Growing Up Ryan: Reid Ryan on Nolan, the Astros, and Finding His Own Way

What do Nolan Ryan, Barney the purple dinosaur, and Texas A&M have in common? Reid Ryan has a story you’ll want to hear.

The former Houston Astros president of business operations joins Melvin E. Edwards for a conversation filled with baseball memories, family humor, and a candid look at building a life in the game.

Reid remembers the tears that followed Houston’s 2017 World Series championship, his days working as an Astros batboy, and the pressure of pitching with “Ryan” on his jersey. He shares how his father helped him find perspective after his release from the minor leagues—and how that disappointment eventually led to the creation of the Round Rock Express.

Along the way, Reid offers his perspective on the Astros’ sign-stealing controversy, explains why listening to fans matters, and reveals a surprising talent of his Hall of Fame father.

In this episode:

* What Houston’s first World Series championship meant to Reid.

* Behind the scenes of the Astros’ efforts to help their stars reach Cooperstown.

* Growing up around the Astrodome and working during the unforgettable 1986 season.

* Ruth Ryan’s influence on her family and the baseball community.

* Facing Nolan Ryan in a college exhibition game.

* Finding a new direction when a professional playing career ends.

* Bringing minor league baseball to Round Rock and Corpus Christi.

* How Texas A&M fans turned a mound visit into a family story.

* Why Reid never witnessed any of his father’s seven no-hitters in person.

* The lessons Reid hopes his own children carry forward.

For Reid and Melvin, baseball connects generations. Their conversation explores why a ballpark can hold memories of parents, children, heartbreak, and belonging long after the final out.

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Hosted by Melvin E. Edwards. A production of Media Well Done, LLC.

Don’t forget to shine your light wherever you go.

What happens when the person you love brings a different definition of marriage into the relationship?

Pesa and Whitney Shayo, founders of Live Your Best Marriage, join Melvin E. Edwards on Stories from Real Life for a conversation about the expectations couples inherit—and the understanding they build together.

With Kenyan and American backgrounds and more than two decades of marriage, the Shayos bring a personal perspective to questions about culture, family, faith, and partnership.

The conversation explores:

• The assumptions we bring from childhood into marriage.• How two people can experience the same relationship differently.• Family expectations and difficult conversations about boundaries.• The difference between an apology and lasting change.• Preserving individuality while building a shared life.• What children learn from watching their parents.

Explore Pesa and Whitney’s work:https://liveyourbestmarriage.com/

Find the United Front Audit:https://unitedfrontmarriage.com/

Media Well Done, LLC

Media Well Done, LLC

What happens when the political identity you inherited begins to collide with the faith that helped shape it?

Melvin E. Edwards talks with educator and fellow John Brown University alum Lisa Heisner about faith, politics, race, and the difficult process of reconsidering long-held beliefs. Drawing on their shared evangelical backgrounds and years of Republican alignment, they discuss the experiences that caused each of them to question assumptions about political identity and Christian witness.

Lisa reflects on voting for Donald Trump in 2016, what subsequently changed her thinking, and why she believes loving someone is fundamentally different from trusting that person with leadership. The conversation also examines racial justice, the meaning of “pro-life,” social media, ministry, and what happens when political loyalty and religious conviction become difficult to separate.

In this episode:

* Lisa and Melvin revisit their John Brown University years and the Christian environments that helped shape them.

* Lisa describes growing up in a culture where evangelical Christianity and Republican politics became closely intertwined.

* They discuss Donald Trump as a turning point in how they thought about character, leadership, politics, and Christian witness.

* Melvin reflects on his experiences as a Black Christian and how events in 2020 and 2024 affected his relationship with predominantly white evangelical spaces.

* Lisa explains how learning more about racial history—and her experience working in real estate—challenged assumptions she had carried for years.

* They examine the difference between political slogans and personal action, including what it means to describe oneself as “pro-life.”

* Both discuss how direct relationships with people in crisis can complicate beliefs that seem simple when considered only in the abstract.

* Lisa encourages listeners to examine inherited political identities, investigate claims for themselves, and consider what their convictions require in everyday life.

It is a candid conversation between two old college acquaintances about something that can be extraordinarily difficult to do: question what you have always believed and decide for yourself what should remain.

Notable Quotes

* “There is a vast difference between loving someone and trusting someone.”

* “If God has blessed you with this wealth, how are you blessing other people?”

* “My job is to love, to befriend, to minister to.”

Stories from Real Life

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