**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's ⁠⁠Jay Collins⁠⁠, Live Freely's ⁠⁠Alyssa Pine⁠⁠, and Cup of Joe's ⁠⁠Joanna Kelley⁠⁠. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here. **

Cody Whelan was miserable.

Feeling purposeless in his geology career, he came home after work every day tired, irritable, and wondering why he was still putting himself through this. He dreamt of a different life for himself, a life centered on purpose, service, and connection. And after seven years of business ideas gnawing at him, he finally decided to pull the plug on his stable career so he could throw himself into the unstable waters of entrepreneurship.

Enter Treeline Outfitters: Portsmouth's home for high-quality sustainable outdoor gear, delicious local beer, and genuine connection with like-minded human beings.

Since opening their doors in February 2024, Treeline has felt the full force of the community coming out to support them, which shines through in their weekly run club, which now attracts between 50-60 people every Thursday night.

From the taproom of Treeline Outfitters in the West End of Portsmouth, Cody and his wife Emily Kwesell sit down with ⁠host Troy Farkas⁠ to discuss how they met at UNH 15 years ago, the respective career paths they entered into, why Cody began to resent his career, why it took him so long to take the leap, where the initial idea for Treeline came from, why Treeline is playing the long game, the explosive growth of run club, navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, plans for expansion, and much more.

CHAPTERS:

• How Cody and Emily met (00:00)
• Falling in love with the outdoors (05:57)
• Cody and Emily's career paths (10:46)
• Why Cody started hating his job (17:46)
• SPONSORS: Meconi Financial Management/Holistic & Hormonal (26:54)
• What pushed them to start Treeline Outfitters (29:57)
• How Treeline chooses their gear and beer (40:44)
• The growth of run club (50:18)
• Why Cody is wealthier than ever (58:05)
• Advice to younger selves (01:05:07)

To learn more about Treeline's gear, beer, and events, visit TreelineOutfittersCo.com or follow them on Instagram @treeline_outfitters.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• For a free lab consultation with Dr. Whitney Elsesser, visit the ⁠⁠⁠Holistic & Hormonal⁠⁠⁠ web site and write "HORMONES" on ⁠⁠⁠the contact page.⁠⁠⁠
• To get started on your financial planning journey, learn more about ⁠⁠⁠Meconi Financial Management & Advisory here.⁠

To support this show, make sure to FOLLOW "Seacoast Stories" here ⁠on Spotify⁠ or ⁠on Apple Podcasts.

The Leavitt Theatre almost ceased to exist.

In the mid-2010s, after the Ogunquit-based silent film theatre found itself gasping for air in the midst of the home movie theater and streaming revolution, it nearly shuttered its doors.

But then, after drawing upon the good faith created over the previous decades with the patrons of Ogunquit, the theatre raised an astounding $70,000 on Kickstarter in 2014 to breathe new life into the theatre. And then in 2017, when Max Clayton -- whose parents used to own the theatre -- took over the Leavitt, he made some much-needed changes that completely transformed the business.

Today, the Leavitt hosts concerts, movie nights, Boston Celtics watch parties, private events, and even drag shows!

From the historic Leavitt Theatre in downtown Ogunquit, Max Clayton sits down with host Troy Farkas to discuss the theatre's roots as a silent film theater, how it evolved alongside the movie industry throughout the 20th century, the fundraising campaign that saved the theatre from extinction, taking over as owner in the late 2010s from his parents, how the theatre adapted to changing consumer demands, the theatre's plans for celebrating its 100th anniversary this summer, and more.

CHAPTERS:

• What to do in Ogunquit (00:00)
• The evolution of the theatre (05:37)
• Max's love for the theatre (12:12)
• Tough times for the theatre in the 2010s (17:15)
• Transforming the theatre after becoming the owner (20:50)
• Seacoast Stories LIVE on 6/19 (26:30)
• How the pandemic forced the Leavitt to adapt (28:25)
• Plans for the 100th anniversary summer season (37:40)
• Advice to younger self (45:26)

To see the Leavitt Theatre's complete summer 2025 lineup, visit their website here.

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

To support this show, make sure to FOLLOW "Seacoast Stories" here on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.

Food insecurity is only worsening in this country.

And Gather, one of the longest running social programs in America, is dedicated to battling this growing problem on the Seacoast.

With a mission to fight food insecurity with innovative solutions and in dignified ways, Gather is a FORCE when it comes to nonprofits on the Seacoast.

In 2024 alone, Gather distributed 1.7 MILLION pounds of food. They served an average of nearly 11,000 people each month, a 25% increase from 2023, and provided 90,000 prepared meals, up 34% from the year prior.

But in 2025, an unstable economy and federal funding cuts are threatening Gather's ability to function at full capacity.

From the Gather headquarters in Portsmouth, Executive Director Anne Hayes and Community Engagement Manager Kate Constantine join the podcast to discuss Gather's mission, the INSANE number of volunteers who step forward every day, how changes at the federal level are affecting their daily operations, Gather's ambitious plans for expansion, their two big June events, how YOU can get involved in the fight against food insecurity, and much more.

CHAPTERS:

• "Seacoast Stories" news and events (00:00)
• Gather's incredible services (01:44)
• Food insecurity on the Seacoast (08:40)
• Gather's massive fleet of volunteers (15:32)
• SPONSORS: Meconi Financial + Holistic & Hormonal (25:40)
• Working in nonprofits (28:23)
• The amazing community support Gather receives (34:10)
• The annual Gather Gala and Fill the Hall! (36:58)
• Advice to younger selves (53:50)

For more info on the annual ⁠Gather Gala⁠ on June 10 and ⁠Fill the Hall⁠ on June 21, please click the prior hyperlinks.

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• For a free lab consultation with Dr. Whitney Elsesser, visit the ⁠⁠Holistic & Hormonal⁠⁠ web site and write "HORMONES" on ⁠⁠the contact page.⁠⁠
• To get started on your financial planning journey, learn more about ⁠⁠Meconi Financial Management & Advisory here.⁠

Laura Fox thinks about her deathbed often.

It's why she spends the majority of her time doing what she loves: Playing music, traveling, moving her body, and connecting with others, and it's why -- at Maine Fox Marketing -- she only works with clients who share her values.

The secret weapon behind some of your favorite Seacoast brands (Vernon Family Farm, The Press Room, Soul Models, etc.), Laura creates websites and builds marketing strategies that bring more eyeballs to the businesses she's passionate about helping grow.

When she's not behind her laptop, she's singing and playing guitar with her band Foxglove, where she sings about "love, the lack thereof, and the in-between."

From the West End of Portsmouth, one of the most fascinating guests in "Seacoast Stories" history joins host Troy Farkas to discuss why she studied "the attainment of happiness" in college, learning the art of performance from James Taylor's brother, how she unintentionally found herself singing the national anthem at Fenway Park, why she took a marketing internship at age 29 (for $12 an hour) in Portsmouth, the advice she'd give to anyone weighing a career move, her hopes of releasing a studio album, and SO much more.

CHAPTERS:

• 6/19 live podcast details (00:00)
• How Laura Fox fell in love with music (00:55)
• Laura's bizarre college education (07:15)
• Laura's fascination with death (13:55)
• Lessons learned studying under James Taylor's brother, Livingston (20:05)
• Singing the national anthem at Fenway Park (29:50)

• SPONSORS: Holistic & Hormonal/Meconi Financial Management & Advisory (36:21)
• Reinventing herself at 29 (39:00)
• Maine Fox Marketing (49:10)
• SEO tips & how to bring more eyeballs to your website (56:16)
• Work-life balance (01:03:14)

• Advice to younger self (01:10:35)

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠click here.⁠⁠

To support Laura's dreams of releasing a studio album, you can purchase ⁠Foxglove merch here.⁠ You can also follow her on social media @lfoxmusic and @mainefoxmarketing.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• For a free lab consultation with Dr. Whitney Elsesser, visit the ⁠Holistic & Hormonal⁠ web site and write "HORMONES" on ⁠the contact page.⁠
• To get started on your financial planning journey, learn more about ⁠Meconi Financial Management & Advisory here.⁠

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. For tickets, click here.

The Seacoast as we know it today?

It nearly never existed.

That's because, in the 1970s, the world's then-richest man, Aristotle Onassis of Greece, wanted to build a $600M oil refinery in Durham, N.H. Its size and output (400,000 barrels per day) would have made it the largest refinery in the world, and thereby putting the entire Seacoast ecosystem and natural beauty at risk.

But the residents of Durham, led by three women in particular, refused to let it happen.

From the West End of Portsmouth, Professor David W. Moore, a senior fellow at UNH's Carsey School of Public Policy and author of "Small Town, Big Oil: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the World's Richest Man-And Won" joins host Troy Farkas to spill the tea on the relationship between Onassis and Jackie Kennedy (JFK's widow), and to discuss how the world's richest man had landed upon Durham Point, the state government's push for the refinery, the citizens' opposition to it, and why the Seacoast would look drastically different had Onassis succeeded.

CHAPTERS:

• 6/19 live podcast details (00:00)
• Aristotle Onassis' dream of building an oil refinery (01:07)
• Jackie Kennedy's odd marriage to Onassis (05:25)
• Why Durham, N.H., was the ideal spot for the refinery (13:00)

• SPONSOR: Meconi Financial Management & Advisory (24:32)
• SPONSOR: Holistic & Hormonal (25:58)
• Why the citizens were opposed to the refinery (27:28)
• How the media cozied up to Onassis (35:11)

• What if the refinery had been built? (41:58)
• Lessons to apply today from this experience (45:57)

• Advice to younger self (51:36)

To support Professor Moore, you can purchase "Small Town, Big Oil" at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, N.H., Book Nook in Portsmouth, N.H., or Barnes & Noble in Newington, N.H.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• For a free lab consultation with Dr. Whitney Elsesser, visit the Holistic & Hormonal web site and write "HORMONES" on the contact page.
• To get started on your financial planning journey, learn more about Meconi Financial Management & Advisory here.

To support "Seacoast Stories," can you FOLLOW the show on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠⁠

In a special bonus episode, one of Troy's favorite people Miss New Hampshire Emily Spencer returns to the show! The two are also joined by 16-year-old Miss Inspiration winner Avery Byron, a little person (or dwarf) who hails from Londonderry, N.H.

From the West End of Portsmouth, Miss New Hampshire Emily Spencer talks to host Troy Farkas about the highs and lows of the past year, competing in the Miss America pageant in January, the unusual training methods she used to prepare her for the pageant, and what she hopes her legacy as Miss New Hampshire will be. Plus, Miss Inspiration Avery Byron talks about why it's important to be yourself, and the future path the inspirational 16-year-old hopes to take.

CHAPTERS:

• Bar crawl details (00:00)
• Troy's New Hampshire ignorance (05:03)
• How Miss Inspiration has overcome bullying & naysayers (09:28)
• Reflecting on Miss New Hampshire's last year (16:25)
• Competing at Miss America in January (26:07)
• Problems in the world we need to fix (36:02)
• Taking self-defense classes to prep for Miss America (37:38)
• The award Emily won at Miss America (39:38)
• Time management strategies (45:40)

• Advice to younger selves (47:15)

To support Miss New Hampshire and the dreams of young women across the state, please consider donating to the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program here. Hear Emily's first appearance on the show here.

To support "Seacoast Stories," can you FOLLOW the show on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠

Tom Bath remembers his first sip of craft beer like it was yesterday.

In the 1990s, the Pacific Northwest was at the epicenter of the craft beer explosion. And Tom, stationed in Seattle with the Navy at the time, soon fell in love with not only the beverage, but the culture surrounding it.

So after years of home brewing experimentation, 17 years of working at REI, and a cross-country move, he and two beer-loving co-founders decided to open what is now one of Portsmouth's most beloved (and secretive) hangouts, Loaded Question Brewing, in 2018.

From the Loaded Question taproom in the West End of Portsmouth, Tom joins host Troy Farkas to discuss the early days of LQ, why its community is so strong, collaborations with other Seacoast brands on projects like the Seacoast Stories IPA, a rough stretch for the craft beer industry, and more.

CHAPTERS:

• Bar crawl details (00:00)
• Tom Bath's introduction to craft beer in Seattle (00:48)
• Working at REI & moving to the Northeast (10:41)

• SPONSOR: We Fill Good (18:50)
• SPONSOR: Kim Vargo (20:22)
• The BTS of starting Loaded Question in 2018 (21:55)
• Problems plaguing the craft beer industry (29:45)
• LQ's unique approach to business (32:37)
• The Seacoast Stories IPA (37:02)

• LQ's birthday party on Saturday (46:00)

• Advice to younger self (50:40)

To learn more about Loaded Question, you can visit LoadedQuestionBrewing.com or follow them on Instagram @loadedquestionbrewing.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• To streamline your annoying workflows, please visit ⁠⁠⁠www.kimvargo.com/contact⁠⁠⁠ and tell Kim that "Seacoast Stories" sent you for your free call and custom discount.
• When checking out at We Fill Good THIS WEEK ONLY, mention "STORIES" at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

To support "Seacoast Stories," can you FOLLOW the show on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating today's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl on 4/25! Watch here for more details and snag your FREE tickets today.

Book 'N Bar, Ten Thousand Villages, Life Is Good, Colby's, Earth Eagle Brewing, Litherman's Brewing, Stroll Cafe.

The last year in Portsmouth has been a business bloodbath. Why are so many beloved downtown Portsmouth businesses closing their doors, and what can be done to give our businesses a better chance of survival moving forward?

In the 50th episode of "Seacoast Stories," host Troy Farkas welcomes returning guest, Andrew Samonas of Samonas Realty, and first-timer Nate Hastings, the Vice President of the Portsmouth Chamber Collaborative, for a transparent roundtable discussion about the harsh realities of the current economy on Portsmouth business owners, the state of Portsmouth commercial and residential real estate, how having locals participate in events like Art Round Town, Restaurant Week, and Local Love makes a huge difference, and some ideas for how to fix the current state of affairs.

Plus, a cameo from the Chamber's Tourism Manager, Hope Anderson, who tells Troy about her recent trip to Montreal, where she was tasked with convincing Canadiens that they're welcomed to Portsmouth this summer, even if the current U.S. administration has our Northern neighbors feeling otherwise.

CHAPTERS:

• What makes Portsmouth so special (00:00)
• Why are so many businesses closing? (05:32)
• Portsmouth's new initiative, Local Love (12:25)
• The economic realities of doing business in Portsmouth (18:04)
• SPONSOR: Sage Interior Design (31:15)
• SPONSOR: Kim Vargo (32:34)
• Portsmouth's ambitious residential building plans (34:12)
• Portsmouth Restaurant Week! (37:50)
• Portsmouth's new co-living space (42:35)
• Expectations for Portsmouth summer tourism (49:18)

• Advice to younger selves (56:30)

To donate to a good cause to support Andrew's London Marathon performance later this month, click this link. To support Nate and Hope, please visit PortsmouthChamber.org.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• To streamline your annoying workflows, please visit ⁠⁠www.kimvargo.com/contact⁠⁠ and tell Kim that "Seacoast Stories" sent you for your free call and custom discount.
• Sage is a new interior design studio in Portsmouth. When checking out at ⁠⁠Sage⁠⁠ in downtown Portsmouth, tell them "Seacoast Stories" sent you for 10% off your entire order!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Offer ends 4/20/25.

To support "Seacoast Stories," can you FOLLOW the show for free here on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?

Max Pruna had never tasted specialty coffee.

But one day at Northeastern University in the mid 2010s, craft coffee pioneer George Howell poured Max the cup of coffee that would change his life.

Inspired by this one sip, Max then dedicated his life to learning everything about craft coffee, eventually leading him to open La Mulita Coffee in Rye, N.H., now one of the most beloved shops on the Seacoast.

From La Mulita, Colombian native Max Pruna joins ⁠⁠host Troy Farkas⁠⁠ to discuss growing up in Colombia when drug lord Pablo Escobar was terrorizing the streets, the immigration process that brought him and his wife to the U.S. in the early 2000s, when he first discovered specialty coffee, why he opened La Mulita in 2019, the Portsmouth politics that nearly prevented him from opening the shop at all, the creative ways La Mulita survived the pandemic, how to make better coffee at home, lessons he's learned from a lifetime of entrepreneurship, and so much more.

CHAPTERS:

• Growing up in dangerous Colombia (00:00)
• Max's emigration to New Hampshire (07:10)
• Max's career prior to La Mulita (15:41)
• Learning about specialty coffee from George Howell (19:43)

• SPONSOR: Sage (33:36)
• SPONSOR: Kim Vargo (34:50)
• The fight to open La Mulita in 2019 (36:06)
• Surviving the pandemic (44:50)
• What makes La Mulita special (50:40)
• Problems in the coffee industry (56:18)
• How to brew better coffee at home (01:00:44)

• Advice to younger self (01:05:56)

To support Max, you can visit him at La Mulita Monday-Saturday from 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. To purchase perfectly roasted coffee beans, check out LaMulitaCoffee.com.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• Sage is a new interior design studio in Portsmouth. When checking out at Sage in downtown Portsmouth, tell them "Seacoast Stories" sent you for 10% off your entire order!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Offer ends 4/20/25.
• To streamline your annoying workflows, please visit ⁠www.kimvargo.com/contact⁠ and tell Kim that "Seacoast Stories" sent you for your free call and custom discount.

To support "Seacoast Stories," will you FOLLOW the show for free here on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?

Gabbie Kelly ran away from her home in Auburn, N.H.

In her 17-year-old mind, it was the only way she could begin to create the fiercely independent life and career she sought for herself.

She wanted a fancy title in accounting, and then a husband, house, and a baby ... all before the age of 30. And she got all of that and then some.

Today, at 35 years old, Gabbie Kelly is "The Profit Mama." No longer working 50 hours per week in accounting and auditing at important firms in Boston, Manchester, or Portland, she now assists working mothers with their finances, providing the kind of empathetic help she failed to receive while working in the corporate world.

From her Kensington, N.H. home, Gabbie (a Seacoast Catapult 10 to Watch winner in 2024) joins ⁠host Troy Farkas⁠ to open up about why she ran away from home at 17 years old, why she wanted to check all of life's major boxes before age 30, the wakeup call she received after having her first child, leaving corporate to start her own business, why women struggle in their relationships with money, and so much more.

CHAPTERS:

• Running away from home at 17 (00:00)
• Gabbie's ambitious life and career plans (12:57)

• SPONSOR: Kim Vargo (19:22)
• The mistreatment of mothers in the workplace (21:10)
• Redefining success (25:06)
• Starting The Profit Mama to help mompreneurs (27:50)

• How Gabbie helps women fix their relationship with money (36:50)
• The untraditional method that could change your financial fortune (49:00)
• Why Gabbie leads the MOB (56:45)

• Advice to younger self (01:00:16)

To learn more about Gabbie's services, please visit TheProfitMama.com or follow her on Instagram @theprofitmama.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

• ⁠⁠⁠To streamline your annoying workflows, please visit www.kimvargo.com/contact and tell Kim that "Seacoast Stories" sent you for your free call and custom discount.

To support "Seacoast Stories," will you FOLLOW the show for free here on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠pages?