EXTRAordinary PEOPLE

EXTRAordinary PEOPLE

Author: Shirley Wachtel Language: English Episodes: 44
You might pass them on the street or sit next to them in a cafe, never knowing the depth of their journey. EXTRAordinary PEOPLE is built on a simple, powerful idea: remarkable stories are held by everyday individuals. Host Shirley Wachtel sits down with people from all walks of life-entrepreneurs, artists, community organizers, teachers, and quiet heroes-who have chosen to leverage their unique talents to impact the world around them. This isn't about celebrity; it's about the substance of lived experience. In each conversation, guests share their narratives in their own words, detailing the specific hardships and obstacles they faced and, more importantly, the resilience and choices that allowed them to rise and create change. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of an intimate, revealing dialogue where vulnerability meets triumph. Shirley guides these discussions with empathy, drawing out the nuanced lessons within each story. The result is a collection of authentic accounts that collectively explore themes of perseverance, innovation, and human connection across society, business, and personal growth. Tune in not just for inspiration, but for a genuine sense of what it means to contribute something meaningful, and how ordinary moments can build an extraordinary life.
Episodes
Ann Vipamaneerut [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:15
Ann Vipamaneerut is the owner of Rice Factory, a restaurant in Milltown, New Jersey featuring Thai foods. Her given name is Vilailuck Vipamaneerut, but all of the patrons and friends affectionately know her as Ann. Ann,…
Bea Lurie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:33
Bea Lurie is the daughter of two child Holocaust survivors, her father, Sol, and her mother, Evelyn Rebecca Lurie, whose parents escaped from Poland with two toddlers. Bea learned by her parents’ actions the importance o…
Jonathan Hunger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
Jonathan Hunger is the author of Agitate!, a revealing memoir of how he was able to overcome his fears by the example of Frederick Douglass. Jonathan is a native New Yorker who grew up primarily in New Jersey. He attende…
Renee Weingarten [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:50
Renee Weingarten is the creator and founder of Renee’s Reading Club, featured on Facebook, since 2017. Today, the club has over 62,000 members with members in every state in the United States and in over thirty countries…
Mario Fronzoni [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
MARIO FRONZONI was born on Valentine’s Day in Elizabeth, New Jersey. A resident of East Brunswick, New Jersey for 43 years, Mario is married, the father of two, and grandfather of three grandchildren. After retiring from…
Milt Heumann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:01
MILT HEUMANN received a BA from Brooklyn College in 1968, and a Ph.D. from Yale University in 1976. He taught as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Michigan from 1973 to 1980, was a Guggenheim Fell…
Sarah Esposito [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Sarah Esposito, PA-C, is a certified Physician Associate at Integrated Dermatology of NJ, located in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Sarah received her Bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Delaware…
Dee Gwiazdowski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:56
Dee Gwiazdowski has been in the design field for thirty-two years, nineteen of which have been with Ethan Allen as a Design Consultant. This is a second career for Dee. She is both passionate and dedicated to creating sp…
Marj Billker Graves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:15
Marj Billker Graves joined the Army Nurse Corps during her final year of nursing school in 1967. She served as a head nurse on male orthopedic wards at Darnall Army Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas, and at Ireland Army Hospita…
Ian Feibelman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:25
Simply put…Ian is camp, and camp is Ian. He began his career as a camper, counselor, Division Leader, and administrator at a traditional day camp in New Jersey. Ian has only missed 2 summers at camp since he was 3 years…