Get Deep Podcast

Caleb & Doug Fenske - the son and father duo making beers into business! Owners of Lost Sanity Brewing in Madelia MN, Caleb and Doug have found a great work-life balance between brewing, family dynamics, and supporting their local community. Caleb shares how his passion for beer inspired the enterprise; Doug explains how his knowledge of operations helped turn this side business into a full-ti...

Luke Strand: the new head coach of Maverick men’s hockey! A Wisconsin native, our guest this week takes on his remarkable journey rooted in a deep knowledge and appreciation for the game. Luke has a rich history as a hockey player himself, and recounts for us the career moves that led him to the great city of Mankato. From assistant coaching international games to his latest experiences as head co...

Tom Samuelson: owner of Woodland Hills Funeral home right here in Mankato! Our guest this week has incredible expertise in interpersonal communication and working through the most intense situations. After a serious farming accident almost left Tom a paraplegic in his youth, he shares with us how his healing journey impacted this new appreciation for life. From working in the funeral industry in V...

Andrew + Sara Herr: highly successful entrepreneurs, innovative thinkers and community pillars! Join us as this ultimate power couple shares their story of how they met, the story behind Next Big Thing, and how their respective backgrounds shaped their careers. Hard work, patience and perseverance led Andrew on his journey from intern to executive with Taylor Holdings. ⁠Sara shares how these share...

Eric Jones: “the real Jones” and co-Director of the Mankato Mayo Clinic Health and Event Center! Join us as Eric shares some of his favorite stories from working and facilitating healthy relationships with big name musical artists who perform at the event center. From Brandi Carlile to Gene Simmons, we loved hearing about the different personalities - and requests! - that Eric has witnessed over t...

Sarah Person: owner + president of Exclusively Diamonds - and co-owner of multiple restaurants with husband CJ Person! Sarah’s story takes us on a deep dive into multi-generational business, and how this has shaped her impact on the community. Our guest this week is incredibly well versed in both interpersonal relationships and the finer points of running successful companies across Southern Minne...

David Kim: partner at Gislason & Hunter, business lawyer extraordinaire! Our guest this weekend has a rich multi-cultural background. We loved hearing David’s origin story: from his childhood and young adulthood in South Korea, his journey through investment banking, and what inspired his career change to pursue a law degree at Iowa Law School, David takes us through the ins and outs of his in...

Max DeMars: president of DeMars Construction - and longtime Get Deep listener! Join us for a truly epic conversation with Mankato native Max DeMars, a local icon who has (quite literally) helped build our community. From his earliest beginnings at his father’s construction company, to the opportunities and risks that have shaped DeMars Construction today - we’re here for it all! Jordan Powers join...

Tim Tupy: co-owner of Mankato’s Liv Aveda Salon & Spa, and the Mankato Brewery. Our guest this week is a multi-faceted business owner who has found success in two very different industries. Tim recounts his favorite stories and insights from over 20 years of entrepreneurship with his wife Tami. From navigating investor relationships, the ins and outs of the brewing industry, growing a business...

Join us for a very special edition of the Get Deep podcast with Erin Pietz, featuring the one and only Shannon Beal as our co-host for the week! Erin Pietz is a Kato Moving & Storage representative (a family business!) and cancer survivor. Pietz shares with us her earliest roots in the Mankato area, the rich history behind the family moving enterprise, and her journey with and through Acute Pr...

Grant Pope: operations manager of Kamp Dels! As a third generation contributor to the family business, our guest this week is here to spill all the details from his life growing up in the service and park industries. Grant gives insight into his personal philosophy, grounded in the idea of sacrificing personal ego for the sake of the team goals, and how this mindset has informed his success in the...

Brad Connors: CEO at iWealth and published author! Our guest this week shares how an early tragic loss and injury shaped his appreciation for wealth management - and giving back to his community. From his first job working at a fish market in Waterville to his current position as CEO of a major investment company, Brad’s story is truly remarkable. We were honored to sit with a guest that is so str...

Abby Clemons: owner and operator of Suburban Furniture and Flooring in Waseca! Taking over - and growing! - a family business is not for the faint of heart, and Abby has done so with great innovation and enthusiasm. Our guest shares how her Waseca roots brought her back to the area after a successful collegiate and professional career in Minneapolis. From fostering a healthy work-life balance to k...

Tom Fallenstein: CEO of Fun.com and HalloweenCostumes.com! This Mankato native grew up in a family of successful entrepreneurs, and recounts his earliest beginnings of (almost!) inheriting a garbage collection business. Our guest shares how his mother’s love of making the most amazing costumes pinwheeled into a multi-million dollar industry centered around self-expression, community, and F U N. St...

Dain “River Ricky” Fisher: a serial entrepreneur in his own right! Owner of Bent River Outfitters, Office Space Design and CBC Fisher Group, Dain’s expertise in the world of business is expansive. Our guest this week holds multiple responsibilities across these three businesses with an aspiring degree of innovation. The secret to his success? Learning from the failures and working really, really h...

Danny White: director of furniture sales at iSpace Environments and the music man of Mankato! Our guest this week is an adept communicator. Danny shares how he’s learned to connect on a deeper level with his clientele at iSpace Environments. As an accomplished guitarist and musician, he speaks to his audience through music using a very different set of communication skills. From the lessons he’s l...

Sam Ziegler: president and director of GreenSeam, fourth generation farmer, and agricultural community pillar. When it comes to Minnesota crops and its impact on national economy, our guest this week is an expert in the field (pun intended!) Farming and agriculture in Southern Minnesota has changed drastically in the last 50 years; Sam explains the benefits and struggles of this ever-evolving indu...

Bryan & Tami Paulsen: one Mankato's favorite power couples! With Bryan's position as a senior architect at ISG and Tami's role as the Jonathan Zierdt cancer fund director at MAF, these two are major contributors to our community. Their entrepreneurial journey began in 1995 when they started their own architectural firm, Paulsen Architects, which was later acquired by ISG. We loved...

Nancy Zallek: president and CEO of the Mankato Area Foundation! As a fifth generation Mankato native, Nancy’s roots run deep in the community. Join us as our guest shares how her family legacy in the retail industry cultivated her interest in the world of business. From the joys (and struggles) of fundraising to her tenacious fight for projects to enrich the community, Nancy’s efforts have brought...

David Wittenberg: branch manager and financial advisor with Stifel! Dave’s incredible storytelling skills are highlighted in one of our new favorite episodes. Our guest takes us on a journey covering everything from his experience as co-chair for Hockey Day Minnesota, his background in finance and economics, and his career trajectory to his current position at Stifel. A community man at heart, we...

Patrick Casey: awarded family law, criminal defense, and civil litigation attorney! With a background in public defense as an accomplished trial lawyer, Patrick’s success in representation is grounded in his exceptional ability to connect and communicate at an expert level with his audience. Our guest shares with us some of his wildest stories from the courtroom, and how his experiences have shape...

Denny Dotson: a Mankato legend in our midst! Owner of Dotson Iron Castings, Navy veteran, local philanthropist, and devoted family man. Join us as Denny shares his earliest recollections of growing up in Southern Minnesota. His legacy in the foundry business began by learning the trade from his father, garnering expertise through experience and sacrificing a finger tip or two along the way. From f...

Nancy Dobson: Scoops ice cream shop co-owner, physical therapist practitioner, Vrbo entrepreneur, and mother of five! Join us as Nancy explains how the positive influence of her father and family influenced her decision to pursue a career in physical therapy for children, eventually starting her own practice right here in southern Minnesota. Her emphasis on enjoying the small moments in life has b...

Casey Christenson: award-winning graphic designer, caricature artist, illustrator, and all-around creative genius! Long time friend and collaborator Casey shares how having a pen in hand has shaped his career trajectory and perspective on life. From meeting his wife in drawing class to managing client expectations as a multi-faceted art director, our guest takes us on an artistic journey unlike an...

Josh Madson: Fargo native, retired punk rocker, songwriter, master photographer, and director! A recent LA transplant to the area, our guest this week has lived 9 lives; we are so enthused to be able to hear his craziest industry stories first hand. His photography roster includes working under photography genius Annie Leibovitz, Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop, Buzz Aldrin during a Louis Vuitton shoot -...