This interview explores Billy McGeehee's remarkable journey from professional tennis to sports management, community service, and life-saving initiatives.

Discover how his diverse experiences and passion for giving back are shaping a safer, more connected world through innovative programs like Athletes for America and pickleball events.

This interview explores the deep roots of community, family, and entrepreneurship through personal stories and shared experiences at Sea Dog in Maine and Florida. It highlights the importance of relationships, legacy, and adapting to new environments while maintaining core values.

Takeaways

• Childhood connections shape lifelong relationships
• Transitioning to a new location can lead to unexpected opportunities

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Connections

00:17 Shared History at Sea Dog in Maine

00:33 Long-standing Business and Family Ties

00:59 The Significance of Community and Honest Conversations

01:28 Relocating to Treasure Island, Florida

02:08 Growing Up in Maine and Moving to Florida

03:03 Family Connections and Childhood Memories

04:52 Experiences in Florida and the Local Energy

05:36 High School Football and Teamwork

06:10 Handling Stress and Gaining Experience in Hospitality

07:05 Overcoming Challenges Post-Hurricane

07:52 Love for Shipyard Export Ale

08:46 Justin's Family and Their Connection to Sea Dog

09:40 Reflections on Family and Community Roots

11:19 Living in Treasure Island and Future Plans

12:09 Mentorship and Long-term Relationships in Hospitality

12:46 Closing Remarks and Appreciation

Everyone remembers where they were on September 11. For some, the story is deeply personal. In this episode we hear one of those near misses, how a last minute change saved a life, and how that moment inspired a lasting commitment to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Having a Beer with Fred is about more than stories. It is about passion, purpose, and conversations that remind us what matters most.

What begins as posting music on TikTok quickly turns into thousands of views, a growing fanbase, and brand partnerships with more than 100 companies. In this episode of Having a Beer with Fred we talk about how unexpected opportunities can shape a career, and why honest conversation over a beer often reveals the real passions that drive people forward.

Can you really get THC drinks shipped straight to your door? In this episode we unpack the patchwork of state laws, why Tennessee banned direct to consumer sales, and how Alt Bev is changing the game with custom bundles, subscriptions, and variety packs. The future of cannabis might not be smoking. It might be sipping.

The team behind Dog Wear & Care to explore the world of speed dating for dogs. They reveal how energy and temperament checks, pop-up meetups and targeted matchmaking are pairing pups with perfect families. From service dog placements to digital training programs and community pack walks, discover how this innovative approach is keeping dogs out of shelters and building forever homes. Pour yourself a drink and learn how to match man’s best friend with the right owner.

Jim Ciampi, an adopted “bar band kid” turned dueling pianos sensation, pours his heart out on how a warm family home, chance late-night gigs with jazz legends, and fearless entrepreneurship sparked a full-blown music empire. Jim pulls back the curtain on the secret sauce behind his community-building events, church revival projects, and the unstoppable passion that transformed basement jam sessions into a thriving business. Pour yourself a brew and tune in for an insider’s journey of grit, give-back spirit, and the blueprint for turning a hobby into a legacy.

Join Fred for a beer and a deep dive with solo ocean racer Ronnie Simpson to learn why piloting a $3 million yacht around the world can feel tougher than summiting Everest. In this episode you’ll hear:

• How a war veteran swapped combat for a mast, only to discover that in yacht racing “the race can end for you at any moment”

• The high-stakes drama of leading solo across the Atlantic, then watching your rig break on day one of a 100-day marathon

• The behind-the-scenes hustle: yacht deliveries, renewable-energy ventures and brokerage deals that bankroll another shot at glory

• Why building community and securing sponsorship in Maine’s maritime scene provides the wind in Ronnie’s sails

If you’ve ever been knocked down and dared to get back up, this is your guide to pursuing impossible dreams, one wave at a time. Tune in to catch the grit, innovation and unbreakable passion that keep a champion racing forward.

Join veteran storytellers Fred and Reggie as they pull back the curtain on the powerful—and sometimes haunting—stories that shaped their careers and the lives they’ve touched. In this episode you’ll hear:

• A 15-year-old survivor from Rwanda who forgave the very man who hacked off his hands

• How a raw, 11-episode series on addiction earned a New England Emmy nod and now sparks life-saving conversations in schools

• The “glass slides” mystery: 5,000 century-old portraits that reconnected Black families to their vanished roots

• Ambitious new documentaries on forgiveness—featuring a bus massacre survivor who chose mercy over revenge—and the hidden world of device-addicted children

Fred and Reggie share the grit, scrappy beginnings, and “on-spec” hustle that turned small-town cameramen into award-winning producers. They reveal the secret sauce behind packaging personal passion projects into Emmy-worthy documentaries—and how they’re now taking those stories on the road to inspire real change.

If you believe stories can transform lives, this is your insider pass to the raw conversations, the unseen struggles, and the fearless forgiveness that prove sometimes the hardest tales can heal us all. Tune in and discover why every “finished” film is really just the beginning of a new chapter.

Watch Jim Chiampi live on Friday, July 25th. Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dueling-pianos-with-jim-ciampi-and-seth-holbrook-tickets-1369002737039

Fred sits down with Jim Ciampi, an adopted “bar band kid” whose childhood love of Sinatra and Saturday night gigs blossomed into a booming music empire.

From house parties and dueling pianos in Portland to sold-out weddings and community fundraisers, Jim reveals the secret sauce behind transforming piano bars into powerful brands, shares the mentors who guided his journey, and explains how entrepreneurship, family and faith keep him playing while giving back after forty years in the business.

Tune in for an insider’s look at passion, persistence and the surprising business lessons hidden in every melody.