Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast

Emily Bezak’s love for writing began at a young age with journaling and storytelling. She created and maintained a freelance writing business, while she developed her corporate career as a marketer and communications professional. In 2020, Emily wrote a blog post announcing that she would soon leave her job to work full time in her own business. Early that same year, she launched Emily Bezak Write...

After a successful 30-year career at prominent local company, Jan Receski was ready for a new challenge, not an early retirement. As she was contemplating her next move, inspiration struck following a poor golf club fitting experience. Selecting and trying out new equipment should be a fun and exciting time for any golfer, yet Jan left feeling underserved, misunderstood, and slightly offended. She...

James Mauler was still early in his career when he decided to leave college and take a more hands-on approach with his education. Instead of completing a five-year degree in architecture, Jim realized that he could achieve his professional and financial goals by putting his drafting skills to work on the job. As an example, when computer-aided design (CAD) software was still in its infancy, he was...

In the beginning of his career at Net Health, Patrick Colletti was faced with an unexpected opportunity and a steep hill to climb. It was the early 2000s and the company was teetering on the edge of collapse when board members asked him and another colleague if they wanted one last shot at turning it around. With a lack of job prospects in the wake of 9/11, Patrick felt that he had nothing to lose...

Jess Iacullo started her brand, Hungry Jess Big City, as a passion project. It also served to give her a leg up on internship opportunities while she was a student at the University of Pittsburgh. Little did she know at the time but in a few short years her Instagram page would explode to over 35,000 followers. After working with a number of noteworthy media companies, such as Forbes, Business Ins...

Deep in his heart, Adam Williams always knew that he was an entrepreneur. After a relatively short stint working for others, he decided that it was time to hang his own shingle. At first, like with many startups, Adam launched his business as a side gig. But six months later, he was making more money working for himself than at his regular job, plus he had all of the gratification that came with o...

An intensive weeklong yoga teacher training in Costa Rica served as a major turning point in Dr. Shayla Cammarata’s relationship to her yoga practice. She was dealing with several very difficult circumstances in her personal and professional life, and this retreat proved to provide the breakthrough that she needed. Upon her return, she embraced yoga wholeheartedly and committed herself to the prac...

Sydney Smyers is a serial entrepreneur with three businesses under her belt. Her latest venture, The Maverick Co-Working Space, is a modern and comfortable co-working office located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. She and her husband did the bulk of the renovation work to get the location cleaned up and opened in the fall of 2021. The result is a bright, colorful, and flexible space that inspire...

Hey, everyone. Season 9 is here! It’s full of in-depth conversations and inspiring stories that I know you will enjoy. Sydney Smyers, owner of The Maverick Co-Working Space, talks about the need for co-working locations in the suburbs. Dr. Shayla Cammarata, owner of Ignite Yoga, describes the important role that yoga studios play in the community. Jess Iacullo, founder of Hungry Jess Big City, tel...

Kristen Ricupero, owner of Financial Fitness Coaching, Wendy Gilch, owner of SellingLater.com, and Jessie Tait, owner of Enspra, are my guests for this small business roundtable episode. All three of them have been on the show previously, and each contributes generously to a dynamic, relevant, and entertaining discussion. Some of the many topics we cover include lessons learned from business mista...

I’m excited to debut a new interview format that I plan to bring you periodically throughout the year. Many of you have reached out to me asking for updates on previous guests. There has also been tremendous interest in hearing from small business owners with respect to current events and topics. So, I decided to sit down with several of our very own podcast alumni to get their take on what’s happ...

I had an amazing time sharing my story on Evolution of Brand, a podcast created and hosted by Jason Cercone. People often ask me why I created the Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast. In fact, it’s one of the most frequently asked questions that I receive from listeners and guests. So, it was incredible to be able to talk with Jason in detail about my ideas and the passion that I have for my work. A...

CorEats, a packaged food company founded by Corry Smith, had its roots in her family’s health journey which began fifteen years ago. What started as a series of strange systems experienced by her eldest daughter turned into major dietary and wellness changes for everyone in the household. Replacing the standard American diet with a whole foods diet turned out to be the difference maker they were s...

Although Edgar Snyder is a Pittsburgher who needs no introduction, his personal and professional story may surprise you. In his candid conversation with me, Edgar talks about the challenges he went through and the negativity he endured as a result of doing something new and different in the legal profession. With the abundance of legal advertising today, it’s easy for us to forget just how unique...

Hello, Pittsburgh. I’m excited to introduce a brand-new season for you – and it’s jam-packed with unique episodes and bonus content. Season 8 has been an incredible one for me to record and produce, and I can’t wait to share the full episodes with you. I had the great honor and privilege of interviewing attorney, Edgar Snyder - a person that I admire for the firm he has built, the trail he has bla...

After working for a number of years in the mold remediation industry, Matt Dayton decided that it was time to start his own company. He saw an opportunity to offer both an affordable and high-quality service to the many low-income households that were being neglected in the Greater Pittsburgh area. He grew up in a low-income household, so he knew that these were the very people that needed this ty...

After a short stint working in a corporate job, Russell Michelson knew that he wanted to start his own business. He just had to figure out where to focus his energy and skill development. He gravitated to technology, but he quickly realized that website design wasn’t his thing. Instead, search engine optimization offered the opportunity to work in tech and the challenge of using analytical skills...

Sara Ponsoll applied her years of experience working the craft and maker markets of NYC when she launched Boheme Pittsburgh earlier this summer. Operating Kitschtopia, her vintage jewelry business, taught her a great deal about what it takes to create a thriving venture as a curator in the world of artisan and one-of-a-kind items. Sara saw that Pittsburgh was lacking a unique space that could serv...

During the pandemic, Sarah Kaminski successfully pivoted her business from The Veg Out Project to Best Ever Granola. After multiple iterations, she eventually nailed the final recipe which she and her family affectionately dubbed as the “best ever.” As a brand-new food entrepreneur, Sarah approached her business with a fresh perspective and without overthinking her strategy. She quickly realized t...

In 1984, John Graf’s parents purchased a condemned monastery and church in the Deutschtown neighborhood. After pouring lots of hard work, passion, and money into the project, they were able save the properties and turn them into a beautiful hotel and event space. After a massive renovation and addition in 2011, the Priory Hotel now consists of 42 rooms and the Grand Hall at the Priory has become a...

As Natalie Gentile, M.D. was planning to move back to Pittsburgh with her family, she began searching for a way to practice medicine that fit her desire for a patient-focused approach. The type of comprehensive and wellness-centered care that she was interested in seemed to be disappearing from modern clinical medicine. Through conversations she had with her mentor, she discovered the direct prima...

In 2017, Kelly Sanders and Monica Yope met at a tech conference. As the two lone, non-tech creatives in the room, they quickly became friends. As they got to know each other, they discovered their common passion for supporting local makers. Inspired by a shared vision, they realized that the city needed a physical space to showcase the abundance of talent in our region. So, they decided to turn th...

Derek’s inspiration to create Café Conmigo originated from a trip he took to Argentina. It was there that he fell in love with a quaint little cafe, which featured delicious coffee served in a tranquil space and enveloped with ample arrangements of lush green plants. During his time in college, he developed a further affection for Latin American culture through the relationships he nurtured with h...

In 2008, Mark Caskey took a risk and left his employer and the coal industry he knew so well in order to make a fresh start in the oil and gas industry. Frustrated that his former company didn’t want to take advantage of the Marcellus Shale natural gas field that had recently started to develop, Mark launched his own firm called Steel Nation. He began with just $6,000 and the ability to design and...

Hello, Pittsburghers. The line-up for Season 7 is impressive. I will be talking to Mark Caskey, founder of Steel Nation – a remarkable company that designs and constructs steel buildings in the oil and gas industry. I also have Derek Davies on the show. He is the owner of Café Conmigo – a tranquil oasis and gathering spot located in the North Hills. I sit down with Kelly Sanders and Monica Yope, o...