Seacoast Stories

Chad Coll just wanted to be an artist. A lax bro from Maryland without any dreams beyond that, Coll moved to the Seacoast in 2009 after joining the Coast Guard. From there, he fell in love with the area, and when his Coast Guard stint ended, he pursued a variety of jobs and hobbies that all involved making things with his hands, including making wooden spoons. Despite making these spoons for 10 ye...

***TRIGGER WARNING*** This podcast contains discussion of suicide. Listener discretion is advised. It's a miracle that Victoria Arlen is still here. Before the age of 10, she entered into a vegetative state after getting diagnosed with two rare neurodegenerative diseases. From there, the Exeter, N.H. native lived incapacitated for four years, with doctors and nurses instructing Arlen's parents to...

The Ogunquit Playhouse is not just some theater on the side of the road in Ogunquit, Maine. Every summer for the last 93 years, this "little white box" in one of New England's most eclectic cultural hubs has played home to world premieres of global theatrical sensations, many of which later make their way to the stages of Broadway and London's famed West End. The actors and actre...

The world is burning down. At least, that's what the modern media landscape convinces you into thinking. But what if there were a different way to present the news? What if, instead of focusing on all the negative, we actually celebrated the thousands of milestones and mini-victories happening each and every day? Andy DeMeo asked himself that question two years ago. Then, he founded Granite Go...

Cure is a top-rated restaurant serving upscale comfort food in downtown Portmsouth, N.H., and now the visionary behind one of the Seacoast's most beloved establishments is setting her sights on something even bigger and better. Julie Cutting-Kelley is the owner and executive chef at Cure. A lifelong Seacoast native, she's also the co-owner of Emerald Elevation (a chef-inspired cannabis com...

Host Troy Farkas quickly takes you inside the past, present, and future of the 21st century media organization that's taking over New Hampshire and Maine. To stay up-to-date on all of our podcasts, events, and newsletters, you can follow along here ⬇️ Follow the "Seacoast Stories" podcast on Spotify Follow the "Seacoast Stories" podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow the "Seacoast Stories" podcast on Yo...

In the final week off before the launch of Season 5, we replay one of the very first episodes of the "Seacoast Stories" podcast. Nick Callas is a New York City-based comedian who has toured with famous comedians Bryan Callen and Chris D'elia. With over 56,000 followers on Instagram, the star of the "Wolf Pup" comedy special joins host Troy Farkas to look back on Callas'...

Pete Endres grew up dreaming of owning a farm. And when his mother passed away in 2011, Pete and his brothers decided they wanted to not only own a farm, but to open up a cidery on said property. Pete, who later moved to the Seacoast in the mid-2010s, spent years searching for the perfect property until, finally, he found it in 2019. That farm? It's now home to ⁠Bird Dog Cider⁠ in Greenland, N...

Cody Whelan⁠ was miserable. Feeling purposeless in his geology career, he came home after work every day tired, irritable, and wondering why he was still putting himself through this. He dreamt of a different life for himself, a life centered on purpose, service, and connection. And after seven years of business ideas gnawing at him, he finally decided to pull the plug on his stable career so he c...

Ankati Day is arguably the top yoga teacher on the Seacoast. A Maine native, the 42-year-old instructor graduated yoga teacher training 15 years ago in the jungles of Costa Rica. After living in the forest, she moved back to the Seacoast in 2015 to pursue yoga as a full-time career. These days, she currently teaches at 3 Bridges Yoga , Shilo Farm, and Studio One . Additionally, she leads worldwide...

In the first live podcast EVER (pres. by Chinburg Properties) performed at the historic Stone Church in Newmarket, N.H., host Troy Farkas brings "Seacoast Stories LIVE" to one of the Seacoast's most iconic venues. To begin the show, he talks to Max Pruna , the beloved owner of La Mulita Coffee. Together, the two discuss Pruna's secret to craft coffee magic, why La Mulita is so universally enjoyed,...

***SEACOAST STORIES LIVE HAPPENS THIS THURSDAY! SECURE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE STONE CHURCH SHOW HERE *** Jennifer Wilder is always leveling up. Today, the highly-respected owner of two beloved Seacoast brands, LANEY & LU and Ginger Fox , rejoins host Troy Farkas to take us inside a hectic 2026 for her businesses. Plus, she reveals some breaking news regarding the LANEY & LU offerings, her am...

Restaurants play an important role in society. But according to six-time James Beard nominee Evan Mallett , that role may not be what you think it is. Beyond serving food, Mallett believes it's the role of the restaurant - especially a successful one - to highlight diversity, support local farms, and offer a seat at the table to those who aren't often invited. Today, the chef/owner of Blac...

If you enjoy cannabis, then you owe a debt of gratitude to Dana Brearley . Why? Because Brearley, along with his co-founder, James Folan, spent YEARS lobbying at the state house in Maine, running a medical marijuana company (Arcana), and learning all of the ins and outs of the business, all of which helped to pave the way for the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maine in 2016. Now, the two...

Loneliness is the silent killer. According to a recent study , experiencing loneliness is as detrimental to one's health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day is. Portsmouth's Gwen Wiscount-Nisbet is disgusted by this. From the West End of Portsmouth, the Pennsylvania native joins host Troy Farkas to discuss her business, Fabrik , and the unique way it's directly confronting loneliness, a $...

Dagan Migirditch has a lot to say. The co-owner and co-founder of Portsmouth's beloved Liars Bench Beer Co. , Migirditch is a restaurant veteran, an avid reader, savvy businessman, and advocate for leaving the Seacoast better than he found it. And now with 10 years of Liars Bench under his belt, Migirditch believes he and his co-founder, Dane Nielsen, are only now achieving what they set out t...

*ANNOUNCEMENT* The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE podcast is coming! In the first live podcast in the illustrious history of Stone Church Music Club, host Troy Farkas brings the Seacoast's No. 1 podcast to Newmarket, N.H., on Thursday, May 7. For this special recording, he'll talk to Max Pruna from La Mulita Coffee and U.S. Congressional Candidate Stefany Shaheen (-D). Plus, live m...

*WARNING* This episode contains discussion about sexual violence, disordered eating, and a near-death experience. Listener discretion is advised. Amber Lilyestrom is cut from a different cloth. A former UNH soccer player, associate athletic director, 4x author, content creator, public speaker, and podcast host, she's now a 7-figure-earning business coach to female entrepreneurs of the Seacoast...

While throwing epic events, going viral on social media, and running a successful weekly market, Alyssa Pine was quietly handling something the public never knew about. In her third appearance on "Seacoast Stories," the 32-year-old Live Freely Market founder speaks for the first time about the heartbreak and grief she's battled since finding out a devastating piece of news two days b...

You probably don't know this, but ... Maine is home to some of the cleanest water in the country. So when accomplished businesswoman Jen Millard - who spent 30+ years building big CPG brands all over the country - returned to her home state of Maine a few years ago, she knew she wanted to capitalize on the opportunity. Her idea? Canned water sourced straight from Sebago Lake, one of the cleane...

Corinne Benfield's story is a uniquely New Hampshire one. Benfield, a Manchester, N.H., native, left The Granite State for college, vowing not to return to the state that raised her. Then, she moved to New York City to pursue an art career. Her time in The Big Apple didn't go as planned, leading her back to New Hampshire, where she began to see her home state through a completely different...

Dr. Noor Al-Humaidhi is a pioneer in the field of women's wellness. A doctor who has spent decades studying and practicing medicine in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and, since 2017, the United States, Dr. Noor has seen just about everything you can see in her field. In the U.K., women used to visit Dr. Noor, often complaining of memory lapses and unexplained feelings of confusion. For years, Dr...

The town of Rye wants to charge for parking along Route 1A. High school seniors Aidan Chin and Lorax Reed have a big problem with that. In their first sit-down interview since releasing this viral video criticizing Rye's intentions to pay for beach access, the two youthful faces of the Free Rye Parking movement join host Troy Farkas in this bonus episode to discuss why they started this fight...

Ona Judge risked everything. An enslaved woman to President George Washington, Judge fled his Philadelphia estate in 1796, hoping to escape the perils of slavery once and for all. She succeeded. Where did she escape to? Portsmouth, New Hampshire. To commemmorate Black History Month, Dariya Steele from Black Heritage Trail New Hampshire joins host Troy Farkas to tell the story of Ona Judge - how sh...

Stephanie Paolini is the reason "Seacoast Stories" exists. Without her, host Troy Farkas never would have planted roots on the Seacoast. And today (finally), the owner of 3 Bridges Yoga (Portsmouth) finally makes her long-awaited debut on the 100th EPISODE OF THE PODCAST 🎉 From the West End of Portsmouth, Stephanie and Troy discuss the origin story of their very special relationship. Then, they t...