I've seen her around for the past few years, and I always wanted to learn more about her. The megawatt smile and relatable social media presence made her a perfect interview candidate. Listen as Wisconsin native and That's What She Said sister talks perimenopause, the natural health space, chiropractic medicine, parenting guilt, all the "lasts" that come with raising children, getting married young, youth ministry, the privileged yet challenging stay-at-home mom title and finding and meeting hal...
Sep 30, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 184
Back by popular demand, my only recurring guest, Andrew Harrington, graces the studio on wheels in this travel pod discussing summer on the first day of fall. Listen as my husband, co-townie, BFF4E, producer and attorney talk smoothies, summer camp drops, Michigan summers, McDonald's lately, fireworks foibles, bike riding, rain, rain, rain, having NFL players over for dinner and concerts. This episode is sandwiched in between some very serious and difficult topics as a way to reset and smile. Ar...
Sep 23, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 183
I was in-the-pocket with this interview, mouth agape and blown away by the brutal honesty and vulnerability that Rod showed during our hour together. I learned so much about two afflictions that can really effect someone's life. Listen as this Rantoul native talks about being a man in the woman's world of hairdressing, drama and acting, marrying a younger woman and the assumptions that come with that, being ahead of COVID protocols, living with Tourette's Syndrome, living with Obsessive Compulsi...
Sep 16, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Shauna Boatright. Prison Employee and Inmate, Part 2. HyperLocal(s) Podcast Episode 180. I continue to be amazed at the composure my guests have when recounting their tragedies and their traumas. This is the second part, the most recent and fresh, that Shauna recounts as a former prisoner employee and former inmate. Listen as this Rantoul native talks candidly about her failed marriage, rape and getting caught selling tobacco within the prison system. Watch part 2 of Shauna's documentary at yout...
Sep 09, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 182
I continue to be amazed at the composure my guests have when recounting their tragedies and their traumas. This is the first part, the formative, childhood part, that Shauna recounts growing up with her father. Listen as this Rantoul native talks candidly about the abuse she endured while living with her father, the progression from child pornography to molestation, the degradation of her confidence and self-worth, exposing the truth, getting help, hope in the system and her father's sentencing....
Sep 02, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Oftentimes one interview leads to another, to another. As is the case with Alyssa. The CEO at the YMCA, Jeff Scott, oriented me in the direction of this sweet, smart, savvy mom and director of the incredible local resource, Larkin's Place. Listen as the Chicago suburb transplant talks about growing up in a home with a sister who has a disability, picking a career path in special education, becoming a medical mom, directing a local resource center for children with special needs, fetal surgery, m...
Aug 26, 2025•1 hr
Ageless, friendly and easy going. I had the privilege of interviewing his wife previously, and I was pleased to get to know the other half of the power couple that runs the thriving local retailer, Art Mart. Listen as this fellow tried-and-true townie talks risky hobbies, sharp career changes, a stress-free kind of love, being an introvert that loves talking to people, working in retail, photography, beer, wine, cheese, Art-Mart through the years, working with your spouse and staying in your lan...
Aug 19, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 179
There are some people who have the gift of teaching, and Anna is one of them. She is soft, kind, warm and structured. I loved listening to her gratitude and appreciation for being a mom and for the other parents that entrust her with their children. Listen as this South Side Chicago mom, wife, teacher and preschool leader talks all things kids, potty training, learning through play, child loss at 7-months pregnant, being a grandma, new school year anxiety, separation anxiety, the importance of s...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 178
These three talented, confident and hardworking young men join me for an impromptu podcast where we talk on a personal level about the game of football. Listen as these tropical transplants: Jer'Zhan (Johnny) Newton of the Washington Commanders and Denzel Daxon of the Dallas Cowboys, both former Illinois defensive linemen, talk with Jershaun (Shauny) Newton, freshman quarterback for the Fighting Illini squad. The juxtaposition of perspectives and age is highlighted within these stories of two NF...
Aug 05, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Talk about a champion of both physical and mental growth. Emily is the epitome of discipline, control and practicing what you preach. The world of natural bodybuilding is layered and admirable. Listen as this Carbondale gal talks about the fascinating world of bodybuilding, prepping your body for competition, earning pro status, posing, the world of steroid use and natural competitions, reintroducing your body to a norm after competition, trauma and disordered eating and exercise, adding tools t...
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 176
This trio is a community-driven powerhouse of commitment and dedication to kids and the game of football. Listen as this mix of townies and transplants talks about youth football in our community, the popularity peak in the late 80s/early 90s, the fade out in the early 2000s and the rise again as Champaign-Urbana and surrounding towns build and strengthen youth football teams to participate in "the ultimate team sport," their personal experience in college-level football, feelings behind their o...
Jul 22, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocate's (CASA) representatives stop by to passionately and compassionately explain why the kids in our community need CASA to to be their voice. Listen as Candi, a townie and CASA volunteer, and Laura, a Peoria transplant and Director of Development, talk about how they attach themselves to the child abuse and neglect cases in Champaign County, the wide and vast volunteer base that makes up the majority of their workforce, how the Illinois Department o...
Jul 15, 2025•53 min
My husband and I download this non-stop season of life. Listen as my husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, returns to talk wrapping basement construction, "stolen" haybales, parent failures, having "the talk" as kids and with our own, the neighborhood car chase and accident, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, teaching Science Olympiad, tree troubles, having a dramatic child, challenging your kid to get uncomfortable, the deal with choosing the same side of the bed and And...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 173
What a local treasure. Champaign-Urbana is so very lucky to have someone who cares about creating, maintaining and improving beloved businesses in our community. Listen as this Michigan/Florida transplant talks about her commitment and ownership to five touchstone businesses in our town, Central Illinois Bakehouse, Espresso Royale Cafes, Martinelli's Market, Pekara Bistro and Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, exceptional customer service, intentional sourcing and producing, considering her and h...
Jul 01, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 172
The introductions go wayyyy back to Franklin Middle School then Central High. Two of the four Cornett sisters, Amanda Overmyer and Jodi Davis, join me for a look back, snapshot of the present and glimpse into the future. Listen as these Champaign natives talk sisterhood, family dynamics and roles, unexpected blessings, midwest mannerisms vs. southern hospitality, why Jodi will forever be mad at Amanda, parenting styles, career choices, kids "now and then," public schools, kids leaving the nest a...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Coming in fresh from a day of summer school, this fixture at Central High School takes me through the trajectory of his teaching and coaching career. Listen as this small town Iowa farm kid talks farming, "kids these days," technology, the longevity of his career at our local high school, the approach of empty nesting, travel baseball, emotional coaching vs. skills coaching, bringing a team together, a frustrating end to the season, your own kid letting go of the sport you love, 500 wins and she...
Jun 17, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Busy, kind, funny and self-deprecating. Jess stayed cool, calm and collected under pressure as the definition of a multi-tasking mom unfolded right in front of me in order to get the job done. Listen as this Chicago-area transplant talks micropreemie, losing a twin, infertility, the endless NICU stay, taking home "the sickest, smallest baby at Carle," trach life, regrets and therapy, COVID isolation, long-term challenges, sharing her family's story publicly and the decision not to monetize, gett...
Jun 10, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 169
I couldn't take in all of the poetic and prophetic words fast enough. Wise beyond words and kind beyond the capacity of most, Carlos has used his tonsorial talent to give back to select groups of youth in our community. Listen as this Champaign native talks all things grooming, the importance of looking good to feel good, feeling good to perform good, abuse, divorce, being a dad to a big brood, the priority to support your children, athletics, failing to pass a college entrance test, selling dru...
Jun 03, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 168
A local newspaper article led me to her. She had surprised herself by winning an award for "Dispatcher of the Year." After talking to the 9-1-1 call center operator, there was no doubt she was deserving of this award. Listen as this Monticello Sage lights up the MIC with her tales from behind the drawn windows of the local 9-1-1 call center, the importance of food on the job, night shift adjustments, car napping, busy signals, changes to the influx of calls with weather and seasons, the trope of...
May 27, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 167
Open and honest, warm and approachable. Father O'Brien gives priests a great name. He has made such a positive imprint on our community, and we are sad to see him move on to his next assignment, as is the dedicated life of a priest. Listen as this Bloomington native turned nomadic priest talks rectory life, choosing to attend seminary and the low rate of graduates, what his parents thought of his life choice, keeping a line between being the "cool" priest and reverence, the new pope and the exci...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 166
It is much more than bell ringing and disaster relief, this couple upholds the promise to do the most good with the resources provided by The Salvation Army. Listen as this Nebraska native, Kenyon, talks about his story as a foster youth, how his mother needed and used the Salvation Army to bring their family back together, how the Salvation Army gave them the opportunity to have a Christmas, how the couple met through their faith and continue to serve the community through this valuable resourc...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 165
This red-headed delight has come up many times in previous episodes, so I thought it only right she comes on and tells her story. Listen as this Easton, IL native (home to 400 or less) talks about her life as a photographer, the niche she has carved in the industry, going from small town to big city, photographing campus shenanigans as her first gig, volunteering for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (an organization that takes precious photographs in the hospital of newborns that have passed) and how ...
May 06, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 164
What a joy and pleasure and light and well-rounded person Jae was to interview. There's no shortage of adjectives for this well-spoken delight. She is a That's What She Said Sister, therapist, financial guru and simply a great person to have met. Listen as this Naperville native and University of Illinois grad talks about the lifetime's worth of trauma she has experienced in just a decade. Jae describes her suicide attempt, sexual assault, travel sports and the huge impact that had on her life, ...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 163
This smooth operator joins me at Kitchen Table Studios after a long day of teaching and dadding. Listen as this Kankakee-born musician talks skipping a grade, clutching a high-honor scholarship, falling a few credits short, mastering his degree later in life, becoming a teacher of music and playing his voice all over our community while trying to manage a tricky relationship with finances. Finally and after some persuasion, Brandon sings for the podience to my delight! Are you looking for a firs...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 162
Her intellect, presence and breadth of talent was inspiring. Her disposition and mellow nature was calming. She was a lovely interview and an honor to sit down with. Listen as this German-born, California-raised and Champaign-rooted, talks how music influenced and shaped her education, her love life, her career and her family dynamics. Julie's main instrument is piano, however: conducting, directing, teaching and most recently heading the Lyric Theater with husband and previous guest, Nathan, at...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 161
My family of four gather around our dining table aka Kitchen Table Studios to excitedly provide content. Listen as my children, husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, graciously provide content during a rousing Q & A game, expose family secrets, tell us why they know mom and dad love them, what are mom and dad not good at, lots of secret fast food content, what makes our kids laugh, what are least favorite article of clothing for each other is, the first thing we bought tog...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 4 min
We saw the same episode of the same trash TV show. We thought the same thing as the same time. She reached out and I was ready to listen and record. Listen as this Champaign girl turned Bloomington-Normal resident returns to talk about the most controversial topic on the planet. Heated, political, polarizing and emotional. This one is all hers, however. The spring break we will never forget followed up by the summer that pushed the limits of friendship, adulting and keeping secrets. She bravely ...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Bubbly is an understatement. She is bouncy, beautiful and ultimately driven by a love for her business. Her second child. Listen as this Tuscola woman talks about working at the outlets, always wanting to be at work over school, following what she excelled at over what she envisioned for her future, scaling down the dream of a family of five to one, managing a home and business with a commuting husband, not liking to rely on others for help, the constant cycle of adjustments and caring and conve...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Sweet and hardworking, altruistic and loving. She is the definition of selfless and the embodiment of maternal resilience. Listen as this Urbana-born woman breaks free from a traumatic childhood by seeking refuge at a woman's shelter near her neighborhood, prioritizing work over a higher education, eventually getting straight A's and building a career in respiratory therapy, finding love on the early iterations of online dating, enduring more miscarriages than she can count, carrying and deliver...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 158
She is a ball of energy with a desire to change and help those that don't have a voice. At our first formal meeting she tells me all about her job at our local alternative school. Listen as this townie talks working at the juvenile detention center, earning trust and respect, becoming an accidental liaison for the lost pets in our community, turning off social media for self-preservation, losing students to gun violence, student success stories and taking away any excuse not to move forward by p...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 156
