Westwood Living Podcast Network

Tom Leyden and Karen Cagan preview the I Heart Westwood event from The Muffin House in Islington. Karen Cagan is a photographer and 25-year Westwood resident. Along with four other women, Karen formed a group called "Westwood Artists" in 2016 and has since teamed with Melinda Garfield at the Westwood Media Center to showcase the work of artists who live in town. Tom and Karen chat about her backgr...

Tom Leyden and Jay Resha chat at Red Sky Studios in Allston. "I believe people should be building bridges and not burning them down when they talk to each other. We can disagree, but we can still have the conversation." Jay Resha contributes to Westwood Living each month with his "Westword" column, bringing almost five decades of local intelligence to his observations, quips and opinions. A 1993 g...

Tom Leyden and Gerry Lambert chat from Gerry's classroom at Xaverian Brothers High School. Gerry was inducted Saturday, January 28 into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Gerry joined the coaching staff in 1994 and took over as head coach in 2002, leading the Hawks to state championships in 2004, 2012 and 2021. A Westwood resident and husband of Westwood High School gradu...

Tom and Dave Cohen chat from the lobby of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa in Tampa, FL.  David Cohen is a legendary figure in the history of Best Version Media's staggering 16-year growth. His focus on customer service and problem-solving earned him the first spot in Best Version Media's Hall of Fame and he now serves as the Director of Program Sales and Productivity.  Dave's record of $1.7 milli...

Tom Leyden catches up with the Westwood Living August Cover Girl Diana Bezdedeanu. Diana has immersed herself in the world of equine facilitated learning since graduating from Westwood High School in 2020. Tom and Diana chat about her history with horses, always being busy, making a huge life transition in the middle of a global pandemic and what's the latest news surrounding her new business, Hor...

Tom Leyden and Dr. Peter Kevorkian chat inside the offices of Westwood Family Chiropractic. Dr. Peter and his wife, Dr. Patti Giuliano, have been practicing in Westwood for 40 years, working to enhance people's lives through their chiropractic care and focus on lifelong vitality. Tom and Dr. Peter chat about how the power couple met, teamed up to build a business and worked to build a true "family...

Tom Leyden and Steph Finegold chat from The Muffin House. Steph Finegold is very active in the Westwood community working to create a more inclusive and educated environment for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children. Steph is a member of Westwood SEPAC, the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, and has helped introduce legistation that, if pased, will provide more resources and educatio...

Tom Leyden and Maria Tassiopoulos chat from a booth at Islington Pizza. Maria and her family are in their 27th year of operation on Washington Street as one of the staple franchises in Westwood. Islington Pizza really is the type of place where everybody knows your name. The secret isn't just the sauce, it's the service and it was great to talk to Maria about how the business started, what she enj...

Tom Leyden and Anna Schickel from the comfy wicker chairs at Your CBD Store Needham.  Anna Schickel is "a speech pathologist with a bad back," which is why she was motivated to open Your CBD Store Needham in 2019. After suffering her back injury, Anna sought an alternative healing process to painkillers which could be addictive and harmful. Almost immediately, her body reacted positively to CBD tr...

Tom Leyden and Bill May chat at The Muffin House in Islington. Bill May is a Westwood resident and a Business 2 Business manager at Best Buy. An Army veteran, Bill is incredibly active and rides thousands of miles each year on his bicycle. He is a car afficionado and an expert in home entertainment and appliances, having worked at Circuit City before his career with Best Buy began. You can reach B...

Tom Leyden and Christen Cadigan catch up after a very tough workout at Orangetheory Fitness in Islington Center. Christen has been a long time coach with Orangetheory and joined the OTF Westwood Family in 2022. She works very closely with owner Tara Berry to create a close-knit community of support. "It's a personal training sessoin in a group fitness atmosphere." A great way to summarize how the...

Tom Leyden and Brian Clinton chat from the Clinton kitchen counter. Brian Clinton will always have the honor of being the first sponsor of Westwood Living. Brian is a Westwood resident and you'll get a kick out of how he describes things - "My kids are from Westwood. I'm from Hyde Park." Always good for a laugh and some smart insight, Brian shifted his focus to real estate after spending a good po...

Tom Leyden chats with Liz Adams from the deli counter at High Street Market. Liz Adams has owned and operated High Street Market for the last 27 years and at the dawn of 2023, she is retiring from the business and looking for a buyer. With the finish line of this chapter in sight, Liz reflects on what she's learned, the people she has met over the years and those who benefitted from her teaching a...

Tom Leyden and Melinda Garfield chat from the studios of the Westwood Media Center. Melinda Garfield is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and a seasoned television producer who was instrumental in the construction of the Westwood Media Center facility and has overseen the growth of the organization through the boom of various platforms and the onset of "cord-cutting." Her ingenuity has...

Tom Leyden and Dr. Drew Chase chat from the Chase family kitchen as the fire roars and chill music plays. Dr. Drew Chase joined his dad's practice in 1998 and immediately launched a new brand - ARCH Orthodontics. ARCH has grown over the last 25 years to seven locations, including a marquee spot along Route 109 in Westwood. Dr. Drew chats about what drew him to orthodontics, why he loves making peo...

Tom Leyden and Derek Field chat from the studios of Field Martial Arts Academy. Derek Field is Westwood Living's Expert Contributor in Martial Arts and Self Defense. He started Field Martial Arts, originally in Sharon, and ultimately moved the studio to Norwood. He and the staff welcome people of all ages and abilities, teaching beginner's Karate and more advanced Krav Maga and self-defense classe...

Tom Leyden chats with Michael Greene from J&L Energy, talking about the services they provide, how the business started and how Mike has built a successful model thanks to his partnership with the MASS Save program. Call J&L Energy today for an energy assessment of your home. Most, if not all, of the cost will likely be covered. Call 781-428-3388