Curiouser

Take time to make time, and make time to listen to our interview with Steve Franke, founder of Test of Time Horology - Clock Repair and Restoration. A fascinating interview with a true craftsman, now available any time you like via the SoundCloud link below.

This week's episode features our interview an incredibly talented artist - Davette Leonard . As noted in the intro, people purchase her work and then humble-brag to their friends about finding a place in their home to hang their new "Leonard." Her's is the story of someone who is at once gifted, visionary, entrepreneurial, generous, and pragmatic.

Di Doersch is one interesting, accomplished, fun, and generous person. It's tempting to list highlights from the interview, but why... Just do yourself a favor and listen to this episode about the extraordinary life of another person we're lucky to call our neighbor in the Waupaca area.  

This week on Curiouser, the creative and entrepreneurial Andrea Jenson, owner of Chain O' Lakes Litho . We talked with Andrea about growing up in Rural, how her first job at McDonalds helped shape her work ethic and open doors, and how she went from part-time employee to owner of a business before she was 30!

Our guest this week is Jen Lauritzen, inventor of Batter Up Flip Cup , a new game that's really taking off! Jen has a great entrepreneur's story, and we're happy to share it.  To learn more about the game, check out the Batter Up Flip Cup website .

Check out our interview with Waupaca Fire Chief Jake Waller. We learn about the fire department, what it takes to become a volunteer firefighter, and Jake's path to leadership of the department. We also have lots and lots of questions about fires.

What kind of future lies ahead for the young pilot of the Chief Waupaca tour boat? Well, if you’re John Sturm, this week’s guest on Curiouser, your first step is to write a book about the Chain O' Lakes' history. That helps you get into a prestigeous MBA program, which leads to a successful career in retail. But through it all, your heart never leaves the Chain, so in retirement you look for somet...

This week on Curiouser, our conversation with Julius Lucht, personal trainer and manager of Anytime Fitness. We talked with Julius about growing up on his family's farm in Amherst, graduating into a world paused by the pandemic, and how he's pursuing his career helping people become fit enough to lead the lives they want to lead.

This week we interview a man who got his first gig playing guitar at the age of five. Kirk Tatnall is a talented musician who has made a career out of teaching, playing, and writing music books, and we're happy that he's our guest on this week's episode.

Since WAUP 99.1 FM has a lot of good stuff going on, we decided to interview the station's founder and manager Mark Gerlach . We talked with Mark about growing up in Weyauwega, how he made his way into, out of, and back into radio, and some cool stuff happening at the station.

Some artists paint with oils, some with watercolors and some with beeswax mixed with pigments. That last method is known as encaustic painting. To find out more about it and how one artist was led to work in the medium, listen to our intervie with Jessie Fritsch of Jessie Fritsch Encaustics and Buzz in Art Studios . Jessie is talented, accomplished, funny, and has an interesting story to share.

If you or anyone you know is walking around with a pacemaker or other implantable medical device inside their bodies, it may be thanks in part to Curt. Though he's retired, he's been keeping active in the work of setting standards for devices - it's serious work, but as we learned, Curt doesn't take himself too seriously. A great and interesting conversation!

This was a lot of fun - interviewing local radio legend and entertainer Jim King (a.k.a. Jim Schulz). Why a career in radio? It was a way to be an entertainer without winding up dead in the gutter! Lot's of funny and interesting stuff.

Had a blast interviewing Gordon and Carol about moving from Milwaukee to Scandinavia to start a couple of businesses - Odin & Freja's, and The Runestick. Very interesting and funny people.  

Why does Laura Colbert love her job as Director of the City of Waupaca Parks and Recreation Department? Because - as you'll hear in our interview - each day provides her the opportunity to be her best self and to help people in our community?   Where does that sort of approach to life come from? From her advanced degrees in Educational Leadership and Experience-Based Education? Her service as an M...

Scott Neumann is owner of Waupaca's Piggly Wiggly (a.k.a., The Pig). We talk with Scott about growing up in Waupaca, how he realized his long-held ambition to own a grocery store, and what it takes to run a store with so many moving parts. Fun and educational.

Our guest this week is Joe Udoni, owner of Udoni & Salan Realty Group & Auction Services . We had a great time talking with Joe about his childhood in Chicago, his career, how he ended up in Waupaca, and the dynamics of our local real estate market.

Our guest this week is Bruce Ceranske, co-founder of Legacy Seeds who - in his retirement - is finding ways to give back, including as a member of the Board of the Waupaca Area Community Foundation. We learn about his interesting and inspiring life, about the Community Foundation, and about the organization's upcoming "Evening of Gratitude" celebration and fundraiser. If interested in learning mor...

What a fun and interesting conversation we had with Brian Smith, Mayor of the City of Waupaca. Conversation flowed from his youth growing up as one of ten children in Waupaca, to the years he spent teaching, to starting his own tax and accounting business, to public service - first on the City Council, then as Mayor for over two decades.

A fun interview with a great guy, Dean Sondrol - Clinic Director for Advanced Physical Therapy and recipient of the Waupaca Chamber’s inaugural Community Impact Award – an award that recognized Dean for his contributions to our community as a volunteer. We had fun talking with Dean and know you'll enjoy listening to the conversation.

In this episode, we talk with Kelly about growing up in Waupaca, how he got an early start in the construction business, and how he moved from building houses to running a restaurant. We had a great time interviewing Kelly, and expect you'll enjoy listening. 

On this episode, we chat with Tammy Rae Wolter , owner of A Touch of Glass studio. Tammy's journey is inspiring - the sort of thing that happens when a strong need to create meets opportunities and obstacles. A wonderful conversation that we think you'll enjoy.

Over the past couple of years The Indian Crossing Casino (a.k.a., ICC) has transformed into a destination for food, music, celebration, and just hanging out. Andrew Jordan, General Manager has played a key role in that transformation and is our guest on this week's Curiouser. Great guy with an interesting story.

Another week, another great interview. Laura Brackley is the Director of Camp Elsewhere , and man is she a hoot! A great life story that begins acting in community theater in Sheridan Wyoming, makes stops in Seattle and along the Hudson in New York, and winds up in Waupaca, married to Todd Jones , who's been on our show before. Fun to learn about Laura and of course about Camp Elsewhere, which is...

As a bartender and owner of the Grand National Lounge, Jenn Beland is more accustomed to listening than to talking, but we got her to tell her story, and it's fascinating.