Old Man Strength

What do Scott Frost, Joe Exotic and a friendship that started with getting kicked out of a bar have in common? Brett and Nolan “The Hoff,” the guys behind 4th & Longneck. Tim Johnson and Chris Shipley welcome their fellow 3 Beards Media hosts to Old Man Strength for an unfiltered introduction packed with Iowa roots, college misadventures, football fandom and questionable decisions. Hoff recoun...

What happens when two educators turn a love of craft beer and political conversation into a podcast? Chris Shipley and guest co-host Bill Blank welcome Ryan and Tyler from Pints & Diplomacy for an unfiltered episode of Old Man Strength. From small-town Iowa roots and coaching baseball together to sharing beers with political candidates, the guys explain how their podcast began and why they wan...

Former Kansas Jayhawk and NBA veteran Scot Pollard joins Old Man Strength for a conversation that goes far beyond basketball. Scot takes us back to growing up in a basketball family, losing his father at just 16 years old, being recruited by some of the biggest programs in the country, and why Roy Williams ultimately convinced a California kid to call Kansas home. He shares stories from his years...

What happens when life forces you to start over? This week on Old Man Strength , Chris Shipley and Aaron Wall sit down with Melissa Merrifield —entrepreneur, marketing leader, founder of the Des Moines Whiskey Festival, and the self-proclaimed "Biz Boss." Melissa shares the defining moments that reshaped her life and career, from burnout in corporate America and personal adversity to tak...

Caitlin Clark is a needle-mover who’s brought unprecedented attention, ratings, and revenue to the WNBA—but the conversation around her has turned into a toxic stew of social media outrage, double standards, and cultural flashpoints. In this episode of Old Man Strength, host Chris Shipley is joined by Heather Burnside, Iowa State legend Marcus Fizer, and die-hard Hawkeye fan Bill Blank for an unfi...

Aaron Lombard joins Chris Shipley live from the Williams Syndrome Association Convention in Buffalo, New York (2026) for a powerful, real-talk episode of Old Man Strength. Aaron shares his journey as the older sibling to his sister Courtney “Coco,” growing up in New Orleans, navigating a late diagnosis in the early 80s, moving the family to Phoenix, and stepping up as a fierce advocate. From the c...

In this raw and reflective episode of Old Man Strength , Chris Shipley sits down with Sean Roberts — the longtime voice of Des Moines sports radio at KXNO. Sean opens up about his unlikely journey from the Chicago suburbs with Navy dreams to Grandview University baseball and broadcasting, rising from board op to afternoon host and Program Director. He shares the shock and surprising relief of the...

In this candid, no-filters episode of Old Man Strength , hosts Tim Johnson and Chris Shipley sit down with Ross Eveland, Democratic candidate for Story County Supervisor, for a real conversation about local government, why he’s running, and the issues that actually affect everyday Iowans. Ross shares his rural roots growing up on a century farm near Oskaloosa, his time at Iowa State, and the path...

Join Tim Johnson and Chris Shipley LIVE from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios for Episode 7.10 of Old Man Strength with Iowa media legend Maxwell Schaffer. From his early days as a pipsqueak in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to becoming a radio staple for over 42 years, Maxwell shares his journey through theater, music, family moves, and building a life in Iowa. They dive into the evolution of radio (from spi...

In this episode of Old Man Strength , Chris Shipley is joined by Bill Blank as they sit down with former professional baseball player, Iowa State Representative, and Congressional candidate J.D. Scholten . J.D. shares his incredible journey—from growing up with a coach for a dad, starring at Nebraska and reaching the College World Series, to pitching independent ball in Canada and the Netherlands,...

We go old school with Aaron, Tim and Chris discuss their ailments as old men, the lessons they try to teach their kids from their experiences and discuss the best shows they are currently watching. Sponsored by Revelton Distilling, Iowa Beef Steakhouse, Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage, Jenny Farrell REMAX Concepts, Styled by JJ Boutique, We Will Pizza, Live from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios.

Chris Shipley and Dave Larson are joined by Steve Spears, the award-winning host of the long-running Stuck in the 80’s podcast (now over 780 episodes and 20 years strong). Steve dives deep into his lifelong love of 80’s pop culture, from his first Journey concert in 1981 and his obsession with Valley Girl (which he’s watched hundreds of times) to Live Aid, the Challenger disaster, and why 80’s mus...

Brent Blum returns to Old Man Strength for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about his time leading the We Will Collective at Iowa State. He shares never-before-told stories from the chaotic NIL portal battles — including raising millions on tight deadlines, late-night DocuSign sessions from the Dominican Republic, and the insane stress of keeping top Cyclones like Joshua Jefferson, Tamin L...

The guys sit down with nationally touring comedian, actor, and longtime Triple Espresso cast member John Bush for a fun, wide-ranging conversation on Old Man Strength. John shares stories from growing up between Hawaii and Minnesota, breaking into comedy (including his very first time on stage at David Wood’s Rib Tickler), life on the road, shadow puppet routines with deep family vaudeville ties,...

On this episode of Old Man Strength , Chris Shipley takes an Enneagram personality test and finds himself getting roasted by Amy Addison and Caitlyn in one of the funniest and most unexpectedly honest episodes yet. The crew breaks down Chris’s personality type, including traits tied to The Helper and The Challenger , while connecting the results to real-life situations involving work stress, relat...

The boys are back and the filter is OFF as Old Man Strength rolls into another unforgettable episode — and this time Joshua Sinclair returns to the studio. With Chris out, Tim and Aaron take over the mic for a night full of laughs, unfiltered conversations, and the kind of honest perspective that only comes from years of hard lessons and lived experience. From the hilarious sponsor banter and clas...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Old Man Strength , we sit down with Erin Kiernan , longtime journalist and anchor at WHO-TV 13 , to talk about far more than headlines and newscasts. Erin takes us back to the very beginning — growing up, discovering her passion for journalism, and the path that led her to a career in television news. From her early days in the industry to becoming a trust...

Old Man Strength returns with a raw, funny, and unexpectedly powerful conversation about grit, balance, and what real strength looks like in today’s world. In this episode, hosts Chris Shipley and Tim Johnson sit down with Tanner Lloyd , a Des Moines–based content creator who has rapidly built a following across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram through consistency, authenticity, and relentless hust...

On this episode of Old Man Strength , Chris Shipley and Aaron Wall sit down with one of the toughest people they know—Barbie Van Wick. From growing up poor in small-town Georgia to uprooting her life and starting over in Iowa at just 17, Barbie shares a raw, honest story about resilience, ambition, and refusing to stay stuck in the life you’re handed. Barbie opens up about poverty, identity, faith...

Chris brings on former host Tim Johnson to talk about what is has been up to and bring an old school theme back. Sponsored by Revelton Distilling Company, Iowa Beef Steakhouse, Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage and LIVE from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios.

We go old school vintage Old Man Strength when Aaron and Chris catch up on what they have been up to, the guys discuss how different their kids upbringing, sports and activities differ from when they are kids, Chris talks about how his moms estate wrapping up is going and more. Sponsored by Revelton Distilling Company, Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage STYLED by JJ Boutique and LIVE from the AKC An...

We are joined by Nathan Sage, Candidate for US Senate for Iowa. We sit down to learn his back story, his vision for Iowa and more. Joined with special guest host Andrew Downs, sponsored by Revelton Distilling, STYLED by JJ Boutique Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage and LIVE from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios

We sit down with Iowa Barnstormer Head Coach Andre Coles to learn his backstory and his plan for the Barnstormers. Sponsored by Revelton Distilling Company, STYLED by JJ Boutique, Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage and LIVE from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios.

We invite Kyle Doyle from Iowa Distilling Company and the 1858 Vodka for the We Will Collective on Old Man Strength. We learn where Kyle came from, what he has cooking at Iowa Distilling and more. Sponsored by Revelton Distilling Company, STYLED By JJ Boutique, Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage and LIVE from the AKC Andrew Downs Studios.

We are LIVE from the Revelry Room at Renaissance Hotel Savery in Downtown Des Moines, with guest Will Keeps. We learn Will's story as we sip Revelton Cocktails and bring the AKC Andrew Downs Studio on the road. Sponsored by Styled by JJ Boutique and Kyle Lehman at Wintrust Mortgage.