A little white lie ultimately led to Joe Wilson becoming a national hunting celebrity. As humble as he is, Joe would never agree to being referred to as a celebrity. Even so, hunters, anglers, chefs and backyard barbecue fanatics around the country know Joe Wilson as the man who founded the World Champion Squirrel Cookoff [WCSCO]. Held every year in Springdale, Arkansas this event attracts thousands of curious minds from all around the world. In this episode of the Ahi Va Podcast, Jesse Deubel sits down with Joe to discuss the creation story of this unique and inspiring annual gathering. Just as there is so much more to this event than cooking squirrels, there is a lot more to Joe Wilson's contributions to society than organizing the WCSCO.

Jesse and Joe talk about the importance of embracing diversity while finding commonality with our neighbors. Joe provides the history of why he created the non-profit organization "Steaks 4 Sheepdogs." This, often comical conversation provides listeners with a glimpse into the interesting travels and unique culinary experiences Joe has amassed over the years. Those adventurous culinary exposures have resulted in some unique, award-winning cooking product offerings including Wilsonshire Sauce. When asked why he would make a new version of the classic, Worcestershire sauce Joe's answer came pretty easy. Worcestershire is too hard for people to pronounce. 

While his custom sauce and spices win barbecue contests all over the country, Joe wins the hearts and minds of everyone he meets. He meets many of those folks when they agree to be a guest on his wildly popular podcast, "Cooking up a Story." On his show, Joe and his comedic co-hosts provide people from all walks of life an opportunity to share their stories. Those stories elicit a broad and sometimes unexpected range of reactions including laughter, tears, anger, surprise and inspiration. One thing is always evident. Joe cares about people. He cares about helping people. He cares about helping people help other people. His compassion for fellow Americans coupled with his contagious positivity and unmatched sense of humor continue to attract attention. Next year anyone who tunes in to the Outdoor Channel/Sportsman Channel will have an opportunity to get to know more about this great man by watching his newest show, "Meet Joe Wilson." Until then, I hope this episode of the Ahi Va podcast provides you with an entertaining introduction to this truly special person. Enjoy the listen!