She didn't have to say "yes" to my request of coming on the pod. She does not need or want the recognition. I believe as a personal favor and to highlight the efforts of the United Way, she gave me her time and voice. Through this interview, you get a clearer picture of the position Hope plays in our community. Literally and figuratively. 

 Listen as this Missouri-grown Midwesterner talks about the surprising scope of the Fighting Illini community, the change in trajectory the Illini programs have seen since they came to town, being a college athlete then vs. college athletes now, raising little ones, talking Illinois sports, philanthropy, teamwork in a marriage, from the corporate world to "SAHM," befriending new Illini wives and  misconceptions. Hope is about as down-to-earth as one gets, someone you want to be friends with. Grateful for the easy conversation and the opportunity to get to know her better. 

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

Another palette cleansing episode to refresh the soul. Alyssa is all things food and drink in Champaign-Urbana. I've lived here my entire life, and I learned more in under an hour than I have in a decade of adulting from this human sparkler.

 Listen as this Orlando, FL transplant talks living in the biggest tourist trap in our nation, maintaining anonymity while testing area restaurants, the changing donut scene, donut as a primary food group, local favorite eating categories, how to politely and publicly review food and beverage, the grit and determination it takes to be in the restaurant business, farmer's markets, payment and freebies and finally the ins-and-out of writing for the popular local media resource, Smile Politely.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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 half of her family tree. She was such a thoughtful and easy guest with a natural presence behind the microphone. She made it easy for me!

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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 Compulsive Disorder, watching your father pass in front of your eyes and the angel that he still talks to. 

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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 youtube.com/watch?v=0lVWQJ5rYSQ.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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. Watch Shauna's documentary at youtube.com/watch?v=6iYrt4u7FzA.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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, making your  expectations clear at the hospital, Spina Bifida, clubfeet and her two beloved children. I continue to be absolutely amazed by the strength parents have when it comes to their kiddos. Alyssa is a powerhouse of love and advocacy for Millie and the many others in need of resources and advocates.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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 lane, having your mom as your teacher, the history of geology in the family and raising two sons. CU is lucky to have him, and I am lucky to have interviewed him.

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.

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 saying goodbye, "Covid kids" entering kindergarten, marrying young, having trouble in school, further education later in life, the importance of fine motor skills and staying in shape for your kids. This conversation is a deep breath before the hustle and crawl of the coming weeks. 

Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to provide a way for those that don’t want a public podcast, but still have a story to tell friends and family, I’ve created, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, a private podcast. Visit hyperlocalscu.com/in-retrospect

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.