Angles with John Richmond

John Richmond

Angles is a podcast about learning from the paths of interesting and successful people. Hosted by John Richmond, Co-Founder and CEO of Richmond Vona, the show features conversations with entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from Buffalo and beyond. By exploring their stories from different angles, each episode uncovers the moments, mindset, and moves that helped them grow and offers insights you can use in your own life and career.

  1. 3d ago

    Ep61: Tom Eoannou - 44 Years of Criminal Defense, the North Park Theater, and Restoring Buffalo’s Soul

    John sits down with Tom Eoannou, one of the most celebrated criminal defense attorneys in Western New York with 44 years in practice and a reputation built on taking the cases nobody else would take, giving money back when it was the right thing to do, and caring deeply about the human beings behind the charges. Tom is also the man responsible for saving the North Park Theater, restoring the Cornell Mansion on Delaware Avenue, acquiring Ulrich’s, and currently finishing a ceramic artist’s house in Bradenton, Florida that he has been restoring for three and a half years.   The conversation is extraordinary. Tom talks about the 22-caliber killer, the Wonder Bread vice president who killed his wife and got the fee returned, the mobster who threatened him with a ball-peen hammer when asked about cooperating, the FBI hitlist that had his name second on it, and the wrongfully accused man who walked free because Tom hired an FBI agent to reinvestigate at his own expense. He also covers the seven-year community-funded restoration of the North Park, how Brokeback Mountain put the theater on the map, and why he worries deeply about the future of Buffalo’s commercial real estate market. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  2. Jul 22

    Ep60: Laura Fitzgerald - Cemetery Historian, and the Stories Carved in Stone

    John sits down with Laura Fitzgerald, cemetery historian, longtime docent at Forest Lawn, and current director at Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls. Laura has spent over two decades learning to read the stories carved into headstones, buried in burial permits, and hidden in the lives of people most of Western New York has never heard of. This is one of those episodes where you walk away looking at something familiar in a completely different way.   Laura covers the origin of the Rural Cemetery Movement and why cemeteries were the original public parks before Central Park existed, the dentist buried at Forest Lawn who invented the electric chair, the remarkable and ultimately sad story of Annie Edson Taylor who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel at 63 to avoid dying poor, what the symbols on headstones actually mean, and what it is like to spend a career researching the dead. She also talks about Chautauqua, cemetery camp, stone preservation workshops, and why the best way to learn the history of any town is to walk through its cemetery. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  3. Jul 15

    Ep59: Brian Higgins - Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo’s Vision, and Why Place Matters

    John sits down with Brian Higgins, former U.S. Congressman and current President and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Brian is South Buffalo born and raised, the son of a bricklayer-turned-city-councilman, and a man whose grandfather helped lay the 520,000 bricks in the historic Shea’s theater itself. He spent 19 years in Congress on the Ways and Means Committee, secured the $300 million New York Power Authority settlement that still finances Buffalo’s waterfront redevelopment, and now runs the largest theater by seating capacity in New York State. This is a conversation about vision, execution, and what it actually takes to believe in a city.   Brian walks through the $34.5 million expansion currently underway at Shea’s, the Musical Fair partnership that has broken its own attendance record every single show, and the digital signage and lit art installations turning the theater district’s alleys into destinations. He talks about his father’s moment at the city council that made him fall in love with politics at age ten, the Harvard fellowship that came six months after he lost an election, and what learned helplessness does to a community. He also shares his unfiltered take on the current state of national politics, the US-Canada relationship, and what he hopes Buffalo looks like in ten years. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  4. Jul 8

    Ep58: Matt Fairburn - The Athletic, Beat Reporting, and What He Sees Inside Buffalo’s Teams

    John sits down with Matt Fairburn, staff writer at The Athletic covering the Buffalo Sabres and one of the most trusted voices in Western New York sports media. Matt has covered both the Bills and the Sabres across his career, spending years at Syracuse.com before joining The Athletic at its Buffalo launch in 2018. He’s a Boston kid who came to Buffalo for a job, met his wife here, and stayed. This conversation is not really about the state of the teams. It’s about what it actually takes to do this job at a high level.   Matt talks about building source relationships as a long game, how the Kevin Adams accountability piece came together over eight months and what it was like to sit across from Adams before it published, and what he has observed about organizational culture and leadership from years of watching two major sports franchises succeed and fail. He also covers the Sabres’ playoff run, the GM change that shifted everything, Brandon Beane and the pressure on the Bills, and where journalism is going as the written word competes with video, AI, and a fragmented media landscape.  Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  5. Jul 1

    Ep57: Shane Stephenson - The Buffalo Naval Park, the USS Sullivans, and Why These Ships Must Be Preserved

    John sits down with Shane Stephenson, Director of Museum Collections at the Buffalo Naval Park. Shane is an archivist by trade who came to the career at 35 after a trip to the National Archives in Washington changed everything, and has spent the years since cataloging, preserving, and telling the human stories behind the three vessels docked on Buffalo’s waterfront: the USS Sullivans, the USS Little Rock, and the USS Croaker. This conversation covers the full history of each ship, why Buffalo has the largest inland naval park in the country, and what it actually means to be the person responsible for keeping these stories alive.   The episode goes deep on the sinking of the USS Sullivans on April 14th, 2022 - a seiche event on Lake Erie that created a 15-foot gash in her hull, drove her six feet into the Buffalo River, and became national news overnight. Shane walks through the story of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, what happened on the USS Juneau in November 1942, and why the Croaker and the Sullivans sitting side by side in Buffalo is a more powerful historical connection than most visitors realize. He also lays out Operation Preservation and the $21 million dry-dock campaign now underway to save both vessels. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  6. Jun 24

    Ep56: Julie Blackman - Six Generations, One Store

    John sits down with Julie Blackman, owner of Farmers and Artisans in Snyder and sixth-generation farmer of Blackman Farms in Niagara County. If you live anywhere near Snyder, you probably already know the store. If you don’t, this episode will make sure you go.   Julie’s story moves from milking cows before school to a 20-year career in physical therapy to a trip to San Francisco that changed everything. She talks about building the store from a fruit butter grant application, losing her founding partner right before the move to the current location, and deciding on a flight home to jump in anyway. She is also honest about everything people don’t see: HR with no HR department, the physical exhaustion of staying local when it would be easier not to, and why she would never open a second location no matter how many times people ask. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  7. Jun 17

    Ep55: Howard Cadmus - Sweet Jenny’s, 1811 Comics, and Building a Life You Actually Love

    John sits down with Howard Cadmus, owner of Sweet Jenny’s chocolate and ice cream shop and 1811 Comics and Collectibles in the historic Williamsville Mill. Howard is one of the funniest, most self-aware people to sit across from John in 56 episodes. He runs two beloved businesses out of a 215-year-old building with a waterfall out the back, guides every decision by two questions he has asked himself since he was young, and genuinely believes the income is not the point - the outcome is.   The conversation covers all of it: growing up on public assistance in Brooklyn, the hustle instinct that never left, how he and his wife Tara went from a chocolate shop in Snyder to rescuing the Williamsville Mill from near demolition, what it really means to be in business with your spouse, and how Brutus the Barber Beefcake started a chain of wrestler appearances that now includes nine visits from Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Howard also makes a strong case for therapy, talks candidly about imposter syndrome, and explains why 70-hour weeks don’t feel like work when you love what you do. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

  8. Jun 10

    Ep54: Tim Herzog - The Godfather of Craft Beer in Buffalo

    John sits down with Tim Herzog, founder of Flying Bison Brewing Company and the man known as the Godfather of Craft Beer in Buffalo. Tim is one of the best storytellers you will ever hear, and this conversation covers all of it: a four-pack of Guinness in 1978, a gag gift from his wife that started a business, six years without a salary, and a 100-year-old brewery license nobody at City Hall knew how to process. This is as honest a business story as you will hear. Tim talks about losing his founding partner mid-process, putting his house up as collateral, driving with cash to pay the electric bill, lobbying Albany to change New York State taproom law, and eventually watching Hamburg Brewing Company carry the Flying Bison brand forward. He also shares his unfiltered take on where craft beer went wrong and why he thinks the industry committed suicide chasing trends instead of staying true to what it stood for. Enjoying the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Angles is a podcast about learning from the paths of interesting and successful people. Hosted by John Richmond, Co-Founder and CEO of Richmond Vona, the show features conversations with entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from Buffalo and beyond. By exploring their stories from different angles, each episode uncovers the moments, mindset, and moves that helped them grow and offers insights you can use in your own life and career.

Information

  • Creator
    John Richmond
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Angles with John Richmond
  • Show Website
    Angles with John Richmond

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