Guest Friends

Our friend Carl Johnson – from our very first episode – takes a turn to host this 7th episode of the Guest Friends podcast where he welcomes friend and fellow small business owner: Rob Woelkers. Rob is the founder, owner, and operator of PLUSkateboarding shop in downtown Farmington, Michigan. He's had the joy of opening the door to his business for 16 years, and is a legendary figure in his community – especially as an ambassador for the sport of skateboarding through efforts like spearheading the Riley Skate Park project. Carl met up with Rob at his skate shop on a bustling Spring day to discuss the culture and the business of skateboarding. Amongst other insights, Rob shares some skateboarder wisdom of how to reduce the chance of serious injury: "If you can't jump up it [on foot], you shouldn't jump down it [on a skateboard]"; the story behind a "big fake check" that lead to a massive return on investment for the community ($$$); and what his answer to the age-old question "Have you met Tony Hawk?" is.

We'd enjoy your comments or questions:

[email protected]

Instagram: Guest_Friends_Podcast

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

MusicCredit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

PLUSkateboarding Blog

Tony Hawk: Birdhouse demo @Riley Skate Park

Article: Mark Gonzales

Thrasher Magazine

How to: Kick Flip

Documentary: Dogtown and Z-boys

My guest for this episode of the Guest Friends podcast is my former 6th grade teacher at Taylor Elementary School: Tom Gerken. Tom was born in Ohio, but he spent his entire 37-year teaching career and raised his family "North of the boarder" in Livonia, Michigan. Although retired from the classroom now, Tom continues to lead an active and healthy lifestyle - including still running 2-miles every day. I'd imagine that not too many people get the chance to reconnect with one of their favorite teachers later in life - let alone interview them. So I was grateful to have the opportunity to meet up with Tom after running into him at an Al Kaline autograph signing at Comerica Park in Detroit this past Fall. Amongst other insights, Tom shares how little league baseball and his love of the Detroit Tigers influenced his teaching career; how being pink-slipped twelve of his first thirteen years in the profession was an unwelcome introduction to the political process; and how his students in the '70s got an education in the "History of Rock & Roll" as part of his early curriculum stylings.

We'd enjoy your comments or questions:

[email protected]

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Documentary: American Teacher

Book: Tribe of Mentors (by Tim Ferriss)

1999 Teacher of the Year: Andy Baumgartner

Article: Michigan K-12 Funding

1968 World Champion: Detroit Tigers

Article: The 50s - A Decade of Music That Changed the World (Rolling Stone)

My guest for this episode of the Guest Friends podcast is a former co-worker who has become a cherished friend over the course of the past ten years: Anjanetta Dorsey. Anjie is a married mother of two, a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), and has an MBA in Healthcare Leadership. When she's not on the sidelines at her sons' soccer games, she can be found plotting out what independent restaurant to venture to next. I met up with Anjie just after Thanksgiving to discuss her passion as a Foodie. Amongst other insights, Anjie shares how her Grandma influenced her with invitations into the process of preparing meals; how she's a spice girl (no, not the music group); and how she's thinking of starting a formalized dining club (to which Guy Fieri would probably get the first invite).

We'd enjoy your comments or questions:

[email protected]

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

"Inspired By" Voiceover: Caleb Dorsey

"Food is Our Fast Friend" poem written by: Christopher Waterman

Recommended Resources:

Lonely Planet: Detroit

Hour Detroit Magazine

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails (Detroit)

Restaurateur: Guy Fieri

Documentary: 42 Grams

My guest for this episode of the Guest Friends podcast is long-time family friend: Eva Wesman - who was born in 1927 (which means she is 91 years young at the time of this interview!) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Yooper!). I met up with Eva in a rehab clinic where she was recovering from a recent injury - and she was especially gracious to be interviewed in between therapies. Truth be told - since we both enjoy telling stories - we talked non-stop for almost 2.5 hours! That conversation has been edited for timely presentation and here you will find Part 2 where we focus on Eva's remembrances during the World War II era and through her young adulthood in the latter part of the 1940s and 50s. Amongst other insights, Eva shares her exploits as a semi-professional hitch-hiker (in a pre-Uber world) in order to attend weekend dances; how spending the night at a funeral home is "spooky as all get out"; and why wearing a borrowed wedding dress is a good strategy to meet your future spouse at a train depot (Michigan Central Station).

We'd enjoy your comments or questions:

[email protected]

Instagram: Guest_Friends_Podcast

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

"Inspired By" Voiceover: Eric Dorman

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941 State of the Union Address "The Four Freedoms" (January 6, 1941)

Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms" paintings

Combat medics of WWII

Michigan Central Station (train depot)

My guest for this episode of the Guest Friends podcast is long-time family friend: Eva Wesman - who was born in 1927 (which means she is 91 years young at the time of this interview!) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Yooper!). I met up with Eva in a rehab clinic where she was recovering from a recent injury - and she was especially gracious to be interviewed in between therapies. Truth be told - since we both enjoy telling stories - we talked non-stop for almost 2.5 hours! That conversation has been edited for timely presentation and here you will find Part 1 where we focus on Eva's remembrances of The Great Depression - one of the darkest and most desperate times in American history. Amongst other insights, Eva shares the personal struggles that her parents faced in a time of intensely scarce resources; how a mill pond and discarded automobile tires can be luxurious entertainment for children; and a sensible strategy for choosing which political side to support.

Comments or questions:

[email protected]

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

Recommended Resources:

Great Depression history

Ken Burns presents The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (documentary)

Pure Michigan - Upper Peninsula

Plymouth District Library (Plymouth, MI)

My guest for this episode of the Guest Friends podcast is even closer than a friend because he's family: my brother Jason Waterman. I met up with Jason (during a very brief break in his travels) to discuss his experiences as an expatriate - having spent almost 10 years living internationally in places including Germany, Romania, and Mexico. Amongst other insights, Jason shares how he went from having "zero desire" to travel to having it fundamentally change the way he thinks; when he found out that you can't always drive as fast as you want on the Autobahn; and why you shouldn't just work, work, work, work, work before you take the time to experience the world.

Comments or questions:

[email protected]

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Logo Credit: Saint-Creative.com

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

Experiential Travel Website: Afar.com

Locals Mentioned:

Regensburg, Germany

Timisoara, Romania

Guadalajara, Mexico

My guest for this inaugural episode of the Guest Friends podcast is one of my life-long best friends of over 20 years: Carl S. Johnson. Carl is a married father of two, graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, owns and operates the graphic design firm Saint Creative, and is prone to enjoying a Starbucks s'mores mocha while contemplating lyrics of rock-and-roll songs as they spin on his turntable. I met up with Carl to discuss the topics of marriage, friendships, and doing the hard work in relation to passion projects. Amongst other insights, Carl tells us what he didn't learn in marriage books, of being blown away by his son's Lego skills, and to fight the resistance in order to do something significant with our lives.

Comments or questions:

[email protected]

LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Music Credit: Of Asaph (James Alleman)

OfAsaphMusic.bandcamp.com

Logo Credit: Saint Creative (Carl S. Johnson)

Saint-Creative.com

Doldrums and the Divine Breath by Carl S. Johnson

The Ferrari in the Garage by Carl S. Johnson

PrisonFellowship.org

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

The Inklings (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien)