🔊 Episode Summary:

This isn’t your average microphone scratch and preach. In this solo episode, Jr gets real — raw, reflective, and honest — about turning 40 and what the past year has taught him about creativity, community, and content creation. From personal evolution to building with purpose, Jr unpacks why true engagement matters more than viral numbers, and how community—not strategy alone—is what drives influence and longevity in the digital space.

He also shares behind-the-scenes insights into how injury led to unexpected opportunity, why Reddit is a goldmine for connection, and how embracing his own lifestyle and identity — from projectors to Krusty Crocs — became part of his brand-building DNA.

If you’re a content creator, podcaster, or aspiring influencer drowning in courses, eBooks, and guru advice, this one’s for you.

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💥 Topics Covered:

• What turning 40 taught Jr about patience, peace, and purpose

• The real value of engagement over vanity metrics

• Building your brand while staying invisible (and why that’s okay)

• How an injury led to a TikTok breakthrough

• The underrated power of Reddit for listener migration

• Why viral doesn’t equal sustainable

• Making room for your partner in content — even with anxiety

• Real questions to ask coaches and content “experts” before giving them your money

• Lifestyle influencing without the performance

• Encouraging podcast play on unexpected platforms (like PlayStation)

• What “finishing the story” really means in love and life

⸻

🔥 Key Quote:

“You can’t build anything without engagement. Not fake engagement. Real conversations, real people, real impact.”

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🛠️ Resources & Mentions:

• Reddit: r/projectors, r/podcasting, etc.

• TikTok Growth Communities

• Stacey’s hit episode on Whitney Houston

• Bitmoji avatars used for Sparrow’s Under Review

• Listener migration tips available on Fridays

• Jr’s $20 audit sessions (DM to book)

Episode Summary:

In this episode of WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions, host JR Sparrow sits down with Helene Gidley, the mastermind behind The Art of Agile Living and founder of A2Agile Inc. With 40 years of experience in project management and coaching, Helene shares how she transformed IT industry methodologies into a powerful system for personal productivity and success.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, professional, or just looking for better ways to manage your daily tasks, Helene’s insights on Agile techniques will change the way you approach organization and efficiency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How Agile project management techniques can help organize your life
✅ The Art of Agile Living and how it simplifies personal and professional tasks
✅ Practical strategies for tackling overwhelming to-do lists
✅ The connection between focus, order, and motivation
✅ How to implement Agile principles into your daily routine

Connect with Helene Gidley:

🌐 Website: A2Agile.com
📖 Workshops & Speaking Engagements: Link

Listen & Subscribe:

💬 Loved this episode? Share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful interviews!

#WVUncommonplace #Podcast #Spotify #ApplePodcast #ReviewPodcast #ProductivityHacks #TimeManagement #AgileLiving #SuccessMindset

In this eye-opening episode of WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions, JR Sparrow sits down with Vic Lagina, the author of the brutally honest memoir Filthy! The Rise and (Pending) Death of Vic Lagina. Vic takes us on a raw, unfiltered journey through his 20-year career in the adult entertainment industry, where he worked for the world’s largest company (Mansef/Manwin/Mindgeek).

Vic opens up about why he left the industry, his decision to write his memoir, and the process of reflecting on his unconventional life. He shares the highs, lows, and the surprising irony that his memoir has been nominated for the 2025 AVN Mainstream Endeavor of the Year award.

Listen as Vic discusses the importance of being real, unfiltered, and unapologetically himself, both in his writing and his life. Whether you’re familiar with his past or hearing his story for the first time, this episode offers a unique perspective on redemption, truth-telling, and navigating one’s own narrative.

Key Discussion Points:

• ​Vic's 20 years in the adult entertainment industry
• ​The decision to "nuke" the bridge to his past and step away from the industry
• ​Writing Filthy! and the 8.5-year journey it took to complete
• ​The irony of his book being nominated for the 2025 AVN Mainstream Endeavor of the Year award
• ​Being unfiltered: Why it’s important to share your truth
• ​Insights from Vic’s appearances on various podcasts and media outlets

Subscribe and listen on:

• ​Spotify
• ​Apple Podcasts
• ​[Other podcast platforms]

Social Media:

• ​Follow Vic Lagina on [Instagram/Twitter/Other handles]
• ​For more info about Vic and Filthy!, visit [Vic’s website or purchase the book]

Hashtags:#VicLagina #FilthyBook #Memoir #AdultEntertainment #AuthorLife #UnfilteredTruth #WVUncommonplace #Podcast #Spotify #ApplePodcasts #ReviewPodcast

Episode Description:
In this empowering episode of WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions, JR Sparrow is joined by Betsy Pepine, a best-selling author and serial entrepreneur in the real estate industry. Betsy is the powerhouse behind Pepine Realty, a brokerage that has been featured on Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and consistently recognized by the Wall Street Journal as a top-producing real estate team.

Betsy opens up about her journey to success, discussing her best-selling book Breaking Boxes: Dismantling the Metaphorical Boxes that Bind Us, where she shares insights on breaking through the limitations we impose on ourselves. She also talks about the importance of mentorship, her mission to help families in need through Pepine Gives, and how she’s built a thriving business empire with a heart for giving back.

In addition to her real estate ventures, Betsy is passionate about supporting at-risk families, which led her to create Pepine Gives, a non-profit organization dedicated to housing stability for those in need.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Betsy’s book Breaking Boxes inspired a new way of thinking and living free of self-imposed limitations.
• The keys to success in real estate and entrepreneurship and how Betsy built a national powerhouse.
• Why mentorship has played a critical role in Betsy’s journey, and how she’s paying it forward.
• The story behind Pepine Gives and Betsy’s commitment to helping families in crisis.
• Insights on balancing career, family, and philanthropy in a demanding industry.

Where to Listen:
Don’t miss this incredible conversation! Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

Follow Betsy Pepine:

• Website: betsypepine.com
• Instagram: @betsypepine

Connect with WV Uncommonplace:
Follow the show for more inspiring conversations with remarkable guests.

#WVUncommonplace #BetsyPepine #BreakingBoxes #RealEstate #Entrepreneurship #Philanthropy #Podcast #Spotify #ApplePodcast #ReviewPodcast

Gina Economopoulos's life journey is a remarkable tale of transformation, redemption, and faith, shaped by a myriad of experiences that have guided her to her current purpose. From her early days working as a bartender and living as a nun, Gina has evolved into a sober woman of faith and an end-of-life doula, roles that bring her profound peace and fulfillment. Inspired by her mother's passing 33 years ago, she views her past struggles as essential steps on her path to embracing her calling with grace and dignity, as vividly captured in her memoir, "Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk." Today, Gina not only shares her inspiring story on social media but also finds joy in personal connections, particularly with her boyfriend Brian, whose companionship underscores the significance of love and support in her life.

- Reflect on personal experiences to find purpose and faith

- Navigate relationships and identity outside of familiar communities

- Support loved ones through struggles with addiction

- Embrace self-realization and acceptance to achieve sobriety

- Share personal journey to inspire and offer solace to others

- Find meaning in providing dignity and respect to those in vulnerable moments

- Seek new possibilities and relationships to shift life's direction

- Gina's transformation from a bartender to a nun and later an end-of-life doula reflects her quest for purpose and faith

- Gina's journey of rediscovery after leaving the convent and finding solace in helping adults with disabilities

- The impact of Gina's relationship with Danny on her understanding of addiction and recovery

- Jr Sparrow emphasizes the importance of moving forward and starting to mend things after facing a tragic event

- Gina's journey towards sobriety through self-realization, acceptance, and seeking help from support groups

- Gina's inspirational memoir 'Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk' shares her journey of faith and resilience

- Gina's inspiration to become an end-of-life doula and offer grace and dignity to those transitioning from life to death

(00:01:31) "Sometimes it takes us a long time to find our purpose." - Jr Sparrow

(00:09:44) "I felt like I did. I just, I felt I was emotionally abused because the last two years of my religious life, I felt like I was ostracized." - Gina Economopoulos

(00:17:57) "It was a very difficult time in my life. And even like you said, you know, not only to say, am I sister or not a sister? Okay, now I'm Gina in the world. But I had to relearn. I had to learn how to have relationships." - Gina Economopoulos (00:17:30)" - Gina Economopoulos

(00:20:17) "The beach is where heaven and earth meets. That's peace." - Gina Economopoulos

(00:27:30) "I disowned God at this point. I hated God at this point. I was so tired of keep pushing forward, keep getting up, keep believing that I was like, enough is enough, God. And I was simply existing. I was dead myself, but just living." - Gina Economopoulos" - Gina Economopoulos

(00:34:17) "I'm a sober woman of faith today. And it's been such a great gift that God has given me, which I never thought I would receive." - Gina Economopoulos

(00:43:48) "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay." - Gina Economopoulos

WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions

🎙 Guest: Emma Rainville – The Wizard of Ops on Scaling Business Success

In this episode of WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions, host JR Sparrow welcomes Emma Rainville, the “Wizard of Ops”, for an in-depth conversation on scaling businesses efficiently and effectively. A renowned expert in operational excellence, Emma has built a career transforming businesses into streamlined, revenue-generating powerhouses. From Shockwave Solutions to Aftershock Coaching, she’s the driving force behind multiple companies helping entrepreneurs optimize, grow, and sustain success.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ The biggest operational mistakes businesses make—and how to fix them
✅ How Emma’s SCOPE method revolutionizes business efficiency
✅ Insights from her bestselling book, SCOPE, and why systems are key to scalability
✅ Behind the scenes of her podcasts Special Ops(with Travis Gomez) and Big Chance Podcast(with Perry Belcher)
✅ The secret to scaling a business to 8- and 9-figure revenues
✅ Why entrepreneurs fail to grow—and how to avoid common pitfalls

🔗 Listen Now: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms!

📢 Follow Emma Rainville:
🌎 Website: [Coming Soon]
📚 SCOPE – Available on Amazon
🎙 Podcasts: Special Ops & Big Chance Podcast

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode!

#EmmaRainville #WizardOfOps #BusinessScaling #EntrepreneurSuccess #SCOPE #OperationalExcellence #SpecialOpsPodcast #BigChancePodcast #WVUncommonplace #Podcast #Spotify #ApplePodcast #ReviewPodcast

The GreenEggs Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on fostering creativity and the arts for youth in Randolph County, West Virginia. They aim to establish a dedicated youth arts space where children can explore their talents in music, visual arts, and theater, according to a Facebook post. They are actively raising funds to build this space and provide access to art supplies, workshops, and mentorship. Elaboration: The GreenEggs Foundation's mission is to ignite creativity and provide opportunities for youth in Randolph County to express themselves through the arts. They envision a vibrant, safe, and inspiring environment where children can explore their artistic talents and build a lifelong passion for the arts. This space will be a hub for the entire community, fostering self-expression, connection, and opportunities. The Foundation is working to create this space through fundraising efforts, aiming to provide access to art supplies, hands-on workshops, and meaningful mentorship for young artists. They believe that by supporting youth arts, they can cultivate imagination and help the next generation of artists thrive.

The GreenEggs Foundation proudly presents the 1st Annual Elkins Fright Night — where the circus is cursed, and the music never stops. Saturday, October 18th Elkins VFW 4PM – 11PM+ 21+ ONLY TWO STAGES • ONE NIGHT OF MAYHEMSettle around the The Bonfire Stage for our acoustic acts, or face the horror the Bloodmoon Stage will bring. Wander the haunted midway, and catch a killer lineup featuring:A.M.D • Jason Romanus • Phoenix Hale • Devilpill • WishAwake • Dissonant • Blightyear • Shapeshifter • Rock Bass • Briar Williams Sound by Pillage Sound Get your tickets and come dressed for the carnival. Weird. Loud. Local. AND ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE.This is not just a show, it’s a full-blown freakshow fundraiser.Tag your crew. Invite the chaos. Welcome to the Fundhouse.https://www.facebook.com/share/19pAjhiyhk/

Welcome to the second episode of West Virginia Un Commonplace Interviews & Sessions! In this episode, our host JR has a conversation with Stacey Parsons, co-host of the "Sparrows Under Review" podcast. Stacey shares her unique experience in podcasting, being the talent on the mic while someone else handles production. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the evolution of their podcast, the importance of niching down, and personal insights into Stacey's interests and influences.