The Day That Changed Everything

After sharing the stories of more than 60 days that changed everything for Maine business and nonprofit leaders, podcast interviewers Andrea Tetzlaff and Renee Cordes wrap up the season – and the series – by reflecting on some lessons and insights that resonated most with them. All episodes are archived on the Mainebiz website and various platforms.

Ben Barringer had worked in construction and insurance for years when he was offered an opportunity as a sales rep with Rainbow International- a fire, water, and smoke remediation company. After seeing initial success, Ben decided to pursue purchasing the Maine franchise of Rainbow and became a business owner- at 28 years old. Hear from Ben about what it was like to take on that responsibility at a young age and how that sometimes worked in his favor, and sometimes against him

Lucas Myers worked in the seafood industry for years before joining forces with two partners to launch SoPo Seafood in March 2020 as a wholesale business. When COVID shut everything down, the company pivoted to online retail sales while putting plans for a bricks-and-mortar market on the back burner until the perfect spot became available, in South Portland’s Knightville neighborhood. Lucas shares the backstory of how the business started and quickly shifted gears, and how it has evolved.

When the Supreme Court ruled that NCAA athletes could get paid for their name, image and likeness, Greg Glynn saw an opportunity to lend his expertise and start a sports marketing company. Greg talks about how preparing young athletes to think about their personal brand sets them up for business success, how mental health factors in, and the challenges he’s faced launching a new business venture in an evolving legal landscape. 

Katie Krall grew up with baseball and got turned on to the sport’s analytical side by Michael Lewis’s book “Moneyball.” Today, she’s using her analytical skills as the development coach for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Katie talks about how she got into coaching, what she learned during her time working at Google and breaking baseball’s glass ceiling as the Sea Dogs’ first female development coach.

Diane Kibbin has spent her career in health care. She had been in the director of operations role for three months in 2020 when OceanView at Falmouth, a senior residential living facility, experienced one of the first COVID outbreaks in Maine. Diane had to work quickly with all of her teams to ensure they were communicating with the Maine CDC, implementing recommendations, and continuing to keep their at-risk population safe. Diane shares what it was like to face the unknown without a manual, how she had faith in her team to execute their plan, and what she learned from this highly unusual experience

Brothers Van and Sumit Sharma grew up in Portland and in the Indian restaurant business. In 2020 after returning to Maine from England and Australia, they helped out at Bombay Mahal, their parents’ restaurant in Brunswick. It was while working there they brewed up an idea for an Indian beer brand to complement the curry dishes they grew up with – and joined forces with craft-beer guru Alan Pugsley to launch Rupee Beer in October 2021.

Donato Tramuto faced many challenges early in life including hearing loss, bullying, and the loss of a family member. As a serial entrepreneur, he traveled all over the US. After friends were in town in September of 2001, he missed a flight that they were all supposed to be on- United flight 175 ended up being hijacked and flown into the 2nd World Trade Center.  Donato is very candid about how devastating losing his friends was and how he turned that sorrow into a foundation that supports young people who have overcome trying circumstances.

Tim Dentry, the son of a nurse and grandson of a country doctor, has spent much of his career overseas focusing on improving health care in places including Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. An unexpected opportunity led the Maryland native back to the U.S. in late 2016 to take a job with Northern Light Health, first as chief operating officer and then as president and CEO since April 2020.

Eileen Horner bought onesixtyfive, the former Brunswick Inn, in 2009, when she and her husband moved to Maine from West Virginia. After making it through a tough 2020 with Covid, Eileen had actually put The Brunswick Inn up for sale and was planning on moving on in her career.  Then in March of 2021, there was a devastating fire that destroyed much of the main building of the inn- Eileen had to make some hard choices and decide if she was going to keep the property, and if so, what rebuilding would look like. Today I’m talking with Eileen about what those decisions were like for her and how she was able to build the inn of her dreams.

Michael Weaver grew up in Alaska before joining the military for a career that would eventually bring him to Maine where he met his wife, Nichole, who grew up in western Maine.  Their careers took them to Washington, D.C.,, and to curb homesickness they would watch television that reminded them of home, such as “Alaska: The Last Frontier.” The show inspired them to start a bison farm in the foothills of western Maine and learn all about the challenges and rewards of raising bison on their family farm.

Trevor Maxwell had been telling stories for years, first as a journalist and later through his PR company, Maxwell Media. When Trevor was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer, he was battling severe depression. He looked for support, only to realize people –  men specifically– struggled in asking for help or sharing their needs. Trevor talks with us today about starting Man Up to Cancer to show that seeking support and asking for help is the ‘tough’ or ‘manly’ thing to do. He’ll also talk about how he’s setting Man Up to Cancer up for long-term success and why the wolf-pack mentality is so important to the company.

Martin Beavers is a self-taught cook who started a food business out of his home before joining Portland’s Fork Food Lab. Later when a space opened up at the Maine Mall Food Court in South Portland, he jumped at the chance to stake a claim. The New York City native shares the story of Soul Food Paradise’s early success and his unexpected route to Maine’s biggest shopping mall. 

After a career in risk management, Brian Elowe switched gears when he became CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine in March 2020. Brian talks about the path that led him to move to Maine and his transition to the nonprofit world, and what it was like to succeed a longtime leader at the start of the pandemic

The terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, forever changed the world – in a matter of minutes. The horrific series of events began in places including Portland International Jetport, where two men departed for Boston before joining others and hijacking American Airlines Flight 11. Paul Bradbury, Airport Director of the Jetport, talks about that day, and what he and his team did and felt as the tragedy unfolded.

In December 2020 when Ryan Fecteau was elected Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, the Democrat was both the youngest person in that role in the United States and the first openly gay Speaker of the Maine House. The 29-year-old revisits some of his life’s milestones and his path into politics

When Chase Morrill, Ryan Eldridge and the rest of their carpentry crew were first approached about doing a cabin-makeover reality-TV show, they weren’t sure what to expect. Several seasons later, the duo takes us behind the scenes of how “Maine Cabin Masters” started and what it’s been like to become famous.

Reconnecting with her Indian roots turned Cherie Scott into an entrepreneur who started a food blog, podcast and a line of simmer sauces called Mumbai to Maine sold online and at specialty stores throughout Maine. The Boothbay resident talks about her multicultural background and the story behind Maine’s first Indian-inspired culinary brand.

More than a decade ago just after Amanda Rand had given birth to her third child, an unexpected health scare shook her world. Amanda takes us back to the day she had a stroke and how that affected her life and approach to business leadership at Portland wealth management firm Spinnaker Trust, as well as her involvement with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women initiative.

Tyler Ferguson was a laborer with PM Construction when he realized there might be an opportunity for the company to expand into firestopping. When Tyler got a meeting with the company’s CEO to pitch his idea, he came prepared with research and examples of how the industry was lacking. Tyler talks with us about that pitch, the CEO who gave him a chance, and how he grew his idea into a new company.