Listen Now

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today, I am pleased to bring you a past professor of mine from Villanova University, Kate Szumanski! I had the absolute fortune of taking her Social Networking course where I was able to learn the ins and outs of professional world interactions! Kate is a phenomenal mentor and continues to motivate and inspire her students to strive for greatness. To aim higher. To believe in their own capabilities and surpass their own expectations. I know for a fact that regardless of what stage in life you are in, you will learn so much from her today. Please help me welcome our amazing guest! If you would like to continue this fruitful conversation with Kate, be sure to reach out and connect with her on LinkedIn @Kate Szumanski Don't forget that Starting With A Story is partnering up with Cristo Rey High Schoo

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today, we have a talented musician and performer with us. His name is AY from the Battery Tour! He is a self-made musician that walked away from a Division 1 College Basketball career to pursue his passion for music. In 2012, he appeared on The X Factor and received a whopping 4 YESES from the judges! Since then, he has skyrocketed his career as the head of the Battery Tour opening for some huge artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Shaggy, Aaron Carter, T-Pain, Flo-Rida, Timeflies and many others. But, as you might have guessed, the music industry is a merciless one. Today, AY shares with us his journey in his pursuit of music; all of the ups and all of the downs. I know you guys will love this one so let's get on to the headliner!   Find AY and the Battery Tour to hear his music and his message at battery

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. This week’s guest is the inspiring Maggie Mistal. She is quite special because of two little facts. 1 she is a Villanova alum WOO GO CATS. And 2, this is our first ever guest that also has her own podcast called, the Making A Living podcast! On top of that, she has appeared and spoke on NBC’s Today Show, Fox Business, and CNN. BUT her track record doesn’t end there. She has also been quoted on several articles from The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and so many more. But Maggie is so much more than that. She is a powerful force in the career coaching world and lives to help motivate others and help them find their passions and is still able to find time to being a loving mother. I’m so excited for you all to hear her story today, so let’s get to it!   Maggie's expertise lies with

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Good morning good morning friends. I hope you are ready for yet another awesome interview! Today we have an old friend of mine that I met all the way back in high school at Absegami High School in South New Jersey. We ended up meeting up again for this moment and had our first IN PERSON Interview in Melbourne, Florida. His name is Hank Alemany! Today, he owns and runs his own freelance videography company called Hanks Pro Studio! Hank was the guy that helped me film the Starting With A Story Promo video! Hank has an incredible eye for storytelling and wants to share the beauty of this world through his work. When he isn’t behind the lens, you can find him almost every day honing his skills in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or volunteering.   Today, we discuss the beauty of storytelling, Hank’s journey of ex

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. So I actually met Michael quite recently. When I was volunteering in Kansas City Missouri, my volunteer director, Tim Deveney, recommended that I reach out to you about my creative pursuits and Michael actually organized an article interviewing me with the Catholic Volunteer Network. I had a wonderful time doing that and got to hear a little bit about Michael’s story and thought it would be perfect for you all. In this interview, Michael and I discuss finding your calling, how one can heal from and overcome a deep loss, the beauty of volunteering, and so much more. In the short time that I’ve known Michael, I have learned so much and gained such unique and heartwarming perspectives on a plethora of topics. Join us as Michael opens his heart and his life to us and hopefully you will resonate with his

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today, I have a very good friend of mine step into the spotlight to share his faithful journey with you all! This week, my good friend Joseph McCabe, whom is also a mechanical engineering graduate from Villanova University, will share his perspective on...you guessed it, faith, friends, and fun! We have both struggled and powered through the rigorous curriculum of engineering and are here today to tell the tale.Joe is a faithful and humble man with a big heart. So big, that he has some exciting news about his personal life that he has gracefully shared with us! In this interview, you will learn about who Joe McCabe is and how his faith truly shaped who he is today. Joe is also very humble and accredits so much of his foundation and his success to the friends and family he surrounds himself with. Did

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. I am absolutely pleased and honored to bring to you listeners an individual that I respect very much. He played a vital role during my freshman year of college at Villanova University. I bring to you today, Dr. Mark Scott. He is an insanely inspiring individual that truly knows how to get you to think about complex topics and challenges you to grow in each conversation. He was my professor and now a dear friend and mentor. Dr. Mark Scott also has two publications out currently, "Journey Back to God" and "Pathways in Theodicy." In this interview, you will learn about who Dr. Mark Scott is. You will also start to question and contemplate your answer to this simple yet complex question, "Who Am I?" Dr. Mark Scott will blow you away with his journey and the experiences that helped guide him on finding hi

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. I'd like to officially introduce you to SEASON 2 of Starting With A Story and our very first guest, Greg "Coach T" Thomas!!! Coach T is an athletic coach, a motivational speaker, and an international-selling author! His book is called, "Race In America: A Call To Heal." The book dives into the complex topic of racism where Coach T shares his life and his experiences. In this interview, you will learn about who Coach T is and a few of the struggles he has had to endure throughout his life. His message of love and kindness is well-needed in this day and age and he has touched my heart as I hope he does yours. Coach T share so many insights that can prove to be so valuable in your life, so sit back, relax, and listen. If you would like to connect with Coach T, I encourage you to send him an email at co

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Now, I know I mentioned that last week would be the last episode, but I wanted to throw in a quick episode recapping Season 1 and talking a little about Season 2! I'm so grateful for all of the support I've received and I cannot wait to get started on the next season! For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have anything that you would like to share with us, please do not hesitate to send us an email at share@startingwithastory.com   If you want to follow our journey as we work through this exciting transition period and stay up to date with the podcast, the best place to find us is on Instagram. @startingwithastory.  Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. I'd like to proudly announce the 10th Episode of Starting With A Story and the LAST episode of Season 1 !! I want to truly say thank you to all who listen. I've learned so much and connected with so many individuals on my podcasting journey and I could not be happier about how Season 1 has gone! As I start to work on Season 2, I encourage you guys to reach out so that YOU can share YOUR story ! As for today's story, it focuses not only on stressing less, but also on how we can perform at our very best! I hope this story connects with you in some way and helps you on your journey. Here is, the story of The Woodcutter. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an e

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today’s story is inspired by my official move to Melbourne, Florida! I am so blessed to be here and am so grateful for this new chapter in my life. Little did I know, moving is extremely stressful. Where will I live? Who will I know? What do I do? There were so many details that stressed me out to no end! Thankfully, I stumbled upon this story. The story sheds some insight to how we can better manage the stresses in our lives. We are our own worst enemies and with just a simple shift in perspective and approach, we can learn to stress a little less. Here is, The Glass of Water. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today’s story debunks common misconceptions about the good and evil in our lives by bringing together two unlikely elements; dogs and mirrors. It is a tale that reminds me of how powerful a mindset is, how powerful my attitude is, and how powerful a simple reflection can be in affecting my current situation. I present to you, one of my favorites … The House of 1000 Mirrors. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today's story comes from another individual that I am blessed to call a friend. His name is Justin Rice and he is a personal fitness trainer and nutritionist devoted to creating life habits that will help you change your life, not just create short-term fixes. Upon his reading one day, he came across a story that emphasizes bettering ourselves from within and learning to tackle situations from different perspectives. There was no specific title for the story, so we’ll call it The Puzzling Perspective for now! Enjoy! For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Happy New Year!!!! Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today is such a special day and I am so grateful to share it with you all. 2017 has treated me so well; filled with memories, laughter, and so much love. I've been blessed and can be here today with you all to share in the New Year. There'es so much to appreciate and so much to be excited for in the future. In 2017, I've had the incredible opportunity to meet and connect with countless individuals that helped me grow and progress in my life. To start off 2018, I wanted to share a story that my best friend Scott Leighow shared with me. It's called the Star Thrower. This is a story that I will continue to hold close to my heart and use as a reminder when things get tough in 2018. Happy New Year!! Cheers to 2017 and all the things we are blessed for and Cheers to 2018 and all the gr

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today's story deals with two concepts that everyone can ALWAYS improve upon, especially during the holiday season. The story is called Love & Time, and although simple, there are hidden gems throughout it all for the entire family! For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today's story deals with one of my favorite things in the world: FOOD. We are going to take on a different perspective to our culinary adventures this morning. Who knew food could teach us so much? Here is, The Breakfast Breakthrough. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. In this episode, we are venturing into your hearts. It’s a story of humility, love, and appreciation for one another. Without further ado, here is, The Most Beautiful Heart. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Welcome back to Starting With A Story! Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. Today we are visiting a story of upbringing, belief, and perceived limitations. You will find that it is a simple story that has so many different messages and insights. Presenting, The Elephant and The Rope. For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You

Starting With A Story is a podcast that's dedicated to motivating and inspiring you to grow and connect with others each day through storytelling. This is the very first episode of Starting With A Story! In this episode, we talk about the inspiration and intention behind the podcast. We discuss the format and what you can expect during each episode. The podcast then dives into the background of John Lee; the man behind the mic. You will have a chance to hear a little about his story and what he is all about! For more information or to connect with John, send an email to john@startingwithastory.com If you have a potential story that you would like to be shared in a future episode, send an email to share@startingwithastory.com Go out there and share your story! Stay Safe, Stay You