The Fargo Five with Conrad Fargo

Jon Hanson joined the Air Force in 1991, served more than 23 years under the core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, and retired in 2015. After Kansas City and a short civilian contracting detour, a COVID-era baking binge—and a hard family rule against imitation vanilla—sent his overactive brain into “afterburner.” He began sourcing beans from the vanilla...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, Dr. Jessie Lindemann (Willow Health) joins Conrad Fargo for a wide-ranging, candid conversation that begins with a cold-open on psychosomatic illness—how the brain interprets reality, why “the perception is real” even when tests aren’t conclusive, and how clinicians navigate that philosophical gray zone. Jessie traces her own path: chemistry degrees (including a...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Daniel Wolfe, the author behind The Red Ball and the upcoming Sophia’s Monster. Wolfe shares how his life shifted from teaching elementary school in the U.S., to volunteering in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, where he met his wife, started a family, and eventually transitioned to full-time online tutoring through platforms like Pr...

A Moorhead chiropractor turns rebuild pressure into a once-in-a-generation wellness expansion for the entire downtown neighborhood. In this Fargo Five conversation, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Matt Lau—’03 Moorhead Spud, chiropractor, and now builder of a full-spectrum wellness ecosystem—to unpack how one forced move sparked a 12,000-square-foot vision on Center Avenue. Matt explains the rebr...

Al Jastram returns to The Fargo Five out of character to share the real story behind FMSanta.com and a lifetime spent entertaining. He started in the mid-1980s, teaching himself to juggle to keep his kids busy while his wife ran daycare at home. That do-it-yourself spark led to balloon animals, a homemade clown suit, and early birthday-party requests that arrived purely by word of mouth. In parall...

Conrad Fargo reconnects with Michaela Schell, whose unique name has sparked many conversations over the years. Michaela shares her background in entrepreneurship, event planning, and direct sales before taking on her role at Dakota Business Lending. She explains what it means to be a nonprofit lender, how her organization provides gap financing, and why their mission is focused on supporting small...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, we sit down with Dr. Thomas Ambrosio, professor of political science and international politics at NDSU, to explore the complexities of academia, the Cold War, authoritarianism, and how history continues to rhyme in today’s world. he discussion quickly establishes a relaxed and candid tone as Conrad recounts their mutual ties to Wayne and Cheryl, community figure...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Erika Kappes, owner of Lake Life Coffee and sales coordinator at UC Hope Thrift Store, for a detailed look at how she turned an idea into a fully licensed mobile coffee business in Minnesota’s lake country. Erika shares how the concept began over a year ago after noticing the limited coffee options at her parents’ lake area, decid...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Karen Stephanie Miranda Torrez—yes, that’s one person—to explore the dynamic intersections of culture, language, and ambition in the life of a rising Latinx leader in the FM metro. Karen, a senior at Concordia College, is co-chair of Professional UNIDOS FM and vice president of the Entrepreneurship Club. Born in Costa Rica and rai...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Penny Stadick, the passionate and endlessly credentialed owner of Herbz and Spicez in West Fargo. Penny shares the story of how her journey to heal herself from post-gastric bypass complications sparked a deep dive into holistic health, ultimately leading her to open her own bulk herb, spice, and tea shop—complete with Reiki servi...

n this delicious and engaging episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo welcomes Tim Olauson, owner of Pizza Done Right, located inside The Bowler in Fargo. Tim shares his journey from an early fascination with cooking shows like Chopped to launching his own restaurant that focuses on scratch-made, high-quality food at an affordable price. A former phlebotomist and aspiring teacher, Tim pivoted...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with William Zottnick, a financial professional at Bankers Life, for a dynamic and candid conversation about what it really means to prepare for the second half of life. From their very first meeting on air, Conrad and William explore the who, what, where, how, and why behind William’s mission to cut through the noise and help people t...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Brighid Maguire, co-owner of Spaghetti Western, to discuss what it takes to open a successful Italian restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota. Brighid recounts her life as an “army child,” born in Ireland and raised in Germany, before settling in New Hampshire and later California. After over two decades working in the Los Angeles resta...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Jeff Carney, the passionate and deeply human founder of Darkhorse IT. What starts as a conversation about Jeff's business quickly turns into a rich, layered exploration of family, faith, community, resilience, and the long road to entrepreneurship. Jeff shares how his love of technology began in childhood—getting paid in cash...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Hannah Bettenhausen, founder of 654 Business Strategies and a powerhouse in the world of operations and leadership development. Hannah opens up about her journey from missionary kid in Africa to dispatcher, to sales leader, and eventually, to running multiple business units across real estate, construction, insurance, and mortgage...

On this episode of The Fargo Five, Conrad Fargo is joined by Michael Koska, co-founder of FM Odyssey, an Acton Academy located in Moorhead, Minnesota. What begins as a casual introduction turns into a powerful conversation about the radical transformation of education—away from the factory-model school systems and toward something dynamic, personalized, and driven by the learner. Michael shares ho...

A Fargo-born restaurateur turns his Hawaiian dream into a sauce empire, bringing Maui flavors to the Midwest with grit, hustle, and a whole lot of taste. Connect with The Fargo Five:http://www. ConradFargo.com/thefargofivehttp://open.spotify.com/show/1MYgy8wKjn9yEKVscgG18Rhttp://www.facebook.com/TheFargoFiveIn this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Keith Stensgard, presid...

Dr. Curtis Sullivan—who cheekily introduces himself as a “Doctor of Talking Good”—shares his journey from teaching communication at the university level to launching Eternal Tides, a South Fargo-based aquamation service offering a sustainable alternative to traditional flame-based pet cremation. With a PhD in Communication from NDSU and a deep academic background in environmental communication, Cu...

We begin with the story of Aying's early success in China, where her innovative restaurant invited customers to grind their own coffee beans and immerse themselves in the preparation process. Despite receiving media attention, she remained behind the scenes, letting her work speak for itself. Following a difficult divorce, Aying moved to Singapore, where she discovered a love of hiking and beg...

On this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Dr. Marqelle Reid, a pediatric and prenatal chiropractor based in Fargo-Moorhead, to explore the full arc of her life’s story—from her roots on a remote South Dakota farm to her impactful work helping families thrive through chiropractic care. With honesty, humor, and insight, Dr. Marq opens up about her childhood in Groton, South...

Andrew Gentner, founder of Cheerio Entertainment, joins Conrad Fargo to unpack how his passion for music, technology, and authentic connection led him to build one of the most uniquely positioned audio production companies in the Midwest. Starting with nothing but a couch, a basement, and a $3,000 PA system, Andrew transformed his need for community and expression into a self-funded operation that...

In this episode, Conrad Fargo sits down with Joe, the passionate chef and kitchen manager of Heart and Soul Café—a pay-what-you-can nonprofit café that merges fine dining with community service. Joe’s journey is a tale of determination, skill, and community spirit, starting from his humble beginnings as a novice cook at Maxwell's in West Fargo to working in some of the finest kitchens across the c...

Troy White isn’t a therapist—but he’s spent nearly a decade helping individuals, companies, and incarcerated men and women understand the upstream causes of their behavior. Troy explains how he launched two separate organizations—Upstream Enterprises and Beyond Barriers—focused on emotional intelligence and trauma recovery, offering one-on-one support, organizational consulting, and a cognitive mo...

On this episode of The Fargo Five, host Conrad Fargo sits down with Greg, a longtime musician and member of the band Stella, to explore his decades-long career in music. Greg takes us back to his earliest memories of picking up a guitar, sneaking into his older brother’s room to play when no one was watching. A self-taught musician from childhood, he eventually studied classical guitar in college...

In this episode of The Fargo Five, we sit down with Nyamal Dei, the executive director of Dondial Kel International, to hear her incredible journey from South Sudan to the United States and how her experiences shaped her mission to give back. Born during a civil war, Nyamal spent part of her childhood in a refugee camp, where survival meant walking barefoot for miles, facing dangerous wildlife, an...