Cream City Dreams || A Milwaukee Podcast

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) On this very last Cream City Digest of Season 5, I've created a smorgasbord of advice from our Season 5 guests on what to do if you're sitting on a dream. It's the question I asked (almost) all the guests at the end of the show and I've put together their answers in one DREAMY compilation. If you are sitting on a dream, what are you waiting for? These guests will tell you why you ought'n't wait much longer. GO FOR IT! And if you know someone who's sitting on a dream, please share this episode! Perfect for recent graduates or anyone on the cusp! Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) No guest today, dreamers, just your host talking about the podcast, reflecting on the incredible women I've had the chance to interview in Season 5. In addition, I share my pre-interview warm up routine that I do before each call with a guest and how it helps me calm my nerves and feel confident in my game. Maybe it can help you too? Also, a call for FEEDBACK! What have you loved? What do you want more of on the pod? Who would you like to hear me interview? Where should I put my focus for Season 6 and beyond? I'd love to hear directly from you and there are SO many ways to get in touch. Until next Season, be sure you are signed up for the newsletter, subscribed to the podcast, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram! Heck, while you're at it, if you love the podcast, you could always Buy Me A Coffee or Leave a Review! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) This week, a REAL question that I've wondered myself; one that has made ME nervous; and if I'm honest, has even stopped me from signing up to volunteer around election season (but NOT anymore!). What is it actually like to door-to-door canvas for a candidate? What do I say when someone opens the door? What if they challenge me? How will I know how to respond. Kate shares her perspective on this experience and how it's not as awkward as you might think. Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) This week on the pod meet Kate Duffy, Founder of Motherhood for Good, previously known as Moms for Mandela. Though she wouldn’t call herself an ‘influencer,’ she is certainly making waves on the Instagram with posts about what democracy in action can and SHOULD look like. She and her team are breaking it down for the rest of us, helping put politics in plain and easily digestible language, and reminding us that one person CAN make a difference. Listen as we talk about … The last proverbial straw that finally had her pushing publish on her first post that would begin her movement. How she’s able to let go of ‘mom guilt’ and embrace action. Why and how we should all get involved in politics (hint: it’s personal and it’s easier than you think)Her brush with celebrity! Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.motherhoodforgood.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherhoodforgood/ Facebook (Public page): https://www.facebook.com/motherhoodforgood Facebook (Private group - request access): https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherhoodforgood TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motherhoodforgood Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) On this week's Cream City Digest, I ask Erin a very specific question: what do I say to my kids who notice very real and structural differences as we drive across town. Whether you live in Milwaukee or not, her answer is universal, and you'll want to hear it! Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) How do we talk to our kids about race and racism? How do we talk to each other about it? How do we move from our segregated silos to make Milwaukee a more just and equitable city for everyone? This week, I dive deep with Dr. Erin Winkler, Associate Professor in the Department of African & African Diaspora Studies and Urban Studies at UW-Milwaukee**. And more than just talking about race … how do we move into action so that our lived experience reflects our values and our desire to not simply pay lip service to our support for black and brown lives. If this conversation feels uncomfortable, that’s okay! Thresholds and paradigm shifts can be hard … but this one is worth it! ** All thoughts and opinions are Dr Winkler's own. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://uwm.edu/african-diaspora-studies/people/winkler-erin-n/ Rid Racism Milwaukee: https://ridracismmke.org/ Tips for talking to kids about race and racism (resources): https://www.buzzfeed.com/erinwinkler/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-race-and-racismhttps://uwm.edu/news/talk-children-race-uwm-researcher-offers-advice/https://www.racepride.pitt.edu/erin-winkler-pride-speaker-series-being-intentional-race-young-children/https://nmaahc.si.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/resources/children_are_not_colorblind.pdf Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) This week on the Digest I share the part of our conversation where DeShanda reminds us what it was like to be young, and what the young people she works with at Pathfinders REALLY want. (Hint: it's no different than what WE wanted WAY back when, or maybe not so WAY back). Short and sweet and under 9 minutes this week! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) This week I talk with DeShanda Williams-Clark, Senior Vice President of Programs & Services at Pathfinders about how their organization takes care of so many of our at-risk youth in the city. Whether through their drop-in center, emergency shelter, or street outreach, Pathways has a variety of touchpoints for homeless and struggling youth to welcome them into their care and to promote their healing and long-term stability. Listen as we talk about what these youth need, which is not different from any of the stories we’ve heard this season: compassion, validation, and acceptance. We also talk about how adults (that's us!) can stop ‘adultifying’ youth to make this acceptance possible. Website: https://www.pathfindersmke.org/our-services/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathfindersmke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pathfinders_2/ Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) Less than 10 minutes this week and I'm sharing some of my favorite 'snippets' from this week's episode with my dear friend Michael Anderson. (yes, the first man on the podcast!) Really these are just teasers because I HOPE you will go back and listen to the conversation in its entirety. If you have a trans friend, know a trans youth, or are just trans-curious, this is the episode for you! Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) As we wrap up Pride Month, pull up a chair for this intimate conversation between me and a very dear friend of mine. This week I interview Michael Anderson. But wait, I hear you say, Michael doesn’t sound like a woman. That’s right, nor does he live in Milwaukee. (but he used to, so I’m making an exception!). Listen as we talk about what it’s like to transition to a man in his 40s, and what it means to live into his authentic self. You’ll hear me ask questions that ONLY a dear friend can ask about transitioning. And you’ll hear what’s appropriate and what’s not to ask. (spoiler alert: I ask some inappropriate questions FOR SURE). Let me save you from future embarrassment and hopefully provide some insight around this topic. We hear SO much in the news these days about transphobia and anti-trans legislation and policies, but rarely do we hear what this experience is like firsthand. As Maya Angelou famously said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,” and we need to do better for our transgender friends. Trans resources: Schuylar Bailar Book: He/She/They Trans Youth Equality Foundation Stand with Trans Advocates for Trans Equality And if you loved this episode, be sure to listen to episode 70 with Brenna Creamer of Courage MKE Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. (If you send a text, be sure to leave your name in the message, otherwise it'll be anonymous!) Another short and sweet Digest with Calie Herbst of MKE with Kids where she gives some SOLID advice on what it means to publish something Good Enough, and what it means to share with generosity. If you're sitting on a dream, you NEED to hear this advice. I know I did. Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. School’s OUT for the summer … do you know what you’re doing with the kids? Even if you don’t have kids, this week’s guest, Calie Herbst, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MKE With Kids, has some GREAT ideas for ways to fill these long summer days. Calie started the website and blog MKE With Kids in 2013 when she was looking for ways to keep her own kiddos entertained and now TENS of thousands of families around the city have come to trust her site for up-to-date and dependable information on all things family-friendly in the Cream City. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.mkewithkids.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MKEwithKids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MKEwithKids Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. This part didn't make it into the full podcast because we had SO much to talk about ... but here on this Cream City Digest you'll hear Jen and Amanda's favorite things about the three different Urban Ecology Center Branches. Washington Park, Menomonee Valley and Riverside Park all have their own unique offerings and Jen and Amanda let us in on what they are. Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. Connecting people in cities to nature and each other. That is the mission of the Urban Ecology Center. And this week, I talk with two dreamy women who are making REAL connections in our city’s natural spaces. Executive Director, Jen Hense, and VP of People and Culture, Amanda Panciera, are working to ensure that nature is accessible and enjoyable for everyone in the Cream City. AND … as if that wasn’t enough, they are working to create a dialogue - indeed a MOVEMENT - around what it means to work at a non-profit. Must stewards of the land, and of our communities accept low wages and minimal compensation as the price for a career in service to others? These women don’t think so and they are working to change the narrative. Listen in and then JOIN them! Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanecologycenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanecologycenter/ Dan Palotta’s TED Talk Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. BE KIND. It really is this simple, folks. But this simple kindness could very well be life-saving. Literally suicide prevention. A lesson from Brenna Creamer at Courage MKE for us all on how we can be better allies to our LGBTQ+ youth. Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Happy Pride Month! This week, I talk with Brenna Creamer of Courage MKE, a Milwaukee-based organization that provides services, support, resources and housing to LGBTQ+ youth across the state of Wisconsin. Sure we hang our rainbow flags and celebrate pride in the month of June but we need to be celebrating, valuing and seeing our LGBTQ+ community ALL. YEAR. LONG. This is exactly what they do at Courage MKE. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://couragemke.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourageMke/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragemke Courage MKE Amazon Wish List Donate to Courage MKE HERE Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, a short episode on the importance of paying attention to and FUNDING organization that work with mental health. Remember that keeping organizations like the African American Breastfeeding Network afloat can be as simple as donating diaper wipes. The statistics may feel (and they are) dire, but there's always work we can do as a collective society. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. We want to imagine having a baby is all snuggles and cuddles and sweetness. But for many in our city, it is not. Nationally, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than non-Hispanic White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. However, in Wisconsin, they are five times more likely to die. FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY! That statistic is part of what drives today’s guest, Dalvery Blackwell and her mission at the African American Breastfeeding Network to do what she does for pregnant women in and around Milwaukee. Listen as we talk about the difference her organization and her doulas are making and the way they are moving statistics in the right direction for black and brown mothers. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://aabnetwork.org/ (watch the video on their home page!) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanAmericanBreastfeedingNetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aabn_mke/ Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. This week, a short and sweet segment from the podcast on self-love, self-acceptance and looking in the mirror. It's good for teenage girls, but really it's good for ALL of us! In under five minutes, two challenges for your week ahead. Are you ready for it? Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message. When you’re in the business of building relationships with teen girls, it’s easy to find hope in the youth of today’s Milwaukee. Today’s guest, Jasmine Deacon, Director of Program Services at Pearls for Teen Girls knows this first hand. Pearls runs programming for girls in 5-12 grade encouraging them to grow AND glow, survive AND thrive. Listen as we talk about how Pearls is continuing to inspire girls to lean into their dreams as they have done since 1993. Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.pearlsforteengirls.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlsforteengirls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearls_mke/ Video of PEARLS made by Lionart Media (previous Cream City Dreams Guests from Season 1!): https://youtu.be/nmxmh-gzpN0?si=hDv62No-pOuVfFKl Show your love for Cream City Dreams If you haven’t already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE. And I’d LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on! Support the Show.