The Naptown Scoop Show

When Phil and I started this podcast, we had a meeting where we listed our dream guests. Oliver Wood was one of Phil's. He said, "If he ever comes to Rams Head, we should interview him before the show." Oliver came to Rams Head On Stage recently and that's exactly what Phil did.

This interview was originally published live on Instagram.

Links:

Natalie Franke is an author, former small business owner, and chief evangelist at Honeybook. Along with her husband, Hugh, Natalie created the Rising Tide Society—a worldwide group of thousands of entrepreneurs seeking community.

In this episode, we talked about how Natalie was making six figures before she even graduated college, why Honeybook acquired her Facebook group making no revenue, and why she's a self-described "Mama bear for small business."

In his time at the helm of Annapolis, Gavin has taken on projects like rebuilding the Hillman Garage, raising City Dock to fight climate change, and reducing the number of cars on the road.

In this episode, we talked about:

How Gavin and his partners turned West Street into a thriving arts and restaurant district, why he has a pontoon boat on Spa Creek, and how spraying suntan lotion on Mediterranean beachgoers led him to America...

That’s Steve Anderson, owner of Third Eye Comics and Games. Third Eye is one of the largest comic book shops in the United States. It’s also the best place is Annapolis for anything you might describe as nerdy or nostalgic.

On this episode, we talked about

• How Third Eye has 7 locations and Steve doesn’t even have a high school degree
• FunkoPops, Q Poskets, and other non comic book products at Third Eye
• Why Third Eye is such an awesome place to work

Liz League took over as CEO of the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce (GSPACC) in 2018. When she walked in the door on her first day and asked for the WiFi password, she was answered by blank stares. Since then, Liz has led the charge to digitize GSPACC, as well as support the local business community through an unprecedented pandemic.

On this episode, we talked about:

• Severna Park's newest restaurant — Garten
• Why GSPACC runs such a great Fourth of July parade
• Christmas plans you won't want to miss

Dr. Mark Bedell is the new superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. In his last job as Superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, Dr. Bedell led them to accreditation for the first time in 20 years.

In this episode, we talked about:

• How Dr. Bedell rose out of a rough childhood in Rochester, NY
• How he uses basketball to build trust
• How he plans to make Anne Arundel County the number 1 school district in Maryland

Who is Phil Vendemmia, co-host of the Naptown Scoop Show? Ryan interviews Phil to get the whole story—including the time Phil went to the airport with no ticket and didn't come back for weeks.

People ask about the story of Naptown Scoop all the time. Here it is.

Between the ages of 30 and 38, Cary Lukens got drunk every day. He’s had 3 DUIs and countless car accidents. But amazingly, Cary hasn’t had a drink in eight years and counting.

We wanted to have Cary on the show because he speaks candidly about his struggle with addiction. Our hope for this episode is that we can remove the stigma around addiction and highlight resources in Annapolis to help those currently struggling.

Please be aware, this episode contains profanity and topics that may be difficult for some listeners.

Ceil Ambrosetti worked in music ministry and education at St. Mary's Parish for 32 years. She recently retired and is heading south for Florida. On this episode, we talked about:

• How Ceil wants to see more women in leadership in the church
• How she's going to fill her time now that she's retired
• And how her dream has always been to sing in a bar band

Craig Kier is the artistic and music director of the Annapolis Opera. He also directs the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland and has been guest conductor for many opera companies around the country.

On this episode, we talked about:

• Why Craig commutes from Philadelphia to Annapolis 25% of the year to conduct our opera
• How his 10-year-old's critiques are unexpectedly brilliant
• And how a long for Aerosmith helped him grow as a musician