ThriveIN Wabash County

Destination Wabash County
  • 4.9 (30)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by three passionate leaders—Adam Stakeman, Alex Downard, and Christine Flohr—the podcast dives into the people and projects shaping Wabash County’s future. Every episode offers its listeners key takeaways that can be implemented in their own communities and will cause you to pause and celebrate the wins in your own backyard. With backgrounds in community development, economic growth, outdoor adventure, marketing, and tourism, the trio interviews local business owners, nonprofit leaders, and creatives who are all working to make Wabash County thrive. Subscribe and join us!

  1. 6d ago

    Getting to Know Wabash County YMCA CEO Steven Stanfield

    There's a new face leading the Wabash County YMCA—and he's also one of the newest residents of Wabash County. Steven Stanfield recently stepped into the role of CEO of the Wabash County YMCA, bringing with him a new perspective, new ideas, and a fresh set of eyes on both the YMCA and the community it serves. On this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, Adam sits down with Steven to get to know the person behind the new role. They talk about Steven's career journey, what brought him to Wabash County, his first impressions of the community, and what it's like to step into a leadership position while simultaneously getting settled into a new community. The conversation also dives into Steven's vision for the Wabash County YMCA, the role he believes the Y can play in the lives of individuals and families, and how the organization can continue to be an important part of the broader Wabash County community. As a newcomer himself, Steven also offers a unique perspective on Wabash County—what stands out to someone seeing the community with fresh eyes and what makes a place feel like home. A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    Getting to Know Wabash County YMCA CEO Steven Stanfield

  2. Sep 22

    Bob & Kristi Lundquist: Decades of Real Estate, Data & Doing Business Together

    What happens when you've spent decades putting a value on Wabash County? Host Alex Downard sits down with Bob and Kristi Lundquist, a husband-and-wife power couple who have spent decades working in real estate and appraisals and building a business rooted right here in Wabash County. Bob and Kristi have had a front-row seat to an industry that looks dramatically different today than when they began. Gone are the days when nearly everything was done manually. Today, technology, massive amounts of property data, automated valuation tools and now artificial intelligence are changing how real estate professionals research properties, analyze markets and complete appraisals. So how do two longtime professionals embrace those tools without losing the experience, local knowledge and human judgment that come from decades in the business? Alex talks with Bob and Kristi about how they use technology, AI and data in their work today, what these tools can do well and where an experienced professional still makes all the difference. The conversation also goes beyond real estate. As longtime stakeholders in Wabash County, Bob and Kristi have watched neighborhoods evolve, property values change, businesses invest and generations of families decide whether Wabash County is the place they want to call home. A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    Bob & Kristi Lundquist: Decades of Real Estate, Data & Doing Business Together

  3. Sep 15

    A Place to Grow with Cam & Katie Beauchamp

    Christine shares the studio with Cam and Katie Beauchamp and their adorable 6-month-old son, Miles, for a conversation about what it really means to call a place home. For Cam and Katie, Wabash County is more than somewhere they live—it’s somewhere they are intentionally building a life. They share their story of starting a family, finding connection in their community, and discovering the difference between simply living somewhere and becoming rooted in a place. They also talk about why getting involved matters, especially for young professionals, and how showing up, building relationships, and investing your time can help shape the community you want to call home. It’s a story about love, family, community, and choosing to put down roots—and a reminder that the life we build in a community can be just as meaningful as the place itself. A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    A Place to Grow with Cam & Katie Beauchamp

  4. Sep 8

    Why Not Here? — How One Game of Pickleball Sparked a Bigger Idea

    Why Not Here? — How One Game of Pickleball Sparked a Bigger Idea On this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, Adam sits down with Tim McLaughlin to talk about his connection to North Manchester, raising a family in the community, his involvement in the Manchester Chamber, owning The North Manchester News-Journal, career with Thorne Insurance, and the many ways he has chosen to get involved. They also dive into pickleball, the push for dedicated courts in North Manchester, and the bigger question behind the project: What happens when people stop waiting for someone else to make their community better and decide to get involved themselves? To connect with Tim or learn more about the pickleball courts, visit the North Manchester Pickleball Fanatics Facebook page.  A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    Why Not Here? — How One Game of Pickleball Sparked a Bigger Idea

  5. Sep 1

    From Dream to $18.7 Million Reality

    What started as a dream is becoming a $18.7 million reality in Wabash County. In this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, Alex takes Christine and Adam behind the vision for the Canal Street Artist Collective; what it is, why it matters, and how the project has progressed from an idea to a transformative development. Christine and Adam ask the “nosey” questions everyone else is wondering: How did this happen? What will it look like? Why Canal Street? And what could this project mean for Wabash County’s future? Alex shares the vision, the journey, the challenges, and the potential impact of creating a place where artists, creativity, community, and economic development can come together. This is more than a building project; it’s a story about believing in what a community can become and turning that vision into something real. A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County- for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    From Dream to $18.7 Million Reality

  6. Aug 25

    Struggle to Second Chances: Melissa Campbell’s Story

    What happens when the person who once needed a second chance becomes the person helping others find theirs? On this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, Alex sits down with Melissa Campbell, whose personal journey from a life marked by struggle and addiction to active recovery has given her a powerful perspective on helping others rebuild their lives. Today, Melissa works with inmates in Wabash County through the Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP), helping people confront addiction, take responsibility for their choices, and begin thinking about what life can look like beyond the walls of the jail. But Melissa's story isn't one of simply overcoming addiction. It's a story of transformation and purpose. She knows what it feels like to struggle. She knows how difficult recovery can be. And she understands that sometimes, people need someone who can look at them and see more than the mistakes they've made. Alex and Melissa talk honestly about addiction, recovery, incarceration, second chances, and what it means to help someone believe that their life can be different. Melissa shares how her own experiences shaped the work she does today—and why meeting people where they are can be the first step toward helping them change where they're going. This conversation is a reminder that your past does not have to determine your future and that sometimes the people who have walked through the hardest seasons of life can become the people best equipped to help others find their way through. RESOURCES: Melissa Campbell - mcampbell1@wabashcounty.in.gov Wabash County Sheriff's Office - 260-563-8891  A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    Struggle to Second Chances: Melissa Campbell’s Story

  7. Aug 18

    Raising a Family, Building a Community with The Lesters

    Volunteerism, community spirit, and giving back are values that can be passed from one generation to the next. In this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, Christine sits down with Billy, Crystal and 16-year-old Gavin Lester to talk about their family’s commitment to the community they call home. The Lesters share why they choose to get involved, volunteer and invest their time and talents in Wabash County—and why being an active part of the community matters to them. For Gavin, that commitment is now becoming his own story as he grows up rooted in the place he calls home. From volunteering and community involvement to raising a family in Wabash County, the Lesters offer a firsthand look at what happens when local families choose to pour back into the communities that have poured into them. A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    Raising a Family, Building a Community with The Lesters

  8. Aug 11

    From Personal Milestone Ride to Wabash County Legacy

    What started as a fun way of celebrating a 50th birthday amongst friends has grown into one of Wabash County's signature annual events. In this episode of ThriveIN Wabash County, hosts Adam Stakeman and Christine Flohr welcome two men who were there from the very beginning—Bill Rauh and Mike Paul. Sixteen years ago, a small group of cyclists set out to celebrate Bill's 50th birthday with a 100-mile ride along the country roads of Wabash County. They had no idea the event would eventually attract riders from across the country and become a major annual attraction for Wabash County. Bill and Mike reflect on those early days, share stories from the first ride, and discuss what it feels like to watch Dam to Dam grow into an event that brings hundreds of visitors to the county each September. The conversation explores the power of grassroots ideas, the friendships forged on two wheels, and the lasting impact a single community event can have on local tourism, recreation, and community pride. Whether you're a cyclist, a community builder, or simply someone who appreciates a great hometown success story, this episode offers a fascinating look at how one ride became a lasting legacy. RESOURCES Dam to Dam Bike Ride: https://visitwabashcounty.com/dam-to-dam/ A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—The City of Wabash, Bowen Health, Sandra Kunkel Trust, Mark & Amy Ford, PaperWorks Industries, Lisa Gilman Investment Fund, the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and Visit Wabash County—for helping bring this podcast to life. This podcast is produced in partnership with Destination Wabash County. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedback by completing this FORM.

    From Personal Milestone Ride to Wabash County Legacy
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Hosted by three passionate leaders—Adam Stakeman, Alex Downard, and Christine Flohr—the podcast dives into the people and projects shaping Wabash County’s future. Every episode offers its listeners key takeaways that can be implemented in their own communities and will cause you to pause and celebrate the wins in your own backyard. With backgrounds in community development, economic growth, outdoor adventure, marketing, and tourism, the trio interviews local business owners, nonprofit leaders, and creatives who are all working to make Wabash County thrive. Subscribe and join us!

Information

  • Creator
    Destination Wabash County
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Destination Wabash County
  • Show Website
    ThriveIN Wabash County

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