Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson was destined to be an educator. Growing up in Evansville she watched her mother teach, volunteering to grade papers and spending time in her classroom and at school events. In this episode, she talks about her path to becoming the first black woman to lead Indiana’s largest school district and how her passion for education has been put to the test.
Jan 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 50
Tom Henry’s roots are firmly planted in Fort Wayne, where he grew up with 16 brothers and sisters! The fourth term mayor talks about the dramatic transformation in the city’s downtown, the importance of leadership and how his parents led him to a life of public service.
Jan 10, 2022•36 min•Ep. 49
Deborah Curtis arrived in Terre Haute to teach music, and once there, her passion for education was ignited. But little did this Chicago native realize that after getting her PhD. from Indiana State University she would one day come back to lead the institution. In this episode she talks about coming home, her mission to reduce the achievement gap and why she wants to “dispel the language” that ISU is a well-kept secret.
Jan 03, 2022•34 min•Ep. 48
It’s a job he’s been preparing for his entire life. Matt Taylor vividly remembers as a 10-year-old his animated play-by-play sessions in the basement of his family home. It was the start of a love affair with football and broadcasting that would shape his life---from state champion at Roncalli High School to linebacker at Franklin College to his dream job as the voice of the Indianapolis Colts. In this episode, Taylor talks about paying dues, seizing opportunities and the day he found out he was...
Dec 27, 2021•43 min
From childhood dreams of becoming a professional wrestler hatched in a homemade backyard ring to his legendary stint on radio powerhouse Q95, Jimmy Mad Dog Matis has always had entertainment in his blood. The proud Indy South sider opens up about family, career and exactly how he got that Mad Dog nickname.
Dec 20, 2021•32 min•Ep. 46
When Dan Elsener took over as president of Marian University, financial issues had the school teetering on the verge of extinction. In the 20 years since , enrollment has quadrupled and the school has been transformed, on campus and in the classroom. In this episode, Elsener talks about decision making, risk taking and the future of higher education.
Dec 13, 2021•34 min•Ep. 45
In this episode, find out how a shy civil engineering student from the San Francisco Bay area became the face of competitive eating and ultimately found a home in Indiana. Joey Chestnut talks food, preparation, his feud with Kobayashi and why he loves Indiana.
Dec 06, 2021•30 min•Ep. 44
Life lessons learned from growing up in the back of a skid row bar would serve Fred Glass very well. From high profile coaching moves as director of athletics at his beloved Indiana University to crafting a deal to build Lucas Oil Stadium and keep the Colts in Indy, he has had a front row seat for many big moments. In this episode, he opens up about Crean, Cuban and creating a life of making a difference.
Nov 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 42
From a Maryland farmhouse to the Statehouse to the White House, it has been an incredible, and unlikely journey for Dr. Jerome Adams. In this episode, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States opens up about growing up in Amish Country, his path to become Indiana State Health Commissioner and ultimately, working side by side with Donald Trump on the nation’s response to COVID-19.
Nov 15, 2021•39 min•Ep. 41
She grew up far from the city lights on a farm in Morgan County, where you had to make your own entertainment. Today, Susan Baughman is in charge of making Indianapolis entertaining for fans who descend upon the city for some of the biggest sporting events in the world. The President at 2022 Indy College Football Playoff, Inc. talks life on the farm, Indy’s “special sauce” and what we can expect when college football’s biggest game comes to town.
Nov 08, 2021•34 min•Ep. 40
Her award-winning storytelling took her around the globe for interviews with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama. But Anne Ryder’s heart and home remain firmly planted in Indiana, where today she is paying it forward, teaching the next generation of broadcast journalists. In this episode, she opens up about the future of television news, moments that changed her life…and that time she did weather.
Nov 01, 2021•37 min•Ep. 39
For Good Bones’ co-star Karen E Laine, celebrity has turned the tables. “I am no longer the weirdo who goes up to complete strangers and starts conversations…now someone else does it to me.” The former prosecutor, who has risen to stardom demolishing and rehabbing homes with her daughter on the hit HGTV show, opens up about life, her eclectic spirit and breaking down stereotypes…about women in construction and living in Indianapolis.
Oct 25, 2021•33 min•Ep. 38
That Indianapolis sales consultant Bryan Neale is a National Football League referee should come as no surprise. The name of his firm is Blind Zebra Consulting and the Newburgh, Indiana native sees many parallels between success in business and officiating on football’s biggest stage. He talks the pursuit of his life dream, the moment he got the call from the NFL and how it almost came crashing down in the College Football National Championship Game.
Oct 18, 2021•37 min•Ep. 37
John Michael Gliva, or JMV as he is known to his legion of followers, has come a long way from the tiny Greene County town of Owensburg. The ride for JMV has included stints as a TV weatherman, radio DJ and mortgage loan broker. And while he landed his dream job as the high-profile host of The Ride with JMV on Indy sports talk station The Fan more than a decade ago, he remains a decidedly small-town guy.
Oct 11, 2021•43 min•Ep. 36
From Final Fours to the Super Bowl, she has been a key player in the biggest sporting events Indianapolis has hosted. Allison Melangton talks about her path from a small town in Maine to a big-time role in helping Indy become a sports capital. The Penske Entertainment Corp. senior vice president shares the inside story of what attracted her to Indy, how the city earned its place on the biggest stages in sports and why she’s very bullish about the future.
Oct 04, 2021•39 min•Ep. 35
How does the son of a northern Indiana funeral home owner become a face of the state’s emerging tech economy? Find out in this week’s Business & Beyond podcast as Max Yoder talks tech, his passion for music and how getting cut from his middle school basketball team may have been a turning point in his life.
Sep 27, 2021•42 min•Ep. 34
Some people are just winners. Quinn Buckner is a winner. From championships at every level of his sport to his recent election as chair of the Indiana University Board of Trustees, the once shy, self-described mama’s boy has led a life of leadership. He talks about his path to success, his relationship with Bob Knight and lessons learned along the way.
Sep 20, 2021•43 min•Ep. 33
In the buttoned-down world of the National Football League, he is an owner who wears his passion on his sleeve. In a wide-ranging conversation, Colts owner Jim Irsay talks about his expectation for more Lombardi trophies, passing the torch to his daughters and plans for a world class museum in downtown Indy. Oh, he also shares some great stories on the move from Baltimore, too.
Sep 13, 2021•52 min•Ep. 32
From Nick Saban to Andrew Luck, his sidesplitting spoofs have made him an internet sensation. And while hard work has catapulted Indianapolis native Joey Mulinaro into the national spotlight, and earned him accolades from some big names, this self-described living room impersonator will always be a south side guy.
Sep 06, 2021•38 min•Ep. 31
From his early days in Minnesota to his special relationship with the late Bobby “Slick” Leonard, Mark Boyle talks about a career that has been anything but ordinary. Entering his 34th year as the Voice of the Pacers, this masterful storyteller has had a front row seat for the “Hicks vs. the Knicks” and the “Malice at the Palace”…where things got a bit too up close and personal.
Aug 30, 2021•47 min•Ep. 30
As a youngster, he dreamed of playing second base for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. But instead of turning double plays, Lloyd Winnecke would wind up pitching a transformation of his hometown as Evansville’s 34th mayor. The broadcaster turned banker turned politician talks about change, challenge and charting what’s next.
Aug 23, 2021•41 min•Ep. 29
She was born on a military base in Virginia and attended music school in New York City, dreaming of life as an opera singer. But Inez Evans would eventually turn to transportation as her route to success, working her way from call service rep to chief executive of Indiana’s largest transit system. A self-described OTG (old transit girl), she talks about the future of mass transit, a “terrifying” turning point and why Indy feels like home.
Aug 16, 2021•39 min•Ep. 28
He was born, raised and educated in Indiana and says he knew at an early age he wanted a life of service. From his election as Senior Class President at Pike High School, to a tour in the U.S. Navy, to his current role as the state’s 51st Governor, Eric Holcomb is living out his dream. But this Hoosier hoops fanatic, who has made a jump shot in all 92 counties, says his decision to run for the state’s top office was not a slam dunk.
Aug 09, 2021•43 min•Ep. 27
Chris Baggott has never been one to shy away from a challenge. And the ExactTarget co-founder is attacking perhaps his greatest challenge yet: using technology to reinvent the grocery business. Baggott talks about the continued growth of food delivery business ClusterTruck, his passion for sustainable agriculture and, for the first time publicly, a recent battle with cancer.
Aug 02, 2021•38 min•Ep. 26
He is a high-profile player in selling Indianapolis to the world as a destination for big time conventions and world class sporting events. It comes naturally for Chris Gahl, an Indy native who is passionate about his hometown and his roots. The Butler University graduate talks about the city’s COVID comeback, his Hawaiian connection and how personal setbacks have helped shape his life.
Jul 26, 2021•40 min•Ep. 25
She grew up in the city, just 10 minutes from the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It was an urban-rural vibe that would ultimately define Cindy Hoye’s career. The woman who has led a transformation of the Indiana State Fairgrounds into a year-round venue with more than $200 million in direct economic impact talks about why the State Fair is more relevant than ever, key mentors and what it was like to be crowned the Fair’s Rabbit Queen.
Jul 19, 2021•34 min•Ep. 24
From his early days playing Little League baseball growing up in Evansville, Anthony Calhoun knew he wanted to be a sportscaster. Today, “AC” is one of the most recognized personalities on the Indiana sports scene . But his career is being defined by more than sports. The charismatic Calhoun talks about the importance of giving back, the changing sports landscape and some of his most important mentors.
Jul 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 23
From her days as a Boys & Girls Club kid in Columbus to her trailblazing political career in Indianapolis, there has been one constant for Maggie Lewis: the love and support of her mother. The first female president of the Indianapolis City-County Council credits her mom, who gave birth to her at the age of 16 and worked two and three jobs to make ends meet, with providing the example that led her to a life of service.
Jul 05, 2021•35 min•Ep. 22
Ever since she was a little girl growing up in Lake County, Allison Barber has had a passion for sports and competing. Little did she know that passion would one day lead her to the front office of a professional sports franchise. Or the While House. Or on a special mission inside Saddam Hussein’s palace. Learn more about the president of the Indiana Fever, who through eight diverse careers, remains on a mission to serve.
Jun 28, 2021•42 min•Ep. 21
From Indianapolis Public Schools to Indiana University to the Indiana Pacers, Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Rick Fuson is undeniably an Indiana guy. And throughout his nearly 40 year career, he has made it a point to give back to his hometown, taking leadership roles in the city’s pursuit of numerous big time sporting events, from NCAA Final Fours to the Super Bowl. In a wide-ranging conversation, he talks sports, social justice and gardening and raising chickens in Brown County....
Jun 21, 2021•32 min•Ep. 20
