Best Melissa Bates • Northern Air Podcasts (2025)

1
012-The Bates’ Way: Tailoring Education to Fit Each Child 12:18

7d ago12:18

12:18

Joe and Melissa Bates open up about their bold decision to homeschool their four children, driven by a desire to nurture independent thinkers who stand firm in their beliefs. They share the challenges of adapting to each child’s distinct learning style, from their creative eldest, Cassidy, to their sensitive daughter, Ella, and how these lessons re…

1
011-The Ripple Effect: How Mentors Shaped a Plumbing Empire and a Marriage 4:45

14d ago4:45

4:45

Joe and Melissa Bates recount how a layoff sparked Legacy Plumbing and Heating, guided by mentors who shaped their business and family life. They reflect on the wisdom poured into them and their drive to pay it forward in their community. This episode captures the grit of entrepreneurship and the quiet strength of human connection. BIG IDEA “When I…

1
010-Faith Over Fear: Building a Legacy Against All Odds 10:37

21d ago10:37

10:37

Joe and Melissa Bates recount starting a business amid economic hardship, raising four kids while relying on faith to overcome fear. Sacrificing their retirement for a truck and growing their own food, they built a legacy of resilience and integrity. Their story shows how trust and purpose can transform struggle into strength. BIG IDEA “God is bigg…

1
009-When God Throws a Curveball: Our Family’s Leap of Faith 9:09

28d ago9:09

9:09

Joe was laid off in January 2009, facing a bleak winter with a new house, four kids, and no job prospects. In a pivotal moment, Melissa countered his fear with “God’s got this,” sparking a shift from despair to determination. This episode traces their journey of resilience and faith through the chaos of the Great Recession. Contact us at FeelNorthe…

1
008-Hazing, Humor, and Humility: Inside the World of Minnesota Plumbers 10:47

1M ago10:47

10:47

Joe and Melissa Bates unpack his raw journey from hospital clerk to master plumber in Minnesota, shaped by a mentor’s patience and the humbling art of cutting pipe straight. Beyond the tools, this episode of Feel Northern Air reveals the gritty camaraderie of job-site hazing and the quiet pride of mastering a trade. Hit play for a tactile glimpse i…

1
007-Integrity Over Conformity: Our Homeschool Way 14:08

1M ago14:08

14:08

How do you raise kids who stand firm in a world that pulls them to conform? In this episode, Joe and Melissa Bates peel back the layers of their homeschooling life, where faith, community, and conviction collide with real-world challenges. From multi-generational Sabbath gatherings to a teen selling HVAC to folks triple his age, they share how thei…

1
006-From Little House to Big Lessons: Unforgettable Trips 9:34

2M ago9:34

9:34

Picture this: a creaky 1972 pop-up camper swaying in a Minnesota storm, parked at the end of an airplane runway, with a family of six scrambling for safety in a mosquito-infested truck bed. In Episode 3 of the Feel Northern Air Podcast, Joe and Melissa Bates relive their wildest homeschool adventure—a trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant in Wal…

1
005-Failure as Fuel: Our Homeschool Experiment 11:26

2M ago11:26

11:26

What does it take to raise kids who thrive outside the traditional classroom? In Episode 2 of the Feel Northern Air Podcast, Joe and Melissa Bates dive into the uncharted waters of homeschooling after a move to Minnesota leaves them isolated and searching for connection. A chance encounter with a fellow homeschooling family sparks a lifeline—practi…

1
004-Why We Ditched School Rules for Our Kids 9:25

2M ago9:25

9:25

What happens when two parents with opposite instincts—one a rule-following athlete, the other a free-spirited dreamer—face the daunting choice of how to educate their kids? In this raw, relatable debut episode of the Feel Northern Air Podcast, Melissa and Joe Bates unpack their journey from clashing perspectives to an unexpected homeschooling exper…

1
003-New Guy, New World: Surviving Aitkin’s Trades and Temps 5:15

2M ago5:15

5:15

Joe steps out of an Illinois hospital gig into the raw, frostbitten unknown of Aitkin’s trades, where self-doubt gnaws as fiercely as the subzero winds. Picture a guy who’d never swung a hammer, now hauling pipe and digging ditches, his shiny new hiking boots laughably outmatched by the job. Melissa smirks recalling the ribbing from weathered crew …

1
002-From Chicago’s Edge to Aitkin’s Quiet: A Family’s Bold Reset 9:51

2M ago9:51

9:51

Joe and Melissa unravel the jarring shift from Chicago’s restless pulse—where convenience hummed 24/7 and violence lurked too close—to Aitkin’s stillness, where shops shut at five and a fevered kid meant a 45-minute trek for Tylenol. They trade gang threats for woods deep enough to lose yourself in, swapping urban blocks for miles of silence. Melis…

1
001-Why We Left Illinois for a Frozen New Start 11:03

2M ago11:03

11:03

Joe and Melissa Bates peel back the layers of their leap from a noisy, unsafe Illinois city life to the quiet, frigid unknowns of rural Minnesota. Picture this: a young couple, two small kids in tow, waking to bar fights across the street, clutching a baseball bat for peace of mind. Then, a vacant family home in Aitkin, a daughter’s medical needs, …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Melissa Bates • Northern Air Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Feel Northern Air

Joe & Melissa Bates • Northern Air

1
012-The Bates’ Way: Tailoring Education to Fit Each Child 12:18

1
011-The Ripple Effect: How Mentors Shaped a Plumbing Empire and a Marriage 4:45

1
010-Faith Over Fear: Building a Legacy Against All Odds 10:37

1
009-When God Throws a Curveball: Our Family’s Leap of Faith 9:09

1
008-Hazing, Humor, and Humility: Inside the World of Minnesota Plumbers 10:47

1
007-Integrity Over Conformity: Our Homeschool Way 14:08

1
006-From Little House to Big Lessons: Unforgettable Trips 9:34

1
005-Failure as Fuel: Our Homeschool Experiment 11:26

1
004-Why We Ditched School Rules for Our Kids 9:25

1
003-New Guy, New World: Surviving Aitkin’s Trades and Temps 5:15

1
002-From Chicago’s Edge to Aitkin’s Quiet: A Family’s Bold Reset 9:51

1
001-Why We Left Illinois for a Frozen New Start 11:03

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