Talking Life In Vermont With Jonathan Schroth

What does it take to come back home, get involved in your community, and try to make things a little better?

This week on Talking Life in Vermont, I’m sitting down with Chris Poirier, who’s been back in Vermont for about a year and a half and has wasted no time getting involved in the Rutland community.

Chris works with The Hub CoWorks and Startup Rutland, and he’s also part of the effort to bring a movie theater back to Rutland. We talk about why bringing cinema back is about more than just watching a movie — it’s about having a place where people can come together and share an experience.

But Chris has a pretty incredible story beyond that, too. From growing up in Rutland and working in emergency services to serving in the military, working in the comic book industry, starting a nonprofit for kids in Georgia, and eventually finding his way back home, he’s taken quite a few turns along the way.

We also get into losing his father, the importance of family, what it means to leave a legacy, and why he’d rather see people get involved and make a difference than spend all their time talking about what’s wrong with their community.

And because this is the Red Solo Series, we get into some fun territory, too — including Vermont’s supernatural history, Champ the lake monster, cryptids, and what we’d change about reality if we could.

I really enjoyed this conversation. It’s a good reminder that there’s a lot happening right here in Rutland, and sometimes making a difference starts with simply showing up and being willing to do something.

If you enjoy hearing from the people who make up our community, give this episode a listen, follow Talking Life in Vermont on Spotify, and share it with someone who loves Rutland and Vermont.

Episode Partner: The Gas Doctors in Rutland, Vermont — thegasdoctors.com

Special thanks to our sponsors: Southside Steakhouse and Divided Sky Foundation for supporting this episode.

Recorded at The Hub CoWorks in downtown Rutland, as always.

If you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.

What do Bigfoot, the Egyptian pyramids, fatherhood, and building a successful business in Vermont have in common? They’re all part of this conversation on Talking Life in Vermont!

This week, I’m sitting down with Domminic Gregory, owner of The Gas Doctors in Rutland, Vermont, to talk about life, family, business, and everything in between.

Domminic opens up about growing up in Whitehall, learning from mistakes, and how his upbringing shaped the man he is today. We talk about the challenges of running a growing business while raising two young kids, finding time for family, and the importance of staying open-minded, asking questions, and learning from the people around you.

We also get into some deeper conversations about losing a friend unexpectedly, the impact of growing up in a split household, and the lessons Domminic hopes to pass along to his own children.

And because this is Talking Life in Vermont, things take a few unexpected turns! We discuss the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids, lost civilizations, Bigfoot, and why Domminic thinks we might not know the whole story.

Plus, we talk football, coaching, home renovation disasters, parenting struggles, and his love of anime.

It’s an honest, funny, and occasionally unexpected conversation about growing up, finding your path, building something of your own, and appreciating the people who matter most.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Host: Jonathan Schroth
Guest: Domminic Gregory, owner of The Gas Doctors
Recorded at The Hub CoWorks in Rutland, Vermont

EPISODE PARTNER

A special thank-you to The Gas Doctors in Rutland, Vermont, for partnering with this episode. For your heating and gas service needs, visit https://thegasdoctors.com.

SPONSORED BY

Southside Steakhouse — thank you for supporting Talking Life in Vermont and helping us share the stories of the people who make our community special.

SPECIAL THANKS

Divided Sky Foundation in Ludlow, Vermont, for the important work they do and their commitment to helping people in our community.

Thanks for listening to Talking Life in Vermont! If you enjoy hearing real stories from the people who make Vermont what it is, follow the podcast on Spotify, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who would enjoy the conversation.

What happens when the guy who spent years partying in Rutland becomes the guy people call when they need help?

In this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, I sit down with Rutland native Brett Myhre for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

Brett opens up about growing up in Rutland, getting introduced to alcohol at a young age, how drinking became intertwined with friendships, family, sports, college and eventually nearly every part of his life. He talks about blackouts, being asked to leave college, getting kicked out of a summer camp he loved, a DUI, and the moments that eventually made him realize he needed to change.

Now, Brett has been sober for 16 years.

He’s also a Recovery Assistant and Recreation Specialist at Divided Sky, where he works with people who are taking that first step toward recovery. We talk about addiction, sobriety, recovery, how we treat people who are struggling, and why sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply show up for another person.

Brett also shares what he’s doing with Rutland Sober Miles, a community gathering where people can walk, run, talk, laugh, or simply spend time around others who understand what recovery can look like.

And the conversation gets bigger than addiction. We talk about Rutland, creating more opportunities and green spaces for kids, getting young people outside, the importance of community connections, putting down the phone, making eye contact, and actually knowing the people around us.

This is a conversation about alcohol and addiction, but it’s also a conversation about belonging, second chances, community, fatherhood, running, and what it means to help someone without judging them.

If you or someone you know is struggling, Brett’s message throughout this episode is simple: reach out. Start the conversation. Keep showing up.

Recorded at The Hub CoWorks in downtown Rutland, as always.

Episode Partner: The Gas Doctors
Sponsored by: Southside Steakhouse

Subscribe to Talking Life in Vermont wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow along for more conversations with the people who make up our Vermont communities.

What does it mean to keep learning, stay curious, and find your place in a community?

In this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, Jonathan sits down with Matt Britt, marketing manager for CEDRR and a longtime supporter of the podcast, for a conversation that covers a little bit of everything—from the work happening at The Hub CoWorks in downtown Rutland to photography, travel, education, community development, and the experiences that shape where we choose to call home.

Matt shares his philosophy of never stopping learning, including stories from his career in advertising and graphic design, going back to school in his 40s, and finding new skills and interests throughout life. The conversation also explores the resources available to Vermonters who want to continue their education, change careers, start a business, or simply learn something new.

Matt also talks about his years living in New York City, including a frightening early experience that changed the way he looked at the city, his passion for photography, visiting every Major League Baseball stadium, completing Vermont’s 251 Club, birding, and his ongoing goal of visiting all 50 states.

And, in true Talking Life in Vermont fashion, the conversation eventually comes back to community.

Matt explains why he and his wife chose Rutland, Vermont as their home, why he calls Rutland their “heart town,” and what he hopes to contribute to the community through his work with CEDRR and The Hub.

We also talk about the importance of sharing stories, passing along what we’ve learned, and creating spaces where people can connect, learn from one another, and turn ideas into reality.

Recorded at The Hub CoWorks in downtown Rutland—more than just a podcast studio, The Hub is a community workspace offering meeting rooms, offices, events, coworking space, resources, and opportunities for people and organizations throughout the region.

Episode Partner: The Gas DoctorsA special thank you to The Gas Doctors in Rutland, Vermont, for supporting Talking Life in Vermont as this episode’s partner. Learn more at thegasdoctors.com.

Special thanks to Southside Steakhouse in Rutland, Vermont, for sponsoring the podcast and supporting local conversations and community storytelling.

If you enjoy Talking Life in Vermont, subscribe, follow the podcast, and share this episode with someone who loves Vermont, Rutland, photography, travel, lifelong learning, or conversations about building a stronger community.

Talking Life in VermontIf you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.

What happens when a Vermont poet, artist and photographer pushes back against an increasingly digital world?

In this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, Jonathan Schroth sits down with Benjamin Aleshire, a writer, poet, artist and photographer from Shrewsbury, Vermont, for a wide-ranging conversation about art, creativity, travel, technology, AI and what it means to keep making things with your own hands.

Benjamin talks about his work with analog photography and darkroom printing, his art space and gallery in Brandon, Vermont, and why he believes the imperfections of film and handmade art are becoming more valuable in an increasingly digital world.

The conversation also dives deep into AI and creativity, including concerns about what happens when technology begins replacing the human process of writing, creating and thinking. Benjamin and Jonathan debate whether AI is simply another useful tool, or whether our growing dependence on technology risks causing us to lose something fundamentally human.

Benjamin also shares some incredible stories from his life as a traveling poet and musician, including hitchhiking through Latin America, studying Spanish in Guatemala, touring Europe with a band, playing festivals including Bonnaroo, and spending time in Paris writing poems on the street outside the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore.

Then there’s the story of how his typewriter, poems and apartment key were stolen in Paris, only for a complete stranger’s dog to discover his poems in the street and lead Benjamin to an unexpected friendship.

Benjamin also reads several of his poems, talks about his upcoming poetry collection Poems for Bystanders, his work as a novelist and his recent Faulkner Society poetry prize.

We also talk about growing up in rural Vermont, leaving home to experience the wider world, returning to Vermont, fatherhood and family, the generational divide between millennials and Gen Z, social media, and why preserving traditional art forms may be more important than ever.

Benjamin’s work is a fascinating intersection of Vermont, poetry, photography, music, travel and handmade art, and this conversation asks a bigger question:

What do we lose when everything becomes easier, faster and more digital?

The episode was recorded at The Hub Coworks in Rutland, Vermont.

Talking Life in Vermont
“If you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.”

Episode Partners:
The Gas Doctors — Rutland, Vermont
thegasdoctors.com

Sponsored by:
Southside Steakhouse — Rutland, Vermont

What happens when a chef takes the spirit of a French bistro, mixes it with Vermont, and brings it to an unexpected place, the Rutland Airport?

In this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, Jonathan sits down with chef and restaurant owner Greg St. Peter, the man behind Rabbit Rabbit, a new restaurant set to open at the Rutland Airport in October.

Greg talks about the idea behind Rabbit Rabbit, why he fell in love with the airport space, and his vision for making great food approachable, memorable, and connected to the place where it’s served. He shares his love of breakfast food, coffee, pie, eggs, Vermont maple syrup, and the little details that can turn an ordinary meal into something people remember.

The conversation goes much deeper than food. Greg talks about growing up in Rutland, moving away and eventually coming back, and how perspective can change the way you see your hometown. He also shares stories from his years working in restaurants in Boston and on the West Coast, his experiences with farmers and seasonal ingredients, and why he believes chefs should have more respect for the people who grow the food.

We also get into the philosophy behind cooking, why vegetables can be more challenging than meat, the importance of human connection around a meal, and one particularly strong opinion about tofu.

And, of course, we pull questions from the Red Solo Cup and talk about everything from Thanksgiving and childhood memories to why Greg believes that the more you talk about cooking, the less you actually talk about recipes.

Rabbit Rabbit is scheduled to open in October at the Rutland Airport, bringing breakfast, sandwiches, coffee, pie and Greg’s chef-driven approach to an unexpected corner of Vermont.

This episode was recorded at The Hub CoWorks in downtown Rutland, Vermont.

Talking Life in Vermont
“If you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.”

Follow Talking Life in Vermont for conversations with the people who live, work, create, and help shape communities across Vermont.

What does it mean to truly be yourself—and actually believe that you’re enough?

On this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, Jonathan Schroth sits down with Kim Griffin—mom, doula, small business owner, soccer coach, and board member at Heritage Family Credit Union—for a wide-ranging and very real conversation about life, family, work, and finding your way in Vermont.

Kim opens up about growing up as an only child, moving frequently, creating a “chosen family,” and learning how her childhood shaped the way she shows up in the world. She talks candidly about being a recovering people pleaser, the importance of authenticity, and the lifelong process of learning to be comfortable with exactly who you are.

The conversation also dives into Kim’s journey from studying architecture in Philadelphia to farming in the Hudson Valley, working in agricultural education, leading the MINT Makerspace, and eventually building a design-build company with Morgan through Two Birds Design Build.

Jonathan and Kim also get into motherhood, parenting differently than the way they were raised, soccer coaching, Vermont’s need for more housing and skilled tradespeople, bicycles, body pillows, astrology, Dungeons & Dragons, Jamie Lee Curtis, and what a crystal ball might reveal about how we really see ourselves.

At the heart of the conversation is a question many of us can relate to: How do we stop feeling like an imposter and start recognizing our own strengths?

 Recorded at Hub Coworks in Rutland, Vermont.

 Episode Partner: All in Stone

A special thank-you to All in Stone, a locally owned, full-service hardscape and landscape supplier in Rutland City, Vermont, serving both homeowners and professionals, for partnering with this episode of Talking Life in Vermont. Supporting local businesses and the people who make Vermont communities what they are is a huge part of what this podcast is all about.

If you enjoy conversations about Vermont, local people, small business, community, family, personal growth, and the stories behind the people who live here, subscribe to Talking Life in Vermont and follow along.

Talking Life in Vermont
“If you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.”

Rutland, Vermont Is Worth Fighting For | Nick Grandchamp

What does it really mean to be part of a community?

On this episode of Talking Life in Vermont, Jonathan Schroth sits down with Rutland musician, working-class advocate, and community-minded troublemaker Nick Grandchamp for a wide-ranging conversation about music, Rutland, local businesses, friendship, loss, and why showing up actually matters.

Nick talks about growing up around music, playing guitar and bass, his bands Dead Street Dreamers and Outnumbered, vintage amps, vinyl records, playing music across the country and overseas, and the people who helped shape him along the way.

But the conversation quickly becomes about something bigger: Rutland, Vermont.

Nick shares why he believes the Rutland Food Co-op is more than just a grocery store, why local businesses matter, and how seemingly small decisions—buying a few things locally, having a conversation with a stranger, attending a local event, or simply showing up—can help build a stronger community.

Jonathan and Nick also talk about the negativity surrounding Rutland on social media, the stereotypes people have about the city, the so-called “Burlington bubble,” and why Nick believes Rutland doesn’t need to become another Burlington. It needs to become a better version of Rutland.

The conversation touches on housing, downtown development, the future of the city, the importance of the Paramount Theatre, the lack of places for young people to gather, and Nick’s passionate argument that Rutland needs a skate park.

There’s also a deeply personal side to the conversation. Nick opens up about losing his mother during COVID-19 and how grief and loss have changed the way he thinks about life, success, dreams, family, and becoming a better person.

And, of course, there are plenty of detours—including vampires, Time Chasers, 1990s technology, Metallica, bass players, movie theaters, awkward conversations, and why sometimes you just need to stop worrying about what other people think and get involved.

The underlying message is simple:

If you want to change a community, you have to know who’s in it—and you have to be willing to show up.

 Talking Life in Vermont with Jonathan Schroth
 Recorded at HubCoworks in downtown Rutland, Vermont

Rutland Mayor Tom Donahue: His First 100-ish Days in Office

What does “winning” look like for Rutland after the first 100-ish days of a new mayoral administration?

Jonathan Schroth welcomes Rutland Mayor Tom Donahue back to Talking Life in Vermont for a wide-ranging conversation about his first five months in office—and what he believes is next for the city.

Tom talks about his administration’s focus on economic development, new businesses and housing projects, public safety and proactive policing, downtown Rutland, the future of the Center Street corridor, the proposed hotel project, and his efforts to make Rutland more attractive to businesses, workers, residents and visitors.

He also explains his push for a Tier 1 exemption from Act 250, how Rutland’s economic opportunity zones and tax increment financing could help attract new investment, and why he sees housing, workforce, business growth and public safety as interconnected pieces of the same puzzle.

The conversation also gets into communication and transparency at City Hall—including Tom’s “communicator in chief” philosophy, his open-door policy, working with the Board of Aldermen, and why he believes residents deserve to understand what their city government is doing and why.

And because this is Talking Life in Vermont, we finish with some rapid-fire questions:

 Rutland or Burlington for better pizza?
 One giant Ben & Jerry’s cow or 100 tiny Bernie Sanderses?
 What’s the most “presidential” thing he’s done as mayor?
 And, of course… has Tom Donahue ever Googled himself?

After roughly 100-ish days in office, Tom gives himself somewhere in the B range—but says there’s still plenty of work to do.

This is a conversation about where Rutland is today, where the city is headed, and what its mayor believes it will take to build a stronger future.

Talking Life in Vermont is hosted by Jonathan Schroth.

If you want to change a community, you have to know who’s in it.

William Kelley is back on Talking Life in Vermont for another deep, and sometimes wonderfully weird conversation about the things we can’t always explain.

Jonathan and William dive into the deeper meaning of yoga and meditation, why anxiety and distraction seem so deeply woven into the human experience, and how modern life and social media may be pulling us further away from ourselves.

From there, the conversation takes a spiritual turn: Reiki and energy healing, astrology, destiny vs. free will, negative and positive energies, and what happens after we die.

William shares his perspective on connecting with spirits and recognizing signs from loved ones who have passed, while Jonathan shares a deeply personal experience involving a cardinal that left him wondering whether someone he loved was trying to say, “I’m okay.”

They also explore how spirituality and traditional mental health practices can coexist, the challenges facing young adults today, and why meditation doesn’t have to look like sitting cross-legged in a perfectly quiet room.

It’s a conversation about mind, body, spirituality, death, consciousness, and finding your own path to understanding it all.

Recorded at Hub Coworks in Rutland, Vermont.

Talking Life in Vermont  If you want to change your community, you have to know who’s in it.