Good News York by Growth Mode Content

Nick-E on Syracuse’s Music Scene, Mental Health, and Building a Career in 2026 On Good News York, host interviews Syracuse, New York artist Nick-E about starting music as a high school freshman, facing both support and ridicule, and using that as fuel to study lyric writing and wordplay. Nick-E describes performing mostly in New York City and Albany, often as an energetic opening act, and explains Syracuse’s diverse local music scene, naming artists like Big Sexy, Skyla Beef, and the VCM crew. He records at Red Brick Recording in Central Square and recommends venues and networking routes such as Song and Dance events and Funk ’n Waffles open mics. Nick-E performs and discusses two songs, “Dark Clouds” (inspired by mental health struggles and recovery after returning home from NYC during COVID) and “Tough Times” (reflecting late high school growth). He cites influences including Mac Miller and pop punk bands, and shares advice on supporting friends, honing craft, and mastering social media and content monetization while keeping a job to pay bills. 00:00 Fuel From Doubters 00:20 Meet Nick E 01:26 First Songs In High School 02:53 NYC Shows And Live Energy 03:41 Syracuse Scene And Shoutouts 05:13 Studios And Getting Involved 06:58 Performing Dark Clouds 10:59 Meaning Behind Dark Clouds 12:50 Influences And Positivity 14:45 Starting Tough Times 15:26 Song Performance Begins 16:07 Hook and Repeat Chorus 16:54 Post Song Reactions 17:06 High School Inspiration 18:14 Support Your Friends 19:48 Inside Joke FMC 20:06 Making Music in 2026 22:03 Finding Local Artists 24:11 Advice for New Musicians 27:22 Funk N Waffles Love 28:36 Where to Find Nick E 29:21 Final Wrap and Thanks

Syracuse Improv’s Johnny Nolan on Spooky D&D Improv, Workshops, and Building a Comedy Community On Good News York, host Noah interviews Johnny Nolan, co-founder of Syracuse Improv, about growing the group from a small library meetup to 40+ attendees per workshop and multiple shows. They promote an upcoming Monday, October 26 Halloween-themed Dungeons & Dragons improv show at the Song & Dance, where performers and the audience create characters and an adventure on the spot, with a twist following monsters instead of heroes, plus costumes, a contest sponsored by Birdie and Dice, and tickets via syracuseimprov.com. They describe beginner-friendly free workshops every other Wednesday focused on community, shared silliness, and confidence, and discuss their own improv history in high school and at RIT. Looking ahead, they plan more shows, expanded classes (Level 1 and new Level 2), and a long-term goal of a dedicated theater, funded through attendance, grants, and donors. 00:00 Anxious And Late Cold Open 00:09 Meet Johnny Nolan 01:35 Dnd Improv Show Explained 02:51 Halloween Monsters Twist 03:36 Origins Of Diceprov 05:13 Ticket Sales Stress 05:43 How To Get Tickets 06:43 Marketing Call To Action 07:23 Workshops Overview 09:48 Community Through Improv 11:12 Embracing Embarrassment 12:10 Boy Scouts Memories 13:06 High School Improv Club 15:52 Rit Improv Life 17:33 Finding Friends At Rit 18:32 Silly Games Build Trust 19:42 Improv Friends For Life 20:46 Rebuilding Syracuse Improv 22:18 Community Connections And Venues 25:01 Working Styles And Friction 28:10 Big Vision For Growth 29:35 Why Take Improv Classes 33:14 Theater Dream And Funding 35:16 How You Can Help Now 37:32 Favorite Scenes And Memories 40:44 Final Thanks And Wrap Up

Jeff the Magic Man on Balloon Art, Magic, and Reimagining the Festival Line | Good News York Host Noah Chrysler welcomes Jeff D’Ambrosio (Jeff the Magic Man) to Good News York, where Jeff introduces himself as a children’s entertainer, balloon artist, magician, stilt walker, and puppeteer. He rapidly makes a balloon dog and shows a more elaborate balloon “person” he often calls Bob, then shares how he started in middle school after being inspired by local “Twin Magicians,” took lessons, and gained early practice volunteering at a church carnival. Jeff discusses competing at the international Twist and Shout conference in Las Vegas, creating small, medium, and large sculptures (including nature-inspired ants/log and a 1960s Americana radio/rotary phone piece with embedded speakers), and demonstrates repurposing uninflated balloons into a rose. He explains goals to eliminate balloon lines using a performance-style crowd setup and a deli-style ticket system, plugs upcoming Halloween events at Destiny and Enchanted Beaver Lake, and closes with more balloon creations, including a balloon “Oscar,” plus ways to find him online. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:48 Balloon Dog Speed Run 02:32 Meet Bob Balloon Person 03:38 Origin Story in Magic 05:45 Community and Mentorship 06:39 Awards and Vegas Competition 08:04 Recycling Balloons into Art 09:24 Inside the Vegas Sculptures 11:28 Sharing Balloon Photos 11:43 Creative Doubt and Perfectionism 13:33 Misconceptions and Ending the Balloon Line 15:00 Making Balloon Twisting a Show 17:06 How to Follow Jeff 18:25 Upcoming Events and Bookings 19:14 Live Balloon Demo and Balloon Sizes 21:47 Giant Balloon Stunts and Longevity 22:43 Oddities Theme and Balloon Oscar 23:58 Final Plugs and Sponsor Thanks

Mark O’Donnell on Strategic Planning, Goal Alignment, and Keys to Successful Leadership On Good News York, host Noah interviews Mark O’Donnell, founder of Operations Excellence and host of the Operations Excellence Podcast, about his consulting work in leadership and organizational development focused on people, process, and strategy. Mark describes helping for-profit and not-for-profit organizations with strategic planning, implementation discipline, and serving as an outside accountability partner, plus leadership development and ongoing coaching. Using Noah’s nonprofit Syracuse Improv as an example, Mark outlines a planning framework: start with a vision statement, then mission (12–18 months), core values, critical success factors, WHY SMART goals, milestones, and action plans with broad stakeholder input to drive goal alignment. They discuss overcoming constraints, the importance of long-term vision, the Peter Principle, and learning through failure. Mark also shares a new online course with Joanne Yarro on successful leadership, executive presence, and culture, offered as seven ~20-minute videos. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:27 What Operations Excellence Does 02:33 Nonprofit Talk and Palace Theatre 04:29 Consulting Approach and Trust 07:05 Strategic Planning Deliverables 10:46 Syracuse Improv Vision Workshop 12:11 Writing a Vision Statement 16:40 Dream Big Beyond Constraints 19:38 Why Vision Matters Long Term 22:46 Mission and Values 23:45 Goals and Why Smart 25:41 Action Plans and Alignment 28:10 Personal Aspirations Link 32:23 Engineer Liaison Story 35:13 Leadership Course Launch 41:54 Peter Principle Lessons 45:46 Attitude and Failure Mindset 48:09 Wrap Up and Links

Bringing Salt Back to Salt City: Syracuse Salt Company on History, Harvesting, and Flavor-Infused Salts Host Noah Chrysler interviews David and Libby of Syracuse Salt Company, a family business started 11 years ago that harvests brine from a ~280–300-foot well in Syracuse, evaporates it into flake salt, and infuses flavors to help “bring salt back to the Salt City.” They explain Syracuse’s salt-industry peak from the 1700s through about 1920 and its decline due to railroads, coastal production, and reduced Erie Canal use; the local brine is about three times saltier than the ocean and originates from an ancient sea. They describe filtering, settling out iron, evaporation tables, drying racks, sifting for grain size, and zero-waste practices. They compare their salt to iodized table salt, discuss finishing salts and cooking uses, do a taste test, and highlight collaborations (Hobey Honey salted honey, Speech Candy brittles/chocolates, Syracuse University “Cuse” salts) plus local sourcing. They share where to buy (local Wegmans, shops, online), invite pickle collaborators via [email protected], and mention restaurants using their salt. 00:00 Meet Syracuse Salt Co 00:35 Why Syracuse Is Salt City 01:59 Ancient Brine Underground 02:52 Drilling Their Own Well 03:30 Old vs New Saltmaking 05:17 From Brine to Flakes 06:46 Batch Variations and Texture 08:44 Flavored Salts and Cooking 09:02 Table Salt vs Local Salt 11:18 Finishing Salt Tips 13:30 Pickle Salt and Partnerships 17:10 Collabs Honey Candy and SU 20:08 Taste Test Cinnamon Brittle 20:44 Peanut Brittle Reactions 21:22 Sampling Flake Salt Basics 21:47 Why Flake Beats Table Salt 22:53 Pinch of Umami Tasting 23:54 Lime Salt and Pairings 25:03 Cuse Salts Orange Chipotle 27:42 Cardamom Salt Uses 29:32 Where to Buy and Visit 32:09 Restaurants Using Their Salt 35:08 Wrap Up and Thanks