Hot Husbands 2009

You nominated. You voted. And here they are, 417-land's Hottest Husbands. They're amazing inside and out, and this is your chance to learn all about them.

Finding them was a long process, and it started with you. Last March, readers nominated about 80 husbands, fathers and friends to our first-ever Hot Husbands contest. With an eye toward civic and community involvement and the generally awesome husbands and dads, the staff at 417 Magazine narrowed the playing field to 20 finalists who were hot both inside and out.

Then we turned the decision-making over to our readers. The finalists’ bios were posted online at 417mag.com, where you voted for your favorites throughout the month of June. Now, finally, it’s time to meet the 10 guys who passed muster. Read on, to see what makes these Hot Husbands tick. 

Click on a Hot Husband's name below to read more.

Trevor Crist

Age: 31
Occupation: Insurance agent for Nixon & Lindstrom and Partner in Fedora Social House

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
Well, I don’t think I am. I think my wife thought I was.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
Reading children’s books (just ask my two year old)

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
Probably just the area in general, including the lakes.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I probably would have sold holiday moose mugs

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
Well, it’s definitely given me a better idea of the needs in our area. From being involved with charities and non-profits, it gives you a better idea with the needs locally, which I think we’re not really aware of from the media. On the other side, community involvement as a whole has probably been the most important thing from a career standpoint that I’ve done.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
Like most good relationships, we started off as best friends. I don’t know if there is a certain moment that I could pinpoint, but I probably fell in love with her before we dated, just as friends.

What are you most proud of?
Probably our daughter, Kate

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I wouldn’t have went knee boarding on the company lake outing. I ended up in the urgent care.

What compliment do you receive most often?
Probably that I’m a good salesman

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My parents. You know, when you’re younger, you’re going after role models for different reasons then when you’re older. From my parents, basically, just because of the values they gave me. I respect their values and who they are. Also, Luke Nixon.

What do you do to stay fit?
I am a treadmill guy. I run on the treadmill four times a week.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
Because my wife wants me to be.

What are your hobbies?
Golfing poorly, owning Fedora Social house and www.holidaymoosemugs.com

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Hopefully it will help me sell more employee benefits

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Well, fortunately I wanted to be an entrepreneur… but maybe the very earliest, I think my parents always talk about this, before I can even remember, I wanted to be a minister.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Being named the Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance ‘Agent of the Year’ and my accomplishments while president of the Rotaract Club of Springfield

What is your biggest fear?
Magazine interviews

What are three words that describe you?
I would say loud, driven and funny.

What motivates you?
I would say happiness. I don’t really do anything unless I think it’s going to make me happy.

What’s your best trait?
I’m organized

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Last New Year’s Eve, a friend of mine and a cousin of mine drove to Florida all night for the Gator Bowl to watch Nebraska play Clemson. It was hard enough to get permission to be gone for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. On the way home, we decided to drive to New Orleans to watch the Sugar bowl. I called my wife from Bourbon Street to ask if that was okay. She said no. I said I was already there. She didn’t talk to me until I got home.

What’s your dream vacation?
Probably Fiji

What’s your dream car?
Ferrari 550 Maranello

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Half an hour

Who is your celebrity crush?
I have two, Ivanka Trump and Joan Whitaker.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Dr. McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy, which is Patrick Dempsey I think.

What is a life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
Surviving daughter dating

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The Nebraska Cornhuskers

Joe Daues

Age: 46
Occupation: News anchor on KSPR

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
I don’t feel like a hot husband, I feel like a tired father. That’s more of how I feel, and more of my role, lately anyway. I was, I guess, a little surprised but very thankful that my wife still considers me a hot husband.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I’m really good with a gun, I’m a very good shot.
And I have a great fashion sense for women.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
People. My wife calls me the professional visitor. In fact, at my old station, my nickname was the senator. My photographers would all joke with me, ‘you’re just out trying to get one more vote, vote for me vote for me!’, because I was always out visiting with people. And people down here love that, because that’s the way a lot of people are. Generally, people in the Ozarks are less worried about what the clock says and more interested in what people say. That’s how I am.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
My secret dream has always been to be in a rock band. I always wanted to be in a band.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
I would say that is my perspective. I suppose I’m changing a little bit, now that our family is growing I am a little more family-centric than community centric, if you will, but you know, especially with the job that I do, I love the neighborhood concept and knowing your neighbors. I walk the dog twice a day. This morning I took the kids out, took 2 strollers and went down to the park. Played basketball. I think the community involvement, going out in the community, knowing your neighbors, interacting, is really what it’s all about.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
Well, I had to chase her when we were first dating. I think I knew it pretty early on. There wasn’t an ‘ah-ha’ moment for me, but there was a pretty quick realization that she was the one.

What are you most proud of?
Probably our kids. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It took me 45 years to have a child. It was a long, overdue goal of mine to have children. But despite the frustrations and lack of sleep that they bring, they’re so worth it.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I probably wouldn’t have gotten married the first time. I was married when I was about 30. Looking back, I was feeling a little pressure, thinking I needed to be ready to go, I just wasn’t ready. I just wasn’t mature enough.

What compliment do you receive most often?
‘Wow, you’re a lot better looking in person than you are on TV.’ And I think, well, am I that ugly on television?

Who are/were your role models, and why?
I’ve only had one, and that’s been my dad. Probably because, when I was growing up, my dad, he’s an insurance salesman, but he was always out selling. That’s probably where I got my love for clothes. He always dressed up. He was always an extremely hard worker, always out selling, I guess he gave me that work ethic. Also, he was a philosophy major in college, so he was also a deep thinker. I thought wow, what a great combination.

What do you do to stay fit?
The last two and a half years, just run after kids. But, before that, I used to run triathlons, I was a big runner. When I worked at KOLR 10 we used to play tackle football… there’s pretty much no sport I won’t play.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
I guess for Christine’s sake. If I’m a hot husband, that reflects on her. People may say wow, Christine made a good choice or wow, Christine got lucky. I’d much rather be a hot husband than being a tired father, but I wouldn’t trade being a father for that.

What are your hobbies?
I love to play the guitar, umm… my hobbies have kind of became my kids. I love to play golf, oh, hunting is a huge hobby for me! I’m a duck hunter, duck and goose, but I also go deer hunting one time a year. But I love to hunt.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Really, for what we do [at KSPR], despite covering the news and making sure we’re on stories and everything, it’s all about promotion. Anytime my goofy face or my name is out there, that helps the station. If I win the lottery, it helps the station. If I become a hot husband, it helps the station.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
As a kid, I didn’t want to grow up. I remember all I wanted to do was be able to shave.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Oh, having children, no doubt. Well, there are two actually. Children, and getting a job anchoring with my wife. That’s been our goal. We traveled the country to get that done.

What is your biggest fear?
I’ve always been afraid of what I would do to someone who harmed my family.

What are three words that describe you?
Walking, contra, diction

What motivates you?
A challenge. I love being the underdog, that’s why I chose the fraternity I did in college, that’s why I like working for KSPR, any kind of challenge. If someone says I can’t do something, I will do it.

What’s your best trait?
Christine thinks it’s my sense of humor. I think it’s my empathy. I am a very emotional person. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I can cry at a Campbell’s soup commercial. I think that having empathy, not necessarily being emotional, but the empathetic ability helps me understand where other people are coming from.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
I spent ten days in a silent Buddhist meditation retreat. I was learning Vipassana meditation[…] You know me, I’m Mr. Chatterbox, the thought of spending 10 days in silence kind of scared me, it kind of freaked me out, but it was amazing. It was one of the wildest and most interesting things I have ever done. You have no idea what your mind starts to tell you when you spend 10 days in silence. It’s scary.

What’s your dream vacation?
I want to take a canal boat down the Danube River and tour old Europe on the Danube, and tour all the Slavic countries, parts of Germany, tour it all by boat because it goes through very many cities and several small towns. Also, I’d love to take a cruise among the Grecian isles.

What’s your dream car?
My dream car from the time I was in high school is a 1973 Porsche 914. It’s one of the most unique cars that Porsche makes. I bought one from general manager of KY3 when I worked at KOLR 10. Had it for 10 years. And now I’m looking to sell it. Two seats doesn’t accommodate for a family of four.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
20 to 25 minutes. And I don’t get ready in the morning, I get ready in the afternoon.

Who is your celebrity crush?
Sandra Bullock

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Jake Gyllenhaal

What’s a life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
I’d like to live to see my grandchildren

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The Steelers

Joel Doepker

Age: 40
Occupation: Director of Public Relations and Communications for Ozarks Technical Community College

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
Because my wife wrote a great entry letter. I give her all the credit.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I think, when it comes to mine, I don’t know why, but I think I do a pretty good rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” But that’s it.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
Milder weather. I’m from Saginaw, Michigan. And the people.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would probably go back to what I used to do. I was in television news, I was a photographer and then an on-air anchor. And that’s where I spend over 15 years.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
Well, I think simply, the more you’re involved in your community, which I think more people should be, you appreciate what the community has to offer, you appreciate the nuances in the community and you can give back to the community.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
You know, probably the third time we went out. We went out to a trivia night in our hometown of Saginaw and we just really hit it off.

What are you most proud of?
It’s a tie between my wife, which is marriage, and our four-year-old daughter. Outside of that, personal career successes.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I wouldn’t have bought my home in Saginaw, Michigan in a depressed economic area.

What compliment do you receive most often?
The color of my eyes. I have green eyes, and people compliment me on my green eyes.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
Well, of course my parents and a couple of good friends professionally. I think with the friends, I saw their successes in the field, and they were successful and people respected their work ,and I wanted to be respected and successful and I would discuss what they did to be successful. And my parents for providing the love and the means to get an education and provide me life-long lessons that I have to this day.

What do you do to stay fit?
I try to go to the gym three or four times a week, emphasis on the word try, and you know try eat better, eat healthier, try, you know try, try, try.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
I was surprised my wife nominated me. She felt enough about me to enter me into the contest, and once I’m in a contest or in a competitive setting, I just like to win. That’s just how I am.

What are your hobbies?
I own a 1967 and a 1968 firebird convertibles and I’m working to restore them. Then the other mundane things. I like to read, I like to play basketball, I actually do like to workout, and spending time with my wife and my daughter.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
It’s just going to be a fun event. It’s pretty tongue and cheek. It’s just a fun event. It’s been kind of fun, I know a couple of guys in the contest, it’s been fun. And I’m a PR guy so, ya know, exposure! Part of my job is exposure, so I appreciate how that. You know, any exposure is good exposure, they say.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I imagine, like a lot of kids, a firefighter, an astronaut and a postman.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Personally—my wife and my daughter. Professionally—when I was in television news, I won awards for my videography. I was Michigan’s Photographer of the Year for four years.

What is your biggest fear?
Failure

What are three words that describe you?
Passionate, driven, goal-oriented

What motivates you?
Striving to do the best job possible. I always want to do the best job.

What’s your best trait?
I’m a good listener. Well, my wife would probably disagree, but I try to be a good listener.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
In my old job in TV, I found myself in a lot of circumstances that could be considered ‘crazy.’ Back in 06 when Katrina hit New Orleans, I was sent to cover Michigan police officers that were there to help. The short of it is, when I was going to follow them into the city, they asked if I had a bulletproof jacket. I was like “no…” so they gave me a bulletproof vest. I don’t know if that’s crazy, but I thought ‘Wow, this is as real as it gets.’ That was probably one of the crazier things I’ve done.

What’s your dream vacation?
Every vacation is a dream! Um… I’d like to go to Australia. And Antarctica would be cool, too.

What’s your dream car?
Well, I should say the Firebirds but no, those are not my dream cars. I was at the Detroit auto show a couple years ago. Mercedes put out these cars that, I think the sticker price was like $260,000. It was like sitting in a rocket ship. I don’t remember the make, but it was a cool car. It was stainless steel.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Uh, not very long… If I really focus, from bed to out the door, I can do it in probably less than ten minutes. But that’s not including helping my daughter get ready or anything. That’s just me.

Who is your celebrity crush?
Jennifer Aniston

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Captain Kirk from the New Star Trek Movie. That’s the first one I can think of. I don’t remember his name.

What’s a life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
Financial freedom

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
Well, no one around here will understand this answer, but the Detroit Lions. They’re terrible, but I’ve been following them my whole life. That’s why they call it ‘fan.’

Kirk Elmquist

Age: 40
Occupation: Vice-President of Sales/Marketing for the Springfield Cardinals

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I can wiggle my ears without using my hands

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
I always try to look nice, and I always try to be nice. I try to be a great husband to my wife Kretia, and I love being a good daddy, too. I think that fires her up. But she’s so easy to be nice to, she’s so good to me. I’m sure I’m not easy to be around and sometimes I’m tough to live with, so I try to do whatever I can to be good for her.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
I’m amazed how nice the people are here. That truly is amazing to me.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would be an NFL quarterback.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
There’s a lot of needs out there, and there’s a lot of people that need help. I’ve been given a lot of talents to help other people and that’s really given me a perspective to raise my family and have passion for what I do.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
We were in St. Louis working together, and, I’ve always been a big believer in the ball test. Can you throw a ball and have her catch it, and can you take her to a ball and she will look beautiful? We were playing softball together, and I watched her turn a double play. Then we went to kind of like an evening gala later that week, and she was dressed up and just looked beautiful. I just saw her as a totally rounded person, there was a wholeness about her. It was in 1991.

What are you most proud of?
Probably raising and still continuing to raise my two children.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I would have worked harder at not being overweight.

What compliment do you receive most often?
You look nice.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My mom and dad, Karen and Ed Elmquist, were tremendous role models, they raised me properly. Also, Jack Stack has been a tremendous role model for me. I attended his great game of business seminar and he showed me many great things about open book management and leading. And Sam Rutigliano, who was my football coach in college. He was a tremendous role model with his command of English language and the way he lead our organization. I watched him get people to do things that were just amazing. He knew how to bring the talents out in people.

What do you do to stay fit?
I have a Gary Fisher mountain bike that I ride. And I walk the stadium steps at Hammons Field during Cardinal’s games.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
I think it’s good to be recognized for the work that you do in the community, it’s flattering to me, that’s why I like it, it’s kind of fun.

What are your hobbies?
Golf, fine dining, and I love Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin music, and I love to watch college football.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Maybe somebody will buy some more Cardinals tickets.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be an NFL quarterback or a major league baseball player. But when I was 4, I wanted to be a garbage man because I loved the garbage trucks that came down our street. Oh, and my great grandmother, Mildred Chapman, always told me I’d be the president of the United States.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Being a father

What is your biggest fear?
Failure

What are three words that describe you?
Bald, sexy and passionate

What motivates you?
Making others feel good

What’s your best trait?
My love for people

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
When I was in high school, my buddy and I went out on the lake in a fishing boat and we were jumping waves. We kept doing it. We were just going at it, and they were getting bigger and bigger. Then he was driving while I was in the front of the boat, and we went over one wave, and the motor flipped off the back of the lake. We were in about five to six feet of water in Indian Lake in Ohio. We were in there for five to six hours just looking and looking and we never found the motor. My dad had to pay for the motor, and I had to work all summer long to work it off. But it was a hell of a lot of fun.

What’s your dream vacation?
Italy. I’d like to visit Italy and experience the culture over there and all the wonderful food.

What’s your dream car?
Wow, that’s a good question. It would probably be a limousine and having somebody drive me around all the time.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
20 minutes

Who is your celebrity crush?
Heather Locklear. And then I always had a man crush on Frank Sinatra. I still have a man crush on Frank Sinatra.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Probably Vin Diesel or Will Smith.

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
I’ve never shot par in golf. I’d like to do that.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
Ohio State Football

Matt Kramer

Age: 30
Occupation: Raw Material Buyer for Mueller

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
I’m kind of an all-American guy, a good guy.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I’m pretty good at fixing electronics. I can wire anything.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
The weather and being outside.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would’ve done something with electronics, like own my own electronics store.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
It allows me to see a different side of people. We get caught up in our day-to-day life, and you don’t always get to see the good in people.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
Shortly after I met her. Probably our second date. We had so much in common, the same goals. She was instantly my best friend.

What are you most proud of?
My work ethic. I don’t mind working hard and putting in extra hours if I need to. I always want to do the best job I can. I’m self-motivated.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
Try harder in college to get better grades.

What compliment do you receive most often?
I have beautiful eyes. They’re blue.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My dad was definitely my role model for hard work and supporting the family.

What do you do to stay fit?
Anything I can outside. Golfing, mowing the lawn. We got to the lake a lot, swimming and biking.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
To be the best person I can for my wife and my family.

What are your hobbies?
Golfing, boating, camping, electronics.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
I can meet new people, make new connections. Hopefully make some friends.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Some sort of professional sports player, like a professional golfer.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Graduating from the University of Iowa. It was definitely a challenge for me. My degree is mechanical engineering. Everyone told me I could never make it, but I did.

What is your biggest fear?
Losing someone I love.

Three words that describe you?
Funny, sarcastic, genuine.

What motivates you?
A sense of accomplishment. I’m pretty self-motivated, so personally wanting to do better.

What’s your best trait?
My genuine personality, truthfulness.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
That’s a tough one. Driving 150 miles per hour just to see what it felt like.

What’s your dream vacation?
Sitting on a beach somewhere, drinking a beer.

What’s your dream car?
A corvette ZO6.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
About 35 minutes. I always shower in order to wake up.

Who is your (old) or current celebrity crush?
Diane Kruger. She played Helen in Troy, opposite Brad Pitt. She’s not too famous, not one of the actresses you see every day.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Probably one of the guys from Gossip Girl. Chase Crawford.

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
Accomplishing everything I want to in my career. Hopefully taking more of a management position.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The Iowa Hawkeye football team.
 

Chris Reynolds

Age: 27
Occupation: Co-owner of IWS

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
I don’t know the answer to that. They’re looking for people who are attractive on the inside, and I hope I have some of those traits.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I can run really far. I just started training for marathons four months ago. I just went on a 23-mile run. And I can still do a back handspring.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
I love the business environment. I own my own company, and getting wonderful employees is an easy task here. My wife and I love going downtown. We have amazing restaurants here.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would’ve become a scholar. I would’ve liked to go to different schools and continuously learn things. Maybe I’ll do that when I retire.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
The stuff we’ve done with Big Brothers Big Sisters had had a lot of effect. You have no idea what your affect on a kid is going to be. You hope you’re helpful, a resource. But you can be absolutely sure that involvement with them has changed us dramatically.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
I was 14 when we started dating. I realized I loved my wife when a friend of mine at a youth group party told me I ought to be dating her. I’d known her for several years, then we started dating and got married.

What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the business we started. It’s bee very successful, and it’s a point of pride to be able to run the company and 20 empolyees.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
Nothing. That doesn’t mean I haven’t made mistakes, but every one of them has been the best learning experience. I don’t know that I could’ve done what I’ve done so far without having made those mistakes. I don’t think there’s an equal learning experience.

What compliment do you receive most often?
I’m the computer guy that doesn’t act like a computer guy. Take that how you want.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
One of my longstanding clients, Art Meadows. I would say that man has been more of a mentor than anyone else. Or Warren Buffet. I like learning about what he’s done. He’s made plenty of mistakes, too, but he amassed such a fortune and gave it all to charity. I think that’s amazing.

What do you do to stay fit?
I run very regularly, which is something I enjoy for fitness and for stress purposes. I feel like going out for a run to totally clear my head. There’s something peaceful, almost meditative, about going for a run.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
I don’t know that I did want to be a hot husband, but once I got in, it was a contest I didn’t want to lose.

What are your hobbies?
I love reading. I travel a lot so it’s easy for me to read on planes. And running. And when I’m home, I like to hang out with my wife. She’s definitely my best friend.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
What I want to do with it is use it to draw attention to causes. I’ve been promoting Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I recently got involved in the community involvement district.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
As a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist until I found out it wasn’t a real job. That may have been from watching Raiders of the Lost Ark.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Definitely the company we’ve built. It’s been fast and it’s had widespread effects. Within two years, the word has spread all over the country.

What is your biggest fear?
Standing still. I cannot stand the idea of not going something, not moving, not heading toward a goal of some kind. Ever since I was a kid, it was getting to the next grade, going to college, starting a business. When that stops, I don’t know what to do.

Three words that describe you?
Dedicated, sincere, honest (sometimes too bluntly).

What motivates you?
What motivates me in every aspect is progress. It goes back to moving toward a goal. The idea that if it’s running, it’s running farther, or faster. If it’s building a business, it’s bigger, more stable. For me, the motivation is completely in the growth, in that moving forward stage.

What’s your best trait?
I’m a good listener.

What’s your dream vacation?
Europe. I would really like to spend several months out there just seeing everything. I’ve never been there, and I’d love to go.

What’s your dream car?
My dream car is a Volvo S40 Turbo-Charged T5. That’s the car I bought my wife. I’ve been trying to buy a car, but I keep realizing I want to buy her car.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I takes me about 15 minutes. Then I’m out the door. I love coffee and breakfast, so I chill out and drink coffee for a while before getting ready.

Who is your (old) or current celebrity crush?
I don’t think I have one now, but when I was a kid, I definitely had a thing for Lois Lane (from the movies).

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Hugh Jackman. I think you know why that is.

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
I want to run in a competitive marathon, which I still haven’t done.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
I don’t watch sports at all. If a game is on TV, I’m not even in a chair. I’m outside doing something else.

Nick Sanders

Age: 36
Occupation: Owner, TXK Technology and Avashare Audio/Video Integration

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
My wife thinks I’m a hot husband because of my commitment to my family and the time I spend donating to non profits.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I can do magic tricks. Just card tricks and simple magic tricks for the kids.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
I like how centrally located it is. You can have a smaller town feel but we’re still close to St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Memphis. Local hospitality, too. People are generally nice.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would’ve liked to have owned an apple orchard. A simple life; it would’ve been pretty peaceful. You can see the results of your works.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
There are a lot of people that have a lot of needs. Before you get involved in on profits, you lump things together. But when you start getting involved, there are more special interest groups than you can even imagine.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
We met in junior high. She says she fell in love with me then, but we didn’t start dating until college. I went to University of Arkansas and she went to Baylor. That was probably around the time that I realized I didn’t want to be away from her.

What are you most proud of?
My kids. I have eight-year-old triplets: Calvin, Sophia and Isabella.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I wish I would’ve studied harder in school. I wish I would’ve stopped exercising when I got out of college. It’s easier to lose weight when you’re young.

What compliment do you receive most often?
Maybe that I’m friendly, funny. I’m willing to engage people, so I’ll talk to them and get to know them.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
In graduate school, one of my role models was Dr. Billy Sharp. He recently passed away, and he showed me the benefit of giving back. Giving without wanting anything in return. He was truly genuine in his giving.

What do you do to stay fit?
I like to ride my bike, run and swim.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
It makes my wife and kids hapy.

What are your hobbies?
Auctioneering. I’ve been doing auctions for non profits for 15 years.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Everybody can see that an average guy can win, too.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Probably a professional athlete. I had dream so of being a football star.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Surviving triplets. It’s a lot of work from no kids to three kids, but it’s also extremely rewarding and fun.

What is your biggest fear?
Being found out that maybe I just don’t know that much. A lot of times we try and act like we know a lot, but sometimes you’re not quite as smart as you think you are or present yourself to be.

Three words that describe you?
Friendly, outgoing, enthusiastic.

What motivates you?
Probably debt. And my family, too.

What’s your best trait?
I’m relatively adaptable. I can be put in a lot of different situations and be okay.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Bungee jump 200 feet off a crane connected only by my feet. It was in Springfield, behind Cartoon’s.

What’s your dream vacation?
To tour Europe like the Griswolds.

What’s your dream car?
I’m pretty happy with my 1999 Yukon Denali. I’m not really a car guy.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Three point seven minutes. Brush my teeth, run water through my hair and I’m ready to go.

Who is your (old) or current celebrity crush?
Natalie Wood. She’s very pretty, she can sing, very talented. I loved her in West Side Story.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Bill Gates.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The Arkansas Razorbacks.

Juris Simanis

Age: 39
Occupation: Doctor of sports medicine/family practice

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
Because my baby says so.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I can make a mean beer-battered bratwurst.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
I love the things I can do here: cycling, sports, the quiet atmosphere. But then there’s so much to do in Springfield. You get the best of both worlds.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I probably would’ve gone into teaching sciences or biology. Or a musician, even though I can’t sing.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
You just realize that everyone experiences injuries. You feel closer to the community you work with because it’s common. The more I get involved, I realize you can make a difference and affect the community health.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
It was love at first sight. We met by match.com. We spoke on the phone for qhite a while for a month. When we met in Bolivar, she got out of the car. I looked her in her eyes and knew she was the one about a year ago.

What are you most proud of?
My ability working with patients, particularly in athletes. I’ve become adept at understanding people and seeing their perspective, which makes a big difference in how I approach patients. I’m good at communicating that and putting it into a perspective they’ll understand.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I’ve always followed my instinct, and it’s gotten me where I am. Even though things don’t turn out the way you thought they would, I’ve never really look back and thought “what if.” Seize each opportunity and make the most of it. I try to remain open to possibilities.

What compliment do you receive most often?
Porbably my eyes. They’re very blue, and probably the first thing people notice.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My best friend, Evan Brown. [I’ve] known him since we were in preschool. I love his honesty, the ways he takes responsibility and owns up to things. My father, too, because he’s also a physician. I’ve seen the dedication he has toward what he does.

What do you do to stay fit?
Because I have a knee injury, I do a lot of cycling with the Springfield Bike Club. I’m on the ski patrol in St. Louis, so I do that in the winter. I also used to play competitive tennis, and I lift a lot.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
I am flattered by the fact that I’ve been recognized. My wife sees that in me, and it’s her way of complimenting me. A lot of people say I’m charming, which might play a role in that.

What are your hobbies?
Gardening and landscaping. I love to sail and, of course, sports. I also love to play the guitar, but I don’t have much time for it. I love to go to concerts and read and take part in community events.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Working in sports medicine, my background as a competitive athlete helps me understand my patients. Smaller places don’t typically have sports medicine–trained physicians. Getting my name out there lets the community know there’s another resource in the area, so I can help them do what they do.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
The first thing I wanted to be an architect, and then I was into marine biology and astrophysics. Somehow I ended up in medicine.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
I was in the Peace Corp. and lived overseas. I feel like I’ve had a positive impact on other lives. Also, taking care of athletes who have gone on to continue their sport.

What is your biggest fear?
I cannot watch horror movies.

Three words that describe you?
Excited, energetic, ready.

What motivates you?
I’m a half-glass-full type person. I love what I do, which motivates me for anything. The love I have for my wife. I get excited about our future plans and being together.

What’s your best trait?
I’m empathetic. With patients and anyone. I try to listen to their perspective. Even though I don’t have the same experiences, I try and reach out and understand their point of view.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Hiking in Nepal by myself. It was with the Peace Corp. the images and feelings were overwhelming—it’s hard to relay in words.

What’s your dream car?
I own a Honda 1997 CR-V right now. Anything above that is a dream car.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I’m pretty quick. It takes about 30 minutes, and I’m out the door. You learn to get ready quickly when you’re on call. And shorter hair has solved a lot of my problems.

What’s your dream vacation?
I would love to take a month or a few weeks and visit different areas. Going back to Nepal, visiting the mountains, the Buddhist temples, diving in the Great Barrier Reef, keep going around the globe and picking spots along the way.

Who is your (old) or current celebrity crush?
It would be a combination of Valerie Bertenelli and Catherine Zeta-Jones. My wife gets told that she looks like both of them, so I’ve got the best of both worlds.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Maybe Donald Trump. Not for looks though. Maybe Brad Pitt’s looks and Donald Trump’s financial acumen.

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
I love my job, met my dream wife. I don’t know if I need to fulfill any other goals. I try to live in the moment.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
That’s easy. Either the Boston Red Sox or the Pittsburgh Steelers. And right now, the Tour de France.

Robert Steele

Age: 41
Occupation: Pediatrician

Why do you think you’re a hot husband?
I’m a hot husband because my wife thinks so. I do everything I can to make myself as hot for her as I can.

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I can do a standing backflip. I used to be a gymnast. As the years go on, it gets a little lower, and I need more recovery time.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
It’s a great place to raise a family. The community tends to be very family oriented, and the park system is great.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I would own an auto restoration shop and do the work myself.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
It has widened my understanding of all the great people who are in this town trying to do good things. Most of my stuff is with non profits, and there are so many in this town. Getting to know these people is a fantastic experience.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
It was sitting in a Burger King parking lot sharing Diet Cokes. We were just hanging out, and it was a mutual thing. I think we both came to the same conclusion. I asked her to marry me in that same Burger King drive-through. After I proposed, I even asked the Burger King employee to take a picture [out of the drive-through window].

What are you most proud of?
I try not to be more prideful, but I’m most proud of excelling in my profession.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I would have been more hopeful knowing that I was going to end up with my wife.

What compliment do you receive most often?
That I’m fun to be around. I tend to be the fun guy at a party.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My dad was my biggest role model. He’s the most unselfish person I know. There are a couple of med school professors that taught me some good lessons about life, so I looked up to them a lot.

What do you do to stay fit?
My wife and I work out each night after the kdis go to bed. We’re TiVo fanatics, so I ride my bike and she runs on the treadmill while watching reality TV.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
To give my wife independent confirmation that she made the right choice.

What are your hobbies?
Working on my 1979 International Scout 2. It’s an SUV, and I’ve restored it to look just like the one I drove when I was 16.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
It might earn me an extra massage from my wife.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be an oceanographer like Jacques Costeau.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
The work that I do as the chairman for the advisory committee on childhood immunization for the state of Missouri. We set policy for vaccination requirements and education. It’s a way to prevent disease.

What is your biggest fear?
Our oldest son is 16, and he’s a new driver. I’m not sure that if I’m fearful for him or everyone else on the road.

Three words that describe you?
Fun-loving, passionate, mildly obnoxious

What motivates you?
The opportunity to accomplish something big. It could be anything. A fantastic date with my wife or some major community initiative that would dramatically improve my health. I like to effect change.

What’s your best trait?
I warm up to people quickly.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
I jumped off an 80-foot cliff into the water at a rock quarry in Arkansas.

What’s your dream vacation?
A week on an exotic beach with no children. Just me and my wife.

What’s your dream car?
I’m driving it. My 1979 International Scout 2.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I have to eat a big breakfast, so I get up early specifically to eat breakfast. All together, it takes about an hour.

Who is your (old) or current celebrity crush?
Growing up, Olivia Newton John. I’m definitely going to get heckled for that.

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Grant Wistrom. I’ve even got a man crush on him.

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
My goals change sometimes, but I think my latest one is I’d like to get my MBA.

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The New Orleans Saints. I was born there, and my parents and sister live there. I’ve been a Saints fan since before it was cool to be a Saints fan. Although I don’t know if it’s even cool now to be a Saints fan.

Grant Wistrom

Age: 32
Occupation: Co-owner of Prudential Grand Lake Wistrom Realty on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma; Former Rams and Seahawks NFL player

Do you have any secret/obscure talents?
I have an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

What’s your favorite thing about southwest Missouri?
Without a doubt, it’s the people.

If you didn’t become a _____, what would you have chosen/done?
I already had the coolest job in the world. I got to play professional football for nine years.

How has community involvement shaped your perspectives?
For both my wife and I, having our foundation and working with kids with cancer, it really makes you appreciate every day you have on this earth and makes you want to take nothing for granted.

When did you realize you loved your wife?
That happened long before we ever started dating. I just knew that there was something different about her from the first time we met.

Why do you think you deserve to be a hot husband?
I’ve looked at the pictures of everyone on the list, and I don’t think that any of us deserve to be hot husbands. The people of 417 [-land] must have really bad eyesight.

What are you most proud of?
Either my children or our foundation that we run, the Grant Wistrom Family Foundation. We’ve been in existence for eight years now. We do fun and recreational activities to get children affected with cancer out of the hospital and get them out into the world to be children that they are.

If given the chance, what would you do over?
I probably wouldn’t wait so long to ask my wife to marry me.

What compliment do you receive most often?
People enjoy the way that I played football, how hard that I played when I did play.

Who are/were your role models, and why?
My parents were my first role models because of the work ethic they instilled in me and values they instilled in me that I feel that are lacking in a large part of society today. I know that, without my parents, I wouldn’t near be the man that I am today.

What do you do to stay fit?
My wife and I workout together just about every day. We do cross fit training at CrossFit-Springfield.

Why do you want to be a hot husband?
To help promote our foundation and the work that we are trying to do in the Springfield community.

What are your hobbies?
I like to hunt, I like to surf, play volleyball… I’ve recently gotten into gardening, and I just really enjoy spending time with my family.

What good can come out of you being a hot husband?
Promoting my foundation and getting exposure for it.

As a kid, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a killer whale trainer at Sea World.

What would you call your biggest accomplishment?
Making it to the NFL and the platform it gave me to start my foundation.

What is your biggest fear?
That something would ever happen to one of my kids, probably.

What are three words that describe you?
Fun, determined and content.

What motivates you?
The fear of failure

What would you say is your best trait?
Mental toughness

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Real estate investments in Mexico

What’s your dream vacation?
I get to do it every year. My family and I, we have a place in Hawaii, and we go spend time together every year over there.

What’s your dream car?
My motorcycle, a 1998 Harley that I customized

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Hmm… 15 minutes? And that’s when I’m trying to look nice. But my first stop is usually the gym, so, five minutes?

Who is your celebrity crush?
Jaime Pressley

If you could be any other man, who would your wife want you to be?
Adrian Grenier, who is Vince from Entourage

Life goal you’ve yet to achieve?
To raise two kids that are well-rounded, good humans

What’s a team that, when they’re on TV, you’re glued to your chair?
The Cornhuskers
 

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