Sip With Me

In our five years of podcasting, we have worked with dozens of PR agents and firms. Today, we have the unique privilege of chatting with one of those firms, Heron Agency. A list of past episodes with their clients are below!

Noreen Heron founded the firm in 2000 and has built it into one of the nation’s leading lifestyle communications agencies. We chat about her many PR adventures, including how she came to found her own firm and some of the amazing projects and clients she has had along the way.

We discuss the Chicago market and what trends she sees in local businesses and social media.

We end with PR rapid fire, learning if she has a dream client and who the coolest person she’s ever met is (besides us, of course)!

HERON: https://heronagency.com/

FOLLOW NOREEN: https://www.instagram.com/noreenheron/

Sonny Acres Farm

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sip-with-me/id1522224564?i=1000712259676

Vacations by Rail

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sip-with-me/id1522224564?i=1000710876602

Randolph Street Market

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sip-with-me/id1522224564?i=1000629066714

Laura Gardner channeled true entrepreneurial spirit when she used her corporate layoff to gift the city of Chicago with its most iconic foodie invention in years, Local Style Chips!

Available in Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish, Italian Beef, Hot Giardiniera, and Regular Salted, these kettle style chips will leave you feeling like you just bit into your favorite Chicago classics!

Hear her founding story and discover how she drew inspiration from Japanese flavors on her honeymoon. Learn about how she landed on her flavors and what it takes to craft the complex layers of each dish.

Laura also shares why Chicago is so special when it comes to food and community.

We end with rapid fire, learning which chip goes well with champagne and what Laura’s dream flavor is!

To secure your own chips, use the store locator at the link below or purchase them online!

STORE LOCATOR: https://localstylechips.com/pages/store-locator

ORDER: https://localstylechips.com/collections/potato-chips

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/localstylechips

Where art thou Aaron & Ioanna? At Chicago Shakespeare Theatre!

Meet Edward Hall, a literal “Hall” of Famer on the World Theatre Scene. As Artistic Director, Edward helps oversee overall creative direction for the theatre, including a dozen productions this season!

Edward dives into the genius of Shakespeare and shows how the contemporary, new works the theater puts on connect to Shakespearean Classics. Hear how CST innovates to create award winning productions that go on to show around the world.

Edward talks about the 2025-2026 season and what you can expect from their shows this year (from tennis, to horror, to classic Shakespeare, they truly have it all). Plus, he outlines some of his vision for the theatre and touches on what makes Chicago’s theatre scene special.

We end with rapid fire, learning Edward’s dream show to put on and where he loves to go in Chicago!

Book tickets and learn about the 25-26 season at the link below!

BOOK TICKETS: https://www.chicagoshakes.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/chicagoshakes/

In this special episode, we celebrate five years of Sip with Me with our 180th episode!

We give you a behind-the-scenes look at our friendship, spill the tea on some of our podcast drama, and discuss the impact some of the episodes have had on our lives.

As always, thank you for listening and allowing us to share so many stories with you! Cheers to many more.

xoxo,

aaron & ioanna

Emily Kristen Morris defies gravity in all that she does! A Singer, Actress, Content Creator,

Vocal Instructor & Founder of EKM Studios, she’s known for her stunning performances on stage and has likely appeared in your social feeds, giving viral voice tips and vocal reactions.

Emily was the Elphaba standby on the Broadway National Tour of Wicked (what a resume credit) and played Bea in the Broadway National Tour of Something Rotten! In just a few weeks, she will play one of her dream roles in our favorite musical, Jenna in Waitress, in Ithaca, NY (ticket link below)!

We sat down with Emily to chat about her career and the many doors that have opened and closed along the way.

We discussed her voice studio, EKM, which has an entire team dedicated to teaching and coaching the next great voices of tomorrow! She shares what getting a voice lesson is like and what you can expect if you work with a coach.

We end with rapid fire, discovering Emily’s favorite show, her dream role (which we like to think we manifested wink wink), and her dressing room essentials!

Sign up for your own voice lesson at the link below and go see Waitress at the Hangar Theatre July 10-19!

EKM STUDIO: https://www.emilykristenmorris.com/ekm-vocal-studio

WAITRESS: https://hangartheatre.org/event/waitress/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/emilykristenmorris/?hl=en

There’s 22 acres and a thousand reasons to love Sonny Acres! Aaron’s childhood pumpkin patch and Ioanna’s farm dream come true, this gem of a space in the middle of Chicagoland has 125 years of stories to tell!

We meet Jeannine Fontana, who in 2019 purchased the farm with her husband (also a lifelong Sonny Acres fan) and his friend. She shares some of the farm’s history and how it grew to be a staple for fall festivals and childhood traditions.

Jeannine tells us about what goes on during their other seasons, including their upcoming summer rodeos, flower sales and Christmas trail.

Jeannine also shares her passion project, building a brand new wedding venue on the farm! Aaron also tries to pitch her on having him be their first wedding (he has been engaged for six years, it’s about time he locks it down)!!

We end with six acres of rapid fire, learning Jeannine’s favorite Sonny Acres food and her favorite ride on the farm!

VISIT/INFO:

https://sonnyacres.com/

SOCIAL:

https://www.instagram.com/sonnyacresfarm/

All aboard the Amtrak to adventure! This week, we’re joined by Liz Owens, Vice President and General Manager of Vacations By Rail, a Chicago-based company that helps travelers explore the world by train!

After we trauma dump on Liz for ten minutes about our flying anxiety, we discuss the unique benefits of traveling by rail! Liz breaks down what to expect for first-timers and spotlights some of the perks, such as constant views and a unique ability to hop on and off along your route!

She shares the must-book experiences for 2025, what’s trending in the world of rail, and shares some of what she envisions for the future of American rail!

We end the episode with a round of rapid fire, featuring her favorite onboard snack, dream rail destination and more! Liz also designs the perfect trip for us (no flying needed)!

Visit their site to browse trips and learn more!

BOOK & INFO: https://www.vacationsbyrail.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/vacationsbyrail/?hl=en

A podcast for campers, glampers and everyone in between! Pack your cutest flannel and prepare to wander into the rustic summer retreat of your dream! Welcome to Camp Wandawega!

This incredible retreat located just north of the border in Wisconsin has it all- a private lakefront, hiking trails, and the most Instagramable accommodations even Martha Stewart couldn’t have designed herself.

With roots in Prohibition and the Catholic Church, its location has many a tale to tell (if only walls could talk are we right)?!

Luckily, we met Tereasa Surratt, Co-Owner of Camp with her husband David, and she does an amazing job telling just a pinch of the camps’s storied past!

From cozy cabins to traditional tents, there is an accommodation for every vibe. Learn about them and the many outdoor activities you and your guest can indulge in during your vacation.

Learn from Tereasa why it’s so important to unplug and unwind, especially for the many creatives who come to the resort each year!

Tereasa also shares some updates on her newest project the “Bureau of Tourism” in West Town and we find out about their bourbon with CH Distillery, a past guest on the show!

We end with rapid campfire, discovering Tereasa’s favorite camp scent and how she likes her s’mores!

BOOK & INFO: https://wandawega.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/campwandawega/?hl=en

President Ioanna and VP Aaron would like to formally invite you to hear the tale of Chicago’s “Hotel of Presidents”!

Known for its many iconic former guests, including Teddy Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter, the historic hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Ave blends its historic mystique with modern day luxury. As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the hotel boasts incredible lake views and enough tales of history to fill a book!

We chat with Violet Tossler, Marketing Manager for the property, who gives us the full historic rundown, from when the Blackstone was the tallest building in Chicago to the time Kennedy learned about the Cuban Missile Crisis from the Presidential Suite. There was even a barbershop inside where Al Capone and many presidents regularly got haircuts!

The hotel is also known for coining the term “a smoke filled room” as it was in one of the hotel suites where Warren G Harding was nominated for president outside the view of the press.

Beyond the history, Violet describes the hotel’s amazing amenities, including a ton of original artwork, an on-site restaurant, and the most gorgeous event space perfecting for weddings! Plus, honey from their rooftop beehives!!

This is the perfect hotel for summer travelers or if you’re a local looking to have a unique staycation!

BOOK: https://www.theblackstonehotel.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/theblackstonehotel/

READ ABOUT THE BEES: https://www.theblackstonehotel.com/specials/the-blackstone-buzz

MERCAT A LA PLANXA: https://www.theblackstonehotel.com/dine/mercat-a-la-planxa

Now boarding iFLY flight 0001 from Chicago to wherever the wind takes us!

It’s immersion therapy week for Ioanna and Aaron! To get over their fear of flying, they’ve partnered with iFLY to literally take flight at their iconic indoor skydiving experience!

Joe Velez, the Senior Regional Director for iFLY, introduces us to the company and how indoor skydiving came to be! We discuss the experience of indoor flight and breakdown the fascinating science of their wind tunnel.

Hear how it differs from outdoor skydiving and why it’s perfect for even the most anxious flyers (cough cough Ioanna & Aaron).

We end with rapid fire, finding out Jose’s favorite stunt to perform and what’s on his skydiving playlist.

BOOK A FLIGHT:

https://www.iflyworld.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/iflyus/?hl=en

Chicago Locations: Rosemont, Lincoln Park, and Naperville