Saturday, February 21, 2026

Cultural Historian, Educator & Author of The Jazz Barn John Gennari

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz Interview Series featuring cultural historian, educator, and author John Gennari.

We dive into his 2025 book The Jazz Barn: Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life.

Dr. Gennari is a Professor of English and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Vermont and an American Studies–trained U.S. cultural historian specializing in jazz and popular music, race and ethnicity, Italian American culture, food, sports, and cultural criticism. He is also the author of the 2017 book Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge.

In this conversation, we explore how a small New England town — Lenox, Massachusetts — became an unlikely home for jazz in the 1950s. The Jazz Barn chronicles the story of the Music Inn in the Berkshire Hills, where a barn, icehouse, and greenhouse were transformed into a groundbreaking cultural hub for performances, seminars, and cross-cultural exchange.

Set against the backdrop of McCarthyism, the civil rights movement, the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, and postwar tourism, this story challenges assumptions about race and place, art and geography, and the relationship between rural landscapes and urban jazz culture.

This is an essential conversation for anyone interested in jazz history, American cultural studies, race and music, and the evolution of jazz in America.

📚 Get John Gennari’s books here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-Gennari/author/B001HD13RS?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=ccd9f68d-c8af-4cc6-8fd6-2eb7952af8ca

Subscribe for more in-depth conversations with today’s leading jazz artists, historians, and cultural voices. 

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Friday, February 20, 2026

Author, Longtime Small Business Owner, Marketing Guru & Exceptional Dreamer Rick Tracell

Welcome to a new edition of Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino. On this episode, we talk with author, longtime small business owner, marketing mind, and exceptional dreamer Rick Tracewell.

Rick has spent years in that familiar place where you're working hard, staying busy, and still wondering why nothing is truly moving forward. In his short but powerful book, The Uncomfortable Comfort Zone, he explores why “busy” often replaces real progress — and how small, realistic shifts can create meaningful momentum without guilt, pressure, or pretending everything is fine.

Rick doesn’t position himself as a guru or psychologist — just someone who has lived this cycle more than once and discovered the value of clarity over hustle. In this honest and insightful conversation, we dive into entrepreneurship, small business challenges, mindset shifts, marketing realities, and the emotional weight of staying comfortable while feeling stuck.

If you’re an entrepreneur, creative, small business owner, or anyone questioning whether “busy” equals growth, this episode will resonate deeply.

Learn more about Rick Tracewell and The Uncomfortable Comfort Zone:
https://uczbook.com/

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Mental Gym for Leaders | Cory Chadwick of Lyceum on Proactive Mental Health & High Performance

Welcome to a new edition of Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino. On this episode, we talk with Founder & CEO of The Mental Gym Lyceum, Cory Chadwick.

Cory is a proud dad, husband, long-suffering Maple Leafs fan, and visionary leader building something powerful: a mental gym for high-performers. Just like we train our bodies, Lyceum trains the mind. It’s a live-online, coach-led, group-based experience designed for smart, growth-driven leaders who want to consistently show up as their best selves.

Based in Toronto, Cory is on a mission to help individuals proactively manage their mental health—not reactively. Through structured mental “workouts,” community, and leadership development, Lyceum creates a ripple effect of resilience, clarity, and positive change.

In this conversation, we dive into leadership mindset, mental fitness, personal growth, high-performance habits, proactive mental health, emotional resilience, and what it really takes to lead well in today’s fast-moving world.

If you're a founder, executive, entrepreneur, coach, or growth-driven professional looking to level up your mindset and leadership, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Cory and Lyceum:
https://www.yourlyceum.com/

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Christian Women Entrepreneur Coach Elaine Lankford | She Steps Forward | Faith-Based Business Leadership

Welcome to a new edition of Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino. On this episode, we talk with Founder of She Steps Forward Coaching and She Steps Forward International, Elaine Lankford.

Elaine is a passionate advocate for Christian female entrepreneurs, helping women launch and grow successful businesses, ministries, and nonprofits rooted in faith and purpose. She empowers women to confidently step into their God-sized dreams with clarity, strategy, and bold leadership.

Through She Steps Forward Coaching, Elaine provides strategic planning, individualized support, and faith-based business guidance tailored specifically to Christian women. As a certified John Maxwell Team member, she brings expertise in leadership development, speaking, writing, and entrepreneurial coaching to her transformational approach.

In this inspiring conversation, we explore faith-driven entrepreneurship, leadership principles, purpose-led business growth, women in ministry, nonprofit leadership, and how Christian women can turn vision into action.

If you're interested in Christian entrepreneurship, faith-based leadership, women in business, ministry growth, nonprofit development, or purpose-driven success, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Elaine Lankford:
https://www.shestepsforwardcoaching.com/

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Life Coach & Dream Catalyst Brayden Black | Identity, Purpose & Eliminating Limiting Beliefs | Famous Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino. On this episode, we talk with Utah-based Life Coach, Mentor, Identity Restorer, and Dream Catalyst Brayden Black.

Brayden has spoken to hundreds of youth and young adults across the United States, helping them rediscover their identity, eliminate limiting beliefs, and gain clarity and purpose. He doesn’t just deliver temporary motivation — he helps people see themselves differently, creating lasting transformation long after the coaching session, speaking event, or interaction ends.

In this powerful conversation, we explore Brayden’s journey into life coaching, his passion for empowering the next generation, and his mission to help individuals unlock the potential they can’t yet see in themselves. From mindset shifts to personal development strategies, this episode is packed with insight for anyone seeking clarity, confidence, and purpose.

If you're interested in life coaching, motivational speaking, personal growth, mindset transformation, youth empowerment, leadership development, or overcoming limiting beliefs, this interview is for you.

Follow Brayden Black:
https://www.instagram.com/_brayden.black?igsh=OTZ5ZXAyMzY3OWUw

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Panama Entrepreneur & Author Rich Sherman Ph.D. | You Can’t Go Home Again | Famous Interviews

Welcome to a new edition of Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino. On this episode, we talk with Panama-based entrepreneur, traveler, former professor, and author Rich Sherman, Ph.D., about his powerful and deeply personal book You Can’t Go Home Again.

In this compelling conversation, Rich shares stories from his adventurous youth surfing the beaches of Southern California, Mexico, and Hawaii — and how Hawaii ultimately became the bridge that connected him to a new life in Panama. His journey spans living out of a 1963 VW bus, time in a yoga ashram, sleeping in his brother’s garage, earning a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Development, building a 20-year career as a licensed professional counselor, and teaching graduate students at Webster University in Kansas City for nearly two decades.

Now based in Casco Viejo, Panama, Rich works at the family-owned Casa Sucre Boutique Hotel & Coffeehouse while continuing to write, reflect, and inspire. His story is about reinvention, resilience, travel, spirituality, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose through life’s unexpected turns.

If you’re interested in personal growth, memoir writing, surfing culture, travel stories, psychology, entrepreneurship, or stories of starting over, this interview is for you.

📘 Get the book & learn more:
https://www.youcantgohomeagainbook.com/

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Thursday, February 19, 2026

Leader & Managing Partner at OverLang Venture Partners James Lang

Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with leader and Managing Partner at OverLang Venture Partners, James Lang.

James has built a remarkable track record in scaling organizations. Before launching his venture firm, he served as Chief Operating Officer of a MedTech startup, generating more than $20 million in revenue and building a team of 60 from the ground up. Along the way, he developed strong talent pipelines, culture, and operational excellence.

Today, James focuses on helping American companies leverage AI the smart way — blending real-world executive experience with technical insight to empower businesses to compete in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In this conversation, we explore leadership, venture capital, artificial intelligence strategy, startup scaling, operational growth, and what it takes to build resilient, future-ready companies.

🚀 Learn more about James Lang & OverLang Venture Partners:
https://www.overlang.com/

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