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My name is Tony Bellagamba and I use this podcast to help people identify and achieve their Dream Vocation! A job is just a lifeless means of making money but a vocation is a calling and a passion that allows you to earn money while living out a purpose, a passion. A vocation allows you to live a meaningful and fulfilling life while also maximizing your success. So if you want to find a career that is meaningful and fulfilling and then learn how to achieve and succeed in that career, give it ...
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In this episode we speak with Tarkan and Kayhan Peksen, known as Captain T and Captain Kay. Captain T and Captain Kay are two young entrepreneurs who own a tour boat company named Paradise Cycle Boat Cruises down in Marco Island, Florida. I met Captain T and Captain Kay when my wife and I booked a sunset cruise during a recent weekend getaway. Afte…
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In this episode we speak with Mitchell Wolfe, a video game designer out of San Diego, California. While I was growing up playing video games, and even now watching my kids play them, I always wondered, “Who are the people that have the cool job of actually creating these games?” Well, Mitchell is one of those cool people! He is a video game designe…
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In this episode we speak with Howard White, Inventor and Entrepreneur. Howard is the founder of Constant Mountain, an outdoor jacket company centered around the infinity pocket, which Howard invented and patented. Howard’s story shows us that everyday problems can be turned into career opportunities and that it’s never too late to pursue your passi…
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In this episode we speak with Josh Elliot and Aaron White, founders of Climate Karen, a climate tech brand committed to making the planet less hot in an innovative way that allows the everyday person to get involved. Josh and Aaron are two badasses who have had experiences and careers that took them all over the world. From drilling water wells in …
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In this episode we speak with Tom Vrem, a music producer, guitar player, and cook book author out of Nashville, Tennessee. Tom is a renaissance man to say the least, and may I say across a variety of avenues that are all pretty awesome. Anyone that can produce a killer album, rip a guitar riff and cook up a gourmet breakfast is a cool person to han…
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In this episode we speak with Rachel Kroll, a fashion designer out of New York City. This episode is special to me because one of my daughters loves fashion and says she wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. So, what better gift could I give her than to interview someone living the Dream Vocation she aspires to? Plus, I’m sure there are…
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In this episode we speak with Joe Shannon, a lawyer and entrepreneur. Joe is a Personal Injury attorney who runs his own practice in the Chicago area. Truthfully, I always wondered if there were lawyers who loved their careers because outside of television courtroom scenes, it always appeared mundane to me. But, as Joe tells us, while the work does…
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In this episode we speak with Matt Parsons, founder and Managing Partner of an investment firm named Camp Lake Capital, which invests in businesses that have between $2 and $5 million of EBITDA, which is a fancy word for cashflow. I’ve known Matt for almost 20 years, as he and I started out as young Investment Bankers together in the early 2000’s, …
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In this episode we speak with Yvette Saba, President of Edward Hospital in Naperville. Yvette’s career story is one of pursuing what interests you and advocating for yourself. Her story shows that if you follow what interests you, what you have a passion for, you’ll be invested enough to put the time in to become great at it, and if you become grea…
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In this episode we speak with Jenna Carosio, ultramarathon and triathlon coach. I met Jenna when I was entering the ultramarathon world a few months back and looking for a coach. She did an awesome job and guided me through my first 50 mile race. But much more interesting than anything I did, was the fact that Jenna was in the middle of taking the …
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In this episode we speak with Ryan Gareis, professional women’s soccer player with the Houston Dash. This was an exciting episode for me because 3 of my 4 kids play soccer, so this was like interviewing one of their heroes! Ryan’s path from club soccer to college and eventually to the pros shows what hard work can lead to. While she was blessed wit…
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In this episode we speak with Chris Cousins, Founder and CEO of Sports Recruiting USA, a soccer recruitment business with over 90 staff members helping future college players with their college and pro careers. Chris is the perfect example of turning one’s passion into their career. Originally from the UK, Chris came to the U.S. in the early 2000’s…
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In this episode we speak with Andrew Evanisko, a chef in Vail Colorado. Ever since watching the movie Chef with John Favreau I’ve been fascinated by the culinary life. Since watching that movie I’ve devoured any type of entertainment that has to do with cooking, including the movie Burnt with Bradley Cooper, the show The Bear, and of course the lat…
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In this episode we speak with Andrew Gombas, an actor based on the east coast. Andrew’s story is one of following your calling in life, following what it is that stirs you inside. In the interview you’ll hear Andrew talk about the challenges of being a working actor and how it’s not all the glitz and glamour we see in the tabloids. There’s a lot of…
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In this episode we speak with Derek Lenard, a guitar builder, or luthier as it’s known within the music industry. Firs of all, guitar builder. I mean, is there a cooler sounding career than that? Imagine being at a party and someone in the group asks what everyone does for a living. Someone says Accountant, someone says sales, and someone says guit…
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In this episode we speak with Jeff Rogers, Corporate Emcee, Bestselling Author, and Keynote Speaker. Jeff’s background and path to his Dream Career is incredibly fascinating. His original path was in the field of entertainment, where he worked as an actor at the world-famous Second City theater and planned to use that platform to go to Saturday Nig…
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In this episode we speak with Dr. Karisa Tang. Dr. Karisa oversees the veterinary medical program at the world famous Shedd Aquarium in Chicago! I have to say this was one of my favorite interviews of all time. Throughout my life, whenever I’ve visited a zoo or aquarium, I always wondered who had the awesome job of taking care of such a wide variet…
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In this episode we speak with Dr. Sam Heads, a paleontologist and the founding Director and Curator-in-Charge at the Center for Paleontology at the University of Illinois. As Sam himself says, he’s the kid that never grew up. At age 5 he was walking on a beach collecting seashells and pebbles in northern England with his father when he saw somethin…
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In this episode we speak with Luxury Repair Technician and Shop Owner OJ Lopez. I’ve known OJ for a few years and while we didn’t see eye-to-eye when we first met, today I am proud to call him a friend as well as an inspiration. This might be the coolest podcast episode I’ve done yet because not only was it my fist in-person interview, but we recor…
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In this episode we speak with Sarah Potter, documentary filmmaker and storyteller. I love films, so this interview was incredibly interesting to me, as I always wondered what the process of making a documentary actually looks like. Sarah does an amazing job telling us how documentary films are made, with storytelling at the heart of her filmmaking.…
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In this episode we speak with Donna Jacobsen, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine who works primarily with dogs, cats, and other small animals. I was excited for this episode because when whenever you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, many will say that they want to be a Veterinarian. Donna became the profession that all of those little ki…
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In this episode we speak with Rick Miranda, Real Estate agent. I’ve known Rick for several years and from the moment I met him it was clear that he was a hard worker. But I didn’t realize the extent to which this man grinds until we did this interview. Rick started working full-time at just 15 years old, putting in 40+ hours a week at McDonalds and…
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In this episode we speak with Grant Small, a tech entrepreneur. Grant is a fascinating individual. He’s a person who sees an opportunity, envisions a solution to that opportunity, and then builds that solution. An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Grant has built and sold several businesses. While his specialty is in consulting and cybersecu…
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In this episode we speak with Guy Caprio, a licensed clinical social worker at Loyola University. I first met Guy in a Bible study 15 years ago and hadn’t spoken to him since, but I always remembered him because he was the man that told me how he left the high dollar, high powered world of financial trading to become a therapist for college student…
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In this episode we speak with Divya Baxi, a genetic counselor who works in the fertility field. Now, I must admit, I had no idea what a genetic counselor was before speaking with Divya and had actually never heard of the profession. However, through our discussion I learned what a unique and fast growing profession this is. As a counselor, Divya’s …
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In this episode we speak with Brandon Wojcik, a high school principal out of the Buffalo, NY area. I have known Brandon for literally my entire life (spoiler alert, he’s my cousin) and he has always been an inspiration to me. Brandon grew up in a single parent household and built himself into a successful businessman in his 20’s. However, while he …
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In this episode we speak with Pat Brady, a government relations professional or what we often refer to as a lobbyist. This was an incredibly interesting interview because prior to this I always had a very narrow view and limited understanding of what a lobbyist actually is and does. I’ve heard the name tossed around many times in the news over the …
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In this episode we speak with Ammar Divan, an Interventional Pain Management Physician. Ammar’s specialty is as an Anesthesiologist, which for the lay-person like myself, that’s the doctor who puts you under when you go in for surgery. Interventional Pain Management is a subspeciality of anesthesiology. Ammar chose this sub-specialty because while …
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In this episode, we speak with Crissy Loberg who is an Interior Decorator. Crissy, like many people, didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life when she was younger but found her calling as her passions and interest met opportunity. She always had a flare for design, to the point that people began noticing how nice her own home looked and then…
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In this episode we speak with Dan Mayer, a seasoned sales executive who recently took the leap and took action on his a long-held dream of starting his own business. After years of success as a Sales professional at some of Silicon Valley’s best companies such as IBM, Salesforce, and Box, Dan decided that it was time to carve out his own path and b…
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In this episode we speak with a good friend of mine, Pastor Steve Andres. Steve is truly living out his vocation, as he felt called to be a Christian minister in his teenage years. However, while Steve may have known his course in life from an early age, it doesn’t mean his career didn’t have twists and turns. Just like most people I interview that…
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I know what you're feeling right now. You feel lost, lie there' something you're supposed to be doing with your life but you can't figure it out. You feel anxious, like there is something inside of you just bursting to get out but you have no idea what it is. You feel like everyone else has their life figured out, like you're alone on this island o…
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In this episode we speak with Drew Snarey, a friend of mine who has built an amazing career across multiple law enforcement agencies. Drew started out as a local patrol policeman in Michigan and was eventually elevated to being a detective in a gang unit. Working in some of the most dangerous situations on the streets, Drew built a strong reputatio…
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In this episode we speak with one of my best friends in the whole world and one of the most entertaining people you’ll ever meet, Derrick Stricker. Derrick is a commercial real estate professional, working across the industry as a broker, investor, and even a developer. Derrick lives his passion everyday by helping to literally build the community …
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In this episode we speak with Jennifer Radich McCann. Jen is a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health. Jen has a passion for helping care for people, especially women. She is a strong advocate for women’s health needs, especially women in underserved areas. As she herself says, she like “helping people that need help” and also loves educ…
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In this episode we speak with Dr. Bob Aarestad Jr., a Chiropractor who, like a lot of our podcast guests, found his passion and purpose after a few stops and starts in other fields. Bob explored several careers when he was young, including mechanic, personal trainer, and massage therapist. However, it was after working in a chiropractor’s office fo…
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In this episode we speak with Beth Carter, the founder of a creative marketing agency named Clariant Creative. Beth is an awesome woman, whose story is one of perseverance and never being afraid to try something new. In fact, that’s exactly how she started her marketing agency. When I asked her if she, as the head of a marketing business, was alway…
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In this episode we speak with David Cuthbert. David’s career is personally an inspiration to me, as he has excelled across a variety of chapters in his life and built an amazing and diverse career. He began his career in special operations for the navy, leading land and underwater explosive disposal teams. I’ll tell you one thing, that’s a lot cool…
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In this episode we speak with Joe Mazur, an Economist and Economics professor at Purdue University. Joe is a long-time friend of mine, having started in Investment Banking with me before realizing his calling was elsewhere. He’s also, without a doubt, the smartest person I’ve ever met. Joe’s story is one that I hear often, whereas he had an interes…
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In this episode I speak with Jason Anderson, 2nd grade teacher in the Naperville, IL area. Jason is a good friend of mine and after hearing from so many parents about how their kids all love Mr. Anderson, I said, “Hey I have to interview the teacher that everyone loves!”. When he was young, Jason dreamed of being a football player, but after realiz…
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In this episode we talk to Mark Turner. As I was thinking about how to describe Mark and his career for this intro, only one word kept coming to mind: BADASS! If you took only Mark’s first career, which was as a special operations soldier in the Marines, he already qualifies for that title. But after a storied career in the Marines, Mark wasn’t con…
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In this episode we talk to Jonny Imerman. I heard Jonny speak at a non-profit event more than 10 years ago and was instantly captivated by his story, but also by his energy and passion. When Jonny was 26 he experienced a life changing event when was diagnosed with testicular cancer. During that fight, he received an outpouring of love from friends …
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In today’s episode we speak with Eric Hargarten. Eric is a Healthcare Innovator but his entire arc is one of the more diverse and inspiring stories I’ve come across since starting this podcast. From entering the Air Force directly out of High School to majoring in Physics in college, entering the world of Investment Banking, and ultimately pursuing…
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In t his episode I talk about the bullet train that is life and how stepping off once in a while can be a great think. From the time you are a child you are told what to do - get the good grades so you can get into the good college, choose the good major so you can get the good job, keep moving up in that good job to get the better paycheck. Those …
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In this episode we speak with Aaron Rutter, a fireman and paramedic. Aaron is another great example of someone who found their passion, but took a few detours along the way. From coaching lifeguards to joining the military just after 9/11 and deploying to Iraq, Aaron took a few detours (but necessary and helpful ones!) before becoming a full fledge…
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In this episode I talk about failure and how the fear and stigma of it is far worse than the failure itself. Give it a listen!由Tony Bellagamba
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In this episode we talk with Joe Agostinelli, a Physical Therapist. Physical Therapists are basically movement experts. They help people improve the quality of their life and return from injury by providing hands on care, prescribing exercises, and educating the patients. Joe was an athlete in High School and knew fairly early on that he wanted to …
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In this episode we talk with Amir Berenjian, the owner of an immersive technology company that empowers people with new age technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. After spending 12+ years in the Investment Banking industry, Amir made a pivot and not only become an entrepreneur, but did so in the cutting edge space of immersive …
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In this episode we speak Zac Larson. Zac is the co-founder of a Wealth Management firm. His business helps people to organize and manage their finances in a way that allows them to accomplish their goals and live a life of purpose. In fact, in the podcast you’ll actually hear Zac say his goal is to help people “live intentionally and live generousl…
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Today we talk to Nathan Merz out in Seattle. Nathan is a "car guru" who turned his passion for automobiles into an amazingly successful and, frankly, cool career. From a very young age Nathan was captivated by cars, so much so that he convinced his parents to let him buy his first car at age 13. He quickly discovered that he could flip those cars f…
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