The Ghidotti Podcast

Nearly four years after losing her boyfriend to a heroin overdose, Laura Monteverdi has turned that tragedy into a triumph for thousands of others that have been impacted by addiction. Monteverdi first shared her story in 2017 at the Prescription Drug Abuse Summit in Hot Springs. Since that time, the THV11 anchor and multimedia journalist has founded support groups and produced a documentary highlighting the opioid epidemic in Arkansas. As she’s become a leader in the ongoing battle against drug addiction, Monteverdi shared her story with host Natalie Ghidotti on our latest episode.

Natalie Ghidotti has interviewed a wide range of guests during her time as host of The Arkansas 100 Podcast, but she became a guest herself on our latest episode. We turned the mic on our usual host and discussed the early stages of her career, how she manages to balance everything on her busy schedule and how the communications field has changed in recent years. Also, nearly 15 years after opening Ghidotti, she shared some insight into agency life, including why it’s important to have fun while you work.

As the International Greek Food Festival prepares for its 35th year of providing food and fun in Little Rock on May 17-19, we sat down with an expert to tell us everything there is to know. As an attendee, festival chair and advertising chair, Jason Chacko has been a part of the International Greek Food Festival his entire life. He joined host Natalie Ghidotti to talk about the history, the charities that are supported and of course, the many delicious foods to look for on this year’s menu.

Harry Hamlin’s journey brought him from the Air Force to night classes at the William H. Bowen School of Law and the Attorney General’s office before ultimately leading him to Mitchell Williams, where he’s spent over 20 years as a business attorney. Hamlin’s time at the firm has been shaped by his close relationship with the late Maurice Mitchell and his heavy involvement with the Take Time to Give program. Hamlin joined host Natalie Ghidotti to talk about his career and how he strives to honor Mr. Mitchell in this episode, which is available on iTunes, Stitcher and our website.

For many people, Dale Carnegie training is a program that they don’t know much about other than the fact that it has been around for seemingly forever. For Jessie Wilson, what started as a job out of college and has grown into a lifelong mission. As a senior corporate consultant and senior trainer with Dale Carnegie training, Wilson has been helping people reach their full potential since she started with the company in 2010 after graduating from Harding. Wilson joined host Natalie Ghidotti to talk about her passion for this field in our latest episode.

With a fiery passion that developed at a young age, Bonnie Montgomery says she had no choice but to pursue a career in music. A Searcy native and Ouachita Baptist University graduate, Montgomery has been a fixture in the Arkansas music scene for years. While she’s drawn inspiration from Texas-based artists such as Rosie Flores, Billy Joe Shaver and Ray Wylie Hubbard, Montgomery has never steered too far from her roots, calling Johnny Cash her “North Star.” She joined host Natalie Ghidotti to share more about her career in our latest episode.

For many people, saving for the future is a challenging and sometimes impossible task. For Sarah Catherine Gutierrez, it is a passion. After witnessing the lives that were affected by the financial crisis of 2008, she founded Aptus Financial with the goal to provide transparent, objective and non-conflicted advice to everyone.

In this special Women's History Month episode, Gutierrez joined host Natalie Ghidotti to discuss what it means to be a female business leader and why it is important for women and men of all ages to take control of their financial future.

Valentine’s Day is a time when romance fills the air as couples shower each other with love and attention. For those who are struggling to regain that spark in their relationship, there’s Dr. Chelsea Wakefield. A nationally recognized psychotherapist, Dr. Wakefield serves as the director of the UAMS Couples Center. She works with individuals and couples of all ages and stages of relationship. With the holiday of love upon us, Dr. Wakefield talked to host Natalie Ghidotti about the challenges couples face, as well as her upcoming book and enrichment series.

Chances are you’ve probably been to a library at some point in your life. You’ve seen the books, the magazines and maybe even had a librarian shush you. For Nate Coulter, executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System, a library is more than a room full of books. After transitioning from a career as an attorney and political candidate, Coulter has spent the last two years building upon the legacy left by previous director Bobby Roberts. Coulter joined host Natalie Ghidotti to discuss all things CALS on this episode.

An education is one of the most valuable assets one can have. However, achieving that education can prove difficult for some. As the executive director of HIPPY USA, Staci Croom-Raley knows this as well as anyone. HIPPY, Home Instruction for Parents and Preschool Youngsters, has been at the forefront of assisting parents prepare their children for school for decades. With HIPPY celebrating its 30th birthday last year, Croom-Raley sat down with host Natalie Ghidotti to discuss the program’s origin and future, as well as numerous other topics in the education field