Meditations with Ryan Zlomek

This week Ryan chats with internationally renowned photographer Jessica Montgomery. Originally hailing from Oklahoma City, Jessica moved to Syracuse, NY in 2018 to handle the photographic needs of Stay Fresh, a creative agency started by Tommy Lincoln. While most photographers are known for a niche talent, Jessica captivates and controls the still image no matter the subject. Jessica is known for her 31 Days Of Halloween project in...

This week Ryan sits down with historical fiction writer Lee Ellen Hickey to uncover the lore of Virginia Tonkin. In the late 1800s, the Tonkins were a wealthy family residing in Oswego, NY who tragically lost their young daughter to appendicitis. In their process of mourning, they famously entombed Virginia’s body in a glass coffin which resided in their family home for over a year. The story of Virginia’s death and her family’s pe...

This week Ryan interviews two authors hidden within the same body; Daniel Handler, more commonly known as Lemony Snicket, comes on the show to share his writing tales with listeners. Daniel Handler introduced the pen name Lemony Snicket in his best-selling children’s books A Series of Unfortunate Events which have sold more than 60 million copies and been translated into 41 different languages. Known as a saga that wasn’t afraid to...

Stepping into the world of gaming, Ryan sits down with Mike Saltzman, owner of Syracuse, NY-based companies Voltage Video Games and Viridian Dice. Mike has a vibrant history in entrepreneurship and branding, having started Voltage Video Games in 2011 and building the company into a downtown retro-focused institution. Though primarily known locally for his businesses, Mike found viral internet fame in 2013 when collaborating with fi...

This week musician Laura Hall joins Ryan in conversation to chat about her amazing work in the world of improv comedy. Laura is a world-renowned improv musician having started her career with Chicago’s Second City and eventually becoming Musical Director on Whose Line Is It Anyway? for 21 seasons. Very few people have mastered an instrument, let alone mastered the ability to quickly add mood, ambiance, and rhythm on various instrum...

This week we meditate on all things STEM with Erin Winick Anthony, a professional science communicator. Erin is the owner of the company STEAM Power Media which works with clients such as Astrolab, Hearst Media Production Company, Zero G, Space Center Houston, and dozens of others to most effectively showcase their scientific triumphs to the world.  Whether writing press releases, creating documentaries, posting on social media, or...

Beaming in from the world of storytelling, Ryan chats with Stefan Rudnicki, commonly known as “The Golden Voice of Audiobooks.” His vocal cords have graced the ears of listeners exploring every genre from science fiction, fantasy, and horror to business, self-help, and reference to memoir, biography, and non-fiction to poetry and even avant-garde literature with over 3,000 credits to his name. He’s decorated in the industry with co...

Ryan chats with Mike Borkowski, the Syracuse-based storyboard artist whose work has graced television and movie screens across the world since 1997. Internationally, Mike is known for creating animation production art for shows like Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, Jumanji, Big Guy & Rusty The Boy Robot, The Venture Brothers, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Spider-Man, Batman: Caped Crusader, and dozens of other properties. His...

This week Ryan sits down with RC Matheson to talk about his career writing for television, film, and short story anthologies. RC has been a professional writer since he was 18 as one of the youngest writers to get a 7 year television studio deal right out of high school. He quickly rose in the ranks of the TV writer’s room of the late 70s having penned episodes of Three’s Company, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, Hunter, and doze...

To kick off the new year Ryan sits down with Chris Clemens, the founder of nonROCaholic, to talk about sobriety and the Dry January movement. Chris struggled with drinking and drug abuse before becoming sober in 1996. He has channeled his addictive tendencies into various creative endeavors including nonROCaholic, a social media presence and blog dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-alcoholic beverage offerings. But Chris is n...

This week Ryan sits with writer Grady Hendrix to explore his personal brand of fear, humor, and immersive research. No stranger to the New York Times Bestseller’s list, Grady is the author of such books as My Best Friend’s Exorcism, The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, and How To Sell A Haunted House, with his latest novel, Witchcraft For Wayward Girls, arriving at bookstores on January ...

Meditations goes a little green as Gregory Maguire, the New York Times Bestselling author of Wicked, joins Ryan for Episode 36. Gregory is most known for the origin story he developed for the Wicked Witch of the West in his books that eventually inspired  the Wicked Broadway musical and feature film. He gave the Wicked Witch the name Elphaba that has now transcended literature and made its way into cultural vernacular and even Star...

On Episode 35, Jaina Shaw, owner and operator of Dino-Mite Vintage!, comes to chat with Ryan about her shop in Wantagh, NY. Jaina is a professional retro and vintage reseller who opened the doors of her business and community gathering space in 2024. Specializing in quality plus-sized clothing, bed linens, and table coverings, as well as all things dinosaurs, Dino-Mite Vintage! strives to add a sense of play to the retail experienc...

On Episode 34, Tommy Lincoln, owner of Stay Fresh Design, comes on the show to talk about his career in creativity. Tommy started Stay Fresh in 2014 and has transported his small shop into a sought-after agency offering design, photography, websites, public art, and everything in between. Located on the first floor of the Delevan Studios building, Stay Fresh’s work bursts outside of Syracuse’s west side into pop culture in the form...

This week Joel Capologo, co-owner of Strong Hearts Café and Strong Hearts 716, chats with Ryan about his life in the vegan sphere. Strong Hearts is an all vegan café with two locations in Syracuse, NY and Buffalo, NY. Starting in 2008 by Joel and his friend Nicholas Ryan, Strong Hearts has been made waves in the culinary world showcasing the comfort food (and milkshake) possibilities that exist without the need for animal products....

Jen Gunnels, fiction editor for Tor Books and its various imprints, comes on the show to chat with Ryan about her life in literature. Jen is an energetic personality who is known for discovering rich stories in the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy space. A Michigan native, Jen talks about honing her imagination and discovering a passion for theater at a young age. She recounts spending her academic career developing and implementing the...

For episode 31 Aunrée Houston joins Ryan to go behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. Aunrée has a long history in media development having worked for HBO, Paramount, and mostly recently Netflix. As a Media Executive, he project manages various aspects of marketing and communications on some of the world’s biggest TV shows and movies. Having started on the film Wit at HBO then eventually working on properties as big as Th...

Mike Park joins Ryan in conversation to talk about his dedication to the musical life, from performing to running the label Asian Man Records. Mike is no stranger to the underground music scene having played in such bands as Skankin’ Pickle, The Bruce Lee Band, and The Chinkees, and Ogikubo Station. In 1996, he shifted his focus away from performing in order to start a record label in his parent’s garage, Asian Man Records. Now spa...

On Episode 29, Nicole Austin joins Ryan in conversation about her career in alcohol and spirits production. Nicole works as the Director of Luxury for Diageo but made a name for herself when she took over as the Director of the historic George Dickel whiskey brand in 2018. With a background in chemistry, Nicole started her career in water treatment but discovered the world of spirits by chance and has devoted her life to focus on s...