North Idaho Experience

This one goes everywhere. We sit down with Ryan Wiggins — a former Navy mineman, dive instructor, and now a battery industry innovator supplying tech to NASA, the DOD, and major utility companies. We get into how a sailboat rebuild in Florida turned into a career in energy storage, why his battery tech doesn't flinch when you shoot it, and what it's actually like clearing underwater mine...

Hunter Hanley is juggling two jobs — one for the US Army, one for himself. He's Civil Affairs, SOF umbrella, Fort Bragg, about 14 months from ETSing. And while the Army keeps him on a full schedule, he's been building Hanley Leatherworks out of two spare bedrooms: custom leather belts, reversible inner belts that flip from dress clothes to full gun rig, and a new MOLLE outer belt he hasn...

Before you buy land in North Idaho, there's a conversation you need to have — and it involves soil depth, slope percentage, and a underground lake that's been there since the last ice age. Dave and Seth sit down with Erik Illum, a former Marine combat engineer who somehow became North Idaho's go-to septic engineer, and the conversation covers a lot of ground. Erik breaks down what m...

Detective Jeff Snell has spent 28 years in law enforcement — from working gangs in one of California's most violent cities to solving cases in Kootenai County that start with $80 game cameras and end with SWAT teams. In this episode Eric and Seth sit down with Jeff for one of the most wide-ranging conversations in NIE podcast history. You'll hear about drug trends cops actually see on th...

From Iraq to Coeur d'Alene — Kyle and Michelle Cooper's story is anything but ordinary. In this episode of the North Idaho Experience Podcast, Dave and Seth sit down with the husband-and-wife veteran team behind Best Life Coffee, one of Coeur d'Alene's most values-driven local coffee shops. Kyle and Michelle met while serving in the U.S. Army during deployment in Iraq in 2004,...

Brandi Kruse — host of the independent podcast Undivided and one of Washington State's most outspoken media voices — sits down with North Idaho Experience for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation about media censorship, the collapse of legacy journalism, Washington State's political and cultural decline, and why hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing to Idaho. Brandi shares...

If you've ever been curious about silencers, suppressors, or how full auto firearms work legally in Idaho, this is the episode for you. North Idaho Experience hosts Seth and Dave sit down with Chris Kizanis, co-owner of Jager Defense, a Sandpoint, Idaho-based firearms company quietly building some of the most innovative silencers in the country. Jager Defense makes a patented three-inch hybri...

What does functional mushroom coffee have to do with men's mental health, brotherhood, and living defiant? Everything — at least according to Ronnie Watson, founder of Defiant Coffee, a North Idaho-born brand that's been quietly growing since 2017. In this episode of the North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Ronnie to talk about how he went from 11 years at Rockstar Energy Drink to bu...

What does it mean to live by a code in the modern world? In this episode of North Idaho Experience, Seth and Eric sit down with Chris Hunt — creator of Code of the West, former Black Rifle Coffee Company Art Director, and keeper of old-school frontier wisdom for a new generation. Chris breaks down how growing up around truck drivers, cowboys, and construction workers shaped his worldview, what he...

When a retired firefighter is diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma — and refuses to accept a GoFundMe — what happens to the money? The answer became one of Idaho's most impactful first responder foundations. In this episode of North Idaho Experience, hosts Dave and Seth sit down with Jesse Welch, a Coeur d'Alene Police Officer, and his mother Sue Welch, to share the story behind the JW...

Is AI about to change everything — or are we already past the point of no return? In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Luke Dupin, a professional programmer since age 14 and one of the sharpest tech minds in North Idaho, for one of the most wide-ranging conversations we've ever had on the show. Luke breaks down how AI actually works, which models are worth using (and wh...

What is a gun trust — and do you need one in Idaho? In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with local attorney Ben Allen to break down everything you need to know about NFA gun trusts, Title II firearms, tax stamps, and how a properly drafted gun trust can protect you, your family, and your NFA items like suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns. Ben walks us...

What does it look like when a former California corrections officer leaves the system, moves to North Idaho, and builds one of the most beloved veteran and first responder bars in the region? In this episode, we sit down with Brent Trope — owner of The Bunker Bar and Burger Bunker in Post Falls, Idaho — to hear the full story. Brent spent years working inside some of California's most notorio...

What does it actually take to run Kootenai County — and is the person stepping up to do it ready for the job? In this episode, we sit down with Julie Hensley, candidate for Kootenai County Commissioner District 1, for one of the most practical and eye-opening conversations about local government we've had on this show. Julie isn't a career politician. She's a former ER nurse from on...

What does a former LAPD Gang Unit officer, Mexican Mafia specialist, and probation officer bring to a Kootenai County Commissioner race? A perspective that no career politician can match. In this episode, we sit down with Steve, candidate for Kootenai County Commissioner District 2, for one of the most candid conversations about North Idaho's future we've had on this podcast. Steve moved...

Child abuse. Domestic violence. Sexual assault. These are subjects most people don't know how to talk about — but Scott Coleman has spent his career doing exactly that. In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Scott, a former law enforcement officer and current Director of the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) at Safe Passage in North Idaho, to pull back the curtain on...

What exactly is the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee — and who's running it? In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Brent Reagan, engineer, inventor, and Chairman of the KCRCC, for one of the most informative deep-dives into local Idaho politics we've ever had on the show. Brent breaks down exactly how the KCRCC works from the ground up — 74 precincts, pr...

Running for district judge in North Idaho's First Judicial District, Benjamin Allen brings a rare combination of rural Idaho roots, a decade of prosecutorial experience in Shoshone County, and a deep commitment to community service. In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Ben to talk about what it really takes to be a fair, grounded, and effective judge in a small but high...

In this episode of the North Idaho Experience, hosts Seth and Eric sit down with John Padula — a fourth-generation North Idaho native, pastor, former drug addict, ex-convict, and candidate running for Kootenai County Commissioner Seat 1. John shares his raw, inspiring story of transformation: from 17 years of addiction and six years in state prison, to becoming a pastor, housing over 800 people in...

In this episode of the North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Seth Green — former Captain of the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about law enforcement, local politics, and the drug crisis reshaping North Idaho communities. Seth walks us through the harrowing active shooter attack at the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office — a gripping, real-time accou...

What happens when a combat-injured Air Force veteran loses everything — his identity, his purpose, and his health? Tim Henry found his answer in a CrossFit gym, and now he's on a mission to bring that same transformation to veterans, first responders, and everyday people in the Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho community. In this powerful episode of North Idaho Experience, Tim opens up...

Former cop, entrepreneur, and Old State Saloon owner Mark Fitzpatrick sits down with the North Idaho Experience podcast to share why he's challenging incumbent Governor Brad Little in Idaho's Republican primary. With a background in law enforcement (Newport Beach PD, 1999–2014), a son of a 40-year LAPD veteran, and decades of entrepreneurial experience from California to North Idaho, Fit...

Confused about property taxes in Idaho? You're not alone! In this eye-opening episode of the North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Allyson Knapp — a 30-year appraiser, former Chief Deputy Assessor of Kootenai County, and 15-year realtor — to break down exactly how Idaho property taxes work, what the assessor's office actually does, and what every homeowner needs to know to protect the...

Are stem cells legal in the US? Do they actually work? And could they replace surgery for joint pain, torn tendons, or even autoimmune disease? In this episode of North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Dr. Chris Meadows, a board-certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist and regenerative medicine expert at Clinic Five C in Spokane (and coming soon to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)....

What does it take to become a man of purpose, faith, and warrior spirit? In this powerful episode of the North Idaho Experience Podcast, we sit down with Neil Dyer — retired Navy SEAL, founder of Warriors Rise, and one of the most impactful voices in the North Idaho community. Neil shares his extraordinary journey from the battlefield to faith-based mentorship, guiding young men and adults through...