Sarasota Stories

After a stellar academic career, graduating Magna-cum-laud from Lafayette College and later completing the Women’s Leadership Forum at the Harvard Business School, she has worked in key leadership positions at The Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Opera, and the New York Botanical Gardens. 

In 2015 she came to Sarasota to spearhead the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens master plan. Upon completion, its aim is to become: “A world-class destination for plant research, conservation, and environmental education” all while preserving the wonderful 49-year history of this beloved institution.

My guest today is Jennifer Rominiecki, President & CEO of The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

In this episode, Jennifer shares …

• How Jennifer heard about the Selby opening from her home in New York and what most intrigued her about the position
• How she leads the much-needed renovations at Selby while managing the inevitable conflict it causes
• Why the Historic Spanish Point was brought under the Selby umbrella
• A great exhibit running from July to September you really should attend

… and much … much … more

I’m so glad you stopped by today as it is my hope that you will listen, learn and connect!

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It is not all sunshine and blue sky of course. Florida and the Sarasota Area have ugly parts that most of us don't see. I don't mean a run-down building or neighborhood but the very nasty world of sex trafficking.

But thankfully one local organization is dedicated to bringing light into this darkest of worlds.

TODAY, It is my pleasure to welcome Stacey Efaw of SelahFreedom.com, which is an organization dedicated to helping victims of the sex trafficking trade.

In today's episode, you will learn ...

• What caused her to transition from the Humane Society dealing with animals to the much tougher world of people and sex trafficking
• What Selah Freedom does and the crucial services they provide
• What most people don’t know about sex trafficking
• How you can get involved as a caring and concerned citizen

... and much much more!

Thank you so much for tuning in today.

Please remember to listen, learn and connect!

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Additional Notes - Sex Trafficking Statistics:

• 1 in 10 children is sexually abused. At Selah Freedom, most survivors report being sexually abused as children
• Many of the survivors at Selah Freedom report sexual abuse beginning between 3-4 years old
• 2 million children are sold each year through sex trafficking
• Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states
• Statistically, the average age of children running away and entering into sex trafficking is 15-17 years old. At Selah Freedom, many survivors report entering sex trafficking between the ages of 12-14 years old
• Within 48 hours of running away, 1 out of 3 children are solicited for sex
• Victims can be sold 15-40 times every 24 hours
• It takes 7-8 touch points with a victim before she is ready to step in to care
• Pornography gets more visitors each month than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined
• 1 in 9 children receive online sexual solicitation
• Traffickers recruit children into sex trafficking through close relationships ("friending")
• Traffickers have made up to $1.6 million per year off their victims
• Sex Trafficking is a $99 billion dollar industry
• Florida is in the top three states in the nation for sex trafficking
• Chicago is in the top five cities in the nation for sex trafficking

Surprisingly I've had several requests to share a little more about myself and my journey to creating and hosting a podcast.

So in today's episode, I decided to do just that - interview myself so to speak, and share not only where the idea for a local Sarasota podcast came from but also what I learned along the way from the fascinating people I've interviewed.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• Who I am and how I ended up in Sarasota.
• Where the idea for a Sarasota-based podcast came from.
• Some lessons I learned along the way.
• What you can expect in the upcoming season.

As always, thank you so much for tuning in, and remember to listen .. learn ... and connect!

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Sarasota never ceases to amaze me. It's a small city (or large town if you prefer) and yet the diversity of fascinating people is really incredible.

So on our today's episode -- our 50th -- I am happy to introduce to you one of the most interesting people I've ever met -- and who just happens to be a true pioneer of the cryptocurrency craze.

My guest today has accomplished much in his short life and as you'll find out he's just getting started. His name is Charlie Shrem, host of the Untold Stories Podcast which focuses on all things cryptocurrency.

It's no wonder because Charlie was at the very beginning when Bitcoin was just getting started back in 2011. He saw what no one else did, that Bitcoin and Blockchain were going to be huge.

As a result Charlie helped create some of the original foundations and exchanges to bring Bitcoin into the mainstream.

In today's episode, Charlie will share ...

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about him.
• What it was like growing up in Brooklin.
• How he first heard of Bitcoin and what his 'ah ha' moment was.
• The Crypto in Crisis Event he recently hosted.
• What he and his wife Courtney were doing at the famous Cannes Film Festival in France.

... and much, much .. more!

Thank you so much for sharing a little piece of your life with us today.

It is my hope you will listen, learn and connect!

Charlie's Podcast

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Everyone knows that tourism is a major economic pillar of our community. But have you ever wondered how professionals in the travel and tourism industry learn about us? Or how all those snowbirds found Sarasota in the first place?

In today's episode, you find out!

I'm very pleased to have on the show today, Nate Sweetman, Communications and Public Relations Coordinator with Visit Sarasota.

Nate is going to share with us...

• What it was like working for the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and The IRONMAN Group as a public relations specialist
• What Visit Sarasota, does and how it promotes our community
• What most people would be surprised to know about this organization
• Why you should consider joining Visit Sarasota if your business is connected in any way to the tourism industry
• ... and much much more!

Thank you for joining us today.

It is my hope that you will listen ... learn. ... connect!

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He’s a mild-manner Occupational Therapist by day but a real live Ninja Warrior by night.

Really!

If you've never seen NBC's American Ninja Warrior competition you're missing out.

Men and women compete for over $1,000,000 in prize money by jumping, swinging, and virtually flying through the air on the world's most difficult obstacle course.

...and Sarasota's own, Kyle McCreight is in the competition.

Today Kyle will share...

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about him
• Where his interest in Occupational Therapy came from and how it's different from Physical Therapy
• How a 3-legged dog named "Tre" helped him get over a tough divorce
• Why he decided to compete in Ninja competitions
• How he got on the hit TV show, American Ninja Warrior
• The wonderful way Kyle and Tre are involved with the Never Say Never Foundation

... and much much more!

I'm so glad you stopped by today.

It is my hope that you will listen ... learn ... and connect!

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Dynamic. Smart. Overcomer. These words could easily be used as a tagline for an upcoming Hollywood movie. But I use them today to describe a friend of mine who continues to do big things even after the untimely loss of her husband several years ago.

My guest today is Charlene Creel, or "Char" as I know her.

She is the co-founder of Precisllc.com. Precis is patented software that consolidates patient medical records across standard computer platforms.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn …

• One thing most people don’t know about Char
• Where the idea for developing this critically needed software came from
• How she found a team of designers and developers to create the software
• The most difficult part of the journey
• Why she believes her company will have a profound impact on virtually every American
• How she rebounded from the death of her husband to move forward in life
• Where Char wants to take Precis
• How you can contact her to find out more
• ... and much, much, more!

Thank you for spending your valuable time with us today as it is my hope you will listen, learn and connect!

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Often people fantasize about owning their own restaurant. However, given the high failure rate how do you ease into the restaurant business to test your idea without the large financial outlays?

You start of Food truck of course!

My guest today is Anny Scarabelli of Purplebol.com. Two years ago she and her husband, Warley realized their dream of starting a food truck business that sells the healthiest food around.

In this episode, Anny will share ...

• One thing most people don’t know about Anny
• Why she and her husband choose a food truck business
• What’s so special about acai
• What’s been most surprising about starting type of business
• What's been the most challenging part
• Where does she want to take this business
• Where you can find Anny and Purple Bol

... and much much more!

Thank you for joining us today. It is my hope that you will listen, learn and connect!

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It never ceases to amaze me the creativity of some people bent on solving a big problem. And one very big problem is: "How do you help seniors dealing with significant memory issues improve their quality of life while giving caregivers a break from the daily grind of providing that care?"

My guest today is Michael Finn of Town Square. Town Square is an incredibly innovative adult day care facility that has to be seen (and heard) to be believed.

In this episode, Michael will share.

• One surprising thing that most people don’t know about him
• What Town Square is and how it got started
• Why Michael decided to invest in a facility
• Who typically uses a Town Square program
• Why it is so cost-effective
• The toughest part of running such a facility
• What Michael is most proud of in helping memory-impaired clients
• ... and much, much...more

Thank you for joining us today.

It is my hope that you will listen learn and connect!

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Whenever you enter the competitive world of business at some point you're going to get "hit". It may be from a layoff as an employee, or it could as an owner when your business gets slammed after the economy takes a substantial turn for the worse.

The latter is what happened to today's guest. He was forced to recreate himself after the 2008-2012 real estate debacle destroyed his business and his finances.

I'm very pleased to welcome, Chris Williams of Aginto.com

Chris will share with us today ...

• One surprising thing most people don’t know about him
• Why he chose the Digital Media Space
• What’s been the toughest part of getting traction in this industry
• What’s been the most gratifying part
• How he bounced back from the 2008-2012 real estate crash
• Why he considers himself "a champion for the underdog for those who feel counted” out
• His recent experience with the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Mentor Connect
• Why he became an enthusiastic board member of the Salvation Army

... and much, much, more...

I'm so glad you joined us today - it is my hope that you will listen, learn and connect!

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