Best Curt Carstensen Podcasts (2025)

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100: Boonmee McElroy, Celebrating Accomplishments 1:12:20

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3+ y ago1:12:20

1:12:20

Boonmee McElroy recently released her first book, "I Hate Potatoes: They Make Me Cry". It's a huge accomplishment and something she said would be happening when we spoke to each other for Episode 92 of this podcast. Boonmee lived through an impoverished and abusive childhood in Thailand. For the first time, in her new book, she tells the full story…

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99: Thanousay Khamphoune, Childhood Trauma & Brother's Suicide 1:27:51

3+ y ago1:27:51

1:27:51

Thanousay "T" Khamphoune realized a few years ago that sharing his story might be encouraging to others that have had a lot to overcome. As a child, he and his siblings had to live with different family members while his parents had legal problems. He was frequently moving and changing schools. Eventually being reunited with his dad brought some po…

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98: Gary Arndt, World Traveler & Everything Everywhere Daily 1:09:04

4y ago1:09:04

1:09:04

Gary Arndt is the creator and host of the "Everything Everywhere Daily" podcast. The podcast is a newer extension of his work as a successful travel blogger on the website everything-everywhere.com. Gary's podcast showcases his never-ending curiosity and wide variety of interests, while providing great, well-written information in a short amount of…

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97: Jeff Rinde, Modern Farming 1:22:14

4y ago1:22:14

1:22:14

Jeff Rinde was one of the other neighborhood farm kids when I was growing up in rural central Minnesota in the 1990s. While my family continually became less and less involved with farming, Jeff and his two older siblings partnered with their parents to expand the family farm into a much larger family business. What drew him to a life of farming? W…

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96: Julie Rose, Nomad Life 59:23

4y ago59:23

59:23

Julie Rose has been on the road for nearly a year after selling her house and becoming a nomad. She works from "home" from wherever she chooses with her dog Penny as her permanent companion. She's on the verge of seeing all 50 states. Even when she completes that goal, there is no end in sight. What inspires Julie? Is it expensive? How is being sin…

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95: Chase Carstensen, National Parks Road Trip 1:36:51

4y ago1:36:51

1:36:51

My oldest two nephews Chase Carstensen and AJ Torfin joined me for an epic road trip to eleven national parks and three national monuments. In this episode we recap our exciting journey. We did the Delta Lake hike at Grand Teton National Park, the Angels Landing hike at Zion National Park, hiked to waterfalls at Glacier National Park, and whitewate…

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94: Luke Boser, Alaska & The Brown Bear Hunt 1:12:38

4+ y ago1:12:38

1:12:38

Luke Boser left small town Minnesota shortly after high school nearly 20 years ago and has been living in Alaska and a few other distant places ever since. Visiting Alaska for the first time recently, I concluded that a certain type of person settles there. Luke is an outdoorsy, rugged, adventurer, which seems to fit the demographic. He shares the …

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93: Natalia Cortes, The Harsh Culture of San Francisco 53:44

4+ y ago53:44

53:44

Natalia Cortes has been living in San Francisco for almost three years and this experience has had a big impact on her life. Originally from Colombia in South America, she spent nearly a decade studying and working in several different countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Now in the United States for a few years, she's gained a lot of pe…

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92: Boonmee McElroy, International Life Coach & Inspirational Speaker 59:52

4+ y ago59:52

59:52

Boonmee McElroy has overcome extraordinary obstacles in her life. Growing up in poverty in a small village in Thailand, vital things like food and education were not always available to her. After years of struggle she began to grow a career as an international life coach and inspirational speaker in Asia. As fate would have it, she met an American…

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91: Noah Franske, Bitcoin, Investing & Teaching Math in Vietnam 1:27:10

4+ y ago1:27:10

1:27:10

Noah Franske has a passion for math and for adventure. That combination has led him to Vietnam where he has been teaching math at an international school for the last 18 months. One of his math-related interests is investing and personal finance. A portion of his investment portfolio is devoted to cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin. In the conversa…

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90: Krizia Almoite, The Photoshoot & The Photographer (Krizia Studios) 1:08:04

4+ y ago1:08:04

1:08:04

Krizia Almoite has not been a photographer for long. When she lost her job in the middle of the pandemic, Krizia put nearly all of her time into making her newest interest into her new career. In under six months she's landed some big clients and was hired as the photographer for a new movie being filmed in Minnesota. She's building a growing brand…

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89: Amanda Koonjbeharry, Social Work Leader 1:05:54

4+ y ago1:05:54

1:05:54

Amanda Koonjbeharry has an impressive résumé of social work. Currently she is the Director of Public Policy for the Citizens League of Minnesota. Previously she had led a project for anti-sex trafficking in the Minneapolis area, and has been involved in numerous roles that serve communities and families that are in need. She holds two Master's degr…

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88: Larry Rose, Former NFL Referee, Confrontation & Excitement 1:20:58

5y ago1:20:58

1:20:58

Larry Rose was a Side Judge in the National Football League for nearly 20 years. He worked Super Bowl XLII when the New York Giants defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Since retiring from the NFL five years ago he's taught, trained, or supervised football officials from the NCAA's Southeastern Conference and umpires from summer…

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87: Dee Fiel, Canadian Nurse & COVID 1:17:36

5y ago1:17:36

1:17:36

Dee Fiel has been working as a registered nurse in Canada for well over a decade. She shares her Canadian mentality towards the coronavirus and how its different than in the United States. As a nurse, she tries to better understand my recent experience while having COVID-19. Dee, like many, has some hesitancies about getting the new vaccine. I expl…

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86: Ross Meisner, My Experience Having COVID-19 & The Election 1:10:14

5y ago1:10:14

1:10:14

Ross Meisner joins me to help me tell the story of my recent bout with COVID-19. Ross was recently elected to the Fridley (Minnesota) School Board and shares his experience running a campaign during a pandemic. We both share our opinions on the aftermath of the U.S. Presidential Election. Watch this conversation on YouTube. Follow "People I Know Sh…

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85: Jamie Dreher, Political Perspectives 1:38:20

5y ago1:38:20

1:38:20

Jamie Dreher is my cousin and one of the many people in my family that will vote for Donald Trump this election. I was raised as a Republican, used to vote Republican, but denounce Trump, tend to vote Democrat, and will be voting for Joe Biden. Jamie and I discuss some of the often divisive political topics to see how far apart we really are and to…

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84: AJ Torfin, High School Football & Distance Learning 1:00:18

5y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

AJ Torfin is my oldest nephew. He has been working extremely hard over the past few years to earn a scholarship to play football in college following his senior year in high school. His senior year in high school is taking place online only. And his fall football season was originally postponed until spring before a recent decision moved the season…

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83: Jon Laaser, Sports Broadcasting & Memories of His Father 1:07:54

5y ago1:07:54

1:07:54

Jon Laaser is the voice of Virginia Tech football and men's basketball. He explains some of the challenges college football faces playing their season during COVID-19. He shares the story of how his broadcasting career transpired to lead him to a high-profile Division One play-by-play opportunity. Jon's father passed away within the last year and h…

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82: Ryan Voz, Having Baseball Games with Crowds During the Pandemic 44:00

5y ago44:00

44:00

Ryan Voz is co-owner of the Willmar Stingers baseball team located in central Minnesota. Like virtually all of sports leagues in America, the Northwoods League schedule couldn't go on as originally planned. That meant Ryan and his franchise could cancel the season, or they could "roll with the punches" and make the most out of a difficult situation…

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81: Ken Thunder & Rose Thunder, A COVID-19 Survival Story 56:19

5y ago56:19

56:19

Ken Thunder spent 25 days in the hospital, including 12 days on a ventilator, in a serious bout with the coronavirus. His wife, Rose Thunder, was not allowed to see him during that entire time. More than three months since the worst moments of his battle, Ken talks about the physical toll his body has been through, while Rose describes the emotiona…

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80: Acoma Gaither, African American Historian & Activist 1:05:08

5y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Acoma Gaither's work as a historian and efforts as an activist have merged once again in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. What has she witnessed from the protests she's been involved with in Minneapolis and Seattle? What does she make of the movement to defund the police? Is the message clear enough? Watch this conversation on YouTube. Foll…

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SPECIAL: (Part 3) Discussion Following Death of George Floyd 1:13:54

5+ y ago1:13:54

1:13:54

"I wish the reasons didn’t exist that motivated us to come together to talk about George Floyd’s murder, racism, police brutality, broken systems, division and some other topics. I wish we didn’t have to do it but I am so glad that we did." -Ron Johnson This special content came to be because Ron Johnson felt it was time to have important conversat…

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SPECIAL: (Part 2) Discussion Following Death of George Floyd 58:55

5+ y ago58:55

58:55

"I wish the reasons didn’t exist that motivated us to come together to talk about George Floyd’s murder, racism, police brutality, broken systems, division and some other topics. I wish we didn’t have to do it but I am so glad that we did." -Ron Johnson This special content came to be because Ron Johnson felt it was time to have important conversat…

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SPECIAL: (Part 1) Discussion Following Death of George Floyd 1:14:47

5+ y ago1:14:47

1:14:47

"I wish the reasons didn’t exist that motivated us to come together to talk about George Floyd’s murder, racism, police brutality, broken systems, division and some other topics. I wish we didn’t have to do it but I am so glad that we did." -Ron Johnson This special content came to be because Ron Johnson felt it was time to have important conversat…

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79: Meghan Swanson, A Near Death Experience While Protesting 52:46

5+ y ago52:46

52:46

Meghan Swanson spent the afternoon of Sunday, May 31 protesting with Black Lives Matter. She spent the evening trying to make sense of her near-death experience on the I-35W bridge. We spoke about that experience, what inspired her to be there, and share perspectives on why we want positive change. Watch this conversation on YouTube. Read more on c…

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Riots in My Home City of Minneapolis 8:43

5+ y ago8:43

8:43

My city of Minneapolis is currently the heart of one of the most significant cultural events in years. It's happening now in front of our eyes. It's a sad and significant time in history. I wrote a blog post today that expresses my perspective on what's happening in my city. This bonus episode is me reading my blog post. Read the blog post on curtc…

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78: Nick Hopping, Being A Comedian During A Pandemic 44:20

5+ y ago44:20

44:20

Nick Hopping has devoted his life to his stand up comedy career. When the pandemic began he had to pivot to fill the void. For more than two months, instead of performing in front of live audiences every day, he's been writing and producing a daily comedy video about something he has learned that day. Where does he get his ideas each day? After so …

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77: Dr. Tom Moorcroft, Lyme Disease Awareness & Prevention 1:28:43

5+ y ago1:28:43

1:28:43

Dr. Tom Moorcroft shares his expertise on Lyme Disease as well as general health advice. I had Lyme Disease two years ago and want to help you to avoid it. But if you do have it or someday contract it, Dr. Tom is a great resource. He had Lyme Disease and Babesiosis and struggled to get it properly diagnosed and treated. You can reach Dr. Tom at Ori…

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76: Matt Bishop, The Heart Of The Fighter 1:03:42

5+ y ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Matt Bishop has been through more in eight years than most people will go through in 80 years. Surviving cancer twice, a bone marrow transplant, a coma, and withstanding dialysis everyday and severe back pain, each day brings its challenges. But Matt is a fighter. He has loyal and loving family and friends in his corner. Through this, Matt is writi…

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75: Chandler Rose, When Baseball Is Canceled 47:03

5+ y ago47:03

47:03

As the NBA season was being suspended and the NCAA basketball tournaments were being canceled, so were the seasons of sports teams and leagues all across the country. University of Montevallo's head baseball coach Chandler Rose is still dealing with the emotions of having relationships suddenly change and the work invested in to the season disappea…

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74: Chuck Carstensen, Pivot, Progress, Prosper 1:17:25

5+ y ago1:17:25

1:17:25

My brother Chuck Carstensen continues to inspire me and others with a mindset towards self-improvement. When something major disrupts our plans we need to pivot and make progress so that we can prosper in a new way. In this conversation we share ideas and examples of how we are adjusting our lives during the pandemic. Plus, Chuck shares stories of …

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73: School Superintendent During COVID-19 51:38

5+ y ago51:38

51:38

As Superintendent/Principal, Ryan has been challenged to oversee and execute an entire new way of educating school children. Some kids did not have internet access at home. Others rely on the school meals. The communities of Tri-County Schools in northwestern Minnesota, like all school districts in the state, have transitioned as best they can. Rya…

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72: Bradley Schumacher, European Adventure & A New Normal 1:45:19

5+ y ago1:45:19

1:45:19

Bradley Schumacher was my travel partner for my trip to Europe in February. We recorded this conversation as a live Facebook video to discuss some memories from that trip as well a way to catch up on some what is makes up our current new normal. He also shares about an exciting new project he is working on. And we discuss why he was the inspiration…

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71: Meagan Nouis, The Bachelor Sweden 1:36:13

5+ y ago1:36:13

1:36:13

Meagan Nouis loves Sweden! First visiting there, now living and studying there, she also found her way on to the Scandinavian country's version of "The Bachelor". She shares stories from that experience and her winning performance on "The Price is Right" a few years ago. Plus, what its like living in Sweden during the coronavirus pandemic. Sweden i…

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70: Tibor Majzik, A Hungarian In Denmark 1:07:08

5+ y ago1:07:08

1:07:08

Tibor Majzik accepted a deal seemingly too good to refuse when he decided to study for free in Denmark for a year. Tibor, from Hungary, decided to stay and finish his education there only leaving for semesters abroad in South Korea and Australia. Now married and beginning his career, he shares his perspectives on what makes Denmark such a great pla…

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69: Kiki Seit, Returning Home to Quarantine From Italy 1:14:03

5+ y ago1:14:03

1:14:03

Kiki Seit was studying at a university in Italy when the country began to get overwhelmed by the novel coronavirus. She shares the story of how she realized she needed to leave the country and booked a flight home to Kyrgyzstan the day before Italy went on lockdown and was able leave the country the day after. She has been forced into quarantine ev…