Stories from the Center of the Universe

Episode 299: Dwight Vick

Dwight Vick joined Paul on Episode 122 and is back with Paul and Kevin for a combination episode with the Virginia is for Sports Podcast. Dwight filled in Paul and Kevin on what’s been going on with his family and life since they last spoke. He spoke about his company Victory Life and how he relied on a very important person to come up with the company motto, “Leave a Legacy”. Kevin and Paul then discovered what an incredible amount of knowledge Dwight has when it comes to Virginia High School Football. They discussed possible 2024 state champions, the talent of players from Virginia and Dwight spoke about some of the history of the sport in the Old Dominion state. They then turned to a discussion about college football and specifically about Virginia Tech. He spoke about the past prominence of the program, the recent domination over in state rival UVA and Dwight said he believes Coach Pry has the program going in the right direction. They finished by Dwight talking about some of the talent that VT has on the current roster, what they need to do to keep getting better and all three said that they are looking forward to the new college football twelve team playoff.

Episode 298: Ken Wakefield

In a unique episode, Ken Wakefield joins the podcast which is doubling with the Virginia is for Sports Podcast as well. Kevin Flippen joins Paul to talk to Ken about a myriad of subjects. Ken is from Buffalo, NY, has been coaching football since he was nineteen years old and is the current Head Football Coach at Patrick Henry High School in Ashland, VA. They talked about growing up in Buffalo and some of the people that had an influence on him for football and in general.  Kevin had some questions about Ken’s coaching philosophy, what he tells parents is most important for a player and how he is always learning and adapting as a football coach. Paul and Kevin learned about his most memorable game as a coach, that he likes an NFL team other than the Bills (and why) and they also discussed the portal and NIL and how NIL can effect a high school player. They finished by talking about his wife and son, the moving around they have had to do because of his career and how grateful he is for their support.

Episode 297 (SB4): Leah Coleman & Real Estate

Leah is a realtor, a resident of Richmond, a force of nature and an absolute pleasure. 

Episode 296: Eric Ash

Eric Ash grew up in Virginia Beach, moved to Mechanicsville when he was 11 and he told Paul it was a change going from city life to a more rural setting. He said he has positive memories of growing up in both places. Eric played baseball and football growing up, but he started training as a boxer when he was 12 and had his first organized fight when he was 15. Little did Eric know, but that was a foreshadowing of his life and career to come. Why boxing? It was first due to watching it with his grandfather and then he met a trainer, Tom Brown, who instilled his passion and love for the sport. Eric went to VMI and the main thing that took him there was that they had a boxing team. He was captain three out of his four years there and after being in the car sales business for years, it was a chance encounter with his college coach that led to him switching careers and being a boxing trainer and promoter. Paul learned what a day in the life of Eric Ash is, they discussed some of the history of boxing and they talked about what it takes to promote a fight. They finished by talking about an upcoming fight night on October 5th in Richmond and about his wife Liz who manages the gym and handles the business side of promoting the fights.

Episode 295: Manny Fernandez

Manny Fernandez grew up in Topping, Virginia in Middlesex County on a thirty acre farm with a nurturing mom and a Dad that he described as tough. He is very thankful for that combination which has helped him to be well mannered, respectful and have gratitude for what has happened in his life. What has happened is that Manny started fighting when he was 18 years old, has fought all over the world and has one world championship under his belt .., so far. Manny started in MMA, has done some Brazilian Jujitsu, but has been fighting Muay Thai since 2020 and that is his sole focus right now. Paul learned about his style, his regimen to get to fighting weight and who he looks up to in the professional ranks of all fighting. Paul also discovered one activity that Manny learned to help his brain adapt so that it would make him a better fighter. They finished by talking about Manny’s future and about his girlfriend Jordan who has been a great source of support for Manny.

Episode 294 (SB3): John Finn & United Real Estate

John Finn joins Paul on the podcast to discuss growing up in Richmond, sports memorabilia and his family lineage to name a few. John grew up in different parts of Richmond and he and Paul discussed going to different schools and his experience with school integration. They talked about  the bad, but mostly good experiences and how his first year was very formative. Paul learned about John’s collection of sports memorabilia and some of the incredible athletes that were represented in his collection. John spoke to Paul about his family lineage and the types of businesses his father all the way back to his great great grandfather were in and about his career path and current business. The also talked about his time at VCU and the fraternity that he belonged to which he is still involved with to this day. They finished by talking about his wife Laurie and their two sons.

Episode 293 (SB2): Joan Dorsey and Richmond Association of Realtors

Joan Dorsey is a managing broker at Long & Foster Real Estate. She is also currently serving as the President of the Richmond Association of Realtors (RAR). Before becoming a managing broker, she founded and led her own real estate business. Check out our second installment with small business folks who have interesting stories to tell about business and life.

Episode 292: Spring Break Memories with Mel and Ebeth

We recorded this one during Spring Break 2023. So why are we releasing this now? I wanted this to be a fun set of recorded memories just available for 2 families. The Gilmans and Colemans are on vacation again and the youngest of 5 kids (across both families) asked me for the 5th or 6th time to publish it to the world. So here you have it....two families reminiscing about Spring Break trips taken together over the course of several years (unfortunately we didn't have the 3 oldest kids because they were in college at the time). Yes, this one is random and fun.

Episode 291: Kiara Robinson

Kiara Robinson and Paul met in a unique way and discovered they had both been in the military. Kiara was active duty in the United States Marine Corps for five and a half years and had many different jobs/duties while in the USMC. She is from Long Beach, CA, but went to high school in Phoenix, AZ where she played a lot of sports and ultimately made the decision to enlist. They talked about her experiences in the military and how she had to get used to being a civilian again when she left the military in 2018. Kiara told Paul that she has always enjoyed adventure, new things and exploring. They then talked about what was next for her which sounds like a trip of a lifetime. Kiara is going to drive the Pan American Highway starting in Alaska and ending in Argentina. She and Paul discussed how she will do it, what countries she will visit, the vehicle she will be traveling in and what some of her goals are for the trip. They ended by agreeing to touch base from time to time while Kiara is on her trip to hear about her experiences.

Episode 290: Weldon Bradshaw

Weldon Bradshaw has been a coach, a teacher and a writer. He is still writing and his knowledge of Richmond, Virginia high school sports is unparalleled. Weldon taught and coached at the The Collegiate School for fifty years and retired two years ago. Before that he was covering sports for the old News Leader newspaper and the Times Dispatch. He is in his 56th year of covering high school basketball, 55th year of high school football and he’s covered many other sports along the way. Weldon was quick to point out that he would not have been able to do that without the wonderful support of his wife Emily. Paul and Weldon discussed sports and competition stories, but they also talked about the behind the scenes stories that Weldon would observe and then write about. They also discussed a life changing experience for Weldon when he became the benefactor of an organ donation in 2012. They finished by talking about Emily, their kids and grand kids and how he believes he has led a fulfilling life with all its challenges and joys along the way.