Episodios

  • Santa Claus at Lee’s Studio Productions A Christmas Visit

    Santa Claus at Lee’s Studio Productions A Christmas Visit
    Dec 18 2025
    I talk with Santa Claus at Lee Studio Productions. He runs a once a year workshop visit where kids come in, play with toys, make cookies, drink chocolate milk, draw and color, and hand him their Christmas list, then leave with an 8x10 photo. I ask how he pulls it off in a short window, and he points to his helpers and the elves who spend two days setting the whole space. We talk about the building, which also houses Lee Studio of Dance, with trophies on the walls and a lot of vintage toys and items from a personal collection. I ask the key questions for families, and he shares that he likes sugar cookies with vanilla and green icing, wants ice cold milk, and carrots make a good treat for reindeer. He jokes about staying on an empty beach when he vacations. We also plug farm events like Fear on the Farm, a Bloody Mary workshop, and a Krampus night. He closes by reminding kids that Christmas magic still exists and encourages parents to read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas on December 24.
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  • Heather Atha and 12 Years of Krampus at Mike Winland Studio

    Heather Atha and 12 Years of Krampus at Mike Winland Studio
    Dec 16 2025
    I’m in Kanawha City with Heather Atha at Picture Day Mike Winland Studio while Krampus lurks around the studio. Heather helps run the Krampus sessions at Mike’s place and explains what Krampus is in German Christmas folklore, the opposite of Santa who takes bad kids instead of giving gifts. Mike has kept this tradition going for 12 years, and Heather has been part of it for most of that time because her son took his first Krampus photos as a newborn. We talk about how this gives families a fun alternative to the usual holiday pictures, and how Krampus can be unpredictable on set, which is part of why sessions need appointments. Heather also highlights the House of Selfies, with over 40 themed sets and lighting ready so people can take their own photos, bring friends, or host a party. I point listeners to visit https://www.mikewinlandstudios.com/reserve-session/pictures-with-krampus online to see dates and book a time.
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  • Jay Silverman and the Magic of Light the Night

    Jay Silverman and the Magic of Light the Night
    Dec 11 2025
    I visit GoMart Ballpark to meet with Jay Silverman and walk through Light the Night, the Charleston Dirty Birds’ winter event. Jay explains how a local crew starts hanging lights in September and spends about ten weeks building a walk-through show with roughly 2.5 million lights organized into four main sections, plus a skating village, fire pits, mini golf, and a kids carnival. I learn that guests can keep it simple with a $12 general admission ticket or build up to packages with rides and extras, and there are food options from hot chocolate and s’mores to full turkey and ham meals for groups. Jay talks about suites, tents, and the Victory Club for businesses that want holiday outings for their teams. What stands out to me is his focus on flow and elegance, especially the giant lighted bulb tunnel he adds as a new centerpiece. Light the Night runs through January 1, closed on Christmas Day.
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    7 m
  • Wild and Wired Linux Festival with Brett White

    Wild and Wired Linux Festival with Brett White
    Dec 9 2025
    In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at the Wild and Wired West Virginia Linux festival with Brett White and several attendees, exploring how Linux can change the way people in our state think about technology. Brett introduces the event as a way to promote true tech ownership, privacy, and fun by using Linux, a free open source operating system that comes in many flavors and can bring old hardware back to life instead of sending it to e-waste. I talk with Daniel, who recently left Windows because of bloat and account requirements, and now runs multiple Linux distros on a ThinkPad; he treats Linux as an operating system of freedom and urges new users to just jump in with something like Linux Mint and online tutorials. I also meet Gus, who is learning fast and using Linux to revive older machines, customize interfaces, and build systems that feel familiar to both Windows and macOS users. We wrap with Brett inviting people to follow Wild and Wired West Virginia on Facebook to keep up with future events and student projects, and I leave feeling excited about the tech community growing here.
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    7 m
  • From Firestone to IT Hub with Thomas Baker

    From Firestone to IT Hub with Thomas Baker
    Dec 4 2025
    In this episode I’m at the grand opening of AMG Network Hosting’s new office in a former Firestone Tire building in Montgomery, talking with Thomas Baker about his work. He runs a full service IT company that acts as the help desk for businesses from two people to several hundred, either taking over all of their IT or backing up internal teams with specialized skills. We walk through how he bought the old building from a client, saw potential under the wood paneling, and spent about seven months turning it into a functional office. We dig into how security now dominates IT conversations, with cyber threats, misconfigured networks, and hundreds of connected devices in even small offices. Thomas explains why cyber security is both technical and human, why remote work still needs strong protection, and why having a local team that can show up on site really matters.
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    6 m
  • Building Trail Towns and Outdoor Tourism with Madison Stone

    Building Trail Towns and Outdoor Tourism with Madison Stone
    Dec 2 2025
    I talk with Madison Stone, executive director of the Elk River Trail Foundation, about the work happening along the Elk River from Sutton Dam to the Kanawha River in Charleston. I learn the foundation is a 501(c)(3) focused on preserving, protecting, and enhancing both the river and the Elk River Trail. Madison walks me through how they’re adding regular kayak launches and ADA-accessible access points in trail towns like Sutton, Gassaway, Clay, and Clendenin so more people can get on the 102 miles of free-flowing water. We cover the 72-mile rail trail that supports walking, running, biking, and horseback riding, and how it gives locals and visitors a way to step outside daily life and experience the region. She explains their vision to attract people from across the country and even other nations, something already happening with their annual marathon, half marathon, and 5K that brought in more than 700 participants this year. I point listeners to elkrivertrail.org to learn more, support the work, or plan a visit.
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    4 m
  • Gratitude and the Reality of Being an Entrepreneur

    Gratitude and the Reality of Being an Entrepreneur
    Nov 27 2025
    I talk about how Thanksgiving makes me step back and look at what it really means to run a business. I’m two years into my own company, and even with all my past experience, the ups and downs still hit hard. Clients pay late, leads slow down, people quit, and the workload grows faster than expected. None of it means something is wrong with me or anyone else doing this work. It’s simply part of owning a business. To keep myself steady, I write down three things I’m grateful for every day. Putting it on paper shifts my focus toward what’s already working, like my health, my family, and the chance to do this work at all. That habit helps keep the anxiety from taking over when a month is slow or a deal falls through. The ride never gets predictable, but grounding myself in gratitude helps me stay clear and keep moving forward.
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    6 m
  • Caroline Starr on Cybersecurity and Creative Tech Growth

    Caroline Starr on Cybersecurity and Creative Tech Growth
    Nov 25 2025
    In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustler I talk with Caroline Starr from KDE Technology, and she walks me through what they do and how she found her place there. She tells me they handle website development, marketing, graphic design and cybersecurity, and she explains why cybersecurity is growing as more people see digital threats in the news and want to protect their information. She describes their Hale Street space that serves as a business incubator and event venue, hosting everything from open mic nights to comedy shows. She explains that their websites are coded from scratch and hosted on their own servers, and she says they also manage SEO, Google Business Profiles and social media. She shares how she moved from seventeen years of teaching into cybersecurity after her students encouraged her to follow her passion. We talk about their managing partner Lee now working full time in the office and how helpful it is to have his expertise available throughout the day. When I ask her to pick her favorite part of the business, she picks cybersecurity because it connects to her passion.
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    4 m