Shows / Stories from the Center of the Universe
Episodes
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 332: Mark Johnson
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 331: Christian Ray Flores
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 330: COL Bryan Kirk
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 329: Barry Todd
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 328: Amber Lancaster
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 327: John Streitmatter
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 326: Kerri Cobb Harrison
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 324: Gary Marx
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…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 325: Tommy Harrison
In this episode, Paul talks to Tommy Harrison who is from Ohio and had a ten year career in professional baseball. The first thing they discussed is how Tommy…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 323: Brett McCreight
Brett McCreight and Paul know each other from their time in the Virginia Army National Guard. Brett’s Dad was in the military as well and Brett told Paul he…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 322: Gray Lane
Gray Lane (Episode 41) returns to Stories and to say he has had some dramatic changes in his life since the last time he and Paul spoke is an understatement…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 321: Tom Saunders
Tom Saunders and Paul used to work together at the “Bakery.” Tom was already there when Paul arrived and Paul recalled getting two pieces of sage advice from…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 320: Matt Stemmler
Matt Stemmler and Paul served briefly together in the Virginia Army National Guard and know a lot of the same people. Matt was a military kid as his Dad was…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 319: John Morgan
John Morgan is a teacher, writer and musician and comes to the podcast via a couple of mutual friends of his and Paul’s. John grew up in a small house where…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 318: Dave Lohr
Dave Lohr comes to the podcast via a round about connection to Bobby Malone (Episode 150). Dave is a VaTech graduate and his major and career was in Chemical…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpidode 317: Jim O'Farrell
Jim's next gig is Saturday, March 22 at the Eastwood Farm & Winery at 2531 Scottsville Rd, Charlottesville from 12:30 to 3:30pm. After a twenty-eight year…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 316: Dumi Mabhena
Dumi Mabhena had lived in four countries by the time he was 22 years old. The four countries were Zimbabwe where he was born, then Canada for a couple of…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 315: COL Winton (Dip) Spiller
Colonel Winton ‘Dip’ Spiller comes to the podcast via a connection with Paul’s dad Larry (Episode 9). Colonel Winton Spiller was born in Hanover, Virginia and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 314: Chuck Casey
Chuck Casey returns to Stories from the Center of the Universe from when he was on with John Hollis and Jeremy Bowling in Episode #309. Paul and Chuck touched…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 313: Pai is back
Pai Charasika returns to the podcast to chat with Paul about a few different things. Pai first told Paul about his first hand experience dealing with Hurricane…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 312: Courtney Kimble
Courtney Kimble used to work with Paul and they reconnected after Paul met Courtney’s dad Anthony last week. Courtney is from Middlesex County, Virginia and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 311: COL Jeremy Bowling
COL Jeremy Bowling makes a return to the podcast when he was last on Episode 309 with John Hollis and Chuck Casey. They discussed their efforts to honor Sgt…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 310: Lindsay Gilman turns 21
In Episode 181, Paul interviewed his son Zach after he had turned 21 and now it is daughter Lindsay’s turn! The whole family was together to talk to Lindsay…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 309 - SGT Rodney Davis' Family Trip to Vietnam
John Hollis (Episode 277) returns to the podcast, but this time with a couple of friends, Chuck Casey and Jeremy Bowling. The last 2 times John was on, he and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 308 - Teresa Ofoia
Teresa Ofoia comes to the podcast via her Mom and Paul meeting at a networking event. Teresa is a professional dancer and has made that her career for about…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 307: Robyn D'Onofrio
Silent Rob met Robyn D’Onofrio and suggested that she come on the podcast … Paul reached out and here she is! Robyn grew up in rural New Jersey where there…
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Episode 306: 2024 Presidential Election
Tom Greco returns to chat about the 2024 Presidential Election. Happy Veterans Day to all who served!
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 305 - Jamesetta Cleveland
Jamesetta Cleveland comes on the podcast to talk about her company Sports Mom University Consulting. Jamesetta and Paul talked about the company on a high…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 304 (SB5): Woody Hogg
Local real estate legend Woody Hogg joins Paul on the podcast. Woody and Paul talked about his many business ventures in banking, insurance, real estate and…
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Episode 303: Top 10 episodes from episodes 251-300.
In this next installment of the “Look Back” episodes, Paul, Rob and Brent take a look at Episodes 251-300. They each pick their Top 10 and a fun time was had…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 302: James Hagler
James Hagler joins Paul and the first subject they covered was to talk about his relationship with his dad, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. They discussed James…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 301: Paidemoyo Charasika
Paidemoyo Charasika joins Paul courtesy of a connection with Chris Gaskell (Episode 262) as they played football together at Wake Forest. Pai was born in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 300: Brent Scopel
Brent Scopel joins the podcast and is the guest for Episode 300! Brent has listened to almost every episode and he brought Paul some “brown water” to celebrate…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 299: Dwight Vick
Dwight Vick joined Paul on Episode 122 and is back with Paul and Kevin for a combination episode with the Virginia is for Sports Podcast. Dwight filled in Paul…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 298: Ken Wakefield
In a unique episode, Ken Wakefield joins the podcast which is doubling with the Virginia is for Sports Podcast as well. Kevin Flippen joins Paul to talk to Ken…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 297 (SB4): Leah Coleman & Real Estate
Leah is a realtor, a resident of Richmond, a force of nature and an absolute pleasure.
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 296: Eric Ash
Eric Ash grew up in Virginia Beach, moved to Mechanicsville when he was 11 and he told Paul it was a change going from city life to a more rural setting. He…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 295: Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez grew up in Topping, Virginia in Middlesex County on a thirty acre farm with a nurturing mom and a Dad that he described as tough. He is very…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 294 (SB3): John Finn & United Real Estate
John Finn joins Paul on the podcast to discuss growing up in Richmond, sports memorabilia and his family lineage to name a few. John grew up in different parts…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 293 (SB2): Joan Dorsey and Richmond Association of Realtors
Joan Dorsey is a managing broker at Long & Foster Real Estate. She is also currently serving as the President of the Richmond Association of Realtors (RAR)…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 292: Spring Break Memories with Mel and Ebeth
We recorded this one during Spring Break 2023. So why are we releasing this now? I wanted this to be a fun set of recorded memories just available for 2…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 291: Kiara Robinson
Kiara Robinson and Paul met in a unique way and discovered they had both been in the military. Kiara was active duty in the United States Marine Corps for five…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 290: Weldon Bradshaw
Weldon Bradshaw has been a coach, a teacher and a writer. He is still writing and his knowledge of Richmond, Virginia high school sports is unparalleled…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 289: Chris Gorres
Paul asked Chris Gorres what he says when people ask him what he does for a living. He told Paul he is a Coach. We’ll come back to that. Chris moved to the…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 288 (SB1): Laura Redding and Perfect Spaces Home Staging & More
Laura Redding joins the podcast as our first guest of an enduring series dedicated to telling the stories of entrepreneurs and their small businesses. Laura is…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 287: Rich Brent
Rich Brent is the Executive Director of The Big House Museum in Macon, Georgia. The Big House Museum is dedicated to the lives and memories of the Allman…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 286: Stewart Verdery
Stewart Verdery joins Paul via a connection with John Hollis (Episodes 277 & 282). His family moved to the Richmond area when he was five and settled in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 285: Ray Hedrick
Paul told Ray Hedrick that he completed the trifecta for him. Ray, as the Head Baseball Coach at Randolph Macon College, now joins Pedro Arruza (Episode 99)…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 284: Bravo Bakeshop - Liz Dillon
Liz Dillon joins Paul for Series 4, Part 2 of the Downtown Ashland Association and we are so happy to have her on the podcast! Liz is a native of Florida and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 283: Barry Farmer
Barry Farmer comes to the podcast via a connection with Louise Keeton and the Downtown Ashland Association. Paul learned about what Barry knew about Ashland as…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 282: John Hollis discusses Sergeant Rodney Davis
John Hollis comes back to the podcast for the second time to talk about a book he wrote about SSG Rodney Davis. The Making of a Hero is a book about the…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 281: David Thomason
David Thomason is the President of the Virginia Special Olympics and comes to the podcast via a connection with Rick Jeffrey (Episode 278.) David has been with…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 280: Tyler Owens, Part 3
Tyler Owens is back for Part 3 which ties him with Jock Jones for being on the podcast the most! In the first two episodes, Tyler and Paul covered his…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 279: Blair Dobbins
Blair Dobbins visits the podcast by way of a previous guest, who intends to marry next month. He grew up in Philadelphia but a lot of his family is from…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 278: Rick Jeffrey
Rick Jeffrey and Paul met just three weeks ago when Rick was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Rick was inducted primarily due to his work with…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 277: John Hollis
Pictured: John Hollis (R), The Nature Boy Ric Flair (L) John Hollis joins the podcast via a mutual friend he has with Paul … Mike Woods. John is from…
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Episode 276: Brent, Rob and Paul pick their top 10s from the first 250
Brent Scopel and Rob Dull have consumed every episode of this podcast. Since they're the only two folks on earth to have accomplished this feat, I asked them…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 275: Rayne and Rasheed Wright
Rayne Wright and her dad/coach Rasheed join Paul to talk high school basketball. Rayne is a player on and Rasheed is the coach of the current Class 6 Virginia…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 274: Laura Peery
Paul and the podcast travel to interview Laura Peery who lives in the Richmond area on the James River. Laura comes to the podcast via being friends with Debra…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 273: Marlee and Chris Gaskell
Marlee and Chris Gaskell join Paul for both the SCOTU and the VA is for Sports podcasts. Marlee is the first high school athlete to be on the podcasts as well…