Stories from the Center of the Universe

Tony Szymendera is the Varsity Baseball coach and Head of Upper School for St Christophers Boys School in Richmond. In our conversation, Tony shares his thoughts about St Christophers' ongoing journey of adapting to distance learning, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. He also talks about his path to becoming an educator and coach, and imparts some wisdom from his 25 years of coachi...

Ed Miller is the co-founder and President of Marijuana Justice , a new non-profit that advocates for equitable legalization and raises awareness of the history of cannabis criminalization. On top of his presidential duties, he has a day job as Director of Analytics at a fast-growing fintech startup. Ed is also a former high school math teacher and counselor for teens, couples, and groups, and is d...

Andrew Mauck is a soon-to-be father, former football player, and hunter. This episode, Andrew tells us about his football career and how it was cut short by concussions, and he breaks down some common misconceptions about hunting and hunters. We also hear the story of how he almost died during a job interview (he got the job).

Richie Crabbe is a musician, barbecue enthusiast, former home-brewer, and father of two. This episode, Richie tells us about his upbringing in small-town Virginia, his band Stagg Creek (catch them at Hanover Country Club), and his adventures custom-building a sheet metal barbecue grill big enough to feed 1000 people.

Brigadier General (Ret) Larry Gilman, father to Paul, is a US Army and Virginia Army National Guard combat veteran of the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Shield/Storm (Saudi Arabia/Iraq). He served with Regular Army engineer units and several national guard engineer units over his 35 year career (3 Active, 9 USAR and 23 VaARNG) with honor and distinction. As a civilian lawyer, he also served as a...

Jim Pecsok is a third year medical student and a happy-go-lucky lover of adventure. With this interview, Jim re-enters the spotlight for the first time since his dramatic 63rd place finish at US Tennis Nationals in 2014, after which he decided life in the public eye was 'just too much.' This episode, we hear from Jim about medical school, what being a doctor means to him, and how he turns ill-fate...

This episode, we (Daniel & Paul) discuss the purpose of Pod So 1 and the importance of storytelling, meaningful conversation, and being present in an increasingly distracted world.

Gene Burke is a retired Navy Captain and helicopter pilot with over 20 years of experience flying the MH-53, AKA the "Sea Dragon." This episode, we hear about his origins, his memorable encounters as a helicopter pilot, and his love of the Chicago Cubs. A proud father of three, Gene now happily occupies an empty nest with his wife Joan.

Our conversation continues with FBI Spycatcher Dimitry Droujinsky as he recalls his memories of Kuwait, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, his upbringings in Palestine, and his experiences in fatherhood.

Dimitry N. Droujinsky, aka 'Good Old Dimitry,' is a Palestinian-born Russian, U.S. Marine, retired FBI agent, and subject of a 2016 Smithsonian Magazine article on undercover counterintelligence investigations. Over his 30-year FBI tenure from the 60s to the 90s, Droujinsky posed as a KGB agent or other foreign national in order to lure and catch spies and terrorists. He is a speaker of nine langu...

Tom Greco is a masterful Italian-American storyteller and former debate champion. In our conversation, Tom recounts the story of his grandfather, nicknamed "Granite", who defected from Mussolini's Army during the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, and found his way to New York City to start a new life.

COL Bryan Coleman is a 30-year Virginia Army National Guard veteran. In this episode, we discuss Bryan's life and career, including his beginnings in Upstate New York, his deployment to Bosnia just before 9/11, and his reflections on leading and being led.

Our conversation with Mike Stockhausen continues as we discuss his work in the Cyber guard, take a detour on football, and learn more about his life and family.

Command Sergeant Major Mike Stockhausen is a decorated US Army and Virginia Army National Guard combat veteran of Operation Just Cause (Panama), Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield (Kuwait/Iraq), and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Over his thirty-year career, he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment of the US Army and several units in the Virginia Army National Guard with distinction. He...