The Positively West Virginia Podcast

    Adam and Beth Bedway are the co-owners of East Wheeling Clayworks. East Wheeling Clayworks is a working ceramic studio that offers wholesale and retail sales of their products. They also sell non-ceramic household items that they use and love and provide a platform for local artists to display their work. Every item Adam […]

  Amy McLaughlin is the managing partner of Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals in West Virginia. In 2013, Amy and her husband, Shawn Means, lovingly remodeled the historic building that now houses Lafayette Flats. It sits directly across from the courthouse in downtown Fayetteville, WV. Together they created four modern vacation rentals inside one historic […]

  Donald Hitchcock and Paul Yandura are transplants from a very busy Washington, DC life. Donald has a background in public health policy, and Paul has a background in political science. They have been life partners for the past 23 years and built a vacation cabin in Lost River, WV, in 2008. Since then, they […]

  Terri Giles grew up in Hinton, West Virginia, and earned her bachelor's degree from Concord University in Athens. She worked in economic development for U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller in Charleston and Washington, D.C. She was tapped to represent the Senator in Japan in high-level meetings with Toyota Manufacturing, which ultimately located one of the […]

  Carly Baker is the owner of Baker Cheese Company in Morgantown, West Virginia. She started her business in late 2019.  Baker Cheese Company is a gourmet grazing company that provides custom cheese and charcuterie boxes, boards and tables for any event. Whether it be a date night at home or a wedding, they have […]

  James Carnes is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Iconic Air in Morgantown, WV. James started Iconic Air in December of 2018. Iconic Air is a West Virginia startup company pioneering a new way of leak detection monitoring and data reporting for the oil and gas industry. Iconic Air's platform focuses on a […]

  Steve Finn is the Founder and Executive Director of Chestnut Mountain Ranch, located in Morgantown, West Virginia. Chestnut Mountain Ranch is a Christ-centered safe haven for families and boys in crisis. It is also a place for family restoration, where boys can enjoy school again and experience positive family values. Before opening Chestnut Mountain […]

  Nick Lambie, the owner of Ziebart of Morgantown, opened Ziebart in 2019. Ziebart provides premium automotive appearance and protection services to extend the life of the vehicle you love so you can keep it like new for as long as you own it. Nick was born and raised in Morgantown. After graduating from high […]

Joanne Watson is the Co-Owner of The WOW! Factory, a creative studio offering pottery painting, mosaics, glass fusing, clay hand building, canvas painting and board art. Joanne and Dina Muttillo opened the studio 12 years ago after mulling over the idea on the playground where their kids attended school. The WOW! Factory customers can walk […]

Funkhouser & Smith, PLLC is located in Fairmont, West Virginia, and has been in business since April 1, 2019. John R. Funkhouser is one of the founding partners of the firm, along with Ashley Joseph Smith. Funkhouser & Smith, PLLC handles a wide range of legal matters, including family law, real estate transactions, estate planning, […]

Mountain Man Axe Throwing, located in Star City, is owned by Chris Atkins. Mountain Man Axe Throwing is Morgantown's first axe throwing venue and tavern. Chris describes his business as "A bowling alley, but with axes… and of course a lot more instruction." He first discovered axe throwing in the summer of 2018, and by […]

Michael Lipton is the Director of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, located in Charleston, WV. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Michael is also an accomplished electric guitar player. The WV Music Hall of Fame was founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting and preserving the rich and lasting contributions […]

Almost Heaven Desserts (AHD) is a family-owned bakery and coffee shop located in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Patti and Jim Simon own the business alongside their daughter Victoria. Victoria Simon worked at AHD during high school. Shortly after graduating from college with a degree in Business Management, she decided to take the family business to the […]

Rocket Chassis builds late model, dirt track race cars. They take pride in providing their customers with everything they need to be successful, including access to an expansive network of over 30 dealers across the US and Australia, a large inventory of parts and components, vast in-house technical knowledge and superb service. Steve Baker, co-owner […]

Growing up in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, Mike's love for construction began at a young age. One summer, Mike helped his dad build a deck on the back of their house, and his passion for building structures grew. The aspiring engineer was active with construction mission trips throughout high school and worked with a residential contractor […]

Small Business Exporter of the Year Lawrence Michael McCown Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc. Mike@industrialbolting.com 304-744-9489  Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc. started in 2003 in Tyler Mountain, West Virginia by Mike McCrown. McCown created The Torsion X brand and hydraulic tools. These high-quality tools are sold domestically and internationally. Recently, Industrial Bolting Tech...

Small Business Person of the Year Kim Eastman & Brenda Sheldon Hospitality Cleaning Solutions, LLC kim@hcs-wv.com; brenda@hcs-wv.com 304-757-9392 Hospitality Cleaning Solutions, LLC, is a woman-owned, small business facilities management company with broad operations related to capabilities and over 18 years of experience providing constructive solutions to organizations. HCS is a company that pla...

Lisa Biafore grew up in Cape May County, New Jersey, and moved to Morgantown with her husband, Michael, in 1996. She has a BS from Glassboro State (now Rowan University) and an MBA from Drexel University. Lisa spent over 30 years in the corporate world with her last position as a Sr. Program Manager for a consulting […]

  Gino Degregori is the President and CEO of Bravo Consulting Group, LLC, which is based in Leesburg, VA, but they also have an office in Morgantown, WV. He is a graduate of WVU with a Bachelor's in Management Information Systems and a Master's in Software Engineering. Since 2007, Degregori and his team have consistently […]

  In 2018, Ascent Consulting and Engineering started in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Ascent has a diverse staff who brings expertise in nearly every facet of civil engineering. They're committed to providing quality services, building long-lasting relationships and supporting and encouraging their employees.  Zach Assaro, a member at Ascent Consulting and Engineering, graduated from Fairmont State [...

FD Kitchen and Bath, owned by Ken and Floann Downey, is a full-service design, sales and installation company. They specialize in the design of kitchens, baths and closets in the greater Morgantown area. FD Kitchen and Bath has been in the residential construction business since 1995. The company works on a variety of projects ranging […]

            SHOW NOTES: 3:06 Gina and Victoria, take a minute, fill in some gaps from that brief intro and give us a little behind the curtain look into your company. 3:56 How/ when did you get started in this business? 7:54 What is your 30 sec. pitch for The Soft […]

  John Obrist is the Owner of WineJug in Weirton, West Virginia. John received his BS from Ithaca College and his MBA from Penn State University. John has been married for 29 years to Ledea Obrist with four kids (ages 20, 19, 19, and 16) – yes, 3 in college! WineJug is a wine specialty […]

  Travis Foster is the President of Bacteria Busters, located in Buckhannon, WV. Centered on professionalism and backed by science, Bacteria Busters of West Virginia is the state's premier provider of interior and exterior disinfection for homes, businesses and more. Their cornerstone service is their interior dry mist fogging, which produces a droplet so small […]

    Tony Watson is an accomplished multifaceted sales leader with a proven track record in the field of Medical Equipment and supplies. Tony is the VP of Sales at Destiny Consultants, which is Woman Owned and a 100% Service Disabled Veteran Small Business that provides Medical equipment and services to the Federal Government. Their […]