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 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.

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 Ana Dee or sometimes known by her alter ego Rebekka Blue.  This kid had 3 jobs by age of 14, currently owns three online stores, has 1.1M followers on tiktok, a podcaster, has a wildly successful onlyfans, and her simple goal is nothing short of full rights for sex workers…I mean what have you done today?  Ana has an incredible drive matched only by the size of her heart.  This professional goddess is a pretty awesome human.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Ana.

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 Lady Pink.  Pink is known for a lot of things: she was an accomplished graffiti artist, she’s potentially a hip-hop icon as the lead in the defining movie Wild Style, BUT those are all just origin stories; she defines herself as an artist.  I quickly realized that she is a person that knows their purpose and power, so I had better not mess around, but I also learned that she adores kids and gives a LOT of herself and a lot of her time to growing and nurturing them.  I love that dichotomy; she’s my kind of people.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Pink.

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 Molly Balloons.  Imagine if you will, a 9 foot woman coming at you in the biggest balloon dress you’ve ever seen, but also wearing a 10 foot balloon crown, and sporting the biggest smile you’ve ever seen…that’s how some very lucky folks get to meet Molly for the first time!  She exudes an energy that makes me remember how anything is possible.  She says that 19 year olds remember things we’ve forgotten, but Molly hasn’t forgotten, and she’s here to remind you.  I hope you enjoy this frantically random chat with Molly.

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 Crittenden.  Spencer is kind of a big deal; you might recognize him from: the Harmontown podcast where he DM’d, the show Great Minds from the History Channel, Harmonquest where he DM’d, or from his guest spot on Community as Annie’s brother.  He’s also a very polished, fight me, podcaster on the That Happens podcast.  He’s also a deep thinker who strives to precisely articulate his emotions to others; he’s actually got a mastery I’ll probably never obtain. Real quick, pause this and go to patreon.com/thesixler and become part of his community, support your favorite creators, and then enjoy this chat with Spencer.

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 Kat Walsh.  Kat is many things: an awesome podcast host of not one, but two podcasts, an advocate of psychedelics, someone who’s uncannily articulate about their inner thoughts and workings, and she’s not alone(never alone).  I hope you enjoy this chat with Kat.

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 Morten Wulff.  He’s playing through life on his bike trying to find his true identity…but truely I think that identity is chef.  He’s built and refined his bike that is also a kitchen for 20 years.  He takes guests on bike tours of Copenhagen, but it’s not just a tour of the city, it’s also a tour of culinary delights as he cooks and serves 5 courses over 4.5 hours.   I can only imagine what it would be like to share the cooking experience with someone who so obviously loves sharing his gift.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Morten.

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 Taylor Bikowski.  They are, and I quote: “a celestial starchild, learning from past lives, and changing the world with love and light.”  What I really see when I look at Taylor is what pure energy would look like in human form.  They are a self described neurodivergent who is putting in alllll of the work, and experimenting with some really interesting therapies.  I think the line that is going to stick with me was “my trauma was your Tuesday…”  woof.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation with Taylor.

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 Saskia Wilson-Brown.  Saskia has been in and around TV production for some time, even being part of the Silver Lake Film Festival in LA.  She’s also a great podcaster, and BTW has founded and runs the Institute of Art and Olfaction.  More than that she’s a driven artist that tears walls down so that people can connect with each other and connect with arts of all kinds no matter who wants to keep the secrets locked away.  She’s kind of a badass.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Saskia.

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 Anna Ream.  She came with an impressive list of “who she is”, but the highlights are: practicing artist, photographer, mother, wife, purchaser of things, and person of faith.  We discuss how photography is a super power that opens avenues through which Anna is able to examine herself, her life, and her feelings.  At the end of all of it she has a tangible object that can then help others along their path.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Anna.

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 Tanya Candler.  Tanya has lived a lot of lives: she was in the metal band Kitty in the 90s, was a dental technician for a little while, does voice acting and coaching, is an awesome podcaster, and a proud mama!  She pulls zero punches, takes zero ducks, always speaks her mind, but she’s very thoughtful, kind, and nurturing while she does it…quite an interesting set of traits.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Tanya.

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.  There are no wrong answers!  These dudes read the brief…some of their choices are straight out of Indiana Jones LOL.  I hope you enjoy this crazy meal with Mountain Head.

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 guests this go around are Ben and Kyle of the band Mountain Head.  This brotherly duo has what they describe as a psychedelic sound that’s always evolving.  That description not only fits the music, but also the men themselves.  We start with a DMT experience in a public park, move to talking about how the self is the biggest unused resource, and talk about changing habits.  These fellas are deep thinkers, and it’s going to take me some time to dissect everything we talked about.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chat with Mountain Head.

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 Corey Easley.  Cory is a man of many passions: he’s a fitness professional, hilarious podcaster, and a comic.  He’s also a nurturer, though I don’t think he would use those words…he’d likely say a motivator.  More than that he’s a work in progress.  He’s constantly trying to be a better version of himself and guess what, he wants to bring you along with him.  Go subscribe to his podcast “Corey has a podcast” right now, then come back and listen to this episode.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Corey.

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 Peter Krask.  He is a writer, photographer, mentor, maker, guide, and educator.  He’s also a deep thinker, putting a lot of time examining the way he feels about things and then putting that into his work.  Something that really struck me is how he looks at art.  To Peter, it seems to truly be alive with its own thoughts, feelings, and intentions.  The way he talks about art, it knows what it wants and will guide you to it.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chat with Peter.

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 Brian Brewer.  Brian and I go way back; we used to work together back in the early 2000s.  He’s one of the most introspective folks I’ve met, but like most folks growth came at a price…or perhaps more accurately growth was a result of paying a price.  I tell you what…if you ever meet Brian, be sure to ask him about El Paso.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Brian.

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 Jafar Sandouk.  He’s a multi talented musician who writes all of his music, records each instrument, and then also does all of the post production himself.  It’s hard to imagine someone would want to do all of that themselves, until you realize that’s the one way he can truly communicate with others completely.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Jafar.

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 Abbey Cook.  She’s a fashion trend forecaster by day and in her free time, she’s an angelic tap dancer.  I was delighted to learn about how Abbey blends science and art to predict the future.  She immersed herself in cultures all over the world to feel her way to the truth.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Abbey.

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 Lish Steiling.  She has been a chef for two decades, worked as a food stylist, has won an Emmy, won her season of Chopped, and she still says one of her proudest moments is when one of her line cooks learned to hold a spoon like a pencil.  That blows me away; someone who has accomplished so much is proudest of her impacts on the people around her.  Join me in learning why food is emotional with Lish.

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 Alex Hajjar.  He’s an interesting mix of traffic engineer and musician.  It’s always interesting to me when I see someone who is technical and also artistic.  He’s also a host of a fantastic podcast called Social Animals that explores how people experience friendship in their life, and the stories that go along with it.  He’s got an awesome voice and an easy rapport with his guests.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Alex.

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 Sam Knuth.  Sam is a long-time techie, currently a senior director for Red Hat, possibly a dog owner, an author of awesome ideas, and he's also a late diagnosed Autistic person.  It’s obvious he’s done a lot of study and reflection in general, but he doesn’t hold this knowledge inside just for himself, rather he takes the time to break down individual concepts so that it is ingestible by anyone.  I hope you join me with curiosity in this conversation with Sam.

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.  There are no wrong answers!  Jenny’s meal basically breaks down to bread, but not just bread…there’s also bread.  I’ve never had anyone set the atmosphere quite like Jenny does…afternoon drinks with the dolphins LOL.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Jenny.

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 Pop Haydn.  He grew up in rural Tennessee as a minister’s son, and in fact he almost become one himself until he thought: “Nah, I’ll become a magician instead” LOL.  He’s been all over, met his heroes, been a big part of the magic castle, and by all accounts been very accomplished, and yet even at 72 he’s still learning new things, still pushing himself.  Pop’s audio is a little rough here and there, but his stories well make up for it.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Pop.

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 Jenny Radcliff.  I don’t know if I have the time to properly introduce her, but here’s some of the highlights: she’s a self proclaimed Scouser, an amazing story teller, an award winning podcast host, oh and by the way she’s paid by folks to burglarize them.  This is often referred to as a social engineer, but in essence she’s paid to travel all over the world to lie, cheat, and steal her way into places to assess their physical security.  She’s a serious badass, but she’s also empathetic and kind.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jenny.

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 Jeni B.  This lady is a machine; she’s a single mother of two teenage girls(which I think she’s the most proud of), a career TV producer, writing instructor, an awesome podcast host and producer, and truly, just an all around good human.  Having found her through her podcast I have to say that she gives me some definite production goals; she covers some heavy topics with the effortless precision and grace of a ballet dancer.  I want to be as accomplished and humble about it as Jeni when I grow up.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Jeni B.

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 Dennis Scott.  He’s won some Grammys and Emmys, but as he says “nobody cares about your resume.”  How does one balance a career in music production…you start a Beatles tribute band and get them a Grammy nomination, of course LOL.  This guy has a work ethic that exhausts me just mentioning it.  Before we jump to the episode I want to quickly remind folks that if you join the patreon, you get access to our warmup exercise the Fantasy Restaurant.  Here we build their dream meal with no rules or restrictions, we laugh and I loudly judge their choices.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Dennis.

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 Addy Starr.  During the week she’s a middle school French teacher, and on the weekends, she’s a professional wrestler…like the kinda stuff you see on TV.  I really have trouble thinking of two things that seem more diametrically opposed, but not only do they coexist in Addy but they genuinely compliment and build one another up.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with the “All-American Canadian” Addy.

Hi I’m Greg Sowell, and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I find interesting people and trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is George Larrimore.  He’s a Southerner who started collecting stories at a young age, and liked it so much he moved to California to do it full time for TV.  George has the knack for finding the story behind the story, but not only that, he’s going to tell it to you in a way that connects you to it…makes you care about it.  He’s bringing a voice to folks…or perhaps helping to tell their truth louder than they would have been able to on their own.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with George.

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 Adrienne Dobson.  She’s an actress, a beautiful singer, and oh, by the way, also the director of the theater company.  Adrienne was kind enough to talk to me about how life was prior, and the coming to terms with a pandemic, and then the hope she feels as things come back to us.  The arts are important to a lot of us…the arts are important to me and I want to do whatever I can to keep them alive.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Adrienne.

Hi, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a conversation podcast where I find interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest for this one is Russell Muits.  He’s a graphic designer by day, and by night he does street printing.  He’s captured art from manhole covers in over 60 cities spanning the globe, but more important he’s had some amazing interactions and collected some great people.  We have crossing paths via the Memphis famous Jimmy Ogle...it's interesting how lives can intersect, isn't it.  I hope you enjoy this chat with, the all too humble, Russell.

Hi, I’m Greg Sowell, and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I have conversations with interesting folks to try and trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Will Bearden.  If you’ve ever been curious about history in Memphis or the Mississippi delta, odds are you’ve seen one of his videos, or perhaps come across one of his books.  He’s a southern gentleman who loves telling stories.  He documents the people who’ve made history in the South so that they may live on, and my hope also is so that he can live on amongst them.  Enjoy this chat with Willy.

This is Why Am I, a podcast that is all about having conversations with interesting people to try and trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Mykell Barlow, who is about as multifaceted as they come.  He talks about singing in Georgian night clubs at 13, to his time in Tialand, then over to being a pastor, then dropping everything and moving to LA, and last as RuPaul Charles’ executive assistant.  Oh and did I mention that he is also a writer, director, producer, and actor LOL?  If nothing else, you won’t be left unchanged by this conversation; I hope you enjoy my chat with Mykell.

This is Why Am I, a podcast that is all about having conversations with interesting people to try and trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Jimmy Ogle.  He is truely in love with the city of Memphis in a way that I’ve never seen anyone love a city.  He’s only the third person to be named as the Shelby County historian, he’s headed countless city organizations, and has given thousands of tours of the city.  In fact, I met him on a tour of bridges, that lead to a walking tour, that lead to a manhole cover tour, and ultimately led me to do a special tour of the country’s first separated storm drain system…I was literally looking at vaulted brick chambers that only a handful of people had ever seen.  As you’ll notice, if you ask him a yes or no question you emerge 20 minutes later, much wiser, but without an answer to the original question.  Please enjoy this chat with Jimmy.

Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.jimmyogle.com/main.htm.

This is Why Am I, a podcast that is all about having conversations with interesting people to try and trace a path to where they find themselves today.  The lucky contestant this time is Staza Stone, a trained dancer, stilt walker, trapeze, fabric, hooper, clown, burlesque artist, and ...instructor.  This kid is a fireball who knows who they are, where they want to go, and how to get there.  Her infectious energy is, I believe, the key to her helping preserve the art of Circus.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Staza.

Meet the man who cracks whips for a living.  Yeah, you read that correctly...and sometimes they are made of chain, or perhaps they are on fire, and all while playing the harmonica.  Adam “crack” Winrich  is a variety arts entertainer who is the most analytical and calculating person I’ve spoken to thus far; he’s a lesson in the unexpected.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Adam.

Jennifer Mosquera is an artist that started as a vet, pivoted to earth science, took a pitstop as a lawyer, and eventually found her home making amazing interactive art experiences.  This is someone who while they know who they are, isn’t afraid of change...and I Love it; she's definitely my sister from another mister.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jennifer.

*Content Warning - Some graphic detail of crimes*

Daniel Lenick is a 20 plus year retired homicide detective from Baltimore that has seen a thing or two.  He’s incredibly open about what he’s experienced and how that affected him, for better or worse.  This one does get into weeds on a few of his cases, so be warned that there is some material that isn’t suited for all audiences.  I’m glad there are folks out there like Daniel who will bring voice to those who can’t speak.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Daniel.

Mario is a passionate author and artist who never lets failure stop him...and I mean never.  He's the only person to have had a vampire novel declassified by the US government...that's not something you hear everyday...or ever really.  He’s also got a quote for everything, which means he is someone definitely on my wavelength.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Mario.

Well hello there season 2, it’s nice to see you.  In the spirit of starting things off with a bang, I’ve got Cameron Huges, one of the world’s great crowd igniters.  Cameron has been hyping crowds for over two decades, and, no surprise here, he does a great job at hyping me up :)  It’s definitely not been all candy canes and lollipops along the way, but he has a way of finding the silver linings.  He is extremely in touch with his feelings and motivations, which takes us deep down the rabbit hole.  I hope you join me in “feeling it like it is” with Cameron.

The Fantasy Restaurant is my warmup exercise that asks people their dream: drink, appetizer, main, side, and dessert.  It usually gets wacky and is always fun; these two characters are no exception.  This is usually a patron only exclusive that is published at the same time as the main episode.  I hope you have fun in the restaurant :)  

Eric is a craft brewer by day and an artist all the rest of the time.  This is a winding conversation that goes from him as a kid gluing things together, then to him building theater sets in highschool, all the way to him running security for a halfway house.  This guy has done a LOT, and we barely scratched the surface, but, once you peer underneath you find a nurturing friend that wants everyone to see and explore their potential.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Eric.

Today’s guest is Johnno Wilson.  He’s a super chill actor, comedian, writer, and not nearly frequent enough, podcast cohost.  His laid back positivity(and complete lack of rational fear) is just the thing we all need right now...doesn’t matter when you are listening to this, honestly.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Johnno.

Hannan and Nemo are career artists that have been living off their art for over 10 years...to any artist that likely sounds like an incredible feat.  Oh, did I mention that they've lived and worked out of a van for a good portion of that time!  I found them via their circle art, but now they mainly focus on mesmerizing mosaics made from recycled cans.  It definitely takes an incredible amount of teamwork to keep what they do sustainable, so please join me for a bit of how they got there.

If you don't know who Michael Cthulhu is, hold on to your pants; cause you are about to.  Not only is this guy amazingly talented, he's a great story teller, and one of the funniest people you are going to run into.  He's so delightful and down to earth, you can't not like the guy.  I hope you enjoy the chat!

This conversation with Owen was my very first, and man was I fortunate to have him share his time with me.  He's talented at a lot of things, not least of which is his comedy through which I found him.  I've heard some people shine a light wherever they go; well it seems that Owen travels with a miniature sun.  His optimism and energy are down right infectious.  I really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Quinn Dunki is such an extremely talented person that there's no way she could deny the world her gifts.  She's a software engineer, youtube machinest(bloniehacks), and Canadian LOL.  Please enjoy part one of my conversation with Quinn.

This is the exciting conclusion of my chat with Professor Tim Wilson.  I was introduced to him via his appearance on the UK reality TV show The Circle season 2, and I instantly fell in love with him.

Professor Tim Wilson is a renaissance man if I've ever met one.  I was introduced to him via his appearance on the UK reality TV show The Circle season 2, and I instantly fell in love with him.