Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Ron Blatchley.  He’s something of a local celebrity here in College Station as he was once director of student affairs at Texas A&M and also was the mayor of Bryan for a handful of years.  He then went on to own and operate 13 McDonalds here.  The man has never met a stranger, and by all accounts he’s got it made.  What you don’t know is that he had an extremely traumatic childhood growing up dirt poor with basically zero support system.  He’s spent a lifetime making sure he never feels that way again.  Man can I relate to that.  Maybe the next time you say hi to Ron it will remind you that we are all fighting invisible battles.  This is my first in person interview, so let me know what you think and be sure to share episodes you enjoy. If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the podcasts I’m asking you to share it with at least one person; help me grow! I hope you enjoy this chat with Ron. Please show them some love on their socials here:  Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Abbey picks some awesome pieces and I have NO idea how some of this stuff pairs together, but none-the-less, I want to give it a go.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Abbey. Please show them some love on their socials here: http://abbeycook.com/, https://www.instagram.com/abbeylcook/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbey-cook-119a7b54/, https://www.thetastecurators.com/. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts: https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes. Jimmy is a man of simple tastes…or should I say he still eats the exact same way as he did when he was a kid.  He's one of my favorite people in the whole world and if you haven't listened to his episode yet, maybe this will convince you.  Please enjoy this bird’s nest of delight with Jimmy. Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts: https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.jimmyogle.com/main.htm. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Scott Valdez.  Scott started his career in marketing; after all, he did study that in college.  Then once he got busy in life he tried dating like so many others online.  Guess what, he stunk at it.  Thus was born his new career.  After hiring his first creative writer to help him craft messages he expanded and now has nearly 200 people on staff helping folks find partners.  Along the way he’s learned a lot of valuable lessons…like how to travel and live in a dozen different countries in 10 years; the dude’s interesting.  If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the podcasts I’m asking you to share it with at least one person; help me grow! I hope you enjoy this chat with Scott. Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.vidaselect.com/ Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Aaron picks an international meal, perhaps a purist at heart, he still finds ways to cheat a bit here and there.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Aaron. Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts: https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.trickerychicago.com/. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Randy has a very sophisticated meal, at least in my humble opinion…everything is fresh, which I really like, but seldom think about.  I hope you enjoy this dining experience with Randy. Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts: https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.facebook.com/tvrandywest/, https://randy-west.ueniweb.com/, https://randy-west.ueniweb.com/products/published-books/book-tv-inside-out-flukes-flakes-feuds-and-felonies-softcover-not-inscribed-51360560. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Chè Monique.  She was kind enough to don her human form to talk to me about her life as a mermaid.  On the surface it seems pretty simple, but as soon as you put a little time into it, you realize it is this extremely rich and nuanced culture…it seems most of the nuance consists of puns, so prepare yourself.  I was initially drawn to Chè because of this insanely inclusive community she’s developed called “The Society Of Fat Mermaids.”  In there is pure childlike joy being shared along with things I never expected to ponder like…what wigs are best underwater and how’s the foot pouch on this tail.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this enchanted conversation with Chè. Please show them some love on their socials here: https://linktr.ee/MermaidCheMonique, https://www.instagram.com/mermaidchemonique/?hl=en, https://societyoffatmermaids.com/. (thumbnail photo @your.roguephotography) Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Robin Douglass.  She is a solopreneur, an often speaker, runs support groups, and a quite successful podcaster.  She found her voice when she had a sudden epiphany at 54 “Holy cow, I’m a lesbian!”  While coming out late she realized that there was a lack of information and resources for this ever growing population of folks.  So, she did what anyone would do, she dedicated her time and energy towards setting up a support system to save every single late bloomer LOL.  I honestly learned a LOT, but I suppose that’s why she does it.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Robin. Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RobinDouglass, https://coming-out-late.sounder.fm/, https://www.instagram.com/late.blooming.lesbian, https://www.facebook.com/groups/209443717714063/. Email is: comingoutlater (at) gmail.com Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Hey everybody, I’m Greg Sowell and this is Why Am I, a podcast where I talk to interesting people and try to trace a path to where they find themselves today.  My guest this go around is Randy West.  He’s been a disk jockey, done musicals, infomercials, regular commercials, announced TV shows and games shows including The Price Is Right, and is also an accomplished author.  More than that he’s also a huge TV historian dedicating a lot of time to preserving pieces of our cultural history and a big chunk of nostalgia for me.  Randy is also extremely kind and giving of his time and knowledge.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Randy. Please show them some love on their socials here: https://www.facebook.com/tvrandywest/, https://randy-west.ueniweb.com/, https://randy-west.ueniweb.com/products/published-books/book-tv-inside-out-flukes-flakes-feuds-and-felonies-softcover-not-inscribed-51360560. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)

Welcome to the warmup exercise for the Why Am I podcast called “the Fantasy Restaurant.”  In here my guests get to pick their favorite: drink, appetizer, main, sides, and dessert…anything goes.  Ana has my favorite kind of meal, alllll over the place.  This sounds like a meal I would put together, and she nails the landing on the desert.  I hope you enjoy this meal with Ana. Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts: https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ Please show them some love on their socials here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4OgszzJSGYfxqB1YejrihY?si=OTsyKvNLTr-1M_tSDZShug&dl_branch=1, http://instagram.com/missmothership, https://www.tiktok.com/@rebekkablue?lang=en, https://onlyfans.com/rebekkablue. Find more info at http://whyamipod.com. If you want to support the podcast you can do so via https://www.patreon.com/whyamipod (this gives you access to bonus content like the Fantasy Restaurant!)