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 29: Choosing Authenticity on Social Media with Joyce Pring
Joyce Pring jumped into the diner all the way from Manila in the Philippines! She is a TV host and social media influencer who hosts the number one podcast in the Philippines, Adulting with Joyce Pring. We jumped in and talked about how much she loves eating cheesecake and coffee in the morning when she visits New York City. She also told me about her favorite late-night food move in Manila: Beef Pares...
episode 28: Turning Up the Volume of Introverts with Amma Marfo
This week, comedian, author, and educator Amma Marfo jumps into the diner booth with me! She has written three books, the first of which, The I’s Have It, is all about introverted leaders. Since I am a giant extrovert, I had some questions. We discussed assumptions that are often made about introverts and why introverts do not get the love they deserve. It was cool to hear when Amma became proud of her introversion...
episode 27: Getting Men to Have Better Conversations with Tim Mousseau
Tim Mousseau jumped into the diner with me and things got heated early. We tried to settle the age-old debate of which is better: pie or cake. I’m not sure if we got anywhere but hungry, but it was worth it. We then discussed Tim’s wonderful way with words and as a writer (see what I did there?). Along with painting with words, he himself is also “painted” with tattoos and I loved hearing about the origin of wanting to be almost completely covered...
episode 26: Politicizing Therapy to Spark Real Healing with Dr. Jennifer Mullan
Y’all, this week Dr. Jennifer Mullan, the founder of Decolonizing Therapy and great friend, slid into the diner booth with me. She and I worked together at New Jersey City University and became friends really quickly! We discussed late-night guilty pleasures, what we are currently watching, and then dove in! I loved learning how Astrology is woven into so many facets of Dr. Mullan’s fabric. We talked about getting into crystals, charts, and past lives…all of which were new to me...
episode 25: Financial Literacy and Dancing Geckos with Peter Bielagus
Coming in hot to the diner this week is financial literacy expert and surprise fiction author, Peter Bielagus! I shared a pretty embarrassing story about a dancing geckos hoodie I bought that turned into a funny episode throughline. I asked Peter to tell us about how he went from being a money management speaker into a fiction author and it turned into quite an endearing moment about his childhood...
episode 24: Reimagining education and leaving a legacy with Mr. Jeff Dess
Mr. Jeff Dess, educator, author, speaker, and activist, joins me in the diner this week! We kicked things off with a proud discussion about proper New York diner ordering protocol. We then took a hard left and Jeff told me about the hidden curriculum in education and who it’s hurting. Where are the priorities in schools with poorer students? Discipline or education? We talked about when do people make the choice to give up on others, particularly educators...
episode 23: Raising 3 daughters as an imperfect man with Steve Whitby
Stepping into the diner this week is my good friend and wedding officiant, Steve Whitby! We talked about being a Dad to three girls – and, spoiler, no he didn’t want a boy for the third one. It got a little deep when we discussed raising daughters as a man who knows he is flawed and has made bad choices. Then we shifted gears to talk about what happens when a job you love gets taken away from you and where you go from there. I loved how he discussed finding the beauty in the bitterness...
episode 22: Diving into our darkest fears with Darryl Bellamy Jr.
Stepping into the diner this week is my man, Darryl Bellamy Jr. He is a fear researcher and an outrageous speaker. Before we got into that, Darryl and I debated the right way to eat grits. He then told me about an early entrepreneurial failure of his after college that left him sleeping on friends’ couches. Then he landed a good paying consulting gig... but that just was not it for him. Confidence is ultimately what kept him moving towards what he wanted to do, being a speaker...
episode 21: How fun is anxiety!? With cheese monger/actor Anne-Marie Pietersma
This week Anne-Marie Pietersma, actor and cheese monger, joins me in the diner! We first talked about her experience with COVID-19 because losing your sense of taste as a cheese monger is probably not ideal. We compared east coast vs. west coast late night eating options and then jumped into Anne-Marie’s life. We started with her journey from going space camp to wanting to be a therapist to finally setting into acting...
episode 20: 2 Men Swimming in Vulnerability with Don Fanelli
This week in the diner I got to kick it with an old friend and improv buddy, Don Fanelli. This session was jam packed with personal development strategies, parenting insights, and the quick wit that you love to see from two comedians. We talked about the self-talk strategies that are useful in a creative field and life in general, and Don gave an honest take on the ups and downs of parenting...