Talking Business and Life (formerly Italian Impact Podcast)

Episode 144 - Jim Rooker

This week, Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview the legendary pitcher, Jim Rooker.  Jim had a highly successful career as a professional baseball player, winning 103 games as a pitcher, and following up his playing career as an announcer for both the Pirates and on ESPN.  He is also famous for his line, "If we don't win this one, I don't think I'd want to be on that plane ride home. Matter of fact, if we lose this game, I'll walk back to Pittsburgh".  This is an absolutely highly entertaining episode!

Episode 143 - Kim Lengling

This week, Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview Kim Lengling.  Kim is an author who shares her love of nature, animals, living with PTSD, and her mission of tossing Nuggets of Hope into the world through writing and her podcast, Let Fear Bounce.  She is also the lead author and coordinator of a collaborative 3-book series titled When Grace Found Me and two stand-alone anthologies, When Hope Found Me (released November 2022) and Paw Prints on the Couch (released August 2023).  Learn more about Kim here:  https://www.kimlenglingauthor.com/

Episode 142 - Melissa Marinaro

This week, Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview Melissa Marinaro.  Melissa is the Director of the Italian American Program at the Senator John Heinz History Center where she oversees the Italian American artifact and archival collection, and manages the program’s community and educational outreach and public programs.  We will discuss a lot of topics related to her work at the Heinz history center and we recommend reaching out as there is much more information available through her office.

Episode 141 - Stratton Nash

This week Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview a wonderful person, Stratton Nash.  Stratton is a very active member of the community but his current passion is a documentary, "Their Story", which chronicles the black history of Sewickley, PA where he grew up.  In this interview, he recounts a tremendous story about how such a diverse community was so cohesive, creating memories he holds dear nearly 60 years later.  Stratton is an incredibly positive and uplifting person that will leave an immediate impact on your life.

Episode 140 - Marta from Passione Italiana

This week, Steve Mancini interviews Marta Cappellini from Passione Italiana.  As Marta says, "Italian is in my blood and teaching is in my heart."  This episode shows how you can turn your passion into a business and as a result, be truly successful.  Marta is truly passionate about what she does and as a result, her skills and passion make her one of the most sought after teachers of Italian in the world!  Learn more about Marta here:  https://www.passione-italiana.com/our-team/
 

Episode 139 - Ron Coder

Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview former NFL player, Ron Coder.  Ron has a very interesting route into the NFL starting with high school in Japan!  Ron later went onto play at Penn State and then the NFL where he played for 5 seasons.  Ron is a dedicated family man who gives back to his community and in this episode, we are going to discuss the importance of perseverance but just as importantly, humility in service to others.  This is very inspirational episode we know you are going to enjoy.

Episode 138 - Steve Vaccariello

This week, Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview Steve Vaccariello.  Steve is a world renowned photographer who has photographed some of the biggest names in the film and music industry.  However, Steve is also a very down to earth person who has succeeded not just because of his talent but by the way he treats people.  This is a great episode on learning how to treat people.  Learn more about Steve's work here:  https://www.stevevacc.com/
 

Episode 137 - Tim Appleton

This week, Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview the Kenyon College Hall of Famer, Tim Appleton.  Tim was selected selected by the Detroit Pistons in Round 8 with Pick 12 in the 1977 NBA Draft.  In this episode, Tim not only talks about his basketball career both in the US and overseas, but about how he overcame what should have been a career ending injury.  Tim shows how hard work and resilience can help anyone overcome any difficult situation in their life.

Episode 136 - Alex Guminski

This week Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview Alex Guminski,  Alex is  a Pittsburgh native and the President of Pro Zone.  The Agency.  He is also a Licensed Contract Advisor and Agent for the NFL, CFL and FIBA has negotiated over $100M in performance compensation for his clients.  This episode we discuss his approach to managing the tough challenges of representing athletes.

Episode 135 - John Skorupan

This week Steve Mancini and Claudio Reilsono interview former professional football player and business and community leader, John Skorupan,  John played 8 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).  After retiring, John returned to Butler, Pennsylvania.  He settled in Cranberry Township, where he still resides and focuses on community leadership.  John has been a leader both on and off the field for decades and shares a lot of hard earned wisdom going all the way back to his Penn State football days.  There is a lot going on in this interview with a lot to take away!   To learn more about John, check out:  https://grokipedia.com/page/john_skorupan