Send us a text

A college choice can change everything. Martell Prayear takes us from Glenville to Baldwin Wallace, breaking down why a small-school environment—where people learn your name and invest in your growth—can become the foundation for a career, a community, and a life you actually want to live.

We dig into the real work of admissions through Martell’s lens: fit over flash, personal attention over volume. He shares how he left healthcare staffing to reclaim balance, added officiating as a flexible second lane, and built a rhythm that protects family time. A simple shared calendar becomes a secret weapon; date nights stay on the schedule; and a five-year-old’s activities slot around a purpose-driven job that still leaves room to breathe.

Then the whistle blows. Martell contrasts football’s Friday night rush with the claustrophobic thrill of a rivalry gym, walking us inside high school playoffs, semipro snaps, and the judgment calls that keep games honest. He’s firm on hecklers and crystal clear about respect: athletes deserve the spotlight, and officials enforce it. We also celebrate leadership done right with BW athletic director Steve Thompson—present, down-to-earth, forward-thinking—and highlight a major move on campus: the launch of women’s flag football, expanding opportunities for women’s varsity sports.

There’s laughter, too. We trade stories about play-by-play booths, the electricity of a hot crowd, and why comedy and officiating share the same core skill: read the room, set the tone, protect the moment. Martell leaves us with a compass we can use anywhere—find something that makes you happy and find someone who makes you happy—and a reminder that the right environment multiplies your effort.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a frien

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

What if a single decision—book the ticket, join the band, raise your hand—could tilt your life toward courage and curiosity? That’s the energy running through our conversation with Stephanie Nunley, Senior Director of Admissions and Recruitment Strategy at Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management, who brings world travel, Division I band grit, and people-first admissions wisdom to the table.

We kick off with vivid travel stories that double as life lessons: a five-city sprint through India, a Celtic tour of Dublin and Edinburgh (yes, Steelers flags in Ireland), and a mind-bending Alaska summer where the sun never sets. Each trip rewired routines and sharpened resourcefulness—qualities that power real careers. From there, we dive into the discipline behind Bowling Green’s D1 band: Hell Week heat, rapid-fire halftime shows, and the camaraderie that teaches timing, resilience, and attention to detail. It’s performance training that translates seamlessly to leadership, product launches, and public speaking.

Then we open the hood on admissions strategy at Weatherhead. Stephanie shares how she blends data with empathy, recruiting locally across Ohio and Pennsylvania while engaging global talent for specialized master’s programs in finance, accountancy, supply chain management, and business analytics. The big lesson for applicants: clarity of purpose wins. Tell a real story, show your impact, and engage—because people don’t want to be talked at; they want to be part of something. We even swap notes on crowd work, from comedy clubs to Zoom rooms, and why participation turns passive listeners into invested collaborators.

There’s a dash of paranormal chills—a night in a haunted prison—and a warm, practical challenge to close: try one new thing every year

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

A coach who chose roots over rungs. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Case Western Reserve University head football coach Greg Debeljak, whose uncommon path in a nomadic profession shows what happens when you build a program—and a life—around staying power.

We dig into why Division III fit his wiring, how mentors like Tony DiCarlo and Jim Tressel shaped his approach, and what “family culture” looks like when it’s lived for decades. Greg opens up about their international tours to Italy and Greece, where club teams play for love of the game, the NCAA grants extra padded practices, and players come home with stories of the Vatican, Pompeii, and island sunsets that tighten a locker room more than any lift. He breaks down the season’s chaos, from back-to-back lightning delays and a tie at Rowan to finishing a road game at a local high school because the stadium had no lights—then the gut punch of losing star QB Aaron Phillips, the rise of Sam DiTilio, and a four-game win streak that kept them in the title hunt.

Leadership and relationships sit at the center. Greg shares how AD TJ Shelton’s people-first style turns mistakes into solutions, why admissions partner Johnny “Fiddy” Falconi proved invaluable for grad recruits, and what he learned coaching All-American Cam Brown, son of NBA coach Mike Brown. You’ll hear a vivid account of Mike’s visit and his film-backed talk on rebounding from heavy losses—a masterclass in resetting a team’s mindset. We also explore Case Western Reserve’s transformation: bigger enrollment, booming international presence, and a research ecosystem that launches careers across STEM, business, and beyond. Greg’s final message for families is clear: choose your circle with care. Fit is the multiplier that shapes who you become.

I

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

What makes a Christmas tradition stick—the flavor, the place, or the story you tell about it? We gathered five friends from across the map to trade brutally honest eggnog takes, map out Christmas Eve and Day rituals, and argue for the movies that still make us feel like kids. From beach fires in North Carolina to church services and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the thread running through it all is simple: small moments, strong memories.

We dive into the comfort classics—Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation, the original cartoon Grinch, both Home Alones, Polar Express, and the underappreciated Charlie Brown specials—and shout out favorite characters like Buddy the Elf, Ralphie, Yukon Cornelius, and the Heat Miser vs. Snow Miser duo. Then we hop towns to find real places that look like movie sets: Chagrin Falls and Hudson in Ohio, Carmel’s rink and German market in Indiana, Sugarcreek’s Amish charm, and West Virginia’s Berkeley Springs with its storybook main street. If you’re building a holiday road trip, we’ve got a ready-made list: Oglebay Festival of Lights, Pittsburgh’s PPG Place rink and the Point, Cleveland’s Zoo Lights, downtown Willoughby’s Light Up Night, and the A Christmas Story House.

Food gets personal fast. Ham and scalloped potatoes, beef tenderloin, and an avalanche of Christmas cookies take center stage, with regional favorites like Sarris chocolate adding bite. We also take on the live-sports-on-Christmas question (most of us say stay home unless it’s a great NBA matchup) and rank gifts—dinner out tops the list, edging gift cards, with candy a distant third. The why is clear: shared experiences beat stuff when the goal is connection.

If you’re craving ideas for holiday fun, movie nostalgia, or new traditions that actually fit your life, this co

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

Christmas Eve, 80 degrees, and a football game that doubles as a tradition—this Hawaii Bowl breakdown brings together coaches, players, and diehard fans to unpack what makes Honolulu in December feel electric and unforgiving at the same time. We walk through the Bowl’s history, memories of late-night kickoffs, and the tug-of-war between island wonder and competitive edge.

We dig into Hawaii’s identity on offense—fast, wide, and relentlessly rhythmic—tracing its roots from June Jones to Timmy Chang. You’ll hear why the run-and-gun thrives in the island climate, how it lures quarterbacks and receivers who want touches, and where it can backfire if the QB isn’t decisive and accurate. Our coaches explain the real defensive cost of tempo, how short drives can wear down your own unit, and why precision in the red zone decides bowl games. We spotlight playmakers like the “Tokyo Toe” on special teams and the Human Hammer at running back, plus how staff continuity and bowl-week structure can neutralize paradise-level distractions.

We also talk recruiting reality. Geography narrows the pool, NIL dollars tilt the map, and live evaluation is harder from the middle of the Pacific. Still, Hawaii’s pitch is strong: national TV moments, a quarterback-friendly system, and immediate opportunity in a competitive Mountain West. Then it’s prediction time. With Cal in transition and Hawaii at home, we call the game script, the key possessions, and how a late kick could swing the final margin.

Settle in after your holiday plans and press play. If you enjoy the show, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more fans find us before kickoff.

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

Press play and step through a time portal to the 1990s—sports dynasties on every screen, movie tie-ins on your soda cup, sitcoms that rewired comedy, and a Monday night where wrestling made the whole country pick a side. We hand the reins to our manager, Fiddy, and bring a lively panel together to relive the decade that shaped how we watch, listen, and eat.

We kick off with the big question: were the 90s the true peak of sports dominance? From Jordan’s Bulls to Gretzky and Lemieux, home run chases, and quarterbacks who defined eras, we tally the legends and ask if a decade could ever stack stars like that again. Then it’s straight into the booth with John Madden and Pat Summerall—why their chemistry felt effortless and how their calls still echo in our heads. On the big screen, we revisit the Batman hype machine, the marketing that swallowed whole summers, and the films we still stop to watch—Heat, Forrest Gump, Mallrats, Billy Madison, Tombstone, Friday, and more.

TV gets a full tour: 90210’s taboo-breaking storylines, the TGIF routine, Seinfeld vs Friends, Fresh Prince, Married with Children, X-Files, Nickelodeon game shows, and the eerie charm of Are You Afraid of the Dark? We fire up the Monday Night Wars—WWF vs WCW, the NWO invasion, ECW chaos, and the Attitude Era’s lightning-in-a-bottle energy that made pay-per-views must-see. Music rounds out the culture shift: grunge and alt-rock, hip-hop’s canon from Biggie and Tupac to Outkast and Wu-Tang, pop’s boy band takeover, Hootie’s singalongs, and TRL’s daily decider that turned tastes into a scoreboard.

We close where so many memories started: McDonald’s birthday parties, ball pits, Happy Meal toys, Pizza Hut red roofs, Ponderosa buffets, Denny’s late nights, Chi-Chi’s chips and salsa, and that perfect McD

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

Sleepless nights, impossible choices, and a love that refuses to quit—this roundtable takes you inside the parts of parenting we usually gloss over. We start light with a gum-and-July icebreaker, then drop into the real work: dads confronting fear and balance during the infant stage, moms naming the mental load and default-parent trap, and all of us learning why presence matters more than perfection.

Our guests open up about the hardest early moments—sickness, silence, and second-guessing—and what ultimately carried them through. You’ll hear how a simple pause before responding can defuse toddler storms, why asking for help isn’t weakness, and how to protect vulnerability instead of shutting it down. We also unpack the school choice puzzle with practical criteria you can use tomorrow: classroom size, IEP support, community culture, diversity, extracurriculars, and whether your child will be seen—not just counted. Real parents share moves across cities, public vs private debates, and the data they trusted when rankings weren’t enough.

By the end, the biggest lesson stands out: kids don’t need perfect parents; they need present ones. That can look like taking the midnight drive with a screaming baby, scheduling daily check-ins with teens in the format that works for them, or choosing a district where curiosity thrives. If you’re a new or soon-to-be parent, you’ll leave with grounded advice, empathy, and a few lines you can borrow on the hard days.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more parents find us. Your stories and questions make this community stronger—what’s one topic you want us to tackle next?

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy

Send us a text

Four chairs, one feast, and a lot of opinions. We sat down for our annual Thanksgiving roundtable to tackle the choices that make or break the day: where to spend it, when to eat, which sides survive, and whether the Macy’s Parade is better in person or from the couch. What starts as a friendly debate about gummy bears and toothpaste quickly shifts into a real conversation about how couples and families merge holiday traditions without losing what feels like home.

We dig into the logistics that quietly run the day—timing meals around football, planning for naps and travel windows, and the art of double dinners. The table talk gets lively as we eliminate one side between cranberry sauce, applesauce, and salad, then crown the essentials: stuffing with gravy, old-school mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes built for leftovers. We break down turkey tactics, from brining to frying, and why white meat often wins the sandwich wars while dark meat delivers flavor on the bone.

The debate widens to big-picture choices: Is a holiday about the big-city spectacle or cozy traditions? Would you actually spend Thanksgiving in New York to catch the balloons up close? We also rank the big four holidays—Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and New Year’s—and the results might surprise you. Mixed in are practical tips like the overlooked value of New Year’s Day sales and the no-waste approach to post-feast turkey stew.

If you’re juggling multiple households, optimizing the menu, or simply deciding when to carve, this conversation will feel like your own living room—warm, honest, and a little competitive. Subscribe for more candid roundtables, share with a friend who hosts, and drop your rankings of the big four. Which side would you cut, and what’s the one dish you refuse to skip?

Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support

Support the show

Follow us on all social media

X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy