➡ 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!

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?



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

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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!

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!

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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!

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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ...

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 website
TimeSlips
EMC2 Project
Creative 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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ...

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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ...

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 LinkedIn
Symphony Swan, artist website
DeMar Walker, artist
Theaster 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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ...

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 Website
Mother Lion on Instagram
Email Mother Lion HERE
Burnhearts in Bayview
GoodKind
Sevan’s Website
Jenny Jo Wennlund
Familiar MKE
Hundred 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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ...

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 Facebook
Tall Guy and a Grill
More Happy Kitchens
Girls on the Run
Let’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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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!

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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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, yet ANOTHER inspiring Milwaukee woman ... 

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: 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

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. 

Support the show

I'd love to hear what you think. Drop me a text (linked above) or an email: [email protected] 

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!