Westwood Living Podcast Network

Tom Leyden connects with Dominic Esposito & Elisa Adams at Endicott Estate in Dedham. Dominic is the current president of the New England Sculptors Association and Elisa is a past-president. Collectively, the members are preparing for a 75th Anniversary Gala that will be hosted Saturday, November 4 at Endicott Estate. You can learn more about the organization and buy tickets to join us by visiting...

Tom Leyden catches up with Ian Brown at the site of his new project, an overhaul and redesign of the "Orchard Fire Circle" on the grounds of Hale Education. The new project beautifies and modernizes the area adjacent to the Andrew Cucchiara Learning Center. Ian and his team have repurposed granite and stone previously used in and around Boston to support bridges and trestles to create an multi-use...

Tom Leyden chats with Kelsey Lindsey in the kitchen of JK Catering and Events in Westwood. Kelsey is one half of the ownership team at JK Catering and Events, a specialty company focused on creating memorable events centered on food and drinks. In addition to preparing charcuterie boards and fulfilling custom food orders, Kelsey and her husband, Juan, also operate the Tapville Mobile Taproom, a 16...

Tom Leyden and Roula Bakis chat over a delicious cup of Greek coffee. Roula Bakis is the owner of the Artemis Realty Group and Westwood Living's Expert Contributor in Realty and Design. Roula's unique approach to her business allows her to work with clients to envision a space as they'd like it to be throughout the transaction process. A design major at NC State, Roula has applied many of her skil...

Tom Leyden connects with Dr. Peter Kevorkian from Westwood Family Chiropractic as we approach the first in-person session in the Lessons From Leaders Series, presented by Dedham Savings. Dr. Peter will kick off our series with an address to students before the cafeteria is opened for them to interact with professionals and ask questions in a one-on-one or small group setting. What's his message? W...

We've organized an impactful series of nights for Westwood High School students and Night One of the Lessons From Leaders Series, presented by Dedham Savings, is planned for Tuesday, October 3 from 6:30-9pm at the Westwood High School cafeteria. Tom gives an overview of who's scheduled to be there and what you should expect. Students who register and attend are eligible to win prizes, including a...

Tom Leyden chats with Sofia Travayiakis in the offices of the Sofia Team at CrossCountry Mortgage. Sofia Travayiakis has been writing mortgages since she was 18 years old and has carved out a niche as one of the top performers in her industry. At CrossCountry Mortgage, she works with her 100% female staff to deliver excellent customer service and a wide range of options as home buyers and owners l...

Tom Leyden and Kerry Aglugub catch up over a drink at The Muffin House. Kerry Aglugub is the owner of KMA Web Design and was recognized in 2022 as the Businessperson Of The Year by The Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce. Kerry, who grew up in Westwood and attended Westwood High School, has overseen the development and publishing of lfleaders.com - the official website of the Westwood Livi...

Tom Leyden chats with September '23 cover subjects Liz Volpe and Drew Fortin from the Foundation for Westwood Education. Along with Nigel Smith, who wrote the September cover feature, Liz Volpe and Drew Fortin comprise the board of the Foundation for Westwood Education. Tom, Liz and Drew discuss the evolution of the 32-year-old foundation, what has been accomplished in the past and how this trio h...

Tom Leyden and Mike DiSarro chat at Neroli Ristorante. Mike DiSarro is a Westwood native who has brought a piece of the big city into little Islington village with Neroli Mercato & Ristorante, packing a one-two punch of Italian and class. Tom and Mike talk about the one-year anniversary of the Mercato's opening, including A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT about something new that's starting the weekend of Septem...

Tom Leyden chats with Betty Connors-Gay and Mary Carlin at the headquarters of Conlin Health Care. Betty and Mary opened Conlin Health Care in 2001, and ultimately settled into their location on High Street. Both Westwood residents, Betty and Mary have deep ties to the community. In this conversation, they share some of the lessons they've learned over the years about Home Health Care and what you...

Tom Leyden and Christine Coughlin chat from the Playa Bowls on High Street, Christine Coughlin is a Westwood resident and mother of four children between the ages of 2-8. Christine is also a Vice President at Bantry Way Brokerage, a seasoned veteran of the real estate and investment landscape throughout New England. Her focus on investment, both residentially and commercially, sets her apart from...

Tom Leyden gives an overview of the Westwood Living Lessons From Leaders Series, a new initiative aimed at inspiring future leaders at Westwood High School. The Lessons From Leaders Series will be hosted at Westwood High Schol over the course of three weeks in October, 2023 (different night of the week each week), with 10% of every sponsorship donated to the Westwood Community Scholarship Fund. Up...

Tom Leyden and Tiffany O'Connell connect in the offices of the O'Connell Law Group in Natick. In this episode, Tiffany provides some incredibly important advice and counsel to parents who are sending the 18-year-old children away to school, and it's advice that's applicable to any young adult over the age of 18. With a few simple steps, Tiffany's team can get the proper legal documents set up for...

Tom Leyden and Marie Adams chat at Bubbling Brook. A staple in the community for years, Bubbling Brook decided this year to focus exclusively on ice cream. Tom and Marie talk about the tradition of service, the growth of a family business and how decisions are made when priorities change. Visit Bubbling Brook every Tuesday-Sunday at 1652 High Street in Westwood.

Dr. Drew Chase from ARCH Orthodontics joins Tom Leyden to discuss a major initiative, as ARCH is providing FREE custom-made professional mouthguards to Westwood athletes this year. Call or text 781-575-1188 to arrange an appointment for your digital scan - the office will be open July 26 and August 2 exclusively for this purpose.

Tom Leyden connects with John Techiera and Jack Rufo of JNJ Cleanings. John and Jack are both Westwood grads who recently finished their second year in college. Longtime baseball teammates, they're now teammates in business, running JNJ Cleanings, a window cleaning business. Tom, John and Jack talk about their inspiration and vision and what they're looking to accomplish both now and in the future...

Tom Leyden chats with Katie Collins and Sarah Spinello about Project Sweet Peas.  Project Sweet Peas is a non-profit dedicated to supporting families who are dealing with premature births. Both Katie and Sarah experienced the unpredictability and anxiety associated with bringing a premature baby into the world and learned a great deal about the process and what's helpful during that very stressful...

Tom Leyden chats with Dr. Dan Kazachkov and Dr. Alana Bednarz at the offices of Dental Arts of Westwood on Route 109. Dr. Dan has built a successful practice over many years, consistently adding to his staff and enhancing the value of what's available at Dental Arts of Westwood. Dr. Alana has been with the practice for two years as an orthodontist and continues to become more and more involved in...

Tom Leyden and Mandy Taft-Pearman chat from The Muffin House in Westwood. Mandy Taft-Pearman is one of the founding members of Inclusive Westwood, an organization formed in 2016. In the seven years since, Inclusive Westwood has made a significant impact in our community, working with civic leaders and school officials to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, while also organizing a series...

Tom Leyden and Chris Hancock chat from the Gazebo at the Westwood Senior Center. Chris Hancock is a Brockton native who moved to Westwood with his wife, Jessica, 15 years ago. Following the untimely death of his brother, Paul, Chris and his family have dedicated much of their lives supporting The Boston House, formerly known as The Ronald McDonald House, in Boston. The Boston House provides afford...

Tom Leyden and Erica Resha chat from The Muffin House in Islington. Erica Resha is a Westwood High School graduate and the founder of Fitish Activewear. Since graduating from Boston College in 2009, Erica has focused on the fashion industry, branching off to create her own brand and business that's achieved great success. For more, follow Erica on Instagram @Fitish_Activewear and visit her online...

Tom Leyden and Rachel Milbury chat while warming up for one of her intense one-one-one workouts. Rachel is the owner and founder of "The Milbury Method," a personal training system that focuses on fitness and nutrition, specifically tailored to each client. She also is a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway who holds a Masters in Social Work and is the mother of three. So... she's busy. This...

Tom Leyden catches up with Ariel Dangelo in the offices of Nightingale Wealth Solutions. Ariel Dangelo is the Financial Advising Expert Contributor in Westwood Living. Ariel recently rebranded and moved her office to Washington Street in Westwood, where she aims to serve people from our town and beyond as they manage their money and plan for the future. Her amazing story of physical recovery from...

Tom Leyden chats with Tiffany O'Connell from the office of the O'Connell Law Group in Natick. Tiffany O'Connell is a former Army Judge Advocate who worked with soldiers during a two-year active duty stretch in the 1990s. After completing her service, Tiffany moved back to the Boston area and ultimately formed the O'Connell Law Group, specializing in Estate Planning and Elder Care. Our conversation...