 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. 

We Are Here - SouthCoast.fm - South Coast MA Entrepreneurs & Business

Buy Black NB: Justina Perry on building community

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. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with others! Subscribe to the Sunday Notes email newsletter to stay connected.

Discover Southcoast Spring Arts

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. If you like today’s episode, please share it on social media and subscribe to the show at SouthCoast.fm/subscribe

Launching SRVHUB for on-demand hair & beauty services

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

The team behind the New Bedford SourceLink

Nothing is going to stand in the way of today's guest from achieving the success that he's after. Not COVID, not politics, and certainly not from a lack of hustle. In a time where you might be hard pressed to figure out how to bring people physically together to enrich their cultural, artistic, and business lives -- Peter Walker knows how to do it. He's leading the development of the Communal Space NB -- find it at: www.facebook.com/thecommunalspacenb -- It's A Diverse Arts Cultivator Community Space and Modern Art Gallery. We're going to talk about today's challenges of rallying around an opportunity like this and what his grand visions are for the space. From social captiliasim, to branding, to sales, to Beyonce -- we cover it all in today's episode. Please welcome Peter Walker to the We Are Here podcast, I had an amazing time learning of the work and the effort he puts in every day. His wife is pretty cool too. Okay, let's dive into the show with the first question -- from the outside looking in, does the south coast feel that fast paced?

Building the Communal Space New Bedford w/ Peter Walker

If you had a business building crystal ball and it told you that a global pandemic was about to hit right before launching your business, you'd be crazy to keep going. Especially if you were launching business around in-person babysitting, where your employees and customers were connecting in a home. The blessing in disguise for today's guest, Jennifer Potter founder & president of Mamasandbabysitters.com, is that COVID created a whole new "Work from home" group of parents. A rift that caused the demand to find high-qualified but professional babysitters to step in and relive parents during a busy work day. Needless to say, business is booming for the online portal of sitters here on the south coast -- but not without it's challenges. Let's Dive in to Jennifer's story on launching the brand, growing a Facebook group of over 5,000 members, and what's next to drive traffic to her business in these wild n crazy times. Subscribe to our newsletter, Sunday Notes.  Join our Facebook group, South Coast Content Creators.

Jennifer Potter: A South Coast babysitting service when parents need it most

  The global pandemic has had a major impact on many small businesses within the shallow pokckets of communities around the country. Small business owners have scrambled to get themselves online and use social media to blast out their message on the “new normal” work hours they’re operating from. A literal battle cry for survival while cutting and downsizing most of their operations. The national media news cycle scrambles to keep up with the shifting trend of the virus, our stimulus money, and which political party is doing right by Americans — which looks to be a zero sum game to me. Does the small business story die in this darkness? The irony of that quip is not lost on me — thanks Washington Post — the small business story does not have to die in darkness. Small publishers like Marlissa Briggett, owner of the South Coast Almanac, is a rock in what should be a larger foundation of local journalism and storytellers. Monolithic newspapers and gossip-ridden-just-for-clicks media outlets are not the only means to amplify your brand’s message. But to launch a printed magazine in the year 2015 where the height of the media market was all digital?? There was a silver lining through lockdown, and that’s a resurgence of deep care and appreciation for a handcrafted magazine. Let’s join Marlissa on her journey of the South Coast Almanac, and how she’s writing her own story here on the South Coast.

South Coast Almanac's Marlissa Briggett

Today's guest is Justine Crowley of Herbal Athlete, a new tea company looking to define a new segment for athletes here on the South Coast.  As someone addicted to coffee, I sink back into my chair a lot in this episode -- I suppose you might, too. Caffeine aside, I had a great time learning what Justine is doing and how she's marketing + distrubuting her product in our little corner of the world.  If you're looking to try some of her tea, you can find it at Duke's Bakery in Fall River.   

Building Herbal Athlete on the South Coast

Drew Furtado is well-known for his creative poster series that captures memorable moments from around the South Coast, and joins us today to talk about his new film: Restart 2020.  I'm always fascinted when talking to somone at the intersection of art and entrepreneurship. Tune in to today's episode to hear how Drew started this "poster business" and what's next on the horizon.    

Drew Furtado Restart 2020

 I'm excited to interview my former mentee from the EforAll program, Samantha Garlington, to explore her journey as an entrepreneur on the South Coast. We're diving deep into the mind of a creative business owner and how we handle selling value for our respective crafts. It was a fun episode, I hope you learn a lot from Samantha's experience. If you do, please say thanks and share the episode with others! 

Selling value and boosting confidence in a creative business

 We're back from vacation, entering into the Fall season of the We Are Here podcast! Consider subscribing so you don't miss all of the new content coming to your favorite podcast player. Today's guest is Midori Evans, a local South Coast creative, artist, and entrepreneur. We're looking at how business builders are turning to creative efforts in this COVID world we currently live in, while highlighting how we can still connect with community when social distancing is the new normal. This is a fantastic episode that has something for everyone! Where you can find Midori on the web: https://midoricreativity.com/ https://www.facebook.com/creativitymidori/ https://www.instagram.com/midoricreativity/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/midori-evans/ 

Transforming creativity during a pandemic w/ Midori Evans

Brandan Burke is the CEO of B.B. Cuts, a company aimed at creating an on-demand app for beauty & barber services. Think of GotChew (or Lyft) for your hair needs, delivered to your work or home. Enrolled in the Summer cohort of EforAll, Brandan and his team are looking forward to the all of exciting milestones ahead. For a We Are Here first, we’ll have Brandan come back in 90-days after the program ends. One of the most valuable areas of the EforAll program is the story arc young entrepreneurs create for themselves. Coming into the program thinking their business will launch the way they envision it, to seeing how much they change during the accelerator. I’m looking forward to having Brandan back to see the difference. If you liked this episode, consider subscribing to the email list or leaving us a review on iTunes and sharing this post on social media!

Brandan Burke on creating an on-demand beauty & barber app

Today we’re joined by Suzanne Ramos, Business Technology Instructor at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. I met Suzanne through the SouthCoast Emerging Leaders ceremony last year as one of the award recipients. Aside from the many job titles she holds around the Fall River area, I was really excited to talk to her about her efforts connecting students with local businesses. A few years ago I won a EforAll pitch contest with an idea that bridged the connection of would-be website developers with local businesses & non-profits. I still think the idea has traction today, a reason why I was excited to interview Suzanne. You can also find & support her efforts at many other Fall River organizations: https://gfrrec.org/ http://gfrpartners.com/ https://unfr.org/ Thanks for listening today, if you like the show, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay connected!

Creating opportunity for local students and businesses

Patti Rego from WeLoveFallRiver Facebook page joins the livestream today to talk about what she's been doing for small businesses during these trying times. 

We Love Fall River w/ Patti Rego

Owners of The Barre New Bedford, Gigi & Kelsey, join us to talk about the recent events of COVID-19 and how they are launching a new online component to add value to existing members.

Gigi & Kelsey from The Barre New Bedford

The We Are Here podcast celebrating entrepreneurs living and working in the South Coast MA area. Host Matt Medeiros interviews some of our area&#39;s leading business owners and community builders to learn how they&#39;ve built their business. From New Bedford to Fall River, listen to the podcast to learn key business-building advice from entrepreneurs in our area. Tune in every season and stay connected at https://southcoast.fm/subscribe

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We Are Here - SouthCoast.fm - South Coast MA Entrepreneurs &...

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