The James Protin Podcast

“All the Kings horses, and all the Kings men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

I’m sure you recognize that well-known nursery rhyme from your childhood but our guest this we experienced it in real life. 
While riding his motorcycle, he was the victim of a horrific hit and run accident that left him lying in the street broken and literally dead.

Rodney was brought back to life at the scene and literally put back together After being life flighted to a trauma unit in Pittsburgh.

But that’s only a part of Rodney‘s story.

Rodney has over 20 years of dog training experience. His love of dogs stems from early childhood when he got his first German Shepard growing up in a small farm town in Pennsylvania. 

But it was Sarge, a Black Shepard/ Lab mix he adopted in 2012, that led him to his dog training business.

Sarge had been abandoned and later taken to a kill shelter before he convinced Rodney to take him home. He did not know much to start but through hard work and dedication Sarge became well trained dog. After mastering all of his basic commands it was time to find Sarge a job so they assisted the State Police with missing person cases. 

Later Sarge was recertified and trained as a mobility service dog, then also trained and recertified as a Top Dog Therapy Dog.
Finally, in 2014, Rodney took the leap of faith and started Youngwood Top Dog Services.  Having both a police and military background he was excited to start and grow this new dog training business. He left his career in retail to open Youngwood Top Dog Services and now enjoys fulfilling his passion for dogs by getting to work with them every day.

And there’s more…

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

After a promising freshman season at Ringgold HS as a varsity starting quarterback and letterman, Will transferred to Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) to continue his athletic and academic career. 

Will is the first player in WPIAL history to serve as a quarterback at the high schools that produced both Dan Marino and Joe Montana.  

Will is an elite level talent who intends to play in college.  As an honors student, he has drawn interest from the US Naval Academy and several Ivy League schools so far.

Following his midyear transfer to Central Catholic, Will earned a spot on the Vikings' Freshman baseball team, being selected captain and starting every game in centerfield, where he had a perfect fielding rating on the season.  On the baseball side, he has played for the prestigious Pittsburgh Premiere travel baseball club in tournaments across the country, and for Charleroi American Legion, Ringgold Fall Varsity baseball, and several community teams.

He trains at 2/10ths Speed & Agility and competes at both QB Country and the Manning Passing Academy, receiving skill instruction from 2025 NFL first round picks Drake Maye and Bo Nix, and current college players, including WVU's Garrett Greene, and NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning. 

In the offseason, he's the signal caller for Nike PA Elite 7v7 football where he led his team to the national championship tournament in Dallas, Texas, and attends college prospect camps. Regarded as a natural and skilled leader, Will's positive influence is apparent on the field, in the classroom and in the community, as he has assisted coaching youth baseball for several years.

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

Brian Carothers is a 1998 Montour HS Graduate living in Moon Twp with his wife and 2 kids.

Ed Troup is a 1998 Belle Vernon HS Graduate living in Cecil Twp with his wife and 2 kids. 

The fellas met and graduated in 2002 with a Broadcasting degree from Point Park University. They hosted a weekly radio show together, Brian/Ed/Ed/Brian. They have been best friends since. Brian has been a full-time REALTOR for 14 years. Ed has been a full-time REALTOR with Brian, we are a team for 9 years now together.

Independently they are just a couple ultra cool Pittsburgh dads, but it’s when they come together that the magic happens. Like Batman and Robin, Martin and Lewis, and peanut butter and jelly this dynamic duo becomes oneBURGH!

Brian acquired oneBURGH in early 2023. He owns/runs it. Ed is the sports director since August 2023.

oneBURGH is Pittsburgh’s largest social media site with close to 500,000 followers.
Ed hosts weekly sports podcast, the Three Rivers Podcast, every Wednesday with local Pittsburgh sports guests. Brian is the co-host.
Brian also hosts a weekly podcast, PGH loves PGH, with local Pittsburgh guests. Ed is the co-host with him.

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

Ebtehal Badawi, an esteemed expressionist artist and dedicated culture explorer, embodies the transformative power of art. Her fervent belief in art as a potent healer and a bridge-builder has been a source of inspiration for many. Through the Pittsburgh Builds Bridges project, she has crafted art installations that not only unite the community but also promote love and acceptance.

Ebtehal's remarkable journey and her capacity to effect change are truly moving, ready to inspire anyone who encounters her story.

Ebtehal Badawi was born in Saudi, Arabia. Ebtehal now resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since she was in 5th grade, she always knew that she wanted to be an artist. However, she took a different path and got a bachelor’s degree in biology from King Abdul-Aziz University.

Following that, she earned a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Her career path also included working as a teacher assistant. Still, she always felt that something was missing. After taking an interest in art therapy, she took the required classes in Art and Psychology to pursue that specialty and it is still ongoing.

During her journey, she joined the Malian Art Institute and learned different techniques in painting. The first thing everyone notices about her art is that it is colorful and uplifting. Her art has a big influence on people. She designed a poster for anti-bullying and anti-racism which was posted in different schools in the Pittsburgh area. This was aimed to help kids understand the power of unity. She was also a part of different art shows in Pittsburgh.

Ebtehal is not just an artist but is a writer and a photographer as well. She enjoys going and spending time in nature and connecting with Mother Earth and writing about her experience. Her goal as an artist is to create art that would uplift peoples’ souls and connect with more artists to share the beauty and the magic of art.

Ebtehal Badawi is also a 2022 Pittsburgh TEDx speaker.

Pittsburgh Builds Bridges is a community outreach movement that encourages diversity, inclusion, and connection within the community using simple actions, the stroke of a paint brush, dialogue, and awareness.

Ebtehal created this movement because her son endured bullying as a young child. Unfortunately, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice, 20 percent of students ages 12-18 experience bullying. Due to this, she began teaching acceptance and love to youth and adults through painting across Pittsburgh.

Along with bullying, Ebtehal quickly realized that many children and adults felt like outsiders in their community because of their race, gender, language barrier, beliefs, etc. She decided that Pittsburgh Builds Bridges was not just a social movement for anti-bullying but was also about inclusion, diversity, acceptance, and cultivating community.

Pittsburgh Builds Bridges has curated events that have brought together over 4,000 children and adults to create murals that embody unison and harmony and discuss how to build bridges in their communities. These murals, dialogue, and awareness have taken place in all levels of grade schools from elementary to high schools, public and private.

Our guests for Episode 118 are three young student athletes from our region, Caleb Horner, Collin Moffett, and Anthony Bonari. They are members of the Team USA U16 Ball Hockey tram that is traveling to Slovakia in a few weeks to compete in the world championships.

Caleb and Collin are from Belle Vernon and in the 11th grade a Belle Vernon Area HS, while Anthony is from West Newton and attends Yough Area HS. These guys are no strangers to winning. 

In addition to last year‘s bronze medal, All three play other “mainstream“ sports. Caleb has been a member of the BVA football team that won back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships, Collin is a member of the Ringgold PIHL ice hockey championship team. Anthony is also a standout on the ice. 

You may know the sport as street or dek hockey. By whatever name, its popularity is growing around the world. All three our guests were members of the 2023 team that brought home a Bronze Medal from the Czech Republic.

The 2024 edition of Team USA, led by Head Coach Willie Rennebeck and General Manager Ryan Shannon, will compete for the 2024 U16 World Junior Men's Ball Hockey Championships July 4-7 at Niké Arena in Žilina, Slovakia.

The International Street & Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF) is the global governing body of Street & Ball Hockey.  Headquartered and registered in Prague, Czech Republic as a non-profit organization. The organization has 55 national associations from around the eorkd as members. 

Ball Hockey is a team sport and a close variation of the popular sport of ice hockey. With origins and rules tightly connected to ice hockey, the major differences are that the game is played on foot and a solid surface, most often sport-court or concrete, and a specifically designed orange ball is used instead of a puck.

All ISBHF official events are held in full sized hockey arenas. Check out this interesting conversation with three of our own young men who are representing our country and competing on a global stage. 

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform. 

#JamesProtinPodcast #thepersoninthechair #TeamUSA #ISBHF #LiveLoveLearnPrayInspire

Our guest for Episode 117 is Jaime Chesney. 

Jaime has excelled in a variety of roles in her professional life, including Vice President of Sales and Digital Marketing, New Business Development Director, Sales Director, Executive Advertising Consultant, Account Executive, Digital Media Specialist, Keynote Speaker, and Inside Sales Trainer. 

Her expertise spans industries such as advertising, marketing, real estate, education, and automotive.

Drawing from her diverse background, Jaime has honed her ability to adapt creatively and resourcefully to her clients' ever-evolving needs. Her client-centric approach is deeply rooted in the unwavering principles of integrity and professionalism she upholds in her own life. Consequently, her clients are consistently impressed by her exceptional dedication to providing top-tier representation.

Jaime is eagerly engaged in a mission to revamp the Pittsburgh real estate market by promoting the integration of environmentally sustainable materials, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation. Serving as a Real Estate advisor for both home buyers and sellers, Jaime seeks to demonstrate that luxury services can and should be built on a foundation of ethical principles.

Beyond her commitment to the Pittsburgh real estate landscape, Jaime is a dedicated martial artist with a journey that commenced in 1996 with Muay Thai Kickboxing and Boxing. Through relentless determination, she achieved the title of International Muay Thai champion in 2000, in addition to other regional championships. 

Jaime also holds the prestigious position of an Official Judge with the Pennsylvania and West Virginia State Athletic Commissions.
In 2016, she launched the Kicks4kids program, a complimentary martial arts initiative focused on fitness, self-defense, empowerment, and life skills. Jaime’s latest endeavor is a nonprofit dedicated to stopping human trafficking, rape, and child abuse. 

More can be learned at roadtoheal.org

Because our guest for Episode 116, Sydnee Bagovich has a number of interests and roles, she operates under the title “Connector for Good.” 

All of her roles do just that:

As an account manager for Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Bank), she connects with people to host and support blood drives.

As the co-founder of People Connectors, she connects good people for good events in cool spaces. All events include a community component, highlighting local non-profit agencies.

As a 30-year addict to Jazzercise and 10 years as an instructor, she connects people for fun, energy etic workouts.

As an independent consultant for Scout & Cellar, she educates people about and connects them to good, clean-crafted wines and coffees. 
 
Sydnee is ever hopeful, optimistic, and spiritual. She starts each day with: “How may I serve?” and “Let me be an inspiration to others.”

She has worked in accounting, for an ad agency, management roles in a direct-mail media company, marketing manager for a start-up building efficiency company, marketing roles in the healthcare industry, agent and advisor in the insurance/financial industry, and executive director for a chamber of commerce. Her entrepreneurial ventures include leading a team selling wine with a cause and starting two businesses: The Grammar Nerd and Whirlwind Events. 

English was always her favorite subject in school. It seemed fitting that she and her husband bought their home from her fourth-grade English teacher, her first real influencer and the early makings of The Grammar Nerd venture.

She is high adventure when it comes to eating. She will try anything but will not eat any kind of melon or cucumber. She loves wine – red, white, pink, port, and bubbles. When she’s at the computer, there is always a candle burning and music playing.

She is one of three sisters, with a brother and sister who left this world far too young. Her mom is her best friend, biggest fan, and every morning sends Syd a GIF message to start her day. 

Some of her proudest accomplishments are getting her MBA from Katz Graduate School of Business at Pitt, learning to drive a stick at age 29, and learning to play the drums in the last two years – all with the suggestion, help, and support of her husband, Buddy.

Sydnee is right at home with all of her worlds coming together, beautifully feeding her soul and making her heart sing. She’s glad to have so many good people with her on this journey.

And that’s not all my friends. You’ll have to tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story.
As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen in on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. 

#JamesProtinPodcast #PeopleConnectors #SydneeStyle #ThePersonintheChair #TrueStory #LiveLoveLearnPrayInspire

Individually, our guests for Episode 115 of the Podcast are Shawn Leopardi, President of Core3 Group, and Antonino Febbraro, President of Febbraro Media Company. 

Together, they are the hosts of the Boss Juice Podcast. Join us as we discuss all things podcasting, marketing, and entrepreneurship. 

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen in on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. 

#JamesProtinPodcast #BossJuice #marketing #branding #communication #ThePersonintheChair #LiveLoveLearnPrayInspire #TrueStory

Our guest for Episode 114, Lorenzo Altobelli believes that the impact we make on others shapes our legacy. As the owner and barber at LA Fades in North Belle Vernon, Lorenzo is dedicated to giving back to his community. 

His mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives, one haircut at a time.

Lorenzo believes a barber can change lives by providing more than just a haircut. They often serve as confidants, listeners, and mentors, offering a safe space for clients to express themselves and receive guidance. 

By building relationships and offering support, Lorenzo positively impacts mental health and overall well-being of his customers. 

Additionally, through community involvement and initiatives like free haircuts for those in need, barbers can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen in on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.

Our guest for Episode 113 of the podcast is Virginia Monaghan. Virginia is a Mon Valley kid, born to a loving Italian-American family in Donora, Pennsylvania. 

She graduated for Donora High School in 1964 and went on to California State Teachers College with a Bachelors Degree in secondary education in 1968. Then this Mon Valley kid set off on a more than 30 year career teaching a couple generations of Mon Valley kids at Monessen (PA) High School. 

It was at California State Teachers College, where she was the Sigma Tau Gamma White Rose Queen and Miss Torch for the Mon Valley United Way, that she caught the eye of her husband. They were  married in 1968 and remained so for 46 years until his unexpected passing in 2014.
 
Virginia loved teaching English and Public Speaking at Monessen High School. During her career, she sponsored the newspaper, performing arts group and the broadcasting club. She received three "Great Ideas" grants and was listed in "Who's Who in America's Teachers."
 
Virginia has one daughter, Melanie, a cohost for a Pittsburgh radio morning show and two granddaughters; Quinn, a freshman at Penn State (main) and Brecklynn an eighth-grader in the Belle Vernon Area School District. 
 
She didn’t rest on the laurels of her distinguished career. After her husband's untimely death, I started a Foundation, a (501(c)3) nonprofit to keep his legacy alive. The foundation helps underprivileged children and has been extremely successful.

Virginia has written one children's book and is working on two more. She lives the mantra…you’re never too old and it’s never too late. In her spare time, this amazing woman enjoy ls walking, reading poetry, gardening and movies. 

This was a delightful conversation with a dedicated educator, wife, mother, and grandmother who has walks in faith and and continues to give back to her beloved Mon Valley community. 

As always, the visually inclined can catch it on YouTube, or listen in on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.