Looking Forward Our Way

City Manager at the City of Upper Arlington, Steve Schoeny, shares his excitement about the new community center and its plans to become a hub for health and wellness for all age groups. With a focus on serving older adults, the center will offer a range of amenities and services, from traditional rec center fitness facilities to healthcare services provided by the Ohio State University Wexner Med...

Dan Sharpe, Vice President of Community Research and Grants Management for The Columbus Foundation, covers the nonprofit sector and how nonprofits are impacting the Central Ohio economy. He discusses the increasing importance of younger donors, how to engage your children in philanthropy, and the variety of ways to donate with The Columbus Foundation. Dan also shares insight into the data provided...

Over the past year, we have had some great opportunities to delve into the issues of small businesses in Ohio….who owns them, how to get them started, how to grow them, and how or when to close them! Small businesses are the “lifeblood” of our American economy. Yet, in today’s markets, small businesses are suffering. A few weeks ago, we were participating in an event with the Tri-Village Chamber P...

We welcome back Thea Ewing! She is the Chief Regional Development Officer and Senior Director of Programming, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). Continued growth in Central Ohio calls for research, planning, and execution of strategies for the infrastructure of the region. We talk with Thea about... How MORPC deals with many functions to support economic growth and improve lives, in a...

We welcome back to the podcast Kelly Fuller, Vice President Talent and Workforce Development at the Columbus Chamber. The need for skilled/qualified applicants to fill the Columbus pipeline is critical right now. We provide you with an overview of the current Central Ohio workforce (interviewing/hiring/retention), particularly since the pandemic. In today’s recruiting processes, what issues do spe...

Thank you for supporting the Looking Forward Our Way Podcast Program [LFOW]. We ask for your assistance in our future planning through the completion of this survey , which will take approximately 3 minutes.  Participation in this survey is voluntary; your answers and personal information will be kept completely confidential and cannot be linked back to you.   LFOW is the first...

Age-friendly projects have been created around the country. We talk with Marisa Sheldon, Director of Age-Friendly Columbus/Franklin County , and the Age-Friendly Innovation Center about the project's development here in Columbus. What is the current situation for older adults in Franklin County? What are their needs and requests? The role Age-Friendly has played for Central Ohio has become very im...

This year will be the year for small business growth. And we couldn't bring you a better expert on growing your small business than Darlene Ziebell , Prominent Entrepreneur, Business Consultant, and Business Strategy Specialist, and the author of “A Dozen Avalanches Threaten Small Business: Which One Will Bury You Alive?” In this episode, we will be providing information on the issues that challen...

We had an incredible year creating new and interesting episodes for Looking Forward Our Way podcast .   Here are some of our favorites: Transportation doesn’t sound exciting – but Thea Ewing from MORPC always has the most interesting details on what’s getting built in our community and of course when we can expect passenger trains. Larae Schroeder has brought incredibly important information...

Job searching in the new year will be like no other time in your career. We welcome Sharon Hamersley, The LinkedIn Coach and The Resume Coach to talk us through what will be important in a successful job search in the new year. You'll hear information on the issues that confront job seekers and what to expect in the new year. Plus we are focusing on three areas: Resumes Cover Letters and other doc...

The new year is fast approaching and economic issues are at the forefront. Today’s program features small business owners and the challenges they may be meeting in the new year. Park National Bank has one hundred years in banking with over 96 locations across Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and the Carolinas. We welcome Peggy Tidwell , who is the Vice President of Columbus Commercial Lending for Park Nat...

We welcome back to the podcast Steve Stivers, President & CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. We spoke with him earlier, when he was just beginning his position with the Chamber. Now more than a year into the job, we get an update on what is happening in Ohio, and more detail on The Blueprint. The critical issue from the episode – supporting the growth of Ohio’s businesses for 2023 and buildi...

During this Veterans and Military Family Month, we focus on the challenges for women in the military, and as they gain veterans status. We welcome Dr. Dana L. Robinson-Street - Hybrid Urgent Care Provider for Ohio Health in the Urgent Care and Telehealth Clinic. She is also a Doctorate prepared Nurse Practitioner with a master's certification as a Health Professional Educator and 25+ years of acti...

We are celebrating 100+ years of public service by the WOSU team: journalists, directors, producers, editors, technical wizards, and the dozens of staff who provide solid information to Central Ohio! We welcome Mike Thompson , Chief Content Director of News & Public Affairs for WOSU ! Our goal for this episode is to delve into the reporting of elections. We support and encourage the need for a...

Learn how to coupon the easy way right here. Whether you’re a beginner or looking for fresh ways to save with coupons, this guide to couponing is about to become one of the most valuable things you’ll listen to all year. You don’t have to be into extreme couponing to save serious money on household essentials, groceries, and apparel. And you don’t need to dedicate tons of time to find the best dea...

Medicare open enrollment for 2023 goes from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2022. During the Medicare open enrollment period, you can make changes to your Medicare health and drug coverage that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. This enrollment period is only for existing Medicare enrollees who want to make changes to their coverage. Any changes you make during the 2022 Medicare enrollment period will affect yo...

Your nest may be empty, but your life can still be full. Your kids may have left the family home for college, marriage, or a new job. You might find yourself with feelings of loss and sadness. In this episode, we turn the microphone on co-host Brett Johnson, and his wife, Dr. Angie Beumer Johnson, and how they are working through empty nesting with their last child now entering his first semester...

In this episode, you will discover how young girls in our community are learning not only leadership skills, nature, and outdoor living, but now they have opportunities to learn STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math! You are going to hear more about a new STEM program with our guest, Tammy Wharton, President, and CEO of Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Council. You'll learn more about t...

Job searching is a complicated effort. It is nearly a full-time job even in this market! Our guests are experts and their non-profit agencies know how to support job applicants through to job attainment. By the end of this episode, you'll understand the value of nonprofits in supporting your job search and how to find those resources. Our guests are Jami Phillips, an Employment Consultant for New...

Housing has become a critical issue for all residents in Ohio, and the nation. Especially for older adults and the price of homes or rent. Older populations face numerous housing challenges, including those related to affordability, physical accessibility, and access to medical and other services inside and outside the home. In 2019, from the most recent figures from The Harvard Joint Center for H...

Sharon Hamersly joins for another of many podcasts, helping us guide you on how to be a great job candidate! Sharon is the “Resume Coach” and “The LinkedIn Coach” and owner of “Keys To Performance”. What we cover in this episode includes... Information for you, the job seeker, on how to “age-proof” a job search, and understand what these issues are and why it is important. Help you review the mate...

Two TVCP events you will not want to miss! Watch the TVCP event page for details and registration https://business.chamberpartnership.org/events Be Your Best Self Expo will be held on August 30th (Grand Event Center) Tri-Village Taste is scheduled for September 19th (Grant Event Center) Back with us on this episode is David Polakowski, President/CEO, TriVillage Chamber Partnership. The Tri-Village...

Debt doesn’t simply disappear when someone dies. If you’re concerned that your parents’ debt might outlive them, consider talking to an estate planning attorney like Larae Schraeder from Schraeder Law, LLC , our guest on this episode. She's a listener favorite, so we had to bring her back! After we saw an article on a website called “Nerdwallet” about the responsibilities adult children may face i...

There is so much to unpack in this episode as we focus on technology. Our first questions will hone in on how we ensure that our family/friends/colleagues who are not as adept at technology can use it and maintain a safe computing environment. Age isn’t always the issue; often it may be access to technology or the resources to use it wisely. And we plan to add another issue to this discussion, giv...

Judge Mary Kay Ryan Fenlon, newly elected to the Franklin County Municipal Court , is here to discuss her career journey, as well as the value and impact we can all make by our willingness to devote our time and talent to our community. Judge Fenlon was born and raised in Columbus OH, and has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years. Her legal career has spanned many different opportunities in...