Conversation Mill

Replay: I am lucky enough to call this guest a friend, so it was time to replay our conversation from Season 1! And if you live in the Greenville, SC area and are still looking for a perfect gift, True North has massage Gift Certificates available, trust me your loved ones will thank you!

Johanna Davis strives to create a client-focused practice with her massage and yoga. Her True North Wellness brand is about delivering these individual experiences; where the individual can find healing for themselves.

Johanna reminds us over and over again to keep it simple. A reminder that is much needed in our over-stimulated world.

We talk about how even while she is creating this individualized experience, she is also creating community in where and how she offers her yoga classes.

To see where Johanna is teaching follow her on Instagram.

Want to book a custom massage or private yoga session? Visit:

https://www.truenorthgreenville.com/

The reading Johanna shares at the end of the episode is written by Daniell Koepke.

Listen in to this episode replay from season 1 of the podcast. Looking for a unique holiday gift this season? Musgrave Pencil's online store delivers a touch of nostalgia with a modern twist.

I felt so honored to be asked to interview Musgrave Pencil and feature them as a guest, and have enjoyed sharing their history and their product (they made me Conversation Mill pencils) with family and friends.

106 years in business, maintaining manufacturing during WWI & WWII, suffering near dissolution and a generation staying the course to regain full operation of the business; then pivoting to add services to continue growth, resulting in being 1 of the 4 remaining made-in-America pencil manufacturers.

Musgrave Pencil located in ‘Pencil City’ Shelbyville, TN is making 72 million pencils a year with no signs of stopping. I have always appreciated the feel of a pencil in my hand, and the ability to erase and start again. And don’t we all want that ability? To erase something and find the right words?

Musgrave pencil has embraced its history and is blending the historical with the modern. Bringing their brand to social media and creating brand apparel, as well as bringing their signature Tennessee Red Cedar pencil pack to their online store.

Jon Bryson, visionary and founder of Matty App returns to update us on his entrepreneurship journey. 

Matty App (short for mattress) is a fintech start-up, geared toward consumer investing but also has the ability to be white-labeled for use as a B2B solution. Jon walks us through this in our conversation. 

Jon has taken huge strides since our first conversation and is preparing to take Matty App to the next level. He also shares some personal updates and how he manages to handle the lows of being an entrepreneur. 

https://matty.ai/

Listen to my first conversation with Jon from Season 1. 

Planning cheese plates for this holiday season? Better study up on some of the best, that is why we are replaying this episode from the first season of the podcast.

Why is Wisconsin cheese the best? That's my first question for

Phillip Van Tatenhove, Owner and 3rd generation cheese maker of Gibbsville Cheese Co. located in Gibbsville, WI.

Phillip shares the history of Gibbsville Cheese and how the cheese process has been modernized. We talk about dumping milk during the pandemic, dairy farms that consider making cheese, and that time the Gibbsville Cheese milk tank was called up to service during WWII.

If you are a cheesehead like me or just curious why we say Wisconsin cheese is the best, this is the episode for you.

http://gibbsvillecheese.com/

Become a member of Conversation Mill Podcast- Conversation Mill | Substack

Ian and Rachel Harding are the owners and farmers of Wet Knot Farm. They have overcome the common hardships of farming and personal hardships to deliver flavorful, fresh produce to their local community. 

Not only do they cultivate various vegetables, but Rachel grows flowers creating unique bouquets. 

In this episode, Ian shares how he came to sustainable farming, advice to want to be farmers, and the possibilities created by small family farms.  

Join us in conversation as we talk about where the name Wet Knot came from and so much more. 

Become a member at conversationmill.substack.com to receive extra content and essays from every episode. 

Mark Mulfinger's mastery of his trade began with private art lessons at the age of seven. His incredible and natural gift led him onto a life-long obsession of capturing the created world.

He holds an M.A. in Studio Art and currently freelances full-time. He also teaches painting, printmaking, drawing, and batik.

I have always loved batiks and was immediately attracted to Mark Mulfinger's work. After joining friends to view a small show of Mark's almost two years ago now, I knew I would continue to intersect with his work, and from art walks to his recent show at the Grand Bohemian to this conversation I have, and it has been an immense pleasure.

Enjoy this conversation with the fascinating Mark Mulfinger.

You can hear more from this conversation by becoming a member of the podcast at conversationmill.substack.com.

From making jeans in his parent's basement to outfitting national touring bands and developing his own luxury brand, Bill Mitchell creator of Billiam Jeans has brought custom, luxury fashion to Greenville, South Carolina. 

In this episode, he shares his philosophy of developing a luxury brand here in the US. He shares his journey from creating clothing to fit in, to being a trendsetter. Bill is working with some of, if not the rarest denim in the world and changing the way we think of jeans- less pant, more art. 

Billiam as a brand is undergoing another evolution and Bill gives us a glimpse of what is to come. Your opportunity for a custom pair of jeans is running out and monthly the price is going up, but you can visit  https://billiamjeans.com/ to get your custom pair gift card now and schedule your fitting. 

Visit Conversationmill.substack.com to see behind-the-scenes of a fitting and learn more about the denim and process Bill uses to create these one-of-a-kind pieces. 

Throwing back to Season 1! This was one of our first episodes and it was one of our most popular. Sherry's positivity and joy for life shines through in this conversation and I think this is why so many of our listeners connected to this conversation.

Sherry Joseph reminds us about the joy that is found when we follow our passions.

Her love for learning has taken her down paths that have been life-saving for those around her. Not only within her own family; but through sleep dentistry.

Sherry explains the dangers of sleep apnea and what signs we are missing.

https://www.josephandjosephdental.net/

And don't forget to catch more from this conversation on Substack!

When was the last time you thought about death? When, if ever have you taken time to think about your death? 

There is no escaping the inevitable and dying is a condition we deal with in our communities consistently. Still, we do not always have the resources to make this time of life comfortable. 

This is where an end-of-life doula can be a figurative and literal godsend. In our culture where we are not accustomed to dealing with death, a doula can act as a guide, interim caregiver, and individual to sit vigil and more.

Alix Davis an end-of-life doula based in Ann Arbor MI sat down with me to share her experiences so far as a doula and how she hopes to continue to evolve in this role by helping more individuals and families as they walk through the end-of-life process. 

Learn more about Alix and her services: Out Of Breathe

To learn more about end-of-life doula certification visit: www.thedyingyear.org/

Get more from this episode and more on Conversationmill.substack.com

This week we take a break from our typical episode to celebrate Indigenous Peoples of the United States. Conversation Mill is about Conversations, Community, & Culture. So it is only fitting that I call attention to members of our community who are often overlooked and whose culture has been under assault since the first Europeans came to the shores of North America. 

Bringing attention to and honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day should not be a partisan issue; but instead, it should be a way for us all to learn from the ancient wisdom of the people who stewarded this land we call home. 

Please visit Conversationmill.substack.com to learn more and access links to Native American voices and culture. 

Conversationmill.com