Angles with John Richmond
Angles is a podcast about learning from the paths of interesting and successful people. Hosted by John Richmond, Co-Founder and CEO of Richmond Vona, the show features conversations with entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from Buffalo and beyond. By exploring their stories from different angles, each episode uncovers the moments, mindset, and moves that helped them grow and offers insights you can use in your own life and career.
Episodes
52 episodes
Ep52: Anthony Greco - Buffalo History Museum, the Stories Buffalo Doesn’t Know About Itself, and Why the Past Keeps Rhyming
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Anthony Greco, Director of Exhibits at the Buffalo History Museum and host of the Buffalo History Museum podcast. Anthony has spent nearly 20 years going down rabbit holes in old...
Ep51: Dan Lukasik and Cheri Alvarez - Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Power of Showing Up for Someone
In this special Mental Health Awareness Month episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with two of Western New York’s most dedicated voices in mental health advocacy. Dan Lukasik is an attorney with over 35 years of experience, the ...
Ep50: John Richmond - The Builder Behind the Mic, What It Cost to Start Richmond Vona, and What He Knows Now
For episode 50 of Angles with John Richmond, the tables are turned. Producer Brett Tuttle steps out from behind the camera and into the host chair to interview the man who has been asking the questions all along. This is the episode John never ...
Ep49: Charlie Specht - Investigative Journalism, Breaking the Diocese Scandal, and Going Independent in Buffalo
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Charlie Specht, one of Buffalo’s most recognized investigative journalists. Over a 15-year career at the Buffalo News, Channel 7, and Channel 2, Charlie built a reputation for br...
Ep48: Dawne Hoeg - Stitch Buffalo, Refugee Women, and Building Something Buffalo Needed from Scratch
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Dawne Hoeg, founder and executive director of Stitch Buffalo, a nonprofit on Buffalo’s West Side that brings together refugee women through the craft of textiles. What started 12...
Ep47: Lexi Varecka - Flex Yoga, Following Your Passion Back Home, and Building a Wellness Community Buffalo Needed
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Lexi Varecka, founder of Flex Yoga, a Buffalo-area yoga and wellness studio with locations in Clarence and Orchard Park. Lexi’s story starts in Washington, D.C., where a yoga tea...
Ep46: Del Reid - The Godfather of Bills Mafia, how it started, and What 26 Shirts Is Doing for Buffalo Families
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Del Reid, the man widely credited as the godfather of Bills Mafia. What started as a late-night tweet from a pizza pickup in Tonawanda in April 2011 has grown into one of the mos...
Ep45: Aaron Mentkowski - Forecasting, Discipline, and Life as Buffalo’s Chief Meteorologist
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Aaron Mentkowski, chief meteorologist at WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo. A Lockport native who has spent 26 years forecasting for Western New York, Aaron is one of the most recognizab...
Ep44: Matt Keeler - Hockey, Creativity, and Building a Culture Brand in Buffalo
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Matt Keeler, founder of Just Dishin, the Buffalo-based hockey culture brand that is redefining what creative expression looks like in the sport. What started as three shirts made...
Ep43: Rebecca Witter - Hearing Health, Acoustic Design, and Building a Business Buffalo Deserves
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Rebecca Witter, licensed audiologist and founder of Acoustic Designs by Rebecca, a Buffalo-based acoustic consulting firm helping businesses, restaurants, offices, and residentia...
Ep42: Conway The Machine - Resilience, Buffalo Roots, and Betting on Yourself
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Buffalo’s own Conway The Machine - internationally known recording artist, founder of Drumwork Music Group, and co-founder of Griselda Records.From recording on karaoke m...
Ep41: Jim & Tami Fitzhenry - Leadership, Trust, and Building a Culture That Lasts
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Jim and Tami Fitzhenry. They are former corporate executives turned leadership coaches who now dedicate their time to helping leaders across Buffalo and Western New York grow wit...
Ep40: Mitch Korn - Goaltending, Leadership, and Building Trust at the Highest Level
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with legendary NHL goaltending coach Mitch Korn. Mitch’s career spans decades at the highest levels of hockey, including foundational years with the Buffalo Sabres, where he helped re...
Ep39: Alex Dispence (Sup Chef) - Food, Content, Sports, and Building a Digital Brand
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Alex Dispence better known as Sup Chef a Western New York native who turned a background in professional kitchens into a massive online food brand. Alex shares how he transitione...
Ep38: Jesse Ciffa - Barbering, Entrepreneurship, Trust, and Building Community in Buffalo
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Jesse Ciffa, owner of Chief’s Barber Parlor. Jesse shares his journey from learning barbering on YouTube and cutting hair in his grandmother’s basement to building one of Buffalo...
Ep37: Christopher Puckett - Crash Reconstruction, Black Box Data, and Finding Truth After Impact
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Christopher Puckett, founding partner of Northeast Crash Dynamics and former New York State Trooper. Christopher brings decades of experience investigating serious motor vehicle ...
Ep36: Larry Quinn Former President and Managing Partner of the Buffalo Sabres, Leadership, Legacy, and Civic Impact
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Larry Quinn, former President and Managing Partner of the Buffalo Sabres and one of the most influential executives in Buffalo sports and civic life. Larry played a central role ...
Ep35: Colleen Heidinger - President of 43North, Building a Better Buffalo, and Leading with Purpose
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Colleen Heidinger, President of 43North, Buffalo’s nationally recognized startup accelerator. Colleen shares her personal journey from growing up in Buffalo’s First Ward to build...
Ep34: Tom Szulist - Innocence Cannabis, Singer Farm Naturals, and the Science of the Human Body
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Tom Szulist, founder of Innocence Cannabis and Singer Farm Naturals. Tom shares a deep, thoughtful exploration of the human body, the endocannabinoid system, and how cannabis, fo...
Ep33: Peter E. Roberti & Peter A. Roberti - Crafting Legacy, Family Leadership, and the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence
For more than 60 years, Adrian Jules has been a Western New York institution built on craftsmanship, relationships, and uncompromising standards. In this episode, John sits down with father-and-son team Peter E. and Peter A. Roberti to explore ...
Ep32: Brad Gelber - Building a Law Firm Brand, Trust at Scale, and the Future of Richmond Vona
In this episode of Angles with John Richmond, John sits down with Brad Gelber, the new Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Richmond Vona. Brad shares his path into marketing, what attracted him to Richmond Vona, and how intentional br...
Ep31: Eight Months In - A New Year’s Eve Reflection on Building Angles
In this New Year’s Eve episode of Angles with John Richmond, John and Angles Producer Brett Tuttle sit down to reflect on the first eight months of the podcast - recorded exactly eight months to the day after their original test episode....
Ep30: Al Bozorgi - Flushable Innovation, Startup Resilience, and Building a Global Consumer Brand
From London to Buffalo, from a pub napkin sketch to winning 43North — Al Bozorgi shares the decade-long journey behind Twipes, the world’s first fully biodegradable, truly flushable wipe. In this episode, John and Al dive into R&D breakthro...
Ep29: Daniel Schuller - Elder Law, Family Protection & The Business of Doing Things the Right Way
Estate planning isn’t about documents it’s about protecting the people you love. John Richmond sits down with Daniel Schuller of PB Elder Law to break down wills, powers of attorney, Medicaid, crisis planning, and the biggest misconceptions tha...
Ep28: Chef Redbeard - Craft, Curiosity, and the Art of the Private Dining Experience
Jeremy Van Antwerp, better known as Chef Redbeard, has become one of Buffalo’s most distinctive culinary creators. In this episode, John sits down with Jeremy to explore how a self‑taught cook built one of the city’s most unique dining experien...