Seacoast Stories

She built a global fitness brand without investors, business degree, or plans for becoming an entrepreneur.

When Eliza Shirazi graduated from UMass, she thought she'd spend her career working in public health. Fitness classes were simply a side hustle—a way to make a little extra money after work.

Over the next decade, that side hustle became Kick It by Eliza, a kickboxing-inspired worldwide fitness community that has transform...

How does a tiny, hidden cocktail bar with no sign, no advertising, and (almost) no rules become one of the most beloved institutions in a city's history?

Cresta Smith, the co-founder of the legendary bar The Red Door, joins host Troy Farkas this week to discuss the iconic Portsmouth speakeasy that shaped an entire generation of nightlife (and espresso martini lovers) on the Seacoast.

From opening night in 2003 to her departure in 201...

Laura Fox needed a change.

Late last year, at our 3S Artspace live podcast, the Foxglove lead singer and Maine Fox Marketing founder announced that she'd booked a one-way trip to Mexico, with no plans for anything besides returning just in time to record her first in-studio album in May.

Seven months later, in another edition of "The Follow-Up" where we speak to popular past guests, Fox joins host Troy Farkas to reveal what she lear...

Dr. Mychal Beebee is one of the most decorated chiropractors in the industry, and patients from all over the country flock to Portsmouth's Arete Chiropractic to seek treatment from her and her team on upper cervical issues.

Among her many accolades, Dr. Beebee currently serves as the Vice President of the Council on Upper Cervical Care (CUCC). She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Blair Upper Cervical Society as the dire...

Chad Coll just wanted to be an artist.

A lax bro from Maryland without any dreams beyond that, Coll moved to the Seacoast in 2009 after joining the Coast Guard.

From there, he fell in love with the area, and when his Coast Guard stint ended, he pursued a variety of jobs and hobbies that all involved making things with his hands, including making wooden spoons.

Despite making these spoons for 10 years, he only started selling his wood...

***TRIGGER WARNING*** This podcast contains discussion of suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

It's a miracle that Victoria Arlen is still here.

Before the age of 10, she entered into a vegetative state after getting diagnosed with two rare neurodegenerative diseases. From there, the Exeter, N.H. native lived incapacitated for four years, with doctors and nurses instructing Arlen's parents to accept that their daughter wouldn't l...

The Ogunquit Playhouse is not just some theater on the side of the road in Ogunquit, Maine.

Every summer for the last 93 years, this "little white box" in one of New England's most eclectic cultural hubs has played home to world premieres of global theatrical sensations, many of which later make their way to the stages of Broadway and London's famed West End. The actors and actresses whom Ogunquit attracts have shelves filled with T...

The world is burning down.

At least, that's what the modern media landscape convinces you into thinking.

But what if there were a different way to present the news? What if, instead of focusing on all the negative, we actually celebrated the thousands of milestones and mini-victories happening each and every day?

Andy DeMeo asked himself that question two years ago. Then, he founded Granite Goodness - a podcast, newsletter, social me...

Cure is a top-rated restaurant serving upscale comfort food in downtown Portmsouth, N.H., and now the visionary behind one of the Seacoast's most beloved establishments is setting her sights on something even bigger and better.

Julie Cutting-Kelley is the owner and executive chef at Cure. A lifelong Seacoast native, she's also the co-owner of Emerald Elevation (a chef-inspired cannabis company), mother of two, Lighthouse Credit Unio...

Host Troy Farkas quickly takes you inside the past, present, and future of the 21st century media organization that's taking over New Hampshire and Maine.

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In the final week off before the launch of Season 5, we replay one of the very first episodes of the "Seacoast Stories" podcast.

Nick Callas is a New York City-based comedian who has toured with famous comedians Bryan Callen and Chris D'elia. With over 56,000 followers on Instagram, the star of the "Wolf Pup" comedy special joins host Troy Farkas to look back on Callas' 2024 performance at The Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth.

Plus, ...

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 in th...

Cody Whelan⁠ was miserable.

Feeling purposeless in his geology career, he came home after work every day tired, irritable, and wondering why he was still putting himself through this. He dreamt of a different life for himself, a life centered on purpose, service, and connection. And after seven years of business ideas gnawing at him, he finally decided to pull the plug on his stable career so he could throw himself into the unstable...

Ankati Day is arguably the top yoga teacher on the Seacoast.

A Maine native, the 42-year-old instructor graduated yoga teacher training 15 years ago in the jungles of Costa Rica. After living in the forest, she moved back to the Seacoast in 2015 to pursue yoga as a full-time career.

These days, she currently teaches at 3 Bridges Yoga, Shilo Farm, and Studio One. Additionally, she leads worldwide yoga retreats and hosts ecstatic dance...

In the first live podcast EVER (pres. by Chinburg Properties) performed at the historic Stone Church in Newmarket, N.H., host Troy Farkas brings "Seacoast Stories LIVE" to one of the Seacoast's most iconic venues.

To begin the show, he talks to Max Pruna, the beloved owner of La Mulita Coffee. Together, the two discuss Pruna's secret to craft coffee magic, why La Mulita is so universally enjoyed, and some breaking news regarding the...

***SEACOAST STORIES LIVE HAPPENS THIS THURSDAY! SECURE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE STONE CHURCH SHOW HERE***

Jennifer Wilder is always leveling up.

Today, the highly-respected owner of two beloved Seacoast brands, LANEY & LU and Ginger Fox, rejoins host Troy Farkas to take us inside a hectic 2026 for her businesses. Plus, she reveals some breaking news regarding the LANEY & LU offerings, her ambitious plans for opening more restaura...

Restaurants play an important role in society.

But according to six-time James Beard nominee Evan Mallett, that role may not be what you think it is.

Beyond serving food, Mallett believes it's the role of the restaurant - especially a successful one - to highlight diversity, support local farms, and offer a seat at the table to those who aren't often invited.

Today, the chef/owner of Black Trumpet, a legendary downtown Portsmouth rest...

If you enjoy cannabis, then you owe a debt of gratitude to Dana Brearley.

Why? Because Brearley, along with his co-founder, James Folan, spent YEARS lobbying at the state house in Maine, running a medical marijuana company (Arcana), and learning all of the ins and outs of the business, all of which helped to pave the way for the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maine in 2016.

Now, the two best friends own East Coast Cannabis....

Loneliness is the silent killer.

According to a recent study, experiencing loneliness is as detrimental to one's health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day is.

Portsmouth's Gwen Wiscount-Nisbet is disgusted by this.

From the West End of Portsmouth, the Pennsylvania native joins host Troy Farkas to discuss her business, Fabrik, and the unique way it's directly confronting loneliness, a $1.9 TRILLION problem in the United States. The two t...