The Community Soundtrack

"The group you didn't know you needed."

What began as two veterans having coffee became something extraordinary.

In 2017, Lonnie Sloan and his friend Todd Phillips started meeting for coffee outside the original Fort Thomas Coffee. Rain, snow, or sunshine, they gathered around the same table. Two became four, four became eight, and today, up to 70 veterans gather every Friday for coffee, conversation, laughter, and connection.

But there's more to Lonnie's story.

At just 17 years old, Lonnie enlisted in the U.S. Army, beginning a remarkable 42-year military career that would take him around the world. From top-secret intelligence work in Korea to service in Desert Storm and Iraq, Lonnie shares incredible stories of service, responsibility, adventure, and a little military mischief.

We learn why veterans tend toward off-color humor and insults as their language of friendship. And we discover on a personal note, that his wife Linda finally taught him it was okay to cry. So we cried.

We explore Fort Thomas's rich military history, the stories behind its historic buildings, and the Army Reserve unit that continues to serve right here in our community.

This episode is filled with laughter, fascinating history, heartfelt moments, and a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most meaningful things begin with a simple invitation for coffee.

As Todd describes it, it's "the group you didn't know you needed."

Join us for this conversation celebrating our veterans, the friendships that sustain and heal, and the power of community.

Veterans and friends are welcome to join their Friday gatherings at Fort Thomas Coffee 8:30-10am.

What happens when a kid steals his dad's phone, makes a mess in the hallway, and declares he's creating comic books? In Eli Seal's case, it becomes the beginning of a 9-book adventure!

Join us at Fort Thomas Coffee for a hilarious and heartwarming conversation with young comic book creator Eli Seal and his dad, Chris, the editor (whose proofreading skills Eli isn't afraid to question!).

Eli's imagination comes alive in comics filled with homemade characters, outrageous adventures, unexpected life lessons, interactive creativity and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

Behind the silly stories is something even better: a family that makes room for play, encourages big ideas, and isn't afraid to have a whole lot of fun along the way.

In this episode, we discover how Eli turns everyday play into published stories and how Chris helps bring his son's imagination to life without taking over the creative process.

Plus, we're treated to a live unboxing of Eli's newest comic, The Very Sus Big Game, and a special reveal from little sister Stella, who's becoming a published comic creator herself!

This conversation is a delightful reminder that you don't have to wait until you're grown up, have all the answers, or become an expert to create something worth sharing. Sometimes you just need an idea, someone who believes in you, and permission to play.

Expect laughter, a few fart jokes, plenty of father-son banter, and a whole lot of inspiration.

Listen in. You might just be inspired to create something of your own!

At just six years old, Philip Ryan was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. His parents were told there was no hope and that he would never return to first grade. But the Lord had a different plan.

Nearly 27 years later, Dr. Ryan is a husband, father, chiropractor, and now children's book author, sharing the very hope that carried him through his childhood.

Join Christine at Fort Thomas Coffee for an extraordinary conversation about faith, perseverance, a mother's determination, and the power of a community that rallies around one of its own. From five neurosurgeries and an unforgettable Make-A-Wish experience to an emotional reunion with a childhood classmate and the neurosurgeon who treated him, Philip's story comes full circle in ways you won't soon forget.

Today, through Ryan Chiropractic and Wellness in Fort Thomas and his newly published children's book, Philip is finding meaningful ways to pass that hope along to others.

It's a beautiful story of challenges being transformed into adventures, and the hope received becoming hope shared with others.

What does family legacy revival look like? In this live conversation at Fort Thomas Coffee, Hank and John Pogue share the story of Old Pogue—from a bustling distillery on the Ohio River in Maysville to the intimate family operation it is today.

Hank remembers growing up in Fort Thomas with a bourbon history that was present, but seldom on display. He and John explore how Prohibition changed the family’s future, including medicinal whiskey, a Covington rum distillery, and the family’s documented business with George Remus.

Come sit at the family table with this father and son duo and listen as they share the story of their lineage with deep respect and gratitude for all that went before and all who carry on. You'll be warmed by their heart for family, honor, and legacy.

In this episode:

• Growing up Pogue in Fort Thomas and rediscovering the family’s history
• The original Maysville distillery and its Prohibition years
• The family’s legal dealings with George Remus
• Why some relatives were hesitant to return to bourbon—and what changed their minds
• The family talents behind Old Pogue’s revival
• John’s path from geology in Oregon to distilling in Kentucky
• Historic recipes, treasured family artifacts, and a new whiskey born by accident

Visit Old Pogue in Maysville to learn more about the distillery and the family’s story.

In this episode, Shawn Hopper shares how a lifelong passion for solving problems has shaped both his corporate career and the creative projects he pursues on the side.

One of those projects is Gather Round, a social app designed to help people connect, laugh and enjoy meaningful time together. During this live recording at Fort Thomas Coffee, guests gathered around the table, enjoyed s’mores and became some of the first people to test the app.

The evening turned into a real-time look at innovation as Shawn listened to feedback, uncovered a few bugs and worked through solutions on the spot.

• How Shawn developed a passion for solving problems
• Lessons learned from solving challenges for major corporations
• Why he created the Gather Round app
• The process of turning an idea into a working product
• What happens when real users test an app for the first time
• Why connection, curiosity and experimentation matter

Gather Round is expected to launch in the months ahead. After cutting the mics, we learned even more about this jack of all trades. With three production ready golf innovations in the hopper, Shawn's passion projects might just become your next favorite solution.

What do Fort Thomas childhood adventures, 17 proprietary barrel profiles, a bourbon pioneer—and a whiskey that ran into trouble with the FDA—have in common?

They’re all part of the Buzzard’s Roost story.

We sat down with founder and Master Blender Jason Brauner and Fort Thomas native Ryan Hitch, National Sales Director for Buzzard’s Roost, for a conversation filled with bourbon history, hometown memories and a fascinating look inside the craft of whiskey making.

Hear how Jason went from opening his first restaurant at just 21 to becoming one of Louisville’s early bourbon champions—and eventually creating a whiskey brand known for doing things differently. He explains why as much as 70% of a whiskey’s flavor comes from the barrel, how Buzzard’s Roost uses 17 proprietary toast profiles, and why every detail of its double-oaked process is intentional.

Ryan shares how growing up in Fort Thomas prepared him for a career built on relationships, storytelling and community—and what it takes to help an independent Kentucky brand stand out among hundreds of whiskeys competing for space on the shelf.

You’ll also hear the remarkable story of Cigar Rye, the rare, cult-favorite whiskey that caught the attention of federal regulators—and why the remaining bottles will never be made in quite the same way again.

Pour a glass and join us for a conversation about tradition, innovation, community and the people building the next chapter of Kentucky bourbon.

Tate, University of Cincinnati graduate, shares how fear & expectations led him to try 3 different college majors (Business, History, Education) before surrendering to his given design, passion and gift for writing. Tate graduates with a degree in Writing from the University of Cincinnati today! His struggle is not uncommon, but his will to wrestle through it is unique! Tate not only found direction, but greater hope and larger vision for the future through surrender and trust in his Creator. Tate's very next step after graduation is a mission trip to serve others in Greece with partner churches. Tate's story involves a variety of connections, and this next journey will make that remarkably wide net global.

Tate sacrificed the security of a more confident paying career for purpose. You can support Tate as he embraces opportunities that will further develop his gift for writing and deepen his offering to us all. Venmo @Tate-thegreat

Many people see a problem, and some even figure out how to solve it—but tonight's guest is the rare one who actually does something about it.

It started with diamonds. After the University of Dayton, he spent five years running a jewelry store before launching United Diamond Brokers—operating on the belief that if you have the expertise, you should own the equity.

Then came real estate. In 1998, he founded United Property Group, specializing in high-stakes repositioning. He identified distressed apartments, office buildings, and shopping centers and engineered them into assets worth owning. Today, that mission has crossed an ocean—United Property Group Africa is now building affordable housing in Rwanda.

He's a Cincinnati Business Courier 40 Under 40 winner and is currently authoring the book, The 7 Million Dollar Lunch—which is either the ultimate business masterclass or the most expensive receipt in the history of Fort Thomas.

In 2025, he decided to get involved with the most traditional industry in Kentucky. He launched General Thomas Kentucky Bourbon—the world's first AI-powered spirits brand, with a patent pending QR code on every bottle that turns a drink into a personalized experience from a Civil War general.

He didn't just build a bourbon; he built a brand that literally talks back. Please enjoy my discussion with Dan Gorman.

A storyteller from a young age, Daniel Armstrong was the perfect community storyteller for our soundtrack. Especially while he has an animated film out on the BIG SCREEN and a series coming out on Angel Studios in October. What a journey he's been on! See Light of the World in theatres now and tune into Quokka's Wild Life this fall. Get to know the man with a passion for story. Our grateful storyteller...Daniel Armstrong.

Justin and Christine Smalley sit down with their Community Builders at a private party to share their story. Community Builders are those who have helped, literally, build FTC one brick at time. Their purchase of a brick on FTC's community wall supports ongoing and future projects to better support the mission of embracing community.