOMB
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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Ladies, let's stop demanding a seat at this 'mystical' table and build our own. A bite-sized digest on being at the table, crafting our own table, and using our voices along the way. It's not too late to pull up a chair at Women's Entrepreneurship Week NEXT WEEK!
Go HERE for tickets: https://shestandstallmke.com/wew-2024-full-schedule/
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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**Happy MONDAY! Yes, this is coming out two days early. But I wanted to share this episode with as much time as possible since we are talking about an event that happens NEXT WEEK. (May 6-10, 2024).
This week’s guest, Stephanie Melnick and her team at She Stands Tall are BACK next week with Women's Entrepreneurship Week (WEW) and if you live in or around Milwaukee, you are NOT going to want to miss their offerings.**
So many of our previous guests are slotted to speak at the events next week that I wanted to take an extra week of Season 5 to plug this event and let you know what to expect. If you are a woman in Milwaukee, an entrepreneur, or someone who is considering stepping boldly into your DREAM ... this just might be the launch pad you need! Come meet other women around the city who are taking their place at the table - indeed, who are building their OWN table - and making sure there is a seat for everyone.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://shestandstallmke.com/wew-2024-full-schedule/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shestandstallmke
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shestandstallmke/
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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Sharing the Digest this week with Harmonie Baker who challenges us to step away from the spotlight from time to time to let others shine. A short and sweet reflection from this week's full episode on being the cheerleader for someone else. Who could that some else be in your life? A digest worth pondering.
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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People often describe Milwaukee as a small city with big city amenities … and they are often talking about our theater and arts scene. And this includes the incredible opportunities children have in the theater as well. This week, I talk with Harmonie Baker, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Youth Theatre, about the important role that theater plays in the lives of the Milwaukee youth she serves. The Milwaukee Youth Theatre provides the opportunity for kids to imagine, build and create productions from start to finish in set design, costume and lighting as well as acting. More than a stage, it’s a place where everyone belongs, everyone is family, and everyone is encouraged to support each other as they learn the ins and outs of theater.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://milwaukeeyouththeatre.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milwaukeeyouththeatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeeyouththeatre/
UPCOMING EVENTS
- I Never Saw Another Butterfly and The Terezin Promise
- May 3-5, 2024 (various times)
- Ticket link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/myt/1212748
- Lost Tales 2: Loster Tales
- June 14-16, 2024
- More info: https://milwaukeeyouththeatre.org/lost-tales-2/
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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Why DO we need a place to store ancient relics and artifacts? What do museums tell us about ourselves, and why should we keep them around? Dr. Ellen Censky answers this question in two parts.
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This week, meet the woman behind our beloved Milwaukee Public Museum, Dr. Ellen Censky (though as she is quick to point out, it takes an incredible team to run an institution that is home to more than four million objects). Listen as we talk about the trajectory that took the tall ‘tom girl’ from Cedarburg across the US as a museum scientist and director, herpetologist, published author, BioBlitz creator, and now Executive Director with MPM.
Listen as we talk about …
- Who museums are for and why it’s important that they change with the times. And why we NEED them in our community.
- What’s coming and what she’s most excited about seeing in the new Milwaukee Public Museum that is slated to open in Spring of 2027.
- Who she would most like to meet if the creatures came alive at night in MPM’s own Night at the Museum.
Locals and Links we love!
Website: https://www.mpm.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MKEPublicMuseum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeepublicmuseum/
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If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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New this week, a reflection from yours truly on the fears of going solo on this podcast. What gave me pause, what made me nervous, and ultimately, how I decided to go for it anyway. Two big saving graces that got me over the hurdle of feeling like I couldn't do it. They helped me, maybe they can help you too?
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Season Five begins, but not quite as expected when we left off at the end of Season Four. Why? Shelly’s leaving the podcast! (insert sobs here). But it’s not all doom and gloom, she’s found something incredible and is excited to devote more time to her new Cream City Dream. Listen to find out more!If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!
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Two years, four seasons, and 53 episodes later, here we are! This is the last episode before we take a (tiny) break and return for Season Five. No guest today, just your inimitable hosts talking about dreams.
Listen as we talk about …
- How we’re feeling about the podcast and where we might go next with it.
- A recap and mashup of all the INCREDIBLE guests we’ve had on from season four and the gems they’ve left us thinking about long after the episode aired.
- What we hope to do during the season break - maybe you can help us? We’re asking here!
- What we’ve got planned for season five (newsflash, we’ve got another theme!)
- THANK YOU for following along, listening and sharing your dreams with us!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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If you have ever struggled to connect with someone you love, this episode is for you. Sometimes we just need to look at things from a different perspective. This is exactly what this week’s guest - MacArthur Genius, UWM Professor, and founder of the non-profit, Timeslips - Anne Basting discovered when she began working with those living with dementia. Instead of counting on memory, Anne uses her ‘beautiful questions’ to encourage creativity and imagination in our interactions with our elders, but really, we these tools are for anyone. At their root is JOY, acceptance and a dignity that says “I see you ... you matter.” And isn’t that what this world needs right now? You don’t want to miss this one.
Listen as we talk about …
- THE dreamiest job description EVER: sparking people’s belief in themselves and in their own creativity and then inviting them to use it to bridge and build.
- How to turn the relationship of care-giver/receiver on its side, so the power dynamic isn’t top a top down intervention but rather a relationship of dignified equals
- The concept of JOY as a framework, and how she brings that with her, sometimes calling it her “silver lining addiction.”
- How we’ve separated healthcare & social care from the arts & culture in this country and how she thinks we’re getting close to meaningful (re)integration, which is exactly what we need, and what the research shows is beneficial.
- And how working with older adults is more joyful than people think!
- The new tagline for Milwaukee … “Two phone calls from yes.”
Locals and Links we love!
Anne’s websiteTimeSlipsEMC2 ProjectCreative Care (the book!)Creative Care Imaginations Kit (for order!)
In the media:
AARP,The Penelope Project,Islands of Milwaukee,What is Timeslips?,Milwaukee Magazine
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Look up mover, shaker, connector, change agent in the dictionary and you are SURE to find this week’s guest, Julia Taylor. Past President of both the Greater Milwaukee Committee as well as the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee, Julia is a dream MAKER in the Cream City. She is also a consummate connector of people and builder of relationships across the city getting things done at the “speed of trust,” which we both agree is exactly the right speed!
Listen as we talk about …
- The unexpected career trajectory of a serious CHANGE MAKER because she said YES!
- A gem of advice for young leaders today.
- An important lesson she learned from a failure, and how she pulled herself out of a funk after a legislative loss she’d spent years working toward.
- So many things can happen around a dinner table, hear how Julie hosts and why she prefers the Jeffersonian Model of conversation.
- How and why to stay connected to creativity, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist (though NEWSFLASH: we are ALL creative).
Locals and Links we love!
Julia Taylor Watercolor Website
Julia on Instagram
May Klisch Fine Art
City as Living Laboratory
WaterMarks MKE
See art at:
- The Marshall Building
- David Barnett Gallery
- Portrait Society Gallery
- Milwaukee Artists Resource Gallery (MARN)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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You’ve probably noticed if you’ve been following us for some time, that we have a slight bias for women who are working hard to make Milwaukee a better place for EVERYONE. We love a good DIY story, and this week’s guest Symphony Swan is literally building her dream from the ground up. Or should we say, giving her dream a makeover. Voted Milwaukeean of the Year by The Shepherd Express, Symphony is turning her childhood home into The Cr8TV House, a creative gallery and workspace for black and brown and other marginalized artists to nurture their talents and artistry to help solve complex problems. (You’ll hear what that means in the episode). This is about a space, but it’s a conversation about so much more: family, community, inclusion and belonging, and the role of art in our society to shape the future where there is a (CR8TV) space at the table for everyone.
Listen as we talk about …
- How the death of her mother and father in quick succession changed her world entirely and threw her headlong into her dream of owning a creative space.
- Her word of the year, ‘courage’ and why she’s doing things that scare her
- And why she believes in transparency and showing people what’s happening behind the scenes (even if it’s messy and beautifully complex).
- The important lesson she learned about communication, forgiveness and relationships with the passing of her father.
Locals and Links we love!
The CR8TV HOUSE website THE CR8TV HOUSE on Instagram, on Facebook, on LinkedInSymphony Swan, artist websiteDeMar Walker, artistTheaster Gates, Chicago Artist
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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In need of a bit of respite and rest to reflect on those resolutions (how's that for alliteration?) You’ll definitely want to tune into today’s episode with Sevan Arabajian-Ries of Mother Lion. Mother Lion is a special place in Bayview open for hosting workshops, retreats, overnights, and other intimate gatherings. It was created with the deep intention of both nurturing and nourishing its guests. Get a glimpse into this sacred space and see if it might be a good fit for your next gathering (or even the gift you might give yourself this season).
Listen as we talk about …
- How they created this space specifically to “nourish people who nourish people” (hey, did we just come up with their tagline or what?)
- How they intentionally invite people to share their sacred space based on shared values and humanity.
- How dreams take time, patience, and trust.
- How an early (early!) interaction with the Dalai Lama may just have shifted the direction of Sevan’s life path. Also, learn about her work as a Threshold Doula. And if you’ve been hearing a lot about ‘shadow work’ lately, we’ve got an explanation for you!
Locals and Links we love!
Mother Lion WebsiteMother Lion on Instagram Email Mother Lion HEREBurnhearts in BayviewGoodKindSevan’s WebsiteJenny Jo WennlundFamiliar MKEHundred Grasses Acupuncture
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Happy New Year to all the Cream City Dreamers out there! We’re kicking off 2024 with a delicious episode featuring the owner and founder of The Real Good Life, Maggie Joos. What can you take off your plate so that you’ve got time to enjoy the real good life? This episode may just inspire you to dream big this year by prioritizing what (and who) you love and what matters most!
Listen as we talk about …
- What IS a real good life? And how did that factor into Maggie’s dream of opening The Real Good Life?
- How the pandemic shifted the business and her perspective on empire building.
- Did Shelly just provide The Real Good Life with a potentially VERY viable summer income stream? Stay tuned till the end to hear!
- Want to know where she eats when she’s not eating her own food? She’ll tell you - AND you’ll find out where THE BEST FRIES in Milwaukee can be found! But you’ve gotta listen to the end!
- AND, if you DO listen to the end, you'll hear that she's offering our listeners a 15% discount by using the "CREAMCITY" coupon code! Woot ~ be sure to let us know what you think when you try it!
Locals and Links we love!
The Real Good Life Website TRGL on Insta and FacebookTall Guy and a Grill More Happy KitchensGirls on the RunLet’s talk Womxn
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Short and sweet this week, we wanted to hop on the airwaves to wish you the happiest of New Years! We hope this year is full of DREAMS of all shapes and sizes for you. And we’d love to hear what you’ve got in store, if there’s a big dream you want to share with us, drop us an email here!
Listen as we talk about:
- What our guests are up to for 2024 - we’ve got a few updates from some of them! And some updates on what they’ve been up to since their episode.
- A direct update from Brenda Campbell (episode 43) directly!
- Reminders of ways you can interact with our guests to get yourself more involved in the city and more importantly, moving toward YOUR dreams!
- A HUGE thank you to YOU, our listeners.
- And a plea: would you kindly share the Cream City Dream podcast with your people? Who needs to hear this? If you know someone who might find inspiration here, please forward or link to the pod!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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A lawyer walks into a podcast this week. Listen to this delightful conversation with Makda Fessahaye where we talk about how and when dreams begin … in her case, with an inciting incident across the world. This is yet another conversation where we see how our values determine the way we live and the choices we make.
Listen as we talk about …
- How an experience for Makda in 7th grade set her on her path to law school (and so much more!)
- Why if you’re chasing a title, you may be setting yourself up for failure (and what to do instead!)
- How saying YES again and again leads to unexpected opportunities that can turn into dreams you didn’t know you had.
- How we can turn the ‘imposter syndrome’ on its head, and how not to let it get the best of us (and also, a frank discussion, is it even REAL or worthy of our attention?)
- Why we (and especially women!) need to give ourselves flowers more often!
Locals and Links we love!
Makda at UW Milwaukee
AND find her on all the socials:
Brunch of Professionals The Harvard Article on Imposter Syndrome we referenced at the end can be found HERE
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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You are going to want to pull up a seat at the table for this conversation with Christie Melby-Gibbons, Founder and Executive Director of Tricklebee Café on North Avenue. This is NOT just your average café, in fact, it’s anything BUT average. A pay-what-you-can model offers patrons the chance to give and receive with a spirit of generosity, dignity, grace and abundance. This is a place to nourish your mind, body and spirit, and you can’t help but be inspired when you hear the story behind Tricklebee Cafe.
Listen as we talk about …
- Tricklebee’s origin story and where the name came from.
- Going deep with the practice of ‘radical hospitality’ and how we can all benefit from more of this in our own lives.
- You’ve heard of “trickle down” economics, but have you heard of “Tricklebee” economics? We’re convinced THIS is the way we should operate, see if you agree!?
- How a pay-what-you-can concept can really survive in the world today.
- The importance of knowing your community, knowing your neighbors and knowing your priorities.
- Will there be a Tricklebee 2.0 someday? Listen to find out.
Locals and Links we love!
Tricklebee Cafe Website and Facebook (menu updates posted here!)
Trickebee’s WISHLIST (donate here!)
Who are the Moravians
One World Everybody Eats
Tricklebee in the News!
Tricklebee in OnMilwaukee (by previous guest Lori Fredrich!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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We need more people like Samantha Starr in this city: organizing events that build community with intentionally curated themes that bring people together (often over food!). Samantha is the powerhouse behind Battle of the Chefs and Dining with Friends, as well as local events like MKE Fest. And she's soon to be the host of a new podcast Flavor Fix Radio Show with @wnov860 launching in January 2024!!
Listen as we talk about …
- How a passion from high school planted a seed for Samantha’s event planning dreams
- Aligning values with passions, and what a difference that makes when thinking about your own dreams (and boundaries)
- How Shelly once needed 150 meatballs by noon (and how Samantha’s advice could’ve helped Shelly’s veggie mishap).
- How gratitude for and exposure to community spurs Samantha’s desire to see the silos down and collaboration up in Milwaukee.
Locals and Links we love!
Samantha Starr Events Website and Instagram
MKE Fest
The Chef’s Table
Lucky Ginger
Heirloom MKE
Edith Cocktail
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Money sense is something many of us take for granted. Not today’s guest, Brenda Campbell, CEO and President of SecureFutures, an organization determined to empower teens with the money management skills needed to make sound financial decisions by providing school programs, coaching, and mentorship. This organization is changing the way teens in Milwaukee (and especially those from under-resourced backgrounds) approach money.
Listen as we talk about …
- How differentiating between financial literacy and financial capability can be the difference in behavioral change in our teens.
- Why high school (between 16-18) is really the sweet spot for talking to students about money
- And why Brenda secretly hopes her students will make a few money mistakes during the course of their time with SecureFutures
- AND MORE importantly, how YOU can get involved (yes, YOU!)
Locals and Links we love!
https://securefutures.org/
https://negozee.com/
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Tables are turned this week and WE are in the hot seat! If you’ve ever wondered how we got our start with the podcast, why we decided to take the plunge and launch Cream City Dreams, and what keeps us going, listen in to this conversation with Stephanie Melnick, of Melnick & Melnick.
Listen as we talk about …
Who were Shelly and Meagan BEFORE Cream City Dreams? Find out a little bit about how we both landed in Milwaukee
- Our mistakes, lessons we’ve learned from our guests, and where we could use some help in leveling up the podcast
- Our dreams for Cream City Dreams (and where we’d love to be in five years). Yep, we’re putting these ideas out into the universe!
- And listen as audience members share a few of THEIR dreams
Locals and Links we love!Alverno CollegeShe Stands Tall She ShinesWomen’s Entrepreneurship WeekYou Betcha She Did PodcastFranciscan PeacemakersOnce Upon a Figgy (the little pink car!)
Cream City Dreams episodes we referenced:Rooted MKE (Ashley Valentine)Lai King Moy of Tour of America’s DairylandAngela McManamanTia RichardsonLionart MediaInterwovxnDasha Kelly HamiltonChase My Creations (Chloe)Cecelia Gore (Brewers Community Foundation)Stephanie MelnickMeagan Johnson (Milwaukee Diaper Mission)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Another week, another creative and inspiring Milwaukee woman! Listen as we talk to yet another champion of our city, Brit Nicole. Brit is a spoken word artist, healer, performer, author, film maker, musician, and facilitator who uses her voice to lift up our community. But more than that, she’s working to change the narrative around Milwaukee through storytelling and connection.
Listen as we talk about …
- What does it mean to matter outside your gifts, and how does realizing that help you accomplish your dreams?
- How we can look at our creative outlets as tools to serve whatever community we find ourselves in.
- The creative arts and artists as healers in our city, and how we can use creativity to change the narrative of Milwaukee.
- The importance of having the RIGHT people behind you.
Locals and Links we love!
Brit on Facebook and Instagram
Lyrical Sanctuary at UWM
Stillwaters Collective and Pentastic
Brit’s book! Moods, Melanin and Magic, A Manifesto
Nocturnal Butterfly on band camp:
414 day video 2023 - her poem Chosen
Want to learn more about her, Check out this article or this article!
B~FREE
Tae Spears and Rooted Society
Lilo Allen and the Bronzeville Collective
Heal the Hood Milwaukee
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Pull up a chair at the table for this delicious conversation with Lori Fredrich, Senior Writer for Food and Dining at OnMilwaukee.com. You’ll hear all about her new book, and the local farmers and restaurants who were so grateful to have Lori tell their stories. And hear her own stories of life at the table. (Is that a dream job or what??)
Listen as we talk about …
- Excuse me?!? How a BURP! started her career in food writing.
- Lori’s ‘doors and windows’ theory of how dreams turn to reality
- How Lori listened to her gut (no pun intended) and decidedly and intentionally told OnMilwaukee she would not be a food ‘critic.’
- Why Lori decided NOT to remain an anonymous food writer on the Milwaukee food scene.
- Secret gems of Milwaukee and where to get the BEST carnitas in the city!
Locals and Links we love!
Lori’s new book: Wisconsin Field to Fork
November Events with Lori and her new book
OnMilwaukee.com
Carnitas Machetes
Birch Restaurant
The Real Good Life
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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**On average, three children a week come into Children’s Wisconsin Hospital with gunshot wounds.
THREE CHILDREN A WEEK.
If this doesn’t make you angry, we don’t know what will. Listen this week as we talk with Pediatric Emergency Physician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Megan Schultz, about her dreams for our city and our world, and what she’s doing about this desperate statistic every day in the emergency room.**
Listen as we talk about …
- How a single gunshot in Baltimore changed the trajectory of Megan’s career and pulled her out of the classroom and into the ER
- The alarming gun violence statisics in Milwaukee and just how common it is for kids to have, play with, and use guns
- A helpful script for approaching the topic of guns before a playdate (parents listen up!)
- How anger fuels her in the ER and on the page (READ her Op-Eds linked below!)
- Small kindnesses … the antidote to suffering and anxiety? Megan thinks so (and so do we!)
Locals and Links we love!
Everytown for Gun Safety
MEGAN’S OP-EDS FOUND HERE:
(1) https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/07/07/politicians-have-betrayed-kids-amid-milwaukee-gun-violence-epidemic/7761811001/
(2) https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2023/06/27/scourge-of-gun-violence-in-milwaukee-claims-too-many-innocent-children/70356393007/
(3/story) https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2023/09/12/childrens-wisconsin-doctor-treats-kids-who-have-been-shot-guns-megan-schultz-physician-milwaukee/70770030007/
MORE PRESS ON THE OP-EDS ON CBS58
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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How does a stay-at-home mom/trained art teacher with a passion for cloth diapering become the founder and Executive Director of a thriving non-profit that serves over 3000 families (and tiny bottoms) around Milwaukee? Listen as we talk to Meagan Johnson of Milwaukee Diaper Mission about how she found her way through and into non profit leadership.
Listen as we talk about …
- The staggering statistic about diaper need and diaper affordability that started Meagan’s own mission.
- How a dream went from a garage to a 5,000 square foot warehouse in less than three years (a corner card table to a corner office!)
- Why we (as women) need to toot our own horns more often!
- How not recreating the wheel is a HUGE part of creating a dream
- #diaperbanksarerunbymeagans - Whaaaaaa?
- How YOU can get involved
Locals and Links we love!
Milwaukee Diaper Mission on the socials: Website, Insta, FacebookThe Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Welcome back! It took us a little longer, but we're back - and we're ready to hit the ground running this season with some fantastic Milwaukee women who are living their dreams. This week, a short episode with a glimpse into the dreamy things we've been doing ourselves and the incredible guests we've got lined up this fall!
🎶 PLUS 🎶 We're SUPER excited to share our dreamy new theme song with you! Created by Nora and Brandon Oaks of The Never Deadbeat Poets - a super cool local band based in Riverwest.
If it's not already obvious, this is a dreamy episode you don't want to miss!
**Locals and Links we love!
Come see us LIVE in November at the monthly She Stands Tall Event on November 14th (register at the link!!)**
The Never Deadbeat Poets on Instagram
And Meagan's favorite song of theirs on this post
The Never Deadbeat Poets on Soundcloud
The Alma Center on Instagram
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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We're BAAAAAAAACK ... did you miss us?
Just a teaser for what to expect in Season 4. We'll be dropping episode one sometime in September when school is back in session. (You'll remember we have seven kids between us - so we took the summer off).
Until then, we wanted to let you know we're still here, and more importantly, STILL DREAMING!
Can't wait to have you along for the ride in Season 4!
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Whaaaaaaaaaa?!? Season Three is over already!? Yes, it’s true. This is the season finale of our third season of Cream City Dreams. It’s been a year, folks! We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and interview SO many incredible Milwaukee women who are living their dream. We hope you’ve enjoyed coming along for the ride and we look forward to getting back to the mic this fall for even MORE inspiring stories from the Cream City.
Listen as we talk about …
- Why we’re ending the season a little earlier than anticipated!
- Hosts have dreams too, indulge us for a second and listen to ours!
- Our dream for the podcast and what we have in store for our previous guests if we can pull it off!
Locals and Links we love!
Shelly’s new gig at the Alma Center
Meagan’s voice teacher Holly Haebig
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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As the name would imply, The Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee is determined to raise money in support of girls and women in our community, but they are SO. MUCH. MORE. Listen as Meagan talks with Lisa Attonito, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund and Sandy Cunningham, HER Scholarship Committee Chairwoman about the various programs and initiatives the Women’s Fund supports in the name of equity and advancement for women.
Listen as we talk about …
- What is the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee and what makes it special? (and different from some of the other organizations we’ve spoken to this season)
- The gift that keeps on giving - HER Scholarships for women 35+. Find out what they are and what makes them unique.
- Raising money, absolutely! But what else does the Women’s Fund do? There’s something for everyone. Find out how YOU can get involved.
- A challenge: does your philanthropic giving match your values? Hear a statistic about giving that will BLOW your mind. (and how we can and should do better).
Locals and Links we love!
Women’s Fund WebsiteWomen’s Fund on InstagramHER Scholarship ProgramWomen’s Fund on WUWMGoodland Home & GoodsOno Kine GrindzSugar Maple
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Women supporting women? We just can’t get enough, and neither can our guest today, Lauren Feaster, CEO of Professional Dimensions. If her name sounds familiar it’s because SO many of our previous guests have said we need to talk to her, so we FINALLY got a spot in her calendar for a chat and here it is. This is one to share. Especially if you know a multi-dimensional, professional woman who wants to make a difference in our community. (a-hem, isn’t that just about EVERY woman?). So what are you waiting for? Grab a coffee and listen in as we get real about loving on women and Milwaukee.
Listen as we talk about …
- How a year in the back of an ambulance shaped Lauren’s decision to leave the med-school path and move toward an investment in people and communities. (and women, of course!)
- How Lauren and her team looked carefully, thoughtfully and intentionally at what it means to be a “multi-dimensional” and “professional” woman. Words matter. Names matter. And she takes that seriously.
- Why mentorship and sponsorship are a key part of Professional Dimensions
- DJ LoLo in the house! Who else is in for a 7pm dance party?
Locals and Links we love!
Professional Dimensions Website Professional Dimensions Instagram40 Under 40 in 2022 on TMJ4
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Stand tall listeners, you are NOT going to want to miss this episode. Join us this week as we talk with Stephanie Melnick of Melnick & Melnick, S.C. about supporting women and small business owners here in Milwaukee. Stephanie and her team are feverishly planning and proudly hosting Women’s Entrepreneurship Week, May 8-12, as well as offering monthly meet-and-greets with local women entrepreneurs in their She Stands Tall speaker series. It’s a wonder Stephanie’s shoulders aren’t aching from all the women she’s lifting up in this city, but she really does believe in her mission that women stand taller and stronger when they stand together.
Listen as we talk about …
- What inspired Stephanie to start She Stands Tall Milwaukee how sometimes good things happen when a lawyer walks into a bar.
- How the landscape for women in business in Milwaukee has changed since Stephanie has been practicing law.
- Milwaukee is a good city for entrepreneurial women and how you’re only a woman (or two) away from who you need to know. Small-Waukee strikes again!
- Some of the common obstacles women entrepreneurs face in Milwaukee and the local solutions available if only we know about them. (hint: GET YOURSELF TO Women's Entrepreneurship Week to find out!)
Locals and Links we love!
She Stands Tall Women’s Entrepreneurship Week She Stands Tall on FB She Stands Tall on Insta WEW on Insta She Stands Tall in BizTimes She Stands Tall in Milwaukee Magazine Stephanie gets Props!
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As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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If you’ve enjoyed a Funky Fresh Spring Roll at Sherman Phoenix, a scoop of Purple Door Ice Cream in Walker’s Point, or some of Caitlin’s fried chicken at the Tandem before the doors closed, you have Juli Kaufmann to thank. Entrepreneur, Real Estate Developer, Activist and Change Agent, Juli Kaufmann’s love of Milwaukee and her community have inspired some of the city’s most influential architecture. But she is no ordinary real estate mogul, she’s in it for the good of the city, championing projects that promote social justice, environmental sustainability, cultural enrichment AND economic opportunity. Talk about an OG influencer! You don’t want to miss this episode.
Listen as we talk about …
- How simply wanting to being a good neighbor turned Juli into an activist and an agent for positive change.
- How Juli’s longing for a neighborhood ice cream shop shaped her history in the Milwaukee real estate market.
- How she refused to take ‘no’ for an answer when it came to funding her projects and founded FundMilwaukee to encourage local investors to pool together to keep money IN the community.
- Retire? Juli Kaufmann? Hear what she’s got in mind and how she’s hoping to get back to her roots
- How parenting - for those who choose it - can be a training ground for entrepreneurial dreaming
Locals and Links we love!
Juli’s talk for the Rotary ClubFix Development Juli wins a Betty Award Juli in OnMilwaukee Juli in Urban MilwaukeeBlakesville CreameryPurple Door Ice CreamSherman PhoenixClock Shadow Creamery Float Milwaukee
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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GenZ, Millennials, GenXers and oh heck, EVERYBODY … this episode is for YOU. Corry Joe Biddle, VP of Community Affairs at MMAC & Executive Director of FUEL Milwaukee brings her love of our city to the podcast this week. Listen as she talks with Shelly and Meagan about how she got her start in this city, why she decided to stay, and why it’s now her mission to make Milwaukee a city that attracts (and KEEPS) a diverse and talented workforce.
Listen as we talk about …
- How Corry Joe created something special when she started paying attention to and stepped toward something that made her nervous (and how YOU can too!)
- The lightbulb moment at Mikey’s on Cathedral Square that got Corry Joe thinking about what Milwaukee needed to do differently for young professionals.
- How she never expected to end up in Milwaukee primarily because she did not KNOW Milwaukee or see a space for her in the city, and what she’s doing to change that for others.
- The comparison between her work at MMAC and Fuel and The Hair Club for Men. Whaaaa??
- How Milwaukee allows for proximity to greatness. (Or maybe proximity to greatness is just another way of saying “Small-Waukee”).
- In need of new friends? Join Fuel, it’s the way “grownups make friends.”
Locals and Links we love!
Fuel Milwaukee Website and InstagramMetropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC)RaceBridge replays on YouTubeRootedMKE Bookstore Appeal (please watch and support!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Batter up! On the cusp of Baseball's Opening Day we bring Cecelia Gore to the plate for this week's episode.
Cecelia was nominated for the podcast in Season 2 Episode 19 by Venice Williams - and wow, we can see why! For 14 seasons now she has served as the Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation where she supports dreamers throughout Milwaukee who are meeting basic needs and providing unique educational, health and recreation related services to our community. By leveraging the power of baseball to bring the community together, Cecelia is knocking it out of the park: supporting 160 different nonprofits in Milwaukee in 2022 alone!
Listen as we talk about:
- the seeds of community service planted in her by her parents - and the task at Wisconsin Gas that got her motivated to finish her college degree
- following the twists and turns on her own career trajectory - to inspire others who may have had some detours
- the women who have nurtured her along the way
- her seasoned vantage point on Milwaukee's most pivotal issues - and how you can get started (hint: it begins with a pitch!)
Links and Locals we love:
- Brewers Community Foundation (find out more about the annual 5k/10k walk and BCF Weekends at American Family Field)
- Dannette JustUs reads from American Family Field
- Alverno College
- Meet Thelma Sias from WE Energies
- Lauren Feester - Professional Dimensions
- Jen Dirks - Tempo Milwaukee
- Nancy Hernandez - Hispanic Collaborative
- Dr. Jeanette Mitchell - African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee
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Welcome welcome! Season Three begins with this inspiring episode featuring Wendy Baumann of Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, aka WWBIC. Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk with Wendy about the ways in which WWBIC is leveling the playing field for women (and others for whom the path has not traditionally been easy) by offering trainings, business counseling and funding opportunities. The resources exist in Milwaukee, and living into your dream is possible with a plan. WWBIC is here to help!
Listen as we talk about …
- How Wendy got her start as a dream maker and who inspired her journey
- How WWBIC is helping women live their dreams (and how YOU can take advantage of their services as well!)
- How - with a little help from WWBIC - financing a small business doesn’t have to be so scary.
- Kiva loans … it’s a thing in Wisconsin too!
Locals and Links we love!
WWBIC websiteWWBIC on LinkedIN WWBIC on Instagram
Wendy mentioned a few businesses in the interview and sent us a few more we really should be following, here they are:
Citlali Mendieta at Antigua Latin Inspired Kitchen
Kiley Peters at The 100 Collective
Bonnie Edwards at Edwards Tutoring Enterprise
Carolyn Walker at Great Impressions
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Season Two comes to an end with today’s final reflections from your hosts, Shelly & Meagan. If you’ve loved this season, throw us a cup of coffee, wouldya?
Listen as we talk about …
- What we’ve learned from our Season Two guests and what we continue to be reminded of when it comes to dreaming.
- Our challenge: what can you not NOT do with your one precious life, listeners? (did you catch that double negative?)
- What are our guests up to now - we have UPDATES!
- What we have in store for Season Three
Locals and Links we love!
Previous guests and what they’re up to …
Madam Chino’s Summer CampsSherrill Knezel on Insta (for her book club)Venice Williams at Winter Farmer’s MarketDJ Shawna on YoutubeNicole Acosta Hoops TicketsDasha Kelly Hamilton on TourTia Richardson books on sale through Rooted MKEInterwovxn's New Membership CommunityJulie Rowley in Right Before I Go (show!) Liv Menzia’s Piñata cakesLet’s Talk Womxn Gourmet Bash tickets
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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This week brings something new to the podcast: a cohort, a collection, a collaboration, a CELEBRATION of WOMXN, as Shelly & Meagan talk with four culinary entrepreneurs: Marilupe Moreno of Modern Maki, Amanda Mattefs of Charcuter-me, Hannah Kopplin of Tots on the Street and Rosha Brister of Style Pop Cafe. Listen as they talk about why supporting women in the food industry is key to their survival and their successes.
Listen as we talk about …
- Where Let’s Talk Womxn started and how the organization of/by/for women supports local entrepreneurs in Milwaukee in the food and beverage industry.
- How receiving help from women in the industry inspired these four women to give back to the women in their community.
- The food trucks THEY love in this city and the ones you don’t want to miss (and the local celebs they hope will swing by their trucks for a bite!)
Locals and Links we love! Starting with our guests:
Marilupe Moreno - Modern Maki / Insta Amanda Mattefs - Charcuter-me / Insta Hannah Kopplin - Tots on the Street / Insta Rosha Brister - Style Pop Cafe / Insta TICKETS TO THEIR EVENT ON MARCH 8 SOLD HERE
Mentions and shoutouts (even more in the email, get on our list)Let’s Talk Womxn National OrganizationLet’s Talk Womxn Milwaukee InstaVermilion RestaurantFlour Girl and FlameHeirloomMKEDelicious BitesHoneypie CafeMeat on the Street She Stands TallMelnick and MelnickCielito LindoCurd GirlZocolo Food Truck ParkRiley’s Sandwich Co Twisted PlantAnomaly CateringDerek Mosley
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If you’ve been to any craft or makers markets in the last few years, no doubt you’ve run into this week’s guest, Chloe Longmire of Chase My Creations. From her signature “BLK WMN ROC” to her “Take a Hike Racists,” her designs have been sparking conversation since they hit the scene. And that’s exactly what she wants! Listen as Shelly & Meagan talk with Chloe about where this dream came from, and where it’s headed. There’s some great takeaways for how YOU can be an ally beyond wearing the shirts (though we highly encourage you to snap one up if you see her around!)
Listen as we talk about …
- How Chase My Creations got started, and spoiler alert, it wasn’t with t-shirts!
- How oftentimes, dreams begin when we create what we need or what we want to see. (what we NEED to see!)
- Love them or hate them, how Chloe hopes that her shirts challenge the status quo and inspire more than ‘performative’ social justice work.
- Ideas and ways to move beyond the performative if you’re stuck.
- How she moved Chase My Creations from a side-hustle to full time (dream) job and the women who inspired her to take the leap!
Locals and Links we love!
Chase My Creations WebsiteChase My Creations at MKE Night MarketJournal Sentinel Press for Chase My CreationsCatrice Jackson (trainings and books)Shiquita Mann of Blossom Candle CoKira Wendel of Swoon (FB Page) MKE Night Market (summer dates coming soon!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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We’re over half way through Season TWO so a quick (very quick!) check in with Meagan & Shelly this week.
Listen as we talk about …
- How you can help us get more listeners to these incredible stories
- What we’re loving about the podcast so far
- What we have in store for season three (and beyond)
- A hint at a giveaway
How you can help us this week!
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (click this link!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk with Marissa Jablonski, Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. If Marissa’s enthusiasm doesn’t inspire you to change ONE small habit around your consumption of single-use plastics, we don’t know what will! In this episode we talk about what inspired Marissa to become an eco-warrior and what she’s doing to bring others along with her. We’re in this together people! GO TEAM!
Listen as we talk about …
- Why inspiration is SO important to our dreams
- How (while it would be nice, of course), perfection is not the goal when it comes to our relationship with planet earth, but a little change by each of us can make a huge difference (or, a “megachange” as she calls it!)
- How an expensive mistake on a project in Guatemala taught her an important lesson on global interdependency and shouldering this work together (“go team!”)
Locals and Links we love!
Marissa’s WebsiteMarissa’s Instagram account (follow her immediately!)Marissa at UWM and the Freshwater Collaborative of WisconsinMarissa on WUWM last week!Plastic Free MKE Milwaukee River Keeper (get involved!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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We are brewing up a special episode with this week’s guest! Alesia Miller of Soul Brew Kombucha takes center stage today. Listen as we talk to Milwaukee’s ONLY Black, woman brewer (of anything!) about her path into this often male dominated space and how she’s taking care of our community by taking care of business in a very gutsy way! (pun intended, listeners!)
Listen as we talk about …
- How that year she spent Valentine’s Day alone may just go down in history as the dreamiest one yet
- Dreams that travel! How her dream began in a linen closet and moved to the dark dry basement of her now-friend, and fellow Season Two guest, Catilin Cullen, and then moved again when she outgrew that space. Smallwaukee strikes again!
- How dreams happen step by step, and how sometimes you have to just hurry up and wait. In other words, BE READY.
- How Whitney Houston strengthened her business acumen (and you don’t want to miss this gutsy American Idol story).
Locals and Links we love!
Soul Brew Kombucha Website Alesia in Milwaukee Magazine Alesia in The Journal Sentinel Alesia on YouTube Soul Brew on Instagram Soul Brew on Facebook
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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This week, we talk to Nicole Acosta, artist, photographer, writer, marketing maven, mother, DJ and creator of The Hoops Project, coming soon to The Milwaukee Chamber Theater and the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network. Listen as we talk full circle about Nicole’s life and how she was able to turn some harrowing experiences into a fierce and fearless determination to live into her dreams. This woman takes YOLO seriously because she’s been to the edge. And she’s back, so look out Milwaukee!
Listen as we talk about …
- How the traditional pathway wasn’t going to work for Nicole and how she found (and claimed) her own voice
- How finding her people in the city inspired and encouraged her creative calling as a Latina artist
- How a brush with death transformed her outlook on her life and her work (Hint: YOLO is REAL!)
- How intuition and dreaming go hand in hand
Locals and Links we love!
The Hoops Project (on Nicole’s website)Hoops exhibition at MARN (Milwaukee Artist Resource Network)Hoops production at The Milwaukee Chamber Theater (get your tickets!)Hoops on Lake EffectMore Hoops Press!Luna Collective The No Stress Collective (on FB)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Listen this week as we talk to Jessie Cannizzaro, owner and founder of Milestone Plumbing, Inc. We’re excited to welcome our first guest in the trades and our first listener-requested guest!
Listen as we talk about …
- The best way to tackle and take apart a faucet (but hint: it’s a great metaphor for life!)
- How her experience of being a woman in the trades makes a difference in attracting and maintaining customers.
- The important way her values influence her business model.
- Best place for a bathroom selfie in Milwaukee and other rapid fire questions we ask this Master Plumber!
Locals and Links we love!
Milestone Plumbing, Inc.
Milestone Plumbing on Facebook
Milestone Plumbing on Instagram
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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If you’ve lived in Milwaukee for any length of time, no doubt you’ve heard of our guest this week, Venice Williams. Pastor, writer, connector, gatherer of people at The Table, and Alice’s Garden, and Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative at The Sherman Phoenix. We hear all about her dreams and the dreams she’s holding space for in 2023.
Listen as we talk about …
- How Venice uses writing as an invitation to DREAM
- Hear about her latest (though longtime coming) venture and what she’s dreaming up at The Table on 5305 W. Capitol Drive
- What she sees as her calling, and what it means to have a vocation
Locals and Links we love!
The Table
Alice’s Garden
Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative
Email Venice to get on the mailing list.
Milwaukee Winter Farmer’s Market
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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No guests today friends, just your inimitable hosts, Shelly & Meagan talking about lessons learned from our pod this year! We're keeping it short and sweet with some takeaways and hope that you'll share your takeaways with us too! We LOVE hearing from our listeners.
Good things to come in 2023, we hope you'll stick with us!
Want to know more ways you can stay in touch or even work with Shelly & Meagan, check out their websites. (click the names!)
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Join Shelly & Meagan as they chat with Giannis’s favorite DJ, Shawna Nicols about her experience behind the mixing decks. But Shawna is SO much more than just the DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks. Podcaster, author, songwriter and producer, ambassador for Milwaukee, and all around STELLAR human being.
Listen as we talk about …
- Shawna’s best friend and role model (spoiler alert: another Milwaukee powerhouse and they’re related)
- A dream she’s recently started sharing with friends in her circle since wearing the Championship Ring
- The three things she sees as bringing people together (and she provides two of them to fans)
- The special treat she plans on sharing on her milestone birthday this December!
Locals and Links we love:
Shawna’s websiteShawna on instagramShawna’s new documentary seriesShawna’s podcastShawna’s single
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Graphic Recorder, Sketch Note Artist, Professional Listener, Author and Art Teacher Sherrill Knezel talks with Shelly and Meagan about her dreamy new book with Parker Palmer and how dreaming helped take her from the front of the classroom to the front of the board room.
Listen as we talk about …
- The art of listening and how adding graphics to a conversation can change the dynamic and power of a thought
- How giving voice to a dream gave her the confidence to turn the dream into a book with a beloved author, educator and activist
- How a simple book suggestion changed her life (twice!) and how we can listen for those small callings in our own lives.
Locals and Links we love!
Sherrill’s Website
Sherrill’s TEDx Talk
Parker Palmer’s site
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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You’re in for a lyrical treat with this episode. Dasha Kelly Hamilton, Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate (and SO many more things) gives a veritable masterclass in dreaming in this conversation with Shelly & Meagan.
Listen as we talk about …
- Writer’s block - is it really a thing? And how to beat it!
- What do we do with good ideas? Fizzled ideas? Great ideas that come to us at the wrong time?
- The permission to find the inventory of what makes you ‘dope’ and how we all have something creative to offer
- Makin’ Cake - Dasha’s new show, how it evolved and where it’s going (and how YOU can see it live and get a piece of cake!)
Locals and Links we love!
Dasha’s Website (where you can find tour dates and sign up her her Dashnettes)
Makin’ Cake press: here and here Dasha’s Poet Laureate press: here and hereMATC Chair of Social Justice press
This interview with Anthony Ray Hinton, the former Death Row inmate who used dreaming to survive, referenced by Dasha.
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Listen as Shelly & Meagan talk with Caitlin Cullen, chef and restaurateur, social entrepreneur, community builder, and now the Food Center Director at Kinship Community Food Center (formerly Riverwest Food Pantry).
Listen as we talk about …
- How dreams evolve and change, and what that looks like now for Caitlin (outside the restaurant)
- How failure is a necessary component of dreaming
- Dreaming in Tandem: what partners mean for our dreams
- The secret sauce for Caitlin’s fried chicken
Locals and Links we love!
Kinship Community Food Center Website
1 Girl Revolution documentary on Caitlin @ The Tandemand podcast
More press on Caitlin:
from JS ONLINE from ON MILWAUKEE
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Shelly & Meagan are BACK! Season Two is in production, underway, ON the way. Stay tuned for more incredible Milwaukee women, living their dreams.
Listen as we talk about …
What might be a little different this season on Cream City Dreams
* What might be the same (HINT: Incredible Milwaukee Women)
* WHO we’ve got so far for season 2, and who we hope to get!
* How we’re just starting, even though we’re not quite ready*
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Here we are, the final episode of Season ONE! If you made it this far, thank you! We've so enjoyed lifting these voices in our community and hope you've enjoyed hearing about these incredible women.
In this final episode, listen as we debrief the season and share our reflections on our guests and our takeaways for YOU, dear listeners. We hope this podcast has encouraged you to start living your own (Cream City) Dream. And if you have, we want to hear about it. And maybe, just maybe, you can join us as a guest on Season TWO! (coming later this fall).
Links we mention:
We were on WUWM's Lake Effect, did you catch us? Listen HERE!
Shelly's personal and coaching website HERE!
Meagan's personal website and writings HERE!
Links to ALL our guests from Season One HERE!
Stay in touch, send us feedback, suggest a guest HERE
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) about ways you can get in on the delicious offerings at Turning Tables!
We normally save these minisodes for Fridays, but since the "Who Wants to be a Restaurateur" event starts TODAY, we wanted you to hear more details about this event ASAP.
After listening to this, you're going to want to get your reservations NOW for the showcase happening today through Saturday (7/20-7/23), and then get on the mailing list for future events sponsored by/at Turning Tables and Diverse Dining.
LINKS BELOW:
Tickets for Who wants to be a Restaurateur? HERE
Diverse Dining website HERE Turning Tables website HERE
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They say good things come to those who wait … for the LAST guest of the season! You’re in for a treat with this episode. Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk to Emerald Mills, founder and visionary of Diverse Dining and now Turning Tables Tavern & Eatery - located in the Turner Hall building. Supporting chefs and entrepreneurs, Emerald is creating space for more local talent to learn, grow and thrive in the Milwaukee culinary scene. You’re going to want to make your reservation NOW so you can say you knew these chefs when … and be sure to introduce yourself to Emerald when you’re there! (and tell her you heard about her on the Cream City Dreams podcast!)
Listen as we talk about …
- How the people we surround ourselves with can make ALL the difference
- Why it’s important to take stock in what you’ve DONE instead of always looking at what there is to DO!
- How the Milwaukee community can support entrepreneurs like Emerald (bonus: Emerald sings this one!)
Locals and Links we love!
Diverse Dining website HERE
Turning Tables website HERE
Tickets for Who wants to be a Restaurateur? HERE
Hear more about Diverse Dining on the Food Crush podcast HERE
Read more on Emerald in Milwaukee Magazine HERE
Requisite Caitlin Cullen shoutout HERE
Julie @ KnotMagic HERE
Turner Hall Ballroom HERE
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Rebecca Jankowski & Theresa Kopac of Interwovxn. In this conversation, we hear more about their offerings and what Interwovxn is bringing to the 'in between years' conversation for women.
You will want to subscribe to their newsletters, enjoy their weekly 'Five Senses Friday' email, and listen to their podcast (which also drops each Wednesday).
If you know a woman who would benefit from these resources, please share!
https://www.interwovxn.com
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Why muddle through the middle (of life) if you don’t have to? This week, we dive deep into the years between pregnancy and menopause with our guests Theresa Kopac and Rebecca Jankowski of Interwovxn. A new multimedia project that includes a podcast, a monthly newsletter and a weekly feast for the senses, Interwovxn invites women into conversation about the middle years that often get overlooked. Join Shelly & Meagan as they talk with fellow podcasters about embracing the ‘in between’ and living life to its fullest.
Listen as we talk about …
- How our own personal journeys take us where we need to go, even if they don’t seem to align with our professional intentions
- How a podcast between friends can be both a happy hour conversation and a legacy letter
- The most valuable piece of advice Theresa and Rebecca received as they were envisioning what Interwovxn could be
Locals and Links we love!
Interwovxn’s website: https://www.interwovxn.com Rebecca’s acupuncture services: https://www.orchidchinesemedicine.com Theresa’s matrescence services: https://theresakopac.com
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Vianca Fuster and Laura Dyan Kezman of Lionart Media. In this conversation, we hear more about the two films that these women have poured their heart and soul (and CREATIVITY) into for the last several years. Though they aren't widely available for public consumption yet, they will be soon, and you'll want to be the first in line for these incredible documentaries when they're out!
Also hear how you can support their production company in the meantime.
Lionart Media’s website: https://lionart.media
Watch the trailer for Warrior Princess on the Today Show!
Watch the trailer for Cycle on Vimeo!
Support the show
What do you get when you pair two friends with immense talent, a video camera, the “IT” factor, a bottle of wine and a roofdeck?
Why … the two leading ladies at Lionart Media, of course! Listen as Shelly and Meagan explore the beginnings of a local media production company with award winning directors Vianca Fuster and Laura Dyan Kezman. You’ll hear how returning to Milwaukee set them both on the path of success and how starting small gave them an industry edge.
Listen as we talk about …
- How every experience we have leads us to where we are today.
- How relentless dedication and persistence is a MUST in an industry where red carpets don’t roll out every day
- A new apprenticeship program they’re starting to support other women and people of color in filmmaking.
- And be SURE to stay tuned to the very end to hear a ‘YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST” moment!
Locals and Links we love!
Lionart Media’s website: https://lionart.media
Watch the trailer for Warrior Princess on the Today Show!
Watch the trailer for Cycle on Vimeo!
This clip inspired Laura: Ira Glass on Creativity
Radio Milwaukee Community Stories
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As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) about ways you can connect with community artist Tia Richardson in REAL TIME.
To be sure, here are the July dates we mention:
Mural Unveiling @The Grand Avenue ClubJuly 1, 10 am to 10:15 am
210 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Community painting for a mural in Muskego Way with Community Art Leaders program
July 7 & 8, 3pm-7pm, July 9, 12-4pm at 1734 W Greenfield.
More info on Tia's Website .
Book reading @ The Milwaukee Art museum (on the lawn)
July 24th 12-1pm
Also listen as Shelly & Meagan begin to wrap up the first season of Cream City Dreams and hear how you can stay in touch! If you're not on the mailing list, get on it TODAY at www.creamcitydreams.com
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There is nothing small about today’s guest on Cream City Dreams. Meet Tia Richardson, community artist, muralist, children’s book author and documentary producer. Listen as she talks about her process from conception of an idea to a finished mural. Get inspired by this important conversation about the place of art in creating the kind of city and world we want to live in. And then be sure to look up and around next time you’re driving through Milwaukee to find some of her pieces across the city.
Listen as we talk about …
- How sometimes our work chooses us when we least expect it.
- How art can expand the possibilities for our future with creative and collaborative solutions to our problems.
- How saying YES today can foster our dreams down the road.
Locals and Links we love!
(Tia's website!) Cosmic Butterfly Design(Tia's book!) Caring All Around Me - Orange Hat
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Julie Rowley of Push MKE and Angie McManaman of MaKE Me Laugh Comedy Camp. Find out how and where you can get involved in conversation, cribbage, chorus and comedy with these two hilarious women.
And if you've got kids between 8-12 and are still looking for a cool summer activity, you'll definitely want to hear about the comedy camp. Only a few spots remain. Email creamcitydreamspodcast@gmail.com for more information or to be connected to Angie!
There's something in this minisode for everyone.
(Note: the card mixer event will actually be held on Saturday, July 16, not Sunday July 17 as mentioned in this episode).
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Julie Rowley and Angie McManaman are two friends who have nudged each other along on their dreams by showing up to stand up together. In the process, they’ve created some hilarious and interesting events for the community (and especially for middle-aged, menopausal, midwestern Milwaukee women). But don't let those M words scare you, this episode is for EVERYONE who might be thinking of trying something scary for the first time.
Listen as we talk about …
- How friends make us braver when they pull us on the stage
- Why finding your audience matters, and why not everyone is your audience
- How pain and suffering can sometimes inspire us into action.
Locals and Links we love!
Julie’s website: www.pushmke.com RW24 bike race/ride: www.riverwest24.com
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This week Shelly and Meagan take a break from interviewing guests and interview each other! Listen to this short and sweet episode as they reflect on the lessons learned from their guests, as well as what they've learned through the process of creating this podcast.
What lessons can you take away from the show so far? How have YOU been inspired? And how would you answer these four questions:
- What makes you mad?
- What do you love doing/making/creating so much you'd give it away for free?
- What would you do if money were no object?
- What would you do for future generations?
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Liv Menzia of Liv a Little Vegan Ice Cream where you can find out where she'll be this summer and where you can get a taste of her delicious ice cream (and coffee creamer!) You won't want to miss this sweet treat!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Can you have delicious dairy free ice cream in the dairy state? You sure can with our next guest, Liv Menzia, owner and creator of Liv a Little Vegan Ice Cream. Started in her dorm room when she was a college student at Marquette, hear the story of how with a little patience (and a lot of coconut milk), she created a company where demand consistently outpaces supply - even in a polar vortex!
Listen as we talk about …
- why using your friends as guinea pigs is sometimes the best place to start
- how and where you can tap into the community for support (financial and otherwise)
- in the end, it’s not about perfection, it’s about good enough, and starting!
Locals and Links we love!Liv a Little - https://www.livalittleicecream.com
The Hub - https://www.marquette.edu/707-hub/
The Commons - https://www.thecommonswi.com/
Biz Starts - https://bizstarts.com/
SCORE - https://sewisconsin.score.org/
Tempo - https://www.tempomilwaukee.org/foundation
WWBIC - https://www.wwbic.com/
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Lai King Moy of Cadence Cycling Milwaukee and Tour of America's Dairyland where you can find out SO much more about how to get yourself on two wheels this summer!
Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk to Lai King about biking activities and events available to everyone this summer, from classes and camps to races and rides. Even if you just want to spectate, there's something in this minisode for everyone!
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
If this episode doesn’t have you greasing your wheels to get back on your (bike) saddle, we don’t know what will! Listen as Shelly & Meagan talk with Lai King Moy, a community connector and cycling advocate in Milwaukee and beyond. Hear about why women’s cycling is important and how you can get involved in all sorts of cycling events in and around the city this summer.
Listen as we talk about …
- what it means to be a connector (and can anyone be one?)
- how women (and women of color) are showing up in the cycling community
- what to do when you might be a novice but still want to try something new
Locals and Links we love!
https://cadencemke.com
https://www.dream-bikes.org/
https://milwaukeerecreation.net/rec/Programs/Sports/MKE-Mountain-Bike.htm
https://www.tourofamericasdairyland.com
http://www.braiselocalfood.com
https://wisconsinbikefed.org
https://www.wheelandsprocket.com
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Ashley Valentine, Owner of Rooted MKE Children's BIPOC Bookstore & Maker's Space where she talks about what she has in store this summer. Book clubs, subscription boxes, family gatherings and readings, and a huge summer sale!
Also a quick bonus convo on how she's leaning on the Black-owned business community for support and encouragement when things feel hard. (SHOUT OUT to Truman McGee of Funky Fresh Spring Rolls!)
More info here: https://www.rootedmke.com
And get your spring rolls here! https://funkyfreshspringrolls.com
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Enjoy this week's bite-sized episode (aka, the MINISODE) with Vanessa Andrews of Madam Chino where you can find out about her community mural project, summer classes for adults, and camps for kids!
Get out of the house, get creative, and get sewing with Madam Chino
More info here: https://www.madamchino.com/classes
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
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Imagine an idea that begins in a notebook, whispered only to the closest of confidants, that then grows into a real life brick and mortar dream come true. That's what happened for today's guest, Ashley Valentine, owner of Rooted MKE, a bipoc children's books store on Vliet Street that opened its doors earlier this year. Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk about how she turned her dream into a reality and how she nurtured herself (and her babies) in the process.
Listen as we talk about …
- the importance of whispering your dream to someone else
- why getting out of Dodge (or Milwaukee) is helpful to the creative process
- how the best way to support someone is sometimes just to show up and receive
Locals and Links ...
Ashley's website: Rootedmke.com
WWBIC - https://www.wwbic.com/
Legislator bringing nursing baby to floor to vote: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/02/buffy-wicks-california-vote-baby
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
Sometimes in order to dream big, you have to start small. That’s what we’ll be talking about with our guest today, Vanessa Andrews, aka Madam Chino, owner and proprietor of Madam Chino custom tailoring and vintage upcycling. In this episode of Cream City Dreams (and their FIRST interview ever), listen as Shelly and Meagan talk with Vanessa about the creativity and outside-the-box thinking required to start something from the ground up. Sometimes you really do have to ‘button up’ and start before you’re ready.
Listen as we talk about …
- how local coffeeshops helped a creator get her start
- how starting something with friends is a great way to get moving
- why bartering your gifts can often be the beneficial
- using the performance act approach: just try on that character and get started!
Locals and Links ...
https://www.madamchino.com
https://www.instagram.com/madamchino/
https://www.facebook.com/madamchino/
http://fastencollective.blogspot.com/
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Support the show
Listen as hosts (and good friends) Shelly Roder and Meagan Schultz talk about their inspiration behind the Cream City Dreams podcast and why they’re so passionate about shining light on Milwaukee women. They’ll give a rundown of what you can expect in Season One, and a sneak peek at the guests they’ve got lined up. If you’ve ever had a seed of an idea and thought “I wonder if I could make that happen?” you’ll want to tune in for inspiration from some incredible women.
Listen as they talk about …
- The lineup of talented Milwaukee women on this season
- How Shelly and Meagan met on a baseball field
- The format of the show and the BONUS minisodes
Show your love for Cream City Dreams
As always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee.
Want more of Shelly and Meagan, guess what, you can have it! Check out the e-course they created together if you need a quiet moment of PAUSE.
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The Official Cream City Dreams podcast introduction - recorded with our extra 13 minutes of time. Listen here to know about OUR Cream City Dreams and why you'll want to tune in to learn about Milwaukee's go-gettin', movin' and shakin', change-makin', dream slayin' women!
Podcast launches May 25, 2022.
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