Conversations with Rich Bennett

Can people see the person behind your business? Julia Capallo joins Conversations with Rich Bennett to explore how authentic storytelling, thoughtful graphic design, and community connections help small businesses communicate who they are.

Julia is the founder of A Marvelous Spark, a Bel Air, Maryland creative services business, and a local Macaroni KID publisher. After a decade teaching art, she took an unexpected path into entrepreneurship, combining her design background, writing skills, and love of education.

In this candid conversation, Rich and Julia discuss:

What if the stories you are afraid to tell could help someone else feel less alone? Author Mia Godfrey shares how faith, generosity, and her sister’s love helped her face childhood trauma, addiction, and devastating loss.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Mia discusses Buried, Not Broken, her memoir about growing up in communist Romania, immigrating to the United States, and finding the courage to tell the truth about her past. At the heart of her story is Mona, the sister whose wisdom and encouragement continue to shape Mia’s life.

You’ll hea...

Are you holding yourself back without realizing it? A round of random questions with Mark Stern becomes an honest conversation about self-respect, life balance, and the possibilities we dismiss before we ever try.

Mark, who leads Custom Box Agency and hosts Dash Talks Live, returns to Conversations with Rich Bennett for a different kind of interview. Instead of following one subject, Rich and Mark let unexpected questions guide them through personal growth, entrepreneurship, relationships, and a few entertaining what-ifs.

Mark reflects on the wake-up call that led him to rethink his health and priorities. He...

What happens when a child’s quiet creativity gets the attention it deserves? Children’s author and illustrator Piper Thomas joins Rich Bennett to explore why reading a child’s story can help them feel heard, valued, and ready to keep creating.

Picking up a conversation that began at the Book Fair at Bel Air, Piper shares the inspiration behind The Littlest Library and its hands-on activity that helps readers make their own tiny books. She also discusses Black Bug Soup: A Tale of a Frog With Allergies and What If a Book Were a Balloon.

Alon...

What does it mean to carry a child’s memory forward while helping protect other families? Patrice Bullock shares how losing her 16-year-old son Bailey to sudden cardiac arrest led to a mission rooted in love, preparedness, and hope.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Patrice, a nurse practitioner, mental health nurse practitioner, author, and founder of Bailey’s Heart and Soul Foundation, remembers the young athlete behind that mission. She discusses CPR and AED training, free youth heart screenings, and the importance of preparing communities for cardiac emergencies.

Patrice also opens up abou...

How do you find joy again when the life you knew changes forever? For Kym Coco, golf became a way to explore new possibilities after losing her husband, Stephen “Steve” Thompson.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, author, performance coach, and yoga teacher Kym shares the story behind her ongoing 100-course golf adventure. Traveling in a Sprinter van, she discovered opportunities for connection, presence, and personal growth while learning to navigate grief on her own terms.

Kym also discusses Miracle on the Mountainside, her book about Steve’s extraordinary life, and The Flexible Golfer...

What makes a podcast conversation memorable, and how do you know it truly mattered? Richard Wilmore joins Rich Bennett to explore podcast storytelling, guest preparation, and the connections that give creative work lasting purpose.

Richard is a talk show host, podcast producer, and founder of Make Your Day Richer, where he helps people identify meaningful stories and connect with podcast opportunities. Inspired by The Rosie O’Donnell Show, he brings a passion for making guests feel comfortable, valued, and excited to share their work.

In this candid conversation, Rich and Richard discuss:

What happens when a ministry takes its mission out of a building and brings hope directly to the community? For Michele Love and Steven Hofmeister, it means an RV filled with prayer, practical support, and opportunities to connect.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, author and evangelist Michele Love and associate pastor Steven Hofmeister share the story behind Voice of Truth Center’s Hope on Wheels. Their mobile ministry brings Christian fellowship, food, toiletries, and prayer to people where they are.

The conversation also gets personal as Rich shares why he considered stepping aw...

What changes when you finally tell someone what you have been carrying? Emily Adolph shares how opening up to her family, especially her grandmother, helped her begin releasing years of shame and feel less alone.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Emily discusses her experience with suicidal thoughts, the courage it takes to speak honestly, and the importance of having someone willing to listen.

A photographer, Reiki master, and creator of Infinite Heart Productions, Emily brings together The Soul Lift and Studio 7 Photography through her passion for creativity, personal connection, and community.

What happens when a love of books becomes a mission to help an entire community? Samantha Heil shares how Book Fair at Bel Air is creating opportunities for readers and authors to connect, belong, and grow.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, the career educator, literacy expert, and author explains how a conversation at Panera Bread inspired a literary event that welcomed more than 2,400 attendees in 2026. Now, she is building year-round programming that reaches beyond the fair.

Samantha discusses affordable workshops, community-led book clubs, outreach to assisted living residents, and plans to help...

What does it take to leave a career you love and build something new? For Tim Markland, moving from the classroom into real estate meant carrying his commitment to teaching, relationships and service into a different kind of work.

Tim joins Rich Bennett to share how he and his father began The Markland Advantage, what they learned from their early house flips, and how the Bel Air real estate team grew to include Tim’s wife, Amy. They talk about the decisions buyers and sellers face in a changing Harford County market, why trust matters long after a...

What does it take to protect a community from rabies before an animal ever reaches your backyard? In Harford County, part of the answer is a new pilot program that will place 15,000 oral rabies vaccine baits where raccoons are likely to find them.

Rich visits the Harford County Health Department to talk with Hannah Lux, Bonnie Harbin, and Ronya Nassar about the work behind the program and what residents need to know. Hannah and Bonnie explain how the baits work, why raccoons are the focus, and how the team chooses placement areas. They...

What if healthy aging were not about simply living longer, but protecting your energy, independence, and purpose for as long as possible? Bill Quateman believes the goal should be a longer “peak span,” where people continue living at their fullest capacity.

Bill is the founder of Advanced BioCell and has spent decades studying holistic health, personalized nutrition, cellular wellness, and regenerative health. He joins Rich Bennett to discuss how nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, meditation, and personal responsibility may influence the way we age.

In this episode:

Recovery is not only about leaving addiction behind. It is about discovering who you are, rebuilding your strength, and creating a life that gives you reasons to keep moving forward.

Kat returns to Conversations with Rich Bennett after sharing the most-listened-to story from the 2025 Podathon for Recovery. This time, she discusses launching Simply Serenity Apparel, a recovery-inspired brand designed to help people recognize and connect with others in the recovery community.

Kat also opens up about complex PTSD, dissociation, disrupted hunger cues, and the work she is doing to heal her nervous system. She explains...

What does it really take to build a podcast, take it worldwide, attract sponsors, and keep going for more than a decade? Rich Bennett steps behind the microphone alone to answer questions submitted directly by his listeners.

In this candid episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich shares how a failed video recording helped launch his podcast, why Kristy Breslin encouraged him to think beyond Harford County, and how PodMatch helped connect him with guests around the world. He also explains why he prefers genuine conversations over traditional interviews and why meaningful listener responses matter more than...

What if success is not about staying busy, earning more, or meeting someone else’s expectations? What if it means creating a life that genuinely reflects your health, relationships, values, and sense of fulfillment?

Amy Lenius is a personal development and success coach, speaker, and Director of Group Coaching at Next Level University. After developing endometriosis as a teenager and being told she might never have children, Amy began a long journey of healing, self-advocacy, and personal transformation. Today, she is pain-free, raising two sons, and helping others build healthier and more fulfilling lives.

In th...

Better health does not require following every new trend or changing your entire life overnight. According to Drs. Reed and Kat Neubaum, it begins by consistently supporting three connected areas: function, fuel, and fitness.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Reed and Kat of Ultimate Health join Rich and first-time cohost Nicole Valentine for an informative and entertaining look at building sustainable health. They explain the difference between being fit and functioning well, why pain should not automatically be ignored, and how sleep, hydration, movement, and nutrition form the foundation for long-term wellness.

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Teenagers face constant screens, academic pressure, disrupted sleep, energy drinks, and growing mental health challenges. Dara Wax believes they need to be supported and understood, not treated like problems that must be fixed.

After nearly 25 years in global health, Dara became the founder of SAM+LEO, a line of clean gummy vitamins created specifically for kids and teenagers and named after her two sons. In this conversation, she explains how her experiences as a single mother led her to identify a major gap between children’s and adult wellness products.

Dara also reveals the financial an...

What if stress and suffering are not merely problems to manage, but clues pointing toward something within us that needs attention?

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich speaks with D. Dean Graves, a mental health counselor, meditation and mindfulness instructor, spiritual guide, podcaster, keynote speaker, and author of four books about identity and consciousness. Dean explains his belief that awareness is the first step toward releasing emotional baggage and reconnecting with our authentic selves.

Dean and Rich discuss:

Childhood obesity is often reduced to one harmful message: eat less and move more. Dr. Evan Nadler explains why the real story involves genetics, biology, mental health, environment, food access, and factors that have little to do with willpower or poor parenting.

Dr. Nadler is an internationally recognized childhood obesity specialist and pioneer in pediatric bariatric surgery. After more than 20 years of treating children and their families, he is working to replace blame and misinformation with compassion, evidence, and practical support.

In this conversation, you will learn:

What if improving your relationship started with changing how you eat, move, sleep, and manage stress? Hannah Dalby returns to explain why taking care of your body is also an investment in the person you love.

Hannah is a former professional Muay Thai fighter, human integration specialist, and founder of The Jungle. Following her powerful first conversation with Rich about grief, addiction, abusive relationships, and self-discovery, she returns to explore the connection between physical health, nervous system regulation, attraction, and lasting relationships.

In this episode:

Recovery does not always follow a straight path, but relapse, addiction, grief, or past mistakes do not have to become the final chapter. For Recovery Month, Rich Bennett revisits the people and lessons behind the Pot-a-thon for Recovery, a 12-day series of honest conversations about substance use, overdose loss, treatment, motherhood, accountability, and hope.

In this solo episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich reflects on stories shared by people in recovery, grieving families, peer specialists, counselors, advocates, and leaders from Rage Against Addiction. Their experiences show that addiction can enter any family and that meaningful recovery...

What happens when a pregnant woman wants to carry her baby but lacks stable housing, dependable resources, or someone who believes in her? Teresa Leet and LovLi Life are building a community designed to make sure she does not face that decision alone.

Teresa is the founder of LovLi Life, a faith-based nonprofit whose name represents a powerful invitation: Love Boldly and Live Intentionally. Drawing from more than 35 years of personal experience, Teresa discusses surprise pregnancies, parenting, adoption, mentorship, identity, and the difficult choices that shaped her mission.

In this conversation:

Pregnancy loss is more common than many realize, yet countless families continue to grieve in silence. In this deeply personal conversation, Kaitlyn Hogancamp explains why every loss matters and how compassionate support can help families carry hope alongside their grief.

Kaitlyn, a mother and committee member with the Sea of Hope Foundation, shares the heartbreak of experiencing two pregnancy losses, including one she discovered while it was happening. She discusses the guilt and self-blame she carried, the fear that followed her into another pregnancy, and the unforgettable moment she finally heard her rainbow baby cry.

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What if better health did not require chasing trends or completely rebuilding your life? Dr. Bob McCauley believes lasting wellness begins when a handful of beneficial choices become everyday habits.

Dr. Bob is a naturopathic doctor, certified nutritional consultant, certified master herbalist, author, and founder of Watershed Wellness Center in Lansing, Michigan. In this conversation with Rich Bennett, he shares the personal journey that led him from competitive running and international travel to nearly 35 years of natural health education.

Listeners will discover:

What if your business does not need 50,000 podcast listeners, but just 50 people who genuinely need what you offer? Entrepreneur Dennis “DM” Meador explains how authentic conversations can build trust, attract better clients, and turn podcasting into a powerful business development strategy.

Dennis, founder of The Legal Podcast Network and The Authority Podcast Network, joins Rich Bennett to share a journey that began with childhood poverty and led to entrepreneurship, ministry, marketing, and launching a rapidly growing podcast company. He also discusses the burnout that forced him to reconsider his relationship with work and why real leadership means work...

What if one of the darkest chapters of your life could eventually become a source of laughter, connection, and hope? Dave Mowry discovered that telling his story one joke at a time could help him reclaim a life once controlled by mental illness.

Dave is an award-winning author, mental health advocate, comedy instructor, and performer who has lived with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety throughout his adult life. After losing his business, becoming homeless with his family, and spending 14 years suffering in silence, he attended a stand-up comedy class for people with mental illness. That class changed...

Why do some brands become part of our identity while others disappear from memory? The answer may have less to do with advertising and more to do with trust, emotion, belonging, and the story a business tells.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich speaks with lifelong entrepreneur, brand creator, former business professor, manufacturing expert, and author Joe Gulesserian. Joe explains why every successful brand has a soul and how businesses can create experiences that customers do not simply recognize, but genuinely feel.

Together, Rich and Joe explore:

Greta Garbo was more than one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. She helped change how women saw themselves and how the world viewed female independence.

Rich speaks with author Scott Reisfield, Garbo’s great-nephew and the author of Greta Garbo: The Rise of the Modern Woman. Drawing from family letters, personal memories, and years of archival research, Scott separates the real Garbo from the myths surrounding her private life and abrupt disappearance from motion pictures.

In this conversation:

What drives someone to turn an idea, personal experience, haunting, song, or childhood challenge into a book? Recorded at the Book Fair at Bel Air, this special episode brings listeners into 11 candid conversations with authors working across an extraordinary range of genres.

Rich Bennett speaks with Patrick R. Field, Callie Thomas, Melissa Roos, Sarena Strauss, Steven Gellman, E.D. Lippert, Nicole M. Wolverton, Mermaid Tasha Haight, Calia Wilde, Lore Blackwood, and Piper Thomas. Together, they share the stories behind their writing, the realities of publishing, and the unforgettable feeling of connecting with readers.

Listeners will...

Artificial intelligence can help you work faster, but could careless use of it make your brand forgettable? Award-winning author and business strategist Aurora Winter returns to explain how to use AI without giving up your voice, credibility, or humanity.

Aurora is the founder of Same Page Publishing and the author of Turn Words Into Wealth and Marketing Fast Track. She helps authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders clarify their messages, publish books, build authority, and transform their expertise into greater impact and profitable opportunities.

In this conversation, Aurora and Rich discuss:

Success can hide an extraordinary amount of pain. Former professional Muay Thai fighter Hannah Dalby appeared unstoppable while privately battling grief, methamphetamine addiction, abusive relationships, overtraining, and emotional exhaustion.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Hannah reveals how losing her boyfriend at 18 created a pattern of working harder, achieving more, and numbing everything she did not know how to process. She went on to build businesses, lead sales teams, buy homes, and become a champion fighter, but the life beneath those accomplishments was falling apart.

Today, Hannah is a human integration specialist and...

What if the strongest business strategy is simply learning how to connect with people? Mortgage professional and podcaster Joseph Webb joins Rich to explain why relationships, trust, and genuine curiosity remain powerful in an increasingly impersonal world.

Joseph has spent more than 20 years in mortgage lending and is a partner at Blevins Home Mortgage. He is also the creator of Connected to the Webb, a locally focused video podcast showcasing the people, businesses, organizations, and stories that make the community special.

In this conversation:

Targeted violence rarely happens without warning. The bigger problem may be that the people noticing those warning signs are not communicating with one another.

Robert Mahoney is the founder of TVTP Solutions and a nationally recognized expert in behavioral threat assessment, targeted violence, and terrorism prevention. Drawing on more than 15 years of federal, state, and local government experience, Robert explains why communities must balance security and emergency response with proactive prevention.

In this conversation, Robert and Rich discuss:

What if the habit helping you cope with stress is now creating even more of it? Dr. Gary Sprouse returns to explain how recognizing that cycle can help you change it without allowing shame or harmful labels to define you.

Known as “The Less Stress Doc,” Gary is a retired primary care physician, speaker, and author of Highway to Your Happy Place: A Roadmap to Less Stress. In this conversation, he introduces his concept of “stress-reducer loops,” recurring patterns that can involve alcohol, tobacco, social media, work, shopping, exercise, self-sacrifice, or almost anything used to escape stress.

You...

What if one invitation, prayer, book, or act of kindness could change someone’s entire life? Jennifer Godwin believes the smallest acts of faith can create ripples that travel farther than we will ever know.

Jennifer is the author of Go Make Ripples, a practical and personal book encouraging Christians to share their faith through everyday actions. After running a photography studio for 24 years, Jennifer entered retirement with no plans to become an author. Then a calling she had first experienced in a dream 20 years earlier returned, leading her through a demanding three-year writing journey.

In...

What happens when a novelist and a painter trust their creative instincts enough to build an entirely new world together? This conversation reveals how one unexpected connection developed into an immersive experience combining fiction, fine art, history, mystery, and magic.

International bestselling author Jessica Dodge and visual artist Jenny Barroso join Rich to discuss their collaboration on The Cursed Painting of Gabriel Moretti. As Jessica writes this dual-timeline historical fantasy, Jenny creates original paintings inspired by its scenes. Their vision includes illustrated editions, an online gallery, behind-the-scenes videos, an audiobook experience, and a combined book launch and...

What happens when you spend years searching for a resource that explains the Bible clearly, only to realize God may be calling you to create it yourself? Cassian Bellino’s journey proves that you do not need every answer before saying yes to a meaningful calling.

Cassian is the creator and host of Biblically Speaking, a podcast featuring conversations with theologians, biblical scholars, scientists, pastors, and other experts who help make Scripture approachable and understandable. She joins Rich to discuss the fear that delayed her launch, the unexpected way she found her first guests, and how the po...

Ever been told you weren't good enough to pursue your dream? Kris Keppeler was told at just 13 years old that she'd never learn to sing. Instead of letting those words define her, she used them as fuel to build an incredible career as an audiobook narrator, voice actor, actor, writer, and podcaster.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Kris shares how persistence, creativity, and a love for storytelling transformed criticism into opportunity. Rich also gets a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of audiobook narration, voice acting, and why authentic human performances continue to matter...

Some of life's greatest journeys begin with challenges we never saw coming. Nicole Valan's story is proof that resilience, community, and a willingness to embrace change can transform even the most difficult circumstances into a life of purpose.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich and co-host Tammie Wingrove sit down with Nicole Valan, founder of One Love Mind Body in Aberdeen, Maryland. Nicole shares her incredible journey of living with a rare metabolic disorder that changed the course of her life, how yoga became her path to healing, and why...