Meditations with Ryan Zlomek

This week Ryan sits down with Jason Smorol, the General Manager of the Syracuse Mets. Jason is no stranger to minor league sports having worked for the Watertown Indians, Staten Island Yankees, Batavia Muckdogs, and Auburn Doubledays before taking over GM responsibilities for the Syracuse Chiefs in 2013. But to limit Jason to a list of teams is to miss out on the magic that he brings to sports. Jason has used the world of competition to build bridges in the communities he resides in. Since 2013, Jason has transformed Historic NBT Bank Stadium and the baseball season into a welcoming environment for countless fans of all backgrounds, provide business opportunities for local restauranteurs, raise awareness for hundreds of not-for-profits, and provide entertainment in all forms to the greater Syracuse community. His leadership is a successful demonstration as to how to turn a business into a community hub. In this conversation, Jason talks about growing up in North Syracuse and his time at Bishop Grimes. He shares college stories from his studies at SUNY Fredonia and the United States Sports Academy as well as his time teaching Sports Management at SUNY Cortland. He shares his approach to sales citing examples from the industry of Minor League Baseball and Hilti USA. Additionally, he shares his Syracuse Mets management approach sheds light into a leadership style that encourages the best out of everyone. It’s a great conversation about the value of hard work, passion, and welcoming ideas from all avenues. To learn more about Jason Smorol and his work with the Syracuse Mets, visit www.SyracuseMets.com or find them on social media @SyracuseMets. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @RyanZlomek on Instagram, BlueSky and Tiktok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan chats with DJ Rose, owner of Halo Tattoo and a community builder of underground culture. Despite being best known locally for founding Halo Tattoo in 1997, DJ’s entrepreneurial spirit also helped build the Syracuse hardcore punk scene in the early 90s when he booked groundbreaking bands like Fugazi, Earth Crisis, ALL, Quicksand, and Uniform Choice using resources at Syracuse University. Internationally, DJ is a vegan straight edge icon, having made appearances on media outlets like MTV and CBS to talk about animal rights and the global sobriety movement. In this conversation, DJ sheds light into his early home life growing up in a little town called North Bay, NY. He talks about attending SUNY Potsdam, starting his first band, and then transitioning into booking shows in Central New York. He talks about his unique method of utilizing college resources from Syracuse University to book large shows and establish Syracuse as a staple of hardcore punk culture. As the originator of the band name “Earth Crisis,” he talks about his brief time in the metalcore band and expresses the pride he feels seeing them reach the world with messages of animal liberation. DJ sheds light onto his goals in creating Halo Tattoo and the chance encounter with famed artist Dan Higgs that helped him feel confident to start tattooing clients. He also talks about the importance spirituality plays in his life and how his relationship with god has provided comfort in difficult times. It’s a conversation filled with messages of self-empowerment and perspective into the way in which one person can truly help change the world. For more information about DJ Rose you can find @DJRoseDNA on Instagram, Halo Tattoo on Instagram and Facebook @HaloTattoo, or email him djrosedna@gmail.com. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan chats with Corey Trench, a TV and movie editor based in Los Angeles. Having worked for over 15 years for such companies as MTV, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Walt Disney Television, CBS, and Blumhouse, Corey has made his way around Hollywood to become a staple of the post-production world. Getting his start with shows like Parks and Recreation as a Production Staff member in 2009, Corey graduated through the ranks to eventually become a solo editor with the show Teen Wolf. Not limited by genre he has worked on projects ranging from Tau for Netflix to television shows such as SYFY’s Krypton, Fox’s The Gifted, MTV’s Eye Candy and Punk’d, and Freevee’s Leverage: Redemption and Almost Paradise. In this episode, Corey shares his childhood fascination with making arts in all forms from music, performance, and video making. He discusses his time learning about video production at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, Onondaga Community College, and Ithaca College before moving to Los Angeles to start his career. He discusses his entry into production work with a stint on Parks and Recreation before editing various reality TV shows and eventually landing a long term position on Teen Wolf. A lifelong fan of Superman, Corey shares the experience working on the character in the show Krypton and the work involved developing post-production systems used throughout the shows 2-season run. Additionally, Corey discusses his more personal film work, sharing his latest documentary project dedicated to the memory of his late brother Colin. It’s a wonderful conversation about finding passion young in life and seeing where it can take you when you’re led with determination. For more information on Corey Trench you can find him on Twitter @coreytrench or at his website www.coreycuts.tv. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan chats with internationally renowned photographer Jessica Montgomery. Originally hailing from Oklahoma City, Jessica moved to Syracuse, NY in 2018 to handle the photographic needs of Stay Fresh, a creative agency started by Tommy Lincoln. While most photographers are known for a niche talent, Jessica captivates and controls the still image no matter the subject. Jessica is known for her 31 Days Of Halloween project in which she plans and collaborates shoots with different models to share her imagination and storytelling capabilities every day in the month of October. This level of quality and dedication is seen in every project she tackles. Whether photographing beverage cans for 1911, models for publication in Selin or IMIRAGE, toys for Jay And Silent Bob, or action shots at summer concerts, Jessica’s knowledge of lenses and how to arrange her subjects makes the result jump off the screen every single time. In this conversation Jessica talks about growing up and finding a passion for photography early in life courtesy of the toy Suzy Snapshot and the affordability of 110 film cameras. She discusses the value she found building a creative foundation in art school before focusing her attention exclusively on the mechanics and capabilities of her camera. Shifting to the professional sphere, she shares her start as a wedding photographer and the eventual move to Syracuse to take on accounts like Beak & Skiff, Ayrloom, Oh My Darling, Glazed And Confused, Funk N Waffle, Syracuse Cooperative Market, Salt City Market, Elevate, LM Social, and dozens of others. Jessica goes into depth on the narrative aspects of her work and shares examples of how her imagination takes off when the ideas start flowing. It’s an engaging conversation about the infinite depth one can explore when they truly love their chosen medium. For more information on Jessica Montgomery you can find her @jessica.stayfresh on Instagram and Threads or visit www.stayfresh.design. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan sits down with historical fiction writer Lee Ellen Hickey to uncover the lore of Virginia Tonkin. In the late 1800s, the Tonkins were a wealthy family residing in Oswego, NY who tragically lost their young daughter to appendicitis. In their process of mourning, they famously entombed Virginia’s body in a glass coffin which resided in their family home for over a year. The story of Virginia’s death and her family’s peculiar memorial has fascinated New Yorkers for over a century so Lee Ellen Hickey sought to explore the story further in her novel Girl In The Glass Coffin: The Tonkin Affair which she self published in 2024. Lee comes on the show to discuss her inspiration, writing process, and the legacy of the Tonkins’ family on this week’s episode of Meditations. For more information on Lee Ellen Hickey you can visit www.girlintheglasscoffin.com, or find her on Facebook at Girl In The Glass Coffin. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com

This week Ryan interviews two authors hidden within the same body; Daniel Handler, more commonly known as Lemony Snicket, comes on the show to share his writing tales with listeners. Daniel Handler introduced the pen name Lemony Snicket in his best-selling children’s books A Series of Unfortunate Events which have sold more than 60 million copies and been translated into 41 different languages. Known as a saga that wasn’t afraid to show readers the imaginative, dreary world of the Baudelaire Orphans, A Series of Unfortunate Events leapt off the page to become a 2004 feature film starring Jim Carrey and a Netflix television that lasted 3 seasons with the likes of Neil Patrick Harris and Patrick Warburton. But is not like the protagonists of his most famous stories as he’s had good fortune and a prolific writing career with the success of his other works like The Basic Eight, the All The Wrong Questions series, Adverbs, We Are Pirates, and his latest memoir And Then? And Then? What Else?. In this conversation, Daniel talks about his affection for the city of San Franscisco, traveling to the east coast for college and discovering a supportive writing community there. He expands on the struggled sale of his first adult novel and transitioning his focus to children’s books which birthed A Series of Unfortunate Events. Daniel delves into the importance of structure in his writing as a creative guidepost to keep the process fun while he scribbles on legal pads in various cafes around California. A man of many talents, he talks about working in motion pictures, sharing tales of running the writing room of the Netflix series and in the music business partnering with Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields. It’s a conversation full of intrigue, fun, playful banter, and insight into someone who makes every moment one of imagination. For more about Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket you can visit www.danielhandler.com or find him on Instagram at @authordanielhandler. For more information on the Meditations with the Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com

Stepping into the world of gaming, Ryan sits down with Mike Saltzman, owner of Syracuse, NY-based companies Voltage Video Games and Viridian Dice. Mike has a vibrant history in entrepreneurship and branding, having started Voltage Video Games in 2011 and building the company into a downtown retro-focused institution. Though primarily known locally for his businesses, Mike found viral internet fame in 2013 when collaborating with filmmaking Mario Restive to create a YouTube ad that took the web by storm. Embracing greenscreen glitches, nuanced gamer jokes, and well-cued social awkwardness, the Voltage YouTube ad received over a million views gaining the store notability and turning Saltzman’s performance into meme-level popularity. Taking on the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Saltzman started Viridian, a company making supplies for the famed role-playing game. Starting off with in-house manufacturing then shifting to sourcing supplies across the globe, Viridian has become a prominent dice seller due to its low price point and approachable customer service. In this conversation, Mike talks about growing up in New York’s Capital Region and discovering lifelong interests in his youth. Shifting to higher education, he talks about attending Binghamton University and taking a leadership role at the campus radio station WHRW. He tells the origin stories for Voltage and Viridian and offers an honest behind-the-scenes look at business partnerships and financing. Mike provides company culture and entrepreneurship advice along with a healthy dose of nerdy references. To learn more about Mike Saltzman you can find him on Instagram @magitekmike. Voltage Video Games and Viridian Dice can also be found on Facebook and Instagram or online at https://voltagevideogames.com/ or https://viridiandice.com/. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week musician Laura Hall joins Ryan in conversation to chat about her amazing work in the world of improv comedy. Laura is a world-renowned improv musician having started her career with Chicago’s Second City and eventually becoming Musical Director on Whose Line Is It Anyway? for 21 seasons. Very few people have mastered an instrument, let alone mastered the ability to quickly add mood, ambiance, and rhythm on various instruments. For over two decades, Laura’s ability to play music from all genres provided the backbone for performers such as Wayne Brady, Jeff Davis, Gary Anthony Williams, and Jonathan Mangum to riff and sing memorable comedy songs about all topics imaginable. Laura has become the top of her class in improv musicianship having written the book The Improv Comedy Musician and developed traveling classes to share her unique craft. In this conversation, Laura talks about falling in love with music, performance, and collaboration in her youth. She shares a chance encounter that helped her get a job working Coat Check at Chicago’s The Second City theater that eventually evolved into a touring performance position. Traveling with her husband Rick Hall to Los Angeles, she had the opportunity to join the cast of Whose Line Is It Anyway? where she performed in over 400 episodes. She talks about the arts of creating music on Whose Line?, her collaboration with guitarist Linda Taylor tackling all genres of music, and she sheds light into the production of the long-running improv comedy show hosted by Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler. Laura describes the importance of inspiring others to bring their musical talents to the improv world and the joy she finds working with local troops around the world. She also talks about the current Whose Live Anyway? tour that brings the fan-favorite TV show to theaters around the country. To learn more about Laura Hall’s work visit www.laurahall.com or find @LauraHallMusic on Facebook and Instagram. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com

This week we meditate on all things STEM with Erin Winick Anthony, a professional science communicator. Erin is the owner of the company STEAM Power Media which works with clients such as Astrolab, Hearst Media Production Company, Zero G, Space Center Houston, and dozens of others to most effectively showcase their scientific triumphs to the world. Whether writing press releases, creating documentaries, posting on social media, or speaking publicly, Erin finds ways to make high-level scientific concepts accessible, welcoming, and inspiring. In this conversation, Erin talks about developing a passion for problem-solving at a young age and eventually studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Florida. She shares her first foray into entrepreneurship by developing the company Sci Chic, a producer of STEM-inspired clothing and accessories. She recounts various opportunities that led her into the field of science communication including a stint working at NASA where she earned the coveted Silver Snoopy Award. Deciding to go out on her own, Erin founded STEAM Power Media and shares the origin story of her company. As someone who is passionate about so many subjects, Erin also shares what it was like being featured in the Unstoppable Wasp Marvel comic book, using puzzles as a way to relax, and the joys of pinball culture with her collaborators Wormhole Pinball and Barrels of Fun Pinball. It’s an engaging conversation that will make you want to shoot for the stars. To learn more about Erin’s work you can visit www.erinwinick.com, Erin Winick – Science Communicator on Facebook, or @erinwinick on X, Instagram, and TikTok. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Beaming in from the world of storytelling, Ryan chats with Stefan Rudnicki, commonly known as “The Golden Voice of Audiobooks.” His vocal cords have graced the ears of listeners exploring every genre from science fiction, fantasy, and horror to business, self-help, and reference to memoir, biography, and non-fiction to poetry and even avant-garde literature with over 3,000 credits to his name. He’s decorated in the industry with countless Grammy, Audie, Hugo, Bram Stoker, Ray Bradbury, Madolin Cervantes, and Edinburg International Festival awards to his name. He’s also a coach, often hired by the best of the business to encourage the most effective audiobook performances out of actors like Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Samuel L Jackson, Gabrielle Byrne, Charleton Heston, and Anne Hathaway, to name a few. In this conversation, Stefan recounts his parents’ journey from Poland to the US for him to find his foundation in NYC. He talks about his studies at Columbia University and Yale School of Drama before pursuing his own life as a college professor. Never one to turn down a challenge he shares his journey in filmmaking that brought him to the Golden State before working for Dove Audio in the abridgment department. He shares the transition to audiobook performance and talks about forging partnerships with the likes of Harlan Ellison. Famously, Stefan is the voice of Ender Wiggin in the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game for which his approach to audiobook directing popularized the multi-narrational storytelling method. He talks about the process of recording multiple narrators in multiple time zones and the quality control necessary to produce great audio content. And as a lifelong music fan, Stefan shares the role music plans in his life and explains why he is so dedicated to his next crowdfunding goal of releasing a collection about Leonard Cohen. For more information on Stefan Rudnick’s company you can find Skyboat Media on Facebook and Twitter (@skyboatmedia) or visit www.skyboatmedia.com. Stefan can be reached on Facebook (Stefan Rudnicki), Bluesky (@Stefansecho), and Twitter (@Stefansecho). For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Ryan chats with Mike Borkowski, the Syracuse-based storyboard artist whose work has graced television and movie screens across the world since 1997. Internationally, Mike is known for creating animation production art for shows like Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, Jumanji, Big Guy & Rusty The Boy Robot, The Venture Brothers, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Spider-Man, Batman: Caped Crusader, and dozens of other properties. His “Think Mark” scene from Amazon Studio’s Invincible show is a landmark of modern animation praised around the industry. Outside of animation, Mike has also created work for Big Brother, Adidas, and ESPSN. A lifelong sports fan, he’s known to Central, NY locals for his commercial work with the Syracuse Mets as well as his cartoony yet aggressive version of Syracuse University’s Otto The Orange. In this conversation, Mike sheds light onto his artistic journey from winning a drawing contest at the age of 5 to becoming an apprentice to comic book artist Bart Sears. He details his move to Los Angeles to start his career in animation and the first time he received solo storyboarding credit. Exploring the process drawing “on model” work, Mike delves into his approach to new projects and offers insights into how modern animation is made. He shares a behind-the-scenes look at developing production art for Big Brother and analyzes his tenure creating artwork to strengthen the Syracuse University fanbase. He talks openly about a struggle for balance in the competitive commercial art space and inspires listeners to find a community in which they feel included and supported. For more information on Mike Borkowski’s work you can find him online at www.michaelborkowski.com as well as on Instagram (@mborkowskiart) and Michael Borkowski-Illustrator on Facebook. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan sits down with RC Matheson to talk about his career writing for television, film, and short story anthologies. RC has been a professional writer since he was 18 as one of the youngest writers to get a 7 year television studio deal right out of high school. He quickly rose in the ranks of the TV writer’s room of the late 70s having penned episodes of Three’s Company, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, Hunter, and dozens of other shows before becoming the Story Editor and Lead Writer on the fan-favorite The A-Team. He made his way into the world of motion pictures with the film Three O’Clock High, produced by Stephen Spielberg, and countless other projects in the decades he has worked in Hollywood. No stranger to prose, he’s also the author of the novels Created By and The Ritual of Illusion and the short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks, Dystopia, and Zoopraxis. In this conversation, RC talks about growing up in a household of creativity with his father Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Stir of Echoes) and mother Ruth Ann Woodson (professional mental health practitioner). He shares anecdotes about writing successes in high school and the transition to working full-time writing for television. No stranger to the madness of the movie industry, RC sheds light onto the development of the film Three O’Clock High and the bidding war that ensued between Stephen Spielberg and Aaron Spelling to get the film made. The process of writing his famed project Battleground, based on the short story by Stephen King, is discussed in detail. Battleground is an hour-long film created for TNT’s Nightmares & Dreamscapes. Directed by Brian Henson and starring William Hurt, Battleground is a motion picture marvel as it contains no dialogue. To finish things out, RC talks about his second career as a professional drummer and digs into the relationship between rhythm in percussion and rhythm in storytelling. It’s an insight chat glaring into the grunt work that goes into the world’s favorite forms of narrative. To experience the work of RC Matheson, you can find his books Battleground, Ritual of Illusion, Zoopraxis, Dytopia, and Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks for sale online. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

To kick off the new year Ryan sits down with Chris Clemens, the founder of nonROCaholic, to talk about sobriety and the Dry January movement. Chris struggled with drinking and drug abuse before becoming sober in 1996. He has channeled his addictive tendencies into various creative endeavors including nonROCaholic, a social media presence and blog dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-alcoholic beverage offerings. But Chris is no stranger to online publishing. In 2012 he founded the popular website exploringupstate.com, a blog documenting his travels around Upstate New York and the various food, history, and tourism opportunities within just a few hours drive. Exploring Upstate offers readers the ability to find things to do but also viewed regional tourism through the lens of a sober individual who wanted to find funs ways to travel through wine country. Chris created the Fingers Lakes NON-Wine Trail to showcase non-alcoholic options people could partake in on a traditional wine tour. This idea eventually morphed into nonROCaholic where Chris regularly reviews non-alcoholic beverage options at bars and restaurants, canned offerings from beverage makers around the world, and facilitates sober meetups for those looking to make better connections in their local communities. It's a great conversation to kick off the year and offers a chance to do some self-reflection into our own unhealthy or addictive behaviors. Chris talks about the origins of Dry January and helps give advice for those interested in starting the New Year fresh. For more information on Chris Clemen’s work you can find him at www.nonrocaholic.com and www.exploringupstate.com. On social media nonROCaholic can be found @nonrocaholic on Facebook and Instagram. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Ryan sits with writer Grady Hendrix to explore his personal brand of fear, humor, and immersive research. No stranger to the New York Times Bestseller’s list, Grady is the author of such books as My Best Friend’s Exorcism, The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, and How To Sell A Haunted House, with his latest novel, Witchcraft For Wayward Girls, arriving at bookstores on January 14, 2025. Though primarily known as a novelist, Grady has a fascinating background in experimental theater which he applies to his writing process, constantly testing the limits of whatever medium he is exploring. Whether researching 80s pulp fiction in his non-fiction book Paperbacks From Hell or developing screenplays for such films as Satanic Panic, Mohawk (filmed around Syracuse, NY), and Iron Fists And Kung Fu Kicks, all of the work of Grady Hendrix pushes boundaries. In this conversation, Grady talks about his upbringing in Charleston, SC where he found libraries to be his safe haven. He discusses going to college in New York City, immersing himself in the theater scene, and exploring life abroad in Hong Kong. He details the start of his writing journey attending the Clarion Writer’s Workshop at University Of California at San Diego then writing a tremendous number of screenplays and novels before finding success with his book Horrorstör, a novel about the terror lurking inside of Ikea. Grady digs into his research practices and describes the technical challenges he likes to put himself through for each work including a wonderful deconstruction of his approach to My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Despite being known for the demonic, Grady is a welcoming and kind presence whose natural energy always shows the joy he feels about his work. If you’re looking for a bit of fun, intrigue, and wacky ideas, this conversation is for you. For more information on Grady Hendrix you can find him online a www.gradyhendrix.com or on Instagram at @gradyhendrix. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Meditations goes a little green as Gregory Maguire, the New York Times Bestselling author of Wicked, joins Ryan for Episode 36. Gregory is most known for the origin story he developed for the Wicked Witch of the West in his books that eventually inspired the Wicked Broadway musical and feature film. He gave the Wicked Witch the name Elphaba that has now transcended literature and made its way into cultural vernacular and even Starbucks beverages. But Gregory’s origin is just as interesting as Elphaba’s story. In this conversation, Gregory sheds light onto his dark fairy tale start in Albany, NY, growing up in a family who loved reading, and becoming enamored with books like Harriet The Spy. He details his life’s work in the form of daily journaling, deciding to study literature all the way to his Tufts University PhD., and eventually distancing himself from Higher Education to focus on writing. Gregory shares his inspiration leading up to writing Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West and the process of overcoming intense emotions through making art. He sheds light onto his decision to grant rights to Stephen Schwartz to write the Wicked musical and talks about other works he has coming to further explore the lore of the Elphaba. Gregory is an engaging storyteller in conversation and further proves himself to be a gentleman, scholar, and advocate for learning. For more information on the work of Gregory Maguire you can find online at https://gregorymaguire.com/. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

On Episode 35, Jaina Shaw, owner and operator of Dino-Mite Vintage!, comes to chat with Ryan about her shop in Wantagh, NY. Jaina is a professional retro and vintage reseller who opened the doors of her business and community gathering space in 2024. Specializing in quality plus-sized clothing, bed linens, and table coverings, as well as all things dinosaurs, Dino-Mite Vintage! strives to add a sense of play to the retail experience. Though she’s known in Nassau County as an archeologist of the fashion of yesteryear, she has a deep-rooted career in librarianship that actively plays a role in the day-to-day operations of Dino-Mite. In this conversation, Jaina talks about growing up in Minnesota and discovering a passion for organization and archiving in early adulthood. She discusses her time as a Teen Librarian in Connecticut and using her resources to bring gaming, physical activity, and new energy into her library through the use of a “Black Market Wii.” With a focus on work/life balance she moved on from librarianship and found herself in the world of vintage pop-up markets before opening her own brick and mortar shop. Jaina also shares humorous insights into the culture of Long Islanders, the beauty of repurposing items that we regularly take for granted, and describes how Pee Wee’s Big Adventure played a major part in design design aesthetics. For more information on Jaina, check out @dinomitevintage on Instagram and TikTok. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

On Episode 34, Tommy Lincoln, owner of Stay Fresh Design, comes on the show to talk about his career in creativity. Tommy started Stay Fresh in 2014 and has transported his small shop into a sought-after agency offering design, photography, websites, public art, and everything in between. Located on the first floor of the Delevan Studios building, Stay Fresh’s work bursts outside of Syracuse’s west side into pop culture in the form of beverage containers, mayoral campaigns, fitness centers logos, restaurant menus, donut characters, public murals, and so much more. In this conversation, Tommy talks about growing up in Liverpool, NY and trying to find the balance between having fun and getting into trouble. He tells of his time studying and teaching at Cazenovia College and Syracuse University, then making his way into the various marketing firms around Central New York. He shares the idea behind the name “Stay Fresh” and explores the growth of his company over the last decade. Additionally, he uncovers his three-tier plan for Stay Fresh including forming the design studio, expanding to include an art gallery, and the beginning stages of educational opportunities for the public. It’s a fun chat that includes some anecdotes about filmmaker Kevin Smith and the design of “Jay And Silent Bob’s Vegan Dogs.” For more information on Stay Fresh, you can visit www.stayfresh.design, find StayFresh.Design on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find @TommyLincoln and @Jessica.StayFresh on Instagram. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

This week Joel Capologo, co-owner of Strong Hearts Café and Strong Hearts 716, chats with Ryan about his life in the vegan sphere. Strong Hearts is an all vegan café with two locations in Syracuse, NY and Buffalo, NY. Starting in 2008 by Joel and his friend Nicholas Ryan, Strong Hearts has been made waves in the culinary world showcasing the comfort food (and milkshake) possibilities that exist without the need for animal products. In this conversation, Joels talks about growing up in Central Square, NY and finding his work ethic and grit as well as starting his vegan journey in 1993. Finding inspiration from the Syracuse hardcore punk scene and bands like Earth Crisis, Joel dedicated himself to animal activism while still in high school. He shares stories of disrupting animal production supply chains and even battling Japanese whaling ships that were illegally hunting. He talks about the origin story of Strong Hearts and sheds light behind the scenes of a New York culinary beacon for vegans and omnivores alike. Details of other Strong Hearts related initiatives come to the forefront including the culture of Strong Hearts tattoos and the success of the Strong Hearts Vegan Power running team. For more information on Joel and Nicholas’s work with Strong Hearts, you can find them online at https://stronghearts315.com/ (Syracuse) and https://www.stronghearts716.com/ (Buffalo), as well as on Instagram (@strongheartscafe @stronghearts716) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StrongHearts315/ https://www.facebook.com/stronghearts716). For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Jen Gunnels, fiction editor for Tor Books and its various imprints, comes on the show to chat with Ryan about her life in literature. Jen is an energetic personality who is known for discovering rich stories in the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy space. A Michigan native, Jen talks about honing her imagination and discovering a passion for theater at a young age. She recounts spending her academic career developing and implementing theories into live theater, including renaissance fairs. Transitioning into the editing space, Jen talks about moving to New York City, working with famed anthologist Martin Greenberg, and learning the ins and outs of the editor role before taking the reigns herself. She also shares insights into the relationship between editors and writers, editors and literary agents, and editors and the publishers they represent. It's an informative chat full of lots of fun facts and banter, especially about the dreaded "book blurbs." For more information about Jen Gunnels, you can find her on LinkedIn or visit https://us.macmillan.com/torpublishinggroup/ to scope out the books that she has helped shape into the publishing world. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

For episode 31 Aunrée Houston joins Ryan to go behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. Aunrée has a long history in media development having worked for HBO, Paramount, and mostly recently Netflix. As a Media Executive, he project manages various aspects of marketing and communications on some of the world’s biggest TV shows and movies. Having started on the film Wit at HBO then eventually working on properties as big as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, Insecure, Westworld, and The Leftovers, Aunrée has developed creative solutions to ensure this media has a lasting impacts in countries all over the world. Now at Netflix, he is applying his talents to properties like 3 Body Problem, Stranger Things, and Bridgerton. Outside of the studio world, Aunrée owns the company Aunrée Jac where he provides life coaching strategies to those in need of a life realignment. He is an NYU trained therapist and applies what he learned to new clients on a regular basis. He is also an east coast and west coast socialite famed for his dinner parties which habitually become venues for open dialogue. In this conversation he talks about his upbringing in NYC, attending SUNY Oswego and exploring the world of drama, making his way through various departments at HBO, transitioning to Paramount and Netflix, and the various ways he works to give back to his community. For more information on Aunrée Houston you can find @aunreejac on Instagram, Aunrée Jac on Facebook, Aunrée J L Houston on LinkedIn or visit his website at www.aunreejac.com. For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, and TikTok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.