Good Morning Aurora

From London to Boston, back to Aurora; style & fashion on the move! We were pleased to be joined on the show by Mackenzie Kerby, founder and owner of the High Street boutique. It was awesome to learn about her amazing story and it’s very motivational as well. You’ve heard us say that chasing one’s passion is paramount, and that still rings true! But we also have to make sure we’re making the c...

What started as an idea has come to life, twice! Yesterday we sat down with a dear friend of the show, Mr. Sam Hall, the author of 24 Rungs: An ASMR Journey To Recovery. Our paths crossed in the early days of the pandemic in our country. Literally, the start. Sam is a writer and has a great and wonderful talent. He inspired us early on with what he’d done, from initial talks we knew we’d found a l...

It was more than style, it was also motivation! We had a great conversation with Mrs. Beverly Warren, better known as Mrs. Busy B, owner of . Originally from Chicago, Mrs. B has since become an Aurora business owner with a message all her own. From pleasing clients to making everyone look good, she knows how to make a business succeed. We spoke about spirituality, her story and her time in Atlanta...

Change is coming to Aurora, that’s the message. Today we had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Saul Fultz, candidate for 7th ward Alderman. As a lifelong Auroran Saul’s perspective is greatly appreciated. Also an Army veteran, Saul has done a lot in the community and continues to have the capacity to serve. For our city residents, many have expressed frustration in many areas. Saul proposes to do wh...

From thinking about it to doing it; another motivational Monday. Today we sat down with  the husband & wife team of Presidential Cleaning, Dernell & Karina Darden. We learned a lot and we also got to know two people who’ve been involved in the community for some time. Karina is originally from Bolivia and Dernell has Aurora roots and graduated from Oswego high school. Together they st...

Staying warm and giving back to others, what a great way to go into the weekend. Today we met Maddie Bozik, namesake of Maddie’s Mittens, a local nonprofit, and learned about what they do. Starting in 2009, Maddie has been providing needed clothing items to school children less fortunate. Starting off with just a few items for locals, her family now has two buses for hauling items. Each bus is in...

Today was a jam-packed day and a great morning of interviewing. We were honored  to have Bridget Johnson, owner of Red Hive Market on the show today. Bridget has a fantastic story and we loved talking about her life and work in the city. Born in Cuba, Bridget shared her story and experience as a Latina. The story is both an American story, and a latina's story as well. As a business owner Bri...

Aurora history front and center once again. Mr. Bill Poss of Luigi’s Pizza & Fun Center was our guest today. This was a fun, lighthearted and deep conversation and we enjoyed it. Bill has been a part of the fabric of the community for 40 years. Times have been especially difficult for our restaurant and entertainment industry, Bill knows firsthand. In this interview we talk about the changes w...

Momentum and perseverance, that’s how we get there. Along with financial literacy, our conversation with Mr. Michael Rayford took many paths. We had a great time today and learned a lot about the communication industry. Michael’s background included working for Oprah & PBS and he shared his experiences with us. In addition to professional moments and advice, he is a financial literacy entrepre...

Today we took a dive into the learning situation from a youthful perspective. On the show we had young Luke Lockwood who is a student of the Oswego School District 308. In our conversation we spoke about what the transition has been like and adapting to it. Luke has an interest in American presidents throughout history so we also spoke about American government. The promise of vaccines and the pot...

Family entertainment and business were the topics of the day. Owner of Chaser’s and Rockerball, Corie Caruso joined us in the studio for an interview. As we know, our small to medium family owned businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic. Goods and services, restaurants and entertainment venues have taken the brunt of the impact. Originally from Chicago, Corie has made her community, famil...

Have you ever driven around Downtown Aurora and thought to yourself: “wow, I wonder what that old building used to be!”? We have as well, and today we spoke with Mr. Tom Cook, CEO of Valley Electrical. A New York native who's since made Aurora his home, we learned about his life, business and choice aspects of his profession. From an apprentice to owning his own business, Tom shared with us his st...

Learning and being knowledgeable of the struggles of others; that’s what we experienced this morning. Today we were joined by Norma Peterson, CEO of Document The Abuse. Norma brought to us insight, candor and strength as we talked about domestic violence and breaking free. For many, it may seem like a struggle to shield oneself from pain and anxiety. In troubled relationships, what are the keys to...

Acting, discussing the movie Shawshank Redemption and coffee, great day! Today we were joined on the show by Mr. Aaron Hawkins (filmmaker, actor). Aaron explained acting styles and shared his life experiences. As a United States Navy & Army veteran he brings determination and intensity to his roles. His recent roles in Secret Lover and Evil Lurks are what we discussed mostly. But also, we talk...

It pretty much happened kind of overnight, it then became a standard. After a standard it became “a must”; after that it's since become the staple. Today we took some time to debut the first installment of a new series called “The Positive Note: Aurora Daily Affirmations”. As you know, ending the show on a positive note is what we do each day. It means a lot to us to give others a voice. To allow...

It’s all about the tea & coffee, you must have both! Today’s episode was a great discussion with Mr. Micheal Morkert, owner of Java Plus coffee shop. Mike has deep Aurora roots, starting off as a teacher and ending as a business owner. Recently, Java Plus hosted a coats donation drive for our friends of the CAAN Network (Community Advocacy Awareness Network). This is one of many great things t...

"It began on the northside streets of Chicago's Wrigleyville."  Highly motivated as we start our day; motivated and thankful. On the show this morning we were honored to have Mr. Eddie Torres (Musician & Award Winning Composer) in the studio. From the northside of Chicago to some of the most storied counties, Eddies’ journey was awesome to hear. Currently, Eddie has a film in post-product...

Another page in the book of Aurora history was touched upon this morning. We read it, embraced it and we share it with you. On today’s episode we spoke with Mr. Fred Rodgers, the namesake of the Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy. Mr. Rodgers has become synonymous with the City of Aurora and rightly so. As a man of action, charity and hard work he shared with us his story and early Aurora memories. Fred...

Gardening early in the morning, that and a lot more. That’s what we got today when speaking with Nelson Saenz, local Auroran and one of the team of Prairie Grass Selections. Nelson was born and raised here in the city and his life story and view was great to hear. We spoke about traveling, good soil and the cannabis industry. There’s a large social justice and reconciliation issue taking place on...

It was all hard work & electricity on today’s episode of Good Morning Aurora. We sat down with Mr. Peter Aguilera, owner of AA Electric Contractors. Peter has been a business owner in the community for over 25 years and he shared his experiences with us. From Chicago roots to current Aurora status we learned about his early years and the roots of his business. As Aurora continues to grow and d...

Our co-host Kristine had to be on a conference call, we discovered we need an ethernet cable, but we had coffee! Another friend of the show came by to say hello and this was a very cool and different morning! Today was a vibe on the show, we got to know each other more, talk about ideas and goals and have fun.  Today our interview subject was our staff engineer Hunter, who originally hails fr...

Our friend has just celebrated 19 years of marriage! Wow! Today’s episode was full of new plans, energy and marriage tips. Today we were joined by our friend Bob Lockwood of Windy City Game Theater & Aurora Business United. Aurora businesses are still growing strong and there are many people on the move. Great things are happening in a lot of corners and Bob chopped it up with us this morning...

Bikes, nature, Riveredge Park and making Aurora beautiful; all in a day’s work for this show! Today we were joined by a great friend of the show, Mr. Charlie Zine. Charlie has been paramount in much of the development that’s taken place in the city. In our conversation we talked about what exactly makes Aurora competitive and what the vision is for the city. City administrations come and go, but t...

Aurora Township, love for the city and our family; that and a whole lot more! This morning we got the chance to sit down and talk to Sherry Spears, candidate for Aurora Township trustee. As a lifelong Aurora resident Sherry has a wealth of knowledge about the city. She has dedicated herself to helping others and it's in this capacity that we meet. After our conversation with Mr. Alex Arroyo our ey...

This was by far the most artistic interview ever. On today’s episode we were joined by Joshua Schultz & Rebekah Axtell, two very involved local artists. Josh and Rebekah were behind the great ‘AURORA’ mural behind Tortas Guadalajara and lots of artists were involved. We spoke about Aurora history, creating and sharing in the city vision. For many years Josh has been painting and taking part in...