Stories from the Center of the Universe

Derby day.

We talked about the draft while NFL teams were making Round 4 picks.

More talk about the NFL, March Madness review and out thoughts on the Masters.

We talk about the final contestants and Kirk Cousins.

We discussed our filled out brackets. Let's just say I needed more upsets.

The NFL season has ended but we're still talking about it.

I was fortunate to meet Bruce Priddy Spiller at her store, Miss Timmie's, a few weeks ago. On that visit I also met her brother, Sumpter Priddy. This episode is a conversation with Sumpter, author of "American Fancy, Exuberance in the Arts 1790-1840". We chatted about the book and other interesting aspects of his life.

Tracie Adams rejoins me in the Center of the Universe to chat about her second book, "Not Finished Yet, Essays on the Rhythmic Beauty of a Life in Flux". I have a signed copy, both signed by Tracie and her husband. We also chatted about her many varying experiences in New Zealand for her senior year of high school. I'm old enough to admit that one of her essays made me cry, TWICE. If you read that essay or hear her recite it in this episode, you will cry. If you don't, you should take a long look in the mirror. Having Tracie rejoin the podcast was an honor and a treat. So grateful for her recording with me a second time.

Football to basketball

More football

Conference Championships and a look ahead to Super Bowl LX

More football talk.

Paul has a 1on1 guest on for the first time since September of 2025. Paul welcomed a long time friend, Cliff Hyman, to the podcast. They talked about how they met and they started to talk about some story, but said they would come back to it later! Cliff told Paul something he didn’t know which is that he grew up just outside of Lynchburg in Amherst, Virginia. His family moved to the area and ended up settling in Rockville. Cliff lived in Rockville until eight years ago when he moved to Ashland. They talked about his childhood, some of his close friends growing up and the story they referenced earlier. It was about a baseball game they played in when they were on opposing teams … let’s just say it was a good day for Paul and the Ashland All Stars. They talked about Cliff playing baseball in high school, the changes from when they played and now and they spoke about how they played softball together. They next talked about Cliff and running. Cliff ran his first race in 2004 and then there was some off and on between him and running the next fifteen years. He has been running consistently since 2020 and has run in five marathons including having a great experience when he ran in the United States Marine Corps Marathon in the fall of 2025.

More NFL talk

The regular season ends. The playoffs begin.

More NFL as the regular season comes to a close and we look forward to the playoffs.

More NFL talk

More NFL talk

More football talk.

Zach, Rob and Jack join the podcast to chat more about the NFL.

Zach, Rob and Jack are back.

More football talk with Zach, Rob and Jack

More NFL talk with Zach, Rob and Jack.

More NFL talk with Zach, Jack and Rob.

More football

More football talk with Jack, Rob and Zach

Rob and Jack are back to chat about football.

Paul and Zach join Rob and Jack to discuss week 4 in the NFL and make predictions for week 5. Rob and Jack are Steelers fans.

Paul, Zach and Duke Kenny Wingle discuss week 3 in the NFL and make predictions for week 4. Kenny is a Lions fan.

Paul, Zach and Duke Hazelgrove discuss week 2 in the NFL and make predictions for week 3. Duke is a Chargers fan.

John Schmitt and Paul met through Jeremy Bolling (Episode 311) and John has a company called iXpressGenes. John told Paul that at iXG, they are trying to change the face of trauma care forever and treat trauma earlier than it currently is in today’s world. John grew up in the San Francisco East Bay area during the 1990’s and in the punk rock scene. He learned a lot during this time growing up in that scene and as a latchkey kid. In 1996, he joined the United States Army. He went to  flight school and was going to do the minimum enlistment when 9/11 happened and those plans changed. He had multiple deployments and assignments including teaching Chemistry at West Point. They talked about his time in the military and about iXG. They discussed what the company is trying to do and what the future looks like for their mission and their products. They had a great chat about food both preparing it and the how it can define the culture of a city. They finished by talking about John’s two kids.

Paul, Zach and Tom Greco discuss week 1 in the NFL and make predictions for week 2. Tom is a Jets fan.

Michael Pereira joins Paul to discuss his life and the important subject of autism. Michael was born in Atlanta, but raised in Puerto Rico and he and Paul talked about the architecture, the food and the history of Puerto Rico. Michael moved to Miami in 2008 and worked in the corporate world. He met his amazing wife Elizeth and they have two great kids, Christian (7) and Amanda(3). Christian was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. Michael and Paul discussed how it changed Michael’s life and the life of his family. He left the corporate world and started his own company Autism Voyage. The company offers financial planning assistance to parents of kids with special needs. They also started a blog and they have a newsletter that has over 2,000 subscribers. Michael gave some advice for parents and he talked about the importance of parents sharing information with each other. If you want to learn more about autism, subscribe to their newsletter or learn more about their business, you can find find them at www.theautismvoyage.com

Sorry for the lateness … please review and let me know if you have any changes …      Austin Streitmatter was born in Tampa Bay, Florida and now lives in Jacksonville. Paul and Austin started by talking about their mutual love for sports. Austin had a great time growing up with his parents and two brothers. Austin is a Tampa Bay fan … unless they are playing the Minnesota Vikings. Austin told Paul about working for the Vikings and then for the PGA and how his work is in analytics. Paul and Austin talked about the effect that analytics is having on sports and how it is becoming more and more prevalent within all levels of sports.    Paul and Austin then switched to talk about Austin and how he has Dystonia. He was diagnosed when he was nine and talked about having brain surgery at age 10 which he said made him the “cool kid!” He talked about his parents and how incredible they were and are in their support of him. Austin also told Paul about what his life is like now and the impacts that Dystonia has on his everyday life. They finished by talking what Austin wants to do in the future and he told Paul they would talk more about it when he came back on the podcast in twenty years!

Roger Devine lives in Portland, Oregon and has been there for about twenty years. Roger grew up in Texas and then moved to New York, NY when he was 21 years old. Roger moved there to get in the book publishing industry and he and Paul talked about some of the differences between Texas and New York. Roger now works for a company (www.schoolauction.net) that assists non-profits with a web based software product that helps them plan events and fundraise for their causes. They discussed some of the non-profits he has worked with over the years and their many diverse and awesome causes! One of the last things they talked about was Paul told Roger he had never been to Portland. Roger told him his top three recommendations of what to do if Paul ever did come out west for a visit. If you want help fundraising for your non-profit, Roger can be reached at [email protected].

Joining Paul on the podcast is Doctor Michael Amendola, who is the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Central Virginia VA Healthcare System in Richmond, Virginia. Michael is from the Richmond area and went to William and Mary for his undergraduate degree as well as a masters in Chemistry. He spent some time after college up working in pharmaceuticals in New Jersey and then in 1998, he came back to Richmond and started medical school. He completed medical school and seven additional years of study here in Richmond and then moved to Georgia. In 2011, he moved back to Richmond and took a position and started practicing medicine in the federal system at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Paul and Michael talked about viruses such as AIDS and Covid-19. They spent some time discussing AI and 3-D printing and the effect that both have, are and will have on general medicine and surgery, vascular surgery and the work Dr. Amendola and his team are doing at the Veterans Administration. They also discussed his upbringing and how things he learned from his parents started him on this path of working with his hands and in being an educator. They finished by talking about what he is looking forward to in the next 3-5 years as well as some job advice for Paul’s son Zach.

Paul met Cuong Phu (sounds like Kung Fu) Nguyen when he started going to a local Vietnamese restaurant. Paul was going there pretty regularly and he had a special order so Cuong Phu would remember Paul and his special order. Now Paul frequents Cuong Phu’s restaurant Pho Viet in the Ashland/Atlee area of Hanover County. They talked about Cuong Phu’s story which is truly an amazing story of love, courage, hope and faith. Cuong Phu was born in Saigon in 1966 and then in 1982, when he was still fifteen years old, his parents made the decision to send him away. They did this to give him a chance for a better life somewhere else other than communist led Vietnam. Cuong Phu told Paul of his time on small boats, ships and in refugee camps which finally culminated in getting on a plane at age seventeen and landing in Seattle, Washington. He told Paul about the first thing that happened to him when the plane door opened as well as the first meal he had in the United States. Cuong Phu then moved to the Richmond, Virginia area, went to high school and then he was accepted to the Virginia Military Institute for college. He told Paul the unique way he learned English and another skill he had to develop to make it through school. They talked about the situation his parents were in making the decision they made as well as his position as a fifteen year old embarking on an adventure like no other. They finished by talking about his Rat year at VMI and a funny story when one of his roommates introduced Cuong Phu to his dad.   Pho Viet is located at 9531 Kings Charter Drive, Ashland, VA. 23005 / https://www.phovietrva.com

Paul has a friend whose son is interested in the military. He asked Paul to answer questions that he and his wife had about their son possibly going down this road. Paul and Courtney Ferrell (episode 51) get together to host this episode and their goal is to share some insights on things they wish they knew in their 20’s. To help his friend’s son, they brought back a past guest, Buck Sessoms. Buck (episodes 164 & 165) served twenty-five years active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He discussed with Paul and Courtney everything from how to enlist as a U.S. Marine to boot camp to OCS (Officer Candidate School) to deployment. He talked about the mindset and the attitude you need to have and to expect to be made uncomfortable and experience some pain during training. He said it would be good for anyone interested in the USMC to be in good physical shape when you head off to boot camp. He also said you should feel comfortable in a pool and they also went over some of the lingo used in the USMC. They finished by talking about some of the benefits you receive if you enlist whether you stay in for four years or make the USMC a career.

Stephanie Becker is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Better2getherrva and she joins Paul via a connection with Mark Johnson (episode 332). Paul delved first into why and how Stephanie started this non-profit that benefits many children and their families in the Richmond area. Stephanie told Paul about how her son Jack, at age seven, got cancer and how she received some wonderful support from non-profits in the area. Soon thereafter, a close friend’s son got diagnosed with a rare lung disease and Stephanie realized that her friend and family were not getting the same level of help that they had received. She founded Better2getherrva to offer family support services to Richmond area children with complex medical illnesses regardless of the diagnosis. They discussed what Better2getherrva does to fulfill their mission and Stephanie spoke about the importance that human connections and understanding play in their organization. They finished by talking about what the future holds for Better2getherrva. If you want to donate to this incredible non-profit, please go to their website: better2getherrva.org

Author and fellow Hanoverian Tracie Adams joins Paul to discuss western versus eastern Hanover, her life and her book. They first chatted about Tracie’s book, Our Lives in Pieces which is written as a collection of essays. In Our Lives in Pieces, Tracie tackles some very difficult and challenging issues that many of us have dealt with in our daily lives. Tracie and Paul discussed her life and how she used her own personal experiences as the foundation for her book. They finished with Tracie telling Paul that she is working on a second book, Paul asking her to come back for a second episode and lastly, they agreed that there’s only one brand of mayonnaise that you should use!

Stacey Jones and Misi Rose are the Executive Director and Director of Operations, respectively of Mercy Mall of Virginia. Mercy Mall was founded by Stacey and her family in 2011 soon after they had moved to Virginia from Arkansas. Misi joined Stacey about a year or so later as a volunteer and now helps Stacey run this wonderful “ministry that serves individuals and families that are overcoming the obstacles to stability”. Stacey and Misi told Paul how they have 150-200 volunteers a week and that they help people by building relationships with them. They talked about their community partners and the general community that helps them provide the best resources to people in need. Stacey, Misi, their staff and all the people at Mercy Mall live their mission and they carry it out every day with passion and by focusing on the needs of the people they serve. If you would like to volunteer or donate items or money, you can find Mercy Mall at mercymallva.org.

Barry Todd returns to the podcast, but this time he brought a friend, Sheriff Mark Lamb. Paul started by having both Barry and Mark give a high level summary of their backgrounds. Barry and Mark are, on the surface, unlikely friends. Barry had a terrible ordeal with the U.S. justice system and Mark was a two time elected Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona. They are friends though because they are honorable men, share a lot of the same perspectives on a variety of subjects and they discussed what they like and respect about each other. The three of them had a great discussion about Barry’s case, the justice system and how all of us, no matter who we are, can make changes and make a difference. Paul ended with what advice Barry and Mark would give to his 23 year old son and young people that are starting out. Their advice was outstanding!

Mark Johnson grew up in Sutton, Massachusetts which was rural at the time and his family can trace their roots back to the folks that landed at Plymouth Rock. Mark and his family have been in Virginia for over 15 years and told Paul they had to make some changes when it came to the difference in pace between New England and the South. They talked about Mark’s brushes with the music industry. He made it clear to Paul that it was not due to musical talent, but to the work he did and a house that he owned in Worcester. Mark went to school, got in the optical field and told Paul about his career and they discussed the difference a good leader can make in both your work and personal life. Mark described a tragedy that happened to their family when his young son Alec died. This led the family to the decision to get an emotional support animal. Due to his wife’s allergies, they couldn’t get a dog, but instead got a Kunekune pig and they named him Tucker. Mark talked about Tucker and all the good he did not only for Mark and his family, but the local community as well.

Christian Ray Flores has led a very unique life. Christian was born in Moscow, Russia and by the time he was nine, he had lived in four countries and spoke four languages. When he was fourteen, he was back in Russia and in 1991, he received his master’s degree in Economics. Then in 1993, he entered the music entertainment industry as a singer and became an immediate success. One of his songs became an anthem for the political campaign of Boris Yeltsin. Christian met his wife Deb while at an event in Los Angeles and he told Paul that he pursued her. She moved to Russia a few months later and they were married about nine months after they met. Christian and Deb were ready for a change and moved to United States in 2004. Paul and Christian talked about all the many things they have done over the years, what he is doing now and how they have made their home in Austin, Texas.

Bryan Kirk is a very good friend of Brett McCreight (Episode 323) and he joins Paul on the podcast. Bryan and Paul first talked about his wife Kristin, their three kids and about being a grandfather. He told Paul he grew up outside of Charlotte and that his parents had two sets of twins. They all attended a small Christian school which was a part of their church and he and his twin sister made up half of their graduating class of four! He then attended Campbell University which is where he met Brett. Bryan commissioned at Campbell and spent over twenty-seven years of active duty in the United States Army. They discussed his U.S. Army career including going through Ranger school, becoming a Green Beret and retiring at the rank of Colonel. Bryan had several different assignments throughout his career including multiple tours overseas. They also discussed his current position at the University of North Georgia as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Cadet Leadership Academy at UNG.

Barry Todd grew up in a military family and he spoke about his mom’s military service, her time working for the FBI and the fact that she spoke five languages. Barry grew up in many different places and enlisted in the United States Army in 1980. They discussed how he was very blessed during his twenty-one years in the U.S. Army, attending Ranger school and he told Paul about a very important lesson he learned about from his Ranger brothers. Barry and Paul then spoke about an experience he had that changed his life and one that has led to him writing a book. In 2014, Barry was arrested after an incident that took place where he was defending himself. His book is about the legal battle that he faced as well as some of the flaws and inner workings of the United States Justice System. He told Paul that the book’s purpose is to bring this subject matter into the light and help everyday Americans understand a little more about the U.S. Justice system through his experience. All proceeds will be going to a foundation he helped establish that will assist people that have been wrongly accused. They finished by talking about his wife, Cisi, their three kids and four grandkids.   Barry’s book is called Stand Your Ground: One Man’s Self Defense Nightmare and it can be found where you purchase books or at standyourgroundbook.com

Amber Lancaster comes to the podcast through recent guest Brett McCreight. Amber grew up in an idyllic setting in Ohio and she and Paul had a quick chat about parenting and some of the differences between GenX and GenZ and how they raise their kids. Amber had a life changing experience when she went with her parents to visit some friends in Europe and she told Paul that she caught the travel bug. She followed up on that goal when she went to the University of Delaware and studied abroad all four years. After college, she became a U.S. Government contractor for two agencies - one allowed her to travel around the U.S.A. and the other to different parts of the world. She moved to Virginia and met her husband through an unexpected source and they started a family. In 2021, Amber founded Start1Spark, a non-profit that brings communities together through helping disadvantaged youth. They provide athletic equipment, musical instruments, etc. that give young people the resources they need to participate in extra curricular activities. You can find their website at Start1Spark.org - please consider volunteering for or donating to this great organization!

John Streitmatter and Paul worked together a while back and they have reconnected to have a chat. They first discussed leadership, the journey of making changes to improve the workplace and the relationships between management and their employees. They discussed John growing up in Illinois, playing sports and becoming an Eagle Scout. John attended Indiana University, played a lot of pick up basketball and they talked about the culture of basketball in Indiana and what it means to the state and the people that live there. John had an incredible mentor after college and he told Paul how the man literally changed the course of his life. John talked about some of his professional experiences and how he got his Masters Degree (MBA) from Harvard. They discussed John finding what he was meant to do and some of the advice that he gives to his clients and folks he meets through his profession. They finished by John telling Paul about his wife, Michelle, and their three sons.

It’s couples week on Stories as Kerri Cobb Harrison joins the podcast. Her husband Tommy Harrison just talked to Paul the other day and Paul started by commenting that he has not met a couple so compatible as Kerri and Tommy. Kerri grew up in New Kent, Virginia and told Paul that she had a great childhood playing sports and spending time on the James River with her grandparents. Kerri was a two sport athlete in college where she played basketball and softball at Lynchburg University and Christopher Newport University. Kerri had been teaching softball since her senior year in high school, but after graduating from CNU, she turned it into a real business. She has been teaching and/or coaching softball for 34 years and 2025 will mark the 24th year of her All American Fastpitch Softball camp. They discussed Kerri’s teaching philosophy and how she teaches life lessons along with softball fundamentals. Kerri is also a competitive body builder and they had a great discussion about what they entails on a daily basis and overall. They finished by talking about her family including her parents who have had a huge influence on Kerri.    Info on the 2025 All American Fastpitch Camp can be found at https://www.allamericanfastpitch.org/camp-landing-page

Gary Marx joins Paul through a connection with recent guest and friend Bret McCreight. Even though he has family ties to Germany from the 1800s, he told Paul he was no relation to Karl! Gary grew up in a military family and married his wife whom he met while they were in high school in Germany. After high school, his family moved back to the states and Gary went to James Madison and majored in Political Science. His work is in Public Policy/Public Affairs and he told Paul how he has worked on six presidential campaigns and has been to several conventions. They had a lengthy conversation about the Ukraine-Russia war and touched on Israel, NATO and current politics.  Gary has his own podcast which we encourage you to check out … Peace and Power Ukraine.