Chris Olszewski is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, podcast host and video game developer. He has been the lead singer and one half of the writing duo of Balloon Ride Fantasy for the past 15 years as well as my partner in crime hosting this podcast. It has been on my list for a while now to interview my dear cohost Chris since we started this podcast, so listeners can have a chance to get to know the man behind the mic! In this episode, we discuss everything from life & death, to marriage & babies, to the nitty gritty of music making and being in a band. Please enjoy Chris O. (and our first episode in almost a year)!

Donny Donovan is the owner and founder of Free Will Health and Wellness, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in personal training, muscle activation, gender affirming fitness, health coaching, and exercise programming. Donny is a member of the LGBTQIA+ trans community and presented at the 2022 TransPride Pittsburgh Health and Wellness Conference on “Gender affirming and inclusive personal training.” Recently, Donny won 2nd place for Best Personal Trainer for the Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best of PGH Reader’s Poll AND was honored by Pittsburgh Magazine for this year’s 40 under 40 list.  In addition to his personal training and community activism, Donny is also a songwriter and musician.  He’s currently the lead singer and guitarist for the emo grunge indie pop band LEVI.

Mike Mihm is an actor and producer who has appeared in such films as Unsane, Bunker, The Taking of Pelham 123, The Box Cutter and The Old Maid and such shows as The Blacklist.  Most recently, he appeared in a commercial starring Tom Brady for Fox, which airs during NFL 2024-25 season games.  Aside from acting, Mike works as a carpenter and welder for film and tv sets. In this episode, we get a taste for his infectious positive outlook and professionalism, which all started with his Pittsburgh roots. He shares many fun stories from his acting experiences, such as trying not to hit director Steven Soderbergh with a cop car on set and also working with late director Tony Scott.  Lastly, we end with a film-related game.  Please enjoy learning about the life and times of Mike Mihm, aka Mister Yinz.

Chris and Bethany chat on a weekend summer morning from their respective homes. Topics broached include but are not limited to: hair-sparagus, being inspired by our guests, ideas for future episodes, our backlog of guest videos, Chris's new original video game, pets dying, intrastate flights, Bethany's new airport friend, girls juggling phone scrolling and movie viewing, and an insane movie Bethany recently saw. If you want to make this episode a drinking game, you can drink every time Bethany says the word "anyway" (you will be drunk).

In this interview, Chris couldn’t make it, so it’s a one-on-one chat between Bethany and our guest, Jacquea Mae, vocalist for the band NASH.V.ILL. Jacquea is much more than a singer--she is a presence.  When she performs, yes you hear her big, gorgeous voice, but you also experience her strong and beautiful aura.  Outside of music, she works as a teaching artist, playwright, poet, spoken word artist, actress, business owner, event creator, coordinator, host and community activist.  In this conversation, Jacquea shares about growing up in the Wilkinsburg neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the experiences that shaped who she is, finding her voice as an artist and finding her role in one of the most active, versatile and fun bands in Pittsburgh.  This is a deep and thoughtful conversation that gives a glimpse into the kind heart behind Jacquea’s powerful voice.

David Rullo is an award winning journalist and senior writer at the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.  His work has appeared in national and international newspapers, magazines and literary journals.  He has spent the better part of five decades exploring and contributing to the city’s art and literary scene.  In this interview, we discuss Rullo's recent book published by Arcadia Press called “Gen X Pittsburgh:  The Beehive and the 90s Scene.”  The Beehive was Pittsburgh’s first true coffeehouse which became a hub for the city’s arts and music scene in the 90s.  We reminisce on our respective colorful experiences there and Rullo shares with us about his research and the interviews that went into writing his new book.  We also learn about his background and advice for aspiring writers.  Please enjoy this coffee talk with Pittsburgh’s most buzzworthy writer of the year.

Cheryl is an artist living in Pittsburgh, who has carved out a name for herself by focusing on several niche art forms:  puppet making, and dryer lint sculptures.  However, her artistic endeavors go well beyond the scope of creating tangible artwork, as she is also an art teacher by day and leads several events in the city that center around her very fun and colorful puppetry.  We talk about how Cheryl got started, her influences, family life, challenges and lessons, as well as lots of laughing about her various fun stories, like the time she was on the Ellen show.  Her reflections on art, the creative process and the connections between us all were beautiful and thought-provoking.  We laughed for a lot of this interview, and we hope you enjoy Cheryl’s infectious and positive energy as much as we did. 

Byron Nash is a prolific musician, songwriter, and performer, playing guitar in the Pittsburgh-based rock/funk/R&B band NASH.V.ILL, as well as other projects including his own solo work.  He also serves as the Events Coordinator at the Andy Warhol Museum and as a fitness trainer for his own company called Duya Wellness.  Byron has had an exciting career of evolution–from working in the bar & restaurant service industry for many years, to interviewing bands for the Rock N Roll Reporter, at one point auditioning for Limp Bizkit, creating & marketing new beers, playing countless live shows in all types of settings, and then finding his way to one of the best art museums in the world–while leading what is arguably the most active live band in the Pittsburgh music scene.  We loved learning about Byron’s growth as an artist and businessman, and we hope his dedication and work ethic rubbed off on us! 

Gordon Berkstresser is a retired accountant and former U.S. Army Lieutenant.  He has lived in a handful of different places and worked in various capacities, notably as a platoon leader in the Vietnam War, an auditor for U.S. Steel, and Aristech, VP & Controller for RMI Titanium, a professor at Robert Morris University, and later as the CFO of Lifenet Health, where he worked for the last 14 years of his career.  Gordon shares some very personal stories and we sure did learn a lot.  Our conversation takes us from the icy steps of Level Green, PA, to the frat houses at Kent State, the wartime jungles of Southeast Asia, the shores of Lake Huron, the skyscrapers of Pittsburgh and the organ & tissue donation freezers of Virginia Beach.  And then there’s the awkwardly comedic exchange about ducks that Bethany is still shaking her head about.  Lastly, Gordon fielded some great listener questions about his experiences in the war. Buckle up for this riveting ride!

This episode's "fact check" is available at yinzworldpodcast.com  If you like our show, please rate and review on your listening platform!  Or drop us a line at [email protected] or on the socials @yinzworld.

Kathryn Heidemann is the President + CEO of the Cleveland Institute of Art, an arts & design college in our neighboring state to the west.  Kathryn has been working in the arts & culture administration sector for 25 years, having spent nearly 2 decades of her career in Pittsburgh.  She also plays a mean bass guitar and sings AT THE SAME TIME.  You may know her from such bands as Rockit Girl, Blindsider, The Victors!, and most recently, Garter Shake.  She is a powerhouse of a woman and in this interview we talk about her upbringing living abroad in Australia, Venezuela and Germany, as well as her time in Michigan, Chicago and Pittsburgh.  We marvel at Kathryn’s rare-but-refreshing simultaneous affinity for both Pittsburgh AND Cleveland.

This episode's "fact check" is available at yinzworldpodcast.com  If you like our show, please rate and review on your listening platform!  Connect at [email protected] or instagram @yinzworld.