Pandemic Stories Podcast: Recent Episodes
PEG Films
This week we are introducing you to James Bogle, who will be featured in the Los Angeles episode of Pandemic Stories!
After serving 23 years in the U.S. Army, which included commanding two artillery units in Iraq and serving at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, James went on to become the Director of the USC Marshall School of Business for Veterans. The MBV degree is a fully accredited graduate degree that was created specifically for military veterans, active duty, and reserve personnel.
James talks about his own struggles transitioning from a military career to civilian life. He discusses how rewarding it is to be directing a program that is designed to leverage the transferability of military experience into the business world. His goal is to continue to help veterans pivot into business professions, but also hopes to see this program adopted by other schools!
We are so excited to introduce you to the amazing Talia Edralin, who will be featured in the Las Vegas episode of Pandemic Stories.
Talia is a content creator, social media manager, and is also an influencer herself! She discusses how she always dreamed of becoming a pastry chef, and eventually found herself posting social media during college. She now gets to combine her two passions and posts reviews about the best food in Las Vegas on her TikTok!
Before she became a social media guru, Talia struggled with severe social anxiety. Although she was terrified to move states and attend a new college, she embraced these big changes with enthusiasm, and was rewarded with friends and experiences that will last a lifetime. Although she is only in her 20’s, Talia’s story reminds us that immense growth can happen outside of our comfort zone!
Get ready to meet Olympic and Paralympic sailing coach, Maru Urban, on this week’s episode of the Pandemic Stories Podcast!
Maru has been sailing since he was just nine years old. After proving his talents as an American coach in the Rio games, Maru received the chance to move from Brazil to the U.S. and is now the head coach of youth sailing at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. He is working diligently to build one of the best youth sailing programs in the country!
He always had dreams of sailing in the olympics as an athlete. Since then, he has redirected his sails and now hopes to coach a winning olympic athlete in the 2028 summer games! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Maru and his athletes!
This week we are introducing you to Bita Tishbi of Vienna Pastry! Bita, her aunt, and her mother, will be representing their family-owned bakery in the Los Angeles episode of Pandemic Stories.
After immigrating from Iran to California, Bita’s family took over Vienna Pastry in 1985. Not only are the treats they’re serving sweet, but the people making them are even sweeter! With 37 years of ownership, Vienna Pastry and its tasty treats have certainly made their mark on the local community.
Bita talks about how Vienna Pastry has become a generational tradition, not only for her family, but for the customers that consistently rely on them to bake tasty treats for all their special occasions. If you’re ever in the area, we urge you to check out Vienna Pastry and indulge in all your sweet tooth cravings!
Get ready to bust a move! This week I am joined by the one and only Ryley Clement , who will be featured in the Las Vegas episode of Pandemic Stories. Ryley is currently a dancer for the Vegas Golden Knights and MJ The Evolution Show in Vegas. She seems to have endless amounts of energy while maintaining her busy schedule!
Ryley started dancing when she was three years old, and won’t be stopping anytime soon! After realizing she wanted to pursue dance professionally, she graduated high school early, and was already off to chase her dreams in Vegas at the young age of 17. Ryley’s successful career is a result of determination and hustle, but also because she had the courage to take the leap of faith and follow her dreams! She encourages anyone who is interested in the arts to believe in themselves and seek out opportunities to make things happen!
You’ll be able to catch up with Ryley again in Season One of Pandemic Stories!
Buckle up and get ready to head down to the honky tonk! In this week’s episode, we are introducing you to Matt Harville, the general manager of Alan Jackson’s Good Time Bar in Nashville.
Born and raised in East Tennessee, Matt developed a passion for country music at a young age. When he first moved to Nashville he always dreamed of grabbing the attention of a big star, and teaming up with them to open a bar. Well, thanks to the longevity of his hospitality career on Broadway, the perfect opportunity ended up falling right into his lap!
Some might say that the magic of Broadway comes from the live music. However, Matt reveals that what really makes Broadway special is that despite the ‘competition’ of numerous other bars, they continuously support each other, and work together to keep Broadway buzzing with excitement!
Fun Fact: Alan Jackson was the first concert that Matt ever went to. So it truly was a full circle moment that he was given the opportunity to help Alan’s vision come to life!
You’ll be hearing from Matt again in the Nashville episode of Season One. If you ever find yourself in Nashville, make sure you check out AJ’s Good Time Bar to grab a cold beer and perform your favorite karaoke song!
Sit back, relax, and listen to this week’s episode with Joshua Gomez, who will be featured in the Miami episode of Pandemic Stories. Joshua is the owner and founder of Qiwi , the world’s first CBG cigarette company!
Although he is only in his 20’s, Joshua has endured no shortage of challenging circumstances throughout his life. In this episode, Joshua shares the details of how his family fell victim to a naturalization scam, he talks about the threats of deportation they received, and discloses how he eventually found himself homeless in Miami. However, with the help of what he calls a little “luck”, grit, and the ability to leverage opportunities, he’s ready to grow his business by leaps and bounds!
Luck is the combination of opportunity and hard work. Joshua’s story is a testament that if you’re given a fighting chance, you must work diligently to make it count! Joshua’s words are captivating, and will leave you eager to hear more when we dive into his Pandemic Story in Season One!
Grab a pint and get to know Steve Pullin in this week’s episode of the Pandemic Stories Podcast!
After a 24-year career in the British Army, including 16 years serving in the Special Forces, Steve went on to graduate from the Master’s of Business for Veterans program at USC. He is now the founder and CEO of Sabre22, a private security company based in Southern California!
Steve talks about how he has always been a Liverpool football fan, discusses how he knew he ‘fancied’ being in the special forces, and spills the tea about a white lie he told career services! He also highlights the reasons the entrepreneurial spirit is different in the United States than anywhere else, but how ultimately his success is due to resilience, hustle, and the ability to pivot.
You’ll get to see and hear more from Steve in Season One of Pandemic Stories!
This week I spoke with culinary entrepreneur Guiliano Raso, who will be featured in the Las Vegas episode of Pandemic Stories. Guiliano founded 303 In The Cut, a food truck concept that focuses on delivering ‘Gourmet on the Go’. After being open for less than a year, they won “Best Food Truck” at The Great American Foodie Fest last week!
In this episode, Guiliano tells how he transformed his passion for hospitality into a successful food truck, bringing the city of Las Vegas gourmet food that’s served late into the night. He also shares how sobriety has given him the edge, grit, and determination to chase his dreams and crush his goals!
After listening to this podcast, we hope you’ll be just as excited as we are to hear his Pandemic Story in Season One. Until then, check out his Instagram page @303inthecut to get an inside look at their diverse and fiery menu!
I had the pleasure of getting to speak with the amazing Cheryl Noe, who is a cast member in the upcoming Nashville episode of Pandemic Stories! Cheryl is the Executive Director at Project Cure - Nashville , a non-profit that distributes donated medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in over 135 countries!
From growing up and working on her family’s farm, to attending Vanderbilt University, Cheryl is now making big things happen with her dedication to philanthropic fundraising. I hope you are just as inspired as I was after hearing her story. Cheryl said it best, “It’s our responsibility to help other people"!
This episode is an interview with Super Woman Christine Handy, who will appear in the Miami episode. Model, breast cancer disruptor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, mentor, mother, humanitarian. Oh, did we mention she's studying at Harvard? She does it all!
This is the first podcast of the Pandemic Stories documentary-series, where we will introduce you to the amazing people behind the amazing stories that we will share with you in Season 1. Filmed live from our podcast studios in Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and Las Vegas!