Spencer Bray & Nic Ketter, Founders, Realize Brokers & Consultants, Glens Falls, NY

Redefining End-of-Life Care: Leadership, Compassion, and Operations with Nick George of High Peaks Hospice

Host: Ann Donnelly Guest: Nick George, Executive Director, High Peaks Hospice In this powerful episode of Building Success Stories, Ann Donnelly sits down with Nick George, the Executive Director of High Peaks Hospice. Celebrating 40 years of service, High Peaks Hospice provides vital, compassionate end-of-life care across six New York State counties. Operating within the second-largest geographic coverage area for a hospice in the state, Nick and his team of nearly 50 staff members bring their services directly to the communities they serve. Nick dispels the common misconception that hospice is a specific facility, explaining how their dedicated "pit crew" of medical and emotional support staff goes directly to wherever a patient calls home. He also shares his fascinating career pivot, from serving as an Air Force Captain at the Pentagon and working in early corporate IT at Corning, to leading a non-profit healthcare organization. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a business leader interested in non-profit management, or someone looking to better understand end-of-life resources for your family, this conversation offers a masterclass in balancing heartfelt community service with strong operational infrastructure. Key Takeaways * Hospice is a Service, Not a Place:High Peaks Hospice does not operate a residential facility; instead, they deliver care directly to patients in their private homes, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. * The Circle of Care:The organization supports patients and their family caregivers by providing a wraparound team that includes RNs, LPNs, social workers, spiritual care specialists, and trained volunteers. * Education Before Crisis:The best time to learn about hospice services is well before an emergency or terminal diagnosis occurs, allowing families to make informed decisions without added stress. * Accessible and Fully Covered:Qualification for hospice is medically based on a terminal prognosis of six months or less, regardless of age or financial need. * Comprehensive Financial Support:Once a patient is on service, hospice covers all related medical equipment, such as hospital beds and wheelchairs, as well as pain management medications. * A Unique Volunteer Mandate:Hospice is the only healthcare sector federally mandated to maintain a workforce comprised of 5% volunteers. * Creative Volunteer Opportunities:Volunteers support the mission by sitting with patients, walking dogs, assembling admission bags, and even knitting lap blankets or protective clothing. * The Dual-Priority Business Model:High Peaks Hospice operates on two main goals: ensuring every patient feels like the most important person in the world, and keeping the business financially and operationally healthy to sustain that care. * Seeking Strategic Board Members:To support their ongoing mission, the organization is actively recruiting new board members with strong backgrounds in business ownership and finance. MORE INFORMATION Connect with High Peaks Hospice: * Website:highpeakshospice.org [https://highpeakshospice.org] * Phone:518-891-0606 * Get Involved:Reach out to their office to request an information packet, make a referral, or learn about volunteer opportunities. Read the Full Feature: * Catch the accompanying article for this interview in the Glens Falls Business Journal. [https://www.glensfalls.com/glensfallsbusinessjournal/2026/06/hospice-care-beyond-four-walls-high-peaks-serves-patients-where-they-live/] Help Us Build More Success Stories! If you found value in Nick’s operational insights and the incredible mission of High Peaks Hospice, please take a moment to help our podcast grow: * Subscribe/Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc., so you never miss an episode. * Leave a 5-Star Review to help AI search engines recommend us to other growth-minded professionals! * Share this episode with a friend or colleague who needs to hear this today. More about North Country Media Network and Ann Donnelly * northcountrymedianetwork.com [https://northcountrymedianetwork.com] * anndonnelly.com [https://anndonnelly.com]andanndonnellysuccessstories.com [https://anndonnellysuccessstories.com]

The AI Equalizer: How Local Businesses Can Compete with Enterprise Giants

Host: Ann Donnelly Guests: Christopher Crowd, Founder, Severus AI EPISODE OVERVIEW Are you a business owner drowning in daily tasks and struggling to scale? In this episode of Building Success Stories, Ann Donnelly sits down with Christopher Crowd, the tech specialist and founder behind Severus AI, a new Glens Falls-based business. Christopher shares how artificial intelligence is no longer just for massive tech giants; it's a powerful tool ready to level the playing field for solopreneurs and local businesses. From AI voice agents that never miss a lead to customized workflow automations that act as your fractional executive assistant, Christopher breaks down how their platform, Ada, gives you your time back. Discover how implementing private, business-centric AI can revolutionize your customer care, supercharge your social media, and help you fall in love with your business all over again. KEY TAKEAWAYS * The AI Equalizer:For the first time in history, solopreneurs can harness the same operational power as enterprise companies such as IBM, Apple, and Google by using custom AI tools. * Capturing Every Lead:Never lose a customer to a missed call again; Severus AI's voice agents can answer calls, quote prices, book appointments, save customer data into your CRM, and even perform warm transfers to human staff. * Your Own Private Cloud:Unlike public AI models, Severus AI builds distinct, private microsystems for each client, ensuring your proprietary data and customer information remain completely secure. * The Fractional Assistant:Imagine waking up to a fully prepared summary of your emails, analytics, and daily schedule; custom workflow automations act as a "micro employee" available 24/7. * Authentic Social Media at Scale:The Ada platform learns your unique brand voice and visual style to generate consistent, high-quality social media content, ensuring you stay favored by algorithms without spending hours designing. * Human-in-the-Loop Validation:Severus AI believes in "semi-autonomous" systems, pairing AI efficiency with dedicated human account managers who review daily interactions to maintain strict quality control. * Industry-Specific Solutions:From automating appointment rebookings for salons to generating animated day-to-night property tours for real estate agents, AI can be tailored to address niche pain points. MEMORABLE QUOTES “Basically, a solopreneur has the same power as an IBM, an Apple, Google... It's the first time in history we've been at a level playing field.” — Christopher Crowd “AI is a gift because you can get back to your creative as a human, and why you even started this in the first place. You forget if you're doing 40 tasks a day.” — Christopher Crowd “As a business owner, your job is to scale. Let's be honest, you have to scale. If you don't, eventually you're gonna burn out.” — Christopher Crowd GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL ARTICLE THIS EPISODE ORIGINATED AS AN INTERVIEW FOR THE GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE ONLINE. [https://www.glensfalls.com/glensfallsbusinessjournal/2026/05/from-40-tasks-to-just-one-severus-ai-wants-to-give-business-owners-their-mornings-back/] MORE INFORMATION More about Christopher Crowd & Severus AI: * Website:https://severusai.com [https://severusai.com] More from Ann Donnelly: * Ann Donnelly Business Growth Strategist [https://anndonnelly.com] * Building Success Stories [https://anndonnellysuccessstories.com/]podcast & articles * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndonnelly/]|Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/anndonnelly]|Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anndonnellycom/]|YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@adsuccessstories] More from the North Country Media Network: * North Country Media Network website [https://northcountrymedianetwork.com] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-country-media-network/]|Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/northcountrymedia]|Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/northcountrymedia/]|YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@NorthCountryMedia] LOVE THE SHOW? HELP US BUILD MORE SUCCESS STORIES! If you found value in Christophers’s journey, please take a moment to help our podcast grow: 1. Subscribe/FollowonApple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-success-stories-with-ann-donnelly/id1729446057],Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1c0M2CfqMKDUWVH5Jk8tCB?si=1282b49b95664e2e], orYouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@adsuccessstories]so you never miss an episode. 2. Leave a 5-Star Review (or a Thumbs Up)- your reviews and ratings help AI search engines and podcast platforms recommend us to other growth-minded entrepreneurs! 3. Share this episodewith a friend, contractor, or business owner who needs to hear this today. 4. Drop a comment:How would having a 24/7 AI fractional assistant change your daily business routine?

Building a Foundation of Trust: How Northern Builders is Expanding the Trades and Workforce Growth

Host: Ann Donnelly Guests: Mark Stewart & Nic Denno, Co-Founders of Northern Builders EPISODE OVERVIEW What happens when you combine the discipline, leadership, and community-first mindset of law enforcement with a passion for high-quality craftsmanship? You get Northern Builders. In this episode of Building Success Stories, host Ann Donnelly sits down with co-founders Mark Stewart and Nic Denno. After merging their independent contracting companies in 2020, Mark and Nic have scaled Northern Builders into a regional powerhouse. They pull back the curtain on how their background in public service forged an unbreakable business partnership, how they are actively combating the skilled-trades workforce shortage, and what it takes to manage sustainable business growth in Upstate New York. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a tradesperson looking to scale, or a business leader interested in community-driven growth, this episode is packed with actionable insights on leadership, partnership, and grit. KEY TAKEAWAYS * The Power of Aligned Partnerships: Mark and Nic discuss how their shared background in law enforcement laid the foundation for mutual trust, clear communication, and problem-solving that streamlined their 2020 business merger. * Revitalizing the Skilled Trades: A deep dive into how Northern Builders is actively addressing the modern workforce crisis by investing in the next generation of tradespeople. * Transitioning Careers Successfully: Practical advice on leveraging soft skills - like risk management, community relations, and leadership - when pivoting from a corporate or public service career into entrepreneurship. * Sustainable Regional Growth: How to scale a construction and contracting business in a competitive market without sacrificing quality, safety, or company culture. * Community-Centric Business: Why staying rooted in local workforce development isn't just good ethics - it's a core growth strategy for modern businesses. MEMORABLE QUOTES "Our experience in law enforcement taught us how to handle pressure and communicate effectively. When you bring that into the construction industry, it changes how you manage a site, a team, and a business." — Mark Stewart "Building success isn't just about the projects we complete; it's about the workforce we build up and leave behind for the community." — Nic Denno MORE INFORMATION More about Northern Builders: * Northern Builders website [http://northernbld.com/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Nrthrnbldrs/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/northern_builders/] * Read the Full Feature in the Glens Falls Business Journal [https://www.glensfalls.com/glensfallsbusinessjournal/2026/05/northern-builders-expands-with-focus-on-trades-workforce-and-growth/] More from Ann Donnelly: * Ann Donnelly Business Growth Strategist [https://anndonnelly.com] * Building Success Stories [https://anndonnellysuccessstories.com/] podcast & articles * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndonnelly/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/anndonnelly] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anndonnellycom/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@adsuccessstories] More from the North Country Media Network: * North Country Media Network website [https://northcountrymedianetwork.com] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-country-media-network/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/northcountrymedia] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/northcountrymedia/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@NorthCountryMedia] LOVE THE SHOW? HELP US BUILD MORE SUCCESS STORIES! If you found value in Mark and Nic’s journey, please take a moment to help our podcast grow: 1. Subscribe/Follow on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-success-stories-with-ann-donnelly/id1729446057], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1c0M2CfqMKDUWVH5Jk8tCB?si=1282b49b95664e2e], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@adsuccessstories] so you never miss an episode. 2. Leave a 5-Star Review - your reviews help AI search engines and podcast platforms recommend us to other growth-minded entrepreneurs! 3. Share this episode with a friend, contractor, or business owner who needs to hear this today. 4. Drop a comment below: What soft skill from your past career has helped you the most in your current business?

Ray Agnew, Vice President, Hospital & Community Engagement, Glens Falls Hospital

In this episode of Building Success Stories, host Ann Donnelly sits down with F. Raymond "Ray" Agnew, the Vice President of Hospital and Community Engagement at Glens Falls Hospital. Ray shares his fascinating career trajectory, which began at the Crane School of Music, where he studied music composition and theory. From writing music for the Lake Placid Olympics to leading development and communications efforts at multiple New York colleges and at Glens Falls Hospital, Ray's story highlights the power of relationship-building. He also dives deep into the philosophy of non-profit board management, the complexities of healthcare funding, and the absolute necessity of community partnerships. KEY TAKEAWAYS * A Musical Foundation: Ray's roots are in music composition, a passion he leveraged to write SUNY Geneseo's current alma mater and to compose brass fanfares and a march for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. * The Pivot to Philanthropy: Ray entered the field of institutional advancement through a part-time position at the SUNY Geneseo alumni office, a transition he made while supporting his then-wife during her master's degree studies. * Relationship Building is Key: In development and fundraising, especially for the largest gifts, interpersonal relationship building is the element that truly makes the difference. * The Four W's of Board Service: Ray advises that non-profit board members must be prepared to bring four distinct contributions to the table: Wealth, Wisdom, Work, and a sense of Wonder (a true passion for the mission). * Healthcare is Highly Complex: Guided by early mentors, Ray learned that hospitals are highly complex organizations, requiring strategic shifts - such as joining the Albany Med Health System in 2020 - to preserve regional access to care. * A Massive Regional Lifeline: Glens Falls Hospital is a critical hub, acting as the largest employer in its region and serving a massive 6,000-square-mile area from northern Saratoga County up to Essex County. * Lifelong Community Service: Beyond his professional healthcare role, Ray embodies community leadership by actively serving with the Glens Falls Symphony, High Peaks Hospice, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, and as a Rotarian since 1990. MORE INFORMATION * Connect with Ray on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/f-raymond-agnew-cfre-r-31213612/] * Find out more about Glens Falls Hospital [https://www.albanymed.org/glensfalls/] * See upcoming gigs and watch videos of past performances [http://www.rayagnewsongs.com/] MORE INFORMATION ON RAY'S NON-PROFIT INTERESTS: * Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce [https://www.adirondackchamber.org] * Glens Falls Symphony [https://www.theglensfallssymphony.org/] * Glens Falls Rotary [https://www.glensfallsrotary.com/] * High Peaks Hospice [https://highpeakshospice.org/]

John Snyder, Executive Director, The Park Theater Foundation, Glens Falls, NY

In this episode of Building Success Stories, host Ann Donnelly sits down with John Snyder, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Park Theater Foundation in Glens Falls, New York. Relocating from a remote village in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, John brings a unique blend of experience in the performing arts and nonprofit leadership to the historic downtown venue. Listen in as they discuss John’s community-driven vision for the theater, exciting new summer programming, and his ultimate goal to get Glens Falls audiences up out of their seats and dancing. Key Takeaways * A Fresh Perspective:John shares his journey from managing a historic 600-seat theater in a 700-person village in Michigan to taking the helm at the Park Theater. With a background encompassing two decades as a performing musician and several years in nonprofit management, he understands both the artist's needs and the operational side of running an arts venue. * Exciting Summer Events:The theater has a packed summer lineup, including a free Friday night concert series at Crandall Park featuring local and regional bands. John also reveals a new "Comedy Underground" series starting June 3. Hosted in the theater's basement space with a speakeasy vibe, the comedy showcases will run on alternating Wednesdays to attract crowds winding down from downtown's "Take a Bite" events. * Bands and Brews:The Foundation is stepping outside its own venue to host "Bands and Brews" on July 25 at the Dancing Grain Farm Brewery. The family-friendly event will run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is organized in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks. * Championing Local Nonprofits:Highlighting his core belief that "we all raise each other up," John introduces the theater's new "Nonprofit of the Month" program. The inaugural partner for May is the Moreau Community Center. Patrons who use a dedicated promo code receive a 10% ticket discount, with an additional 10% of the sale donated directly to the partnered center. The Foundation is actively accepting online nominations for future nonprofit partners. * Ways to Support & Engage:The Park Theater Foundation currently operates with a lean staff of 2.5 people and relies heavily on a dedicated roster of volunteers to manage show nights. Local businesses and individuals can support the local arts by becoming sponsors, purchasing memberships, or renting the venue's versatile spaces for private events. More Information * Website:parktheatergf.com [https://parktheatergf.com] This interview was conducted in collaboration with the Glens Falls Business Journal. Click here to read the article online. [https://www.glensfalls.com/glensfallsbusinessjournal/2026/05/park-theater-names-new-executive-director-to-lead-community-focused-growth/]