Jobs IRLDecoding DemocracyA Warmer WorldI've Always Wondered ...

Loading...

0:00
0% played

Minju Park

Latest Stories (40)

My Economy

One parade organizer welcomes their return this holiday season

by Minju Park
Dec 31, 2021
Hobie Pileski, co-owner of Argonne Parades, is looking forward to in-person holiday festivities after over a year of putting events on hold.
Hobie Pileski, co-owner of Argonne Parades, said his company hasn't held a full, traditional parade since December 2019.
Courtesy of Hobie Pileski
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Former restauranteur manages challenges with sauce business venture

by Reema Khrais and Minju Park
Dec 24, 2021
Kiki Aranita turned to focus efforts on growing the Poi Dog Sauces brand after she decided to close her Philadelphia restaurant during the pandemic.
After closing her Philadelphia restaurant, Kiki Aranita launched a sauce company called Poi Dog Sauces.
Poi Dog
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Are workers better off in a "workers economy"?

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park
Dec 16, 2021
Many workers are quitting their jobs during the pandemic, but are they improving their financial situations after they leave?
About 4.2 million workers quit their jobs in October, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary.
Fiona Goodall via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

Can you teach an old antiques business new tricks?

by Minju Park
Dec 6, 2021
This San Francisco antiques business got its start by looking to the past. Now it's trying to prepare for an uncertain future.
Shippodo Fine Arts in the San Francisco Bay area primarily focuses on Japanese and Chinese antiques.
Photo courtesy of Ryosuke Ueda
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

How this engineer hopes to inspire Muslim women to pursue operational roles

by Minju Park
Nov 25, 2021
Aminah Shafiq, senior water quality advisor for Severn Trent Water, noticed her helmet wasn't fitting properly, so she designed the first PPE-specific headscarf.
Aminah Shafiq, senior water quality advisor at Severn Trent Water, designed the first PPE-specific headscarf.
Courtesy Sarah Hawkins (BBC/Marketplace)
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Why this plant nursery drives cross-country to hand-deliver orders: “There's not a lot of wiggle room”

by Amy Scott and Minju Park
Nov 24, 2021
Rising freight rates and delayed deliveries are forcing a Wisconsin plant nursery to find ways around the supply chain tie-ups.
Knight Hollow Nursery in Middleton, Wisconsin, specializes in propagations of high-value ornamental trees, shrubs and fruit crops.
Matt Cardy via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

Food tour company struggles to regain ground as restaurants recover

by Minju Park
Nov 19, 2021
Megan Bucholz, founder of Local Table Tours, watched her business grow for a decade. Then the pandemic closed everything down.
Megan Bucholz is the founder of Local Table Tours, which offers guided walking tours exploring the food scenes in Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado.
Courtesy Megan Bucholz
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

How a pottery studio owner got creative to diversify her business

by Minju Park
Nov 1, 2021
When the pandemic halted classes at Jennie Tang's ceramics studio, she turned to other ways to keep the operation thriving.
“We’ve diversified the ways in which people engage with the space,” said Jennie Tang, owner of The Workshop MPLS, a ceramics center in Minneapolis.
Courtesy Jennie Tang
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

Sign writer launches a booming side hustle during the pandemic

by Minju Park
Oct 25, 2021
A New Orleans business set up an order form for Nan Parati's signs. "We got over 1,000 orders in just a couple weeks," she says.
Nan Parati makes a sign at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival circa 1990. She's been writing signs for festivals for 36 years.
Courtesy Nan Parati
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
My Economy

How this metal foundry grew its business during the pandemic

by Minju Park
Oct 14, 2021
Although prices for aluminum and zinc are ticking up, Adam Schaller, vice president of a Michigan metal foundry, says business is growing.
Prices for aluminum base scrap picked up 9.7% from August to September.
Lukas Schulze via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE