Cream City Dreams

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, TWO more incredible Milwaukee women! If today's episode is the first time you're hearing about Creative Mornings, you are in for a TREAT. A global movement with a chapter here in Milwaukee, Creative Mornings is the monthly burst of creative caffeine you need to feel inspired and connected to the Milwaukee community.  Today I'm talking with the inimitable chapter hosts, Annie Werner and Kelly Winarski. But this episode is SO much more than just an explanation of these intentional monthly gatherings. This episode is why I started this podcast. I love the stories behind the women who start these ventures. Women who bring their full selves to the stage, even if their full selves include a tinge of stage fright. It's SO relatable. And I think you'll hear that in today's interview with Annie and Kelly. So grab a cup of coffee or head for a walk, click the link below and enjoy! And then don't forget to get your ticket to the next Creative Mornings Event ... the third Friday of every month. 

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week's episode is chock FULL of tips on how to set boundaries if and when we decide to return to social media after this summer detox. If you've been following along on your own detox, but fear the dip back into the socials like I do, this is the episode you don't want to miss. Thekla and I talk all about protecting ourselves and being mindfully aware of our intentions upon return. And if you want to dive more into some of the research we talk about in today's episode, here are the links you'll want (h/t Thekla!) Self-Compassion in the Age of Social Media ResourcesScholarly ArticlesCastelo, N., Kushlev, K., Ward, A.F., Esterman, M., & Reiner, P.B. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus, 4(2): pgaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf017. PMID: 39967678; PMCID: PMC11834938.Kuchar AL, Neff KD, Mosewich AD. Resilience and Enhancement in Sport, Exercise, & Training (RESET): A brief self-compassion intervention with NCAA student-athletes. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2023 Jul;67:102426. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102426. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 37665879.Wadsley M, Ihssen N. A Systematic Review of Structural and Functional MRI Studies Investigating Social Networking Site Use. Brain Sci. 2023 May 11;13(5):787. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13050787. Erratum in: Brain Sci. 2023 Jul 17;13(7):1079. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13071079. PMID: 37239257; PMCID: PMC10216498.Websites/OrganizationsCenter for Humane Technology. humanetech.comDigital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital. digitalwellnesslab.orgAfter Babel by Jonathan Haidt. (Substack)Scales/MeasuresThe Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS)Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another incredible Milwaukee woman! In this episode I'm talking with Grace Fuhr, Events Director at Historic Milwaukee, and she is cracking open the city for us —one door at a time— to explore some of the Cream City's most unique, historic, and sometimes hidden spaces during Historic Milwaukee's annual Doors Open Milwaukee. If you've always wondered what's behind the curtain at the Milwaukee Ballet, or what lives under the streets in Milwaukee's sewers, or who might be six feet under at Forest Home Cemetery, or what's inside the delightful teas at Honeybee Sage Wellness & Apothecary, you can thank Grace for the chance to find out next month! 

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week we are going deep! If you've been following along this social media detox I've been taking this summer, you've heard me talk about the spaciousness it has allowed. And today, I'm talking with Thekla Brumder Ross - friend and clinical psychologist - all about the questions it has brought up. We wax existentially about validation, how we find it with social media, how we find it in ourselves, and where we look when the socials are gone. This is maybe one of my favorite conversations yet with Thekla, so I hope you join in! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another incredible Milwaukee woman. Talk about bringing a dream to life. Style Pop Cafe has been at LEAST two years in the making (and MANY more years in the dreaming) ... and finally, coffee is brewing on the corner of Mineral and 5th! Rosha Brister, owner and founder of Style Pop Cafe, talks with me today about the journey of getting to the space. From pop up pink trailer to brick and mortar, she is serving up so much more than coffee at her new cafe. She's serving up community, connection and the opportunity to reflect on what's important ... over delicious coffee and nibbles, of course. Here are just a few of the events we talked about and ways to connect - but the best way of all is to get yourself to the cafe and support a new local, women-owned business! You won't be sorry! Events: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/upcoming-spc-eventsSpace Rental: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/cafe-rentalsOnline Ordering: https://www.doordash.com/store/style-pop-cafe-milwaukee-34049959/66519546/?event_type=autocomplete&pickup=falseCatering: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/style-pop-cateringLive Podcast: I'm not that straight: https://stylepopcafe.com/products/im-not-that-straight-live-podcast-with-the-shellasphereFitness on the Patio: https://stylepopcafe.com/pages/upcoming-spc-eventsSupport the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Thekla is back today! Regular listeners will remember that Thekla is a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction medicine and self-compassion who shared the mic with me in May for my series on attention. She's also along for the ride on this social media / tech detox and today's episode shares some of her experiences these last two month, with some helpful tips of what she's been doing to be more intentional with her own attention. PLUS be the first to hear about the book she is writing on this VERY subject! Find Thekla on LinkedIn here to connect with her! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today on the podcast, I'm talking with Rita Bertrand and Marjorie Moon, the founding members of Milwaukee's very own Threshold Choir. These two women, along with eleven other members of the Milwaukee chapter's choir sing soft, quiet and calming songs, in harmony, in the rooms of people who are on the threshold. Mostly these are people who are at the threshold of death, but they've also been invited to other thresholds as well, as we talk about on the pod. You might imagine this kind of work as somber or sorrowful, but what we found was something far more hopeful: connection, compassion, and yes — JOY. These women aren't afraid of silence. They bring presence, patience, and the kind of care that asks for nothing in return.

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week I'm keeping it short and sweet with my reasoning for a new tech device in our household. Nope, not a smartphone, a landline! Here's the article I referenced in case you want to try a landline too! Plus another poem shared with me by my friend, and forest therapy guide, Megan Bollen of Juniper Trails. May we all be drunk on the memories we are making this summer! (Ripe by Emory Hall) And tune in next week for more incredible Milwaukee women! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Yep, in this episode we're talking about butts. That's because my guest is Rachal Duggan, the esteemed Milwaukee artist and illustrator famed for drawing butts. She's so much more than butts, but of course, when you draw butts, that's what people remember. But fear not, we move beyond the backside in today's pod. Today we talk about joy through humor. Joy through creativity. Joy through connection. If you've ever had the feeling that you were alone, or "I thought it was just me," and were too afraid to share  -- because, let's face it, being VIP [Vulnerable in Public] is HARD! -- then you will definitely find inspiration in today's episode. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today on the digest, thoughts from a listener on the social media detox, plus details on the forest walk I took with a group of Cream City Dreamers and a forest healing guide! Links I mention: Juniper Trails (forest guide, Megan Bollen) Slate How To Podcast with Courtney Martin and Molly Caro MayFruition MKE and next week's guest Rachal Duggan Follow for more incredible Milwaukee women, week after week! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today I am SO excited to introduce you to Tiffany Miller, the founder and owner of Fruition MKE - an INCREDIBLE space on 27th Street where some serious creative magic is happening. Fruition MKE is a cafe, a makers space, a co-working space, a gallery, and a mini-makers market. But it's a space that embodies Aristotle's phrase 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,' because taken altogether, this place is a true GEM in Milwaukee's Near Side. And the woman who runs it, Tiffany Miller, is JOY embodied! If you are looking for a new coffeeshop, a space for some quiet concentration, or a place to bring a creative project that could use a little attention, PLEASE listen to this episode and get yourself to Fruition MKE. 

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today on the Cream City Digest, I'm talking with my seven-year-old daughter. I wanted to get HER opinion of what it's like to see her mom on screens. Find out what kids notice, what she wishes I'd do less of, and her thoughts on social media. And listeners, I get EXPOSED. Ouch. But so important to understand that the kids are watching us, so I'll happily take this one for the team. Back next week with Tiffany Miller of FruitionMKE, another incredible Milwaukee woman! And here's the link to my friend's Forest Therapy Healing website, Juniper Trails! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Today's guest is the woman in town that people turn to when they want uniquely creative, impossibly JOYFUL and unconventionally fun outdoor events. Steph Salvia is the Executive Director at Joy Engine, the small non-profit responsible for the incredibly joyful art instillations that pop up from time to time around Milwaukee (think the Cosmopods on the beaches last summer, the oversized swallows at Lake Shore State Park, and the gigantic full Moon over Catalano Square. Listen today as we talk about the mission of Joy Engine, why it's so needed in Milwaukee, and how YOU can join in on the fun. In addition to their accessible-for-ALL art installations, Joy Engine also provides 'Joy Grants' to promote local artists and creatives who have innovative ideas on spreading joy in the 414. 

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! A treat today listeners! Thekla is back and we are debriefing the detox. I bring the stories, the updates and allllll the feels ... and she helps me put it in perspective with the expertise and neuroscience behind the experience. Listen as we talk about cross-addiction, titration and self-compassion around our screen time. PLUS ... an invitation to join me on a guided forest walk next week! Friday June 27th - there's room for 15 of us - so nab a spot before they're gone! Click HERE TO REGISTER! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Ever dreamed of being a rockstar? I know I did! Today's guest knows ALL about this dream, she's a musician in her own right. But she is also making this dream a reality for girls, women, non-binary, trans and gender expansive individuals right here in Milwaukee! Mary Joy Hickey is the Executive Director of Girls Rock MKE, and helped develop Ladies Rock MKE as well nearly a decade ago. This is the band camp you always WISHED you'd been a part of. (and hey, it's not too late). Today we talk all about music as a place and space for belonging, acceptance, authenticity and living the DREAM. We talk about how their camps - for youth and adults alike - foster a sense of community, collaboration and creativity ... all while allowing participants to write, sing, strum and belt out their own songs on the stage. 

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today, more reflections on life off the socials. I thought I'd have FOMO, but turns out, if a tree falls, I don't hear it! What do I hear instead? Listen today to find out. I'd love to hear how you are doing if you are following along and attempting any kind of shifting in your own attention. Would you hop over to the website and leave me a voice memo, or send me an email? I'd love to hear from you! Back next Wednesday with another incredible Milwaukee woman! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! If you can walk you can dance. So says today's guest, Karlies Kelley, founder of Pandanza Dance Company! Yes, we're talking about dance today, but lest you think this isn't for you because you wouldn't ordinarily call yourself a dancer ... let me say quickly that dance is for everyBODY. You'll feel this too as soon as the conversation begins, Karlies is very clear that there is room for everyone on the dance floor. But this conversation is about more than dance simply as embodied movement. We talk about dance as a form of meditation, an outlet for JOY, as a saving grace, and as a means of healing. It certainly saved a young girl of 15 who arrived in this country to learn the language and who found her community around the drum.

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today, a short and sweet reflection on how it's going 6 days into the social media detox. Are you following along? Are you experiencing the joy (or maybe the pain?) of giving up screens? In this episode, I reflect on how it's been going for me, what I'm missing, but also, what I'm loving about the untethered life off IG and FB! A few links: Come dance with Panadanza on MondaysListen to this week's episode with Dana Spandet of Flour Girl & FlameRegister for this month's Creative Mornings event on June 20Heck yeah, you can buy me a coffee, too! Better yet, JOIN ME IN PERSON for a REAL coffee! Monday, June 9th from 9:30-11 at Valentine Coffee on Downer with Thekla Brumder Ross! I'll be back next Wednesday with another incredible Milwaukee woman! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another season begins and I'm excited to introduce so many MORE incredible Milwaukee women! Like today's guest, Dana Spandet, owner of Flour Girl & Flame Pizza, Everyone's Ice Cream, and Everyone's Table. She is a true Milwaukee rockstar. If you don't know her yet, consider this episode your first gift of summer. Sure, she slings unforgettable pizzas (with that famous spicy honey crust!), but she's also stirring up something much bigger: a hospitality culture rooted in inclusivity, justice, and JOY! And we talk all about this in today's episode. Tune in and share this episode with the pizza-loving, justice-warrior in your life! Here are a few links she mentions: https://www.wyeastpizza.comhttps://caradaroclubpizza.comhttps://www.happyjoycandyco.com

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Be sure to listen to the end to get a glimpse into the summer season of JOY and a look at the lineup of incredibly JOYFUL Milwaukee women I'll have on the pod. AND a few last minute reflections on this June detox / screen free hiatus I'm undertaking come Sunday. If you're joining along with me, maybe you're experiencing some of these too. Plus find out how you can join me in person for a meet up if you live locally! (HINT: you'll need to subscribe to the newsletter to get the details!) Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Welcome to the last week of the mini-season on our attention and where we put it (and where we give it away). I am back with Thekla Brumder Ross, clinical Psychologist and addiction specialist and today there are three things Thekla said in particular that are sticking with me. I want to share them verbatim so they can sit with you too. (Might I invite you to take a deep breath between each one and read them slowly?)Social (media) is observational, real life is participatory.Boredom is the space where creative energy flows.Like food, we are going to coexist with technology for the rest of our livesIf these are all true, then there is SO much to be said for paying attention to our attention NOW and not letting anyone (or any platform) steal it from us.Listen in as Thekla gives practical advice on how to break from screens, what to expect and how to combat the cravings with self-compassion and awareness. PLUS - newsletter subscribers get a special invitation to an IN PERSON meet up in Milwaukee on June 9th - so be sure to sign up HERE if you want the link in next week's letter! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week a quick reflection on the importance of IN REAL LIFE gatherings. Social media, sch-mocial media ... I'm starting to call it 'isolation media' these days - and much preferring the real life gatherings, walks, talks, and events that bring us together. Maybe you're feeling this way too? Also part TWO on the Caramel Delight story from last week. A few links from this week: The Art of Gathering by Priya ParkerMindfulness & Self Compassion Workbook for Kids by Jamie Lynn Tatera The copycat cookie I probably should never have known existed. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Are we avoiding something when we reach for our phones? Boredom? Anxiety? Frustration? Hunger? Sadness? And what happens when we pay attention to those feelings, and let ourselves FEEL them. Phew. That's the juicy part that I'm talking about today with my friend and clinical psychologist, Thekla Brumder Ross. How can we be more self-compassionate to ourselves AND think more intentionally about who (and how!) we give our attention? There is so much food for thought in this episode, and I hope you'll give it a listen. Your future self will thank you, and who knows who else may thank you? Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week I'm musing on what I'm noticing as this "in-between season" on attention reaches the half way mark. If you've enjoyed hearing the conversation with Thekla Brumder Ross on Wednesdays, this is the chance to hear me reflect on what I'm doing with all the new ways of approaching attention. Today ... it's all about attention given and attention received. It's about caramel delights and you'll hear me read a myth I wrote about my future self. Curious? Listen in, it's a short one today! Back next week with more of my conversation with Thekla and on June 4th, Season 8 begins with more incredible Milwaukee women! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! This week, Thekla Brumder Ross is back and we're diving into the science of what's happening to our brains on screens. Primitive instincts and impulses, dopamine roller coasters, cravings, reinforcement loops, withdrawals, time warps …  we're talking about it all as it relates to our use on screens and socials. But lest you think it's all doom and gloom, fear not! We also talk about neuroplasticity and the brains incredible ability to change and how there are four pillars of well being we can look to guide us in that rewiring and change. PLUS, we issue a challenge and an invitation. Join us, won't you? Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! The Cream City Digest is back, this time with some reflections on attention and noticing where mine goes. Maybe you'll join me this month and take a peek at your own attention! Links from this week! Women's Entrepreneurship Week ❤️ Listener Amanda from Fresh Therapy LLCMolly Caro May on AttentionBe sure to listen to this week's episode with Thekla Brumder Ross where we talk ALL about attention and break down where we're going with this month's in between series. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! If you've found yourself struggling with the amount of time you hand over to your screen ... If you've found yourself promising  just five more minutes, then I'll put my phone down ... If you've found yourself at once frustrated with and consumed by FOMO or I'm not good enough  ... If you've found yourself insatiably checking how many likes or thumbs your post has gotten ... Or found yourself constantly saying I wish I had more time ... Then let me just say: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And you just may want to tune in to these episodes. I'm talking with my friend and clinical psychologist Thekla Brumder Ross and we are breaking down what is happening to our brains on screens, what the companies are doing, why they're so hard to put down, AND what WE can do to manage our attention so that these screens don't manage us. We are going deep in conversation in May. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! It's been a season! Boy howdy, has it been an incredible look at the women of Milwaukee who have made major life pivots and come through shining! On today's Cream City Digest, I recap the season, plus give a look at what's coming in the month of May with my friend and clinical psychologist Thekla Brumder Ross. Also, a link tothe peony bush incident. https://www.wuwm.com/podcast/lake-effect-segments/2018-06-08/essay-the-peony-bush-incidentSupport the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Closing out Season 7 with another Milwaukee woman who knows a few things (or ten) about this season's theme: pivoting. Tonda Thompson has been SO many things. A basketball star, a runway model, a mother, a bereaved mother, an advocate, a public speaker, a photographer and videographer, and now a self-taught carpenter. (and those are just to name a few, there's more!) Listen as we talk about how pivoting helped her move through, forward, and beyond where she thought she'd be and what she thought she'd be doing. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.sheslangswood.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheslangswoodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheslangswoodIf you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Sarah Ornst Bloomquist of Moms Mental Health Initiative. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! If you've been following along, you know yesterday was the Gathering of the Guests and 20 of Cream City Dreams' previous guests got together to share coffee, conversation and connections! This week on the Digest, hear how it went, plus an invitation for newsletter subscribers and a permission to BE BIG from poet, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. So many incredible Milwaukee women at one table. Maybe YOU can join us next time, make sure you're on the newsletter to find out when! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. It's back! Women's Entrepreneurship week 2025 runs from May 5-9 and you aren't going to want to miss a single session if you can help it! Today I'm talking with Sarah Haas, organizer and planner extraordinaire of this phenomenal week of networking, learning, and community building. Listen as we talk about what you can expect from the week, what's changed since 2024, and how you can make the most of an all-in ticket! More info on tickets and purchasing can be found HERE. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest!This week's episode with Dasha Kelly HamiltonA Line Meant - released and in the wild. Join Dasha at one of these launches!Women's Entrepreneurship Week (May 5-9) And of course, BUY ME A COFFEE linked here, if you want to ** LITERALLY THIS TIME** buy some coffee for me and the other Cream City Guests from Seasons 1-7. And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. She's back! Dasha Kelly Hamilton is back with me on the show today talking about creativity, humanity, and how to live in alignment with each other. We also chat about where she's been since 2022 … which has basically been ALL over. I caught up with her cruising in her RV somewhere in Kansas on her way to LA to perform her show, Makin' Cake, now three years on the road … but fortunately for all of us, Milwaukee is still home for her! And boy are we lucky! Catch Dasha in the wild here: Website: https://dashakh.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dasha.kellyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dasha_kellham/A Line Meant: https://alinemeant.org/ If you loved this episode, you'll definitely want (no, NEED) to go back and listen to our first conversation with Dasha from Season 2! Listen HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts! Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, I am so grateful to listeners. If you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter on the website. And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you're feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Listen this week as I talk about the synchronicity (or is it serendipity?) coming at me this week inviting me to let go of perfectionism. Here are the links I mention: Laurie Wagner and Wild Writing Panadanza Dance Company Delaware House Sherrill Knezel of Meaningful MarksAlesia Miller of SoulBrew Kombucha and her SHOW THIS WEEKENDShelly Roder - Tuesday Morning Meditations, sign up HERE to join us!Creative Mornings (register for next week's event)And of course, BUY ME A COFFEE linked here, if you want to ** LITERALLY THIS TIME** buy some coffee for me and the other Cream City Guests from Seasons 1-7. Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Death and taxes - the two certainties of life, right? So why is it so hard for us to talk about it? It's not for this week's guest. Shantell Riley is the owner and founder of Dignity With Departure, where she works with clients to navigate end of life decisions, details, and stages from a holistic viewpoint. Shantell also runs the monthly Death Cafe MKE, a safe space for facilitated conversation around death and dying (and also LIVING!). Listen as we talk about how important it is to bring death out into the open, to appreciate the gift that it gives us, and to prepare for its coming. (yes, even if you don't think it's anywhere near your time). Locals and Links we love! Website: https://dignitywithdeparture.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dignitywithdeparture/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dignitywithdeparture/Death Cafe MKE: https://www.facebook.com/deathcafemke/The Zen DragonflyEssentially EmpoweredIf you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Miranda Malone. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Harper Marten this week's guest on creativity!Also a new, as yet unreleased podcast, "Calm It Down, Kids!" (let me know what you think, would you listen?!)Molly Caro May on attentionAnd tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. This week on the podcast, another encouraging lesson on what it means to be creative. At any age. This week's guest, Harper Marten, owner and founder of The Arts of Aging, works in memory care and assisted living facilities all around Milwaukee offering the opportunity and the permission for their residents to call themselves artists through hands-on classes and workshops. Listen as we talk about process art, creativity, and how our society might just be better off with more of these social prescriptions that foster community and engagement. And find out how you can connect to her offerings no matter where you live! Locals and Links we love! Website: https://theartsofaging.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartsofagingInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/theartsofaging/If you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Anne Basting where we talked about creative care for our friends and family living with dementia. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Poem: At Albany Bulb with Elaine by Alison LutermanAndrea Scher and her book, Wonder Seeker Dasha Kelly Hamilton (coming soon to the pod!) Shelly Roder's Loving Kindness Meditation And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. The topic of this week's conversation may be triggering to some, but death is the one thing we all have in common, we'll all get there one day, and we will all lose the people that we love. Today's guest is an expert in grief and loss. Miranda Malone, owner of New Moon Therapies and the Milwaukee Motherless Collective knows the pain of grief all too well, having lost her own mother at the wee age of five months. Too young to remember anything about her own mother, she has spent her career helping other women who have also experienced this specific kind of loss. Listen as we talk about the important work she is doing with women in this city to collectively grieve and process mother loss. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.newmoontherapyllc.com/Facebook (private group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1388599778705031/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeemotherlesscollective/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themotherlosstherapist/Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Where I'm From by George Ella LyonVOTE VOTE VOTE And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Today on the podcast, I am excited to introduce my dear friend Nell and the story behind her departure from Milwaukee's culinary scene where she was (and still is) revered as a friend, mentor, connector, go-getter and all around STAR. But in 2019, she made the decision to pivot out of the food industry and into a new life. So far this season, I've talked to women who have pivoted INTO something - and we've focused on where they ended up. But I wanted to bring on a woman who could speak to us about pivoting OUT of something as well. (though where she pivots is equally as interesting, and we DO talk about that, too). It's equally as brave to decide to leave a career, especially if (and when) you're at the pinnacle of your place in the industry, like Nell. Nell was also my collaborator on the Wilcuma Dinner for the Hanan Refugees Relief Group last week. You can find out more about the dinner on the segment on TMJ4 here!Locals and Links: Want to work with Nell, here is her web page at Shorewest RealtorsWant to check out her cookbook on Ramen, here it is at BoswellIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out the episode with Lori Fredrich, Food Writer for OnMilwaukee.com HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts! Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

➡ CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Love the pod? Buy me a coffee! (pretty please!) Persisters (I made it to a meeting last week! You can too!) Listen to their episode from last week! (the PERSISTers)Hanan Refugees Relief Group - donate today! Bojana Zurić Martinez - her episode from last season! (a refugee story)Chefs from the Wilcuma Dinner (support their restaurants, they support community!): Gregory León from Amilinda Dana Spandet from Flour Girl & Flame Justin Aprahamian from SanfordMary Kastman from PurslaneJennifer Grundy from Seven Swans Crêperie Gil Petrovic from Buckley'sand Nell Benton** from Shorewest** Listen NEXT week for Nell on the podcast! Threshold Choirs! National Diorama MonthEVENT: 2025 Diorama-Rama at Amorphic BeerStreet Life CommunitiesSupport the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Join me as I talk with Stephanie Ciatti, founder of Babbling Babes, a local organization determined to be more than ‘just another moms group' for women who are more than ‘just mom.' Community, connection and FUN are all on tap at these local meetup groups. And ALL moms are welcome in these judgement-free spaces where they can show up and share their whole, authentic selves. Listen as we talk about why these spaces are needed and the story behind how she created this from her own need when her children were young. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.babblingbabes.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babblingbabesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkebabblingbabes/If you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Meagan Johnson of Milwaukee Diaper Mission and how they TOO are helping new moms around the city! Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Persisters Listen to their episode from this week! (the PERSISTers)Poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer's new book The UnfoldingAndrea Scher - Moonflower Oracle CardsHanan Refugees Relief Group - donate today!And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, this time TWO inspiring Milwaukee women. “Nevertheless, she persisted.” YES. SHE. DID. Oh Mitch McConnell, look what you started. Today on the podcast, get ready to be inspired to start SMALL, to take ACTION, and to DO something. This week I'm talking with two local sisters, Lisa Williams and Cheryl Juech, who started their own home-grown activism with their group the PERSISTers. The PERSISTers began around Lisa's dining room table in Wauwatosa in 2016 with a handful of friends and a few postcards. And it has steadily grown into a local movement - meeting weekly to share heartbreaks and hopes and - most importantly - committing to tangible and concrete weekly actions that demand more from our elected representatives. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the chaos of the state of our nation, let this week's interview give you small, immediate steps you can take today to stay alert and stay active. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.persisterswi.com/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/221757688298097Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/persisterswi/If you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Links I mention this week in the Friday Digest! Persisters Sherrill Knezel on IGBecome a Secret Agent of ChangeRosemerry Wahtola TrommerAnd tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. If the world is getting you down and you just need to feel GOOD for a minute, let this episode envelope you with ALLLLL the feels from today's guest, Jamila Riley (aka JRiley). Jamila is a creative, an entrepreneur, a designer, a motivational speaker, a stylist, a brand strategist, and a supporter of women to find and feel beauty from the inside out. Listen as we talk about authenticity, JOY, accountability, truth and tribes! If this conversation doesn't have you running over to Jamila's shop in the Sherman Phoenix for an in-person hug, I don't know what will. We need more intentional community builders in our city like Jamila. Learn from the best with this conversation! Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.iamjriley.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjriley/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjriley/If you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to my episode with Jamie Phoenix, another stylish Milwaukee woman who knows what it means to live authentically YOU. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Today on the podcast, I'm talking about JOY. Yes JOY, yes REALLY. More specifically, I'm asking if you can connect me to JOY in Milwaukee. AND I'm reading a poem by everyone's favorite poet, Mary Oliver. Who doesn't need JOY right now? Also - if you want to support Hanan Refugees Relief group - Please donate HERE! And tune in next week for another incredible Milwaukee woman, living her dream in the Cream City! Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. This week on the pod I'm talking with one of the founders of Street Angels, Eva Welch. Street Angels are Milwaukee's own HOPE dealers for our neighbors who are living in shelters and/or on the streets. More than just hope, they deal in dignity, compassion, friendship and love. PLUS they dole out lunches and dinners, blankets, socks and other essentials. Prepare to have myths around homelessness busted and your own hope and compassion increased THREEFOLD after you hear Eva's stories of her work with Street Angels. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://streetangelsmke.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AngelsOutreachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_angels_milw_outreach/If you loved this show, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode with Caitlin Cullen at Kinship Community Food Center. Find it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts. Show your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! More Incredible Milwaukee women helping our community today! Today, a big announcement with a HOT TICKET! You'll want to get your hands on one of these tickets before they are GONE! A dinner in support of the Hanan Refugees Relief Group ... to be held on Monday, March 10 at Amilinda. (so you KNOW Chef Gregory León will be there!) Tickets and more information on sale today HERE. LINKS I talk about in today's episode: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/01/31/trumps-stop-work-order-leave-refugees-resettlement-agencies-in-panic/77995297007/https://nellbenton.shorewest.com/https://hananrrg.org/https://www.lsswis.org/service/housing-and-residential/refugee-resettlement-2/https://iiwisconsin.org/refugee-resettlement/(My Episode with Bojana Zorić Martinez on the refugee experience in Wisconsin) https://www.buzzsprout.com/1969604/episodes/16075938https://amilinda.com/https://creativemornings.com/cities/MKESupport the show

CLICK HERE to send me a text, I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode! Leave your name in the text so I know who it's from! Another week, another inspiring Milwaukee woman. Where are you on the self-improvement hamster wheel these days? Are you pushing yourself to DO more, MAKE more, BE more? This week's guest, Ashley Jordan, knows this hamster wheel all too well. She was an achiever, though not a happy one. Until at 38, she had an experience that triggered an avalanche of grief, shame and trauma that led her down the path toward a spiritual (re)awakening. Just this past fall, Ashley released her book, "Unhappy Achiever, Rejecting the Good Girl Image and Reclaiming the Joy of Inner Fulfillment," describing her journey and everything she had to let go of in order to find her own joy and self-love. Today we talk about just that. If you appreciate a good story of personal transformation, you will want to listen to this episode where we talk all about what went into her 'unbecoming' (though without giving EVERYTHING away), and how she ended up writing her book to share the experience with others.