The Aron Bender Podcast

Aron Bender talks with James Alvarez, a widower whose pregnant wife was hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver in Orange County, California, in 2020. Doctors were able to save their premature newborn daughter. The single father is now a motivational speaker and mentor. Watch James's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FlZYmOO384Y ••• Connect with Aron Bender at www.aronbender.com You can now watch The Aron Bender Podcast streaming nightly at 11 on DB&A TV at www.DBandAtelevision.TV...

Aron Bender talks with DJ Severe, the resident DJ at Dodger Stadium at the man at the top of Rose City Sound. We talk about fatherhood, being able to admit and learn from mistakes, and how music is at the center of it all. Watch DJ Severe's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iZhIz-tQ4-c ••• Connect with Aron Bender at www.aronbender.com You can now watch The Aron Bender Podcast streaming nightly at 11 on DB&A TV at www.DBandAtelevision.TV or search for DB&A TV on Amazon Fire, Roku or...

Aron Bender talks with Las Vegas Fox5 News Anchor Feven Kay. She's a fellow graduate of the journalism program at California State University, Northridge. Earlier this year Feven went from reporting stories to being the story, following her DUI arrest and on-air apology. Prior to moving to Las Vegas she worked in Bakersfield and behind the scenes at KTLA. We talk about growing up in Oakland and Bakersfield, the evolution of her conversations with God, and how her faith helped get her through...

Aron Bender talks with KTLA reporter and weather anchor Kacey Montoya. She's a fellow graduate of the journalism program at Cal State Northridge. Kacey's criss-crossed the country in pursuit of this dream job in Southern California -- including stops in West Virginia, Palm Springs and Portland, Oregon. She has used her celebrity to start a non-profit that pays for spaying and neutering — and Fix'n Fidos has its first-ever golf tournament October 17th that I’m playing in! Come join...

Aron Bender talks with Fritz Coleman, who spent nearly 40 years doing the weather on NBC 4. In addition to continuing his decades-long run as a stand-up comic he’s also the co-host of the Media Path Podcast. Fritz joined Channel 4 in 1982 after being discovered while doing stand-up comedy. He grew up in the Philadelphia area, went to Temple University in Phillie and Salem College in West Virginia, studying radio, TV and film. He used that education while in the US Navy. In this episode we...

Aron Bender talks with D’Janai Michele -- an artist, designer, business owner and survivor. She’s recovering from an accident in March 2021 that left her mouth and face broken, bloody and bruised. She's undergone surgeries to start the long, painful, expensive recovery process. D'Janai says she won't have a mouth full of teeth until at least late 2022. In recent years she has battled depression and lived in her car, all while creating her own clothing line, and as the oldest of her siblings...

Aron Bender talks with cancer survivor, Fox 11 Los Angeles entertainment reporter and world pun champion Amanda Salas. In this episode we discuss how Amanda learned she had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019 after being misdiagnosed several times, her fight against the blood cancer and for awareness -- especially since September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Amanda encourages donations to and support for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and City of Hope. Links below. During her recovery Amanda...

Aron Bender is joined by Kelli Tennant, a podcaster and CEO of Soulfire Productions. I first talked with Kelli in 2019, shortly after she walked away from reporting on the Dodgers, Lakers and other LA sports teams and events. Kelli has experienced an awakening, on many levels. She's come out as bisexual, has explored and embraced plant-based medicines such as mushrooms and ayahuasca, and is now engaged to Conner Moore, host of the Politically Homeless Podcast. And together, Kelli and Conner...

Aron Bender talks with realtor and former TV news anchor Sharon Tay. She spent 30+ years as a broadcast journalist, much of it at KTLA and KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles. Born in Singapore and raised in New York City, Sharon got her start at a small TV station in Boston as she was pursuing her broadcast journalism degree at Boston University. After spending a little time doing TV news in Monterey she got the call to go to KTLA, where she was mentored by the legendary Stan Chambers. In this episode...

Aron Bender talks with Cathy Trinh #TheSoberAsian. Brought to Orange County, California, by her Vietnamese refugee parents, Cathy turned to drugs and alcohol to try to drown out the pain of neglect, abandonment, anxiety and depression. But she has emerged from the depths to become a mom, a cancer survivor, an author of two books and life, recovery and business coach. Watch Cathy's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1A0Ka-10krU Cathy's...

Aron Bender talks with mid-life dating coach, self-love advocate and author, Jonathon Aslay, covering his journey out of the depths of drinking, drugs and despair as a divorced dad who just lost his job. We talk about his path to becoming a mid-life dating coach, how he handled the deaths of his mom and youngest son in the span of 7 months, the importance of self-love and self-worth, how many/most of us are walking around emotionally unconscious, the power of YouTube, and the future of...

Aron Bender talks with Home Grown Radio founder and Real 92.3 host Chuck Dizzle. You can hear him with previous podcast guest DJ Hed Monday through Saturday nights on Real 92.3. Chuck and I talk about fatherhood, sobriety, the state of hip hop, how DaBaby can bounce back from the backlash following his homophobic comments, and not giving up on dreams even when it feels like the world’s given up on you. Watch Chuck's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9c904IO3aUU ••• Connect with Aron...

Aron Bender talks with Alysha Del Valle. She is Los Angeles through and through. The USC graduate from Pico Rivera has worked in both radio and television in Southern California, including ABC7 and NBC. She is a mental health advocate, avid hiker, and a huge Dodgers, Rams and LAFC fan. But at the heart of it all is family. Watch Alysha's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JoBbUEwH2gc ••• Connect with Aron Bender at www.aronbender.com You can now watch The Aron Bender Podcast streaming...

Aron Bender is joined by Julio Cortez, an Associated Press photographer who just recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. He’s come a long way since growing up in the small town of Tepexpan outside Mexico City, entering the US without papers, and spending nearly a decade going to LA Valley College and Pierce College before eventually graduating from Cal State Northridge, aggressively pursuing his passion, and becoming a citizen. Watch Julio's episode on YouTube:...

Aron Bender talks with fellow Cal State Northridge graduate, Melissa McCarty, co-host of the "Killer Genes" podcast. She spent several years in local TV news in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Junction and Amarillo, but since breaking free she’s written her memoir, "The Making of a Crime Reporter," as well as the 8-part Audible series I recently talked with Kerri Kasem about, "Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem." Melissa also spent several years working on "Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen," and...

Aron Bender talks with Kristen Aguirre, who at 31 and working for KUSA 9 News in Denver suffered a stroke. After months of rehab she returned to work, was fired, and then her dog died. Now she's an anchor and reporter at WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina. If you remember my podcast guest a couple months ago, Lori Lizarraga, Kristen is one of the Latinas let go by 9 News over the course of a year, written about it the article LatinXed: 9News Got Rid of Three Latina Reporters This Past Year,...

Aron Bender talks with KTLA utility player Kirk Hawkins. He reports, anchors, does weather and traffic, and is also a real estate agent! We discuss the wild housing market, and his journey from Agoura Hills, California, to UC Santa Barbara and the local station KCOY, then his "News Across America" tour that took him to KXLY in Spokane, Washington, WFTV in Orlando, Florida, home to KCBS/KCAL, then over to WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina, and back west to KTLA in 2014. Kirk and I also...

Aron Bender talks with Gin Amber -- who left a small town in Lithuania to become a global beauty icon: the Dermaroller Queen. In this episode we discuss Gin's traumatic childhood, her early memories of wanting to escape her abusive home for a better life, her pursuit of the American Dream, and how her YouTube stardom started because she was a bored introvert in the US on a student visa. Watch Gin's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SJoxSsM8hEg ••• Connect with Aron Bender at...

Aron Bender hangs out with Steve Wyche is an NFL Network analyst and co-host of the Huddle and Flow Podcast. In his more than 30-year career with the Miami Herald, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NFL Media, he’s broken major stories like Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem, Michael Vick dogfighting and Michael Jordan joining the Wizards. Steve and I discuss his experiences growing up in Minneapolis and St. Louis, his decision to attend Howard University, his...

Aron Bender is joined by Janelle Marie Rodriguez -- one of his former journalism students at Cal State Northridge. She now splits time between Los Angeles and her hometown of Miami. Janelle's been a TV news reporter, entertainment and sports journalist and host, an actress, spent a few years at ESPN and Disney Channel, and is now with FIBA and Latin Up — a new show on Twitch. Watch Janelle's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/URTmPS-PiV0 ••• Connect with Aron Bender at...