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
Beans & Banter
What Actually Brings a Small Town Back to Life
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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 want to hang out.
We get into what it really takes to build a small town, why nothing happens as fast as people think it should, and the small stuff that actually moves the needle.
There’s a lot in here about backing local, building something that lasts, and figuring it out as you go.
And yeah… at some point we veer off into aliens, growing up, and the kind of life choices that don’t always make sense until they do.
Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and get to know Shawano's Downtown Coordinator, Lindsay Johnson.
Connect with us!
Hi, this is Nicole.
SPEAKER_03I'm Keith.
SPEAKER_02Stop. Just say Fisher. Fisher.
SPEAKER_03With Beans and Banter.
SPEAKER_02With Beans and Banter.
SPEAKER_03And today we have a special guest coming to you live with a brand new video.
SPEAKER_02Lindsay Johnson.
SPEAKER_03So your cat son's gonna like that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he because he used to have a YouTube account.
SPEAKER_03This is Northwoods Gamer.
SPEAKER_02Nerfwood Game Nerf Nerf Woods Gamer Gamer coming with you, but brand new episode. Anyways, um, so Lindsay. That was a great introduction. Little ADD today. You are feeling close to me.
SPEAKER_00You tell me.
SPEAKER_02Tell me freely walk in your Lindsay and I go way back to Manoa and to the school bus.
SPEAKER_01I know.
SPEAKER_02That was a long time ago. But that's where we met. That's where we met, and her parents lived down the country road from us.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02And if you could picture Lindsay any type of way, if you know who she is today, and like we're gonna ask her questions so she can explain who she is and what she does. She was 100% that way as a kid. You have not changed. Seriously? Yes. Sam. Like you like in a good way. Like you're very organized. You were like student counsel, like making things happen, like perfect.
SPEAKER_01No, not perfect.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you were. Yeah, she was great. Um, always kind, always great. So she is a pretty big deal in Shano. Um, and I give her a lot of credit for why Shawn is booming today, because when I moved this way, Shano was not booming. It wasn't when I moved there either.
SPEAKER_01How how when did you move there? Oh, long time ago. Uh it'll be 20 years ago this summer that I have been in Shano. Really? Yeah, it makes me sound old. It does, but you're not. But I'm not. No, I moved there when I was 11. No, I just kidding.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01I was like, no, you didn't. I wrote the book. No, no, no. No, um, right out of college moved there. So yeah, it'll be 20 years, and it was not the same place that it is today.
SPEAKER_02Even 13 years ago, it was like downtown was not what it is. No. So it gives hope. What I why I want her, sorry, why I really want Lindsay on here is because it gives hope to small communities of things that can happen. Bon Noel just takes time. Um, any other small communities, people that are listening that want their like community to thrive and stuff. So I think Lindsay is just a great human to be on here and like talk about things she does.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So let's um for people that don't know, uh, what what is your role? What do you do? Like see all these cool videos that you make in February. Oh, in February. Following follow me to in February.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yes. Okay, you've been tuned in way to go, Keith. Good job. So um, so I work actually part-time for the downtown district in Shawnew. Um, I love that I work part-time. I set my own hours, it's amazing. Um, and so actually, I've done that almost eight years. It'll be eight years next month that I have done this. Um, and so I do a little bit of everything. Um, I'm kind of serve as a resource to those businesses in the downtown district, helping them with whatever that might be. It's changed over the years. Um, and then I coordinate events too. So all the events that bring people to Shannon Downtown, like Shano Fest, or we have a spring breakout event coming up, a shopping event in a couple weeks. We do a derby day, witches night out, a lot of Christmas stuff. Those are my favorite.
SPEAKER_02Um, so were you the creator of all those?
SPEAKER_01Uh no, some of them were going. Um, and maybe we've changed or expanded them, and a few of them have been added along the way. Um, I think probably my favorite is the holiday stroll and tree lighting. That was one that we started the year I started, and that is just your trees down there are so pretty.
SPEAKER_02So cool. Yeah. Shauna was you're doing great things there.
SPEAKER_01Thanks. So yeah, so that's why I do that. And then your mentioned follow me in February was kind of just something I dreamed up one afternoon in January. Um, the week before February, actually. Because it was, you know what's so slow for the worst sale in January. It's just really slow. And it was like, we need to do, and it was cold, it's real cold, so nobody wants to leave their house. Um, we need to do something to show people what we have down here that they can watch from their house, um, and hopefully entice them to come down and check it out. So, yeah, every day in February, I have a video that takes us somewhere. And I mean, honestly, I don't know anything about video. I my son taught me how to use an app to make all of these. It was crash course on the couch.
SPEAKER_03You do a pretty good job. Yeah, like yeah, really good.
SPEAKER_01And you have a good radio voice too.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. I was gonna say that.
SPEAKER_01I said it first. So yeah, I've kind of learned as I've gone. It's been fun, but I think I'll be a little bit glad when February's over and I'm not like like panic. I don't have tomorrow's done yet. So let's just but you know where you're going tomorrow, right? Yeah, okay. I got it.
SPEAKER_02And do they know or is it a surprise?
SPEAKER_01It's a surprise. Really? Yeah, because I don't really, and I'm not, I mean, confession, they're not live or anything. Like I already have the footage recorded for tomorrow. Yeah, but I have to do the voiceover.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Like the clips. Like, what do you call that? What do you call that? Skimmy probably bleeps. The bleeps.
SPEAKER_02What's the official word for reels? Reels. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03What are the where she cuts you because you're cutting and then you add it together.
SPEAKER_00Editing. Technical term.
SPEAKER_03Whoa.
SPEAKER_04Whoa.
SPEAKER_03I mean, nobody's surprised with my lack of knowledge. She's not feeling well today. Nobody's surprised.
SPEAKER_00I'll give him a break. So it would be good. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03He's no, that's not why. I'm just dumb.
SPEAKER_02He's dumb today.
SPEAKER_03Because he's said, cult like stitching or something.
SPEAKER_00I mean, like you're cutting.
SPEAKER_03You might stitch in videos.
unknownOh.
SPEAKER_03Never mind. Moving on. Move and clip it in. So what types of things you said it's changed over the years, but what types of things do you help businesses with? Like what's some examples?
SPEAKER_01Sure. Um, you know, we'll have new businesses move in. So kind of getting them up and rolling. Or, you know, I guess one thing that's probably changed over the years is when I started in 2018, they gave me a list of empty buildings in Shawnee. It was like, here's all the empty buildings. Figure out if any of them are for sale, for rent. Are they, you know, inhabitable? What's the situation? Um, and so slowly we have filled those. And today I have a list of businesses that want a space in downtown Shawnee.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, can you come to Bana Wow?
SPEAKER_01No, I can stay in Shawnee. They don't share. But yeah, so that's really changed over the years. So helping some of those new businesses get rolling, you know. I mean, everything from where could I get an awning or a sign? I mean, that's not my area of expertise, but I can give some suggestions because they're not the first person to ask me that. Um, so so yeah, I mean, actually during the year of COVID, that was an interesting one, you know. Um, I I kind of felt like I was a therapist that year, really more than anything, because it was just so many changes happened and nobody knew what was gonna happen or the answers to any of them. Um, so yeah, so it kind of just changes as the great resource, really. That's a really good resource.
SPEAKER_03Okay. What else do you want to talk about? Well, that's it.
SPEAKER_02What's that? You have to ask the question. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, is it gonna be this? She she listens, so you're gonna have to switch things up.
SPEAKER_01I'm oh listener. I am, yeah. I feel like I might be prepared for your question, so I hope you don't throw me off.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna throw you off. I'm gonna change it a little bit because I got yelled at last week.
SPEAKER_02That was a this, I don't know. I don't know if she's won for this one. She might think you're really crazy. I'm gonna roll the dice. Okay. Can't wait.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay. Do you do you believe? Do you believe in extraterrestrials?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I was really prepared for my earliest memory.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Next time.
unknownNext time.
SPEAKER_02We will ask you that though.
SPEAKER_03No, we won't.
SPEAKER_02No, okay. Well, now I want to know. I want to know, Lindsay. I want to know. Do you believe extraterrestrials?
SPEAKER_03Do you believe in aliens?
SPEAKER_01Oh, no, I don't. No. Uh-uh.
SPEAKER_03Even after the Mexican government said that we have some.
SPEAKER_02First, first, first mistake, government. Don't believe everything you hear, Keith.
SPEAKER_03But I can't believe it. I I do believe. Okay, let's pretend then. All right. Let's pretend. You get visited by some aliens. And they're like, hey, hey, Lindsay, come with me. I'll take you across all the galaxies for the next week. Great vacation. But when you get back, some time has passed on on Earth.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna make it a little bit more reasonable, okay? Three months go by in that week.
SPEAKER_01That I was gone?
SPEAKER_03Yep. Would you go with them? Completely safe. You know it's gonna, it's okay.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't think. I'm not a risky gal like that. Plus, I I'd miss all kinds of things that my kids have going on.
SPEAKER_02That's such a it's such a dumb question. It's such a dumb question for anyone that has kids or three months is a person. Or that is or that isn't in prison. Like if you asked an inmate that, they'd be like, oh yeah, I'd go.
SPEAKER_03I would go for three months.
SPEAKER_02You would?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Leave you. Oh leave you to take care of everything. I mean, I can't even hang a picture straight. You're gonna leave me with he'll be all right. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, I so as soon as you know a great resource that can get you to some help in some a lot of different areas.
SPEAKER_02So I knew when you were gonna ask that question. Well, I didn't know she he switched it up since last week. I was like, no way. This girl, no way.
SPEAKER_03Three months, I thought.
SPEAKER_02She wouldn't even, I don't even think she would go if she didn't miss any time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. What if they brought you back to that exact point in time?
SPEAKER_02I think it's too risky for her.
SPEAKER_01No, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I don't, yeah. It she doesn't believe in aliens, so she's right. That's I'm a little skeptical because of the whole I don't believe in them. This is insane. You gotta we've gotta do better.
SPEAKER_03You tell me that every week.
SPEAKER_02Okay, what is your um what is your child, your first child? Let's let's ask that question since you already were prepared.
SPEAKER_03How many kids you got?
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, which question first? Uh answer mine. Okay, so I think my earliest memory as a child is I it's like total squirrel moment all the time, isn't it? You're doing great, Lindsay. Oh so earliest memory, I got stung by a group of hornets. Oh they're I was probably like three years old. Another person. Someone else's, yes. I was probably three years old, and my parents had somebody there like um unloading corn out of their old corn crib, and they were loading an elevator, and my mom thought it'd be really cool to go watch that. And so as we got there, there was they found a like swarm of hornets in the corn crib, and it came out and it started attacking the guys that were doing it, and then it started like stinging me too on my head, and I remember touching it, and then I got stung on my head. And I would remember I was little, so my mom kind of freaked out, also oldest child. So, you know, still, but I mean, are you allergic? I'm not, you know what I mean? But like at that point, yeah, so she took me to I went to the hospital because she was afraid, you know, that I was I wasn't, I was fine, but that is my earliest remember memory. Is that weird? Not at all. We had one other guy. Is it like a traumatic thing, maybe? Yeah, it might.
SPEAKER_02That's what we're gonna get to the bottom of. That's okay.
SPEAKER_03Cubby's earliest memory, too. Getting stung on the face.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it must be something traumatic or painful. Oh, like Jordan's just getting shipped away on a greyhound bus. Oh, I heard listen to that. You know what I mean? Like it's all some uh Hans's diapers going down the driveway. I mean, it's not funny, but it is, it's funny. But um, I really think you have an interesting childhood slash life now, and I think you're like knowing wait, I'm getting to something. I think still answer your question. Oh shoot.
SPEAKER_03No, no, I just go ahead. Um I want to hear where this goes.
SPEAKER_02No, it's she has a really good, I don't know, I didn't live at your house, but you have a very good farm upbringing, farm life upbringing. Sure. And following her today, I'm like, oh yeah, that makes sense that Lindsay's kids are this way. Because I feel like like how you said it was weird because your mom thought it'd be fun to watch. Of course, your mom would bring you to watch that corn. Your kids would want to watch that today. They probably would. And so, like, that's not a surprise to me because I remember you guys had lambs or sheep. Yeah, when we were younger. And you had baby lambs, and my mom did you come see them? My mom brought me in I have pictures in our album of me with your baby lambs at your farm.
SPEAKER_01We used to get some orphan lambs from another family that we knew and then would bottle feed them and raise them. Yeah, we did that for a while, but mostly we had beef cattle, which is what our family does today, too.
SPEAKER_02So talk about that. Tell us a little bit about your childhood.
SPEAKER_01So I grew up in Manoa, of course, riding Don Cruz school bus. Um legendary.
SPEAKER_02He was, he was, he was. He would get mad once in a while, but deservingly. Now looking back, you're like, oh yeah. Yeah, he probably needed to. And he drove bus forever.
SPEAKER_01Was he like 80? He was he was quite old when he was. I don't know. I mean, it was all my whole childhood, my younger sisters, all of it. So, yeah, so I'm the oldest of three girls. Um, we grew up on a beef cattle farm, Herford Cattle is what we raised. And my sisters and I showed cattle a lot. Um, that was kind of what our family did for fun vacation. Doesn't probably sound like you guys are going like to Arizona. We never did that. Um, we went to cattle shows all over the country, is how we spent our really vacation. Yeah, I know. And did you love it? I did because that's what my family does today.
SPEAKER_00Family vacation.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I must have. But your kids love it, it seems. I do, yeah. So funny. So I have two kids to answer your question. I have a son, Isaac, who's a freshman in high school, and then a daughter, Charlotte, who's in sixth grade. Um, and so we took our first like non-cattle vacation last summer. Okay. Um, and we went to the Smokies and it was very fun. But at the end, we said to the kids, okay, so because normally our family vacation is this week-long cattle show in some part of the country that we travel to. Um, and so we said to the kids, all right, so like, would you want to do this again next year, or what did you think? And both of them said, Yeah, maybe wait a couple years and then do something like this again. We want to go back to the cattle shows. Yeah, that's so great. You know, I think as a parent, you're like, maybe are we depriving our children of something?
SPEAKER_02But no, I guess not at all. No, no. That is, I think what our world is lacking is more of when I see any post of your kids between Charlotte and her writing. Yeah, she's so cool. She loves to write. So she does a newspaper paper column, right?
SPEAKER_01She does, yep. In the she's done that in the summer. I think she's done. She doesn't think she's going to do it again this summer, but every probably for the last four years, she writes a weekly newspaper. She's very dedicated to it. Um, it's kind of happens around our farm, maybe a recipe, maybe it always a joke. Um, she loves jokes. Um, but yeah, she just loves to write and would like to be an author someday, is what she thinks. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Such a such a daughter of yours. Like and your son and his pumpkins.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So my son grows pumpkins, a lot of pumpkins. Um, it started out as actually a like a COVID project, is what spurred that. I mean, he kind of grew a few before, but during COVID, it was like, can I grow some pumpkins? We're like, oh sure, we're not going anywhere. Um, so so he grew some pumpkins, maybe like 25 hills, and that was fun. Um, and today his seeds arrived like about a month ago. Um, and so I think he'll plant somewhere around 700 hills of pumpkins. So, what does that mean? 700 hills?
SPEAKER_02Like um mounds, yeah. Like in the ground. That's why you grow a pumpkin. Well, mine didn't grow last year or the year before because I didn't screw them all over the garden. No, I did not. I put them in a pile.
SPEAKER_03So that's a mound.
SPEAKER_02But it didn't grow. It flowered. It flowered. Why didn't it grow though?
SPEAKER_01Did it get pollinated?
SPEAKER_03Did you have bees? Hate bees. Oh, I'm sure we I'm sure you do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02I'll talk to your son about it later.
SPEAKER_01Isaac can help you. Yeah, so he does that and just sells them at the end of our driveway. Um, do you guys sell out? Yeah. That is so cool. Usually by the first weekend of October, he's done because he grows all the weird ones, like pink, yellow, bumpy, yeah, tan, all the weird things. Um, and last year, did you see my pictures of the huge pumpkin he grew up? Yeah, 714 pounds.
SPEAKER_02Whoa. Her kids are like legit cool. Like she has cool kids. And you know what? Something I picked up on what you said is during COVID, he was bored. I think I don't quote me. And he's like, I'm gonna grow pumpkins. Can you just think about how great it is when the world was shut? I mean, there was a lot of bad stuff, but how many things you hear, I hear from people. Well, during COVID, I I figured it out during COVID, or during COVID, I picked up crocheting, or our where we get our perfume from. You know what I mean? Like during things that started that wouldn't have happened otherwise. Yes, because it's like you're you're home, and I feel like we're just like no service to ourselves by being busy and consumed by all these things when there's like little cool things we can do every day. Don't you agree? Um off topic, yeah. Sorry. Yeah, that's all right. Um, let's go back to your childhood a little bit. And okay, so you went you went to Manoa, great school. Yeah. Um, you graduated. I did, yes.
SPEAKER_03Why do I some of us didn't almost make it?
SPEAKER_02Why do I think of you? When I think of you, I think of you at the old middle school. Oh, on Main Street there. Yeah, with the crumbling stairs. Yep, it was brutal. It was beyond teacher lounge, still smoking in it. Yeah, going out the door. And you know who that teacher was between Mr. Lempke and Miss Zoogie. Yes, but Miss Zoogie loved you, she did, yes. And she she didn't mind me either, but like um, I remember what did she call you? Because she always called people by their given name, Nicole. And then when she would say six, everyone would laugh. Six. Because it sounded like six.
SPEAKER_04Oh right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I just yeah. She seemed almost like, and anybody from Manoa that had Mizugi will will agree. She almost seemed like she was English. Yeah, I mean, everyone had her. Everybody, everybody, like she was old at the beginning of time. When I had her. Yeah. She's still alive, isn't she? I think she is. I do. I think she is. Is Mr. Alumke still alive? Oh, I have no idea. He was interesting. He was he wasn't as kind as Ms Zoobie. Like he would he was he was interesting, but we'll we'll move on from there. Um, but I think of you in Miss Zuby's old classroom and student council.
SPEAKER_01Seats were all perfectly settled, always spaced perfectly. Always.
SPEAKER_02Can I go to the bathroom? I don't know. Can you? She was intense. She was intense, but she was great. She was. I mean why did she teach us about the Holocaust? Can we talk about that? Because she was an English teacher. She did? I don't, I don't remember that. We like how to write a paper. It was all about the Holocaust. Oh, you don't remember that? No, I don't remember. And I think the only thing I can chalk it up to is that we weren't getting that education when we're sure across the hallway. Yep. Because Malia and I discussed it. She's like, Yeah. Why did she teach us that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we read the diary of Ann Frank.
SPEAKER_02And she taught us why all of it. She would be like, think about that. And we're like, oh my god, no. But how to write a paper and like the color, whatever.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, an outline remembering all that. I know. At the time I probably didn't appreciate it, but I think you had a very good foundation um in English if you had Mrs. Zugi as a teacher. She would be so disappointed in my writing today.
SPEAKER_02I mean, she would be like, What is this? But I mean, you know, I passed, so we moved on from that. You graduated so early. So I think of you as you were always um like a A care like taking care of things. Like, and I don't remember why, but I remember sitting at a student council meeting and I was in student council. I don't know why. Probably because I thought it was just something to get out of class or get out of whatever. And but I was like in fifth grade. But you were like mother hen then. Sure. I making sure everybody was taken care of. And I just remember always feeling safe when I was around you. Oh school bus too. Sure. Yeah. So like when I think of you, it's always a good thought.
SPEAKER_03What's the age difference?
SPEAKER_02So what year did you graduate? I graduated in 01. Are you three years? Yeah. Okay. No. No. Yeah, when did I graduate? Three. For what? Is that two years? Three. Three. Two years. She doesn't know how old she is. I had to think about it. So you were in Alicia's class. Yes. She was in your class. Yes. Same class. Yep, same bus. Same bus. There was more than one bus in Manoa.
SPEAKER_04I just want everybody to know.
SPEAKER_02We were just around the lake. But yeah. And your parents, yeah. So you explained that a little bit, but um, her parents are really good people. They so you guys know they kind of know the Andy story, don't they?
SPEAKER_03Maybe maybe, maybe not the whole backstory, though. Like, yeah, not yet.
SPEAKER_02Because Andy, Andy will be on. Will he be on the show? Yeah, he's he's coming up. He's coming up. Um, but his your parents are very good people, and they are Andy's boss. Yes. And if he had any other bosses, it wouldn't work out that way, I don't think. But they take care of him and anybody along the way that needs help.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's just the way my parents are. That you know, they're they're just they are good people, they're good people, they are. I mean, I'm not just saying that because they're my parents.
SPEAKER_02But I mean, I wouldn't say that about my just kidding, I would uh, mom. I'm kidding, dad, I'm kidding.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, yeah. So I mean, yeah, through the whole Andy process. I mean, my they have been so great. Yep, yeah. My mom worried about him as if she was his mom.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, through the whole and still, and Andy's never said a bet, like he's like, I'm so fortunate to have them support in so many different ways. So yeah, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, when did that business start?
SPEAKER_01Their business? My parents? Well, one, don't they have a couple? They do, yeah. Um, so where my mom's at. Have you been there to her office? Okay. So they started that while I was in college, so it's probably oh two, maybe.
SPEAKER_04Okay, I think.
SPEAKER_01What business is it? So it is Cross Cut Solutions. They manufacture a chop saw, like you'd use um in a factory that makes fluorine. Okay. Um, so they manufacture that right there in Manoa, Wisconsin. That's awesome. Yeah. And my parents are those kind of people that I don't think will ever actually retire, you know. They they're just those people who will continue to do what they're doing, I think, forever. Now they're probably gonna watch this, so I'll be interested to see if they agree with me or not. But uh-huh, pretty sure, you know, and my dad, uh, my dad works for it's a business that actually my grandpa started. Um, and so he and my mom now own it, but he travels a lot for his job, did a lot when we were growing up. Um, so that's a whole nother aspect of grew up in a household where my dad traveled a lot, and we had a farm and we kept things going while he was traveling. Um, didn't work. What was that business? So um, it's called Lindsay Machinery. Um, so my mother's maiden name is Lindsay. Which is great. Yeah, which is why my name is uh my grandpa and I share a birthday, actually. Is yeah, is they say that's a soul connection. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. So my grandpa just celebrated his 95th birthday last August. Yeah, I think he and Mrs. Zuki are the same age, actually. No way. I think so, yeah. Um, somewhere in there. Wow, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, did your grandpa have a bunch of old cars? Yeah, he still does. Okay. Yep. So he has collected old cars for a long time. Um, doesn't have quite as many as he once did, but yeah, still has a lot of old cars. That is his passion.
SPEAKER_03I was I was wondering when the segue was gonna happen, is when she's gonna bring up her outfit and when she got it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I you want to ask. So this came from uh I'll just help you.
SPEAKER_03No, this came from I know you want to talk about it.
SPEAKER_02No, I I want to talk about Lindsay, not my she was saying that she coordinates with the chair.
SPEAKER_03She wouldn't let me sit there because she wanted to sit in that chair. No, it matched her.
SPEAKER_02That would match too. That would match too. Um, I got it from an I got it from I got it from an estate sale. Oh for like a dollar or a quarter, I can't remember. It was in a closet. It's old. Very good. But I I'm going um for a Moira Rose from Schitz Creek. Yes. And I really liked her, but um, no, I didn't want to talk about myself. I I wanted to talk about Lindsay, but I it's thanks for bringing it up. Really?
SPEAKER_03Because you looked really happy explaining it.
SPEAKER_02Well, because it's a great find. It is okay. So if you we we kind of go all over the place.
SPEAKER_00Really?
SPEAKER_02Mori Rose is you like that show too.
SPEAKER_03Oh, she's hilarious. She's so funny.
SPEAKER_02It was sad that she died.
SPEAKER_03Sad that people die.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but I mean it happens, it happens, it does. But I mean, like home alone mom, like not Mrs. Zoogie. Yep. I think I just asked Amy if she was like, he's like, Yeah, I think she's at Manoa nursing home. Okay, I could not imagine being her caretaker. I will hold back.
SPEAKER_03Do you do you think maybe you should go visit her?
SPEAKER_02No, I don't think she, I don't think I was that impressionable in her mind. She'll remember you? I bet she would. She would remember you. You're the type of people she she would remember the real I was never naughty to her because I was scared to death of Mrs. Zoom.
SPEAKER_03What what grade did you have for her?
SPEAKER_02She had Mrs. Um Seventh and Eighth, yeah. She had some, and I bet you'll agree. And if you don't, I won't be mad. Okay. She had some way to have respect from all different types of kids. The naughty ones, yes, and the good ones. Like she had this like presence that like people just respected Mrs. Zoomy. Like, if and they had this, like they were kind of scared of her, but yet you kind of liked her.
SPEAKER_01It was weird in a weird way. I think it was because she called you by your given name, which okay, sometimes I don't remember who it was in my cat class. I think there was a Kathy in my class, and so she called her Katherine. Katherine. Kathy's name was actually Kathy. Like her parents named her Kathy, which she still called her Katherine.
SPEAKER_02There is a Nikki that had that issue too. That she's like, no, my name is Nikki. She's like, it's Nicole. Like, I'm Nicole, right? And Manoa, if like it's funny, because if someone's here and they'll say Nikki, I'm like, that's a Manoa name of mine. So I know it's someone from the past if they call me Nikki. Or if they're saying, they're like, Yeah, do you know Nikki? I'm like, oh, you talked to someone from my childhood because that's my childhood name. Yeah, but never Ms. Zugi. I had to provide a birth certificate to Mrs. Zugi because she kept docking a point every time I would write my name because I have a capital C in Nicole. Thanks, mom. She did not believe me. She thought it was like some like cool thing I was trying to like. For like for like a paper of miss like for misspelling or mis rewriting things. It would be like a cross off on my seat. And then she's like, I need to see. My mom had to provide proof.
SPEAKER_03My mom will just trying to be hipping cool with a big seat.
SPEAKER_02No, I did. So she was like, Oh, and then she thought it was beautiful. Like, because my mom, whatever, mate, like whatever.
SPEAKER_03Well, she had to, she had to, you know, circle back and really no, she wasn't. I mean, how do you not? You made somebody bring in their birth certificate because they didn't believe you. I feel like we gotta be like, oh yeah, that's really cool.
SPEAKER_02Mizogi would have been like, nope, it's dumb. Like, you know what I mean? If she she would she wasn't there just tell it how it is. Yep, she wasn't there to please anybody, but she had some level of respect from everybody.
SPEAKER_03If you could give it- I kind of want to go visit her.
SPEAKER_02You want to?
SPEAKER_03I'll be like, Hey, do you remember me?
SPEAKER_02He's a Seymour graduate, not Manoa. She's with an eighth grade. Is that why you're collecting all this information?
SPEAKER_03Hey, what grade did she teach? Right.
SPEAKER_02So he has his facts down.
SPEAKER_03We did a paper on the Holocaust. What did we learn about the Holocaust? It was English.
SPEAKER_02She would come out in the hallway. I don't we're giving her way too much air time, but she would come out in the hallway if we'd be in the other classroom and he would be screaming at kids, and she would just stand. Yep, the baseball bat. It's almost like Matilda. Yeah, Miss Crunch Ball.
SPEAKER_03You can't just quick go over that robot.
SPEAKER_02She was insane.
SPEAKER_03Who was he? Who are you talking about?
SPEAKER_02We're not giving names because of things.
SPEAKER_03Explain.
SPEAKER_02So, like there was a maybe a baseball bat involved, and maybe breaking desks and slamming it on desks and throwing, he used to throw kids in. Then it just was desks. Then it was desks, but like in Dala's era, in Dala's era, it was like students. Oh, but he he owned a bar in town and probably was drunk a lot or hung over. Smoked like a fiend. But, anyways, when he would be out of hand, she would just stand in his doorway and go. And he would stop.
SPEAKER_03Here comes mom.
SPEAKER_02That's what I'm getting at. Like she had like mobster respect. Like this was like, even he would be like, Oh, it shouldn't. They probably had smoke breaks together. I imagine they had a like a common ground there. Because you know, when you are a smoker, you you bond on smoke breaks. I feel like we talk too much about smoking on here, but um, yeah, there is a level of respect for that woman, and and him like side note Holly Blair, Ali Bleckel, Alicia Dobratz. Also bussers, school busers. We would spy on that teacher.
SPEAKER_01Really?
SPEAKER_02We would look at his windows.
SPEAKER_03We were like at home, at his house, his house.
SPEAKER_02He lived on Bear Lake, a little weirdos.
SPEAKER_03How old were you? 25?
SPEAKER_02Middle school. It was last year. It was last year. No. And because like he actually had like a really nice house and a like a nice life and probably nice wife and stuff, but nothing interesting happened. Like he would just be sitting in his lazy boy.
SPEAKER_03What were you waiting for?
SPEAKER_02Anything. And he never knew. No. No. It was imagine nowadays ring cranks. Like you'd be all kids can't do any pranks. No pranks. They can't. They can't. We used to do that all the time.
SPEAKER_03Um, but anyways, used to be a peeping Tom all the time. Learning so much about you in your childhood.
SPEAKER_02Sadly, yes. We did. We used to spy all the time. Like, if any of these people will listen to this, but yeah, that was like, let's go do that. Let's go spy on people. Did you know? Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_03I was like the other day when you were like, We have we're we're going on vacation. We're gonna have somebody that's okay. It's been spelled on before.
unknownOh yeah.
SPEAKER_03She she's like, she's like, we we gotta, you know, put stuff away, hide stuff when we go on vacation because we're gonna have a house sitter at our house. I'm like, looking at her a little weird. She's like, oh, I would do that all the time when I house sit it for people. I'll go snoop it around their house.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, and if anyone babysits, they do, they'll snoop around, like when the parents go to bed while we were making it.
SPEAKER_03I'm thinking it's just your friend circle. Thought that that was normal.
SPEAKER_02I always had um Mrs. Judas would call me Harriet the Spy. Did you have her for fifth grade? I didn't, but I would have braids one at each braid, like down the middle, whatever, two braids on the side. She said, I look like Harriet the Spy. And I was, I had um a suitcase full of spy gear because I would spy on my neighbors. She was prepared. You know, like a notebook magnifying glass binoculars.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00We're supposed to be talking about. This is what led to her being a cop.
SPEAKER_02Right. Right. I was always with right. So, like, um, I don't know where I'm gonna go back.
SPEAKER_03Cops don't become peeping toms. Like, they're not they were beforehand, apparently.
SPEAKER_02There was something about that though. About I've always had this is let's go. Lindsay, tell me something stupid you did. Bring it back. Bring it back. What did you do, stupid, when you were little? You didn't spy on people. I didn't spy on people. No. Yeah, that's dumb.
SPEAKER_03So dumb. I shot all the windows out of my my parents' barn when I was little with a BB gun.
SPEAKER_02Oh that's see, that led you to being a cop, right?
SPEAKER_03Stupid. They're perfectly good windows, too.
SPEAKER_02But they were not impressed. No.
SPEAKER_03I had to pick up all the glass. That was my punishment. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So what advice, Lindsay, would you give to we're gonna go over here? I don't want to talk anymore. You guys are make all of my friends that spied with me would be like, yeah, we did that. It was fun. It was the 90s.
SPEAKER_03We'll see. We'll see. You just call them out.
SPEAKER_02We named them. What would be your advice to any small town or Shano-sized town or similar horny town to help get things moving? Because I I was at the doctor the other day, not to bring it about myself, but a lady came up to me and she said, In Shano? I shouldn't ask. No, no, you can. The HIPAA doesn't apply here. Okay. I was in, I was in Green Bay, and she's like, Are you Nicole from the mill? I'm like, Yeah. And she sat down. She's like, I have so many questions about how to get our community going. Sure. It was Seymour. Oh. And she goes, I also need to connect with someone from Shano and see what they did. So I feel like your knowledge we need to dive more into in like giving advice to communities, sure, how to get the word out and like how to get moving.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I mean, it's a lot of different pieces. It's not just one thing. And I think um, so actually, so Bon Duel invited me to their redevelopment authority meeting uh last fall, maybe. Um, and I think probably like my biggest thing that I kept telling them was it's not gonna happen overnight. You know, Sean and Sean didn't just wake up one day and bam, all our storefronts were filled, and we still have things to work on and things we want to do. Um, so I think it's a long process, and it takes a couple people to like start get the ball rolling, you know? Like it takes somebody to like you guys, you took a big risk here buying this building, turning it from a feed mill into a coffee shop, but it is a destination. People come here for it, and when those people come here, they want to do other things, right? How many times, I bet have you heard that? All the time. Like, where else can we go?
SPEAKER_02Where can we it's daily, yeah, daily, and they're like, oh man, like and we we do, we send them in Bondawell. But if there was more, they would stay longer, they would stay longer and they go here to Shawnee always. If I'm like, especially group of ladies, where are you going? Oh, we're gonna, is there anything else in town?
SPEAKER_03You know, anywhere else to shop.
SPEAKER_01And then they're like, We're heading to Shawnee always. Yeah, I mean, I've run into groups of ladies who have said that we came from Bond Well at the mill to game to Shawnee. So that's great that you send them. Thanks. Um you're welcome. But I send them back. We need we need more. I mean, but yeah, I think I think it took a couple of people, and I mean it was kind of at the time I started, it was a time when Shawnee Parks were really expanding, doing a lot, and so we we have a lot of great parks. So that was that was going on. Um, it was also a time when our city was doing a lot of things, getting engaged. Um, we had done, they had done a downtown master plan right before I started. And so it kind of said like things that they wanted to do. It was like big dreams. Okay. So I kind of told Bonduel that too. Like put together a kind of your big dreams. Like, what do you want, even though it might not even be possible or seem possible? Um, one of our big dreams in Shawnee was some sort of central downtown plaza thing that we thought was a huge dream. Um, today it's there. The neighborhood is there, it is a place kind of right outside of Stubborn Brothers there. It connects our park um with our main street, and we just didn't have a way to do that. And we didn't think it was gonna ever be possible. Um, but through some amazing grants, um, Matt Hendricks, who works for Park and Rec, worked on that a lot. He's an amazing grant writer. Um, and we just have an amazing staff in Shawnee, too, this at the city that is just like, let's figure out how to get stuff done. Um, but I think it just takes a lot of people who are willing to take a risk. But kind of how it happened is you know, slowly things started building in Shawnee, and we had some businesses in Green Bay who saw and they brought their business to Shawnee or a second location of their business and then eventually moved. And so, kind of at some point it's like keeping up with the Joneses, you know, you you get noticed. Um, so I think it's small stuff. Like when I started with that master plan, I got a copy of it, and I mean, there were things like we need flower pots with flowers in them. And I was like, oh well, that's simple. Let's just do that.
SPEAKER_02And that you you guys do have very beautiful flower hanging baskets. Yes, yeah, they do. I talk about that a lot at Tony all the time. I do. They are they are gorgeous. It's funny you bring it up because I am envious of when I drive down. I'm like, we need this in Bondowell, we need hanging flowers, and we have an amazing crew at the city that waters them like multiple times a day. They have that machine, don't they, to water them? Then just you say, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, I think it's just I think it's just a big, you know. But it's like a different type of stick it on the end of it.
SPEAKER_01I don't, I'm not really sure. And then a water color. I've never driven it, but that would be fine. Yeah, it would be so yeah. I mean, so some of it is small stuff just to start things moving. Or um, we wanted seating. So we worked with Park and Rec, and in the wintertime they built us a bunch of colorful Adirondack chairs and set them out downtown. You know, like and it just people noticed. People were like, oh, those look fun. Let's stop in this town and see what they have.
SPEAKER_02I've taken senior pictures on those chairs.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Those are great. I love that. Yeah. So it's kind of like just some. I think you have to start small, is my biggest advice. Start small, and a lot of little things make a big difference and attract people. Well, not only people, but like businesses to want to come there as well as shoppers. So that is a weird thing. You need shoppers if you're gonna keep your small businesses going. Shoppers, visitors, coffee drinkers.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we hear that a lot um from people from south of the state. They're like, God, you guys have a great thing going here. And they mean more Shano area, but like they stop it period to get coffee and they go. They're like, we don't have things like this around by us, you know, which is weird because it's big cities, but bigger's not always better.
SPEAKER_01I guess not. No, I mean, and then like I have a soft spot for entrepreneurs. I just, you know, I I I love working with entrepreneurs, um, and so I I love supporting entrepreneurs, and I think that's why it's so easy to promote Shawnee because there's just so many great entrepreneurs, so many shops um that are there. But yeah, not every main street is booming. Some are shutting down, some are so sad, sad, some are like, yeah, sad. So we're we are fortunate, and it's just it's just a fun time, right? It's just a fun place to be.
SPEAKER_02You guys always have something going.
SPEAKER_04It's great.
SPEAKER_02And then they invite us too. So that's the fashion show. Yeah, I saw that. She's great. Um, also a manua girl. I know. Callie, Caitlin, Caitlin, sorry. Caitlin Caitlin.
SPEAKER_03Hey, hey. Also a manowa girl. Also a manua girl.
SPEAKER_02Caitlin. Caitlin. I know her name. I suck. But anyway, she reached out last night and she's like, hey, judging by your 1400 miss text message, like, not opened text messages yet. She's like, I'm thinking you didn't check your email. I'm like, I never check my email or whatever. So she's like, hey, we're doing the fashion show again. I'm like, thanks for thanks for inviting us. Yeah. Being a good team player. For sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's just always there's always something going on. I think that is really fun too. Um, about Shawnee. I don't know. Always, always something going on.
SPEAKER_02So, do you think your children are gonna be on trip? They kind of already are, but do you think they're gonna end up being mini versions of you and your husband?
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, probably like they already are um at you know, 14 and 12. They already are mini versions. But um, for sure, my son, he's one of those people like, man, the poor soul that he works for someday is what I think. Um, he's really not somebody who's gonna work for somebody. I think he'd do better as an entrepreneur. Um we all would. Um, but yeah, he is very much that that way. I think probably so. But also I think it's kind of like the environment you grow up in, right? Some of that, you know. I mean, my parents were entrepreneurs. Um, us with our farm business, I consider us entrepreneurs. Um, I always consider farmers entrepreneurs. Um, and so that's what my kids see. And so I think um, you know, not only that, but also, I mean, my kids were little when I took this job, and so I drug them along to downtown stuff a lot.
SPEAKER_02Yep, I saw them at your booth, your beef stick, frozen beef sticks that's knocked smelled. Yeah, oh that's right. Uh-huh. I smell beef sticks. I smell I'm like, no, they're not here, buddy. He was right. They were. They were frozen.
SPEAKER_01They were frozen, so I'm not sure how he smelled them, but he did. He was right.
SPEAKER_02So I photographed their family, beautiful family, beautiful farm. Would you call it a farm if it's a beef farm? Oh, yeah. Okay, because when I said farm before, you kind of were like beef. So I didn't know if I was saying it wrong. No, no. Okay. Um there's a lot of kinds of farms. There is. And she tipped me with steaks and beef sticks and tons of meat. Beef. Yeah. Beef. It was we like beef. It was such a great. I'll take your pictures anytime.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_02I would do it for I would do it for beef.
SPEAKER_01For beef. Yeah, we need to do that again because somebody just used that picture and like my son is about this tall and now he is like I know. It's such a hassle though, isn't it?
SPEAKER_02It is. Like getting outfits, but you always look put together. And then people got to be clean, yeah, and organized, and all there is the other problem. Yeah. And your cattle gets harder and harder as they get older. It does. The trees were beautiful. Everything about your session was absolutely beautiful. It was. And not just because I took the picture, like legit, I love your session, your farm. You loved it so much. It's there's yeah, it's on my wall. I have her cow on my wall. Not our family, just the cows. That would be weird. But yeah, there was a cool some cattle pictures, and that's when it was like super like Hobby Lobby had pictures of cows everywhere. And I'm like, girl, I can take that. Right. You don't need to buy one of those. The Johnson farm. I always say it's the Johnson. Yeah. Johnson's cows. Keith, I know you have more questions for her.
SPEAKER_03Or extraterrestrial questions. Why don't you believe in aliens? No, yeah.
SPEAKER_01We're really stuck on that.
SPEAKER_03Well, what brought you to Shano?
SPEAKER_01Oh, good question. Um, so I came to Shawnee right after college for a completely different job. That is what brought us to Shano. So um my husband came here first, actually. We were not, we might have been engaged. I can't remember. Um, he's a couple years older than I am, and so I was still in college when he came here for a job. He um came here to work at Gen X. He still works there today. Um, so he came here first, and then when I graduated college, I didn't know what I was gonna do, didn't have a job. Would you go for I am a marketing communications? Of course you are. Yeah, with an animal science minor, so got the agriculture in there. Um went to school at River Falls, which is actually where I met my husband. And um, so came here eventually for a job at Gen X as well. It was a temporary job. I was only supposed to be there six months. I was a college grad who didn't have a job, so I was like, yeah, six months is better than nothing, right? Um, and so I ended up staying for like 12 and a half years. I worked there in the communication.
SPEAKER_02Of course, I would keep you. I would keep you too.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so that was fun. So yeah, so worked there for 12 and a half years, um, did a lot of their advertising, website updates. Um, I planned events and coordinated international visitors that came. Oh, kind of. Um, so that was kind of where my like passion for event planning started, um, was when I started doing that. And then eventually, um, you know, like you have kids and all sorts of things. And it was kind of a case of my husband travels a lot for his job. He still does today. Um, I was going to work, and of course, at that time, people, you know, had to work from 8 to 4:30 at the office. It wasn't like flex scheduling at all um yet. It was pre-COVID. And so I was going to work, dropping kids off at daycare, running home on my lunch hour, changing into barn clothes, checking cows that we're calving, grabbing lunch, and then putting my dress clothes back on and going back to work for the afternoon. Like wow. It was just, it was kind of a rat race. Um, and so then so I I was like, I gotta, I gotta do something else. You know what I mean? I need something that is part-time or different. Um, and so actually that the job with downtown, I s read it on Facebook is where I saw it, and I was like, oh, maybe, maybe that's what I should do. Um, yeah. It was totally, it was really scary though. How did they, how do they um really scary put that position out there? Like how do they word it? So um, so I work as an independent contractor, actually. I'm not an employee, which was really scary because of course I was an em, I was an employee who had a salary, you know, all the safe things. Um, and so changing to be an independent contractor was scary. Um, and it was part-time, and they couldn't exactly tell me how many hours it was going to be.
SPEAKER_03Was it a new position or was uh no you replacing somebody that left?
SPEAKER_01There had been a few previous people in that position as well. Um, the one before me actually, she had um, she was the spouse of a former co-worker of mine. Um, and she had gotten very sick and passed away. So the position had kind of been open for a while, or you know, they're just trying to fill things um in the meantime. So um, so there wasn't like nobody, nobody trained me if that is, you know, it was kind of like there wasn't a manual for this job. Um, so yeah, so I I guess I took a leap of faith when I left there. When I left my safety of a salary job and and took this job. Um, I think I told my husband I was like, I have no idea. Like we might not be able to buy groceries, you know. I mean, it was just it was scary. Um, we were able to eat though. I mean, I have a freezer of beef.
SPEAKER_02So I was like, you have a cow or two up there, go eat them.
SPEAKER_01So um, but yeah, I mean it's scary to go to a a part-time job that didn't know exactly how many hours it would be. Now I love it because some parts of the year it's really busy, and other parts of the year I don't work that many hours. But you create the hours, look at yeah, they can be whenever I want them to be. Yeah. Um, so I do, I do love that about it. And I couldn't go back to a desk job now. That would be hard. So hard to like, you know, now the world has changed and people have flexible options, but um, it'd be hard to go back to that. So yeah, so I do that, I sell beef, we sell beef.
SPEAKER_02Um what's your what's your beef farm called if I want to buy some?
SPEAKER_01Oh, Johnson Family Cattle. Okay, Adeshano. Do you ship? We do not. Nope, we do not ship. Um, that's a whole nother level of rules and regulations. Um, and I just haven't gone there. Um, so yeah, so we sell beef as well, um, and pumpkins from the end of our road in the fall.
SPEAKER_02I love that. I love that you commented somebody, I don't remember. I want to say they were talking about Walmart pumpkin prices, and you're like, Oh yeah, that was me.
SPEAKER_01And that was like yes, you know, as someone said, like there was a farm who grew those pumpkins. I'm like, I know, I know. But there's just something what did they say? They said that you know, some fresh grew those pumpkins, which I know somebody did, but there's so many local. I mean, this comes back to my whole like always support local when you can. Always there is somebody local, there's a lot of somebody's local who grow bottoms, somebody locals, for example, that you can buy direct from. Why are you looking at me?
SPEAKER_03I I thought you were going somewhere with that.
SPEAKER_02Well, because I yeah, we know what you said, but they don't know. Oh, I don't. So that's why he wants to know. Got it. So I don't remember what it was. You probably do, but it was something like, hey, you know, there's a local, it's always better to buy, and it wasn't even like your place. It was like it's always better to support the local pumpkin farmers before you, you know, maybe the pumpkin's a buck, but I mean like the work that goes into it. And just think of the education your son got and all of the cool things behind I can't grow pumpkins. Do you know what I mean? And he's doing this all. So support the kid that is doing all of this work, right?
SPEAKER_01And I think not only like just supporting pumpkin farmers, but same thing with your supporting any local store. You know, I always like once in a while I go into the schools and I'm talking about you know, shopping local and what that means. And I always use the example of, you know, like if you buy your shoes at the cobbler's closet downtown, Bob and Nancy probably shop at Charlie's for their groceries. So they're taking your money down to Charlie's to put. Charlie's a good dude. And Charlie supports so many things in our community, so like those dollars stay in your community when you spend them. And it's true. They do, they stay right here.
SPEAKER_02It's easy for us. We're more willing to give back, especially to people that we see in here all the time. For sure. Because you know, they support you all the time. Yep, right. It's like, yeah, we want it back in our community because you're here all the time. So why wouldn't we want to help you out?
SPEAKER_01Right. And I mean, I always say, you know, so many times, sometimes it's gonna be a little bit more expensive to buy, possibly from a small business owner, but nobody factors in the cost of what it's gonna cost you to travel far away to buy that, you know, whether you're traveling to Green Bay, like there's a cost and the time and the time. Yeah, my my time is valuable. I don't have time to run around for whatever it is. Um, so you know, I would say like check in Shano first before you run something. Or Bondewell. Or or Bondewell. Yeah, that's what she meant.
SPEAKER_02She meant that edit that out.
SPEAKER_01Right. Discovery or Bondewell. If you have it here.
SPEAKER_03Um, he's sick. It's gonna blow my nose real quick. He's sick. Cammy already knows to edit it out.
SPEAKER_00Quick pause. Okay. Honk.
SPEAKER_03She's like zooming in.
SPEAKER_02Is there um anything as you are listening that you think we should highlight it? Because sometimes we're all over the place, so she keeps us in line. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We're actually pretty on track. Just I know there was a little blip there, but yeah. I think that was the Mrszuki or the peeping down. She's half the episode at that point.
SPEAKER_03So Are you wondering if she's ever looked into your windows? I'm gonna jump out here.
SPEAKER_01That was too far. That was oh yeah, she probably couldn't. Although, like, we always did tell my dad during homecoming, like, you know, homecoming, I tell the people you're like, make sure you are dressed. Don't yeah, don't be walking around in your underwear in the house.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_01Homecoming week. Yes.
SPEAKER_03When you say too far, you mean like that's like you would never do that, or because it's actually too physically distance to ride your bike.
SPEAKER_02She wasn't above our like peeping time. It was just distance-wise. It was like a little too far for nighttime bike. That'd be a long time.
SPEAKER_03Thank goodness, right?
SPEAKER_02The rubber knife.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so this is a kind of off-topic question. But were you aware that Nicole was in a cult growing up?
SPEAKER_01Oh, so my whispers back to the school bus. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Were they whispered on the school bus?
SPEAKER_01Question. Um well, yes, probably not. You know what I mean? As a kid, kids don't realize that stuff. But I do remember Nicole getting on the school bus dressed one way and bringing different clothes that she was gonna wear to school.
SPEAKER_03Oh sinner.
SPEAKER_01And Dela did that a lot too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh huh. And Malia. And I mean, all of you. Yeah, we would have to change. We would get on the bus and change. And change on the bus. Or put makeup on.
SPEAKER_03Or I how old are we talking here? I don't know. When did this start?
SPEAKER_01Oh gosh. I don't know. I don't know. Probably like sixth grade, fifth grade. Because you had real long braids. Real long braids.
SPEAKER_02All the time. Always. Or they were wrapped. Or my mom would give me a crown. Like a braided crown. Okay. Or a bun. Before it was cool.
SPEAKER_01Um so I do, but I guess I don't I don't think I knew it was like I don't think I thought cult, you know, but I don't also think that word was merely in my vocality. Right.
SPEAKER_02And like her parents probably weren't whispering about it to them.
SPEAKER_01No, I I don't remember ever. Um I think we just thought it was a, you know, there's a lot of different religions out there. And so I think that was maybe just what it was, you know. Interesting.
SPEAKER_02Good question.
SPEAKER_03What a sweet way to answer that, too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, she's very she's very polished, isn't she? This one.
SPEAKER_03Um no, we just thought she was weird.
SPEAKER_02I did not say that.
SPEAKER_03Well, that's what that's what I want to tell.
SPEAKER_02I do remember that. Oh, she's getting on in a dress. Oh, wait, she's getting off. She's getting off.
SPEAKER_03She's putting her sitter jeans on.
unknownRight?
SPEAKER_02That's yeah, we would have to do that. Oh, buddy. Um that's interesting. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. And this is more back on topic. But and then you kind of touched upon this earlier, too. But what would be something that you would encourage people in Bonduel to like, like, what would be step one to kind of build up the area? Sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So um one thing that we really talked about, we never actually did this in Shawnee, but there's a lot of need for an incubator space. Okay. So, you know what I mean by an incubator space?
SPEAKER_03Like for startup.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like a startup. You know, like it's really scary to start a business, right? I mean, would you agree? Yeah. Okay. You know, time, money, and and you also have no idea if that's really going to be successful, your business. Um, not all businesses are successful. Also, scary um fact. Um, so an incubator space is something that really works well in towns, starting that as a space where people can rent it or use it for a small amount of time. And then the blend. Kind of like the blend. She did good there. Yes, uh-huh. And then it's like, and as Alex at the blend always said, at some point they grow up and they're big kids and they need their own space. They learn that we could use more space. And so then they help fill a empty space on Main Street, which is what actually we had talked about it. Um, and then Alex had her idea with the blend, and it was like we don't agreed on that because she's already doing that. And so many people who had been at the blend in a small booth did move on and fill some of our empty building. Yeah. Um, a lot of success stories, simply sassy clothing. Yeah, she was in the blend. Um, Annalise Hartwig, who um had a shop on Main Street, she was. Um, there's a gal who moved to Clintonville down home on Maine. Yeah. She originally started in the blend. That's right. Um, so it's an interesting way to like give people an opportunity and maybe maybe it doesn't work out, but they didn't lose a lot, you know, they didn't sign a 10-year lease or they didn't, you know, take out some huge loan. They just maybe rented a corner of a shop for a little while. Um, so it's a little less scary, but in the long run, it can help build your main street because most likely a business is gonna stay in that same area because that's where their customers are if they are successful, right?
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, it's smart. So I don't know. I never thought of that. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, that that's just one thing. There'd be others, but that's one that comes to my mind.
SPEAKER_03Do you think that they're on the right track with that redevelopment authority?
SPEAKER_01And I do. You know, I mean, a lot of it is just starting those conversations, right? Having other people who are on board and supportive of what you want to do here in Bonduel, right? It takes other people to think it's a good idea. I so I think having other business owners who are um kind of all on that same page is is what is gonna happen. And it's you know, they're using their resources too. I think they had worked with the um the WDEC, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Um, I think they're putting a plan together, kind of a what does it look like? Like what do we want it to look like someday?
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. There's a lot of potential here in a lot of towns. Oh, for sure. But I mean, like think of how many people you have drive by here in the summertime. So many. But you just need to get them to stop, right? Like that is the biggest thing. How do we get them to put it in park and stop here in Bondewell? And I think that was the same thing too in Shawnee. Um, here is a success story. We had, and I don't really even know these people, but um, they moved to the area, they came from another state, Arizona, I can't even remember, for a job, and they were driving around. They were looking in Green Bay, Appleton, place to live. They just couldn't find where they wanted to live. And they drove through Shawnee and they saw those hanging baskets. And I know power, you need hanging baskets here in Bondewell. They're powerful.
SPEAKER_03She's been trying. She's been trying.
SPEAKER_01Um, but you know, they they stopped, they checked it out, and they said, this feels homey. Like we feel like this feels like somewhere we'd want to live. And so they they did. They bought a house in Shawnee. I think the husband commutes to Green Bay for his job. But yeah, they they put down roots in Shawnee because it felt like home to them. It felt like a place that they wanted to stop and stay a while. So I think it's it is a feeling, you know. While that sounds really weird, but it's it's totally a feeling of like, does this place look dark and gloomy, or does it look like there's something going on here and I want to check it out? And I think that's kind of there are days you're gonna drive through Shawnee, like on those really cold days, and you're like, Whew, who nobody's stopping because it's just too cold to get out of the car and it looks dreary. Um, but in the summertime or in the springtime coming up, it's like we all come back out of hibernation. Um, and it is a place that you want to stop. And whether that's to get a donut at Fanita's or an ice cream cone at Old Glory or stop and get a glass of wine at Fully Stocked. Oh my all those are all my favorite spots, can you tell? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02No, yeah, all great places.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, but I think too, probably for um a community just starting out, it's some type of event. Like, is there an event that brings your community together? You know, what is that in Bon Duel? Founder's Day, 3rd of July.
SPEAKER_04Fourth of July.
SPEAKER_01So, and then how can you get them into your shops and to patronize all your businesses while they're there for that event? And I think that's what I always tell my downtown business owners. Those events, you know, my job is to bring the people there. I bring the foot traffic, but what are you gonna do to get them to come in your store and spend their money? Um, I always feel bad when I say that, but like that is my job. I want like I want to gather up everybody's money and spend it in Shauna when they are there. Um, and so then once you start doing that, you're bringing people as you know, destination, daytime day trips to your community.
SPEAKER_02Would you are you doing what you want to do? Is this like your dream job? Is this my dream job?
SPEAKER_03What do you want to be when you grow up?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, well, you know, like nobody ever says I want to be a downtown coordinator when they grow up. Um, it's not on those like tests that you fill out the bubbles or anything. I don't know exactly. This is what I like I love doing what I do right now. Someone asked me, how long are you gonna do it? And I was like, Well, it's still exciting to me. It's still like I still have things I want to do. Um, we have 115 Christmas trees at Franklin Park, but I have room for more, right? I keep telling them there's room for more. So I have more Christmas trees that we want to put there. Um, so it's like there's things that I still want to do. Um, I would love, and I think I shared with this with you one time. Um, I would love to, I love entrepreneurs, I love small business owners. I would love to work as a consultant with small business owners, just individually working with them to what could you do? I just am never sure. Put it on the record, put it out there right now. Is willing to pay money. Um we were just talking about that. Were you? Yeah, you know, just simple things. Like sometimes, like, have you ever walked by a store and they have a sign out front and it says something that has absolutely nothing to do with what they sell inside? And but they have walked by it every single day and they just don't even notice it. It's there, yeah. You know, so it's like, I would love to do that. I don't, I don't know if I'll ever get there. We'll see. Um, but you know, or you know, just just simple things that make a big difference. I think about you guys, and I love the personality that the mill has. Every business has a personality, right? Um, yeah, you're right. Businesses do. They do have a they have a personality, and some of that is why you shop at their store, why you patronize them as their personality. But not every business, if you can think of some in your head, we're not gonna name any names.
SPEAKER_02See, look, it she's so polished and straight and narrow. I'm naming names. I'm doing it. You can't stop me. It's my podcast.
SPEAKER_04Go for it.
SPEAKER_01You can say them, I'm not going to. Um, but you know, like some of them don't have a personality. I don't know who they are. Like, I want to know their story if I'm gonna interact with them. Yes. So I'd love to help businesses develop that personality or help them have that because I don't think they know how important it is.
SPEAKER_03It is and maybe like this, it's a great example. She says that all the time. It's like she wants to, you know, tell people our story, and we instead of marketing your product, you mark market yourself a little bit more. Yeah. And it's so hard for I think people like me that think, you know, a little differently, um, to understand that like that's gonna work, you know. Sure, skeptical.
SPEAKER_02It's funny because half the time, at least our marketing is nothing to do with what we're selling at the bottom of it. I'll be like, oh yeah, by the way, we have coffee today. Right. And it it's working because now people know that we already have coffee, right? So then what I tell people is like your product, they're gonna come back for. But they like, what are what are they really gonna come back for? There's gonna be like, I wanna buy beef from you because I like Lindsay and I like her pumpkin kids. And I like the newspaper. You know what I mean? I like your story. And I want to support you in your beef in your life. And a lot of people are that way, even if they don't know they're that way. Right. They don't know why they're walking in all the time and they're like, oh, I think I like I like the the people here. The personal connection. Yeah, they buy from you because they feel like they know you. And so and they don't know that. Like, because you can't always have one-on-one conversations with people. So social media is so important. It is to get that out there who you are and what you're about and make it a little personal, which is is uncomfortable for some people. It is, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And it like you can't you can't copy it. Like it's it's really hard to copy that. Like your idea, your personality is different than our personality. Right. It's just people have to be a little vulnerable at first to put themselves out there and you know, give hopefully their personality is something worth attaching to.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, we realized that maybe not at the beginning of but not, yeah. I mean, actually, one important thing I always tell people is like not everyone is your customer. And I think the sooner that a small business owner figures that out, the better. Yeah. Um, yes. You know, I I had a conversation with one of our newer boutique owners about that just last week. And I was like, it's okay. Not everybody is your customer. And sometimes those people who you realize are not your customers will like it's okay. They they're the problem children, you know. You you don't need everybody.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that is such good advice. And we realized that pretty quick, like with people like, well, you know, we've talked about this. Like, people don't want expensive coffee. I'm like, I do, I do. I want a good, I want a good cup of coffee. I do. Like, maybe you're you're thinking of because it we were always pitched, I don't want to say always, but there were people that were like, Bondawell's just a farming community. The farmers don't want fancy coffee. I'm like, some sort of thing. This isn't door county.
SPEAKER_03We heard that a lot. Yes, they do.
SPEAKER_02Lindsay's a farmer and she wants expensive, or not, I don't want to say expensive, but like good quality coffee. Yes. Not the endless cup of coffee you generally get at a cafe is what the big thing was like. Well, it's not endless. No, it's not. You're gonna pay for each cup you drink. Right. Um, but that is really good advice. And I say that I said that one time out loud to a customer. She looked at our mug prices. Um, because our the one that you're holding in the hand, but like our ones with the mill logo on them. They're all different, all handcrafted. This she, it's not even her full-time job, it's just like her side gig. And she's like, oh, like looked at the price and put it back. I'm like, she could's a little out of my price range, like for a mug. I can she said some comment about like Target. I'm like, you're not our, you're not our market then. Yeah. I said that's okay. People that pick it up and know what goes into making a mug, and then like looking at the details of each of them, I can see those customers and they love them. You know, they're like, I don't know which one to pick, right? Versus the price is like, and that's not even high price. So I'm like, if you know what went into making a mug, the time. People's time is valuable, and our customers are not the ones that want a cheap mug, they want a mug with a story, and I'm okay with that. Yeah. Yeah. Anything else? Anything else, Lindsay, that you think we need to get on the record? I don't know. Or any more burning questions about aliens.
SPEAKER_01No, not about aliens, something else. Yeah. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I just have a couple questions off topic of downtown Shano, if that's okay.
SPEAKER_01Has been so funny.
SPEAKER_03Well, you're fun to talk to. Um, how many, how many beef cattle do you have about?
SPEAKER_01Oh, about. Um, so we would be what's considered a cow calf operation. So we have cows that are calving right now. Um, we have calves on the ground. One I put in the barn before I came here, actually, just in case. Um, haven't checked the camera, but we'll hope she's just in case because she's calving. Yeah, she's due. Um, what is today? I think she's due on Thursday. So, you know, just like humans, they can come early, late. Um, so we'd be what's considered a cow calf operation. We raise our calves and then do a couple different things with them. So our farm has a bull sale. So we sell bulls to other farmers like ourselves next Sunday. Um, it it we have that. Um, we work with a couple other farms because we don't have enough to have our own sale. Um, so some friends of ours in the Madison area that we work with on that, and then we sell beef as well. So, you know, everybody says how many are wandering around at your place? It varies, but if we're talking about Mao, there's probably a hundred there. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_03And do you so you keep like some heifers, some you sell?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yep. And so like some of those heifers we would keep, and then they'll have calves of their own at our place as well.
SPEAKER_03Do you um do you sell them like at like do you get them impregnated first or do you sell them right away at calf age?
SPEAKER_01Um, usually if we're gonna keep them, we will breed them. Um and then they'll calve at our place. Oh, okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And then sell them.
SPEAKER_01And then maybe sell them. Yeah, or else we might sell them as a bread heifer in the fall.
SPEAKER_03Sure.
SPEAKER_01It kind of everybody is different. Like we keep I keep I keep records, you know me, organized person. So I've I keep records on everything. Um, and there's a plan column. Like, what is gonna be the plan for this?
SPEAKER_03Oh, probably like a lot based on time of year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, like are they headed to the feedlot to be beef for someone? Are they headed to be are they gonna stay a bull and uh you know, um be sold? So to ever get attached to one of them. Yeah, so my kids show um cattle.
SPEAKER_02Side note, I'm not a vegetarian. That's good cows, and I'm all about farmers. Okay, even if you were, I used to be your friend. We've said about raising beef, and his dad said to me, You wouldn't be able to do that. I'm like, why? He's like, you get too attached to your animals.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it is it it is hard. So my kids, they you know, each have a steer for the county fair in Shawnee. Um, and they will weigh their steers in this weekend, actually, right here in Bondwell. Um, so they those we do sometimes get attached to. But the thing is, we know from the beginning of the project, like, okay, we know the end game, right? It's right, it's really hard um to let those go. Um so those are the hard ones because my kids work with them all summer. That's their summer job, is they work. I always say those steers are cleaner than most people's children, because on hot days, those steers are rinsed probably two or three times a day just to stay cool. Um so they work with them, you know, they spend a lot of time with them, but at the end of the day, at the end of the project, we know what what the end game is. So I guess they kind of grow up. That doesn't mean that tears aren't shed, though.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, here the fair day is hard. It is loading up, but it's a good lesson where your food's coming from.
SPEAKER_01You know where your food's coming from and and um all the time that they've put into that project. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Do you aside from fair cattle? Do you have favorites that you maybe give a little extra snack to here? That yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh. Yep. And then there's some that are not favorites. Yeah. Really? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We bought a pig from his friend that gave us his favorite pig. He said that one got the best scraps all the time. Remember that? I'm like, I don't know, this is sweet, but still sad. Right. Yeah. Tasted so good.
SPEAKER_01All the extra snaps. Yeah, you do, you you do. There, there are, I mean, it sounds so weird, but like some of them have different personalities that you just get attached to. Um, and others, I always say, you're not sad to see them go.
SPEAKER_03It's little. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, I don't know. But I think too, I mean, like, it's the only way my kids I knew being raised, it's the only way my kids have known being raised. My husband, too, um, was raised on a beef farm. So, like, it's all we know. Right. Um, but uh it probably does seem odd to someone who hasn't grown up in that environment that thinks food comes from the grocery store. It would probably be which I think is like a really big problem right now. I mean, if I can say, like, they say like less than two percent of the population has any sort of direct connection to a farm. So that means people do not know where their food came from. They're assuming it came from the grocery store. Um, and so that's a big concern, I think, you know, um knowing where your food comes from or how it's made or that it is real food, right?
SPEAKER_03Do you um did do your parents still have cattle?
SPEAKER_01They do, just a handful, but yep, they do.
SPEAKER_03How long do you think you'll always have cattle?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03You know, are you gonna be the type of person that retires or not?
SPEAKER_01I think so. I want to, yeah. When was it? Uh boy, maybe like a couple years ago, I told my husband, like, all right, we've done this for 15 years, let's do it for 15 more, and then we'll be done. He was like, What? But uh, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Like what like too long or what not long enough?
SPEAKER_01Oh, he was like, Why wouldn't we just keep doing this? And I'm like, I don't know. Maybe we want to do something different or retire and live on a lake. I have no idea. I've never done anything like that.
SPEAKER_03So do you want to retire?
SPEAKER_01Did you want to retire?
SPEAKER_02I would like to, and I think I said this on a different episode, maybe out loud. I would like to just write.
SPEAKER_03Peeping Tom, just Tom. Peep around.
SPEAKER_02No, I would like my like when things settle, because like it's hard for me to just like not if I'm not here, I have guilt not being here, but I would like to sit somewhere and write. Okay, write all of the cool things about this place. Sure. In Maine by myself with my dogs and my husband. Where do I go? That's what the funny part was. He's the game. He said you're the galaxy. No, but I think la I think last time, I don't remember what it was, but I'm like loving every minute of it. Yep. I think my idea of retirement would be you know, and we were talking about this just the other day is how like being secluded is more and more appealing to me. Sure. The older I get, and I feel like that's a normal thing, but like let having less and less people and less things and less to do in like the middle of nowhere. Sure. And and that, like all of that with some good coffee and to write about all of the wonderful things that has happened along the way. Yeah, because like the I love people, but like the idea of being here during a rush and a weekend, and when people want to like talk to me, I get a little like anxious. Like people kind of drain my energy, and it's not good or bad people, it's just like you know, like some people get filled up by a lot of people. I my energy depletes, like being around a lot of people. Okay, yeah, and I feel like you're kind of the same way.
SPEAKER_03What I feel like that's probably why I like to watch them from afar.
SPEAKER_02Stop it. I don't get me wrong, it fills being here, being here at the mill fills my cup. It does. But if you have it filled with people, and then like they don't even have to talk to me, like my energy like goes. So I've realized I listen more to how I feel, and and that you need a good balance, yeah. And then it's like having less. So I think my idea of retiring would be like writing. Sure.
SPEAKER_03Cammy, do you want to retire? Are you sick of us yet?
SPEAKER_00No, I'm not sick of you. Um, I feel like at some point, yes. And I think it would probably be the same thing. Like I um I don't want to be totally away from people, but I like I like having like the people in my life close by. And I if I could just read and write and hang out with people, that would be great. And coffee, drink coffee. Yeah. So someday I'd want to retire.
SPEAKER_02Maybe we could retire by each other.
SPEAKER_00Okay. We'll be neighbors, like a mile away.
SPEAKER_01Like, you know, I think about cows, like they need to be fed. Yeah. Or, you know, I mean, there's just so many the mill, it need you need to be here, yes, you know, to keep gaps on things. So just not having that 100% tie to something.
SPEAKER_02Well, when you're you want so your retirement would look like living by a lake. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe. I don't see you settling down though. You're in changing somewhere. Go, go, go, go. Be like lakefront organizations with Save the Turtles. I'll be organizing activities for retired people. You would you would. Hey, let's do something about that.
SPEAKER_03We're gonna we're gonna play cribbage out on the ice this day.
SPEAKER_02I bet you if you asked your parents, or maybe how fun would that be?
SPEAKER_03Do you want um would you live around here? Do you think?
SPEAKER_01Maybe. You know, I always say, like, we could have picked anywhere to live. Why did we stay where it's cold out? Because I really dislike the cold, cold, cold. Especially as a farmer. That's tougher. Like a couple weeks ago, worst week ever. Right. But anyway, um, but but I don't really like snakes and poisonous spiders either. So you get too much farther south and you gotta deal with that. I guess the cold I will stay. But I think probably so. I guess our family, like our families are both in Wisconsin, so I think we'd stay there. Probably depends where what our kids end up doing right now. I think that is a big you know, at some point you're like, all right, we'll maybe go where they are. I don't right. Maybe they don't want us to.
SPEAKER_03Bye, Lori.
SPEAKER_00You can't do that on a television show. Um do you think your kid or like one of your kids would take over your farm?
SPEAKER_01Maybe. You know, that question has been asked. Um, my husband and I, we started from scratch, you know, and when I say scratch, I mean like we we got married on Saturday and we bought our farm, signed on Monday for our farm. That's hard. Nothing says commitment, like going into that kind of debt with somebody. Wow. Um, but 20 years later, still going well. Um, so so we started from scratch because our families, you know, our parents each had their own places and um it wasn't big enough that we could join in. And we, I don't know, there's something to be said from starting your own and building it. It was really a lot of work. It was a terrible amount of work and money. And if I would start it all over again, I wouldn't do it the same way, probably. But when you're young, you just do silly things to make them financially work, right? Um, so I don't know if our son will want to, he would be the one I think would probably um take our place or buy it. I'd definitely make him have skin in the game, not just gonna give it to him. Oh, yeah. I don't that's kind of how we've rolled with all of the projects that he has. He has to have skin in the game. Um, so I don't know. Um, or if he'll want to move somewhere else and start his own thing. We'll see.
SPEAKER_02I'm excited to see where your kids go. Yeah. And where you end up. Right. Uh, I bet you if you asked your mom, and maybe you remember. Okay. I bet you she would say your leadership in starting things started at a very young age. Probably. I bet you you did things in middle school and high school, or like led organization things.
SPEAKER_01I'm also like probably your stereotypic oldest child, too, you know? Uh-huh. Like the organizer, the I can remember my mom saying many times, Lindsay, I'll be the mom. Oh, really? Yeah. So, um so yeah, probably.
SPEAKER_02It's really great having you on. Yeah, thank you so much for inviting me. Yeah, it's been fun. Is there anything else anybody has?
SPEAKER_03Retirement coffee and writing.
SPEAKER_02She doesn't want to write.
SPEAKER_03We got two lakes and peeping on people. All right.
SPEAKER_01Right. That's kind of about the highlights.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for listening, watching.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thanks so much. Thanks for being here. Yeah. Are we ending it? Is this the end? I don't know.
SPEAKER_03This is the end.
SPEAKER_02Okay. All right. Thanks for stopping by. See you Tuesday. Oh, that's the end. We don't clap at the end. No, we can.
SPEAKER_03Are we done? One more time.
SPEAKER_02No, we're done. Okay. That was great. Help me freely walk in your eyes.