Talking Business and Life (formerly Italian Impact Podcast)

Happy New Year!  And what a great way to start with an incredible guest, Margaret Fontana!  Margaret is a first generation Italian and a highly accomplished media executive renowned for her extensive expertise spanning various industries, including nonprofit, healthcare, film, media, television, technology, and digital-driven broadcast.  She is also the Founder of another popular online community and blog called Italian American Girl with over 45,000 members across various social media networks.  Also, in 2024 Margaret assumed the role of Executive Director for the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission.   This is a great interview and really a great way to start the new year.

Who said Italian American youths weren't interested in social organizations?  In fact, this week I am joined by Andrew Speicher who helped start a new Italian-American organization called La Prossima.  This is a group dedicated to rejuvenating the Italian culture here in American, specifically in Columbus Ohio, among younger folks.  This is a great episode but really important if you are a member of any social group struggling to get younger folks engaged.  To learn more about La Prossima, check out there site here:  https://laprossima.us/about

This week's guest is the very talented Vinny Fasline.  Vinny is a quasi-Pittsburgh guy.  He has been seen touring with comedians Dane Cook, Nick Swardson, Michael Rappaport, Drew Lynch and Jamie Kennedy.  He Has performed at the New York Comedy Festival, Cabo Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs tour, and seen on ABC Fablife and CBS.  He is has recently acted in a show called Outta Pocket, a TV Pilot called Friend Zone, shot a short with Lisa Ann Walter called Just a Taste, and was seen on ABC’s talk show FABLife. This is a great episode guaranteed to make you laugh.  Check out the latest with Vinny on his site: http://vinnyfasline.com/home/ 

This week I interview the online sensation Elijah Santoro.  Elijah is a very popular social media personality who is also moving up fast in the entertainment industry.  Elijah and I talk the importance of following your dreams, staying faithful to your beliefs, and just being a good person because it will come back to you.  You're definitely going to like this one.  To follow Elijah, check out one of his many social media accounts:  https://www.instagram.com/elijah.santoro/

This week's guest is the great Toni Colella!  Toni is the author of "Now We’re Talking … The Story of Theodore W. Case and Sound-on-Film”.  A wonderful and fascinating story about Ted Case and his impact on the movie industry as we know it today.  Of course, Toni and I also talk a few things about Italian tradition.  To get your copy of this fascinating book, you can order it here from Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Now-Were-Talking-Sound-Film/dp/1410795152

The never dull Jimmy Denova is my guest this week and him and I have an absolute great time talking everything from Italian families to parking tickets!  Jimmy is a very interesting personality from Pittsburgh who worked for years managing various foundations.  This is an absolutely entertaining episode with some incredibly entertaining and enlightening moments.

Award winning author Karen Haid is back!  In this week's episode we talk about Karen's books, Calabria: The Other Italy and Basilicata: Authentic Italy, as well as her incredible knowledge of Italian culture.  Karen is well traveled and her passion for southern Italy is unmistakable.  This is a fantastic episode for anyone interested in understanding how exciting and wonderful the road less traveled can be.  To learn more about Karen or to order her books, you can check out her sites here:  https://karenhaid.com/  or https://www.calabriatheotheritaly.com/
 

This week I interview Pittsburgh's own, Michael Muto!  Michael and I reflect on a topic near and dear to our hearts, Pittsburgh's Little Italy.  Why do we still cal it that?  Hmmm... Lots to unpack in this episode!  Then we switch gears and talk cyber.  Michael is an expert in cybersecurity and we talk about something that impacts every one of us!  Tune in, sit back, and enjoy the show!

This week's guest is Italian director, actor, filmmaker, and teacher, Luca Guardabascio.  An award winning talent, Luca discusses his work and the passion he puts into all aspects of the film process.  He has traveled the world showing his films which often focus on very difficult social issues but always leave us with a glimmer of hope.  This is a wonderful conversation and I was honored to spend my time getting to know Luca.  To learn more about Luca and his work, check out his IMDB page here:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1029841/

This week I interviewed the great Gino Pesi!  Gino is an actor/director/producer but currently works as the Film Commissioner, Executive Director, at the Pennsylvania Film Office.  Gino is working tirelessly to support the film industry here in Pennsylvania and in this interview, we talk about a lot of benefits which are available for anyone interested in doing a film project here in the state.  In addition, you guessed it, he is a proud Italian-American and in this interview we touch on a wide range of topics important to both of us.  This truly is one of the best interviews I've had the pleasure to conduct.  To see more of Gino's work, check out his IMDB film credits:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1213744/