Podcast
Doug Has Questions
Hosted by Douglas · EN
Doug Has Questions is a podcast dedicated to thoughtful conversation that leads to better understanding, connection, and inspiration. Host Douglas Olerud draws on his life experience to explore the stories of the people he’s met along the way.
26episodes
Episodes
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Episode 37: Scott Rossman; What It Really Takes To Keep A Town Warm in Alaska
2w ago01:32:37Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailA lot of people talk about “ending up” in Alaska. Scott Rossman actually did it, and the reason is almost ridiculous: a roadside lunch stop, a broken moving van, and a young mechanic who thought he could fix anything. Scott walks us through the full arc from a dairy farm in western New York to 41 years in Haynes, Alaska, building a life around logging, firewood, and the kind of hands-on problem solving you only learn by doing.We dig into the early grind and the wild detours: road construction camps, winter trapping trips that teach more than they pay, a taste of commercial halibut fishing that ends with Scott realizing he is not a “boats” guy, and even a brush with Skagway history as the White Pass dock and railroad kick off the modern cruise era. Then the conversation hits a major moment in world news when Scott joins the Exxon Valdez oil spill response, describing what it’s like working tugboats and tending a massive logistics operation in Prince William Sound.From there, the story turns into a practical look at the Alaska timber and firewood business. Scott explains how he starts selling firewood in the early 1990s, why he used to ferry loads to Juneau and Skagway every week, and how he mechanizes with a homemade firewood processor that can really move wood when everything runs right. We also get into Alaska DNR timber sales, how logs get graded into saw logs, house logs, and firewood, and why Sitka spruce house logs give Haynes a rare edge for builders in the Yukon and Interior Alaska.If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to heat a town, run a one-person operation, or keep equipment alive long past its prime, you’ll get real answers here. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who burns wood, and leave a review if you want more local stories like this.------------Thank you for liking and subscribing to all of Doug Has Questions Visit Doug Has Questions Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580983432868Visit Doug Has Question Instagram Pagehttps://www.instagram.com/doughasquestionsVisit Doug Has Questions YouTube Pagehttp://youtube.com/@doughasquestions
Transcribe →Episode 36: Nicole Bringsli; When People Stop Hiding Their Pain Change Starts
3w ago01:50:09Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe hardest part about trauma is not always the moment itself. It is what happens after, when we go quiet, try to “be fine,” and carry the story alone. We sit down with Nicole Bringsli, owner of Creative Works Psych Services, to get honest about trauma therapy, forensic psychology, and what it takes to keep people functioning when life includes violence, disaster, and loss. Nicole walks us through her work with youth offenders, crisis situations, and court-related forensic assessments, then connects that experience to a straightforward clinical truth: secrecy and shame keep trauma alive. We talk about what actually meets the DSM-5-TR definition of trauma, why “cumulative trauma” can hit years into a first responder career, and how a well-run debriefing can help a team process an incident without turning it into a spectacle. If you care about first responder mental health, PTSD support, or trauma-informed care in rural communities, this conversation is packed with real-world insight. We also zoom out to intergenerational trauma and the challenge of healing not just individuals, but families and whole towns after community-wide events. Nicole explains why belonging and early attachment matter so much, what burnout can look like before it becomes a crisis, and the surprisingly powerful basics that help people reset, including quiet, walking, and lowering the constant input of phones. If something here hits close to home, share this with someone you trust, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.------------Thank you for liking and subscribing to all of Doug Has Questions Visit Doug Has Questions Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580983432868Visit Doug Has Question Instagram Pagehttps://www.instagram.com/doughasquestionsVisit Doug Has Questions YouTube Pagehttp://youtube.com/@doughasquestions
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Episode 35: Craig Parry; Kissing Frogs For Copper And Finding Epidote
4w ago01:39:14Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailCopper is the metal that makes modern life work, yet new supply can take nearly two decades to bring online. That mismatch is why I wanted to sit down with Craig Parry, president of Vizsla Copper, to talk about what mineral exploration really looks like from the inside, and why the decisions made early can shape everything that follows, from environmental risk to long-term community outcomes. Craig’s path runs from rural Australia and Army discipline to a global career with Rio Tinto and, eventually, building mining companies of his own.We get specific about the Palmer Project near Haines, Alaska, including what makes it stand out to a copper exploration team: unusually high-grade copper compared to global averages, real signs of a mineral system, and plenty still unknown about the orebody shape and scale. Craig explains the practical constraints of working in a short field season, why drilling density matters, and why early studies can be misleading when the geology is still being solved. We also break down the step-by-step timeline from advanced exploration to a preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility, feasibility, permitting, and construction, plus the harsh reality that only a tiny fraction of projects ever become mines.Just as important, we talk about what “responsible mining” means in 2026: tighter permitting, stronger consultation requirements, baseline environmental science, and better waste and tailings approaches designed to reduce long-term risk. With the Chilkat River, salmon runs, and local livelihoods top of mind, we don’t dodge the hard questions about acid rock drainage and how modern operations need to handle transport, containment, and monitoring. If you care about copper supply, critical minerals, Alaska mining, and how communities can weigh opportunity against uncertainty, this conversation is for you.Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with someone who cares about Alaska’s future, and leave a review with the one question you still want answered.------------Thank you for liking and subscribing to all of Doug Has Questions Visit Doug Has Questions Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580983432868Visit Doug Has Question Instagram Pagehttps://www.instagram.com/doughasquestionsVisit Doug Has Questions YouTube Pagehttp://youtube.com/@doughasquestions#Copper #CopperMining #Mining #MineralExploration #CriticalMinerals#MiningIndustry #AlaskaMining #Alaska #HainesAlaska #PalmerProject #VistlaCopper #CraigPerry #ResponsibleMining #MiningPodcast #MiningNews #podcast #podcastinterview #haines #smalltown #alaskastories #copperking
Transcribe →Episode 34: Michael George; What If Listening Is The Real Medicine
Jul 1601:57:02Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailHe grows up between Montana and Germany, studies volcanoes and geology in Europe, and then hits a breaking point: the “right” path feels like a box. Michael George walks away from academia, follows a pull north, and eventually lands in Haines, Alaska where he becomes a CNA, home health provider, and one of those rare people who can sit with someone at the hardest moments and make it feel less scary.We talk through the detours that shaped him: time in the Yukon, encounters with Native elders, and a spiritual worldview that includes astral travel and a deep belief that the spirit matters as much as the body. Whether you’re skeptical or nodding along, the heart of what Michael shares is grounded and human: people soften when they feel heard, and listening without judgment can change a life.You’ll also hear about two brutal resets a tree fall that nearly kills his family and a later house fire that wipes out decades of memories and how community support, purpose, and sheer grit help him rebuild again. If you care about caregiving, hospice, end-of-life care, mental health, trauma, or what makes a small town truly work, this conversation stays with you. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review with the moment that hit you hardest.
Transcribe →Episode 33: Shannon McPhetres; How Volunteer Hospice Helps Families Through The Hardest Days
Jul 902:32:54Tap to summarizeSend us Fan Mail Hospice can sound like a single frightening word, but what we’ve learned is that it’s really a promise: you don’t have to do the hardest part alone. I sit down with Shannon McPhetres, director and volunteer coordinator for Hospice of Haines, to talk honestly about death, grief, and the kind of neighbor-to-neighbor support that can change a family’s final months. Along the way, Shannon shares the experiences that shaped her, from growing up in Kenai through repeated community losses to discovering hospice work through college mentors and a path that kept calling her back.We break down what Hospice of Haines actually provides as a volunteer hospice program in rural Alaska: respite care for exhausted caregivers, trained volunteers who know how to listen, and practical resources like hospice beds delivered by a dedicated bed team. Shannon also explains why calling earlier matters. When families reach out at diagnosis instead of days before death, volunteers can build trust, routines, and comfort long before a crisis.We also talk about aging in place and advance care planning, the Bridge Program for neighbors who need help with errands and declining vision, and how ceremonies like Light the Night give grief a place to go. The conversation widens to lifelong friendships in Ukraine during wartime and a candid look at infertility grief and why community support changes everything. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s caregiving, and leave a review with one thing you want our town to talk about more.
Transcribe →Episode 32: Charlie DeWitt; A Life Built In Alaska
Jul 202:27:58Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailYou can hear a whole era of Southeast Alaska in Charlie DeWitt’s voice: Salvation Army roots, moving from post to post, then landing in Haines and deciding it is home for good. Charlie walks us through the early days, from small boats and cannery rhythms to the way a town shapes you when everyone knows your family and your work ethic actually matters.From there, the conversation opens into the Alaska outdoors as a lifelong classroom. We talk guns and hunter safety, learning to reload, trapping and fur handling done with real pride, and what hunting becomes over time when it is less about taking animals and more about competence, respect, and time with family. Charlie shares the stories that stick with you, including the kind of cold, wet “goose hunt” that can end a kid’s enthusiasm in one afternoon.Then we get into the work: trade school, diesel mechanic life, and the North Slope and Prudhoe Bay years where you learn fast or you fall behind. Charlie explains how major road and construction projects run, what it takes to keep iron moving, why he tried teaching shop class, and how he ultimately built his commercial fishing boat, the Tiffany Lee, piece by piece. We also dig into shooting sports, range etiquette, and king salmon management, plus why local knowledge should never be dismissed when runs are struggling.If you care about Haines Alaska history, commercial fishing, king salmon, the North Slope, hunting culture, or how people build a good life through skill and responsibility, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who loves Alaska stories, and leave a review with the part of Charlie’s journey that hit you the hardest.
Transcribe →Episode 31: Lee Robinson; What If Your Detours Are The Point
Jun 2502:14:23Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailDropping a signed contract into a FedEx box and immediately searching “how to recall a package” is a special kind of panic, and it’s exactly where Lee Robinson found himself after agreeing to buy The Rusty Compass in Haines, Alaska. Lee’s journey to small-town business ownership is anything but linear: film photography in school darkrooms, newspaper assignments in the pre-digital era, a decade of whitewater rafting and outdoor guiding in Colorado, and even life on the road during the 1990s fiber optic boom negotiating right-of-way and crop damages with farmers. Every chapter looks unrelated until you zoom out and see the same throughline: curiosity, people, and learning by doing. We talk about the harder part most “reinvention” stories skip: what it feels like to be capable but not confident, to enjoy students but still feel unsettled as a teacher, and to chase stability while craving adventure. Lee shares how he meets Darcy, how faith stays constant when the plan keeps changing, and how family decisions reshape career decisions. He’s candid about real estate during the 2007 to 2008 crash, the pressure of debt, and the realization that selling yourself is exhausting when you already doubt yourself. Then the Alaska leap becomes real. Lee walks through espresso fundamentals, barista training, and why great coffee comes down to details like grind, pressure, extraction time, and milk microfoam. He also tells the unglamorous truth: the ferry move, living above the shop, the brutal first summer, and the moment COVID pulls him back into teaching, only to prove that doing two big jobs at 70% is a fast track to burnout. What emerges is a story about entrepreneurship, community, and building a warm “third place” where locals and travelers feel welcome. If you like stories about career change, small business ownership, specialty coffee, moving to Alaska, and finding purpose without a perfect plan, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’s at a crossroads, and leave a review. What’s the biggest leap you’ve taken, or the one you’re still debating?
Transcribe →Episode 30: Mike Machowiak; What Survival Teaches About Love And Faith
Jun 1803:14:20Tap to summarizeSend us Fan Mail A home birth in a ham radio room on a Fairbanks-area homestead is only the opening scene of Mike Machowiak’s life, and it explains more than you’d think. Mike grew up around improvisation, cold mornings, and the kind of grit you don’t learn from a manual. From there, his family history stretches back to WWII Europe: the Polish underground, a POW camp and escape, Switzerland’s mountain culture, and the long, complicated ways trauma can echo into the next generation. We follow Mike’s path through welding, shipyards, commercial diving, and the early, cowboy days of Dutch Harbor where marine work is equal parts skill and hazard. He breaks down what underwater welding actually looks like, why maritime refrigeration becomes his niche, and how the Bering Sea fishing boom changes everything. Then the story pivots to adventure on purpose: he and Martha buy a steel sailboat, build real offshore competence, and spend years sailing the Pacific, balancing the romance of the sea with the realities of risk, fatigue, and loss. The most gripping chapter comes later with aviation. After Mike finally earns his pilot license, a fuel loss after departing Juneau forces a ditching in Lynn Canal. What follows is raw, specific, and unforgettable: cold water, hypothermia, rescue, and the medical decisions that save Martha’s life. If you care about Alaska, survival, seamanship, aviation safety, faith, and how people keep going after the worst day, this conversation stays with you. Subscribe for more long-form stories, share this with someone who loves Alaska and hard-earned life lessons, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What part of Mike’s journey hit you the hardest?
Transcribe →Episode 29: Harriet Brouillette; From Boarding Schools To Tribal Leadership In Southeast Alaska
Jun 1102:19:51Tap to summarizeSend us Fan Mail A family story can be entertaining, but it can also explain why a community looks the way it does. Sitting down with Harriet Brouillette, lifelong Haines resident and Alaska Tribal Administrator of the Year, I hear how one family line stretches from France to Louisiana to Southeast Alaska and then collides with some of the hardest chapters in Alaska Native history. The details are vivid: a grandmother sent to boarding school at age five, relatives lost to distant institutions, and the way paperwork and prejudice tried to rewrite identity.We also get practical about what tribal leadership looks like when it is not a slogan. Harriet talks about building stability at the Chilkoot Indian Association, leveraging funding to run programs, and using tools like 105(l) leases with the Department of the Interior. We dig into the difference between a sovereign tribal government and an ANCSA Native corporation, why some Southeast Alaska communities became “landless,” and what it takes to move landless legislation forward when the Tongass National Forest becomes the battleground.The conversation stays grounded in everyday life too: growing up at Three Mile without electricity, huge gardens, the realities of food security, and even a Prohibition-era potato still that helped families survive. We close on what it means to lead under scrutiny in a small town, why transparency matters, and what Harriet wants most for the future, including tank farm cleanup and a healthier path for the next generation. If this meant something to you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What part of Harriet’s story hit you the hardest?
Transcribe →Episode 28: Tod Sebens; What If You Treated Your Life Like A List
Jun 401:36:10Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailSomething is off about a guy who can casually mention getting lifted by a humpback whale and then move right along to the next story. Tod Stevens has spent decades stacking real adventures the hard way, through mechanical skill, odd jobs, and a stubborn willingness to try things most of us only talk about. We sit down and follow the thread from growing up between Virginia and California to joining the US Army as a marine diesel mechanic, including the pride of helping train the first woman to become a senior marine diesel mechanic in his track.From there, the conversation veers into the kind of lived history you can’t fake: basic training incidents that still haunt him, a cross-country breakdown that turns into a lesson in human kindness, and a surprising stint promoting country music shows that puts him face-to-face with famous performers in unfiltered backstage moments. Then Alaska takes over with Talkeetna bush life, small-town stories, and a six-month sail around Mexico where boat repairs pay the bills.We also get into the Haines years: starting Denali Boatworks, directing community theater, upgrading DMX stage lighting at the Chilkat Center, and doing special effects work on the film White Fang before heading south again. Tod’s Antarctica seasons with the National Science Foundation bring the scale up to eleven, from McMurdo to remote camps, deep ice cores, and the weird reality of color deprivation. Along the way, we talk risk, recovery, shark conservation, solo bicycle travel, side-scan sonar and ROV work, whale disentanglement, and the wake-up call of surviving sepsis and double pneumonia.If you like Alaska stories, Antarctica jobs, whale watching, hands-on trades, and travel that doesn’t gloss over the danger, this one is for you. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a friend who loves a good true story, and leave a review with the moment that surprised you most.
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