Creating Custom Kwik Trip Sneakers | Keven Ringgold

Chris chats with Jamie Gay, Director of the Sweet Goods Bakery at Kwik Trip, all about donuts. From the history and production process of the famous Glazer, to the important role that 300-plus coworkers play in operating the Sweet Goods Bakery, Jamie shares all the info about the delicious baked goods that get produced on the Kwik Trip campus in La Crosse. In honor of National Donut Day, don't forget to check out the free Long John coupon in your Kwik Rewards app!

Did you see the custom Kwik Trip sneakers drop? Chris chats with the designer, Keven Ringgold from Cherry Pair Customs, about his career in footwear, the state of the sneakers industry, and the process that went into designing and creating these unique set of kicks, which you can enter to win in the Kwik Rewards app!

Chris is joined by Isaac Wilde, better known as Chef Isaac, is formally known as the Senior Food Research and Product Development Analyst at Kwik Trip. Chef Isaac joins the podcast to talk about his career in restaurants and culinary school training, recently making the switch to a corporate chef role with Kwik Trip. They talk about the product development team and some projects coming soon to a Kwik Trip store near you, plus some of the challenges that go into making quality food available at nearly 900 stores.

Chris is joined by the Senior Director of the Kwik Trip Distribution Center, Joe Vike, to discuss the ins and outs of the 450,000 square foot building on the La Crosse campus, and how it plays a vital role in the Kwik Trip ecosystem. They also discuss the announcement of the new distribution center down in DeForest, what necessitated the development in that market, and what sort of roles and support will be needed to bring that vision to life.

The only place you might not see his face is when he's on a podcast, as Russell Nicolet, President of Nicolet Law, joins Chris to talk about everything from his start in law to putting his face on billboards all over the Midwest, plus about his partnership with Kwik Trip on gas pumps and with giveaways in the Kwik Rewards app. They chat about starting his company while growing his brand, what it's like putting your face on a giant billboard, and the secret ingredient he adds to his Kwik Trip coffee.

Families Helping Families is an internal Kwik Trip charitable organization that helps out coworkers and their families in need, and Christina Ruedy and Korena Pabst are two of the biggest driving forces of FHF within Kwik Trip. Chris chats with Christina and Korena about what FHF is, how it benefits coworkers, and how important it is to the fabric of the culture at Kwik Trip. They also share some of their most memorable stories of how they've seen FHF impact families and coworkers in a positive way, plus highlight the best ways that coworkers can get involved.

Live from Kwik Trip #268 in Madison, Chris is joined by Will Hazeltine to talk about how his love for Karuba coffee turned into him becoming Kwik Trip's first NIL college student partner, and the media frenzy that came with it. Will talks about his time in the Uinversity of Wisconsin Marching Band, including how awkward it was to join the band during the peak of Covid. He shares about some of the awesome experiences he's been able to be a part of as a Badger, plus details how to pour the perfect cup of Kwik Trip coffee.

University of Wisconsin men's hockey coach Mike Hastings joins Chris to talk about his first year with the Badgers, coming across the border from Minnesota to Wisconsin, plus they preview the upcoming Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff at the Fiserv Forum, December 28th and 29th. 

The Kwik Trip team headed up to the Upper Peninsula, where Kwik Trip cut the ribbon on two new locations in Iron Mountain and Kingsford, Michigan. Chris got a chance to sit down with Amber Hollenbeck, resident Yooper and U.P. Travel Ambassador, to talk about her favorite parts of living where she does, from the people, to the travel, to everything that the outdoor recreation has to offer. We then chat with Scott Teigen, VP of Real Estate for Kwik Trip, about what makes the U.P. a special place and why Kwik Trip is excited about expanding the brand into a new state.

Live from the Vikings TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn., Chris gets a chance to sit down and chat with Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison. They talk about the grind of the season and what it's like to take care of your body as an NFL player, living in the Midwest after growing up in Southern California, including how "Minnesota Nice" is definitely a real thing. Alexander also shares about why his I Am Gifted Foundation is so important to him, plus why he decided to open up and share publicly about some of the hateful message that end up in his social media DMs.