Take On The Lake

Tucked deep in the history of Lake of the Ozarks is one family name that helped build the place — literally and culturally.

Emily (Blair) Mensendiek is part of that legacy: her family started Blair Cedar, Ozarkland, and Blair’s Landing — some of the most iconic local businesses at the Lake. Now, she’s turned her energy ...

Tucked into a little light-industrial corner of the city of Eldon, just a stone's throw from Lake of the Ozarks, is a wildly niche business with a high-profile, international customer base.

It's called Argosy: they make super-high-end, custom shelving and workstations specifically for audio recording studios. And it's all made right here at the Lake.

Here's one testimonial: "Argosy is th...

Lighthouse for the Blind – St. Louis is a nonprofit manufacturer employing 200+ blind and visually impaired workers. They make Falcon boat horns (yep, the handheld ones you’re legally required to carry on your boat), Dust-Off “canned air,” vinyl/gelcoat repair patches, screen cleaners, emergency kits, and more—right here in Missouri.

We talk mission, products boaters actually use, how th...

The Lake's outdoor scene is getting a major upgrade with a new project being spearheaded by the Community Foundation of the Lake.

The Magic Dragon Trail System is under construction, and it'll result in 70 miles of trails at the Lake that could some day connect with Missouri's famous Katy Trail.

Behind it all is the Community Foundation of the Lake (CFL). For this episode, CFL President ...

Charlie Kirk and Bill Federer were friends. Charlie would often text him scriptures of encouragement. Bill recently joined Turning Point USA’s education initiative, at Charlie’s behest. In the wake of Charlie’s death, Bill joined me to remember this giant of a man.

In this episode, we talk about Charlie’s life, their friendship, and what hope remains for a cou...

Citizens Against Domestic Violence Director Sheree Keely would love if the organization she runs didn't have to exist.

But it does. CADV serves hundreds of people every year in the Lake area who are victims of domestic violence. In this sobering interview, Sheree and Michelle Cook talk about the reality and pervasiveness of domestic violence in our community... and how it hides in plain ...

Chris Wilson has traveled the country as a "Fixer." Auto dealerships would bring him in to help turn things around: from culture problems to messy financials, Chris has seen a lot [pun intended].

Now a partner at Van Chevy/Cadillac/Subaru in KC, Chris brought his unique experience to Lake of the Ozarks when he discovere...

It's arguably the most well-known name in all of American medicine: Mayo Clinic. When you can't figure out what's wrong with you and you've exhausted all your local doctors, you end up going to Mayo.

Now, Mayo is coming to the Lake of the Ozarks.

In a dramatic announcement last month, Lake Regional Health System announced they would be joining the exclusive Mayo Clinic Care Network. That...

New Lodge of Four Seasons GM Steve Sharkey and Golf Director Matt Dillman join us as we look backward at the Lodge's past, and look forward into the Lodge's future.

People are already noticing some of the upgrades, and they're really just getting started... room overhauls, golf cartpaths, there's a lot on the horizon and we got a sneak peek in this episode.

Did you know Hurricane Deck Elementary school has the highest rate of homelessness in the Camdenton School District?

"We will run anywhere from 16 to 25%. So a full quarter of our population will qualify under what's called the McKinney Bento Act," HDE Principal Christie Moulder shared.

Moulder also shared a fact many people probably don't know: the school has no budget for things like f...

Google is infamous for changing the rules of the Internet. For the past 20 years, it's been: play by Google's rules, or you won't get found. And if they change the rules, well, sorry, you'd better keep up.

But what happens when the guys who are constantly changing the rules get the rug yanked out from under them?

Well, one thing is that my guest Sandy Waggett and I can't help but smile.

...

If you lived through the '90s, you know Edwin McCain's massive love song, "I'll Be."

That song propelled Edwin around the world, and now having toured for 30 years, he still sings it everywhere he performs. Edwin will be opening for Train at Ozarks Amphitheather — at Lake of the Ozarks — on Aug. 1, so we convinced him to come on the podcast!

We talk about one of his major concert mistake...

Mary May works wonders with a chisel.

A woodcarver for decades, her claim to fame is standing in the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. She helped carve the incredibly ornate capitals in the two giant "Pillars of Hercules" that hold the theater's main roof beam and stand on either side of the stage.

Now Mary lives at the Lake of the Ozarks and runs an online and in-person woodcarving school, cal...

There's a moment when you realize, "I need help."

For boaters, it's the moment when you've been coving out and you go to start the engine, and it just clicks. You're miles from home, and along comes Chris Stockton, a Marine and a licensed towboat captain. Chris's company Upstream Towing Co. is one of the main towing partners for XTow, LakeExpo's "worry-free boating" club.

But sometimes y...

What happens when the LakeExpo team skips lunch and starts talking about food?

Chaos. Spicy chaos.

In this hangry roundtable episode, we dish on our favorite Lake of the Ozarks food trucks, most memorable meals, and which restaurants we think are underrated.

Plus, we debate the proper way to pronounce “birria” and “beignet,” and explain why grouper fingers deserve more respect.

It’s a ro...

Social media is just a game.

Jeff Pfitzer — Lake of the Ozarks Lifestyle & Pftizer Media — is obsessed with figuring out the rules of the social media game and helping small business owners hack them, to turn-up the profits. And do it without getting hooked on social media.

I've known Jeff for a couple years now, and since he had me on in the early days of his TikTok channel, I decid...

It’s not his first Big Surf — but it might be his last! David Busch has opened 24 waterparks in his career, and now he’s leading the charge at SuperSplash USA, formerly Big Surf.

We talked about the mad scramble to get a waterpark open, the hilarious horror stories that come with it, and the new changes coming to SuperSplash this year. But most importantly, we dove into David’s bigger mi...

In this free-ranging episode, I joined Nadine Kelsay on her show on DAM Radio, and we went for it, on some spicy topics.

We talk about why the Minimum Wage might actually be evil, whether AI is just digital Frankenstein, and yes — we even go there, with robot girlfriends. A fun, fast-paced convo that’ll get your brain cooking, and is guaranteed controversial!