Episode 1: The Hangout Podcast - Co-Host Introductions & Interviews

EP 1 — CHRISTINE & COREY

🎙️ It's here. The Magic District Hangout Podcast is officially live. Christine & Corey sit down to talk about why they started this podcast, what downtown Minot means to them, and why now is the time to tell these stories. 🌟

Made possible by Main Street America and American Express.

Get to know the hosts. Tune in to the magic.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Hello, Mina. Hello, Mona.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

So listen, I'm not sure if you guys know who we are. I'm not sure if you guys even know what we did last year.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Right.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

However, the reason we're here today is for reintroducing ourselves and rebranding as a focused podcast that we can actually now share with the community.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Yes. Yes. And it's basically, if you will, not just downtown Minet, but it's everything around and in Minet.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Yes. So guys, this is the story. Last year, this time, same time last year, we did our first little uh Facebook Live.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

And it basically went viral. People loved it. They enjoyed what we talked about. They enjoyed like what we were trying to bring to the table.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

And the next thing you know, um, we did a second and a third one, but Facebook did not save our videos.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Nope. Nope. Fortunately.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

We learned.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

And then also we got a little busy and then we realized we were needing a little bit more of a legit setup.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Right?

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

So this gentleman here named Corey Long, which by the way is the co-host and on Christine Staley, the other co-host, uh, we were talking about it, and we still wanted to do this.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Right. And Christine uh fortunately went out there on the World Wide Web and you found No, I didn't find it that way.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Oh, so I I'm I'm a little savvy. I I'm part of a lot of newsletters.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Okay. Not only for grants, but not only for small business, but about commerce, about business, about arts, about music, about everything and anything, guys. And I get a lot of emails in my inbox. And that's why sometimes I say I'm going to clean my inbox. People laugh at me. I have like 3,000 emails at a time. It's crazy. Besides business. We got that. But there was an there was a um a grant that I thought would be a perfect fit for this. When I read it, it literally sparked my interest. And I told Corey, I'm going to apply for this grant. And I was so excited that I got everybody on board, which by the way, you'll start hearing some of the people who've been part of this grant in the first few episodes. Sure. Yep. And who made this happen? But the grant is American Express and the Main Street USA in collaboration together. Who made this possible?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

And where is our studio? Right on Main Street and downtown?

SPEAKER_02 2:45

We are right on Main Street. So by design, I mean, without even knowing this was going to happen, that how apropos is the way to look at it.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Sure. Big words, okay, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Which is perfect, which means perfectly aligned, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Perfectly aligned, right? Is the way just like us.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Like we met, and I I never even knew this guy until you showed me.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

No, so I just I just what you know, I'm I'm with the downtown DBA and was just looking to get more of a word out of what's going on downtown. And I heard of Christine before, and I knew where her shop was. And um, you know, a a mutual uh friend, acquaintance, um, Adam, and uh, you know, I've I've heard Christine dropped before and I've seen her social media, and you are out there. You you really do a great job at at uh advertising your shop here, Magic City Hoagies, that's where we're located.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

And suites.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

And suites, yes. And um, and I I knew and I heard before that you've had some time behind a camera.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Yes, and uh I'm I I thought, what more fitting than having somebody that has time behind a camera that maybe start a podcast? And that's what we did, and we ran with it for a while.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

Wait, wait, but let me let me interject really quick, guys. Uh he just shows up one day and he's like, we're gonna start a podcast. I'm like, who are you? So I thought that was really funny. The fact that he was brazen enough to walk in and kind of just say, I'm so-and-so, I know so-and-so, I think this is what we should do. And I'm like, Okay, but I I do I do have to say that that was a pivotal moment for me personally because I'm not from here. I'm from Miami, guys. I've been here going on 14 years and that's September. Sure. And I've seen this whole city community, and now downtown, right located with the business, evolve and change.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

It has changed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There's more movement downtown.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

But the thing is, I feel like there's conversation that's just not being said. Um, the narrative that's happening between, say, I'm a business owner, you're a person of interest in the community because you do so much behind the scenes. You know, he's neighbor of the year award for the mayor, guys, which was awesome. Congrats.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

You're welcome. But I think that like all of these different parts seem to work together. And we also know a whole collection of people that we didn't even know we knew together, let alone separate. So it's only making this venture really fun.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Right.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Because we're just hanging out now.

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Hanging out and getting to know people, yeah, having an idea of what they, you know, are are doing within this community, around this community. And really, you know, it's it's getting to know what makes these people move forward and do in what they do.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

I agree with that, but I also agree with there's some really good stories that aren't being told. So let me give you an example. There's a couple people who've retired over the past year, even just on Main Street guys. Um, Betty Fedorchek, who had esoterica, I think she's a fantastic person. I'd love to hear her story. She had um a store here for I don't even know how long, and that's what I'm saying. I know her, but I don't know her. Um Val Zadek from Main Street Books. There's a really good story there, too, about a small business that actually ended up becoming becoming uh selling the business to another person who started with her and now owns it. I'd love to hear her story. You know, also Oliver Zadik, those are three female businesses that like transitioned and closed or whatever changed. But just stuff like that to me um is really important. Because if you're gonna be moving here to North Dakota or Mina, which I think mine's the better place out of all the communities, guys. Sorry, you know, you'll want to hear about how these people started, what they're doing, because what I started was very different than when they started.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

And so yeah, you're talking about, yep, yep. You're talking about, you know, something that had started maybe in the 70s, and now you started here, you know, this is your second location, but I think this is the probably a really great location, you know.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Well, there's a there's a story behind that too. But I will say this that really, guys, at the end of the day, I think I put my research together, Corey did, and then this grant made it happen. And so I definitely want to say first to start off, we're gonna we're gonna interview each other first, guys. That's why we're here.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

Because you get to know us first. But I do want to say a shout out first so I don't forget to Air American Express and Main Street um USA. Thank you for this generous grant to let us do this. Um, second of all, I want to say thank you to Corey Long for bringing this idea, this crazy idea that we actually kind of tried out and now we're actually moving forward with it. Um, he also uh Brent from Volho Builders helped build out the stage. Uh Dakota Faye, who actually we will be telling you is gonna be um he created the music behind and opening and closing in the segues. Um EJ Rose, who decided to create the lovely logo. Well, we created the logo, but he painted the logo. And then um Adam Diaz, who's behind right now the tech. And then who am I leaving out? Oh, BH who helped us with the equipment. Anything else?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

I think you nailed all the all the yeah, and then just the community and you guys.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

We we should we want this to be your place because if there's people you want us to see and whatever, we're gonna thank you too in advance because we need content. Right, we want to hear what you want to, you know, we want to do whatever you guys want. And I think that's it. Any any thanks for you?

SPEAKER_01 7:57

No, no, I I think uh you thanked all the people, you know. Thank you, Christine, for actually uh, you know, keeping this motivated and keeping it going and keeping it, you know, um, ordering all this stuff and lining up a lot of the people and and moving this forward. Well, and as you can tell, we're live because there's people walking around right behind us.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Yeah. And that's the cool thing about this, guys. One more thing. I'm definitely gonna say pivot one more thing off that. Thank you to my family, my husband especially, and my staff for allowing me to be crazy and get this together while we're working in the shop over here.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Yeah, there's a lot of in, you know, a lot of kind of chaos. It's kind of gets a little hectic and that you know, temperatures flare up a little bit, but I think we kept our cool pretty well.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Yeah, you know what? It's it's it's fine, it's all good.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

So, guys, um, now we're in, and then I think we're gonna start so asking some questions, guys, and then we'll tell you a little bit about my knot after this. Yeah. So why don't you get starts started, Corey? Because I'm always the one talking. Oh, wait. First off, I do have to preface this. When we were pitching this idea to ideas for people when they had to get us our stuff to submit this grant, he kept saying to people, what do you call us?

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Who am I and who are you? Well, so yeah, it's just I guess you know, it I grew up with Johnny Carson, and she is the Johnny Carson, I am the egg McMahon. So she kind of leads the way because you've had props in this industry before. So I am the egg McMahon.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Yeah, so guys, I thought that was cute. And if you guys don't know who those people are, if you're too young to know, look them up. Okay, they're they're legends in uh interviewing. You're right, right. And late night talking shows talk shows, yes. Okay, well, listen.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

All right, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

So here we begin, guys.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

All right, so Christine, um, you're not from Minut. Nope. Where did you grow up and what was that like?

SPEAKER_02 9:37

So I grew up in North Miami Beach, Florida, which is if you're if you've ever been in that region area, we call it South Florida, because all the towns are kind of gelled together. You don't even know you're leaving one town to the next. Sure, they're just yeah, you can just blend in. If you pass a sign, you're lucky if you see it, you know. Um, I grew up in a time during the 80s and 90s where you know we were on bikes. It's kind of like Stranger Things in that way. Sure. I love Stranger Things, by the way. Just a little plug. Yes, yes. I have a little homage area over there. So I um I grew up on my bikes building tree houses. We grew up by the water and it was a bustling city. Um, this was the time, if you saw Miami Vice, it actually was legit. That's exactly what it looked like. So this is the 80s. Yes, 80s. And yes, it was a very um, it wasn't really the Miami that people see today.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Miami today is glamorous, beautiful, like luxury, very expensive. Not that it wasn't then, but different parts of it. But it was really, this is gonna be sad to say, people called it like you either wanted to retire, or which I hate to say it, the thing they said was called God's waiting room. Oh, wow. Hang out by the by the ocean on those chairs and just wait. Sure. Or you have people who are creating uh business and commerce. And yes, it there was a lot of drugs going on and a lot of ethnic um collaborations with communities that were being relocated, repopulated, like the Cubans and Mario Boat Lift, all that. Right. So when you have all this group dynamic, there's a lot of cool stuff that happens, but then there's a lot of crazy that happens. And I think over the years, growing up there was quite dynamic. Okay. Plus, with the music scene, you know, Miami rap is a real thing, Miami bass is a real thing. Miami bass, yeah. And um also I would say that the lifestyle of like Palm Beach that you see um that is real. It's just that you you will know the difference when you hit a distinctive area. You will notice, you know, from like Overtown to South Miami, they're very distinctive like um experiences. When you hit a certain like um county line, for example, you'll notice a difference too. There's a difference in the city. There's a Tri-County area called Palm Beach, um, Broward County, and Dade and I grew up in Dade County on the ocean.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

So Dade is north, right?

SPEAKER_02 11:54

No, Dade is South.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Oh, South. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

And then you start hitting the keys, but that's our county.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Sure. So what um, you know, we talked briefly about this a little earlier was uh, you know, what got you into media?

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Media. Okay, great question. Well, when I graduated high school, I wasn't really sure what what I wanted to do. I actually just wanted to graduate high school and uh work a little bit, get a job, figure out what I wanted to do, find out who I was first. My friends used to say to me, Well, you're never gonna go to school. And I'm like, Well, you guys don't know me.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

I do what I wanted to do.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

So this was in high school.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

This was in high school.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

They were like, Oh, I'm going to this university, I'm going to this. And I was like, I get it. Right. I said, I just don't know yet. I said, I think I just want to like have some fun and make some money. And I'm actually really glad I did that when I did, because that really set me on a path of putting myself in a focused direction then. Because when I did decide to go to school, which is only about maybe a year and a half later, sure, I really wanted to go to school and I killed it. I did really well.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

So that would have been in the mid-90s.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Late nineties.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Late 90s, okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:51

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

So I ended up going to school later. Um, and then I um when I was in school, I discovered theater. And I I I I never really thought theater was something I'd do. I don't I can dance. Okay. I didn't know I can act, but I cannot sing. I wish I could sing, guys. That's not one, I'm not a triple pet. I'm not that. I wish I was. But I ended up taking a couple classes and I fell in love with it. And I loved the energy behind it. I loved the fact that I can like interact with someone in a different level than just hanging out, talking. And I decided to go to school to New York for that. Okay. So I went to a conservatory program and uh ended up doing that. And then when I finished that after New York City? Yes, I was in New York City. Actually, it was September 1st, 2001.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Oh wow, okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Right before September and classes start on the 17th. Oh, okay. Yeah. It was it was a very uh interesting time. Well, you know what? You just don't know what you you you're gonna walk into. You just kind of have to deal with it. Yeah. Um, but I will tell you, it was a growing experience. I feel like I got way more out of living in New York City than even in college. I don't know what it was. It was a very dynamic time in my life. Sure, I would say. And then I went back to school and I went back to school for uh TV production. Okay, and then that's where you're talking about. So I've done some theater, I've done some film, and I've done some TV, and I ended up um working behind the camera um in the studio. I also did some um sales for TV, and then um I loved it, but then I was um I always loved food.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 14:23

I always loved food. And then um when my husband got the opportunity to relocate up here, um kind of interesting when you stepped off the plane.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

You've told me this before. And you've seen the basically coming from the airport. It was at night at night coming from the airport.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Yeah, and it reminded me of driving through um LA. Okay, like in the in the in the mountains. In the hills, yeah, in the hills, just like in like a like a small snippet of it, but it just like hit me like that. And then I got to know the town for like, I don't know, three days I was here. It was during 2013.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Yeah, the week of the fair, the week of the fair, okay. Yeah, what a crazy time to hill.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Oh my goodness, yeah. It was crazy and busy. And then uh that was a big thing.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

So a lot of traffic, correct? Right.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

And then by that point, um we moved here September 6th, and my husband started his job on the ninth.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

We drove cross country with my little girl and uh him.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Took a week, and then we just and we never left. We love it. Sure. And that's my story, really.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's uh so what um I guess you decided to open up uh you or basically open up your hoagie shop.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Yep. And yep, and and it started about a year later. I saw an opportunity, didn't know a soul, didn't have any family here, and then I decided to just um go with it. I said this might be my one chance. I just I just felt like it was right. Sure. I didn't know what I was doing, sure. But everything aligned right, and I think that that's really what happens is that when something's right, it'll open up the doors and you just hit that thing called the flow state, right? And you just go, and everything seemed to just start working. It took me about two years to really establish what I was doing, and then by the third year is when we took off.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Sure. What's your favorite hoagie?

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Gosh. Um I would say if I have to go with one, it would probably be the zesty.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

Yep, that's mine. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Yet I love my roast beef. Sure. So if I'm just hungry and I need to eat something quick, it'll be roast beef. Just quick go to.

unknown 16:12

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

Yeah. Right. But that's it. Now, how about you, Corey? Tell me your story really brief. Because we have some lots of questions.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Right. Uh excited. And then I don't want you to rush. Yeah, yeah. I just uh well, I grew up here in Minut, uh, born and raised, uh, grew up on the southeast side, went to Sunnyside. Well, actually, I went to St. Leo's one year. Um, right around the corner. And then um, you know, I I was born and raised here. Um my dad worked right up the street at uh Trinity uh the uh the ER, if you will, the uh operating room. Um was a scrub tech. My mom, uh, grew up in a you know a you know, a um a pretty good home, you know. And um only child. Only child. I I had uh, you know, a plethora of friends uh with you know growing up, um, had a pretty good childhood and uh you know and really um you know I after high school I I moved to uh Fargo Morehead, went to school there, tried college out twice. Um, and I got dirty. And I what I mean by that is I got into construction, got into dirt dirt work, and uh just I did that and um you know uh met my wife out in the Fargo Morehead area, moved back here right before the flood. Actually, it was a flood in Fargo in 2010, and then I moved here in between that and had a flood here in 2011.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

You never told me that.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Yeah, yeah. So then yeah, so I fought both floods, and um, you know, my wife and I moved up here, actually lived a half a block from here. We got an apartment like right behind you up here, um, and uh moved back and started a family. And uh, you know, I live in Grandville, and uh, you know, I uh I I I love Grandville. I love this, you know, I love mine it, but I I love the whole community around here.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Tell us about your brief stint of something there in Grandville.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Well, I was the the mayor, um, you know, I was Granville for a period of time, and uh I was in the city council too there, and uh, you know, that was a really you know enriching experience. Um, you know, um it was it was interesting. Yeah. So so yeah, and um, you know, um one thing I do have an understanding of how that, you know, the small towns to this town, how you know, how the uh, you know, the politics work a little bit and have have an understanding of you know the policy and procedure and all that stuff, you know, and but we're this podcast is not about politics. No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

But what's cool about that is that I come from a big city and I know about how like big cities work and you know about how small cities. It was actually like a really interesting perspective for both of our views because we're we come from different kinds of situations. Right. I think that's what makes this unique. Yes, yes you know, I'm an outsider looking in, even though I know I'm I feel like this is my home now, but still I see things differently in that sense. It's not a negative connotation, guys. Right. It's just I see things differently. Sure, sure. You know, and you see the dynamics, and I love that because when we talk, sometimes we don't see eye to eye. And I've I've gotten to that point. I'm like, okay, well, let me see what your point of view is in mine, and then we try to come to at least a understanding. Sure. It's not always right or wrong. It's never about that. It's about what do we both see? What do we take away from it?

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

And learn from it.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Right. Um, so yeah, I just, you know, I but, you know, like I said, I was born and raised here. I love Mine It. I love the Magic City, I love, you know, I love the small communities that are around this. Um, you know, I guess uh, you know, uh, you know, right now, you know, I guess uh, you know, moving forward, I just like to be involved in different ways. And in, you know, it's easy to sit back and complain about something, but let's actually to move forward and to help a community out there. Yeah. And that's essentially what this podcast really helps ground it in.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

Yeah, well, I think I think some people don't have information at their fingertips, so they don't know how to make decisions. So I think right now this is what we're just doing. We're just doing an introduction, guys, about who we are, what we're doing. And then also, you know, if you guys have any questions or any recommendations of something you want to see, I mean, we have ideas. Right. But I mean, please we're we're we're open and welcome to that. Right. Um, well, thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

No, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

And I think we're both invested in different ways, and I think that's the the crux of like what makes us unique now. Right. It's perfect timing for where we are moving forward with my not.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

So, okay. Well, you wanna you want me to ask the next question? Yeah, go ahead. Okay. So I I I feel like you already answered this question. It was like, you know, why the podcast with me, you know, what what sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

It just uh like I said, you know, it was just the the the story that you have, uh, you know, that I what I saw was like it'd be nice to have somebody that has done this and has an idea. And you have done this and you've had plenty of ideas. Yeah. And I just thought uh, you know, it just it just made sense to me. And and like I said, you are the you know, you're well versed in all this. You went to college for it, you have the chops, I mean, you have the history behind the camera setting up, you know, all this stuff. So it just to me it was just an obvious fit, you know.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

Well, thank you. Yeah. Well, let me segue into the other question then, because we kind of already addressed it then. Uh uh what uh do you uh believe community means to you?

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Uh well, community means to me is that uh, you know, uh sometimes you you you need to be part and help build. And uh I mean it's easy to sit back and complain about something, but it actually takes motivation and you have to see the the vision all the way through and you have to help build that. I mean, let's take for instance, you know, we lost the the host fest. So you saw us I saw something blurp up, if you will, on social media, you know, uh somebody looking for help on, you know, um storing some items or whatever. And it was the Fjord Fest. And uh the Amber from from Bismarck is actually helping uplift this. So I just said, well, fantastic. Yeah. So I just said, well, I just extended my hand out and it said, well, hey, let's uh let's maybe find some place for you to store this stuff or whatever, and and maybe introduce you to some people around here. And that's exactly what I did. I just, you know, um, you know, sh showed her a few places or whatever, and just try to, you know, to build to build something.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

You you initiated the reach out, is basically what you're trying to tell everybody. So if you see something, guys, that I guess it I'm just throwing this out there that you might want to be a part of, reach out to someone. Right. Right?

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Let it be a camera club to, hey, if you want to be part of the Miner Fireworks Association, I'm part of that too. You know, on the fourth of July.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

You don't have to be part of an organization to volunteer to try to help to help fit. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yep. Okay. No, I love that. Take take the motivation and actually, you know, it's like I said, it's, you know, to do something constructive. Yeah. You know, instead of just sitting back complaining about something, move forward and help the community out, help build them up, help. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Okay. Yeah. So what's your question for me? Give me a good um.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

So what what helps keep you what keeps you grounded in moving forward, if you will, it moving forward with uh, you know, with uh with what you do and have done. Um, you've done many different things that people have maybe not know about. Like uh, for instance, uh you helped uh during COVID, you helped feed people.

SPEAKER_02 22:57

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. The kids, yeah, the elementary school kids. Right. So what keeps me motivated to keep me moving forward with all the things I do? Is that the question? Yes. Okay. Well, like I said, when I came from a big community, I didn't see actions real time. You might have read about them maybe months later. There's so much going on in a bigger community that you get distracted. And this is, and I'm not talking about because of cell phones, I'm not talking about social media guys. I'm talking, there's just so many moving parts and it's so much going on, and there's so much happening, there's so many people put into one space. So you don't even know where you fit. Not that you don't have a group you can hang out with, but you don't know where you can find your your your your joy in like helping out or finding that community. So for me, when I moved here, I knew like the first thing I realized, you know, when I go to a place, whenever even I travel, back in the day, they used to have like magazines that would be sitting out in front of like the stores, the businesses, wherever you went. And I used to always, I would, I literally have boxes of stuff that I just about what the communities are. One of New York City, it was the same thing. It's like you want to know what's happening, what's what's the pulse. And some of it's ads, but then some of it's really good digestible stuff. You're like, wow, I didn't know that was happening. But you have to have that knack to pay attention to things like that. And I have a really good focus on that. So what keeps me motivated is seeing now how my knot has gotten better throughout the years and it's evolved to this, it's quite a dynamic community now.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

So you've been over you've been here for more than a decade.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

Yeah. Yeah. And but I've seen the change. I mean, yes, there's there's there's you could always judge and whatever. But I mean, if you look about pushing the needle forward overall, you have to see that. We're getting way more people here and we're getting people who want to stay here and build a community, who want to have a family here, who are looking for a better opportunity through jobs, whatever it may be. But some people don't know that that's there. So for me, every day I strive to just, you know, of course, my business, I wanted to succeed. But again, success looks different in different people. I just want to stay open at some point, you know, if we're not, you know, right being busy, at least we're keeping people high on, you know, my my staff, I don't have to let someone go. That to me is success, right? Versus like, oh, do I how much do I have in the bank? But I will say that when you have people coming in every day, they're coming from Canada, they're coming from all over different states, they're just here for a trip or like uh just this, you know, past weekend we had graduation parties and things like that. So my point is, I think what it really comes down to is you get all these people combined, I want to make sure that I could see them. What are they looking at? What do they need? Sure. I see opportunities and that's how I try to connect. That's what keeps me motivated.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Because I know later on I'm gonna still be part of this community and I want to see where I fit later too.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Right. Now I liked how you put that is it's it's finding kind of almost, if you will, your tribe. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's and that's uh pretty important is to find those people that you connect with, that you relate with, that you you, you know, that that you move forward with. Yeah. You just basically want to, you know, move forward and try to not basically inspire yourself to to progress forward.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Well, yeah, but I mean, how do you find that? And so, like, for example, I have over here on our table, I have quite a few magazines. I don't even know if a lot of people even know about these. It's hard to see, but here, I'll grab a couple. So there's this woman here in town who created, you know, it's Edible North Dakota. This is fantastic. There's a lot of magazines you guys can pick, but like this was her first launch one. Her name is Melinda Goodman. And let me tell you, she's got quite the story. I actually met her not too long ago at a Women Connect situation, which is another thing I could tell you about. But I mean, look, these pictures were taken at Prairie Skype breads, but there's all about different things about you know, tradition of things that people do around the whole state. This is really cool. And then her newer one, this one I love actually. This is about celebrating um the taste of belonging. What a great thing. It's talking about, you know, just farms and how to find food, about eggs, I mean, just businesses, Miss T Tangles. You know, just this is really neat. And I'm telling you this, the reason I show you this is because I have this in my shop, but some people don't even know. Right. If you're a mom and you're looking to find out if you're baking and stuff, like that's awesome. I hand it.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

Yeah, and maybe even check out, you know, visit mine at uh as a good resource uh on the social media page. Yeah, you know, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

And that's like you know, uh, mine at events.com, I think is their website. Yeah, but then that one I give out to people, especially new Air Force P show and people relocating here.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:22

Um, this one is really neat, guys. If you have kids, I don't know if you know, but the mine up parks comes out with this every single um year, and it's like literally spring and summer about everything what you could do with your kids all year round. Um, I know that, for example, Amy Allen from Hey Mineot, who I know, she talks about that. And it's but this is the actual physical version of it. Right. I I will tell you, stuff like that is when you realize the connection, there's stuff there, but you have to identify with it and say, hey, that's a need I have. Where do I get that now? So those kinds of resources are there. And by the way, I got all of those, most of those, uh not the edible, but at Visit My Not Guys. And if you have not been to the Visit Minot Scandinavian Heritage Park, but the actual building, they're they have Pride Dakota stuff, yes, and they have everything there. Yeah, that place is a wealth of information. And hopefully you could find out.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

Well, I mean, if you have an idea or just want to, you know, talk to somebody there about maybe something like what kind of what's going on that the their staff there is really great.

SPEAKER_02 28:19

Yeah, they're they're an asset for for the community and the be so close. That's the one thing I will say about knowing about the my community. Everything is very close, so you're not far away from something. Right. You just have to have a need and a want to go talk to someone and find out something and have a question. Yeah. And they're really helpful, everybody.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Yeah, yeah. Well, I I think that's uh relatively it. I mean, um, is there anything else you want to add?

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Well, I think I would also say that this is our kickoff of our 250th anniversary of our community, like the whole country community. Yeah. And because I look at the country as our community in a way, that's the way I see it. But then also my not's 140 years. Did you know this?

SPEAKER_01 29:00

I yeah, I didn't know it until you told me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

I didn't realize it until I was doing some research for a grant.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

And I said, Oh my goodness. So if it wasn't for 140 years of my not, guys, we wouldn't be here today. Right. And I don't even know what to say. So happy birthday, my not in July. Right. As well. Right, right. And uh yeah, so we just look forward to this podcast. We'll see how it goes. And we thank you guys and everyone who's helped us get this together. I hope you got some background on us. And if you want to know more um about who we are.

SPEAKER_01 29:29

Yeah, reach out to us. Um, yeah, just uh feel free to, you know, let it be stop in the shop if it's yeah, stop in the shop.

SPEAKER_02 29:35

And then this is an evolving project. So if there's any pointers, you guys feel free to let us know.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Right.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

And then um interviews, anybody else you want to hear about or hear from. And uh yeah, anything else, guys? Otherwise, we're looking forward to this. And we will have all of our posts sent out to all of the traditional places, but also hopefully on posted on social media as well. Yep. Um, but just you know, stay posted and those are. Like and share. Yeah, like and share, please, and subscribe if we can, because I think that's huge. Because this podcast, by the way, I think is going to help not just us and my not the surrounding communities, but I'm hoping at some point we stretch over the whole state because it would be really neat to show how small North Dakota really is. I know that sounds odd, but remember we don't even have a million people here, right? I come from a town of millions. Right, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um, anyway, well, thank you guys. Um, Corey, thanks for being here and thanks for sharing with this like crazy idea that we, you know, you brought to our attention. And thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. I I appreciate it. Okay, guys. Well, you take care. Have a great summer, be safe, and look out for our first interview, and I'll give you a sneak peek. Who is it with?

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Uh, well, we live in North Dakota, right? Yes. And his name would be Dakota.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Okay, guys, you might have an idea who that's gonna be. Yeah. Which, by the way, I'll say it Dakota Faye. Or better known as Dakota Poitra. I don't know. We'll figure that out when we have the interview, guys. Yeah, it's a really funny thing. Yes. But anyway, he has a story about that I heard. I heard that. Yeah, he's excited to tell it too. I think he is. Oh my gosh. Okay, guys. Well, listen, thank you so much, and we'll be back and see you later. Bye. Bye, Mina.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

You see, that's the magic of me. Am I getting no tea now? You see, life ain't no ways. That's what you dream is the way that you make those things reality. You see, that's the magic of me.