At 22, Amanda Przynski bought a foreclosed home that needed a lot of work. Then, the night before closing, someone broke in and stole the stained glass windows and other details that had made her fall in love with it. It was an early test of a determination that would shape her career.

On this episode of Twin City Tales, host Wymond Wong welcomes Amanda, owner of Panda's Punchlist, a women-owned residential construction and remodeling company in Minneapolis.

Amanda's path into the trades hasn't followed a straight line. From growing up in Minneapolis and choosing woodshop and electronics classes to spending 17 years as a police and fire dispatcher, investing in real estate, and eventually becoming a general contractor and home inspector, she has repeatedly chosen to learn by doing.

Wymond and Amanda explore what it means to be a woman in construction, the assumptions Amanda has encountered in the industry, and why she believes homeowners deserve to feel informed and respected. They also discuss Panda's Punchlist, her Do-It-HERself gatherings, mentoring other women, and what to look for when comparing remodeling estimates.

And there's more to Amanda than work. She's a broomball player and has taken on a 5,500-mile motorcycle adventure across Australia.

It's a conversation about independence, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and making room for more people in the skilled trades.

CONNECT WITH AMANDA PRZYNSKI

Panda's Punchlist: https://www.pandaspunchlist.com/

Professional profile: https://www.joinagc.com/member/31695

ABOUT TWIN CITY TALES

Hosted by Wymond Wong, Twin City Tales shares the people, businesses, and stories that make the Twin Cities special.

Podcast: https://twin-city-tales-podcast.cohostpodcasting.com/

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Twin City Heating, Air & Electric is a family-owned Minnesota home service company serving homeowners throughout the Twin Cities.

https://www.twincityheatingandair.com/

You can't go wrong with Wymond Wong on your Twin City Tales Podcast.

He put his life savings into a student transportation business because he believed families needed something better. Then COVID hit, schools closed, and everything changed.

On this episode of Twin City Tales, host Wymond Wong sits down with Minnesota entrepreneur Christian Olson to talk about the leap from a secure career to business ownership, the people who depended on him, and the identity questions that followed when he eventually sold the company.

Christian grew up in St. James and Maple Grove, spent 16 years with Osseo Area Schools, and went on to found Transportation Delivery Inc. His company grew to 32 employees, but the road wasn't predictable. He recalls struggling to buy his first five vehicles, rearranging routes in the middle of the night, and finding a new way to support families during the pandemic by delivering food and educational materials through Northside Achievement Zone.

After selling his business, Christian had to discover what came next. Today, as a Strategic Partner with Schooley Mitchell, he helps businesses and organizations reduce operating expenses. As he puts it, "I get to help the past version of me."

This conversation is about taking chances, supporting your community, leading through uncertainty, and remembering that your identity is bigger than the work you do.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTIAN OLSON

Schooley Mitchell: https://www.schooleymitchell.com/office/colson/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianolson33

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POWERED BY TWIN CITY HEATING, AIR & ELECTRIC

Family-owned and locally operated. Proudly serving homeowners across the Twin Cities.

https://www.twincityheatingandair.com/

You can't go wrong with Wymond Wong on your Twin City Tales Podcast.

One book. One road trip. One life-changing question: What are you going to do about it?

In 2012, Stephanie Page was traveling with her mother, Sherrill Thurston, when a book about human trafficking changed the direction of her life. What began as a desire to help became Stories Foundation, the Freedom Food Truck, and eventually Storyteller Cafe in Blaine, Minnesota.

On this episode of Twin City Tales, Wymond Wong gets to know Stephanie, the co-founder and Executive Director of Stories Foundation. They look back at the family and early service experiences that shaped her, the decision to act on what she had learned, and the determination it took to build a nonprofit alongside her mother.

Stephanie also shares the challenges behind raising $30,000 in 30 days, launching the Freedom Food Truck, and spending years working toward a permanent cafe. When Storyteller Cafe opened in April 2025, it became a place to enjoy coffee and food while helping fund education, prevention, and survivor support through Stories Foundation.

Beyond the coffee, this is a conversation about faith, family, perseverance, and why everyone's story deserves to matter.

CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE

Storyteller Cafe: https://www.storytellercafemn.org/

Stories Foundation: https://www.storiesfoundation.org/

Stephanie and the team: https://www.storiesfoundation.org/the-team

Support the mission: https://www.storiesfoundation.org/give

12064 Central Ave NE, Blaine, MN

hello@storiesfoundation.org | 612-268-1937

TWIN CITY TALES

Hosted by Wymond Wong. Discover more Minnesota stories:

https://twin-city-tales-podcast.cohostpodcasting.com/

POWERED BY TWIN CITY HEATING, AIR & ELECTRIC

Proudly family-owned and locally operated in the Twin Cities.

https://www.twincityheatingandair.com/

Built Here, Stays Here. Feel The Difference!

You Can't Go Wrong with Wymond Wong!