Armed with noise canceling headphones and many ounces of coffee, Carissa Broadbent invests more time at local coffee shops than I do.

Every day I was at Pink Bean in Somerset, so was Carissa...punching away at her laptop's keyboard. A tall coffee and a tall stack of papers, I thought she was a screenwriter.

I wasn't too far off.

When Carissa told me she was an author, I was really intrigued to have her on the show. But a self published author, in the Fantasy genre, on the South Coast?! I had to figure out how she runs her business in our little corner of the world.

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Purchase Carissa's books: https://carissabroadbentbooks.com/

There's a new trend of community based businesses starting on the South Coast and I'm here for it.

While a global pandemic doesn't scream "time to start a business" that's exactly what Amanda Alcaidinho did. While growing her own line of skincare products, the idea of a local marketplace shop, 3genlove.com bubbled up into existence.

The name comes from the 3 generations of women running the shop, including Amanda, her daughter, and Amanda's mother. They host over 45 businesses 645A State Rd Westport MA Behind Kozy Nook, from crafts, to arts, to healing.

Today she shares her story of building the business, including marketing and logistics. Plus, some advice for future south coast entrepreneurs.

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The last two years of humanity has thrust the value of strong leadership into the spotlight.

It’s easy to play armchair quarterback. On national level issues, and I’m guilty of it myself, we all become experts on a particular topic derived from our own opinions or self-belief. On a local level? Well…have fun fighting that Facebook post argument.

The value — read: investment — in local leadership is needed more than ever. Donna Criscuolo, Executive Director Leadership Southcoast, joins us today to talk about her mission to do just that: build leaders out of folks in our community.

If you’re looking to invest in yourself or your organization, you don’t want to miss this episode. If the name sounds familiar, Donna was also the recent Executive Director of EForAll Southcoast. We’ll talk some business building too!

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What a difference 3 years and a global pandemic makes.

Graduating from eForall some 4 years ago with a new product idea that few individuals would find success in, let alone on the South Coast, Kevin Rose is rapidly cementing a legacy.

Running a business wasn't foreign to him. What would be the challenge? Running a trucking company when the world shut down while watching the success of his hemp infused product line fly off the shelves.

Kevin joins us for his second time on the podcast to share his transformation plus how that lead to a recent deal with JC Penny.

If you enjoy today's episode please say thanks to Kevin, check out his store, and share this podcast on social media.

One of the greatest opportunities we have as business owners on the South Coast is to co-promote, brand, and create content.

If there's one thing COVID taught us (okay there's many, but…), its that we need to keep awareness and communications going for our brands to survive. Over the last year and a half it came in the form of online through our web sites, social media accounts, and newsletters.

We were zooming and we were posting. From e-commerce to curbside pickup, showing up online became a priority for those of us who could.

Justina Perry, founder/director/and so much more of Buy Black NB joins us today to talk about taking that idea and expanding it into an online directory for Black owned businesses in New Bedford.

We'll explore how she's growing the brand, supporting the business community and learn what went into Buy Black NB's upcoming in-person event. Fun fact: I love that she's already seeing opportunity in the Fall River area…look for a pop-up event coming soon.

The Arts…

Art-going…heck, an art gallery…wasn't something that was ever on my radar growing up, even with an artist as a neighbor.

Referring to myself as an artist…for doing a podcast? Not a chance.

However, you put me on a busy street corner with a lemondade stand, and I'll turn it into a franchise.

So maybe artists feel like they aren't business types either. The thought of selling out or taking direction from someone who doesn't appreciate the nuances of the craft, isn't why they do this.

But, we need eachother, artists and civilians do, to complete the circle of life. With local movements like Southcoast Spring Arts, we have a common place to meet and learn from each other.

I think what we'll discover is that art is alive and well on the Southcoast and it goes well beyond what you might consider art. Stay tuned to hear from Jodi Stevens Executive Director for the Marion Art Center and returning guest Patti RegoMarketing Director at the Marion Institute and owner of WeLoveFallRiver.

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It was June of 2020 when I interviewed Brandan Burke, co-founder number 1 of 3 of what’s known today as SRVHUB.

Brandan & team were not only knee-deep in finding a new brand name for the company, going through the intense EforAll accelerator, trying to build a mobile app, and make sense of the greatest thing on all of our minds — a global pandemic.

How do you go from a whirlwind scenario when all of these elements are swirling around you and you don’t even know if getting in-home hair and beauty services will even cease to exist after we come out of the other side?!

Luckily for our South Coast community Brandan, Devaughn, and Grantham weathered the storm, launching their mobile offering this March 2021.

While we’re not clear of the pandemic yet, for better or for worse, it did bring some opportunity to the team seeking to empower the beauty professional through their support and mobile application.

In today’s episode, Devaughn and Grantham join us to provide an update on where they were almost a year ago, to what comes next for the South Coast’s latest on-demand mobile app service.

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Putting the global pandemic aside, which I know isn’t easy, I feel the South Coast has felt a certain resurgence — allure even — to the entrepreneur.

As you’ll learn today, it’s not like the South Coast is new to budding businesses and market makers. You’re looking at a region that was once home to the world’s textile manufacturing industry along side being one of the most important whaling ports of the 19th century.

New Bedford SourceLink, lead by New Bedford EDC Executive Director Derek Santos & Director of Business Development Jessica Silva — guests of todays episode — are here to fortify the resources available to New Bedford entrepreneurs.

Like any other startup in the area, we’ll address some of the challenges they face growing the program and how they plan to achieve their goals through 2021.

If you enjoy today’s episode, please follow our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to Sunday Notes, our unique email newsletter published on Sundays at southcoast.fm/subscribe