John Kapelos, John Ondrasik & Karla Ondrasik, Eni Maj, and Jim Wolfinbarger

This dynamic episode of Celebrity Interviews Live from the Grotto features an incredible lineup of guests from entertainment, music, entrepreneurship, and public safety. Host Neil Haley sits down with actor John Kapelos, best known for his iconic role in The Breakfast Club, along with Grammy-nominated artist John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) and his wife Karla Ondrasik, travel tech entrepreneur Eni Maj, and retired Colorado State Patrol Chief Jim Wolfinbarger for wide-ranging conversations about their careers and expertise.John Kapelos takes listeners on a journey through his extensive acting career, discussing his memorable roles in The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Seinfeld (as the sniffing accountant), and more recent work in shows like The Umbrella Academy, Justified, and The Lincoln Lawyer. The conversation explores the changing landscape of entertainment, from the monoculture of three-network television to today's fragmented streaming environment. Kapelos reflects on working with great actors, the importance of honoring every role regardless of size, and shares his philosophy about being kind, careful, and always looking for ways to improve—even when you've done nothing wrong.The episode shifts to a powerful discussion with John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and his wife Karla Ondrasik about her transformative new book "Stop Trying: The Life Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More." Karla, a former successful music publisher who discovered John and supported his career from day one, explains how the word "try" creates a safety net for failure and prevents people from taking full accountability. She breaks down the neuroscience behind why saying "I'm going to do" versus "I'm going to try" literally changes brain chemistry and activates different neural pathways. John shares how Karla's philosophy has influenced his own approach to life and career, and the couple discusses the importance of having a supportive partner through both the highs and lows of pursuing dreams.Eni Maj, CEO and founder of Travel Spoken, discusses how she's revolutionizing the travel industry by combining AI technology with social discovery. She explains how younger generations discover travel through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, but face a gap between inspiration and actual booking. Travel Spoken addresses this by creating a travel community where users share authentic content that can be directly converted into actionable itineraries using AI travel agents. Madge discusses the challenges of moving quickly in the AI space, the importance of failing fast and iterating, and her vision for helping both travelers and travel agents create better, more personalized experiences.The episode concludes with Jim Wolfinbarger, retired 7th Chief of the Colorado State Patrol, discussing the critical safety and security challenges for major events like upcoming June soccer matches. He explains how technology has evolved from traditional Motorola radio systems to include video, emergency notification, precise 911 location services, and drone detection systems. Wolfinbarger highlights the partnership with SkySafe to monitor protected airspace around stadiums and events, ensuring public safety while managing both recreational and potentially dangerous drone activity. His insights provide a fascinating look at how law enforcement leverages cutting-edge technology to protect large crowds while maintaining the fan experience everyone expects.