A city that incorporated with zero residents sounds like a riddle, but it’s the spark that brings Port St. Lucie’s past to life in this conversation with curator Donnita Graben. We pull back the curtain on the Port St. Lucie History Museum and Education Center inside the historic Peacock Lodge, tracing the city’s rapid journey from ranch land and river bends to one of Florida’s fastest-growing communities.

Donnita shares how the Port St. Lucie Historical Society began in 1996 with a simple, ambitious goal: capture and protect local history before it fades. You’ll hear about moving historic buildings from the Peacock Ranch to McCarty Ranch and finally to the Port, and why those relocations matter for preserving a sense of place. We explore the power of oral histories in a young city where founders and first residents are still around to share stories, and we discuss how outreach to HOAs, clubs, and neighborhood groups helps new arrivals connect with the roots under their feet.

Along the way, we surface surprises—like why the 1961 incorporation counted zero residents and how the city operated without its own police department until 1980—framing Port St. Lucie’s growth in a way that’s both human and historic. If you’re curious about local museums, civic identity, or how communities preserve living memory, this is a thoughtful guide to visiting and getting involved. Plan your trip to 2456 SE Westmoreland Boulevard, check hours Wednesday to Friday 10–4 and Saturday 11–3, and explore pslhistory.org for memberships and volunteer opportunities that keep this nonprofit museum thriving.

If this story opened your eyes to Port St. Lucie’s hidden history, subscribe, share the episode with a neighbor, and leave a review to help more locals find the museum and become part of the story.

What if “getting older” isn’t the reason you feel stiff, spent, and stuck? We sit down with Christina Popa-Ricketts of Green Stone Spa to unpack a grounded approach to longevity that starts with skilled human touch, precise bodywork, and practical recovery rhythms anyone can apply. Her journey—from near burnout to a thriving, community-rooted practice—fuels a method that treats pain as a solvable pattern, not an inevitable fate.

Christina breaks down how her early deep-tissue focus evolved into a psychosomatic lens, where breath, safety, and nervous system tone guide technique. She clears up a stubborn industry confusion—the difference between “masseuse” and licensed massage therapist—while sharing candid stories that show how force alone misses the mark. Instead, she pairs intelligent pressure with pacing so your body can integrate change. The result is care that improves sleep, loosens guarded tissue, and restores range of motion long after the session ends.

We also explore how Green Stone Spa attracts clients without hype: word of mouth, honest Instagram education, and the simple proof of how you feel when you walk out. Christina’s private work stretches across states and countries under NDAs, supporting people under intense cognitive and emotional loads—interpreters, caregivers, frequent travelers—who need fast, sustainable resets. For New Yorkers, the spa at 133 Water Street is designed as an oasis on a budget: try different therapists, find your match, and build a cadence that protects your energy.

If you’re curious about practical longevity, how touch rewires stress, and why decline isn’t a foregone conclusion, this conversation delivers clear, respectful guidance. Ready to feel lighter and move better? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to tell us what shifted for you.

For more information on Green Stone Spa, visit GreenStoneSpa.com or call 718-852-5029.

What if aesthetic care felt less like a quick fix and more like a long-term plan for confidence? That’s the lens we bring to our conversation with physician assistant Mario Nova of Bespoke Medesthetics in Jericho, New York, where subtle Botox, refined fillers, laser skin resurfacing, and wellness services come together to help clients age on their own terms. Mario shares how nearly two decades in hospital medicine shaped her exacting approach to safety, anatomy, and results that look natural in real life, not just in photos.

We dig into common myths about med spas—especially the fear of looking “done”—and break down how precise dosing, conservative staging, and a strong grasp of facial structure create results that look like you, only more rested. We also explore the role of hormone replacement therapy and peptide therapy in boosting energy, sleep, skin quality, and mood, and why pairing these protocols with skincare, SPF, and laser treatments can significantly improve long-term outcomes. If you’re curious about how Botox works on movement lines, when fillers restore structure without altering identity, or how lasers tackle texture and sun damage with realistic downtime, this conversation offers clear, jargon-free answers.

Mario also talks about serving busy adults ages 25–55 who want subtle, confidence-building changes, and how her team reaches them through Facebook, Google, and community events. Beyond the clinic, we get personal about family, work-life balance, and the values that guide their practice: care that prioritizes health, educates honestly, and plans for results that last. If you’ve been hesitant to try a med spa because you fear dramatic change, this is your blueprint for natural aesthetics and whole-person wellness.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and tell us the one question you still have about natural results or med spa safety. Your feedback shapes future episodes and helps more neighbors discover trusted local care.

For more information on Bespoke Medesthetics in Jericho, New York, visit BespokeMedesthetics.com or call 516-916-5899.

What if a spa wasn’t a splurge but a lifeline? We sit down with Shirley Garner and Deborah Harrison of Spa Boutique and Wellness Lounge in Harlem to explore how consistent, affordable care can transform everyday stress into a sustainable rhythm of health. Their origin story weaves holistic street fairs, Italian hydrotherapy culture, and Caribbean soaking rituals into a clear mission: bring touch, rest, and skincare to the community not once a year, but once a month or more.

We talk through the services that anchor their approach—massage, facials, body scrubs, mud wraps, and acupuncture—and why frequency matters for lowering anxiety, easing pain, and resetting the nervous system. Shirley and Deborah share how they designed memberships and pricing to meet people where they are, turning wellness from a luxury signal into a practical habit. They serve kids grappling with social media stress and sports pressure, caregivers juggling jobs and aging parents, baby boomers who postponed rest for decades, and elders who may only experience human touch in clinical settings. The result is a multigenerational space where granddaughters book massages for grandmothers and neighbors pass along real results.

We also dig into the quiet power of word of mouth. While clients nudge them to start a podcast for skincare tips and guided relaxation, these founders spend most of their time in treatment rooms, letting trust and outcomes drive growth. Their message is simple and urgent: you matter, and self-care is not selfish. If you’re ready to rethink wellness as a steady practice instead of an annual treat, this conversation will give you practical ideas and a compassionate push to begin.

If you found value here, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs the reminder, and leave a review to help more neighbors discover community-centered wellness. For more information on Spa Boutique and Wellness Lounge, visit spabnwl.com.

Ready to lead without second-guessing yourself? We sit down with high performance coach and healing mentor Mel Finnerty to explore how true success starts on the inside. Mel works with CEOs, artists, and public figures to clear inherited beliefs, regulate the nervous system, and step into a steadier presence that makes work and life feel lighter. Instead of stacking more tactics on a stressed mind, she shows how authenticity turns into practical power—cleaner decisions, stronger boundaries, and the confidence to be seen without the armor.

Mel’s story sets the tone. She grew up navigating the pull to please and stay small, then spent decades testing therapy and diverse healing modalities to transform those early patterns. The lesson she brings to clients is simple and bold: everything is healable. When you name and release old programming, your gifts surface and your results become sustainable. We talk about co-regulation as a foundation, why self-care deepens into self-love, and how presence—not performance—drives real high performance for leaders and creatives alike.

We also touch on the business behind the work. Mel built a community by producing events for healers in New York City, and now keeps a focused practice of eight to ten clients per year. She offers a complimentary discovery session to ensure a strong fit and to give prospective clients a live taste of the process. Between stories of client breakthroughs and glimpses of her home life in Sedona—cooking with her husband, hiking with their dogs, and beach trips to Mexico—you’ll hear a grounded path for turning past pain into present clarity. If you’re ready to replace people-pleasing with presence and let your work flow from who you truly are, tune in, share with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

For more information, visit Mel's website at MelFinnerty.com.

What if your hernia care could be truly tailored to your body, goals, and daily life? We sit down with Dr. Meshach Cober with Cober Hernia, a general surgeon who built a dedicated hernia center to offer patients more nuanced choices, clearer guidance, and outcomes that last. Instead of squeezing hernias into a generic surgical playbook, Dr. Cober explains why specialization matters: from diagnosing which hernias need immediate repair to identifying when watchful waiting is safe, and from choosing the right mesh to deciding between open, laparoscopic, or robotic techniques.

We explore the turning points that led him from hospital employment to running a focused practice with his wife, the gaps he saw in complex and recurrent hernia care, and how deeper repetition in one domain sharpens judgment and technique. Dr. Cober walks through how a specialist weighs durability, recovery time, and long-term comfort, and why a one-size-fits-all approach misses the mark. He also shares how the practice removes friction for patients—clear articles on hernia types, privacy-enabled texting, and simple ways to ask questions—so people can move from uncertainty to confident action.

Beyond the OR, we get candid about the human side: raising two young kids, catching peaceful moments at Florida’s clear springs, carving out time for faith and family, and how that grounded life shapes a compassionate approach to care. If you or someone you love is weighing hernia surgery, this conversation delivers practical insight, real options, and a reminder that expert help might be closer than you think.

Enjoyed the show? Follow for more local expert stories, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find reliable, patient-centered care. For more information on Cober Hernia, visit CoberHernia.com.

Money isn’t just math; it’s memory, emotion, and daily behavior. We sit down with holistic financial coach Carrie Friedberg with SF Money Coach to unpack how values-driven choices make budgets actually work in the real world. Carrie shares how she helps individuals, couples, and multi-generational families align spending, saving, and earning with what matters most—then build systems that bend with life’s curveballs rather than break at the first surprise expense.

We challenge common myths head-on. A static budget won’t save you, and “no emotion in money” ignores how real people live. Carrie breaks down simple practices—fifth grade math, real-time cash flow tracking, and small, repeatable habits—that reduce stress and build financial confidence quickly. She highlights why early twenty-somethings face the highest risk for costly mistakes and offers guardrails to avoid credit card debt, manage impulse spending, and create momentum with automatic transfers and sinking funds.

Carrie also lifts the curtain on how she reaches clients: strong SEO, Yelp profiles in San Francisco and New York, and years of consistent content. She announces her new book, At Peace with Money, which distills a decade and a half of coaching into an approachable framework for holistic financial wellness. We touch on her past podcast mini-series, the realities of running a solo practice, and why joy matters—hello, pickleball—as a reminder to build a money life you can actually enjoy.

If you want practical tools, clear language, and a kinder approach to financial growth, this conversation brings it home. For more information, visit SFNoneyCoach.com.

What if the emptiness you keep trying to outrun is actually a compass pointing home? That question sits at the center of our conversation with Naomi Shu, a Level 2 Quantum Healing Hypnotherapist who helps people access the theta brainwave state to uncover identity, purpose, and peace. Naomi opens up about her leap from a vice president role in New York City commercial real estate to a calling focused on healing, alignment, and conscious living.

We explore what quantum healing hypnosis really is and what it is not. Naomi dismantles common myths about mind control and sleep, explaining how clients remain aware while dropping into a relaxed state where the subconscious is easier to work with. From easing anxiety and depression to releasing trauma and old beliefs, the process gives people practical insights that translate into better choices, healthier boundaries, and a deeper sense of meaning. She also describes how some clients experience access to a personal record of patterns and possibilities, offering context for why certain life themes keep repeating.

Naomi’s story resonates with high achievers who have done everything “right” yet feel restless or numb. She reflects on how success can become a substitute for fulfillment and why buying more—whether properties or accolades—never satisfies the hunger for purpose. Instead of pushing harder, she invites us to listen inward, realign with who we truly are, and let actions follow that truth. If you have felt stuck, lost, or out of sync with your life, this is an honest, grounded guide to returning to yourself.

If this conversation sparks something in you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Ready to take the next step? Reach out to Naomi at healingandretreats.com and tell us: what would you ask your deeper self today?