In this week’s 5 Random Questions, Danny chats with Susan Barry, host of the award-winning Top Floor podcast and fonder of Hive Marketing. They discuss everything from why pineapple belongs on pizza, beans that can knit socks, the perfect day, and more.

Answering the questions this week: Susan Barry

Susan Barry is known for connecting ideas across hotel investment, operations, and marketing. As host of the award-winning Top Floor podcast, named a Top 10 Hospitality Podcast by the International Hospitality Institute in 2025, Susan sparks curiosity and conversation by interviewing leaders who are shaping the future of the industry. Her career spans B2B marketing, hotel ownership and management, and start-ups ranging from aviation data to spa products, giving her a unique vantage point on the business of hospitality. Susan founded Hive Marketing, a firm specializing in B2B demand generation for the hospitality industry. In addition to her advisory and thought leadership work, she serves on the steering committee of Female Founders in Hospitality and is a partner at Cayuga Hospitality Consultants. Susan is known for her sharp insights, humor, and ability to push conversations beyond the expected. She lives in Atlanta with her artist husband, Sean.

Susan's Website

@topfloorpod on Instagram

Further reading for this episode

• Susan Barry | LinkedIn
• Taking White Advice as a Black Person, Killer Kimonos, and More with Keisha "TK" Dutes - 5 Random Questions
• We Are the Creators of Hate - Is It Too Late to Undo Who We Have Become? | Danny Brown
• Pizza restaurant | Grant Central Pizza | Atlanta
• Virgin Movie Experiences, Tech Trip Ups, and More with Colin Gray - 5 Random Questions
• The Light Phone
• Focus Friend Productivity App by Hank Green
• Don Shindle has been appointed General Manager at The Westin Verasa in Napa
• Tripman | Your Favourite Driver (@thetripman_)

Products I Use for 5 Random Questions

Note: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link.

My equipment:

1. RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser mic
2. Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
3. Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
4. Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

1. Captivate.fm podcast hosting,

In this week’s 5 Random Questions, Danny chats with Emily Williams, a Webby, Signal and Anthem award-winning podcast host, and former Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. They discuss everything from a life-changing loss, cats owning dogs, superhero shenanigans, and more.

Answering the questions this week: Emily Williams

Emily Williams (she/her) is a Webby, Signal and Anthem award-winning podcast host, and former Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. A gender studies scholar and global advocate for social justice, Emily has worked with communities in more than 20 countries and co-founded the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work includes contributing to a global treaty adopted by the United Nations and decades of leadership in advancing equity, gender justice, and human rights in the US and beyond.

Emily's Website

@heyemilyraquel on Instagram

Emily's Facebook page

Further reading for this episode

• Beyond Voting Podcast
• Emily R. Williams | LinkedIn

Become a Patron!

Thanks to the wonderful Question Starter members on Patreon for supporting the show! As a member, you receive producer credits for the show, bonus content, early ad-free access, and more - join today!

Products I Use for 5 Random Questions

Note: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link.

My equipment:

1. RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser mic
2. Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
3. Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
4. Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

1. Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization
2. Kit email marketing
3. Boomcaster remote recording and live streaming
4. Hindenburg Pro recording and editing
5. Auphonic AI assistant for...

In this week’s 5 Random Questions, Danny chats with Rob Lynch, author of "Voudon Caliber". They discuss everything from wealth creating toxic people, creativity, why he'd want a melon for a head, and more.

Answering the questions this week: Rob Lynch

I've always been a jack of all trades, but with the common thread of the written word connecting everything together. I've written music reviews, screenplays, short stories, movie reviews, sporting articles and just released my first full length novel Voudon Caliber available on Amazon. With the deaths of many important family members in the last few years, and the complicated presence of addiction in my family, my whole way of thinking and negotiating life has been turned on its head, and I work to understand life a little more day to day. Life is about gratitude and service, and finding out what that looks like to you.

@Official_voudoncaliber on Instagram

Further reading for this episode

• Voudon Caliber, by Rob Lynch
• Little Face | Dick Tracy Wiki | Fandom
• So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) - IMDb
• Beetlejuice Waiting Room Scene
• DNA Genetic Testing For Health, Ancestry And More - 23andMe

Become a Patron!

Thanks to the wonderful Question Starter members on Patreon for supporting the show! As a member, you receive producer credits for the show, bonus content, early ad-free access, and more - join today!

Products I Use for 5 Random Questions

Note: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link.

My equipment:

1. RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser mic
2. Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
3. Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
4. Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

1. Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization
2. Kit email marketing
3. Boomcaster remote recording and live streaming
4. Hindenburg Pro