The Lanyard

Frank Marx has spent a lifetime in the beer and baseball business. I came to know him first from his epic Opening Day baseball parties. He held 25 of those parties in his small white house on Phillips Avenue in Sioux Falls. The parties became so big that he decided to install permanent bleachers in his living room.

Jennifer White is the amazing artist who calls Post Pilgrim Gallery her home for creativity. We sat down over beers at the White Wall Sessions studio and talked about process, bucking expectations, selling your work, and so much more.

Find more about Jennifer's work at Post Pilgrim on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/postpilgrimartgallery/

Andrea Baer and Josh Hofer join us on the podcast to talk about the South Dakota Chislic Festival. It was such a huge hit in year 1 that they couldn't keep up with the crowds. Year 2 went much better. But they are also running a new chislic restaurant and it's a great episode talking about chislic and living in the small town of Freeman, SD.

Celia Miner started off on the oboe. Then she became a teacher. After realizing people weren't taking her seriously on a board she was serving on, she decided to try law school in her late 30s. She became a game changer in many fields and she helped shape many communities. 

I loved the anecdotes about her friend Tom Brokaw and I loved her tenacity. It's an inspiring episode. 

Rich Show is one of the most prolific songwriters in South Dakota history. Bands like Violet, Flag with Hank, and No Direction were pioneering groups in Sioux Falls.

We talked about the process of songwriting, about recording at Prince's Paisley Park, and about the struggles and triumphs. I loved this interview!

Phil Schreck has been a meteorologist for 34 years. He thought Sioux Falls would be a short stopping off point in his career, but 30 years later he's still doing it there with no plans to move or retire.

We talked about the changes in his field and the television industry in general. We talked about baseball, graduating high school in South Korea, and about trying to raid Cheap Trick's tour bus.

Special thanks to all of our supporters at https://patreon.com/thelanyard

Melissa Waldner grew up in the Twin Cities. Yet she's happy as can be in Webster, South Dakota (my home town) which only has a population of 1857 people.  Listen to how she's built a life out of making Webster an important place on the map and how her family is farming differently.

Mary Beth Holzwarth recently launched Globetrotter Coffee Co. in the small town of Gettysburg, SD. She roasts amazing beans and is shipping them all over.

She is also a tireless leader and advocate for the prevention of child sexual abuse. That 10-year journey started when two of her own children came forward with their story.

Carla Jean Lauter is a beer writer out of Portland, Maine. On TheBeerBabe.com or @beerbabe on Twitter she often writes about ways for beer to be more approachable by all populations. We talked about inclusivity, design, beer economics, and beer trends. It was a lot of fun.

Nick Schmeichel grew up on a farm in Salem, SD and found his way to Brookings for college. As a student he interned at Daktronics which led to a job and eventually a business. Today Sideline Productions helps produce major events, festivals, and concerts, across the country, but Nick has chosen to base his company and life in Brookings. 

We talk about his journey in business, but also what makes a town interesting. We both have a shared interest in running businesses and raising young children. Nick also runs a podcast called The Tale Feather.