Remember the last time you and few close friends stayed up too late at the Diner because no one wanted to leave? You didn’t need that grilled cheese with a side of pancakes but damn if it didn’t hit the spot! You laughed until you cried or cried until you laughed. Regardless of which lead to what, you left feeling a little more thoughtful, grateful, and actually full. Those are the best conversations we have in our lives, and the reason why Diner Talks with James exists. I’ll be your bearded bespectacled host, James Robilotta. I’m an author and professional speaker who talks to willing and unwilling audiences on the role that authenticity and vulnerability must play in life and business. I am a life coach with a Masters in counseling and 16+ years of improv comedy experience. Most importantly, I am a fellow human being with a fervent curiosity for others’ passions, relationships, insecurities, ambitions, patterns, and food quirks. So, come join me in The Diner. Slide into the booth, place your order, and tell me a story.
Https://www.jamestrobo.com/diner-talks-with-james
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 4 days 10 hours 59 minutes
episode 89: Chasing Your Goals as an Entrepreneur with Entrepreneurship Researcher Brandon Fong
Few things bring me more joy than seeing someone shoot their shot, and that’s how today’s episode came about. I got an email from Brandon Fong saying he loves the show and wants to kick it with me in the Diner and I just had to say yes. Brandon is the host of the podcast 7-figure Millennials and wise beyond his years (which sounds like an old-person thing to say… but, well, he is)...
episode 88: Protecting Your Boundaries and Standing in Your Truth with TV Host Elizabeth Ries
Today in the booth is TV Host and all-around badass, Elizabeth Ries! I’ve had the privilege of sharing the microphone with her before on live TV, but today we got to kick it via audio. Elizabeth is the host of Twin Cities Live and is a breath of fresh air (which I feel like we all could use in our lives). She shared so much wisdom in this episode about confidence, going after what you want, staying true to yourself, and setting (and maintaining) boundaries...
episode 87: Practicing Assertive Optimism with Former Band Geek and Extreme Meetings Emcee, Brian Walter
Sliding in the booth with me this week is Extreme Meetings emcee, Brian Walter! To quote Brian, we are both “raging extroverts,” so this was a good time! We discussed our mutual love for mac n’ cheese and then dove into Brian’s band-geek-trombonist past. After that we talked about being extroverts and how we both have a need to be liked and how both of those have changed over our lives...
episode 86: Vulnerability vs. Perfectionism with Healthy Relationships Speaker, Bonny Shade
Diner Talks with James this week is with my dear friend, Sexual Violence Awareness and Healthy Relationships Speaker, Bonny Shade. We first kicked it off talking about buffalo wings with proper “wingo” and diner orders. She then told me about growing up with less than enough in Lake Worth, Florida, and what decisions her family made to set her up for success and make ends meet. From that time, Bonny developed a fascinating and, at times, debilitating relationship with money and finances...
episode 85: Instincts vs. Training as a First Responder with Former Fire Chief Rich Gasaway
This conversation was so powerful that it had both of us welling up. Joining me in the booth was former Fire Chief and lifelong first responder, Rich Gasaway. It’s so fascinating to think about individuals in those roles that we often take for granted until we need them, and it was so beautiful to hear Rich describe the work that he does, how he got into it, and how he stays in it...
episode 84: Pregnancy loss and powerful parenting with my wife, Tina VanSteenbergen! - Encore
We are excited to bring you this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes. We hope you enjoy! This week’s diner guest is my favorite human because it’s my wife - Tina VanSteenbergen Robilotta!!! We kicked off the conversation learning about Tina’s love of bourbon and bubbly water then we dove off the deep end. Tina told me about why being a mother is something she has always wanted to do. We discussed the way our parents influenced us in known and unknown ways...
episode 83: Carving Your Own Lane with Comedic Musician and American Idol’s Tom McGovern
With me in the Diner today is the man, the myth, the musical comedian – Tom McGovern. I love having fellow comedians in the booth with me because we can riff on everything from grape jelly to sharks (which is… what we did). In this episode Tom shared about his early love for theatre and how it morphed into this amazing career that he now has creating musical comedy content...
episode 82: The Beauty and Power of Clarity with Authentic Communication Expert, Dr. Amelia Reigstad
This week I got to hang out with communication expert, Dr. Amelia Reigstad, and I’m walking away with so many thoughts and ideas on how I can improve my communication and self-awareness. With her badass purple mohawk, she shares about the importance of living an authentic and brave life and I’m here – for – it! She discusses her research on gender roles in communication and how we can better express ourselves. We also talk about how communication shows up in parenting...
episode 81: What it Means to be Likeable with Human Behavioral Investigator and Speaker, Arel Moodie
Today I got to kick it in The Diner with fellow New Yorker, Arel Moodie. He’s a professional speaker who helps other speakers start and grow their own businesses. We talked about the experience of fitting in during our younger years (and the difficulty of blending his life growing up in the projects while simultaneously attending Jewish Day School) and how that still shows up in our adult lives, especially when it comes to influencing people and making friends...
episode 80: From 911 to Peace to Empowerment with Self Defense Expert and Speaker, Jennifer Cassetta
Today’s conversation with Jennifer Cassetta was incredible. She shared a powerful story about her experience in New York on 9/11, how she found safety in her martial arts dojo, and how that moment and that feeling would become a thru line for her work in self-defense and personal development. We talked about confidence and our relationship with ourselves and different avenues, including meditation, we can take for personal growth...