Seacoast Stories

Danielle Festa couldn't believe it. She'd lived for decades without knowing the truth. Until one day in 2020, she received a phone call from her cousin, a call that would eventually inspire the formation of The Aplomb Project , a Dover-based nonprofit which uses the power of art to help trauma survivors overcome their dark pasts, and to celebrate how far they've come in their recovery....

Anthony DiLorenzo lived the American Dream. The son of immigrants, DiLorenzo bounced around as a child. After attending UNH in the 1980s, he decided to call the Seacoast home for the long haul. Not long after, he bought one car dealership, and then another, and another. Today, Anthony's Key Auto Group is one of the largest auto dealership chains in New England. Throughout his 30+ years in busi...

Natalie Tilton always knew. As a child in Lowell, Mass., she knew helping people was her calling. Fast forward three decades, and now the former Division I (and near Olympian) athlete is quickly taking over the physical therapy genre on the Seacoast. After growing tired of working under the duress of New Hampshire's hospital system, Natalie decided to launch her own practice, Ability Allies, i...

Max Pruna⁠ had never tasted specialty coffee. But one day at Northeastern University in the mid 2010s, craft coffee pioneer ⁠George Howell⁠ poured Max the cup of coffee that would change his life. Inspired by this one sip, Max then dedicated his life to learning everything about craft coffee, eventually leading him to open La Mulita Coffee in Rye, N.H., now one of the most beloved shops on the Sea...

Does the future of media lie within the past? Eric Jackman thinks so. He's an Executive Producer at Uncrowned (a media organization that partners with Yahoo! Sports), a co-host of my favorite podcast, " The Ariel Helwani Show, " a former social media manager at ESPN and Vox Media, and he's also a past colleague of mine. And for the last five years, he's joined a podcast with...

Holly Ransom didn't want to feel this way anymore. The tiredness. The body aches. The shame. So she quit. Now two years sober, Holly is a spiritual wrecking ball fiercely determined to heal herself, and to use her own learnings to heal others along the way. A yoga teacher (3 Bridges Yoga, Seacoast Power Yoga, Four Bodies Wellness, Cinder & Sound), sound healer, holistic coach, and "Cy...

To kick off the FINAL live edition of the show in 2025, beloved "Seacoast Stories" guest Jennifer Wilder starts the show by hyping up the audience before welcoming host Troy Farkas to the 3S Artspace stage. After giving the rundown for the evening, Troy talks to Liars Bench Beer Co. co-owner Dagan Migirditch , who begins by telling the WILD story of how he discovered yoga in New Zealand....

Seacoast Stories LIVE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is happening THIS Friday, December 5 at 3S Artspace! ⁠Host Troy Farkas⁠ will speak to Dagan Migirditch from Liars Bench Beer Co. & The Funk'tional Nutritionist ⁠Erin Holt⁠ . Plus, live music from past guest Laura Fox! To see the Seacoast's No. 1 podcast in person, you can secure your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . In 85 episodes over the last 18 months, Troy...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seacoast Stories LIVE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is happening on Friday, December 5 at 3S Artspace. Host Troy Farkas will speak to Dagan Migirditch from Liars Bench Beer Co., as well as past podcast guests Laura Fox and Erin Holt . To see the Seacoast's No. 1 podcast in person, you can secure your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Port City Pretzels is not what you think it is. It's a much larger operation tha...

In 72 hours, my life changed forever. In August 2023, nurses rushed me to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where they discovered my dangerously high blood sugar levels, the classic precursor for a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. I stayed for the weekend, and left the hospital as a completely different person. Since then, diabetes has made my life extremely complicated: Waking up sweaty in the middle of...

***TRIGGER WARNING*** This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. Listener discretion is advised. Erin Snow just wanted someone to believe her. But no one would. When she tried to tell her peers about the sexual abuse she experienced at nine years old, everyone around Erin downplayed what happened. No one listened. When she refused to give consent to partners or expe...

One of the best Halloween parades in the country? According to USA Today , that's exactly what the Portsmouth Halloween Parade is. Each year, Seacoast Halloween fanatics descend upon downtown Portsmouth for the parade, donning detailed costumes and a community spirit that few towns in the nation can match. With tens of thousands attendees present, the organization of the parade is a massive un...

Jennifer Wilder found herself sleeping on the floor of her friend's apartment in Portsmouth. On the eve of opening her second LANEY & LU location and Ginger Fox Bakery (formerly Sweet Dreams), Jen's life was unraveling behind-the-scenes. Today, in Part Two of a two-part podcast, the iconic LANEY & LU founder (formerly Jennifer Desrosiers) takes us behind the CHAOS that swirled arou...

*This episode contains references to sexual harassment. Listener discretion is advised.* They told her no one would buy turmeric lattes. That she was crazy for leaving a $350,000 salary behind. That she needed to have sex with her boss for any shot at career advancement. Jennifer Wilder has heard it all. It's never stopped her before, and now, at 48 years old, nothing can. Wilder (formerly kno...

Personality quizzes, secret reveals, delicious dinners, and connecting with ... strangers? That's the "billion dollar" company Portsmouth's Rae and Ryan Lambert believe they've just started. Through their new app, DNNR, Rae and Ryan send like-minded strangers to dinner together. The catch? The attendees don't know where they're dining until the day of the dinner, nor...

Flight delays. Sleeping in airports overnight. Subways breaking down underground. For most people, travel is a nightmare. But with C&J Bus Lines , it's a different story. C&J is not only one of the most beloved companies on the Seacoast, but they're also one of the most respected across the entire transportation industry. How is it possible that a BUS company - long seen as the bottom of t...

***This episode contains references to sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.*** Katie Grimes had to make a change. After years of chasing chaotic relationships, people pleasing, addiction, burning through cash, and surrounding herself with the wrong people, Katie finally realized a higher purpose awaited her. A Massachusetts kid who built a strong commercial real estate career in Boston,...

While overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Cliff House, host Troy Farkas sits down with Cliff House General Manager Nancy White.  In this bonus episode (recorded in August), the two discuss Cliff House’s storied history, the natural beauty surrounding the resort, how a rough economy impacted attendance at Cliff House this summer, the many dining options offered, and the luxurious services offered at...

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.H...

The best restaurant on the Seacoast? Some will tell you it's The Black Birch . Tucked away in Kittery Foreside, this gastropub is a fan favorite lauded for its deviled eggs, short rib, cocktails, and intimate setting. In fact, when Ben Lord and Gavin Baudry started dreaming of having their own spot while both serving tables of Anneke Jans, the vision they'd laid out is nearly identical to...

In August 1905, the eyes of the world were looking at Portsmouth, N.H. The site of the peace talks for ending the Russo-Japanese War, Portsmouth played host to the delegates from Russia and Japan, who hashed out the particulars of the deal at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In this weeks-long affair, the citizens of Portsmouth rallied around the cause, hosting dinners, parties, and parades to creat...

Jessica Sunshine couldn't take it anymore. New Hampshire's changing policies. The complaints from the parents. The stress. So, after 10 years of teaching high school English across several New Hampshire high schools, the 32-year-old won't be returning to the classroom this year. Instead, she's focusing on building her dream of helping students feel seen and heard in a different way...

On one of the biggest days of their lives, Bill and Bennett Camarda's lives were flipped upside down. On today's episode, the husband-and-wife co-owners of Limitless Fitness (Epping & Greenland, N.H.) open up about the emotional rollercoaster of the last two years, from dealing with unimaginable grief, to acquiring Limitless in 2024, building a second location, and so much more. From the West...

Are you holding yourself back without even realizing it? Julie Costa used to. But then, she found hypnotherapy. And ever since she started getting out of her own way, she's now committed to helping others dig underneath the subconscious so they can unlock their true potential as well. Formerly a high-level employee at Lululemon and a bodybuilding competitor, Julie is now a certified hypnothera...

Where are all the Seacoast men? Every week, it feels like a new women's group pops up. And understandably so! Women NEED a safe space to gather, connect, and feel safe. "Seacoast Stories" supports all of those groups. But we also recognize that men need connection, too, especially as traditional masculinity has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years, partly leaving men to...