Some of Aaron Marino’s biggest impacts happened in a few brief moments. The first one was when his mom bought him a gym membership. Another was the moment his wife bought him a video camera in 2008. Both led to life altering decisions, the first to own a gym the second to do videos to help men with advice on grooming, dating and fashion.
Of course, there were problems along the way. Failed businesses, debt and selling beer from a golf cart.
But each time, Aaron got up and started again.
Now he runs a men’s fitness, grooming and men’s fashion Youtube channel called AlphaM and 6 businesses. He’s grown the Youtube channel to 3 million subscribers and continues putting out content weekly to help guys with stuff they need to know.
This week, internet star, online business master and Marietta resident, Aaron Marino!
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlphaMconsulting
It was a pouring down freezing rain day in December when the Marietta Blue Devils played in their second state championship game. They battled fierce weather and came together as a team despite integrating with the Lemon Street school that very year.
Hear from the players and one cheerleader that were there and what it was like to win one for Marietta High School.
Episode includes:
Bill Kelly, Bob and Jim Cagel, Mike Welsh, Ken Delk , Freddie Summerour , David White,
Vickie Young, (cheerleader), Ralph Hudgins, Lori Hill and Mickey Brown!
Homecoming is a huge part of Marietta! The parade and the traditions that really makes Marietta unique.
Hear from the current Marietta High School football players, cheerleaders, band members and the athletic director, Paul Hall!
What is Amber and the rest of the crew at Markay Gallery up to for October’s Art Walk? Well, she has a virtual reality simulation with Anthony Harris (http://endlessmemoriesstudios.com), a new exhibit called Gem, artists Mary Jane Huegel and Don Kolberg and a podcast called Marietta Stories!
And it just so happens, Sally Macaulay shows up to give an update on the Chalktober Fest celebration that’s going on this weekend on the Square. Five countries represented!
I also speak with the assistant gallerist, Morgan Gillespie. She hasn’t been out of school that long, but she has some advice about the role of art in all of our lives.
Let’s explore a virtual world and Markay Gallery!
Anthony Bammer and his partner, Vincent Bracey know how to change bariatric people’s lives. For those who don’t know. bariatric is the part of medicine that uses dieting, exercise and behavioral therapy approaches to weight loss, as well as pharmacotherapy and surgery.
Anthony’s and Vincent’s group trust them and enjoy working out and staying in touch over the week, even when they are not hanging out.
Some of his clients share their experience and why they enjoy Anthony and Synovia Wellness so much. They use the app, GroupMe to hold one another accountable throughout the week. They also can get specific answers to their questions from Anthony and Vincent.
This is a fun and educational episode, I know you will like.
What is the story behind Marietta's Northcutt Stadium?
Where did the rocks come from for the stone wall around the stadium?
Guy Northcutt's Dad was instrumental in the building of stadium. He thought to use klinkers from the hosiery factory to build up the field for proper drainage. (You'll have to listen to find out what a blinker is...)
Enjoy this Marietta High School Homecoming bonus episode!
I hung out with some kids at West Side Elementary School, Talented and Gifted (TAG) Academy, about their long term projects and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program. Students at each grade level work on a year-long project that is based on an identified problem that the school/community is facing. Through the West Side TAG program, students are encouraged to use their talents and gifts (TAG) to solve those problems.
The 5th graders and 2nd graders interviewed spoke about their experience with their projects last year in 4th and 1st grade. 4th graders collect and dump food scraps during K-5 lunch and maintain the compost bins, while the first graders use the compost in their pollinator gardens.
Composting at West Side keeps more than 3,000 pounds food waste out of our landfill and helps improve the pollinator numbers in our area. We discussed the usefulness of compost, the creation of compost, and the way it is monitored---temperature, wetness and you guessed it, smell. The smell they used to describe the bottom of the compost bin was pretty interesting.
Mike Rowe would be impressed! One thing was clear, the students love their teachers and their projects even though they were full of creepy, crawly, dirty, smelly, rotten stuff.
I also spoke with their teachers, Mrs. Throop, Ms. Greene and Mrs. Westlake, about their approach to learning. Gone are the days that teachers controlled the classroom. Teachers today expect collaboration, embrace “mistakes, and push the boundaries of the traditional classroom where they are no longer the sage on the stage. West Side classrooms are noisy, messy places where learning is based on solving real problems in our community.
Seriously, it was a pleasure meeting the 5th and 2nd graders, and their teachers do a wonderful job.
On May 30th, 2016 two sisters, Judy Willingham, 72, and Andra Pearce, 69 died in a house fire at 493 Church Street. Approved for demolition in December 2016, the house sat vacant until Sara and Jon Micheletto asked if they could fix it up.
Their journey to restore the house includes kicking the critters out, historical documents, 7 dumpsters of material and an indoor pool designed by an architect that built churches.
I walked (marched?) in the East Cobber parade along with Linda Jivadi, Debra Howard and some other folks from NAMI Cobb!
The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Cobb is all about helping families in crisis and connecting resources for your loved one. Linda and Debra talk about their situations and practical things you can do to support your loved one.
Breaking the stigma associated with mental illness is the most important thing you can do. So let’s talk about it and see what happens!
You’ll also hear how we braved a very loud skate car behind us, a large crowd of parade people. Guarantee you’ll enjoy this!
Oh yeah, why don’t you give a to help meet their $11,000 goal!
NAMI Cobb Website (resources)
NAMI Cobb Walk Page (donate today!)
https://namicobb.org/breaking-news/register-nami-walks-2017/
Cecilie and Brian Benefield took 10 folks and me on a 3 hour tour of Marietta. Of course it included great food I had not tried, but i also learned more abut the history of Marietta and the Square.
Brian and Cecilie created a top notch experience that is rated the number one activity on trip advisor for Marietta Georgia. The whole tour was interactive and everyone had a great time, especially the ones I had on the show!
Check it out!!!
https://www.mariettafoodtours.com
How did Johnny Pizza learn how to cook real Hoboken Italian food? From his family and his neighbors in Hoboken, of course. Not from written down recipes, but from asking questions and watching as the extended family prepared the meals on Sunday.
Johnny paid attention and learned the recipes and techniques that he applies everyday to his fresh mozzarella, sauce and famous meatballs.
Paul Southern, a friend of the show (and former special agent for the department of homeland security), interviews Bill Nowicki about his life and what drives him. From a Friendly’s ice cream scooper to a nuclear submarine to nuclear plants.
But a lot changed back in 2013, when Bill hired Gary O’Malley as a coach. In that moment, many things changed in Bill’s life.
Submarine Sea Stories Podcast
http://www.nowickimedia.com/category/podcast/
Nowicki Media
Marietta Community School Basic and Advanced Podcasting Classes
As a child, Betty Peardon’s Mom brought her to the Marietta City Cemetery and raked the magnolia leaves from her ancestor’s graves . Her Mom told her stories, some of whom fought in the Civil War. The most prominent is William Phillips, a Civil War General that was friends with the governor. Betty tells the story about Jefferson Davis (president of the confederacy) dislike of Phillips and the mysterious tie to a woman.
Also, Betty described what happened to her ancestor’s home on Waterman Street and what they did to protect the silver and their 9 year son when the war came to their door.
Betty kept building her knowledge throughout her life and attended meetings with other genealogical enthusiasts called the “ancient broads” (her brother Bill’s term).
This is a fascinating journey into one families life from before the Civil War. With all the controversy around Confederate symbols and the Civil War, maybe it good to just listen. Betty has some ideas and perspective that might help.
Everyone in Marietta needs to thank Matt Rooke. He put us on the national social media map and increased our cool factor by about 10,000! Did I mention he is the father of 3 boys under the age of 5 and until recently was a stay-at-home Dad?
How did Matt win the first America’s Most Chubbies Dad?
It was not easy, competition was stiff. But Matt was confident. He posted every day and beat out 1800 other Dad’s.
What did he win, how did he beat out those folks and what was it like waiting to hear whether or not he won? You’ll get all that plus how he met his wife, manages to work out (he can lift 500 lbs), all the while making dinner.
Awesome!
Follow Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehomiedad/
Chubbies
Ok, could you build a team, website, learn to aerodynamically build a balsa wood race car, find sponsors and compete in a national race? This week on Marietta Stories, I interview Arul Gupta and Poojan Mehta, 15 year old guys who were part of a team that, constructed a car from styrofoam, created a website, found sponsors, and competed nationally through F1 in schools.
F1 in Schools is a worldwide competition consisting of several teams of kids aged 11-18. In this highly competitive league, teams of 3-6 develop cars utilizing computer aided design and other related tools. However, the complexity of what we do reaches beyond mere engineering and into business/marketing, graphic design, and possibly most importantly if considering real-world application, team management and cooperation. Then, each of these skill sets developed throughout the team process is put to the test at regional, national, and world level competitions. As a result, F1 in Schools has created a system which effectively develops and enhances students’ learning experience through their interests as well as by teaching necessary real-world situations/applications.
Arul is a rising junior at Wheeler High School and has chosen to partake in F1 in Schools to further his knowledge and experience with business communication/management skills. He is the Team Lead which entails a variety of tasks from team time management, to ensuring accuracy/value of all work, to constantly keeping the team organized and on task. He is able to bring to the team a background in a variety of areas through classes such as AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, and an intro to Business/Tech class. Arul also has qualities of leadership and competitiveness which he adds to AeroFlow through his spot as Team Captain on the High School Varsity Tennis Team, as well as through national-level tournament competition.
Poojan is a rising junior at Wheeler High School and the Head Engineer on the F1 in Schools AeroFlow Racing team. He strives to accomplish CADing and building an F1 car that can exceed expectations. His decision to take on this role come from the valuable skills and knowledge he has attained in classes such as AP Physics 1 and 2, Engineering Concepts, and Intro to Drafting and Design. Poojan possesses the important characteristics of dedication, time management, and leadership abilities which he has utilized so successfully as a build member on BEST Robotics and the Wheeler Track and Field Team.
We took a stroll through Markay Gallery during this month’s Marietta Square Art Walk and had a fun time playing “Gallery Golf” with gallerist and hole-in-one extraordinaire, Amber Markay Byrd. We met up with gallery artists, their families and two very special gallery guests, Michael Shaffer professor at KSU and Carey Cox of Johnny Walker Realty. The highlight of the night was host, Bill Nowicki meeting Brooklyn, Eric Staveness’ 3 year old daughter. “Brookie” as they call her, sure had some sweet things to say about her father and all of the castles and playhouses he designs. Enjoy the show!
“Space. Capital. Community.” These three words best describe IgniteHQ, one of the newest organizations to root itself near Marietta Square.
The resplendent, state-of-the-art coworking space outfitted with private offices, conference rooms, and lively communal areas is home to several startups and small businesses, but as COO Catherine Pearson explains, IgniteHQ is not just a coworking space, but an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, enterprises and investors influencing Georgia's entrepreneurial landscape.
Mark Deal, tagged along for the show. Here's what he had to say...
Stephanie Coston of the Marietta Square Experience Branding Project and Philip Goldstein, one of the City Councilmen, talk Marietta strategy and future plans.
Connie Sutherland, the Director of the Museum talks about her experience with Gone with the Wind, her favorite scene and how jewelry from the movie made its way to Marietta.
I also speak with Martin Nolan, Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of Julien’s Auction about the movie and the auction that is coming up in November 17 and 18.
Finally, I speak with Christopher Sullivan , owner of the collection on how he became a collector and why he loved the book and the movie.
http://www.gwtwmarietta.com/default.aspx
http://www.juliensauctions.com/
Brian grew up eating Korean food for every meal, but became engrossed in the Food Channel in the 5th grade. His grandmother allowed him to bake and enjoyed making pancakes from scratch, American food that the family loved.
After several years of training and practice, Brian and his wife, Kerry decided to break out on there own and opened Spring Restaurant on the Marietta Square.
It’s obvious how much care, creativity and excellence Brian and Kerry put into the menu and the experience at Spring.
Check it out…
Maggie’s Farm, an Indie Film creation, is the brainchild of Jacob Viness, a Marietta native. I speak with him and his good friend and star of the movie, Justin McEver. The movie takes place in a ice cream parlor over the course of an evening with an angry Justin barking orders to employees that might not care so much…
I must say, this interview was a ton of fun. Justin and Jacob make me a little nervous as a Dad; no steady income from movies for Jacob and playing in a band for Justin. But you will experience the joy that they have for their work and why I love to speak with people that follow their passion. (Plus I am not their Dad.)
This interview has a couple of minor curse words, so I attached the explicit tag to it.
Steady Common is Justin’s Band, at plays every week at the Strand Theater on the Square.(https://www.facebook.com/steadycommon/)
Maggie’s Farm on iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/maggies-farm/id1256310239
Here’s Jacob’s production company
https://www.facebook.com/Pew-Pew-Productions-1400243423397445/
Grant Rivera admits he did not grow up in Marietta, or the south for that matter. He is a Yankee from the Midwest.
Early on, he thought he wanted to be a doctor, but his first science class removed that from his plans.
Dr. Rivera did become a doctor of education, collegiate cheerleader and SEC sports fan.
We also talk about his family and his vision for Marietta City Schools. Oh yeah, he answers the questions from the Marietta City Facebook page….
Kristen Spann grew up in Marietta and she remembers a simpler time. Riding her bike around the Marietta Square and living in small town USA. Of course, life has a way of changing.
She lost herself to a toxic relationship and it was from this experience she realized life is full of choices and she no longer had to be a victim to life.
Kristen realized life is in fact a gift and that she is responsible for her own happiness.
"Happiness isn't something external from myself".
She started to change her life in small ways by using positive affirmations and reoriented her thoughts. She also does something nice for someone else every day.
Now she is known as Miss Positive at work and continues to work through her fears.
I think you will enjoy Kristen’s take on life and ways to make a positive difference for those around you.
Betty Peardon tells the mole story.
Brumby Hall is a stately home on Powder Springs Road across from the Confederate Cemetery. It has stood since before the Civil War and was not burned when Sherman burned Marietta.
In this episode, I interviewed 3 folks that volunteer their time as members of the Friends of Brumby Hall. They help keep the building and grounds alive with activity and preserve the history of this important building.
Ed Best, is a descendant of local Civil War veterans. He met an Australian women (later his wife) and moved to Australia. Turns out that Australians are fascinated with reenacting — even the American Civil War.
Barbara Norton, became involved in Brumby Hall just after the city purchased it in the 1990’s. She was told it would not be furnished with period furniture, so the Friends of Brumby Hall was created to do just that.
Carolyn Corley, a long time Marietta Resident and Friends of Brumby Hall passionately discusses the need to become involved in Marietta History and why she became involved in the organization.
Lonnie Love explains the construction of the home and the changes made over the years. He also talks about a very special event around the holidays. The Marietta School Fund partially sponsors 6 dinners for 12 people each seating. An evening includes 4 courses and wine, instrumentalist and several readings that the Brumby’s might have included in their Christmas celebration.
To close things out, Robert Thompson, the Friends of Brumby Hall president talks about the military history and his involvement in the house. Robert discusses the challenge with preserving history while respecting people’s beliefs.
https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Brumby-Hall-159723404069643/
Marietta Schools Foundation
http://mariettaschoolsfoundation.com
Joel Byars was named one of the best comedians in Atlanta, but it wasn’t easy getting there. Joel thought he wanted to be a teacher (his parents are educators), then his world shifted his last semester in college. It was then he decided to become a full time comedian.
The great part is, Joel is not only a comedian, he is a teacher of comedy. So everything is working out.
Joel shares his best joke, how he learned to speak Spanish, podcast, (Hot Breath) and his comedy classes.
This guy is going places, but I am sure he will always support Marietta.
http://www.joelbyarscomedy.com/
Stand up Comedy Classes
http://www.highwirecomedy.com/stand-up-comedy-writing-performance/
Mention: Jeffrey Michael Riley, Dupree Law firm