What do cemeteries, pirates, and workforce housing have in common? They’re all part of the journey that brought Maureen McGuinness to lead the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce. From managing six cemeteries in New York to helping Johnston County tackle childcare deserts, housing shortages, and job growth, her story is anything but ordinary. Why did she choose North Carolina? What’s really keeping businesses up at night? And how is JoCo Works changing the way our kids see their future? This conversation made me rethink what a Chamber of Commerce can do.

What would make someone leave steady work to start a roofing company in one of the most competitive markets around? In this episode, I sit down with Houston Colson, founder of Roof Stepper Roofing, to uncover how a 12-year-old transplant to Johnston County built a business on consistency, trust, and doing what others in his industry often skip. From storm chasers to insurance battles—would you know the right first step if your roof was damaged?

You lived together. Shared a home. Built a life. But you never got married.

Now it’s over. What are you legally entitled to? Can you keep the house? The car? The dog? What if your name isn’t on anything?

This episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast answers the questions no one asks—until it’s too late.

Because when the breakup hits, love isn’t the law… paperwork is.

What if the key to changing a community starts with just one person—and a pair of donated tennis shoes? Coach Fred went from feeding four families on Thanksgiving to mentoring hundreds of kids across Johnston County. But what really happens inside those first two weeks of his program—when most kids say they don’t even like him? And why does he believe the biggest problem with today’s youth... is boredom? This isn’t just a story about mentoring. It’s about rebuilding lives before they break. Would you step in before it's too late?

What do car repairs and concealed carry classes have in common? More than you’d think—especially when Kemp Treger is behind both. From rebuilding engines to teaching firearm safety, Kemp’s built two businesses around one principle: do it right, or don’t do it at all. But what makes women better shooters than men? Why are some luxury cars a mechanic’s worst nightmare? And how do you really make a car last 300,000 miles? This episode goes under the hood in more ways than one.

What if the best career of your life was waiting just down the road — and all it took to start was a $300 class? Novo Nordisk is quietly building one of the largest pharmaceutical campuses in the world… right here in Johnston County. I sat down with Stacy Beard to uncover how this global giant is changing lives, creating jobs, and proving you don’t have to leave home to do work that matters. Would you recognize the opportunity if it were in your own backyard?

What if getting older didn’t have to mean losing your independence? What if care could come to you—on your terms, in your home, with someone you trust? I sat down with Natasha Armstrong, a registered nurse redefining home care and wellness in Johnston County. From IV drips that boost your energy to respite care that gives caregivers a break… she’s doing it differently. The question is: when your family needs help, will you know where to turn?

What happens when your child lives in one state… and your custody order is in another?

What if your ex moves across the country without telling you?

And how far does a parent really have to go to stay present in their child’s life?

In this episode, I unpack the messy, emotional, and legally complex world of multi-state custody—from emergency returns to cross-country visitations.

Because when parenting crosses state lines, everything changes.

What do you do when thousands of bats are living in the ceiling of a medical building — and the law says you can’t touch them?

Robert Weaver has the answer.

From removing birds in big-box stores to tracking raccoons through crawlspaces, Robert built a thriving wildlife control company out of situations most of us never want to think about.

In this episode, I sat down with the man behind Freedom Wildlife Solutions to ask:

What’s really living inside our homes? How do we stop it? And what happens when we don’t?

You won’t look at your attic the same way again.

What happens when a TV reporter walks away from the camera and ends up inside one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies?

Stacy Beard thought she’d be covering wars. Instead, her journalism career led her from the anchor desk to Town Hall—and eventually to Novo Nordisk, right here in Johnston County. In this conversation, we unpack the real reason she left WRAL, the burnout no one talks about, and what she’s learned about storytelling, leadership, and local impact along the way.

This isn’t just a career pivot—it’s a masterclass in reinvention.