Emily Carlson was a teacher who decided to make the jump in 2022 into a new career: travel — specifically, helping other people arrange great vacations. As the owner of We Do Travel Right, she has grown the agency to have a nationwide reach, connecting clients with destinations across the globe, with a particular specialty in Disney trips. Her philosophy — life is short, take the trip — was born from the losses people experienced, and the isolation they felt, during the pandemic, and her belief that the time to enjoy life is now. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Emily talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about why travel agents are still important in the internet age, how she tries to provide deluxe experiences with a local feel, and why it's gratifying to help people have a magical day. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

With almost 20 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry, Lindsay LaBonte (a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in 2018) has become one of the Western Mass. region’s most prolific loan originators. But it’s about more than numbers, she says, emphasizing elements of her job like relationship building and financial education for clients who are often navigating the homebuying process for the first time — at a particularly challenging time for buyers, for many reasons. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, LaBonte, branch manager and senior loan officer with HMA Mortgage, talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the many aspects of her job, how she and her team prioritize community involvement in myriad ways — from philanthropy and volunteerism to a new program called Local Love Days — and why it’s still so ratifying to help people achieve the dream of homeownership. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

On his fourth time as a finalist, and 17 years after being named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2008, Jeffrey Fialky was named BusinessWest’s Alumni Achievement Award winner for 2025. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Jeff talks to BusinessWest’s George O’Brien about his expansive role as managing shareholder at Bacon Wilson, the changes and challenges taking place these days in the law sector, and his longtime commitment to community service. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

It’s called ‘Odyssey.’ That’s the art installation placed this summer in Tower Square Park in Springfield — the one featuring three pigeons around a Campbell’s soup can. It was placed there to turn some heads, generate talk, activate a space, and bring people to the downtown. And it’s doing all of that and more, according to Michelle Grout, executive director of the Springfield Business Improvement District. Overall, ‘Odyssey’ represents just one of the ways the BID is getting creative in its efforts to promote downtown, create vibrancy, and generate economic development, as Grout explains on the next episode of BusinessTalk, hosted by contributing writer George O’Brien. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Jim White and Gary Stone were working in sales and marketing for a medical device manufacturing company when they decided they’d had enough of the long hours, travel, time away from home, and large amounts of stress. So they traded all that for starting their own business — the multi-faceted marketing company Go Graphix — and wound up with less travel, more time at home, but a different kind of stress. Twenty years later, they’ve transformed the company into one of the better entrepreneurial success stories in the region, while also transforming vehicles — and the walls and entranceways of businesses and athletic offices across the country — into branding tools. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Jim and Gary talk to BusinessWest’s George O’Brien about all that and more. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Employers are dealing with plenty of changes these days, whether it’s mandates from the state or policy shifts at the federal level, impacting everything from disability and leave to discrimination and DEI efforts. Employment lawyers have an even greater challenge: processing those changes and helping their business clients craft policies that both keep them out of trouble and build positive, healthy workplace cultures. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Amy Royal, CEO of the Royal Law Firm, talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the many shapes these changes and challenges take, and why it’s gratifying to help clients navigate these shifting tides and grow their operations. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

In 2015, Marianna Litovich had been a foster parent for seven years — and had adopted two children through foster care — when she began to recognize a lack of opportunities for foster and adoptive families in the region to connect. So she started a social-media group to provide a space for support and shared experiences. That effort evolved into All Our Kids Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to building community, providing resources, and increasing awareness of the foster-care system. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Marianna talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the importance of this work, how people can support it, and her gratitude for families who have a calling to be foster parents. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Chris Thompson, who already boasted a robust background in the sports business, namely hockey, took a big swing in 2019 when he and a partner launched the Westfield Starfires, a franchise in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. It’s been a home run all around, as the team gets set to begin its seventh season at Bullens Field next month. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Chris, now sole owner of the club, talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about what fans can expect this season from promotions, concessions, and level of play, as well as team’s continued strong partnership with the city of Westfield and why a thriving baseball culture is so important to this region. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Jacob Robinson came from a deep background in economic and community development when he took the reins a year ago at the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. Since then, he’s seen new shops and restaurants open, helped develop and expand community events and programs that benefit small businesses, and worked with community partners to grow the economies of the chamber’s seven towns. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Jacob talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about all this and more, including the challenges all area towns face, from housing to transportation to shifting economic tides, as they strive for greater vibrancy. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

The Better Business Bureau has long promised value for both businesses and consumers: for companies, a reputation boost and access to member benefits, and for the public, trustworthy information and a host of consumer-protection resources. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Megan MacBride, director of Marketing & Communications with the Better Business Bureau of Central New England, talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about all this and more, from how the BBB elevates area businesses through an exciting awards program to some of the most common scams currently tripping customers up, and how to avoid them. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.