The Good Life – July-August 2023
Ten years, hundreds of stories, and thousands of lives impacted. Founders of The Good Life reveal the magazine's origin story (and more) to mark its 10th anniversary. Also in this issue, Dad Life on the topic of Helicopter Parents, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and its fleet of vehicles, Having A Beer with Dawn and Darren from Urban Toad Media and more!
Ten years, hundreds of stories, and thousands of lives impacted. Founders of The Good Life reveal the magazine's origin story (and more) to mark its 10th anniversary.
Also in this issue, Dad Life on the topic of Helicopter Parents, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and its fleet of vehicles, Having A Beer with Dawn and Darren from Urban Toad Media and more!
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HAVING A BEER WITH | URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON<br />
PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
Thanks to a once-in-a-generation convergence of moderate<br />
temps and clear skies during Ribfest, it was a calm Friday<br />
night at Drekker’s Brewhalla. When I arrived to meet up<br />
with the double D's of Urban Toad Media — Dawn Siewert<br />
and Darren Losee, publishers of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> — I was<br />
unshowered, unshaven and wearing a borrowed polo. Oh,<br />
and I forgot my laptop, too. Aside from that, I was totally<br />
prepared.<br />
Thankfully, I was in good company. I was there to<br />
interview my friends for their 10-year anniversary edition<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Magazine, and I learned early in our<br />
conversation that my inauspicious start to the evening<br />
wasn’t unlike the origin story of the magazine itself. Our<br />
shared “dive right in” attitude is why we work so well<br />
together… and why, even though I now live 225 miles away<br />
(where my laptop sat forgotten), I will always seize the<br />
opportunity to contribute to a publication that makes a<br />
difference in the FM community without taking itself too<br />
seriously.<br />
As we sat down with fresh beers in hand, any remaining<br />
nerves I had settled when it became apparent just how<br />
uncomfortable Darren and Dawn were to be in the<br />
spotlight. <strong>The</strong>y’re usually off to the side, listening in and<br />
taking photos. Now, they were in the hot seat, and I was<br />
given free rein to fire away.<br />
<strong>The</strong> whole idea for this story was forced upon them, a<br />
suggestion from another longtime contributor, friends<br />
and clients who thought it was time the public got a<br />
chance to meet the people behind the pages. And that’s<br />
what this column has always been about — real, relaxed<br />
conversations that highlight personalities more than<br />
professions.<br />
28 | THE GOOD LIFE
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