My grandma (RIP) always told me I should be an actor. So, Grandma, I'm going to give this my all—my everything.

After having my first audition just a week ago, I received another callback after sending in my second self-tape, making me two for two: two self-tapes, two callbacks.

I can't explain how much fun I'm having since I started exploring this world. It really does feel like this is what I should be doing. Maybe my grandma was right.

This episode is about exactly that. I've caught the bug, and now I'm Hooked Like Dope to this game. Let me explain.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

I've always wanted to entertain. I've always wanted to be in front of the camera.

So I finally took the first steps toward making that happen. I may be 46, but you're never too old to pursue your dreams.

I got myself an agent, was asked to film a self-tape for a commercial, received a callback from the casting agency, and had my very first audition this week.

I'm smiling as I write this because I know my heart is in it. I can't tell you how much fun I had. Whether I get the role or not, this was an incredible experience—one that challenged me, helped me grow, and reminded me why I wanted to do this in the first place.

Deep down, I know I'm not going to stop. I feel a change is coming.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

Last weekend was Father's Day. I had never reached out to my dad on Father's Day before, but for some reason, this year I wanted to. So I did.

I genuinely wanted to wish him a Happy Father's Day, thinking it might make his day, knowing he probably wasn't getting any other texts.

What happened next was embarrassing.

But I made this show to get things off my chest, so here we go.

This episode is for all the dads out there: stay strong, keep your head up, and be there for your kids.

Life truly is too short to carry sorrow. You may be here today and gone tomorrow.

So, I'm going to tell it like it is.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

I couldn't wait for my Friday night cheat meal. I couldn't wait for that first bite...

I sat down, turned on my documentary, and went in for my first bite of my Harry's burger. Boom. First bite... my back tooth breaks.

Needless to say, my weekend turned into quite the adventure.

I talk about my dentist appointment and meeting a dentist who sees the world the same way I do. Speaking of seeing the world, I got the prescription back for my new frames—I'm calling them my "Stallones." My "Forgetaboutits." I gotta say, I feel like I transform into Stallone in the '80s every time I put these things on.

My daughter had her piano recital, the Knicks won, which had me outside shooting around by myself for the first time in years, and I get into a whole lot more.

So throw on the Rocky soundtrack, get your hair tonic in, put your velour on, and settle in. This one is nothing less than—you guessed it—beautiful.

Enjoy, chicos and chicas.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

Life is like a jungle sometimes.

Things move fast. One minute you're figuring out your own path, and the next your daughter is turning 10 and your 3-year-old son is bringing home his first medal.

I almost didn't record this episode. I was in a bit of a mood. But I'm glad I did.

We get into a wild neighbor story that reminded me of my own run-in years ago, talk a little religion, and discuss how to stay ready when life throws something unexpected your way.

I also give a salute to the legendary "Code Red (94 Mix)" with Super Cat, one of my favorite Devin the Dude tunes, and share my thoughts on the new Michael Jackson documentary The Verdict.

And of course, we take another trip through The POE Archives – Music From Another Timeline with a song from my past that hopefully leaves you feeling more relaxed than a sloth on whatever they had MJ on.

Life is a jungle.

Stay ready so you don't need to get ready and keep moving toward what you're trying to accomplish.

Because when you tell yourself you're going to do something—and then you actually do it—there's nothing better.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

This episode is a love letter to running.

Long before I became a runner, I watched my Grandpa run marathons. I saw the joy it brought him and the way people were drawn to him. To me, he wasn't just a runner — he was a hero.

Since then, running has been there at every major crossroads in my life. It's helped me clear my mind, reset, prepare for what's next, and stay grounded through it all. It taught me what real suffering feels like, what the human body is capable of, and how much growth lives on the other side of pain.

I also look back on my time living in Cardiff, Wales, where I met my friend Jimmy Watkins. He was there when I needed a friend. A runner himself, Jimmy later became part of Strange News From Another Star, a band featured regularly on the BBC. Years after I left the UK, we ended up recording a song together.

That song is featured in this week's installment of The POE Archives – Songs From Another Timeline.

This episode is a thank you — to running, to the roads that shaped me, and to the universe for continuing to give me the chance to lace up my shoes and keep melting these streets.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Jimmy Watkins Contact:

https://www.instagram.com/nutbushjimmylimits/

https://www.youtube.com/@Jimmywatkins800

https://www.instagram.com/runningpunks/

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

This episode is about putting work into yourself and finally realizing how far you’ve actually come.

When I started this show 2 years ago, I was a mess. But today? I feel like I’m back. Back to how I felt in 2009 when I met my soon-to-be wife — that funky groove, that confidence, that real version of me.

In this one I talk about my best friend asking me to be his best man, old island summer memories, the exact moment I knew I was going to get married, and the music that soundtracked that time and era — Gonjasufi, Gaslamp Killer and more.

We also open the vault for the 2nd installment of the POE Archives: Music From Another Timeline featuring one of my personal favourites from the Danny Stone era — “Take It Easy.”

So take a deep breath, relax and come drift through time with me for a little while… then come back to the present and realize how far we’ve all come.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

White sand. Tans. Rosé. BBQ chicken. Aqua agua. Post-trip depression.

Saint Maarten gave us exactly what we needed — peace.

Watching my kids play in the ocean from our beach chairs outside the condo felt perfect. The waves, the heat, the music and the slow pace reset every cell in me.

I ran hills, found an outdoor gym with giant tires to lift, and somehow balanced workouts with the vacation float. I even had Americans apologizing to myself and all Canadians for the disrespect they have been laying on thick these days — I have to tip my hat to that.

And then came the beach moment where my daughter honestly started believing I might be Ra, the Sun God. You truly cannot make this stuff up.

This episode is basically a podcast vacation. A mental reset under the Caribbean sun.

Mamma mia… this was a real vacation

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

No real format. No heavy structure. Just a trip back in time.

With my family and I heading to St. Maarten, I wanted to leave you with something you could throw on, relax to, and get transported by while I’m away. After buying a CD drive and digitizing music I made over 24 years ago, I had an idea…

Why not bring the guys back together and relive it?

So I called up Max P, Slang Hugh, and Snooze, and we sat down to play old tunes, tell stories, laugh, and revisit an entire era of our lives through music.

This episode feels like a time capsule — a journey through the quantum multiverse of memory, creativity, friendship, and sound. Basement studios, burnt CDs, local shows, late nights… it all came rushing back the second the music started playing.

No pressure. No overthinking. Just old friends reconnecting through music that still means something after all these years.

Hope you enjoy.

Show Track List:

05:25 – Munchee Run

15:46 – Dinosaur Insurance

20:31 – Moms Gonna Love It w/ Slang Hugh & Jermain Maxwell

27:10 – Drop That w/ Max P

32:47 – Thousand Dollar $weater

34:41 – Best She Ever Had w/ Jermain Maxwell

39:11 – Baccspace

44:42 – Make It Happen w/ Saxxon Jones

53:39 – Think Future w/ Max P

58:03 – Trashcan Fire Blues w/ Max P

01:00:31 – Weed, Joose & Di Gyal Dem w/ Cole Cash, Kofi Kane & Max P

01:03:51 – Oh No!!!

01:05:13 – I Gotta Have U w/ Crisco Caliente & Yannick Francis

01:10:26 – Take It Easy 

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f

For 45 years, I’ve been chasing happiness.

I’ve built a life I’m proud of — family, routine, fitness, all of it…

and still, something feels missing.

Lately, I’ve been asking myself — is it faith? is it God?

Because in my hardest moments, I’ve caught myself praying… and I’m not religious.

So why did I pray?

This episode is me trying to figure that out — what that missing piece is, and why it won’t leave me alone.

Along the way, I salute a legend (Master P), tap into a 1997 classic from MJG, and dive into the quantum multiverse with a book that’s been melting my mind.

Strap in, chicos and chicas this one feels right.

Catch new episodes of The Ben Stortini Show every Friday—hope you'll join the journey!

Contact Ben:

Feedback: [email protected]

Podcast links below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/172DaMj6RI8TQCHiAxVCmh?si=2c3b3c1a976e4608

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-el-hoopo-show/id1796438418

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBenStortiniShow

"The Ben Stortini Show" Soundtrack on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uioR9W1oNHpRp6LTUFaDv?si=bc9643d260954d0f