Stories from the Center of the Universe

Episode 43: Stout

Chris Stout is a reputed engineer, architect, and leader  in the Central VA tech scene. He joined us for an episode to talk about his origins, his time at Virginia Tech, starting his own company (with some advice for Daniel as he starts his own), his love of hunting, and how COVID has affected him and his family.

Episode 42: Aaron & Sarah

This week we've got a slightly different episode for you, featuring two guests we've already had on (Sarah Wall from episode 17 and Aaron Albrecht from episode 27) to weigh in on different issues as we enter this intensely political season. We brought these two on because they are both politically involved, and are on opposite ends of the political spectrum - Aaron on the left, and Sarah on the right.

We discuss cancel culture and the effect social media has on it, giant tech companies and their issues associated to labor, anti-trust, and privacy concerns, big government vs small government, US military spending, and  what might happen this November. If you're thinking 'wow that sounds like a minefield,' you're probably right, but we went there anyway, and the result is an excellent example of how to thoughtfully discuss important political issues even when you disagree. 

Episode 41: The Rat-Daddy Accountant

This week, Gray Lane is on to tell us about his experience at Virginia Military Institute - he got in touch with us after hearing Al Lester's episode (https://podso1.io/episode/32). We also talk about him growing up in VA, his career in private accounting, and more. 

Episode 40: Andrew Ting

Andrew Ting is a Malaysian Chinese Canadian American jack-of-all-trades but still master of a few. Over the course of his life, he's had the titles of art textbook writer, website designer, street musician, orchestral cellist, business consultant, painter, novelist, Harvard-educated lawyer, and college professor, to name a few. In our conversation, Andrew speaks with us about his origins, why they made him good at relating to people, and how he manages to be such an accomplished generalist. 

Episode 39: I Love Rowing

This week we’ve got Njeri Kershaw to tell us about her years of gymnastics as a kid, and her unexpected pivot into college rowing. We also hear about the importance of education as a theme in her family, and thoughts on her interracial marriage and race in America generally. We are rejoined by Ed Miller for the episode (you can check out the conversation with him in Episode 12).

Episode 38: RVA Works

Dale Fickett is the president and co-founder of RVA Works, a Richmond-based nonprofit that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools they need to start businesses. Dale was traveling Europe as a management consultant making bank, when he had an epiphany that ended up redirecting his career toward the non-profit world and eventually RVA Works. Dale tells us about said epiphany, and shares some data and success stories that RVA Works has been part of. We also discuss the effects COVID and tech-dominance are having on entrepreneurship, and whether optimisim is justified.

Episode 37: CSM Carl Holcomb

Over his 33-year Army National Guard career, Command Sergeant Major Carl Holcomb rose to become the State Command Sergeant Major, the highest ranking enlisted soldier in the Virginia National Guard, becoming the first black man to hold the position. He also spent 17 years as a correctional officer, and as you'll hear, had to de-escalate life-threatening situations for himself and the inmates. In. this conversation, Carl tells us stories from both careers, and we end with his thoughts on the current social climate. 

Episode 36: We're Going to Mardi Gras

This week we have Anne Kiefer, who joined us to speak poetically on her beloved city of New Orleans, and how the its festive spirits have been sadly dampened by the pandemic. Anne also went through COVID-19 at the age of 75, which was doubly harrowing because her doctors were unsure how to treat the illness back in early spring. She of course survived, and is now a cheerful plasma donor. We are also joined by Anne's daughter Jennifer to add appreciated context and commentary. 

Pictured: Anne (L) and her daughter, Jennifer (R)

Episode 35: Pain With Purpose

Rachel Adcock is a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma and the author of the book "Pain with Purpose." Her experience with cancer, as well as a few other twists and turns, led her to write the book as an optimistic commentary on how difficult and painful situations in her life always ended up fulfilling a greater purpose. You can find the book "Pain with Purpose" on Amazon for exactly $8.03, and all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Here's Rachel.

Episode 34: Hammer and Hockey

Mark Hammerstrom (AKA Hammer) spent the first 18 years of his life in Metro Chicago with Summer trips to Florida to spend time with his grandparents. His grandparents happened to be friends with the charismatic and longtime manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda. As you'll hear, Mark has fond memories of Coach Lasorda. After high school, Mark went from the Chicago area to Georgia Southern University, causing a certain degree of culture shock. After college, one of his first jobs was working for the cleverly named Bankers' Bank in Atlanta. As a massive lover of sports, Mark has always been a hockey fan. Amazingly, he started playing in his forties and loves every minute on the ice. Mark and his wife drove 8+ hours from Atlanta to hang out with Paul and his wife. During that visit, we had a chance sit down and record this conversation.