Those Who Do Podcast

Naomi Swartzentruber was born into the Swartzentruber Amish sect in rural Michigan.  She enjoyed a traditional Amish upbringing working hard in the fields and in the home while being insulated from English culture.  At 17 years old, Naomi ran away from home and into the world of exotic dancing, escorting, and drugs.  Naomi shares how her journey empowered her and allowed her to be a voice for the...

Mike Stojic is a Marine Corps veteran and business owner.  He is owner/operator of Revival 1869 222 East Main Street | Clayton, NC27520.  Mike runs us through what he learned from the Marine Corps and the ways it both helped and hindered his approach starting his own business.  He champions mental health and is very frank about how therapy saved his business.  He is also very clear about how impor...

Sean Kehoe was raised on a farm in Monticello, Iowa.  As he traversed through growing up in a small town, family tragedy and adversary formed some of his earliest memories.  An interest in science and ecology transitioned into a love for theatre leading to his travel across the county to obtain a master's degree from the University of Arizona.  A short stop working in Hollywood and a return to a j...

Mike Dennehy is a father originally from the Midwest living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry.  Mike talks about how his childhood led to an interest in the theatre and performance and how that naturally led to him moving to L.A.  He shares how his struggles with alcohol changed the course of his life.  Mike runs campaigns in Dungeons and Dragons as a Dungeon Master.  Mike e...

Tim Johnson is a single father, artist, and head brewer.  On this episode, Tim talks about his journey from art and theatre student to designer by way of corporate America and then craft brewing.  Tim worked in the corporate offices of national brands such as Best Buy and Buffalo Wild Wings (where he oversaw the transition from Coke to Pepsi for the national chain).  He explains how he left office...

Kevin Liang is a first generation Taiwanese American that eschewed cultural norms to go to film school and become a producer (General Education) and P.A. Kevin tells us about his moral struggles with the entertainment industry and the inner battle he fought and won.  Later, he would discover an aptitude and appreciation for firearms and become a tactical firearms instructor with the hope of changi...

Before there was Those Who Do, there was Those Who Did.  Prior to beginning Those Who Do: The Podcast, Zac and his buddy Eric traveled to comic book conventions in the hopes of talking to convention goers and industry professionals alike to find out why they did...what they did.  In this episode from the archives, Zac and Eric talk to Chad Lindberg (Supernatural, Fast and the Furious, Sons of Anar...

Dr. Lily Erdahl is a loving single mother of two children originally from Iowa City, Iowa.  She's also an accomplished surgeon, educator, and podcast host.  In this episode, Lily discusses her voyage from Iowa State University as a wide eyed undergrad through her medical training in Pennsylvania and Minnesota to her current position at the acclaimed University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics back in...

James C. Burns is an actor (Michael Bay’s Transformers), musician, and voice artist (Sergeant Frank Woods – Call of Duty Black Ops).  Most importantly, he’s a master raconteur.  I’ve known James for over 10 years and he was the first entertainment industry interview back when I was just a podcasting baby.  You don’t interview James.  He’s a force of nature and you just hold on for the ride.  James...

David Greenspan is an editor and director known for Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.  He’s originally from Long Island, NY and followed a somewhat unconventional route from Long Island, through an education in finance and time studying abroad in Japan to finally land on a successful career in the entertainment industry.  David shares his story through thoughtful introspection and levity to explain t...

Kedo Osmancevic is a husband and father.  He's also a first generation Bosnian American.  In this episode, Kedo tells how his family emigrated from Bosnia during the war and what led them to eventually settle in Waterloo, IA.  He explains how his culture is important to him and how it shaped his past, present, and future.  Kedo's stories of the clash of cultures are hilarious and heartfelt.  This...

David Byrd is an award winning photographer and Photoshop artist.  He’s a husband and devoted father to two very young children.  David has mastered many genres of photography and in this episode he shares how he is using those skills and experience to open a Boudoir photography studio in Denver, Colorado – Legend by David Byrd.  From his roots as a young child with a love for living in his imagin...

Cassy Lensing is a tattooed, dyed haired former wild child.  She’s also a devoted mother and board certified Psych Nurse Practitioner.  In this episode, Cassy talks about how getting pregnant at 19 completely changed the course of her life for the better.  She shares her journey from life in small town Iowa working at her dad’s gas station to Nurse Practitioner focusing on treating the person inst...

Ernesto De La O is a husband and father born and raised in California.  He’s just like you and me.  He takes his kids to football games, has slip and slide parties in the back yard, and hosts sleep overs for his children’s friends.  It also just so happens he’s an editor for reality television shows.  Which ones you ask?  The answer is yes.  Ernesto’s resume of reality television is ridiculously l...

This is the conclusion of our conversation with Tom Flaherty about his time as an Army Ranger, military instructor and special operations helicopter pilot.  We pick up as Tom recounts his part in the famous military operation that rescued young solider Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital after she was taken prisoner of war as well as the subsequent retrieval of the remains of the American Nationa...

Tom Flaherty is a husband and father from Cedar Falls, IA.  He is also retired from a full career (22 years) in the United States Army where he was part of the Army’s premier direct-action raid force, the 75th Ranger Regiment.  He was also a mountaineering instructor and helicopter pilot who flew special operations missions in multiple theatres.  Tom gives us an intimate look into why he chose a c...

David Feld and Shawn Obrien are Hollywood producers.  The good kind.  Not the greedy, preventing actors from making a living wage and stealing their likeness to be later used by AI to lower their bottom line kind.  Their work includes doing things like making sure money is accounted for, marketing is handled, crew are secured and productions have what they need to move forward, and purchasing birt...

Suzanne Francis is originally from Long Island.  She’s a writer of books (Disney Princess Beginnings, Onward:  The Junior Novelization, Moana’s Big Leap, Frozen II:  Family Game Night) television (Unhappily Ever After) and film (Wieners).  She joins us to talk about her life before Los Angeles and how she ended up across the country working toward her goals, her influences, parenting teens, and th...

Jesse Trevino and Joe Smarro are decorated Marine Corps combat veterans and former San Antonio Police Officers.  While they were cops, Joe and Jesse worked on a groundbreaking special unit tasked with responding to mental health calls in their community.  Joe was the subject of the Emmy winning HBO Documentary Ernie and Joe:  Crisis Cops and a Ted Talk presenter.  In addition to the Mental Health...

Tony Saltzman is a television writer and producer known for Dexter:  New Blood, Goliath, Feed the Beast, and Nurse Jackie.  Most importantly, Tony champions the idea of collaboration in the creative process and thrives in a writer’s room and team environment.  He takes true joy in the success of others and was immediately open to sharing his successes and struggles in the entertainment industry. ...

DawnMarie Ferrara is an actress known for Smothered, 9-1-1:  Lonestar, NCIS, and A Life, Taken.  She is also a dancer (both a classically trained dancer and a busting out a move in a restaurant for fun kind of dancer dancer).  Not only can she emote like crazy and get her boogie on, DawnMarie is also a certified yoga instructor.  She joins us today for a conversation full of laughs and insight spa...

Jorge Garcia is known as an actor (LOST, Alcatraz, Hawaii 5-0, the Munsters, and the Ridiculous 6), but most importantly, Jorge is a husband and a father to a 22 month old little girl. David Greenspan is known as an editor and director (Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, How to Get Away with Murder, Bean Cake), but most importantly, David is a husband and the father of a 13 year old son who has starred f...

Joe Stillman is an Academy Award and Emmy nominated, BAFTA winning writer known for Dreamworks's Shrek 1 and 2, MTV's Beavis and Butthead, and Nickelodean's The Adventures of Pete and Pete.  In this episode, Joe invites us into his home on a rainy Los Angeles day for an incredibly insightful conversation about writing, the creative process and life.  Joe explains how serendipity can be an extremel...