The Progress Report

Small Actions, Big Impact: Andrew Marotta on Leading with Positivity

What happens when a Staten Island kid chasing small-town living lands in Port Jervis on the day of the flood — and never leaves? Andrew Marotta, educator, author, and the driving force behind Port Jervis City School District's communications renaissance, joins Rob and Jess for a conversation about what drew him to teaching, what's kept him there for nearly three decades, and why looking for the positive isn't naive — it's a leadership strategy. Plus: the veteran teacher who stormed into his office angry and left with the wind back in her sails.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2536896/support]

Steve Overmyer: The Stories Behind the Scoreboard

What does it feel like to be standing on the field when Dan Marino hits a touchdown pass in front of 80,000 screaming fans — and think the whole stadium is cheering for you? That's the kind of moment that turns a young broadcaster into a lifer. Steve Overmyer has spent decades telling sports stories at the highest levels — from CNN to CBS News New York — and in Part 2 of our conversation, he breaks down what makes sports the last great unifier in a divided culture, why the best broadcasters learn to get out of the story's way, and what a dancing crossing guard has to do with the most important lesson in journalism. Plus: Patriots fans in New Jersey, Buffalo Bills loyalists who don't think the Jets count as New York, and the moment Steve accidentally became part of a college football game. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2536896/support]

Steve Overmyer: Reading the Room

A rejection letter that said your tape was so bad they didn't want it "infecting their other tape stock." A joke that landed wrong in front of a six-foot-ten Randy Johnson. A tip from David Wright to stop treating every loss like a funeral. Steve Overmyer gets real about the mistakes that shaped him — and the lessons that stuck. From his first job in Fort Myers to the Jets post-game show to the locker rooms of New York, he breaks down the art of asking the hard question without torching the relationship, why you stop watching yourself in the mirror at a certain point, and what Satchel Paige pitching at 63 years old tells us about heart over measurables. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2536896/support]

Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc on Anxiety, Authenticity, and Trusting Your Own Voice

In Part 2 of our conversation with 19-year-old singer-songwriter Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc, Jessica Curtis and Rob Sermerano go deeper into the story behind the songs — and the lessons Taylor has learned along the way. Taylor opens up about the hardest chapter of her musical journey so far: a senior year of high school marked by a friendship that unraveled, targeted mind games, and the panic attacks that came with it. She shares how that experience triggered her anxiety disorder, how she worked through it with the help of family, and how it ultimately led her to the best friend she still talks to almost every day — plus the song "Glimmering Gold," which she recorded as part of her current release. Rob offers a ballplayer's take on being targeted ("the louder you get booed on the road, the more of a threat you are"), Jessica reflects on her own journey of shedding other people's perceptions, and Taylor talks about finally finding her people in college — five roommates who show up to every open mic, know the words to songs that haven't even come out yet, and post her music on TikTok. For anyone sitting on a creative project they're afraid isn't "perfect" enough to share, Taylor has simple advice: just do it. (Yes, even if the cover art came from ChatGPT in the car with your mom.) She also gives us a peek at what's next, including a song called "Calendar Years" built around her college friends' birthdays. Whether you're a young artist hesitant to hit publish, someone working through anxiety, or anyone who's ever felt targeted for simply being on your own path — this one's for you. 🎵 Find Taylor on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music as Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc (M-I-E-S-Z-K-U-C) 📱 Instagram: @taymackenziemieszkuc | TikTok: @taylormackenziemieszkuc Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2536896/support]

Striking Matches: Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc on Writing Her First Song at 12

At 19, Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc is already a decade into her musical journey — and in Part 1 of this conversation, Jessica Curtis and Rob Sermerano dig into how it all began. Taylor takes us back to a third-grade production of Peter Pan that lit the spark, the sixth-grade ukulele that turned her into a songwriter, and the Teen Beach Movie moment that led to her very first song, "Miss Invisible" — written from the perspective of a quiet friend overshadowed by outgoing siblings. Pretty introspective stuff for a 12-year-old. We also hear the story behind her newly released single "Matches," written at 14 during the height of COVID lockdown and inspired by the cinematic music video for Aria's "Mulholland Drive." Taylor shares what it was like walking into Black Sheep Studios and hearing a full band play her song "Boy at the Beach" back to her for the first time (spoiler: she may or may not have had a minor meltdown on camera), plus a preview of her upcoming song "Glimmering Gold," a deeply personal track about the search for lasting friendship. Along the way, Taylor opens up about her influences — from Taylor Swift (the "blueprint") to Conan Gray, Sabrina Carpenter, Mimi Webb, and country artists like Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson — and who she hopes to inspire with her own music: the girls, guys, theys, and everyone in between who just need a safe space to feel seen. Currently studying music education at Bloomsburg University, Taylor is learning everything from piano to percussion to violin, and it's clear this is only the beginning. Stick around for Part 2, where we go even deeper into her story. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2536896/support]