Seacoast Stories

" People that have been there, no explanation  is necessary, and people that haven't, no explanation is possible."

Gregory Tufts spent years in Afghanistan and Iraq, serving as an emergency medic for the U.S. Army.

He's also a full-time firefighter paramedic for the city of Portsmouth.

Additionally, he's the founder of Forged Medical Wellness, a new practice in Rye that specializes specifically in men's health, offerings services like testosterone replacement therapy, IV drips, and more.

From his office in Rye, founder Gregory Tufts joins host Troy Farkas to talk about his jour...

In a special bonus episode of Seacoast Stories, Juniper Pickwick returns the show to tell more stories of Portsmouth's haunted past.

This time around, Pickwick tells host Troy Farkas tales from Portsmouth's oldest cemetery, the Point of Graves, which give a fascinating window into what life in colonial Portsmouth was really like.

Plus, the real story behind the fires that burned the city down, and a look inside the complicated life of John Paul Jones, one of Portsmouth's most famous figures.

To support Juniper, you can pay her a visit at Deadwick's, Pickwick's...

Brian & Lindsey Pickowicz witnessed firsthand the immense pressure faced by the world's top performers.

After a few years in Los Angeles, the ex-bodybuilders (and N.H. natives) moved to Dallas to become the live-in personal trainers for a very wealthy mortgage lender, giving the Pickowicz's an intimate look at what it's really like to be "successful."

The large staffs. The endless notifications. The weight of the world seemingly on their shoulders.

And how their health-and-wellness goals often fall to the wayside.

So when Brian and Lindsey moved back to New Hampshire...

Victoria Arlen nearly died (again).

Late last year, the Seacoast celebrity experienced another setback in her physical health, causing her to (temporarily) give up on her new book, spiral out of control, and return to the wheelchair she's spent years trying to stay out of.

But as always, Arlen persevered, and now she's ready to tell her story more loudly than ever before.

In front of a live audience at The Press Room in downtown Portsmouth, the Exeter native, TV anchor, Dancing With the Stars alum, speaker, author, and nonprofit founder joins host...

Ohana Kitchen is one of the most recognizable restaurant brands on the Seacoast.

With locations in Portsmouth, Exeter, Kittery, and Dover, the fast-casual poke bowl joint is a fan favorite of many. And yet, despite the local chain's success, Ohana isn't enough for the husband-and-wife team of Jay and Stacy Krecklow.

At least, not anymore.

From the West End of Portsmouth, the Krecklows join host Troy Farkas to announce the breaking news surrounding their latest venture, giving all the exclusive tea about the motivation behind the new restaurant business, what differentiates it from...

Flight House Fitness is on a mission to revolutionize the fitness industry.

And Jay Collins will not stop until that vision has come to life.

Formerly the owner of MaxEdge Fitness, the 59-year-old Collins bet the house (literally) a few years ago when he built Flight House Gym in Rye, a massive facility combining group training classes and open gym space in ways the Seacoast had never seen before.

Then, just three months ago, he launched Flight House into its next era when he opened an incredible 24,000 square foot facility in Charlestown, Mass...

Ogunquit has become a "three-season" town in recent years.

The Front Porch is a big reason why.

Started in 1980 exclusively as a gay men's bar, The Front Porch has become an all-inclusive restaurant, piano bar, and attraction for the half a million people who descend upon the tiny seaside town every summer.

From the famous upstairs bar, longtime bartender Petey Tomes and current owner Scotty Vogel join host Troy Farkas for a wide-ranging discussion about the history of the Porch, favorite stories from 45 years of the Porch, Ogunquit's quest to become attractive year-round...

Local media has a bad reputation these days.

Nora Happny McMorran wants to do something about it.

The beloved former host of "Just Ask Nora," a social media series started in the late 2010s, Happny McMorran is now on a quest to turn Portsmouth City Lifestyle magazine into a local force for storytelling.

A few months after acquiring the magazine, the longtime Portsmouth resident joins host Troy Farkas to discuss her decision, and how she plans on making the magazine a desirable read.

Plus, the two talk about the origins of...

We don't know how to talk about death.

Longtime Seacoast resident Laura Cleminson wants to change that.

At the Pre-Dead Social Club, Seacoast residents of all ages gather monthly for a "die-a-logue" at author talks, panel discussions, and Death Over Drinks, the club's signature event.

Cleminson, who also delivered a TEDx Portsmouth talk in 2024, became fascinated with death a decade ago when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She noticed she had no tools for helping her mother through that time, a realization that eventually led her to become a death doula and...

Two stories in one podcast?!

In this special Labor Day episode, host Troy Farkas hears the stories of two beloved Seacoast businesses.

In Part One, Farkas travels to Somerworth, N.H. for a conversation with the co-founders of Popzup Popcorn, Marty and Julie Lapham. From their factory's floor, the husband-and-wife team talk about how they got started 10 years ago, the painstaking lengths they've taken to get organic & non-GMO labels, the pivotal moments that launched their company into the next stratosphere, the importance of keeping it a family business, and more.

In Part Two...

A cowboy in York, Maine? 🤠

Yes, it's true.

For nearly two decades, Kenny Churchill was one of the very best bull riders in the world, competing on stages big and small across the country, including at Madison Square Garden in front of President Ronald Reagan.

Now, the Boston native resides in York alongside his wife of 30+ years. Together, they own Churchill Barn and Weddings, a stunning events venue located on their private property, which houses a fully restored barn that was originally built in the 1700s!

From inside the barn, Churchill joi...

Mario LaPosta had a dream (literally).

Following a nightmare about a kitchen incident, paired with his deep Italian roots and love of family meals at a long dinner table, LaPosta knew a future in the kitchen awaited him.

Eventually, the Connecticut native moved to Italy so he could learn the ins and outs of the Neapolitan pizza-making process. Then, after returning to the States, he started running the pizza programs at a chain of restaurants outside of New York City, and then later, in Boston.

On today's episode, Mario LaPosta of Mamma Luca...

The future of New Hampshire is at stake.

Luckily, brilliant young minds are on the case for building a better New Hampshire.

In a rare roundtable discussion, popular past guests Corinne Benfield (Stay Work Play) and Andrew Samonas (Samonas Realty) join host Troy Farkas to discuss a number of topics, including the recent Portsmouth parking controversy and its effect on the local workforce, why a shortage of affordable childcare is causing big problems for families across the state, Gen Z's experience of navigating the workforce in the age of artificial intelligence, and how, weeks after...

Lauren Atwood entered the world against all odds.

Thirty-three years ago, the lifelong Seacoast native was born three months early as the product of an abusive relationship between her mother and biological father.

In the ensuing years, Atwood bounced around from home to home, watched her mother bring home man after man, and became estranged from her real father, all while trying to live a normal life.

But Atwood refused to become a statistic.

After meeting her now-husband Chris in high school, Atwood paid her way through UNH, worked in marketing...

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 transformed thousands of lives through live events, instructor certifications, social media content to her 25,000 Instagram followers, online memberships, and partnerships/appearances with brands like New Balance, NBC's "Th...

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 2014 and the bar's closure in 2017, Smith reveals the untold story of building a business entirely on instinct and word of mouth. She shares...

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 learned about herself from the three-month trip to Mexico.

Plus, Fox previews Foxglove's upcoming performance at Prescott Park...

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 director of research.

But underneath all the success, Dr. Beebee has quietly been fighting battles that very few people know about.

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 wooden spoons two years ago at farmer's markets in Charlottesville, V.A., where he lived for five...

***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 live much longer.

Then, on a day that continues to baffle medical professionals everywhere, she emerged from this state. And since then, against all odds, she's taken the world...

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 Tony Awards, ditto for the world-class behind-the-scenes crew members. And perhaps best of all, its $18M annual operating budget allows the Playhouse to...

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 media brand, and fast-growing media company dedicated to telling the good news that's happening across all of New England.

His...

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 Union board member, and the owner and executive chef of a new Portsmouth restaurant, a modern steakhouse entitled Char.

In the Season 5 premiere of "Seacoast Stories," Cutting-Kelley sits down...

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.

To stay up-to-date on all of our podcasts, events, and newsletters, you can follow along here ⬇️

ABOUT THE HOST:

Troy Farkas spent seven years producing high-performing podcasts for major media organizations like ESPN...

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, the two type 1 diabetics discuss Callas' approach to comedy, the art of adapting on the fly, how to joke about politics in...

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 the fall of 2024.

From the cozy confines of Bird Dog, Pete...

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 waters of entrepreneurship.

Enter ⁠Treeline Outfitters⁠: Portsmouth's home for high-quality sustainable outdoor gear, delicious local beer, and genuine connection with like-minded human...

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 at Four Bodies Wellness every month.

In the Season 4 Finale, Day rejoins the show in another installment of "The Follow-Up," where popular...

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 expansion of the coffee shop! (00:00)

Then, popular local musician Caitlin Piper plays three songs from her upcoming album, "In Cursive," which...

***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 restaurants, and what she's cooking up for LANEY & LU's 2026 Summer Wellness Series!

Then, Jen takes the mic to grill Troy about Season 4 of "Seacoast Stories," where the two...

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 restaurant, joins host Troy Farkas for a wide-ranging discussion about Mallett's untraditional culinary background, the WILD road that led him...

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. They opened their flagship shop in Eliot, Maine, in 2020 - the first recreational cannabis store south of Portland. Since then...

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 talk about how loneliness and feelings of disconnect have been steadily increasing since the 1970s, a collective lost sense of community, why employers are struggling to keep...

Dagan Migirditch has a lot to say.

The co-owner and co-founder of Portsmouth's beloved Liars Bench Beer Co., Migirditch is a restaurant veteran, an avid reader, savvy businessman, and advocate for leaving the Seacoast better than he found it.

And now with 10 years of Liars Bench under his belt, Migirditch believes he and his co-founder, Dane Nielsen, are only now achieving what they set out to do as two broke 28-year-olds with a dream a decade ago.

In his return to "Seacoast Stories," the UNH graduate joins host Troy Farkas to discuss an...

*ANNOUNCEMENT* The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE podcast is coming! In the first live podcast in the illustrious history of Stone Church Music Club, host Troy Farkas brings the Seacoast's No. 1 podcast to Newmarket, N.H., on Thursday, May 7.

For this special recording, he'll talk to Max Pruna from La Mulita Coffee and U.S. Congressional Candidate Stefany Shaheen (-D). Plus, live music from Caitlin Piper, and an after-party upstairs in Stone Church's private room. The space is small, and seats are limited. Secure your ticket here.

⁠Amber Lilyestrom⁠ is one of the most powerful women the...

*WARNING* This episode contains discussion about sexual violence, disordered eating, and a near-death experience. Listener discretion is advised.

Amber Lilyestrom is cut from a different cloth.

A former UNH soccer player, associate athletic director, 4x author, content creator, public speaker, and podcast host, she's now a 7-figure-earning business coach to female entrepreneurs of the Seacoast and beyond.

But, as it often is with the greats, it wasn't an easy road to get here.

From her estate in the woods of Lee, N.H., the 44-year-old mom of two joins ⁠host Troy Fa...

While throwing epic events, going viral on social media, and running a successful weekly market, Alyssa Pine was quietly handling something the public never knew about.

In her third appearance on "Seacoast Stories," the 32-year-old Live Freely Market founder speaks for the first time about the heartbreak and grief she's battled since finding out a devastating piece of news two days before throwing the first Live Freely Fest in August 2024.

Plus, she tells host Troy Farkas some exciting news regarding Live Freely Fest 2026, recent developments at the Live Freely Market, winning the Stay Work Play...

You probably don't know this, but ...

Maine is home to some of the cleanest water in the country.

So when accomplished businesswoman Jen Millard - who spent 30+ years building big CPG brands all over the country - returned to her home state of Maine a few years ago, she knew she wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.

Her idea?

Canned water sourced straight from Sebago Lake, one of the cleanest lakes the United States has to offer.

Now, nearly two years after forming the business, Millard says Mainelove is...

Corinne Benfield's story is a uniquely New Hampshire one.

Benfield, a Manchester, N.H., native, left The Granite State for college, vowing not to return to the state that raised her. Then, she moved to New York City to pursue an art career.

Her time in The Big Apple didn't go as planned, leading her back to New Hampshire, where she began to see her home state through a completely different lens.

Now, as the Executive Director of Stay Work Play, it's her job to convince young professionals to have the same epiphany...

Dr. Noor Al-Humaidhi is a pioneer in the field of women's wellness.

A doctor who has spent decades studying and practicing medicine in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and, since 2017, the United States, Dr. Noor has seen just about everything you can see in her field.

In the U.K., women used to visit Dr. Noor, often complaining of memory lapses and unexplained feelings of confusion. For years, Dr. Noor would prescribe medication and then send them on their way.

Because back then, modern medicine didn't understand (or care to) treat women who were...