Seacoast Stories

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...

The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! 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! To secure tickets, ⁠⁠...

In the final episode of Season 2, past guest Alex Bynum takes the mic to interview host Troy Farkas! From the West End of Portsmouth, the two discuss the 6/19 live podcast, why Troy became a yoga teacher this year, and what to expect in Season 3. Plus, Seacoast Rapid Fire -- which may or may not include a rant all of you can relate to.

Then, in Part Two, Troy revisits five of the most powerful moments from the podcast so far this ye...

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! 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. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here. **

Cody Whelan was miserable.

Feeling purposeless in his geology career, he came home after work every day tired, irritable, and wond...

The Leavitt Theatre almost ceased to exist.

In the mid-2010s, after the Ogunquit-based silent film theatre found itself gasping for air in the midst of the home movie theater and streaming revolution, it nearly shuttered its doors.

But then, after drawing upon the good faith created over the previous decades with the patrons of Ogunquit, the theatre raised an astounding $70,000 on Kickstarter in 2014 to breathe new life into the thea...

Food insecurity is only worsening in this country.

And Gather, one of the longest running social programs in America, is dedicated to battling this growing problem on the Seacoast.

With a mission to fight food insecurity with innovative solutions and in dignified ways, Gather is a FORCE when it comes to nonprofits on the Seacoast.

In 2024 alone, Gather distributed 1.7 MILLION pounds of food. They served an average of nearly 11,000 peo...

Laura Fox thinks about her deathbed often.

It's why she spends the majority of her time doing what she loves: Playing music, traveling, moving her body, and connecting with others, and it's why -- at Maine Fox Marketing -- she only works with clients who share her values.

The secret weapon behind some of your favorite Seacoast brands (Vernon Family Farm, The Press Room, Soul Models, etc.), Laura creates websites and builds ma...

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! 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. For tickets, click here.

The Seacoast as we know it today?

It nearly never existed.

That's because, in the 1970s, the world's then-richest man, Aristotle Onassis of Greece, wanted to build a $600M oil refinery i...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠⁠

In a special bonus episode, one of Troy's favorite people Miss New Hampshire Emily Spencer returns to the show! The two are also joined by 16-year-old Miss Inspiration winner Avery Byron, a little person (or dwarf) who hails from Londonderry, N.H.

From the West End of Portsmouth, Miss New Ha...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠

Tom Bath remembers his first sip of craft beer like it was yesterday.

In the 1990s, the Pacific Northwest was at the epicenter of the craft beer explosion. And Tom, stationed in Seattle with the Navy at the time, soon fell in love with not only the beverage, but the culture surrounding it.

So...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating today's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl on 4/25! Watch here for more details and snag your FREE tickets today.

Book 'N Bar, Ten Thousand Villages, Life Is Good, Colby's, Earth Eagle Brewing, Litherman's Brewing, Stroll Cafe.

The last year in Portsmouth has been a business bloodbath. Why are so many beloved downtown Portsmouth businesses closing their doors, and what can be done to g...

Max Pruna had never tasted specialty coffee.

But one day at Northeastern University in the mid 2010s, craft coffee pioneer George Howell poured Max the cup of coffee that would change his life.

Inspired by this one sip, Max then dedicated his life to learning everything about craft coffee, eventually leading him to open La Mulita Coffee in Rye, N.H., now one of the most beloved shops on the Seacoast.

From La Mulita, Colombian native M...

Gabbie Kelly ran away from her home in Auburn, N.H.

In her 17-year-old mind, it was the only way she could begin to create the fiercely independent life and career she sought for herself.

She wanted a fancy title in accounting, and then a husband, house, and a baby ... all before the age of 30. And she got all of that and then some.

Today, at 35 years old, Gabbie Kelly is "The Profit Mama." No longer working 50 hours per week in accou...

Alyssa Pine felt like a fraud.

While running the first Live Freely Fest at Smuttynose Brewing last fall, Alyssa was quietly closing her own shop, a storefront in Hampton where she sold her Live Freely merchandise.

But after seeing the success of the market, one of the most boomin' business days in Smuttynose history, Alyssa had accidentally stumbled upon her next project: The Live Freely Market.

The Market, which has quickly garne...

Ashley Ryall wanted to get the f*ck out.

A native of the small town of Weare, N.H., she dreamt of escaping small-town life as soon as possible. When college in Connecticut offered that opportunity, she took it and ran with it. And after studying abroad in Australia, an experience that completely opened up her worldview, Ashley vowed to live a life of adventure from that point forward.

Except it didn't pan out that way.

From the Po...