In Good Company with Mike Thomas

In this episode of In Good Company , Mike sits down with Steve Shortino, founder of iSmash, a family entertainment brand known for its rage rooms, blacklight paint splatter rooms, axe throwing, and immersive experiences. What started as an unconventional idea has grown into a rapidly expanding franchise business with locations across the country and hundreds of future locations committed. Steve sh...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Giuliana Calascibetta, a Rochester native, pizza personality, Twitch streamer, creator and self-proclaimed “life sharer” who has built an unconventional career around family, creativity and connecting with people. Giuliana shares the story behind growing up in her family’s pizzeria, discovering her love for performing and creating, and eventu...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Ryan Wilson, better known around Rochester as Dodgy Dines, a food reviewer, day trader, entrepreneur and creator who has built an unconventional path centered around freedom and doing things on his own terms. Ryan shares the story behind his journey from working as a dishwasher and quietly learning to trade to becoming a full-time day trader,...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with longtime friend and entrepreneur Ron Porter to talk about launching a business, embracing uncertainty, and why taking action is often more important than having the perfect plan. What does it take to turn a dream into reality? Ron shares his journey from growing up on a farm and working as an executive chef to becoming a business owner, husba...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Alisha Banks, a Rochester native, holistic health practitioner, coach, entrepreneur and mom who took a major leap of faith when she left her corporate career to build a business around the life she felt called to live. Alisha shares the real story behind that transition from leaving behind a stable two-income household to figuring out how to...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Rochester golfer Jackson Ormond to talk about his journey from growing up in Webster to qualifying for one of golf’s biggest stages: the U.S. Open. Jackson shares what it took to earn his spot, the whirlwind experience of competing alongside the world’s best golfers, and how the moment gave him even more confidence in his path toward playing...

In this episode, we sit down with Alana Cummings, founder of Superbloom, to talk about what it really takes to leave a successful career behind and build a life that feels aligned with who you are. From navigating the fashion industry in New York City to helping organizations create healthier workplace cultures, Alana shares how every chapter of her journey prepared her for the leap into entrepren...

In this episode, we sit down with Hope Breen, creator of ROC the city with Hope, to talk about how a passion for highlighting Rochester turned into a full-time business built on authenticity, community, and genuine connection. From being rejected by Disney four times to growing an audience of more than 70,000 followers across social media, Hope shares how every detour in her career ultimately led...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Dave Scribanni, owner of Glass Therapy Clarksville, to talk about how he's disrupting the home service industry through smart digital advertising. Dave shares why so many home service businesses struggle to grow: most owners are skilled technicians at their core but were never taught how to market themselves online. Whether you're a...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Sundi Dillon, owner of Lakeside Kangaroof, to discuss her incredible journey from banking to business ownership. What started with an unconventional interview quickly turned into an opportunity to help grow a small roofing company into a thriving business built on trust, leadership, and exceptional service. Sundi shares the lessons she's...

In this episode of In Good Company, Mike sits down with Brandon Burris, co-founder of RHM Innovations, to discuss how caring for loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired him to create a product designed to make bathing safer, more dignified, and more comfortable for older adults and their caregivers. Brandon shares the journey from PhD student to entrepreneur, including how he and his co-f...

This week on In Good Company , Mike sits down with Sheila Dunne, founder of Toggle Communications, to talk about entrepreneurship, social media, leadership, and building a business while raising a family. Growing up in Rochester as one of six kids, Sheila was surrounded by entrepreneurship early on and started pursuing business ideas long before adulthood — including co-founding an Instagram accou...

This episode of In Good Company features Anthony Tringale, the creator behind Eat Local New York — a platform dedicated to supporting local restaurants across the state. Anthony’s path didn’t start in content. Raised in Northern Kentucky and later Syracuse, he grew up serving at church and working in his family’s diner before pursuing ministry and eventually working in production roles at a mega-c...

This episode is about building a business around people. Mike sits down with Emily Martin, founder of Ally Partners, an HR consulting firm helping small businesses solve the people problems that can hold them back. Originally from Warsaw, New York, Emily’s path took her through Rochester, Syracuse, Oswego, and eventually Buffalo, a city she connects with deeply. After starting her career in HR and...

This episode is personal. On his 40th birthday, Mike sits down with his brother, Chris Thomas — someone who has quietly become the backbone of their business and a constant source of perspective, resilience, and joy. Chris was born with Apert syndrome, a rare condition that led to 24 surgeries before the age of 18. But this conversation isn’t about limitations, it’s about the life he built anyway....

Join us as we sit down with David Mammano, entrepreneur, national magazine founder, comedian, speaker, mentor, and a guy who refuses to live a predictable life. His story is anything but linear, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. David walks us through his journey from a Rochester childhood to a pre-dental major who hated teeth, to a stand-up comic in Chicago, to founding a magazine that e...

Join us as we sit down with Lindsay Connelly, founder of Linden Digital Marketing, to talk about what it really takes to build a business from the ground up while raising a family, managing a team, and serving 80+ clients at a time. We dig into how she turned a winding career path—film, finance, marketing—into a competitive advantage and why Rochester has become the perfect home base to scale some...

Join us as we sit down with Hailey Ra, whose journey from a family-run martial arts school in Rochester to building an authentic online presence and a new life in New York City is a powerful story of identity, courage, and choosing yourself even when it feels terrifying. We talk about what it’s really like to grow up in an entrepreneurial household, how her sibling dynamic unexpectedly launched he...

Join us as we sit down with Aaron Pulinski, a lifelong friend of nearly twenty years whose journey from homeschooled oldest sibling to reinventing his career in his 30s is a masterclass in identity, confidence, and choosing growth when comfort feels easier. We talk about what it really means to let go of people-pleasing, how to stop shapeshifting to fit into rooms, and why vulnerability—not perfec...

Join us as we sit down with Brother Bill, a barber turned viral Bills superfan whose humor and authenticity built a brand bigger than football. We talk about turning passion into purpose, how to build an online presence that actually feels human, and why creativity doesn’t have to die when your 9-to-5 begins. They unpack the moment that changed everything for Brother Bill, how he manages the press...

Join us as we sit down with Skinny Regis, President of Pourware Inked and proud St. John Fisher College alum, to talk about what it really takes to build a thriving business from the ground up and keep it personal while you scale. From growing up on a dairy farm to leading a company shipping custom printed drinkware to 48 states, Skinny’s story is one of resilience, risk, and relentless drive. In...

Join us as we sit down with Kyle Denhoff, a fellow St. John Fisher College alum and current leader at HubSpot, to unpack what it really takes to grow inside a global company without losing your personal touch. From his early days at a 30-person agency in Buffalo to eventually earning a spot at one of the world’s top marketing organizations, Kyle’s story is one of grit, humility, and self-belief. H...

Join us as we sit down with Kristen DeBadts, founder of www. RochesterWedding.com and Rochester Wedding Magazine, and the driving force behind some of the region’s most beloved bridal expos. What started as an internship in the early 2000s turned into a lifelong career helping couples plan their dream weddings and helping local businesses grow along the way. From navigating the ever-changing world...

Join us as we sit down with Sarah Milko, the Executive Director of AutismUp. What started as a small circle of moms navigating the challenges of autism together has grown into the largest autism support organization in Western New York. https://www.autismup.org/ Sarah shares her personal story of raising a son with autism, the early frustrations that fueled her passion, and the turning points that...

Join us as we sit down with Daniel Snead, entrepreneur and founder of Best Bet Skills Academy, a platform equipping the next generation with discipline, vision, and the tools to succeed. What started as side hustles in college and a few painful business failures has grown into a mission to help student-athletes and young leaders turn passion into purpose. Daniel’s story is a testament to staying a...