Serious Talk. Seriously.

Episode 200: The End

We have come to the end of Serious Talk. Seriously. Like Baby’s unforgettable summer in the Catskills of 1963, (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life and I owe it all to you.

The Fans

To everyone who listened to the podcast: Thank you. Sincerely, thank you. It’s been an honor to be allowed into your lives for nearly six years. When I started this podcast, I did not think it would ever gain an audience. In spite of the times I didn’t record episodes correctly or when I went from weekly episodes to a 25-episode season, and even when I was burdened with a job that was burning me out and gave me a bitter aspect on life and this podcast, the show somehow found an audience that kept growing.

The response to the podcast gave me the self-confidence to pursue podcasting as a career. I decided to take a leap of faith that I could make an income from helping other people make their own podcasts. So for better or worse, my current life is all your fault!

If you love comic books and haven’t tired of me yet, I’ll continue to co-host Graphic Novel Explorers Club.

The Guests

I want to say thank you to all of my guests (especially the elite club whose episodes I never posted — sorry). My invitations to be on the show were quite short. The usual question I got when I asked someone to be on the podcast went something like this: “What are we going to talk about?” My common response was, “I don’t know, but don’t worry. It’s my job to keep the conversation moving. I’ll make sure we have fun.” It’s amazing how many people were up for something as loose as Serious Talk. Seriously. My gratitude to everyone that appeared on the show cannot be expressed. Thank you for your time and willingness to participate in this experiment with me. What a blast I had chatting with each of you.

The Comedians

Sacramento has an outstanding comedy scene. If you doubt me, check out any of the comedians I’ve interviewed during six seasons of this show. Be thankful we have comics brave enough and crazy enough to do what they do and for doing it here in Sacramento. Seriously, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. It’s only a matter a of time before Sacramento gets a well-deserved reputation as a place with a deep well of comedic talent.

My Friends

I’ll continue by saying thank you to my friends for their support. How lucky am I that my friends are some of the funniest, most decent, and thoughtful people living in Sacramento? A special thanks to the friends I’ve made through podcasting, or existing friendships that grew stronger because of podcasting. This includes Elizabeth & Matthew, Siino, Kempa, Heather Smith, Dennis “Super” Supachana, Frankie Preziosi, Brian McComas, CJ & BK, Chris and Ricky, Hagel, Daniel & Corky, Allison Joy, and Comedian Ben Rice. Additional thanks to Leah and Nicole for the theme songs! Please accept my apology if I left you off of the list.

An extra-special thank you goes out to Siino for recording this final episode with me! I also owe a debt of gratitude to Isaac Gonzales for approaching me about starting a podcast all those years ago (R.I.P. No Nipples on the Suit).

My Family

Now on to my sister, my dad, and Sue. Some of us don’t get to see others as much as we would like to, but when we do, it’s like there was no gap in time at all. We laugh so much whenever we are around each other and I appreciate that most of all. I love you all! Oi-cha-choi-choi!

Finally, Sasha. The Official Girlfriend of the Podcast. You never bat an eyelash when I talk about any hair-brained idea I have. You challenge me to make them better and, just as important, you fully encourage me to pursue them. You are sweet, funny, engaged, and incredibly smart, all while consistently having the coldest hands of anyone I ever met. This podcast, my business, and the life we share are all possible because of you. Especially for all of those times you willingly banished yourself to our bedroom back when I recorded in our[...]

Episode 199 focuses on the documentary Searching for Hope: Homelessness. The documentary will debut Monday, November 25 at 7 P.M. on KVIE. In this episode, Johnny chats with Director of Photography for KVIE, Martin Christian. Joining Christian is Dion Dwyer, Public Space Services Director for Downtown Sacramento Partnership. Searching for Hope: Homelessness “investigates this growing humanitarian crisis while discovering programs making a difference.”

Belen Flores (best last name ever!) is the guest for Episode 198. Belen Flores recently named the Executive Director of California Center for Civic Participation. The organization is also known as Cal Center. Cal Center’s mission statement is, “To empower youth to be active and valued participants in decision making processes at all levels”.

Belen and Johnny chat about how easy it would be to assassinate him by way of sweets; Belen’s journey from Executive Assistant to Executive Director; why the founder of Cal Center chose to groom her to take over when he retired; bringing down the patriarchy for the benefit society; why local and state elections have more power than elections at the federal level; why she strives to empower youth to make decisions on clear facts; similarly, why Cal Center presents young people with conflicting opinions; the similar histories Belen and Johnny have (not just sharing last names); and why you drive a Ford Focus when you live in La Jolla, CA.

The founders of Bambi Vegan Tacos (Ruben, Liz, and Chad) stopped by for Episode 197. Ruben and Chad handle the food side of the business while Liz handles more of the logistics. All three of the owners worked in the food industry for several years before deciding to partner up to create Bambi Vega Tacos in 2018.

Rubin, Liz, and Chad chat with Johnny about why they started a vegan food truck when none of them are vegan; why the trio decided to not follow food truck trends; why you need someone to be the one to cut onions; the food truck that fell victim to Sacramento’s old unfriendly views of food trucks; the scenarios that cause nightmares for people working in the food industry; the difficulties in adapting their restaurant experience to a food truck; why European countries think if a sauce is red, it counts as hot sauce; our consensus about our favorite Mexican restaurant on Broadway in Sacramento; similarly, the best Mexican restaurant in Dublin, Ireland; and how each neighborhood in Sacramento is developing its own distinct character.

Thank you for listening, Listeners, to my conversation with Rubin, Liz, and Chad of Bambi Vegan Tacos. Be sure to follow Bambi Vegan Tacos on Instagram and Facebook.

I’ll be conducting a podcasting workshop at the Broad Room on Saturday, October 12 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. Click here to reserve a spot.

Have a questions or comment? Let Johnny know by clicking here.

Featured music

“Serious Talk Theme Song” by Leah and Nicole

“Hungaria” by Latché Swing

“Serious Talk Theme Song (Quick Version)” by Leah and Nicole

The post Episode 197: Bambi Vegan Tacos appeared first on Serious Talk. Seriously..

The post Episode 197: Bambi Vegan Tacos appeared first on Serious Talk. Seriously..

Gabriell and Ben Garcia, the owners of Blue Lamp and Cafe Colonial, are the guests for Episode 196. Gabriell previously managed the Lamplight while Ben was a musician in bands. They were in the process of selling all of their belongings when they purchased the Blue Lamp in 2013 (taking over on Halloween of that year) and Cafe Colonial several years later. In addition to the Cafe Colonial, they’re also overseeing The Colony, an all-ages music venue next door to Cafe Colonial.

Julie Cassotta, the creator of Cellar Door Platters, is the guest for Episode 195. Cassotta stopped by to chat about her journey from repairing guitars in her family's business to becoming a cheese-virtuoso. Heads up: we talk about cheese a lot. I mean, a lot.

Jared Konopitski is the guest for Episode 194. Konopitiski is an artist and illustrator. His work has been exhibited in a large number of museums, festivals, and galleries. Locally, the Crocker Art Museum has featured his work. Nationally, he had art on display in The Smithsonian and The Mutter Museum. In addition, he painted a mural for Wide Open Walls in 2018. Both the Juxtapoz Magazine and The New Yorker featured Jared’s art.

Episode 193 is here with Damien Verrett of So Much Light. The band is Verrett’s solo music project. In addition to the band, he co-hosts the podcast Bedtime Boys.

Thank you for listening, Listeners, to my conversation with Damien Verrett.

Emma Haney is here for Episode 192! Emma is a stand-up comic based in Sacramento. Haney started writing comedy as a teenager before beginning her career at open mics in her early 20s. In addition, she also put in over year's worth of consecutive time on World of Warcraft.

Thank you for listening, Listeners, to my conversation with Emma Haney.

Episode 191 is here with Melissa McGillicuddy. McGillicuddy is a stand-up comic who left a career in auditing to pursue a calling for comedy. She recently became Stand-up Program Director at Sacramento Comedy Spot. In addition, Melissa co-produces the Moving Van Show and Sacramento FemmeFest, the city’s first all-female comedy festival.

Thank you for listening, Listeners, to my conversation with Melissa McGillicuddy.