Sports Car Nation, the hobby is the people. Weekly news and interviews. It's
your number one source. Sports Car Nation, the hobby is the people.
[Music] Sports Car Nation. What is up everybody? Welcome to episode
355 of Sports Card Nation. You know, we've been 355 episodes, launching our first
one almost 7 years ago now in November of
2018. And just that's uh amazing to really think uh that it's been that
long. One of the original hobby sports card podcast. Uh not the first, but one
of the early ones. And we're still still here, still going, doing very well. the
gentleman that I have on the show today for my guest. It's the first time on this show and I've talked about him on
multiple occasions on this show. This show exists because of this guy and yet
he is just appearing on the show today and I've talked about it. I was on his
radio broadcast uh on Fridays talking about sports and
sports cards and then my schedule changed and I was and unable to do that
any longer. But it was that run on his radio broadcast that gave me the
inspiration to go ahead and turn this mic on. And so it's a real honor and a
we had a blast kind of reminiscing and talking about the credit he deserves
which he doesn't like to take and he really doesn't take but the credit uh for for him uh why this show is here and
started in the first place. And so we're going to chop up some hobby too. He's a dealer uh now and he's a collector uh
most of his life. So, uh, but we're going to talk about sort of how this all, you know, the Big Bang Theory of
Sports Car Nation, and I I say that, uh, tongue and cheek, but, uh, you know, how
this all formed, how we're here, why we're here, uh, and he's a big part of
that. So, this was a lot of fun. This is part one, uh, of two, as as our most of
our double episodes uh, are. So, with that being said, uh, let's have on. It's
Dan Torra of Dan Turra Broadcast Media.
All right. This is a real treat to have this the next gentleman on the show. But
not only is he on the show, he's in the show. He I'm looking right across from him. A lot of times we do these
interviews and they're done via Streamyard video links from all across the country. Uh but this gentleman lives
uh in Syracuse uh like me and uh you know I've talked about him on the show
prior and I know I'm I'm dragging this out here before I intro him on but the reason this show exists uh is because of
this man and we'll get into that uh later on in the conversation. So, uh,
want to welcome my friend Dan Turra to Sports Car Nation. Dan Torra broadcast,
uh, media to be even more specific. Yeah, man. To be here. Happy to be in the studio. I'm all about like
this gigantic. No, but listen, I'm all about like what is in a place like everything in my
studio has meaning. There's not a single anything there that doesn't have a story
and a purpose. And when I look through here, I just I mean I love the behind you like you have your sports card
nation personal collection, the gem mints. I think that's cool. Like I'm just sitting here thinking to myself as
a kid like the kid in me, the collector in me would just want to like look at
all this stuff piece by piece. I kind of want to like while we're talking be like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, John." And I'm
going to be looking through boxes and stuff. I might open some of these boxes you have. Yeah, we do have some sealed wax that
will not be open today, says John. Not me. So, uh, I've known Dan a while. He he's
he's does a great job covering, uh, Syracuse University, other other
colleges as well, local high school sports. He covered my son Jordan uh, during his high school uh, career, and
they formed a a relationship as well off off of that. So, uh, again, you know, we
talk about friends and family. Uh, I feel like I've known this guy uh longer than I probably actually have, but
that's just kind of uh comes with the the territory. For you, Dan, you know, again, you do an excellent job with with
uh journalism and and covering sports. Did you know you what age did you the
light bulb go on and you're like, you know, I want to do this maybe for a career when I get older to do it? Well,
my first memory of storytelling, I was five and my dad had a word processor.
For those that don't know, it's like a glorified typewriter, but it had a it has a screen. And so, the screen would
let you see what you were typing, not just typing on a typewriter. And my dad would pick this thing up that weighs
like 300 lb. He'd pick it up and he put it on the kitchen table on a Saturday morning. And while he was outside
gardening, he would let me type on it. And I just started writing stories. And
I just, you know, I've always had a big imagination, loved telling stories, collected cards since I was maybe nine
or so, maybe a little younger. And I just loved going with my mom and my grandmother's to go find stuff. I loved
finding my favorite players. I loved keeping I loved like opening something up and not knowing what you're going to
get and always hoping that you got your favorite player. So, there was the thrill of that and having a big
imagination. And I love to tell stories. I love to bring people together. I love to make people laugh. So, probably
around like 10 years old, I'm watching Sports Center and I started watching Stuart Scott and Rich Eisen who to this
day are my favorite tandem on Sport Center. Probably always will be. Man, Rich Eisen's back now in in a
sense. I know. And it's it's bittersweet. And I didn't know Stuart Scott personally, but like I felt that like in my belly when
Rich Eisen went back like almost like I did know him and that you know exactly what Rich said is that Stu should be
there. And you know, Stuart Scott was just always himself and cooler than the other side of the pillow. All the things
that he would say. And I was always that person like am I going to be too afraid to say what I want to say because I know
what I'm going to say is going to be original. It's going to be unique. It's not something that you're hearing. Like if I say it, they're either going to
like it or they're going to make fun of it. And I just I always wanted to be me. I think you know that to me that's your
superpower. And at 10 years old, I didn't like going to sleep in the dark.
And so Sports Center was my nightlight. And I go to sleep to it. I wake up to it. And then I I just kind of knew and
it stuck with me. There's a lot of things I want to do in my life. This is the first thing that happened. But I I
mean I knew when I was in 10th grade in school when people had no idea what they wanted to do. I knew what I wanted to
do. I had a vision for myself. I chased it down. And it happened a lot faster
than I thought it was going to happen in a way. And I will always thank God. And and I may not remember what I ate for
breakfast, but I can tell you exactly the moment that my career Yeah. And I want to I want to give credit where you know I mentioned a lot
of the college and the high school stuff. You covered the Jags uh in the NFL, too. So, uh you covered the the pro
level, NFL, NBA, MLB, college football playoff, bowl season, all across the country, a
lot with the American, a lot with the ACC. I mean, there's it's it when people say, "What do you cover?" I'm like, "How
much do you I mean, there's a lot of stuff that we get to do." And and I'm very blessed to live in my hometown,
cover my hometown, and also get to cover the whole world. And I mean I get to come home and be with my family and I
get to travel all over the world. So to me I have the best of both. Uh let's talk we'll get into like your
start of your actual career. You mentioned cards at a 9 or 10 years old.
Uh what was your you know talk about what did you collect? What sport did you have a favorite player team? How'd you
go about collecting? Obviously, it's a different uh age now, but the hobby, the the that that bond, right, of of
collecting teams, players, trading with your friends or whatever, uh that still rings true today.
Yeah, it really started with me. For for me, I just really wanted to get um I
mean, it was around on 9 years old and at 9 was 95. And I mean I was a big
Damon Starttomire fan. So I probably started collecting a little bit before him because it was Shaquille O'Neal. So
maybe I was like six or seven. But when I got heavily into it, it was I need to
have every Damon Statmire card ever made. And I think and I told Damon this
a few years ago when we got to meet and talk, which was insane. Shows how good God is. and meeting Damon Startmare. Got
to tell him that I'm confident that I have the biggest Damon Start card collection. It's like over 220 of his
cards and it's from Arizona to Toronto. I think some San Antonio, Memphis, of
course, Portland. So, I mean, yeah, it kind of started around him. I wanted to get his stuff. I started collecting I
wanted to have like an entire rookie class and I guess good hindsight 2020
that the rookie class in the NBA that I went really heavy on was Alen Iverson and Kobe Bryant and all that Sharief
Abdul Raheem and God Sham God and some of those guys. So, like I definitely
have a ton of Kobe Bryant cards that raw are apparently worth $70, which I know I
have them, but yeah, I mean I I probably would say I did a lot of basketball in
the beginning and football. Never really did a lot of baseball. Got into baseball a few years ago, but it was very very
much Damon Starttomire and wanting his cards and just chasing down like every
Raptor Damon Starter card that I could find. And that got me connected to Georgia Sports Cards on North Carolina
and Twilight, which was Yeah. And I remember both of those shops. Uh I had my store at that time,
too. Uh in the village of Liverpool, a little hidden uh on the second floor. Uh
but uh great year, like you said, great rookie class, a great way to to enter uh
into the hobby. Uh going back, you know, you you have your own broadcasting uh
network. Uh but go kind of going back to your start of your career, what led to
the start of of Dan Tutora broadcast, like where did you start? Uh and then
the evolution to like venture out on your own and and for those that don't know, like you probably make it look a
lot easier than than it actually is. But that's uh you know, that can be scary and risky and and uh uh while you enjoy
it, you you know, you have to work at at your craft as well. Yeah. No, there's there's a lot that
goes in. My the start of my career, I was a freshman in college at Marwood
University, almost exactly two hours south, almost an exact straight line from Syracuse to Scranton. And I was 12
minutes before a game. I was doing laundry at Madonna Hall and I had a blue
collapsible laundry hamper and I had some clothes in it and I was putting my last quarter in and I got a phone call
from Brandon Smith and Brandon said to me, "I know you you said that it's been a dream of yours to commentate. How
would you feel about doing it tonight? The guy that normally does it is not here and he can't do it tonight." And
honestly, we don't know like kind of if he's going to be able to do it at all, like moving forward, like you know, moving forward if if he's going to be
back. So, can you come down? I left my clothes on the top in the hamper. I had
a few clothes left. To this day, I don't know who took those clothes, but I ran
down to the gym. I knew nobody on the team, no pronunciation, had no idea who we were playing. Sat there by myself and
was the commentator and the color person by myself in that game. And after that,
I think I did a game on that weekend a few days later cuz I think that was like a Wednesday. It was November 2003. And
so then I did a game after. And they said, you know, people really like it. They're enjoying it. They they're laughing. They like your humor. We want
to do a Simo cast on TV and radio live in Northeast Pennsylvania. And I said,
"Are we doing men's and women's basketball?" And they and it was NCAA D3. And they said, "Well, we're
definitely going to do men's." And I said, "We're doing both." I said, "You don't understand. We have double
headers. I'm not going to show up to a woman's game in the middle and set up for the men's game and say, "Oh, I'm
here, but I'm not here for you." So, I told from the beginning of my career in 2003 that we're either going to cover
men's and women's or I'm not going to do either. And I fought for it and I was laughed at, ridiculed. People thought I
was stupid, that I was wasting my time. So, in 2025, at the time we're talking,
if you don't cover women's sports, then people are afraid of being cancelled. But when I started covering women's
sports, it was at the beginning of my career at the start of my broadcasting career. And I did not cover it because I
was pushed to. I covered it because it was the right thing to do. And I will always cover men's and women's sports
because I don't see a difference. If you're chasing your dreams and you're doing it with compassion and goodness in
your heart, you always have a place on the show. Yeah, well said and you were uh ahead of the curve if if you will and
uh I think that shows tells a lot about you Dan. I know you. But for those those
listening, I think it it it exemplifies a lot about you and and fairness and
like you said, doing the right thing. And uh here we are, you know, 22 years later and uh almost on par with with the
men and I mean, we're looking at the WNBA and the stardom uh there and other
sports uh uh as well. And uh I think you were uh you know a forerunner there if
if you will to to coverage and uh had the uh you know the foresight to kind of
see that uh before a lot of other people uh did kind of talk about leading into
starting your own uh you know broadcast uh company which is you know again it
sounds easy but that's a big decision and and what what led up to you uh
taking that leap if you So yeah. So I appreciate that and I appreciate kind words. I will say just
to kind of button up the last piece of it. Yeah. You know, covering men's and women's
athletics and covering all different sports, I know what it's like to be the redheaded stepchild in the room. So I'm
never going to make anybody else feel that way. I always want people to feel welcome and appreciated. And so to me,
some may see it as foresight. Some may see it as like you got to it before everybody else did. I looked at it as
basketball's basketball and at the time that was the opportunity given to me and
I was like I'd rather do two games than to do one. I'd rather cover as much as possible than pigeon hole myself. And
so, you know, I I think you're never going to go wrong in life helping
people, being good to people, treating people as equal, and caring about
people. I don't think you will ever fail by caring about other people. And so it
was easy for me to fight for the women because I was going to fight for men and women the same. And I was going to, you
know, do everything I can to make sure that my dreams were realized. Nobody was going to stop me. Nobody will ever stop
me. And so to me, it was an easy decision. And, you know, I I love the
friends that I made in it. So, you know, some of those women to this day say a lot of really kind things that uh get me
choked up sometimes. And um yeah, I love them dearly. You know, the Amanda Lasses
of the world and and the Caitlyn Haj Mahales and you know, um there's there's
some really really good people that um that give me, you know, a lot of credit,
but I mean it's all to them. If they weren't playing, I'd have nothing to cover. So, you know, I I give them all
the love and respect. And man, having respect from those ladies is something.
So, I mean, how did it turn into my business? Well, I left college. I got on
the radio. I graduated in 2007, got on ESPN pin radio in 2008. Fought like
heck. I applied to 91 places. I think 40 some odd of them were TV stations. No
one responded except for one TV station that said to me uh they sent me a
postcard from Connecticut and said, "Thank you for your interest. We'll be in touch if we have any openings." So, I
kept applying. I worked at a restaurant for 4 months. Got into ESPN at time
Shamrock Communications in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which at the time was ESPN radio 6:30, 1240, and 96.1 FM. Had a
show there uh two days a week on Saturday and Sunday. and got to do that.
Then I came back here, went 1260 was ESPN, and I worked on that. Then I went
down to Florida to ESPN 1080, the team Sundays from 10 to 11:00 in the morning.
Made a ton of relationships that I still have to this day. And then I came and then I went to Fox online and I did uh
scout and Fox like kind of that Fox scouting recruiting stuff for college
football and basketball. And then I went on the Score which was a Yahoo affiliate in Syracuse. And at 26 years old I full
disclosure was uh lied to and I had raised $30,000 doing a 4hour show in
total a week. two hours on 7 to9 am Saturday and Sunday and I raised 30
grand and at the end of the year not at the end of the month at the end of the year I got a $3,100
money that was made $3,100 in a year I could have applied for food stamps I did
everything I was supposed to do I was told don't worry about not signing a contract you know like we got you the
son of a lawyer you sign contracts I didn't I trusted them that's the last time that I would do something of that
nature. I wrote my own contract. I brought it to them and I asked for what
I was uh basically told like, "Hey, if you do what you're supposed to do, you'll have a 5day a week show." I had run out of time on the weekend. I had
nowhere to put sponsors and I wanted to keep growing. And they laughed in my face and said, "We like where you're
at." So at 26 years old with 27 cents in my pocket, $103 in my bank account, I
was living with my grandmother, my mom's mom, so that she didn't have to live in a nursing home. So I took care of Gama
who had take care taking care of me my whole life. And I started my own business without a comma in my bank
account. My parents were very supportive. And I literally I get asked
this all the time, how did you start? And I said, "God and I sat in the trenches and we molded the air in front
of us and we turned something that was invisible into something tangible." And I worked at it like crazy. Carell Dwit
believed in me. Shout out to Jay Cartini. a lot of people that were with me. Great Lakes Honda City, who was
Honda City of Liverpool, they took a chance on me and we just started building and building and dude, I I like
closed my eyes and my company turned 13 years old on July 20th, 2025, which is
insane. So yeah, I mean, this was all started out of believing in God, believing in myself, and at 26 years old
saying, "I don't want to work for people to lie to me. I don't want to keep working for people where I can't talk
about God. I want to do things with morals and values. I want to tell the truth. And I always did that. It was
just how long am I gonna keep working for other people and making money for other people and like my bosses don't
have to work. I'm doing all the work. No one's promoting me. And I raised 30 grand. I'm coming home with 27,000 less.
And you know, to me, it's never about the money. I just believe that you give credit where credit's due. And I was just killing myself to help out
everybody else. And at 26, I was going to start my company at 30. And the girl
I was dating at the time said, "I don't understand you." And I said, "Why?" And she said, "How long are you going to
work for people that laugh in your face and don't respect you?" And you know, I I talked to God about it and I started
my own company. And man, God never had me want for anything. And I have no idea
how he did it. But I could tell you there was a lot of moments where it was like, how am I going to do this? And I
look back on it now and I'm like, it's it's a tangible entity now. Like the thin air that we created, God and I
together is now like a studio, an office. Like go to the show, hit these
presets, here's your commercials. Like everything is real and it's all because of God. And I take 0.000000001%
of the credit. It was all of him and a lot of hard work and just a lot of
saying that there is no such thing as QIT. And dude, here we are. And I've been working longer for myself than I
worked for ESPN, Fox, and Yahoo combined. I've traveled to more places. I work with more businesses. We've
reached more people with through my company than the three of them combined. I've made more money than the three of
them combined that I work for. And I have more credentials with my company's name on it than anything else. So, I
mean, I I just every single day that I wake up, I get to literally be the kid
that believed in God and in himself and bet on himself. And that's why I stay young because I just see that little
mushroomhaired kid that was smiling. And, you know, now you wish you had the hair still.
I mean, dude, if I let it grow out, I would. Like, I think some people have this misconception that I'm bald because
I shave my hair so low, but my hair grows like a weed. So like I I always shave my head really really short. But
if I let it grow out, I get I have like really thick coarse hair because I'm Italian and Hispanic. So I got this like
really really thick hair. And anyone that knows me knows like the first thing that gets hot on me head. So I shave my
head down so that I'm more aerodynamic and so I'm comfortable when I
There you go. You are listening to the Sports Card Nation podcast.
We'll be right back after this break. For nearly 50 years, Sports Collectors
Digest has been the voice of the hobby, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the sports collectible industry. From
industry news, auction results, market analysis, and in-depth stories about collectors and their collections. Sports
Collectors Digest has everything you need to know about the hobby. SCD is
also your leading source for listings of sports collectible dealers, card shops, card shows, and the latest from the
industry's top companies. To check out all the latest news or to subscribe to
The Hobby's oldest magazine, visit sportscollectorsdigest.com or call 1-800829-5561.
Well, I know you gave a lot of credit uh to the Lord and I I appreciate that. We're we're both persons of faith, but
I'll give I'll be the guy that gives you uh some props here. Like uh you you built this company up from literally
ground zero, and uh here you are, like you said, 13 years later, you're traveling to pro uh cover, pro sports,
college sports, high school, local. Uh and that's the great thing about you, Dan, is you don't you you care about
them all the same, which is immensely. uh and uh where others maybe uh wouldn't
have that same approach. I think people see that. I think that's one of the reasons of numerous you're successful.
Um you know and and to you know this show is a credit uh we're on uh we're
we'll be a seventh year uh shortly after this show airs. We'll be the seventh
year Sports Card Nation. And I've talked about this without you. I'm glad you're here uh because you can kind of put your
two cents in instead of me just uh giving you credit. But you know, this show started uh because uh we got to
know each other like I I mentioned earlier uh through my son Jordan's uh uh
playing career at the high school level and we got to talk and cards came uh
kind of came up and then you realized uh I collect cards. I was doing shows and that sort so we bonded on on not just
sports uh but uh cards as well and one day you called me up and said hey what
are you doing next Friday and uh I said no uh I have Friday at the time the job
I had which was not in teaching now um it was a job I really didn't like which is why I'm in teaching now we said what
are you doing next Friday and I'm like I had Fridays off every Fridays at that point and I'm like nothing I think you
knew that which is why you even asked nothing. And you're like, "Want to come on the show, your show, and uh let's do
like an hour segment where we kind of blend sports and and the card aspect and
kind of meld it into one." And while I'm not shy, you know, I've never really
done that at that point yet. I'm I can I hope it's all right. You know what I
mean? I'm not a I'm not a skilled professionals, but uh I want to, you
know, take your lead. And uh we did that and uh I don't know about you I had a blast and I was a little nervous even
though I'm I'm not you know at this at that stage I wasn't so much shy like I was when I was a kid but you never know
right you always how's it going to go am I going to be an idiot or say something dumb or just you know that's how your
mind works when not when it's something you don't do all um you know and I'll let you talk about I know later on
you're like I think it was supposed to be kind of a a one time thing and then uh you got a pretty good response and
then you you messaged me later on and said hey do you have you have every Friday off and because let's do this
every Friday and uh I said I do that may change at some point but now I have
every Friday off and uh the show became known first it was something like collectible corner and then we kind of
start calling it Friday morning uh live which became a blast uh kind of your
recollections I So, uh, I'm older than you, so I might might have done some revisionist history there. But, uh, uh,
your kind of your your thought process and even having me do that and then where that show went.
Yeah. I mean, you know, I wanted to do something with sports cards and I just saw an importance with that and you had
a history with it and you had some things that you were doing at the time. So, to me, like I wanted to I wanted to
incorporate that, include that. And really what it came down to for me was that you know it's you want to give
people that you like if you meet someone and and they're kind and they're good
and and they're just good-hearted people, you want to give them a chance. I don't look at people like, you know, show me your credentials. And it's funny
because like I just think I just think that that's a wild thing to do to people and you know because like Jesus got into
heaven but he didn't have a single Twitter so and he never trended on TikTok. But I mean, you know, when it
came to you, it was, "Hey, I'd like to do something with this guy. He seems passionate. He seems nice." And I mean,
it was fully let's do this every week because I believe in giving people
opportunities and giving people a chance. And I'm very close to my vest. I
don't do that. You know what I mean? Like, it's hard for me to trust a lot of people, especially in the media, when it
comes to doing these things. But I just saw a good heart with you. I saw a passion with you. You seem like somebody
who cared about me, who cared about what you're doing. And you know, I just felt like, you know, we're like-minded. We
have morals and we're passionate. So, why not? And it wasn't by mistake by any stretch of the imagination. I didn't
care if you agreed with me. I didn't care if you had a different thought about something. Like, I just honestly wanted to help you and Jordan and that's
why I did it. Yeah. And it was a blast. And speaking of Jordan, exactly what I kind of warned you might happen was my schedule wound
up uh changing. I don't know how long. We did a couple months, I believe. Then my schedule wound up changing. I had to
work Fridays. Um uh at least the first half of the day. And Jordan, my son that
you knew very well and uh kind of jumped in the the co-pilot seat uh took over
for me. And then um he went to college. This was while he was still uh in high
school at that time. and then his college uh life started. So he uh that was the end of that. But it was funny
because uh again I give you a lot of credit for the show because even before
that Dan, you know, me and Jordan would be riding in New York where I'm from uh to visit family, go to a Mets game, that
sort of thing. And we would listen to there were very little sports uh hob sports card hobby podcast at the time.
There was a couple. One of them uh was a guy I got to know uh very well too. His
name was Eric Norton for Becket. later on Panini um speaking of faith, a very
perhap a podcast called the Fat Packs podcast
and was one of my favorites and my son even uh liked it and we were we would
binge listen to it on the way to uh New York City a lot and my son one time, you
know, Jordan knew what I did and my career and how long I and he said, "Why couldn't you do a podcast, Dad?" And I'm
like, "Listen, we're listening to probably the greatest podcast covering the hobby right now. I can't do better
than this guy. Um, why why would I even attempt it?" And he goes, "Well, it's not about doing better. It's like
bringing your own perspective. Your story is obviously going to be different than Eric Norton's story." Uh, and so
tell your story or bring your perspective. I never really thought about it like that, Dan. I always
thought about it like well if I can't do better than that then why why even bother you know maybe not the greatest
way to think but that's at the time that's what and so he's like no it's not about that it's about telling your
stories experiences doing your first show at 15 years old uh you know working
in a card store before that and I you know I said ah we'll see I kind of just
did the we'll see and I put it on the back burner it was then doing Friday morning live with you. Um that I said,
man, you know, maybe somewhere down the line I wasn't even fully committing that I could do it. It was when I didn't do
it with or couldn't, not cuz I didn't want to, my schedule wouldn't allow. And I missed that. I missed sharing those
stories and that banter. And it was it brought me back to that whole conversation with Jordan. Why don't you
do that? And so I thought, you know what? I'm going to do it. And started from using my phone as a microphone. I
didn't have like equipment to to the level we have now here. And you know,
like I I didn't I kind of flew by the seat of my pants. You know, I wasn't at I'm a pretty organized guy, but I wasn't
as or then as I I like to think I am now. And but again, it was doing that
show with you, which here's the thing. Your show was video and audio. when this
show launched was really just audio. Uh and uh that made it easier to be seen
and uh I always say I have a face for radio. Uh so so it was
nicer. So it was easier to do and I kept you
know I when I launched the podcast I'm like well what day should I release it? It's obviously not live so I can record
it whenever but when should I push it out there uh for people to hear? And I'm
like, you know what? Let's, you know, as a little sort of tribute to you, I said, I'm going to keep it. I'm going to
release it on a Friday. Uh, and you know, uh, the rest is history, here we are almost 7 years later. The show, the
show didn't start out as a, uh, an interview show. It kind of just with me,
uh, talking, uh, probably too much like I do now. And then about four or five
episodes in, uh, I said, you know, I'm going to start trying to have people on, uh, to talk about the hobby and chop up
the hobby. Uh, it wasn't every even episode. And then it got to the point where it became, uh, every episode. And,
uh, you know, I I like to think over seven years I've gotten a little bit better at it with with cadence and
listening when I rather than talking and talking uh, when I, you know, when I should be. Um, there's always room for
improvement, but again, and I've said it on this show, Dan, like it was doing that show with you, uh, you know, that
that this show exists. Had that never happened, there would be no sports card nation. And that's not lip service.
That's not something just because it sounds cool to say, that's just uh the facts of the matter. So, uh, you know, I
I know I've thanked you without you being here. I'll thank you just the same now that you're you're up here. and uh
glad you you now you're on the show that you pretty much inspired and and was had
such a a driving force uh to its existence. Well, you know, I mean, and I've told you this before. I mean, this this is
this is all you, you know. I mean, you want to give credit to to God and that's, you know, having your faith and
working hard, but I mean, this is you. I had you on the show because I wanted to. I had Jordan on because I wanted to. the
segment meant something to me because you both mean something. I didn't want to replace it and I didn't. So, you
know, when you guys couldn't be on, you know, it's not like I I moved somebody else into that spot. You know, to me,
it's I wanted to to do something with you and I enjoyed it and I love that
you're doing your own thing. I I love that it has its its own look. It has its studio. It has its microphone. I I love
like I'm so proud of you. Like, I'm so proud for you. I'm happy for you. I'm like I I'm it to me it's it's so awesome
to see people win that that you care about and that matter to you. And so I
mean I you know I I mean having you on the show that's my pleasure and I love doing it and I'd do it again. You doing
this I'm not taking any credit for it. You know this is your work. This is your
vision. This is your baby. I know how important my kid is to me. I know how important everything I've done has been.
And so, you know, Sports Card Nation and everything you've done with this, the look, the feel, the essence, you know,
this this is all John Newman and John Newman deserves the credit. So, I mean, to the glory of God and the hard work of
you is how I see it. I appreciate your kind words. I appreciate your goodness. But,
I mean, if I could be a part of this journey, I'm happy to be. But I mean, you know, coming in here, I'm just
really happy that a friend and someone that like I'm just I love when people
win. I love see I don't understand a world where you know we got to like all bite each other and kill each other and
stab each other and stand on each other. Like dude, like if everyone's chasing their dreams and they're catching them,
then I'm happy. You know, I say that to God all the time. Thank you for all the blessings I have. If other people don't
have them, then take some from me and help me divide it up because I'm happy to have the blessings, but I'd rather
share them than hoard them. So, I mean, to me, to to see you out here doing your thing and I'm out here doing my thing
and there's other great out people out there doing theirs in the broadcasting world and in, you know, all different
other worlds and and different spaces of life. If you believe in God and you're a good person and you have morals and
values and you're chasing your dreams and you're doing it without hurting people, you got my support. And I mean,
I I again, I appreciate your words. I never ever thought that I would have a
coaching tree, so to speak. But but I uh you know, I I take none of the credit
for the work that you've done. I'm just really really proud for you. And you know, it's it's just really cool to see
someone that that you saw something in go out and do something themselves. And
I just I love it. I love I love that you're doing it. I love that you're happy. I love that you're working hard
and that you're catching your dream and to be any small part of your journey to
like your your your happiness. Like that's I'm just like I'm just happy to see you doing it and I'm happy to see
you happy and you know I'm happy that there's another person in this world that is not should a would a could and
actually doing something yeah that they want to do. Well again thank you thank you for those kind words just there uh as well and
whether you want credit or not I give it to you taking it I'm not taking it back you don't have a receipt so and I'm not
Walmart so but uh no thank you. All right, folks. I hope you enjoyed that
conversation. The crux of of today's episode was, you know, two folks, two
guys kind of creating their own entity, their own businesses, if you will. Uh
more of a business with with Dan's uh production. But yes, this show does uh
generate funds. That's not necessarily why I do it, right? And you heard Dan talk about starting his company without
a comment. in his bank account. I love that line, right? There's no come in his bank account. $100
uh and some change. And here he is, like he said, 13 years later, right? There's
inspiration uh in there that uh if you put your mind to it, you work hard, you know, probably
a couple bounces go your way, a little bit of luck, but a lot of faith, right? And I think you got a lot of that from
our conversation uh too that if you believe and have faith uh good things
will happen to you and uh exactly uh the case and if you enjoyed this week's
episode we are not done uh part two next Friday uh as well and we we're going to
chop up some more hobby uh talk about uh him becoming a dealer and setting up at
shows uh uh like I do and I see him there and uh a lot of fun hobby stuff uh
coming uh on next week's conversation. So, we're going to hear from our hobby is the people announcer of the week. You
might recognize the voice if you just listen to the interview and then wrap up this week's episode.
Time for our hobby is the people announcer of the week.
This is Dan Tortora of Wakeup Call, which you can watch and listen to worldwide Monday through Friday from
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, if not longer, on.com and Facebook.com,
both back/wakeupcalledt and on wakeupalt.podbean.com
and all the time. Go to wakeupaldt.com. This is my guy John Newman and you need
to support him. The sportscard nation where you know I don't get to tell you but I will. The hobby is the people. If
you'd like to be the Hobby is the People announcer of the week, do a WAV or MP3
file and send it to Sportscard Nationp@gmail.com.
