The John Krol Podcast / The Blend

It is said when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. For Jerrid Burdick, through successes, failures, lessons and finding his way to life/work balance, there have always been people who have entered into his life just at the right time. It's all in the timing, and the humility to be open to the next lesson. Growing up on a farm on Florida Mountain, it would have been hard to imagine that...

It is said when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. For Jerrid Burdick, through successes, failures, lessons and finding his way to life/work balance, there have always been people who have entered into his life just at the right time. It's all in the timing, and the humility to be open to the next lesson. Growing up on a farm on Florida Mountain, it would have been hard to imagine that...

Five years ago, Aimee Marshall signed and lease on a single space in Crawford Square and remarkably opened for business three days later. True to form, she's continued the brisk pace and grown to now four spaces where she and her team teach 54 classes per week. Part of her secret sauce is staying ahead of the curve to benefit her clientele. This is particularly important in the world of health and...

When you take the leap to New York City to make it in the acting and modeling world with no backup plan, it takes guts. It also takes an ability to adapt quickly and follow the opportunities and paths that one would never have imagined. For Chelsea LeSage it meant solidifying her position as the go-to Lady MacBeth for various production companies in the city, and then carving a undeniable niche in...

It may be a common thought that we are our minds and bodies with energy simply circulating around us, but in fact, we are made up of energy that runs through us. This is the work Kathi Riley specializes in with her work in energy medicine, focusing on the chakras and meridians where she seeks to help your energy flow and clear. Kathi's journey began through a fascination of this energy work rooted...

As an investigator as a member of the State Police, Brian Berkel saw firsthand the devastation of suicide in our community. Today, he's a part of a concerted effort to continue to remove the stigma that remains on this sensitive issue, open up the conversation, and save lives. Today, Brian is the president of the board of trustees for the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention. Our conversatio...

It seems that the timing was perfect for the growth of the cannabis coinciding with the beginning of Jocelyn Moody's professional career. Her willingness to jump in and learn every facet of the industry, from top to bottom, has opened up a world of possibilities as a marketer, and influencer in the industry. It hasn't been without setbacks. Just when her Instagram following of her photography of c...

Much like many therapists who found their way to specialize in past life regression therapy, Carol McGlinchey began on the more conventional path in modern psychology. But she soon realized that we, as humans, are much more complex, deeper and fundamentally spiritual than conventional wisdom gives us credit for. By guiding clients into Alpha or, deeper, Theta brain activity, Carol has overseen tho...

It has been a beautiful, winding road for Erin Laundry on a path paved by unique talent and boundless creativity. From her earliest days as a gifted musician bound for the Berklee College of Music, quickly swapping classical piano for guitar, majoring in songwriting and eventually, effortlessly, teaching herself the bass guitar, while, at one point, playing in five different bands at once - Erin h...

Believe it or not, Jennifer Ward was an artist before becoming perhaps one of the best-known and respected registered dietitians in the region. Just as her own philosophy on diet and nutrition has shifted and evolved based on experience continuing research, the entire industry has changed significantly over time. With that said, Jen says the food industry does not make it easy for people to eat he...

The arts have been a cornerstone of reenergizing communities like Pittsfield and the Berkshires over the last two decades and The Berkshire Art Association has been a driving force. Board members Marybeth Eldridge and Mark Tomasi explore the positive impact of BAA over the years from Sheeptacular to the current exhibit RE:FRESH, now on view at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts. We also take a d...

For Evan Valenti, working at Steven Valenti's Menswear was at first a way to earn some extra money while following his dream of being a radio broadcaster. But, it wasn't long until he discovered he had a great knack and, ultimately, a love for the all things menswear. However, this isn't simply a case of following in his Father's footsteps. Instead, Evan has brought a new angle to this legendary d...

Intention is incredibly powerful, perhaps even limitless. Heidi Raymaakers has developed her gifts into a business, Soulful Intentions, that aims to support other women-owned businesses and serve as another piece of positive energy in a now-energized Wendell Avenue property. Her entrepreneurial spirit was originally inspired by her son, and the desire to work during the day and still be able to ra...

It's rare to see Curtis Janey without big smile and projecting high energy when you see him out and about. He works the nightshift as a supervisor of an award-winning environmental services team at Berkshire Medical Center, which gives him time during the day to do what he loves to do in our community. Whether it's putting in the work to help save and grow the Unity Church of the Berkshires on Elm...

Paul Mark was eight years old when he was first inspired by the world of politics when then-presidential candidate Michael Dukakis shook his hand. Then, it all got incredibly personal when his late father lost his job, which led to some tough years ahead without many things we'd all consider as basic needs. While he volunteered for political campaigns in his teens, it was his work and the union mo...

What in the world does the Governor's Council do? That's one of the most common questions that a candidate for a seat on this elected body receives. According to attorney Jeff Morneau, candidate for one of those seats, it's the "most important elected office that most people don't know about." And among all public positions that potentially have the greatest potential to make a very dramatic impac...

As an educator, she was drawn to what makes people tick rather than simply teaching the textbooks. Leigh Doherty was also inspired to coaching leadership because of what she saw as a common "absence of mentorship" for many, while re-examining common held beliefs the how a leader of an organization can interact with his or her team. Her career in education and her ultimate journey back to the Berks...

She was three years old when she realized that she had a gift, and as she evolved in her own life, so did her realization that she was meant to provide support and guidance to others. Through work with clients, workshops at venues like Kripalu, and mentoring others who have their own gifts, Jenna Reid is dedicated to helping people find their truth using her remarkable psychic gifts. "Every time y...

You want a financial advisor who is cool under pressure and able to take excess emotion out of things, while maintaining an ability to execute. So, what better background than being a Green Beret? Kyle Bean earned his way onto the elite US Army Special Forces and served his nation on many missions over several years. Now that his military career has come to a close he decided to locate to the Berk...

With such a name, it may have seemed a self-fulfilling prophecy that America Lopez would ultimately find her way to the US from her native Mexico. Today, she is utilizing her experience as an immigrant to help others who are facing many of the same challenges she faced, as a community health worker for Volunteers in Medicine and as parent liaison for the Berkshire Hills Regional School District. A...

For Brett Westbrook, being named a 2022 Commonwealth Heroine is indicative that her organization's work is making an impact. And it's hard to think of more impactful work than caring and educating 3 to 5 year olds, and setting the foundation of success for young people and their families. For Brett, her inspiration came during her childhood in Pittsfield when her own values and tenacity were shape...

The road to 300+ games broadcast has been a long and winding one for Billy Madewell. Even before he started his tenure on the way to becoming the longest-serving play-by-play broadcaster in Wahconah Park history, it would have been hard to predict his path through the bowels of Taconic High School to the mound at Wahconah Park celebrating his milestone. After all, it all began with a nagging ankle...

Even in her earliest days as a photographer and an artist growing up in Santa Fe, Cassandra Sohn knew that she would open a fine art gallery. Just as she had a passion for her own evolving work as a photographer, shifting from editorial and commercial to fine art, she was incredibly inspired by the work of others. Sohn Fine Art is no stuffy gallery. It's a living, breathing space where artwork com...

It's not the case of a doctor becoming a photographer. Instead, it's a lifelong photographer who became a physician and then returned to his roots. After putting the camera down to dedicate his entire time and focus on becoming a radiologist and building his practice, Eric Korenman rediscovered his passion of photography when his first child was born in 2000. This time, no one could take the camer...

The unmistakeable sound of Melissa Brinton is prolifically filling a good share of the Berkshire music scene, as she performs solo and in two additional groups. She's perhaps the busiest musician in the region. Ironically, it may have been during the lockdown that Melissa elevated to a new level as the pandemic encouraged innovation and greater creativity. Unable to play and perform in any public...