The episode opens with Conrad and David unpacking the difference between empathy and sympathy, a discussion that sets up everything that follows. David is a fourth generation veteran who deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and later served in Washington DC. He came home carrying PTSD that took years to surface, while his then wife was recovering from a concussion that ended her medical school career. The marriage unraveled, and what followed was a custody battle David says exposed deep flaws in how North Dakota family courts treat fathers, especially veterans labeled unfit simply for seeking PTSD treatment. Out of that pain, David and his wife built Forgotten Purpose, helping divorcing parents and neurodivergent families through mediation and plain spoken guidance built around one question, how will this affect the kids. David explains how he started by replying to strangers in Facebook groups like Divorced Dads Need Help, fielding hundreds of messages from people burned by expensive lawyers, and turning those conversations into clients with signed agreements of service. He talks candidly about raising five kids, the prejudice fathers face in family court, his conversation with Ty Groomer about changing the system, and an AI tool he is building to help people organize their own cases. Conrad and David also trade thoughts on philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and what it really means when two people disagree. The hour closes with David sharing why he and his wife always leave a light on in their home for anyone who needs a safe place to land, the inspiration behind the closing song, Tom Walker's Leave A Light On.

Conrad sits down with Zach Landry, owner of The Wellness Way Fargo, to unpack a very different approach to chiropractic care and whole-body health. Instead of quick adjustments and short visits, Zach and his team spend the majority of their time analyzing lab work, reviewing blood panels, and helping patients understand the deeper “why” behind chronic symptoms. From hormone testing and food sensitivities to stress patterns and environmental exposures like mold, this conversation dives into what it means to look beyond surface-level treatment and focus on root causes.Zach shares his personal story of severe illness during chiropractic school, where he experienced full-body inflammation and was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions. After traditional routes offered little resolution, his path led him to The Wellness Way model, where a combination of strict dietary changes, targeted supplements, and lifestyle adjustments helped him recover and ultimately shaped the way he practices today.The discussion also explores the realities of launching a business from scratch in Fargo, building a client base through social media and networking, and how a franchise model provided structure while still allowing independence. Along the way, Conrad and Zach debate the role of insurance, the complexity of the supplement industry, and why modern stress and environmental factors may be driving widespread fatigue and chronic illness.

Conrad Fargo sits down with Holger Loor, owner of Ultra Cleaning Services, for a conversation that goes far beyond mops, crews, and commercial accounts. Holger shares what it took to leave Ecuador, adapt to life in Fargo, learn English, survive the weather, and build a company while raising a family and leading a multilingual team. What starts as a story about cleaning quickly opens into something deeper: immigration, resilience, military structure, cultural translation, and the discipline required to create something of your own.Holger talks about his upbringing in Ecuador, where military service carried prestige and identity, and how that warrior mindset followed him to the United States. He explains his path through the North Dakota Army National Guard, law enforcement, and corrections, and how military attention to detail eventually became the foundation for his business. Ultra Cleaning Services now handles residential, commercial, move-in, move-out, post-construction, and even lake country properties near Detroit Lakes and Pelican Rapids, all while Holger manages a growing crew and still gets his own hands dirty.The episode also explores the human side of leadership. Holger describes his Sunday team meetings, the culture he has built between Spanish and English speakers, and why he sees cleaning not as janitorial work, but as transforming spaces and protecting families. Along the way, he shares funny and revealing stories about learning English, misunderstanding American idioms, and trying to find his footing in a new country.

In this episode of The Fargo Five, Conrad Fargo sits down with Tara Kohn, a Fargo-based holistic health coach and foot reflexologist, to explore how mindset, gratitude, and nutrition can radically alter a person’s life trajectory. From a 26-year career in massage therapy to building a self-employed coaching business, Tara shares how her lifelong experience with chronic pain shaped her perspective on healing and human potential.The conversation dives into the power of gratitude as a habit, not just a feeling, and how rewiring your brain to see the good can change your reality. Tara breaks down reflexology as more than a “foot massage,” describing it as an organized system that maps the entire body through pressure points in the feet, hands, and ears. Conrad challenges the ideas with his usual skepticism, creating a dynamic discussion on alternative health versus traditional medicine.Tara also shares her personal diagnosis with a rare spinal cord condition and how it led her deeper into nutrition, gut health, and anti-inflammatory living. She explains her transition into health coaching and her partnership with Purium, focusing on whole-food-based supplementation and detox programs designed to restore gut health and energy levels.Along the way, they touch on the realities of entrepreneurship in Fargo, networking through groups like BNI and the emerging Power Team FM, and the growing local health and wellness scene, including voices like Penny Static. This episode blends personal story, business insight, and philosophical debate into a grounded look at what it means to take ownership of your health in a modern world.

Aaron Dorval joins The Fargo Five to unpack a career that spans from a 17-year-old call center agent in Dickinson, North Dakota to a global business analyst consulting for companies around the world through Humana. What starts as a conversation about honesty and transparency quickly turns into a deep exploration of how systems thinking, curiosity, and problem-solving can reshape entire organizations. Aaron shares how he optimized airline ticketing workflows using early automation tricks, got written up for “not working” because he was too efficient, and ultimately turned that into a 25-year career building processes, leading analytics teams, and consulting across Fortune-level operations.The discussion moves through his unconventional path with no formal college education, instead relying on certifications like Six Sigma, Lean, and Agile, along with relentless self-teaching. From working in corporate travel for companies like Oracle and McDonald’s to inventing patented workflow systems at UnitedHealthcare, Aaron breaks down how identifying problems first, rather than applying pre-defined skills, became the core driver of his success.The episode also explores Fargo connections, including his music career with bands like Chaos And Question and Save Me CJ, and collaborations with local figures like Danny Vyechow (Cow). Aaron reflects on touring, recording, and playing alongside acts like Buckcherry and Smash Mouth, while also promoting upcoming shows at Unhinged in West Fargo and appearances at the Red River Valley Fair alongside Stone Temple Pilots, Candlebox, and Pop Evil.At its core, this episode is about mindset; how curiosity, systems thinking, and a willingness to explore the unknown can create opportunities that don’t follow a traditional path, all while balancing creativity through music and a global consulting career.

Arthur Weidner, owner of Crude Spirits, joins The Fargo Five to unpack a journey that blends old-world tradition with modern engineering precision. From a 100-year-old family recipe born in the smokehouses of western North Dakota to a multi-state liquor brand, Arthur shares how North Dakota Sweet Crude and Sweet Crude Orange came to life and what makes them fundamentally different from typical liqueurs. The conversation explores the philosophical divide between work and toil, rooted in Arthur’s Lutheran upbringing and influenced by thinkers like Martin Luther and Solomon, before shifting into the realities of building a business in one of the most regulated industries in the country. Arthur walks through the science of distillation, flavor extraction, and the challenge of scaling something as deceptively simple as caramelized sugar into a repeatable commercial process. His background in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University, combined with experience at companies like Boeing, GE, Cargill, and Otter Tail Corporation, ultimately led him back to entrepreneurship. Along the way, stories of hunting trips, homemade batches shared with farmers, and grassroots demand turning into real opportunity paint a clear picture of how Crude Spirits grew from kitchen experiment to regional product. This episode also touches on military service with the Air National Guard, flying, resilience after setbacks, and the mindset required to build something from scratch. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to bring a product to market, control distribution, and carve out space in a crowded field, this conversation delivers both insight and inspiration.

In this episode of The Fargo Five, Conrad sits down with Dr. Erika Wiger, owner of Turning Point Chiropractic in Fargo, North Dakota, to explore the deeper meaning of family, belonging, and what it really takes to build a life and business aligned with your values. After spending over a decade in California, Erika made the deliberate decision to return home to the Fargo-Moorhead area, trading sunshine for something far more meaningful; proximity to family, community, and a sense of rootedness.Dr. Wiger shares her journey from Fargo South to NDSU, through chiropractic school in the Bay Area, and into nearly a decade of practice before launching her own solo clinic. Along the way, she opens up about the cultural differences between California and the Midwest, the challenge of building connections in a high-density but low-relational environment, and the emotional realization that ultimately brought her back home.The conversation dives into her specialty in prenatal, perinatal, and pediatric chiropractic care, her work with NDSU Bison athletics, and what it’s really like to run a one-woman practice handling everything from patient care to marketing and operations. Conrad and Erika also unpack the concept of “family” as a value, exploring whether it’s about blood, proximity, shared patterns, or something deeper like legacy and belonging.

Ashley Bates, founder of Blame Bates, joins Conrad Fargo for one of the most personal and revealing episodes of The Fargo Five. Based in Fargo, North Dakota, Blame Bates is a 501c3 nonprofit helping adults 18+ navigate mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, and reentry after incarceration. Through care coordination and peer support, Ashley and her team meet clients weekly, break down barriers like lack of ID, housing, or transportation, and guide individuals step-by-step toward stability and independence.Ashley shares her journey from nearly eight years as a Cass County Sheriff’s deputy to launching Blame Bates after burnout, red tape, and a calling she couldn’t ignore. She discusses Community Connect, North Dakota’s statewide program connecting providers to individuals in need, and how her organization works alongside it to deliver real, boots-on-the-ground support. The conversation explores the hidden realities of homelessness, the cycle of documentation barriers, and why simple things like an $8 ID can determine whether someone ever gets back on their feet.The episode goes deeper into Ashley’s personal story growing up in Pennsylvania, losing her father young, and how those experiences shaped her philosophy that trust is earned through action, not words. She opens up about family struggles with mental health and addiction, her boundaries, and how she balances compassion with accountability in her work. Conrad challenges her perspective, creating a powerful dialogue about whether people are broken or fixable, and what it really means to help.From hiring her first team members to preparing clients for housing, to hosting the Blame Bates Paint the Night Gala at the Hilton Garden Inn, Ashley is building something that is both structured and deeply human. This episode captures the tension between cynicism and hope, and what it looks like to choose trust anyway.

Conrad Fargo sits down with Zach Petty, founder and CEO of Legato Networks, a startup platform built to connect local musicians for jam sessions, collaborations, bands, and creative partnerships. The conversation explores how modern social media has become overwhelming, addictive, and fragmented, and how Legato Networks is attempting to strip the experience back to something simple and useful: helping artists meet and create together.Zach explains how the idea for Legato Networks began over a decade ago when he moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Fargo and struggled to find other musicians interested in serious collaboration. After years of travel, time spent in Seattle’s arts scene, and conversations with musicians across different communities, the idea eventually turned into a startup project that has been in development for more than two years.Unlike traditional social media platforms that rely on feeds, likes, and algorithm-driven engagement, Legato Networks is designed with a minimalist philosophy. The goal is to remove distractions and focus on meaningful connections. Musicians can search for collaborators, find jam sessions, connect with venues, and build creative partnerships without getting trapped in an endless scroll.Zach shares the realities of building a startup without funding, recruiting a remote team of designers and developers, pitching to angel investors, and balancing entrepreneurial ambition with everyday work life. The conversation also dives into Fargo’s surprisingly strong arts community, the challenges facing musicians trying to enter local scenes, and how the platform hopes to create opportunities for underdog artists looking for their first collaborations or performances.The episode also touches on Zach’s personal journey from Phoenix to Fargo, his time living in Seattle during the turbulent COVID era, and how those experiences shaped his approach to technology, community, and creativity.Long term, Legato Networks hopes to expand beyond musicians into a broader ecosystem connecting artists, venues, and audiences. The vision also includes supporting music education by funding instruments for underserved schools as the platform grows.If you are interested in Fargo’s music scene, local startups, or the future of creative networking, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how one entrepreneur is trying to build a better way for artists to connect.

Kristen Hanson, owner of Crowning Touch Cleaning, breaks down what it actually looks like to build a “real” cleaning company that grows beyond one person with a mop and bucket. She explains how the business started through word of mouth, how demand grew into a waiting list, and why the leap to hiring changes everything. Kristen walks through how they find and vet team members, including using Indeed, the college-focused Handshake job board, networking referrals, multiple interview rounds, and background checks; all with the goal of sending only trustworthy people into clients’ homes.

Kristen also shares how the company is structured as a true family operation. She and her husband own the business together; he brings an engineering-style brain to the spreadsheets, taxes, and systems. The company is still run out of their home for practical reasons, including climate concerns for products and the cost-benefit reality of renting space. Employees pick up supplies before the first job of the week, return them after the last, and the weekend rhythm includes washing rags and resetting the system for the next round.

A big thread in this conversation is service, both paid and unpaid. Kristen explains why she prefers “giving first,” and she highlights volunteer work done alongside her staff, including Feed My Starving Children and serving meals at the Ronald McDonald House. One standout partnership is with the Roger Maris Cancer Center at Sanford, where Crowning Touch Cleaning provides two free cleanings per month for cancer patients. She also talks about volunteering at Serenity Assisted Living in Dilworth, a connection that originally came through family ties and relationships built in the community.

The episode also dives into operational choices that reveal a higher-level approach, like using clients’ own vacuums for residential cleanings to reduce cross-home transfer of pet dander and allergens, and keeping most cleanings during daytime hours instead of living in the “after-hours office cleaning” grind. Kristen shares what her day-to-day looks like now, including shifting fully into management, using the YMCA as both a wellness anchor and a mobile office, and staying active in the Fargo business community through networking groups like Tea Time and StartupBREW.

By the end, Kristen lays out the forward vision: goals, growth, deeper community impact, and a likely move into the Lakes Area as demand keeps pulling the company outward. The episode closes with her song pick, “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman, tied to her belief in setting goals, keeping a “hundred dreams” list, and stacking collective momentum into something bigger than any one person.