Brew's Cafe

In lots of the pictures I take, my guests have their eyes closed. I usually delete those. But in the case of spiritual healer Angel Santamarina, it's only fitting that I use a photo with his eyes closed. After all, the name of the book he co-wrote with Erica Broberg is titled "I See Better With My Eyes Closed", and after a read of the book or a long conversation, I can understand why. Angel operates in a realm most of us are unaware of. It's a part of existence many will doubt even exists. But Mr. Santamarina has NO doubts. Not one. "One hundred percent", he describes his ability to see and understand the spiritual world where his healing takes place. At this point, I really can't describe any more. You just have to listen to the episode. Or read the book. Or both!

East Hampton Village mayor, Jerry Larsen, discusses facing criticism while implementing positive changes in the village, including new events and infrastructure improvements. He highlights the challenges of balancing public and private interests, addressing housing affordability issues, and embracing innovative solutions for wildlife management.

Just because Minerva Perez tackles some of the most critical issues facing some of the most vulnerable East End residents, doesn't mean she can't be a little silly sometimes. And even though she has a degree in theater from NYU, her movie credit might be a little less highbrow than you would think. But... you'll have to listen to the end to find out in what famous comedy she played. In the meantime, you'll hear about the serious business that occupies her days as Director of OLA- Organización Latino Americana of Eastern Long Island. Services they provide (to all citizens, whether of Latin American origin or not) include helping with everything from illegal evictions, wage theft, health services, legal direction and so much more. High on Minerva's long list of achievements is the establishment of a youth services  initiative which provides assistance to young people throughout our schools and communities in whatever areas they might need it. I was fascinated by not only the depth and intensity of their work, but also Minerva's clear love for the projects, and more importantly the people she serves.

Walker Ward, the 'Wall Street Intern' from the summer of '23, discusses his journey from obscurity to social media fame. He explores creating entitled characters, summer experiences in Montauk, and the influence of social media on recognition. The podcast also dives into his efficient video content creation process, character voices in content creation, and nostalgia for old-school trends. Finally, they touch on navigating comedy careers and social media influence.

Brian Halweil has been a mainstay in the East End local food movement since before "Locavore" was even a word. For many years, Brian brought the sights and stories of local producers and their food products directly to our hands via "Edible" publications, "Edible East End" and "Edible Long Island" being the most relevant locally. But a few years ago, Brian made the jump from reporting on local food to actually participating in producing it. Only rather than working for a local farm or producer, Brian went more large scale, consulting with companies investing in organic, sustainable and otherwise responsible production, and, more recently, working with Belltown Farms to secure, cultivate and produce organic grains on local farms throughout the US. Join us as Brian tells us his stories of moving from reporting to producing and of the challenges and rewards of working to convert the agricultural world to a more sustainable model.

Brian Burns, a successful film and television writer, discusses the power of family storytelling, the legacy of family vendors at Yankee Stadium, choosing sobriety, and navigating story development in long-running TV shows. He also touches on binge-watching, business revival in the restaurant industry, and the evolution of a place from bar to restaurant in New York City, highlighting the opportunities and diversity in urban centers like New York.

"Watch till the End"!! In the course of my conversation with Josh Gladstone, I explain how, in the life of Brew's, the long running NYC bar and restaurant after which this podcast is named and formulated, every single day something would happen that had never happened before. And here Josh keeps the spirit alive by ending the episode with not just a soliloquy, but with an emotionally delivered, perfectly paced and entirely gripping version of one of The Bard's most beloved soliloquies (nope, no spoiler here, ya gotta listen). But in the meantime, Josh and I have a fabulously entertaining convo about, not only the many many goings on at LTV Studios, where he's now head of something or another (creative direction, programming... I don't know, listen to the episode), but the wealth of cultural events that happen all around us, often without our knowledge or involvement. He also delivers some hilarious personal anecdotes of his time in the East End performing arts scene, as an actor, writer, producer, promoter, program director and pretty much any other hat that's been required to put on a show around here. So please join Josh and me as he entertains and informs-- and honestly makes me feel a little lame for partaking in so little of all there is to do around here!

You probably won't recognized Doug Levin by name, but by the end of the day, he will likely have impacted your life in some small, unnoticeable but very important way. As the founder and CEO of Black Duck Software, Doug was responsible for creating a company that led to an entire segment of the industry focused on both making open source software license compliant and secure from malware and viruses -- something we all admittedly take for granted. Having sold the company several years ago, Doug now teaches a course at Harvard Business School called "Startup Academy", and writes a blog and records a podcast called "Lessons from a Startup Life". He also runs a venture fund which focuses on tech startups, specifically in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity. Doug was kind enough to sit down with me recently and explain the basic concepts, the importance and some other fun facts and features of both the world of AI and Cybersecurity the startups he’s nurturing and funding. I learned a ton from this conversation, and Doug has a knack for making a complex (and potentially boring!) topic interesting and entertaining. For more details about Doug’s interesting and varied work experience, his updated Wikipedia page is located here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Levin and his LinkedIn page is located here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bduck1/

You might recognize Debra Geller's name from construction signs outside several of East Hampton's more glamorous design projects. Working with builder Phil Kauffman, she has designed, built, decorated and sold (or is selling) two gorgeous homes here. But as you'll hear here, deep down she's really just a "sawx" fan raising a houseful of Yankees fans. Originally from Massachusetts, by way of New York City (of course) Debra has been living, working, raising kids and enjoying life on the east end for well over a decade. So it may not surprise regular listeners that, while we certainly cover her work interests, the conversation veers toward school, sports, the local housing shortage and lots of other non-work topics. So join us and I'm sure you'll find Debra to be as interesting, intelligent and entertaining as I did.

You've probably heard the stories over the years, the concerts, the events, the fundraisers.... the bars, nightclubs and famous names from Hamptons glory days. John Kowalenko not only was there, he probably put the whole thing on. Over the course of the past 35 years John Kowalenko has had a hand in some of the most iconic events and happenings on the east end. Today, as they have for the past three decades, John and his wife, local chef Cheryl Stair, own and operate Art of Eating Catering and Events. And perhaps no form of work is more prone to the ups and downs of Hamptons happenings, as well as the comings and goings of our more famous party people. Join John and me as he recalls some of the more memorable moments and classic stories of John's storied history.