The gentleman standing between Ryan and me in the picture above is lucky to be alive and well after suffering a stroke on March 20, 2017.  Bob’s frightening but amazing story tells how he suddenly lost the use of his right side and ability to speak, but thanks to the quick actions of his wife and co-workers, he received the necessary treatment to recover from his stroke. Now he is on a mission to share his story and spread the word and help other victims and caregivers quickly recognize the symptoms and get help.

For more information about stokes and stroke awareness, head over to Bob’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/strokeawarenessguy

Episode Chapters

0:00 – Intro

1:55 – About Bob and his story and mission

19:45 – The biggest changes in Bob’s life

25:55 – How to recognize when you are having a stroke … B.E.F.A.S.T

34:40 – Hartford Yard Goats, Strike Out Strokes May 7th

36:03 – Stroke of Luck presentation and reactions

38:50 – Bob’s favorite We-Ha dish

Grace Napolitano is relatively new to the West Hartford community but she’s already making waves as a business consultant for female entrepreneurs. In this podcast, I talk to Grace about her background and how she is helping women break through the many challenges they face in business and entrepreneurship to help them build a strong mindset and get them pointed in the direction of greater success.

You can learn more about Grace’s coaching on her WEBSITE

Also, check out her private Facebook group, The Skirt Revolution

Episode Chapters

0:00 – Intro

1:30 – About Grace

3:12 – Common challenges for women in business and entrepreneurship

7:40 – Coaching people through challenges

11:15 – The 80/20 method to better time management

13:50 – The “tools” that can help

17:20 – Putting a value on your activities and tasks

18:35 – Asking for help

20:28 – How to get “un-stuck”

23:35 – Grace’s top book recommendations

26:25 – How to connect with Grace

27:35 – Grace’s favorite We-Ha dish

On Saturday, Feb. 1, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., more than 75 young entrepreneurs will have their creations on display at the West Hartford Town Hall during the town’s first-ever Pop Up Kids Market hosted by Buzz ELM. Ryan and I had the chance to talk with the founders of Buzz ELM – Elyse Fox, Laura Barash, and Melissa Geller – about the inspiration behind creating the market as a way to get kids from age 5 to 18 to exercise their business, entrepreneurial, and creative skills to work and sell their creations to the public.

You can find out more about the Pop Up Kids Market

 HERE and make sure to read the article on We-Ha.com HEREEpisode Chapters

0:00 – Intro

1:53 – About Elyse, Laura & Melissa… The “ELM” in Buzz ELM

7:00 – The idea behind the pop-up kids market

9:00 – What the kids are making and selling

12:35 – The positive response from the local community and what’s next

17:30 – ELM’s kids and what they are bringing to the market

20:55 – Teaching kids about business and pricing and selling their products while having fun

27:40 – Local business support for the pop up market

29:18 – ELM’s favorite We-Ha dishes

At the ripe young age of 23, Ben Goldman, a born and raised Hartford area local, knew EXACTLY what he wanted to do for a living by watching the news as a kid.  He became fascinated with the people who would “dress up” and tell him what was happening in the local community and the world … so that’s where his journey began.

In this episode of the Experience We-Ha podcast, Ryan and I turned the microphone on Ben to learn about his story – how he achieved his dream job and became a news anchor at Fox 61. We learn about the early days of his life which included a successful battle with brain cancer, his roles and internships working with the best-of-the-best in hyperlocal and national news, and the most memorable moment in his young career.

Episode Chapters

0:00 – Intro

2:45 – The journey to news anchor

8:30 – Ben’s battle with brain cancer

16:15 – Ben’s involvement with charities and his Make-A-Wish

18:15 – From college internship, to apprenticeship, to Fox 61

20:07 – First day as an anchor

21:50 – Learning from the best – Denise D’Ascenzo and Dennis House

27:54 – Ben’s most memorable moment in the business

32:50 – What’s next???

34:45 – Dream interview

36:55 – The secret to his success

40:23 – Ben’s favorite We-Ha dish

In the Major Leagues, pitchers and catchers will report to spring training camp in about a month, which means baseball fever is already catching fire! With that in mind, West Hartford Youth Baseball League (WHYBL) is already gearing themselves up for spring ball which is also right around the corner and registration is now open.

Ryan and Jeff had the opportunity to sit down with WHYBL President Rob Hanawalt and Board member and coach of spring and travel teams Pat Cooney to talk about what’s in store this year as the league comes into full swing in April.  They provide the details of how the league handles learning and progressing through the ages, coaching and parenting, and about the great community of WHYBL which creates a rewarding experience for all involved.

To learn more about WHYBL, check out their website

 http://www.whybaseball.com/

Episode chapters:

0:00 – Intro

2:00 – About Rob and Pat

6:00 – About WHYBL

9:00 – Progression through youth baseball, the learning process

12:50 – Getting to the World Series

16:12 – Coaching

19:50 – Parents

24:35 – Balancing other sports

27:20 – Heading to Cuba – Team Cultures Connect

29:45 – Using technology in youth baseball

31:40 – Upcoming clinics

34:50 – Summer and Fall leagues

36:50 – Pat and Rob’s favorite We-Ha dishes