By D. M. Needom
The Better To Podcast is a place where we'll discuss what was the inspiration for their perspective projects and how it all came about. Sometimes, we’ll take a deeper dive into that moment t
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Cat, Jennifer, and I discuss writing, dating, our biggest moments as a writer, and more.
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Cat Rambo has published over 250 fiction pieces, including the Nebula Award-winning novelette, Carpe Glitter, as well as nonfiction works.
Since first appearing on the SF scene in 2005, Cat Rambo has published over 250 fiction pieces, including Nebula Award-winning novelette, Carpe Glitter, and nonfiction works that include Ad Astra: The SFWA 50th Anniversary Cookbook (co-edited with Fran Wilde) and writing book, Moving From Idea to Finished Draft. Their 2021 works include the fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (Wordfire Press) and the space opera You Sexy Thing (Tor Macmillan).
Rambo has been short-listed for the World Fantasy Award, the Compton Crook Award, and the Nebula Short Story Award. A former Vice President and two-term President of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), Cat continues to volunteer with the organization as part of its mentorship program and Grievance Committee.
They founded the online school The Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers in 2010, specializing in classes aimed at genre writers, which now offers dozens of classes from some of the best writers currently working in speculative fiction.
Cat lives in Indianapolis.
Blog: https://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/
Classes: https://catrambo.teachable.com/
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Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of the Never Let Me Sleep, and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her BattleTech tie-in novel, The Nellus Academy Incident, won a Scribe Award.
Her editing work has earned her nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the Hugo Award. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology, co-edited with Amanda Pillar. Jennifer’s short-form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, and Predator.
Jennifer has been a freelance author and editor for over fifteen years after leaving a high-paying tech job, and she has never been happier. She shares her husband, Jeff, with several cats and often uses him as a sounding board for her story ideas. She lives in Seattle.
Website: http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2jwGgrJpDas
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Tracy Bonham sits down to discuss the highs and lows of her music career as well as the challenges in love, parenting, and her breast cancer diagnosis.
Tracy Bonham is a classically trained violinist and pianist turned alternative singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 1996 with her twice GRAMMY™nominatedalbum, The Burdens of Being Upright(Island Records). This debut album cast Bonham into the global spotlight with MTV fame and major radio airplay with her #1 alternative chart-topping song Mother Mother, an anthem for disgruntled teenagers of all ages. While so many of her songs have been placed in film and TV throughout the decades, you might have most recently heard Mother Mother in Yellow Jackets season 1 episode 2.
Over the past 27 years, Bonham’s albums and live performances have shown what it is to be an ever-evolving artist. While Bonham sings, she moves from guitar to violin, from violin to piano, and back again. When playing live, her songs from the 90s blend and blur with stylistic changes that she has created over time making her entire repertoire make sense as an entire body of work. She plays the old and new material and even though the songs span thirty years they all continue to be equally relevant. Bonham will be joined by upright bassist Rene Hart (David Amram, James Hunter) and drummer Alvester Garnett (Regina Carter, Abbey Lincoln), and with her new material she connects to something deeper than ever, her true self.
Most of the new songs are performed on the piano giving her the chance to lean back on what made her fall in love with music in the first place. Borrowing harmonic structures and beautiful melodies from her favorite classical romantic composers, Bonham stretches herself artistically to combine this rediscovered passion with her unique and quirky songwriting style to create musical alchemy. This purifying process most certainly acts as a vehicle for inner transformation for Bonham. "It's like going back to the spark I had as a very young musician, discovering the beauty of Ravel and DeBussy and reclaiming that spark and everything that has happened after that". Bonham speaks of her current line-up, "Playing with incredible jazz musicians like Rene and Alvester has opened my mind and is now giving me the support I have always needed to spread my wings and fly. I am really enjoying exploring the intersections and overlaps of where classical and jazz meet without excluding my alternative rock sensibilities. These dudes can rock too. The three of us playing together is definitely my happy place"
People Magazine: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RaSfqo4f0b42iNouQeAKK?si=vuFrzhFYQm2Am2rigsy3JQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RaSfqo4f0b42iNouQeAKK?si=vuFrzhFYQm2Am2rigsy3JQ&nd=1&dlsi=997a4b6a968e483e
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This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jx8FL3BQqRc
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Audio production by Rich Zei of Third Ear Audio
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
Upcoming guests: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Dave and I discuss the music business, how sometimes giving up on a dream for a bit can be the best, and more.
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LIFE OF A "LONG PLAYER"
After a 25-year hiatus, long-time rocker Dave Lebental returned to his musical roots and started to investigate the modern music landscape. He quickly realized he was a modern-day Rip Van Winkle who had awoken into a different musical world than the one he left. Digital recording, digital distribution, and social media have all made it much easier to be an independent artist.
He started writing new songs on his acoustic guitar and learning how to record them in his home studio. The byproduct of these self-produced recording sessions is Dave Lebental's debut solo LP entitled “The Long Player”. The LP is a collection of 11 Americana, Blues, and Rock tracks. Now 62 years old, Lebental says his songs and sound owe a debt to James Taylor, Ryan Adams, The Eagles, Tom Petty, and The Beatles.
Band - the Driftwood Souls
Website: https://dlmusic.us/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XupS8aeNd3k
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Chloe and I talk about Music, Dating, and more.
"Yeehaw Pop" artist Chloe Styler brings a Gold Coast glam to the Music City scene. From Australia to Nashville, Chloe now finds herself gently pushing the barriers of country music with her distinct pop-country sound and making waves internationally.
2023 was epic for Chloe, having independently released her EP ‘Side B’, earning a nomination for ‘Release of the Year’ at the Gold Coast Music Awards, playing to a sold-out crowd at her headline EP Launch and showcasing her talents on a global stage. The young star illuminated the Spotlight Stage at the prestigious CMA Fest and appeared at two Sounds Australia showcases in Nashville, including debuting inside the hallowed walls of The Bluebird Café as part of Americana Fest.
Since releasing her first project in 2017, Chloe has delivered multiple alluring singles that have earned her over 270,000 streams across all platforms, nominations at the Queensland Music Awards and Gold Coast Music Awards, and finalist status in the Queensland Music Awards and Gold Coast Music Awards. Chloe has graced festival stages such as Americana Fest (USA), Big Red Bash, CMA Fest (USA), Deni Ute Muster, Falls Festival Byron Bay, Groundwater Country Music Festival, Gympie Music Muster, and more. She has supported Australian country music legends such as Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, and Fanny Lumsden, as well as international 80’s pop icons Tony Hadley (ex-Spandau Ballet) and the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey at some of the most esteemed venues across Australia.
Chloe Styler’s music is forward-thinking and unique, and her new music pushes the boundaries that little bit further. This year will see Chloe release a slew of singles recorded at Station West Recording Studios and produced by Grammy-award-winning engineer and producer, Luke Wooten (Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley). These tunes are set to break new and exciting international ground for this quickly rising-country star.
Website:
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0xjiFF38_wI
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Danny Saber stops by the podcast to discuss his latest release with the late Micheal Hutchence as well as his relationship with Michael. We discuss how he chose his musical path, other artists he worked with, and more.
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In the great pantheon of musicians transcending above mere “celebrity” status, the late MICHAEL HUTCHENCE towers over most. A consummate “rock star” if there ever was one, he embodied the spirit and smoldering swagger of rock ‘n’ roll while possessing one of the most iconic voices in the contemporary music scene. So, it was with an earth-rattling shudder when tragically he passed away in 1997, leaving a mind-numbingly impressive legacy across the entertainment realm. What many didn’t know, however, is that he left some of his brilliance behind in the form of unreleased music. Producer, musician, and personal friend DANNY SABER (Madonna, Rolling Stones, U2) has completed some of these musical pieces to continue and extend Hutchence’s impact. The new single “ONE WAY” was released, April 5, 2024 via Boss Sonics.
“’One Way’ is the culmination of nearly two decades of work,” says Saber. “One of the fundamental reasons for releasing this music is to allow the fans to hear Michael’s voice on something new and fresh, offering a glimpse into what might have been, and, in turn, reawakening millions of people who may have simply forgotten about him.”
“Michael first contacted me in 1995 soon after the release of my album It’s Great When You’re Straight,” recalls Saber, referring to the UK #1 album by his band Black Grape with Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder. “Michael was a huge fan of my record and wanted to find the right sound for a solo record, a sound that would galvanize all the success he had with INXS and allow him to establish himself as a solo artist and spread his creative wings outside the confines of being the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world.”
Working closely with Hutchence, the two became friends and creative partners. “Over the next two years, we became very close collaborators, and the period we worked together was one of the best times of my life,” Saber remembers. “I had just broken through with a #1 record and having Michael as a ‘big brother’ to help me navigate this was so important to me.”
Get your copy of "One-Way" here
Michael Hutchence Picture by Chris Cuffaro
Danny Saber Picture by Dear Karr
PR - REYBEE, INC
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-T_3IjUIPPI
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Gearld and I discuss writing and his latest release Preacher Stalls the Second Coming, cults, and so much more.
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Gerald Everett Jones lives in Santa Monica. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Women’s National Book Association, as well as a board member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). He is a Film Independent (FILM) Fellow. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the College of Letters, Wesleyan University, where he studied under novelists Peter Boynton (Stone Island), F.D. Reeve (The Red Machines), and Jerzy Kosinski (The Painted Bird, Being There).”
Gerald says…When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher approached me and asked with a sly grin, “You interested in mining?” I told him absolutely not. I was going to be a writer. Little did I suspect that he wanted to send me to a student conference on metallurgy where I could seek the fellowship of like-minded teens on a minimally supervised road-trip to the Big City. Undeterred by my abrupt negative response, he grumbled, “Well, you’re interested in mining your own business, aren’t you?” And he sent me anyway. Now I realize I should’ve listened more carefully to everything he said.
I write mystery-thrillers and literary fiction for adult readers who seek insight, fascination, and delight in the adventures of their own lives.
I’ve been a professional writer all my working life. I host GetPublished! Radio and I’ve been a regular book reviewer on KRLA-AM in Los Angeles. My book reviews have been syndicated by Splash Magazines Worldwide (splashmagazines.com), and I’m a top reviewer at Goodreads.com.
I studied screenwriting with John Truby and Lew Hunter (UCLA), and my screenplay Christmas Karma was honored by the WGAW Diversity Program in 2016.
In 2020 I won six book awards, and then another six in 2021, in the categories of Mystery and Literary Fiction, and one in Business. The third novel in my Evan Wycliff series will be Preacher Raises the Dead, which will deal with issues of euthanasia and near-death experience.
Website: https://geraldeverettjones.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/So-AWiCmggE
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Rob Marby and I discuss filmmaking and his bucket list project, The Legend of El Chupacabra.
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Rob Mabry was born on November 22, 1966, in San Antonio, Texas. He spent the better part of his youth in Bavaria (Germany), where his parents both worked for the US government. He developed a love of movies at an early age through countless hours spent at Sunday matinees on the tiny Air Force base in Bad Aibling, Germany where he lived. His father owned an 8mm movie camera and often enlisted his son in home movie projects. The spark was lit.
Mabry spent his formative years indulging his passion for storytelling. He developed his own comic books, wrote plays for his friend’s to perform and when his dad was feeling generous; he borrowed the 8mm movie camera and experimented making movies.
In the eighties, Mabry enlisted in the US Army and joined a public affairs unit as a military journalist. While highly regarded as a writer, he found the life of a soldier to be rigid and ill-suited to his non-conformist attitude. Eventually, he and the Army would part ways.
In his twenties, Mabry pursued a career as a screenwriter. He wrote a number of spec scripts that garnered limited attention. Living in Atlanta and outside the Hollywood system, prospects were dim and he resolved to focus on a career that would support his family.
In 2017, Mabry signed up for the 48-Hour Film Project in San Antonio, a film race to write, shoot, edit and deliver a 4-7 minute short film in just two days. He would go on to compete in a dozen more “48s” and complete over twenty short films ranging in length from three to thirty minutes, but the job wasn't finished.
Although his short films were recognized in multiple film festivals, earning laurels and awards along the way, the dream of making a feature-length film still burned. Emerging from the fog of COVID, Mabry resolved to make the dream a reality and spent the next six months developing the script for his first feature film, “The Legend of El Chupacabra.” (The Movie is now available on Tubi.)
The horror-comedy was financed through crowdfunding, personal funds and support from friends and family. Filming was done mostly on the weekends in the fall of 2022 and a heavy load of post-production work and visual effects took up most of 2023. The film had its local premiere in October of 2023 and debuted on DVD/Blu-ray on May 10, 2024. The Legend of El Chupacabra will hit streaming platforms in the Summer of 2024.
Mabry believes that there is a lesson in his journey to become a feature film writer/director. He frequently shares his adage that “It is never too late to make your first movie. It is never too late to live out your dream.”
Website: https://www.chupacabramovie.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-gCtLb85ceM
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Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
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©2024 Bet
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Billy and I discuss whether it was better to endure two years of horrible behavior from a student for the lovely letter they wrote about you at the end of your time together, or is it better to work with a compliant student who was just a nice kid the whole time? We also discuss his love of Pearl Jam. Rebranding yourself and a trip of a lifetime.
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Hello! My name is Billy, and along with my good friend Brian, we host The Mindful Midlife Crisis, a podcast for people navigating the complexities and possibilities of life’s second half. We are just a couple of average dudes who share our life experiences--both the good and the bad--in an effort to help us all better understand how we can enjoy and make the most of the life we have left to live in a more meaningful way.
I started The Mindful Midlife Crisis podcast because we want to normalize and prioritize conversations around mental health.
My personal life is often a complicated one for people to understand. I'm 43 years old, have never been married, don't have any kids, and I don't have much interest in either (though I would consider marriage if the right person came along). Many of my friends are involved in more traditional relationships or marriages with the picket fence and the 2.5 kids, but that's just not a life that interests me. I'd rather paddleboard and travel! I have worked as an educator for 20+ years as an English teacher and a dean of students, so I have firsthand experience working with students of different backgrounds and learning styles. I use my experience as a teacher and my passion for fitness in my side-gig as a NASM certified personal trainer. Because both physical and mental health is important to me, I am also a practitioner of mindfulness.
As I mentioned before, a passion of mine that combines fitness and mindfulness is paddleboarding. I simply love the feeling of paddling my board atop the water while being one with nature. I have paddle boarded in all five Great Lakes, and my new goal is to paddleboard in every ocean and off the coast of every continent! As a lifelong baseball fan, I made it a point to see a baseball game at every MLB stadium, and I'm currently up to date with all of the current MLB stadiums! I strongly encourage you to check out PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Oracle Park in San Francisco, Target Field in Minneapolis, and Camden Yards in Baltimore! I am also a die-hard Pearl Jam fan! I have seen Pearl Jam 49 times in nine countries, and I have blogged about my travels following the band. I am a fan of live music in general, but there's something a little more special about attending a Pearl Jam concert with other die-hard fans! We really are a Jamily! Lastly, I'm embarking on a new adventure in 2021-2022. I am taking a year-long leave from my job as a dean of students to pursue other passions in my life--namely, traveling. My plan is to spend five months in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea; unfortunately due to CoVid-19, I may have to adjust my travel plans, but I'm greatly looking forward to my next set of adventures!
Website: https://www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.com
Podcast: https://www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.com/podcast
Twitter: @mindfulmidlife
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Video of the interview is available here: https://youtu.be/gWxltxMrHo4
Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
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Had a fun conversation with up-and-coming singer Malachi Gagnon talking about his blossoming career and his new music.
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Emerging pop-country singer-songwriter Malachi Gagnon is a small-town all-American 16-year-old who found his love for singing and songwriting where many of music’s biggest stars first discover their inner artist; the church worship band. Born and raised in a small town in New Hampshire, Malachi was raised on small-town values and credits his family and their encouragement for giving him the confidence to believe in himself before he ever played his first chord. “When I was 12 I sang out loud in front of my family for the first time at an impromptu living room family talent show”. The next day Malachi’s dad took him to the music store and bought him his first Taylor guitar.
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@malachigagnonmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malachigagnonmusic/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malachigagnon8217
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ypiXY7PJ0KSUk5YbaNv3t
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/tastes
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zXaa3PN4wT4
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Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
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©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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JV and I sit down to discuss his Warminster Series and the art and craft of writing.
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Born of steel, fire, and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.
His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.
Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. His uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.
Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure, and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids, and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horse hounds, Thor and MacLeod, and reside there to this day. I am an epic fantasy/dark fantasy writer and author of The Last Keeper and Vorodin’s Lair, books one and two of the Warminster Saga (www.jvhilliard.com). Book three launches in July 2023 and the final book in the series launches in Q4 of 2023.
The series is also being licensed to an AR/VR video game company to be made into one of the first “melded” reality games… allowing you to play on your computer, via phone, or with your headset. I am also exploring options to turn the Realm of Warminster into a graphic novel series, with a publisher TBD.
Lastly, I am the owner of Altered Reality Magazine (alteredrealitymag.com) and help authors of speculative fiction and poetry find a portal to publication.
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8AexEgOMriA
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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The podcast currently has 173 episodes available.