Move the Needle
Hosted by former radio personality Mathew Blades and community catalyst Steve Petz, Move the Needle spotlights extraordinary individuals dedicated to positive community impact within Arizona. Our mission is to celebrate the unsung heroes and local legends who embody the spirit of community-driven change.
Through engaging interviews and compelling profiles, we delve into the lives of those making a difference. Our content features in-depth conversations exploring their motivations, challenges, and successes. We also highlight initiatives and organizations that embody values of collaborative efforts, community events, and grassroots movements that contribute to positive change.
Every week, we share stories of resilience, kindness, and empowerment to inspire and mobilize others. By focusing on transformative actions and collaborative efforts, we aim to foster a more compassionate and connected world.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 59 minutes
- Episodes
- 57
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Ep 15 Ahwatukee YMCA "We've got Puppy Cams!!!"
The following episode was recorded live from the YMCA on November 21st. Mathew and Steve got caught up on Steve’s dating life, which perfectly paved the way for our first guest. Thanks for stopping b…
MTN14 Gilbert- Hair of the Dog - Stories from an Space
Today’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Hair of Dog in Gilbert.
First we sat down with Kelly Giesler from Cultivate Goodness. Kelly is a native Arizonan whose parents became …
MTN 13 - Scottsdale - Lessons from Camp Kilimanjaro
MTN 12 - Ahwatukee - What do Montessori schools do different?
We kicked things into high gear today with Fitness extraordinaire Sunny Settles. She trains our very own Steve Petz at F45 in South Tempe. We hashed out the latest fitness trends and discussed the wo…
Ep 11 - Chandler - Supporting first responders right away!
This week, we were live from Sea & Smoke in Octillio, and
WHAT.
A.
SHOW.
We have it for you today. We’ve got the police chief, the Fire Chief, and the CEO of the 100 Club of Arizona.
Police Chi…
MTN 10 - Gilbert - Three Valley heros, BIG impact
We’re live today from an unbelievable new workspace called Kiln—33,000 square feet of awesomeness. Speaking of awesome, today, we learn about three resources serving the Valley.
We kick things off wi…
MTN 9 - Gilbert - Brooklyn V’s “He did what only .016% people have done”
This week, birthday boy Steve Petz and Mathew Blades were “forced” to try the homemade strawberry cheesecake because…who cares? It’s cheesecake.
The podcast was recorded at Brooklyn V’s in Gilbert…
MTN 8 - Chandler - Craft 64 "Olympian Fry makes the boys cry happy tears"
In today’s episode, recorded live at Craft 64 in Downtown Chandler, we get a lesson in networking. From there, we learn of an incredible organization for first responders called Compassion Alliance, …
MTN 7 Ahwatukee - The Living Room “Small business mistakes to avoid”
The following episode was recorded in front of a live studio audience at The Living Room in Ahwatukee.
In this episode, we sit down with Tom Dougherty, Jennifer Armer, and Sarah Kumar, our local le…
MTN 6 - Scottsdale - TV Anchor Kaley O"Kelley on the best part of parenting"
MTN
This episode was recorded live in front of a studio audience at the Protein House in Scottsdale. We sat down with the franchise owner/operator of ProteinHouse, Eric Greenwald, Communications Mana…
MTN 5 - Chandler - Bottle and Bean
This week's episode was recorded in front of a live studio audience at the Bottle and Bean in Ocotillo.
On this episode, we sit down with brothers Jovanni and Danny, the East Valley Dream Center cr…
MTN 4 - Chandler "Saving second base and our Veterans"
We’re back with another episode recorded live at the D’Vine Gourmet in Chandler.
Today, we sit down with Executive Director of Elementary Education Heather Anguiano from Chandler Unified Schools, La…
Ep. 3 - Ahwatukee: Kim Tarnopolski, Michele Thorne, Kay Wright, Amy Richardson, John Gambadoro
Welcome to the third episode of the Move the Needle podcast! This week, we're coming to you from Foothills Golf Club in Ahwatukee with some fantastic guests.
First, we welcome Kim Tarnopolski of 100+…
Move the Needle Extra - Foothills Golf Club Opening
Today we sat down with Jeremy Strauss, the General Manager of the Foothills Golf Club which will be opening back up October 18th. Since it was taken over by Troon it's been closed for renovations. We…
Ep 2: Chandler - Shea Hillenbrand, Mike and Tami Butcher, Denise McCreery
Mathew and Steve sit down with two former Major League Baseball players, Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Butcher. Their new adventure, The Pizza Butcher, is a real home run. Plus, they chat with Off 87 own…
Ep 1: Ahwatukee - Alex Mejia, Jim Prueter, Brooke Beardall
Welcome to our inaugural episode of Move the Needle, recorded in front of a live studio audience at Vero Chicago Pizza in Ahwatukee.
We sat down with Alex Mejia, the restaurant's owner and operator, …
Introducing the Move the Needle Podcast
The mission of our podcast is to spotlight remarkable individuals through engaging interviews and inspiring stories. We aim to celebrate unsung heroes, showcase their contributions, and inspire other…