Always Andersonville: The Podcast

Episode 165: The story of The Understudy Coffee & Books with Adam Crawford & Danny Fender

This week we are joined by Danny Fender and Adam Crawford, co-founders of The Understudy theatre bookstore and specialty coffeshop at 5531 N Clark. Named in honor of all the hidden work it takes to make a play happen, The Understudy is dedicated to celebrating, fostering, and uplifting artistry in our community in all its forms. Whether you’re discovering a new playwright, trying their latest single-origin coffee, or sharing thoughts in one of their book clubs, they create endless opportunities to get surprised, feel inspired, and shake something up.

Episode 164: The Story of Bloom & Belong with Hina Pitroda

This week we are joined by Hina Pitroda, founder of Bloom & Belong. Hina works with people to reduce stress, and find joy and awe in their lives. This includes taking preventative steps to attend to your whole health—movement, sleep, perspective, food, relationships/connections, and more. Her approach is compassionate, strengths based, and rooted in mindfulness through  1:1 coaching, as well as group coaching classes in mindfulness and self compassion and supporting people towards the goal of elevating themselves, and meeting their mind/body/spirit goals.

Episode 163: The 40th Anniversary of Strange Cargo with Jay Schwartz

This week we are joined by Jay Schwartz, Owner of Andersonville’s custom T-shirt mainstay store Strange Cargo to discuss their history and celebrate 40 years of Strange Cargo! Strange Cargo has been a premier location for custom t-shirts since 1983. Strange Cargo is known for their extensive selection of customizable t-shirt options as well as their personable nature and sense of humor, commonly combining their custom t-shirt skills with an politically topical irreverent humor often showcased in their quintessential storefront window.

Don't miss Strange Cargo's big 40th Anniversary party, this Saturday, September 9 from 12PM - 4PM!

 

Please be advised, this episode includes one instance of an F word

Episode 162: The Story of Learn Swedish Now with Jessica Tovesson

This week we are joined by Jessica Tovesson, founder of Learn Swedish Now, LLC and a board member at the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) in Chicago. Learn Swedish Now, LLC provides Swedish language educational services. Private lessons are customized with individual lesson plans and the conversational group classes are offered at multiple levels of proficiency. The customers are individuals, corporations, government organizations, and private industries to fit everyone's unique learning styles in order to meet the goals within the timeframe. Learn Swedish Now, LLC provides educational solutions that prepare customers for upcoming relocations, new work assignments, or improved communication with family and friends. From kids to adult, everyone is welcome to jump into their Swedish language learning with Jessica!

Episode 161: The Story of Big City Optical South Andersonville with Socorro King

This week we are joined by Socorro King, General Manager of Big City Optical Andersonville South location at 5301 N Clark. Big City Optical is a privately owned Chicago optical practice with locations around Chicago offering optical services including annual eye exams, pediatric exams, Lasik consultations, and any number of medical optical needs while also providing a fashionable selection of eyewear. Socorro tells us all about this family owned small business and busts some of the myths and misconceptions about the optical world along with a few glasses tips to top it off!

Episode 160: The Story of Rare Form/The Twentieth with Emma Lewis

This week we are joined by Emma Lewis, Owner of Rare Form/The Twentieth, a pop-up art and vintage shop based in Chicago. Emma works to digitally restore and reinterpret 100 year-old designs to create unique greeting cards, stationery , and more. She seeks to empower and affirm others with a brand that combines vintage images with unapologetic contemporary feminist language and over-the-top messages of affirmation. She plans to open her first brick and mortar store - called Rare Form in Andersonville this August at 5438 N Clark! Rare Form will be a vintage inspired home décor/ concept store a blend of art and home goods with vintage pieces mixed in and a European flare.

Episode 159: The Story of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue With Jessica Katz

This week, Charlie and Colman are joined by Jessica Katz, Founder and Executive Director of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue. CLEAR’s mission is to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and stray bird, reptile, and fish species that are commonly found in the pet trade, and rehome them to a household that will be the very best fit for their needs. CLEAR also strives to educate the community about the unique care needs of these uncommon pets. 

CLEAR was first conceptualized by Jessica Katz during her graduate program at Regis University. After procuring a Bachelor’s Degree in animal science and wildlife biology, Jessica received a Master’s Degree in nonprofit management in 2012. Beginning with her first job in pet care at age 16, Jessica saw that there was a gap in the culture of how people cared for birds, reptiles, and fish: dogs and cats have multitudes of local and nationally-based rescue organizations, while exotic animals were often abandoned, illegally released, or relinquished to the few exotic animal organizations that were already at or beyond capacity. After rescuing her first parakeet from the woods in Michigan in 2015, an opportunity to facilitate change and promote a different kind of pet care culture presented itself. Several like-minded individuals came together in August of 2021 to form CLEAR’s founding board.

Episode 158: The Story of Mozart Immersive and Live @ Lighthouse with Maria Shclover

Today we are joined by Maria Shclover, Producer of the Mozart Immersive Soul of a Genius exhibit and the Live @ Lighthouse Chicago Jazz series shows. Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius takes the immersive medium in a new and exciting direction utilizing the latest technology to amplify timeless music. Mozart Immersive stands out from previous Lighthouse Immersive productions in that Mozart’s ingenious compositions are the primary focus; with captivating visuals built around the auditory experience.

Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago (108 W. Germania Pl.) is hosting live concerts this summer for the Live @ Lighthouse concert series, sponsored by Kawai Pianos in its immersive gallery space. The series is a curated musical experience, featuring an impressive lineup of acclaimed classical and jazz artists paired with a stunning visual backdrop that will surround audiences in 360-degrees of vibrant imagery – creating an unforgettable, never-before-seen concert format that will accentuate each performance. A special heads-up that our listeners will have the opportunity to get special discounted tickets for both these shows with promo codes we’ll provide at the end of the interview!


There is currently a special offer for Live @ Lighthouse with tickets starting at $35, you can get tickets at lighthouseartspace.com. For 20% off tickets for the Mozart immersive, visit Mozartimmersive.com at checkout, use discount code ANDERSONVILLE20.

Episode 157 - The Story of Swell Virtual Assistance with Stephanie Weddell

This week, Charlie and Colman are joined by Stephanie Weddell, Owner and CEO of Swell Virtual Assistance. Swell Virtual Assistance provides administrative, communication, and marketing services for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurs. A virtual assistant provides business services on a contract, remote basis. By working with a virtual assistant, your company gains access to increased resources when hiring a full or part-time employee is not feasible. Find more about Stephanie and Swell at www.swellvirtualassistance.com

Episode 156 - The Story of The Selfhelp Home with Efrat Dallal

This week, Laura and Charlie are joined by Efrat Dallal, Chief Marketing officer of the Selfhelp Home. Near Lake Michigan, The Selfhelp Home has housed Chicago's retiring Jewish Seniors since 1951. The retirement community offers a continuum of care services within a historic multi-story building that originally housed Holocaust refugees. Closeby, residents can enjoy lakeside activities, hit the putting greens, play a game of tennis, explore the gardens, or simply relax at the beach on sunny days. You can find The Selfhelp Home at  908 W Argyle.