Why Am I Podcast

How does a daydreaming theater kid from Boca Raton, Florida end up making her mark on Broadway? In this episode, Greg sits down with Jennifer Ashley Tepper, a self-proclaimed theater nerd and accomplished historian, who has turned her childhood obsession into a Broadway career. Join us as we navigate through Jennifer’s journey, from theater camp memories to her work at 54 Below, and explore the pa...

Ever imagined a meal where Wheaties meet leftover cake and a filet mignon finds its place on the same table as a 16-scoop ice cream split? Welcome to the Fantasy Restaurant with Sean Petrie (@typewriterrodeo) in the Fantasy Restaurant. Listen in as Sean's creative choices and childhood flavors take us on a journey through taste and memory. This episode is a reminder of how our unique bites tel...

Ever wonder what it feels like to be a radio pirate in Memphis? Sasha Zaitsev shares his unique journey as the mastermind behind Radio Free Memphis, a pirate radio station disrupting the airwaves. Dive into his world of experimental music, designed to challenge and provoke, and uncover what it truly means to march to the beat of your own drum, or in Sasha's case, a noise of his own making. Don...

Ever wondered what your ultimate comfort meal would look like if you had no limits? Join me in Dee Parson's fantasy restaurant, where nostalgia and rebellion serve up a side of spicy popcorn chicken. From childhood influences like Grandma's canned Pepsi to the ultimate birthday cake handcrafted by a best friend's mother, Dee's choice of dishes reveals a lifelong journey of taste an...

What’s life really like when your workplace is a submarine, your family is 120 sailors, and your phone calls home are measured in words instead of minutes? Navy veteran Brady Drennan shares stories from 38 years of service, from fast attack submarines to aircraft carriers, nuclear power, deployment life, leadership, family, and the little pieces of home that keep people going. Don’t forget to like...

On this episode of Why Am I, Greg talks with scientist and podcaster Jeff Zurek about volcanoes, curiosity, public speaking, “type two fun,” and the strange paths that lead us into the work that lights us up. Jeff has a gift for making science feel less like homework and more like an adventure, especially when he gets into crystals in New Mexico that might help solve a 5,000-year-old volcanic myst...

On this episode of Why Am I, Greg sits down with Rusty, a Bryan-College Station news anchor who sees journalism less as being on TV and more as helping people feel seen. They talk about curiosity, trust, changing media, social media, Texas pride, and why the best stories usually come from everyday people. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behi...

Jerry Beck has spent a lifetime chasing, preserving, and celebrating the cartoons most people almost forgot. From underground film collecting to restoring classic animation and meeting the legends who made it, this conversation is about obsession, art, nostalgia, and why old cartoons still matter. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the p...

Liz puts together an interesting meal...I've never eaten fresh clams, but she makes it sound interesting enough to give it a go. One thing I like is that she remember to add atmosphere, which is often forgotten, but always makes a difference. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials h...

Imagine if you will having 60 minutes to free a hostage or perhaps to interrogate the suspect. Your heart is racing, you start sweating...your body is flooding you with adrenalin. Now take a step back and remember that you are in the Boom Room experience created by Joe Lawther. This series of unique experiences are designed to help you learn to think clearly under pressure by the only means that a...

What happens when a fantasy meal is built from Amazon coconuts, Himalayan survival snow, train-station samosas, and pumpkin pie blessed by the gods? Ryan Estrada brings wild travel stories, near-death meals, and unforgettable bites to the Fantasy Restaurant. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did :)Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind...

A man with a 1920s typewriter writes poems for strangers on the spot, and sometimes changes their lives. In this episode of Why Am I, Sean Petrie shares how Typewriter Rodeo turns fleeting moments into something people carry forever. Sean came along right when I need him, and who knows, maybe it'll be right in time for you.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations...

In the warmup for the Why Am I Podcast, the Fantasy Restaurant, anything goes. Fatal1ty builds his ultimate meal, from a vodka soda lime to a filet with a serious green bean backstory. Help us find the perfect beans LOL.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials here: www.twitch.tv/fatal...

What happens when “anything goes” in a fantasy meal? Ken builds a menu of coconut seltzer, calamari, grilled fish, and a perfectly balanced dessert—while casually revealing he’d eat almost anything. This one gets unexpectedly philosophical (and hungry).🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their...

What happens when a bug cookbook author builds their dream meal? It gets weird in the best way. From camp-style “bug juice” to grasshopper appetizers and a surprisingly relatable lobster debate, this Fantasy Restaurant goes places.🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials here: http://d...

A sweet tea start, a nerdy old fashioned debate, and a main course straight out of fantasy lore. In this episode of Fantasy Restaurant, Colton builds a meal that somehow goes from Southern comfort to mythical creatures without missing a beat. 🔗 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that chase the story behind the person. Please show them some love on their socials he...

What happens when grief turns into a mission to make the world kinder? In this episode of Why Am I, I talk with writer, filmmaker, and pie maker Beth Howard about losing her husband, traveling the world with pie, running a pie stand at the real American Gothic House, and why sharing something simple can bring people together. It’s a conversation about grief, connection, and the surprising power of...

What does it take to draw a revolver and hit a target in under half a second? In this episode of Why Am I, I talk with Cal, better known in the sport as “Quick Cal.” He’s been competing in fast draw shooting since the 1960s, winning world championships and helping build a sport where competitors in western gear race to quick-draw and fire wax bullets in less than half a second. We talk about react...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Elizabeth Bromstein, a writer, marketer, perfumer, and tarot reader who made a late-career pivot after realizing the old path wasn’t sustainable anymore. We talk about identity in midlife, ego checks, career humiliation, addiction, skepticism, belief vs. disbelief, behavioral psychology, AI anxiety, and why tarot might be less about divination and more...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Dee Parson, also known as Supr Dee; a syndicated newspaper cartoonist and the creator of Rosebuds. We explore his experience growing up as the only Black family in a sundown town, losing his father at a young age, and learning to read through Garfield. Art became both refuge and identity, and over time, it became purpose. Dee shares how he went from dra...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with Liz Thorpe; author, educator, former Murray’s Cheese leader, and one of the most respected voices in American cheese. From eating progressively stinkier cheeses on Epicurious to helping shape the future of American dairy producers, Liz has turned her love language, food, into a career spanning books, television, consulting, and global travel. We talk ab...

Ryan Estrada has been homeless in a typhoon, thrown off a moving train by police, almost eaten by lions, and banned in multiple U.S. states, and somehow came out of all of it more optimistic than most people. In this episode of Why Am I?, Ryan traces how growing up anxious led him to deliberately chase discomfort: moving to a new country every year, embracing failure as fuel, and turning everythin...

In this episode of Why Am I, Greg Soul sits down with Fatal1ty, one of the original professional gamers and a true pioneer of competitive FPS. From hustling pool halls at 12 years old to winning world championships across Quake, Unreal Tournament, Painkiller, and more, Fatal1ty breaks down the mindset, pressure, discipline, and obsession required to stay on top. This conversation goes far beyond g...

In this episode of Why Am I, I sit down with artist and musician Ken Butler, a Brooklyn-based creator who has spent decades building musical instruments from found objects and refusing to compromise; either artistically or personally. We talk about what it means to live as both an artist and a musician, how a strong sense of self can be a survival tool, and why Ken believes it’s essential not to l...

In this episode of Why Am I, Greg sits down with writer, naturalist, and professional curiosity chaser David George Gordon; a man whose life has included capturing giant octopuses, writing field manuals on Sasquatch, playing harmonica on street corners, and teaching people how to eat bugs. From the rise and fall of magazine writing, to cooking insects on national TV, to the mystery of cryptids and...