A cooler backpack, a New England winter, and a lot of rejection—that’s how Todd Simon started selling his own beer. The Hero95 founder and former Boston Beer Company brand strategist joins Ian Brownhill to talk about building a light beer brand, winning space in local stores, and why a good product still needs a story people remember.

Todd shares the thinking behind Hero95’s 95-calorie lager, its $95 donations to individual fundraisers, and a can design inspired by colorful sneakers. Plus, the Massachusetts founder explains why Rhode Island punches above its weight.

Follow So New England for more conversations with the people and businesses shaping the region.

What makes you give a new local brand a chance? Leave your answer in the comments.

Hero95 and beer finder: https://drinkhero95.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkhero95/
Life’s Bettah: https://www.lifesbettah.com/

So New England Business Spotlight #13
Hosted by Ian Brownhill, featuring Todd Simon.

Please drink responsibly.

He drove a U-Haul 32 hours from Alabama to Rhode Island expecting cold, rude, unwelcoming people. Four years later he's one of New England's most-followed creators — and he says everything he'd been told about us was a lie.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Brad Porch, better known as Honestly Brad. Brad opens up about the 2017 collapse that led him north, getting sober, and rebuilding from nothing — then gets into the culture shock of the move, why "you f***ing idiot" is a term of endearment in New England, and the one thing nobody warned him about (none of his furniture fit through the door of his Pawtucket apartment). Then he takes on the So New England segment and ranks all six states, putting Massachusetts dead last and immediately apologizing for it.

Follow Brad at @honestlybrad. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

She never went to design school. Eight years later, her work has been on Tom Brady's family, Nikki Glaser's tour, and the shelves at Fenway and TD Garden.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Melissa Stern — the designer behind Mel the Clothing, the rhinestone-covered Boston sports line you've probably seen all over your feed. Mel shares how a rhinestone champagne bottle jacket accidentally launched a business, the nightmare of navigating sports licensing across four different leagues, and the moment she made jackets for Tom Brady's Hall of Fame induction. She's honest about the grind too — getting ripped off, the projects that never see daylight, and why she thinks if you can make it in Boston fashion, you can make it anywhere. Then she takes on the So New England segment, designing a bedazzled outfit for every state and every season. Find her at meltheclothing.com and @mel_the_clothing. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

Failed out of seventh grade. A career-ending crash on duty. And now his face is on billboards across the entire state of Rhode Island.

This week on the Business Spotlight, Ian and RJ sit down with Rob Levine — the heavy hitter himself. Rob shares the full story: getting kicked out of school and the teacher who changed his life, joining a rescue squad at 16, seven years as a cop in Central Falls, the crash that ended his law enforcement career, and how he built one of the most recognizable law practices in New England from there. He's refreshingly blunt about the business too — why insurance companies (not other lawyers) are his real competition, and what people get wrong about their own coverage. Then he gets into the philanthropy work most people don't know about, including feeding a thousand families every Thanksgiving. You can reach Rob Levine and Associates at 888-ROB-WINS, or just Google "Rob Levine." Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

Nick Waller and Nick Schorsch open up the Audrain Automobile Museum's doors for a conversation about car culture, the 1912 electric car that beat Tesla to the punch by a century, and the accessibility-first philosophy behind Motor Week (October 1-4). Plus: hot takes on modern car safety, a Tesla Plaid owner who's ready to sell his own car, and the industry secret about fake exhaust sounds. Follow So New England so you don't miss next week's episode.

🎟️ MOTOR WEEK TICKETS & INFOGet tickets and the full schedule: https://www.audrainconcours.comAudrain Automobile Museum (222 Bellevue Ave, Newport RI): Website: https://audrainautomuseum.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/audrainconcours/

A career-ending injury. A chiropractic myth he's tired of hearing. A $1,500 leap of faith. Together, two Rhode Island business owners built something neither could have built alone.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Michael Georges, owner of Stryve Chiropractic, and Dave Boardman, owner of Thryve Performance Lab — a true one-stop shop for physical health under one roof in Cranston, Rhode Island. Dave opens up about the on-duty injury that nearly ended his career and left him unable to hold his own kids, and how it led him to build one of the best-equipped gyms in the state. Michael breaks down the biggest myths in chiropractic care and how going out-of-pocket changed his entire approach to treatment. Together they get honest about sleep, supplements, GLP-1s and peptides, and what it actually takes to build a health habit that lasts. Then they take on the So New England challenge, assigning a workout to every state in the region.

More Dr. Mike Georges:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecombatchiro/

Website: https://www.stryvechiropractic.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecombatchiropractor

More Dave Boardman:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_davidboardman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thryveperformancelab/

He left New England for a career in LA — and somehow never really left at all.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with comedian Jay Larson, the Stoneham, Massachusetts native who's built a stand-up career on the West Coast while staying unmistakably New England at heart. Jay talks about growing up, going to college in New Hampshire, taking the leap to pursue comedy full-time, and why he thinks New Englanders are uniquely built for the grind of stand-up. He's honest about co-parenting, hilarious about his kids never being impressed by his success, and full of stories that could only happen back home. Then he takes on the So New England segment, ranking every state and making a genuinely compelling case for winter as the region's most underrated season. Follow Jay at @jaylarsoncomedy, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

🎙️ Follow Jay Larson:

Website: https://jaylarsoncomedy.com/

Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@jaylarsoncomedy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaylarsoncomedy/

Upcoming shows:

Laugh Boston, September 18-19

Get Tickets https://www.tixr.com/promoters/JayLarson

A Boston chef just declared Massachusetts a "roast beef state." He's not wrong.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Chris Coombs, the award-winning chef and restaurateur behind some of Boston's best-known restaurants. Chris opens up about growing up in Peabody, working his way up through brutal early kitchen jobs, and building a career on food that's taken him from Boston to New York and back. Then he takes on the full So New England challenge — assigning a signature dish to every state in the region, from Maine's lobster to a surprising take on Connecticut bagels, and a hot take on New Hampshire that gets walked back with some very good news about Wagyu beef. Honest, funny, and full of real New England opinions. Follow Chris at @chefchriscoombs, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.