Ft Myers Beach - Good Neighbor

Drowning is one of those risks people underestimate until it hits close to home, and in Florida, water is everywhere. I’m Gail Langner with State Insurance Cares, and I sat down with Terri Ballo, president of the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation, to talk about what actually prevents child drowning and why “it only takes a second” is not just a saying. Terry shares the heartbreaking moment th...

A rent notice, a medical bill, a week without wages, or even higher grocery prices can knock a working family off balance fast, especially in Southwest Florida. We’re joined by Caily Martin, Executive Director of Bonita Assistance Office in Bonita Springs, to talk honestly about what crisis support looks like when you treat people like neighbors, not numbers. Gail Langner asks the questions many o...

A lot of people say they want to “give back,” but the real question is how. We sit down with Gary Israel, president of the Rotary Club of Estero, to get specific about what community service looks like when it’s organized, consistent, and welcoming. Rotary is one of the oldest service organizations in the United States, and Gary explains how local clubs take on real problems close to home while st...

Diapers sound small until you learn the truth: families can’t buy them with SNAP or WIC, daycares often require them, and running out can spiral into stress, missed work, and avoidable doctor visits. We sit down with Amanda Brunson, Associate Executive Director of Healthy Start Southwest Florida, to explain how one nonprofit is closing that gap and strengthening maternal and infant health across L...

Your feed is full of nutrition rules, but your body still feels stuck. We’re joined by Francesca Scerbo, founder of Balanced Nutrition, to talk about what actually works when you want better energy, better digestion, and a plan you can live with not a short-term diet you’ll quit by next month. Francesca brings a food first, evidence-based perspective shaped by her background in clinical nutrition...

A lot of schools talk about “student-centered learning,” but what does that actually look like when a child is tired, overwhelmed, or starting to disappear in a crowded classroom? We sit down with Megan from Summit Christian School in Southwest Florida to talk about the practical choices that shape a calmer, happier, more connected K to 8 experience, from smaller class sizes to a culture where kid...

Pink shrimp has a nickname for a reason: “pink gold.” We’re on the bayside of Fort Myers Beach at Erickson Jensen Seafood with Anna, a fourth-generation shrimper who grew up on the docks and still feels that pull every day. She shares the real story behind Gulf pink shrimp, including what makes this species unique to local waters and why so many people swear it’s sweeter and better than what’s shi...

You can spend years chasing quick cosmetic fixes and still feel like you’re only treating symptoms. We wanted a clearer, more grounded map, so we sat down with Dr. Greet Baestaens for a plain language breakdown of REYU and why REnew Yu frames it as natural rejuvenation that starts from the inside out. We talk about the real mechanics behind the promise: restoring biofeedback loops in the nervous s...

Hospice is often misunderstood as a place you go, but what we see on the ground is a network of care that follows families through some of the hardest seasons of life. We’re joined by Jennifer Thrash, Director of Philanthropy for Hope Healthcare, to unpack what they actually do across Southwest Florida, including Charlotte County, Lee County, Collier County, Hendry County, and Glades County. From...

Cancer can make everything feel urgent, but urgency is not the same as clarity. We sit down with Nikki from Naples Cancer Advisors to talk about a rare kind of resource in Southwest Florida: free, expert cancer second opinions that are independent, unbiased, and built to support you and your current oncologist, not compete with them. Naples Cancer Advisors is a local nonprofit that does not bill i...

Some pain doesn’t go away with time or willpower. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the same reactions, the same inner narrative, or the same relationship patterns, this conversation puts language to what many people quietly carry and offers a clear path toward change. We sit down with Pastor Warren Kooi of Into His Image, a Southwest Florida nonprofit that provides emotional healing and spiritual heal...

Turning 18 is hard enough with a family to call. Now imagine hitting adulthood with no safety net, no steady adults, and a history of being moved again and again. That’s the reality for many foster youth aging out of foster care, and it’s why we invited Rebecca Clark from Advanced The Faith to join us for a frank, practical conversation about what real support should look like. Rebecca walks us th...

Join Us on a Tour of the Fort Myers Beach Library with the Friends of the Library as a beautiful reminder that this isn’t just a place for books — it’s a true island treasure filled with history, heart, resilience, and community spirit. Hosted by Jan Fleming and Kelly Smith from the Friends of the Library, the tour highlighted everything from patron parking and the volunteer-run bookstore to the w...

The Florida marine world is packed with legends, but most of them are too busy at sea to ever tell their story. We’re joined by Captain Melody King, CEO of Florida Boat Adventures, to share how she’s turning boating across the Gulf Coast into something bigger than charters and pretty sunsets: a storytelling-driven marine lifestyle brand built on real people, real work, and real community. We talk...

When a toilet backs up or a water heater quits, you don’t just need a fix, you need someone who shows up calm, clear, and ready to help. We talk with Ashleydawn, the “call the cowgirl” face of Diversified Plumbing Services, about what it really takes to deliver reliable plumbing and septic service across Southwest Florida, from Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach to Marco Island and beyond. We get int...

Losing your vision is scary enough. Losing it because you cannot afford care is something our community can change. We sit down with Kyle Hartman, Executive Director of the Florida Lions Eye Clinic, to hear how a small, mission driven nonprofit delivers specialty eye care, eye exams, and life changing surgeries for people who are uninsured or underinsured across Southwest Florida and beyond. Kyle...

Youth sports can shape a kid’s confidence for life, but the price tag is getting out of hand. I’m joined by Marissa Battle of All-Star Athletics Foundation, a Southwest Florida nonprofit built to help families keep their kids in the game when tuition, uniforms, equipment, camps, and travel start to feel impossible. If you’ve ever wondered how families afford all-star cheerleading or the football c...

A taco night on land is fine, but a taco night by tiki boat feels like a vacation you can squeeze into a Tuesday. We climb aboard the brand-new Chickee Tiki in Fort Myers Beach, point the bow toward Bonita Fish Company, and turn Tequila And Taco Tuesday into a quick, salty-air cruise with a dockside food mission.  On the ride, we get into the practical stuff people actually want to know before boo...

Hurricane protection gets marketed like a simple choice, but it’s really a chain of decisions where one weak link can ruin the outcome. We sit down with Jaime Zabala Jr. from Advanced Hurricane Technologies to hear how a family-run manufacturer (founded in 1993) designs, builds, and supports hurricane shutters at a level most homeowners never get to see and why they say quality is as much about pe...

Your face doesn’t need a “big procedure” to look better but it does need a plan that makes sense. Cabo Jim sits down with Dr. Greet Baestaens from ReNewYu in Naples to talk about natural face rejuvenation that skips lasers, Botox, fillers, threads, and other high-drama fixes. We get honest about what most of us are really after: fewer lines, tighter-looking skin, a smoother texture, less puffiness...

A child gets dropped off in the middle of the night. No suitcase, no toothbrush, sometimes not even a car seat. The adults want to help, but the logistics hit fast. We talk with Hannah Creech from Foster Village of Southwest Florida about what happens in those first hours and why practical support can make the difference between a family burning out and a family staying steady. We break down how F...

Triple negative breast cancer at 37. Seven surgeries. Eight rounds of chemo. Months on oxygen. Danielle Rambur lived through the kind of health crisis that forces you to rethink what “wellness” even means, and she’s honest about the dark moments, the stress load, and the turning points that helped her rebuild. Her story doesn’t land on a perfect routine or a magic shortcut. It lands on something m...

A lot of people say they want to “do what they love,” but Garrett Kraska actually did it, and his path is anything but typical. We hang out with the founder of The Art of Pour Decisions, a Fort Myers Beach-based wine experiences business led by a WSET Level 3 certified wine educator who knows how to make wine feel welcoming, not intimidating. We talk about Garrett’s pivot from funeral director to...

A great beach meal isn’t just about seafood, it’s about trust: who caught it, who cooked it, and whether the place feels like it belongs to the water you’re staring at. We’re hanging out at Snug Harbor on Fort Myers Beach with Jason, the new operating partner, and he tells the story behind the restaurant from the inside out. From his early days working in Southwest Florida restaurants to stepping...

A great Fort Myers Beach event doesn’t start with a spreadsheet, it starts with a place that makes people feel instantly on vacation. We’re recording at Nervous Nellies with Valerie, the event coordinator who helps turn waterfront views, great service, and a fun crowd into weddings, birthday parties, reunions, and everything in between. If you’ve been searching for a Fort Myers Beach wedding venue...