The James Finochio Show

James Finochio
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Personal Journals

The James Finochio Show is a long-form conversation podcast hosted by James Finochio. Each episode, James sits down with guests who have fascinating inner lives and something real to say — exploring topics across faith, science, philosophy, culture, history, human experience, and beyond. The show's edge isn't the topic list — it's James's genuine curiosity and commitment to going deeper than the surface, every single time. If you're tired of shallow content and echo chambers, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Guest Application: https://tinyurl.com/3psz2xn7

  1. You're a Victim Until You're 18. After That, You're a Volunteer. | Jessica L. Morris

    2d ago

    You're a Victim Until You're 18. After That, You're a Volunteer. | Jessica L. Morris

    Send us Fan Mail Jessica Morris grew up the youngest of four kids in a minister's home that looked perfect from the outside. Behind closed doors, her father was an abusive alcoholic, her mother was the family's chief enabler, and at a young age her father told her she was a mistake — that her parents only wanted three children. She carried that as her identity for decades. In this conversation, Jessica walks through what it was like growing up terrified of both her father and God, how shame turned into resentment and then addiction — first food, then alcohol — and the years she spent quietly convinced that as long as she had someone to blame, she didn't have to change anything. She talks about the moment in early recovery when an older woman in the program told her, "you're a victim until you're 18, and after that you're a volunteer," and how that line cracked open everything she'd been avoiding. We get into the difference between shame and resentment, what it actually looks like to take responsibility for your part in your own suffering, her complicated and eventually redemptive relationship with faith, and the counseling session that reframed her entire life story — from "nobody wanted me" to "somebody really important wants me here." Jessica is an author, poet, and spiritual director. She's the author of Higher Powered and her newest release, Sunbathing: Basking in the Word of God, and is currently working on a poetry collection. This one goes deep into faith, addiction, family dysfunction, and what it means to finally stop volunteering for your own pain. 🌐 Learn more about Jessica, read her blog, or find her books: https://jessicalmorris.com/ Support the show

    1h 13m
  2. Real Talk: You're Not a Man, You're Just Old | Corwin Johnson (CJ MONEYWAY)

    Jul 2

    Real Talk: You're Not a Man, You're Just Old | Corwin Johnson (CJ MONEYWAY)

    Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be a man — not just grown, but a man? James sits down with Corwin Johnson, better known as CJ Moneyway — host of the CJ Moneyway Show and Planting Seeds with CJ, and author of "Both Eyes Open and Both Eyes Shut" (2015) and the newly released "Faith Through Trials" (2025) — for a conversation that was never supposed to go where it went. It starts with an unlikely admission: James voted for Trump three times. CJ's a Democrat. Instead of the conversation falling apart, it becomes the foundation for something better — a real, man-to-man discussion about what actually holds people together when politics tries to tear them apart. From there, the conversation moves into faith and fatherhood. James and CJ walk through the stories of Abraham, Job, Moses, and Daniel — not as Sunday school lessons, but as blueprints for how a man carries his household through uncertainty, failure, and consequence. CJ opens up about his own life falling apart in his twenties, discovering discipline through scripture, and what it actually took to become the man his kids needed — not the one he used to be. The conversation gets pointed when they talk about presence versus performance: men who are physically home but absent, men who've traded discipline for comfort, and CJ's unfiltered take on what it means to actually lead a household — even when you're wrong, even when it's hard, even when nobody's clapping for you. This is a conversation about growing up — really growing up — not just getting older. 🎙️ Guest: Corwin Johnson (CJ Moneyway)  Find CJ Moneyway on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram — search "CJ Moneyway"  New project: "Planting Seeds with CJ," launching June 19th 🎨 This episode is sponsored by Vitale Painting, serving Blair County, Altoona, and State College. Call today for a free estimate: 814-937-8663 Subscribe for new episodes weekly. The James Finochio Show — real conversations about the things that actually matter. Support the show

    47 min
  3. He Gets The Credit, You Get The Tax Increase | Pennsylvania Representative Scott Barger

    Jun 26

    He Gets The Credit, You Get The Tax Increase | Pennsylvania Representative Scott Barger

    Send us Fan Mail Pennsylvania is $4.8 billion in the hole and the governor wants to use the rainy day fund to buy himself one more year before the bill comes due. District Representative Scott Barger from the 80th district in Blair County Pennsylvania sits down with James to break down exactly how the state got here, who's responsible, and why he thinks every Pennsylvanian is looking at a tax increase by 2028 if nobody makes the hard cuts that need to happen. Scott doesn't hold back. He explains why legalizing recreational marijuana only generates $140 million in year one — a drop in the bucket against a $4.8 billion structural deficit. Why taxing skill games buys maybe 10% of the gap and wipes out small businesses and fraternal organizations in the process. And why he believes the only real solution is cutting spending, which nobody in Harrisburg wants to do because cutting spending doesn't get you reelected. He also gets into the data center boom that's coming to Blair County whether people are ready for it or not, and why he's urging local township supervisors to get zoning ordinances in place now before corporations show up with lawyers and a checkbook. Including the possibility of small nuclear power plants attached to these facilities — something most municipalities haven't even begun thinking about. The childcare crisis in Pennsylvania gets real time in this conversation too. Scott breaks down a package of 14 bills Republicans just introduced aimed at cutting red tape for daycare centers — staffing ratios, square footage rules, trash can lids, all of it — because the state has lost 60% of its in-home daycare providers and some centers have waiting lists of 600 kids. Plus the cell phone in schools bill that just passed the House and why Scott voted against it even though he agrees with the idea behind it. And the ongoing drama around SB9, the bill that says only girls can compete against girls in Pennsylvania school sports, and why House Democrats keep moving it from committee to committee to avoid bringing it to a vote. If you live in Blair County, central Pennsylvania, or you just want to hear a state representative talk about what's actually happening in Harrisburg without the spin, this one is worth your time. Find The James Finochio Show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts.  Support the show

    1h 15m
  4. Everybody Wanted to Be Gangster | Chet Denny & Mike Thomas from The PennSoulvanians

    Jun 18

    Everybody Wanted to Be Gangster | Chet Denny & Mike Thomas from The PennSoulvanians

    Send us Fan Mail Chet Denny and Michael Thomas of The PennSoulvanians join James for one of the most genuine conversations about music, identity, and staying true to yourself when everything around you says conform. They were doing it different back when different wasn't cool — writing original, soulful hip hop in an era that wanted gangster rap, building a seven piece live band nobody asked for, and refusing to play covers when every venue told them they had to. In this episode: how the band formed by accident, what grief taught Chet about music, why Pennsylvania is their whole identity, and the philosophy behind staying original for over two decades. Support the show

    1h 7m
  5. He Was 19, Drunk, and Had No Idea How to Live | Daryl Dittmer

    Jun 12

    He Was 19, Drunk, and Had No Idea How to Live | Daryl Dittmer

    Send us Fan Mail Daryl Dittmer spent years fighting everything. Life, people, problems, himself. Then his sponsor said something that stopped him cold. When you stop fighting, the fighting stops. In this conversation Daryl gets into what real recovery looks like, why calling addiction a disease lets people off the hook, how to build the kind of internal strength that makes you stop caring about what you can't control, and why the courage and confidence you keep waiting for is already in you right now. Daryl is the number one bestselling Amazon author of When I Stopped Fighting and When You Stop Fighting. He coaches people on building strength physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally so they can weather whatever life throws at them. If you have ever felt like you were getting in your own way this episode is for you. 🌐 Learn more about Daryl at https://www.daryldittmer.com/ Support the show

    1h 7m
  6. They Told Him He Was Too Smart for This | George Ceballos

    Jun 4

    They Told Him He Was Too Smart for This | George Ceballos

    Send us Fan Mail George Ceballos grew up hustling — first weed, then coke, then heroin. What started as a way to be self-sufficient turned into addiction, incarceration, and years of cycling through state prisons, rehabs, and parole violations. Six prisons. Nearly a decade lost. Then a counselor at a rehab facility did something nobody had done before — he sat down, found the resources, and built a plan. A welding program. A real shot. And George took it. This is an honest conversation about the street life nobody glorifies honestly, what addiction really costs, and what it looks like to claw your way back from less than zero. George is now nearly three years clean, working a career in welding, and present for his kids for the first time. A conversation about wasted potential, dark money, and what it means to finally become a square — and be proud of it. Support the show

    1h 30m
  7. From Sally Brown to Rock Bottom: How a Child Star Found Her Worth

    May 28

    From Sally Brown to Rock Bottom: How a Child Star Found Her Worth

    Send us Fan Mail Hilary Momberger Powers was the voice of Sally Brown on Peanuts at just five years old. But early success became her prison—and rock bottom became her liberation. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Hilary shares how hitting her lowest point forced her to rebuild from scratch, and why she now helps others find their worth through spiritual awakening and radical authenticity. If you've ever felt like you had to perform to survive, this one's for you. Find Hilary: hillarymomburgerpowers.com Support the show

    47 min
  8. Who Told You What a Man Should Be? | Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst

    May 21

    Who Told You What a Man Should Be? | Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst

    Send us Fan Mail Who Told You What a Man Should Be? Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst spent 50 years working with boys and men. Her question: Who decided what a man should be in the first place? From preschool to adulthood, we're training boys to isolate, shut down, and never ask for what they need. In this conversation, we explore how culture shapes masculinity, what isolation actually costs men, and what happens when we finally let men be human. This one's for anyone questioning the script they were given about what it means to be a man—or raising someone who is. Dr. Vanderhorst's books: www.drvanderhorst.com Support the show

    50 min
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4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The James Finochio Show is a long-form conversation podcast hosted by James Finochio. Each episode, James sits down with guests who have fascinating inner lives and something real to say — exploring topics across faith, science, philosophy, culture, history, human experience, and beyond. The show's edge isn't the topic list — it's James's genuine curiosity and commitment to going deeper than the surface, every single time. If you're tired of shallow content and echo chambers, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Guest Application: https://tinyurl.com/3psz2xn7

Information

  • Creator
    James Finochio
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The James Finochio Show
  • Show Website
    The James Finochio Show