Before Dusty Weis founded Podcamp Media and rode in the backseat of a Blue Angels F-18 (casual), Dusty was just a Monroe kid working the overnight shift at WEKZ for $7.50 an hour—learning that stories have power if you’re willing to stay up late enough to tell them.
He moved to Milwaukee in 2012 for a job at City Hall, unsure what to expect. Now? He calls this city home—and he’s helping national brands tell their stories from right here in MKE.
But what we respect most isn’t just the business wins. It’s the seven years he spent mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee—and the pro bono podcast he launched to keep giving back once his Little Brother aged out.
We sat down with Dusty to talk radio roots, launching Podcamp, why Milwaukee is still the best city to take a big swing, and what he wants to see next for our city.
What is your background?
I moved to Milwaukee from Miami in 2012 to start a job as PR Supervisor at Milwaukee City Hall. I had grown up in the small town of Monroe, Wisconsin, and lived in Madison for 8 years too, so I wasn’t sure what to make of Milwaukee at first. But I quickly fell in love with the city, and it became “home.
Any stories from your youth that define your path?
I started working at my hometown radio station, WEKZ, at the age of 17. I worked the overnight shift, stayed up until sunrise, and played Led Zeppelin and Cheap Trick for late night callers. It was the best job I ever had even though I only made $7.50 an hour. It’s also where I discovered my passion for storytelling, journalism and audio, and it launched me into an early radio career that set the stage for everything that followed.
Where did you study (if you did higher education)?
UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication
What do you do for work now?
President and Founder, Podcamp Media. We help national brands harness the power of podcasting to tell their story, and produce the award-winning Lead Balloon podcast about the epic tales of professional communicators.
Can you talk a little bit about your career journey? How’d you get to where you are now?
With my background in radio and journalism, I pivoted into the world of public relations and corporate content marketing. One day, the light bulb lit up and I realized there was an overlap between the first phase of my career and the second. Richie might not remember this, but I came and visited his studio and picked his brain about the idea of running an agency, and it helped inspire me to launch Podcamp Media in 2019.
Can you talk more about your community involvement?
During the news reporter phase of my career, I met people every day who gave their time and talent for the benefit of their communities. I always admired those people and hoped to emulate them, but I had no time to give. So when I moved to Milwaukee and started a new phase of my career, one of the first things I did was reach out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee and volunteer as a mentor. I knew from experience the impact that mentorship can have a young person, and gave my all as a mentor for 7 years. It was a humbling and rewarding experience.
What are some ways you have impacted the community in your line of work?
My Little Brother aged out of the BBBS program around the same time I founded Podcamp, and I wanted to continue to support the program somehow. So I contacted then-CEO Amy Chionchio and offered to produce a podcast on their behalf, pro bono, that they could use as a recruitment and promotional tool. Hosting the Little Big Chats Podcast has been its own reward, inspiring listeners monthly with the tales of mentoring successes that drive Milwaukee forward. And it’s proven to be a valuable fundraising, engagement and recruitment tool for the organization as well.
What do you like about living in Milwaukee?
Big city amenities, small town values. Milwaukee is a city where people take care of one another, work together and take big swings. Hard work is still recognized and rewarded here, and it’s not pretentious. There’s still work to do, and it’s attainable for anyone to step up and make a difference. It’s just a great place to be.
What do you want to see for Milwaukee’s future?
Steady and equitable growth, stay true to its roots and eminently livable, become the envy of every city on the East and West Coasts.
Anything else we should know about you, your job, community involvement, or life in general?
Recently nominated by the Podcast Academy for “Best Indie Podcast Host,” once got to ride in the back seat of a Blue Angels F-18 fighter jet for the Lead Balloon Podcast.