The Northern Nerd

2023 was a heck of a year for this nerd! I know it's been a minute since I recorded an episode, but having a child will do that. Thank you for your patience as you awaited a new episode to drop. This episode is dedicated to reviewing 2023 and forecasting what is to come in 2024! My family made the cover of USA TODAY, I hit over 15k followers on Facebook as well as 10k followers on Instagram. I also hosted a number of community events with some wonderful friends of mine and am looking forward to hosting more this year! Be sure to subscribe! Thank you!

Packers training camp officially started today (July 26th) and that's all the more reason to get excited for the upcoming season. Today's episode is dedicated to sharing my thoughts on the strengths of this Packers team, address what my concerns are and share my final record that I think the Packers will have this season. Enjoy the show and Go Pack Go!

I recently had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing students of various ages out at the Forest Lodge Library in Cable, WI. Students discussed how their summers were going, what books they've been reading, what they enjoy about the library and MANY other topics. It was a great way to spend a Thursday afternoon and I think you'll enjoy listening to what these kids had to say. Thanks for your support and enjoy the show! Please consider donating to help their expansion efforts. DONATE NOW

Mary Mack is a comedian that grew up right here in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Mary co-stars as Jesse in the Hulu cartoon Solar Opposites by the creators of Rick and Morty. She's appeared in Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival, HBO's Andy Kaufman Awards, San Francisco's Sketchfest, and the Dry Bar comedy series. Mack's television credits include Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, TBS' Conan, Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Fox's Golan the Insatiable, and NBC's Last Comic Standing, Last Call with Carson Daly, and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. She was a great guest to have on the show and if you like what you hear in the episode, be sure to check out her North Star Comedy Hour show happening on July 29th & August 19th at The Park Center in Hayward, WI. BUY TICKETS: North Star Comedy Hour For more info, visit www.marymackcomedy.com

Travel has never been easier than it is today. With planes, trains and automobiles we can get to where we want to go fairly quickly. The summer is always a great time to take a vacation, but how do you make the most of yours? These vacation days are important to make the most of and today's episode is dedicated to helping you make the most of your trip. We will talk about food (obviously) time management, events, and leaving yourself open to an adventure. Enjoy!

Year four of teaching is officially in the books and now that I've had a little bit of time to process it, I want to share with you some of my favorite memories. This episode includes various quotes from the classroom, my thoughts on teaching summer school thus far, some of my favorite things about being a teacher and I end the show with some advice to first year teachers. Enjoy the show!

The Hayward Foundation for Educational Enrichment (HFEE) is having their annual Lee Bonicatto Memorial Golf Fundraiser outing on May 19th. With that being said, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with HFEE members, Amy Sportel and Salle Beckwith, to discuss what HFEE is and what it is that they do. Since its inception back in 1994, HFEE has been a vital resource for teachers and the Hayward Community School District. Enjoy our Sunday conversation and if you'd like to donate, consider following the links below. DONATE: https://www.hfee-wi.org/howtogiveABOUT HFEE: https://www.hfee-wi.org/about

The end of the school year is always an interesting time of year as a teacher. You're finishing up your curriculum, wrapping up assessments, and have to pack up your classroom. In today's episode, I share my thoughts on my favorite end of the school year activities as well as share quotes from back when I was a student teacher. No matter the grade level, you never know what's going to come out of a student's mouth. Enjoy! Be sure to subscribe and join the #nerdherd.

Wow, we made it to episode 100! When this podcast started back in 2018, I wasn't sure what to expect, but through this podcast I've been able to bottle up some of my favorite conversations with people. It's truly crazy to think that it's been five years since I first hit "record." This episode takes a look back at how the podcast began, discusses some of my favorite moments, and even gives a little Ted Lasso inspiration for you. Enjoy and thanks for being here.

We've made it to our 99th episode! With that being said, we had to name this episode after the greatest hockey player of all time. Did we talk hockey at all in this episode? Absolutely not, but that's okay. We had the chance to discuss this long winter, why it's important to take vacations during the winter, gave our thoughts on Rodgers, gave a triple-double show recommendation, and went on other tangents. After recording the show, we stepped outside of The Whistle Punk to see the northern lights in action. What a beauty of a night! Enjoy our latest episode and be sure to subscribe.

Ben and I used to work together back in college at UW-Eau Claire at the campus TV station, TV10. We both worked in the sports scene and I got to do color commentary with best friend, Kyle Naber while Ben was a student assistant coach for the Blugolds Men's Basketball team. Since then, Ben has stayed involved in college basketball and is in his second year with the Marquette Golden Eagles as their digital graphics coordinator. Marquette is having an amazing season thus far and with March Madness looming, I thought it would be a great time to have Ben on the podcast to not only catch up a bit, but to also talk about his role with the Marquette Men's Basketball team. This conversation involved plenty of basketball, but also got a little bit deeper when talking about coach philosophies and creating a positive culture within a locker room. Enjoy!Subscribe to the podcast to stay updated on when we have new episodes released.

The Hayward Business Improvement District (BID) is once again putting on their annual Shamrock Shuffle on March 18th. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Cindy Swift-Kaner of Riverbrook Bike & Ski and James Netz of James Netz Photography to discuss this year's shuffle! We also talked about what makes Hayward's downtown so great and also what makes Hayward a great place to live/visit. Enjoy!For more information on the Shamrock Shuffle, follow this link.

Sailing isn't something that's normally talked about in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Plenty of people go out on their pontoons, kayaks and canoes but very few people have ever sailed out in the middle of the ocean. Jake McCusker and Erin McDade recently completed a journey from Hawaii to San Francisco to deliver a boat along with the rest of their crew. While out in the middle of the ocean, they experienced challenges as scary as a fishing hook in the leg to moments of peace while gazing out at the water. Give their story a listen and maybe, just maybe, it'll inspire you to go out on your own adventure. Enjoy!To view Jake and Erin's adventure via video, check out these links to Youtube videos below. Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4

Jon Kreye is an award winning adventure photographer based in Minnesota. Jon and I first met during the 2022 Birkie and I have been wanting to have him on the show for some time now. Jon has stayed in some of the most unique and highly desired rental properties across the country including shipping container cabins, treehouses, dome homes, private islands, yurts, barn homes, and more. He recently came out with a book, Up North: Getaways of Minnesota and Wisconsin , and is a great person to follow on Instagram. I had a wonderful time talking with him about photography, what some of his favorite adventures have been and what places are on his radar to visit. Enjoy! Follow his adventures on Instagram @jonkreye

On the latest installment in the series "Small Business Nerds" brought you by the Sawyer County/LCO Economic Development Corporation, I sat down with Ethan and Jenn Zimmerman of Studio North in Hayward, WI. We discussed their small business journey thus far, their vision for the future, their core values and the possibility of Ethan making an 80's movie montage while screen printing. It was a very fun chat with this power couple and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for them. Enjoy!

This episode is our first installment of "Small Business Nerds." It's a series that is brought to you by the Sawyer County/LCO Economic Development Corporation and will feature various businesses from the area. Our first guest is a wonderful baker and cookie artist, Tracy Rasmussen, of Simply Sweets Cookie Company. I enjoyed chatting with her about how she got started, how her business has grown and even got the exact amount of cookie cutters she has! (It's more than you think.) Enjoy today's episode and be sure to check out Tracy's website and social media pages.

With the new year here, the After Hours crew had to get back together to discuss our resolutions...or anti-resolutions that is. We also chatted about how partying on NYE changes the older you get, gave some recommendations and talked about our actual goals for 2023. Enjoy!

I got to have a fireside chat with the new owners of Coop's Pizza, Debbi Houston and Samantha Mittlesdorf! We discussed what it's like to own a business in the northwoods, their favorite pizzas, the giant fish tank, and how they plan to remain a staple of the Hayward area. Enjoy!For their full menu, click here.

Everyone is worried about the NFL playoffs right now, but the real sport of America takes place during Birkie Week on Main Street in Hayward, WI. "The Nimrods" are a group of elite individuals that came come together to form a giant ski super team before super teams were even a thing. Many have likened them to the Avengers and action figures are currently in the works. They have a movie coming out on February 17th at The Park and rumor has it that many A-list celebrities will be in town for the premier. I was lucky enough to take the Nimrods away (briefly) from their intense training in order to conduct this interview with them. Enjoy! #nimrodnation

On Tuesday, December 27th a “Charlie Brown-esque” community skating party was held at the Tot Lot in Hayward, WI. The goal of the event was to get people together to enjoy a night of skating, conversation, and to truly embrace the beauty of small town life around the holidays. With an estimated over 100+ people in attendance throughout the evening, it's fair to say that old fashioned events are still in style.

A Christmas movie featuring both Will Ferrell (Elf) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)? Sign me up. Spirited is a different take on the classic Charles Dickens' story of A Christmas Carol. Now there have been over one hundred different variations of A Christmas Carol over the years, so this begs the question; do we really need another version of this classic tale? Certainly. Sure. Why not? Everything is just a remake these days. (Sorry, did I sound too much like your uncle there?) Spirited is worth adding to your Christmas movie watch list and here's why.

With several streaming platforms out there (Spotify, Apple Music, Prime Music) making listening to any song at any time easier than before, why would anyone in their right mind spend money on a physical copy of music? To have a physical copy of music is rare these days. Many people no longer have enormous CD cases in the passenger seats of their cars. People aren't rushing out to the stores to get the latest album release; they are just able to download it right away on their phone. Owning a physical copy of an album may seem outdated or impractical to most, but vinyl records have been making a comeback for a reason.To view the full report conducted by RIAA, click here. Thanks for listening!

The holiday shopping season is here! While this is an exciting time of year for many, let's not forget about our neighbors that are shop owners. Today's episode is dedicated to those small businesses on Main Street all across America. Enjoy and remember to shop local and shop small.

On Thursday, November 3rd I was honored to be the keynote speaker for the Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner. It was an experience that I will remember forever. Here is a rerecorded version of the speech that I hope inspires you to keep pushing towards progress here in the northwoods and to pursue your dreams. Enjoy!

It's no secret that the state of Wisconsin is home to thousands of bars. Of these bars, some are high class with valet parking and drinks that James Bond would sip on. Others are covered in taxidermy (both well done and terrible) and pride themselves in being that dive bar. Regardless, people love to have a place where they can come together for a big game or to swap stories from the past. Since its inception back in 2021, Louie's Bar and Bites has become a hometown favorite in the Hayward area. Enjoy!

After a two month hiatus, the "after hours" crew was able to get back together. Summer in a tourist town gets busy for everyone, so we spent the majority of the episode catching up, giving best man speech advice, show recommendations and discussed what "the hootie line" is all about. Enjoy!

I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Dairyland Outdoor Veterans Retreat (DOVR) for a dinner amongst veterans and their families. While there, I was fortunate enough to interview three men that play a significant role in helping veterans. Enjoy! If you'd like to find out more about DOVR, please visit their website at www.dovr.org

Diego Napoles (or Mr. Napoles) is a 4th grade teacher out in Southern California. I started following Diego on TikTok this past school year. He was offering many great teacher resources/tips as well as providing stories from his classroom. He's somebody I have been wanting to get on the show for a while and it finally worked out! We had a great time discussing the differences between teaching in Wisconsin vs California, why we got into teaching, and we also shared some advice we had for keeping a good work/life balance. He was a wonderful guest to have on the show and I look forward to having him on again. Enjoy!Diego's Social Media:TikTok: @mrnapolesInstagram: @mr_napolesYouTube: Mr. Napoles

The Rivers Eatery doesn't just make pizza, but they offer a unique dining experience in the northwoods that my wife and I have come to enjoy. In this episode, I will discuss our experience at The Rivers Eatery and why you should make it a dining destination the next time your looking to treat your tastebuds in the northwoods. Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe!

I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting down with Belle Poppe of Selah Mobile Coffee to discuss what it's been like to run her own small business and the impact that it's made on the Hayward community. She was a fantastic guest to have on the show and I think you'll love to hear what she has to say in regards to starting a small business, some of her favorite memories from her first year and what she is looking forward to doing in the future. Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe!

As the youth of America would say, "it's been a minute." We got the crew back together after taking a handful of months off and it felt good to sit down at The Whistle Punk once again to talk about life in the northwoods. There are a lot exciting things happening in the area this time of year (including a screening of "Bloodhook" at the Park Center) amongst many other things. We also wanted to give you some recommendations for things to watch, listen to, and read...along with a few rants mixed in. (We can't help ourselves sometimes.) Enjoy listening to the episode and thank you to Minocqua Winter Park for sponsoring this episode. Visit minocquawinterpark.org for more information on their trails, events and membership information!

Your first year of teaching is all about survival. If you make it through your first year; you can do anything. In this latest episode, I take a look back at some of the lessons I learned in my first year of teaching as well as share some quotes from my students. If you're a teacher listening to this, I hope you're able to connect with it. If you're not, I hope you gain some insight on what it is like to be an elementary school teacher. Enjoy!

A 2nd grade fraternity and sorority? Yeah, they exist in my classroom. They are a far cry from a college frat or sorority (thank the Lord for that) and they have been a great way to build community within my classroom. This is the story of how the Delta Pizza Monster Trucks and the Kappa Rainbow Unicorns came to be and how the power of Tik Tok changed my classroom this year. Enjoy!

I debated for a while on whether or not I would start talking more about faith on my podcast. While it's not something I've done a lot of on this platform, I feel as though it's time to dig a little deeper with it. I'm not here to preach a sermon or to tell you that you're going to hell if you don't get right with the Lord, but I want to offer you some advice on what to do with your faith. As men, we struggle to share our faith or to have connection with God. I hope that through this episode and future episodes to come, that I am able to provide you with different ways to improve your relationship with God and with others. Enjoy the latest episode!

In this week's episode, I discuss some of my favorite memories from baseball throughout my life and why most of them have take place off the field. I also wanted to bring to your attention a young man by the name of Ashton Strand. He's working with the Sawyer County Historical Society on a fundraising project to help save the museum (think "Back to the Future" with the "Save Our Clock Tower"). What he's doing is amazing and I hope you consider helping out. Enjoy the episode! SCHS GoFundMe: https://bit.ly/3r9DkAU

Years ago, many families came together after the work day to share a meal together. This sit down meal provided a time where stories from the day were shared, updates on how the school day went (“We didn't learn anything new, Mom.”), and other topics were thrown about the table while mashed potatoes were being passed. It was a time to truly get to know the people around you and your family members. Looking at current social trends, have we glossed over the fact that many people no longer sit down for meals together as a family?In this week's episode, we examine the "death of the dinner table" and what are some key elements to reviving it.

My friends, Beau and Bethany Petersen had me over at their Wisconsin Surf shop to enjoy a night of podcasting in their mobile sauna called Wisconsin Sauna. While we were slow cooking in the sauna, we discussed the Birkie, what the event means to us, and also gave you some Birkie tips! Enjoy!

There's nothing quite like Birkie Week in Hayward, WI. The town's population grows exponentially and there's a buzz that everyone can feel. It's the Super Bowl of the Northwoods. With the big week quickly approaching, I dipped back into my vault to talk about what the Birkie means to me. Enjoy!

The American Birkebeiner is less than a month away and I couldn't be more excited. The atmosphere in the northwoods area this time of year is something I wish I could bottle up and save for a rainy day. With that being said, this year will be a little bit different for me. I won't be just a spectator this year. I will be skiing in the Kortelopet ski race. Coming from a guy who didn't put on skis until this past year, I couldn't be more excited or nervous for my first event. Throughout this training process, I've learned a lot about myself and what I hope to instill into the lives of my second grade students. Enjoy the episode!

We kicked off 2022 by having our friend from the Whistle Punk, Josh Joiner, join the show. It was his first podcast and he rocked it. Josh recently moved to the area from Illinois and we wanted to hear what he loves about living in the northwoods. He also talked about his Chicago Bears, but we let it slide (just this once.) We also gave you some concerts to be on the look out for, some stand up comedy recommendations and a few tips on how to get through these long winters. Enjoy the show!

After almost three years since my solo trip out to California, this episode is dedicated to the solo traveler. Traveling with friends, family and your significant other is beautiful in its own right, but solo trips can be revolutionary as well. Here's a tale from the vault about my trip out to California and the things I learned about myself along the way. Enjoy!

Small town life isn't for everyone. The pace is often a little bit slower and the there's not much for night life besides tucking yourself into a corner booth at the local watering hole. But there's so much more to small town life than there appears. There's beauty in conversations while in line at the grocery store. There's a simplicity found in waving to your neighbors while on a walk down the street. Not every small town is Mayberry, but if one is willing to seek it out, they can find the peace they're searching for. Enjoy our latest episode.

We all had a favorite teacher growing up. For some of us, it probably doesn't take too long to recall. You remember something funny they did or the way they made you feel while you were in their classroom. We all had a teacher we didn't like as well, but let's not think of them right now. Teachers have an opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of their students and that's just one of the reasons why I chose to go into the profession. It's a difficult position to be in, but very rewarding as well. Today's podcast is a reflection on my first year of teaching that I wrote halfway through my first year in 2019 along with some added notes now that I am in my third year of teaching. Enjoy!

Merry Malortmas! Let's preface this episode by saying that you're going to want to have a full glass before you start this one. We always enjoy getting together at the end of every year to rehash the events of the year. This year (much like last year) was a doozy and we probably had too much fun recording this one, but who cares? If you'd like to turn this episode into a drinking game, here are the rules:1.) Drink every time someone says "GOAT." 2.) Drink every time someone says "Malort." 3.) Drink every time someone mentions "guacamole beer." Best of luck and The Northern Nerd is not responsible for any injuries that may occur because of participation in this game.

Chris Wolf is one of the co-founders of the legendary Seeley Lumber Camp and is also one of my best friends. I have been meaning to sit down and record an episode with him for the longest time and the opportunity finally presented itself. Enjoy our in-depth dive into Seeley Lumber Camp and also some of our favorite (and not so favorite) Christmas traditions. If anyone wants to start the lights untangling store, we get like 3% of the cut... or something like that. Enjoy the show!

After a brief hiatus, the After Hours crew was able to sit down with a few cold beverages to discuss what we've been up to lately. A lot has happened since July when we last recorded an episode! We also discussed the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, gave out some great recommendations and gave you some not so legit promo codes to use. Also, if anyone is interested in sponsoring our backpacking trip through Europe, just hit up our AOL or MSN Messenger. Enjoy the show!

"The Show" was an iconic morning show on 92.3 WRLS in the northwoods of Wisconsin for over 20 years with my dad, Gary Hessel, and long time radio host, Dick Bender. While I was growing up, I got the wonderful opportunity to join them in the studio on multiple occasions to listen to them crack jokes while conducting "The Show." It has been a dream of mine to get these two back together for a "reunion show" and by golly, we finally made it happen.

Lucia Mauro is a Chicago filmmaker and cancer survivor and she is bringing her film "One Year Later" to the Park Center on Thursday, September 23rd. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lucia to talk about her film and other films she has made. We also discussed her travels and her favorite places to venture to in Italy! This will be her first time in the northwoods and we are so blessed to have her. Enjoy the show!

The Northwoods Humane Society is celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a 1k Dog Walk & Ice Cream Social on September 12th. I had Deanna (NHS) and Vallie from the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness (OCSA) organization over at the house to talk about their wonderful organizations and how they are collaborating to put on this great event and other events in the northwoods. We had a fantastic time in the Northern Nerd studio (my kitchen) and shared many laughs along the way. Enjoy the show! For more information:https://www.northwoodshumanesociety.orghttps://ovariancancersymptomawareness.org

Bryce Gervais is a professional hockey player and an avid fan of the northwoods. He's played for the MSU Mankato Mavericks, Chicago Wolves (AHL), EHC Olten (SL), and most recently the Heilbronner Falken (DEL 2). In this episode, we talked about growing up in Canada, what it's like to be a professional athlete, life as a new dad, and the wonders of the northwoods. Enjoy our latest episode!

A rainy evening at fishing camp was just what we needed to get this episode recorded. I always wanted to sit down with my dad and brother to recount stories of hunting/fishing and many others throughout our time together. Enjoy our stories, endless movie quotes and laughing at our own jokes.