Ron and Nathan can think of no better way to close out season one of Sloan the Record that to do an episode all about the wonderful wife and mother who shaped their lives, Susan Sloan. Both men take turns sharing thoughts on what makes Susan's personality so unique, delightful, and cherished as they try to convey a fraction of how much they love her, so very much. We couldn't do a podcast about life in the Sloan family without a whole episode dedicated to Susan. We love you, mama!

Interested in supporting research to eradicate Alzheimer's disease or provide support to caregivers of patients suffering from dementia? Here are two organizations that are active in North Carolina and are dedicated to helping do just that. 

Alzheimer's Association

Dementia Alliance of North Carolina

Do you have comments, questions, or suggestions for future episodes? Please reach out by sending an email to: [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

After being in business 29 years, Ron reminisces about the early days of striking it out on his own with a little ad agency in his home town of Four Oaks. Brain McClamb, an older mentor from church, made a huge impact on him and helped set his business on a path toward success. Additionally, Ron share memories of some of his favorite jobs and what it takes to be successful in this field.  

Six weeks after Ronan's birth, Nathan and Emily chat about what parenthood has meant to them. Emily recounts what the days surrounding his birthday from her perspective and they both share ways they've seen each other change and how they've come to appreciate one another in new ways. Finally, we hear what makes baby Ronan so special and what they hope he learns when listening to this in the future. 

Ron began the 1990s at his peak in middle age but by the end of the decade he had lost his father and his job. In the process he gained a new business and a new perspective on his Christian faith that changed him forever. We discuss the miracle surrounding his father and the coinciding challenges of losing his job at about the same time that Hurricane Fran roared over Four Oaks in 1996. 

Take one more trip back to the 80s as we hear not only about Ron and Susan becoming parents, but also a general discussion of grandparenthood and favorite memories of the little ones. Also, we learn what makes a good 80s male protagonist in a film or TV series and why it's so important to soak up the good times the best we can. 

HEY! Listen to music that would have been in heavy rotation in the 1980s on cassette in Ron's Supra via this Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07nme6Lwp1QuKszODGYgIy?si=CPB8mdVKROe1tOqjNalr6Q

Credit to Jordan Eakin, Melissa Eakin, and Elizabeth Boyd for producing the playlist. 

After all the recent baby excitement with Ronan's arrival, we travel back to 1978 and get Ron's take on the birth of Elizabeth who made him a father for the first time. He also shares the story of Melissa's birth as well as what it was like having two little girls for six years before Nathan came along. There's so much to cover that one episode wasn't enough, we'll revisit the topic and the decade that was the 1980s in next week's episode. 

Also, HAPPY 75th Birthday Ron!!! March 10, 2025.

We jump back to the 1970's for a peek at where Susan and Ron settled down after they got married and what each of them did for work at the start of their careers. Ron goes into detail on the advertising agency where he spent the bulk of his early career and we even uncover a story of murder and his brush with Hollywood makeup artist fame. 

It's the reason we're all here — Nathan's son, Ronan Sloan, was born on February 8th, 2025 and he and his mom are doing well! For this episode, we turn the tables a bit and let Ron ask Nathan the questions in his sleep-deprived state about being a new parent and one of the most momentous occasions in all of our lives. 

Finally! We get to the part of Ron's story that made Nathan's life possible—how he met his mother. Ron recounts admiring Susan from afar before a chance ride home together in a carpool from ECU. He also reveals how he almost blew it early on before making a recovery that led to engagement and marriage. Thanks in advance for your patience because we're going to go long when we're talking about my mama!

Oh, and get subscribed if you aren't already because a new Baby Sloan episode is coming soon. 

Ideas or feedback on an episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email me at: [email protected]

Dad makes the big journey from rural North Carolina to East Carolina University. He quickly makes a small group of friends to survive the homesickness and ends up thriving in his college life. We talk about how work-study prepared him for the real world and how to survive off food prepared in a popcorn popper.