St Pete Soul

In this special episode of the St Pete Soul Podcast, I take you on a virtual tour and tasting at The Study , a pour-your-own wine and beer lounge in Historic Kenwood! You’ll learn how owner Jeff Velazquez fell in love with the idea of a wine bar (instead of the date he was with), when he had an interesting first date experience at a tap-style wine bar in California. He knew in that moment that he...

Small business is what makes St Pete so special, right? Well that's exactly why The Greenhouse was formed! The Greenhouse is a collaboration between The City of St Petersburg and the St Pete Chamber. They are a unique public/private partnership and work together to provide programs, services and resources for businesses at every stage of development to help them start, grow and thrive! Providi...

Have you ever stopped to wonder how far that produce had to travel to get to your grocery store? Did you know that it likely traveled over 1600 miles to get there and exchanged hands 5 times before landing on the shelves? Mind blowing, right? Shannon O'Malley, CEO and Founder of Brick Street Farms, has been disrupting traditional ways of agriculture since she founded the urban farming company...

Have you ever wondered what it means to be truly joyful? What about finding joy and positivity in any area of your life, regardless of your mood or what's going on around you? When Ilene & Alli realized they had a unique approach & "zest" for life, their passions led them to launch The Zest Zone with a focus on health, wellness and the culinary arts using essential oils. Now...

Most people would agree that our health is of highest importance in life. That's why there are countless programs and diet options out there, promising you quick results. But like most things in life, good things take time and work, and good health is no different. Have you struggled with bad habits or unexplained health issues? Or maybe you've just been wanting to optimize your overall he...

As you know by now, our small businesses are at the heart of what draws people to St Pete and keeps locals feeling so lucky we get to live here. Authors, Meredith Gaunce & Melanie Bowman captured that essence on the pages of their travel book, Traveling St Pete: A Girls Guide. Having done a similar guide for Savannah, Georgia, Meredith was approached by Melanie to create one for the city they...

Those of you that know me really well, know that gift giving is a love language of mine. Well, I can tell you that Allie Padin, owner of The Canary, has this talent in spades. Allie opened her shop in November on the coveted 600 block of Central. She specializes in creative gifts and home furnishing, a "happy store" that is fun to shop and has something for everyone! In our conversation...

In today's episode we hear from Valhalla Resale owner, Danielle Ferrari, on why sustainability in the fashion world is so important. In a world where we only wear 20% of the clothing in our closets (yikes!), waste abounds as we continue to buy new things and this perpetuates the cycle. Learning this stat sparked Danielle to create a space where all of the clothing in store comes from the community...

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to get a nice portrait of your kid? Kids don’t naturally like to sit still and smile pretty for the camera. This is the dilemma that Alison Amick kept coming across when she did her family portrait sessions. Alison has been in the photography space for a long time and she loves creating a story around the family she is capturing. That led to the brilliant id...

Food trucks have become very popular in recent years. Well, you might be surprised to know of a St Pete native that had his grandfather inspire him to start a food truck way before it was cool! Fast forward several years later, Keegan Climo finally makes that dream a reality by taking up the mantle of his grandfather, Joe Gagliardo, and opening a food truck in honor of Joe's old restaurant with th...

A good sandwich shop is an essential in any great town, right? Well, St Pete has a gem in Lonni's Sandwiches, located right in the heart of Downtown St Pete! I've been eating there for quite a good bit (because they have gluten-free bread, yay!) and I've gotten to know the new owner, Phillip Ingram, the past couple years with both of our involvement in the St Pete Chamber. Phillip is passionate ab...

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with one of my favorite people, Nicole Choate of Nicole Lynn Interiors. Nicole started her interior design business as a side hustle a couple years ago and then in 2022 she decided to take a leap of faith and leave the corporate world behind to pursue her true passion full-time. That move has definitely paid off! Not only does Nicole have a great eye for beauti...

I'm excited to introduce you to the owners of Sol Bistro, Debbie & Ron O'Neil! You'd be hard-pressed to find a more passionate pair of restauranteurs in St Pete. Debbie started her health-focused food journey many years ago when she discovered her own food allergies and sensitivities that were wrecking havoc on her health. With a background as a private chef, nutritionist and health coach, it...

Bonus episode alert!! I've known Bill for almost as long as I've lived in St Pete Florida and I have always credited him with helping me take my first step to launching this beloved podcast of mine, St Pete Soul. Bill started his award winning podcast, The Real Estate Sessions, back in 2015 and he has had so many amazing guests on there. So when he asked me to be a guest on his podcast in June of...

Who doesn't love a good rooftop bar? Well that was Gabrielle's thought when she created her lifestyle blog, Rooftop Collective. She quickly discovered St Pete is full of wonderful fun things to do and her blog and social media following has grown to cover so many other amazing things our Sunshine City has to offer! I have to say, I feel like Gabrielle and I are kindred spirits with our love for St...

It's Island Time! Well, BLU Luxe Island time to be specific! This soapery curates handcrafted, locally sourced, natural and delightfully scented bath and body products inside their shop along the coveted 600 block of Central Ave in Downtown St Pete. What we put in and on our bodies matters and with owners Desiree & Margaret at the helm, you're getting a product that is not only good for your s...

A cozy coffee shop in the Warehouse Arts District! Well, The Chelsea is so much more than that! It's a place to find community. A meeting spot. A place to read, write, be creative, co-work or just hang out with friends and family. If you've lived in St Pete for a while, you've seen how much the Warehouse Arts District has grown with local breweries and distilleries, alongside our art studios. When...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for....Ok, ok, you know the saying. But seriously, who isn't screaming for ice cream all the time?! Well, if you weren't before, you will be after listening to my St Pete Soul Podcast interview with the owners of Churned Ice Cream, Alyssa & Ray. It won't be a surprise to hear that when they ventured down to St Pete after their many travels, including living...

In our second episode of 2022, I sit down with Gina DeFord, founder of Babe Crafted. Gina comes from a background of marketing and events and took her expertise to create a space where women entrepreneurs can connect, learn and be a resource to each other! In the membership, you get access to tons of in person and virtual events where you can hone your entrepreneurial skills and making lasting fri...

Welcome to Season 3 of the podcast! This first episode of the new year is a special one for me! I have both founders of Love St Pete on the mic to get an update on how their business has grown the past 2 years! One of the founders, Elizabeth, was my very first podcast episode in 2020! So it's a full circle moment! We learn all the ups and downs of starting a business and navigating the changes tha...

Where are all my yogis!? In today's episode I sit down and learn all things yoga with SunState Yoga owner, Carrington Kilgroe. SunState is not just another yoga studio. They offer a baptiste style yoga which focuses on power and flow of movement but more importantly, Carrington firmly believes in the power of community. Her hope is that everyone who practices at her studio would form a unique bond...

In today's episode I sit down with the owner of Bunch of Sunshine and local artist, Merritt Horan Capurro. She has a passion for art and building that artist community in our beloved city. With Bunch of Sunshine, she curates items that are yellow in hopes of bringing a little "sunshine" someone's way with these sunny-themed gifts! Additionally, she does commission work for murals and is currently...

Hi friends! I'm excited to share the 6th episode of my podcast this season! In this episode I sit down with the owner of Spring Green Handbags, Danni LeTendre! She is a passionate local craftsman in St Pete and her items have a special quality to them - they are all upcycled! I personally have used many of her products and bought them as gifts for others. Hey hey, Christmas is right around the cor...

**BONUS EPISODE** If you are a podcast nerd like me, you love it when you get to be the guest instead of the host! I had the privilege of being featured on my friend Stacy's podcast, Meet Us On Main Street. She and her co-host Tia have a similar format to St Pete Soul, where they feature Dunedin's local businesses. This is a fun little interview because you can get to know more about yours truly :...

In Episode 4 of Season 2, I sit down with the owner of Neptune Flood, Jim Albert. Jim takes me through the process of how he started his business, his biggest challenges and talks about his passion for St. Pete! Who knew St Pete was a great spot for business start-ups?! Because Jim took the leap to build a business, it's now a fast-growing, nationally recognized company, offering flood coverage in...