Stories from the Center of the Universe

Episode 106: Dawn Beninghove - Companion Extraordinaire

Part 2 of a 7 part series on small businesses in Ashland, VA (each business is part of the Downtown Ashland Association). 

Dawn Beninghove started her nursing career forty years ago and started her own business in Ashland in 2003.  Dawn is from Florida, but said she is an “Ashlander” because she and her family have lived here for 36 years. Dawn talked about her wonderful team at Companion Extraordinaire and all the services that they provide. Located in the heart of Ashland on England Street, Dawn and her staff work tirelessly to help people in need. Being on a podcast was nothing new to Dawn as she has her own where she talks about a variety of subjects that are germane to her clients. Dawn talked about her family as well as the wonderful extended Ashland family including the great folks at the Downtown Ashland Association.

Episode 105: Paul Cormier

Paul Cormier grew up all over Virginia, but he spent his teen years in the Center of the Universe. Paul and Kevin talked with Paul C. about his work life from high school into adulthood, his musical tastes past and present and his many, many tattoos. They also discussed with Paul C. the world of professional wrestling and how he’s been a fan since he was a boy.  They finished by talking about what he’s doing now and his family.

Episode 104: Chris Ray - COTU Brewery

Part 1 of a 7 part series on small businesses in Ashland, VA (each business is part of the Downtown Ashland Association). 

Chris Ray is a former Major League Baseball player and he and his brother opened the Center of the Universe Brewing Company in Ashland in 2011.  Paul and Kevin talked to Chris about his baseball career and they also discussed the COTU Brewery and how it came to be a reality. Chris spoke about how he started brewing at home and as a hobby and how that has developed over the years.  Now, Chris, his brother, Phil and their families share their great craft brews with everyone and they have a great time doing it! Chris ended by talking about his wife Alice and their two kids, Ginny and Thomas.

Episode 103: Shawn Gallagher

Shawn Gallagher has led an interesting life.  Shawn grew up in Colorado and North Carolina and set state and national records as a high school baseball player. He was recruited to play in college and was also drafted to play professional baseball. Shawn decided on and discussed with Paul his journey in professional baseball and then his transition out of baseball and into college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He talked about his professional life when he worked in the White House and his involvement in the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in S Korea. Shawn also talked about his life in the recreation and travel softball world. He is married to Marisa and they have a daughter named Makayla who is playing college softball at Florida International University.

Episode 102: Tina Ramirez for Congress

Tina Ramirez joins the podcast courtesy of Jennifer Stevens (Episode #101). Tina grew up in Powhatan, Va. until she was 8 and then she and her family moved to California.  Her dad’s family was from California and she attended middle and high school while there. Tina said she was church kid growing up and participated in a lot of service oriented activities.

She continued this service oriented life as an adult. She studied International Human Rights and has worked in Washington, D.C. and in over thirty countries. She has spent most of her professional career defending human rights and founded her own company in 2013.  Tina entered the political arena and ran for the Republican nomination for Virginia District 7 (U.S. House of Representatives) in 2020. Even though she didn’t win, Tina ran a strong campaign and is running again in the 2022 election.

Tina and Paul discussed stories from her time overseas and they also touched on Tina’s stance on various political issues. One they discussed is Critical Race Theory being taught in Virginia public schools.  She is against this and stated that is essentially a reversal of Martin Luther King’s message.  Paul and Tina finished by talking about her parents, her three siblings (all whom she admires) and most importantly, her 6 year old daughter Abigail.

Episode 101: Jennifer Stevens

Jennifer Stevens was born and raised in New Orleans and has fond memories of growing up there.  She stated that she came up in the criminal justice system because her dad was a judge and her mom worked in a District Attorney’s office. Jennifer had a fun time in high school and also did  so well that she was able to skip her junior year.

At sixteen, Jennifer emancipated herself from her parents. She said the process was extensive and she worked three jobs to prove that she could support herself. After high school, she went to community college and did an internship at a prison.  She then got married and a business opportunity with her then husband brought them to Richmond, Virginia.

Jennifer discussed the business and all the ups and downs that came with owning your own business. During this time, Jennifer got divorced and became a single parent to Triston and Chance.  She later talked about her husband Jay, their daughter Harlee, how she found Christianity and she ended by offering some sage advice to SFTCOTU listeners.

Episode 100: The Top 10 according to the Superfan and the Scribe

The Superfan (Roger Lee), the Scribe (Rob Dull) and the Occasional Co-host (Kevin Flippen) look back at the first 100 episodes (Episode 0 + 1-99) with Host, Paul Gilman. If you're looking for a decently quick way to learn the top 10 episodes according to the Superfan and the Scribe, this is your episode. 

We can't believe we've done 100 episodes. Thanks to Daniel, Katy, Rob, Kevin, Roger and our guests for doing their part to make this a fun and worthwhile endeavor.

Episode 99: Pedro Arruza

Pedro Arruza is the Head Football Coach at Randolph-Macon College.  Pedro was born in Spain and lived in England and Mexico before settling in West Palm Beach, Florida.  He convinced his mom to let him play football in 7th grade and he was hooked. Paul asked Pedro why football became a career and Pedro stated it was the impact that his coaches had on him that paved his path to being an educator and a coach.

Coach Arruza was a stand out in high school and received many offers to play football at the college level.  After visiting Wheaton College, he knew it was the place for him.  He was a 4 year starter there and earned several All-American honors while playing at Wheaton. After graduating, Pedro was an assistant coach at the high school and college level and then was hired as the RMC Head Coach in 2004 at the very young age of 30.

Pedro discussed with Paul and Kevin his recruiting philosophy, his journey to faith, his passions and how much he loves Ashland.  He talked about how the culture and mindset of RMC Football has changed since he arrived and how much he loves his players.  Pedro talked about his family starting with how blessed he is to have married his wife Kara.  They have three children, Owen (19), Elle (17) and Will (14).

Episode 98: Lyndee Cabo

Lyndee Cabo used to work with Paul and has wanted to be on the podcast since we first started.  Lyndee stated she is from Virginia, but told Paul that she moved around a lot due to her dad being in the U.S. Navy.  She moved around the states and also spent some time in Japan which she loved.  Lyndee spent the most time in Virginia, went to high school in Chesapeake and said she was a handful for her parents.  She talked about her dad and described him as a “bad ass” for what he did (EOD) in the Navy.  She also talked about the rest of her family … her mom, her sister (whom she has always idolized) and her brother who is ten years younger than her.
 
After high school, Lyndee took a different route than her friends and did some traveling and didn’t go to college until she was 23 years old.  She attended VCU and graduated with a BFA in Interior Design.  Lyndee worked for a tile distribution company and now has her own interior design company.  Lyndee said interior design is like “interior architecture” and she really likes the puzzle aspect of her job as well as putting herself in other’s peoples shoes and helping them figure out what do with their residential or commercial space.  
 
She wrapped up by talking about the future in regards to her company and family. We chatted about her husband, Matt, who is seventeen inches taller than Lyndee and their daughter Gwendolyn.

 

Episode 97: Caroline Stapleton

Caroline joins Paul this evening.  Paul and Caroline work together and she also works with Andrew Ting (Episode #40). Caroline was born in NC, but grew up in Beaufort, SC.  She talked to Paul about all the things she and her friends did and how she now realizes how incredible her childhood/teen years were because of where she grew up.

Caroline talked about the first vehicle she had and how she went to Duke University where she met her husband, Alex. She spoke about her dad, Steve, and the interesting business he used to have.  That interest skipped a generation and now her five year old daughter, Eliza, has expressed the same interest.

She also discussed how she and Alex have restored an 1840s house in Washington, DC and how both her siblings now live in DC as well. Paul also talked with Caroline about her time on a nationally televised baking show, Nailed It.  Caroline ended by talking about her whole big wonderful family … parents, husband and kids, siblings, closest cousin and her great aunt.