The Mango Times

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! What would your life look like if you decided to add a little adventure? In this first episode of a new series I'm producing about Adventure, I sit down with my old friend James Estes. James has this gift for finding wonder in the ordinary—whether it’s taking a different route to work, walking his neighborhood like a tourist, or saying yes to the unknown. We t...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! What if… instead of assuming the worst, you chose to assume the best? In this episode, Fletch reflects on what it means to give others the benefit of the doubt. He welcomes his wife Kendra and their friend Lisa to talk about a very personal experience where they learned the power of giving others the benefit of the doubt — and why it’s so hard in today’s world.  Po...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Burned Out and Broken - How He Started Over After Methamphetamines. In this powerful episode, Fletch sits down with his longtime friend John Ady, who just celebrated 25 years of sobriety from methamphetamines. John shares his honest and redemptive journey from addiction to recovery and what it took to Just Start . They talk about hitting rock bottom, the people who...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Welcome to Episode 37 of theMangoTimes Podcast: Show Up - It’s the most underated Superpower! In this episode, Fletch interviews longtime friend and ultimate “shower-upper” Lisa Kjeldgaard. Based on the Fletchifesto idea that 80% of life is just showing up, this conversation dives into the power of presence and why it matters. Lisa reflects on her background, her e...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! A short porch-side bonus with wisdom, wit, and wind chimes. In this short bonus episode of theMangoTimes Podcast , Fletch hands over the mic to his 95-year-old dad for a quick round of listener-submitted questions from longtime friend Tom Slater. Pop shares his favorite Bible verse, decade, and U.S. president — plus a little wisdom for the grandkids and a few refle...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Welcome to Episode 36 of theMangoTimes Podcast: You Don’t Know Everything (And That's The Good News!) Remember that time you were absolutely certain you were right—and then turned out to be completely wrong? Yeah, me too. In this episode of theMangoTimes Podcast , we’re talking about the art of not knowing everything. It’s based on one of the most honest blog...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Northern France in what would become the largest land/sea invasion in history and a major turning point in World War II. D-Day along with Pearl Harbor days, were honored and remembered evey year in my home growning up. Today, 81 years later, I sat down with my 94-year-old father—to talk about what life was lik...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! On this episode of theMangoTimes Podcast , Fletch is joined in the studio by special guest Corey Strauss—Central Valley legend and founder of The Magic Box Players. Corey shares his journey from imaginative kid to one of the area’s most creative forces in set design, costuming, and theater arts. Together, he and Fletch dive into his latest project: a mobile theater...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Why Most of What We Fear Never Actually Happens In this solo episode of theMangoTimes , I explore a topic that can cripple us and keep us from moving forward. This isn’t a discussion about the irrational  fears of the impossible. On this episode we dive into a discussion about the fear of all things possible.  The fear of failure. The fear of what your critics may...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! This is the third in a series of conversations with my Pop.  In this episode of In the Smoke Shop with Pop , we take the conversation out of the smokeshop and onto the back porch. I sat down with my dad—94 years old, sharp as ever, and full of perspective—to talk about Words to Live By .  It’s a theme that’s more than just old sayings or clichés; it’s about what’s...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! On this episode of theMangoTimes podcast, I not only continue down the discussion of  The Fletchifesto , but I continue down a thread that’s been running through recent conversations on this podcast. First, with my dad ( In the Smoke Shop with Pop Part 1 and Part 2 ) and second with my wife Kendra ( Stop Dreaming and Start Doing ).  This time around, I chose to sit...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! We're back In the Smokeshop with Pop ! In Part 2, Pop picks up where we left off—but this time, he also takes time to answer a few questions from you , the listeners. Ever wondered how he feels about his career, the big choices he’s made in life, or what he’d pick for his last meal? He lays it all out with that signature blend of wisdom and wit that only a 95-...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Welcome to Episode 29 of theMangoTimes Podcast: Turning Dreams into Reality In this episode, I delve into the invigorating process of making your aspirations come alive. Join me as we navigate through the practical steps of transforming dreams into tangible achievements. What’s on the Agenda? A Few Updates from Mangoland : Catch up on the latest happenings, from re...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! After kicking off my return to podcasting with Episode 27—where I sat down with my son-in-law Roy Mendiola and talked about doing what you love and doing it often—I couldn’t be more excited for this next episode. Because this time, I’m sitting down with a guy who’s been around long enough to have some serious street cred… if the street was a dirt road in the 1930s....

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Four years? Has it really been four years since I last dropped an episode of theMangoTimes Podcast ? A lot has happened in that time, but we won’t cover it all in this episode. Instead, join me as I dive deeper into T he Fletchifesto and explore the idea: “Do What You Love and Do It Often.” I'm joined in the studio by my son-in-law, Roy Mendiola , as we talk a...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Life is Good. It is a popular brand of clothing, a book, a quote, and for many people it’s quite simply a way of life. I’ll be the first to admit that some optimists can be annoying. They can seem overbearing with their chronic sunshine personality. You might even think they are being fake or ignoring reality.  Bert Jacobs, founder of the Life is Good company and a...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! On this episode of theMangoTimes podcast, we dive into the simple practice of taking a walk and how that can be more than a means of transportation. What does it mean to saunter? What does it look like to slow down and consider the practice of contemplation. Listen along as Fletch invites guests  from literature and real life to help us how to discover the glory of...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! What does it look like to be curious about others? What if we chose to stop and understand why someone believes what they believe and listen to their perspective? On this episode of theMangoTimes Podcast, Fletch dives into another belief of the Fletchifesto and shares what it means to him to live with an open mind and an open heart. Will we change who we are? Will...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! On this episode, we continue our series called “Discover” where we dig deep and ask ourselves  where we find the glory of God in the world around us.  Join Fletch as he “virtually” sits down with Ben Kenoyer, the owner and coffee roaster at Revive Coffee Roasters to find the glory of God in roasting coffee. But wait, it turns out that Ben doesn’t want to just roast...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! The 2020 holiday season has arrived. For many of us, that means great meals and great family conversations around our dinner tables. For others, Thanksgiving and Christmas are difficult holidays filled with  tough relationships and forced interactions with tricky family members. I remember a wise man who once told me, “You know Fletch, there are those you love and...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Three months since the last episode of theMangoTimes podcast? It was time for Fletch to jump back behind his microphone for another edition of the podcast. What happens when you realize you may have been wrong? What does it look like to open your mind and heart to the other side and see the world from their perspective? On this episode, of theMangoTimes podcast, Fl...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! 2020 came in like a hurricane. A global pandemic. New discussions, community divisions and national debates about racial imbalance and privilege. All of this pointing to the fragility of our discourse with one another. What does it look like to enjoy the journey in the middle of hurricane season? At the same time, what does it look like to live a life of contentmen...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Join Fletch and his childhood friend and birder, Tom Slater, as they discuss birding and how the glory of God is on display in creation and nature. Music by Jimmy Buffett: Summerzcool Clip from The Big Year: The Big Year Support the show

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Some of us are going stir crazy. Some of us have burrowed into a new normal. What happens when society opens back up and we all return back to normal”? Is there a “new normal” and how do we respond? After sheltering in place for the past two months, Fletch is returning to work. Is he excited? Is he hesitant? Tune into this episode and join the discussion about the...

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Pipe Smoking Support the show