Danielle Festa couldn't believe it.

She'd lived for decades without knowing the truth.

Until one day in 2020, she received the phone call that would eventually lead to the launch of The Aplomb Project, her Dover-based nonprofit which uses the power of art to help trauma survivors overcome their dark pasts.

From her art gallery in Dover, Danielle joins host Troy Farkas to discuss what happened on that phone call, why she decided to start painting portraits of trauma survivors, the extensive (and emotional) process of painting each survivor, how the Seacoast art community has rallied around the project, why the studio has become a healing space for all who enter, and so much more.

To learn more about the art cafe, splatter rooms, and open gallery hours, please visit TheAplombProject.org.

SPONSORS:

• ⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.
• ⁠Studio One⁠⁠: NEW CLIENTS can use promo code "COASTIE26" at checkout to get UNLIMITED classes for only $25 in one month (that's an insanely good deal) at the Seacoast's top destination for spin, strength, and pilates classes.
• ⁠Budget Blinds of the Seacoast⁠

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Friday, February 6, in Newmarket, N.H.! Sign up here.
• Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, February 18, in Portland, ME! Sign up here.

"Seacoast Stories" FINALLY has a newsletter! You can subscribe to our Substack ⁠⁠here for free.⁠⁠

Oh, and you can check out Troy's recent article on Stephanie Paolini of 3 Bridges Yoga ⁠here in the Portsmouth City Lifestyle Magazine⁠.

Anthony DiLorenzo lived the American Dream.

The son of immigrants, DiLorenzo bounced around as a child. After attending UNH in the 1980s, he decided to call the Seacoast home for the long haul. Not long after, he bought one car dealership, and then another, and another.

Today, Anthony's Key Auto Group is one of the largest auto dealership chains in New England. Throughout his 30+ years in business, he's hired thousands of employees, solved countless problems, and earned millions upon millions of dollars. With his personal fortune, he's regularly given to several Seacoast nonprofits, donated $4 million to UNH's athletic complex, and he also purchased the infamous McIntyre Building in Portsmouth for $9 million.

And due to all his business success, Anthony is confident he can win another uphill battle:

This fall, DiLorenzo (R) announced he's running for New Hampshire's 1st Seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

His overarching message?

To make the American Dream possible for New Hampshire citizens once more.

From the West End of Portsmouth, Anthony joins ⁠host Troy Farkas ⁠for a wide-ranging discussion, where the two discuss Anthony's humble beginnings, growing his auto empire, what he loves about New Hampshire, why the Hearth Market failed, and his ambitious plans for making the McIntyre Building a community hub.

Plus, Anthony discusses his approach to solving some of the nation's most pressing issues, like the healthcare system, college tuition prices, skyrocketing national debt, political polarization, and more.

To learn more about Anthony's campaign, you can visit DiLorenzoForCongress.com.

CHAPTERS:

• Building the Key Auto Group empire (00:00)
• Anthony's ambitious plans for the McIntyre building (12:14)
• Why Hearth Market failed & downtown Portsmouth's struggles (17:10)
• Anthony's philanthropic efforts (20:55)
• Thoughts on President Trump & Charlie Kirk (25:10)
• Housing, healthcare, national debt, & more (33:25)
• Political polarization (45:27)

Natalie Tilton always knew.

As a child in Lowell, Mass., she knew helping people was her calling.

Fast forward three decades, and now the former Division I (and near Olympian) athlete is quickly taking over the physical therapy genre on the Seacoast.

After growing tired of working under the duress of New Hampshire's hospital system, Natalie decided to launch her own practice, Ability Allies, in the darkest days of the pandemic. From her basement, she provided clients with personalized 1-on-1 care, a critical component of healthcare she felt was missing from her previous job.

From the West End of Portsmouth, Natalie joins host Troy Farkas for a wide-ranging discussion, where the two discuss her earliest memories of wanting to be a PT, working with Red Sox players while attending Northeastern, moving to Newmarket, N.H., after meeting her husband online, her issues with traditional PT, the scary life-changing moment that made her reevaluate her career, launching Ability Allies, and later expanding it to four locations.

Plus, Natalie lays out three critical things you must do to stay on top of your health in 2026.

To book a PT appointment with Natalie and her amazing staff, you can visit AbilityAllies.com.

CHAPTERS:

• Natalie's childhood dreams (00:00)
• Meeting her husband on Match.com (07:37)
• The grind of running four locations (13:12)
• SPONSORS: 3 Bridges Yoga & Budget Blinds (22:44)
• The (tragic) turning point that caused Natalie to leave the hospital system (25:40)
• Starting Ability Allies in her basement (35:28)
• 3 healthy habits for 2026 (44:48)
• Ability Allies' rapid growth (57:42)
• Natalie's own wellness routine (01:03:50)

SPONSORS:

• 3 Bridges Yoga: NEW yoga students can DM @seacoaststories on Instagram to unlock a stellar deal of $49 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month!
• Studio One⁠: NEW CLIENTS can use promo code "COASTIE26" at checkout to get UNLIMITED classes for only $25 in one month (that's an insanely good deal) at the Seacoast's top destination for spin, strength, and pilates classes.
• Budget Blinds of the Seacoast

Oh, and you can check out Troy's recent article on Stephanie Paolini of 3 Bridges Yoga here in the Portsmouth City Lifestyle Magazine.

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.

In a replay of one of the most popular "Seacoast Stories" episodes of 2025, Colombia native Max Pruna joins ⁠⁠⁠host Troy Farkas⁠⁠⁠ to discuss growing up in Colombia when drug lord Pablo Escobar was terrorizing the streets, the immigration process that brought him and his wife to the U.S. in the early 2000s, when he first discovered specialty coffee, why he opened La Mulita in 2019, the Portsmouth politics that nearly prevented him from opening the shop at all, the creative ways La Mulita survived the pandemic, and so much more.

CHAPTERS:

• Growing up in dangerous Colombia (00:00)
• Max's emigration to New Hampshire (06:45)
• Max's career prior to La Mulita (15:48)
• SPONSORS: Sage Portsmouth & We Can Help! (19:42)
• Learning about specialty coffee from George Howell (22:18))
• The fight to open La Mulita in 2019 (36:30)
• Surviving the pandemic (45:24)
• What makes La Mulita a special Seacoast spot (49:25)

To support Max, you can visit him at ⁠La Mulita⁠ Monday-Saturday from 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. To purchase perfectly roasted coffee beans, check out ⁠LaMulitaCoffee.com⁠.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Seacoast Stories Dinner Club is taking over Newburyport, MA, on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 p.m.! ⁠⁠⁠Book your seat here⁠⁠⁠ to make new friends.

SPONSORS:

• ⁠⁠Sage Portsmouth⁠⁠: Portsmouth's newest luxury condominiums are here ... and they're a steal! From now through 12/31, 20+ select units are available with BIG discounts. Prices start at $429,900. ⁠⁠Inquire here.⁠
• We Can Help!: Need a deep clean of your home? We got you! You can book one of our favorite Seacoast services here. You won't regret it.

Does the future of media lie within the past?

Eric Jackman thinks so.

He's an Executive Producer at Uncrowned (a media organization that partners with Yahoo! Sports), a co-host of my favorite podcast, "The Ariel Helwani Show," a former social media manager at ESPN and Vox Media, and he's also a past colleague of mine.

And for the last five years, he's joined a podcast with me at the end of the year to discuss the media trends that unfolded throughout the year, as well as to forecast what's to come.

In the first (and only) Zoom interview of the year, Eric (known online as NewYorkRic) joins me to discuss why creators are going all in on IRL events, Netflix's takeover of the entertainment industry, the rise of video podcasting, the flaws in the "Seacoast Stories" social media strategy, deploying targeted ads, winning strategies for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & LinkedIn, and much more.

CHAPTERS:

• The demand for IRL events (00:00)
• Why social media is destined to return to its original state (06:50)
• The rise of video podcasting & Netflix's takeover (09:56)
• Social media advice for 2026 (16:45)
• SPONSORS: Sage Portsmouth & investment advisor David Higgins (22:25)
• How to make more shareable content (25:20)
• The Seacoast Stories social strategy (35:25)
• The death of the follower (44:32)
• Substack & LinkedIn (48:14)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Seacoast Stories Dinner Club is taking over Newburyport, MA, on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 p.m.! ⁠⁠Book your seat here⁠⁠ to make new friends.

SPONSORS:

• ⁠Sage Portsmouth⁠: Portsmouth's newest luxury condominiums are here ... and they're a steal! From now through 12/31, 20+ select units are available with BIG discounts. Prices start at $429,900. ⁠Inquire here.⁠
• To get started on a path toward better financial investment, email our friend David Higgins ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠david.higgins@wellsfargoadvisors.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! He's a Portsmouth legend, and you won't regret it.

• Investment and insurance products are Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency, Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate, Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested.

  Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Clearing Services (WFCS), LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. WFCS uses the trade name Wells Fargo Advisors. 1 North Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63103.

  • 
    

Holly Ransom didn't want to feel this way anymore.

The tiredness. The body aches. The shame.

So she quit.

Now two years sober, Holly is a spiritual wrecking ball fiercely determined to heal herself, and to use her own learnings to heal others along the way.

A yoga teacher (3 Bridges Yoga, Seacoast Power Yoga, Four Bodies Wellness, Cinder & Sound), sound healer, holistic coach, and "Cycles and Shadows" podcast host, the 28-year-old is one of the oldest souls, deepest feelers, and most philosophical thinkers you'll come across on the Seacoast.

In this Season 3 bonus episode recorded in the West End of Portsmouth, Holly joins host Troy Farkas to discuss her emotional yoga teacher training in Costa Rica, working at The Wilder, ecstatic dance, what astrology tells us about how we show up in relationships, why our consciousness has been "industrialized," and much more.

CHAPTERS:

• Becoming a yoga teacher in Costa Rica (00:00)
• The difficult decision to get sober (06:00)
• Repairing the connection to yourself (19:35)
• SPONSORS: 3 Bridges Yoga + Sage Portsmouth (26:00)
• The benefits of dance for well-being (29:15)
• The challenges of running a healing business (35:40)
• Attachment styles (40:18)
• Why our consciousness has been "industrialized" (48:32)
• Final Question (56:57)

SPONSORS:

• ⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠: NEW STUDENTS can use code "SSNEWBIE" to pay just $39 for 30 days! RETURNING STUDENTS can use code "SS5FOR50" to get a 5-class pack for just $50! ⁠Sign up here.⁠ Offer expires Jan. 5, 2026.
• Sage Portsmouth: Portsmouth's newest luxury condominiums are here ... and they're a steal! From now through 12/31, 20+ select units are available with BIG discounts. Prices start at $429,900. Inquire here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Seacoast Stories Dinner Club is taking over Newburyport, MA, on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 p.m.! Book your seat here to make new friends.

To kick off the FINAL live edition of the show in 2025, beloved "Seacoast Stories" guest Jennifer Wilder starts the show by hyping up the audience before welcoming host Troy Farkas to the 3S Artspace stage.

After giving the rundown for the evening, Troy talks to Liars Bench Beer Co. co-owner Dagan Migirditch, who begins by telling the WILD story of how he discovered yoga in New Zealand. Then, the two talk about the early days of Liars Bench, Dagan's time working under Jay McSharry in the Seacoast restaurant scene, the revitalization of the West End of Portsmouth, and the dire state of housing in Portsmouth, and what can be done to fix it.

Then, previous podcast guest, marketing strategist and musician Laura Fox, takes the stage to play three of her signature love songs. After that, she and Troy talk about her recent decision to book a 1-way trip to Mexico, why she feels she needs to make a big change in her life, and more.

To cap off the evening, high-flying Seacoast businesswoman, Erin Holt of The Funk'tional Nutritionist, takes the mic to talk more about her long road to prominence, how her successful virtual business found its roots in the Seacoast community, how she's allowed others' limiting beliefs to define her, a rough year for business in 2025, and more. Plus, she fields several questions from the curious audience!

CHAPTERS:

• Jennifer Wilder introduces Troy Farkas (00:00)
• Troy's opening (06:50)
• Dagan Migirditch, Liars Bench Beer Co. (13:22)
• SPONSOR: 3 Bridges Yoga (37:50)
• Laura Fox plays live music (40:30)
• Laura Fox conversation (55:15)
• Troy looks back on a wild 2025 (01:02:32)
• Erin Holt, The Funk'tional Nutritionist (01:08:53)
• Erin Holt Q/A (01:32:35)

SPONSORS:

• 3 Bridges Yoga: NEW STUDENTS can use code "SSNEWBIE" to pay just $39 for 30 days! RETURNING STUDENTS can use code "SS5FOR50" to get a 5-class pack for just $50! Sign up here. Offer expires Jan. 5, 2026.
• The Coop at Earth Eagle Brewing: Portsmouth's new dive bar - open late six nights per week! Right next to 3BY.

Special thanks goes to:

• Lindsey Watson (photographer)
• Kevin Edge (photographer)
• Susan Plungis (photographer)
• Nick Eaton (videographer)
• Jennifer Wilder (hypewoman)
• Martin, Sarah, Sara, and Danny from 3S Artspace