Eric McKenna

My story is diverse. Full of twists and turns. A life based on self-reliance, yet full of good fortune and good people. And a life always centered around music.

I am a lifetime Pittsburgh native. An individual who has always tried to live life on my own terms. Even when I was too young to understand why – Rock and Roll was everything. Powerful, guitar driven Rock and Roll. This music provided a sense of empowerment and determination.  Whether it was the guitar of Paul Stanley, the drums of Neil Peart or the angst of Johnny Rotten, it was apparent early on that I was wired a bit different.

The death of my only sibling, Brian McKenna, in June of 1996 due to a drug overdose, resulted in a seismic shift in my philosophy.  Life became fragile and final.  Any timidity toward ideas vanished.  And hesitancy in abilities also vanished.  The finite nature of time became everything.   Waiting for ‘someday’ became unacceptable.   

By 1999, the idea came of leaving corporate America and launching Boogie Street Guitars, an online-only, worldwide guitar sales and design company.  For 15 years, BSG was a journey that could not have been scripted. Customers were amazing. Vendors were awesome. And our guitar designs were beautiful and innovative.  The places traveled, the people met and the music experienced were all over the top. Many of the musicians BSG worked with were childhood heroes.  Including Paul Stanley of KISS.  And on top of it all – the incredible guitars. Thousands of guitar creations, many branded with our Boogie Street logos. I continue to be humbled by Boogie Street’s legacy.

After Boogie Street Guitars concluded, it was time for the next chapter.  In 2013 I became a PA licensed Real Estate Agent. As it turned out, it was the perfect career choice. Being an RE Agent just fits me. I’m still driven by my fascination with people and the desire to be of service. Helping others reach their goals is everything and  being selected to work with a client is an honor. That importance is never lost on me. And the friendships made continue to enrich my life. I simply love my work.

From October 2016 to January of 2020, I hosted a radio talk show. THE ERIC MCKENNA RADIO PROGRAM aired weekly on WBVP 99.3. for over 190 episodes. The program was a real estate talk show with a variety show bent. Engaging and learning about people and listening to their stories and viewpoints was fascinating.

March of 2019 brought the launch of THE ERIC MCKENNA PROJECT podcast.  EMP is the ‘Anti-Soundbite’.  Filmed and recorded in the Boogie Street Studio, EMP is a full production video and audio podcast.  The conversations on each episode of EMP are relaxed, unscripted, unfiltered and truly authentic. Guests are by invitation-only and are from all walks of life including entrepreneurs, entertainers, broadcasters and athletes as well as professionals in business, self-development, education, medicine, law, history, philosophy and the sciences. 

Each EMP show is released in video and audio formats on Apple, Google, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook and everywhere else.

In January of 2023, EMP entered into an exclusive sponsorship arrangement with the Cozza Law Group,  PLLC.

Starting in June 2023, I co-host a popular weekly LIVESTREAM Facebook and YouTube show with Pittsburgh attorney, author and speaker, Rocco Cozza.

Currently, my wife Natalie and I reside in Coraopolis with our dog Jinx, in a turn-of-the-century home thats always busy with Natalie’s 3 children, Sierra, Damian and Saffron, my 2 children, Austin Major and Gwendolyn Leigh and our new grandchildren, Wylder and Valen.

Spare time is intentionally not plentiful; however, at times I can be found enjoying baseball, hockey and of course, playing guitar.