Matt wears a lot of hats. The thing one about Matt is he transfers all his passion into whatever hat he is wearing. This conversation is about getting to know what drives him to do this, what life experiences have shaped him along the way (like receiving his first Peterson birding field guide!), and what the future is for him and the city he serves. One thing about Matt is that he is confident in what he believes and thinks. This does not leave him closed off and stubborn, he is still willing to take in new info and learn, but what he knows he is willing to act on, and there are many who never quite reach that stage of being confident enough about ANYTHING to talk about it let alone act on it. This makes for an interesting conversation because Matt can explain at depth about what he is convicted about in life! Tune in to see and hear what Matt brings to the table.

It was a privilege to do this episode with Iowa State Senator Jesse Green (District 14) over this Thanksgiving week! It became evident within the first 5 minutes what kind of a person he is. Jesse has a strong belief system and his faith influences everything he does. If you were interested in local and state politics and the direction it is going, I would rest assured with people like Jesse involved, he will never forget why he's there, why he was elected. He was a strong will to serve people. All of them. Anybody and everybody. He's there to empower us, the people, to be able to help ourselves. He would give a fish to someone in need in a heartbeat but his long term agenda involves teaching anybody who wants to learn how to fish in as many areas as possible and provide opportunities for growth and wealth.  

Specific topics we touched involve 

School educational savings accounts, aka - Vouchers 
The future of state income tax (going away!?) 
His experience with the E-15 bill 
Dynamics within the Senate and House, and how they interact with the Governor
His outlook on federal politics and who our next president could be

Overall this was a fantastic experience and it created a thirst to interview more politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, to have deep meaningful conversations, so we the people can stay in the know about what's going on with our homeland.  

Ever heard the quote, "jack of all trades, master of none?" Did you know there was more at the end of the saying?  

It actually goes, "Jack of all trades, master of none, better than being a master of one." 

The saying can be used for many different points of context, but in this case, Schyler Bardole is on his way to being a jack of all trades and a master of many.  He farms with his family on their heritage farm (150 years in the same family), as well as with his wife's century farm, raises Scottish Highland cattle, pigs, bees, not to mention his 2 boys with a third kid on the way.  

He always is a follower of current world events, and in this episode shares what he has learned about the world and its people, and the direction we are going.  

His insights are fascinating, sure enough so it is not farfetched in the future you'll see him with a podcast of his own.  We could have several hours long, but enjoy this episode with a great guest.  

Bryce Hoyle is a guy who could accomplish just about anything he wants to.  It goes beyond just talent and skill, the ability to succeed and grow requires being self motivated and relying on principles of effort and fortitude, and Bryce shares his story of where his resilience comes from and formative experiences that shaped the way.  

Life changes fast, in todays day and age with technology and now the emergence of tech and AI, it's only going to change faster and more often.  This isn't something to be apprehensive about but to embrace and handle as well as possible.  Hearing Bryce talk about the principles that have guided him so far, makes me confident there is a way to stay level headed in a world increasingly gone crazy.  

Mary Pedersen, nurse practitioner extraordinaire.  As balanced, level headed, logical and brilliant of a practitioner as they come.  Want a clinician to shoot it straight? Ask Mary.  Want someone who cares about you and your health? Look for Mary. 

She’s got practical health advice they won’t lead you astray, and she’s in the thick of it with a growing family, fitting in tons of activities while balancing her and her husbands career without losing their minds. In a world were stress tries to rule the roost and stoke the rat race Mary comes in balanced (and glowing, the podcast room lighting was giving her an extra glow).  

It’s time to cut to the chase and get real with health. It ain’t about how you look. It ain’t even about how you feel. It’s about how you function. Tune in to get the scoop.

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With the Greene County Community School District is Superintendent Brett Abbotts! We dug into Mr Abbotts, his background and journey from growing up in Canada to running the schools here in Jefferson, Iowa. 

Not only this but he "schooled me" on topics like the voucher program installed recently in Iowa, and how tax dollars get distributed to the school, specifically local dollars.  

He is also passionate about football and golf, occasionally sandwiches get wagered on football games and as a Patriot fan he casually trashed the Vikings (my favorite team, GO Vikes!) but Mr. Abbotts is for sure the man to beat on the golf course, and he tells an interesting story about a student who has risen up to try and take him down.  

Mr. Abbotts has completely convinced me the schools are heading in a phenomenal direction.  He is both goal orientated and relationship focused, an often tough balance to handle but he is finding ways to do it.

I loved his answer to questions about his goals for this school year, though his answer about a perfect world "utopian" goal is especially memorable - He spoke about each kid being confident in their learning, and elevating our district to an elite status, one where people want to come here and you are certainly proud to have graduated from here. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Mr Abbotts and hope you enjoy this in depth conversation about school matter and beyond.  

As someone who has a career out of chasing and reporting stories, Doug Burns has stories that a 1 hour podcast doesn't have time to contain. This includes how as a reporter he has gotten access to interview several high ranking politicians, INCLUDING a former POTUS. 

A decorated and seasoned journalist, Doug Burns also talked in depth about his experience being adopted, and while still not knowing his birth parents, he has peace and contentment about both his past and who he currently is.  

He wasn't the only member of his family who was adopted, as he also has a Vietnamese sister.

Being a journalist during times like the present that can be, on occasion, tumultuous and controversial, Doug talks about how his exposure to different races and cultures has been an advantage, and what he is doing in the present to promote racial wellness for anyone who is willing to engage in that conversation.  

Listen in and comment your impressions as we dive into a conversation with Doug Burns, Herald newspaper VP and journalist. 

Since the podcast began nearly 18 months ago, Chris Deal has been on the wish list for guests.  His list of accomplishments and accolades would require LOTS of time to tell, he's been places, and done things, including a year long education trip to Uganda, so I was ecstatic he joined us and let us take a peek into what motivates him to achieve and add to his family legacy.  

He's been a part of several high-level projects that may not have gotten off the ground without some of his engineering expertise, not to mention he's also part of the hugely successful and regionally known Deal's Orchard family that has built an amazing environment and experience.

But with someone who is a high achiever, I thoroughly enjoyed learning things about him like that he likes baseball. The Lord of the Rings. And he considers himself the "world's worst multi-tasker."  He's parenting three young kiddos, and he DOESN'T claim to have parenting figured out, but he's picked the qualities he wants to teach his kids, like how to work hard and problem solve, in order to give them the tools to be successful on their own accord one day.  

Chris is exceptionally talented but equally humble.  

Anyone would do well to listen and heed his words as he talks through;
-Success tactics, 
-Learning through failure and embracing it, 
-Not quitting but learning through problem solving,

AND 

the history of Deal's Orchard, dating back to Chris' great-grandfather who moved to Greene County and planted trees, and how the family persevered through the storms of 1940 that could've ended the orchard, but thankfully didn't! 

Tune in and comment on what sticks out to you!

It took less than 5 minutes talking with Brent Gerzema, the Greene County School District Technology Director, to see that he;

1) has next level intellect, 
2) is a down-to-earth gentlemen who cares about the future of his community and the potential wellness, support, and opportunities they can experience,
3) Also loves the Minnesota Vikings, so you know he has a heart of gold.  

After a deep tech discussion about where technology can go from today as it continues to develop at amazing speeds, we shifted into an intrinsic conversation about what schools and kids need most to thrive.  

"Opportunities and support... I want them to have opportunities to discover who they are..." 

Working in schools and being willing to guide kids along the path of life is one of the most noble jobs you can choose. Brent provides tremendously valuable insight to what motivates and excites kids today.

Kids are the future!  Part of a community's job is to help provide opportunities for young humans to find and discover success for themselves!

Listen to Brent break down what's going well in schools for students and what new opportunities they have in today's modern world.

Josh Monthei joins the cast and dives into the world of music. He stopped me in my tracks one day when we saw each other in passing with a statement like, "Music is the only real version of time travel we have..."  Which as I have pondered.... has proven to be truthful.   

How many tunes, melodies or jingles can you think of that transports you back to a time or a place that was significant to you? 

I can still remember playing "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by the Rolling Stones on GUITAR HERO with my family taking turns strumming when I was no older than middle school age.  And the song "You Make Beautiful Things Out of Dust," by Gungor during a worship session in the years spent at chiropractic school was a transformational moment in my life.

If you listened to a playlist of songs from a decade ago, it doesn't take much before the memories of when and where you've heard the song before starts flooding your brain.  This can be a powerful thing, even something that can help a person heal or move on from something that was tragic. 

Playing, listening, and feeling the music is part of life for Isaak as well, exemplified by his experience at the Gran Ol Opry in Nashville, the Mecca of music legends in the USA.  Same for Josh Monthei and for many people in his circle of influence - which has lead to him BOTH leading worship music for his local church (The Sanctuary) and rocking out as a guitar player and singer in a band (Dirt Road Divide).  

They played at the 2021 Bell Tower Festival, and are returning for an encore performance on Saturday night for the 2022 Festival, downtown at the foot of the courthouse in Jefferson - be sure to check that out and be transferred to another time with the music !!