WTMJ Conversations

As we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, how much do we really know about the country's beginnings? WTMJ's Libby Collins sat down with Marquette University history professor Bryan Rindfleisch for an in-depth look at the founding fathers and our unlikely unification. Hear about the motivations behind history's most famous traitor, our first celebrity Presiden...

Ryan Feldman is one of the foremost experts in the country on toxic mushrooms. He sat down with WTMJ's Libby Collins to talk about safely foraging in Wisconsin, the benefits and dangers of wild mushrooms, and his podcast diving into the mystery of a mass poisoning.

Adam Steffan has been the theatre teacher at Tosa West High School since 2012. In that time, he's gained a reputation for huge, boundary-pushing, sellout productions at the high school level. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about what he hopes to accomplish in high school theatre, working with Broadway writers to premiere the first high school version of a show, and being recognized at the Int...

Previously on WTMJ Conversations, Libby Collins talked with a father whose son was shot and killed by a kenosha police officer in 2004 after a routine traffic stop.  This week, Libby asks Brian Gonzales, the man who pulled the trigger resulting in that young man's death, his perspective of what happened that fateful night.

For more than twenty years, Michael Bell Sr. has searched for answers about his son's shooting during what originally began as a routine traffic stop. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about why after all these years he is still asking questions and reveals new information he has uncovered about the night his son was shot on this edition of WTMJ Conversations.

Brookfield's Emily Oberst played multiple sports in junior high when her life suddenly changed with a diagnosis of Ewing's Sarcoma.  She tells WTMJ's Libby Collins how after numerous surgeries, chemo, and rehab, she overcame the disease and embraced a new sport. Emily excelled in wheelchair basketball in college and set her sights on the world stage, and today on WTMJ Conversations, she shares wha...

Andrea Boehlke from Random Lake has appeared on Survivor three times, spending 103 days on "the island."  She shares some behind the scenes secrets with WTMJ's Libby Collins, including what the audition process is really like, what really goes on behind the scenes of the production, and why she returned to Wisconsin after spending 10 years in New York working for People Magazine and GMA. It's all...

Greg Septon has dedicated over 40 years to saving peregrine falcons and helping them thrive. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about why he works with falcons, the secret lives of birds, and the technology helping us track them. It's all ahead on this high-flying edition of WTMJ Conversations!

He's been called a modern Robin Hood and the Forrest Gump of Environmentalism, but Robin Greenfield's story is much wilder than anything you've seen on screen. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about his personal quest of getting close to nature, foraging his own food, making his own clothing and shoes, and living off the grid. He tells Libby Collins about some of his unusual headline-making exp...

When you think of a person who does yoga, a truck driver is one of the last people to come to mind. Hope Zvara is the CEO and Founder of Mother Trucker Yoga and Road Relief Wellness  She's been featured in Forbes magazines, Red Eye Radio and appeared across the country as an inspirational speaker. Hope tells Libby Collins how she grew her yoga studio in Hartford into a national movement for truck...

Michael Treinklein is one of the creatives behind PBS's Pioneers of Television as well as Dick Van Dyke's 100th Celebration, Betty White's documentary, and many more. He shares stories from spending time with beloved celebrities, off-the-record confessions, and more. If you enjoy classic television, don't miss this edition of WTMJ Conversations!

Not many of us think about the outside lives of the doctors and nurses traing us in medical emergencies, but are you aware that the Medical College of Wisconsin has an orchestra made up entirely of staff, students, and employees? Research scientist and musician Sarah Wynia-Smith talks with WTMJ's Libby Collins about staff members and students who perform with the MCW Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Smal...

Dr. Cindy Nosachek spent over thirty years in family practice in Milwaukee.  She tells WTMJ's Libby Collins about being the first pregnant doctor in her residency program, her decision to no longer practice medicine in Milwaukee, and shares experiences about dozens of trips serving the people of Uganda on this edition of WTMJ Conversations!

Some people are simply born to lead, but that doesn't mean it's an easy road to success. Bria Burris has overcome a number of obstacles in her life.  She was born to a mother in prison, faced homelessness, and even sold drugs to support her kids.  Through it all, she strived to get an education and a better life for her family.  Bria now helps others facing similar challenges as the Executive Dire...

Lisa Proeber is a successful entrepreneur with a Milwaukee-based sales marketing firm.  She's a partner in the downtown hotspot, "Your Office," plus the author of the children's book, "Mama Cow".  Lisa talks with WTMJ's Libby Collins about her decision to become a single mother through IVF and why she chose to surrogate a baby for another couple. It's all ahead on this edition of WTMJ Conversation...

Erik Bilstad has been a mainstay on WTMJ for years. He reveals behind the scenes stories with Libby Collins including how he and Vince Vitrano became a broadcast team, to the "other" on-air name he has used, and the news story that has meant the most to him on this edition of WTMJ Conversations!

We might think about a president's greatest accomplishment or where he was born, but how many think about where a president is buried?  Retired Kenosha Police Officer Russell Beckman has visited all but one presidential gravesite, and The White House Quarterly Magazine recently published an article about his travels. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about the most impressive final resting place...

Dr. Toby Campbell is a Professor in Hematology, Medical Oncology, and Palliative Care at The Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He talked with WTMJ's Libby Collins about subjects ranging from how a doctor prepares to tell a patient their condition is terminal, to why many patients refuse palliative care, to the race to get donor organs surgically implanted into recipients before it's...

Anyone who has been to the grocery store lately has noticed the price of beef rising almost weekly.  WTMJ's Libby Collins went directly to one of the sources of beef in southeastern Wisconsin, livestock broker John Kane, to find out why we are seeing record prices. He talks about how he got into the business, why beef prices have reached record highs, his pet Texas Longhorns you've seen along I-94...

Many people recall the horrific murder of teenage Jessie Blodgett in the bedroom of her Hartford home a dozen years ago, but no one has a more vivid memory than her father, Dr. Buck Blodgett. He sat down with WTMJ's Libby Collins to give his perspective on the day Jessie was killed and talk about everything that unfolded in the aftermath of her murder.

We are watching the turmoil in Iran every day on the news. Thousands are feared dead with recent protests, and many are unsure about the future of the country. WTMJ's Libby Collins talks with Iranian author Marjan Kamali about growing up as the daughter of a diplomat for the Shah and how the country has changed under its current Theocracy, the way that growing up in Iran has influenced her bestsel...

Nicole Haase's story began on a whim. A late-night decision to take the Jeopardy quiz lead to a whirlwind of trivia and a trip to Hollywood. Today on WTMJ Conversations, she sits down with Libby Collins to go through her entire Jeopardy journey, from her first quiz, to facing a "super champion", to learning about her episode's less-than-ideal air date. It's all ahead on this edition of WTMJ Conver...

Wisconsin Musician Michael Murphy has his sights on making it big in Nashville. He sat down with WTMJ's Libby Collins to discuss his start as a musician, his move to Nashville and the importance of being a "good hang", auditioning for American Idol, and much more. It's all ahead on this chart-topping edition of WTMJ Conversations!