Exploring the Energy with Anzo & Friends

After a brief hiatus, it's great to be back! I'm joined by my friend Matt “Pooch” Kiernan and his band of brothers - Bernie “Bonzo” Kiernan (his actual brother), Scott “Deece” DeSimone, and Gary “needs-a-nickname” Catania. Matt and I recently become fast friends through our mutual love of music, our love of our family, our passion for golf, and a new shared friendship with his brother and their two closest friends of over 50 years. I'm honored to call them all my friends now. Matt is...

My relatively new friendship with Robyn Pray is undoubtedly a result of the universe connecting the two of us. Here’s how that happened and why this episode means so much to me. In the summer of 2023, I received a very kind and somewhat mysterious note from a name that I didn’t recognize, though I did recognize the sender’s address - Keeseville Free Library in Keeseville, New York. Admittedly not being an avid reader or library-goer, I thought to myself “who and why is anyone from...

Now in their 20’s and all having left the nest, it’s not often I get to spend extended one-on-one time with my daughters. This is why this episode is so special to me. A few weeks ago my youngest daughter, Lilly, and I embarked on a 12+ hour roadtrip from our home town of Greenlawn, Long Island to Charleston, South Carolina where Lilly will join her sister, Hannah, and call it home for a while. Along the way, Lilly shares what she’s been up to since graduating from University of Delawa...

It was intentional and by design that the official rebrand of the podcast from Grateful Dad & Friends to Exploring the Energy w/ Anzo & Friends kicked off at a local, music-centric brewery, aptly named, U.S. Brews. What better place to explore the energy?! In the inaugural episode, I’m joined by U.S. Brews owner & founder, Brian “Gunny” McGunnigle and Paul “Nud” Schmitz, with special cameo appearances by Kevin “Camper” Campion, Billy “Vic Thrill” Campion, and Billy “Mad Lar...

Circa Fall 1982, I first met Mike Rice in Huntington High School’s 9th-grade math class, where we became fast friends and “partners in crime.” In fact, it turns out it wasn’t until we sat down on this Thursday afternoon in February ‘25, some 43years later, that we discovered our connection goes back as far as 1974, when we shared the same kindergarten class in Flower Hill Elementary School.Fast forward to 2025, Mike (aka “Sketch”) brings us back to his early days growing up “south of 2...

Grateful Dad & Friends would not exist if it weren’t for my guest, Will Retherford, who founded and owns the Tulsa-based production company, Citizens of Sound. I have my friend Lawrence Zarian - who some of you may know from his regular appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show or from his podcast, You Are Beautiful With Lawrence Zarian - to thank for connecting us. Although it’s my GUESTS who are the focus and who provide the content, Will does the behind-the-scenes heavy liftin...

The Energy Train keeps rolling with an unforgettable guest: Dave “Fetts” Fetterolf. A dynamic personality with boundless energy, Fetts is a man of many talents—insane athletic ability, a battery that never quits, a wildly successful career, and his most important role of all - husband and proud father of three. In this episode Fetts opens up about his journey, sharing how he overcame dyslexia to earn a spot at Cornell University, where he played Division 1 tennis and met his wife, Erica, on t...

Similar to Season 2, Episode 1 when I sat down with Doug “Pops” Smith, who I like to refer to as a “Wise Old Owl”, in this episode I have the pleasure of connecting with a friend that I consider in the same first-class league, Mr. Tom White. Tom and I met when I first called on the five-generation Italian food products company, Pastene & Co, soliciting their label business back in the early 2000’s, and although he was a client for the next 15+ years, first and foremost Tom remains ...