Cream City Dreams

We're BAAAAAAAACK ... did you miss us? Just a teaser for what to expect in Season 4. We'll be dropping episode one sometime in September when school is back in session. (You'll remember we have seven kids between us - so we took the summer off). Until then, we wanted to let you know we're still here, and more importantly, STILL DREAMING! Can't wait to have you along for the ride in Season 4! Support the show

Whaaaaaaaaaa?!? Season Three is over already!? Yes, it’s true. This is the season finale of our third season of Cream City Dreams. It’s been a year, folks! We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and interview SO many incredible Milwaukee women who are living their dream. We hope you’ve enjoyed coming along for the ride and we look forward to getting back to the mic this fall for even MORE inspiring stories from the Cream City. Listen as we talk about … Why we’re ending the season a little earlier than anticipated! Hosts have dreams too, indulge us for a second and listen to ours! Our dream for the podcast and what we have in store for our previous guests if we can pull it off! Locals and Links we love! Shelly’s new gig at the Alma Center Meagan’s voice teacher Holly Haebig Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

As the name would imply, The Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee is determined to raise money in support of girls and women in our community, but they are SO. MUCH. MORE. Listen as Meagan talks with Lisa Attonito, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund and Sandy Cunningham, HER Scholarship Committee Chairwoman about the various programs and initiatives the Women’s Fund supports in the name of equity and advancement for women. Listen as we talk about … What is the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee and what makes it special? (and different from some of the other organizations we’ve spoken to this season)The gift that keeps on giving - HER Scholarships for women 35+. Find out what they are and what makes them unique. Raising money, absolutely! But what else does the Women’s Fund do? There’s something for everyone. Find out how YOU can get involved. A challenge: does your philanthropic giving match your values? Hear a statistic about giving that will BLOW your mind. (and how we can and should do better). Locals and Links we love! Women’s Fund WebsiteWomen’s Fund on InstagramHER Scholarship ProgramWomen’s Fund on WUWMGoodland Home & GoodsOno Kine GrindzSugar MapleShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Women supporting women? We just can’t get enough, and neither can our guest today, Lauren Feaster, CEO of Professional Dimensions. If her name sounds familiar it’s because SO many of our previous guests have said we need to talk to her, so we FINALLY got a spot in her calendar for a chat and here it is. This is one to share. Especially if you know a multi-dimensional, professional woman who wants to make a difference in our community. (a-hem, isn’t that just about EVERY woman?). So what are you waiting for? Grab a coffee and listen in as we get real about loving on women and Milwaukee. Listen as we talk about … How a year in the back of an ambulance shaped Lauren’s decision to leave the med-school path and move toward an investment in people and communities. (and women, of course!) How Lauren and her team looked carefully, thoughtfully and intentionally at what it means to be a “multi-dimensional” and “professional” woman. Words matter. Names matter. And she takes that seriously. Why mentorship and sponsorship are a key part of Professional DimensionsDJ LoLo in the house! Who else is in for a 7pm dance party? Locals and Links we love! Professional Dimensions WebsiteProfessional Dimensions Instagram 40 Under 40 in 2022 on TMJ4Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Stand tall listeners, you are NOT going to want to miss this episode. Join us this week as we talk with Stephanie Melnick of Melnick & Melnick, S.C. about supporting women and small business owners here in Milwaukee. Stephanie and her team are feverishly planning and proudly hosting Women’s Entrepreneurship Week, May 8-12, as well as offering monthly meet-and-greets with local women entrepreneurs in their She Stands Tall speaker series. It’s a wonder Stephanie’s shoulders aren’t aching from all the women she’s lifting up in this city, but she really does believe in her mission that women stand taller and stronger when they stand together. Listen as we talk about … What inspired Stephanie to start She Stands Tall Milwaukee how sometimes good things happen when a lawyer walks into a bar. How the landscape for women in business in Milwaukee has changed since Stephanie has been practicing law. Milwaukee is a good city for entrepreneurial women and how you’re only a woman (or two) away from who you need to know. Small-Waukee strikes again!Some of the common obstacles women entrepreneurs face in Milwaukee and the local solutions available if only we know about them. (hint: GET YOURSELF TO Women's Entrepreneurship Week to find out!) Locals and Links we love! She Stands Tall Women’s Entrepreneurship Week She Stands Tall on FB She Stands Tall on Insta WEW on Insta She Stands Tall in BizTimes She Stands Tall in Milwaukee Magazine Stephanie gets Props!Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

If you’ve enjoyed a Funky Fresh Spring Roll at Sherman Phoenix, a scoop of Purple Door Ice Cream in Walker’s Point, or some of Caitlin’s fried chicken at the Tandem before the doors closed, you have Juli Kaufmann to thank. Entrepreneur, Real Estate Developer, Activist and Change Agent, Juli Kaufmann’s love of Milwaukee and her community have inspired some of the city’s most influential architecture. But she is no ordinary real estate mogul, she’s in it for the good of the city, championing projects that promote social justice, environmental sustainability, cultural enrichment AND economic opportunity. Talk about an OG influencer! You don’t want to miss this episode. Listen as we talk about … How simply wanting to being a good neighbor turned Juli into an activist and an agent for positive change.How Juli’s longing for a neighborhood ice cream shop shaped her history in the Milwaukee real estate market. How she refused to take ‘no’ for an answer when it came to funding her projects and founded FundMilwaukee to encourage local investors to pool together to keep money IN the community. Retire? Juli Kaufmann? Hear what she’s got in mind and how she’s hoping to get back to her roots How parenting - for those who choose it - can be a training ground for entrepreneurial dreaming Locals and Links we love! Juli’s talk for the Rotary ClubFix Development Juli wins a Betty AwardJuli in OnMilwaukee Juli in Urban MilwaukeeBlakesville CreameryPurple Door Ice CreamSherman PhoenixClock Shadow Creamery Float MilwaukeeShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

GenZ, Millennials, GenXers and oh heck, EVERYBODY … this episode is for YOU. Corry Joe Biddle, VP of Community Affairs at MMAC & Executive Director of FUEL Milwaukee brings her love of our city to the podcast this week. Listen as she talks with Shelly and Meagan about how she got her start in this city, why she decided to stay, and why it’s now her mission to make Milwaukee a city that attracts (and KEEPS) a diverse and talented workforce.  Listen as we talk about … How Corry Joe created something special when she started paying attention to and stepped toward something that made her nervous (and how YOU can too!)The lightbulb moment at Mikey’s on Cathedral Square that got Corry Joe thinking about what Milwaukee needed to do differently for young professionals. How she never expected to end up in Milwaukee primarily because she did not KNOW Milwaukee or see a space for her in the city, and what she’s doing to change that for others. The comparison between her work at MMAC and Fuel and The Hair Club for Men. Whaaaa?? How Milwaukee allows for proximity to greatness. (Or maybe proximity to greatness is just another way of saying “Small-Waukee”).In need of new friends? Join Fuel, it’s the way “grownups make friends.” Locals and Links we love! Fuel Milwaukee Website and InstagramMetropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC)RaceBridge replays on YouTubeRootedMKE Bookstore Appeal (please watch and support!) Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Batter up! On the cusp of Baseball's Opening Day we bring Cecelia Gore to the plate for this week's episode. Cecelia was nominated for the podcast in Season 2 Episode 19 by Venice Williams - and wow, we can see why! For 14 seasons now she has served as the Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation where she supports dreamers throughout Milwaukee who are meeting basic needs and providing unique educational, health and recreation related services to our community.  By leveraging the power of baseball to bring the community together, Cecelia is knocking it out of the park: supporting 160 different nonprofits in Milwaukee in 2022 alone! Listen as we talk about:the seeds of community service planted in her by her parents - and the task at Wisconsin Gas that got her motivated to finish her college degreefollowing the twists and turns on her own career trajectory - to inspire others who may have had some detoursthe women who have nurtured her along the wayher seasoned vantage point on Milwaukee's most pivotal issues - and how you can get started (hint: it begins with a pitch!)Links and Locals we love:Brewers Community Foundation (find out more about the annual 5k/10k walk and BCF Weekends at American Family Field)Dannette JustUs reads from American Family FieldAlverno CollegeMeet Thelma Sias from WE EnergiesLauren Feester - Professional DimensionsJen Dirks - Tempo Milwaukee Nancy Hernandez - Hispanic CollaborativeDr. Jeanette Mitchell - African American Leadership Alliance MilwaukeeSupport the show

Welcome welcome! Season Three begins with this inspiring episode featuring Wendy Baumann of Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, aka WWBIC. Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk with Wendy about the ways in which WWBIC is leveling the playing field for women (and others for whom the path has not traditionally been easy) by offering trainings, business counseling and funding opportunities. The resources exist in Milwaukee, and living into your dream is possible with a plan. WWBIC is here to help! Listen as we talk about … How Wendy got her start as a dream maker and who inspired her journeyHow WWBIC is helping women live their dreams (and how YOU can take advantage of their services as well!) How - with a little help from WWBIC - financing a small business doesn’t have to be so scary. Kiva loans … it’s a thing in Wisconsin too! Locals and Links we love! WWBIC websiteWWBIC on LinkedIN WWBIC on InstagramWendy mentioned a few businesses in the interview and sent us a few more we really should be following, here they are: Citlali Mendieta at Antigua Latin Inspired KitchenKiley Peters at The 100 CollectiveBonnie Edwards at Edwards Tutoring Enterprise Carolyn Walker at Great ImpressionsShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Season Two comes to an end with today’s final reflections from your hosts, Shelly & Meagan. If you’ve loved this season, throw us a cup of coffee, wouldya? Listen as we talk about … What we’ve learned from our Season Two guests and what we continue to be reminded of when it comes to dreaming.Our challenge: what can you not NOT do with your one precious life, listeners? (did you catch that double negative?) What are our guests up to now - we have UPDATES! What we have in store for Season Three Locals and Links we love! Previous guests and what they’re up to … Madam Chino’s Summer CampsSherrill Knezel on Insta (for her book club)Venice Williams at Winter Farmer’s MarketDJ Shawna on YoutubeNicole Acosta Hoops TicketsDasha Kelly Hamilton on TourTia Richardson books on sale through Rooted MKEInterwovxn's New Membership CommunityJulie Rowley in Right Before I Go (show!) Liv Menzia’s Piñata cakesLet’s Talk Womxn Gourmet Bash ticketsShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

This week brings something new to the podcast: a cohort, a collection, a collaboration, a CELEBRATION of WOMXN, as Shelly & Meagan talk with four culinary entrepreneurs: Marilupe Moreno of Modern Maki, Amanda Mattefs of Charcuter-me, Hannah Kopplin of Tots on the Street and Rosha Brister of Style Pop Cafe. Listen as they talk about why supporting women in the food industry is key to their survival and their successes. Listen as we talk about … Where Let’s Talk Womxn started and how the organization of/by/for women supports local entrepreneurs in Milwaukee in the food and beverage industry.How receiving help from women in the industry inspired these four women to give back to the women in their community. The food trucks THEY love in this city and the ones you don’t want to miss (and the local celebs they hope will swing by their trucks for a bite!) Locals and Links we love! Starting with our guests:Marilupe Moreno - Modern Maki / InstaAmanda Mattefs - Charcuter-me / InstaHannah Kopplin - Tots on the Street / InstaRosha Brister - Style Pop Cafe / InstaTICKETS TO THEIR EVENT ON MARCH 8 SOLD HEREMentions and shoutouts (even more in the email, get on our list)Let’s Talk Womxn National Organization Let’s Talk Womxn Milwaukee InstaVermilion Restaurant Flour Girl and FlameHeirloomMKEDelicious Bites  Honeypie CafeMeat on the Street She Stands TallMelnick and MelnickCielito LindoCurd GirlZocolo Food Truck ParkRiley’s Sandwich Co Twisted PlantAnomaly CateringDerek MosleySupport the show

If you’ve been to any craft or makers markets in the last few years, no doubt you’ve run into this week’s guest, Chloe Longmire of Chase My Creations. From her signature “BLK WMN ROC” to her “Take a Hike Racists,” her designs have been sparking conversation since they hit the scene. And that’s exactly what she wants! Listen as Shelly & Meagan talk with Chloe about where this dream came from, and where it’s headed. There’s some great takeaways for how YOU can be an ally beyond wearing the shirts (though we highly encourage you to snap one up if you see her around!)Listen as we talk about … How Chase My Creations got started, and spoiler alert, it wasn’t with t-shirts!How oftentimes, dreams begin when we create what we need or what we want to see. (what we NEED to see!) Love them or hate them, how Chloe hopes that her shirts challenge the status quo and inspire more than ‘performative’ social justice work. Ideas and ways to move beyond the performative if you’re stuck. How she moved Chase My Creations from a side-hustle to full time (dream) job and the women who inspired her to take the leap!Locals and Links we love! Chase My Creations WebsiteChase My Creations at MKE Night MarketJournal Sentinel Press for Chase My Creations Catrice Jackson (trainings and books)Shiquita Mann of Blossom Candle CoKira Wendel of Swoon (FB Page) MKE Night Market (summer dates coming soon!)Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

We’re over half way through Season TWO so a quick (very quick!) check in with Meagan & Shelly this week. Listen as we talk about … How you can help us get more listeners to these incredible storiesWhat we’re loving about the podcast so farWhat we have in store for season three (and beyond) A hint at a giveawayHow you can help us this week! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (click this link!) Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Listen as Shelly and Meagan talk with Marissa Jablonski, Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. If Marissa’s enthusiasm doesn’t inspire you to change ONE small habit around your consumption of single-use plastics, we don’t know what will! In this episode we talk about what inspired Marissa to become an eco-warrior and what she’s doing to bring others along with her. We’re in this together people! GO TEAM! Listen as we talk about … Why inspiration is SO important to our dreams How (while it would be nice, of course), perfection is not the goal when it comes to our relationship with planet earth, but a little change by each of us can make a huge difference (or, a “megachange” as she calls it!) How an expensive mistake on a project in Guatemala taught her an important lesson on global interdependency and shouldering this work together (“go team!”) Locals and Links we love! Marissa’s WebsiteMarissa’s Instagram account (follow her immediately!) Marissa at UWM and the Freshwater Collaborative of WisconsinMarissa on WUWM last week! Plastic Free MKE Milwaukee River Keeper (get involved!) Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

We are brewing up a special episode with this week’s guest! Alesia Miller of Soul Brew Kombucha takes center stage today. Listen as we talk to Milwaukee’s ONLY Black, woman brewer (of anything!) about her path into this often male dominated space and how she’s taking care of our community by taking care of business in a very gutsy way! (pun intended, listeners!) Listen as we talk about … How that year she spent Valentine’s Day alone may just go down in history as the dreamiest one yetDreams that travel! How her dream began in a linen closet and moved to the dark dry basement of her now-friend, and fellow Season Two guest, Catilin Cullen, and then moved again when she outgrew that space. Smallwaukee strikes again! How dreams happen step by step, and how sometimes you have to just hurry up and wait. In other words, BE READY. How Whitney Houston strengthened her business acumen (and you don’t want to miss this gutsy American Idol story). Locals and Links we love! Soul Brew Kombucha WebsiteAlesia in Milwaukee MagazineAlesia in The Journal Sentinel Alesia on YouTube Soul Brew on InstagramSoul Brew on FacebookShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

This week, we talk to Nicole Acosta, artist, photographer, writer, marketing maven, mother, DJ and creator of The Hoops Project, coming soon to The Milwaukee Chamber Theater and the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network. Listen as we talk full circle about Nicole’s life and how she was able to turn some harrowing experiences into a fierce and fearless determination to live into her dreams. This woman takes YOLO seriously because she’s been to the edge. And she’s back, so look out Milwaukee! Listen as we talk about … How the traditional pathway wasn’t going to work for Nicole and how she found (and claimed) her own voiceHow finding her people in the city inspired and encouraged her creative calling as a Latina artistHow a brush with death transformed her outlook on her life and her work (Hint: YOLO is REAL!) How intuition and dreaming go hand in handLocals and Links we love! The Hoops Project (on Nicole’s website) Hoops exhibition at MARN (Milwaukee Artist Resource Network)Hoops production at The Milwaukee Chamber Theater (get your tickets!) Hoops on Lake EffectMore Hoops Press! Luna Collective The No Stress Collective (on FB)Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Listen this week as we talk to Jessie Cannizzaro, owner and founder of Milestone Plumbing, Inc. We’re excited to welcome our first guest in the trades and our first listener-requested guest! Listen as we talk about … The best way to tackle and take apart a faucet (but hint: it’s a great metaphor for life!) How her experience of being a woman in the trades makes a difference in attracting and maintaining customers. The important way her values influence her business model.  Best place for a bathroom selfie in Milwaukee and other rapid fire questions we ask this Master Plumber! Locals and Links we love! Milestone Plumbing, Inc. Milestone Plumbing on Facebook Milestone Plumbing on InstagramWisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

If you’ve lived in Milwaukee for any length of time, no doubt you’ve heard of our guest this week, Venice Williams. Pastor, writer, connector, gatherer of people at The Table, and Alice’s Garden, and Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative at The Sherman Phoenix. We hear all about her dreams and the dreams she’s holding space for in 2023. Listen as we talk about … How Venice uses writing as an invitation to DREAMHear about her latest (though longtime coming) venture and what she’s dreaming up at The Table on 5305 W. Capitol Drive What she sees as her calling, and what it means to have a vocationLocals and Links we love! The Table Alice’s Garden Kujichagulia Producers Cooperative Email Venice to get on the mailing list. Milwaukee Winter Farmer’s Market Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

No guests today friends, just your inimitable hosts, Shelly & Meagan talking about lessons learned from our pod this year! We're keeping it short and sweet with some takeaways and hope that you'll share your takeaways with us too! We LOVE hearing from our listeners. Good things to come in 2023, we hope you'll stick with us! Want to know more ways you can stay in touch or even work with Shelly & Meagan, check out their websites. (click the names!) Show your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show

Join Shelly & Meagan as they chat with Giannis’s favorite DJ, Shawna Nicols about her experience behind the mixing decks. But Shawna is SO much more than just the DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks. Podcaster, author, songwriter and producer, ambassador for Milwaukee, and all around STELLAR human being. Listen as we talk about … Shawna’s best friend and role model (spoiler alert: another Milwaukee powerhouse and they’re related)  A dream she’s recently started sharing with friends in her circle since wearing the Championship RingThe three things she sees as bringing people together (and she provides two of them to fans) The special treat she plans on sharing on her milestone birthday this December! Locals and Links we love: Shawna’s websiteShawna on instagramShawna’s new documentary seriesShawna’s podcastShawna’s singleShow your love for Cream City DreamsAs always, we are so grateful to our listeners. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter on our website. And we’d LOVE it if you rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. And if you’re feeling even more generous, Buy us a Coffee. Support the show