This week's podcast is part two featuring Rafael Jimenez, President, and Kyahn Mata Secretary of Lone Star Community College organization Pizza and Politics. We turned the tables and let them ask us the questions. Hosts Julie Kornegay, Emily Spivak, and Brent Veazey, with Rafael and Kyahn, discussed a variety of topics, including: What it looks lik…

🍕 Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as Julie and Emily sit down with Rafael Jimenez and Kyahn Mata, representatives from Lonestar Community College's Pizza and Politics Club. In this enlightening discussion, we delve into the origins of the club, exploring why it was created and the pivotal role it plays in fostering open conversations o…

🎙️✨ Join us for a captivating episode as Julie engages in a thought-provoking conversation with the dynamic Sarah Stogner, a devoted mom, small business owner, and passionate lawyer. Sarah is on a mission to bring justice to the residents of Ward and Reeves County by running for District Attorney of the 143rd district. 🌟 Dive into the heart of Sara…

Brian sat down with Austin’s very own Paul O’Brien. O’Brien is a startup veteran and a seasoned marketer with an early career at Yahoo! and HP. From there, Paul led the early growth of startups such as Outright.com (Acquired by GoDaddy), Zvents (Acquired by eBay’s StubHub), and MicroVentures (Venture Capital). Paul works in Venture Capital Economic…

Our guest today needs no introduction: the co-chair and the face of the Forward Party, Andrew Yang. Andrew was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries and the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Yang left the Democratic party, stating that he was "more comfortable trying to fix the system than being a part of it," and f…

Rick Hubbard is a long-time activist, author, retired attorney, & former economic consultant. He is currently walking across the US (Walking to Fix Our Democracy) to bring attention to the much needed political reforms he is fighting for. At 82 years old, Rick continues to be as active as ever, proving you're never too old to start, and it’s never …

Lee Bratcher is the President and Founder of the Texas Blockchain Council. The TBC helped spearhead two pieces of blockchain legislation that were passed in the 87th Legislative session and signed into law. Lee graduated with his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Texas. Previously, he was a political scienc…

Cody Grace is a former candidate for the District 6 Texas Lege. He has spent over 20+ years in the IT industry and is currently the President of WayPoint Digital Networks. A native of Tyler, TX, Cody continues to find ways to give back to his community. Brian and Cody discussed a variety of topics including gun violence in Texas, the current fight …

This month’s volunteer spotlight features Cesar Garcia. Cesar currently serves on the Communications Committee and has played a major role in building the Texas Forward Party website. Prior to joining the Comms Committee, Cesar worked to establish local non-profit partnerships in Austin and was the top performer in our first street team event. Bria…

William Taggart is the CEO & Founder of Cavern Energy Storage, a cutting edge startup focused on developing underground pumped storage hydroelectric technology using salt dome caverns. A Mechanical Engineer by trade, he has spent over 30 years working and consulting in the oil and gas industry and has traveled across the globe solving complex probl…

Nitish Mirchandani is the Policy Chair for the Forward Party of Texas. He worked as a Public Diplomacy Intern for the US Embassy in India and has supported campaigns at both the state and federal level while earning his Masters in International & Global Studies. Nitish spoke with Brian about his experience growing up in India as an American citizen…

Laura Wheat was the Mayor of West Lake and President of the West Lake Academy for 16+ years, has sat on countless boards including the Gladney Center for Adoption, currently serves on the Forward Party Executive Committee and the Co-CEO of Joanna Czech Skincare. Laura sat down with Emily to discuss the power of local politics and how the two major …

This month’s Volunteer Spotlight features Mitul Gouni. Mitul is a Junior in High School from Allen, TX and has been actively volunteering for the Texas Foward Party Communications Committee & Immigration subcommittee, working on research, social media, and policy. Mitul and Brian covered how Gen Z looks at American politics and the future ahead, wh…

Trent Newell is a member of the Texas Forward Party Executive Committee and Project & Developer Coordinator for the National Forward Party. Trent spent 7 years in the US Navy as an Intelligence Officer before transitioning to a career in Finance. Trent sat down with Julie to discuss bringing back competition in politics and changing the political i…

Toni Wing-Jenkins spent 30+ years as a teacher in Texas & Louisiana public schools, 3+ years at a private Christian pre-school, and has taught at DoD schools in Germany. Currently, Toni is serving on the Texas Forward Party Executive Committee and she continues to be a passionate advocate for teachers and improving public education in Texas. Today'…

As the 2023 Texas Legislature Session comes to a close, our podcast team Brian Lee, Julie Kornegay, and Emily Spivak looked into several notable bills that made headlines this session. The topics covered include: The fight over School Vouchers and Teacher pay (SB100) Addressing the deficiencies in the Electric Grid (SB6) New fees for Electric Vehic…

Dylan MacInerney is the Vice President of The Mach1 Group, an award-winning, Austin-based public relations firm, specializing in public affairs, crisis management and media training. Dylan spent 4+ years working as a staffer on Capital Hill and has worked in variety of public sector roles. We discussed how social media has changed communication, ho…

This Week's Volunteer Spotlight features Alex Paluch. He has canvassed with our Austin-based Street Teams, currently serves as the Admin of our Discord Server and spent several years working for a large political consulting firm before getting involved with the Forward Party. We spoke with Alex about his experience knocking on doors canvassing for …

Lucie Repova is the host of the Think with Lucie podcast, a State Lead for the Forward Party of California, and the Founder of Iris, an AI-driven community engagement platform used by Braver Angels and several other independent minded organizations. Born in the Czech Republic, Lucie shared her unique insights on the importance of Free Speech and De…

In Part Two of our podcast series from the 5th Annual Ally Energy Workforce of the Future Summit, Brian sat down with Governor Christine Todd Whitman & Katie Mehnert. Both Governor Whitman and Katie are deeply knowledgeable about the Energy sector, and shared their insights on current and future job opportunities in CleanTech, how the US can overco…

Michelle is fresh off her first and only trip to Coachella, and gives Ceruti the full breakdown of the highly anticipated and very disappointing Frank Ocean 'performance'. Plus Friend of the Pod Mike Golic Jr. joins the conversation to accept an apology on behalf of Swifties everywhere, and discusses the latest season of Love is Blind. Learn more a…

Governor Christine Todd Whitman is the Co-Chair of the Forward Party, served as Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and was the head of the EPA during the Bush administration. This is Part one of a two-part series we recorded at the 5th Annual Ally Energy Workforce of the Future Summit. Our Communication Director Julie Kornegay, sat down with …

Rev. Leslie Jackson is the Senior Pastor of St. Peter United Church of Christ in Houston, Texas. Rev. Jackson is a veteran of the United States Navy and spent several years working in the private & non-profit sector before he was ordained. This was a truly inspiring conversation that will resonate with anyone who feels like they don't fit neatly in…

Katie Mehnert is the Founder and CEO of ALLY Energy. She served as Ambassador to the United States Department of Energy during the Trump Administration and on the National Petroleum Council by the Biden Administration. Katie is a globally recognized as an author and speaker and has been featured in Forbes, Scientific American, CNN, Newsweek, CNBC, …

Do women need to shoot their shot more? Would you like a list of people who wanted to shoot their shot at you, but didn't? Michelle and Ceruti discuss, plus take a walk down memory lane as Steve unpacks his childhood bedroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy 101 ESPN | Hubbard Radio

Brent Veazey is the co-owner of Assisted Living Locators in Houston Texas, where he and his wife Pauline, help vulnerable seniors navigate the complexities of Medicare and get access to the care they need. He spent 15+ years working in the health insurance industry, in both the corporate and non-profit worlds, including stints w/ Cigna and the YMCA…

Rick Kennedy was the Democratic Nominee for Texas 17th Congressional District in 2018 and 2020, and now serves as the Texas Forward Party State Chair. Rick is the father of three, and he has had an accomplished career in software engineering and project management. Rick discusses what it was like running for Congress, how the two major political pa…

David Green is a Sr National Organizer for Rank the Vote. Formerly, he was a Deputy Chapter Lead at Voter Choice Massachusetts and a Co-founder of the MA Yang Gang. David travels throughout the country building support for grassroots Ranked Choice Voting movements and working with policy makers to make RCV a reality. As a part of his month long jou…

Peloton Superstar Cody Rigsby joins the pod! Michelle and Cody chat about his LOL Cody series, the importance of loving yourself, the latest in pop culture and they wrap things up with a rapid fire game of "Smash or Pass" featuring some iconic sports mascots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Michelle and Ceruti are back with a 2022 edition of A+ Content going through all their favorite music, shows, movies and more as we close out the year. Plus, if you haven't heard, Ceruti became a dad since we last talked and Michelle has a ton of questions about babies, parenthood and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…

Michelle and Ceruti are back talking about the lead up to Ceruti becoming a dad including picking out names and how much to share on social media. Then, Michelle shares her first impressions of living in New York City from fashion week to rent prices, the subway and more! Finally they close it out with their (unexpected?) love of Post Malone. Learn…

Michelle and Ceruti eulogize the Choco Taco plus Michelle has somehow never experienced an ice cream truck. Is the new Beyonce song good? Ceruti takes an L on an old Small Talk argument. Plus they close it out with a drinking game draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy 101 ESPN | Hubbard Radio

Michelle and Ceruti are back with some advice when on bachelor or bachelorette parties. Smallmon has a question about how to get in with the cool, young crowd at the gym and tells the story of her budding friendship with a Real Housewife. And finally, with the news that Ceruti is going be a dad, Michelle gives him the new dad quiz! Learn more about…

Michelle and Ceruti begin with Smallmon's recent Instagram content and why the streets are talking about her really upping her game. Then they play a game of "can Ceruti pronounce designer brand names?" before breaking down a dating app dilemma where a friend chats with some potential suitors. Finally, they close it out with a fresh edition of A+ C…

Michelle and Ceruti open talking about interior design, what the hell "Art Deco" means and why Steve's office looks like a 12-year-old boys room. Then they get into a debate about whether blue raspberries are real before Ceruti gives his review of the new movie "The Batman." Finally they close it out with Michelle's top 5 girl crushes and Ceruti's …

Michelle and Ceruti recap their 24-hour meet up in CT before Michelle gets into her trip to South Africa including safaris, why boat days solve everyone's problems and Ceruti's past encounter with a hippo. Then they close it out with with a vacation country draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

We're back! Michelle and Steve catch up for the first time in 2022 talking Smallmon's new 2022 energy that includes the power of just saying no. Ceruti lists three things that are annoying him right now. Plus they run through some "Am I The Asshole?" stories including a Danny DeVito obsession and too much Harry Potter. Learn more about your ad choi…

Michelle and Ceruti talk about how much they loved the new Alanis Morissette documentary on HBO and why 'You Oughta Know' might be the GOAT angry breakup song. Then, they do an "Ask Me Anything" including the best ways to go sledding, the perfect day in New York City and a question from Michelle's mom about whether they're saving for retirement. Le…

Michelle and Ceruti recap their separate trips to Madison Square Garden last week with Michelle trolling Ceruti at a Dave Matthews Band concert and Ceruti checking out a Knicks game. Then, they react to Taylor Swift revisiting her drama with Jake Gyllenhaal, if it really was the haymaker some made it out to be, and if Jake even cares. Finally, they…

Michelle and Ceruti talk about Steve's trip to Tulum including kids at clubs, aggressive Instagram influencers and whether or not it's acceptable to pee in the ocean. Michelle has a question about airplane etiquette. Plus they close it out with by drafting the most universally loved songs of all-time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…

Michelle and Ceruti are pumped to chat with a guy whose music they both grew up listening to: Rapper Murphy Lee. They get into his career coming out of St. Louis, his favorite collaborations, what he thinks of hip hop now, and his new album "2nd Time Around." Plus they get into Michelle's trip to a Packers game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Ceruti…

Michelle and Ceruti are back and talk about how football takes over peoples lives this time of year. They disagree on whether The Met Gala is cool or not. Ceruti has some questions about giving your significant other jewelry. Plus Michelle saw two concerts recently and was blown away by both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc…

Michelle and Ceruti react to a couple of stories, first where a guy proposes but instead of giving her a ring she gets something quite different, and another about a couple who sent an invoice to people who ghosted on their destination wedding. Then, they close it out with a "Dude Look Draft." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad…

Michelle and Ceruti are back after a couple weeks and explain the reason for their absence. Then, they get into some controversial dude looks and whether or not they look good including mustaches and the bald-beard combo. Michelle talks about her time in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend. Plus Ceruti gets in a random, but passio…

Michelle and Ceruti talk about their "Freaky Friday" experience last week when Smallmon went to an MLS match and Ceruti traveled to Fenway Park for a Red Sox/Yankees game. Then they discuss an article in Axios called "The Friendship Crisis" about how people have significantly less friends now compared to 30 year ago. Learn more about your ad choice…

Michelle and Ceruti go interstellar this week with all the news about space right now. They give their thoughts on the Jeff Bezos Blue Origin mission, why it's super underwhelming and whether they'd want to vacation in space. They also review LeBron's new Space Jam movie and why it was very on brand for King James. Plus they discuss why awareness i…

Michelle and Ceruti open talking about a new olive oil health trend that they're divided on, celebrities pushing the same productions on us, and the next potential Small Talk merch drop. Then they're joined by ESPN host and friend Jen Lada to discuss the disrespect of Milwaukee, Giannis, Aaron Rodgers, how much cologne is too much, and pick up line…

Michelle got a spray tan and Ceruti has a ton of questions about it. Ceruti talks about Italy making the Euro final and why England fans are the worst. And finally they close it out with some "Am I The Asshole" stories including going on a date with a person you met on a date with someone else, annoying family members, and peeing the bed. Learn mor…

Michelle and Ceruti are back and talking kids/parenting because who better to discuss that than two people who don't have children (that's a joke). They explain the (somewhat) funny reason there's no video on this week's pod, plus they do an extended version of A+ Content breaking down the new Disney Pixar movie "Luca", Vespas, Lorde's new song, T-…

Michelle and Ceruti discuss whether life prepared us for adulthood. Why don't we take more "Life 101" classes in high school and college like taxes, healthy eating, the real truth about pregnancy and more? Plus Michelle is obsessed with Jackson Hole and Ceruti closes it out reflecting on a scary moment from the Euros. Learn more about your ad choic…