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January 16, 2022
The Day That Changed Everything — 2021 Archive
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Episode 39 — Mainebiz 2021 Wrap Up Show
Mainebiz podcast interviewers Alison Nason, Renee Cordes and Andrea Tetzlaff reflect on what they learned from business and nonprofit leaders this year. Some common themes include: the human side of leadership; planning, risk and perseverance; and strategic approaches to business.
Featuring Alison Nason, Mainebiz Marketing & Operations Director; Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer; and Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 38 — Diane Atwood, founder of Catching Your Memories
Diane Atwood was a health reporter in television news for years- and found her passion in telling people’s stories. She started blogging and podcasting which allowed her to continue bringing important stories to her followers, however when Diane attended a conference in 2018 on loneliness and aging in rural America her focus shifted to telling the stories of older Mainers- and learned some surprising lessons along the way. Andrea Tetzlaff talks with Diane about why that conference had such an impact on her, and why it is so important to document these stories.
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 37 — Amy VanHaren, founder of pumpspotting
When Amy VanHaren was a new mom with a full-time job, breastfeeding posed challenges from finding places to pump while travelling, to packaging and sending breast milk home. During one trip, an emotional call with her sister sparked a thought about providing support to other breastfeeding parents. Amy reflects on the lightbulb moment that led her to launch an app called pumpspotting, and how her Kittery-based startup is evolving.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 36 — Travis Mills of the Travis Mills Foundation
United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was critically injured by a roadside IED. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries. As he worked towards recovery, Travis and his wife Kelsey started the Travis Mills Foundation to send care packages overseas. Travis talks with Andrea Tetzlaff about his recovery, what the foundation turned into, and how he lives by his motto, “‘Never give up, never quit.”
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 35 — Kay Aikin of Dynamic Grid
Kay Aikin and the late Caryl Johnson, founders of a startup that designs intelligent technology for electrical grids, were romantic and business partners until Caryl’s death from cancer in November 2019. Kay talks about how she carried on after her loss and stepped down as CEO for another role, the book she’s writing in tribute to Caryl, and where she sees the company and her professional future longer-term.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 34 — Kai Adams of Sebago Brewing Company
Kai Adams was in Colorado in school for geology and working at a brewery when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Kai returned to Maine for post-treatment rest, which eventually resulted in his meeting future business partners Tim Haines and Brad Monarch — thus Sebago Brewing was born. Kai talks about how Sebago Brewing came about, how he feels about Maine’s craft boom, and how investing in Maine is at the heart of what Sebago is all about.
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 33 — Drew Graham & Todd Flaherty of ShipRight
ShipRight Solutions started as an order fulfillment company for direct marketing organizations. When it partnered with Wayfair in 2017, the business grew exponentially, and owners Drew Graham and Todd Flaherty had to scale the business quickly and learn from a few bumps along the way.
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 32 — Carolyn Delaney, founder and publisher of Journey Magazine
When Carolyn Delaney launched Journey magazine in March 2019 to amplify hope for Mainers in recovery from addiction, it also marked a new chapter for her after a career in IT consulting—and her own sobriety journey that began on Feb. 12, 1993. Carolyn shares how she started a publication that aims to change the conversation around addiction and how it is evolving.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 31 — Nisha Dearborn, Founder of Fresh Chemistry
When Nisha Dearborn moved to Maine with her family, she left the world of big consumer brands to start a niche skin-care company called Fresh Chemistry. After an unexpected opportunity to showcase the products on the QVC home-shopping channel, viewers responded in a big way, and sales of Fresh Chemistry products took off. Hear from Nisha about how her TV appearance influenced her startup journey.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 30 — Erin Flett of Erin Flett Textiles and Home
Erin Flett started her design company in her basement before moving into an old textile mill in Biddeford and then her current location in Gorham. Erin's profile was raised when she garnered the attention of high profile brands like L.L. Bean and Anthropologie who wanted to partner with her and when she won the highly coveted Greenlight Maine competition. Hear from Erin about how those high profile partnerships affected her business.
Interviewed by Alison Nason, Mainebiz Marketing & Operations Director
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Episode 29 — Bill Risbara & Peter Michaud of The Downs vaccine clinic
In early 2021 at the start of the vaccine rollout, the property development team at The Downs in Scarborough stepped up to transform a former harness-racing grandstand into a high-volume vaccination clinic for MaineHealth. They accomplished that in under three weeks amid ongoing construction at The Downs, a mixed-use development spread out over 525 acres. Hear business partners and childhood friends Bill Risbara and Peter Michaud talk with Mainebiz about what it took to build a clinic quickly to get Mainers vaccinated.
See the time-lapse video of the grandstand transformation here.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 28 — Amy Bouchard, owner of Wicked Whoopies
Amy Bouchard had been making whoopie pies since childhood when she decided to try selling them. With no business experience and armed with the local phone book, she started making the rounds to see who would be interested in buying her sweet treats. Within a few years Amy was getting some pretty impressive national attention including coverage by the Oprah Show, Good Morning America, and Associated Press. Mainebiz talks with Bouchard about what she learned from all of this national attention and how saying no to opportunity isn’t always bad.
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Director of Sales
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Episode 27 — Jonathan Ayers, former CEO IDEXX Laboratories and Philanthropist
When a catastrophic bicycle accident rendered IDEXX CEO Jonathan Ayers quadriplegic, he was forced to leave the company he led for 17 years. Devoting himself to wild-cat conservation has given the former business leader new purpose in life, both through a foundation he and his wife established before his accident and a New York-based nonprofit called Panthera. Ayers talks to Mainebiz writer Renee Cordes about what motivates his philanthropy and how it’s also therapy for the self-proclaimed “cat guy.”
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior writer
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Episode 26 — Jeff Buckwalter, co-owner and CEO of Holy Donut
The Holy Donut is a Portland-based maker and seller of fresh Maine potato donuts at its own retail shops. When it partnered with Hannaford Supermarkets during the pandemic it had to quickly shift gears and craft a distribution system for grocery-store shelves without sacrificing product quality. Hear co-owner and CEO Jeff Buckwalter talk to Mainebiz about how the company navigated these challenges to find a winning recipe with Hannaford.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior writer
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Episode 25 — Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, President of Unity College
As the landscape of higher education was shifting, Unity College President Melik Peter Khoury had planned to move the school to a hybrid model of in-person and remote classes. But the pandemic changed everything and put those plans into overdrive. What's more, Unity had to deal with an FBI investigation of an employee who later was convicted of embezzlement. Hear Dr. Khoury talk about how he and his team brought Unity College through these days that changed everything.
Interviewed by William Hall, Mainebiz Digital Editor
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Episode 24 — Brian Corcoran - Shamrock Sports & Entertainment
Brian Corcoran and his team at Shamrock Sports & Entertainment worked hard to bring the PGA Korn Ferry Tour to Maine in the summer of 2020. When it became clear that large scale events like this weren't going to happen in 2020, everything changed. Hear how Brian and his team felt about cancelling the 2020 event, and what they've done in preparation of the rescheduled 2021 Live + Work in Maine Open to ensure it is successful and has a positive economic impact in Maine.
Interviewed by Alison Nason, Mainebiz Marketing & Operations Director
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Episode 23 — Emma Tiedemann, Portland Sea Dogs
Emma Tiedemann moved from Lexington to Maine to become the next voice of the Portland Sea Dogs. On her first day of work, she was sent home to work remotely amid COVID-19 and ended up having her first season in Portland cancelled. Hear how she connected with her new co-workers and continued to stay engaged with the fan base- without having met any of them!
Interviewed by Andrea Tetzlaff, Mainebiz Advertising Sales Director
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Episode 22 — Steve Tenney, Great Diamond Partners Founding Partner & CEO
What is it like to leave an established career at an international investment bank to start an independent wealth management firm?
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 21 — Rachel Jackson,
Owner of the Farmington Diner
How does the purchase of a vacant diner create an unexpected career for a serial entrepreneur?
Interviewed by Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 20 — Dajuan Eubanks, President of the Maine Red Claws
How does a winning team that has just been acquired by a national franchise face shutting down its entire season?
Interviewed by Donna Brassard, Mainebiz Publisher
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Episode 19 — Chris Gardner, Executive Director of the Eastport Port Authority
How do you operate a working waterfront when the breakwater collapses in the middle of the night?
Interviewed by Donna Brassard, Mainebiz Publisher
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Episode 18 — Jenn Lever, President of Baxter Brewing
How did a business operations expert make her way back to Maine to lead one of the state’s largest craft brewers?
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 17 — Steffy Amondi, Founder of Actual Foods
How starting a company during COVID required one startup to shift the entire business plan.
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 16 — Joan Fortin, Bernstein Shur CEO
What was it like to be the first woman to step into the CEO role of a 115 year old law firm?
Interviewed by Donna Brassard, Mainebiz Publisher
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Episode 15 —
Gary Merrill, Hussey Seating President and CEO
How does a non-family member take the reigns of a sixth generation family-owned business?
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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Episode 14 —
Devin McNeill, Flowfold CEO and Co-founder
How did a niche textile manufacturer shift from making wallets to face shields to help their community?
Interviewed by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz Senior Writer
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