Amazing Arizonans

I love to hear when someone gets to live their dream. Our goal with Amazing Arizonans is to hear amazing stories from right here in the Grand Canyon state. This episode checks both boxes. I talk with Ralph Velez Jr.

Known internationally as Ramblin’ Ralph. He is a world-famous boxing ring announcer. He’s worked some of the biggest fights in the world on some of the biggest platforms. He is a humble and gracious man that gives back generously in his community. His positive energy is contagious. I hope you like the conversation.

In this powerful episode of Amazing Arizonans, I sit down with Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a man whose life and work embody courage, conviction and an unwavering commitment to both faith and country.

Dr. Jasser is no stranger to the spotlight. A respected physician, U.S. Navy veteran and outspoken advocate for reform within the Muslim faith, he has spent the past two decades challenging extremism. Since the attacks of 9/11, Dr. Jasser has been a leading voice against radical ideologies.

Steven Brophy, the president and CEO of the Aztec Land and Cattle Company, joins Amazing Arizonans. It's one of our biggest private landowners.

Amazing Arizonans is presented by Resolution Copper.

This week I sit down with the head of Arizona Public Service, Ted Geisler. Ted is an Arizona native and grew up working for APS. We discuss the balance between the cost of building and maintaining a reliable power grid and the cost to APS customers. We talk about the different ways that electricity is made and delivered in Arizona. From traditional power generation, to solar, wind, hydro electric and the Palo Verde Nuclear power plant in the west valley. Ted is a very interesting person. It is obvious from our conversation that he has a deep love for Ariona and great pride in the people at APS. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.

I have had the privilege of talking with so many great people on Amazing Arizonans. But I have never had a bigger response to a guest than in this episode.

My guest is Frank Sloup. You know him as “Fridays with Frank” on social media.

Frank is arguably the most recognizable cop on social media. Almost a half dozen people in our building waited to meet him and get photos.

He's a deputy in Pinal County and is known for his interactions with people during traffic stops. We talk about his rise in popularity and what it is like getting recognized everywhere he goes.

He has a long and very accomplished career in law enforcement. He is a fascinating person and a great storyteller. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

We kick off the new season of Amazing Arizonans with a legitimate superstar! Amy Van Dyken is an Olympic record holder in swimming. She is still active as a commentator and ambassador for the sport. We talk about her career in swimming and in broadcasting. We also talk about the accident that changed her life. An ATV accident rendered her paralyzed from the waist down. But her attitude is remarkable. You’ll learn how she’s taken the accident and used it as an opportunity to influence a different group of people. I think this is the perfect way to start the new season. 

I had the privilege of sitting down with Diamondbacks legend Randy Johnson for this episode of Amazing Arizonans. Randy is such an interesting person, he was a photographer at USC before his baseball career and now it's his passion. We discuss his Hall of Fame baseball career, his time in Arizona and earning the World Series MVP. Definitely a great conversation with another Amazing Arizonan.

If you’re football fan you’re going to recognize my guest this week on Amazing Arizonans, Super Bowl winning quarterback from the Chicago Bears Jim McMahon. He talks about his time at BYU, his time in the NFL, his battles with league officials and why he decided to settle here in the Valley.

On this edition of Amazing Arizonans, I talked with Brad Blakeman. Mr. Blakeman has led an incredibly interesting life.

He’s worked for four presidents. He’s traveled and worked all over the world.

At a time where we are so politically divided, it’s great to get a perspective from someone that has been a part of so much history.

Being with the president on 9/11 and telling the story of such personal loss is captivating. He has been a part of so many historical events.

He’s a great storyteller and has an amazing memory.

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Start your engines, you won’t want this conversation to speed on by. A Phoenix native and longtime community development executive, Latasha Causey, is the first female African American track president in NASCAR history and the second woman to hold the position at Phoenix Raceway. It was a pleasure to get to know her, I know you’ll enjoy it too.

I love talking with successful people. Rick Smith, the CEO of Axon, is definitely one of my favorite conversations. You may know his company as Taser.

Our conversation is about his road to success, from starting his company in a garage in Tucson to growing it into a $40,000,000,000 multinational company.

He discusses his successes and failures. He talks about the lessons learned and the fight to keep his world headquarters in Scottsdale.

If you’re a sports fan in Arizona you know the name Dan Bickley. No one knows more about Arizona sports than Dan. His dedication to the truth and the written word has made him an Arizona Icon. He’s an accomplished author and broadcaster as well. On the episode of Amazing Arizonans you’ll learn about his early days as a reporter. Who his mentors were and how he developed his unique style. Dan has a gift for capturing the emotion of the moment and make us feel like we are right there with him. Dan is one of my favorite people. I think you’re going to love this conversation.

I love country music. I moved to Arizona in early 1995. At that time their were three iconic country bands in Arizona. One of those bands is The Herndon Brothers. On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I sit with Ray Herndon. He shares stories of writing hit songs for some of the biggest stars in Country Music. We talk about his hits with McBride and the Ride. The legendary country bar Handlebar J’s that he still owns and operates. So if you love Arizona and are a country music fan, you’re going to love this conversation.

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans, Mike Broomhead sits down with Jody Jackson. She is one Arizona’s most recognizable sports figures. She has reported on some of the greatest and most memorable moments in Arizona. She pulls the curtain back on the most important people and moments in Arizona sports.

Most people can’t say that they know a Supreme Court justice. Mike has had the privilege of knowing Justice Clint Bolick for a long time before he reached the Arizona Supreme Court. They sat down for a chat about his incredible career.

Mountainside Fitness CEO Tom Hatten has an incredible story. Having a vision to open a gym in the Valley to building an empire that is synonymous with fitness in Arizona. But the story of how difficult it was getting started and how close he was to closing first location is a story of determination and grit. Mike Broomhead sits down with Hatten in this episode of Amazing Arizonans. 

Our guest this week on Amazing Arizonans is a Superstar from the 80's. Supermodel Kim Alexis. Featured on over 500 magazine covers, including being featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition six times. She had a huge career in broadcasting and she continues to be an influencer and advocate for healthy living. Our conversation about faith is truly inspirational. She has an amazing life, I hope you love the conversation as much as we did.

This week's episode features an amazing musician, Shem von Schroeck. A Valley resident who has played with some of the greatest names in music. The singer, songwriter and composer has performed on the opera stage as well as with legendary acts like Toto, the Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Ambrosia, Air Supply and many more.

This episode of Amazing Arizonans was so much fun for me. I met Randall Hedden at a charity function where he was performing and I was the emcee. He is an artist and is internationally know for his speed painting. His work is very popular and he’s raised over five million dollars for charity with his work. We talk about how he became a speed painter. His love of art and his love of giving to the community. I hope you enjoy the conversation and his work.

Marvin Young better known as Young MC is a valley resident known for some classic songs and is still making great music! On this episode of Amazing Arizonans I talk with him about his career. Growing up in Queens New York and the beginning of hip hop, winning a Grammy for his mega hit "Bust A Move" and co-writing hits like "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing". He has a career that spans more than 4 decades. We talk about his new music and navigating the music industry. I hope you enjoy it.

For this installment of Amazing Arizonans, Mike sits down with Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Danny’s background and experience makes him very interesting. He’s helped shape public policy in many different ways, being a staffer for elected officials, including former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

President of Grand Canyon University, Brian Mueller is this week's guest on Amazing Arizonans. We talked about how the school came to be and what's to come in it's big future. 

I had the pleasure of talking with former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl for the episode of Amazing Arizonans. I met the Senator over twenty years ago. He is known as an expert on the U.S. Constitution and sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also is an expert in water legislation and as a key figure in the Central Arizona Project. Ensuring water security throughout the western states. We get a behind the curtain look at some of the decisions that molded our state and our country. I hope you enjoy it.