Locally Sourced Joey

Episode 56: Financial Advice with Fitness and Business Educator Nelson Toriano

Personal finance is a finicky subject for a lot of people – especially for personal trainers. They’re just kind of thrown into the mix without any kind of real preparation. In this episode, Nelson Toriano joins us to chat about his new book, For the Fit but Poor Personal Trainer: A Guide on How to Train Money - Not Muscle - To Grow.

Nelson shares how he came up with this personal finance idea (wine was involved, as is the case with many great ideas). And he also dishes out lots of easily digestible advice for managing your finances, from product lifecycles to doing your taxes. Even if you’re not a personal trainer, there are plenty of helpful business tips and resources in here, so take copious notes, y’all. He walks us through the process of writing a book, and we give heaps of praise to the voice actors that make things like audiobooks possible.

Nelson E Toriano is a distinguished fitness and business educator. He received his MBA from California State University, East Bay, and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate from Stanford University. For more than 15 years, he has held leadership roles in various companies in Silicon Valley while simultaneously teaching group exercise classes and training clients. He eventually ventured on his own to build Coach Nelly Toriano, LLC, a fitness education company focusing on financial literacy.

His debut book For the Fit but Poor Personal Trainer: A Guide on How to Train Money - Not Muscle - To Grow intends to clarify financial concepts for personal trainers. Nelson advocates for personal trainers to understand the functions of money in totality. By doing so, he helps personal trainers create lucrative career paths that is right for them. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. He’s got a podcast of his own, too – check it out here!

Episode 55: Chicago, Puns, and Live Football with Blogger Jin Laqui

It’s a spirited Chicago episode, y’all! I’m joined by Austin blogger Jin Laqui, who, like me, grew up in the Windy City. And we’re watching the Thursday Night Football game between beloved Chicago Bears and the visiting Dallas Cowboys. Watch this fun Bryzzo Souvenir Co. commercial and get misty-eyed as Jin talks about weeping when the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years. What a time to be alive!

Luckily, you don’t have to be from Chicago to enjoy this podcast. Joey shares a story about a Boston Red Sox fan embracing the hatred of the New York Yankees crowd when he visited the Bronx earlier this year – who among us hasn’t wanted to silence the haters? Jin also does a REALLY weird ASMR with a bottle of tequila. And since there’s live TV on we’ll give commentary on random commercials and goings-on throughout the episode.

Additionally, Jin shares how she got into writing and food photography, including a fun award she won in college. And since we’re both fans of puns, it seems like a great time to jump into the magic that is the O. Henry Pun Off. Joey has a cartwheeling story, too! Neither one of us are great at cartwheels, either – but hey, they’re still therapeutic to do. Plus, remember calculator games? We’re covering so much stuff in this episode!

Jin works at Bumble, as well. If you’ve ever wanted tips on improving your dating profile – LISTEN UP. Of course, since we’re watching football, we each have some terrific tales from the gridiron. Have you ever played football with your friends?

Thanks for listening – be sure to follow Jin at The Laqui One or on Instagram!

Episode 54: Travel Tips and Joining Cults with Adrienne Ritter

Hope you've got your bags packed and are ready to roll! I'm joined by Adrienne Ritter, who quit her job and traveled throughout the United States and 14 different countries in four months during what she's calling her “life sabbatical.”

Adrienne shares how traveling has given her a better sense of balance in life and what it’s like being an American abroad. Foreigners have a very specific sense of what America is, and the U.S. still has a spotlight on it, despite every country having their own things going on.

Adrienne also talks through the glorification of travel. For example, the Louvre’s main attraction isn’t the Mona Lisa – it’s the spectacle of people lining up to take a photo with the Mona Lisa. Travel isn’t always about the Instagram, y’all. Stop and take a moment to look around. Things like the grocery stores, public transportation, and simply the nuances of daily life can be much more enlightening.

For folks who aren’t as experienced traveling abroad, Adrienne shares her top travel tips, including the benefits of planning less, giving yourself a rest day, and using helpful apps like Maps.me and Klook.

Oh, did I mention Adrienne joined a cult during her travels to Brazil? I didn’t? How silly of me! She discusses how she came across a cult, how she got involved, and what the entire experience was like. We also chat about our craziest “What? Oh hell no! Hold up, huh? Oh, okay!” moments while traveling.

Want to learn more about travel and follow along with Adrienne’s adventures? Follow her on Instagram or visit her site, Grown Up Dreads.

Episode 53: Cartooning and Brand Building with Dave MacDonald of Crafted1K

Dave MacDonald from Crafted1K joins the podcast to talk all things cartooning. Dave talks about how he developed a love of comics and doodling at a young age (shout out to Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield) and how accidentally stumbling into a sales career led to his current business.

Crafted 1K helps businesses share their message via engaging cartoons. Dave chats about how brands should know what their goals and messages are, and how cartoons and comics can lead to happy customers. Dave discusses the three benefits using cartoons: people better remember them thanks to the “humor effect,” they’re fun to share, and they’re more effective than a standard text. If you read information paired with an image, you retain info 65 percent better than if you just read the text alone.

Additionally, we talk about how different and impactful a message can be if your audience consumes it over multiple days instead of all at once (a la the Netflix binge effect).

Dave and I are also both HUGE fans of Calvin and Hobbes, so we chat about our favorite strips from the series. If you’ve never read Calvin and Hobbes, first of all, I am so sorry. Secondly, please pick up a collection from your local bookstore or even right here on Amazon.

But before you do that, visit Dave at his site Crafted1K and sign up for his Saturday Morning Cartoons, or say hello over on Instagram.

Episode 52: Writing, Acting, and Exercise Videoing with Malibu Burning Author Robert Kerbeck

Robert Kerbeck is the founder of the Malibu Writers Circle and a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Kerbeck’s work earned him a mentorship by the managing editor of the highly-esteemed Tin House. Kerbeck’s first-person account of the Woolsey Fire was read by over a million people as an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. His essays and short stories have been featured in the Atticus Review, Narratively, Cimarron Review, and The Normal School. His short story, Reconnected, was adapted into a film and appeared at film festivals worldwide. He is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio and an award-winning actor.

 

Robert is also the author of the new book Malibu Burning. His book offers the unique experience of telling the story of the incredibly destructive Woolsey Fire through the eyes of several people who lived it – including Robert himself. Robert talks about his encounter with the blaze, how he went from not even considering a book to actually making one happen, and what’s being done to try and prevent these destructive fires in the future.

In addition to being a writer, Robert is an established actor, appearing in more than 50 television shows and movies. Perhaps one of his finest roles was in an exercise video with O.J. Simpson just a week before the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Robert shares the story of recording that video. We also chat about his role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and how cool it is to have a trading card with his likeness on it–and a rare-valued one, at that!

Robert also dives into some of his favorite stories he’s written, which include ping pong, Kevin Dillon, Leonardo DiCaprio and a $25,000 bottle of wine.

Episode 51: How to be More Productive with Mister Productivity Mark Struczewski

This episode features Mark Struczewski, a.k.a. Mister Productivity. We chat about how Mark went from losing his job to becoming an entrepreneur and helping people be productive in a distracted world. Mark dives into a few of the challenges and opportunities of the entrepreneurial world, but we both know why you’re here: to learn how to be more productive.

“Complexity is the gateway to procrastination” – these are SIMPLE tips that anyone can follow. None of these Buzzfeed-esque “47 Ways You Can Fix Your Wandering Mind.” We’re keepin’ it simple so you can keep it productive.

Mark also shares the top five distractions we need to be aware of, and how to tame each one: social media, email, people, entertainment, and you and your mindset. Again, these are super easy things that anyone can do. And it’ll lead to you boosting your efficiency and being more productive.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to take on the world – without getting distracted. There’s only one question left. Now that you’re more productive, what are you going to accomplish?

Check out Mark’s website and be sure to sign up for his seven-day productivity challenge for an even greater treasure trove of tips on being more productive and conquering your goals.

Episode 50: Peeling Hardboiled Eggs with Negg Founder Bonnie Tyler

This is the most eggciting episode yet! I’m chatting with Bonnie Tyler, founder of the Negg hardboiled eggs peeler, which takes the excruciating part of hardboiled eggs (the peeling) and turns it into an absolute joy.

Bonnie and I talk about the idea behind the business, plus the challenges and opportunities she’s seen along the way. Bonnie has also been pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the inventor community and how cool 3D printers are (she’s not wrong on that front). She discusses the importance of having an American-made, women-run company and how it’s led to Negg’s success.

Plus, Bonnie reminisces on some of the best reactions she’s heard from people that have seen the Negg in action, like a cute 10-year-old girl that gave more than a few “wows!”

The Negg is really a cool little kitchen tool, so be sure to pick up yours if you've ever felt the pains of hardboiled eggshells getting caught in your fingernails. I know I sure have.

Episode 49: Snacking on Pecans with Pecan Growers Kristen and Winston Millican

I’m joined by Kristen and Winston Millican, who run the Millican Pecan orchard in San Saba, Texas. Millican Pecan has been around since 1888, so clearly they’re doing something right. We chat about the history of the Millicans, including their first taste of pecans, what all goes into harvesting them and the tools and techniques to maximize the efforts of their pecan business.

Additionally, we talk marketing tactics, the sleek look of the Millican Pecan website, and some of the challenges of starting a business.

We’re also diving into our favorite varieties of pecans (chatting about pecan harvesting makes me realize there’s a lot more than I ever knew!) and the Millicans share some delightful pecan recipes, which are only enhanced by growing ingredients in your own garden. Kristen and I also relive horrible experiences with gummy bears. You won’t want to miss ‘em!

Want to score some tasty pecans of your own but don’t want to get into pecan farming? I’ve got you covered. Find a grower near you to buy Texas pecans on the Texas Pecan Growers Association website.

Episode 48: All Roads Lead to Lawrence – Hoops, Writing, and Book Marketing with Craig Leener

Craig Leener returns to the podcast to chat about his newest novel, All Roads Lead to Lawrence. It’s the sequel to his debut book, This Was Never About Basketball, and let me tell you, it’s just as entertaining. But since writing a novel is only half the battle, I wanted to make sure we talked about book marketing, as well. So what can you expect from this episode?

We talk about Craig’s newest book, All Roads Lead to Lawrence, starting with an inspiring story that helped him write the ending to his first book and set the groundwork for this sequel. Craig also shares his writing process and why he believes having short chapters is important for keeping a reader engaged. And because writing a book is only half the battle, we chat about book marketing and how he shares his work with the world, as well. Craig offers what’s worked and what hasn’t as he spreads the word of All Roads Lead to Lawrence.

Craig also offers three tips for anyone that wants to write a book. If you’ve got an idea you’re playing around with but just can’t seem to get that ball rolling, Craig’s advice will help you out.

Don't miss a single episode of Locally Sourced Joey – be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Episode 47: Everything You Need to Know About Austin with Joleen Jernigan

This episode features Joleen Jernigan, creator of Eat Like Blogger Drink Like Poet, writes for the Austinot, does travel writing, and basically ALL THE GOOD STUFF.

Joleen talks about she got started in travel writing after finding her voice by taking the crappy things that happened to her and made it funny to share with her friends – much like we used to send these old-fashioned things called “postcards” whilst traveling.

We also discuss favorite words, great places to check out in Austin, Halloween costumes (Joleen is going as a mermaid, Joey is still OUT OF IDEAS), giving public speaking discourses during college classes, and what makes for a killer live music show. That reminds me, I’m in a band – check out Burning Years any place you listen to music, like, oh…Spotify or Amazon Music or iTunes.

Finally, we chat about Barstool Poetry, which is a terrific invention of friend of the podcast Bob Makela. If you ain’t ever heard of Barstool Poetry, I highly recommend you check this creative social writing event out. On a related note, Joleen is reading at One Page Salon next month, so go see her!

Don't miss a single episode of Locally Sourced Joey – be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.