Why Am I Podcast

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Jeff Kellum.  He’s a content manager (and actually the person who discovered me for Lynda), a cyclist, and a sometimes world traveler.  What’s interesting to me is he finds all of these random people and alters the course of their lives, but wants to do it quietly behind the scenes.  Well, I see you Jeff, and I appreciate you.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Jeff. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.” In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. Maysey and Jen have differing meals, but seem like they fit together surprisingly well. Both sound amazing, but Masey’s Honey Paw order is the real star of the show. I hope you enjoy this meal with Masey and Jen. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Loose Ends…or more specifically the cofounders Masey and Jen.  These two are friends on opposite ends of the country who have joined forces to create Loose Ends, which is a nonprofit that “aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability.”  As you can imagine, it is a powerful story.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Masey and Jen. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. We start by setting the weather and then working backwards…which is just how it should be LOL.  I don’t know what I want until I know the atmosphere.  Liz invents the mushroom situation, which I’m definitely here for.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Liz. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today. My guest this go around is Liz Giuffre. This doctor lady is a senior lecturer at the University of Technology in Sydney by day, and by night she’s an author, blogger, and podcaster. Liz isn’t a fan of gate keepers, or really anyone that stands in the way of progress. She’s opinionated and funny, which is one of my favorite combos. I hope you enjoy this chat with Liz. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Melissa Fortunato(for to naught o).  How did this shy anxious kid grow up to be an FBI hostage negotiator…by saying yes.  She has had a quite interesting journey from working in a crisis center, to FBI undercover work, then hostage negotiator, and now she uses those honed skills to help folks from all walks of life to communicate and negotiate more empathetically.  She’s a pretty awesome human, and one you should definitely meet if you get the chance.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Melissa. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.” In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. Tawny makes her mean mostly Mexican food, though there’s a bit of American flair as we add in the sparklers LOL. I hope you enjoy this NA meal with Tawny. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Tawny Lara.  She is a child of two worlds; one is as a rock and roll California kid and one as a journalist from my ultra conservative hometown of Waco Texas.  Somewhere in all of it she lost herself in the bar scene, and didn’t find her way out(and back to writing) until she dropped everything and moved to NYC without knowing a soul there.  She’s now the proud parent of a new book Dry Humping(which you should preorder), and podcast host of Sobriety Rocks; I love seeing this kid spread her wings.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Tawny. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.” In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. I learned a lot during this meal…we drink Mudgee Mud and Man Salad…yeah, I had no idea what it was either. It’s not the craziest meal, but it is…interesting. I think I could get down with it, and hopefully I get to share a cup of Mudgee Mud with Craig some day. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this meal with Craig. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Craig Coombes.  I’m going to rip the bandaid off…Craig has terminal cancer.  Everyday is a struggle for this guy in ways most of us will never understand.  Rather than sit on his ass and do nothing, he prefers to expose it every week in his Naked Tuesday series as a big FU to his disease.  This guy has had a rough run of life with his parents both dying slowly to illnesses far too young, but he calls this the truest love story…I swear nothing can stop this guy, and I’m glad it hasn’t because I’m forever changed by him with a single conversation.  This dude had me laughing almost the entire time, which is good, because otherwise I would have cried…and maybe once I got off mic I did.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chat with Craig. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Woody has a simple pallet and he says “he’s not a foodie”...until we hit dessert that is 🙂  I hope you enjoy this meal with Woody.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Spencer builds a good’un with some Joe Joes that take me back to when I was 16, broke, and working at a grocery store LOL.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Spencer. Please share this with a friend and help us grow!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.” In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. I could not be more pleased with Bill’s m night shyamalan twist. We start with a whisky and then completely pivot away from food, and on to my favorite subject, people. I hope you enjoy the atmosphere and guest list with Bill. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Bill Hammack.  You may not recognize his name, but you will never forget his voice…he is the “Engineer Guy.”  Bill is a multi discipline engineer, a professor, an author/contributor to many books, a radio broadcaster, but you really know him from his youtube channel where he has millions of subscribers and even more viewers.  His excitement and sheer delight with figuring out the new mediums makes it plain to see why he does it; not for the money, the accolades, or the views…it’s just another solution for him to engineer and improve LOL.  His grounded approach to social media and video platforms has given me a new perspective to approach my work…which I think is the overall goal…I think he just performed his magic trick on me.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with my favorite hedgehog, Bill. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Rob Lawless, or as I like to refer to him(a younger, better looking Greg).  Rob is on an adventure to make 10K friends. This mission is so important that he quit the rat race to pursue it full time, and after seven years he's over halfway there. There are so many parallels between our missions(it’s pretty crazy), that it seems we spend a good bit of the time just comparing notes which is actually pretty interesting for me…in fact I think it’s inspired me to start some public speaking surrounding what I’ve learned…I suppose inspiration is all around us all the time.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Rob. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.” In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. Catherine came prepared…with notes. It appears she does nothing by half measures. I enjoyed this simple meal and I, obviously, agree that everything is better with coconut LOL. I hope you enjoy this meal with Catherine.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Catherine King.  I found her via her work as a sign language interpreter for some of the biggest european comedians out there, and in particular a bit where she was signing crazy phrases with various accents…it’s worth a watch; check below for a link.  I learned that interpreters guess what comes next, and don’t necessarily translate word for word, but work to convey the feeling or intention of the message.  I also found an incredibly kind, warm, and empathetic person who is working to make room for themselves(even when the voices in their head tells them not to).  I hope you enjoy this chat with Catherine. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Michael Vasconez.  Mike started out as a fighter, so the Marines felt natural to him.  Unfortunately, dealing with your trama isn’t what they teach you…quite the opposite, they teach you to squash it to survive.  Sprinkle on some PTSD for good measure and then he was released back into the wild.  He lived rough for a while before having a spiritual awakening thanks to ayahuasca, which became the mirror he could examine himself with, and start the healing; it’s a really fascinating journey.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Michael. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Caleb Boylei from Boylei Hobby Time.  First this dude stays busy, I think I’ve been chasing him for the better part of a year, but as with most things persistence pays off LOL.  Caleb is a wildly successful youtuber who expertly builds dioramas of everything from Star Wars to fantastical weird west scenes.  It’s his fascinating builds that bring you to the channel, but it’s his calm voice, rye humor, and mesmerizing build process that keeps you coming back.  This shy artist has lived his life in Denver, Mongolia, California, and Thailand, which gives him a unique perspective and a drive to explore our country that few other possess, but I think likely could benefit from.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Caleb. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Mather Zickel.  He’s a professional actor who started life in NYC, and with multiple tries, finally made the migration to LA.  He’s started in theater, and as expected moved to TV, and movies; he’s actually been at it for over two decades now.  When asked if he would ever teach it was a resounding ‘“no”, but for someone who doesn’t want to teach he seems to understand much of the psychology and method that it takes to be successful; sometimes those that are the most reluctant make the best teachers; maybe a little food for thought for all of us.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Mather. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Chuck McCarthy.  He’s somewhat hard to describe; he’s worked in the film industry both in Atlanta and LA, he’s a prolific artist, something of a serial entrepreneur, a TEDx alumni, children’s book author, and a former people walker.  Ultimately it seems like he thinks…a lot…about a lot of things.  I think maybe he’s here to validate your reality, and inspire you to look at the world a bit differently, at least that’s what he did with me.  I hope you share this with a friend, and enjoy this chat with Chuck. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Greg Olijnyk(Oh-lean-ick).  During the day he’s a graphic designer, and at night he’s meticulously creating the most marvelous little scifi worlds out of cardboard and a scalpel.  Some of these intricate pieces take months to create, but this soft-spoken Aussie explains to me how it’s not the complexity he seeks from a piece, rather it’s the connection others have with it.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Greg. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Nikki Vasconez.  She is a lawyer turned pet psychic…yep, you heard me correctly.  She  regularly connects with clients pets to communicate things, from what makes a pet happy to what might be making them sick.  One of the fascinating parts is that she found this is a learned skill, and she regularly teaches workshops on how to do it for yourself.  My main take away is that she is teaching people to stop, reflect on how they feel, and how to convey that to their pets in the simplest terms they know how to use.  I think now especially, every human could use a little training in how to truly connect with each other…if that has to start with your pet, then so be it.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Nikki. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Scott Longert.  He’s first and foremost, obsessed with baseball.  He’s written several books that chronicle the lives and times of ball players to give folks today the sense of what these people were like in the early 1900s.  For that matter he gives a sense of what America was like and how baseball impacted all of it.  Scott marries his love of baseball with that of history to try and remind us where we come from, so that maybe we can appreciate what we have just that little bit more.  Please share with a friend to help us grow, and I hope you enjoy this chat with Scott. Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is actually a team, the Coldspot Paranormal Investigators, which is composed of Josh, Jamey, and Aleca.  I found this trio via their podcast, Paranormal Peeps, but what has me most interested is their “short” road trips that have them doing investigations at all hours of the night in places from old theaters to abandoned prisons.  While the common theme is ghost hunting, each member has their own reason for hunting ghosts and their own beliefs as to why they exist.  I hope you enjoy this conversation and may the ghosts be ever in your favor.  Help us grow by sharing with someone!

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Spencer Mirabal.  He’s made films, played steel drums for an Xmas album, done screen writing, poetry, published a chapbook, podcasting(about Murder She Wrote), and has a spoken work album.  Spencer is a deep canyon of experiences and feelings, and while we only scratched the surface, I’ll carry some lessons…like “earn the moment.”  Please share this with a friend and help us grow!  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chat with Spencer.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Scott read the brief, then he said “How about we do it live.”  I can tell you this is the most fun I’ve had in the Fantasy Restaurant ever, and I can’t wait for you to enjoy this fly by the seat of your pants adventure.  Please share with a friend to help us grow, and also, enjoy this meal with Scott.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Scott Wiener.  This dude is pizza personified.  He has been running a pizza tour business in NYC since 2008 called Scott’s Pizza Tours.  This guy is live, and spontaneous as everything he does is custom catered to what his audience is interested in…it’s like a choose your own adventure, but with pizza.  He’s done a couple of other things like: written a book on pizza box art, has the guinness world record for largest pizza box collection, writes a column for Pizza Today Magazine, has done a TV-like series for thrillist called Really Dough(that’s soooo fun), and he has a non-profit called Slice Out Hunger.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Scott.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Marianne Apostolides.  She’s a long time writer, not author, who has several interesting books.  Marianne is a deep thinker who brings philosophy into her work where she tries to explore what her body is telling her about her desires and appetites, which is human kind’s ultimate goal.  Please share with a friend to help us grow!  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Marianne.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Woody Shticks.  Woody is a self described comedy stripper and Queer with a capital Q.  He grew up in a puritan religious community…with this in mind he learned to advocate for himself and then begin to do the same for others; even enduring years of “conversion” therapy.  He now channels all of this into his comedy, one-man shows, group performances, dance, and video work…dude stays busy!  Something that really drew me to him in the first place is the extremely thoughtful way he looks at the world around him and the things that are important to him; all the while he makes you laugh your ass off.  If you enjoy this or any of my other episodes, please share with a friend!  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Woody.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Jimmy Gownley.  Jimmy is a cartoonist who got started around 15, and now after 35 years of work he’s a New York Times best selling author.  He’s created his own series and written for the likes of Disney, BUT his current project is what really has my attention.  It’s a graphic novel he hopes to complete this year on fighting depression with creativity.  It’s something all too real for a lot of folks, and hearing the way he articulates it is one of the best things to come out of this podcast.  I could have literally talked to Jimmy all day, but alas, I’m all out of special drink.  If you enjoyed this or any other episode, please share it with a friend; help me grow 🙂.  Now, I hope you enjoy this chat with Jimmy.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is George Collins.  He’s a standup that went from introvert to…well still an introvert, just one that gets up on stage and does comedy.  He’s rounding out himself by also doing two podcasts and is currently writing a post apocalyptic novel.  BTW: there is also a published ten page love poem from when he was 17 floating around out there…so the dude knows real pain.  I hope you enjoy this chat with George.  If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the podcasts I’m asking you to share it with at least one person; help me grow!

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  This, of course, has a little seafood, because mermaid, but it is quite likely the most magical meal we’ve had in the restaurant…quite literally.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Chè.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Ron Blatchley.  He’s something of a local celebrity here in College Station as he was once director of student affairs at Texas A&M and also was the mayor of Bryan for a handful of years.  He then went on to own and operate 13 McDonalds here.  The man has never met a stranger, and by all accounts he’s got it made.  What you don’t know is that he had an extremely traumatic childhood growing up dirt poor with basically zero support system.  He’s spent a lifetime making sure he never feels that way again.  Man can I relate to that.  Maybe the next time you say hi to Ron it will remind you that we are all fighting invisible battles.  This is my first in person interview, so let me know what you think and be sure to share episodes you enjoy. If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the podcasts I’m asking you to share it with at least one person; help me grow! I hope you enjoy this chat with Ron.

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Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Abbey picks some awesome pieces and I have NO idea how some of this stuff pairs together, but none-the-less, I want to give it a go.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Abbey.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. Jimmy is a man of simple tastes…or should I say he still eats the exact same way as he did when he was a kid.  He's one of my favorite people in the whole world and if you haven't listened to his episode yet, maybe this will convince you.  Please enjoy this bird’s nest of delight with Jimmy.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Scott Valdez.  Scott started his career in marketing; after all, he did study that in college.  Then once he got busy in life he tried dating like so many others online.  Guess what, he stunk at it.  Thus was born his new career.  After hiring his first creative writer to help him craft messages he expanded and now has nearly 200 people on staff helping folks find partners.  Along the way he’s learned a lot of valuable lessons…like how to travel and live in a dozen different countries in 10 years; the dude’s interesting.  If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the podcasts I’m asking you to share it with at least one person; help me grow! I hope you enjoy this chat with Scott.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Aaron picks an international meal, perhaps a purist at heart, he still finds ways to cheat a bit here and there.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Aaron.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Randy has a very sophisticated meal, at least in my humble opinion…everything is fresh, which I really like, but seldom think about.  I hope you enjoy this dining experience with Randy.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Chè Monique.  She was kind enough to don her human form to talk to me about her life as a mermaid.  On the surface it seems pretty simple, but as soon as you put a little time into it, you realize it is this extremely rich and nuanced culture…it seems most of the nuance consists of puns, so prepare yourself.  I was initially drawn to Chè because of this insanely inclusive community she’s developed called “The Society Of Fat Mermaids.”  In there is pure childlike joy being shared along with things I never expected to ponder like…what wigs are best underwater and how’s the foot pouch on this tail.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this enchanted conversation with Chè.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Robin Douglass.  She is a solopreneur, an often speaker, runs support groups, and a quite successful podcaster.  She found her voice when she had a sudden epiphany at 54 “Holy cow, I’m a lesbian!”  While coming out late she realized that there was a lack of information and resources for this ever growing population of folks.  So, she did what anyone would do, she dedicated her time and energy towards setting up a support system to save every single late bloomer LOL.  I honestly learned a LOT, but I suppose that’s why she does it.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Robin.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Randy West.  He’s been a disk jockey, done musicals, infomercials, regular commercials, announced TV shows and games shows including The Price Is Right, and is also an accomplished author.  More than that he’s also a huge TV historian dedicating a lot of time to preserving pieces of our cultural history and a big chunk of nostalgia for me.  Randy is also extremely kind and giving of his time and knowledge.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Randy.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Ana has my favorite kind of meal, alllll over the place.  This sounds like a meal I would put together, and she nails the landing on the desert.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Ana.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Ride Sharing.  I travel a lot for work and on my random journeys, and I have even more random conversations with my Uber drivers.  I thought these delightful little slices of life would be interesting for folks to listen to.  These are recorded in cars while moving, so get ready for some travel noise and turn by turn directions.  I did some noise canceling, but left in a bit(I like the atmosphere it creates).  Let me know if you like it or if you'd change anything(Greg @ GregSowell.com).  This trip was from the Kansas City Airport(MCI) to the Boulevard Brewing Company and my driver was a local named Kevin.

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Thom is on a mission to not only build an excellent meal, but educate us muggles at breakneck speed.  I may have to rewatch this a couple of times to make sure it can all sync in LOL.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Thom.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Thom Britton from Freakshow & Tell.  I’m not quite sure, but I think he may have sold me white gloves and a ketchup popsicle to go with them LOL.  He traveled with a freakshow at 16 where he learned not only to “talk” and “turn”, how to eat fire, and swallow swords, but also had some grizzled old men teach him how to dress nice, tie a time, and talk to girls.  It sounds like this kid from nowhere found a community.  He went on to create a unique show blending freak show with science, and using it as a vehicle to show folks a piece of his soul, to share who and why he is.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Thom.

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Aaron Rabkin from Trickery Chicago.  Aaron is: an artist, actor, performer, door greeter, and also a magician.  As he puts it, he has a comedy show that is disguised as a magic show.  His performance is magic with comedic threads woven together and some of the best improvisational pieces to create an unforgettable experience.  And hey, maybe you are the unpaid intern Aaron’s been waiting for.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Aaron.