the weekly seattle

the growing trades business with Rich Hart & Jess Passmore - Harts Plumbers, Electricians, & HVAC

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 [https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/as-tech-jobs-melt-the-trades-beckon-this-tacoma-plumber-makes-140k/]) 2. Microsoft's first-ever voluntary retirement program [https://www.geekwire.com/2026/microsoft-employees-learn-details-of-voluntary-retirement-package-heres-what-the-company-is-offering/] 3. World Cup hotel bookings are lower than expected [https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-hotels-combat-slower-than-expected-world-cup-bookings] 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 [https://ww.theweeklyseattle.com/]

inside nordstrom with Co-CEO Pete Nordstrom

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 [https://ww.theweeklyseattle.com/]

LIVE: event wellness, agenda design, and the forgetting curve

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 [https://ww.theweeklyseattle.com/]

millionaires tax explained, new light rail, and starbucks ai with Nick Patri

We're back!! After two weeks on the road, Rachel and friend of the pod Nick Patri are back in the studio to catch you up on what you've missed in the news cycle and in their personal lives. Top Stories: 1. Millionaires Tax explained [https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/09/opponents-lawsuit-washington-millionaires-tax.html] 2. New light rail: Crosslake Connection (Line 2) [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-light-rail-finally-opens-across-lake-washington/] 3. Starbucks: Chatgpt partnership [https://www.geekwire.com/2026/latest-ai-coffee-buzz-starbucks-launches-chatgpt-app-to-help-customers-discover-their-next-drink/], layoffs [https://www.seattletimes.com/business/starbucks/starbucks-cuts-jobs-in-technology-teams/], and employees going to Nashville [https://www.seattletimes.com/business/starbucks/starbucks-expansion-in-nashville-brews-bitterness-in-seattle/] 4. New Apple CEO [https://www.seattletimes.com/business/tim-cook-will-step-down-as-apple-ceo-and-hand-reins-over-to-the-iphone-makers-hardware-leader/] 5. Tomboyx CEO reclaims ownership [https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/15/tomboyx-apparel-lgbtq-gender-neutral-fran-dunaway.html] 6. Little Red Hen drama [https://www.seattletimes.com/life/culture/little-red-hen-eviction-dispute-gets-personal-as-case-moves-forward/] 7. New rooftop bar [https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/20/onni-solette-rooftop-restaurant-south-lake-union.html] About guest Nick Patri - Podcast Consultant Nick started as a Sports Reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal, then he worked for Uber and launched a podcast for millions of drivers. He was a podcast producer for GoFundMe, a podcast producer and marketer for Fuel Talent’s podcast What Fuels You, a producer and marketing consultant for REI’s podcast, and he continues to freelance as a marketing strategy consultant. 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 [https://ww.theweeklyseattle.com/]

marketing, membership orgs, and roadside assistance with Heather Snavely - CEO, AAA Washington

This week we talk about why marketers often make better CEOs than CFOs, what companies get wrong when marketing to younger generations, and why focus groups can actually kill creative. We also talk about the future of membership organizations in both Seattle and nationally. Top Stories: 1. AAA Washington - what actually is it? 2. Brooks Running to sponsor the Mariners salmon race [https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/03/26/mariners-mlb-salmon-run-brooks-mlb-baseball.html] +Let Keta Run instagram [https://www.instagram.com/letketarun?igsh=MWFjaHIwNGFyNmhkYg%3D%3D] 3. Rec Room shuts down [https://www.geekwire.com/2026/rec-room-shutting-down-seattles-3-5b-social-gaming-platform-says-it-cant-make-the-business-work/] and Columbia Tower Club closes after 41 years [https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/01/columbia-tower-club-closure-social-collective.html] About Heather Snavely — President & CEO, AAA Washington: Heather has been President & CEO of AAA Washington for nearly five years. Before that she held marketing and leadership roles at PCC Community Markets, Brooks Running, and Microsoft where she worked on the Xbox brand. She serves on the board of KEXP and has been in Seattle since 1999. 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 [https://ww.theweeklyseattle.com/]