I am Consciously Curious

Our next guest is an executive assistant and wedding planner. In fact, she was our wedding planner and was very instrumental in helping us experience the best day of our lives. Her energy is palpable, her attention to detail is unmatched, and she’s an absolute joy to work with. We cover some early moments of planning family events, becoming an executive assistant, and what makes a great wedding pl...

Our next guest is one of the Founders of the local nonprofit, EcoShip. An organization that collects used shipping materials and redistributes them to small business owners for free. It was an insightful chat about what materials are actually not recyclable. Depending on your local protocols, those white and blue amazon poly mailers or even bubble wrap containing low density polyethylene plastic a...

Our next guest shares his experience within Notre Dame Football, politics, and generating sales for a beverage distribution company. He’s now known for his work as a producer and Host of the Emmy winning show, The CEO series. He’s talked with CEOs of companies like Portillo’s, DUDE Wipes, Lou Malnati’s, and the Chicago Blackhawks to name a few. He and his brother founded a strategic consulting age...

Our next guest has had several iterations on his way to realizing his dream. He’s created a space that overlaps retail, fashion, hair, and networking. Whether it be working at his family’s Carnitas restaurant (Carnitas Don Alfredo) or cutting hair, hospitality and gratitude are at the forefront of Blankness Studios. Gratitude for this blank canvas we get to create art with every day. Please enjoy...

Our next guests are the Founders of Pickled Prince. A condiment brand that’s making waves through local farmers markets and collaborations with local restaurants. They recently won Chicago Reader’s Best Preserves in 2023! They’ve collaborated with the likes of Pizza Friendly Pizza, Umamicue, and TriBecca’s Sandwich shop. We explore their individual journeys, how they met, and how they started to p...

Our next guest is a mentor and a friend. He’s a dad of three girls, practitioner and teacher of jiu jitsu, and the Founder of the best cold brew I’ve ever had, Kyoto Black Coffee. For the OG’s of the podcast, Justin came on a little over five years ago when he was still at the cafe, Edge of Sweetness. Since then, we briefly cohosted a tasting show where he walks us through palate training with var...

Our next guest hosts the Chicago exploration page, Chicago Food Guide. He also operates a social media agency and teaches to ESL students at a local high school. We explore his humble beginnings in the south suburbs living on link all the way to navigating client deals. He’s collaborated with local comedians and athletes while showcasing some great spots around Chicago. He’s leveraged the network...

Our next guests are shedding light on the short and long term effects of Concussions. Leading from personal experiences, Dr. Chris Nowinski who is a former Ivy League Football Player, a former professional wrestler [lookup Chris Harvard], author, and neuroscientist who co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation. An organization that performs research on brains that experienced concussions as well...

Our next guest is a young man who’s evoking compassion and fostering community in Chicago. You might have seen some of his videos of charitable acts at a grocery store or a gas station helping people pay for their bills. My favorites are the follow ups with certain individuals like Marcus who was battling homelessness. These videos are just one aspect of his organization, Immeasurable Impact. He h...

Our next guest is a creator in every sense of the word. They and their partner Stephen are the humans behind Edgewater Candles and they’re going into their 8th year this year. We journey through their many iterations. From discovering a love of scents, getting their first sale, moving to Evanston, and eventually coming home to Edgewater, you get a feel for how much work and love go into a small bu...

Our next guest is a Certified Sake Sommelier. He was recently nominated for Sommelier of the Year by The Jean Banchet Awards. He’s currently a manager for Sushi San and The Omakase Room at Sushi San. His love for hospitality and knowledge of sake are palpable. We go into his personal journey with sake as well as explain where one would begin when trying sake. Please enjoy my conversation with Dani...

Our next guest is the current Medical Director for the local animal rescue, One Tail at a Time. She shares some of her experiences that led her to pursue Veterinary Medicine and specifically shelter medicine. We even explore some conversations around adoption and what pet owners can do to keep their fur babies healthy. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Rachael Wooten.  https://www.onetail.org...

Our next guest is the fourth generation owner of J.P. Graziano Grocery Company. They were voted the Best Sandwich Shop by Chicago Reader in 2023. The shop is an icon of nostalgia in the West Loop neighborhood that instantly transports you to the 1930’s. We talk a lot about family and legacy. From his relationship with his father to carrying the torch of the family business. He’s strong-willed and...

Our next guest is a travel influencer and content creator. While feeling unfulfilled in his corporate role, he began to dabble in creating content and found some success. With the encouragement of his inner circle, he decided to go all in on the content creator journey this year. He highlights underrated bites and places local to Chicago as well as around the world. Like many of us, he looks up to...

Our next guest helps us explore role playing games (RPG). I’ve never personally played, but our guest makes it approachable and exciting. The first half of the episode explores his upbringing in Nebraska and some of his earliest memories of creating narratives through adventure. We transition into his time in Theater and some of the nuances that come with that industry. We end the episode explorin...

Our next episode is literally a treat. They’ll be celebrating 30 years this year as a donut shop. This is an episode about the immigrant experience, finding your way, and cultivating community through the vessel of donuts. The shop experienced a tragic fire in the summer of 2014 and they overcame the obstacles through community support and winning a local donut competition with their ube donut. It...

Our next guest takes us on his journey of starting Club Doctor. His products clean and restore every part of a golf club. This episode is a great fit for anyone on the entrepreneurial journey. We go into leveraging his interests and identifying a potential demand all the way to scaling the brand through marketing and potentially wholesaling. I was surprised by how bold he was at establishing a pro...

Our next guest is a full-time, board certified neurosurgeon and Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at The Chicago Medical School. She is one of roughly 200 board-certified women neurosurgeons in the United States. Her journey is an example of purpose, discipline, and determination. She had an early interest in neuroscience but her initial interaction with a neurosurgeon through her mother’s aneury...

Our next guest shares his journey of becoming a physician. I met him at our recent EMT graduation party for our students. We briefly talked about his time as a Physician in Emergency Medicine but to my surprise, he’s board certified in Family Medicine. He previously pursued a path in journalism and pivoted a little later in life. This episode would provide a lot of value for those a little older a...

Our next guest is a holistic healer. Built on a foundation of chiropractic medicine, his curiosity has led him to modalities like muscle testing and Neuro-Emotional Technique to name a few. He has a knack of helping you explore any blocks you may have within the physical, spiritual, or emotional realms. He can host individual sessions, group sessions, and even remote sessions. After a session with...

Our next guest shares her journey of deprogramming from the beauty industry. We explore some of the exhausting standards that women have been raised to meet. She’s attentive, thoughtful, and resolute. She has a knack for stirring up discussions about self worth in relation to the beauty industry on her instagram page, notyourmanicpixiedreamcurl. I hope you listen to this with an open mind and refl...

Our next guest was introduced to me by Dr. Dave Nayak. He completed a timelessly realistic tattoo that lives on Dr. Dave's arm. After decades of producing tattoos for private clients, the next chapter seems to include being a part of something larger than himself. He is currently the Creative Director at the WNDR Museum. He's a creator, curator, and a deep empath. We navigated conversati...

Our next guest comes on to share their journey into the nonprofit space. They currently partner with over 50 pizzerias and provide some amazing pies to various shelters in the Chicagoland area. Looking back, it seems like it was meant to be since he grew up around pizza and til this day, can not get sick of it. He has an incredible ability to connect with friends and strangers alike. He's fun...

Our next guest is a journalist turned multi-hyphenate. She has experience within tech, media, and entrepreneurship. She’s worked with the New York Times, Business Insider, and CNBC. She’s currently a Program Manager at Google and a Finance Contributor at Forbes. She’s passionate about exploring the Latino influence in the world of business. She shares some of these stories on her newsletter and po...

Our next guest is the principal architect of Robbins Architecture. Her firm has designed elegant and functional dream homes in Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, and Wyoming. Their homes bring out a sense of harmony, elegance, and livability. Our guest shares some of her earliest memories of design and entrepreneurship. Becoming an architect seemed like fulfilling a destiny.  I walked away inspired by...