Life's Essential Ingredients
Life’s Essential Ingredients is spinoff of C4 Leaders, a California based non-profit who uses PIZZA to guide all people in RISING TOGETHER. The show is hosted by two best friends who were college roommates at the University of San Francisco – (Jeff with a Mike). Season 5 started in 2025 and the show is currently listened to in 57 countries and 764 cities.
The educational and entertaining show takes a deep, yet humorous look at life’s essential ingredients. The hosts will engage in interesting conversation with some of the world’s best leaders, authors, athletes, musicians, chefs, architects, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, comedians, CEOs, coaches, professors, teachers, and many, many, more industries and professions.
The goal of the show is to have the guest highlight their life’s essential ingredients, who helped them develop the ingredients, and how the guest can help the listeners develop their essential ingredients.
The hosts create space for the guest to be the star of the show and provide an incredible platform to highlight their life, their business, their passion, and most importantly, their gift they share with the world.
Our listeners are diverse and 9% are 18-24, 18% 25-29, 13% 30-34, 18% 35-44, 18% 45-54, and 55+ 24%.
Life's Essential Ingredients
Season 5 Episode #4 Erica D’Arcangelo is Honoring and Celebrating Family!
C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.
Season 5 Episode #4 Erica D’Arcangelo is coming from Tampa, Florida
You can find Erica via her website astoryaboutpizza.com
About our guest: Erica D’Arcangelo grew up in a traditional Catholic Italian family with her parents and 4 siblings. Erica began her career in the digital marketing industry but soon realized her DNA was pulling her back to her Italian roots.
Erica is the grand-daughter of a PIZZAIOLO who immigrated from ITALY to Pennsylvania. Erica’s grandfather (Pietro) had a dream of starting a family restaurant. In 1960 he took action toward making that dream a reality and solidified the D’Arcangelo’s legacy. D’Arcs Pizzeria continues to thrive today – celebrating over 65 years of sharing the Italian culture with the intent of using culture to build community and celebrate family.
The essential ingredient…Pizza which inspired Erica to write a book about her grandfather’s journey and the positive impact PIZZA has had in shaping the trajectory of his life and the future lives of the D’Arcangelo family.
Thanks for telling your grandfather’s story, for sharing your many gifts with the world, and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients. Erica, Welcome to the Show!
TOTD – “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates.
Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!
In this episode:
What was life like growing up?
What are your life’s essential ingredients?
D’Arcs…a place where everyone is welcome….
Spending your life dedicated to pizza… your father has dedicated his entire life…what are some of his greatest lessons…
The importance of family in a family restaurant and the evolution of the menu…
Favorite pizza?
Immigration and the belief in the American dream…
Mom is Polish and Irish and came from immigrants…
Being where your hands are… the importance of being in the moment
Humbleness and Curiosity – how can they be the keys to unlock our passions?
Use mealtime to CELEBRATE each other… to celebrate family…
What has PIZZA taught you? Dough, Sauce, Cheese, Toppings, Heat of the Oven, Parmesan Cheese…
Abruzzo style pizza – (made with LOTS of olive oil)… makes it heavier, crispier…
Dad was a basketball coach and educator….what do you most love about your dad?
Finding fulfillment in life? How do you define fulfillment?
Congrats on becoming an author… have two books and adult version A story about pizza and your children’s book series – with the first book recently released.. Pietro’s Pizza…Let’s talk about the books…what is it you want the reader to take from your book?
Legacy