In this episode of the Experience We-Ha Podcast, Jeff & Ryan sit down with Whitney Sweeney of the Junior League of Hartford. Whitney and Bria discuss their roles, the role of the Junior League of Hartford in the community and the Volunteer-a-Thon kickoff party on Wednesday, November 7th.

Find out more about the event here and how you can get involved:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1912408748847499/

Junior League of Hartford Website: http://bit.ly/2F6UNV4

The Junior League of Hartford is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Connor Millican, lead singer-songwriter of Wise Old Moon, originally from West Hartford, CT, and owner of IdleWilde Printing, joins Jeff & Ryan to discuss how he built his printing company out of a need for local musicians to create promotional merchandise on a smaller, local scale. We also discuss his life as a musician and his role in the resurgence of the Parkville section of Hartford.

https://www.facebook.com/WiseOldMoon/

http://idlewildeprinting.com/

In this episode, Jeff and Ryan get to know the story behind restaurateur and long-time West Hartford resident Billy Grant. We learn about how he got his start, his view of the evolving We-Ha restaurant landscape, and his Italian influences and how he incorporates them into his cooking. We also get to know Billy’s son, Billy Grant IV, who didn’t necessarily follow in his father’s footsteps as a chef but has adopted a work ethic from his father that has brought him success as a financial professional. 

Episode Chapters:

Intro/How Billy got his start in the restaurant business

3:38 – Cooking @ Bricco and Charity Events

7:42 – Billy’s chef influences

8:26 – Taste of the Nation

9:55 – Staffing challenges

11:05 – Following in dad’s footsteps?

13:03 – Staff longevity and connecting with customers

15:12 – The restaurant landscape in West Hartford and competition

18:05 – The farm-to-chef/chef-to-farm trend

19:35 – Social media in the restaurant industry

20:45 – The story behind “Aunt Josie’s Sauce” and Italian cooking

21:35 – Billy’s favorite dish and traveling Italy

28:10 – What do the next 5-10 years look like? What’s trending?

30:20 – Hard work and loving what you do

35:00 – The plant-based/natural food movement

37:50 – BG Turkey Drive

43:50 – Working with other chefs who have gone on to new success

45:39 – Favorite non-Billy Grant dishes in We-Ha

Andrew Bachman of Trout Brook Landscaping joins us on the Experience We-Ha Podcast.  As an arborist, he has an unbelievable passion for horticulture and gives is a great deal of information about the many different types of trees in and around West Hartford.  Also, has Andrew found West Hartford’s tallest tree?  Listen in or watch below to find out!

Fall is a great time to make sure your property is problem-free so make sure to contact Andrew Bachman for your landscaping or tree needs.

http://troutbrooktree.com/

Episode Chapters:

Intro/About Andrew & his passion for trees

3:40 – How TRB got it’s start

6:25 – TRB’s specialty as arborist

8:52 – Managing the business

14:50 – What goes into a good lawn job

17:00 – Storm work

22:00 – What is a “mature” tree and CT’s largest tree

30:25 – Trees as a risk

33:11 – Types of trees in West Hartford

36:10 – Marketing the business and being an expert

42:06 – Tree maintenance

43:05 – Fall/Winter prep

44:31 – Tree health and changing colors

45:58 – West Hartford’s tallest tree and tree growth

49:50 – How to get in touch with Andrew

50:16 – Andrew’s favorite dish

If you’ve ever experienced We-Ha nightlife or just have been strolling around the center of town later at night you’ll hear music pumping almost at every corner.  It’s very likely, one of those DJ’s is Brandon Blain AKA DJ Darth Fader.  In this episode of the Experience We-Ha Podcast, Ryan and Jeff get to know more about the life of a DJ, how the art has evolved and what’s next for Brandon.

You can follow DJ Darth Fader on the following social media platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/DJDarthFader/

https://www.instagram.com/djdarthfader/ 

Episode Chapters:

Intro/The story behind DJ Darth Fader

6:37 – Balancing family and DJ nightlife

8:17 – Open-format DJing

13:47 – Reading the crowd and mixing it up

17:59 – Taking requests

23:47 – Silent disco

26:37 – Brandon’s favorite gigs

29:55 –  How to stand out and leverage social media

35:00 – DJ vs Live music

38:45 – The keys to success – Knowing your customers

40:20 – The birth of “DJ Darth Fader”

47:05 –  What’s next and Society of Sounds

57:45 –  Brandon’s favorite We-Ha dish