Beans & Banter
We are Keith and NiCole Fischer, owners of The Mill in Bonduel, Wisconsin. The Mill is a coffee lounge, bourbon retailer, and boutique. But more than that, it’s a gathering place for numerous people, full of countless stories. Join us as we dissect our
Episodes
28 episodes
Friendship That Started in a Courtroom
In this episode, we dive into her career, how she and NiCole became friends (it's a story involving gum and a slap threat), and what life is like in retirement. Like all our episodes, this one goes in many directions and it's a rea...
A Bunch of Random Stories...
We'll be honest, this episode is very random. We had two guests who had to reschedule (we'll talk about why). So what you get is a fairly unfiltered, random conversation between Keith and NiCole. We share stories about embarrassing chil...
The Story of Duo Couture
In this episode, we sit down with Brad and Courtney of Duo Couture. We dive into the realities of buying inventory at wholesale markets, the logistics of shipping and storage that come with rapid growth, navigating tricky customer return situat...
BEERS & BANTER: Frogs, Fluoride, & Gold
Welcome to the first episode of our side series, "Beers & Banters". Nothing is off the table. Nobody is safe from getting called out. And the beers are cold.On this episode, we're diving headfirst into the rabbit holes that keep us ...
What It's Like Donating Your Liver
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, mental health, and emotional distress. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the 988 S...
Small Town Stories
Every small town has stories, and this episode has plenty of them. In this episode, we hang out with our friend Justine who is one of the reasons The Mill’s Closet exists. You’ll hear about unforgettable first dates, family memorie...
The Sun Drop Girl
In this episode, Jaime Lee, better known to many as “The Sun Drop Girl”, shares her journey of embracing creativity, small-town roots, and the unexpected paths life can take. From building “Shawano News” from scratch to preserving ...
Behind The Scenes
Episode 21 is a full catch-up with the usual chaos, including podcast updates, life talk, bad reviews, Facebook Live moments, and a lot of side tangents that go everywhere… as usual.We also touch on some real-life health/test result con...
Our Liver Friend, Andy
A lot of you know the story of our friend, Andy. He received a life-changing liver donation back in October from an amazing woman named Mandy (She'll be on an upcoming episode soon). Andy and NiCole have been friends since high school, ...
Why Local News Still Matters
Savannah Wood from Good Day Wisconsin on Fox11 joins us for a conversation about how she got into journalism and what live TV is actually like.From starting in a middle school news program to working in local news, she talks about learn...
The Secret TikTok Algorithm Tricks That Grew "Dang! That's Awesome" to Millions of Views
In this episode, we sat down with Josh Russell, the guy behind “Dang That’s Awesome.” He built a Wisconsin food/travel TikTok to 7.4M views in 8 months, and he actually explains how he did it without the usual fluff.We get ...
He Started With $1,000… Now Ships 5,000 Shirts Weekly
This is a real one with a guy who took a heat press, about a $1000, and turned it into a full-blown printing and design shop, DotCom Branding.Now he’s running thousands of shirts a week, doing wraps, branding, and anything else that come...
Leaving The Amish
She grew up Amish… and we had a LOT of questions.This one goes from funny stories to some pretty real moments, like what happens when you leave everything you’ve ever known… and people stop listening.We talk about faith, getting...
The Reality of Being a Representative
In this episode, we hang out with Representative Elijah R. Behnke. No fluff, no pretending, just real talk.We dig into what it actually means to represent people, not a party. From stadium deals to lake laws, the toughest calls aren’t a...
What Actually Brings a Small Town Back to Life
This one starts a little all over the place… and somehow lands exactly where it’s supposed to.We sat down with Lindsay Johnson, who’s been behind a lot of what Shawano’s becoming—turning empty storefronts into a place people actually wa...
Food, Love, and Aliens
Ernie Allen has done a little bit of everything—restaurant floors, bar shifts, years at Chili’s, time with Mission BBQ, and now leading as an Area Sales Manager at Performance Food Group. Not a straight path… and that’s kind of the whole story....
You Have to Be INSANE to Start a Business
Hans is the founder of F.I.R.E. Fitness Camp, which has grown to 21 locations across Wisconsin. But the road there wasn’t exactly smooth.In this episode, we talk about what entrepreneurship actually looks like — the failures, the risks,...
The Mental Health Crisis Nobody Talks About in Policing
After more than 30 years in law enforcement, Mike thought retirement would be the easy part. Instead, he found himself facing what many officers quietly experience after the badge comes off — the loss of identity, purpose, and the transition in...
Life After The Badge
After nearly three decades in law enforcement, Tony sits down to talk about the road from serving 28 years in Oconto County to finding purpose after law enforcement.He shares stories about camaraderie, tough supervisors, break room humo...
Choosing The Stairs
Some episodes are fun.Some are chaotic.And some hit you right in the chest.This one is all three.Jordan joins us to talk about growing up adopted, riding a Greyhound bus from Texas as a kid, losing his mom to addiction, ...
The First Employee We Fired
The first employee we fired... our own daughter.In this episode, we talk early business chaos, tough love, family tension, growth, and what it really looks like to build something with the people you love. This one is messy...
Our Cat Son, Sawyer
Our oldest son, Sawyer, joins us for this episode.He’ll connect with anyone who’s military, comes from a blended home, has a stepdad and brother, or knows what it’s like being the oldest. He's a college-age kid finding his footing and b...
He Used to Enforce the Law, Now He Preaches Grace
This is a good one. Pastor Keith Sorlie shares his tender and empathetic heart with us. This conversation centers on obedience, timing, and discovering purpose when life does not go as planned. If you are burned out, questioning yo...