The Sydcast

I’m sitting down with one of New Hampshire’s most distinguished educators: Bill Hammond. He’s worked in the Hanover-Norwich school system for 36 years as a principal and teacher. He has taught thousands of students in multiple academic disciplines, and I bet a crazy number of these alumni remember Bill to this day. That’s impact, and that’s why I wanted to bring Bill’s story to The Sydcast listening community around the world. And what a story it is – growing up with 11 siblings, crafting a life of learning, and doing it in some of the most innovative ways you could think of. Bill is a master teacher, and nothing less. In this episode, Bill shares his take on growing up, growing smart, and learning to grow at your own pace in an era where the pressures on youth have never been greater.

Grace Kelly is about as talented as they come. Whether it was performing live at President Obama’s inauguration, or playing an original composition with the Boston Pops as a teen, this young saxophonist, singer and songwriter has that something special that makes people stand up and take notice. Her improvisational style permeates both her life, and her style of play. While still only 27, Grace has already played with many of the most famous names in jazz, had a regular gig with Stephen Colbert's band on The Late Show, and has released more than 10 albums herself, including the latest, Go Time: Live in LA. In this episode of The Sydcast, we ask this child prodigy become compelling talent about her music, her career, and her life. And yes, she does a little improv for us too!

Have you heard of Lord of the Rings? And, of course, the character Golem? Or maybe you’ve seen Mulan – one of Disney’s feature productions. Did you ever think about who brought those characters to life via animation and computer graphics? My guest this week might be able to help – because she’s the one who did the work! An accomplished animator, teacher, artist, and even ex-Wall Street banker, Patricia Hannaway’s work has spanned numerous fields. As with so many people I’m fortunate enough to talk to on the podcast, Patricia comes to us in multi-color and multi-dimension. The personal and the professional always meld together in defining ways, often leading us to unexpected experiences. For Patricia, that means engaging with people as diverse as Andy Warhol, Steve Jobs, and Barack Obama. Patricia Hannaway is the perfect dinner-party guest and, as you’re about to hear, the perfect podcast guest. Clip on your ear pods and come join us.

Cartoonist, entrepreneur, school director, artist, designer – all of these describe Michelle Ollie. As the co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont, Michelle has fashioned a cutting-edge and unique MFA program for students to create art inspired stories. She has been the president of the Vermont Higher Education Council, and is a compelling role model as both a female entrepreneur and leader. Listen to Michelle’s story as she developed an ironclad work ethic from a very young age, overcame sexism, and crafted a career of twists and turns - with Michelle in the driver’s seat.

Tim is cool. At least, if you think it’s cool to fly fighter jets in covert operations, head security for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and become a computer science professor working on big tech challenges. Meet Tim Pierson.

Tim Pierson is interesting: Air force Officer, Special Ops, Metropolitan Museum of Art, management consultant at McKinsey, hedge fund manager, and computer scientist. Tim’s done – and is doing – all of these things. Oh, and he has an MBA and Ph.D. too. The Sydcast is all about telling a story, and that’s what we do with Tim, from a kid in rural Michigan who’s the first in his family to go to college all the way to becoming a professor at an Ivy League university conducting research on how technology is infiltrating every aspect of our lives. Listen in as we talk about all this, plus what’s wrong with self-driving cars and how technology might affect how our brains even function in the future.

NFL lineman to social worker to musician to tattoo artist. Meet Brian Barthelmes, a most unusual man.

After a career in the NFL snapping the ball to Tom Brady, what is the next logical step in life? Brian Barthelmes can’t tell you, but he can tell you about his time as a social worker, musician, and prominent tattoo artist. Brian is an ideal example of someone who has not only crafted a career, but a life. He was able to walk away from what would be a dream job for most people as a professional athlete to find fulfillment in the things he truly cares about. Listen in as Brian engages in a master-class of being yourself, with a cameo discussion about New England Patriots legendary head coach Bill Belichick and a concert from a little old ukulele sitting around The Sydcast studio.

Every now and then you come across someone who is the archetypical SydCast guest - mostly known only to friends, exciting aspirations, multiple careers, big opinions, no excuses. Meet Marissa Smith. 

I’ve known Marisa Smith for a long time, but only recently did we sit down to really talk. On The Sydcast. In fact, one of my favorite things about Marissa is that she is outspoken in, well, how to be outspoken. She’s a playwright and a book publisher, a Mom and a Grand Mom, and an activist and a thinker. And she’s a wonderful story teller, with her best story being her own. Marisa has some fascinating thoughts to share on love and relationships (she’s honest), on political correctness (she hates it), and on what it’s like to transition careers, make things happen, and live a creative life in every sense of the term (she’s doing it).

Everyone says that they’d love to open a restaurant, but how many actually do it? How many can actually do it? Meet Nigel Leeming, the man who's opened 37 restaurants, and counting. 

Murphy’s, the pub, restaurant, and destination in Hanover, NH, is one of those places that just has to be in a college town. But why? In this episode, we talk to Nigel Leeming, the entrepreneur who put the place on the map. Turns out, however, that Nigel is not a one-trick pony. A serial restaurant entrepreneur (opened 37; owned 13), his real passion is the business of talent, an industry he’s been involved in for years. Listen in as we talk about these pursuits, as well as why bartenders are so important, what to do with millennials, and even the meaning of happiness.

Carol Dunne is the embodiment of a leader - revitalizing two moribund theaters into central focal points of their respective communities, championing women in theatre leadership, and showing lots of people what can be done when you really want it. 

I can’t act, and I can’t sing, but Carol Dunne sure can. She can also resurrect failing regional theatre troupes, manage two organizations at the same time, and recruit and mentor leaders who happen to be women in the artistic world. I learned a lot from talking to Carol, who is honest, sharp, and engaging. Listen as we talk about her life, how she got into music and theatre in the first place, how she’s dealt with enormous challenges and some failures, and what it means to be a leader in a creative industry.

For anyone who ever dreamed of playing professional sports, for the New York Yankees no less, Jim has a story to tell. Meet Jim Beattie, baseball lifer who's done it all - from pitching, to running minor league systems, to scouting, to even being general manager of two major league teams. 

You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate Jim Beattie. True, he did pitch a complete game victory in the World Series for the 1978 Yankees. And he was the general manager of the Montreal Expos for six years, and a baseball scout far longer than that. But he also graduated from Dartmouth College, earned an MBA in Washington years later, and perhaps unsurprisingly has a keen eye for talent and dealing with pressure. We talk about all these things, as well as family, intuition and analytics, college athletics, and why he traded Pedro Martinez from the Expos to the Boston Red Sox, a trade that changed 100 years of Boston baseball history.