Fat Kid Podcast

Jodi has one of the coolest jobs out there!  She works with Gorillas!  Well, not just gorillas but all things primate at the Zoo Atlanta! "Jodi has been working with primates for over 19 years, most of them at Zoo Atlanta, with a keen interest in western lowland gorillas. Before joining Zoo Atlanta, she worked with primates at Zoo Miami and the Pittsburgh Zoo. Jodi is a member of the Gorilla...

Toby Weaver spends his life in the woods; we should all be jealous of him! As the owner of Antler Canyon Outfitters , he provides a very special experience to hunters worldwide.  While his job is being in the field, spotting game, and putting his clients in the right position, he can only lead a horse to water.  No matter your weapon type, seeing an elk on the landscape will elevate your heart rat...

Eric Malzone is very easy to talk to, probably because he is a podcast host himself or maybe because he is just a genuine guy!   The "Future of Fitness Podcast" has been running for the last 4+ years, and is one of the top fitness and health podcasts today! Eric covers everything, and I mean everything in the very fast-moving industry of health and fitness! Via in-depth interviews with f...

Crazy Lucchesi is her Instagram handle. She's far from crazy, but she for sure is a beast on and off the field!   Daria Lucchesi is a former JMU Women's Lacrosse National Champion! You heard that right, National Champion!  She and her team also won two CAA titles in her tenure, and she's got the rings to prove it! To say that JMU lacrosse is a top-performing program is an understate...

Check out this inspiring interview with Jessica Sikora, founder of the non-profit Superbands! Jessica's passion for music and mental health advocacy has led her to create a platform that connects teens and young people with their favorite artists while also providing mental health resources and support. Through her own struggles with mental health, Jessica turned her passion for music into po...

Pat is a lifelong friend.  He is also a husband, business leader, and father to three beautiful children.  Two of which reside only in their family's hearts and memories. Tragedy struck the Schoennagel's lives not once, but twice, and sadly claimed the lives of two of their beautiful children. While this story is hard to listen to, it also has a silver lining. Pat, his wife Melissa, and...

Jacqueline M. Baker is the author of The Unexpected Leader . She is also the founder of a consultancy Scarlet , whose mission is to focus on and teach "Timeless modern leadership guidance for your career, home, and life".  Her career and life have taken many twists and turns over the years, but in her words, she is "always wide open to new opportunities"!  Being open to new ide...

Matt Thomann of Mental Mettle is a former Athletic Director turned into a sports/mental/life performance coach. Beyond that, he is a father, husband and friend. Matt had a unique and challenging life experience. After getting diagnosed with testicular cancer and having surgery to treat it, he suffered an ischemic stroke. Leaving him to relearn how to cognate, talk, and regain every faculty that no...

Damien is a friend I met through lacrosse.  While not being a Dad, Damien and his company help people live better lives through financial planning!  He is always his authentic self but continues to look for ways in his life to mentor and be mentored. Listen in as we discuss: Parenting His weight loss journey, losing over 50 lbs Keeping up with fitness and diet as a busy adult Finances, when and ho...

Remember when you thought to yourself, "Is this what I am going to do for the rest of my life?"  I do! No, it wasn't a "take this job and shove it" type of feeling, but more of a longing to do something different, a calling if you will.  Something that held a higher personal connection to an internal sense of spirit... There are a lot of reasons why people do or do not mak...

Curt has been a staple of JMU athletics since 1988!  He bleeds Purple and Gold! He has been around sports his entire life, and it shows through his work with the University as well as the Harrisonburg Turks, a summer collegiate baseball league. Curt has taken traditional media outlets and grown with them over time!  As a true innovator in the world of broadcasting, Curt has the ability to see all...

Meet my friend Lucine. She is awesome!  As a self-described "Fiercely Friendly" person, she has paved her path on her terms. Initially following the conventional path, she saw success in many different avenues of her life, but it wasn't what she wanted to do. So, she changed her plans! Listen in as we talk about: Being a Mom and having the confidence to  find your path Entrepreneuri...

Jason Khalipa is a whirl wind of a guy!  If he's not moving there's a problem, or at least that’s the way it seems!  He is either working on or has figured out ways to show up in almost every facet of his life.  A father, husband, businessman, athlete and more! By approaching every day with the AMRAP mentality (As Many Reps As Possible) it forces him to focus on the moment, whatever that...

Casey Kroll has a unique story, probably one that has never been told before. Heading into JMU, Casey was a tall "skinny" tight end. Once on campus, they turned his large frame into a Big Man upfront. In other words, offensive lineman! That’s not the unique part. In fact that happens alot!    During his tenure at JMU, Casey played a big role in the 2016 JMU National Championship under Co...

Michael's last bad day was in 2001, when he was hit head-on by a Ford Explorer going 40 miles an hour while biking toward the vehicle. While time slowed down in his mind, it did not slow down enough for him to avoid the collision. After many rounds of surgery and months of recovery, he was told that he would never live the same life he had before. Walking, talking, and returning to normalcy w...

The infamous Johnny Cash song states, "I've been everywhere, man..." Well, so has John Defilippo.  Finishing up his 17th season of coaching professional football, it doesn't look like he is ready to stop any time soon!  As current Head Coach for the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL, he led the team to a 7-3 season this past spring! "Flip" is no stranger to success! He...

Coach Catherine Wille is retiring. She will be sorely missed, but she has left her mark on the Sparta Women's basketball program, and in better shape than she found it!  Coach Wille cares about her players' well-being and the team's mentality takes priority over anything else.  As a lifetime educator and coach, she has guided hundreds of kids on their athletic and academic pursuits,...

Grant Parr is a Mental Sports Performace coach. Grant's company, Game Face Performance , helps mainly athletes and top-level performers cope with the rigors of success! His podcast, 90% Mental , and his book, Next One Up Mindset , have been part of his secret sauce!  As the other part of his secret sauce, Grant's lived experience of having his hip replaced twice before age 40 left him cr...

Dave was born with Cerebral Palsy. Dave has had to overcome obstacles pretty much every day of his life! I describe him as the guy who always wanted to play sports but couldn't, at least not to a high degree.  At a young age, Dave decided to try to gravitate towards a positive attitude towards his CP diagnosis.   He was the equipment manager and number one cheerleader for Wyomissing Highschoo...

Leslie is a leader of people and companies. She has learned to lead through humility and grace, but it wasn't always that way.  Early in her career, she subscribed to the notion that she had something to prove and felt compelled to act that way. Sometimes even being perceived as a complete hardass. As a female leader in a male-dominated industry, she certainly had to climb many mountains to g...

Meet Leka Fineman a 56-year-old Masters athlete, despite her still struggling to identify as an athlete! Picking up a barbell for the first time at 40, she has set her sights on winning the Crossfit Games!  In her upcoming 5th appearance as a Crossfit Games athlete, she finished as high as 5th in previous showings, but is determined to win it all this year! In between EMOMS and AMRAPS which probab...

Meet Frank Vitolo. Father, Lawyer, comedic MC, former rapper and board member of Morris Arts!    I had the opportunity to meet Frank at Morris Arts 50th Anniversary Gala titled "Great Conversations".    Morris Arts is a nonprofit organization that serves the Morris County NJ areas in many ways, but mainly involving the advancement of "Arts" in many forms. Painting, dance, music...

Meet the fabulous Joanna Bloor. With a list of accomplishments 1.5 miles long, Joanna Bloor is no stranger to hard work!  Her approach is quite different, but nothing short of awesome!  Former TED speaker, corporate executive and most recently career transformation guru. Joanna essentially helps people figure out and implement how to tell the story of "YOU".  Her new book "Tales of...

Chris Romulo was born in Queens, not exactly the easiest of areas to grow up. He found his way into Muay Thai kickboxing simply because he got into a street fight, and ended up with a shattered eye socket, a broken nose and a bruised spirit. He didn't want to be afraid anymore. Romulo began his amateur career 1996 at age 21 . In 2003, Romulo began training under Jason Strout . That same year,...

Jim Minton is the author of a book titled "Just Call me Dad".  He wrote the book using quotes, snippets and blog articles that he had written in order to help him self become a better father to his kids!  Listen in as Jim and I disscuss parenting, faith, and a whole lot more!  Two of my favorite things that came out of this conversation were: "Your kids are already going to find bad...