On this episode of the pod, Fantasy Football Champion and Bottom Dweller Rick Bernstein takes you into one of his 3 fantasy football drafts and shares his pick process and final picks at each position starting from the first round (edited down a bit, of course). Killing time between picks, Rick reminisces about the highs and lows of his longest-run…

Jummie Moses is the creator, host, and spirit behind the podcast "Shifting Dimensions," where themes of spirituality, religion, consciousness, the paranormal, and technology are explored in fascinating conversations. From an early age, Jummie pondered life's biggest questions about purpose, life, and death, and in 2020, it was time for her to take …

Diego Mariscal is the Founder and CEO of 2Gether International, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that is the leading startup accelerator for disabled founders worldwide. On this episode of the pod, Diego shares his journey, from forging partnerships with influential figures like Judy Heumann, to tackling workplace stigma head-on. Diego details h…

Sara Quinteros and Juli Shesser are registered dietitians and nutrition experts in Washington, DC. With March being National Nutrition Month, Sara and Juli stopped by the studio to share their expertise in managing food and nutrition choices for individuals and families. On this episode of the pod, Sara and Juli break down how to navigate nutrition…

On this spontaneously recorded and minimally edited and mixed podcast, Rick shares some thoughts about the start to 2024, the therapeutic nature of podcasting, how The Pod of DC was conceived, and how podcasting can help unleash your true voice.

On this final pod of 2023, Rick reflects on his firsts this year, waxes nostalgic on how technology has evolved in helping us capture those moments throughout the year, and shares quick clip recaps from inspiring individuals featured on the pod in 2023. On behalf of The Pod of DC, we wish you all a happy and healthy New Year, and we'll talk soon in…

Dave Moya is the owner of The Moya Group, the parent company of Three Stones Residential, one of the top real estate teams at Keller Williams Metro Center in Arlington, Virginia. We recorded this episode in Dave's newly set up podcast studio and discuss his candid takes on the current state of real estate, how adaptability and curiosity has helped …

Tony Barone is a Protective Paramedic Practitioner and CEO of Emergility, a security, protection, and emergency medical services company based in Alexandria, Virginia. Over 60 years ago in Alexandria, four physicians established 24/7 year-round emergency care, which today has become accessed and over-accessed from the most minor ailments to the mos…

Tina Fox is an Entrepreneur, Creator, and CEO of TERN Mentoring, a B Corporation that provides a platform for individuals to share their experiences and live their legacy through mentorship. Of course, through networking, I met Tina's husband, who encouraged me to connect with Tina as she was a fellow JMU Duke. Tina and I hit it off immediately and…

Sytera Field is an innovative yoga instructor and owner/operator of Sytera Yoga in Vienna, Va. I’ve spent the last 1 ½ years taking classes from her and the instructor team there and wanted to learn more about Sytera’s yoga journey and experience as a small business owner. For this pod episode, Sytera and I met just outside the studio doors to shar…

Rick shares another Happy Father's Day message to all the Dads out there and explains why this Father's Day feels extra bittersweet.

In 2005 David Reynolds Jr. was teaching General Music to Elementary School students when he was approached to start a percussion ensemble for kids as a community service project. At first the group consisted of about two dozen 5th and 6th graders banging on instruments available to them in the school from xylophones to trash cans and other non-trad…

Julie Cangialosi is the founder of Operation Little Angel 101: Hope after Loss centered on advocacy and support for the pregnancy and infant loss community. It was almost six years ago that Julie and I first crossed paths on the Mrs. DC America stage and upon her crowning that evening, Julie set in motion an array of mission-driven pursuits centere…

Kristen Berset-Harris is an award-winning host of Great Day Washington on WUSA9 in the greater DC/Baltimore metro area. For the final pod of 2022, I visited Kristen at WUSA9 to discuss her upstart in broadcasting, how competing in pageantry gave her a foundation to find her voice and confidence that led to years as a news and sports anchor and co-h…

Kathleen Klawitter is a speaker, resiliency expert, visionary, former LPGA golf pro, and author of Direct Hit: "A Golf Pro's Remarkable Journey Back from Traumatic Brain Injury." On this episode of the pod, Kathleen shares her story from gifted athlete to marketing manager on the stock exchange to finding her true calling as an LPGA golf instructor…

Michael Pukownik is the Head of Genre Marketing at Amazon Music. Michael and I met as classmates and fraternity brothers in college and we connected on our shared love for all things music, but he was the one who dove head first into the music business in New York after a short stint in DC upon graduation. Soon after his move to NYC, Michael's brot…

Meghan Grana is the author of Call Me Penny Pickleberry, a relatable story for children and adults alike about a girl named Penelope who faces a roller coaster of emotions in her everyday life and learns to reframe her thinking to take on everyday challenges. Meghan has been a tireless advocate for children and families in some of the country's lar…

Graham Dodge is a serial entrepreneur, patented inventor, and technology leader whose career has spanned the industries of entertainment, healthcare, and information technology over the last two decades. Always gracious and generous with his time, Graham shares his journey to entrepreneurship starting with music and playing in bands around LA, to c…

Kinosha Soden has been on the move since arriving in the nation's capital over a decade ago. She made her way to D.C. via St. Louis holding a Masters in Biomedical Engineering and Analytics from Washington University in St. Louis. She cheered for the Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams ("Greatest Show on Turf"), became a master esthetician, was crow…

Alison Gary is founder and editor-in-chief of Wardrobe Oxygen, a professional blog offering "real-life style advice for grown-ass women." Her work has earned her features in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and on the Today Show to name a few. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Alison began blogging and musing on fashion for enjoyment a…

Mala Persaud is an environmental advocate, sustainability commission member in the Town of Vienna, Virginia and owner of Trace - The Zero Waste Store, the first zero waste store in Fairfax County, the most populous county in the state of Virginia. As the daughter of South American immigrants, Mala learned early in life to appreciate the gifts of th…

Courtney Phillips is a mental health advocate and coach who founded Hope for Invisible Wounds to provide awareness and understanding for mental anguish caused by trauma and has shared her own story of survival through her platform as a former Washington, D.C. and Virginia state pageant title holder. When Courtney and I first met onstage in 2018 dur…

John Daly is a three-time Winter Olympian in Skeleton Racing and friend who is closing in on his fourth Winter Olympic Games in February 2022. From the age of 14 John has been training, competing, and performing at the highest level of sport to capture that elusive medal that was in his grasp in 2014 but slipped away in his final run. On this episo…

Leiah Rochleau is a licensed health coach, certified personal trainer, and mentor to many seeking a healthier body, spirit, and self image. Leiah was in the midst of her own personal self-discovery when we met onstage during the Mrs. DC America Pageant competitions in 2017 and 2018. On this episode of the pod, Leiah details where she was in her lif…

Twenty-one years ago this week, just after her 18th birthday, Deveney Shea joined the Army on whim and began her two decades plus military journey from Midwest America to Virginia and currently the DC Metro region. Over those two decades of service, Deveney has taken on a variety of roles within the Department of Defense in both active duty and civ…

Dr. Renee Allen, "The People's Emcee", is a speaker, author, talk show host, mentor, and advocate for human decency in the nation's capital region. Renee and I teamed up on several Mrs. DC America and Miss DC for America pageants as co-hosts and I was excited for the opportunity to get the story behind a woman who radiates love and positivity in al…

Rounding out the third episode of our three part spotlight series on the Behavioral Health program at Mary’s Center in Washington, DC, we have a conversation with Spencer Northey and Daniel Veiga, licensed therapists within the Couples & Family Therapy program at Mary’s Center. Spencer and Daniel share practices and anecdotes around relationship th…

On this second of three episodes of our spotlight series on the Behavioral Health program at Mary's Center in Washington, DC, we have a conversation with Tiffani Boykin, a licensed therapist within the school-based mental health program at Mary's Center. Tiffani shares her approach to her practice working with teens in schools, how the program and …

Kicking off the first of three episodes of our spotlight series on the Behavioral Health program at Mary’s Center in Washington, DC, we have a conversation with Georgette Saad, a licensed therapist and Senior Early Childhood Manager at Mary’s Center. Georgette shares the importance of being in tune with your child, that parenting is not a one size …

Music is truly a gift, one that gives us comfort and inspiration and helps create memories that last a lifetime. One fun and special way to draw on the magic of music is honoring your child through song. On this episode of The Pod, the Rossman Family share how their love of music inspired them to self publish their new book "Sing Your Child's Story…

From the time he learned to read, Steve Trout was following box scores and idolizing his local DC sports teams and sportscaster George Michael as a sports obsessed kid growing up in Reston, VA. On this episode of The Pod, Steve shares how he cultivated his passion for all things sports into calling high school sporting events to pursuing a sports j…

With thousands of Twitter followers and over 200 podcast episodes published, the JMU Sports Blog continues to provide fresh and entertaining takes on all things JMU Sports both past and present. On this episode of the pod, JMU alums Rob Abbott and Todd Davis share what led them to establish the blog back in 2009, how the blog and the JMU football p…

One of the bright moments of the last year in the DC region was the crowning of JeanAnne Roberts as Mrs. DC America 2020. On this episode of the pod, JeanAnne shares her life experiences growing up in West Virginia coal country, the impact pageants made on her early in her life, traveling the world as a flight attendant, and her work now supporting…

Marco Jacobs is a CEO, startup investor, and mentor in the thriving greater Washington, DC IT market. Born, raised, and educated in Jackson, Mississippi Marco knew at an early age he loved building things. His love for building landed him as a computer science major at Jackson State where he received a full scholarship as a sonic boomer in the well…

The healthcare world is fortunate to have professionals like David Daniel in its ecosystem. On the first episode of The Pod in 2021, David shares his journey to serving mission driven healthcare organizations after hitting a crossroads professionally and choosing to volunteer one summer at a camp for children with life threatening illnesses that pr…

Patrick Brown might be a familiar face whether you’ve personally met him or not. He’s been a close friend of mine for 25 years and on this final interview episode of The Pod of DC in 2020, Patrick shares what made growing up in Columbia, MD special, his journey to JMU, how he packed up everything to pursue an acting career in California in 2004 and…

It was a pleasure reconnecting with my friend Tracey Butler-Johnson who has served as a public school educator and counselor in one of the largest school systems in the country over the last two decades. Tracey shares her journey to the DC area and how she found her passion counseling middle schoolers, the evolution of the school counselor position…

The Fantasy Sports world is getting to know Sia Nejad. Sia is a college bro of mine turned fantasy football and golf writer, podcaster, and contributor to outlets like Win Daily Sports and CBS Fantasy Football Today. On this episode of The Pod, Sia dishes about raising a family in Florida after growing up in the greater DC area, his passion for and…

Jason Scalzo is a fighter, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Jason discusses with Rick his upbringing in Hamden CT and the impact losing his mother had on his life, the example set by his father, how he strives to live up to his father's model as an individual and doting Dad, the twists and turns his personal and professional life have taken sinc…

Tommy Ross is a boss. Professional drummer, karate black belt, and an elite obstacle course athlete. We dove right into things talking music and his formative upbringing split between California and Saudi Arabia, finding his calling through elite obstacle course training and competition, how he gives back through the sport, and the support and guid…

Cristine Gollayan is a cybersecurity pro, fashionista, and fixture on the DC social scene. On this episode, Cristine shares with Rick how she landed in tech, the changes that have evolved since coding Cobol in the late nineties, her plans as President-elect for the Women in Technology nonprofit organization, her optimism for the young leaders of th…

Rick reconnects with Rebecca West-Hensinger since her crowning in 2019 as Mrs. Pennsylvania America to reflect on her life growing up in Allentown PA, her journey into pageantry and finalist finishes at Mrs. America and Mrs. World, the inspiration behind her platforms of education equality and substance abuse recovery, her experience summiting Mt. …

Phil Singh is a passionate music lover from the San Francisco Bay area who now calls DC home. On this episode of the pod, Phil shares with Rick the sounds of his childhood, how he listened to new music as a teenager in the late eighties and early nineties, and breaks down with Rick the Beastie Boys' award-winning and critically acclaimed album Chec…

Rick has a conversation with Dr. Mara Monoski, a board-certified urologist turned educator. Mara discusses her upbringing abroad and in the greater DC area, her close friendships formed in high school, the twists and turns in her professional career that inspired her writing and ultimately, the process of publishing her debut novel Downtown Dani.…

Rick catches up with his buddy Robert Hofheimer to reflect on meeting in MAFTY, a regional movement of Jewish youth, in the late 80's and early 90's, the journey they shared navigating over 13,000 miles cross country the summer after graduating high school, and the lens they have on friendships made back then in a low fidelity world as Dads of youn…

Rick reconnects with his friend Dr. Jason Heiserman to discuss his career as a higher ed administrator and educator, the impact of his upbringing in Silver Spring, what brought him to JMU, and his time breaking classic tracks in the golden era of 90's hip hop as a college radio station DJ.

Rick catches up with childhood friend Brad Perry to reminisce about their middle school years in Stafford County, VA, the skateboarding scene in the late 80's, and the musical journey Brad has taken over the years as a working and touring musician.

Rick chats with Top Dawg Brock Leonard, who served as JMU's mascot from 1994-1998. Brock shares what led him to JMU, what it means to wear the costume, and other fun stories from his All-American run as the beloved mascot for the Dukes.

Rick chats with MAAM, DC's premier alt/grunge rock band featuring 4 Moms and a Man.

Rick discusses the night a tree came knocking on his home and took (almost) everything with it