The Debbie Nigro Show

Rio’s Road Sign called us and Russell the owner captivated us. 

A stand out random run-in on our return road trip from Prince Edward island Canada traveling through Maine .

Rio’s is a wow and deliciously different if youre ever in the area on your own road trip through Maine. Best chicken dinner ever and the cavatelli with kale etc. had me licking my plate.

Our unplanned random road trip stop at RIO's included live music, incredible ambiance inside and meeting a dynamic guy named Russell Manton.

He’s the 'R' in RIO. The "I" is for his beaituful daughter Illinca and the 'O' for his brilliant wife from Romania ( 2 masters!) Oana. We met all 3.

Russell does some awesome things besides own and run RIO with his wife, that fabulous restaurant located at 357 W. Main Street in Searsport, Maine. He owns one of only six companies in the U.S. that makes the electronic room key door locks for hotels! 

For the record those hotel room key cards do not contain your personal information as many of us including me always thought they did.   

You're gonna love meeting Russell Manton who checks in live from Nantucket where he's installing more of his electronic hotel room locks, in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show. His Scotish accent is just fabulous. So's his personality.

As new strangers go - He’s a keeper!

Random Run In:

I met Margie McCartney in the pedicure chair next to me an hour before leaving on my road trip to Canada last week.

She was ‘back home’ in Pelham, NY visiting her sweet elderly mom and cracked me up with her story of how her mom had no full-length mirror to be able to check out her outfit, so she climbed up on ‘something’ in the bathroom to see if she looked OK…and then couldn’t get down. Lol. My kind of boomer humor! Anyway, I showed her all my bandaged boo boos, and we laughed about not getting younger, as we must try to, because as we all know if we don’t laugh about it, it’s not gonna to be that funny.

Meanwhile, I told Margie I was excited about going to Canada, and then she told me she just returned from an exciting Scavenger Hunt around the world and named all the countries.  I was like wow OK, that sounds cooler.

I told her she’s a perfect example of why I love talking to strangers and told her about my new upcoming book “How To Talk To Strangers: Advice From A Professional Stranger Talker”.

Then she told me about HER book “And Then…Networking Lessons from an Extraordinary Life Still In Progress” and her upcoming Ted Talk about "Bursting Your Own Bubble' and including more people in your life by expanding your connections.

Seriously? What are the chances she’s got a similar themed book too? Kindred Spirits for sure. 

Then I invited her on my show so you could meet my new stranger friend Margie McCartney from Chicago, and hear her stories, and so we could both share the encouragement for you to try and step up your conversations with 'new people' so you can learn new things and add more enjoyment to your life. 

BTW: Margie McCartney is an accomplished Sales Executive & Director Of Global Sales with over 20 years of experience delivering a proven best-in-class track record of driving record setting results for travel, hospitality and events. She’s looking for her next adventure. 

Enjoy this fun podcast of our live radio interview on The Debbie Nigro Show airing live weekdays in the NY/CT area 11-12 noon ET on WGCH Radio or listen live from anywhere on WGCH.com. Live Radio Interviews Become Podcast Interviews and appear after here.

If you’d rather read than listen,  below is the audio transcript.

Transcript 

0:00:00 And now, back to the Debbie Nigro Show.

1 0:00:03 Hey guys, I'm Debbie Nigro. Great to be back in town with you guys. I went on a big road trip to Canada and right before I left, I happened to be getting a pedicure manicure. You know a girl's got to get that done before the trip, right? And I meet this girl, Margie McCartney. She's in the pedicure chair next to me. I could tell she's talkative. I think she was talking more than me. Anyway, she's back home visiting her mom who lived in Pelham, New York where she grew up. Margie's from Chicago and she starts to tell me some crazy story about how she's gotta get dressed, but her mother doesn't have a full-length mirror, so to check out her outfit, somehow, she climbed up on something in the bathroom to see if she looked good, right, and then she couldn't get down, so I'm dying. I'm like, oh my God, this is my kind of humor, sounds like me. Anyway, I laughed a little bit about not getting younger. I told her I was excited to go to Canada, then she trumps me and tells me she just comes back from an exciting scavenger hunt around the world. I'm like, wow. Then I tell her she's a perfect example of why I love talking to strangers. And I tell her about my new book, “How to Talk to Strangers, Advice From a Professional Stranger Talker”. Then she tries to beat me again. She says, oh, I got a book called, and then, Networking Lessons from an Extraordinary Life Still in Progress. And I'm like, all right, look, look, look. There's kindred stuff going on here. You got to be on my show. So here she is, live from Chicago, Margie McCartney.

Hi, Debbie. Thanks for the warm introduction.

Margie, what's going on?

Well, I think I told you I spent about six and a half hours at LaGuardia yesterday trying to get back to Chicago, but I am here and excited to be on your show today. You didn't know. That was some wild weather. We had a lot of flooding here.

Was it just as bad in Chicago?

Well, I was on Long Island for the 4th of July and it was supposed to be kind of rainy but it actually turned out to be really nice. Yeah, it was just the flights when everybody was trying to get out of town.

I'm glad you got out but you look like you're having fun at LaGuardia. You sent me a picture with a bunch of people laughing.

Well you got to make a mistake in every situation as we know.

Yeah Margie were they all strangers those people in the picture from LaGuardia with you drinking the rosé?

Yes. I love you. Two were from Austin and two were from Los Angeles and they had their kids with them and yeah we just started chatting and one thing led to another. It was like let's do a Facebook picture and so we all took a picture and I had to share it with everybody. But hey we made it home and my husband picked me up and we grabbed a late dinner and got up early today and excited about having the chance to do a conversation with you and whoever is out there listening. Yeah,

Margie, I really wanted to invite you because I know that you know what I am passionate about and you are the same, which is communicating with people along life's path that you never would have met before, who you learn something from or spark something to and increase your connections in life, which is the meaning of a full life. So I know that you get that. I know that's what your book is about. I did read a little bit of it. I didn't have time to read the whole book, but somebody had said, Margie, you collect people like some people collect china, and I really understand that. So your book is meaningful to me, and I'm going to finish reading it, and hopefully you'll read mine. But let's talk about how that plays into your travels around the world and weigh in on why people should do more of what you and I do.

Well, I just think and the whole reason I wrote the book was because my friends kept telling me my whole life, you've got to write a book, you've got to write a book. And one of my best friends from Bethany College, Alan Tate said, when you write that book Margie and this is like over 30 years ago, he said, you got to call it and then because when you tell a story, it's never just how you jumped in a taxi. It's always how you jumped in a taxi and then and when you think about it, the end then is really the meat of any story.

You're making me laugh with that one. It's really funny because that's actually amongst my college girlfriends. That's a really loud two words because I told them the story about romance a million years ago with this one particular guy I was crazy about and then I started to tell him the story I go and then we left …and they're like well where was the rest of the story? So yeah you're out in Chicago smart girl I am sales executive director I'm sorry I'm talking over your excuse me I'm just giving you a professional introduction now for what you really do to earn a living which is Margie is an amazing sales executive, director of global sales, 20 years of experience, best in class track record, record setting results for the travel hospitality and event business but kind of looking for the next adventure.

2 0:05:05 Do you want to speak to that?

1 0:05:06 Well, just the lead into that with the writing of the book, I was with the same firm, a destination management company, for 15 years, and then like so many other people, lost my job during COVID, and that's when I pivoted and wrote the book. And then right now I think I mentioned to you that I am in a thought leadership program and working on a TEDx speech about bursting your own bubble, which means going out there and meeting new people and making your circle bigger and that's what I really love about anything in life with jobs. I mean when you're in sales in the hospitality industry to make your client shine in front of their boss is always a gift. I love that in hotels when a client would come up at the end of a program and say, hey you know my boss just came up to me and said that everything was perfect. That's our reward in our industry. It's just making people happy and that's why I think I always knew that the hospitality industry was made for me because I always like bringing people together. I've planned lots of trips both personally and professionally all over the world and some of the people that I've met in my life have become family to me in random places like I've got a Ethiopian cab driver who basically saved my life coming home from O'Hare in 2017 whose kids now call me Aunt Margie. I mean you just you just never know where that next great connection is gonna come from sort of Like, you know meeting you Yeah, and meeting you I should do a segment on my show. I do it on occasion it's called random run-ins and people love it and they love the the stories that come from you know, Accidental or maybe who knows meant to be connections. I loved your story about the scavenger hunt I'm not sure I understand exactly what it was. I know you traveled around the world on a scavenger hunt What was that about? Yeah about ten years ago, I got an email from the founder of the global scavenger hunt and Inviting me to participate in this event and it was three weeks so I had to figure out how to get three weeks off of work and it wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny and And it started in San Francisco in April and we got back to Montreal after going to 15 countries in three weeks and averaging 25,000 steps a day. Plus, I tore the ligaments in my foot. And we ended up winning the bronze medal, which was a huge, huge thrill for all of us. And we had no idea where we were going and, in each destination, we'd get a book and it would say, you know, you can take a train two hours to such and such a place, and they would give you activities to do there, but you're only in this city for two days. So, you have to, it was very strategic about where you were gonna go, what you were gonna do, how many points everything was worth. So, in Istanbul, I jumped into the Black Sea at 5.30 in the morning for 250 team points. And that was our last destination before we got back to North America. I was very proud of that.

9 0:08:01 I had to go on.

1 0:08:02 Yeah, my teammate was Kathleen Wood who's my old boss from the National Restaurant Association back in the 90s. We've been friends ever since. You know and the same thing about bursting your own bubble and reaching out to people that are different ages than you. There was a young waiter at a restaurant in Tbilisi, Georgia which was my favorite city, that and Istanbul, who once we found somebody who spoke English we're like, okay, we need to find this, we need to find this, we need to find this, we need to find this, and he was like, okay, you need to go to this park for that, you need to go there, so he was really, really helpful. And I'll never forget, Kathleen gave this 20-year-old kid a crisp 100 US dollar bill as a gratuity at the end, and he's like, I think you've made a mistake, and she's like, no, I didn't, and he cried. It was something. And then so the opposite side. Sorry, go ahead.

2 0:09:09 Amazing, you know, currency, of course,

1 0:09:11 American currency has much bigger value in places. I mean, I just went to Canada and obviously the dollar is worth like 25% more there, which is, you know, I don't know the Russian or the Georgian value, but I get the meaning of an American dollar in some places. But you know, language and documenting, I mean, what you just did is out of control, fabulous. Do you speak any other languages?

That's about it. That's all I got. But a big smile and a firm handshake goes a long way. I learned that very early on in my life from my father. And I listened to some of your shows last week, and I noticed that you are a big fan of your Dad too. Aren't we lucky?

Yeah, we were very, very lucky. It's funny, along my travels to Canada I met three young girls, lovely, two of whom were foster kids and who grew up, their friendship started when they went back later in life to volunteer at a foster home so the kids would know that their lives were going to turn out okay. They didn't have proper fathers to guide them. You just never know what someone's experience is going to be but what comes of the experience they do have; you learn a little something at each juncture. I'm sure you learned a lot from traveling around the world. Was there one general theme from traveling so much around the world about connecting with new people that you picked up on?

I would say from this most recent trip when we were in Uzbekistan, there were women my age and older, though kind of hard to tell over there, and they found out we were Americans and they were running over to get their picture taken with us, like the Americans, the Americans. And then when Kathleen and I were leaving a tower in Istanbul, this fourth-grade school bus was there and they heard us speaking, they were like Americans, Americans, and they were literally running after us like we were Elvis to get selfies taken with me in the cab window. It was insane. I wish I had thought to take a picture of them, but I was so sort of taken back, but it was really like, you know, the Americans, the Americans, and not everybody feels that way, I know, but it was pretty cool to have those two experiences back-to-back while I was on the global scavenger hunt. That's crazy. I'm really enlightening.

Was there any place around the world where you felt uncomfortable being American?

Well, I, my girlfriend Susan Keary, who I actually met in a taxi in New York in 1984, she and I went to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia and we were the minority and I always wanted to go to the Olympics, but I wanted to go somewhere where we were not the majority of the people. And so we went to Sydney, Australia, which I love Australia, they love Americans, they speak English, and they like to have a good time. That's like the trifecta for me. And anyway, we got these great seats through a client of Susan's. We were like in the second row of the opening ceremonies, and we were wrapped in our American flags. And Susan went to get us a couple beers and when she came back, I could tell she was upset. I said, Susan, what happened? She goes, the guy at the end of the row told me to take my flag off. And I was like, I got really upset. And we were sort of like halfway between going to the right or the left so instead of going to the right by the jerk I decided to go to the left but I went to the ladies room and while I was in the ladies room I'm thinking to myself who does that guy think he is like this is the Olympics so I very deliberately on my way back made sure I went past this guy who was sitting with his eight-year- old son I think and I said excuse me sir could you move your feet so I can get to my chair and he said only if you take your flag off, which I was expecting. So, I went into my little speech, and I said, I just want you to know that my father fought with Patton against Hitler so that I had the honor of wearing this flag and I have flown halfway around the world for this international celebration of humanity. So, with no disrespect intended, please move your feet so I can get to my chair. I got a standing ovation, but my favorite part was his eight-year-old son looked at him like, you're such a loser dad.

Oh no, not... that was bad for the kid and the father to have to have that moment. Anyway, great story. I'm sure you're full of stories. In this book that I'm holding here that you've written, “Networking Lessons from Extraordinary Life Still in Progress”, and good for you, the still in progress part, me too. It's good to get up in the morning, right, and get another shot.

Yep. Yep.

Margie McCartney, in this book, what is somebody going to get out of it when they read it? Because I'm happy to promote it for you.

Oh, you're so kind. I've had several people come up to me and tell me, like, I carry a book around me, I've referred to it, it's really helped me in many ways, which if everybody else comes up and says, we hated your book, like, that was enough to make me feel great. A couple of people have told me that they've read it twice. At the end of each chapter, there's a little sort of questionnaire about like if there's a story at the end of the story like what can you do in your life to to change things around and make them better based on the story that was in that chapter. There's a variety of chapters everything from it starts off 10803 which is Pelham zip code, golf and the people you meet on the course of life, all sorts of examples of reaching out to strangers and how that's blessed me tenfold across my life.

Unbelievable connection you and I had in that pedicure chair side by side.

8 0:14:08 I know.

1 0:14:08 Now you're on the show and yeah, happy to be a new stranger friend to you and vice versa. Grateful to have met you.

7 0:14:15 Yeah, me too.

1 0:14:16 Thank you so much Margie.

6 0:14:17 We're out of time.

2 0:14:18 You did good though.

1 0:14:18 You talked just as much as me. Margie McCartney wrote the book “And Then, Networking Lessons from an Extraordinary Life Still in Progress. She's a superstar, a global sales superstar in the travel and hospitality industry. On to her next adventure. You might want to check in with her if there's something that she can help you with at mccartneypartners at gmail.com. You have a stellar day, Margie.

Thanks, dear. You too.

5 0:14:43 Bye bye.

4 0:14:43 Bye bye.

3 0:14:43 That was fun.

1 0:14:44 OK, guys, come on back. We'll talk about why you should get your passport sooner than later if you're going to travel.

2 0:14:53 There's a backup. A huge, huge backup.

So many kids are in front of so many screens filling their heads with so much content. Are you watching ‘what’ they’re watching? It matters.

We're living in a world where it's very hard to control what our kids are watching on screens. Moms and Grandmas and baby-sitters have all been guilty at times of plopping children in front of a screen to ‘buy time’, rather than really sit there and monitor exactly what they're watching.

If you’re a parent or caretaker of children you need to be aware of ‘what’ they’re watching because it totally influences how young children think, behave and feel. Both good and bad.

I'm a PBS fan. They're the number one children's education media brand and Sarah DeWitt is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS. She's responsible for the strategic direction of the very dynamic PBS KIDS media service that supports kids 2 to 8, their parents, teachers, caregivers, grandparents, and all the local communities. I invited her to join me to talk about the latest greatest at PBS KIDS and what they know and are utilizing from all the behavioral research time they've invested, in creating 'good for the brain' content.

Sarah says, “We know that when kids are watching shows that are really thoughtful and created so that they are learning from them, that it really can model good behavior. It can get kids more interested in learning. It can help them actually learn some really important skills." 

"Summertime is a time where often kids kind of have some learning loss between the school years, but media can be a great way to help reinforce some of those things that kids learn in school, or if your kid hasn't started school yet, say a four-year-old getting ready to go to preschool, media can really help with school readiness and get kids kind of in that mindset if you make some good choices and kind of really pay attention to what kids are watching.“

Sarah says, for example for a four-year-old, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is really a great show. It's based on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and all of that research that he did on that show where we know kids really can learn from the media. Daniel Tiger is helping kids recognize how they fit into the world, how they manage their own emotions, but it also gives kids great songs, give parents great songs that can reinforce those lessons at home. 

(Sarahs kids, 8 and 11, grew up watching Daniel Tiger and just last night at dinner, she said, one of them sang, you gotta try new foods cause they might taste good. LOL Good job PBS!)

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Sesame Street, address pre-school confusions between friends and miscommunications. 

For kids who are a little older, shows like ‘Arthur ‘do a great job addressing things like bullying and being scared or needing to talk to a grown-up. 

Sarah says, a really important media habit that they want people to set up that they try to model in their shows, is that when kids watch something or play something or listen to something, they should talk about it with their family, positive or negative. 

Even if adults haven’t watched the shows their kids watched themselves, they should get in the habit of asking questions about those shows and get their kids to talk about what they’re watching. 

How kids show up to other kids is a very big thing. And again, a lot of parents don't realize, I'm sure, that some of the stuff their kids are watching on other networks, on their screens, by accident, on YouTube, whatever that platform is, that parents have no clue about, might be creating negative behavior. 

PBS KIDS works with child development experts and also subject matter experts so that every one of their shows is based on a curriculum and based on learning frameworks. 

Curious George for example, is based on an engineering curriculum. George is really curious, he takes things apart and puts them back together. 

“When you talk about child development and identity”, says Sarah, “there are a couple of shows that I think are doing this really well right now. We have a show called Alma's Way. It's created by Sonia Manzano, who was Maria on Sesame Street. This is all about thinking through problems. Alma is playing with other kids, working with other kids. She lives in the Bronx. She's Puerto Rican. And sometimes she messes up. And she has to stop and really think through that problem in order to decide what she's going to do next. “

“Another one that I think is really great is called Rosie's Rules. This one is based on a social studies curriculum. So when you're talking about young kids, that is about who am I in relationship to the members of my family? So like, what does it mean that I am a sister? And how am I a good sister? And how am I a sister to my older step-sister and a sister to my younger brother? But then also getting to the next level of like, what does it mean that I'm in a community? How do I get mail? Who take the garbage out? So it gets into those things as well. “

PBS KIDS work with experts to help them think about the best, most age-appropriate way to introduce some of these ideas and to give kids a foundation that they can then build on as they grow up.

As new technology such as AI is being introduced, Sara DeWitt says, "now is the time to have a deeper, more open dialogue about positive digital media experiences for young children, and how we can use these tools to form good media habits that can address topics like children’s mental health, school readiness, critical thinking, and ultimately, the importance of human connection."

PBS KIDS is making their good-for-the-brain content available to all kids, regardless of access to internet, age of devices, differing learning styles and abilities, and more.

If you have or care for young children, I encourage you to take a listen to this short podcast of my warm live conversation with Sarah Dewitt EVP & GM PBS KIDS on The Debbie Nigro Show. Adults need to educate themsleves about how best to educate their children.

Yes News Hit This Week Ryan Seacrest Will Be The New Host of Wheel Of Fortune But Did You Know He Builds Broadcast Media Centers named ‘Seacrest Studios’ in Pediatric Hospitals To Provide A Positive Distraction To Hospitalized Kids?

Yes he does! And Genna Rosenberg, an impact-driven toy and licensing industry leader saw a partnership opportunity for her client ‘Singing Machine Company’, the world leader in karaoke products to collaborate with him on something meaningful.

Now the new CARE-eoke By Singing Machine initiative and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation are on a joint mission to bring the joy of music to children’s hospitals nationwide. 

Genna checked in on the show live from Italy where she and her husband are both celebrating 'big' birthdays with their kids. We planned on doing this show before word spread just before we went live about Ryan Seacrest taking over Wheel of Fortune from Pat Sajak, who's retiring after the shows 41st season launches in September. The timeliness of the news that put his name out there everywhere and made us both smile, as timing is everything when you want to get peoples attention for sharing important information. Oddly the name Ryan was everywhere that day as Genna menrtioned she and her hubby were just about to board Ryanair! LOL

The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives. RSF’s primary initiative is to build broadcast media centers — Seacrest Studios — within pediatric hospitals for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media.  

Currently there are Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Orange County, Philadelphia and Washington D.C, Nashville, Orlando and Memphis. Two new studios are scheduled to open this year in Queens, NY at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Salt Lake City, UT at Primary Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit ryanseacrestfoundation.org

Genna Rosenberg’s’ PR and marketing agency is called GennComm and her Licensing ThinkTank GennComm ImaGENNation has created an entire division around social innovation this year, called GoodWorks X GennComm, to serve the industry she's loved for 30 years

Overcoming Impossible.

"For anyone who ever loooked up at the stars in the night sky, thought of the thing they wanted most, and whispered "Someday..." 

 Chef Robert Irvine (Food Network Star Restaurant: Impossible) shares his hindsight to give you foresight in his latest book ‘Overcoming Impossible’ .

 People all over the world always ask this world class chef, entrepreneur, and passionate supporter of our nation’s military, the same two questions.

They want to know how he made it. And …They want his advice on how they can make it too!

 Chef Irvine’s story is not impossible to tell, but as he puts it in the book, his entire back story is not entirely relevant right now as times have changed a lot since he launched his career. He went from cooking in a ship’s galley in the British Royal Navy to working in a big fancy restaurant, to his TV stardom in shows like 'Dinner: Impossible 'and 'Restaurant: Impossible' and then parlayed it all into a family of brands and companies.

 Truth is, he admits, he’s been kicked around a lot. And his path has taught him a lot about things like evergreen obstacles, the types of people you’ll meet along the way, the ones you need to surround yourself with and the ones to avoid. He learned about the cyclical nature of marketplaces, how to manage egos, how to pitch & sell, and most importantly…how to deal with failure!  And he felt compelled to share what he learned with you. 

 There’s no better teacher than failure, he said.

 Enjoy Chef Robert Irvine in this podcast conversation of our live chat on The Debbie Nigro Show or if you'd rather read the transcript it's posted below.

 His new book ‘Overcoming Impossible’ is available on Amazon.

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TRANSCRIPT Of The Podcast

0:00:00 It's time for the Debbie Nigro Show with Debbie Nigro, who says she's still a babe, or at least she thinks she still is. That's right, attitude is everything, and Debbie's delusionally young. No one sees the glass of Cabernet half full like Debbie. She's fresh air with a magnetic flair. Some day has arrived, and as far as she's concerned, it's time to roll.

6 0:00:25 Hey, I am here to share today and you guys hopefully will enjoy listening.

4 0:00:28 Hi everybody. I'm Debbie Nigro. I am very very excited about my next guest coming up.

6 0:00:32 He's got a new book out called overcoming impossible, which is what

2 0:00:36 most of us do every day. We try to do he's done it and he's got some really good advice. You've probably seen him more than once on the Food Network. He's the star, Chef Robert Irvine. And he shares his hindsight to give you foresight about things that people keep asking him about. The people always ask him the same question. They want to know how he made it and they want his advice on how they can make it too. And just before I bring him on, I want to just quote what I saw on the top of his book. A quote was there and it made me smile. It said, For anyone who ever looked up at the stars in the night sky, thought of the thing they always wanted most and whispered, Someday, what do I always say? Someday has arrived. Hello, Robert Irvine. Chef, welcome to my show.

5 0:01:34 Oh, thank you.

1 0:01:35 Listen, the glass is never half full or half empty with you.

2 0:01:40 It's so fun that you said yes to come back on the show. I was very honored to have you the first time around when I included you in the story about what an incredible Wall Street company is doing called Robert Ryan to give back to veterans with a percentage of their profit to my friend Brian Rathjen introduced me to you because he donates to your passionate cause which is veterans and I know that's what you live for. So thank you for coming back, but I really love this book, Overcoming Impossible. I really think you've got something to say. And those who don't know Robert's background, he basically says, don't worry about that. That's old news. You know, the world has changed. Yeah, I was a chef in the British Royal Navy. Yeah, I worked at fancy restaurants. Yes, I'm a TV star. Yes, I parlayed the whole thing into a whole bunch of brands and companies, but honestly, what taught me the most was, failing and I have some things I want to share. So I just, I'm so happy you are here and talking about this. Thank you.

1 0:02:36 You're welcome and thanks for having me back and you're right, Ryan and Robert's great supporters of my foundation, Robert Irvine Foundation. So they are great men. Yeah, the book was really, because I was getting 2,000 emails and opportunities to fix restaurants a week, failing restaurants, and we can only do one. You know, Food Network would pick five, then eventually pick one, and I would go and do it. But in my real world, I also work with big companies that have the same issues as small mom-and-pop businesses, just on a larger scale. So I wrote the book, it took me a year, and Matt Tuthill is my co-writer who writes my magazine, these are my full-time staff. But it's really about the four things that make you successful that I failed at, and I write down a lot of failures, or L's as I call them, and W's, but the first thing is empathetic leadership. You know, what does that actually mean? Know your people. Does one of your people's mom have cancer or is their son autistic? What are they going through on a daily basis before they come to work?

2 0:03:51 It's so important because you need the people to appreciate that you appreciate them and they'll work so much harder for you.

1 0:03:59 Absolutely, and you'll get it. But not many people do get it, which is unfortunate. But it's a big part of success. So that's the first part of the book. And then I go into egos and how egos get in the way. And I can tell you from a standpoint of my own, when I started, I thought I was the best chef, the best this, the best this. And in fact, I was nothing close to the best.

2 0:04:24 That's okay, I'm delusional too, it's alright.

1 0:04:28 Yeah, but we all are at some point, and that got in the way of me. It took me to get married, and then my wife to kick me about a little bit, and realize that it's not about me, it's about other people. And losing the egos of not only yourself, but also the people that work with you. One of the things that I talk about, and I talk about a lot, especially in the military space, is we hire people that are smarter than us. Why do we do that? Well, because they can lead us and teach us. You know, if I'm an A personality, I want a double A alongside me. And those that are insecure, A's hire B's because they don't want to be made look a fool of or they don't want to listen or, that's a big mistake. I see it in big companies.

2 0:05:14 You know, you really, one of the loudest things you said was ego. I'm an entrepreneur and I've been through a lot of rounds of good, bad and ugly. I love that you are talking a little bit about how you got kicked around because people always assume if somebody has made it that somehow they missed that whole phase of getting kicked around, but you did. You talk about the ego getting in the way of success for many people. I've seen it a million times, especially with entrepreneurs who are so passionate about what they think they know that they don't want to give it up or listen to anybody else. What advice do you have to people who work with, let's say, egomaniacs? How do you break through to somebody whose ego is too big?

1 0:05:54 There's one word, listen. I was one of those people, so I can attest to getting kicked around and beaten up and thrown out and spat out on many occasions and the companies that I started and failed. I think you have to listen to the people around you. I'm not saying take everything to heart because some people want you to fail. But listen and at least be open-minded enough to listen to a different scenario or objective to what you have or thought process. I think that's the biggest thing and it's really interesting when you do fail a couple of times and it's okay to fail. You just can't fail at the same thing twice.

2 0:06:38 Ah, gotcha. You know, I noticed that you took this time in your life to write a book, a whole year, to talk to aspiring entrepreneurs, would-be restauranteurs, you know, all kinds of business people and people who are stuck somewhere in the corporate world that they don't want to be, and a lot of those come up and tell you they want something else, they want something more, and they don't just want more money. So what do you say to them?

1 0:07:00 I say you have to follow your passion. I have a lot of friends who are doctors, that are scientists, that are intel guys, that are just fed up. It's not about money, it's about finding a job. And I say job because I don't have a job, I have a passion, but finding something that you are passionate about, that you, you love getting up for every day and going to do it. Right. And I think that we all need money, regardless of whatever, whatever, what's enough money and wants enough happiness, right? Because there's not money.

2 0:07:38 The happiest people I've ever seen along the way have the least, I swear to you. It's simplicity and I think money complicates things, but we need it to do for ourselves and for people we love, right? I was getting a kick out of reading your lifestyle. Obviously, you've got a million things going on, so you stopped to write a book, but you never really are in one place. You're always in hotel rooms and I'm so excited about that.

1 0:08:01 I want to live in a hotel. Do you like that life? Well I travel 345 days a year. Wow. 150 of them just with the military. I just come back from Scotland with a thousand, literally two days ago. I didn't even come home. I came from Scotland with a thousand coalition wounded marching 54 miles across the Scottish Highlands for brother and sisterhood, you know, injured and ill, wounded from not only 150 from the States, but from all our coalition partners. And I have to tell you something, yes. Everybody should do it regardless of the mileage. Every couple of miles, you know, we have the Ukrainians, we have the Poles, we have the Germans, we have all of been in Afghanistan, Iraq, and wars and all those kind of things. And just to listen to the similarities, stories, and life hardships, and stop every two miles, dry a leg off, put it back on. I gotta tell you, it's life-altering. So I came back from there, went straight to a hospital, funnily enough, in Virginia, then to Orlando, and I actually came home late last night and I'll leave again in the morning. I like the lifestyle. I like to be on the go. My life purpose has changed. It's not about me, whereas I told you that ego was all about me with the car and the house and early on in my career. That went about 10 years ago and I really threw myself into helping others, not only on Restaurant Impossible and kids with cancer and military and all those kind of things. So my life mission has kind of changed.

2 0:09:44 Okay, I have to stop you. Most of that. You said you don't have any more time and our segment is up. I could talk to you all day for the whole hour, but I'm going to let you go because I know you're tired. This was more than I could, I'd hoped you would just get up and be on my show. So everybody who is paying attention, please check out Chef Robert Irvine's new book, Overcoming Impossible. So everybody who is paying attention, please check out Chef Robert Irvine's new book, Overcoming Impossible. He's very, very inspirational and worth your time.

VERY SMART! 

SMARTfit, a gamified system that simultaneously strengthens the brain and body is one of a kind. Why is it so groundbreaking? It's dual-tasking neuro-rehabilitation & fitness technology which 'rapidly' enhances cognitive function & physical mobility by training the brain & body to work more efficiently together. 

The technology is cutting edge. It's attracting huge interest from those in the areas of physical & occupational therapy, long-term care, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities. Also wellness facilities, those in pediatrics who help kids with sensory processing disorders, and therpaists who focus on 'return to play' sports rehabilitation.

Courtney Robert’s, one of those tireless and brave nurses who stayed on the Covid front lines, is now on team SMARTfit. SMARTfit created the technology now being sold nationally through NEUROfitUSA in Long Beach, NY.

Courtney is passionate SMARTFit is a game changer and she joined me live on The Debbie Nigro Show to share why those in the healthcare field and in the school systems should pay attention to this groundbreaking technology. Enjoy the podcast of our conversation above but if you'd rather read the story the transcript of our live conversation is below.

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TRANSCRIPT Of Audio Interview

0:00:00 And now, back to the Debbie Nigro Show.

0:00:03 Oh my gosh, I'm in the house. Hi everybody, I'm Debbie Nigro.

0:00:27 Good to be with you guys this morning. You know, I love smart stuff. And I read about something very smart as a result of being turned on to it by the gal who's in studio with me right now, Courtney Roberts. Hi, Courtney.

1 0:01:00 Hey, how you doing?

2 0:01:01 Boy, you're cute and so nursey. I love your nursey outfit. I feel safe because I'm neurotic and I always like being next to a nurse. Thank you for doing what you've been doing for everybody in life and through the pandemic. You know, I talked to your mom is how I met you and she said you were in there with the, you know, on the front lines of COVID. I go, what a girl, man. What a girl. Thank you. You're welcome. From all of us who needed you all. OK, so we're here because you found something that really intrigued you. Yeah, that was that you're passionate about now. It's a new technology called Smart Fit. And from what I understand, and I did my homework, which is, you know, good because I like to know what I'm talking about. It's a gamified system that simultaneously strengthens the brain and the body. Yes. And it's one-of-a-kind and it's for neuro rehabilitation and fitness and what it does for you know for lots of different applications is rapidly and that's the word enhance cognitive function and physical mobility by training the brain and the body to work more efficiently together. So I'm looking at all the pictures I put up and guys you might want to check this out at at the real Debbie Nigro on Instagram and also on my Facebook page the Debbie Nigro show to see the technology visually it's um how to describe it

1 0:02:13 because you'll better describe it than me. You know what it really depends on what generation you are but if you're a millennial I like to say do you remember Dance Dance Revolution if you're a Gen Xer I like to say, do you remember Whack-A-Mole?

2 0:02:28 That's a really great, awesome explanation. I'm a boomer.

9 0:02:34 What are you?

1 0:02:34 I'm a millennial.

4 0:02:36 Oh, good.

2 0:02:37 But I like the generational interaction and explanation. I think it's important to share how important this is across generations who struggle with different things, even children who have issues with sensory issues and people who are going through sports rehab and seniors who are trying to keep their balance and assisted living facilities who are trying to make sure that their residents stay healthy and function. And what this is doing is revolutionary from what you've educated me about.

1 0:03:11 Correct. I really love this technology and it's incredibly versatile. So you can have everything from early intervention, children, kids love it, to adult professional athletes and then of course, you know, your senior, your sophisticated populations as I like to say, where you're working on dementia, you're working on Parkinson's, you can work on MS, you can work on different aspects. It's fantastic for learning differences. Kids with autism, adults with autism, anybody with autism really responds to

2 0:03:46 this technology. So what people get would buy one of these machines or rent one of the machines or go to a place that has one of these machines and sign up for specific classes or you're looking for therapists to get this and bring it on board or schools or what are you looking and hoping to be the outcome of this conversation?

1 0:04:05 I mean all the things and again that goes into the absolute versatility of this machine. So yes, it can be used for personal use. Therapists can use it. You can use it just for fitness and wellness classes. We also have a franchise model that we're launching as well. It's great in schools. It's great in children's daycares, adult daycares, medical settings, physical therapy offices. I mean it's great for everyone and it's great for every setting. If you've got a body and you got

2 0:04:34 a brain, it's for you. I got a body and a brain. I don't know if they don't always work together anymore as evidenced by the big boo-boos I keep getting. I guess I'm a candidate. Yeah, we'll get you on Smart Fit. It really did intrigue me because you know I'm an athlete by by nature. Certainly. But as time is going on I'm not spending as much time doing that athlete stuff and I find myself being a little concerned about being one of those people. Like, oh look at her, she should have taken better care of herself. And it's just about balance and coordination and strength. Who has taken this already? Who has it in place and is using

1 0:05:06 it? Actually, the school districts in New Rochelle has it. In my hometown? Yeah, right down the street from us. So they have it. They have I think some older models We also have a great physical therapy office Hands of Hope that has it in Brooklyn. Shout to them. They're great. Yeah

2 0:05:23 But this is a national launch. Yes, and you guys as I understand it under the umbrella of Neurofit, yes, which is a national distribution arm of Smart Fit. You guys are handling that out of Long Beach, New York. That's correct.

1 0:05:40 Okay, so what's going on in Long Beach, New York? So we have a beautiful multifunctional office where we have all the different Smart Fit models. There's about three different types, four different types, and we're using it for wellness classes. So you can drop in, take a class, you can come in and do physical therapy. You can also come in and if you're an organization that's interested in seeing

6 0:06:05 this

1 0:06:06 you can come in and we can tour you, show you and demonstrate the machinery and then also we do Zoom demos, so if you can't make it you can always do a Zoom.

2 0:06:16 What kind of companies have been responding to this? Are you getting the reaction from the long-term health care facilities, from the rehab locations? Because this is fascinating to me.

8 0:06:28 Correct.

2 0:06:29 Yeah. It's just about educating people. Yeah. And getting the word out about it, which I'm helping you do right now, because I said, wow, I never heard of this.

1 0:06:35 Yeah, it's relatively new, and that's one of the things that we're trying to do, is we're trying to get this concept of dual tasking that promotes neuroplasticity and helps build more, better, stronger neural pathways in conjunction with the physical movement.

2 0:06:50 So you're saying that by using the brain and the body together, which this machine forces you to do in a really fun way, your body responds in a very different way than just doing physical exercise or just doing a mental exercise. Correct.

1 0:07:02 So, you know, when having this really fun, novel experience, you get these, like, endorphins going, right? I know about endorphins and fun and novel. So, you know, your dopamine, your serotonin, and your adrenaline, epinephrine, so all these chemicals come together and they start working on your brain and they do these neurochemical changes in your brain and you start getting more and different pathways. So the way that I like to think about it is...

2 0:07:29 In the hippocampus, by the way.

1 0:07:32 Everywhere.

7 0:07:33 Wait a minute, stop there.

1 0:07:34 Even if executive functioning in the front of the brain.

2 0:07:35 Really? Because I always thought, I know it was a big no-it-all about the brain, Bob's helping, you know, we can take a different road to work and let's create a new pathway in your hippocampus, you know. It's like walking on the same rug all the time. Let's take a new rug, you know, and you wear out a rug from doing the same thing over and over. You're just saying that it affects all the different pathways of the brain?

6 0:07:54 Yes.

1 0:07:55 So, it's, because it's a game, it's got visual effects, it's got sound effects, you've got that tactile response. So you're working on, executive functioning is made up of seven or eight different type of categories. And so not only are you working on learning different things and if you're a kid you can go in and learn your colors on it, learn your multiplication, learn your ABCs, right?

2 0:08:20 That would be so fun for kids.

1 0:08:21 Right, I mean you can go up to square roots. But you're also exercising your eyes and tracking and using sports vision. You're also doing organization, cognitive flexibility, impulse control, great for kids with ADD that have to do impulse control. So you're working on executive functioning as well. So it's using a lot of different portions of your brain. Also using right and left, using both your hands, you're using your feet, you're moving on three different planes of motion. So it's a really dynamic machine. So you're using multiple parts of your brain, which lies the challenge. And I go on and I go on this stability machine called a Cortex and I call it the flying saucer. It's on these ball bearings and it goes in 360 directions and it mimics the feeling of surfing. And so here I am trying to do this whack-a-mole game. And, um...

2 0:09:18 While you're surfing.

1 0:09:19 While I'm surfing.

2 0:09:20 My kind of girl.

1 0:09:21 And trying to use, and listening to the sounds and the cues and here I am, you know, back and forth, wobbling all over the place. I'm trying to balance my body, but use my brain. And it's, and you're, once you get a hold of your balance, then you gotta use your brain and you're trying to use all these things all at once. And you're just straight cheesing on the thing. You know, you're just smiling all the time.

2 0:09:39 That's great.

1 0:09:40 And it's just, it's so much fun.

2 0:09:41 So there are three size machines I happen to see. Is anybody promoting it to be in anybody's home?

1 0:09:47 Could someone own one of these things?

5 0:09:49 Yeah, absolutely.

2 0:09:50 If I had a kid who had some issues, I'd want to have one of these in my house. Yes. Okay, that's number one. Yeah. Are you promoting it to, again, does it fit everywhere? And like, is it an assistant living facility or? Yes. Yeah, they fit everywhere. Yes.

1 0:10:04 And they don't look too big. No, they're not They're not terribly big. They're adjustable. You can adjust the height So if you have a decent wall space, I'd say like a 6x6 wall space you can do that Our most most portable model is the strike pods. That's great for schools. It's Pretty affordable. It's an investment, but it's pretty affordable when it comes to equipment, you can move it around, you can use those pods and put it against, or around rather, our larger models and get a 360 type of setup.

2 0:10:36 Yeah, the schools should really look into this. This is big time game changer for a lot of the kids who would find this fascinating and also, you know, just enjoyable while they're getting, you know, increasing their ability to do all things better, I would imagine, right?

1 0:10:50 You can take them outside, they run on battery. So you just plug them into the wall, and a USB charger, you take them out, you can play them on the beach, you can play them in the parks, great for parks and recreation.

2 0:11:00 Oh, that's very cool.

1 0:11:01 Yeah, get the kids up and do it in a relay, it's fantastic for individuals, and it's great for groups.

2 0:11:07 I read that it was invented by a woman.

1 0:11:09 Yes, Kathy.

2 0:11:10 Yeah, I want to give a shout out to her. Oh yeah. Obviously, her idea wasn't just an idea, she took it to this whole level. Yeah. And where is home base for this company?

1 0:11:18 I'm California. Ventura. Very cool. So she's out. She's out my old place where I did all my COVID work. Where is that? California. Yeah. So I came back from California to New York. Well, I mean, I lived I lived right down the street from you. And then I went out. They were looking for nurses. And that's right. Yeah. And I got in with a traveling first response like crisis nursing agency.

2 0:11:43 Do you have PTSD from that experience?

1 0:11:46 No I miss it.

2 0:11:47 Really? I miss it. What kind of woman are you? Holy cow.

1 0:11:51 Crazy woman.

4 0:11:52 That's why I got into nursing.

2 0:11:53 I mean I would have been a great nurse because I have the heart for it. Yeah.

1 0:11:57 I just don't have the guts for it.

2 0:11:58 Yeah. And you must have giant guts.

1 0:12:00 You know what, I worked with a really fantastic group of people, a fantastic doctor, Dr. Ryan, who's no longer with us unfortunately. He suffered an incident over in Africa. But we were all in it together and there was this fantastic camaraderie. And I was working alongside the military and it was just such a new experience and it really brought back my confidence. As a nurse I had worked in the hospital scene and gotten really ground down with that. And so to get out and really do something where it mattered in a big way. Yeah, it really mattered and we were really we were truly rescuing people. We were going in when everybody was running out because I was so scared. I know, I got chills thinking about

2 0:12:44 back to it. It's almost like what was that as we all try and act normal again, when it was hardly normal. Yeah. And it's hard to recover from what we just have all been through. Yeah. I think what you're working on now is very meaningful. Yeah. And for you to take a pivot, if you will. Yeah. And go from that feeling of, wow, what you did and thinking this is something. Yeah. I could tell you have a high integrity. This is this is you got my attention.

1 0:13:11 I think this is going to get out of get us out of the issues that came with lockdown and kovat Especially with the kiddos being isolated for so long. Let me tell you something

2 0:13:20 I am concerned about the kids because they missed a natural evolution Yeah in their timeline. Yeah of growth personally in and in connection with other children, I mean they've missed this opportunity to to figure out how it goes and it's going to carry on. So you think this is helpful?

1 0:13:40 Yeah, I mean, so we've got to catch the kids up, okay, in terms of their physical, their emotional, their intellectual abilities and being able to, I mean, there's just something, there's like a je ne sais quoi talking to the teachers. We have so many teachers in our neighborhood. So I think it's really going to help the kids progress and get them back where they need to be after COVID.

2 0:14:06 Wow. Nobody has said a louder statement to me this week, and I'm very concerned about it. Thank you so much for getting in touch.

3 0:14:13 Yeah.

2 0:14:14 Thank you to your mom. Just give her a shout out. Yeah, Mom. Thanks, Mom. Hey, Sandy. Pennsylvania. It was odd how she and I just met and we had a nice glass of wine and we fell in love and became friends. So congratulations to you. Where can everybody find out more about Smart Fit and reach you? Go ahead.

1 0:14:30 Yeah, so they can give us a call at 888-445-7666. You can give us a call there. You can also reach out at support at neurofitusa.com. You can also reach us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube underneath neurofitusa.

2 0:14:51 Wonderful spokesperson for your company. Thank you. So nice having you and thank you so much for the education. I'll be sharing this with So nice having you and thank you so much for the education. I'll be sharing this with other people who could use it.

This headline in the Atlantic about Ozempic really caught my attention.

Did Scientists Accidentally Invent an Anti-addiction Drug?

I'm well aware there's a dieting frenzy going on in the world right now with everyone and their mother talking about,and many taking 'Ozempic'.  What I was recently made aware of, is the potential for this drug to benefit those with addictive personalities and to help so many people struggling with addictions of all types. Could this drug be a major game changer? 

Ozempic, also known as semiglutide, is a drug meant for  adults with type 2 diabetes used to improve blood sugar, along with diet and exercise, and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. BUT....and its' a really big BUT....it seems this drug is doing things no one saw coming. So I asked my friend David Gerber, who has worked for decades in the addiction industry to join me on my radio show to talk about it and find out what if anthing he's seeing or hearing about this.

Are people who've been taking Ozempic or Wegovy really stopping drinking? smoking? shopping? gambling? picking their skin?

David is the Founder of Sober At Home, which provides confidential substance abuse & addiction group counseling services online. People can get help from their licensed addictions counselors & specialists at a reasonable price from the priovacy of their own home. No insurance required. 

If this subject is of interest to you or someone you know, please take a few minutes to listen to this podcast of my  live interview with David Gerber on The Debbie Nigro Show airing weekdays on 1490 WGCH and 'live' on the digital livestream on WGCH. com. Interviews show up as podcasts here after. 

Trending: The American Ultimate Disc League and team New York Empire !

That’s right ‘Professional Frisbee’ is a big thing and getting bigger.

Matthew Stevens, a professional ultimate disc player, for the New York Empire wanted to help his team better reach their potential, so in 2018 he asked his business savvy parents Barbara and Paul Stevens, to come help run his team. They didn't see that coming but they did! Because who says no to their kid?

Paul owns a busy real estate construction company in N.Y. and Barbara worked her way up to become the President of a prominant Insurance company with four locations in CT. Paul funds the team and Barbara runs it. (She yells from the stands on game days kinda like Rebecca the team owner in Ted Lasso) 

The two of them must know what they’re doing because the New York Empire won the championship in 2019 and 2022 and are currently one game out of 1st place this year. Even sister Melissa has joined the operation. The team is 53 and 6. They've won two AUDL Championships and have had two 15-0 perfect seasons. Right now they're the number one team in the AUDL.

The AUDL is the 'American Ultimate Disc League ' which has 24 teams in US & Canada. Think fast paced football, soccer and ballet combined. 

More like football in that to score, you have to get the disc to someone in the end zone except a player can’t run with the disc, he must pass it. (Impressive to me as the last frisbee I threw is still in someone’s bushes.)

They travel the country competing, and thousands show up for a fun night out. There are 30 players on the roster and four quarters in the game, 12 minutes each. The team also engages the fans who show up with music and what they call ‘activations’.

An activation, said Barbara, is when you bring the crowd onto the field to do somehting, either throw a fisbeee or chase a frisbee, any kind for fun for the kids who attend. They even do things like ball hop games, so if you'relooking for someplace to go to entertain your kids this might be it! Depending on their age they even use some kids as disc runners, letting them run up and down the field getting the discs that go out of bounds and throwing them back to the ref. (Too bad my mother didn't know about this when I was a chubby little kid she might have opted for me to chase frisbees vs sending me to dancing school.) 

The New York Empire games are very much a fun family atmosphere.

The team has even done exibitions at half time for The NY Giants and Minnesota Vikings. 

Paul and Barbara Stevens would love more people to come out to their home games. Home base is the Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle, NY. and games take place on Satrurday evenings at 7pm. 

Captain Lawrence Brewing is their main sponsor and they have a food truck and snacks and a DJ to keep the crowd engaged. Kids under 12 are always free- Adult tickets are $12. 

Check out their website at theaudl.com/empire to find out more. You can also check out the sport on Audl.TV.

Enjoy the fun podcast of my live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show with Paul & Barbara Stevens owners of  New York Empire.

PART TWO OF A TWO PART SPONSORED FEATURE PROMOTIONAL INTERVIEW

 E2: Environmental Entrepreneurs

Sandra Purohit, E2’s Director of Federal Advocacy 

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I love innovators especially when they’re working on things that benefit everybody. 

I’m shining a light on E2, a National ‘Non- Partisan’ Group of Business Leaders, Investors, and others who advocate for policies that are ‘ good for the economy and good for the environment’.  They’re passionate that those policies and projects already committed to continue on… because… hello - it’s working. 

Sharing an education on 'the big picture’ regarding what’s going on here in the U.S. as a result of the federal investments in climate mitigation and clean energy. 

Sandra Purohit is E2’s Director of Federal Advocacy. Sandra's background is interesting as she started her career working in the environmental claims division of an insurance giant. Sandra like all E2 members, is passionate that what they’re doing is good for everybody.

Sandra joined me to  help shout out the same message that E2 Executive Director Bob Keefe did in the Feature Interview segment before her, that there is great concern that the thousands of just announced clean energy and infrastructure jobs and billions in new federal investments for similar meaningful projects are suddenly in jeopardy. 

Since its inception, E2 has been recognized as a leader in advocation for policies that protect the environment while building economic prosperity. Their members use their collective voice to make the business and industry case for strong state and federal policies that address pressing environmental problems.

Again, one very successful example they’re pointing to is in the area near where I live in the Hudson Valley in NY. A company called Zinc8, which has developed innovative battery technology that uses zinc and air as fuel and is redefining long duration energy storage. They’re now an anchor tenant in a 3 decades long empty IBM site creating 500 new jobs. 

They want you all to pay attention and understand what’s going on. So I'm helping to deliver their message.

If you know me I don’t talk politics but …I do always try to talk ‘relevant.’ 

Meet Sandra Purohit,  E2’s Director of Federal Advocacy in this warm and enlightening podcast of the live conversation we had on The Debbie Nigro Show..

PART ONE OF A TWO PART SPONSORED FEATURE PROMOTIONAL INTERVIEW I love innovators especially when they’re working on things that benefit everybody. 

I’m shining a light on E2, a National ‘Non- Partisan’ Group of Business Leaders, Investors, and others who advocate for policies that are ‘ good for the economy and good for the environment’.  They’re passionate that those policies and projects already committed to continue on… because… hello - they're working.

I'm sharing an education on 'the big picture’ regarding what’s going on here in the U.S. as a result of the federal investments in climate mitigation and clean energy. 

First up to join me is Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2. Bob explains how that funding and those policies are creating 1000’s of new jobs, driving economic growth and rebounding our economy. Bob  also wrote the book ‘Climatenomics’, and speaks regularly about the economic benefits of smart environmental policies.

Next I hosted Sandra Purohit, E2’s Director of Federal Advocacy (in the next separate podcast segment that follows this one.)

One successful example that both E2 members point to, happens to be in the area near where I live in the Hudson Valley in NY. A company called Zinc8 has developed innovative battery technology that uses zinc and air as fuel and is redefining long duration energy storage. They’re now an anchor tenant in a 3 decades long empty IBM site in upstate NY, creating 500 new jobs as well.

E2 members are passionate that what they’re doing us good for everybody. They’re concerned that thousands of just announced clean energy and infrastructure jobs and billions in new federal investments for similar meaningful projects are suddenly in jeopardy.

They want you all to pay attention and understand what’s going on. So they stopped by and asked me to share their message. Which I was happy to do.

If you know me I don’t talk politics but …I do talk ‘relevant.’