This week host, Jill Monson, has a SWEET guest just in time to talk Valentine’s Day. She welcomes Tarah Warner, the 413’s very own Willy Wonka – chocolatier and owner of Truffles by Tarah.

This Berkshire-based business is a PERFECT solution for a Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day gift, but more than that, she’s doing big things for the local economy by supporting truly collaborative relationships.

Have you ever wondered how someone chooses to become a chocolatier? We ask the question.

Plus, Jill and Tarah also chat about:

• Her educational experience at the Culinary Institute of America
• A BUNCH of her favorite spots to eat and relax in the Berkshires
• Her favorite flavor truffle
• A Tanglewood hack (really it’s super cool 😊
• The craziest truffle flavor she’s ever been asked to make (and the one she actually made that worked and shocked even her).
• And lots more!

GUEST INFORMATION:

• Tarah Warner
• Truffles by Tarah, owner and chocolatier
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Truffles_by_Tarah
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091738894667
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarah-warner-6619a3262
• Email: info@trufflesbytarah.com
• Website: https://www.trufflesbytarah.com

Another episode of BIZ BUZZ 413 is LIVE and this is one you DO NOT WANT TO MISS! This week, Jill Monson, our host sits down (finally LOL) with founder and President of Living Local 413, Bill Cole.

They chat about a lot including…

• What does it mean when we say the organization is a regional Business Community Development Organization.
• What are the benefits of 413online.com – what Jill call’s our LinkedIn “local”.
• The VERY popular 413 calendar.
• Why you NEED to sign up to join us for the 413 Entrepreneur Spotlight brought to you by Common Capital and LL413 (FYI… it’s coming up on 2/12 and you should register now!).
• More about who Bill is and why Living Local is vital to the success of Western Mass.
• What the new initiative, The Villages, is all about.

GUEST INFORMATION

Bill Cole, Founder and President of Living Local 413

• Website: https://www.livinglocal413.org
• Connect with him at the 413 Online community. Sign up as a Member (for free) today at https://community.livinglocal413.org
• Email: bill@livinglocal413.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-cole-50605715
• Tiger Web Designs: https://www.tigerwebdesigns.com

Join Jill Monson with guest Elizabeth Staples; founder, president and co-owner of The Good Dog Spot. On this 'Beyond the BIZ Card' episode they go behind the scenes and discuss her background as an entrepreneur, balancing a family, and more; plus you can only imagine how many animals she has in her “zoo” at home.

Guest Contact Info

• The Good Dog Spot
• (413) 534-1333
• 35 C North Chicopee Street Chicopee, MA 01020
• 139 King Street Northampton, MA 01060
• Website: https://gooddogspot.net
• Email: info@gooddogspot.net
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegooddogspot
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegooddogspot

Welcome to Season 3 of BIZ BUZZ 413. Host Jill Monson is so excited to sit down with the new President & CEO of the Western Mass Economic Development Council (EDC), Aaron Vega, along with Xiomara DeLobato, Vice President and Chief of Staff. They have an awesome conversation (include a few laughs) about the goals under Aaron’s leadership, what Xiomara would like to see next, and of course you get a chance to know a bit more about who Aaron is as well.

Guest Contact Info

Western Mass Economic Development Council (EDC)

• Aaron Vega, President & CEO, a.vega@westernmassedc.com
• Xiomara DeLobato, Vice President and Chief of Staff, x.delobato@westernmassedc.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/western-massachusetts-economic-development-council
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westernmassedc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wmassedc

Website: https://www.westernmassedc.com

For this last episode of 2025 it’s a special episode - a ‘Beyond the BIZ Card’ feature with Angela Park, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Springfield Performing Arts Ventures at 52 Sumner ("SPAV"). Host Jill Monson takes you behind the scenes with Angela and they discuss, among other things, the conversion of a historic church to a venue, her background as an entrepreneur, and the upcoming 2026 line-up.

Contact info:

• Springfield Performing Arts Ventures at 52 Sumner
• 52 Sumner Avenue, Springfield, MA 01108
• Website: https://52sumner.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/52sumner
• Email: info@52Sumner.com
• Phone: (413) 523-8100

This week we chat with Emily Carlson, Agency Owner at We Do Travel Right. We discuss:

• The myths about working with a travel agent,
• Why WDTR’s tagline “Life is short… take the trip” is so much more than just a marketing line… it’s a mantra. And how everyone needs to consider making this part of their life.
• Cool places people should check out in 2026 (for families or grown-up only get-a-ways),
• Plus, Jill asks Emily what’s her favorite place she’s ever gone to.

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Emily Carlson, We Do Travel Right

• Website: wedotravelright.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wedotravelright
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wedodisneyright/
• Email: wedotravelright@gmail.com

Host Jill Monson shares about Dri Umbrellas.

• What exactly is a Dri umbrella?
• Why do you need one?
• And more specifically... What can getting this one umbrella do for the greater good?

GUEST CONTACT INFO

• Deirdre Bird
• Founder & CEO of Dri Umbrellas
• Website: www.dri.earth
• Email: deirdre@dri.earth
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdre-h-bird-0abbb087
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DriUmbrellas
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dri_umbrellas

This week’s BIZ BUZZ 413 episode drops a few days early because of the holiday. Jill, our host, had a blast welcoming Dawn Creighton, Liberty Bank’s Community Outreach Officer. They chatted about a very important survey that entrepreneurs are being asked to participate in, about the bank’s mantra “Be Community Kind” and what it really means for us who live here, and about their Academy for Small Business.

CONTACT OUR GUEST:

• Dawn Creighton
• Community Outreach Officer, Liberty Bank
• NMLS#2514657
• Email: DCreighton@LIBERTY-BANK.com
• Dawn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawncreighton
• C: 413-530-0545
• O: 413-846-2524
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liberty-bankct
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liberty
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertybankct
• Main website: https://www.liberty-bank.com
• Academy for Small Business (ASB) website (direct link): https://www.liberty-bank.com/business/banking/academy-for-small-business
  • To register for an upcoming session of Academy for Small Business, please complete the Registration Form > https://www.liberty-bank.com/docs/default-source/sitecollateral/asb-registration-form_508.pdf?sfvrsn=1793c31b_2

Breaking Barriers: A Study of Western Mass Entrepreneurs (Survey): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJoVvvnmtHJDlFsI-pH5a27tsyrunoQFre4tdu1UY-k6_miQ/viewform