The James Protin Podcast

Our guest for Episode 106 is Linda Long, currently the Owner/Designer of Long Awaited Design LLC, a full service residential Interior Design company.  She labels herself as a late bloomer because she didn’t go to college until her two children were in school and became a Registered Nurse at age 36.  She worked for 28 years as a Nurse working in multiple disciplines, including Cardiac, Critical Car...

Our guest for Episode 105, Jamie Holmes Ward founded Jamie’s Dream Team in 2005 when she was just eighteen (18) years old.  The mission of Jamie’s Dream Team is to offer hope when there is little, to ease the burden caused by serious illness, injury, disability, trauma, or catastrophic events, and to finally celebrate individual differences by acknowledging dreams as possibilities.  Jamie was born...

You know my affinity for coffee shops, I’ve always done my best writing…and now interviewing in a local cafe. My friend and Pastor, Tim Burgan and I believe a cup of coffee can change the world.  Pastor Tim is our guest for Episode 104 of the podcast. Tim is Lead Pastor of the Christian Center Church in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. He is also an important mentor as I walk my spiritual journey.  Wit...

Bryan Trilli is a Charleroi HS graduate…yes a Cougar…and foremost expert on the intersection between Faith and AI. He has bought or started 6 different businesses in 5 different industries in 4 different states, from a brick-and-mortar service business to the #1 online company for AI computer vision training in the world, PyImageSearch.com.  He also runs a successful lead-gen agency, Optimized Mar...

Our guest for Episode 102 is Olivia Behanna.  She is a second generation Funeral Director, (Family Business: Frye Funeral Home), a Small Business Owner (The DeRose Decor / Etsy), an Author, and a Blogger/Writer.  She’s also a cancer survivor, a Make-A-Wish Alum, an overprepared problem solver, a spooky history lover, a truth seeker, and an advocate for proper education. She’s a small town Italian...

Who is Armand Ferrara? If you know him, you’re thinking: Real Estate Broker PA Real Estate Commission Board Member President of Mon Valley Regional Chamber And you would be right… If you really know him, you’re thinking: Man of God Husband Father Grandfather  And you would also be right… Armand is all of those things and more. To me he is a mentor, friend, and brother. He is the lighthouse we all...

Eric McElvenny is one of us, a western PA kid…Belle Vernon to be exact. Eric graduated from Belle Vernon Area High School and the United States Naval Academy. Eric served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.  Eric deployed three times as a Marine and on his final tour, an incredible experience in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was wounded during combat action by stepping on an...

Our guest for Episode 99 is Christine Brookins of Oakbridge Advisor Group and Outspoken. Christine was introduced to us by our good friend Melissa Migliaro. During her over 30-year career in financial services, Christine has filled many roles.  As a licensed insurance agent, registered representative, and investment adviser representative, Christine offers a wide array of products and services to...

Our guest for Episode 98 is Tracy Montarti, an award-winning photographer, educator and the founder and creative force behind Villa Montarti, a boutique portrait studio that creates custom portrait experiences for dynamic midlife women and the people they love.  A California native, she spent two years in Poland with the Peace Corps during the 90s before moving to Pittsburgh for graduate school, w...

Our guest for Episode 97 is Marta Sauret Greca, the CEO of MEDIA – The Creative Agency, a marketing and pr agency that provides an entire team of creatives to business owners with missions to serve and heal the world.    Marta has been named “Woman Business Leader of the Year.” Her book, The Minimalist Method: The Emerging Entrepreneur’s Guide to Peace and Prosperity, is a #1 bestseller. She has b...

Our guest for Episode 96 is Davis Slagle is the Vice President of BeeGraphix, a thriving business located in Fredericktown , PA nestled just south of Pittsburgh.  He resides nearby with his beloved wife Chelsea and their delightful twins, Dex and Silver.  What sets Davis apart is his innate ability to be an early adopter. When the pandemic swept the globe, he was among the first to bring in direct...

Our guest for Episode 95 is Lindsey Hanlon.  Lindsey has been a collegiate swimmer in the ultra-competitive SEC Conference. She now an entrepreneur, podcaster, and author. Oh…and she’s also a wife and mother, she and her husband, Mike, have four children.  She has been on a journey over the last several years, beginning with joining an amazing community in a network marketing company!  During that...

Our guest for Episode 94 is Jennifer DiLucia is the host of Spill with Me Jenny D podcast.  She is a wife, mom of three beautiful children and two barking beagles.  She’s a proud Pittsburgh native.   Jenny D was a Broadcast communications major with a Theater Arts minor from Westminster College.  That’s where she started her own Entertainment Report. After being a stay at home mom she knew her pas...

Melanie “Taylor” Bradburn has a voice that almost any Pittsburgher would recognize immediately. She is cohost of the “Bubba Show” 100.7 Star’s morning drive radio show. A graduate of Monessen high school, and Indiana University of PA, she has never been far from her roots.  For 28 years beginning her professional journey at WESA on the banks of the Monongahela River in Charleroi, Mel has been a ma...

Our guest for Episode 92 is Karen Scuilli. Karen’s heroic journey started with a diagnosis of parotid gland cancer in May 2012. She was left emotionally, physically, and spiritually unable to adapt to the altered self-image on the journey of survivorship.  She experienced many changes and losses causing her to distance herself from supportive family, friends, church, and the community. She asked,...

In Episode 91 of the podcast, we meet Jenna Bosi is a dedicated child welfare social worker and mother with a deep passion for advocating for children and families.  In 2021 she took the leap and founded '412 Foster Project,' a nonprofit aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of children who have experienced childhood trauma.  Her commitment to the well-being of children led...

Our guest for Episode 90 is Jordan Bellotti. Jordan is a headshot photographer based in Pittsburgh, PA. That’s not news…the Pittsburgh region has hundreds of amazing photographers capable of creating stunning images. Many of them also do headshots.  But there’s more to it than taking a pretty picture. There’s more than creating a personal brand. There’s pulling the very essence out of your subject...

For nearly 20 years, Katie Stern has helped construction firms grow through marketing and rebranding strategies. Then, in 2016 the unthinkable happene…she lost her son Toby, at 12 weeks old, two sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  Struggling to find resources to process their own grief, Katie and her husband, Dan, started The Little Fox – Toby’s Foundation with a mission of providing resources a...

Albert Einstein once said, “Never stop learning, for when you stop learning, you stop growing.” Our guest for Episode 88 of the podcast, Meghan Greenwood, epitomizes Einstein’s concept.  Meghan is a medical writer by day, creative by night, and all things mom to her 2 young boys. She received her PhD in Immunology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012, where she conducted research on autoimmun...

Our guest for Episode 87 is David Callahan, President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), a leading trade association focused on unconventional shale development from the Marcellus and Utica plays.  David wasn’t imported by the industry from somewhere else to lead. He is one of us…a native Pennsylvanian.  Mr. Callahan leads the organization, founded in 2008, representing members engaged in all...

Our guest for Episode 86 is originally from England…born in Hereford, and has been a Pittsburgher for the past three decades. I must admit..her British Yinzer sccent is very cool.  Tanya Bashor is a Trauma Informed Somatic Coach based in Pittsburgh. She specializes in helping high-achieving women heal from trauma, enabling them to succeed in both their businesses and personal lives.  With nearly t...

Our guest for Episode 85, Benny Fisher wears many hats. He’s a visionary. He’s an entrepreneur…the founder of The Big Fish Contracting Company. Benny has a knack for networking among business owners, and capturing stories of business, entrepreneurial journeys, and overcoming adversity. Benny’s mission is to connect business owners to the right ideas, concepts, and partners in order to help them gr...

Episode 84 of the podcast is destined to be a classic.  David Finoli and Chris Fletcher have been talking sports—particularly Pittsburgh sports—since they met in college when they both had hair. The two have a popular weekly podcast on Facebook called “The 412.”  Their approach?  Picture two old friends talking about sports and popular culture and how the two intersect. And tangents. Lots of tange...

“Two Monessen Players Arrested” That was the headline in the local newspaper Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. Our guest for Episode 83 has seen the dark side of life. Shawn Martin didn’t choose that life…it chose him.  So…just who is Shawn Martin?  The answer is surprisingly simple. He’s a provider, a husband, a father, a brother, and a friend. Shawn is a man who owns the mistakes of the past, and has car...

In Episode 82 we asked our guest Eric Chandler…What does leadership mean to you? Eric is a leader in Canonsburg, the community where he grew up. He serves as the President of Canonsburg Borough Council. He also leads the Redevelopment Committee in the Borough.  He is a leader in Washington County, serving on various boards throughout County, including Leadership Washington County (LWC).  He also s...