How Pizza Connected Two Strangers

Today two strangers came together, connected by pizza and parted as friends. In this Media Rebel Unplugged episode, Janice Becker sits down with Chachi Angelo, Communications Director at Pennie (Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace), to talk about Rust Belt roots, the “third place” we’ve lost, and why hiring women isn’t charity, it’s strategy. Expect nostalgia, grit, and real talk on imposter syndrome, plain-language communications, and rebuilding community, from Steubenville/Mingo Junction to Weirton and beyond.

Expect nostalgia, grit, and real talk on imposter syndrome, plain-language communications, and rebuilding community, from Steubenville/Mingo Junction to Weirton and beyond.

What you’ll hear

• Ohio Valley pizza lore (DiCarlo’s, cold cheese, route vs. root) and how shared spaces build culture.

• Leaving “the Valley,” radio careers, and pivoting into public service and communications.

• Hiring women, project leadership, and battling imposter syndrome at work.

• What is the “third place” (church, bowling leagues, pizza shops) and how to reclaim community offline.

• Plain-language marketing for complex topics like health insurance (Pennie) and reaching underserved audiences.

• Personal resilience: [Content note] surviving dv, healing, and using your story to lift others.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Ohio Valley pizza nostalgia

05:30 Escaping the Valley, career pivots

08:45 Content note: dv, recovery, resilience

20:40 From radio to Pennie and public communications

26:30 Hiring women, leadership, and imposter syndrome

29:20 What is the “third place” and rebuilding community

36:50 Tech, algorithms, and culture

38:20 Health insurance access and plain-language messaging

39:30 Closing: pizza, pride, and what’s next

Learn more about our guest, Chachi Angelo, Communications Director at Pennie (Pennsylvania's Health Insurance Marketplace)

🌐 Website: www.Pennie.com

LinkedIn: @chachiangelo.

Listen to Media Rebel Unplugged. New episodes every Tuesday. https://mediarebelunplugged.podbean.com/

🌐 Website: media-rebel.net

📸 Instagram: @mediarebeldigital

📘 Facebook: @mediarebelnet

🎥 YouTube: @mediarebelunplugged

💼 LinkedIn:Media Rebel

Mentions

WTOV9, DiCarlo’s pizza, Giannamore's pizza, Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Weirton, Rust Belt, “third place” concept, women in leadership, plain-language marketing.

If you grew up in the Ohio Valley, drop your favorite pizza spot and a memory in the comments. Subscribe for more candid conversations on leadership, community, and building brands that matter.

I’m here to give a voice to fellow Rebels. I’ll see you in the next episode.