Rob Rossi isn’t just a developer - he’s a straight-up architect of identity on the Central Coast. In Part One of this two-part interview, Adam sits down in the Timbre LoBro Studios with the man behind some of San Luis Obispo’s most iconic buildings, boldest bets, and most emotional preservation projects.

From buying a trashed frat house out of college to rescuing original Disneyland train cars... from shaping downtown SLO to reviving the world’s first motel - this is a rare, real conversation with one of the most quietly influential people this area might have ever seen.

And you better believe we’re just getting started.

He talks about the $5,000 loan that launched it all, what it was like to bring four original Disneyland coaches to Santa Margarita Ranch, and what the real vision is for places like the Motel Inn and Avila Golf Resort, and a LOT more.

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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
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CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

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Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

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Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What does it take to step into the spotlight of a legacy brand while holding a toddler’s hand and carrying new life inside you? In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Meghan Burkhardt, the new publisher of SLO Life Magazine, for a conversation about bold pivots, personal purpose, and the stories that make this Central Coast community so rich.

Meghan shares the moment she knew she had to own the magazine, what keeps her up at night (besides a toddler), and how she is redefining what makes a story cover-worthy. You will also hear the hilarious behind-the-scenes tale of the time Adam pitched himself to the old publisher to get on the cover. Yes, that happened. And how the new energy Meghan is bringing might just change the game for local storytelling.

This is a conversation about vision, reinvention, and what happens when someone says, “I’ll do it. I’ll be the one.” Whether you are a local, a creative, a parent, or someone just waiting for a sign to go for it, this one is for you.



Connect with Meghan and SLO Life Magazine:

• SLO Life Magazine Website

• Instagram @slolifemagazine

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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

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CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

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ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

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Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

On this True Crime Tuesday, Adam sits down with Zoe Rosenberg, an animal rights activist from San Luis Obispo who’s no stranger to headlines. From being tackled on an NBA court to getting arrested at Cal Poly at just 15, Zoe’s activism has been bold, controversial, and now convicted.

In her first exclusive local interview, Zoe talks about the felony charges she just caught for taking chickens from a Petaluma poultry facility. She calls it a rescue. Prosecutors called it theft. Either way, the jury found her guilty. But Zoe doesn’t flinch, not even when Adam asks her straight up, “Do you think people should have the right to eat meat?” Her answer: “I don’t.”

No matter where you stand, this is a fair and honest conversation. Zoe answers every question, and Adam doesn’t hold back. They talk about DxE’s tactics, the blurred lines between civil disobedience and criminal conduct, and the real-life consequences of activism taken to the edge.

Hit play. You’re not going to want to miss this one.

• Zoe Rosenberg's sanctuary: Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary

• Follow Zoe on Instagram: @zoe.rosenberg

• Learn more about Direct Action Everywhere: directactioneverywhere.com



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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

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CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

Today on Up+Adam, we’re joined by powerhouse actress and author Marianne Leone. You may know her as Joanne Moltisanti on The Sopranos, or from working with legendary directors like Martin Scorsese, John Sayles, and Nancy Savoca. But today, she’s with us as the author of one of the most irreverent, heartfelt, and hilarious novels to come my way in a long time.

In this episode, Marianne opens up about her new book, Christina the Astonishing, a coming-of-age tale set in 1960s Boston where sainthood, sarcasm, immigrant grit, and Catholic guilt all collide. It’s fiction, yes, but it’s rooted in real truth, real grief, and real girlhood. Adam and Marianne go deep on what it means to write through pain, the sacred power of humor, and why rebellion can be holy when it comes from the heart.

This one’s for the readers and the rebels, the mothers and the misfits, and for anyone who’s ever tried to be “good” in a world that made them feel wrong.

• Get Christina the Astonishing: Buy on Amazon

• Read Marianne’s memoir Knowing Jesse: Buy on Amazon

• Visit Marianne Leone’s website: marianneleonecooper.com

• Follow her on Instagram: @strega54

• Learn more about the Jesse Cooper Foundation: jessecooperfoundation.org



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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

On this Halloween episode of Up+Adam, Amy Hargreaves and Landry Bender drop in with a thriller built for tonight. Self-Help follows a young woman who goes undercover inside a self-actualization community to pull her mother away from its dangerously charismatic leader. We talk about power, persuasion, and the thin line between guidance and gaslighting. Amy and Landry open up about the scenes that rattled them, what they protected as co-creators, and why this story sticks to you on the ride home. Self-Help is only in theaters today, October 31, 2025.

• Official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMADDlO0Utg

• Showtimes and tickets: https://www.fandango.com/self-help-2025-242828/movie-overview

• Rotten Tomatoes page: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/self_help

• Amy Hargreaves on Instagram

• Landry Bender on Instagram

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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What does it mean to tell a powerful story with no words? In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Theresa Slobodnik and Blair London, the powerhouse duo behind Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo (BT-SLO). Theresa, a lifelong choreographer and artistic director, and Blair, a retired engineering professor turned ballet teacher, are proving that ballet isn't just an art form. It’s a soulful, emotional experience that can move audiences of all ages.

From honoring mentors and pushing creative boundaries to empowering dancers young and old, Theresa and Blair open up about how their studio and performances create connection, beauty, and real human moments. Whether you're a ballet lover or a total newcomer, this episode will have you seeing dance in a whole new light.

Catch BT-SLO’s Upcoming 2026 Season

All shows take place at the BlackBox Theatre at Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo

• Feb 21 and 22 – Romantic Moments

• Mar 14 and 15 – Youth Showcase: La Boutique Fantasque and The Joy of Musical Theatre

• May 23 and 24 – Gems of the Classics

• Oct 10 and 11 – Autumn Dances

• Dec 12 and 13 – Holiday Delights

To learn more, get tickets, or sign up for a class, visit

• bt-slo.org

• 3566 S Higuera St #207, San Luis Obispo

• 805-440-1439

• [email protected]

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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel welcomes Karla Langner, owner of Central Coast Bride and the creative powerhouse behind the San Luis Obispo Fall Wedding Expo. Whether you're newly engaged or just deep in the Pinterest-scroll phase, this conversation is your permission slip to breathe. Karla breaks down why this isn't just a wedding expo. It’s an experience.

From VIP swag bags to signature cocktails, from meeting the region’s top florists and DJs to scoring exclusive deals you won’t find anywhere else, this event brings all your “big day” dreams under one roof. Karla shares how this year’s expo on Sunday, November 2 at the Madonna Expo Center is shaping up to be their most curated, inspiring, and helpful yet.

We talk trends, tips, and the real secret to planning a wedding without losing your mind (or your bank account). It’s wedding planning made simple and stylish.

• Get tickets and info:

https://centralcoastbride.com/san-luis-obispo-fall-wedding-expo/

Use promo code MONTIEL at checkout to get 25% off your tickets.

• Follow Central Coast Bride:

Instagram: @centralcoastbride

Facebook: Central Coast Bride

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• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

Life Elements

City of SLO

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

In this episode of Up+Adam, we welcome award-winning author and cultural historian Jeff Chang for a powerful conversation about his upcoming book, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America.

This isn’t just about Bruce Lee the legend, it’s about the human behind the icon. The immigrant. The artist. The man navigating masculinity, identity, and expectation in a world that demanded he be a symbol before he could even be himself. Drawing from never-before-seen letters, intimate interviews, and rare archives, Jeff’s new book paints a bold, deeply emotional portrait of Bruce Lee, and the rise of Asian America alongside him.

Adam and Jeff talk about what Bruce Lee still teaches us about power, softness, representation, and why his legacy feels even more relevant today than it did in 1973. If you’ve ever felt the tension between who you are and what the world wants you to be, this conversation’s for you.



• Get the book: Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America (HarperCollins)

• Follow Jeff on Instagram: @zentronix

• Learn more about Jeff’s work: https://www.jeffchang.net

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Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conference

• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

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Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What do you get when you think you're interviewing Lin-Manuel Miranda… but instead end up with the scholar who might know him even better?

In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Daniel Pollack-Pelzner - New Yorker contributor, Shakespeare scholar, and author of Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist. Daniel spent years talking with over 150 people from Lin’s world, his family, mentors, collaborators, and Lin himself - to unpack how a sweet, curious kid from Washington Heights became the most transformative voice in modern musical theater.

This conversation isn’t just about Lin, it’s about genius as a slow build, creativity as collaboration, and what it really takes to find your artistic voice. Whether you're a theater geek, a Miranda superfan, or just someone trying to turn inspiration into something real, this one hits deep.



Check out Daniel’s book, available now:

• Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist - Buy it on Bookshop.org

Follow Daniel:

• Twitter/X: @dpppollack

• Instagram: @danielpollackpelzner

• More about Daniel’s work: danielpollackpelzner.com

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Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conference

• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

What do you get when you combine aerospace engineering with live comedy? You get Dane Larkin. As Director and founding board member of the Central Coast Comedy Theater, Dane is helping to shape a community where laughter isn’t just entertainment, it’s healing. From designing rocket thrust-vectoring systems in college to now teaching improv two nights a week, Dane brings left-brain brilliance and right-brain heart to the local arts scene.

In this special Artober edition of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel dives deep with Dane about how the Theater is using comedy to support mental health, what it takes to build a nonprofit from the ground up, and yes, we even get into his Cal Poly engineering days for a surprising, nerdy, and fun moment.

• Learn more about Central Coast Comedy Theater: https://centralcoastcomedytheater.com

• Support or donate to the nonprofit: https://centralcoastcomedytheater.com/support-us

• Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centralcoastcomedytheater

• Explore Artober with the City of SLO: https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/parks-and-recreation/artober



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Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conference

• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

********

CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com