The Positively West Virginia Podcast

Chris Egress is President of E Solutions. Established in 2012, Chris started building an electrical contracting company based on a solid reputation of quality work. Staying true to his values is why eSolutions is a thriving, growing and successful company. High quality service is what eSolutions stands for and they want to make sure everything they do is correct. eSolutions is about high quality,...

Kayla Mullin is owner of Montani Mental Health, LLC . While still in High School, Kayla chose a career in the mental health field after seeing a family member benefit from seeing a therapist. She is a graduate of Fairmont State University and Waynesburg University - holding specializations in addictions counseling and perinatal mental health. She has worked in juvenile justice, hospitals and outpa...

Mary Hunt is the Program Director for Community and Economic Development for the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation based in Pittsburgh serving all of West Virginia and parts of southwestern Pennsylvania. In her program areas Mary works with nonprofits, local, state and federal governments, as well as educational institutions. Prior to joining the Benedum Foundation, she held community developm...

M&M Baits is a small-bait business run by a high school student - soon to be a graduate. M&M makes and sells custom soft-plastic fishing baits for different species of fish. They offer a variety of colors - some that you see on the market and others that M&M found to work best within certain areas of the state. Since day one, M&M has been working tirelessly in order to grow their product line and...

John Vash Jr. is a 16-year resident of West Virginia and is proud to call it his home. Another thing he's proud to call his own—Hearing Solutions in Bridgeport and White Hall, West Virginia. Vash has worked in the hearing healthcare field for over 20 years. He has worked as a Workshop Consultant on a national level and has helped thousands of people hear better. Hearing Solutions:  https://www.hea...

Established in 2008, Terri Reed Cutright & Associates has been on the cutting edge of grant writing and community development. Leading that charge in Morgantown is President and Founder, Terri Cutright. Over the last 30 years, Cutright has been recognized for her leadership acumen with several awards, including the 2015 SBA West Virginia Women in Business Champion of the Year. Terri Reed Cutright...

Childhood friends were drafted into their country's service, but only one of them made it home. Ron McVaney, Founder and CEO of the museum, and his wife, Barb, are dedicated to telling their story. Mrs. McVaney is the Executive Director of the museum, and with her husband, the two have collected hundreds of pieces of memorabilia over the last thirty-five years.

A love of folk, song, and dance is embedded in the West Virginia psyche. With a growing interest in events, concerts, and music venues, Justin Whitman found a niche needing to be filled. Whitman is the Founder and CEO of UMuseUs, a tech startup located in Berkeley County, West Virginia. UMuseUs exists to provide platforms, venues, and resources that empower musicians and music lovers alike to shar...

Mark Bowe is a man's man—he's also the host of the nationally acclaimed Magnolia Network's Barnwood Builders . After working his way through college as a coal miner, he earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Bowe also holds a master's degree in Safety Management from West Virginia University's College of Business. Bowe is something of a renaissance man—a craftsman, a businessman, a...

Tony Onorato has always been a go-getter. Licensed as a Professional Counselor, he functions as a Sports Performance Consultant out of his agency in Morgantown, West Virginia. APO Consulting was born almost 25 years ago and focuses on working anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and sports performance-related issues. Oranto is also the owner of the ProHealth Employee Assistance Program and the Fo...

Creator and owner of Mountain State Overland (LLC), Jason Specht has always considered himself a mountain man. Mountain State Overland was founded in the "Mountain State" in 2013, and its team of explorers has enjoyed nearly 100,000 miles of vehicle-based adventures. 

Jimmy Belknap has always known the value of a hard day's work. Raised on a cattle farm, he spent some time in the electrical industry, before ultimately transferring to oil and gas. Today, he continues this long legacy of hard work—only now with a brick oven and wooden paddle.

Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, Brittany Fink has called Morgantown home since she graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law. Having turned in her black robes more than five years ago, today, she adorns brides in white gowns with Brittany Anne's Events.

West Virginia's garage door expert, Anthony Sellaro, was destined for West Virginia glory. With the help of his two brothers, John and James, the three of them started Sellaro Overhead Door Service in 1986. Born in Morgantown, Sellaro holds a Bachelor of Science from West Virginia University in Personnel Management and has previous working experience in the grocery industry. The company masterfull...

In 1989, Mike Lee and his family immigrated from Taiwan –– he was only eight years old at the time. Today, he is the Dealer Principal (Owner) of Freedom Kia in Granville, West Virginia. Hailing from New Jersey for most of his life, Lee obtained an undergraduate degree from West Virginia University. After graduation, he worked in the automotive industry for 21 years, 18 of which were right here in...

Facilitating a difference in the lives of many, is Eleanor Reigel, Chief Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown. Reigel has worked with the charity for more than a decade, after previous employment with the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. For Reigel, work is more than a job––it's a passion.

An architect by trade, Brendan Fenn, has been living out his 'happy retirement' owning and operating Grindstone Coffeeology. Fenn and his family are from a land "down under." They relocated from Australia to Huntington, West Virginia, in August of 2015. Although the move was part of his previous occupation, it didn't take Fenn long to begin pursuing his longtime dream of owning a coffee company.

Jerril Vance is a woodworker, educator, and owner of the Appalachian Heritage Woodshop. The purpose of the Appalachian Heritage Woodshop is to educate an audience about the form and function of utilitarian Appalachian furniture through a revisitation of the era in which they were produced.

In the heart of Appalachia is everyone's favorite brewery. Big Timber Brewing Company, located in Elkins, West Virginia, started as a dream ––but after seven years of reality, co-founder, Ashley Kwasniewski, is still as giddy as ever. After high school, Kwasniewski, a recreationist, traveled before eventually settling in Missoula, Montana. Upon her arrival in the Montana mountains, she met her hus...

Cassie Smith lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, and has been an avid mountain biker for almost three decades. As the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League Director, her passion has become her vocation . The West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League is a 501(c)(3) and one of 31 other leagues across the country. Each league exists to develop youth (middle and high school) and build strong...

Laura Seybold is on a mission to recover what makes West Virginia "shine." In 2019, she founded Shine Consulting, LLC, which focuses on developing an organization's best asset – its people. Fascinated by Economics, Seybold obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Wright State University and an Executive MBA from West Virginia University. Equally fascinated by people, Laura spen...

In 2015, Kelsi Boyd searched for locally sourced and cleaner alternatives to traditional Big Box soap and skincare products. Living in Mason County (WV) at the time, she either had to commute to find them or get creative. Choosing the latter, the Silver Market Company was born. Through a series of video watching and trial experimentation, Boyd began to manufacture and gift to friends and family su...

Christopher Mullett has served as President and CEO of Burlington United Methodist Family Services since April of 2020. His passion is simple––to make a difference. Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc. was founded in October of 1913 by a dedicated physician, Dr. F.L. Baker, and his friend, Rev. Mr. F.C. Rollman, a Justice of the Peace and Postmaster. For years they worked tirelessly t...

Nicole opened Sugar Bear's Fun Shop in 2019 in her hometown of White Sulphur Springs, the first of its kind in all of Greenbrier County. After 2.5 years of steady growth, the company has expanded to a storefront in the Crossroads Mall of Beckley, West Virginia. "We're like [Build-A-Bear] on sugar," laughed Bostic.

Lifelong West Virginian, Forest 'Jack' Bowman, is the Jackson Kelly Professor of Law Emeritus at West Virginia University. Lawyer by trade, Bowman, retired from law three years ago. Today, he spends his days authoring novels and tinkering in his workshop.