Why Am I Podcast

Imagine if you will having 60 minutes to free a hostage or perhaps to interrogate the suspect. Your heart is racing, you start sweating...your body is flooding you with adrenalin. Now take a step back and remember that you are in the Boom Room experience created by Joe Lawther. This series of unique experiences are designed to help you learn to think clearly under pressure by the only means that a...

What happens when a fantasy meal is built from Amazon coconuts, Himalayan survival snow, train-station samosas, and pumpkin pie blessed by the gods? Ryan Estrada brings wild travel stories, near-death meals, and unforgettable bites to the Fantasy Restaurant. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did :)Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind...

A man with a 1920s typewriter writes poems for strangers on the spot, and sometimes changes their lives. In this episode of Why Am I, Sean Petrie shares how Typewriter Rodeo turns fleeting moments into something people carry forever. Sean came along right when I need him, and who knows, maybe it'll be right in time for you.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations...

In the warmup for the Why Am I Podcast, the Fantasy Restaurant, anything goes. Fatal1ty builds his ultimate meal, from a vodka soda lime to a filet with a serious green bean backstory. Help us find the perfect beans LOL.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials here: www.twitch.tv/fatal...

What happens when “anything goes” in a fantasy meal? Ken builds a menu of coconut seltzer, calamari, grilled fish, and a perfectly balanced dessert—while casually revealing he’d eat almost anything. This one gets unexpectedly philosophical (and hungry).🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their...

What happens when a bug cookbook author builds their dream meal? It gets weird in the best way. From camp-style “bug juice” to grasshopper appetizers and a surprisingly relatable lobster debate, this Fantasy Restaurant goes places.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials here: http://d...

A sweet tea start, a nerdy old fashioned debate, and a main course straight out of fantasy lore. In this episode of Fantasy Restaurant, Colton builds a meal that somehow goes from Southern comfort to mythical creatures without missing a beat. 🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials he...

What happens when grief turns into a mission to make the world kinder? In this episode of Why Am I, I talk with writer, filmmaker, and pie maker Beth Howard about losing her husband, traveling the world with pie, running a pie stand at the real American Gothic House, and why sharing something simple can bring people together. It’s a conversation about grief, connection, and the surprising power of...

What does it take to draw a revolver and hit a target in under half a second? In this episode of Why Am I, I talk with Cal, better known in the sport as “Quick Cal.” He’s been competing in fast draw shooting since the 1960s, winning world championships and helping build a sport where competitors in western gear race to quick-draw and fire wax bullets in less than half a second. We talk about react...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Elizabeth Bromstein, a writer, marketer, perfumer, and tarot reader who made a late-career pivot after realizing the old path wasn’t sustainable anymore. We talk about identity in midlife, ego checks, career humiliation, addiction, skepticism, belief vs. disbelief, behavioral psychology, AI anxiety, and why tarot might be less about divination and more...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Dee Parson, also known as Supr Dee; a syndicated newspaper cartoonist and the creator of Rosebuds. We explore his experience growing up as the only Black family in a sundown town, losing his father at a young age, and learning to read through Garfield. Art became both refuge and identity, and over time, it became purpose. Dee shares how he went from dra...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Liz Thorpe; author, educator, former Murray’s Cheese leader, and one of the most respected voices in American cheese. From eating progressively stinkier cheeses on Epicurious to helping shape the future of American dairy producers, Liz has turned her love language, food, into a career spanning books, television, consulting, and global travel. We talk ab...

Ryan Estrada has been homeless in a typhoon, thrown off a moving train by police, almost eaten by lions, and banned in multiple U.S. states, and somehow came out of all of it more optimistic than most people. In this episode of Why Am I?, Ryan traces how growing up anxious led him to deliberately chase discomfort: moving to a new country every year, embracing failure as fuel, and turning everythin...

In this episode of Why Am I, Greg Soul sits down with Fatal1ty, one of the original professional gamers and a true pioneer of competitive FPS. From hustling pool halls at 12 years old to winning world championships across Quake, Unreal Tournament, Painkiller, and more, Fatal1ty breaks down the mindset, pressure, discipline, and obsession required to stay on top. This conversation goes far beyond g...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with artist and musician Ken Butler, a Brooklyn-based creator who has spent decades building musical instruments from found objects and refusing to compromise; either artistically or personally. We talk about what it means to live as both an artist and a musician, how a strong sense of self can be a survival tool, and why Ken believes it’s essential not to l...

In this episode of Why Am I, Greg sits down with writer, naturalist, and professional curiosity chaser David George Gordon; a man whose life has included capturing giant octopuses, writing field manuals on Sasquatch, playing harmonica on street corners, and teaching people how to eat bugs. From the rise and fall of magazine writing, to cooking insects on national TV, to the mystery of cryptids and...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Colton Holder, Director of Operations for the Arkansas Renaissance Festival. Colton’s path took him from theater kid, to soul-crushing sales job, to unexpectedly helping build a Renaissance Festival from the ground up. We talk about identity, performance, community, finding your people, and why giving adults permission to play might be more important th...

Just a quick thank you for everyone listening and a wrap up for the year! Find more info at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://whyamipod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Step inside The Fantasy Restaurant as Nancy Beverly joins me to build her dream meal. From the atmosphere to the first sip, she crafts a dinner that’s simple, personal, and surprisingly charming. We talk about childhood favorites, homemade touches, and the joy of keeping things unfussy.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Pl...

In this Fantasy Restaurant episode, Brian takes his time building a thoughtful meal, choosing dishes that each have personal meaning or a story behind them. We talk through why certain foods stuck with him, what makes a dish “right” in his mind, and the small details that shape how he enjoys a meal.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind t...

Award-winning writer, photographer, and explorer Nancy Beverly joins Greg to talk about creativity, collaboration, and the joy of exploration; from the hiking trails of California to the writer’s room in Hollywood. They discuss playwriting, community, nature, feedback, and even how aliens might communicate through art.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chas...

Former jewel thief Bryan Sobolewski committed over 20 robberies alongside his father and brother. In this episode of Why Am I, we dig deep into what pushed him to that life—and what brought him back. From his chaotic childhood to finding redemption through comedy and nonprofit work, Bryan shares a brutally honest and surprisingly funny look at guilt, change, and the choices that shape us. We also...

I head into the piney woods of East Texas for a family reunion… held in a cemetery. Since the mid-1800s, families have gathered at Antioch Cemetery on the third Sunday in October to argue about upkeep, share a potluck, and remember. My Uncle Bobby walks me through headstones, East Texas sawmill history, dry-county bootlegging, Civil War migrations from Alabama to Texas, faith, forgiveness, and wha...

Step into the Fantasy Restaurant with Ben E. Wood, where the menu is fueled by nostalgia and imagination. From banana milkshakes the size of his head to crispy chicken wing triangles, Ben’s meal is equal parts comfort food and childhood memory. Add in diner all-day breakfast, a “cheese number,” and a mountainous banana cream pie for dessert, and you’ve got a one-of-a-kind feast. 🔗 Don’t forget to...

Step into the world of pinball like you’ve never seen it. David van Es blends his lifelong love of movies, pinball, and film production into immersive machines that let you live inside your favorite stories. From Star Wars to Labyrinth to Dune, David shares how pinball can become more than a game—it’s a way to connect, imagine, and build community. 🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe f...