Friendly Talk Show

Chris Do joins Anna and me to talk about better conversations, self-talk, and what makes a good host. I came in excited to interview my dream guest and left with honest feedback about listening and making space.Help us win Top Host:Vote for Mark - https://tophost.org/2026/mark-chepelyukVote for Anna - https://tophost.org/2026/anna-chepel00:00 Preview01:27 Help us win Top Host02:00 Meet Chris Do03:14 Culture and communication10:15 Beyond boring interview questions13:20 Hosting as a couple15:49 The joy of hosting20:21 Being polite vs. being honest23:40 Chris’s self-talk27:09 Lessons learned the hard way31:16 His sons’ startup35:54 Honest feedback on our hosting41:56 Personal branding47:18 Who’s the better host?48:38 My reflection

🗳️ VOTE FOR US — Top Host 2026Mark: https://tophost.org/2026/mark-chepelyukAnna: https://tophost.org/2026/anna-chepelJessica Bowser was teaching fourth grade in Fairfax County when the pandemic cost her the job. Stuck at home figuring out what came next, she started a podcast. Her very first episode had 60 listeners, “58 more than most brand new podcasts have.” Seven seasons later, Virginia Outdoor Adventures has her recognized by her voice on airplanes. Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources even told her, “You talk about us better than we do.”We talk about how she built the show, the listener who reconnected with her estranged adult son because of an episode, and why she meets every guest in person before she ever hits record. Jessica also explains why she turns down advertisers that don’t fit her audience (“Who wants to hear an ad about car insurance?”) and how she handles the ebbs and flows of running a business.At the end, we make her pick who’s the better host. She did NOT sign up for that. 🎧 Jessica’s show: https://virginiaoutdooradventures.com/📸 Jessica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginia_outdoor_adventures/📸 Mark: https://www.instagram.com/markchepel/📸 Anna: https://www.instagram.com/annachepelandco/🎙️ Want to record your own podcast? Book the studio: https://fcbs.co/

What happens when you turn the thing you love into the thing people pay you for? Endurance coach, cyclist, and JMU instructor Averi joins Mark and Anna for a conversation about building a career around riding bikes, finding confidence in your work, and making things even when the internet has opinions.We get into his journey from the Air Force to coaching, how a cycling video brought out the haters, and why he keeps creating for himself. Plus, supplement industry hot takes, Mark’s beef with marketing agencies, and a misunderstanding about whether Averi won the Tour de France. Vote for Mark to be the next Top Host https://tophost.org/2026/mark-chepelyuk Vote for Anna to be the next Top Host https://tophost.org/2026/anna-chepel

Daniel Phonelath joins us to talk about his journey from working in tech to returning to his family’s restaurant, and what that taught him about identity, ambition, and meaningful work. We get into the challenges of working with your parents, learning to say no, and why restaurants are about much more than food.Along the way: immigrant expectations, the college debate, difficult customers, and plenty of laughs.

Jared Miller started his business before he had everything figured out.In this conversation, we talk about risk, money, faith, growing through mistakes, and why waiting until you feel ready can keep you stuck. Jared shares what he learned building Titan Roofing & Exteriors, the financial lessons that came the hard way, and why sometimes the only way forward is to start ugly and learn as you go.Connect with Jared:https://www.instagram.com/titanroofingvahttps://www.titanroofingva.com/

Daniel Wenger is the co-founder of VFC Homes. We talk about growing a construction business, building trust, his faith, learning to let go, balancing business with family, and why even successful entrepreneurs are still figuring things out.Contact Danielhttps://www.vfchomes.com/Content & Marketing Workshophttps://forms.gle/XWkwSR4B7vAL4TFG8

Join Tim Lewis, Jill, Anna, and Mark for a friendly conversation about hiking, photography, relationships, online criticism, and building a life around what you love. We start in the studio, then finish the conversation at sunset on McAfee Knob.Follow Tim https://www.facebook.com/TimEbaysballhttps://www.instagram.com/timebaysball/

In this episode, Mark sits down with Nikita, owner of Grace Hill Construction, for a conversation about what it really takes to build a good home today.Nikita shares his story of growing up around hard work, learning construction through his first home build, and eventually starting his own custom home building company. The conversation gets into why good homes cost so much, the difference between custom homes and big builders, what homeowners often miss when comparing prices, and why cutting corners usually costs more in the long run.They also talk about the personal side of building a business, including the pressure of long workdays, balancing family and work, learning to delegate, and trying to grow without losing the values that made the business worth building in the first place.This is a conversation about homes, quality, work ethic, family, and the cost of doing things the right way.Contact Nikita:https://www.instagram.com/gracehillconstruction/https://www.gracehillconstruction.com/

In this episode Mark sits down with Kyle Glenn, a certified financial planner and exit planner, to talk about the human side of building and leaving a business. They discuss why many business owners are not prepared to sell, the difference between lifestyle and enterprise businesses, how money affects identity, and why your purpose has to be bigger than what you do for work.

In this episode, Mark sits down with Haima Askari for a conversation about identity, meaningful work, culture, language, convenience, and travel.Haima shares his perspective on photography, Kurdish-American identity, preserving culture in America, and why language creates such a deep sense of belonging. They also discuss happiness vs. fulfillment, America’s obsession with convenience, the future of work, and why struggle often gives life more meaning.Follow Haima: https://www.instagram.com/askari007/