Uncorking A Story

Last week I reconnected with an old college friend, Kevin Savage, who recently wrote a post on his blog that got me to thinking about the things that are really important in life. It also reminded me of some conversations I had with three strangers who reminded me how important it is to see the silver linings in any challenging situation. Hitting curveballs was something I wasn’t very good at and the conversation I had with these guys was a reminder that life won’t always throw you perfect pitches, but with the right attitude you can swing away and hit the ball. I appreciate your listening to another episode in the new format and challenge you to do the following three things this week: Reach out to an old friend and reconnect. It’s actually something I’ve been trying to do regularly since the pandemic began and it’s been great catching up with people. Don’t just rely on social media to keep your relationships alive—I know it’s tempting and it’s a great place to start a conversation, but nothing beats a l

When I was a kid, sometimes TV shows would have the very special episode, which would deal with a difficult or controversial subject. Do you remember these? Topics dealt with things such as AIDS, teen pregnancy, or drug use. Memorable ones include The Bicycle Man on Different Strokes (The Maytag man was a naughty boy) and A, My Name is Alex, on Family Ties when Alex has to confront his emotions after the death of a friend. Well, today we have a very special episode of Uncorking a Story. Normally on this show I interview authors about their lives and give them an opportunity to discuss their latest book with you, but I'm changing course with this one. Last week, for my day job, I interviewed a woman whose story stayed with me as I found it both heartbreaking and inspiring. I walked away from that conversation with a reminder that life can be what we make it. Even when the cards are seemingly stacked against us, we can choose how to frame our situations and what to focus on. Sometimes, it just takes a leap of

Nick Braccia is a Cannes Lions- and Clio-winning writer, director, and producer. In 2018, he co-created and co-executive produced the horror podcast Video Palace for AMC Network's streaming service Shudder. While working at the marketing agency Campfire, he helped to develop immersive, narrative experiences for TV shows like Outcast, Sense8, Watchmen, The Man in the High Castle, Westworld, and The Purge. His new book, Off the Back of a Truck: Unofficial contraband for the Soprano’s Fan, is available for sale now wherever books are sold. In this interview Nick talks about his background and some important people who have had key influences on his career including a third-grade teacher, an ex-uncle, and a professor at the college of the Holy Cross where he earned his undergraduate degree. We also discuss how important real support, encouragement, and acknowledgement are for writers. Additionally, Nick has an interesting take on how the interaction between putting in the work, being in the right place at the ri

Otto Penzler is regarded as the world's foremost authority on crime, mystery and suspense fiction. He founded The Mysterious Press in 1975, which he later sold to Warner Books (1989). He reacquired the imprint in 2010 and it now publishes original books as an imprint at Grove/Atlantic, and both original works and classic crime fiction through MysteriousPress.com (www.mysteriouspress.com), in partnership with Open Road Integrated Media. Penzler is a prolific editor, and has won two Edgar Awards, for Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection in 1977 and The Lineup in 2010. The Mystery Writers of America awarded him the prestigious Ellery Queen Award in 1994 and the Raven--the group's highest non-writing award--in 2003. Listen in as Mike and Otto chat about his life and career including his experiences as a young boy emigrating to the US from Germany during the middle of World War II, how he traded in his desire to become a physicist for either the dreams of being a great American novelist or the center fielder fo

There is no doubt that the combination of Covid and what is going on in cities throughout the country has created more than the usual amount of stress in most of us.  Add to that politics – not matter what side of the aisle you are on – and you have a recipe for overwhelming stress. With us today to discuss invisible disabilities – and a way to help you and yours deal with stress – is the Executive Director of the Invisible Disabilities® Association, Jess Stainbrook. Jess is known for building successful media teams and championing significant visual storytelling efforts through innovative programming and strategic business initiatives. In the broadcast television field, Jess has received 8 Emmy Awards and 29 nominations and his clients include MTV, ESPN, PBS, Discovery Channel, A&E and others.  He has produced and directed major sports programming at events such as the Olympics, World Cup Skiing, Formula 1 Grand Prix, NASCAR, and the NFL Super Bowl. In late 2019, Jess launched IDA’s new Video Podcast, The I

It’s not every day that I get to talk to someone as interesting and, dare I say, enlightened as author Dustin Lawson. I’m excited to announce that today was one of those days! Throughout high school and college, Dustin worked as a lion and tiger trainer at a big cat reservation in Ohio and dreamt of becoming the next Jungle Jack Hannah. Fun fact, one of the animals he cared for wound up at Carole Baskin’s big cat sanctuary down in Florida (I hope she didn’t feed her late husband to it). Just as Abe Froman was the sausage king of Chicago, it’s quite possible that Dustin may have become the Tiger King of Ohio if his pastor hadn’t encouraged him to find his calling outside the world of lions and tigers. Thankfully, he did and after college Dustin spent a year traveling the world as the personal assistant to an author. During his travels, the writing process was demystified, and Dustin found his true calling as a writer. Though I’m getting ahead of myself; an important part of this author’s story is his time in

Matt Haig is a British author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children's book, A Boy Called Christmas, was a runaway hit in his own country and has been translated in over 25 languages. His latest novel, The Midnight Library, will be released in the United States on September 29, 2020. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Matt not only about this forthcoming release but also about his path to becoming a published author. Most authors will tell you that getting published isn’t an easy thing to do and Matt would certainly concur. However, he also was able to accomplish something extraordinary— publish work across multiple genres including non-fiction, adult fiction, and children’s fiction. If nothing else, the publishing industry loves to put authors into nice and neat boxes, but Matt Haig cannot be placed in a box—and readers should celebrate that. Our conversation takes some interesting twists and

Dan Hill is the author of eight books including Famous Faces Decoded: A Guidebook for Reading Others; Two Cheers for Democracy: How Emotions Drive Leadership Style; and First Blush: People's Intuitive Reactions to Famous Art.  His specialty is analyzing the power of emotions to shape outcomes and personalities. Dan pioneered the use of facial coding in business and has done research for over 50% of the world’s top 100 B2C companies. Media highlights include appearances on ABC’s Good Morning, America and NBC’s The Today Show, plus front-page coverage in The New York Times. Listen in as I speak with Dan about how he went from being a guy with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and Ph.D. in English to being recognized as a pioneer of facial coding in the market research industry. Dan’s blog Faces of the Week can be found at https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Oates is a comedian, author, podcaster and comedy advice writer. He has been performing stand-up comedy for over 12 years and has appeared on TLC's Extreme Cheapskates, E's Talk Soup, and The Anthony Cumia Show with Dave Landau. In this interview, Pat discusses how he got into comedy, why he turned an advice column into a book for other comics to learn from, and his other passion—professional wrestling. One of the standout quotes from this conversation is as follows, “I don’t know everything and I don’t know most things. I have to be open to everything and not afraid to ask questions. Always question yourself and don’t be afraid to fail.” It’s a humbling message that I’ve heard from successful people in other fields—this idea of being open to learning new things and being open to failure. It’s often what separates people who are okay at what they do and people who are truly great at it, and Pat is a GREAT comic. Pat eats, sleeps and breathes comedy and that passion comes through in his act, his podcast

All I had to do was love them. That observation pretty much sums up Diane O’Connell’s perspective on how she was able to bond with so many kids who passed through the halls of Stamford/Trinity Catholic High School. In this interview you will hear about how walking into the main office as a parent, wearing nothing but a bathing suit and cover up (and apparently some pearls), led to Diane landing her dream job as the school’s main office secretary.  You will learn that she’s got some serious pull when it comes to finding parking during a key UCONN basketball game and why Thanksgiving is the first of many “happiest days of the year” for her. Lastly, you will hear some words of reassurance directed towards the class of 2020 from the heart and soul of Catholic High. This episode of Uncorking a Story is brought to you by Mike Carlon’s novel Motel California, which can be purchased at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold online. Enjoy the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few years, I’ve used the Uncorking a Story platform to highlight the work of authors, comedians, and entrepreneurs. I’ve become increasingly interested in uncorking the stories of people who are doing inspiring work in their local communities and that brings me to this current episode featuring Dawn Carpenter of The We Project, a non-profit organization that helps feed, clothe, and mentor needy people in Northern New Jersey. This past summer, I interviewed Dawn’s husband Derrick for my “day job” as a focus group moderator/user experience researcher. While asking him some warm-up questions to build rapport, I learned that Derrick and his wife run a food rescue organization in Northern New Jersey and he briefly shared with me that the organization was inspired from a tragedy. I wanted to dig into this a little more, but I wasn’t being paid by my client to uncover a human interest story and had to begin asking a series of questions on his use of voice activated mobile assistants. After our sessio

Look up the definition of Renaissance man in the dictionary and I’m pretty sure you will find a picture of Aug Stone. He’s a singer/songwriter, author, and comic whose alter ego Young Southpaw has been described as a character who traffics in short, memorized bursts of pun-filled, pop-cultural streams of consciousness. I recently sat down with Aug to discuss his careers as a musician, author, and comic. Along the way we touch upon Van Halen, overcoming introversion to become a world-class performer, Chinese astrology, and, of course, the birth of Young Southpaw. I also learned that, at a young age, he wanted to be a wizard when he grew up but had to “settle” for being a professional musician. While all of that made for a very entertaining interview, I  think what I loved most about our chat was realizing that Aug embodies a certain characteristic that I’ve uncovered in many of the most successful entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed on Uncorking a Story—the ability to put thought into action. You can pick up his

Sit tight and strap in because this inaugural episode of the Open Mike Podcast starts in Brooklyn, takes a trip to Paris Island, and involves hookers, practical jokes on a national scale, and an angry Russian woman who apparently doesn’t like horse racing in the Poconos. That’s because it features an in-depth conversation with comedian Frank Murgalo. Before being a comic, Frank was a Marine, a copier salesman, owned a staffing agency, and was a financial advisor—and those are only the jobs we know about. I asked Frank how he got into stand-up comedy and I think he only answers it after speaking with me for an hour, because his life before stand-up was so very interesting. Listen in as we discuss how Frank lost 12lbs in one day during basic training, how he became a master of making bigger rocks into smaller rocks, and how Mad Men wasn’t very far off when it came to certain elements of client service, but these are all his stories to tell so listen in and hear them all. For all you comedians out there, Fran

Nick Breen is a Connecticut Based comic who, on the surface, appears to be a passenger on the crazy train, but once you get to know him you realize he’s in complete control of the ride. He’s one of the most ambitious comics on the Connecticut circuit and perhaps one of the most insightful people I’ve ever met. Listen up as we talk about what drives him comedically and join us on a wild ride beginning in Westchester County, NY and then off to the bay area of California. From there it’s off to rural Illinois before finally stopping in Milford, CT. Along the way we take a deep dive into the range of life experiences he’s had, all of which influence what propels him forward and why he bears his soul on stage in a quest to connect with the audience and, of course, make them laugh. Follow Nick Breen on Instagram @nick_am_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Bell is the USA Today-bestselling author of eight novels from Berkley/Penguin, including Layover, which will be released on July 2nd 2019. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, and in 2013, he won the prestigious Prix Polar International de Cognac for best crime novel by an international author.   Listen in as we discuss how David went from working gigs in restaurants as well as in telemarketing to becoming a published author. Along the way we talk about our shared experiences being raised Catholic, why it’s so important to keep at it when dealing with rejection, and how it’s absolutely possible for zombie stories to have social commentary. In addition to being a successful author of thrillers, David is an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University where he directs the MFA program in creative writing. You can learn more about David at www.davidbellnovels.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From as far back as she can remember, Colleen Georges, Ph.D.  felt a calling to help others. It led her to pursue a doctorate in counseling psychology and serve as a Therapeutic Assistant for teens in foster care experiencing emotional/behavioral issues.  Currently, she helps her clients achieve greater happiness in their personal and professional lives. She also runs optimism wellness groups, and facilitates personal, career, and staff development workshops.  In her new book RESCRIPT the Story You’re Telling Yourself: The Eight Practices to Quiet Your Inner Antagonist, Amplify Your Inner Advocate, & Author a Limitless Life, Dr. Colleen guides you on a self-authorship journey using the eight practices of her RESCRIPT framework. You’ll discover how to: Identify limiting stories you’re telling yourself that are keeping you stuck Quiet your Inner Antagonist quickly so it doesn’t hinder you Amplify your Inner Advocate to cultivate positive thoughts and actions Stop criticizing yourself, dwelling on the pas

Early in her career, Karen Mangia followed a very conventional formula for success—say yes to everything, deliver with excellence, and never let them see you sweat. It worked wonderfully for a while, until it didn’t. At the age of 33, Karen faced an undiagnosed illness—she didn't know what to call it, and neither did a team of five doctors. This forced Karen to reimagine what success means, and at that time success meant getting healthy. When things were asked of her, Karen would pause and ask herself, will this help me achieve my goal? She realized that she could no longer say yes to everything and this her filter changed her life. Eventually Karen was properly diagnosed, and while her health returned she didn’t abandon her newfound philosophy—instead, she continued to be more selective about the projects she took on and learned how to work through others and lead others more effectively to get work done. Her story was so powerful that she was encouraged to speak about it publicly and that led to someone e

Laura Vanderkam helps people spend more time on what matters, and less on what doesn’t. She is the bestselling author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast and Off The Clock, among others. Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 5 million times. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, and other publications. Her latest book, which will be available for sale on March 12th, is entitled Juliet’s School of Possibilities and is a must read for anyone who struggles with remaining present in the moment, even in the face of outside pressure. It is considered the first parable written for women, by a woman, but that doesn’t mean men won’t get something out of it as well. Pre-order Laura’s book by clicking on any of the bookstores on this page.    Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look up the term Renaissance man in the dictionary, and I’m sure you will see a picture of Kevin A Knight. He started his own company and serves as an independent marketing research consultant to many leading global corporations. He’s also an avid runner and said goodbye to his running shoes as a way to reduce pain in his hip and back. Not only did the pain go away, but he gained wonderful insights while he ran. In Connections in the Raw: Musings of a Barefoot Runner, Kevin chronicles stories and insights from years of barefoot running. He shares his perspective that deep connections exist in our lives between us and the Creator, other people, and with nature, and that we all have access to wisdom that is rewarded to all who will listen.  When he’s not out for a run or working with a client, Kevin spends his time trying to make the world a better place. He is passionate about education reform, specifically in underserved communities. He has sat on the boards of various schools and spends most Friday morning

Zaida Alfaro is the youngest of six children and was born into art. Her mother is a painter, composer, and musician who taught Zaida how to play the piano at the age of twelve.  She became a professional musician at eighteen and, having been burned by a bad recording contract, is now an independent recording artist and performer. As a lover of cozy mysteries, Zaida decided to take her musical experiences and put them on paper. The result is The Last Note: A Miami Music Mystery. In this first novel she combines her background as a musician, her love of her hometown of Miami, and her Cuban culture to spin a tale of music and murder. In this interview we discuss her early influences as a singer and songwriter, the importance of having faith and support during the writing process, and how perseverance led to her earning a publishing contract with Cozy Cat Press. For more information on Zaida, including where to buy her music and novel, please visit https://www.zaidamusic.com/.   Learn more about your ad choice