B Inspired

Amy Muzopappa's photo on Facebook that showcased a stance during her First Place routine demonstrating Forms in a Bucks County Marital Arts Tournament inspired this episode. After turning 50, Amy decided she was going to follow the advice from Shawshank Redemption to "get busy living" in her "fight" with an autoimmune condition. She signed up to learn martial arts, and she...

I had to "surprise" Lesley Misko during one of The Boyertown Area Expression's executive committee meetings--a.k.a. one of our "gab" sessions over lunch--by quickly pushing the "record" button before she could object. She's been shyly, slyly avoiding being the subject of a "B Inspired" conversation. But, we did it and had a good time exploring the mi...

"B Inspired" offers a New Year's Special! Ross (Yergz) Yerger and I recorded a "Both Sides Now" episode when he came back to Boyertown to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. I recorded it as a bonus episode on "B Inspired" thinking to give my listeners a "taste" of our new-ish podcast! Technical difficulties occurred and the episode is recorded in th...

In case you missed it, we're offering this episode about mural artist Chris B. Murray as an encore presentation. In under three weeks, mural artist Chris spray painted his colorful and whimsical design "A Better Bear" onto the west side of Boyertown, PA's Rita’s Water Ice building. Chris never made a "Plan B," so making a living for himself and his family as an artist--...

Greg Schweitzer has been a teacher of stress reduction techniques for over 30 years. Under the clinical direction of Deepak Chopra, endorsed by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, with celebrity clients Barbra Streisand and George Harrison and corporate clients including GPU Energy, J.C. Ehrlich Pest Control, Godiva Chocolatier, Air Products and Chemicals, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center, his Effortless Medi...

Mary Anne Abdo's start as a writer began as an eighth grade student assigned to write about her "roots." In discovering the hardships of her ancestors, her journey to assist today's women in struggles through domestic violence, abandonment, and homelessness has culminated in her first book of poetry titled "Fractured Lollipop."

Ross (Yergz) Yerger and Jane took advantage of his visit to family over Thanksgiving to record a "B Inspired" episode face-to-face. The episode provides a taste of the energy, content, and tone of the podcast they created together recently titled "Both Sides Now" that can be found on yergz.com along with his podcast "Up the Middle" and his Monday-Friday LIVE radio sho...

Randy Renninger, BASH grad Class of 2014, is passionate about his work involving graphic design and planning events to bring video game players together face-to-face as a way to provide another team sport that can include everybody. He is happy in his hometown but connects with his partner and tons of players of all ages through his phone. Playing games is a lucrative business these days. Who knew...

Eileen Dautrich, president of TriCounty Chamber of Commerce, and I have known each other for decades without realizing that we've known one another for decades longer. Connecting people and services builds long-term relationships that benefit businesses and communities.

Marky Barto comes to us from the Czech Republic, bringing the centuries-old classical painting style to Berks County as apprentice to her instructor, fine artist Eric Armusik. She recounts her artistic journey-- influences from her childhood, education, career paths, and serendipitous encounters--that landed her in the U.S. following her love of art as an emerging and award-winning artist with her...

Doug Nestler had a vision and a lifetime dream of bringing the worlds of guitars and visual art together in a space where creativity blossoms. His new business--Crossroads--is a beautifully renovated space where students of all ages can learn to play instruments--guitar, ukulele, and piano for now--with other options to come; participate in workshops; stage a performance; purchase musical instrume...

While Barby Bonnett knew that creating art was her destiny and that Moore College of Art would prepare her, she wasn't sure if she would be able to make a living at it. Where she found her art was in creating pastry that is not only mouth watering but also visually delightful. And while she knew early on that animals needed protection, not as part of her diet, she didn't know that her love...

Pastor Dave Bitler of St. John Hill asks, “Does Your Tattoo Have a Story?” And then he listens carefully to folks eager to tell the secrets of their soul. “Stories are important,” he offers; “it’s where lives intersect with Jesus. And that’s the point of evangelism—giving meaning to communion.” Approaching people who are often shunned because of their body art has changed Dave's ministry--from...

In our third "B Inspired" episode, Joe shares the multiple meanings behind his art as expression as man's necessity for survival and especially his current series that contains elements from cave art and native cultures. Always a fascinating interview, Joe's knowledge of spiritual matters that comes largely from his wide reading and life experiences--first as a cult member and th...

Rachel Trettin, owner of The Gilbertsville Farm, admits that she’s no farmer; however, she is an impressive, self-educated young entrepreneur who runs a 5-acre high-tech farm maze on County Line Road, Gilbertsville, each September through December. Her father created the second corn maze in the country, and when she was 6 years old, knew that she wanted to run her own corn maze someday. And, at 31...

Assemblage artist Bob Hakun has always enjoyed creating things using a variety of techniques to turn found objects into art. After the fabricators of Halloween masks moved to China, he turned his creativity into graphic design. Missing the art involved in working with his hands, he has become known for his multi-themed assemblages in rust.

Awarded “Best in Show”…again…at Studio B’s exhibit “What Inspires YOU?” native New Yorker and graduate from Fordham University with a degree in psychology followed by several years studying at the School of Visual Arts, Jim Meehan’s mission is to be obscure, to retain a bit of mystery. An admirer of the surrealist painters, he draws “from his head”—as if he’s explaining something to himself, “work...

Frank Morgan recalls the long hours over 5 years he spent committed to building his new business, caring for his twin daughters, and serving the people and organizations within the Boyertown Area School District. He offers tips and advice for entrepreneurs and some insights about the mission and events of Berks-Mont Business Association, an organization he was happy to lead during its re-invention...

This episode introduces “Working Together,” a Therapeutic Community Rehabilitation Project, on the 120-acre grounds of the former Fellowship Farm, with a mission to help homeless, addicted, or incarcerated individuals—many who have often been physically, mentally, and sexually abused—but desire for a “hand up, not a hand-out.” The conversation centers around founding father and executive director...

“B Inspired” enjoyed its annual conversation with poet John Yamrus, considered to be a master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry. Poetry demands few words; and in few words John’s poems shine a light on the tiny moments that people ignore until they’re gone.  Our conversation included an update: his latest book  Twenty-four Poems  is available on Amazon. He shared that he’s celebratin...

Ready, Set, Walk…and Read! “B Inspired” podcast met with Sairra Cloen, Boyertown Community staff member; Lindsey Mason, former director of the Boyertown Community Library; and Barbara Kreisler, volunteer, to celebrate a dream they’ve had for years: the establishment of a permanent StoryWalk® in the Boyertown Community Park. Families can now enjoy stories in the park every day—not just Wednesdays i...

Ready, Set, Walk…and Read!“ B Inspired” podcast met with Sairra Cloen, Boyertown Community staff member; Lindsey Mason, former director of the Boyertown Community Library; and Barbara Kreisler, volunteer, to celebrate a dream they’ve had for years: the establishment of a permanent StoryWalk® in the Boyertown Community Park. Families can now enjoy stories in the park every day—not just Wednesdays i...

The “B Inspired” podcast features fellow retired educator, BASH graduate, Class of ’87, John Owen Davis who looks forward to a new career where he’ll use the people skills he honed as band director intent on building within his classroom a culture of “unrelenting kindness” where his students knew that, above all, he wanted them to be good people. John’s “been around” throughout his career—Pennsylv...

Yergz's resumé makes my head spin. Retired after 21 years as a Secret Service agent, Ross Yerger reviews his journey in this extra-long episode that took him out of small-town life into the big leagues in sports and protection services before "coming out" that has led him back into journalism. Finding his way "Up The Middle" in his podcast, Ross is eager to share his experi...

Studio B's 2023 juror Susan LeClaire named Phil Repko's poems as "Best in Show" in Studio B's 10th anthology of poetry, prose, and art "Legacy: Remembrance Matters." Again. And so, award-winner that he is, while "B Inspired" has enjoyed conversation with Phil previously, because Phil was The Teacher of poetry I wanted my own children to experience, I knew...