We Never Met

We Never Met

A weekly podcast where host, Sam Kirkegaard, chats with an interesting stranger he has never met before. Everyone has a story to tell.

Episodes

Emma Daisy | Artist & Muralist | Ep. 125

October 4, 2021 • 66 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the talented artist and muralist, Emma Daisy. They chat about being a Korean adoptee, growing up in white suburbs of Milwaukee, identity, home economics, social media culture, working on murals, Banksy, growing up constantly drawing, parents keeping art, higher education, BTS, flip phones, and doing things because you love it.
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Zachariah Thompson | The Scatter Joy Project | Ep. 124

September 27, 2021 • 51 mins
In this episode, Sam meets founder of The Scatter Joy Project, Zachariah Thompson. They chat about what The Scatter Joy Project is, stigma, mental health, the journey of finding a therapist, his life threatening heart condition, suicidal ideation, having strength in your story, anxiety, shame, and your identity.
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Aremy Stewart & Anne Meyer | Artists | Ep. 123

September 20, 2021 • 55 mins
In this episode, Sam meets two brilliant artists, Aremy Stewart and Anne Meyer. They chat about their collaborative art work and show in Portland, Aremy’s relationship with abstract art, Anne’s versatility in the art world, how they met, growing up in Minnesota, being “stuck”, motherhood and art, Anne’s deep dives into her artistic work, their relationship now, and growth in artistic work.
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Madison Olsen | Stained Glass Artist | Ep. 122

September 13, 2021 • 28 mins
In this episode, Sam meets stained glass artist, Madison Olsen. They chat about how she got into stained glass art, studying in the UK, traveling, her artistic style, pen and ink drawing, her mother fostering her creativity, growing up in Utah, whitewater rafting as a kid, viewing an eclipse, her largest stained glass piece, and sociology.
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Amber Stafford | Makers of We | Ep. 121

September 6, 2021 • 35 mins
In this episode, Sam meets artist and rug maker Amber Stafford. They chat about where the name Makers of We came from, why she got started making rugs, empowerment through art, her previous job as an interior designer, creative fulfillment, pursuit of purpose, being raised by a single mother, perfectionism, creating a special space, Lisa Frank, and embracing chaos and uncertainty.
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Cris Siqueira & Shelly McClone-Carriere | Lion's Tooth | Ep. 120

August 30, 2021 • 43 mins
In this episode, Sam meets owners of Lion’s Tooth bookstore, Cris Siqueira and Shelly McClone-Carriere. They chat about why they started a bookstore, cybercafes in Brazil, Cris’s dislike of Spiderman, finding what you love to read, Cris’s award-winning documentary about sideshows, translating comic books, Shelly being one of the founders of the Riverwest Co-op, learning from kids, surveillance states, roller derby, Shelly’s trip to...
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Bennett Young | Photographer & Filmmaker | Ep. 119

August 23, 2021 • 28 mins
In this episode, Sam meets filmmaker, photographer, and content creator, Bennett Young. They chat about his early love of art and drawing, his first camera, being inspired by Nat Geo, his early days of concert photography, why cabin photography is so popular, the story he’s trying to tell with his art, Great Lakes surfing, working with Honda, and places he has traveled that had a profound impact on him.
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Matt Wessel | Milwaukee Pretzel Company | Ep. 118

August 16, 2021 • 38 mins
In this episode, Sam meets owner and COO of Milwaukee Pretzel Company, Matt Wessel. They chat about making the Milwaukee Bucks logo as a pretzel, living in Germany, making Bavarian-style pretzels in Milwaukee, their first German Fest jumping off point, being a musician, his thoughts on starting a business, balancing work and life as business owners, growing the business year over year, the idea of entrepreneurship compared to actua...
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Roger Porter | Planty McPlanterface | Ep. 117

August 9, 2021 • 28 mins
In this episode, Sam meets plant enthusiast and owner of the amazing plant shop, Planty McPlanterface. They chat about where his iconic plant shop name came from, plant tattoos, plant clubs in California, moving to Portland, being an all in hobbyist, his favorite plant family, starting the business in his yard, his ceramic collection, fake Christmas trees, and whole sale plant shops.
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Brody Day, Anna Buxton, and Anne Aviles | Steeplejack Brewing Company | Ep. 116

August 2, 2021 • 52 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the Steeplejack Brewing Company team, including Brody Day, co-owner, Anna Buxton, head brewer, and Anne Aviles, lead brewer. They chat about how they all met, finding the best people, women in brewing, why Brody started a brewery, going to university in China, brewers playing instruments, the chair system, personalities of cities, rap battles, time capsules, and the first beer the ever made.
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Kat Topaz & Jim Abeles | Topaz Farm | Ep. 115

July 26, 2021 • 53 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the owners and farmers at Topaz Farm, Kat Topaz and Jim Abeles. They chat about two hummingbirds landing on Kat’s finger, why they moved to Portland, working at Willamette Week, starting companies, pivoting careers, the Muhammad Ali app, buying a tugboat, living on Sauvie Island, buying a farm, their amazing corn mazes, and the special moments on the farm.
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JoAnna Wendel | Artist, Science Writer, Cartoonist | Ep. 114

July 19, 2021 • 38 mins
In this episode, Sam meets artist, science writer, and cartoonist, JoAnna Wendel. They chat about wanting to be a zoo painter, evolution, creating science cartoons, writing for NASA, her abstract artwork, art smiling at you, revolutionary artists, color coming first, drawing accurately for science comics, constantly learning, slow slip earthquakes, and bird facts.
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Tomas & April Sluiter | Culmination Brewing | Ep. 113

July 12, 2021 • 23 mins
In this episode, Sam meets Tomas and April Sluiter, owners of Culmination Brewing. They chat about Tomas’s start in home brewing, the first beer he ever made, their beer being popular in Japan, working as a brewery consultant, his style as a brewer, Cold IPA, people investing in their brewery, pivoting during the pandemic, and his favorite collaboration beer with a Japanese brewery.
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Brooke Anderson | Sewer, Maker, Thrifter, Quilt Jackets | Ep. 112

July 5, 2021 • 47 mins
In this episode, Sam meets Brooke Anderson, sewer, maker, and creator of amazing quilt jackets. They chat about her dog, making quilt jackets, sustainability, selling knitted hats to classmates, parents dealing with mental health, quilt pants, her company Thunderpants, buying local, the economy, and marine biology.
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Hector Mejia Zamora | Guatemalan Coffee Farmer & Owner of Cafe Zamora | Ep. 111

June 28, 2021 • 45 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the owner of Cafe Zamora, Hector Mejia Zamora. They chat about growing up in Guatemala, working on his father’s coffee farm, growing his banana business from $50 to $15,000 in sales each month, moving to America, the phrase that made him want to start a business, putting people first, his father going to school with no shoes, getting rid of the middleman, what fair trade actually means, the gap between we...
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Stephen Spurlock | Filmmaker & Photographer | Ep. 110

June 21, 2021 • 46 mins
In this episode, Sam meets director, filmmaker, photographer, and entrepreneur, Stephen Spurlock. They chat about moving around the country, his childhood thoughts of Wisconsin, building with Lego, shooting his first video at 16, his passion for music, learning the guitar, how he got into visual effects, working on The Avengers film, 27 hour shifts, camping, traveling changing his life perspective, his love of bikes, and starting h...
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Travis Fields | Artist | Ep. 109

June 14, 2021 • 42 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the amazing artist and muralist, Travis Fields, also known as Campo Graphic. They chat about where the name Campo Graphic came from, growing up in Ohio, artist residence vegetable farms, getting into graffiti, the history of graffiti, finding your style, his parents reaction to his graffiti, the transition away from graffiti to murals, graffiti rules, his Robin Williams mural story, painting Amanda Gorman...
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Joshua Burnside | Singer-songwriter | Ep. 108

June 7, 2021 • 44 mins
In this episode, Sam meets the talented and award-winning singer-songwriter, Joshua Burnside. They chat about growing up in Northern Ireland, his eclectic musical sound, recording an album in Columbia, wrong weather forecasts, his song ‘Whiskey, Whiskey’, writing random thoughts into your phone, fear of death, writing music, technophobia, the pandemic's effect on live music, creating music with his brother, and playing pub gigs.
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Rob Brennan | Supermoon Beer Company | Ep. 107

May 31, 2021 • 43 mins
In this episode, Sam meets Rob Brennan, owner of Supermoon Beer Company. They chat about the start of the brewery, brewing beer with wild yeast, his inspiration from Belgian breweries, beer having a sense of place, his first beer memory, jam bands, working at Penrose Brewing Company, not having to be Michael Jordan to be happy, working with Third Space Brewery, great local produce in Wisconsin, where the name Supermoon comes from, ...
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Melissa Lee Johnson | Artist, Illustrator, Graphic Designer | Ep. 106

May 24, 2021 • 40 mins
In this episode Sam meets artist, illustrator, and graphic designer, Melissa Lee Johnson. They chat about moving to Arizona, drawing people accurately, art camp, how collaging inspired her work, being a serious teenager, illustrating books, winning a Communication Arts Award, interior design, her rescue chihuahuas Bambi and Sparkle, and being the Sauce Boss on Instagram.
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