Transcript
New Year, New Resolutions and Remarkable Stories(Hour 1)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Mon Jan 5, 2026
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to Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.
How are we doing?
It is so great to be back on the air.
I hope everybody had an outstanding holiday season.
Great Christmas, great New Year's.
Hanukkah, whatever you celebrate, it is great to, it's great to get a fresh start on the year.
I know it's kind of a, there's kind of a let down after the holidays are gone.
But man, a new year brings new possibilities, new guests, new things to talk about from our standpoint here at Nightlight.
But I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday season.
And it is great to have you back.
It is great to be back.
Conrad, how are you?
I'm
Yeah?
the wiggle room was shut down.
A lot of people got the wrong idea and behaved inappropriately.
So we had to shut it down.
Yeah, it was a fun New Year's Eve.
I had a great, we got, I think I told you, I don't know if I talked about this before the holidays, but I got three huge tubs of Chicago Italian beef for New Year's Eve.
And they, we just like demolished them.
And so that was fun.
We played a bunch of games.
We just kind of hung out with family friends.
My sister has this party every year, which is really fun.
It was a great laid back New Year's.
That's kind of how I, it's kind of how I do New Year's.
What did you do?
Did you go out and party?
Well, did you, did you shoot some ladders?
Shoots and ladders in terms of board games.
That's
Shoots and ladders.
Yeah, it works good with a group.
You can play like four.
Break out the Kinect 4 at the New Year's Eve party.
That's always fun too.
No, just fun, goofy games.
You put a tennis ball under a solo cup and try to slide
it and get
it close to the end of the counter.
Blindfold yourself and try to march to music and stay in a little square, which is harder than you think.
Goofy silly fun games
My daughter and my niece both did that at Christmas.
No, not at Christmas at Thanksgiving
And it's so ridiculous and funny looking.
Yes,
it's hilarious.
You've got
to
get your rhythm going and swing the hot dog up.
And just watching people try to catch it with their mouth is hilarious.
Have you done that game?
Yeah, it's so funny.
But it's gross.
I think they were using uncooked hot dogs.
And I think when you buy hot dogs, they're cooked.
But this was just kind of like wrong.
some ketchup
It's just fun for the whole family.
All fun stuff.
What did you do seriously?
Did you hang out or I
sounds
No drinking and driving or
of that
Yeah, that's the best part about New Year's Eve to me.
Like if you live like where you can walk to bars, that's great, but nobody wants to be on a car.
Even if you're a good driver, and that's what a lot of people say, I'm a great driver, or I don't drink and drive.
Other people do.
That's what's kind of scary to me.
But it is good to be back.
We are broadcasting live, as we said, from beautiful downtown Green Bay, wherever you're joining us from in the state of Wisconsin tonight, folks, it is great to have you.
Let's kick this thing off with a bang.
And you know what, without further ado, because every day that passes, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve gets farther away from us, so I think we need to get to our nightlight question of the night sooner rather than later.
Question.
Domanda.
Question.
Pretty basic.
What is your New Year's resolution?
Give it to us, folks.
Shoot us straight.
It could be something silly, something funny, something serious.
I am committed to giving up high fructose corn syrup this year.
I want no sugar substitutes.
I don't really even want sugar, but that's a lot tougher.
So I'm going no high fructose corn syrup.
That is Peachwaba's New Year's resolution.
Con
and it's not even just that if there's all kinds of sugar Substitutes.
I don't want any of it if I'm gonna have sugar.
I'll have real sugar
yeah, that's a lot of things a lot of never leaves either by the way It's over there for the taking it's just a little
That's true Work up a sweat in your car in the middle of winter and wolf down some gelato.
That is a great way or after
Conrad is of course talking about our friends over a rising grind an outstanding coffee shop They're not just known for their gelato.
They have great coffee.
Yes, and I would be willing to bet that gelato
Has real sugar.
not really saying what you're
doesn't have to give up
could try to do something too, right?
Okay
weeks.
That's pretty good.
You're
If you could get to 305 by the end of the year.
I think I could get it in the summer.
By the summer.
That's 15 pounds.
No, it's 25 pounds.
That's that's significant.
you
right I Don't uh, I mean that's a good one every day.
I would say most people by and large probably say I want to work out more I want to get in better shape and that's certainly one of mine, but I'm not gonna fool myself into thinking I'm gonna go to the gym more.
I'm pretty good about calling
But I want to know what your New Year's resolution is, folks.
So let us know at 855-752-4842.
855-75 Civic, let us know what your New Year's resolution is.
2026 is upon us.
We are on the air.
It's basically New Year's Day here, according to Nightlight.
So let us know.
You can also text us on the app.
Or the stream if you're listening to or if you're watching the radio on YouTube Facebook or X let us know what you Are choosing for a new use resolution and if you're there give us a like or a follow.
We appreciate those as well I Don't know I there's so much stuff like I was weeding through you know I kind of want to sleep better I get pretty good sleep, but like there's so much stuff
But I have a feeling most of the people will say Jim stuff.
I was at the gym yesterday.
No, yeah, and I You know, it's plan of fitness Was it packed?
It's supposed to be no.
Oh nice.
It was not packed because I went during a football game.
Oh, yes So I went with my daughter and we're working out and then this young couple comes in and you could tell this guy is just like
super intense.
He's that guy.
And supposedly these people are not welcome at Planet Fitness.
The grunters and the throwing the plates down.
This guy was pretty intense.
And he was grunting a lot.
And he's talking to his girl who's on a machine.
I go over and I use the machine next to them.
There's nothing.
There's no towel.
There's no water bottle there or anything.
So I do like one.
My reps take me a minute and a half.
I don't do reps.
I do like a slow dealio or let the resistance thing.
And the guy comes over and he's just got his arm in the machine and he's just watching me.
Like, kind of let me know.
I screwed up the etiquette of Planet Fitness and I said, I finished my set and I go, this is where I'm such a jerk.
I go, did I jump in front of you?
And he goes, yeah, you did.
I'm like, no, I'm sorry.
There's nothing here.
I didn't know.
So I did another rep.
Even though it's not part of my routine just to make
him wait longer because he
was such a D bag and I cannot stand gym people like that and to be honest I haven't really encountered many at the Marinette Planet Fitness, but this guy was like and then I went to get the you know You wipe it down.
I go.
Oh, let me wipe that down for you.
No Not even a word.
Ah You want you watch this what yeah, go ahead and I said well, I've got the bird flu.
I insist didn't even extend my comedic olive branch so whatever
You know, I,
Yeah.
Right.
The, the, the universal can I just point
But this guy wasn't like, he was like, I was looking at it when I was on the previous machine because I go machine to machine.
I like to get out of there.
You know, I'm not a guy who's going to chat for 20 minutes between sets with other workouts.
But I don't know, it's just kind of irritated me.
I should have done a couple more sets.
Blast my quads.
You should have grunted too.
Grunted.
But with the slow, like, 30-second release, it would be a long, continuous grunt.
You're still staring at you doing it.
Exactly.
Lots to get to, folks.
Fun show tonight.
We are kicking off 2026, the right way, in my opinion.
I've got just a really solid group of guests tonight.
It's going to be fun.
Laura Areco is here at 535.
Laura is an actress and owns her own public relations firm.
She's also got an incredible story to tell about losing her husband 10 years ago, and now she's pregnant.
So I'll just put that out there, but it is an incredible story very inspirational story excited to talk to Laura at 535 and you might recognize that name con Laura helped us get David Zucker on the show a few months ago and then Robbie Robbie Schultz So Laura will be here at 535 and then 635
Hot fun in the summertime ladies and gentlemen the doctors in recital are coming into the studio Kim chef chick Paul and Chris Piat They always fill our studio with song whenever they are here And they will be talking about their upcoming show the doctors in recital which is taking place here in Green Bay January 24th And they'll give us a little sampling of what you can hear if you decide to go to the show and all the proceeds go to outstanding causes
So we will welcome the doctors in recital at 6.35.
And then comedian Dana Ehrman will be here at 7.35.
Dana is a native Wisconsinite.
I don't know if she still lives here.
She's been on the show before.
I can't remember.
She might be in New York, but we'll get to the bottom of it.
Dana is very funny comedian.
She'll be here at 7.35 tonight and looking forward to meeting and hanging out with all of tonight's guests.
What is your New Year's resolution, folks?
That is our question of the night, 8-5-5-7-5-2-4-8-4-2.
Something I did do, Conrad, that I was very excited on New Year's Eve.
I was not excited about the Stranger Things finale because I missed seasons two, three, and four.
just kind of had to play catch-up because the kids were here on Thanksgiving and then for the whole...
break at winter and they got me caught up on season five.
So I watched it with them just kind of to be a sport.
What did you think?
Let's start with you.
because
to say.
I
I
Why don't we why don't we do this?
We got about just a few seconds here before we have to get to our first break new sports and weather coming up folks by the way at 535, but Brittany Merlot Defeated you and Yes, football.
Yes, I think we meant to talk about that.
We did did we talk about it did so now
I'm
just Yeah, you're just rubbing it in.
Hey, we've got a lot coming up folks after the break.
We're gonna talk about stranger things
Bears Packers, part three.
There will be a rubber match, and it should be exciting.
This coming weekend in Chicago, we'll cover all of that.
We'll talk about Avatar.
Did you see Avatar?
I didn't.
All right, we'll get to the thing.
It's gonna be a fun show.
Either way, we're gonna talk about all the things Conrad didn't see over the break.
We're coming right back.
It's Nightlight with Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media, Radio
Network.
You're
listening to Civic Media.
Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.
Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get started.
Welcome
back.
Happy New Year, everybody.
News, sports, and weather coming up in just a few minutes here.
Civic Media's news team will keep you informed.
So stick around for that.
Laura Ariko, actress, publicist, and a person with a really inspirational story will be here at 535, Doctors and Recital at 635, and comedian Dana Erman at 735.
There's your show, folks.
That's the way you kick off a year.
All right, so Stranger Things.
I gotta tell you, I didn't love it.
It was just kind of a whatever.
In a nutshell, folks, if you don't watch Stranger Things, it can be fun.
If you watch it with a group, it's enjoyable and it's fun to see the spectacle and the sets look cool and everything in the acting is okay.
But man, that wrap up, that hour long wrap up.
that's
know
Right Vecna is the the bad guy.
Yes, and Andrew.
Right And it was How they killed them and whatever spoiler alert.
I mean, you know, the yeah the guy's gonna die But it that was a cool.
So that actual scene was pretty cool.
I
you know
then Exactly
One script page.
Yeah, it was just kind of like the last battle, and then the last hour was a wrap-up, where if you're someone like me who didn't stick with the show after season one and a couple episodes of season two, it's just you don't care.
But that was for all of the Stranger Things fan.
Fans who the Duffer brothers probably thought were getting misty eyed and they wanted to see you know that that all that emotional sentimental stuff wrap up the show I don't think even the even my kids who followed it were kind of like oh my gosh like They did a fast forward where the older characters were sitting on top of that and they're all in their careers now And it's like two years later.
They're still there They're still younger than you and like well.
I'm in Manhattan making my movie.
It's like what it just it was so
Off I don't know it
No, I didn't you know When they when that scene ended, you know when they killed Vecna I looked to see how much time was left and there was an hour.
I'm like wait, what?
What do we do?
Why is there still an hour left?
I mean For you know, there there was that scene at where Eleven dies.
Yeah, and then after that it's still 30 minutes 40 minutes of wrap-up
right and then they like
when they were showing the kids playing in the basement Dungeons and Dragons, which I guess is how the whole thing started.
They, you know, they had this thing where they put their game away and they're all getting, they're crying.
And I even asked my kids, I said, did they play Dungeons and Dragons a lot on the show?
And they said, well, some, but it's not like during the happy days finale where they all were hanging at Arnold's or, you know, the office where they were saying their goodbyes.
I don't know.
It just, nothing about it rang.
I didn't love it.
We have
a
call count.
Yeah, Cindy from Appleton.
Cindy from Appleton?
How are you?
Hey Pete, good.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, my friend.
What's going on?
Well, I saw a couple of movies over the holiday weekend, like I told you I would, although I didn't get to see Avatar because I ended up sick, but I did the Neil Diamond Song Song Blue review, which I thought was pretty good.
Okay.
I mean, I thought the chemistry between the two, Hugh Jackman and...
Kate Hudson was pretty awesome Although they could have depicted him a little more closely to what he should have looked like but she was Yeah Anyway, I was surprised to find out that almost everything in that movie actually truly happened Yeah, they buff this stuff up for Hollywood But I googled about four or five different sites after the movie is like everything was pretty much to true to what happened It was pretty freaky so
Anyway, and then I saw the house with the housemaid or the maid.
Oh, yeah, the housemaid.
Yeah.
Yeah, the thriller.
Yeah.
Jury was out on that one.
I think there was a lot of real things that just didn't seem to add up, like locks on the doors and some of the things that were done that just to me was like, nah, I think it missed a lot of points, but it was kind of a thriller.
But, you know, I guess they kind of...
were you scared or were you ever thrilled oh my god okay well no not really i was just i mean it's just basically a cycle whole cycle family you know seen enough for that where you know just doesn't really do me anymore but get that anyway they did kind of leave the door open i think for another series because i guess this is a book series from what i understand
So I'm, I'm sure they left the door open for another one, but I really wasn't very impressed.
But I did, I was, you know, I really liked the song sung blue.
I thought that was pretty well done.
And I mean, they think pretty good and acting was good.
So that's on my list.
Okay.
That's good.
So if you had to pick between those two, you'd obviously go song sung blue.
Oh yeah.
Absolutely.
Awesome.
Cindy, thank you for, I love when, when people call in and tell me what they thought of stuff.
I love getting the conversation going.
So thank you so much.
Happy new year.
And,
uh,
don't be a stranger.
Have a good
night.
All right.
You too.
That's Cindy from Appleton.
Um, I do want to see the house made, but it, and the reviews are pretty good, but I feel like, I don't know.
It's not high on my list, but song sung blue and Marty Supreme are on the list.
I got to see him.
Not
nefarious reason.
Yeah.
Hey, I, Amanda's, I freed is kind of on my.
I like her a lot.
She's great.
She's great.
She was really good in... She's in a show where she played a cop.
I had a really weird title.
I have to look it up.
But she was good in it, and she's a good actor.
I think she started her career as a dancer, much like myself.
All right, so we got News Weather and Sports coming up, folks.
Then Laura Areca will be here at 535.
Bear's Packers Talk in hour number two.
You don't want to miss that either.
This is Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome
back!
This is the...
2026 version of nightlight great to have you with me folks wherever you're joining us from around the state or parts beyond Happy New Year, and how long can we say that Conrad?
Didn't we have this discussion last year?
I feel like we can say it tonight because this is our first show in 2026.
Larry David.
Yes, Larry
It's like January 21st or something.
He just never know.
I don't want to get looks.
I'll say the 10th.
Okay.
I'm gonna say tonight.
That's it.
I won't go
That's true.
All right, so folks, we've got lots of fun tonight.
The doctors and recital are here in the studio at 635, singing to their hearts' content.
It's going to be a lot of fun.
Comedian Dana Ehrman will be here in hour number three, and Conrad and I will open up the phone lines.
They're always open, but text line, whatever.
Some Bears Packers talk.
We got to start at Monday.
This is a rubber match coming up this weekend in Chicago.
Should be a lot of fun.
But right now, I'm very excited to welcome my next guest.
This is her first visit to Nightlight, and I'm
I'm thrilled to have her.
She is an actress and a publicist.
And her name is Laura Areco.
Laura, good evening, my friend.
Hi, thank you.
How are you?
I'm doing very well.
This is exciting for me because you have helped us find guests in the past.
We owe you a thank you for David Zucker and Robbie Schultz.
And now you're here as a guest.
So how exciting is that?
It's so fun.
Yeah, I know.
I love it.
It's great to be here.
And I'm so glad you've had some of our wonderful clients on.
They've always enjoyed coming on your show.
Good.
Well, it's been great having them, and it's great to have you here tonight.
Do you have a New Year's resolution?
Are you a resolution person?
Sort of, yeah.
I never keep them, but I try.
This year, I'm very organized, but this year, because I am expecting a baby, I have to have everything from taking care of my mom to working full-time, juggling my acting career, my publicity firm.
Everything has to be a lot more streamlined.
I'm going to have to crack down on myself, even though I already do all that, but it's got to get more and more intense this year.
You sound very resolute to begin with.
So I would imagine your resolutions will hold fast throughout the year and you've got so much going on.
We'll get to all of that.
But before we do, and before we tell this really interesting and fascinating and inspirational story that you have to share with us about being pregnant, tell us a little bit about yourself.
You started as an actor and now you have your own PR for a published
publicist firm.
Tell us about that and tell us about you.
Yeah, so I started acting as a kid.
I was very shy, but I loved performing for family and friends.
So to come out of my shell, when I finally graduated college, I started doing modeling and acting, and then I did Second City in Chicago.
because that they make you do everything from, you know, learning from the bottom up to be a tree, to be an animal, to do voices, to do impressions.
You learn everything.
And I credit them to so much of my career, because then after that, came out of my shell, started acting in TV and film, doing commercials and modeling and anything I could to get my foot in the door.
And then moved to LA for 12 years I was there.
And
now here I am, and back in Chicago, I go where I need to be for the work.
And I own a publicity firm which I started almost 10 years ago after my husband passed away, unfortunately.
One of the reasons we left LA was because he was sick.
So here I am now.
Things have gotten better, great things going on, but definitely juggling a lot but enjoying both careers still.
So a big thing for performers, entertainers, whatever, and I was not very good at this back when I was a stand-up comic, is you have to talk about yourself, you have to promote yourself.
I would imagine you as an actor, now that you have a PR firm, is it easier for you to talk about yourself as an artist?
Yeah, it's gotten easier.
Yeah, you have to.
You're your own promotional tool and your own promoter.
So you have to be able to market yourself.
A lot of people sit around waiting for things to happen, but you have to do the work.
75% of the work is working to get work.
You know, that's, it's not easy.
It's not easy.
And you got to run it like a business.
So I find the way I've done it has been successful, but it's not easy.
It's fun, but it's not easy.
We've got, I kind of almost feel like we're already sort of semi besties because we have a mutual friend in my to me, Lenny Schmidt.
I know you were just on Mike's show.
And I was like, wait a minute, I know Laura when he was telling me about your story.
I was like, why not?
We should have her on too.
So that worked out well.
But you've also been on Kevin Can Wait, a show that I wrote jokes for.
So that must have been fun working with Kevin James.
Yeah.
Oh my God, what a small world.
Yeah.
I did a little guest star on that several years back because a writer who became a friend of mine produced our Mike Sosio.
Oh,
yeah.
So you probably know him if you wrote jokes on the show.
had me on King of Queens, and then that show.
And what a fun show to work on, what great people.
Yeah, that's so exciting.
All right, well, let's jump in here.
I want to ask you about your pregnancy because your story is, this is basically a movie waiting to happen.
And you talked about your husband and having to leave LA and you're pregnant now, but there is a big twist to this story.
And I hate to sound like I'm trivializing what is so personal to you because it's just so uplifting.
But tell us about your pregnancy and the significance of your husband and the pregnancy and what happened to your husband.
Yeah, no, absolutely.
So in 2007, my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
And it was just unfortunate and fast the way it all happened because, you know, your life changes in an instant.
So the doctors, one of the things they said to us was if you want children, you should freeze everything.
So we had to hurry and do that before he went on chemo.
And we did that.
But then he battled that brain tumor for eight years, which made it really hard.
To you know, he's juggling work juggling life and us wanting to start a family We were only 30 and he was 31 when he was diagnosed so Towards the end of his life.
He had a remission a couple remissions but one in particular so we did try IVF and Unfortunately had three miscarriages four total actually Once they gave us a time where you could try naturally when he had taken a long break from chemo
So for miscarriages lots of money for fertility treatments and IVF and at the time there was nothing wrong with me We were doing it that way because of his treatments.
So then he had a really difficult reoccurrence at that point we had exhausted every treatment so We had to put everything on hold and then nine months later.
He passed away So here I was Almost ten years later.
He passed away in 2015
I really wanted children and I've gone throughout the years.
I've dated people here and there up and down long-term relationships, but you know people either change their mind at the last minute and I wasn't getting any younger.
So my thing was if I don't do this now, I'm never gonna do it.
So I decided to go about it myself.
It wasn't my plan.
I really wanted to have a partner, but I did it and I've had a lot of support from family and friends and through IVF and here I am almost
You know, I'm just about eight months pregnant and expecting a baby in early February.
That is unbelievable.
Yeah.
And use my late husband's stuff,
obviously.
Yeah.
I mean, it's got to be like, and you're a publicist.
Like, what is it like when you don't even your own clients don't have the story to tell?
Like, it seems like you have more interesting stuff to tell than people who have great jobs.
Right, yeah, it's definitely an interesting story, a hallmark, lifetime movie type of thing.
It's really a nice story and I'm happy to share it because I think it inspires so many other women.
One important thing I forgot to mention, when I did IVF back in May, I was 48 and now I'm 49.
And you
had
miscarriages in the past too, which has got to be
in the
back of your mind as well, I would
imagine.
So it's always been in the back of my mind.
This is the furthest along I've ever been.
I've been really healthy.
I was healthy last time, but a lot of stress, you know, when my husband was battling cancer.
So here we are.
I mean, it's a dream come true.
It's not the exact dream I expected, but I love that it is a story.
It's an inspiring story.
It's therapeutic for me to share.
Because I don't want to hold it in.
You know, a lot of people do, and I understand it's a very private matter, but I'm like, I want to help other people.
So it's therapeutic for me, but I always feel, and I say the same thing over and over, I feel like it's helping other people by sharing and inspiring other people to maybe do this on their own and not be afraid.
And at this age, you know?
Yeah.
It's a fascinating story.
Laura Urico is my guest.
She joins me over the stream from, are you in Chicago right now?
Yeah,
okay.
She joins us from Chicago and her company is called Laura or Rico public relations She's also an actor and she just mentioned.
She's 48 years old and pregnant with her late husband's baby Which is you know, it's so funny because I don't know you this is the first time we've ever talked but I've you know, just researching this interview I've seen how kind of vivacious you are and type a you are and
But at the end of the day, you're going through this alone.
And I would imagine the support group you have around you are great.
But do you have those moments alone where, tell us what that's like, because this is such a life, a huge life moment.
Oh, for sure.
Yeah.
I, you know, it's been difficult.
I have a very dear friend and my ex-boyfriend who's actually been a complete angel sticking with me throughout this and helping me.
He's been amazing.
Yeah, and a lot of my best girlfriends and my family, everybody's just been, my mom had this huge baby shower for me.
So that's been great.
But then sometimes you do get down because you're like, this wasn't what I planned.
You know, I don't, I'm not married.
I don't have the family I dreamed of, but it's very unconventional.
It's very different.
I know that, but I didn't have a choice.
You know, I really wanted a family.
So everything's a little backwards.
So I'm like, okay, this is the way I have to go about it.
Find my person and settle down after the baby.
That's fine with me.
But right now my priority is The baby and I take care of my sick mother too.
I read that too.
I'm like you got a full your dance cart is full.
Oh It's definitely full.
Yeah today.
We had mom trying out a motorized wheelchair So she was scooting around the house through my office where I met now and then she's always in the other room watching her TV and I work from home my business is from home
But it's definitely always a circus here at the house.
There's always people in and out of the house.
There's always something going on here.
Your story is so interesting, too, because you and your mother were both widows at 38 years old.
You're going through everything you've gone through in addition to having a successful career.
Do you ever picture the day when you tell your unborn child down the road, everything that's happened, that's got to be
incredible story that I can almost picture someone absorbing all this.
When the age is appropriate, she has an angel father in heaven looking over her and his story and our story and what a blessing and how much it was what I went through just to get her here.
And it's a girl, by the way.
Yeah, that's great.
But yeah, it's definitely a story.
And I heard there's a book, and I have to look for it about that, that you could read to them on their little so they kind of gradually learn how they were brought here.
Oh, that's interesting.
Do you have...
Will it be hard for you to step away from work for a while after the baby's born or is that some, I mean, if there was ever a great moment to do that, this would be it, but will that be difficult for you?
Yes, that's hard because I own the business and I'm producing a TV show for a client that we're working in development on right now to get picked up, but yeah.
I think the only way I can do it is I have an amazing assistant, Raquel, who you've met.
I'll probably take a two-week, maybe three-week leave, but I still have to have my hands and everything, so I've been working double to get everybody in a good place.
Well, I will let you off the hook, Laura, in terms of finding nightlight guests.
I'll give you your space.
We have Laura Ariko is here, folks.
We'll have a couple more minutes with Laura when we come back after this very short break.
New sports and weather is just 10 minutes away.
It is great to have you here, folks.
It's 2026, all kinds of new possibilities.
This is Nightlight with Pete Chihuahua on the Civic Media Radio Network.
You're listening to Civic Media.
Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website, civicmedia.us.
News is right around the corner, folks.
This is Pete Schwabba in Nightlight.
I am so thrilled you are here with me, wherever you are joining us from tonight, across our great state of Wisconsin or parts beyond.
It is great to be back in the seat and talking about the things in life we love, movies and TV and comedy and music.
And tonight, my first guest has a remarkable story.
Laura Ariko owns Laura Ariko Public Relations.
She is also a talented and successful actor.
And she just told us a remarkable story about how she is pregnant with her late husband's baby.
And things are going well, Laura.
That's great, dear.
Do you have any pregnancy cravings?
I have to ask you that.
No, which is weird.
A lot of people have asked me.
I mean, there was a week or two where I wanted McDonald's fries and a shake every day.
But that was it.
I don't even know if that was a craving or if I just wanted that.
I don't know.
But no, I haven't.
And I didn't get sick either.
Oh, nice.
That's got to help a little bit, right?
Yeah.
I got lucky.
Because the other times when I had all the miscarriages, I would get a little sick.
But I think I have acid reflux to begin with, which I was going to get anyway with the pregnancy.
Right.
So I'm already on medication for that.
So.
OK.
Wow.
All right.
I think that's a terrible.
Yeah.
Well,
good for you.
I hope it's smooth saline.
You're seven months along right now.
Is that something?
I think I just hit eight.
I'm going to be 35 weeks on Wednesday.
Wow, congratulations.
That's
exciting.
Thank you.
Yeah.
So you're also, okay, in addition to you're taking out a lot, you've already had a lot on your plate before you became pregnant.
Yep.
You've got a show in addition to, you know, helping other people promote their projects and your own acting career.
You've got a show that you have on social media called Life After Loss.
Tell us about that and where we can see
it.
Yeah.
So that's a little.
Well, I was doing like a bi-monthly episode and now I haven't done one since September, so I need to get caught up.
Everything's been insane as you can imagine.
But that's like the week before I went for my IVS when I decided to go public.
I've been keeping it a little secret from family, from everybody, and I'm like, what am I doing?
That was driving me nuts.
So I decided to share via video with all my friends and family in the public.
And that's how I started it.
So I think I owe everybody episode number eight, which the New York Post did a beautiful article in my story.
And they even, I think they mentioned, I would be coming up with episode eight, and that was a few months ago.
So I need to do my next episode.
So thank you for mentioning that.
So if people haven't got caught up, you can get caught up by Googling the show.
There you go.
And the great article that I read about you in People Magazine, that was really, you could tell they put a lot of time and thought into that and respected your story as a result.
So great.
But just Google all things Laura Arrico.
It's such a great story.
I mentioned that earlier that you have all these great clients.
Do any of them have a story?
Not that would rival yours or make competition, but who has a story that you've just been blown away by?
Yeah, no, we've had so many great clients with so many amazing stories.
So many favorites I hate to pick.
We had a client who was deaf.
and in a multiracial ethnicity that he had to fight the system to not make them check in a box exactly what ethnicity his children were when he was sending them to school.
And he made a whole award-winning documentary about it.
It was just amazing, you know?
They were
trying to pinpoint what he's like.
They're Jewish, they're black, they're American Indian, they're Caucasian, they're Asian,
they're
everything.
So he didn't want to have to pinpoint them into a little box.
So his story was told and that did real well.
You know, and if our clients don't have some sort of big, crazy story, we find ways to come up with something that matches them, their brand, their personality to make them interesting and everybody would rep is awesome and interesting, you know.
Everybody's got a story.
That's a great way
to put
it.
Laura Areco
is my
guest.
She is the owner of Laura Areco Public Relations, and she is also a successful actress.
So I usually ask all my guests this, Laura.
What are you binge watching?
Is there something you could recommend or something you can't wait to get home at night and watch on color television?
You know, it's funny.
I'm in the industry and you'd expect I'd have an answer and I don't been watch binge watch anything except But what I do you want to know what I did last year.
I watched reruns of who's the boss
Tony Danza and Catherine
I love old sitcoms.
Yeah,
it's like I love Lucy the Golden Girls Seinfeld I love old sitcoms
Wow, that's a great
answer.
No, I haven't binge watched anything.
Maybe 30 rock back when that came out because that was really funny.
And I like Tina Fey and I was considered for SNL back in 2012.
So I always have a liking for that type of comedy.
So
that's awesome.
That might be the only thing we're talking way back.
No, that's great.
It gets such an array of answers.
I love it.
There are no right or wrong answers.
It's just fun to find out what people are
watching.
I know mine was nothing.
No, this is great.
Well, listen, I hope you come back and tell us how everything went when you're a new mom or when the lifetime movie gets made, as you say, whatever.
It's been great talking to you.
And I'm sure we'll talk
anyway
because you have such great clients and they're fun as guests.
But it's been great getting to know you as well, too.
And we really appreciate your time tonight.
Thanks, Pete.
This was great.
Thanks for having me.
Thanks so much.
Anytime.
We'll do it again.
And good luck the rest of the way, my friend.
Sounds good.
Thank you.
OK.
That's Laura Ariko.
Just Google her story.
It's just absolutely fascinating.
And Conrad, what did you think about that?
I mean, yeah, that's what you said.
It's fascinating.
It's like that's a movie waiting to happen.
Yes.
I'm sure maybe it's not the first time it's happened, but it's just
Yeah, we can't we don't have to wait till next holiday season exactly a life mark Arbor Day movie or something.
We'll do all that Hey folks tonight's question of the night is what is your new year's resolution?
After news sports and weather we will read some of your texts when we come back.
We'll talk a little bears packers and I Should keep us preoccupied.
I'm very excited
to hear what you think about
this game coming up count.
So we'll do that.
And we got Mike Clemens later in the week.
It's going to be a fun Bears Packers week as we approach this rubber match in Soldier Field on Saturday.
New sports and weather is next.
And then the doctors and recital are here at folks at 635 in the studio.
Comedian Dana Ehrman at 735.
A great night here at Nightlight.
Great to have you with me.
It's Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
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