December 5, 2025 • 39 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about
Surprising Christmas traditions from the past and how they differ from today’s traditions.
Guest: Brian Early – Author (latest book: Of Christmases Long, Long Ago) & podcaster who specializes in the history of Christmas – hosts the #1 Christmas podcast for 10 years running
Holiday hazards and holiday safety. How festive celebrations can quickly turn into emergencies when you have crowded kitchens, hot liquids or kids running everywhere. Simple precautions that dramatically reduce accidents.
Guest: Gayle Petrillo – burn survivor and author of the book: Becoming Visible: Overcoming Trauma-Based Fears, Phobias and Self-Doubt
New data reveals small businesses are struggling. What's driving this increase in small business job losses and bankruptcies?
Guest: Suzanne Castle – Business Strategist
Simon malls team up with Cradles to Crayons to help local kids this holiday season
Guest: Allen Smith – General Manager of the South Shore Plaza
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice size with Dan Ray. I'm going you easy
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Dikes have a good weekend, but try to be warm.
It is brutal out there. It's just outside literally three
minutes ago, and it is it feels like winter, feels
like the depth of winter. And it's December the fifth.
My name is Dan Ray. Welcome on in, everybody to
a Friday night edition of Nightside. Gather around the radio
(00:26):
and we will keep you warm all the way until
the midnight hour, will get you all the way just
to the cusp of Saturday. We being myself the host
of the show, Dan Ray, and Rob Brooks, the producer
of this fine broadcast. We're wrapping up another week here
on Nightside, and we will talk about some different topics
tonight at nine o'clock. I want to talk about the
cold today. Winter arrived. I mean, this was like a
(00:49):
ninety five degree day in June. I mean, you don't
expect it. And I'm sure that some people are going
to say it's all climate change. But it's a cold,
cold night out there no matter what. So we'll talk
talk about what you did today. Were you ready for it?
I wasn't, that's for sure. But we'll get to all
of that a little bit later on. And then there
is a development on that church in Dedham that had
(01:13):
the ice was here sign at the Nativity scene. The
Boston Archdiocese has spoken out about that. We'll get to
all of that tonight at ten o'clock and then we'll
have a twentieth hour. Not exactly sure we're going to do,
but I suspect it might be weather related. We'll figure
that one out. We have four guests coming up, and
first off, we're going to start with Brian Earl. Brian
is the author. His latest book of Christmas is Long
(01:36):
Long Ago. Brian, Welcome to nightside.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
How are you doing great? Thanks for having me Dan,
and early Merry Christmas to you.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, early merry Christmas to you as well. Your name
was printed here as Early, but I double checked and
looked at the book and it is simply Earl.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So early, but I'm not Brian Early.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yes, that's good. Well, that's good to know. So look,
all of us, however old we are, remember Christmases and
Christmas has certainly changed over my lifetime. But you know this,
the tradition of Christmas obviously dates back to a year
(02:16):
over two thousand years ago that Christians believe in Christmas.
When was Christmas first celebrated, either you know, as a
secular holiday or as a religious holiday? How long has
Christmas been celebrated in any form of fashion?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
The first records we have are from a church calendar
marking the observance of December twenty fifth as honoring the
birth of Jesus in the year three thirty six, which,
if we're keeping count, and if that is accurate, we
are about to celebrate Christmas number one thousand, six hundred
and eighty nine in terms.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, but again and helped me out here. I was
taught in an elementry school we called it in those days,
a grammar school by the nuns when we were young.
I don't know if you ever had that experience, but
it's one that you will always remember for the rest
of your life. You know that the entire calendar that
(03:15):
we live by is based upon the birth of Jesus,
and that you know, it just so happened that's December
twenty fifth, and that he only lived for thirty three
years before he was crucified. But you know, BC's before
Christ and Anodomino is the year of our Lord. So
(03:37):
you're not suggesting that that Christ was born in three
thirty six. That's that's the first time his birth was celebrated,
correct the.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Time it was, that's correct, right, So he was born
in what we now consider you're one of the Common Era,
died and was considered your thirty The gospels start showing
up several decades after that. I think John's is the latest,
coming around ninety, so we're already almost a century into
the of the Common Era. But for the first you know,
several hundred years, when Christianity is just forming, the birth
(04:09):
was not really necessarily even considered a very important story.
In fact, of the four canonical gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John, only two of them even tell the Nativity story,
and they both tell it in very different ways. And
it really isn't until we get to the fourth century
that it becomes an observance. And we don't really know
in those earliest days what that meant, how people celebrated it,
(04:30):
if it was a feasting day or not. We tend
to we see in later centuries how it evolves into
the version we know today.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Santa Claus sort of comes along. Santa Claus Saint Nicholas,
I think was introduced if my memory serves, and you're
the expert, I'm not, so don't embarrass me too badly.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
In Germany, well, he was certainly popular in Germany. I mean,
Santa Claus is descended from a real historical figure of
Saint Cholas, and Saint Nicholas has his own set of traditions.
As a matter of fact, tonight is the Eve of
Saint Nicholas Day, which is still observed in many places
around the world, not America for whatever reason, on December sixth.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
That was. Yeah, he died in the fourth.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Century, and over time his legend became sort of intermingled
with other cultural legends that we see places like Norway, Finland,
like you mentioned, Germany. All those things sort of get
added to the image that we now know today. And
it was really, believe it or not, the version that
we recognize that the guy in the flying sleigh with
the reindeer and the red firs is really mainly a
(05:36):
nineteenth century American invention.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Okay, all right, so you used the phrase common era,
which I believe is the politically most acceptable phrase. The
concept of ad ono domino seems to not be used
a common error refers to the time after the birth
(05:59):
of Christ.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Correct, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Okay, why did we all of a sudden, it seems
to me in the last twenty or thirty years. Segue
to the phrase common era. Where where do where does
that come from?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
You know, I think you said it's it's the most
politically acceptable way. I mean, it means the same thing,
but I think you know, ad may be freighted with
meaning for some people. And think about to an earlier
point of yours. You were talking about the calendar that
we're all on. It's actually interesting because the calendar we're
on today is the Gregorian calendar, which is a sixteenth
(06:34):
century invention. Prior to that is the Julian calendar, which
some cultures still observe, which actually affects the date that
Christmas and all of the things surrounding it occur. So
in Russia, Christmas is recognized on January sixth.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, and we think of that as a little Christmas.
I guess, probably exactly right. So let us talk so
it evolves and Santa Claus becomes a part of Christmas.
What in the nineteenth century you said.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
No, it was actually.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
The first time we see Saint Nicholas connected to Christmas
is around the time of the Protestant Reformation. So, like
I said, before Saint Nicholas had his own set of traditions,
he had no connection to Christmas for a long long time.
This was after in the Protestant Reformation, they wanted one
of the things they were protesting was idolatry or what
they saw is idolatry in the form of revering the
(07:29):
Saints in the Catholic Church. And so what they wanted
to have a Christmas gift bringer, and that was, believe
it or not, the Christ Child, and some cultures still
have that where it is the christ Kindle, the Christ
Child who delivers gifts on Christmas Eve. But or Saint
Nicholas rather was so popular that he was kind of
(07:50):
hard to get rid of, and people just basically snuck
him in, if.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
You like, into the Christmas celebration.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Wow, how long have you studied? You answer questions so
directly and clearly. I'm very impressed. I talked to a
lot of authors and writers. Your latest book is of
Christmases long long ago. Is that newly released or has
that been sort of a book that's spent out for
a while.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
No, that is new this year.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And to answer your question, I've been at this the
podcast Christmas Past, which introduced in twenty sixteen, So I
guess I can say I've been making a study of
this for just about ten seasons now.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And are you an author professionally? Do you write on
other issues or is your sort of your dissertation because
you seem to really know it inside and out, very.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Stroll and I'm always really quick to point out I'm
not a journalist, I'm not an historian. I don't have
academic credentials in this. I'm a storyteller. I wanted to
create a podcast. The story goes that back in twenty fifteen,
I was looking for the kind of podcast that I
ended up creating because it didn't exist, and I.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Said, Okay, well, I guess I'll try that.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And the aim was always to just talk to the
most knowledgeable people that I can find, and so over
the years, I mean, I've talked to the CEO of
the candy cane factory, I've talked to historians and professional
Santa Clauses and just and the great thing about Christmas
you mentioned before, how it just continually evolves that some
of the people making the changes to Christmas are still
(09:27):
with us today. As a matter of fact, this time
of year, you can't go into a store without seeing
all those popcorn kins. That's a fairly new thing. I
actually talked to the guy who started that and got
the whole and how that happened.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
The big red buckets of popcorn.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Yes, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Wow, this this is great. You know, it comes across
your love of what you do. Not everyone who I
talked to four times a night, five nights a week
has the enthusiasm and the precision that you have, And
I really appreciate you. And maybe what we might do
(10:04):
is between now and Christmas some night, have you on
with us in one of our later hours where we
take phone calls from listeners. Oh people, Yeah, so we'll
I'll have my producer get back. But again, the book
is now available of Christmases Long Long Ago. Such a
great title. And you have been hosting the number one
Christmas podcast for ten years. I assume it's available on Amazon.
(10:28):
Is there any other way folks can get to it?
Speaker 4 (10:30):
As they say, wherever books are sold, wherever.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Books are sold, And are you a massa? I'm looking
at the phone number here. You're six one seven is that?
Are you a Massachusetts native?
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, I live in California.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Now I just heard your weather report. It is a
bone chill in fifty four degrees here in Sanday, California.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
You know, I'll tell you this, the empathy that you're
going to feel through the phone lines here will be
non existent. But so you're a message you're born in
it's Stoughton, all right. All right, well, Brian Earle, thank
you very much. We'll get back to my producer get
back to you or to whomever represents you, and would
love to have you on some night and take some
phone calls. I think it would be a lot of fun.
(11:07):
Thank you so much. Merry Christmas. But we will talk
to you again before Christmas.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
All right, take care now.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Thanks thanks very much. Now, of course, the holiday season,
as far as I'm concerned, is the best time of
the year. I really do believe that. However, there are
hazards to the holiday season and holiday safety. And we're
going to talk with Gayo Petrillo coming up. She has
a book, Becoming Visible, Overcoming trauma based fears, phobias, and
(11:34):
self doubt. But we're also going to talk to her
about some of the mistakes that we might make, particularly
with young kids running around. And so we'll have some
instruction from Gayl Patrillo right after this on Nightside quick
break here and coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
We'll go back. Everyone liked to introduce you to Gayl
Gail Petrillo. Welcome to Nightside. How are you this evening?
Speaker 5 (12:04):
I'm well, Dan, thank you so much for having me
as your guest tonight. Happy holiday.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Well do you celebrate Christmas?
Speaker 5 (12:13):
We actually celebrate both. My husband is Italian and I
am Jewish.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
So happy well, Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas and happy Honicah.
I thank you. We're a family also that has on
both Christian and Jewish tradition, so I sort of I'm
not a happy holiday guy. I like to know what
people celebrate and I like to be more specific, so
(12:39):
that's just a little quirk that I have. Merry Christmas
to your husband, and happy Honica to you. So you
have written a book, Becoming Visible, overcoming trauma based fears, phobias,
and self doubt, and some of it involves, I guess
an accident that you suffered as a child.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
Yeah, I was a two and a half year old toddler.
I was a giggly, girly girl who loved going new
places and meeting new people. Took me to a mother
daughter tea party down the street at the neighbors and
it was nineteen fifty six. Tea was not the drink
of choice. Coffee was, and so as I climbed up
(13:22):
to the table to partake of the beautiful lace tablecloth
and so on, I reached for a fresh baked cookie
out of the oven was on all the time. Well,
I'll never do it again, because in reaching for that
beautiful tasty cookie, I knocked the forty cup pot of
(13:42):
fresh brewed coffee off the table in all over me
forty percent of my body was burned from my breast
to my navel thirty fourth degree burns to the bone,
and I was casualized for months. My mom and dad
didn't know if I would never die.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Well, that certainly qualifies you for advising people about what
not to do and not to do. And obviously, with
the holiday season going on, families of every background have
get togethers and parties and reunions and a lot of
that involves crowded kitchens, sometimes hot liquids, and little ones
(14:22):
running everywhere. What are some of the simple precautions that
people need to be certainly aware of and hopefully take.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
Yeah, so thank you for asking that first thing? First,
I say, make sure your smoke detectors are working. They
need to be replaced every ten years or more often
if they're the older battery kind. Make sure you have
a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, have a screen on
your fireplaces. Make sure you have your chimney cleaned every
(14:53):
year before you start lighting that fireplace. The other things
that you can do to be prepared is a sign
tasks in advance to individuals to make sure there aren't
too many cooks in the kitchen or at the stove.
Don't close with billowing sleeves, because they're easily able to
catch fire, especially if you have a guest. Hire a babysitter,
(15:18):
or maybe hire or sign spotters to keep the little
winds prowled and out of that kitchen.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Oh, great, great advice. Let me ask us. A year
ago I bought there's a product called the fire blanket
that I used to see advertised on TV. Not so
much more now, but essentially that if there is a
fire in the kitchen, the last thing you do is
throw water on it. It just will spread it.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
Rap.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
But these fire blankets. Never had to use them, thank god.
But they do you have any experience? I bought them
and gave one of my son's family, one of my
daughter's family, and they of course laughed.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
At me, you know, but I think they did.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, are they a valuable asset? Again, we're not here
to sell fire blankets, But is it is that something? No?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Yes, absolutely so. I don't have personal experience with it.
My husband is a twenty three year fire fighter or
fire chief. He's now retired. But that blanket is really
great because when you're dealing with a fire extinguisher, there's
a lot of make sure you do this, pull the
plug game, blah blah blah. Yeah, blanket will smother those
(16:33):
flames very quickly. Yes, and you're absolutely right. Do not
do not put water on a fire. It will spread it.
And so you take that blanket or towels or whatever.
And especially if it's a grease fire. Right you're pulling
the turkey out of the oven, and the grease from
the turkey splashes up and causes an oven fire, do
(16:58):
not throw water on it. That blank will squash that
fire really fast.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, I'm glad to hear that, because I'm going to
ask my adult children if they've kept the fire blanket near,
because they laughed at me, like, only it was one
of these only you would think about a fire blank
and it's like, well, you know, it's when you need it.
It's nice to have it. So I'm happy I'm going
(17:25):
to quote you on this one. Now, let's talk about
your book as a burn survivor and author of the
book Becoming Visible Overcoming Trauma based fears, phobias, and self doubt.
You said that you were two and a half when
you were badly burned. How long did it take you
physically to recover from that and how long psychologically?
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Yeah, so physically was probably about eighteen monthstical late with
seventy years. We never talked about my accident as a
family because back in the late fifties and sixties, it
was already laundry that you didn't air, and so I
was taught to put one foot in front of the
(18:07):
other and take day by day and not to survive,
which is what I did. I did not live. However,
I came out of holding only about four and a
half years ago, telling my story because the few people
won't hold it encouraged me that it was huming. And
(18:28):
I mean nobody hearing my seat and shaddy secrets. I'm
healing emotionally, and when we do that, we enabled your vulnerable.
We enable other people to decide to share their story
so they get the healing process as well.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I think we all have stories from our childhood, and
one that you have is pretty traumatic traumatic. I have
a a friend of mine whose son was badly burned
similar accident. It was like, you know, it was an
item on the stove, but he's recovered well, family's doing well.
(19:08):
I know it sounds to me like you suffered incredible
physical impact and trauma, and I congratulate you on overcoming that.
And how can folks get your book? I assume it's
available on Amazon, but anywhere else you want to direct
some of our listeners.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Oh, I appreciate that. Yes, it is available on Amazon.
It's also available for my publisher booklocker one, word dot com,
backslash one three eight.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Some authors have their own website, and some authors prefer
me to direct people to their website because sometimes people
would want to book personalized. If you do something like
that and you have a website that people can contact you,
feel free to share it with us. If you do,
we'll just direct them towards Amazon. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:03):
No, I appreciate that I do have a website. I'm
a career in confidence coach as well as an author
and speaker, and my website is first spelled out fi
rst impressions plural the number one dot com, so first
impressions one dot com.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Thank you, As they say, you never get a second
chance to make a first impression anyway. Congratulations on your
success and your determination, Gail, and again, happy holidays, whichever
holiday it is, Christmas or Honikan. It seems like you
have the best of both worlds in your family, as
we have in ours. Thanks so much, Gail.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Thank you have a wonderful holiday, and thanks again for
having me as your guest.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
You're welcome. Coming up on the other side of the news,
we're going to talk with a business strategist, Suzanne Castle,
about some new data that suggests that small businesses are struggling. Now,
I'm sure that like anything else, there's a lot of
small businesses that are struggling and a lot of small
businesses that are thriving. But we'll talk with Suzanne Castle
(21:09):
on the other side, and later on we're going to
talk about Simon mauls ex efforts to team up with
Cradles to crayon selp local kids this holiday season. Back
on Nightside right after the News at the bottom.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Of the hour, It's Nightside with Dan Ray on Boston's
News Radio'd.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like to welcome Suzanne Castle to our program. Suzanne, welcome
to Nightside. How are you this evening.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I'm fabulous, Thanks for having me back, Dan. I'm excited
to be here.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I like it when someone says they're fabulous. My godfather
last name was Castle. I never met him. He lived
in Panama and he had been a childhood friend of
my dad many many years ago. So whenever I hear
someone with the name of Castle, I always think maybe
somehow we're distantly related. So that's why I feel good
(22:00):
about this conversation. The conversation is going to talk about
small businesses, and it says that there's some new data
that says small businesses are struggling. Now, obviously that doesn't
mean every small business. What I know is that small
businesses are the backbone of this economy, and if small
businesses are struggling, we all should be concerned. What's the
(22:21):
what are the numbers suggesting?
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Well, you're right, the data is real and it's affecting
nearly every single sector. We're seeing the sharpest private sector
job losses since early twenty twenty three. And small businesses,
which are defined by the ones fewer than fifty employees
or so, they're carrying the brunt of it. And I
think that there are probably three big forces that are converging.
(22:47):
There's the cost of capital has skyrocket. We know that
there's loans, there's credit line equipment financing for example. It's
more expensive and that's just going to squeeze cash flow.
But consumer spending has softened. People are making more cautious choices.
I don't know about you, but my family is too,
and that means slower payments and therefore tighter margins, especially
(23:11):
for small businesses. And Third, I think small business owners
are tired. They're exhausted. There's decision fatigue and it's draining
their strategic capacity. And when the brain is overwhelmed, owners
start to hesitate, so they delay decisions or maybe they
choose relative reactive cuts and that's going to hurt long
(23:31):
term stability. So I don't think it's necessarily one thing
that we're seeing. It's an economic squeeze, meaning an emotional
and a cognitive squeeze as well.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Now, Susie, don't be offended by this, but that is
a fairly dystopian view of the economy at this point.
Is this part of a normal business cycle or we're
sort of, in my opinion, caught between two economies. One,
we have the Biden of twenty twenty one to early
(24:02):
twenty twenty five, which I think the public got very
tired of. Now we have a Trump economy, which is
much more interesting in terms of tariffs come on, Tariffs
come off, the big beautiful tax bill so called, lots
of progress on some piece of talks in place around
(24:23):
the world. It's a very dynamic, a different feel this year,
putting aside the politics to of it. Whether you like
Donald Trump don't like Donald Trump. The economy right now
is churning. And I've seen some reports that say twenty
twenty six might be a real big bounce back year.
And I don't know what you're reading, but how does
(24:45):
it look for small businesses. Are they going to continue
the projections that things are only going to get worse
or are we looking at maybe a little bit of
a bounce back.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I personally think that we are going to see a
bounce back. But I do think there's some because I
think that small business owners are in survival mode, and
I think even when things are good, there's the survival
instinct in the small business world, and so there is
a little bit of that panic vibe going on, especially
among small business and that's what's leading the narrative. If
(25:17):
you turn on the news anywhere, maybe not on your show, Dan,
but everywhere else. That's what's leading the headlines is the
up and the down, and the up and the down.
If you're a small business owner, you just don't even
know where to turn. Should I be cutting? Should I
be staying the course? Should I be investing here? When
when investment is really hard to do right now? So
I think you have a lot of topsy turbiness and
that's hard to navigate as a small business owner.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Well, the early numbers that I'm seeing from the Christmas
season is that this Christmas season might be breaking a
lot of records that this might be a trillion dollar
Christmas season. I don't know, you know obviously what the
ultimate number will be, but it would seem that with
the stock market in better conditioned, maybe as good condition
(26:03):
as it's ever been. I realized not everybody's invested in
the star mark in the stock market, but there are
a lot of people invested in the stock market, and
a lot of people who are invested in the stock
market are saying maybe they can, maybe I can spend
a little bit more. I mean, it's it's not all dystopian,
is what I'm trying to get at. And I'm just
hoping that the points, the economic points that will that
(26:25):
will start to take priority, will be ones that will
turn the economy in a better direction than it's been
going for the last few years. Obviously, we went through
COVID and and that was a tremendous blow to the economy,
tremendous blow to the educational particularly the the the the
school systems.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
A lot of kids have have lost time, uh and
and somehow, some way those those losses have to be
made up. I'm I'm just always optimistic that tomorrow is
going to be better than yesterday. Am I am? I
looking at this whole thing with rose colored glasses.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
I don't think so, because I'm advising my clients to
stay visible, and I think that's where the sweet spot
is because visibility in this climate, I think it's everything,
and it's often the first thing that owners big or
small cut when they're feeling overwhelmed. So for example, trust
and loyalty and connection, that's always recession proof. People want
(27:25):
to buy local, they want to support familiar faces. That's
where small businesses shine. So when the community feels like
they know you, they want to choose you first, and
especially even when money is tighter, they want to give
to the mom and pop for example. So I look
at it like visibility is not marketing activity. It's a
survival activity. So if you're feeling to pinch, for example,
(27:47):
do more visibility. If you're not feeling to pinch, do
more visibility. I think visibility is always creative, and I
think it's where the magic is really lying right now.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
The other thing too, that I'm a huge believer in
an economist, nor do I play one on the radio,
but I followed the economy pretty closely. One of the
things is that I try to stay away from big
box stores. I would prefer to go to a small
local hardware store when I need something. Okay, I may
pay a couple of extra dollars, but it's going to
(28:17):
help that local hardware store. Also, if I can buy
something locally as opposed to going on the internet, and
I can go to a brick and mortar store, I'm
hugely in favor of that because they are my neighbors,
the people in my community. I just think that that
mindset has to, in my opinion, come much more to
(28:40):
the four. I had a bad experience in October with
some company that I was trying to buy something from.
Turned out it was a company in China, and I
was getting notifications about where the product was with notes
in Mandarin, and believe it or not, I don't speak
or read Mandarin. And I just said to myself, I'm
done to whatever extent I can be with the Internet.
(29:02):
I'm done, and I'm going to go not to the
big stores but to the small stores. And you know what,
you feel better about yourself when you do that as well, well.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
And I think that's some of the creativity I'm seeing,
And honestly, that's where I'm inspired. When you see smart
business owners. They shift from the from the complexity that
we kind of see a lot to creativity. So so
you might see shared pop ups between the mom and
pops together that are on the same street, right, two
or three businesses they come together, and a gym might
(29:34):
partner with a juice bar on the same street, for example.
And when you start doing things like that, you're not
only driving traffic to both businesses. People see each other
at each location, like, Hey, Bob down the street, I
didn't know you went to that gym. So you're starting
conversations in your community, but you're also helping each business.
And I really think that that's going to be the
key to the American economy, especially and especially when you
(29:56):
really want to have ownership and you want to help
your community thrive. That's where we need to be spending
our dollars.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
You bet you, Suzanne Castle, thank you so much for
your time. Is there some way most folks who come
on the show like to have us send people to
their website? How can my listeners benefit from your knowledge
and expertise?
Speaker 5 (30:18):
You know, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn.
People can find me there or just go to my
website Susianncastle dot com and I appreciate spending some time
with you this evening.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Right back at you. Who knows we might be distantly related.
You never know, Susanne. Great, thank you, we'll talk again.
Merry Christmas, have a great night, Have a great night.
We're coming up on the other side. A little bit
of a break here, and then we're going to talk
to Alan Smith. He's the general manager of the south
Shore Plaza, big shopping center down in Braintree, right off
(30:47):
of one twenty eight and that whole neck of the woods.
And we're going to talk about Simon Mall's teaming up
with Cradle de Crayons to help local kids this holiday season.
Always a positive story. Coming back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on w BZ, Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Delighted to be joined by Alan Smith. He's the general
manager of the south Shore Plaza, Alan Smith, Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Hey, thanks for having me, Dan.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So tell us about Simon Mauls has a good reputation.
They have worked with Crayons, Cradles to Crayons before. Explain
to this how this works and how individuals can contribute
and support the effort.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
Yeah. So we've worked with Cradles Crayons for a number
of years. Uh, the relationship has grown.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (31:40):
They're actually in nine Simon properties this year between Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. Uh. It's literally one of the best
things we do all year. You know, it's the holidays.
It's about you know, giving back more than it is
about receiving. And so each property has a giving tree
(32:02):
and each tree has tags on it with items that
are being requested by children in the area. Might be
a warm winded coat, might be a sweater, pair of boots.
So you can go to the tree, pick out a
tag or a couple of tags, purchase those items and
(32:23):
then bring them to the drop off location at that
particular property and just you know, don't wrap it, you know,
just in the bag with the tag, and you know,
then Cradles Crayons will come and pick them up and
make sure they get delivered to that child.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
So that's a pretty efficient system. So just to make
it clear, you go to as Sigmon Wall and again
obviously you're the general manager and brain Tree do you
have do you have responsibilities in other malls or do
we then? Are they nine general managers or you an
over over general manager and uber general managers.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
There's, there's, there's, there's nine separate general managers. The entry
keeps me busy.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Enough, fair enough, No, I get that, I understand that.
And some of the other malls. Let's let's plug the
other malls so people will know that they may not
have to drive all the way to Braintree if they
live in New Hampshire. Give us some of the other locations.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Sure, yeah, so mall at Rockingham Park and Salem Mall
of New Hampshire. Uh, Peasant La Mall in Nashua, uh,
and Merrimack Premium Outlets, the New Hampshire properties.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Okay, and what about the other Massachusetts properties besides Braintree.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
Yeah, so in Massachusetts, Uh, you know, besides south Shore Plaza,
we have Square One Mall, Burlington Mall, uh, Chestnut Hill
renth them uh. And uh, I believe Cape Cod is
the other one of those.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah. I know, I'm precious a little bit. And I
don't know.
Speaker 6 (34:01):
They can just go to the website for their Simon
mall and the information will be on there for them
to be able to, you know, uh, the how they
can go to their local mall and participate in the.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Program, and so do families who are you know, maybe
looking for a little bit of help. Do they fill
out the forms or you know, the request or is
that done by Cradle the Crayons who hang those requests
on a Christmas tree and then it's up to the
shoppers to find a tag that they'd like to fulfill
(34:37):
the wish of the child.
Speaker 6 (34:40):
Yeah, so Creative Crayons works with the families, uh, to
you know, put together the lists of what the needs are. Uh.
They provide us with the tags. We make sure that
we you know, continue to replenish the tree. But the
tags have the name of the child and you know
what they requested as you know, an item or items,
(35:05):
and you know, it's just a great way. Actually, just
a great story. Happened tonight as I was leaving work
and it had been long, you know day, it's the
end of the week, you know, looking forward to going home.
And as I was exiting the mall office it's a
long corridor, you know, these two young girls came down
and I was like, you know, kind of thinking like okay,
(35:28):
maybe I'm not going home right this minute, but I said, oh,
can I help you with something. They're like, yeah, we're
just looking to drop off these gifts for cradles to crayons.
I'm like, oh great, yeah, we have you know, the
drop off boxes right over here. So they had a
couple of questions like what do we do with the tags?
And you know, they were probably about fourteen years old,
and you know, so helped them out so that they
(35:49):
could get that done. And then they said, can we
ask you a question? I said sure. They said, is
does the clothing go to the person whose name is
on the tag? I said, yep, that's absolutely how the
program works. And they were so touched, you know that
the you know, time that they had taken their money
(36:09):
that they had spent to be able to provide a
gift to the person who's name was on that tag,
you know, was actually going to get that gift. So
literally made my whole week.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Well, I think that story really does explain clearly what
it's all about and that people are able to say, Okay,
look I can afford to buy this gift for a child.
I don't know the child, but by buying that gift
and you can figure out what story you can get
(36:39):
the gift at, you then leave it there at the mall,
so you don't have to wrap it, you don't have
to drive it somewhere. Cradles for Crayons takes care of
the wrapping and the transportation. Obviously, there's a variety of
of outlets and stores and on in one of these malls.
I mean, you know, when I go to a mall,
I like Glaze, I have no idea where I am.
(37:03):
I'm a typical guy. It's like I know my way
around Fenway Park, and I know my way around Jillette
Stadium and the Garden. But in the mall, it's just
it all sort of overwhelms me. But when you think
that you take a few minutes out of your trip
to the mall in which you're taking care of your
family and friends, and to help someone who may not
(37:25):
have that support system that you and your family have,
it's got to be a great feeling, particularly for young teenagers,
to this might be the first time in their life
that they've bought something or contributed to an effort that's
outside of their family. So that was a great story, Alan,
I appreciate that clarification.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
They helped to make a difference in the life of
the child. So I mean, there's nothing better that you
can do than to make a difference in a child.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Yeah, and they've also probably that story itself will be
remembered tomorrow by a lot of customers who go into
signed the malls and they'll see the giving trees and they'll.
Speaker 6 (38:08):
They'll coming to the mall anyway you're shopping anyway, you know,
if you're buying for your own kids, great opportunity to
just pick something up for another child that you know
maybe isn't quite as fortunate, and just drop it off
at the you know, donation box and like you said,
cradles crans will take care of all of the rest
(38:30):
of it and make sure it gets to that child
who can really use those items.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
Sounds great, Alan, thank you very much, Thank you for
thank you for joining us. Tonight has been It is
now the end of a very long day and a
long week foroy you hope you get a good weekend
and a little bit more. Okay, Thanks Alas.
Speaker 6 (38:45):
And I appreciate you having me on to talk about
the program.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
You're very welcome. Alan Smith, the general manager of the
Self Shore Plaza uh talking about a great program that
Simon Malls makes available to all of us through cradles
to crayons that eventually make the holiday season a little
brighter for some young kids who maybe need a little
light at this time of year. We will be back
(39:09):
right after the nine o'clock news and we're going to
talk about the cold weather today. Very rarely do we
talk about weather, but I would like to get some
of you to explain how you face this day. I
spent most of the day in the house, I was
out for a while. I'll explain my day, and I
hope you'll share your day with us as well. My
name's Dan Ray. This is night, so I were coming
(39:30):
back right after the nine o'clock news on a Friday night,
A frigid Friday night.
It's nice size with Dan Ray. I'm going you easy
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Dikes have a good weekend, but try to be warm.
It is brutal out there. It's just outside literally three
minutes ago, and it is it feels like winter, feels
like the depth of winter. And it's December the fifth.
My name is Dan Ray. Welcome on in, everybody to
a Friday night edition of Nightside. Gather around the radio
(00:26):
and we will keep you warm all the way until
the midnight hour, will get you all the way just
to the cusp of Saturday. We being myself the host
of the show, Dan Ray, and Rob Brooks, the producer
of this fine broadcast. We're wrapping up another week here
on Nightside, and we will talk about some different topics
tonight at nine o'clock. I want to talk about the
cold today. Winter arrived. I mean, this was like a
(00:49):
ninety five degree day in June. I mean, you don't
expect it. And I'm sure that some people are going
to say it's all climate change. But it's a cold,
cold night out there no matter what. So we'll talk
talk about what you did today. Were you ready for it?
I wasn't, that's for sure. But we'll get to all
of that a little bit later on. And then there
is a development on that church in Dedham that had
(01:13):
the ice was here sign at the Nativity scene. The
Boston Archdiocese has spoken out about that. We'll get to
all of that tonight at ten o'clock and then we'll
have a twentieth hour. Not exactly sure we're going to do,
but I suspect it might be weather related. We'll figure
that one out. We have four guests coming up, and
first off, we're going to start with Brian Earl. Brian
is the author. His latest book of Christmas is Long
(01:36):
Long Ago. Brian, Welcome to nightside.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
How are you doing great? Thanks for having me Dan,
and early Merry Christmas to you.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, early merry Christmas to you as well. Your name
was printed here as Early, but I double checked and
looked at the book and it is simply Earl.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So early, but I'm not Brian Early.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yes, that's good. Well, that's good to know. So look,
all of us, however old we are, remember Christmases and
Christmas has certainly changed over my lifetime. But you know this,
the tradition of Christmas obviously dates back to a year
(02:16):
over two thousand years ago that Christians believe in Christmas.
When was Christmas first celebrated, either you know, as a
secular holiday or as a religious holiday? How long has
Christmas been celebrated in any form of fashion?
Speaker 3 (02:35):
The first records we have are from a church calendar
marking the observance of December twenty fifth as honoring the
birth of Jesus in the year three thirty six, which,
if we're keeping count, and if that is accurate, we
are about to celebrate Christmas number one thousand, six hundred
and eighty nine in terms.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, but again and helped me out here. I was
taught in an elementry school we called it in those days,
a grammar school by the nuns when we were young.
I don't know if you ever had that experience, but
it's one that you will always remember for the rest
of your life. You know that the entire calendar that
(03:15):
we live by is based upon the birth of Jesus,
and that you know, it just so happened that's December
twenty fifth, and that he only lived for thirty three
years before he was crucified. But you know, BC's before
Christ and Anodomino is the year of our Lord. So
(03:37):
you're not suggesting that that Christ was born in three
thirty six. That's that's the first time his birth was celebrated,
correct the.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Time it was, that's correct, right, So he was born
in what we now consider you're one of the Common Era,
died and was considered your thirty The gospels start showing
up several decades after that. I think John's is the latest,
coming around ninety, so we're already almost a century into
the of the Common Era. But for the first you know,
several hundred years, when Christianity is just forming, the birth
(04:09):
was not really necessarily even considered a very important story.
In fact, of the four canonical gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John, only two of them even tell the Nativity story,
and they both tell it in very different ways. And
it really isn't until we get to the fourth century
that it becomes an observance. And we don't really know
in those earliest days what that meant, how people celebrated it,
(04:30):
if it was a feasting day or not. We tend
to we see in later centuries how it evolves into
the version we know today.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Santa Claus sort of comes along. Santa Claus Saint Nicholas,
I think was introduced if my memory serves, and you're
the expert, I'm not, so don't embarrass me too badly.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
In Germany, well, he was certainly popular in Germany. I mean,
Santa Claus is descended from a real historical figure of
Saint Cholas, and Saint Nicholas has his own set of traditions.
As a matter of fact, tonight is the Eve of
Saint Nicholas Day, which is still observed in many places
around the world, not America for whatever reason, on December sixth.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
That was. Yeah, he died in the fourth.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Century, and over time his legend became sort of intermingled
with other cultural legends that we see places like Norway, Finland,
like you mentioned, Germany. All those things sort of get
added to the image that we now know today. And
it was really, believe it or not, the version that
we recognize that the guy in the flying sleigh with
the reindeer and the red firs is really mainly a
(05:36):
nineteenth century American invention.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Okay, all right, so you used the phrase common era,
which I believe is the politically most acceptable phrase. The
concept of ad ono domino seems to not be used
a common error refers to the time after the birth
(05:59):
of Christ.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Correct, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Okay, why did we all of a sudden, it seems
to me in the last twenty or thirty years. Segue
to the phrase common era. Where where do where does
that come from?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
You know, I think you said it's it's the most
politically acceptable way. I mean, it means the same thing,
but I think you know, ad may be freighted with
meaning for some people. And think about to an earlier
point of yours. You were talking about the calendar that
we're all on. It's actually interesting because the calendar we're
on today is the Gregorian calendar, which is a sixteenth
(06:34):
century invention. Prior to that is the Julian calendar, which
some cultures still observe, which actually affects the date that
Christmas and all of the things surrounding it occur. So
in Russia, Christmas is recognized on January sixth.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, and we think of that as a little Christmas.
I guess, probably exactly right. So let us talk so
it evolves and Santa Claus becomes a part of Christmas.
What in the nineteenth century you said.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
No, it was actually.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
The first time we see Saint Nicholas connected to Christmas
is around the time of the Protestant Reformation. So, like
I said, before Saint Nicholas had his own set of traditions,
he had no connection to Christmas for a long long time.
This was after in the Protestant Reformation, they wanted one
of the things they were protesting was idolatry or what
they saw is idolatry in the form of revering the
(07:29):
Saints in the Catholic Church. And so what they wanted
to have a Christmas gift bringer, and that was, believe
it or not, the Christ Child, and some cultures still
have that where it is the christ Kindle, the Christ
Child who delivers gifts on Christmas Eve. But or Saint
Nicholas rather was so popular that he was kind of
(07:50):
hard to get rid of, and people just basically snuck
him in, if.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
You like, into the Christmas celebration.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Wow, how long have you studied? You answer questions so
directly and clearly. I'm very impressed. I talked to a
lot of authors and writers. Your latest book is of
Christmases long long ago. Is that newly released or has
that been sort of a book that's spent out for
a while.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
No, that is new this year.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And to answer your question, I've been at this the
podcast Christmas Past, which introduced in twenty sixteen, So I
guess I can say I've been making a study of
this for just about ten seasons now.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And are you an author professionally? Do you write on
other issues or is your sort of your dissertation because
you seem to really know it inside and out, very.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Stroll and I'm always really quick to point out I'm
not a journalist, I'm not an historian. I don't have
academic credentials in this. I'm a storyteller. I wanted to
create a podcast. The story goes that back in twenty fifteen,
I was looking for the kind of podcast that I
ended up creating because it didn't exist, and I.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Said, Okay, well, I guess I'll try that.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And the aim was always to just talk to the
most knowledgeable people that I can find, and so over
the years, I mean, I've talked to the CEO of
the candy cane factory, I've talked to historians and professional
Santa Clauses and just and the great thing about Christmas
you mentioned before, how it just continually evolves that some
of the people making the changes to Christmas are still
(09:27):
with us today. As a matter of fact, this time
of year, you can't go into a store without seeing
all those popcorn kins. That's a fairly new thing. I
actually talked to the guy who started that and got
the whole and how that happened.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
The big red buckets of popcorn.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Yes, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Wow, this this is great. You know, it comes across
your love of what you do. Not everyone who I
talked to four times a night, five nights a week
has the enthusiasm and the precision that you have, And
I really appreciate you. And maybe what we might do
(10:04):
is between now and Christmas some night, have you on
with us in one of our later hours where we
take phone calls from listeners. Oh people, Yeah, so we'll
I'll have my producer get back. But again, the book
is now available of Christmases Long Long Ago. Such a
great title. And you have been hosting the number one
Christmas podcast for ten years. I assume it's available on Amazon.
(10:28):
Is there any other way folks can get to it?
Speaker 4 (10:30):
As they say, wherever books are sold, wherever.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Books are sold, And are you a massa? I'm looking
at the phone number here. You're six one seven is that?
Are you a Massachusetts native?
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, I live in California.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Now I just heard your weather report. It is a
bone chill in fifty four degrees here in Sanday, California.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
You know, I'll tell you this, the empathy that you're
going to feel through the phone lines here will be
non existent. But so you're a message you're born in
it's Stoughton, all right. All right, well, Brian Earle, thank
you very much. We'll get back to my producer get
back to you or to whomever represents you, and would
love to have you on some night and take some
phone calls. I think it would be a lot of fun.
(11:07):
Thank you so much. Merry Christmas. But we will talk
to you again before Christmas.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
All right, take care now.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Thanks thanks very much. Now, of course, the holiday season,
as far as I'm concerned, is the best time of
the year. I really do believe that. However, there are
hazards to the holiday season and holiday safety. And we're
going to talk with Gayo Petrillo coming up. She has
a book, Becoming Visible, Overcoming trauma based fears, phobias, and
(11:34):
self doubt. But we're also going to talk to her
about some of the mistakes that we might make, particularly
with young kids running around. And so we'll have some
instruction from Gayl Patrillo right after this on Nightside quick
break here and coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's night Side with Dan Ray on.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
We'll go back. Everyone liked to introduce you to Gayl
Gail Petrillo. Welcome to Nightside. How are you this evening?
Speaker 5 (12:04):
I'm well, Dan, thank you so much for having me
as your guest tonight. Happy holiday.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Well do you celebrate Christmas?
Speaker 5 (12:13):
We actually celebrate both. My husband is Italian and I
am Jewish.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
So happy well, Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas and happy Honicah.
I thank you. We're a family also that has on
both Christian and Jewish tradition, so I sort of I'm
not a happy holiday guy. I like to know what
people celebrate and I like to be more specific, so
(12:39):
that's just a little quirk that I have. Merry Christmas
to your husband, and happy Honica to you. So you
have written a book, Becoming Visible, overcoming trauma based fears, phobias,
and self doubt, and some of it involves, I guess
an accident that you suffered as a child.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
Yeah, I was a two and a half year old toddler.
I was a giggly, girly girl who loved going new
places and meeting new people. Took me to a mother
daughter tea party down the street at the neighbors and
it was nineteen fifty six. Tea was not the drink
of choice. Coffee was, and so as I climbed up
(13:22):
to the table to partake of the beautiful lace tablecloth
and so on, I reached for a fresh baked cookie
out of the oven was on all the time. Well,
I'll never do it again, because in reaching for that
beautiful tasty cookie, I knocked the forty cup pot of
(13:42):
fresh brewed coffee off the table in all over me
forty percent of my body was burned from my breast
to my navel thirty fourth degree burns to the bone,
and I was casualized for months. My mom and dad
didn't know if I would never die.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Well, that certainly qualifies you for advising people about what
not to do and not to do. And obviously, with
the holiday season going on, families of every background have
get togethers and parties and reunions and a lot of
that involves crowded kitchens, sometimes hot liquids, and little ones
(14:22):
running everywhere. What are some of the simple precautions that
people need to be certainly aware of and hopefully take.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
Yeah, so thank you for asking that first thing? First,
I say, make sure your smoke detectors are working. They
need to be replaced every ten years or more often
if they're the older battery kind. Make sure you have
a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, have a screen on
your fireplaces. Make sure you have your chimney cleaned every
(14:53):
year before you start lighting that fireplace. The other things
that you can do to be prepared is a sign
tasks in advance to individuals to make sure there aren't
too many cooks in the kitchen or at the stove.
Don't close with billowing sleeves, because they're easily able to
catch fire, especially if you have a guest. Hire a babysitter,
(15:18):
or maybe hire or sign spotters to keep the little
winds prowled and out of that kitchen.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Oh, great, great advice. Let me ask us. A year
ago I bought there's a product called the fire blanket
that I used to see advertised on TV. Not so
much more now, but essentially that if there is a
fire in the kitchen, the last thing you do is
throw water on it. It just will spread it.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
Rap.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
But these fire blankets. Never had to use them, thank god.
But they do you have any experience? I bought them
and gave one of my son's family, one of my
daughter's family, and they of course laughed.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
At me, you know, but I think they did.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, are they a valuable asset? Again, we're not here
to sell fire blankets, But is it is that something? No?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Yes, absolutely so. I don't have personal experience with it.
My husband is a twenty three year fire fighter or
fire chief. He's now retired. But that blanket is really
great because when you're dealing with a fire extinguisher, there's
a lot of make sure you do this, pull the
plug game, blah blah blah. Yeah, blanket will smother those
(16:33):
flames very quickly. Yes, and you're absolutely right. Do not
do not put water on a fire. It will spread it.
And so you take that blanket or towels or whatever.
And especially if it's a grease fire. Right you're pulling
the turkey out of the oven, and the grease from
the turkey splashes up and causes an oven fire, do
(16:58):
not throw water on it. That blank will squash that
fire really fast.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, I'm glad to hear that, because I'm going to
ask my adult children if they've kept the fire blanket near,
because they laughed at me, like, only it was one
of these only you would think about a fire blank
and it's like, well, you know, it's when you need it.
It's nice to have it. So I'm happy I'm going
(17:25):
to quote you on this one. Now, let's talk about
your book as a burn survivor and author of the
book Becoming Visible Overcoming Trauma based fears, phobias, and self doubt.
You said that you were two and a half when
you were badly burned. How long did it take you
physically to recover from that and how long psychologically?
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Yeah, so physically was probably about eighteen monthstical late with
seventy years. We never talked about my accident as a
family because back in the late fifties and sixties, it
was already laundry that you didn't air, and so I
was taught to put one foot in front of the
(18:07):
other and take day by day and not to survive,
which is what I did. I did not live. However,
I came out of holding only about four and a
half years ago, telling my story because the few people
won't hold it encouraged me that it was huming. And
(18:28):
I mean nobody hearing my seat and shaddy secrets. I'm
healing emotionally, and when we do that, we enabled your vulnerable.
We enable other people to decide to share their story
so they get the healing process as well.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I think we all have stories from our childhood, and
one that you have is pretty traumatic traumatic. I have
a a friend of mine whose son was badly burned
similar accident. It was like, you know, it was an
item on the stove, but he's recovered well, family's doing well.
(19:08):
I know it sounds to me like you suffered incredible
physical impact and trauma, and I congratulate you on overcoming that.
And how can folks get your book? I assume it's
available on Amazon, but anywhere else you want to direct
some of our listeners.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Oh, I appreciate that. Yes, it is available on Amazon.
It's also available for my publisher booklocker one, word dot com,
backslash one three eight.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Some authors have their own website, and some authors prefer
me to direct people to their website because sometimes people
would want to book personalized. If you do something like
that and you have a website that people can contact you,
feel free to share it with us. If you do,
we'll just direct them towards Amazon. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:03):
No, I appreciate that I do have a website. I'm
a career in confidence coach as well as an author
and speaker, and my website is first spelled out fi
rst impressions plural the number one dot com, so first
impressions one dot com.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Thank you, As they say, you never get a second
chance to make a first impression anyway. Congratulations on your
success and your determination, Gail, and again, happy holidays, whichever
holiday it is, Christmas or Honikan. It seems like you
have the best of both worlds in your family, as
we have in ours. Thanks so much, Gail.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Thank you have a wonderful holiday, and thanks again for
having me as your guest.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
You're welcome. Coming up on the other side of the news,
we're going to talk with a business strategist, Suzanne Castle,
about some new data that suggests that small businesses are struggling. Now,
I'm sure that like anything else, there's a lot of
small businesses that are struggling and a lot of small
businesses that are thriving. But we'll talk with Suzanne Castle
(21:09):
on the other side, and later on we're going to
talk about Simon mauls ex efforts to team up with
Cradles to crayon selp local kids this holiday season. Back
on Nightside right after the News at the bottom.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Of the hour, It's Nightside with Dan Ray on Boston's
News Radio'd.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like to welcome Suzanne Castle to our program. Suzanne, welcome
to Nightside. How are you this evening.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I'm fabulous, Thanks for having me back, Dan. I'm excited
to be here.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I like it when someone says they're fabulous. My godfather
last name was Castle. I never met him. He lived
in Panama and he had been a childhood friend of
my dad many many years ago. So whenever I hear
someone with the name of Castle, I always think maybe
somehow we're distantly related. So that's why I feel good
(22:00):
about this conversation. The conversation is going to talk about
small businesses, and it says that there's some new data
that says small businesses are struggling. Now, obviously that doesn't
mean every small business. What I know is that small
businesses are the backbone of this economy, and if small
businesses are struggling, we all should be concerned. What's the
(22:21):
what are the numbers suggesting?
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Well, you're right, the data is real and it's affecting
nearly every single sector. We're seeing the sharpest private sector
job losses since early twenty twenty three. And small businesses,
which are defined by the ones fewer than fifty employees
or so, they're carrying the brunt of it. And I
think that there are probably three big forces that are converging.
(22:47):
There's the cost of capital has skyrocket. We know that
there's loans, there's credit line equipment financing for example. It's
more expensive and that's just going to squeeze cash flow.
But consumer spending has softened. People are making more cautious choices.
I don't know about you, but my family is too,
and that means slower payments and therefore tighter margins, especially
(23:11):
for small businesses. And Third, I think small business owners
are tired. They're exhausted. There's decision fatigue and it's draining
their strategic capacity. And when the brain is overwhelmed, owners
start to hesitate, so they delay decisions or maybe they
choose relative reactive cuts and that's going to hurt long
(23:31):
term stability. So I don't think it's necessarily one thing
that we're seeing. It's an economic squeeze, meaning an emotional
and a cognitive squeeze as well.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Now, Susie, don't be offended by this, but that is
a fairly dystopian view of the economy at this point.
Is this part of a normal business cycle or we're
sort of, in my opinion, caught between two economies. One,
we have the Biden of twenty twenty one to early
(24:02):
twenty twenty five, which I think the public got very
tired of. Now we have a Trump economy, which is
much more interesting in terms of tariffs come on, Tariffs
come off, the big beautiful tax bill so called, lots
of progress on some piece of talks in place around
(24:23):
the world. It's a very dynamic, a different feel this year,
putting aside the politics to of it. Whether you like
Donald Trump don't like Donald Trump. The economy right now
is churning. And I've seen some reports that say twenty
twenty six might be a real big bounce back year.
And I don't know what you're reading, but how does
(24:45):
it look for small businesses. Are they going to continue
the projections that things are only going to get worse
or are we looking at maybe a little bit of
a bounce back.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I personally think that we are going to see a
bounce back. But I do think there's some because I
think that small business owners are in survival mode, and
I think even when things are good, there's the survival
instinct in the small business world, and so there is
a little bit of that panic vibe going on, especially
among small business and that's what's leading the narrative. If
(25:17):
you turn on the news anywhere, maybe not on your show, Dan,
but everywhere else. That's what's leading the headlines is the
up and the down, and the up and the down.
If you're a small business owner, you just don't even
know where to turn. Should I be cutting? Should I
be staying the course? Should I be investing here? When
when investment is really hard to do right now? So
I think you have a lot of topsy turbiness and
that's hard to navigate as a small business owner.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Well, the early numbers that I'm seeing from the Christmas
season is that this Christmas season might be breaking a
lot of records that this might be a trillion dollar
Christmas season. I don't know, you know obviously what the
ultimate number will be, but it would seem that with
the stock market in better conditioned, maybe as good condition
(26:03):
as it's ever been. I realized not everybody's invested in
the star mark in the stock market, but there are
a lot of people invested in the stock market, and
a lot of people who are invested in the stock
market are saying maybe they can, maybe I can spend
a little bit more. I mean, it's it's not all dystopian,
is what I'm trying to get at. And I'm just
hoping that the points, the economic points that will that
(26:25):
will start to take priority, will be ones that will
turn the economy in a better direction than it's been
going for the last few years. Obviously, we went through
COVID and and that was a tremendous blow to the economy,
tremendous blow to the educational particularly the the the the
school systems.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
A lot of kids have have lost time, uh and
and somehow, some way those those losses have to be
made up. I'm I'm just always optimistic that tomorrow is
going to be better than yesterday. Am I am? I
looking at this whole thing with rose colored glasses.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
I don't think so, because I'm advising my clients to
stay visible, and I think that's where the sweet spot
is because visibility in this climate, I think it's everything,
and it's often the first thing that owners big or
small cut when they're feeling overwhelmed. So for example, trust
and loyalty and connection, that's always recession proof. People want
(27:25):
to buy local, they want to support familiar faces. That's
where small businesses shine. So when the community feels like
they know you, they want to choose you first, and
especially even when money is tighter, they want to give
to the mom and pop for example. So I look
at it like visibility is not marketing activity. It's a
survival activity. So if you're feeling to pinch, for example,
(27:47):
do more visibility. If you're not feeling to pinch, do
more visibility. I think visibility is always creative, and I
think it's where the magic is really lying right now.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
The other thing too, that I'm a huge believer in
an economist, nor do I play one on the radio,
but I followed the economy pretty closely. One of the
things is that I try to stay away from big
box stores. I would prefer to go to a small
local hardware store when I need something. Okay, I may
pay a couple of extra dollars, but it's going to
(28:17):
help that local hardware store. Also, if I can buy
something locally as opposed to going on the internet, and
I can go to a brick and mortar store, I'm
hugely in favor of that because they are my neighbors,
the people in my community. I just think that that
mindset has to, in my opinion, come much more to
(28:40):
the four. I had a bad experience in October with
some company that I was trying to buy something from.
Turned out it was a company in China, and I
was getting notifications about where the product was with notes
in Mandarin, and believe it or not, I don't speak
or read Mandarin. And I just said to myself, I'm
done to whatever extent I can be with the Internet.
(29:02):
I'm done, and I'm going to go not to the
big stores but to the small stores. And you know what,
you feel better about yourself when you do that as well, well.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
And I think that's some of the creativity I'm seeing,
And honestly, that's where I'm inspired. When you see smart
business owners. They shift from the from the complexity that
we kind of see a lot to creativity. So so
you might see shared pop ups between the mom and
pops together that are on the same street, right, two
or three businesses they come together, and a gym might
(29:34):
partner with a juice bar on the same street, for example.
And when you start doing things like that, you're not
only driving traffic to both businesses. People see each other
at each location, like, Hey, Bob down the street, I
didn't know you went to that gym. So you're starting
conversations in your community, but you're also helping each business.
And I really think that that's going to be the
key to the American economy, especially and especially when you
(29:56):
really want to have ownership and you want to help
your community thrive. That's where we need to be spending
our dollars.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
You bet you, Suzanne Castle, thank you so much for
your time. Is there some way most folks who come
on the show like to have us send people to
their website? How can my listeners benefit from your knowledge
and expertise?
Speaker 5 (30:18):
You know, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn.
People can find me there or just go to my
website Susianncastle dot com and I appreciate spending some time
with you this evening.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Right back at you. Who knows we might be distantly related.
You never know, Susanne. Great, thank you, we'll talk again.
Merry Christmas, have a great night, Have a great night.
We're coming up on the other side. A little bit
of a break here, and then we're going to talk
to Alan Smith. He's the general manager of the south
Shore Plaza, big shopping center down in Braintree, right off
(30:47):
of one twenty eight and that whole neck of the woods.
And we're going to talk about Simon Mall's teaming up
with Cradle de Crayons to help local kids this holiday season.
Always a positive story. Coming back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on w BZ, Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Delighted to be joined by Alan Smith. He's the general
manager of the south Shore Plaza, Alan Smith, Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Hey, thanks for having me, Dan.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So tell us about Simon Mauls has a good reputation.
They have worked with Crayons, Cradles to Crayons before. Explain
to this how this works and how individuals can contribute
and support the effort.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
Yeah. So we've worked with Cradles Crayons for a number
of years. Uh, the relationship has grown.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (31:40):
They're actually in nine Simon properties this year between Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. Uh. It's literally one of the best
things we do all year. You know, it's the holidays.
It's about you know, giving back more than it is
about receiving. And so each property has a giving tree
(32:02):
and each tree has tags on it with items that
are being requested by children in the area. Might be
a warm winded coat, might be a sweater, pair of boots.
So you can go to the tree, pick out a
tag or a couple of tags, purchase those items and
(32:23):
then bring them to the drop off location at that
particular property and just you know, don't wrap it, you know,
just in the bag with the tag, and you know,
then Cradles Crayons will come and pick them up and
make sure they get delivered to that child.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
So that's a pretty efficient system. So just to make
it clear, you go to as Sigmon Wall and again
obviously you're the general manager and brain Tree do you
have do you have responsibilities in other malls or do
we then? Are they nine general managers or you an
over over general manager and uber general managers.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
There's, there's, there's, there's nine separate general managers. The entry
keeps me busy.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Enough, fair enough, No, I get that, I understand that.
And some of the other malls. Let's let's plug the
other malls so people will know that they may not
have to drive all the way to Braintree if they
live in New Hampshire. Give us some of the other locations.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Sure, yeah, so mall at Rockingham Park and Salem Mall
of New Hampshire. Uh, Peasant La Mall in Nashua, uh,
and Merrimack Premium Outlets, the New Hampshire properties.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Okay, and what about the other Massachusetts properties besides Braintree.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
Yeah, so in Massachusetts, Uh, you know, besides south Shore Plaza,
we have Square One Mall, Burlington Mall, uh, Chestnut Hill
renth them uh. And uh, I believe Cape Cod is
the other one of those.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah. I know, I'm precious a little bit. And I
don't know.
Speaker 6 (34:01):
They can just go to the website for their Simon
mall and the information will be on there for them
to be able to, you know, uh, the how they
can go to their local mall and participate in the.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Program, and so do families who are you know, maybe
looking for a little bit of help. Do they fill
out the forms or you know, the request or is
that done by Cradle the Crayons who hang those requests
on a Christmas tree and then it's up to the
shoppers to find a tag that they'd like to fulfill
(34:37):
the wish of the child.
Speaker 6 (34:40):
Yeah, so Creative Crayons works with the families, uh, to
you know, put together the lists of what the needs are. Uh.
They provide us with the tags. We make sure that
we you know, continue to replenish the tree. But the
tags have the name of the child and you know
what they requested as you know, an item or items,
(35:05):
and you know, it's just a great way. Actually, just
a great story. Happened tonight as I was leaving work
and it had been long, you know day, it's the
end of the week, you know, looking forward to going home.
And as I was exiting the mall office it's a
long corridor, you know, these two young girls came down
and I was like, you know, kind of thinking like okay,
(35:28):
maybe I'm not going home right this minute, but I said, oh,
can I help you with something. They're like, yeah, we're
just looking to drop off these gifts for cradles to crayons.
I'm like, oh great, yeah, we have you know, the
drop off boxes right over here. So they had a
couple of questions like what do we do with the tags?
And you know, they were probably about fourteen years old,
and you know, so helped them out so that they
(35:49):
could get that done. And then they said, can we
ask you a question? I said sure. They said, is
does the clothing go to the person whose name is
on the tag? I said, yep, that's absolutely how the
program works. And they were so touched, you know that
the you know, time that they had taken their money
(36:09):
that they had spent to be able to provide a
gift to the person who's name was on that tag,
you know, was actually going to get that gift. So
literally made my whole week.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Well, I think that story really does explain clearly what
it's all about and that people are able to say, Okay,
look I can afford to buy this gift for a child.
I don't know the child, but by buying that gift
and you can figure out what story you can get
(36:39):
the gift at, you then leave it there at the mall,
so you don't have to wrap it, you don't have
to drive it somewhere. Cradles for Crayons takes care of
the wrapping and the transportation. Obviously, there's a variety of
of outlets and stores and on in one of these malls.
I mean, you know, when I go to a mall,
I like Glaze, I have no idea where I am.
(37:03):
I'm a typical guy. It's like I know my way
around Fenway Park, and I know my way around Jillette
Stadium and the Garden. But in the mall, it's just
it all sort of overwhelms me. But when you think
that you take a few minutes out of your trip
to the mall in which you're taking care of your
family and friends, and to help someone who may not
(37:25):
have that support system that you and your family have,
it's got to be a great feeling, particularly for young teenagers,
to this might be the first time in their life
that they've bought something or contributed to an effort that's
outside of their family. So that was a great story, Alan,
I appreciate that clarification.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
They helped to make a difference in the life of
the child. So I mean, there's nothing better that you
can do than to make a difference in a child.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Yeah, and they've also probably that story itself will be
remembered tomorrow by a lot of customers who go into
signed the malls and they'll see the giving trees and they'll.
Speaker 6 (38:08):
They'll coming to the mall anyway you're shopping anyway, you know,
if you're buying for your own kids, great opportunity to
just pick something up for another child that you know
maybe isn't quite as fortunate, and just drop it off
at the you know, donation box and like you said,
cradles crans will take care of all of the rest
(38:30):
of it and make sure it gets to that child
who can really use those items.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
Sounds great, Alan, thank you very much, Thank you for
thank you for joining us. Tonight has been It is
now the end of a very long day and a
long week foroy you hope you get a good weekend
and a little bit more. Okay, Thanks Alas.
Speaker 6 (38:45):
And I appreciate you having me on to talk about
the program.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
You're very welcome. Alan Smith, the general manager of the
Self Shore Plaza uh talking about a great program that
Simon Malls makes available to all of us through cradles
to crayons that eventually make the holiday season a little
brighter for some young kids who maybe need a little
light at this time of year. We will be back
(39:09):
right after the nine o'clock news and we're going to
talk about the cold weather today. Very rarely do we
talk about weather, but I would like to get some
of you to explain how you face this day. I
spent most of the day in the house, I was
out for a while. I'll explain my day, and I
hope you'll share your day with us as well. My
name's Dan Ray. This is night, so I were coming
(39:30):
back right after the nine o'clock news on a Friday night,
A frigid Friday night.
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