"These animals aren't damaged, and they aren't broken. They're just waiting."

In this episode of Maine Thrive Voices, host Sandy Smith sits down with Britney Ellis, Public Relations Specialist at The Animal Orphanage in Old Town, Maine — a no-kill shelter that has been giving lost and abandoned animals a second chance since 1990.

Britney is the voice for animals who can't speak for themselves. If you've seen the adoptable pet segments on WABI TV5, you've seen her work. In this conversation, she walks us through what "no-kill" really means, how strays come into the shelter through police and animal control, and what happens between the day an animal arrives and the day it walks out the door with its new family.

You'll also meet Rex — a striking four-year-old with a big heart and a lot of energy who has been waiting at the shelter for nearly a year. Somebody's perfect dog is sitting in Old Town right now.

Whether or not you're ready to adopt, there are three ways to help: adopt, foster, or donate. Every one of them saves a life.

CONNECT WITH THE ANIMAL ORPHANAGE:

Website: https://www.animalorphanageoldtown.com/

Email: animalorphanagepr@gmail.com

Phone: (207) 827-8777

Visit: 71 Airport Road, Old Town, Maine

READ THE COMPANION INSIGHT:https://mainethriveinsights.com/britney-ellis

BRITNEY'S COMMUNITY PROFILE:https://penobscotvalleythrive.com/detail-page/animal-orphanage

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Maine Thrive Voices — Real Voices. Real Maine.

Hosted by Sandy Smith, Maine's Visibility Consultant, Smith Digital Solutions, Bangor, Maine.

New episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio.

Britney Ellis is a Founding Voice of Maine Thrive Voices — the first circle of twelve Maine voices.

Tony LaPrino was standing in a half-finished new build, picking up a check from his builder, when he said the five words that changed everything: "I'd love to learn how to do this." The room went quiet. The builder asked if he was serious. He was — and one year later, North Star Property Solutions is booked solid across the Greater Bangor area.

In this episode of Maine Thrive Voices, host Sandy Smith sits down with Tony to talk about how a college summer job painting houses in Southern Maine turned into a calling he couldn't shake, why the "handyman" label stopped fitting the caliber of work he delivers, and how he found his niche as a Property Preparation Specialist — the skilled professional who takes on the projects contractors won't call you back about, shows up in weeks instead of months, and leaves homeowners saying "it's like a new kitchen."

Tony and Sandy cover:

- Saying yes before you feel ready — and how one yes built a business

- What a typical week looks like: small remodels, drywall, decks, stairs, and interior/exterior painting

- Why people don't hire drywall repair — they hire a home ready to sell, ready to rent, ready to enjoy, ready for the next chapter

- Integrity as a business model: show up, pick up the phone, do what you said you'd do

Tony also shares his vision for the future, including building affordable ADUs to help address Maine's housing needs.]

Connect with Tony LaPrino:

Website: https://northstarpropertysolutionsinc.com

Phone/Text: (207) 745-5304

Email: tony.laprino@northstarpropertysolutionsinc.com

Read the companion Insight on Maine Thrive Insights: https://mainethriveinsights.com/tony-laprino

Maine Thrive Voices is produced by Smith Digital Solutions, LLC in Bangor, Maine. Learn more at: smithdigitalsolutions.com.

Peter Richmond never grew up with a dog. But when his son got a husky named Luca, something clicked — and it never stopped. What started as a friendship with a dog daycare owner named Hallie Tyler turned into an opportunity Peter couldn't pass up. He took over her property in Glenburn, put his name on the door, and built Woof LLC into the top-rated dog daycare in Penobscot County — two years running. This episode is the story of how a Cape Cod native fell in love with dogs, moved to Maine, and built a business around the belief that every dog deserves a safe, happy place to land.

Key Takeaways

• A tired dog is a five-star review. Peter's measure of a great day at Woof is simple — if the dog gets excited half a mile from the facility on the way in and sleeps the whole way home, they did their job.
• Not every dog is made for daycare — and that's okay. Peter has candid conversations with owners when a dog isn't thriving in a group setting, and he does it with care, not judgment.
• Trust is built one meet-and-greet at a time. New dogs and their owners are invited for a quiet weekend visit before their first full day — no pressure, no crowds, just a chance to get comfortable.
• The whole staff is first aid certified, including dog CPR. It hasn't been needed yet, but Peter wanted to be ready.
• Communication is everything. Peter texts owners during the day with updates — a practice he learned directly from Hallie Tyler and never stopped.

Resources Mentioned

• Woof LLC website: woofllc.com
• Booking software: Ginger (available to sign up directly at woofllc.com)
• Phone/Text: 207-944-0339
• Facebook: Woof LLC

Closing

New episodes of Maine Thrive Voices publish regularly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio. If you know a Maine business owner or community leader who belongs on this show, reach out at smithdigitalsolutions.com.

Laura McIntyre has been running large-scale event logistics since before most people knew that was a job. From managing 5.5 million square feet of warehousing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to coordinating Hurricane Katrina relief operations in Baton Rouge, she spent thirteen years as part of a loose network of professionals who get called in when the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero. When her parents needed her, she came home to Bangor and thought that chapter was closed. Then she married a marathoner who looked at Route 2 and saw a race course. MESA-Maine was born in Lincoln in 2002, and it hasn't stopped growing since. This episode is the story of how world-class logistics came home to Maine — and why that matters to every runner who crosses a MESA finish line.

Key Takeaways

• No time limits, ever. MESA stays until every runner finishes — seven hours, eight hours, it doesn't matter. The clock runs and the medal is waiting.
• Every MESA race is a Boston qualifier. Course design starts with finding the flattest, fastest route before anything else happens.
• The logistics behind a Maine road race are massive. Permits, law enforcement, emergency management, medical, USA Track and Field sanctioning, insurance, volunteers, t-shirts, medals, and door-to-door donation outreach — all of it before a single runner registers.
• The Maine National Guard has committed to partnering with MESA races going forward — a significant addition to an organization that already runs deep in the military community.
• MESA is actively building for the future. A 207 Ultramarathon, a Backyard Ultra, bids on the Veterans' Wheelchair Games and Special Olympics World Games, and expansion into northern and western Maine are all in development.

Resources Mentioned

• Race registration: mesa-maine.org and runsignup.com
• Email Laura: mesamaineinfo@gmail.com
• Phone/Text: 207-694-9184
• Benefiting nonprofits: Heart of Maine United Way, Kennebec Valley United Way, Northern Pacific Activities Council, Maine Veterans Project

Closing

New episodes of Maine Thrive Voices publish regularly. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio.

In this episode of Maine Thrive Voices, Sandy Smith sits down with Flori Davis of Hermon, one of the original runners of the Bangor Marathon and the 2025 women's course record holder. Flori has been running for more than twenty years, and her story is anything but a straight line — a Boston qualifier derailed by injury, a second qualification missed because life with four kids and a real estate career got in the way, and a third attempt this June that became her best race yet.

Flori watched her course record fall this year — and felt relieved. Then she went out and beat her own previous time by minutes anyway. That tells you everything about how she runs: for herself, on her own terms, with twenty years of hard-earned wisdom about recovery, fueling, and knowing when to push.

What you will hear:

Why the Bangor Marathon course feels almost easy when you train on Hermon's hills

The Boston Marathon that injury took away — and the registration deadline that family life buried

What miles 17 through 19 actually feel like, and how smarter fueling beat the wall this year

The finish line mix-up that left her husband waiting behind Geaghan's

What losing the course record taught her about why she runs

The recovery and tapering changes that made this her strongest race ever

How a high school coach in Pennsylvania sparked a lifelong outlet

Her path from Romania to Pennsylvania to Maine — and a real estate career built almost entirely on repeat clients and referrals

About Flori Davis: Flori is a real estate agent with NextHome Experience, serving Bangor and the surrounding towns, where roughly 95 percent of her business comes from repeat clients and referrals. The best way to reach her is a call or text at 207-852-4597 — texts work best with four kids in the house.

If Flori's story got you thinking about lacing up — or about that race you've been putting off — share this episode with a running friend. And come out to cheer next June. The cowbells matter more than you think.

Maine Thrive Voices is produced by Smith Digital Solutions, LLC in Bangor, Maine. Learn more at smithdigitalsolutions.com

Episode 3: Amber Willey — 207 Wellness, Veazie, Maine

In this episode of Maine Thrive Voices, Sandy Smith sits down with Amber Willey, co-owner and nurse practitioner at 207 Wellness in Veazie, Maine. Amber shares her powerful personal transformation — losing 150 pounds through her own GLP-1 journey — and how that lived experience became the foundation for a practice that has helped hundreds of Mainers reclaim their health. From IV hydration to hormone optimization, regenerative aesthetics to hair restoration, 207 Wellness is bringing big-city wellness services to central Maine with a deeply personal, human touch.

From starting at her kitchen table to outfitting the University of Maine football team with IV hydration, Amber's story is one of grit, purpose, and building something your community actually needs.

What you will hear:

The moment Amber realized she could do things differently — and better

How losing 150 pounds changed her career, her confidence, and her direction

Why 207 Wellness started with weight management and grew into a full wellness platform

What IV hydration actually does and why skeptical patients become regulars

The truth about hormone optimization — and why so many people are running on empty

How big-city treatments like NeoGen and Alma TED are now available right here in central Maine

What wellness really means — beyond the scale

About 207 Wellness: 207 Wellness is a functional and regenerative wellness clinic located in Veazie, Maine, serving patients across the greater Bangor region and beyond. Services include GLP-1 weight management, IV hydration, hormone optimization for men and women, regenerative aesthetics, laser treatments, and hair restoration. Walk-ins are welcome for IV and vitamin injection services. Saturday appointments available. Visit 207wellness.com for booking and the full service menu.

If Amber's story resonated with you, leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share this episode with someone who's been thinking about taking that first step toward better health. 207 Wellness is ready when you are.

Maine Thrive Voices is produced by Smith Digital Solutions, LLC in Bangor, Maine. Learn more at smithdigitalsolutions.com

In this special founding guest episode, Anik Derphilibossian shares her inspiring journey from nurse to food entrepreneur. From growing up in a food-loving Lebanese household to chasing her American dream, Anik opens up about the challenges of starting a food truck and restaurant in Bangor, Maine.

She talks about the power of dreams, the importance of community, her famous stuffed grape leaves, and why she created the Dream Board at Dreamer Food. This heartfelt conversation is full of warmth, resilience, and mouth-watering stories — exactly what Maine Thrive Voices is all about.

One of the very first guests who believed in this podcast before it even launched — don’t miss Anik’s story.

Brad Libby of Performance Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation joins Maine Thrive Voices to discuss helping Mainers recover from injuries, stay active, and improve long-term mobility and wellness.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• physical therapy
• sports rehabilitation
• injury recovery
• staying active as we age
• common misconceptions about physical therapy
• helping people move and feel better throughout the Bangor and Brewer region

This episode is part of the Penobscot Valley Insights series from Maine Thrive Voices.

Learn more:
Performance Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation

Produced by Maine Valley Voices Media.