How I Got Here with Dave Fiore

Host Dave Fiore talks with Tallahassee-area leaders, business owners and neighbors about their personal stories – all the challenges, opportunities and influences that led them to where they are today. Emotional, inspirational and almost always surprising, How I Got Here gives listeners real insight into the lives of our area’s most interesting people.

Matt Thompson 06/25/2025

Matt Thompson Host Dave Fiore talks with Matt Thompson, co-founder of For the Table Hospitality, which includes the brands Charlie Park, Social Catering, Township, Social Kitchen and Madison Social—the heart and soul of College Town. Matt’s path from collecting baseball cards as a kid near Orlando to a restaurant entrepreneur has taken a number of unexpected turns. Matt came to Tallahassee on a trombone performance scholarship to Florida State, eventually earning a degree in public relations and then his master’s. He would teach public speaking back home before returning to Tallahassee to take a digital marketing position at The Zimmerman Agency. But when a college buddy offered him a chance to be part of a new concept in an undeveloped industrial area in the shadow of Doak Campbell Stadium, Matt jumped at the chance. The rest is history—with a side of BLT dip. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/37147340

5 Years Later – Rachel Pienta 06/05/2025

5 Years Later – Rachel Pienta On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 15 Guest Rachel Pienta. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Rachel and Dave listen to her answer from 2020, and she thoughtfully shares how her predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Rachel’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into her journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36861255

YP Summit: 3 Local Brewers 05/21/2025

YP Summit: 3 Local Brewers Host Dave Fiore returned to Access Tallahassee’s Young Professionals Summit for a live recording of the podcast featuring three successful women entrepreneurs representing the local brewing scene. Dave spoke with: Shannon Smith from Ground Ops Roastery and Bakehouse; Michaela Teasley from Tally Kombucha; and Alison Denny from Amicus Brewing Ventures. Guests shared their unique journeys and the obstacles they overcame along the way and then gave some practical advice for women entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36654840

5 Years Later – Keith Bowers 05/14/2025

5 Years Later – Keith Bowers On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 13 Guest Keith Bowers. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Keith and Dave listen to his answer from 2020, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Keith’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into his journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36562550

Darius (Doc D) Baker 05/08/2025

Darius (Doc D) Baker Host Dave Fiore speaks with Darius (Doc D) Baker, music producer and founder of Tallahassee Nights Live. Doc has been launching music careers since middle school, producing up-and-coming artists and creating a platform for local entertainers of all experience levels to hone their craft in front of grateful and enthusiastic audiences around the world. The Havana native is a married father of four boys who remains committed to providing opportunities for anyone with a love of music and a willingness to put in the work to achieve their dreams. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36484035

5 Years Later – Elizabeth Emmanuel 04/23/2025

5 Years Later – Elizabeth Emmanuel On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 12 Guest Elizabeth Emmanuel. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Elizabeth and Dave listen to her answer from 2020, and she thoughtfully shares how her predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Elizabeth’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into her journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36277965

Carrie Zimmerman 04/16/2025

Carrie Zimmerman Host Dave Fiore speaks with Carrie Zimmerman, co-founder and former CEO of The Zimmerman Agency. Carrie is a native Tallahassean whose family has been in the Capital City for more than 100 years. She grew up in a competitive, sports-oriented environment, but it was rolling on the mats of the Tallahassee Tumbling Tots that sparked a passion that would lead to exploring gymnastics, training full-time in Oregon at age 15 and earning a coveted spot on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team – a memory that still elicits great emotion. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Carrie worked with her husband, Curtis, at an ad agency in Atlanta, before moving to Tallahassee to be near her family. Starting with no clients but a considerable Rolodex, the couple started The Zimmerman Agency, which today has more than 130 employees and competes with New York agencies (and often wins) for the right to represent some of the most prestigious brands in the world. Recently retired, Carrie now focuses on travel, FSU sports and enjoying being a grandmother. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/36186235

5 Years Later – Danny Shrine 03/26/2025

5 Years Later – Danny Shrine On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 9 guest Danny Shrine. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Danny and Dave listen to his answer from 2019, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Danny’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into his journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35869935

Emily Saras 03/12/2025

Emily Saras Host Dave Fiore speaks with Emily Saras, CEO and data scientist with Knowli Data Science. The self-described overachiever with a nerd persona loved field hockey in high school and was her class valedictorian in her hometown of Hopedale, Massachusetts. Emily entered prestigious Wellesley College with plans to be a doctor, only to make a significant pivot to study anthropology and opera singing. Wanting to connect with her family heritage, she earned a scholarship to study ethnomusicology and opera performance in Lithuania under the nation’s top soprano. Emily spent two more years studying in Europe before returning home as an AmeriCorps fellow, where she worked with underserved Boston teens. It was there that Emily was recommended for a position at Florida State, which she took thinking it would be a short-term stop on her life journey. She was wrong. Emily would go on to earn her Ph.D. in sociology from FSU, fall in love with Tallahassee and get connected to Knowli, a women-owned company that translates big data for policy makers in a variety of fields, including health and human science agencies and educational institutions across the Southeast. Emily says her journey to CEO has been a “joyful challenge,” and she greatly appreciates the opportunity to serve as the company’s cultural ambassador. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35653635

5 Years Later – Jami Coleman 03/05/2025

5 Years Later – Jami Coleman On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 8 Guest Jami Coleman. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Jami and Dave listen to her answer from 2019, and she thoughtfully shares how her predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Jami’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into her journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35543290

Brad Buckenheimer 02/26/2025

Brad Buckenheimer Host Dave Fiore speaks with Brad Buckenheimer, co-founder and CEO of Canopy Road Cafe. The Tampa native got his first taste of the hospitality industry as a country club cabana boy at age 14 and says he always had a job. His path to entrepreneurship, which includes owning 13 Canopy Road locations and being a partner in several other concepts including the popular Lemon & Thyme in Midtown, has had some unexpected twists. An internship in Los Angeles led to touring as a fill-in drummer for a popular band. Brad was a bartender, corporate trainer for a major restaurant chain and developed leadership skills that would unknowingly come in handy later in life. But it was a call from his former FSU roommate and best friend saying that he had just purchased Jenny’s Lunchbox, a small restaurant where they both worked in college, that would put his future in motion. And while Brad is proud of all that he has accomplished, he acknowledges that none of it would have been possible without the love and support of many others – most importantly his parents and wife, Allison. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35435755

5 Years Later – Bill Kelly 02/18/2025

5 Years Later – Bill Kelly On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 7 Guest Bill Kelly. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Bill and Dave listen to his answer from 2019, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. Spoiler alert: Things rarely go exactly as planned! If you have not already, please also listen to Bill’s original episode. It will put some context to this conversation and add additional insight into his journey. Thank you for supporting this podcast and connecting with your community. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35333905

Ricardo Schneider 02/12/2025

Ricardo Schneider Host Dave Fiore speaks with Ricardo Schneider, executive advisor and recently retired president and CEO of Danfoss Turbocor. The Tallahassee-based company produces high efficiency, oil-free compressors for commercial air conditioning systems around the world. Ricardo’s lifelong passion for improving the world through better refrigeration and air conditioning led him to a position with Danfoss in his home country of Brazil, where he grew up in a community of German immigrants. He excelled in every opportunity with the company and worked his way up to global vice president and a move from Mexico to Baltimore. While Danfoss has more than 40,000 employees and $12 billion in global revenue, the operation in Tallahassee was in trouble when Ricardo arrived. He quickly turned things around, doubling the company in size every five years, managing multiple expansions and delivering hundreds of millions in economic impact to our community. He remains inspired to create greater global and local impact through innovative and disruptive thinking and helping create tomorrow’s leaders. And while he is in transition toward the next season of his life, Ricardo says, “purpose does not retire.” He is proud of what he has accomplished but says his best products for the world are his three children, made in partnership with his wife, Juliana. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35254205

5 Years Later – Drew McLeod 01/28/2025

5 Years Later – Drew McLeod On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 6 podcast guest Drew McLeod. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Drew and Dave listen to his answer from 2019, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178655

Susie Busch-Transou 01/14/2025

Susie Busch-Transou Host Dave Fiore speaks with Susie Busch-Transou, founder and owner of Hearth and Soul and vice president/co-owner of Tri-Eagle Sales.
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Katrina Rolle 12/04/2024

Katrina Rolle Host Dave Fiore speaks with Katrina Rolle, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of North Florida. From her days as a varsity cheerleader and student government president at Miami Carol City High School to continuing her family legacy at Tuskegee University and working her way through the University of Florida Law School, even though it was against the rules, Katrina has always found a way to get things done. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178665

5 Years Later – Mickey Moore 11/21/2024

5 Years Later – Mickey Moore On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 4 guest Mickey Moore. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Mickey and Dave listen to his answer from 2019, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178670

Charlie Ward 11/07/2024

Charlie Ward Host Dave Fiore speaks with legendary FSU quarterback and community leader Charlie Ward. Charlie's resume also includes 1993 Heisman Trophy winner, 11-year NBA veteran, longtime high school coach and public speaker. But to the Thomasville, Ga., native, the roles of mentor, husband and father have always been most important.
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5 Years Later – Terrance L. Barber 09/24/2024

5 Years Later – Terrance L. Barber On this mini-episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 2 guest Terrance L. Barber. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Terrance and Dave listen to his answer from 2019, and he thoughtfully shares how his predictions compare to life today. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178680

5 Years Later – Kristine Dobosenski 09/17/2024

5 Years Later – Kristine Dobosenski On this episode of How I Got Here: 5 Years Later, host Dave Fiore catches up with Episode 1 Guest Kristine Dobosenski. At the end of each original episode, Dave asks his guests the same question: Where do you think “here” will be for you in three to five years? Kristine and Dave listen to her answer from 2019, and she thoughtfully shares how her predictions compare to life today. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178690

Mike McCall 07/31/2024

Mike McCall Host Dave Fiore speaks with Mike McCall, chief meteorologist at WCTV, a position he has held for more than 30 years. Mike caught the weather bug in 1977 at age 12 when a legitimate snow blanketed his hometown of Tampa, and he says everyone lost their minds. To encourage his interest, his mom arranged a trip to a local TV station where Mike met the man who would offer him a job a decade later after he earned his meteorology degree from Florida State. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178695

Kim Price 07/01/2024

Kim Price Host Dave Fiore speaks with Kim Price, the general manager of TLH2, Tallahassee’s Amazon Robotics Sortable Fulfillment Center. The graduate of Wakulla High School and former Miss Wakulla County is a wife, mom to three boys and talented musician who plays multiple instruments and has performed in Nashville. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178700

Ashlee Fontes 05/21/2024

Ashlee Fontes Host Dave Fiore speaks with Ashlee Fontes, the owner and CEO of Tallahassee Reckoning, the region’s first pre-professional women’s soccer team. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the second annual Access Tallahassee YP Summit at the FSU Conference Center. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178705

Alan Hanstein 04/24/2024

Alan Hanstein Host Dave Fiore speaks with Alan Hanstein, the executive director of the Challenger Learning Center in downtown Tallahassee. Alan is living out a dream that includes a lifelong passion for science and space and giving back to the community. His programs serve more than 50,000 K-12 students every year and they host popular events and activities for kids of all ages. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178710

Anita Bushnyakova 03/20/2024

Anita Bushnyakova Host Dave Fiore speaks with Anita Bushnyakova, chief financial officer at Kids Incorporated of the Big Bend. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Anita experienced very different sets of challenges as a child. First, it was enduring the turbulent years of the Eastern European country’s shift from communist rule to fledgling democracy and then assimilation into American culture as a 13-year-old who didn’t speak English – at all. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178715

Charlie Strickland 02/21/2024

Charlie Strickland Host Dave Fiore speaks with Charlie Strickland, CEO and co-owner of Talon Training Group. A native of nearby Marianna, Charlie shares his journey from the FSU Police Department and working on the family farm to building a reputation as the MacGyver of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. While climbing the ranks at LCSO, he earned an MBA from Florida State to bolster his resume for a high-ranking administrative position that he would be passed over for, but he turned that disappointment into a life-changing /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178720

Chef Leon Brunson 01/23/2024

Chef Leon Brunson Host Dave Fiore speaks with Chef Leon Brunson, owner of Leon’s at Lake Ella. His journey to owning a restaurant has included working the line at his hometown Waffle House in Panama City, refining his skills at fine dining restaurants, being a private chef, and time at Kool Beanz Café, where he says he really learned to cook. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178725

Gloria Pugh 01/02/2024

Gloria Pugh Host Dave Fiore speaks with Gloria Pugh, the president and CEO of AMWAT Moving, Warehousing and Storage. Gloria was born in New York City and spent time in Columbia as an infant before moving to Miami with her mother and siblings at age 8. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178735

Jeri Desloge 11/14/2023

Jeri Desloge Host Dave Fiore speaks with Jeri Desloge, the owner of Jeri’s Midtown Café, Jeri’s Love on a Plate and Simply Entertaining by Jeri. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178740

Warren Cave 10/11/2023

Warren Cave Host Dave Fiore speaks with Warren Cave, the founder of The Clean Start Initiative, a non-profit ministry to help those previously incarcerated and their families. /episode/index/show/ec11c9fe-4863-416d-b808-5534d0d91a95/id/35178745

How I Got Here with Dave Fiore

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