Joining Rachel in her living room is friend Sarah Donaldson, Director of Sales Planning at SkinnyDipped, back for her second appearance on the pod. They cover Queer/Bar's ownership change, Seattle's surpising decline in flights, a labor dispute at a beloved Seattle restaurant group, Bed Bath & Beyond's return, and a very eventful night on Lake Union.

Top Stories:

1. Queer Bar sells to The Cuff Complex

2. World Cup fever is up in Seattle, but flights are down 21% year-over-year (but everyone loves our stadium!)

3. Walrus and Carpenter employees strike, forcing a temporary closure

4. Bed Bath & Beyond is reopening its first location since the 2023 bankruptcy

5. Event venue MV Skansonia starts to sink on Lake Union

About Sarah Donaldson — Director of Sales Planning, SkinnyDipped:

Sarah has been with SkinnyDipped for seven years, helping grow the Seattle-based, mother-daughter-founded snack company from a small Wallingford kitchen operation to a brand now carried at Starbucks nationwide. As Director of Sales Planning, she oversees demand forecasting, trade budgets, and new product launches across the company's line of better-for-you almonds, cashews, and chocolate snacks.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly seattle podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

In this special episode the former Chief Economist for Windermere comes back to the podcast to give us an update on our economy. He helps us make sense of an economy that's growing but "running a bit rough," what's really behind Seattle's wave of tech layoffs, and why buyers and sellers are at a standoff in today's housing market. We also get his take on Seattle's housing bill 1100, and his predictions for mortgage rates and the job market through the rest of the year.

About guest Matthew Gardner - Economist:

Matthew Gardner is a Seattle-based real estate economist and founder of Gardner Economics. He has spent close to 30 years analyzing housing markets and economic trends, and is widely recognized for his expertise in the Pacific Northwest real estate market. Matthew serves on many boards including the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly seattle podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

In this special episode we talk to Pete Hanning, Executive Director of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, about the construction that has taken place over for the past year. We dig into the Route 40 project: what was promised, what went wrong, and how an afternoon getting beers resulted in a major change.

Thank you for hosting us Charlie's Queer Books!

About guest Pete Hanning - Executive Director, Fremont Chamber of Commerce:

Pete has been involved with the Fremont Chamber of Commerce for nearly 20 years, serving in board, president, and executive director roles. He ran the Red Door in Fremont for 20 years and previously ran for Seattle City Council. Learn more at Fremont.com

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly seattle podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Rachel is back on the mic! She recaps her recent work travels and, as always, updates you on the news of the week.

Top Stories:

1. Ben & Jerry's coming to the waterfront

2. Melinda French Gates joins Kraken ownership group

3. Data center potentially coming to Bed Bath & Beyond space downtown

4. Sound Transit pushes aside Ballard line

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Seattle’s restaurant scene has seen waves of changes as the local economy, legal landscape, and consumer tastes have evolved. This week, Nick Patri fills in as host while Rachel is traveling for work, and interviews Zach Geballe, writer and podcast co-host at VinePair. Zach was previously the wine director for Tom Douglas Restaurants and spent two decades in Seattle's hospitality industry, and brings insights on the recent history and current state of Seattle’s dining.

Top Stories:

1. Seattle Mariners Secret Cocktail Door
2. Seattle Chefs Named James Beard Finalists
3. Jeffry's Replaces Bateau and Boat Bar
4. Are Monday Nights the New Happy Hour?

About guest Zach Geballe - Podcast Host and Writer

Zach is the co-host of the VinePair Podcast, where he covers the drinks industry with an eye towards trends, business insights, and the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Previously, he was the wine director for Tom Douglas Restaurants in Seattle and spent two decades in Seattle's hospitality industry.

On the writing side, his latest piece for Vinepair.com came out on May 18th, exploring how some wineries are rethinking the shapes of their bottles to stand out on crowded wine shelves.

About guest host Nick Patri:

Nick is an independent podcast and communications strategist. He works with clients to articulate the unique stories that set them apart, and optimize their content to reach audiences with podcasts, videos, newsletters, internal communications, and sincere engagement.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

With all these tech layoffs, should we get into the trades? We're pulling back the curtain on the trades industry with two leaders from one of the Pacific Northwest's fastest-growing home services companies. The CEO and COO share how they scaled Harts from a Gig Harbor garage to 150+ employees, why they built their own apprenticeship academy, and what tariffs and rising utility costs actually mean on the ground for tradespeople and homeowners.

Top Stories:

1. Inside the trades: workforce pipeline, women in the industry, and building a company academy (Seattle Times article)

2. Microsoft's first-ever voluntary retirement program

3. World Cup hotel bookings are lower than expected

About Rich Hart & Jess Passmore — Co-Owner and COO, Harts Plumbing, Electricians & HVAC Technicians:

Rich Hart founded Harts over 13 years ago after relocating from Maui, growing the company from a garage in Gig Harbor to multiple locations serving the greater Puget Sound region. Jess Passmore joined seven years ago, bringing a background in healthcare operations, and now leads the company as COO. Harts serves residential customers across the region with plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and sewer services.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

Pete Nordstrom, Co-CEO of Nordstrom joins Rachel for a deep dive into the business behind one of Seattle's most iconic brands. They cover what it really takes to run a fourth-generation family business, the inside story of Nordstrom's long road to going private, and the future of retail. Pete also gets candid about the state of downtown Seattle retail, what Nordstrom is doing to stay invested in the city, and why the Rack's growth strategy is far from cannibalizing the flagship.

About guest Pete Nordstrom - Co-CEO, Nordstrom:

Pete Nordstrom is a fourth-generation member of the Nordstrom family and co-CEO of Nordstrom, one of the leading fashion retailers in the United States. He began working at the company as a teenager and rose through the ranks in merchandising, store operations, and executive leadership. Known for his customer-focused approach and deep knowledge of retail and fashion, Nordstrom has helped guide the company’s evolution across both physical stores and digital commerce. He is also active in philanthropy and community initiatives in the Seattle area.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com

If your conference agenda has back-to-back sessions with 10-minute breaks, you may be actively working against your own objectives. This week, Rachel sits down with event wellness strategist David T. Stevens live at the Northwest Event Show for a conversation on why wellness at events is actually business strategy.

David breaks down his Four M's framework: mindfulness, movement, meals, and meaning. He explains how what you feed attendees at 8am directly determines whether they can pay attention by 10:30. He shares Oxford research linking employee wellbeing to stock performance, makes the case for cutting sessions from 60 to 40 minutes, and explains what the "forgetting curve" means for how your attendees retain (or don't retain) what they just heard.

This episode is for anyone that gathers humans together, not just event professionals.

About guest David T. Stevens:

David T Stevens, PMED, WITT-AP is an event wellness architect. Founding member of the WITT Standards Advisory Committee. Harvard Medical School Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Coach. Co-founder of Olympian Meeting and host of Return on Wellness. I have collaborated with Dr. Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, who stated on my show that what we call “wellness at events” is in fact public health.

About host Rachel Horgan:

Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.

Contact:

Email: info@theweeklyseattle.com

Instagram: @theweeklyseattle

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com