Today we’d like to introduce you to Tressa Glover.
Hi Tressa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Until 2020, when people asked me what I “did”, I told them I was a theatre and film actor, writer, and producer. Which was true. But it’s funny, thinking about it now. Funny that that’s where my descriptors ended, without a hint of what was to come. And that what was to come – for as much as I love being an actor and theater artist – would feel like what I was always meant to do.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh as one of three daughters, I took my first acting class when I was 6 years old and fell in love with everything about it. I would go on to graduate with an Acting degree from Penn State University. My professional acting career took me to New York City, Chicago, then back to the Burgh, where I would also begin my tenure as Managing Director of No Name Players Theatre Co, alongside my husband, who was the Artistic Director. I founded the internationally-recognized Support Women Artists Now Day – Pittsburgh and created the live theater sitcom, The Sisters Sorella. I’ve worked at The Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre, Quantum Theatre, Bricolage, and Pittsburgh Playwrights and my recent film and TV credits include A League of Their Own, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Archive 81, $1, and a 2020 Super Bowl commercial.
It was at the end of 2019 when I started to feel like I needed a change, that it was time for a new chapter. I had no idea what that meant, but it was a feeling that I couldn’t shake. I knew it had something to do with connecting with people in a more personal and meaningful way, and connecting people with each other in those same ways. And then came the light bulb moment: “What if I started a podcast?”. (No matter that I had no technical experience whatsoever.)
As 2020 and and the pandemic descended upon us, that idea took hold: it would be a podcast that focused on the *good* news going on around us. It would be a space where we could connect through stories of kindness and gratitude, and be inspired by the people who were lifting others up and building community. Yes, this was it! So I wedged myself into our bedroom closet, holding nothing more than my iPhone and a flashlight, and recorded my first episode. Fast-forward to 2026 and that podcast, Yinz Are Good, has dropped over 220 episodes, is being listened to in 104 countries on 6 continents, and is the recipient of a Jefferson Award and a Pittsburgh Circle of Courage Award. Having the opportunity to meet so many remarkable people and share their incredible stories has become the great joy and honor of my life.
And here’s the part that I didn’t fully realize until a few months ago: Over these past six years as I was building and growing this good news podcast, I was also experiencing the greatest personal losses and challenges of my life. These two storylines have lived side-by-side: Editing an episode about a community org helping hundreds in need the day before my mom’s funeral, transcribing listeners’ notes of gratitude before visiting my mentor and close friend in hospice for what would be the last time. There are many lessons here, I know. Some I’ve recognized, some I will in time. And I have no doubt this timing is not a coincidence, but a gift.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’ve been lots of challenges along the way, of course – as any artist will tell you. But I’ve gotten better at recognizing that going through difficulties and coming out on the other side is the only way real growth happens, that real learning happens. There’s not much to learn when everything goes exactly as you’d hoped or expected.
As an actor, I’d say the biggest challenge overall is that there’s no roadmap or one way to go about it that ensures success or stability. And there’s no guarantee that stability will ever come. You spend more time trying to get jobs than actually doing the jobs. Even in the middle of a contract, you have to be thinking about the next audition, about where your next job might be coming from. And in the podcasting world, I suppose my biggest challenge was learning the technical side of things: the equipment, how to edit, how to get set up on the various platforms…But a close second was cultivating and maintaining an audience, and continuing to do so. The specific challenges from one to the other may be different, but what they ask of me is the same: tenacity, passion, and belief in myself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been an actor and theatre artist pretty much my entire life. I started taking acting classes in first grade and continued to do so through high school, appearing in plays and musicals throughout that time. I studied theatre at Penn State University and then moved to New York City and eventually Chicago to pursue my career. I was in my late 20s when I started acting in television and film. And during all of this, I was always writing, creating stories and jotting down ideas for theatrical events or ways to bring communities together, As my mentor and dear friend often said, “If you’re an artist in one way, you’re an artist in many ways”. And that is so spot-on for me. There were always additional places my creativity wanted to go, so to speak, it just took me a while to get up the courage to share those “places” with other people.
But I am really glad I did. Because when I think about the work I’m most proud of, it’s the things I’ve created from scratch. As I mentioned earlier:
-I founded SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day Pittsburgh, which is an extension of SWAN Day, the international holiday designed to celebrate women in the arts. Over the course of its 8 years, SWAN Day Pittsburgh featured more than 350 Pittsburgh-based artists through performances and curated art galleries. SWAN Day founders recognized SWAN Day Pittsburgh as one of seven official international SWAN Day partners.
-Inspired by the women in my large extended Italian-American family, I created, co-wrote, and co-starred in the live theater sitcom, The Sisters Sorella, The show ran for one year at Arcade Comedy Theater in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. My team also received a grant to adapt the show into a web series.
-I started the Yinz Are Good podcast in 2020 to share the good news going on out there and to celebrate the good people who are making it happen. Our episodes include interviews with folks – be they individuals, groups, or organizations – who are helping others, building community, lending support, and lifting people up. We also encourage listeners to share their own stories of acts of kindness and notes of gratitude for others in their lives.
What makes you happy?
Connection. I think connection is at the root of my happiest moments: laughing with my husband, girls nights with my closest friends, family dinners, taking my dog to the coffee shop for a pup cup, discovering what I have in common with a new acqaintance, being able to help someone who needs it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yinzaregood.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yinzaregood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064210926306
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tressa-glover-6310b898/?isSelfProfile=true
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yinzaregood
