This townie actually attended middle school and high school at the same time as me! Different paths never intersected our stories, however, until this interview. Larcina hasn’t had an easy road, but she has remained steady and consistent in her choices—putting food, shelter and her two children at the top of her priorities.
 
  Listen as this Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) talks about finding out she was pregnant in high school, never actually talking to her mom about the pregnancy, her obsessive budgeting, growing up too fast and getting behind in her studies—ultimately failing to graduate with her class. Years later, Larcina becomes pregnant with her second child. This time she has a devastating stillbirth. Later, she successfully gives birth to another child, a girl, leaving her with two children to raise on her own. Larcina prides herself on her children beating the odds as her oldest, Ray, is childfree and years older than she was when she had him. This mama worked hard to earn a CMA license while giving her kids a better life along the way. 

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This Centennial grad chose to enlist in the military to gain discipline, direction and to see the world. He got much more than he bargained for after September 11th tested the defensive infrastructure of our nation. Thousands of men and women were sent overseas to fight in a war no one was anticipating or prepared for. 
 
 Listen as this United States Army Veteran talks about going from working at Bagelmen’s one day to being deployed to the Middle East the next, saying goodbye to his dad, his friends and all of his possessions except for a backpack. From training in the Wisconsin winters to 130-degree desert, Brian and his fellow soldiers were initially tasked with setting up a military base before a lot of the proper equipment was even in place—like bathrooms and showers. As the opposition became more organized and unpredictable, his company would escort supply vehicles on day long treks up and down dusty, sandy, treacherous roads. Saddam Hussein was captured during his stint, but this US victory was only the beginning of the battle where so many soldiers didn’t get to come home.

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This Decatur diva moved to the big city of Champaign to accelerate her career in hair design. Tara found that her destructive behavior followed her no matter what her zip code was. She found and partied with “connects” after hours until the party had to stop.  After all, nothing changes if nothing changes. 
 
  Listen as this creative, dynamic, outspoken beacon of light explains why she always aspired to be a “drug dealers’ girlfriend,” what was happening at home that made her want to escape, getting shot at, dropping out of high school TWICE, saying goodbye to her love for the betterment of herself and lastly a DUI that forever changed her direction. Tara realized she had an allergy of the body and obsession of the mind to recover from. This realization led her away from darkness and into the light of faith and GRATITUDE. 

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My husband returns from the FIRST podcast episode over a year ago to document in real time, rather than reflecting on the past, the latest challenge in his recovery story. 

 Listen as Andrew, fellow townie, shares the continuation of his battle to live a life free of substances. And not just any life. A life of peace, contentment and calm. As mentioned in the first episode with Andrew, pot has been a huge point of contention between us. His addiction to marijuana caused him to lie and keep secrets while creating an overall lack of trust on my side. Most recently, he has experienced symptoms of panic attacks and physical withdrawals. Weed always gave him something to look forward to, something to "relax him," "keep him creative" and ultimately keep him on the marijuana maintenance program--a dry drunk. California sober and high and dry. Find out what happens after I let go of his tether and hand him the reins of his addiction. 

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This Southern Illinois transplant found her talents wasted as an accountant wanting a lucrative career. She turned her focus on education and coaching in order to empower tweens and teens (and their parents) who made need a lesson in confidence and realizing their self-worth.

 Listen as this author, coach, speaker and unapologetically authentic lipsticked, top-knotted mom, leaves us with these little pearls of wisdom each day on social media and all throughout this podcast. Erin created the backbone of her principles from the acronym: FIERCE. “Feel gratitude.” “I am statements (affirmations).” “Exercise (not just physical).” “Read (a quote each day).” “Create.” “Encourage.” By following Erin’s processes, you’ll be living a fiercer life. Erin schools me on: using a contract before allowing social media and a phone, overscheduling, establishing your family’s core values, mental health in your kids after the pandemic, talking about S-E-X, fighting back vs. walking away, car conversations, focusing on the difficulty of transitions, teaching the importance of listening to our bodies and finding a balance in the middle of pendulum parenting. Get ready to parent with a more purpose after this pod. Put her pearls into practice, and your life may get a whole lot easier!

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This townie tried to escape when touring the country as a traveling nurse. Now married to a farmer, living in the country and mothering to a little boy and girl, she has planted her roots firmly in the Midwest while working as a nurse practitioner.
 
  Listen as this guest (and fellow Franklin Magnet Middle School Knight) reunite to explain how she made friends while moving rapidly from city-to-city in the world of health care. A slip in the grocery store and a mom’s intuition turned what Leah thought as an unsightly bump into a life changing mass with a 50 percent, 5-year survival rate. Leah shares how she was in the right place at the right time when a normally pediatric cancer aggressively took hold of her leg causing her to undergo surgery and treatment that would result in an adorable pixie cut and endless days without work and feeling down and out. In an emotional recollection, she remembers the countless people who reached out to wish her well. These moments, people and trinkets kept her afloat during the hardest days.  

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This townie turned Golden State golden boy is one of our nearest and dearest, oldest and bestest. He has made a life and a family on the west coast using his charm and knack for sales as a springboard into a new, booming venture with seemingly endless possibilities. 

 Listen as this guest explains how losing his sales job in an ailing company propelled him into the frenetic world of cannabis sales. Brian explains how the game of cat and mouse is a huge part of the appeal of the vast world of sales—from cold call to close. On this California-based interview I grill him on the differences between CA and IL. Will this born Midwesterner ever come back to the flatlands of IL? Or will the sunshine and warm temperatures be enough to help him forget the astronomical housing costs and rising unhoused population? This trip included unforeseen torrential rains which may have influenced my dreary outlook. However, getting to see Brian and all his blond babes just solidified that he’s in the right place. Flexibility, a casual environment and smooth talking help Brian go from corporate cubicles to a warzone of calls and credit card closures.

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This longtime Champaign resident and neighbor of mine is a kindred spirit. She has created businesses based on her knack for organizing and her ability to disarm those she helps with a non-judgmental, sweet-natured approach.  

 Listen as this guest explains the cluttered, unsafe and unhygienic environments she has found herself spanning the past 15 years in this business. Karen explains the endless amounts  of books, files and papers she has found herself surrounded by. Literally piece by piece and under the watchful of the client, she has to coach the client into letting go. Usually born of a trauma and a lack of resources at one time, she carefully navigates the slow, tedious and exhausting process with her clients. She explains how this disorder can isolate and cause shame to the afflicted person. Unearthing beds, creating pathways to move around a stuffed home and helping the client toss something as seemingly insignificant as a broken pen cap brings Karen a challenge she welcomes.

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

If you keep sharing stories and keep listening—I will keep going CU (and beyond). I recorded a storytime after a meeting that was decades in the making. I was waiting and debating about when to put it out. This seemed like the right moment—this milestone episode celebrating the podcast. I’ve also included an opportunity to win a $100 gift card to any of the previous sponsors. Prove that you’ve shared this podcast (audio note, screenshot, email forward, etc.) to my email [email protected], and you will be in the running to win!

 Listen as this host acknowledges the main players that helped guide her in the right direction, get this podcast off the ground and keep it running for 52 consecutive episodes. Steve Holstein (mentor and communications expert) Nicole (Beals) Paul (patient editor and radio host on WIXY) have truly been instrumental in the success of the podcast. The guests, listeners and sponsors have also given content and motivation to keep it going. The vulnerability, feedback and confidence in the platform is beyond. Thank you. The podcast has given me creative freedom, purpose and forever linked me with the most amazing people. 

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This retired City of Champaign employee, owner of Anything Wild Animal Control and rural Urbana resident tells some crazy tails (pun intended) of the most common animals in our area: beaver, coyote, fox, geese, possum, racoon, skunks and more.

 Listen as this guest explains the behaviors of area troublemakers with decades of knowledge and field experience behind his encounters. Skunk sprays, subduing angry geese, cockroach couches and midnight bat emergencies are all on Steve’s extensive list of house calls. Following licensing, rules and protocol to an absolute “T,” he traps, transfers, releases or euthanizes animals depending on their potential to carry disease. Steve also explains how pissed off passersby will sabotage his set ups and how I am illegally trapping rabbits in my backyard. Uh oh.

I’d like to thank this episode’s sponsor Illini Pella Windows & Doors of Champaign. At 1001 N Country Fair in Champaign you’ll find the brand synonymous with quality in windows and doors. Pella is one of America's most trusted names for replacement windows, entry doors and sliding patio doors. Visit their showroom on Country Fair Drive or call (217) 356-6474. Pellaofchampaign.com has all the information you need for planning. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.