Seacoast Stories

Flight delays. Sleeping in airports overnight. Subways breaking down underground.

For most people, travel is a nightmare.

But with C&J Bus Lines, it's a different story.

C&J is not only one of the most beloved companies on the Seacoast, but they're also one of the most respected across the entire transportation industry.

How is it possible that a BUS company - long seen as the bottom of the barrel in travel - makes peop...

***This episode contains references to sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.***

Katie Grimes had to make a change.

After years of chasing chaotic relationships, people pleasing, addiction, burning through cash, and surrounding herself with the wrong people, Katie finally realized a higher purpose awaited her.

A Massachusetts kid who built a strong commercial real estate career in Boston, Katie is now a very successful Portsm...

While overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Cliff House, host Troy Farkas sits down with Cliff House General Manager Nancy White. 

In this bonus episode (recorded in August), the two discuss Cliff House’s storied history, the natural beauty surrounding the resort, how a rough economy impacted attendance at Cliff House this summer, the many dining options offered, and the luxurious services offered at one of Maine’s most iconic landmarks...

Pete Endres grew up dreaming of owning a farm.

And when his mother passed away in 2011, Pete and his brothers decided they wanted to not only own a farm, but to open up a cidery on said property.

Pete, who later moved to the Seacoast in the mid-2010s, spent years searching for the perfect property until, finally, he found it in 2019.

That farm? It's now home to Bird Dog Cider in Greenland, N.H., which formally opened its doors las...

The best restaurant on the Seacoast?

Some will tell you it's The Black Birch.

Tucked away in Kittery Foreside, this gastropub is a fan favorite lauded for its deviled eggs, short rib, cocktails, and intimate setting. In fact, when Ben Lord and Gavin Baudry started dreaming of having their own spot while both serving tables of Anneke Jans, the vision they'd laid out is nearly identical to what "The Birch" has become....

In August 1905, the eyes of the world were looking at Portsmouth, N.H.

The site of the peace talks for ending the Russo-Japanese War, Portsmouth played host to the delegates from Russia and Japan, who hashed out the particulars of the deal at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

In this weeks-long affair, the citizens of Portsmouth rallied around the cause, hosting dinners, parties, and parades to create an environment suitable for bringin...

Jessica Sunshine couldn't take it anymore.

New Hampshire's changing policies. The complaints from the parents. The stress.

So, after 10 years of teaching high school English across several New Hampshire high schools, the 32-year-old won't be returning to the classroom this year.

Instead, she's focusing on building her dream of helping students feel seen and heard in a different way: yoga.

An accomplished yoga teacher at...

On one of the biggest days of their lives, Bill and Bennett Camarda's lives were flipped upside down.

On today's episode, the husband-and-wife co-owners of Limitless Fitness (Epping & Greenland, N.H.) open up about the emotional rollercoaster of the last two years, from dealing with unimaginable grief, to acquiring Limitless in 2024, building a second location, and so much more.

From the West End of Portsmouth, the powerh...

Are you holding yourself back without even realizing it?

Julie Costa used to.

But then, she found hypnotherapy. And ever since she started getting out of her own way, she's now committed to helping others dig underneath the subconscious so they can unlock their true potential as well.

Formerly a high-level employee at Lululemon and a bodybuilding competitor, Julie is now a certified hypnotherapist and business coach who uses hypno...

Where are all the Seacoast men?

Every week, it feels like a new women's group pops up. And understandably so! Women NEED a safe space to gather, connect, and feel safe. "Seacoast Stories" supports all of those groups.

But we also recognize that men need connection, too, especially as traditional masculinity has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years, partly leaving men to feel like they're to blame for a...

"You should sell these!"

That's what Jeff Buckwalter said to his sister-in-law, Leigh Kellis, when he first took a bite of the potato-based donut she made in her home kitchen.

Soon after, Leigh took his advice by opening The Holy Donut on Park Avenue in Portland, M.E., in 2012.

A year later, after the Instagram-friendly potato donuts became a hit in the town, Kellis brought Jeff -- with nearly two decades of big business experience u...

Inga Potter knew there was a better way.

So when her colleagues told her about the indelible benefits of kelp, the marine biologist couldn't help but go down a rabbit hole about the seaweed strand that looked to be the next big thing in the wellness industry.

Then, when Inga told her longtime friend Krista Rosen, a former lawyer, about her kelp-based dreams, the two decided to go all in together.

The result?

Cold Current Kelp, a Ma...

"Who is my father?"

Tanya Hart asked herself this question repeatedly through the first 40 years of her life.

Until, one day in 2020, she finally found the answer.

From the West End of Portsmouth, the Seacoast business tycoon sits down with ⁠host Troy Farkas⁠ to tell the WILD story of how she tracked down her biological father during the pandemic. Then, the Oomph Salon & Ash Alchemy owner discusses why she started Oomph,...

David Vargas was a f**k-up.

As a teenager in Santa Ana, Calif., the devil tapped him on the shoulder every day. Without a clear direction in life, he started smoking marijuana, which quickly turned into doing all the drugs: Cocaine, ecstacy, ketamine, and more. Drugs were the only thing David believed he was good at.

Until, one day, he prepared a fried bologna sandwich for his friends while they were high. David realized then that ma...

Maddie Brandon never felt like she fit in.

With no form of safe self-expression available to her growing up in-real-life, she turned to social media.

Fast forward 15 years, and she's quickly become one of the top social media creators on the Seacoast.

With 14,000 followers, the 27-year-old's Instagram page represents all of our collective fantasies: Luxury Airbnb stays, scenic helicopter rides, and cozy cabin weekends in the m...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains references to eating disorders. Listener discretion is advised.

Erin Holt wanted to fix herself.

After years of battling eating disorders, she dreamt of learning how to diet better. So when she went to school for dietetics, she did so solely to help herself.

Flash forward 20 years later, and now she's one of the foremost voices in the world of functional nutrition, helping thousands of people aro...

*This episode is presented by ⁠Blue Water Mortgage⁠ in Hampton, N.H.

**We're also brought to you by ⁠Portsmouth Paddle Co.⁠ and ⁠Seavasana⁠! Get 15% off one all-levels SUP Yoga class AND 15% off a guided tour with code SUPSTORIES15. Book any class this summer before June 30 to take advantage of this special offer!

In front of a SOLD-OUT live audience at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., it's the official kickoff of Season 3 of ...

Bill Blum knew something was wrong.

They grew up adoring women's fashion. And in 2012, when they hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine!!!), they wore a kilt the entire time.

Still, it took a few more years for Bill to put the pieces together.

And when they finally did, their entire life came crashing down.

Today, Bill is the proud owner of Pride Toolbox, a handyperson's business which performs small home r...

The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is THIS THURSDAY! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jay Collins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Live Freely's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Pine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and Cup of Joe's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joanna Kelley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Plus, we'll play Seacoast Trivia, hand out prizes from Loaded Question Brewing, Flamingos Coffee Bar, The Living Room, and more! WOKQ's Kira Lew and 3 Bridges Yoga's...