Best Steve Mancini Podcasts (2025)

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IIW - Episode 124 - Tim Carrico 41:04

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7h ago41:04

41:04

This week we interview Tim Carrico. Tim is a retired executive who will provide some of the best leadership advice you will hear. He has been leading people and organizations for decades and knows exactly how to succeed. This is an excellent episode for anyone who wants to understand what makes some people more effective than others in leadership r…

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IIW - Episode 123 - Richard Martini 51:45

20h ago51:45

51:45

This week we interview Richard Martini. Rich is a highly successful American film director, producer, screenwriter and freelance journalist. Rich has directed numerous films and documentaries such as You Can't Hurry Love, which featured the debut of Bridget Fonda, and his most recent documentary, Hacking the Afterlife. In this episode, we talk ever…

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CISO Perspectives: Navigating the Security Landscape in 2025 44:21

3h ago44:21

44:21

In a world where cyber risk is business risk, today's Chief Information Security Officers are not just defenders of data—they are strategic partners driving organizational resilience. Moderated by Gartner's Ash Ahuja, this candid conversation explores how security leaders are balancing innovation with risk management, influencing board-level decisi…

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How Rob Ambler Built a People-First Landscape Company 36:00

4h ago36:00

36:00

In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, we sit down with Rob Ambler, founder and owner of Ambler Industries, LLC, a design/build and maintenance firm based in Pennsylvania. Rob shares his deeply personal story of burnout, renewal, and the business transformation that followed. From restructuring his leadership team to adopting Aspire software, Rob…

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IIW - Episode 122 - Robin Cole Sr. and Dr. Robin Cole Jr. 1:00:00

8d ago1:00:00

1:00:00

This week you get two incredible guests! We are very lucky to have 2x Super Bowl winning champion, former Pittsburgh Steeler, Robin Cole Sr. and his son, the great Dr. Robin Cole Jr. who recently published, "Lessons From Behind the Steel Curtain: From Steel to Strategy to Sentience". This episode will teach you a lot about leadership and truly moti…

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#31 Near-Death Experiences PROVE Consciousness Exists Outside the Brain | The Distributed Mind Theory 21:01

8d ago21:01

21:01

How do people with ZERO brain activity have the most vivid experiences of their lives? After 2 years of research, I've discovered consciousness works like distributed computing - and it changes EVERYTHING about life, death, and AI. In this mind-blowing episode, discover: Why thousands of verified NDE cases break neuroscience How blind people can SE…

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#30 Children Remember Past Lives: 2,500 Cases of Reincarnation Science | University of Virginia Study 16:01

25d ago16:01

16:01

What if consciousness survives death? For over 50 years, researchers at the University of Virginia have documented 2,500+ cases of children who remember detailed past lives—complete with verifiable facts, birthmarks matching fatal wounds, and memories that defy explanation. In this episode of Thriving In Ambiguity, I break down the rigorous scienti…

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IIW - Episode 121 - Mike Embrescia 57:07

24d ago57:07

57:07

This week we meet an absolutely wonderful person, a proud Italian-American, family man, successful businessman and just a great guest for us, Mike Embrescia. Mike represents all of the 1.2 million residents of Allegheny County and embodies what we all want from our leaders. In this episode, we talk about what those early influences were that made h…

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IIW - Episode 120 - Mike DeLucia 47:38

23d ago47:38

47:38

This week's guest is author and screenwriter Mike DeLucia. Mike is very passionate about representing Italians in a far more favorable light than is typically seen in movies/shows. His latest work, Time Passages: Echoes of Troy, is a wonderful, must read story of time travel and is absolutely a book you won't want to put down! You can find out more…

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#29 OpenAI's Erotica Announcement: Welcome to Uncharted Territory 11:49

1M ago11:49

11:49

🚨 OpenAI just dropped a bombshell: ChatGPT will create erotica for verified adults starting December 2025. But this isn't just about adult content — it's about AI addiction, emotional manipulation, and the future of human relationships. In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I break down what Sam Altman's announcement REALLY means: ✅ Why this wa…

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#28 3I/ATLAS Q&A: Missing Mars Data, Government Shutdowns, and the Questions We're All Asking 37:38

1M ago37:38

37:38

🚨 IT'S OCTOBER 9TH AND THE MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER PHOTOS ARE STILL MISSING 🚨 NASA confirmed they captured high-resolution images of 3I/ATLAS on October 3rd during its closest approach to Mars—but we still haven't seen them. Government shutdown? Legitimate delay? Or something more? In this episode, we're answering YOUR questions about the myste…

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IIW - Episode 119 - Ron Vrana 1:01:34

1M ago1:01:34

1:01:34

This week we interview Ron Vrana. Ron is a successful marketing and scouting professional who is now working to reimagine golf! This is a very entertaining episode with a tremendous amount of knowledge being shared. Absolutely a must listen to episode, Learn more about Ron's ROTAGO Team Golf vision here: https://www.rotagogolf.com/…

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#27 Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS: Six Anomalies We Can't Explain 16:32

2M ago16:32

16:32

In July 2025, astronomers discovered 3I/ATLAS—only the third interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system. But this visitor isn't following the rules. It's moving at 130,000 mph—nearly twice as fast as any previous interstellar object. Its trajectory aligns almost perfectly with our planetary plane (1-in-500 odds). It's three …

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#26 Stop Playing Detective with Log Files: Modern Observability Explained | Thriving in Ambiguity 7:49

2M ago7:49

7:49

What happens when your E-ZPass system goes down on a holiday weekend? Hundreds of thousands in unrecoverable revenue — and your IT team drowning in millions of log entries trying to find the needle in the haystack. In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I break down what logs actually are, why traditional log management is broken, and how modern…

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IIW - Episode 118 - Mike Battalini 41:50

2M ago41:50

41:50

This week's guest, Mike Battalini, is the President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Wealth Management Group. We talk to Mike about the impact his Italian upbringing had on his success as a businessman. Mike also offers some very good advice on what to look for when it comes to deciding on how to choose a good financial consultant. There is a lot of good …

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IIW - Episode 117 - Suzie Jackson 40:21

2M ago40:21

40:21

This week we interview a very wonderful guest, Suzie Jackson. Suzie is a few generations removed from her family in Italy but that doesn't stop her from being passionate about the Italian culture. In fact, Suzie's sister currently lives in Rome and sings opera! Suzie is also passionate about helping others and in this episode we are going to talk a…

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#25 My Daughter HATES AI - Here's Why She's Wrong (And Right) 58:44

2M ago58:44

58:44

🎭 Proffesional dancer Jordan thought AI was going to ruin her career - until her tech expert dad Steve showed her the truth. In this eye-opening father-daughter debate, we dive deep into AI's real impact on creative industries, careers, and daily life. What You'll Learn: ✅ How AI can actually HELP performers and artists ✅ The lazy vs. smart ways to…

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IIW - Episode 116 - Nick Fiorentino 36:09

2M ago36:09

36:09

This week we interview a very special guest, Nick Fiorentino. Nick has a passion for Italian culture and shows it by running one of the most popular social media campaigns to promote Italian culture in the Pittsburgh area. This is a great episode and Nick's passion and exuberance really shine through! Follow Nick here on Instagram: https://www.inst…

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What Landscape Designers Actually Want to Specify with Emily Bell 26:46

2M ago26:46

26:46

In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, the team sits down with Emily Bell, a landscape designer and founder of Emily Bell Landscape Design, to talk about real-world challenges—and smart solutions—in site planning. From stormwater management to tree stabilization, Emily shares the tools she actually specifies, including TreeStaple, Silver Cells, C…

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#24 Are We Living in a SIMULATION? Father-Daughter Debate on Afterlife, Reincarnation & Reality 54:04

3M ago54:04

54:04

🎮 What if life is just a cosmic video game where we chose our characters before birth? In this mind-bending episode, Steve and his 22-year-old daughter Jordan explore simulation theory, reincarnation, and whether reality is what we think it is. 🔥 KEY TOPICS COVERED: Why believing in afterlife = believing in simulation theory The "Masters" from past…

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#23 The APM Revolution: One More Thing... It Actually Works 15:19

3M ago15:19

15:19

Tired of application monitoring that creates more problems than it solves? This episode breaks down why traditional APM approaches are fundamentally broken—and how one company completely reimagined what's possible. In this deep dive, I explore how Dynatrace revolutionized application performance monitoring through three core principles: radical sim…

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IIW - Episode 115 - Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini 1:05:53

3M ago1:05:53

1:05:53

This week Claudio and I interview the great Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini. Ray reflects on everything from his multiple careers to current projects. He also provide some very powerful insight on how to be successful and it has nothing to do with luck.By Italian Impact Weekly

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#22 Inside NASTD 2025: Digital Wellbeing, AI Guardrails, and State IT Lessons from Nashville 14:50

3M ago14:50

14:50

In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I share my firsthand experience at the 2025 NASTD Annual Conference in Nashville. From Scott Klososky's powerful keynote on digital wellbeing in the AI era, to candid panels on citizen experience, women in IT, and upskilling the workforce—the event was packed with insight and energy. I dive into the highs (…

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IIW - Episode 114 - Kevin Glavin 44:43

3M ago44:43

44:43

This week I interview international opera singer and Pittsburgh native, Kevin Glavin. Kevin dreamt of smoking cigars and singing in lounge acts in Vegas but ended up performing opera with the world's best opera singers, including the great Luciano Pavarotti. We have an absolute fantastic time and in fact, you may even hear a little singing in this …

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#21 AI's Growing Pains: My Take on GPT-5 7:42

3M ago7:42

7:42

Sam Altman promised GPT-5 would be "more reliable, with a lower likelihood of hallucinating." But after trying it myself — like asking it to turn a photo of my daughter playing softball into anime (and it gave her two gloves) — I'm left asking: is this really progress? In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I break down: Why GPT-5 feels like a n…

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IIW - Episode 113 - Paul Cosentino and Claudio Reilsono 1:27:43

3M ago1:27:43

1:27:43

This week, the great Claudio Reilsono returns for a very wonderful conversation but first, I start with Paul Cosentino. Paul has been a musician for over 30 years and currently plays with the fantastic and very talented Boilermaker Jazz Band. We have a wonderful time talking everything from Sicily to music! Check out Paul and the Boilermaker Jazz B…

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#20 Dynatrace Gen 3: Letting AI Redefine What's Possible in IT 20:28

4M ago20:28

20:28

Dynatrace just changed the game. 🚀 I wasn't even planning this episode—I'm in the middle of my series on the Dynatrace Platform—but last week, Dynatrace dropped a huge nugget: Gen 3 is here, and AI is at the forefront. I couldn't wait to break down what this means for IT teams and share real-world examples of how AI is transforming what's possible.…

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IIW - Episode 112 - Nick Ferraro 57:04

4M ago57:04

57:04

This week I am joined by the very successful entertainer, Nick Ferraro. Nick is known for many things, a talented musician, actor, screen writer and much more but he was also dubbed "The Philly Elvis" by none other than Bruce Springsteen on October 19th, 2009 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia PA. In fact, in the 2013 documentary titled "Springsteen &…

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IIW - Episode 111 - Don Aliquo Sr. 54:28

4M ago54:28

54:28

This week we come back from our break with an absolute music legend, Don Aliquo Sr. Don has been doing this for nearly 80 years! He's played with some of the greats and shares some incredible stories and advice from his very storied career. You can still catch Don out there entertaining so be sure to check him out at: https://donaliquo-sr.com/…

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#19 No Capes Required: How Kroger's Captain America Team Got Superpowers 24:32

4M ago24:32

24:32

What do you get when you combine 16 monitoring tools, constant war room calls, and app chaos? For Kroger, it was a nightmare—until they flipped the script with Dynatrace. In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I walk you through Kroger's real-world transformation, featuring insights from Jay Cotton, their lead performance engineer. You'll hear h…

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#18 Get Your Team Back on Track – How AI and Dynatrace Restore Control to IT 14:32

5M ago14:32

14:32

Welcome to Thriving in Ambiguity, the podcast where we break down complex tech—ideally without losing our minds. In this first episode of our Dynatrace series, I'm diving into Infrastructure Observability, the foundation of proactive IT operations. And we're starting with a real-world nightmare: TD Bank, a $1.4 trillion financial institution, found…

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What have I been up to and what’s coming up? 11:46

5M ago11:46

11:46

What has Stop Italian Sounding been up to lately? What's coming up? Tune in to find out!By Robert Campana

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IIW - Episode 110 - Marco Fiorante 42:40

5M ago42:40

42:40

This week I am joined by international singer and professional tour guide, Marco Fiorante. Marco and I have an absolutely wonderful conversation on how to appreciate your culture while accepting your new home country. We also discuss his singing career...what a great voice! Check him out here on his website: https://www.marcofiorante.com/videos/ or…

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IIW - Episode 109 - Richard Graziano 49:29

5M ago49:29

49:29

This week I interview the co-President of the Italian Genealogical Group, Richard Graziano. In this episode Richard shares several personal stories as well as some great advice on how to research one's roots. The past is a true definer of who we are now, so it is very important to know it. In addition, it is very important that we start now before …

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#17 Observability 101: Why Your IT Tools Are Failing You - And What to Do About It 19:34

5M ago19:34

19:34

Welcome to Episode #17 of Thriving in Ambiguity — the podcast where we cut through the chaos of modern tech without losing our minds. This week, we're talking observability — not the buzzword version, but the real deal. From my days in the war room to what I've learned working with state agencies, Fortune 100s, and SaaS-heavy stacks, I'm breaking d…

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IIW - Episode 108 - Samuele Bozzolla 42:43

6M ago42:43

42:43

This week's guest is the great Samuele Bozzolla. Samuele is grandson of the late opera singer Ezio Fortunato Pinza, famous for his starring role in the Broadway hit, "South Pacific", and son of the great opera singer and Claudia Pinza Bozzolla. In this episode we talk everything from Luciano Pavarotti, his mothers work with various opera singers, t…

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#16 The Secret Tech Behind Iron Man? Uncovering the Dynatrace - J.A.R.V.I.S. Connection 11:11

6M ago11:11

11:11

Welcome back to Thriving in Ambiguity, the podcast where we break down the complexities of technology — ideally without losing our minds. In this episode, we dive into a story you definitely haven't heard before: the secret link between Stark Industries, the rise of J.A.R.V.I.S., and the unexpected tech platform that made it all possible — Dynatrac…

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IIW - Episode 107 - Glenn Beech 48:22

6M ago48:22

48:22

What a wonderful episode! Glenn and I have a very good conversation about memories and what the difference is between living in the past and remembering the past. Glenn has been slowly gathering memories and writing them down so he can pass them on to his family, what a great idea! Tune in to understand more about why we need to record and pass dow…

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#15 Crazy IT Stories - Porn Loopholes, Laptop Scandals & Surveillance Secrets! 23:22

6M ago23:22

23:22

Welcome to Thriving in Ambiguity, the podcast where we unpack the complexities of technology—ideally without losing our minds. In our new series, Anonymous or Not: Crazy Stories in IT, veteran tech leader Steve Mancini shares jaw-dropping, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable real-world stories from over 20 years in IT. From bizarre security loop…

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What makes Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI so unique? 11:19

6M ago11:19

11:19

Not all balsamic vinegar is created equal—and most people don’t realize there are two protected types. In this episode, we focus on Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP (Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI)—the more widely available, yet often misunderstood version. You’ll learn how it’s made, what the PGI seal really means, and how to spot authentic bottles f…

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IIW - Episode 106 - Marco Permunian 35:16

6M ago35:16

35:16

Wanted to get your Italian citizenship but worried about changes in the law? Never fear! This week I was able to interview Marco Permunian. Marco is an attorney and founder of the Italian Citizenship Assistance group. In this interview he provides invaluable assistance and clarity on the new laws. You can also check out his podcast which focuses on…

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IIW - Episode 105 - Lou Ignarro, Melissa Marinaro, and Mary Ferro 1:07:03

6M ago1:07:03

1:07:03

Nobel Prize winner, Louis Ignarro, is my guest this week. Lou and I discuss how a first generation Italian-American can grow up to win a Nobel Prize! What a tremendous story. Learn more about Lou and his research which is literally saving lives here: https://www.drignarro.com/ I am also very blessed to have Melissa Marinaro, Director, Italian Ameri…

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Celebrating Italian Heritage in Action 22:48

7M ago22:48

22:48

In this episode, I’m reporting from the Filitalia International Convention—an event dedicated to preserving Italian heritage, language, and culture across generations. Join me as I connect with passionate members of the Italian American community, explore the mission behind Filitalia, and reflect on the role organizations like this play in promotin…

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IIW - Episode 104 Lou Bruno and Lauren Ronayne 1:14:27

7M ago1:14:27

1:14:27

This week's episode has two very special guests. Lou Bruno, author and proud Italian-America. His most recent work, The Love of San Demetrio, is an absolutely wonderful story of his experience in connecting the past to the present. Please check out his book here: https://www.byloubruno.com/ Lauren Ronayne is a driving force behind the San Rocco Fou…

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#14 2025 NASCIO Recap: What's Working, What's Not, and What's Next for State CIOs 21:34

7M ago21:34

21:34

Just returned from the NASCIO 2025 Mid-Year Conference in Philadelphia, and there's a lot to unpack. In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I delve into the key takeaways from the event, shedding light on the evolving landscape of state IT leadership. Key Highlights: Cybersecurity remains the top priority for state CIOs, marking its 12th consecu…

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IIW - Episode 103 - Michael Troiani 39:25

7M ago39:25

39:25

This week I interview Michael Troiani, owner of PaPa Js Twin Plaza Restaurant in Pittsburgh. Michael is passionate about Italian culture but his dedication to authentic Italian cooking is above reproach. Michael and I talk a lot but you can tell his passion and knowledge about Italian cooking are something he holds very dear. This is a great episod…

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How to Launch a New Product in an Old-School Industry with Taron Young 40:21

7M ago40:21

40:21

What does it take to bring a brand-new building product to market and actually make it stick? In this episode, veteran market developer Taron Young shares insights from 20+ years in the construction and building materials industry. From code compliance to product education, distribution channels to holding spec, Taron breaks down what it really tak…

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#13 Tragedy at School - True Story: What We Got Wrong and What You Must Get Right 14:36

7M ago14:36

14:36

A tragedy no school ever expects — and the hard lessons we learned too late. In this episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I share the real story behind a crisis at Howard High School that changed everything. As the IT Director at the time, I thought we were ready. We weren't. And today, I'm revealing what we got wrong — and what you must get right bef…

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The Rhythm of Tradition 31:25

7M ago31:25

31:25

We explore the surprising connection between two powerful expressions of Italian culture: food and dance. Our guest, Anna Harsh—award-winning choreographer and founder of Allegro Dance Company—has spent her life preserving traditional Italian dances that, like regional recipes, are passed down through generations. We talk about how movement and mea…

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#12 Move Fast or Die Slow: How AI Is Coming for Complacent Companies 1:05:28

7M ago1:05:28

1:05:28

AI isn't just disrupting industries—it's coming for companies that move too slow. In this no-fluff episode of Thriving in Ambiguity, I sit down with AI strategist and keynote speaker Chris Carr to pull back the curtain on what's really happening behind the scenes with generative AI. Spoiler: it's not a "someday" problem. It's a right now problem. H…