Gettin' To Know The 570

In this episode, Frank talks with Cathy Bufalino (Executive Director) and Bernice Sando (Co-Founder) of Brighter Journeys, a Northeastern Pennsylvania nonprofit supporting individuals with special needs by providing tangible items and assistance when insurance won’t cover costs. They share how the organization began from the need for a special needs egg hunt, which has grown to serve about 1,200 individuals annually at Mohegan Sun, and discuss their ongoing work funding adaptive equipment like all-terrain wheelchairs, modified tricycles, and safety fences. Bernice shares her personal experience raising a daughter with Down syndrome and the challenges families face with therapies, travel, and expenses. They also highlight their October 23 fundraiser, major supporters, volunteer opportunities, and ways the community can help via brighterjourneys.net.

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In this episode, Frank talks with Adam and Jamie Dawson, the husband-and-wife team behind The Chef Pantry, a Wilkes-Barre-based online business offering ready-made meals for home delivery or pickup at Long Live Playtime in Edwardsville. They explain how weekly ordering works, how Adam handles recipes, cooking, and delivery while Jamie runs social media, advertising, and customer communication, and how they’ve grown in under a year to the point of selling out. Adam shares his background working across the food industry, their focus on freshness, customization, using local ingredients, and the operational challenges of scaling, time, kitchen access at Gather, and sustainability.

To learn more about The Chef Pantry, check out their Facebook and Instagram, or visit their Website.

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In this episode, Frank sits down with Jen Roberts, owner of J&J Sports Memorabilia, to discuss her nearly eight-year online business and plans to open a first brick-and-mortar location in the Pittston area with a target opening date of November 21. They talk about partnering with Killer Bee Customs for high-end custom-painted, autographed helmets and explain how their TikTok tier-based "break" system works, including the ability to bank wins and trade them for specific items or even paint jobs. Jen details how autograph authentication works (JSA, PSA, Beckett, Fanatics), how her company supports local charities, and how her law-enforcement background was inspired by the O.J. Simpson chase and trial.

If you would like to learn more about J&J Sports Memorabilia, check out their website or follow them on Facebook.

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In this week's episode, Frank talks with Taylor Ranieri, owner of Orangetheory Fitness Wilkes-Barre, and manager Eric Leedock about what Orangetheory actually is and common misconceptions about the name. They explain the heart-rate-based training model, zones and "splat points," EPOC/afterburn, class formats (including 3G, run/row, tread-only, and Strength 50), coaching, modifications for all fitness levels, and the studio’s technology and tracking app. They discuss the community aspect, themed events like Hell Week, benchmarks and leaderboards, InBody scans, and health outcomes beyond weight loss. Taylor shares how she became a franchise owner and expanded from Philadelphia to NEPA. 

To learn more about Orangtheory Fitness - Wilkes Barre, check out the Facebook page.

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In this episode, Franks talks with Chef Kim McLendon, chef and longtime host of The Cooking Show at Mohegan’s Rustic Kitchen, to discuss the state-of-the-art studio, three-course format, and rotating monthly menus (with popular surf-and-turf and holiday Beef Wellington extensions). Kim explains how she develops themes with the culinary team, how the 40-seat show is fully unscripted and co-hosted by her husband Gary, and how guests receive recipes and often return regularly, including travelers from out of state. They talk about local sourcing, such as Back Mountain Microgreens and upcoming Oktoberfest programming tied to Mohegan events. Kim shares her 13-year path from Viking cooking demos in Sarasota to hosting every Friday and Saturday since 2014, her work teaching at Luzerne County Community College, kids’ culinary boot camps, and her nutrition-focused goals, plus favorite dishes, cooking techniques, and community connections.

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In this episode, Frank talks with Nick D’Andrea, owner of AMDG Advisors in Moosic, about helping founder- and family-owned businesses prepare for and execute sell-side M&A. They cover how owners should think about legacy vs. cash goals, what buyers focus on (EBITDA, margins, trailing 12 months), common financial red flags like accounts receivable and messy P&Ls, and why it’s best to engage an advisor before signing an LOI. Nick outlines his end-to-end sales process from CIM creation and buyer outreach to management presentations, LOIs, due diligence, and closing, plus typical deal structures like owners staying on, rolling equity, or bonuses for employees. Nick shares his background in big accounting and transactions, his move back from Philadelphia, and how to contact him at amdgadvisors.com.

To learn more, visit their website or LinkedIn.

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In this episode, Frank sits down with Sarah Haas, owner of the newly reopened Bear Creek Cafe, to discuss the recent reopening after her parents ran it from 1997–2023. Sarah shares her background growing up in Bear Creek as the oldest of 10, working in the cafe, homeschooling experiences, years in St. Louis, raising four children (including an adopted daughter from Ethiopia), and earning degrees in English and theology with plans for hospital chaplaincy that shifted due to timing and family needs. She explains how community encouragement helped the process, describes the historic building and decor, outlines menu staples and new items, expanded espresso drinks, and future ideas like Sunday brunch and evening community events, and details permitting challenges and strong local support.

To learn more about The Bear Creek Cafe, visit their Facebook and website.

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This week, Frank talks with AI intelligence architect and author Carl Peterlin about practical AI in business, emphasizing that AI depends on structured, governed knowledge rather than simply buying chatbot licenses. They discuss risks of exposing proprietary data in public LLMs, how bad processes become "crappy at the speed of AI," and how AI can humanize work by removing machine-like tasks while preserving institutional knowledge before employees retire. Carl outlines "full sale" RevOps concepts and the post-close communication gap, using Domino’s-style status updates as an example, and shares a car-detailing workflow that drives responsive service and upsells. He unveils a "First Region Mandate" idea to help Northeastern Pennsylvania manufacturing leverage underused federal/SBA AI-related funding (up to $200M) to transform the region’s manufacturing economy.

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In this episode, Frank sits down with John Seasock of Black Rock Auto Center in Gordon, Pennsylvania. They talked all about his roots in the Coal Region, his late ’80s start building the monster truck Sudden Impact in his dad’s driveway, and his career driving for Monster Jam, including winning back-to-back Monster Jam World Racing Finals championships in Las Vegas in the Batman truck after defeating Grave Digger. Seasock shares how he met and became friends with Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, describes the sport’s shift from crude, owner-built trucks to modern, highly produced events, and recounts hospital and Make-A-Wish visits that shaped his focus on helping kids. He explains starting Black Rock about seven years ago, emphasizing honest repairs, custom lift-kit work, transparency, and community support, and promotes the free "Showing Out in Shamokin 2.0" event on August 15.

To learn more about John and Black Rock Auto Center, visit the website or give them a follow on Facebook.

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In this episode, Frank sits down with Rick Joseph and Rob Lopata of RJRK Sports to talk sports, their RJRK Sports Podcast, and how their Facebook group runs daily “sports breaks” as live, transparent raffles for certified sports memorabilia. They explain how spots work, how winners are chosen on live video, what kinds of items they feature (including Jeter, Rivera, Ken Griffey Jr., and football jerseys), and how they ship free to members. Rob shares his lifelong autograph-collecting background and massive collection, including a near-complete signed 1990 Fleer set. The conversation also covers live commerce trends, local community charity efforts, and their annual Pittston Area vs. Wyoming Area football fundraiser that has raised over $48,000 in four years.

To learn more about their group and podcast, join RJRK Sports on Facebook.

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