Host Dave Fiore speaks with Jeff Culhane, the director of broadcasting for Learfield's Seminole Sports Properties and the voice for Florida State football and men's basketball.

Jeff brings 20 years of multimedia experience to the Seminoles, including broadcasting duties for Nebraska, West Virginia and North Dakota State. As part of his duties, he creates original video and audio content that highlights student-athletes and coaches.

Jeff was born and raised in small-town Mitchell, South Dakota, where he grew up around a large extended family, lifelong friends and a house full of radios that served as a window to the world – especially for local sports.

A three-sport athlete in high school who preferred basketball, Jeff went on to play college football and baseball at Dakota Wesleyan University, where he earned a degree in business management and marketing before pursuing his broadcasting career.

Jeff was enjoying great success at perennial powerhouse North Dakota State University when he learned about the FSU opening when Gene Deckerhoff announced his retirement on Facebook. He quickly used his relationships in the broadcasting world to get himself on the radar in Tallahassee.

Now entering his second year as the voice of the Seminoles, Jeff is settling into Tallahassee life with his wife and two young sons and making his own name representing one of the most iconic brands in sports.

This special episode of the How I Got Here podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2023 Tallahassee Chamber Annual Community Conference in Amelia Island. The breakout session focused on women entrepreneurs and featured guests Kristi Kreitlow, founder and president of Quick and Clean; and Marina Lickson, Tallahassee programs manager at the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship and former owner of Honeytree Natural Foods.

Both women shared how unexpected circumstances led to opportunities that changed their lives, talked about lessons they learned from running a company and answered questions from the audience about their experiences.

Thanks to Dana Noles and The Tallahassee Chamber for the opportunity to capture these powerful stories of resilience, determination and success.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore is at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event at the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in downtown Tallahassee. JMI Tallahassee Program Manager Marina Lickson invited past participants of JMI programs to showcase their business or organization, and as a graduate of the Small Business Executive Program Class II, Dave was honored to use the opportunity to record an episode of How I Got Here. Twenty-eight attendees shared a little about themselves and answered one of three business-related questions between networking and touring the state-of-the-art facility. Thanks to the Chamber and JMI for a great evening and the chance to learn more about each other.

Episode Guest List

• Tiffany Lewis, Milk Me Treats, LLC
• Dan Parisi, Rowland Publishing Inc.
• Brianna Rogers, BriSafe
• Jackie Brown, Jackie Brown Consulting
• Becky Tolnay, Vistage Florida
• Matthew Loscialo, Vacation Trip Guides
• Molly Lord, Big Brother Big Sisters of the Big Bend
• Lauren Sparling, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship
• Chattie Winton, Synovus Bank
• Sam Sewell, Synovus Bank
• Reenee Williams, CareerSource Capital Region
• Michaela Teasley, Tally Kombucha
• Daniel Klaers, Oliver Sperry Renovation
• Tim Templeton, Trivest Partners
• Julia Hernandez, Full Press Apparel
• John Boles, Full Press Apparel
• Audra Fournier, Partners for a Solution, LLC
• Christina Lynch, Trydent Consulting
• Warren Cave, The Clean Start Initiative
• Kristi Kreitlow, Quick & Clean Inc.
• Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, Legal Services of North Florida
• Sam McMillan, Hancock Whitney Bank
• Myron Richardson, VyStar Credit Union
• Tara Davis, VyStar Credit Union
• Roberto (RJ) Singelton
• Victoria Landy, Bare Waxing Center
• Taylor Ann Drew, Aquarian Clinic Inc.
• Vitchel Toussaint, HyberBolic Float

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Chris Petley, founder and president of the Tallahassee Soccer Club and communications manager at Leon County Schools. Chris was born and raised in South Florida where he attended a technology magnet program and was captain of his high school soccer team. He earned a degree in political science from the University of Florida and volunteered for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign before being hired at the Florida Democratic Party.

In 2009, Chris focused on planting roots in Tallahassee with his growing family and started with Leon County Schools, but he never gave up his soccer dreams. After reading an article about a local club in New York, he wondered, "Why not here?" Now in year five, the Tallahassee Soccer Club has built a strong community of players, fans and supporters who loves the other "football" and our Battle Lions.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore speaks with Michelle Dean, the executive director of the Popes Museum and Farm in Cairo, Georgia. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Michelle survived a childhood of abuse, poverty and instability saved by the generosity of strangers and a strong faith in God. She worked her way through college, sometimes sleeping in her car, before becoming a teacher and school administrator in Tampa.

Michelle, her husband Dan, and their oldest two sons moved to Tallahassee where she started homeschooling. She began teaching literature and writing to other homeschoolers while also being a successful entrepreneur and fostering children in distress – which led to two adoptions. In 2018, Michelle and her family made a significant life change to move and fix up an old beat-up house with a pecan field that turned out to be a long-neglected historical treasure. Today, the Popes Museum is winning awards for its restoration and is a coveted event venue.

This special episode of the How I Got Here podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the inaugural Access Tallahassee YP Summit held at the FSU Conference Center in April. In the opening session, Doug Ramos (aka Junk Man Doug), founder of Picked, and Bryce Brown, founder of Tribe Vintage, shared their personal stories, their business journeys and their love of vintage apparel.

Launched in 2006, Access Tallahassee is a program of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce designed to help connect and engage young professionals in our community, provide professional development and retain local talent. This event was designed for young professionals to hear from community leaders and network with peers.

Thanks to Access Chair Jason Hollister and Program Manager Katie Harwood for the invitation.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore speaks with Ryan Sprague, area director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, whose life was eternally changed playing for legendary coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State University. The father of six is a former youth pastor and was previously executive director of the PHI Center, which provides services and counseling to women who are pregnant or have young children.

A former ballroom dancer and high school wrestler from Augusta, Ga., Ryan says he didn't take football seriously until he was invited to walk on at Florida State by defensive coach Odell Haggins. The scout team center would quickly move up the depth charts and two years later was the starting tight end for the 1999 undefeated national championship team. He is an author, speaker and a true example of how taking advantage of unexpected opportunities (and knowing when to unleash the right wrestling moves) can lead to great things.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore speaks with Dr. Judy Mandrell – pastor, community builder and popular radio host. Raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Judy has been on a lifelong mission to use every available resource to impact those around her. Examples include organizing a student walkout to protest unfair treatment at her recently desegregated high school, giving away her sisters' clothes (without their knowledge) to girls in need, and once even using a freezer full of freshly butchered beef to entice a crowd across town to listen to her faith story.

Today, Judy's influence has grown to include the church she co-pastors with her husband, Gerald, a large radio audience listening to Real Talk with Judy and the very popular Sister Girls network that brings women together to encourage and give them hope. For this owner of more than 520 pairs of glasses, there is much more than meets the eye.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore speaks with Dr. Jim Murdaugh, president of Tallahassee Community College. Dr. Murdaugh grew up in Orlando and followed a girlfriend to Tallahassee where he joined the Air Force ROTC at Florida State University and earned undergraduate and master's degrees in criminology. He soon began a long career in law enforcement that included time with the Leon County Sheriff's Office and investigating the high-profile Ted Bundy murders.

Dr. Murdaugh would later lead the transformation of the Florida Public Safety Institute and considered retirement before a bear hug from a grateful mom caused him to reconsider the impact he could still have on students. That led to following the advice of close associates and his wife, Sara, to apply for the TCC president position.

The 30-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve has a passion for continuing education, entrepreneurship and providing students opportunities for success. But in case you think Jim Murdaugh is all business, he also used to spend spring breaks with son Austin crisscrossing the country visiting theme parks and riding roller coasters.

In this episode, host Dave Fiore speaks with Jennifer Young, founder and owner of TC Bakery. What started with a request for a single pound cake has exploded into a thriving business with her signature cakes and pies available throughout Tallahassee and shipped around the country.

Jennifer says she is still getting used to the idea that this is all happening to a "Southern girl from Wakulla." She says her purpose came out of the pain of post-partum depression and she is now doing exactly what she was designed by God to do. Whether driving her 3-week-old daughter to Houston at age 17 or quitting her job with the state to bake full-time, Jennifer has consistently proven her doubters wrong with the mantra "faith over fear."

Today, the wife, mother and entrepreneur loves bringing joy to others, traveling and the occasional Polar Pop!