So We Asked

From a gold mine in Fairbanks to chasing comedy dreams in New York, Lauren Reeves took a fearless leap into the unknown. She shares how a one-way ticket led to unexpected on-camera work, writing for Saturday Night Live, and a career that eventually took her to Los Angeles and reality TV. In a raw, funny, and deeply honest conversation, Lauren opens up about embracing her identity, turning a pandem...

He's been waking up Anchorage for decades — and says they'll have to drag him out. In this episode of So We Asked, Rebecca sits down with local radio legend Bob Lester for a candid conversation about 46 years in the business, from cutting grass at a farm radio station as a 13-year-old to becoming one of Alaska's most familiar voices. Bob opens up about the freedom of not caring what people t...

So We Asked is back with a raw, revealing conversation with Anchorage restaurateur Laile Fairbairn about building a breakfast institution from scratch—and the hard lessons that came with it. She opens up about taking the leap, surviving razor-thin margins, and why creating places where people “go for connection” keeps her coming back for more.

In this episode of So We Asked, Ivy Spohnholz, born-and-raised in Alaska, shares the winding path of two decades in nonprofits to seven years in the Legislature—and why she "jumped off" to become an entrepreneur. Now the new owner of downtown Anchorage's Cabin Fever, Ivy talks about the makers behind Alaska's products—from kelp snacks and chili crisp to beaders, quilters, and ivory car...

A former Alaska TV journalist, David Bernknopf, is turning his Anchorage newsroom years into a novel—and it's part love letter, part culture shock. In this interview, the author of Two Years on Another Planet explains why Alaska felt "like another planet," how the book blends real moments into fictional characters, and what he misses most. Bernknopf also gets candid about the hardest story t...

A former Alaska's News Source reporter takes us inside the front lines of the ICE protests in Minnesota—where community tension, shifting narratives, and raw moments unfold in real time. From being tear-gassed on scene to an unforgettable act of kindness from a local restaurant owner, Samie Solina shares what she saw, what stayed with her, and why local journalism matters more than ever.

We step inside Blue Market—Anchorage’s zero-waste, refill-style grocery store—seven years into its “seven-year stretch.” The owners break down their core mission of sustainability, community, and transparency, and explain how refill shopping really works (yes, you can bring that old plastic container). From rebuilding local food habits to the realities of Alaska suppl...

Step into Alaska Native Plant Month with a conversation that’ll change the way you see what’s growing all around you. Native plant advocate Elizabeth Bluemink breaks down what “native” really means (and why a "weed” is basically a matter of opinion), then shares surprisingly practical ways to bring Alaska’s wild beauty into your own yard. We had questions...so w...

He’d been shot four times. In this raw conversation, MMA fighter and coach Alton “Dreadz” Prince walks us through the moment everything changed at the Gaslight, the shock of watching the video afterward, and the quieter aftermath: nerve pain, PTSD in crowds, and getting back to his kids. Then comes the part you don’t expect—six weeks later, he’s back fighting, c...