118: Always Love and Set The World On Fire With It with Jon Gunzel

In this second week of conversation, Ryan Gray welcomes back Jonathan “Jon” Gunzel from John A. Logan College for another lively and candid chat. They dive into Jon’s biggest fear—spiders—and the surprising fact that he’s been bitten four times by brown recluses. Despite his arachnophobia, Jon shares that owning a pet spider would symbolize conquering his fears. The discussion winds through topics from cage diving with great white sharks, to customer service lessons learned as a bartender and liquor store employee, to the elusive secret behind why restaurant ranch dressing tastes so much better than bottled.

Jon opens up about balancing introversion and extroversion, why he thinks people are inherently good, and where he’d place himself on the Dungeons & Dragons alignment chart. The episode also covers his past life as a vocalist in a metal band, including the creative process behind writing lyrics, the sounds that shaped his music, and where some of his early work still lives online. Along the way, Ryan and Jon have plenty of laughs—whether plotting a “ranch heist,” casting the movie of Jon’s life (must-have beard included), or reflecting on how a simple “how are you?” can change an interaction.

Topics Discussed:

• Conquering fears and why Jon would keep a pet spider
• Four brown recluse bites and no Spider-Man powers
• Why great white sharks are fascinating, not just frightening
• Finding balance between introversion and extroversion in tech roles
• Customer service lessons from bartending and liquor sales
• The secret to restaurant-quality ranch dressing
• Casting bearded actors to play Jon in the movie of his life
• His years as a vocalist in a metal band and the collaborative songwriting process
• Perspectives on human nature and the D&D alignment chart
• The importance of genuinely asking “how are you?” before diving into requests

Connect with Jon
Email – [e-mail]
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgunzel89/

Connect with Ryan
Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/Ryan_A_Gray
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray
Email – [e-mail]

Voiceover Credit: Chris Dechter

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The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Learn more about this show and a host of other awesome content at www.higheredav.com