So Much More, A Mall of America® Podcast

Ep. 80: Amanda Brinkman Pursue Your Passion

Guest, Amanda Brinkman, founder of Sunshine Studios and former marketing executive at Deluxe Corporation shares her advice on finding purpose and pursuing your passion.  Starting her career in the corporate world led Amanda down several paths before as she says she took a sharp right turn and ran right into her passion—helping people find their passions and superpowers.  In this episode, Amanda teaches us not how to ‘find’ our passion but how to identify our purpose through our superpowers.
2:00 Amanda’s career journey from corporate world to TED talks, TV and public speaking4:22 The Small Business Revolution television show traveled across America highlighting 100 small businesses6:22  Amanda’s favorite small business story; from paralegal to dream of opening a bridal boutique9:38  Amanda’s journey to pursue her own passion.  Her calling to help others11:46  Making the ‘hard right turn’ to follow your dreams is scary15:25  How do we ‘find’ our purpose.17:44   How and why did Amanda create this event called the Purpose Pursuit and what is it20:30  What are our superpowers and how do we find them?Guest:  Amanda Brinkman CEO, Chief Creative Officer at Sunshine Studios@amandakbrinkman  www.amandakbrinkman.comHosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel JasperPresented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 79: 'ACTIVATE' Play at MOA

Activate is a new interactive experience at Mall of America where guests (ages 6 and older) become players in their own video games.  With 13 different rooms, guests can customize their experience and work alone or in groups to solve puzzles, shoot hoops, dodge laser beams and jump, roll around and play, get silly and have fun!
2:13:  What is Activate
6:13:  Come prepared …it’s a workout in disguise so bring tennis shoes, comfortable clothes and water!
7:50:  Each room is a different game.  In ‘PRESS’ guests run around and match colors and patterns by pressing buttons.
10:03:  MEGA GRID:  This room senses where you are stepping.  It’s like playing Floor is Lava.
14:52:  Activate is for school groups, dates, bachelor and bachelorette parties, families…anyone who wants to be active and have fun!
19:00:  HOOPS:  In this room guests answer trivia questions and shoot the basket they believe is the correct answer.
20:25:  LASER ROOM:  This is a fan favorite!  Half the room is laser blasting games and the other half guests dodge lasers amongst and bit of haze.
*Activate is located on the 3rd floor, East side of Mall of America.  www.playactivate.com/mallofamerica
 
Guests:  Blake Telshaw, Activate Mall of America store manager.
Hosts:  Dan Jasper, Chris Grap and Sara Johnson
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 15: MN Aurora Supporting Women

The MN Aurora FC soccer club supports women with enthusiasm throughout the organization. From leadership to kit designers, from coaches to players, the Aurora empowers and embraces women and all they have to offer. Andrea Yoch and MacKenzie Langdok from the MN Aurora FC share their stories in the world of women’s soccer. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 78: MN Aurora FC. For Community, By Community.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 14: MN Aurora Getting Started

What does it take to start a brand-new soccer team in Minnesota? How do you rally everyone to create a winning formula? And what is it like to start playing soccer at age 4 and become a professional soccer player? Andrea Yoch and MacKenzie Langdok from the MN Aurora FC share their stories in the world of women’s soccer. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 78: MN Aurora FC. For Community, By Community.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 78: MN Aurora FC. For Community, By Community.

Minnesota Aurora FC is a women-led, community-owned, pre-professional soccer club playing in the USL W League. The Aurora joins a long tradition and rich culture of competitive Minnesota sports. With a goal of transforming outcomes for girls, teams, women, and communities the team remains focused on core values. Guests, Andrea Yoch, co-founder and board member at MN Aurora and MacKenzie Langdok, professional soccer player and former team member at MN Aurora share their stories and journey.
1:17 Yoch’s professional journey in sports including the first MN Super Bowl in 19923:30 Wildly running to meet Brad Paisley through Nickelodeon Universe5:00 The challenge of starting a brand-new sports franchise/team7:00 Langdok shares her love of soccer from age four all the way to the professional ranks9:45 What it means to be a role model for younger athletes13:00 The real-life experience of playing in a world-class stadium with corporate sponsors14:30 As a player, fan engagement is so encouraging and motivating17:00 Funded by the community, fans can still become a shareholder of the MN Aurora21:00 How to get tickets for the upcoming season24:45 Building a cherished brand with amazing merchandise27:30 Words of advice to young, aspiring women in the world of sports
Guests: Andrea Yoch, co-founder, board member, Chair, and Investor Relations at Minnesota Aurora FC; MacKenzie Langdok, professional soccer player, former player with Minnesota Aurora FC
Hosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 77: The Vision Behind the Mall Revisited

Happy New Year! While our So Much More crew is taking a well-deserved break for the holidays, we’re excited to take you back to where this podcastand Mall of Americabegan. Today we are resharing our second episode that ever aired, and it is an inspiring conversation with John Ghermezian. In this special episode, John dives deep into the rich history and bold vision that brought Mall of America to life.
This rebroadcast of Episode 2: The Vision Behind the Mall originally aired on July 27, 2023. Topics included the motivation behind building the most famous mall in the nation, and how the Ghermezian family vision has been steadfast over the past three decades.
So, as you kick off a year full of possibilities, remember… dreams really can come true. Enjoy this special episode replay and here’s to an incredible year ahead!
Guests: John Ghermezian, Triple Five Corporation
Hosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 76: L.L. Bean Conversation Revisited

Our So Much More crew is taking a well-deserved break for the holidays. But we’re bringing back a fan favorite episode: Episode 28, featuring an inspiring conversation with the President and CEO of L.L. Bean, Stephen Smith, and the Mall of America store manager, Guy Booth.
Winter is just getting started, and let’s face it…Minnesota cold is no joke. So who better to learn from than the experts at L.L. Bean? Whether you are braving the elements or cozying up indoors, this episode is packed with insights, warmth, and a whole lot of winter wisdom.
Enjoy this special episode replay, and from all of us here at So Much More, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a season filled with joy!
To learn more about L.L. Bean at Mall of America visit https://mallofamerica.com/directory/llbean. 
Guests: Stephen Smith, President and CEO at L.L. Bean; Guy Booth, L.L. Bean Store Manager
Hosts:  Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 13: Getting Ready for Holiday Décor

How long does it take to decorate the largest mall in the nation? Seventeen years ago it took more than five weeks to decorate Mall of America. The team has gotten so good at their job that, even with much more décor today, the holiday decorating crew finished the task in a record five days! Clayton Omberg and Chris Grap share the story of decorating for the holidays. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 75: Deck the Mall.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

SMM Short 12: Holiday Décor By The Numbers

What are the hardest, and most amazing, holiday décor to put up at Mall of America? From giant toys to Enchanted Snowflakes, Clayton Omberg and Chris Grap share their stories on how they and the many helper elves decorate 5.6 million square feet of MOA for the holidays. To hear the entire conversation check out So Much More Ep. 75: Deck the Mall.
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.

Ep. 75: Deck the Mall

Ep. 75: Deck the Mall  [12/18/2024]Clayton Omberg, Mall of America’s Internal Maintenance Manager, joins this episode to take us on a visual tour of Mall of America’s holiday décor.  Dan, Chris and Clayton share stories of what it takes to decorate the largest Mall in America and how they did it in record time this year.  Spoiler alert, 5 nights to decorate 5.2 million square feet!  They share stories of their favorite décor, nerd out on how many trees, bulbs, giant toys and miles of hanging twinkling lights they install and share some of their favorite  holiday traditions along the way. 
2:55 How long it takes to decorate Mall of America4:40      Atrium décor description—Enchanted snowflakes, Nutcrackers + large Jack in the Box11:00   Decorating Nordstrom Court + hidden Easter Eggs on the giant bulbs13:42   Rotunda décor including 2-44’ tall tree’s with  1,200 branches16:30  10 miles of twinkling lights hang throughout.  What happens when a bulb burns out?18:55  Holiday décor by the numbers23:26  The science and plan of taking the décor down and the massive storage unit24:11  Clayton, Chris and Dan share favorite holiday treats, traditions, meals and movies
To learn more about Holiday Decor at Mall of America visit https://mallofamerica.com/press-release/28114Guests: Clayton Omberg, Internal Maintenance Manager at Mall of AmericaHosts:  Daniel Jasper, Chris GrapPresented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.