It's Happenin' In the Haven

On Episode 111: Maximizing Your Chamber Membership, we hear from our very own Membership & Sponsorship Development Manager, Ana Saavedra. Ana takes us on a deep dive into getting the most from your membership with details on the things you may not know about membership to all of the perks that make being a member of the Chamber a necessity in being a vibrant, growing business.

On Episode 110: Winter Haven Chamber Team Take Over, the Chamber team steps up to the mic for a fun game of Winter Haven trivia and to talk about all of the exciting events coming up this fall. Don't miss an episode full of laughs and events you don't want to miss!

It's time for another Best Of episode! On this episode you will hear from Benjamin Vickers, Owner of Honeycomb Bread Bakers, Steve and Lisa Bates, Owners of Black Oak Creative and Brad Beatty, Executive Director for Heart for Winter Haven. 

On Episode 108: Winter Haven: Conveniently Spontaneous , we speak to Steve Kalogridis, Managing Partner of Silver Properties. Steve shares about the growth happening in downtown, the incredible culture Winter Haven has to offer and why Winter Haven is the best place to play, stay, work and live.

On Episode 107: The Winter Haven Library, we speak to Cori Greear, the Public Services Librarian for the Winter Haven Public Library. Cori shares more about the history of the library, the numerous FREE resources they offer, how she came to Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 106: The Winter Haven Hug, we speak to Owners of Adlers, Jackleen and Wade Walston. Jackleen and Wade share about their journey to downtown Winter Haven, how collaboration has impacted their business and exciting things coming down the pipeline.

On Episode 105: Healthcare Beyond the Doctor's Office, we speak to Aimee Keller Pickford, Chief Operating Officer for AdventHealth Heart of Florida. Aimee shares about her longtime career in healthcare, how AdventHealth aims to collaborate with and serve Polk County and exciting things on the horizon. 

On Episode 104: Bake It 'til You Make It, we speak to the Owner and Founder of Gourmet Goodies Bake Shop, Carissa Hughes. Carissa shares how Gourmet Goodies came to be, her experience as an entrepreneur, why they love downtown Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 103: Empowering Young Women in Polk County, we speak to the Founder and CEO of Top Buttons, Sarah Powers. Sarah shares how Top Buttons is making a difference in the lives of young women across Polk County, her favorites things about doing business in downtown Winter Haven and much more. 

On Episode 102: The Historical Gram Parsons Derry Down, we chat with the Executive Director of Main Street Winter Haven, Anita Strang. Anita shares about how the Derry Down came into the Main Street Winter Haven fold, why this historic landmark is so vital to downtown Winter Haven, the exciting events on the horizon and more. 

On Episode 101: Making A Difference in Winter Haven, we speak to the Executive Director of Heart for Winter Haven, Brad Beatty. Brad tells us about the incredible services and programs Heart for Winter Haven provides, the importance of community collaboration and more. 

Today's show is extra special because it marks the 100th episode of It's Happenin' In the Haven Podcast! For 100 episodes, we have talked about all of the things and people that make Winter Haven a special place to work, play, stay and live. To celebrate this milestone, the entire Chamber team steps up to the mic for a fun episode! The team does a fun "get-to-know-you" game, as well as talks about...

On Episode 99: Cultivating Creativity in Winter Haven, we speak to the Owners & Founders of Black Oak Creative, Steve and Lisa Bates. Steve and Lisa share the unlikely origin story of Black Oak Creative, their incredible work with national and local businesses, what's on the horizon for their business and more.

On Episode 98: The Future Is Sweet , we speak with the Owner and Founder of Confection Candy Shop, Ivy Horn. Ivy tells us about the start of Confection, how Universal Studios and Sci-Fi influenced the store, why she loves doing business here in Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 97: Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs, we speak to Benjamin Vickers, Owner and Founder of Honeycomb Bread Bakers. Benjamin shares more about his journey to becoming an entrepreneur, why he chose to set up shop in Winter Haven, lessons learned along the way and more.

On Episode 96: The Future of the Historic Ritz Theatre , we speak to Alyssa Garber, the Executive Director of The Ritz. Alyssa shares her experience leaving home to pursue her education in Orlando, what it looked like when she came back home to Winter Haven and all the plans they have to move The Ritz into the future.

On this episode, Representative Colleen Burton shares her journey to Polk County, her work before her political career and her time in the Florida State House. 

On Episode 94: you will have the opportunity to get to know our new Chamber President & CEO, Sara Beth Wyatt. Sara Beth shares about her experience in education, arts, her personal interests, goals for the Chamber and more.

On Episode 93: The Man Behind the Curtain, we speak to our Podcast Producer and Owner of With an F Media, Josef Schaller. Joe tell us about his experience in the media and production industry, his start on It's Happenin' In the Haven Podcast, his business and more.

Last week was the final episode of Season 3 of our podcast! We are so thankful to every guest, sponsor, our producer and team for such a great season. As we gear up for Season 4, we thought it would be a great time to take a trip down memory lane with a Best Of episode. Take a listen to parts of Episode 41 featuring Katina Campbell, Episode 70, featuring Ben Shipps, Episode 54, Julie Adams and Epi...

On Episode 91: Soaring in Winter Haven, we speak to the Program Director for the Aerospace Program at Polk State College, Eric Crump. Eric shares his unlikely journey into aviation, as well as the exciting things going on in not only Polk State College's aviation program, but also new programs like Elevate and the Aviation Program at Winter Haven High School. 

On Episode 90: Women's History Month , we speak to the Owner and Founder of Emily Rogers Consulting + Coaching, Emily Rogers. Emily shares more about her thoughts on Women's History Month, her journey to entrepreneurship as a woman, empowering women in the workplace, the importance of women collaborating and more.

On Episode 89: Reaching for the Stars in Education, we speak to the Superintendent of Polk County Public Schools, Frederick Heid. Frederick speaks about his 21 years in education, goals for the future of Polk County Public Schools, stories that will encourage parents and educators alike and much more. 

On Episode 88: The Formation of the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team , We speak to Dave Dershimer, Owner of Dershimer Insurance. Dave has become well-known for his passion for water skiing and is a former skier for Cypress Gardens. Dave shares about how he came to Winter Haven, his water skiing experience, his involvement in the community, the formation of the ski team and much more.

On Episode 87: Taking Care of Polk County Schools, we interview Steve Warner, Community Liaison for Polk County Public Schools for Winter Haven. Steve shares more about how a business or an individual can get involved in improving our schools, the needs and opportunities of Polk County Public Schools and much more.