The Psychology of Strength

Josh Weaver is the curator of the Tampa Baseball Museum. The Tampa Baseball Museum is housed in Hall of Famer Al Lopez’s childhood home. It is one of only four museums in the country that is a former Major League Baseball player’s house. Al Lopez was the first Major League Baseball player, manager and Hall of Famer from Hillsborough County. He played Major League Baseball for 19 seasons and manage...

John Montesi is a pro skateboarder and owner of Westside Skateshop. Learning to skate at age 13, John earned his first sponsorship with Exile at 16. He turned pro just three years later in 1992. Signing with New Deal, John quickly started touring the world at 19 years old. Touring five continents, John would perform demos across the world including at concerts and festivals like Lollapalooza and B...

Tommy Jones is a basketball coach of 35+ years. He is currently the University of Tampa's women's basketball assistant coach. Starting his coaching career in 1991, Tommy has worked with athletes of all ages from primary school through college. He was the head women's basketball coach at the College of Central Florida in addition to time coaching at Hillsborough Community College. He sp...

Juan Rodriguez is a world renowned surfboard maker of over 50 years. Owner & founder of One World Surf Designs. Juan is a master surfboard finisher and fin maker. Surfing since 1963, he started his career in surfboard repair at age 14. He went on to establish Western Flyers making skateboards and skimboards. In 1989, he established One World Surf Designs. Juan has established his name as one o...

Tommy Frank is the Executive Director of the Lake Wales Arts Council. A successful artist for over 20 years, Tommy is a master in pottery and ceramics. He completed his Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Asbury University before his residency at the St. Petersburg Clay Company (now Morean Center for Clay). He then was a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation and completed his post-baccalaureate program a...

Max Herman is the owner of Tampa Bay Tours. Max operates the most popular walking tours in Tampa Bay. Offering historic, food and even ghost tours seven days a week. Tampa Bay Tours has been rated the #1 Haunted Tour in the U.S. by U.S. City Traveler as well as Top 10 tours by USA Today. Max shares the history and stories of Tampa Bay so generations can appreciate the rich history of the bay area....

Charlie “Cheeze” Hysell is a tattoo artist of 38 years. Despite making and selling tattoos as early as third grade, Charlie “Cheeze” didn’t consider himself a professional tattoo artist till 1988. Against his mother’s wishes he pursued his passion and it has paid off for him. Cheeze has tattooed all over the southeast United States and even Germany. He’s owned his own studios and currently works a...

John Gaglione is a strength coach, powerlifter and owner of Gaglione Strength gyms. John started powerlifting in 2006. Competing for over 20 years, he has squatted over 800lbs in six weight classes and achieved an elite total in five of them. He is a meet director for the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS) hosting powerlifting meets as well as strict curl competitions. He has also been coachi...

Evan Snow is the co-founder of Zero Empty Spaces. Zero Empty Spaces activates vacant commercial spaces through flexible short-term lease agreements to local creatives & entrepreneurs. They have spread from South Florida to 34 locations in five states. Helping over 850 artists and creatives by providing affordable work space. Zero Empty Spaces currently provides artist spaces, culinary spaces a...

Allie Allen is the owner of Inchstone Books. When Allie's son was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, Allie and her husband Joe quickly learned that milestones are not the only achievements worth celebrating. Inchstones are the celebrated achievements that started at home and this lesson is the foundation of their bookstore. An independent bookstore that welcomes everyone and encourages celebrat...

Patrick Manteiga is the third generation Editor & Publisher of La Gaceta Newspaper est. 1922. La Gaceta is the only trilingual newspaper in the entire United States publishing weekly in English, Spanish & Italian. It is also the oldest Latin owned newspaper in the country. Patrick’s grandfather, Victoriano Manteiga, founded La Gaceta after migrating to Tampa in 1913. Patrick’s father, Rola...

Ralph Luciani is a double leg amputee and decorated wheelchair athlete. Ralph was born with leg deformities requiring him to have both legs amputated as a child. He missed the majority of school and spent most of his childhood in hospitals and physical therapy centers. After six surgeries and double amputations he eventually got into wheelchair sports. He competed in three Pan American Games in Ar...

Rodney Kite-Powell is a director at the Tampa Bay History Center and is the official historian of Hillsborough County. Rodney has been working at the Tampa Bay History Center for over 30 years. He is the Director of the Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education. He has authored three books on the history of Tampa and is an officer with the Philip Lee Phillips Society of th...

Jorge Guevara is a firefighter paramedic for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. With almost a dozen advanced training certs, Jorge is a member of Hillsborough County’s Special Operations unit and Florida’s Task Force 3 Urban Search and Rescue team. He’s an instructor for special operations courses. Filmed inside Astro Skating Center in Tarpon Springs, Florida. New episodes release every Monday on Yo...

Andrea Gonzmart Williams is the fifth generation caretaker of the Columbia Restaurant est. 1905. The Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant. It actually was founded in 1903 as the Columbia Saloon. It now stretches an entire city block in Ybor City. It is the largest Spanish restaurant in the world consisting of 15 dining rooms and the ability to seat 1700 people. The 1905 Family of Res...

Ron Tamayo is a co-founder of Moisand, Fitzgerald & Tamayo Financial Planning and Wealth Management firm. Ron’s family immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1961. From modest beginnings as a first generation American, Ron has worked his way up in the finance industry. He has been in the industry over 39 years and cofounded Moisand, Fitzgerald & Tamayo in 1998. A finance & wealth...

Chazz Hysell is a second generation tattoo artist. Telling his teachers in elementary school that being a tattoo artist was his calling, Chazz soon gave his first tattoo at the age of 13. Starting his apprenticeship at age 16 with his Dad, by time Chazz turned 18 he was licensed and tattooing full time. He is closing in on his 20th year in the profession and has gained audience and acclaim for his...

Stacey Simmons is a former NFL player and a public school teacher, youth coach & referee of 33 years. Excelling in sports at a very young age, Stacey was an All-American track & field and football player in high school. Winning two state championships in track & field and being named “Pinellas County’s Fastest Man” he continued as a dual sport athlete at the University of Florida. Name...

George Billiris is owner, operator and Captain of the St. Nicholas Boat Line est. 1924. The second oldest family owned attraction in the state of Florida. In 1915, George’s grandfather Micheal J. Billiris immigrated from Greece to Tarpon Springs, Florida for the sponging industry. By 1924, he was the first to establish a boat tour showcasing how sponges are harvested. St. Nicholas Boat Line has be...

Larry Beets is a baseball coach of over 51 years. He first started teaching and coaching in August of 1974 at Gulf Middle School. That led him to Gulf High, Hudson High and finally Ridgewood High School where he spent 28 years. He is known for establishing the well respected Ridgewood Rams baseball program. He has had seven high school players drafted to Major League Baseball contracts and has sen...

Jay Silverstein is an attorney, painter, author, cyclist and Marine Reserve Officer. Changing his mind from plastic surgeon to lawyer, Jay continues accepting new challenges as he pursues joining the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Jay has a bachelor’s degree in both biology & fine art from Middlebury College and studied in Italy. He went on to graduate law school from the University of Mi...

Danny Beeck is a senior producer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After graduating in Communications from Cal-U in Pennsylvania, Danny interned with the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team. His experience helped him become an intern with the Bucs in 2019 and was hired shortly after. Danny has produced for the NFL Draft, Wild Card Game, NFC Championship, Pro Bowl and 2021 Super Bowl Championship. Filmed insi...

Cristal Lastra is the president of Centro Asturiano de Tampa est. 1902. One of the oldest social clubs in America. Centro Asturiano de Tampa was founded in Ybor City by 546 migrants from Asturias, Spain in 1902. It has served as a social club for over 124 years. There is evidence it is the first organized healthcare and health insurance provider in the United States. It was known to serve its memb...

Brett Cowles is a United States Marine. A combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He is now a firefighter-paramedic and SWAT medic. After a combat tour in Afghanistan and a deployment to Kuwait, Brett pursued becoming a fireman. He is now a firefighter-paramedic for Pasco County Fire Rescue as well as a SWAT medic for Pasco County Sheriff’s Department. He has competed in semi-pro football, Cross...

Andrew Yerrakadu is an English barrister, New York attorney, powerlifter, strength coach and international powerlifting judge. Graduating law school from the University of Manchester at 20 years old, Andrew became an English barrister at 21 and New York attorney at 22. By 23 he successfully represented his first criminal defense case. He practiced law for over 20 years. Andrew has competed in powe...