When his Kia Boys documentary was released, Tommy G was only a month away from having to give up his dream of being a full-time YouTuber. Luckily, that video now has over 6.7 million views, and he has amassed a following of over 700k subscribers. That said, Tommy G was far from an overnight success, he was actively posting YouTube videos for years before catching his big break, and there is a lot more to Tommy G's story than the documentary that put him on the map.I initially met Tommy G when he was a door-to-door salesman and knocked on my door back in 2018. He worked in sales while posting YouTube prank videos on the side until he got fired in early 2022. Since the Kia Boys documentary, he has covered more dangerous underground stories from all around the U.S. and Mexico. So, why does Tommy G do what he does? What was his response to the Kia Boys? What's the most dangerous situation he has ever been in? What's next? Tune into this episode to find out. Sponsored by Central Standard Distillery: https://thecentralstandard.com/ Produced by Story Mark Studios: https://storymarkstudios.io/ Media partner - OnMilwaukee: https://onmilwaukee.com/ 

Two Marquette basketball legends, Steve Novak and Travis Diener, share their journey to Marquette, their unforgettable Final Four run with Dwayne Wade, playing under Tom Crean, their NBA careers, their impactful work with Be The Difference NIL Collective, and much more! Get ready for an engaging and informative episode packed with fan questions. Whether you're a die-hard basketball fan or just looking for an engaging and informative podcast, this is an episode you can't miss.Learn more about Be The Difference NIL: https://www.bethedifferencenil.org/ Sponsored by Central Standard Distillery: https://thecentralstandard.com/ Produced by Story Mark Studios: https://storymarkstudios.io/ Media partner - OnMilwaukee: https://onmilwaukee.com/ 

Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee's first black-elected mayor, has been busy actively shaping the city since he was elected in April 2022. In this candid conversation, we delve into important topics such as the truth behind dropping crime rates in Milwaukee (though traditional media seems to hide this fact), strategies to attract people to the city, his perspective as a Democrat on the upcoming RNC, his early political setbacks, and the inspiring journey that led him to the position of Mayor. If you’re looking to get to better know the Mayor and what he is doing to make change happen in Milwaukee this episode is for you! Sponsored by Central Standard Distillery: https://thecentralstandard.com/ Produced by Story Mark Studios: https://storymarkstudios.io/ Media partner - OnMilwaukee: https://onmilwaukee.com/ 

After six years and 200 episodes I’m signing off. I do want to genuinely thank everyone who has listened to the podcast, come on the show, come to any of our events and supported us in any way! Although this is the last episode of “The GoGedders Podcast” this will not be the last episode on this feed and this is not goodbye forever. Listen to the episode to find out why the changes and what’s next. 

2022 was volatile. Will this year be more of the same? Like it or not, it is officially 2023 and to help you prepare for the year ahead, we’ve invited Brian Andrew,  Chief Investment Officer at Johnson Financial Group on the podcast to discuss the economic outlook for 2023.In this episode, we hit Brian with some tough questions like are we heading for a recession, how is economic growth measured, and why did the Federal Reserve raise its benchmark interest rate from 4.25 to 4.5%? We also touch on stock prices, NASDAQ, the housing marketing, crypto, the importance of what’s happening in China, and what you should be aware of heading into 2023.There’s a lot of ground covered, but you don’t want to miss this one if you’re looking to set yourself up for financial success in 2023.

Today on the podcast, we sit down with John McHugh, the Director of Corporate Communications at Kwik Trip, to answer the question that those who have never been to a Kwik Trip may be wondering: How did a gas station develop such a cult following??Obviously, for those of us that have experienced the luxury experience that is Kwik Trip, this seems like a silly question. Of course, we all know Kwik Trip is perfect in every way but let's dive deeper into those attributes.John discusses Kwik Trip's culture and the significance put on it both internally and externally. Kwik Trip is all about creating satisfied employees who feel they're a part of something bigger and customers who feel the Kwik Trip experience is unmatched. This loyalty is what has led to such immense success–so much so that many have been spurred to take graduation, prom, and even wedding photos at their gas stations.So tune in and learn a thing or two about developing a memorable brand image from the experts. And with that, we'll see ya next time!

If you’re like most people, with the New Year came some new health and fitness goals… AND if you’re like most people, these goals get thrown out the window mere days after January 1st. So what is it that makes maintaining these goals so difficult, and what should we be doing to make these goals more achievable?Fitness guru, Wade Ritchie, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Wade is a Partner at F45 Training Milwaukee Lakefront with over 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. So he has seen everything from crazy-motivated bodybuilders to your average Joe looking to get back in shape. And no matter which end of the spectrum you find yourself, Wade is able to provide practical steps that’ll help lead to tangible results.In this episode, Wade covers the parameters you should follow when setting your fitness goals, the most important things you can do to be healthy, the kinds of workouts you should be doing, the effects of alcohol on the body, what causes hangovers, should you take pre-workout, and much much more.

Milwaukee is known for many things: cream-colored bricks, beer, the Bucks, and a ton of construction. Though that last point tends to be a sore topic for most, there is a bright side to one of the biggest construction projects you may have noticed on Kilbourn and North 6th: The Wisconsin Center is expanding!Budgeted at $456 million, the expansion will bring the exposition hall to 300,000 contiguous square feet, include parking, and feature a spectacular rooftop ballroom with sweeping city views from the outdoor terrace. All while on a mission for economic inclusion by committing to 25 percent minority-owned businesses, five percent women-owned businesses, and one percent disabled veteran-owned businesses.In this episode, we’re joined by Marty Brooks, President, and CEO at Wisconsin Center District (WCD), to discuss what’s in store for Milwaukee in the near future. Marty covers the ins and outs of the expansion, from the logistics of why they’re doing it and how they’re doing it to the impact it will have on the community and what residents and visitors have to look forward to.Learn more, view renderings, watch the live stream, and more: https://www.buildingmore.com/ 

What’s the key to navigating your finances amidst inflation?I’m joined by two financial experts from Johnson Financial Group to discuss the ins and outs of inflation. Brian Andrew, Chief Investment Officer, and Jackie Ruppel, SVP Private Banking Manager, break down the state of the economic market today and provide actionable recommendations to ensure financial stability.In today’s episode, Brian and Jackie will cover what inflation is, why we are experiencing it, the changes we’ll see in interest rates, how savings and investments will be affected, and more.

Wisconsin Tech Month is right around the corner. To prepare, we’ve invited two leaders in the tech community, Nadiyah Johnson and Ben Juarez, to discuss their efforts to bring diversity into the tech industry.Our conversation focuses on the lack of diversity in the tech industry and how to bring funding, access, and resources to those that are underrepresented. We also discuss Milwaukee’s current status in the tech industry and the changes we could make as a community to make others view Milwaukee as a tech hub. So for those looking to get into tech, find ways to move Wisconsin forward, and bring more inclusivity into the tech industry, this episode is for you.Nadiyah Johnson: CEO, Founder at Jet Constellations | Founder at Milky Way Tech HubBen Juarez: Co-Founder at Like|Minded | Co-Founder at Latinos In TechLatinos in Tech: https://www.latinosin.tech Milky Way Tech Hub: https://milkywaytechhub.com MKE Tech Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mke-tech-podcast/id1628240470

Now, more than ever, it’s critical to reevaluate your brand and adjust accordingly, and who better to learn about this from than an expert in the industry, Christine Specht, CEO of Cousins Subs.Though an iconic brand, Cousins Subs has faced several hurdles over the last decade and has had to make a number of tough decisions to reinvent their business. This has included a full rebrand, a strong investment in digital, changing their franchise model, and navigating a pandemic. In this episode of the GoGedders, Christine Spect dives deep into what has made Cousins built strong for the future and gives plenty of great takeaways regardless of what industry you are in. In this special crossover, Richie shares the episode he hosted with Christine Specht on First Federal Bank of Wisconsin’s podcast, Keeping it Local. Christine is undoubtedly an expert on this topic; Cousins Subs increased their average unit sales by 93%, was voted the Top Workplace by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel two years in a row, and recently managed a very successful rebrand. In the episode, Christine shares some insight about managing a successful business, two of which are maintaining a strong company culture and developing a solid brand strategy. Keeping it Local: https://info.ffbwi.com/podcast/

Podcasting is a rapidly growing form of media that presents unique opportunities for both individuals and businesses. But what are these opportunities? How can you make money through podcasting when you’re just starting out or aren’t interested in paid advertising? In this episode, I answer this and more.This past May, Podfest invited me to speak on how one can effectively monetize a podcast and to share how I’ve managed to grow and monetize my podcast, The GoGedders, to over 220,000 downloads in three years and generated over seven figures for GGMM. So, whether you currently have a podcast or are curious about the benefits of starting a podcast for your business, you’re sure to learn some key insights. So tune in and discover the top four ways to monetize your podcast.

Welcome to a special crossover episode with Fast Break presented by M3 Elevate. Fast Break is a podcast hosted by Matt Cranney, Partner and Executive Vice President of M3 Elevate, that discusses strategies you can use to grow and protect your business. Matt invited me to be a guest on Fast Break to share marketing tactics and some background on how I started The GoGedders and GGMM (our agency that specializes in podcasting).Fast Break: https://fastbreakm3elevate.podbean.com GGMM: https://ggmm.io

In this episode, we're joined by two experts in the field of content creation, Alex Wehrley and Kristin Brey. Alex Wehrley (@alexwehrley) and Kristin Brey (@kristinbrey and @asgoeswisconsin) specialize in Wisconsin-based content, and cumulative, the two have over 107K Instagram followers, 161K TikTok followers, and 2.3M likes on their TikToks. The two join us to discuss their journey to becoming content creators, provide insight on creating viral content, answer a few Wisconsin-based questions, and even perform a mini “Wisconsin Women Wanted” segment.There isn't a perfect formula you can use to create viral content; however, the two give insights into exactly how they got started and what you can do to maximize your content!

Tour of America’s Dairyland is back for its 13th year Thursday, June 16 through Sunday, June 26, 2022!Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) began in 2009 as a “reboot” of Wisconsin’s Superweek, a multi-day cycling race that first started in Wisconsin in 1969. ToAD has then gone on to become the largest competitive road cycling series in the U.S., hosting eleven straight days of racing throughout Southeast Wisconsin.In this episode, we’re joined by Tom Schuler, founder of ToAD, Bill Koch, Executive Director and Partner of ToAD, and Ryan Barbieri, cyclist and EVP at M3 (a sponsor of this year’s race). We’ll discuss the history of Tour of America’s Dairyland, what sets ToAD apart from other races, and what they’re most looking forward to this year.Learn more: https://www.tourofamericasdairyland.com

In the ever-changing housing market, it’s hard to stay up to date on the latest news. Not to mention, getting accurate information from a credible source is a whole ‘nother ball game. That’s why we’ve brought in financial expert Steve Greiff, Senior Vice President and Director of Mortgage at Johnson Financial Group, to give us the lowdown.Steve breaks down the state of the housing market today and what that means for both buyers and sellers. He’ll answer questions like, why is it a “seller's market” right now? How long will the seller's market last? Is now a good time to buy (or sell) a house? And some advice on how to prepare emotionally and financially for one of the largest financial transactions you may make.

Friend of the show, Michael Sheppard (Shep), has finally reached the caliber required to be on the show! But in all seriousness, we’re excited to have Shep join us and share his powerful story. He took the bull by the horns and shaped his life around success.Shep didn’t have any easy past; having dealt with the death of his biological mom and the woman who became like his mom at a young age really shaped who he was and could have sent him spiraling had he not had such a powerful role model in his life at the time. Shep shares his desire to be that same positive symbol for inner-city youth and show them that through discipline and hard work, you can truly be whoever you want to be.

Sometimes it's easier to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the crises happening across seas; however, we must educate ourselves on the current environment we're living in. In fact, we're already starting to see the Russian-Ukraine war's impact within the states, and according to Doug Davis, this is just the beginning.Doctor Doug Davis shares his personal experience helping his family flee Ukraine and how he’s partnered with the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) to help supply Ukraine with medical supplies–to date, UMANA has donated several hundreds of tons of medical supplies. Dr. Davis also discusses the misconceptions about the war, what led to it (and why it wasn't a surprise), what the family has been doing since escaping, and ultimately, the silver linings behind it all. Tune in to gain some perspective and show your support by visiting umana.org

From a tragic ski accident in 2021 to skiing over 37,000 feet in one day in 2022: Blair Williams shares his life-altering story and what it’s been like for him post-stroke. He discusses dealing with chronic pain and the drastic changes he’s had to make; however, there are certain things he isn’t willing to give up, like skiing, golfing (albeit one-handed now), and his positive outlook on life. Blair discusses topics that evoke reflection on one’s own life and that though he’s always been a positive guy, he’s found a deeper appreciation for life since his stroke.For more content follow the GoGedders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegogedders/Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegogeddersThe GoGedders is produced by GGMM: https://ggmm.io/

Milwaukee Buck Pat Connaughton and his childhood best friend now business partner, Joe Stanton, return for the highly anticipated part 2. In this episode, we hear more untold childhood stories, learn why Pat turned down $2million in high school, and have a lightning round full of fan-submitted questions.For more content follow The GoGedders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegogedders/The GoGedders is produced by GGMM: https://ggmm.io/

The experience of winning the NBA championship is like no other. It’s like that show “Entourage”, you’re experiencing the joys of life together with the people you love. Pat Connaughton and his childhood best friend, now business partner, Joe Stanton, are living that show. Pat Connaughton is a notorious figure in the Milwaukee community, not only on the Bucks but also as a real estate developer. Along with Pat, we’re joined by Joe Stanton, his childhood best friend and business partner at Three Leaf Development. Join Richie Burke as he talks to Pat Connaughton and Joe Stanton on their journey these past few years. They’ll give the inside scoop on a lot of stories you’ve never heard before, like transporting the Larry O’Brien trophy from Milwaukee to Massachusetts, the parties that followed the championship, inside All Star Weekend and plenty of childhood memories. Tune in to part one of Pat Connaughton. Part 2 of Pat and Joe is coming next week. The GoGedders podcast is produced by GGMM: https://ggmm.io/

Managing your investments–and emotions–amidst a volatile market can be stressful. Joe Maier, SVP Director of Wealth Strategy at Johnson Financial Group, breaks down the consequences of making financial decisions solely based on emotion. Joe discusses the psychology of loss aversion, regret aversion, and herd mentality and how these all factor into the decisions we make regarding our investments. Knowing how the brain works and how it affects your behavior can better equip you to handle your investments in a volatile market.

Quentin Allums (Q) wasn’t always the charismatic content creator we know today. Q went through trial and error on multiple social platforms before he finally found success on LinkedIn. With this success, Q started his own business and found the rhythm he had been searching for. Q’s life seemed on the up and up until 2019, when his little brother passed. Before even getting the opportunity to cope with his grief,  COVID-19 and the BLM movement struck the nation, and Q lost his business. It was grief on top of grief and caused a massive shift in how Q viewed the world.Q took this shift, took his life into his own hands, and began working for someone who had the life he wanted: Louis House. Through working with Louis, Q discovered that though big influencers are special in their own way, ultimately, they’re just humans, and anyone could do it if they really tried. In this episode of GoGedders, Q shares the lessons he learned in creating his own personal brand, the common misconceptions to creating a personal brand, and some advice on how you can do it too.For more episodes: https://ggmm.io/the-gogedders-podcast/

If you’ve seen the business news lately, you’ve heard the good news: Funky Fresh Spring Rolls has formed a joint venture with Palermo’s Pizza. Palermo’s is committed to bringing owner Trueman McGee’s frozen spring rolls to a national scale. A huge success story for any local entrepreneur, but Trueman’s story is unique.Trueman discusses what it’s like being a black entrepreneur and how he wants to set a good example for the black youth in the city. Trueman wants to show others that though black entrepreneurs are underrepresented, you can achieve success if you work hard and follow your dreams.In 2012 Trueman hit hard times when he became a 28-year-old laid-off construction worker with the weight of raising a kid on his shoulders. He spent his days cooking the original Funky Fresh Spring Rolls (out of his parent’s kitchen) and coaching high school wrestling on the side. He kept hustling and eventually saved up enough money to open his first retail store in the Grand Ave Mall in 2018. Though it wasn’t as successful as he hoped it would be, he persevered and opened a new location in the Sherman Phoenix that would succeed later in 2018. Then most recently, in 2020, he was forced to close his retail location due to the pandemic; however, he wasn’t ready to roll over, so he started taking orders over Facebook Live. He and his son drove all over Milwaukee hand-delivering these orders to keep revenue coming in. The partnership with Palermo’s is a year in the making. Make sure to tune in, as this episode is packed with inspirational lessons for anyone looking to chase their dreams.https://ggmm.io/the-gogedders-podcast/

Esports–electronic sports–refers to competitive video gaming watched by spectators. It’s quite similar to the sporting events we’ve come to know and love: cheering fans (either in a stadium or watching from on a TV at home), talented athletes, and a heck of a lot of fun. Just replace athletes with gamers and you’ve got Esports. Though, in the episode, Brandon does mention there will be a crossover between virtual reality and physical athleticism as well as cog-native ability. The Esports market is valued at over $1 billion and is is forecasted to be worth approximately $1.62 billion by 2024 (dotesports). Brandon Tschacher, Founder of the MKE Esports Alliance, dives into why that is and where it could take us in the next few years. They cover topics such as the appropriate gaming age, AR, VR, the future of the industry, and more.

Kimberly Kane recently undertook a bold project: commissioning the first scientific analysis of working women in Wisconsin to find out where Wisconsin women stood in relation to the national headlines about the  The Great Resignation. Kane covers some alarming statistics and sheds light on what companies  are doing wrong and what they can do to better retain and attract talent. Kane mentions that they didn’t just want to release statistics, they wanted to give employers informed actionable recommendations that they could deploy in their company to become an employer of choice to retain women and become an employer of choice for women of color.

Teacher of the YearDavid Roesch and back-to-back State Open Champ Harry Ott join us for our first ever collab episode with the Duck Hook Golf Podcast!  Duck Hook host and founder of Meridian Putters, Ryan Duffey, joins Richie to co-host.  They talk to Roesch about his BIG Hooters tour win, being on the front page of the New York Times with Tiger Woods after leading the US Open, and having to “let his caddy go” in the middle of the first hole of the final round of that US Open at Shinnecock. And they ask Ott what his next steps are to going pro and what he needs to do to get his already really good game to the next level to make it on tour. They also discuss the differences between becoming a pro golfer in the ’90s and give mental advice to all golfers on how to make the most of their abilities.  

In today’s episode I sat down with Mike Lovell, president of Marquette University, to discuss Marquette’s 10 million dollar giving challenge to transform health and wellness. Along the way we cover topics such as the mental health crisis on campus, how students can improve their mindset, Marquette’s 750 million dollar Time to Rise campaign, and Lovell’s new outlook on life post cancer diagnosis. 

Richie speaks to Jim Popp, President and CEO of Johnson Financial Group, about their big move to a new office space overlooking Cathedral Square, what their future of FinTech looks like, leadership lessons, the city of Milwaukee, talent attraction and what they’re doing to give back to their community.

The crazy entrepreneurial story of Mike Malatesta. Mike Malatesta started his first business, Advanced Waste Services, in 1992 after getting fired from his job.  Twenty-two years later Malatesta successfully sold his company for a lot of money; however, his success did not come easily.  From dealing with an FBI investigation where he was facing up to 8 years in prison, to $500k in fines, and even having one of his partners and one of his employees pass away on the job. This was not the kind of “overnight success story” that is glamorized in Inc and Forbes, this was raw, real, crazy and in certain ways is surprisingly relatable to most entrepreneurs. Not only do we learn more about Malatesta’s story, we get a lot of great takeaways on navigating business, life and shooting big even if you feel stuck.

How do you create content that inspires your audience to take action? Why does some content go viral and other content falls flat? A few weeks ago I got to speak at Pat Miller's Idea Collective Retreat down in Lake Geneva on my "Top 8 Content Engagement Triggers". I also throw in my top two "right now" marketing hacks. The speech got a good response so I decided to record it on the podcast. 

Former Packers Quarterback Craig Nall and Former Sun Bowl and Hoan Classic Champion  Sean Cullen of JP Cullen, join myself (Richie) as well as co-hosts Pat Lubar of Ixonia Bank and Joe Stanton of Three Leaf Development for this episode to discuss, as the title says, "Football, business, drinkin' and sippin." 

Today I'm joined by JoAnne Anton and DeVona Wright Cottrell. This episode was a previously recorded on the "Keeping It Local" Podcast powered by First Federal Bank. Although women have made great strides in the workplace, they’re still often under-represented — especially women of color. Women only hold 20% of board seats, make up 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and receive 3% of all venture capital funding, all while being two times more at-risk when it comes to losing their jobs. Yes, those are staggering statistics — but things are trending up. There are now two times the amount of women entrepreneurs than there were in the 2000s, and there has been a 500% increase in the number of black women in business over the last two decades. And, although women only hold 20% of board seats in the US, that number is up 6% over the last few years.Today, we’re joined by DeVona Wright Cottrell (Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel, GMR Marketing) and JoAnne Anton (Director of Giving, Herb Kohl Philanthropies), two brilliant female leaders in Wisconsin.Women like today’s guests are a big part of the reason why things are changing for the better. Over the course of this episode, we’ll talk with these two leaders about why diversity is something so critical to the business world, and why it’s so key to have women in leadership positions everywhere. We’ll also discuss how they personally embrace the idea of being a servant leader in the Milwaukee community, and how that mindset has guided them to where they are today.

Pat Miller has been bringing small business owners clarity for years now. As an Idea Coach and founder of The Idea Collective, he’s helped over 100 small business owners and seen a little bit of everything along the way. In today’s episode, we tap into that wisdom to provide some key insights for our entrepreneurial-minded listeners. We’ll cover a lot of ground, like finding your market, how to set your pricing, and how to deal with burnout — especially if you’re a solopreneur. Learn more about the Idea Collective Retreat on November 5-7 at smallbizretreat.com 

Our friend Brian Andrew is something of a financial whiz. As the Chief Investment Officer and Executive VP of Wealth over at Johnson Financial Group, it’s quite literally his job to keep an eye on all the little ins and outs of the market and the economy as a whole.On today’s episode of The GoGedders Podcast, host Richie Burke had the chance to pick his brains a bit about… well, everything. They’ll explore the economic effects of the pandemic, the labor shortage, skills gap, supply chain issues, surprisingly good market health, crypto, China, inflation, bonds, tax changes, and more.Tune in to learn way more than you thought you could in a half hour!

When it comes time to open up a bank account, most of us have a pretty standard checklist: no fees, good insurance, decent interest rate, and so on. And once our account is up and running, we don’t really give it much thought — we set up direct deposit, hook it up to PayPal and Venmo, maybe a few autopays, and that’s about it.But when you look at where your money is going, the stats couldn’t be more frightening. Of the $17 trillion we give to banks, 40% is invested in non-values-aligned assets. That means it’s going to companies that don’t support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.Then there’s the issue of access —55 million Americans are either unbanked or underbanked, and in today’s world, that access is an inalienable human right, something that’s absolutely essential to breaking the cycle of poverty.ESG Financial, a fintech company founded by absolute superwoman Geeta Sankappanavar, recently partnered with the Milwaukee Rotary Club to bring these life-changing services to the Milwaukee area. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear Geeta discuss ESG’s story, mission, and how your dollar can be put to work for the greater good.

Learning from your own mistakes is a tough but necessary part of personal growth. Whether it’s in business or your personal life, recognizing when you've made a mistake and course-correcting for next time a situation arises is a critical part of continuous improvement.But how do we apply that principle broadly to learn as a community? How can we apply this at the leadership level to make sure the next generation doesn’t make the same mistakes as the previous one? Forward 48 is here to help us do just that.On this episode, Richie sits down with Ian Abston, Thelma Sias, and Fiesha Lynn Bell to talk all things Forward 48.​​In addition to telling the story of how Forward 48 came about, they’ll cover how Milwaukee can better retain top talent, develop its young leaders, and grow as a city from a social, cultural, and economic standpoint.They also discuss the importance of inclusion when it comes to leadership, and how Forward 48 is cultivating the next generation of leaders from a variety of ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, and perspectives.

On this episode of The GoGedders, our host Richie was joined by Rich Ballenger (President) and Richaad Reed (National Account Manager) of Lucas Millhapt. When the George Floyd tragedy happened and BLM kicked into gear, businesses everywhere were quick to make posts to support the movement, condemn racial injustice, and inspire change. ​​As the leader of the company, Rich wanted to do what was right, but wanted to do so in a way that was genuine. He didn’t just want to just put out a statement to go along with what everyone else was doing. So, he did something that’s arguably harder than going with the flow. He reached out to his employees during an all-employee communications meeting and said, “What should I do? What should we do? I’m all ears, and here to support however you need me to.”Rishaad responded, and the result was an Employee Resource Group that sparked a paradigm shift in the company’s culture. Tune into this week’s episode to hear the story – we promise, no matter what industry you’re in or what role you play, there’s something you can take away from this one.

Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Chance the Rapper, Twenty One Pilots, Megan Thee Stallion, Dave Chappelle, Dave Matthews, Run the Jewels, Kesha, Ludacris, ZZ Top, Fitz and the Tantrums, Rise Against, DJ Diesel (Shaq) — AH! Despite all the weirdness this year (and last), Summerfest 2021 is set to be a BANGER. The World’s Largest Music Festival has been pulling big talent to our rad venue on the lake for quite some time now, but it hasn’t always been a cake walk, with the facilities being a limiting factor because of the festival’s growth and popularity.On this episode of The GoGedders Podcast, host Richie Burke sits down with Summerfest royalty Bob Babisch (Entertainment Director) and Jason Stuewe (Vice President of Planning and Development) to talk all about the Big Gig’s latest passion project, The American Family Insurance Amphitheater.The venue has a massive $51.3M in upgrades (what?!) that will improve just about every single part of the guest experience.Richie and our guests will also cover what folks can expect from other upgrades around the venue, what planning during a pandemic was like for their team, Summerfest’s economic impact on Milwaukee, and much more.

If you’re a fan of Milwaukee food, you might’ve heard the name Adam Pawlak once or twice as of late, and not without good reason.This Bay View-born bearded wonder has been all over the city after his first solo concept, Egg and Flour Pasta Bar, was a hit in North Avenue’s Crossroads Collective. Today, we’re joined by Adam Pawlak himself, Alex Anderson, and the legendary David Caruso to talk about Adam’s journey, and what it takes to succeed when setting out to chase your passion. We also talk about the Bucks, because like — how are we supposed to not talk about the Bucks?Tune into this week’s episode, and you’ll also hear how much Adam, Alex, and David truly love our dear city of Milwaukee, and how much it means to them to be doing their thing and chasing their passion in the city they’ve always called home. 

I’m still in shock that the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA title. The odds are stacked so far against a small market team from the Midwest to win a title, especially in the era of superteams and star player mobility. As a lifelong fan, I’m so happy for the city and the Bucks organization — that was amazing to watch from a basketball standpoint. But what about from a life and business perspective? Chris Luecke (Host of the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast) and I decided to come together and talk about the top leadership, marketing, and life lessons we took away from the Bucks championship run. Listen in as we take a deep dive and unpack what we've learned.

Josh Delaney has made local and national news lately by selling 80% of his company, FAB Nutrition to High Tide Inc for $20.6M. Josh started FAB Nutrition only three years ago and the fact that he just cashed out for over $20M at age 35 is rare. It’s the largest exit I personally know of by a young(ish) Milwaukee entrepreneur. That said it is far from an overnight success story. 

Pete’s Pops has been all over the news (and streets of the Milwaukee area) this year. With the announcement of “Sneaky Pete’s” recently opening at the Milwaukee Public Market, their four brick-and-mortar locations, fifteen pop carts roaming around the area, and their expansion last year to St. Louis (Pete’s hometown) last year, it’s clear that business has never been hotter – erm — chillier — for this Milwaukee-favorite pop shop. All that said, Pete’s Pops is far from an overnight success story. Believe it or not, I was one of the first to try these legendary pops. Pete Cooney served me one of the original Pete’s Pops out of a dixie cup in the kitchen of his East Side apartment about eight years ago, back when he was a full-time corporate accountant. Pete’s Pops was a side hustle for Pete until the start of 2021, his last job being the Controller for the Pabst Group.  Although Pete’s Pops has grown significantly since Pete started making Pops, his passion and excitement for the business haven’t gone away: “Something about this concept resonated with me; it made me excited, it made me happy... Our business is happiness and positivity, it’s just a really great business, and I’m thankful it’s what I chose,” Pete said fondly on this episode of The GoGedders.For the company’s future, Pete predicts an expansion of the current business model and a potential consumer packaged goods (CPG) play down the road.For more on Pete’s story and what it took to get the business to where it is today, listen in to the full episode.

In this Q&A episode I cover work/life balance (can it actually exist?), how to market when starting out and tell the story of my illustrious and rare double eagle in the Ray Fischer tournament last weekend. 

Like clockwork every Wednesday morning through chemo and during his three-week hospital stay where he underwent CAR T Cell therapy, he fired off a group text that I was fortunate enough to be a part of. It featured a message from Rich as well as a song of the day. On April 14th at 6:37am, on his 13th day in the hospital, he sent off the following message: “I look out my window and see Children’s Hospital and two flight for life helipads. I wonder about everyone’s stories and the randomness of it all. We all have a clock, but it’s not until you experience a life changing event that you become more acutely aware of how you spend your time. My hope for everyone is that we all take time to appreciate that each day is a gift and we make the most of life, because none of us truly know how much time is left on our clock.” On the podcast, I asked him to elaborate on this message and how he has chosen to remain positive through his journey with cancer, while the rest of us continue to get stressed out and anxious about minute details and events of day-to-day life that really have no meaningful impact. He responded to my question by saying, “I’m thankful. Not that I got the disease, but that I’ve got time. It changes the way you react to certain things. Something changes where you appreciate everything, and you appreciate the little things more. I feel fortunate, I don’t know how much time I have, but I do have time. Some people get (life) taken away from them in an instant or in a few months. None of us know when it’s going to be over, so we should really all have that attitude. Sometimes you look at life, and you’re like ‘where did that time go’ most of the time, we just go through the day and don’t appreciate the day."Luckily for Rich, along with his positive attitude, he is in great hands with Dr. Parmeswarn Hari at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Hari is rated one of the top doctors in America and started the Celgene bb2121 Car T Cell Clinical Trial right here in Milwaukee. Rich is only the sixth person in the world to get it. Essentially the treatment takes patient’s T cells that are ineffective to treat myeloma and reprograms them genetically to convert the cells into supercharged, highly efficient T cells that can target and destroy every last myeloma cell. Approximately 450M cells were pumped into Rich’s body. It’s living cell therapy, and Dr. Hari is optimistic that many cancers will be cured this way in the next 20-25 years; right now, only three cancers can get treated like this. Dr. Hari and Rich both advise that if you think something is wrong with you, see a doctor as soon as possible as many of us procrastinate and wait until later stages to get looked at, and our health is the most important thing we have. 

The majority of us desire a viable third party and aren't satisfied with the candidates we have to choose from in election cycles. Why is this and what can be done about it? Katherine Gehl breaks down how the "Politics Industry" really works behind the scenes and how she is working hard and making incredible progress to change our country for the better! This episode is live from the Milwaukee Rotary Club! 

Milwaukee as a city got hit hard by the pandemic and arguably no one knows this better than Marcus Corporation's third generation CEO, Greg Marcus, who has recently been helping the city get vaccinated as well as bringing the city and his businesses back to life. Marcus Corporation was founded in Ripon, WI in 1935 with a single movie theater and now operates 91 theaters and 18 hotels across 17 states.  Make sure to tune into today's episode to learn more about Greg's unconventional path to become the CEO of Marcus Corp, the importance of community, how he is helping the city get vaccinated and what it's been like running a hospitality business during the pandemic and how he sees the future of the company. 

Is the Pfister really haunted? What's the best seat to watch a movie in all of Milwaukee? The Hilarious story of how Greg met his wife, how to deal with hair loss,  has Chris Stegman been kicked out of Mason Street Grill? What is Greg's best single piece of advice to young professionals? Greg answers all of these as well as several more hard hitting questions in our lightning round.