The Iowa Podcast

BuzzFeed is gone. Fox News fired Tucker Carlson. CNN fired Don Lemon. The Des Moines Register lost 70% of its subscribers. Two papers close every week in the USA. As journalism faces a crisis, why did Axios just hit one million subscribers? I ask Iowa journalist Jason Clayworth. Axios is growing rapidly by focusing on local content and local stories. Clayworth answers tough questions about the sta...

What bike should you get for Iowa trails? What tires? What frame? Should you get an e-bike? How do you prevent a flat? Where are the famous bike hangouts? Why do people from out of state come to Iowa for RAGBRAI? Iowa bike icon Dan Koenig of Ichi Bike packs everything you need to know about Iowa biking into this 30 min interview. For the uninitiated, biking in Iowa can be a bit intimidating. Most...

The Big Show is the largest, most influential agriculture radio show in not just Iowa but the entire midwest, but late last year, host Andy Petersen simply disappeared. Today he explains the full backstory, shares his concerns about mass media, and explains the future of agriculture in Iowa. The Big Show brings in an enormous chunk of revenue for WHO Radio and iHeart Radio, and for seven years, Pe...

Downtown Des Moines belongs to all Iowans. It serves as a critical meeting point for State Wrestling, Girls and Boys Basketball. But as large employers pull out, are we heading back to the dark days of the eye-sore 80s? Josh Mandelbaum has thoughts. He also shares one of his biggest regrets as a City Councilman. Mandelbaum discusses his plans for eliminating traffic fatalities, if Police should be...

Everyone should pay their taxes and abide by the law, but Drew Pells, co-owner of JT Pells Accounting Services says there's no need to tip! Tipping is for your server, not Uncle Sam. It's important to know this episode is informational and not tax advice for you specifically. Your situation is unique, so make sure to ask your tax professional or lawyer about anything discussed.  During the COVID r...

Connie Boesen is running for Mayor of Iowa's capital city and largest city by population, Des Moines. Why? Because she wants Des Moines open for business.  Boesen formerly served on the Des Moines Public School board and currently serves on the Des Moines city council. Iowa State Fair goers may know her as the apple lady behind Applishus. She explains her desire is to focus on economic development...

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and subsequent takeover by Federal regulators sparked concern in the banking industry causing the DOW to lose 500 points early Wednesday. Jim Plagge, the CEO of Bank Iowa explains what happened, why it happened, and what impact this will have on Iowans.  Plagge explains why record deposits in 2021 meant banks across the country were flush with cash. Why SV...

Scott Marler, Director of the Iowa DOT explains how Iowa is prepared for train derailments, how common this kind of incident is, and why construction zones block off lanes for "no f***ing reason" to quote an Iowa DOT Construction sign that was manipulated by an unknown motorist.  Marler also discusses the federal infrastructure package as it relates to Iowa, the safety of Iowa's bridges, why highe...

In under 2 years, Blk & Bold Specialty Beverages co-founder Pernell Cezar already achieved national distribution in Target. As Iowa-based Blk & Bold turns 5 this year, we wanted to air this previously recorded interview to celebrate! Cezar explains what "specialty coffee" is and how it differs. It turns out, specialty coffee is a "fact-based" term, meaning it's not marketing fluff. Like wine, it h...

When thinking of Iowa Art, most people think of American Gothic and that's where the conversation ends. But Jeff Fleming, of The Des Moines Art Center, explains why Iowa is art savvy, and why smart business leaders and civic leaders use art as a secret weapon to grow local economies and development.  The Des Moines Art Center is 75 years old and therefore they're celebrating 75 years of Iowa art....

40,000 people have been confirmed dead at this point and Dave Wilson, who has lived in Turkey for 30 years, says there's no way the true devastation can be communicated. The destruction in the Southeast corner of the country has led to 400 orphans thus far and in many cases, entire families were lost in an instant. A neighborhood of a colleague had 9 out of 10 apartment buildings completely levele...

How many startups do you think are launching in Iowa? Would you have guessed Kaylee Williams, Investment Director of the InnoVenture Iowa Fund has spoken to 60 in the last 3 months? And that represents a tiny percentage! What on earth is going on? She breaks it all down.  Williams explains why startups are drawn to Iowa from bigger cities like LA, and why Iowa is seeing major startup growth. She e...

Emily Steele is the founder of Hummingbirds based in Iowa. She shares tactical ideas and strategies your small business can utilize to grow your following, and grow your business today. Hummingbirds just raised one million dollars to expand a unique model of digital marketing. Her model connects small business marketing goals, to loyal users on social media who use the product and love it. This em...

Kim Reynolds has signed a new school choice bill into law but what does it actually mean? Democrat Senator Nate Boulton and Republican Senator Brad Zaun explain what the new school choice bill means for Iowans. They have disagreements on this bill, of course, but they have a shared vision of helping children. There are quite a few myths about the bill they debunk, and there are some areas of agree...

News broke today of a targeted shooting at Starts Right Here, an organization that helps kids that have challenging backgrounds. Two children have died and Will Keeps was injured in the shooting. As of writing this, he is in surgery. He was on another show of mine a few years back and I wanted to air this interview on The Iowa Podcast.  Will is an incredible person and has gone through some incred...

Megan McKay, the founder, and CEO of Peace Tree Brewery started the company to help the town of Knoxville. Today the company is one of the largest breweries in Iowa, and today they announce a brand new beer with a fun Iowa theme.  McKay also discussed the bizarre nature of Iowa beer and liquor laws. Most Iowa beer and booze snobs are well aware of the drastic price decrease when you cross the Minn...

Manufacturers are simplifying supply chains and bringing manufacturing to the USA. Leisa Fox has founded MakeDSM to ensure Iowa capitalizes on this big opportunity.  Apple made huge news by announcing their drawdown of manufacturing in China, but their move is only the most visible sign of a global manufacturing trend ongoing for years. In this interview, we dig into what increased manufacturing m...

Due to rapidly changing cannabis laws in Iowa, it can be difficult to keep up with the state of medical marijuana in Iowa. Lucas Nelson, Group President of Bud & Mary's, an Iowa-based cannabis company, explains everything you need to know and how to get your own medical marijuana card. Many aren't aware the previous THC cap on medical products was removed in 2020. This means physicians can determi...

It seems like we read about bizarre uses for Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) every day, but what practical uses do we see in the field? Also, will A.I. on the farm help or replace the farmer entirely? Colin Hurd, CEO of Mach, is creating AI technology already making its way into Iowa farms and explains the future of farming. The company has roots in AI tech for the US Army, creating AI utility vehi...

The town has less than 1000 people but has heavily invested in infrastructure that is already starting to attract remote and tech workers. Stanton, Iowa completed a robust fiber optic network to every home back in 2017 and now that remote work has global adoption, families are moving in says Kevin Cabbage, CEO of Farmers Mutual Telephone Company ( FMTC ). He also discusses their huge 3D Printer th...

Iowa's largest airport, the Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has been hinting at changes for years, but those changes are finally taking effect. Kevin Foley, Executive Director explains what those changes are, outlines updated plans, and finally puts to rest jokes about the airport's name. He also tells why his wife was flagged by security for something in her bag!  DSM used to be mildly irr...

After 50 years, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee has recommended Iowa lose its first-in-the-nation status. But not only that, Iowa won't be in the first 5 early states at all. Laura Belin, Editor and Publisher of Bleeding Heartland, Iowa's progressive news source, explains the reasons for this historic and tragic shift. Belin says a few factors may be at play in this decision. President Joe Bide...

It made statewide news, and politicians, including former Congresswoman Cindy Axne, echoed the story: Iowa workers lose about $900 million annually to overtime payment violations, minimum wage law violations, and other forms. That's a big number, but how accurate is it? Sean Finn the policy analyst with Common Good Iowa who was initially cited in the Des Moines Register  report, sat down for a dee...

You see them holding cardboard signs on your commute to work, but have you ever wondered how Iowa's homeless population ended up there? There are many opinions on the matter ranging from "they deserve it" to "anyone can be homeless," but neither of these beliefs are entirely accurate. In fact, the issue is a bit more complex than most people realize. Tony Timm is the Chief Executive Officer of The...

A University should change with the job market and set the students up for success with life's ebbs and flows. That is precisely the challenge Dr. Rachelle Keck see. Keck made history by becoming the first female president of Grand View University. Facing declining enrollment numbers nationally and cut budgets, she opens up about how to address new challenges and how the University has evolved.  S...