Angles is a podcast about learning from the paths of interesting and successful people. Hosted by John Richmond, Co-Founder and CEO of Richmond Vona, the show features conversations with entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from Buffalo and beyond. By exploring their stories from different angles, each episode uncovers the moments, mindset, and moves that helped them grow and offers insights you can use in your own life and career.
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In the sixty-second episode of Angles Podcast, John sits down with Beth Machnica, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and registered dietitian whose big hairy audacious goal is to make Buffalo a blue zone. Beth grew up in Cheektowaga on pizza, wings, and Hamburger Helper, started a cooking blog at 16 after a high school nutrition class exposed how badly she was eating, and has spent the decade since bringing $1 million in grant funding to Buffalo’s East Side, building a coalition of 180 organizations, and running a Food as Medicine symposium that has made Buffalo a nationally recognized model.
The conversation covers the 13-to-20-year life expectancy gap between Buffalo zip codes, the difference between a food desert and a food apartheid, what the 40 Days to Wellness program actually did for 108 chronically sick East Side residents, and why the number one cause of death and disability in America is food – before smoking, before genetics, before anything else.
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Ep62: Beth Machnica – Food as Medicine, Blue Zones, and Fixing Buffalo’s Health
Ep61: Tom Eoannou-44 Years of Criminal Defense, the North Park Theater, and Restoring Buffalo’s Soul
Ep60: Laura Fitzgerald – Cemetery Historian, Forest Lawn, and the Stories Carved in Stone
Ep59: Brian Higgins – Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo’s Vision, and Why Place Matters
Ep58: Matt Fairburn – The Athletic, Beat Reporting, and What He Sees Inside Buffalo’s Teams
Ep57: Shane Stephenson – The Buffalo Naval Park, the USS Sullivans, and Why Ships Must Be Preserved
Ep56: Julie Blackman – Six Generations, One Store
Ep55: Howard Cadmus – Sweet Jenny’s, 1811 Comics, and Building a Life You Actually Love
Ep54: Tim Herzog – The Godfather of Craft Beer in Buffalo
Ep53: Dr. Kevin Williams – What’s Really Out There
Ep52: Anthony Greco – The Stories Buffalo Doesn’t Know About Itself, and Why the Past Keeps Rhyming
Ep51:Dan Lukasik and Cheri Alvarez – Mental Health Awareness Month and the Power of Showing Up
Ep51:Dan Lukasik and Cheri Alvarez – Mental Health Awareness Month and the Power of Showing Up
Ep50: John Richmond – Behind the Mic, What It Cost to Start Richmond Vona, and What He Knows Now
Ep49: Charlie Specht – Investigative Journalism, Breaking the Diocese Scandal, and Going Independent
Ep48: Dawne Hoeg – Stitch Buffalo, Refugee Women, and Building Something Buffalo Needed from Scratch
Ep47: Lexi Varecka – Flex Yoga, Following Your Passion, and Building a Wellness Community in Buffalo
Ep46: Del Reid – The Godfather of Bills Mafia and What 26 Shirts Is Doing for Buffalo Families
Ep45: Aaron Mentkowski – Forecasting, Discipline, and Life as Buffalo’s Chief Meteorologist
Ep44: Matt Keeler – Hockey, Creativity, and Building a Culture Brand in Buffalo
Ep43: Rebecca Witter – Hearing Health, Acoustic Design, and Building a Business Buffalo Deserves
Ep42: Conway The Machine – Resilience, Buffalo Roots, and Betting on Yourself
Ep41: Jim & Tami Fitzhenry – Leadership, Trust, and Building a Culture That Lasts
Ep40: Mitch Korn – Goaltending, Leadership, and Building Trust at the Highest Level
Ep39: Alex Dispence (Sup Chef) – Food, Content, Sports, and Building a Digital Brand
Ep38: Jesse Ciffa — Barbering, Entrepreneurship, Trust, and Building Community in Buffalo
Ep37: Christopher Puckett — Crash Reconstruction, Black Box Data, and Finding Truth After Impact
Ep36: Larry Quinn – Former President of the Buffalo Sabres, Leadership, Legacy, and Civic Impact
Ep35: Colleen Heidinger – President of 43North, Building a Better Buffalo, and Leading with Purpose
Ep34: Tom Szulist — Innocence Cannabis, Singer Farm Naturals, and the Science of the Human Body
Ep33: Peter E. & Peter A. Roberti — Crafting Legacy, Leadership, and the Pursuit of Excellence
Ep32: Brad Gelber — Building a Law Firm Brand, Trust at Scale, and the Future of Richmond Vona
Ep31: Eight Months In – A New Year’s Eve Reflection on Building Angles
Ep30: Al Borz — Flushable Innovation, Startup Resilience, and Building a Global Consumer Brand
Ep29: Daniel Schuller – Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Ep28: Chef Redbeard — Craft, Curiosity, and the Art of the Private Dining Experience
Ep27: Tage Thompson — Hard Work, Leadership, and Building Buffalo’s Future
Ep26: Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein — Love Letters to Music
Ep25: Dhane Smith & Josh Byrne — Buffalo Built: The Championship Standard
Ep24: Coach Trevor Large Canisius University — Building a Culture That Wins
Ep23: Matt Meyer — The Healing Mindset: Rethinking Health, Movement & Modern Medicine
Ep22: Amy Bueme — Building a Fitness Empire of Catalyst Fitness
Ep21: Alissa Vogelsang — Courage, Presence, and Finding Joy Through Adversity
Ep20: Kimberly LaRussa — Sweet Buffalo: Kindness, Cancer Awareness, and Community
Ep19: Dr. Helen Cappuccino, Roswell Park — Empathy in Breast Cancer Care
Ep18: Mark Schmidt — The Winningest Coach at St. Bonaventure on Leadership, Values, and Community
Ep17: Revolution Buffalo — Building Buffalo’s Fitness Community
Ep16: Spencer Brown Buffalo Bills — From Small Town Roots to the NFL Trenches
Ep15: Al Longo & Keith Vona — Veterans Race 2025: Service, Community, and Mental Toughness
Ep14: Sharon Cryan — Food Nerd Founder on Fighting Processed Foods and Feeding the Future
Ep13: Lisa Johnson – Championing Mental Wellness
Ep12: Emily Martin — Hiring Right & Having Hard Conversation
Ep11: Tom Prince — The Heart of High School Sports
Ep10: Justin Hartman — From Lawyer to Distiller: Building Hartman’s Craft Spirits & Community
Ep09: Tom & Cloogie Barnett — From Rink to Runway: The Barnett Tailoring Journey
Ep08: David Lord (Guidesly) — From Accounting to Adventure: Reinventing Outdoor Guiding with AI
Ep07: Dave Horesh (Oxford Pennant) — Crafting a Brand with Heart, Grit, and Buffalo Soul
Ep06: Brandon Bieron — From Battlefield to Boardroom: Leadership, Integrity, and Culture in Business
Ep05: Sal Capaccio — From Coaching to Breaking News: The Journey of a Buffalo Sports Insider
Ep04: Jonny the Barber (Jon Palmeri) — More Than a Haircut: Building Trust, Brand, and Community
Ep03: Sara Heidinger — Building Community Through Art, Coffee, and Creative Spaces
Ep02: Tom & Caitlin Moriarty (Moriarty Meats) – Old-World Butchery, New-World Community
Ep 01: Chef Darian Bryan – NFL Chef on Flavor, Hustle, and Creating Experiences
Ep56: Julie Blackman – Six Generations, One Store
Ep55: Howard Cadmus – Sweet Jenny’s, 1811 Comics, and Building a Life You Actually Love
Ep54: Tim Herzog – The Godfather of Craft Beer in Buffalo
Ep53: Dr. Kevin Williams – What’s Really Out There
Ep52: Anthony Greco – The Stories Buffalo Doesn’t Know About Itself, and Why the Past Keeps Rhyming
Ep51:Dan Lukasik and Cheri Alvarez – Mental Health Awareness Month and the Power of Showing Up
Ep51:Dan Lukasik and Cheri Alvarez – Mental Health Awareness Month and the Power of Showing Up
Ep50: John Richmond – Behind the Mic, What It Cost to Start Richmond Vona, and What He Knows Now
Ep49: Charlie Specht – Investigative Journalism, Breaking the Diocese Scandal, and Going Independent
Ep48: Dawne Hoeg – Stitch Buffalo, Refugee Women, and Building Something Buffalo Needed from Scratch
Ep47: Lexi Varecka – Flex Yoga, Following Your Passion, and Building a Wellness Community in Buffalo
Ep46: Del Reid – The Godfather of Bills Mafia and What 26 Shirts Is Doing for Buffalo Families
Ep45: Aaron Mentkowski – Forecasting, Discipline, and Life as Buffalo’s Chief Meteorologist
Ep44: Matt Keeler – Hockey, Creativity, and Building a Culture Brand in Buffalo
Ep43: Rebecca Witter – Hearing Health, Acoustic Design, and Building a Business Buffalo Deserves
Ep42: Conway The Machine – Resilience, Buffalo Roots, and Betting on Yourself
Ep41: Jim & Tami Fitzhenry – Leadership, Trust, and Building a Culture That Lasts
Ep40: Mitch Korn – Goaltending, Leadership, and Building Trust at the Highest Level
Ep39: Alex Dispence (Sup Chef) – Food, Content, Sports, and Building a Digital Brand
Ep38: Jesse Ciffa — Barbering, Entrepreneurship, Trust, and Building Community in Buffalo
Ep37: Christopher Puckett — Crash Reconstruction, Black Box Data, and Finding Truth After Impact
Ep36: Larry Quinn – Former President of the Buffalo Sabres, Leadership, Legacy, and Civic Impact
Ep35: Colleen Heidinger – President of 43North, Building a Better Buffalo, and Leading with Purpose
Ep34: Tom Szulist — Innocence Cannabis, Singer Farm Naturals, and the Science of the Human Body
Ep33: Peter E. & Peter A. Roberti — Crafting Legacy, Leadership, and the Pursuit of Excellence
Ep32: Brad Gelber — Building a Law Firm Brand, Trust at Scale, and the Future of Richmond Vona
Ep31: Eight Months In – A New Year’s Eve Reflection on Building Angles
Ep30: Al Borz — Flushable Innovation, Startup Resilience, and Building a Global Consumer Brand
Ep29: Daniel Schuller – Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Ep28: Chef Redbeard — Craft, Curiosity, and the Art of the Private Dining Experience
Ep27: Tage Thompson — Hard Work, Leadership, and Building Buffalo’s Future
Ep26: Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein — Love Letters to Music
Ep25: Dhane Smith & Josh Byrne — Buffalo Built: The Championship Standard
Ep24: Coach Trevor Large Canisius University — Building a Culture That Wins
Ep23: Matt Meyer — The Healing Mindset: Rethinking Health, Movement & Modern Medicine
Ep22: Amy Bueme — Building a Fitness Empire of Catalyst Fitness
Ep21: Alissa Vogelsang — Courage, Presence, and Finding Joy Through Adversity
Ep20: Kimberly LaRussa — Sweet Buffalo: Kindness, Cancer Awareness, and Community
Ep19: Dr. Helen Cappuccino, Roswell Park — Empathy in Breast Cancer Care
Ep18: Mark Schmidt — The Winningest Coach at St. Bonaventure on Leadership, Values, and Community
Ep17: Revolution Buffalo — Building Buffalo’s Fitness Community
Ep16: Spencer Brown Buffalo Bills — From Small Town Roots to the NFL Trenches
Ep15: Al Longo & Keith Vona — Veterans Race 2025: Service, Community, and Mental Toughness
Ep14: Sharon Cryan — Food Nerd Founder on Fighting Processed Foods and Feeding the Future
Ep13: Lisa Johnson – Championing Mental Wellness
Ep12: Emily Martin — Hiring Right & Having Hard Conversation
Ep11: Tom Prince — The Heart of High School Sports
Ep10: Justin Hartman — From Lawyer to Distiller: Building Hartman’s Craft Spirits & Community
Ep09: Tom & Cloogie Barnett — From Rink to Runway: The Barnett Tailoring Journey
Ep08: David Lord (Guidesly) — From Accounting to Adventure: Reinventing Outdoor Guiding with AI
Ep07: Dave Horesh (Oxford Pennant) — Crafting a Brand with Heart, Grit, and Buffalo Soul
Ep06: Brandon Bieron — From Battlefield to Boardroom: Leadership, Integrity, and Culture in Business
Ep05: Sal Capaccio — From Coaching to Breaking News: The Journey of a Buffalo Sports Insider
Ep04: Jonny the Barber (Jon Palmeri) — More Than a Haircut: Building Trust, Brand, and Community
Ep03: Sara Heidinger — Building Community Through Art, Coffee, and Creative Spaces
Ep02: Tom & Caitlin Moriarty (Moriarty Meats) – Old-World Butchery, New-World Community
Ep 01: Chef Darian Bryan – NFL Chef on Flavor, Hustle, and Creating Experiences
Ep29: Daniel Schuller – Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Ep29: Daniel Schuller – Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Ep29: Daniel Schuller – Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Ep28: Chef Redbeard — Craft, Curiosity, and the Art of the Private Dining Experience
Ep27: Tage Thompson — Hard Work, Leadership, and Building Buffalo’s Future
Ep26: Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein — Love Letters to Music
Ep25: Dhane Smith & Josh Byrne — Buffalo Built: The Championship Standard
Ep24: Coach Trevor Large Canisius University — Building a Culture That Wins
Ep23: Matt Meyer — The Healing Mindset: Rethinking Health, Movement & Modern Medicine
Ep22: Amy Bueme — Building a Fitness Empire of Catalyst Fitness
Ep21: Alissa Vogelsang — Courage, Presence, and Finding Joy Through Adversity
Ep20: Kimberly LaRussa — Sweet Buffalo: Kindness, Cancer Awareness, and Community
Ep19: Dr. Helen Cappuccino, Roswell Park — Empathy in Breast Cancer Care
Ep18: Mark Schmidt — The Winningest Coach at St. Bonaventure on Leadership, Values, and Community
Ep17: Revolution Buffalo — Building Buffalo’s Fitness Community
Ep16: Spencer Brown Buffalo Bills — From Small Town Roots to the NFL Trenches
Ep15: Al Longo & Keith Vona — Veterans Race 2025: Service, Community, and Mental Toughness
Ep14: Sharon Cryan — Food Nerd Founder on Fighting Processed Foods and Feeding the Future
Ep13: Lisa Johnson – Championing Mental Wellness
Ep12: Emily Martin — Hiring Right & Having Hard Conversation
Ep11: Tom Prince — The Heart of High School Sports
Ep10: Justin Hartman — From Lawyer to Distiller: Building Hartman’s Craft Spirits & Community
Ep09: Tom & Cloogie Barnett — From Rink to Runway: The Barnett Tailoring Journey
Ep08: David Lord (Guidesly) — From Accounting to Adventure: Reinventing Outdoor Guiding with AI
Ep07: Dave Horesh (Oxford Pennant) — Crafting a Brand with Heart, Grit, and Buffalo Soul
Ep06: Brandon Bieron — From Battlefield to Boardroom: Leadership, Integrity, and Culture in Business
Ep05: Sal Capaccio — From Coaching to Breaking News: The Journey of a Buffalo Sports Insider
Ep04: Jonny the Barber (Jon Palmeri) — More Than a Haircut: Building Trust, Brand, and Community
Ep03: Sara Heidinger — Building Community Through Art, Coffee, and Creative Spaces
Ep02: Tom & Caitlin Moriarty (Moriarty Meats) – Old-World Butchery, New-World Community
Ep 01: Chef Darian Bryan – NFL Chef on Flavor, Hustle, and Creating Experiences
Featured Guests
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Hailing from Jamaica, Chef Darian brings the heat to Buffalo, NY and everything he serves. Featured in many media outlets, he inspires appetites around the world. From fine dining pop-ups to private dining experiences, and from meal prep for professional athletes to the long lineworthy events for his Jamaican-inspired “Jerk Hut,” extra is always on the menu—whether you’re talking his signature fedoras and chef jackets or the colossal surf and turf he’s known for.
Business/Organization: Bratts Hill, The Plating Society
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Moriarty Meats has been Tom and Caitlin’s dream since they first met. The first Moriarty Meats butcher shop was founded on a love of small European neighborhood shops, amazing food, and a warm welcoming feeling. The first Moriarty Meats was opened on Grant Street in 2018 part-time, where the present building was found. Moriarty Meats values quality, community, culture, curiosity, and connection.
Business/Organization: Moriarty Meats
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After studying photography at Mckinley high school, Sara continued her craft at the University at Buffalo and in New York City. She moved back to Buffalo and splits her time now between Undergrounds Coffee House & Roastery, of which she is part owner, and Photography, including curating a gallery space at 500 Seneca. Her journey has become more than just creating a final product, but a celebration of experiences for herself and others that may have been unknown otherwise.
Business/Organization: Undergrounds Coffee House and Roastery
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From cutting hair in his parents’ garage at 15 to running two successful shops, Jon Palmeri—known as Jonny the Barber—has built a brand around community, consistency, and attention to detail. Since Jonny the Barber opened his first barbershop, his main focus has been on the client. Everyone who works in his shops loves what they do and simply does it the best.
Business/Organization: Jonny the Barber
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Sal Capaccio, the ultimate Buffalo sports insider, shares his journey from coaching high school football to becoming the go-to voice on the sidelines and in the podcast feeds of Western New York. Sal discusses his non-linear path to sports broadcasting, the lessons learned from teaching, and the leap of faith that brought him back to Buffalo. Sal opens up about the importance of preparation, building relationships, and maintaining objectivity in sports media, plus the moment he broke the Terrell Owens signing story that changed everything.
Business/Organization: Buffalo Bills
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Brandon Bieron went from being a U.S. Army Ranger to a business leader. Now president of Reimer Home Services, Brandon shared how battlefield lessons in resilience, discipline, and leadership have shaped his people-first approach to business. From failing his first Ranger School attempt to leading one of Western New York’s fastest-growing home service companies, Brandon’s story is a powerful look into humility, culture-building, and service at scale.
Business/Organization: Reimer Home Services
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From humble beginnings with $2,000 and a side hustle, Dave Horesh co-founded Oxford Pennant, a company that resurrected the forgotten art of wool felt pennants and built a brand that reflects Buffalo’s pride and perseverance. In this episode, John Richmond talks with Dave about authenticity in branding, keeping manufacturing local, and the value of doing things the hard way—because it’s the right way. They explore business growth, navigating failure, building a culture of kindness, and why success means more when it’s shared.
Business/Organization: Oxford Pennant
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David Lord has built and exited tech companies for decades, but his newest venture is pure passion. After years chasing trout, he created Guidesly—a Buffalo-born platform that equips 1,500-plus outdoor guides with AI tools and marketing muscle so they can focus on delivering the “magic moment” for anglers. Sitting down with host John Richmond, David unpacks the $50 billion guiding industry, explains how the 43North accelerator helped anchor Guidesly in Western New York, and shows why a strong culture and clear accountability still beat raw enthusiasm.
Business/Organization: Guidesly
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Father‑son duo Tom and Cloogie Barnett turned a Buffalo tailoring shop into a bespoke powerhouse, dressing NHL superstars, CEOs, and wedding parties while staying true to blue‑collar roots. In this conversation with host John Richmond they trace the business from a post‑fire reboot in 1990 to an international brand, explain why hockey culture still shapes their work ethic, and share how the Buffalo Shamrocks youth program puts fun and sportsmanship back into youth hockey.
Business/Organization: Tom Barnett NY
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Host John Richmond sits down with Justin Hartman—former New York City trial lawyer and founder of Hartman’s Distilling Co.—to unpack his leap from law to whiskey, the science of crafting award-winning bourbon, and the realities of scaling a Buffalo distillery through a pandemic. Hartman explains how courtroom discipline, relentless research, and a timely pivot into producing 30,000 gallons of hand sanitizer kept operations on track. The discussion covers mentorship, balancing risk with vision, and plans to create a “Kentucky-style” visitor experience on Buffalo’s waterfront. A must-listen for entrepreneurs and bourbon enthusiasts alike.
Business/Organization: Hartman’s Distillery
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Tom Prince, Vice President of Western New York Athletics, turned a volunteer baseball blog into a full‑fledged sports network spotlighting student‑athletes across Buffalo. In this episode, host John Richmond chats with Tom about the evolution of youth sports, the mounting pressures athletes face, and why long‑term development beats early trophies. They dig into the art of balanced commentary, the role of parents and coaches in shaping character, and the future of multi‑use athletic facilities in Western New York. If you love sports at their purest—passion, community, and a dash of play‑by‑play—you’ll enjoy this conversation.
Business/Organization: Western NY Athletics
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Emily Martin is the founder of Ally HR Partners, where she helps Buffalo companies hire the right people and tackle the tough conversations that keep teams on track. She joins host John Richmond to explain why HR should guide strategy, how clear accountability builds culture, and what makes Buffalo’s business scene uniquely collaborative.
Business/Organization: Ally HR Partners
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In this episode of Angles, Lisa Johnson, Chief Strategy Officer at Compeer Buffalo, shares her journey from a college volunteer to leading an organization dedicated to combating loneliness and promoting mental wellness. The conversation explores Compeer’s mission, the impact of loneliness on mental health, and the various programs they offer to support individuals in need. Lisa discusses the importance of community engagement, diversity in mental health support, and the role of mental health first aid training in workplaces. The episode emphasizes the need for open conversations about mental health and the significance of checking in on friends and loved ones.
Business/Organization: Compeer of Greater Buffalo
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What if the cereal in your pantry was designed to be addictive? This week on Angles, Sharon Cryan, the founder and CEO of Food Nerd, shares her deeply personal journey—from growing up in Buffalo with a single mother battling MS to launching a company aimed at transforming how we feed our children. After a career in law, Sharon pivoted toward food advocacy, driven by her realization that ultra-processed foods were harming families across the country. She built Food Nerd from the ground up with one mission: to deliver truly healthy, plant-based, scientifically validated nutrition for the most important phase of life—the first 1,000 days. This is a conversation about motherhood, mission, and the power of food as self-care.
Business/Organization: FoodNerd
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What are you made of? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s Angles conversation. John Richmond sits down with Al Longo and Keith Vona to talk about Buffalo’s Veterans Race—a community event that’s more than just a 5K or 10K. From its origins on the back of a napkin to becoming one of the city’s fastest-growing races, the Veterans Race is about perseverance, gratitude, and giving back. Al and Keith share stories about the race’s growth, the Buffalo running community, and why this event is both a celebration of service and a thank you to those who’ve served. Whether you’re a runner, a volunteer, or someone looking for inspiration, this episode dives into mental toughness, community, and purpose-driven living.
Business/Organization: Buffalo Veterans Race
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From a small town in Iowa to Sundays in the NFL, Buffalo Bills tackle Spencer Brown has lived a journey built on grit and perseverance. In this episode, he opens up about his Hard Knocks experience, the ups and downs of draft day, and how Buffalo quickly became home thanks to Bills Mafia. Brown reflects on locker room culture, mental toughness, and what it means to block for an MVP quarterback like Josh Allen. He also shares his charity work with Mission 22, his thoughts on Buffalo wings, and what he’s most excited about for the upcoming season.
Business/Organization: Buffalo Bills
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What started as an idea among friends has grown into one of Buffalo’s most welcoming fitness communities. From the early days of washing towels at midnight to pivoting through COVID with outdoor classes at Larkinville, their story is about grit, teamwork, and the magic of creating connection. The Rev team shares how their diverse corporate backgrounds helped them launch the business, why relationships and inclusivity are at the heart of what they do, and how Buffalo’s collaborative fitness community continues to thrive.
Business/Organization: Revolution Buffalo
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When you think of St. Bonaventure basketball, one name stands above the rest: Coach Mark Schmidt. The winningest coach in Bonnie’s history, he’s built his program on values that don’t bend. Do it the right way, never cut corners, and treat everyone with respect. For nearly two decades, he’s led with discipline, preparation, and heart, earning championships on the court and admiration off it through his work with the American Cancer Society. In this episode, John Richmond and Coach Schmidt talk about leadership, culture, recruiting, preparation, and the lessons that carry far beyond the game.
Business/Organization: American Cancer Society
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Dr. Helen Cappuccino, a breast surgeon at Roswell Park Cancer Center, discusses her journey into medicine, the importance of empathy in patient care, and the advancements in breast cancer treatment. She emphasizes the significance of early detection, lifestyle changes to reduce risk, and the collaborative environment at Roswell. Dr. Cappuccino also highlights the role of research and clinical trials in improving patient outcomes, the barriers to screening, and the importance of community support and philanthropy in cancer care. She shares her insights on mentoring the next generation of doctors and the values that drive the culture at Roswell.
Business/Organization: Roswell Park Cancer Center
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Kimberly shares how Sweet Buffalo evolved from a good news platform into a lifeline for families in crisis, bringing joy and hope to children battling illness and supporting nonprofits across Western New York. She also opens up about her personal battle with breast cancer, the importance of early detection, and her experience in a clinical trial at Roswell Park. Through her resilience and passion, Kimberly highlights the true spirit of Buffalo as the City of Good Neighbors.
Business/Organization: Sweet Buffalo
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When Alissa Vogelsang was first diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, she refused to be defined by it. Over a decade later, she continues her fight with metastatic breast cancer — facing every setback with resilience, humor, and gratitude. In this episode, John Richmond sits down with Alissa to discuss her journey from diagnosis to treatment, the importance of being your own advocate, and how she finds joy in life’s small moments. Together, they explore the power of support systems, the realities of clinical trials, and what it means to live with purpose and presence — even when the road is uncertain.
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, we sit down with Buffalo powerhouse Amy Bueme, co-owner of Catalyst Fitness. Amy and her husband Joe started with one small gym and grew it into Western New York’s leading fitness brand. Amy shares the highs and lows of that journey — from competing with national chains and rebranding from Gold’s Gym to Catalyst, to balancing family life with entrepreneurship. She opens up about navigating market changes, surviving COVID-19, and why Buffalo’s fitness community is one of the strongest in the country. Her story is one of grit, resilience, and never losing sight of community.
Business/Organization: Catalyst Fitness
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What if everything you’ve been taught about health, healing, and performance was only half the story? In this episode, John Richmond sits down with Matt Meyer, a movement specialist, mindset coach, and wellness practitioner who’s worked with everyone from the Buffalo Bills and Bandits to everyday people searching for real healing. Matt breaks down how traditional medicine often misses the mark, why mindset matters as much as mobility, and how to build a daily environment that supports true wellness. He dives into alternative therapies, psychedelic research, and the simple daily habits that transform both physical and mental health. This is one of the most thought-provoking health conversations we’ve had on Angles — whether you’re an athlete, an entrepreneur, or just someone looking to feel better and live stronger.
Business/Organization: Revive Health
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Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne of the Buffalo Bandits join Angles with John Richmond to talk about leadership, legacy, and what it takes to win championships in Buffalo.
They open up about their bond as teammates, the lessons from losses that fueled their title runs, and how the Bandits’ culture represents the blue-collar mindset of the city. Dhane and Josh also share their thoughts on teamwork, community, and staying grounded through success.
Business/Organization: Buffalo Bandits
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Filmmaker Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein joins Angles with John Richmond to discuss her journey from Brazil to Buffalo, and how a $30 BPO student pass sparked the path that ultimately led to her directing the feature documentary *Love Letters to Music*, centered on world-renowned conductor JoAnn Falletta.
Brenda shares the power of quiet leadership, the evolution of documentary filmmaking, and the importance of curiosity, resilience, and passion. She opens up about building trust with JoAnn, filming across the world, studying hundreds of hours of footage, and why classical music is more important now than ever.
Business/Organization: A Special Story
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Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson joins Angles with John Richmond to talk about family, leadership, work ethic, and his journey from Alaska to the NHL.He opens up about his father’s influence, the lessons that keep him grounded, and the mindset behind becoming one of hockey’s elite scorers. Tage also shares his thoughts on team culture, handling pressure, his love for Buffalo, and what it will take to bring playoff hockey back to the city.
Business/Organization: Buffalo Sabres
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Jeremy Van Antwerp, better known as Chef Redbeard, has become one of Buffalo’s most distinctive culinary creators. In this episode, John sits down with Jeremy to explore how a self‑taught cook built one of the city’s most unique dining experiences, why he left the corporate food world behind, and how curiosity, grit, and authenticity shaped Kitchen Studio into what it is today.
Business/Organization: The Kitchen Studio by Chef Red Beard
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Estate planning isn’t about documents it’s about protecting the people you love. John Richmond sits down with Daniel Schuller of PB Elder Law to break down wills, powers of attorney, Medicaid, crisis planning, and the biggest misconceptions that financially devastate families. Daniel also shares real-world horror stories, practical steps every family should take, and the business and leadership lessons he’s learned while helping scale one of Western New York’s fastest‑growing law firms.
Business/Organization: PB Elder Law
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From London to Buffalo, from a pub napkin sketch to winning 43North — Al Borz shares the decade-long journey behind Twipes, the world’s first fully biodegradable, truly flushable wipe. In this episode, John and Al dive into R&D breakthroughs, fundraising with no safety net, surviving early failures, and what it means to build a mission-driven startup in a massive legacy industry.
Al also opens up about leadership transformation, culture fit, the emotional weight of being a founder, and the exciting future of Twipes as they prepare new product lines and scale into the U.S. market. A powerful conversation for founders, operators, and anyone obsessed with innovation.
Business/Organization: Twipes
Brett Tuttle & John Richmond - 2025 Reflection
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In this New Year’s Eve episode of Angles with John Richmond, John and producer Brett sit down to reflect on the first eight months of the podcast – recorded exactly eight months to the day after their original test episode.
They talk candidly about why Angles started, what they’ve learned from dozens of conversations, and how listening, consistency, and community shaped the show more than any strategy or metric. This episode is about gratitude, momentum, and continuing the work into the new year.
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Brad Gelber, the new Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Richmond Vona. Brad shares his path into marketing, what attracted him to Richmond Vona, and how intentional brand-building creates trust long before a client ever picks up the phone.
They explore what modern law firm marketing really means, balancing authenticity with scale, content strategy, internal culture, and why storytelling is the most powerful differentiator in a crowded legal marketplace.
Business/Organization: Richmond Vona
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For more than 60 years, Adrian Jules has been a Western New York institution built on craftsmanship, relationships, and uncompromising standards. In this episode, John sits down with father-and-son team Peter E. and Peter A. Roberti to explore what it takes to build, protect, and evolve a true legacy business. They discuss generational leadership, adapting to changing styles and lifestyles, the importance of communication and trust, and why client experience matters just as much as the product itself.
Business/Organization: Adrian Jules
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Tom Szulist, founder of Innocence Cannabis and Singer Farm Naturals. Tom shares a deep, thoughtful exploration of the human body, the endocannabinoid system, and how cannabis, food, and the microbiome work together to support balance and health. Drawing from decades of experience in finance, agriculture, and plant science, Tom challenges conventional thinking around medicine, wellness, and personal responsibility. This conversation goes far beyond cannabis — it’s about understanding the body’s operating system, living in the present moment, and reclaiming health through education, awareness, and nature.
Business/Organization: Innocence Cannabis
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Colleen Heidinger, President of 43North, Buffalo’s nationally recognized startup accelerator. Colleen shares her personal journey from growing up in Buffalo’s First Ward to building a career in global media, film, and venture ecosystems and ultimately returning home to help shape Buffalo’s entrepreneurial future.
This conversation explores leadership, risk-taking, community-building, and what it truly takes to create an ecosystem where startups and people want to stay. From the realities of startup selection and venture capital to mindset shifts, Buffalo pride, and the human side of leadership, this episode offers a powerful look at how cities are rebuilt through people who show up.
Business/Organization: 43North
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Larry Quinn, former President and Managing Partner of the Buffalo Sabres and one of the most influential executives in Buffalo sports and civic life. Larry played a central role in leading the Sabres through multiple ownership eras, including the Knox family and Tom Golisano, helping guide the franchise through some of its most successful and culturally significant years.
Beyond hockey, the conversation explores leadership under public scrutiny, organizational culture, downtown Buffalo development, public education reform, and Larry’s work with the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. This episode offers a thoughtful look at how leadership decisions inside major institutions ripple far beyond the arena.
Business/Organization:Buffalo Sabres
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Christopher Puckett, founding partner of Northeast Crash Dynamics and former New York State Trooper. Christopher brings decades of experience investigating serious motor vehicle crashes, crime scenes, and high‑stakes forensic cases. The conversation explores how crash reconstruction works, what vehicle “black box” data can reveal, and how physics, math, and human behavior intersect in serious accidents. Christopher also shares stories from his time with the New York State Police, including crime scene investigation, blood spatter analysis, and major manhunt operations, as well as his work with Team Adam supporting missing and exploited children cases.
Business/Organization: Northeast Crash Dynamics, LLC
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Jesse Ciffa, owner of Chief’s Barber Parlor. Jesse shares his journey from learning barbering on YouTube and cutting hair in his grandmother’s basement to building one of Buffalo’s most respected modern barbershops.
The conversation explores entrepreneurship without a traditional business background, earning trust client by client, and why barbering creates a unique one‑on‑one connection that few other professions offer. Jesse also talks about hiring for personality, maintaining high standards, growing a team, and what it’s like cutting hair for professional athletes including members of the Buffalo Bills.
Business/Organization: Northeast Crash Dynamics, LLC
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Alex Dispence better known as Sup Chef a Western New York native who turned a background in professional kitchens into a massive online food brand. Alex shares how he transitioned from working in high-end restaurants to becoming an early breakout creator on TikTok, building an audience of millions through authenticity, humor, and obsession with food.
The conversation explores what it takes to grow and sustain a digital brand, how viral moments create opportunity and pressure, and why most ideas fail before one finally works. Alex also talks about balancing family life with entrepreneurship, delegating creatively, and his newest venture bringing sports-inspired flavors and food products to market.
Business/Organization: Supchef Pizza Co.
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with legendary NHL goaltending coach Mitch Korn. Mitch’s career spans decades at the highest levels of hockey, including foundational years with the Buffalo Sabres, where he helped redefine the role of the modern goalie coach and played a pivotal role in the development of Dominik Hasek. The conversation is deeply personal, as Mitch was also John’s goalie coach growing up, creating a unique lens on mentorship, trust, and long-term impact. Mitch reflects on his journey from early goalie camps in Buffalo to a storied NHL career alongside Barry Trotz in Nashville, Washington, and New York. He discusses what it takes to build elite performers, the psychology of goaltending, and why relationships matter more than systems.
Business/Organization: Mitch Korn
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Jim and Tami Fitzhenry. They are former corporate executives turned leadership coaches who now dedicate their time to helping leaders across Buffalo and Western New York grow with clarity, accountability, and authenticity.
After decades building their careers at a global company rising from sales and engineering roles to the C-suite Jim and Tami returned home to Buffalo with a mission: help leaders lead better. From digital transformation and global innovation to culture building and executive coaching, their experience spans industries, continents, and leadership levels.
This conversation dives deep into what actually makes a leader worth following. Jim and Tami unpack the evolution of leadership, the courage required to remove toxic high performers, the power of clear expectations, and why self-leadership is the foundation of everything. They discuss delegation, perfectionism, goal setting, accountability, tough conversations, and the reality that excellence not perfection is the standard.
Business/Organization: Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Buffalo’s own Conway The Machine – internationally known recording artist, founder of Drumwork Music Group, and co-founder of Griselda Records. From recording on karaoke machines in his grandmother’s basement to signing with Shady Records and working with Roc Nation, Conway shares the unfiltered story behind his rise. He opens up about growing up in Buffalo, studying the greats, surviving being shot, and the mental toughness required to build a career from a city with no industry infrastructure.
This conversation goes far beyond music. Conway discusses resilience, rejection, independence, ownership, patience in the music business, artist development, the realities of the business side of rap, and why Buffalo shaped him into who he is today. He reflects on fatherhood, leadership, philanthropy through the Conway Cares Foundation, and the importance of staying grounded even while traveling the world.
Business/Organization: Drumwork Music Group
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Rebecca Witter, licensed audiologist and founder of Acoustic Designs by Rebecca, a Buffalo-based acoustic consulting firm helping businesses, restaurants, offices, and residential spaces finally address the sound problem everyone notices but no one talks about. What began as a career rooted in patient care and a lifelong friendship with a deaf childhood friend evolved into a business born from Covid, motherhood, and a light bulb moment: if she could not fix the places her patients were struggling in, why not fix the places themselves?
Rebecca pulls back the curtain on hearing loss as a hidden health epidemic, explaining why the stigma around hearing aids keeps people suffering longer than they should, how untreated hearing loss is directly linked to cognitive decline, social isolation, and depression, and why the modern obsession with open, minimalist design is quietly making Buffalo a louder, more exhausting city. She breaks down the science of how sound damages the inner ear, what auditory fatigue actually is, and why the habits you form in your 20s and 30s will determine what your hearing looks like at 60.
Business/Organization: Acoustic Designs by Rebecca
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Matt Keeler, founder of Just Dishin, the Buffalo-based hockey culture brand that is redefining what creative expression looks like in the sport. What started as three shirts made in high school and a dorm room operation at Saint John Fisher College has grown into one of the most authentic and innovative brands in hockey, with collaborations spanning NHL teams, star players, and iconic names like New ERA and Nike.
Matt takes John through the full origin story, from sketching ideas at his dad’s quarry in Albion, to winning a business plan competition at the New York State level, to the viral Jordan skate moment during Covid that put Dishin on the national map. He opens up about the creative philosophy behind everything they build: continuous experimentation, making things he personally loves, and the relentless pursuit of quality that meets the standards of the athletes they work with.
Business/Organization: Just Dishin
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Aaron Mentkowski, chief meteorologist at WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo. A Lockport native who has spent 26 years forecasting for Western New York, Aaron is one of the most recognizable and trusted faces in local media, and one of the few Certified Broadcast Meteorologists in the country. What started with watching cars disappear in the Blizzard of ’77 became a lifelong passion and a career built on precision, authenticity, and showing up every single day.
Aaron pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to do his job, from waking up before 3 a.m. to rebuilding every graphic from scratch between live shots, to navigating the social media age where every missed forecast becomes a comment section. He breaks down how lake effect snow works, what it was like living at the station during the 2022 blizzard, and why Buffalo is one of the most challenging and rewarding places in the country to be a meteorologist.
Business/Organization: Meteorologist at WKBW Channel 7
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, the man widely credited as the godfather of Bills Mafia. What started as a late-night tweet from a pizza pickup in Tonawanda in April 2011 has grown into one of the most recognized and beloved fan communities in all of professional sports. Del is as humble as they come, quick to spread the credit and even quicker to remind anyone listening that Bills Mafia was never about him. It belongs to every Bills fan who ever showed up.
Del walks John through the full origin story: how a Stevie Johnson dropped pass, an Adam Schefter retweet, and a hashtag born as a joke accidentally launched a movement. He talks about what it actually felt like to be thrust into a leadership role he never asked for, and how some of the Bills fans initially resisted the name. Along the way, he breaks down what makes Buffalo fans different from every other fan base in the country, and why that chip on the shoulder is generational, not circumstantial.
Business/Organization: Bills Mafia
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Lexi Varecka, founder of Flex Yoga, a Buffalo-area yoga and wellness studio with locations in Clarence and Orchard Park. Lexi’s story starts in Washington, D.C., where a yoga teacher training she signed up for just to deepen her own practice turned into the seed of something much bigger. She took that passion to the West Coast, spent years teaching and absorbing everything she could about the wellness and event culture out there, and then made a deliberate decision to bring something new back to the community she grew up in.
Lexi breaks down what makes Flex different: beat-based sculpt, hot power fusion, and a community-first approach that goes well beyond the hour on the mat. She talks about the summer solstice event that drew nearly 80 people just three months after opening, the puppy yoga partnership that brought over 100 people together outdoors, and why she built Flex Friday into the studio’s DNA from day one. The conversation goes deep on what it actually takes to run a yoga studio: the certifications, the hiring auditions, the infrared heat panels, the chaos of a 30-minute class changeover, and the hard-won lesson that delegation is not optional if you want to survive.
Business/Organization: Flex Yoga
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Dawne Hoeg, founder and executive director of Stitch Buffalo, a nonprofit that brings together refugee women through the craft of textiles. What started 12 years ago as a community workshop in a basement has grown into a full organization and a model that has made Stitch Buffalo a pillar of this city. She is also a three-time cancer survivor, and that experience is woven into everything that drives her.
The conversation covers how Stitch Buffalo works: the consignment model that puts money directly into the hands of the women, the resale arm that turned donated materials into a revenue stream, the open community classes, and the five-year arrangement with Rich Products. Dawne also talks candidly about leadership, delegation, and the current political climate and what it means for the women she works with, and the very difficult work of succession planning when you have built something from nothing and it is your life’s work.
Business/Organization: Stitch Buffalo
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Charlie Specht, one of Buffalo’s most recognized investigative journalists. Over a 15-year career at the Buffalo News, Channel 7, and Channel 2, Charlie built a reputation for breaking stories that matter: police corruption, government misconduct, and one of the most significant local scandals in decades – the Diocese of Buffalo sex abuse cover-up. He recently made the leap to go independent, launching his own Substack and writing a book about his experience reporting on the diocese, and what it cost him personally.
Charlie walks John through how investigative journalism actually works: how tips come in, how sources are vetted and protected, what it takes to spend a month on a story before a single word goes on air, and why the business model collapse in media is leaving communities more vulnerable to corruption than most people realize. He talks candidly about the ethical line between being tough and being fair, why attacking the messenger has become a standard defense tactic for people in power, and what it really means to report against your own assumptions.
Business/Organization: Investigative Journalism
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, the tables are turned. Producer Brett Tuttle steps out from behind the camera and into the host chair to interview the man who has been asking the questions all along. This is the episode John never fully planned for: a honest look at who he is, where he came from, what building Richmond Vona actually cost him, and what he has learned about himself along the way.
Brett pulls John through the origin story of Richmond Vona – the moment at a previous firm that cracked the door open, and how consuming entrepreneur biographies and the Founders podcast drives his curiosity even more. John talks about what it was like to self-fund a law firm through its first years, living in a constant state of fight or flight, watching the bank account drain while all the right markers were moving in the right direction, and why he never once thought about quitting even when he absolutely should have. He goes deep on hiring, on what it means to protect people and where that drive actually comes from, and why high standards are non-negotiable at a firm where the clients are never just case files.
Business/Organization: Founder & CEO at Richmond Vona, LLC
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In this special Mental Health Awareness Month episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with two of Western New York’s most dedicated voices in mental health advocacy. Dan Lukasik is an attorney with over 35 years of experience, the founder of the website Lawyers with Depression, the creator of the Buffalo Depression Project, and a man who has lived openly with major depression for 25 years. Cheri Alvarez is the CEO of Compeer Buffalo, a mental health nonprofit that has been transforming lives in this community through the radical, simple act of human connection.
Dan shares his story with remarkable honesty: being diagnosed with major depression at 40 while managing partner of his own firm, losing his younger brother to bipolar disorder, and spending the last two and a half decades turning his own pain into a resource. He talks about depression in the legal profession, which affects lawyers at four times the rate of the general population, why many lawyers never ask for help, and why his new Buffalo Depression Project exists to make sure no one in this community has to figure out where to turn on their own.
Business/Organization: Mental health advocate
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Anthony Greco, Director of Exhibits at the Buffalo History Museum and host of the Buffalo History Museum podcast. Anthony has spent nearly 20 years going down rabbit holes in old newspapers, building exhibits, and telling the stories of a city that most of its own residents only think they know. From the chaos of mid-1800s Canalside to the assassination of a president, from the real story of the McKinley Curse to the first airplane factory in the United States sitting on Elmwood Avenue, Anthony is the kind of guide you didn’t know you needed.
The conversation covers the full sweep of Buffalo’s history: what the city was actually like as the 8th largest city in America, how Bethlehem Steel made and then hollowed out entire communities, why the city stagnated long enough to preserve its architectural legacy, and what the Erie Canal story looks like when you include the indigenous people. Anthony talks about how the museum approaches difficult history, why co-curation with community partners matters, and what it takes to put together an exhibit that tells a story that actually lands.
Business/Organization: Buffalo History Museum
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Dr. Kevin Williams, director of the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State University, for a conversation that covers black holes, Mars, dark matter, life on other planets, and why most of us have completely lost our connection to the night sky.
Dr. Williams walks through his origin story, how the planetarium works, and what it actually takes to explain the scale of the universe to someone who has never thought about it. He breaks down the science without making your head explode – spaghettification, time dilation, the James Webb Telescope, and why we only understand about 5-10% of the universe. If you have ever stared up at a clear sky and felt something you couldn’t name, this is the episode for you.
Business/Organization: Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State University
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Tim Herzog, founder of Flying Bison Brewing Company and the man known as the Godfather of Craft Beer in Buffalo. Tim is one of the best storytellers you will ever hear, and this conversation covers all of it: a four-pack of Guinness in 1978, a gag gift from his wife that started a business, six years without a salary, and a 100-year-old brewery license nobody at City Hall knew how to process.
This is as honest a business story as you will hear. Tim talks about losing his founding partner mid-process, putting his house up as collateral, driving with cash to pay the electric bill, lobbying Albany to change New York State taproom law, and eventually watching Hamburg Brewing Company carry the Flying Bison brand forward. He also shares his unfiltered take on where craft beer went wrong and why he thinks the industry committed suicide chasing trends instead of staying true to what it stood for.
Business/Organization: Flying Bison Brewing Company
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Howard Cadmus, owner of Sweet Jenny’s chocolate and ice cream shop and 1811 Comics and Collectibles in the historic Williamsville Mill. Howard is one of the funniest, most self-aware people to sit across from John in 56 episodes. He runs two beloved businesses out of a 215-year-old building with a waterfall out the back, guides every decision by two questions he has asked himself since he was young, and genuinely believes the income is not the point – the outcome is.
The conversation covers all of it: growing up on public assistance in Brooklyn, the hustle instinct that never left, how he and his wife Tara went from a chocolate shop in Snyder to rescuing the Williamsville Mill from near demolition, what it really means to be in business with your spouse, and how Brutus the Barber Beefcake started a chain of wrestler appearances that now includes nine visits from Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Howard also makes a strong case for therapy, talks candidly about imposter syndrome, and explains why 70-hour weeks don’t feel like work when you love what you do.
Business/Organization: Sweet Jenny’s chocolate and ice cream shop and 1811 Comics and Collectibles
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Julie Blackman, owner of Farmers and Artisans in Snyder and sixth-generation farmer of Blackman Farms in Niagara County. If you live anywhere near Snyder, you probably already know the store. If you don’t, this episode will make sure you go.
Julie’s story moves from milking cows before school to a 20-year career in physical therapy to a trip to San Francisco that changed everything. She talks about building the store from a fruit butter grant application, losing her founding partner right before the move to the current location, and deciding on a flight home to jump in anyway. She is also honest about everything people don’t see: HR with no HR department, the physical exhaustion of staying local when it would be easier not to, and why she would never open a second location no matter how many times people ask.
Business/Organization: Farmers and Artisans in Snyder and sixth-generation farmer of Blackman Farms in Niagara County
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In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, Director of Museum Collections at the Buffalo Naval Park. Shane is an archivist by trade who came to the career at 35 after a trip to the National Archives in Washington changed everything, and has spent the years since cataloging, preserving, and telling the human stories behind the three vessels docked on Buffalo’s waterfront: the USS Sullivans, the USS Little Rock, and the USS Croaker. This conversation covers the full history of each ship, why Buffalo has the largest inland naval park in the country, and what it actually means to be the person responsible for keeping these stories alive.
The episode goes deep on the sinking of the USS Sullivans on April 14th, 2022 – a seiche event on Lake Erie that created a 15-foot gash in her hull, drove her six feet into the Buffalo River, and became national news overnight. Shane walks through the story of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, what happened on the USS Juneau in November 1942, and why the Croaker and the Sullivans sitting side by side in Buffalo is a more powerful historical connection than most visitors realize. He also lays out Operation Preservation and the $21 million dry-dock campaign now underway to save both vessels.
Business/Organization: Director of Museum Collections at the Buffalo Naval Park
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John sits down with Matt Fairburn, staff writer at The Athletic covering the Buffalo Sabres and one of the most trusted voices in Western New York sports media. Matt has covered both the Bills and the Sabres across his career, spending years at Syracuse.com before joining The Athletic at its Buffalo launch in 2018. He’s a Boston kid who came to Buffalo for a job, met his wife here, and stayed. This conversation is not really about the state of the teams. It’s about what it actually takes to do this job at a high level.
Matt talks about building source relationships as a long game, how the Kevin Adams accountability piece came together over eight months and what it was like to sit across from Adams before it published, and what he has observed about organizational culture and leadership from years of watching two major sports franchises succeed and fail. He also covers the Sabres’ playoff run, the GM change that shifted everything, Brandon Beane and the pressure on the Bills, and where journalism is going as the written word competes with video, AI, and a fragmented media landscape.
Business/Organization: Staff writer at The Athletic
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John sits down with Brian Higgins, former U.S. Congressman and current President and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Brian is South Buffalo born and raised, the son of a bricklayer-turned-city-councilman, and a man whose grandfather helped lay the 520,000 bricks in the historic Shea’s theater itself. He spent 19 years in Congress on the Ways and Means Committee, secured the $300 million New York Power Authority settlement that still finances Buffalo’s waterfront redevelopment, and now runs the largest theater by seating capacity in New York State. This is a conversation about vision, execution, and what it actually takes to believe in a city.
Brian walks through the $34.5 million expansion currently underway at Shea’s, the Musical Fair partnership that has broken its own attendance record every single show, and the digital signage and lit art installations turning the theater district’s alleys into destinations. He talks about his father’s moment at the city council that made him fall in love with politics at age ten, the Harvard fellowship that came six months after he lost an election, and what learned helplessness does to a community. He also shares his unfiltered take on the current state of national politics, the US-Canada relationship, and what he hopes Buffalo looks like in ten years.
Business/Organization: President and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center
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John sits down with Laura Fitzgerald, cemetery historian, longtime docent at Forest Lawn, and current director at Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls. Laura has spent over two decades learning to read the stories carved into headstones, buried in burial permits, and hidden in the lives of people most of Western New York has never heard of. This is one of those episodes where you walk away looking at something familiar in a completely different way.
Laura covers the origin of the Rural Cemetery Movement and why cemeteries were the original public parks before Central Park existed, the dentist buried at Forest Lawn who invented the electric chair, the remarkable and ultimately sad story of Annie Edson Taylor who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel at 63 to avoid dying poor, what the symbols on headstones actually mean, and what it is like to spend a career researching the dead. She also talks about Chautauqua, cemetery camp, stone preservation workshops, and why the best way to learn the history of any town is to walk through its cemetery.
Business/Organization: Laura Fitzgerald director at Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls
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John sits down with Tom Eoannou, one of the most celebrated criminal defense attorneys in Western New York with 44 years in practice and a reputation built on taking the cases nobody else would take, giving money back when it was the right thing to do, and caring deeply about the human beings behind the charges. Tom is also the man responsible for saving the North Park Theater, restoring the Cornell Mansion on Delaware Avenue, acquiring Ulrich’s, and currently finishing a ceramic artist’s house in Bradenton, Florida that he has been restoring for three and a half years.
The conversation is extraordinary. Tom talks about the 22-caliber killer, the Wonder Bread vice president who killed his wife and got the fee returned, the mobster who threatened him with a ball-peen hammer when asked about cooperating, the FBI hitlist that had his name second on it, and the wrongfully accused man who walked free because Tom hired an FBI agent to reinvestigate at his own expense. He also covers the seven-year community-funded restoration of the North Park, how Brokeback Mountain put the theater on the map, and why he worries deeply about the future of Buffalo’s commercial real estate market.
Business/Organization: Tom Eoannou criminal defense attorneys in Western New York
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John sits down with Beth Machnica, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and registered dietitian whose big hairy audacious goal is to make Buffalo a blue zone. Beth grew up in Cheektowaga on pizza, wings, and Hamburger Helper, started a cooking blog at 16 after a high school nutrition class exposed how badly she was eating, and has spent the decade since bringing $1 million in grant funding to Buffalo’s East Side, building a coalition of 180 organizations, and running a Food as Medicine symposium that has made Buffalo a nationally recognized model.
The conversation covers the 13-to-20-year life expectancy gap between Buffalo zip codes, the difference between a food desert and a food apartheid, what the 40 Days to Wellness program actually did for 108 chronically sick East Side residents, and why the number one cause of death and disability in America is food – before smoking, before genetics, before anything else. Beth also shares her unfiltered take on GLP-1s, the sugar industry’s manipulation of decades of research, why the tobacco industry now owns most of the food supply, and what food as medicine actually looks like when it’s being practiced in health systems today.
Business/Organization: Director of Health and Wellbeing at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and registered dietitian