30 Years of Impact: Inside Ndakinna Education Center | Buying Local #75

The Secret to Repairing Bad Credit | Buying Local #76

In this episode of the Buying Local podcast, Mike Nelson sits down with Chris and Ron to uncover how everyday Americans are combating the affordability crisis by repairing their credit scores. Discover expert strategies for disputing report inaccuracies, understanding credit utilization, and taking back your financial buying power. To learn more about improving your financial health, visit Chris Mastantuono and Ron Monaco at Requalify 360: requalify360.com [http://requalify360.com]. 0:00 Introduction to the Buying Local Podcast 0:24 Meet Chris and Ron 1:20 Introducing Requalify 360 3:26 How Credit Impacts Affordability 4:57 The Credit Coaching Process 6:50 Why Free Credit Apps Are Stale 9:16 Credit Score Compression Explained 11:01 The Impact of Credit Utilization 12:05 Turning Car Rejections into Solutions 14:42 Overcoming the Fear of Checking Credit 16:38 Deep Dive: The Credit Audit 18:27 Formulating a Financial Blueprint 20:53 The Missing Education in Financial Literacy 23:45 Building a Path to Financial Freedom 26:35 How to Start Responsibly 29:37 Where to Find Requalify 360

30 Years of Impact: Inside Ndakinna Education Center | Buying Local #75

In episode 75 of the Buying Local podcast, James Bruchac returns to the show to talk about over 30 years of youth camps, survival education, and cultural storytelling at Ndakinna Education Center. From wilderness skills to Native traditions, he shares how hands-on outdoor experiences are shaping more confident, capable kids in today’s world. Learn more about Ndakinna Education Center and their programs at ndakinnacenter.org [http://ndakinnacenter.org]. 0:00 Welcome back James Bruchac 1:10 Celebrating 30+ years of youth camps 2:20 How the camps grew organically 3:05 Core skills: shelter, fire, and nature awareness 4:18 Summer camps overview and age groups 5:29 Teaching fire-making safely 6:06 Creating a full sensory outdoor experience 7:00 Family ancestry and Abenaki heritage 8:33 Preserving stories and cultural knowledge 9:42 Why these skills matter more than ever 10:10 Post-COVID growth and shifting age groups 11:10 Martial arts programs and expansion 12:41 Student and athlete success stories 14:22 Sunday Survival Series and adult classes 17:17 Field trips, community programs, and events 22:11 Summer camp logistics and how to sign up

How Jay Ingleston Emotionally Connects With Readers | Buying Local #74

In episode 74 of the Buying Local podcast, Author Jay Ingleston returns to the show to talk about his latest book, “Just for Today: Small Words for Heavy Days”, his evolving writing process, and the emotional impact of creating work centered around grief, growth, and connection. The conversation dives into everything from self-publishing and AI tools to the challenges of writing fiction and the mindset shifts that have shaped his career. Find Jay Ingleston and his books on Amazon [https://www.amazon.in/stores/Jason-Paul-Ingleston/author/B0991D4KXT?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true], and follow him on social media by searching “Jay Ingleston” for his latest writing and content. 0:00 Intro and Jay’s return to the show 2:00 Audiobooks, AI voices, and recording struggles 4:00 Writing challenges, dyslexia, and early books 6:00 Commas, punctuation, and evolving as a writer 8:00 Using AI for editing and proofreading 10:00 How Jay’s writing process has changed over time 12:00 Editing struggles and maintaining story continuity 14:00 Writing fiction vs. quote-based books 17:00 Developing his psychological thriller 19:00 Burnout, breaks, and the writing grind 21:00 The emotional impact of “The Dad Clock” 23:00 Letting go of outcomes and mindset shifts 26:00 Grief, loss, and personal experiences shaping writing 28:00 Reading excerpts from Just for Today 30:00 How the grief book came together 33:00 Book performance, rankings, and validation 36:00 Self-publishing challenges and Amazon process 38:00 TikTok growth and content strategy 40:00 Where to find Jay and closing thoughts

Inside the World Awareness Children’s Museum | Buying Local #73

In episode 73 of the Buying Local podcast, host Mike Nelson sits down with Bethanie Lawrence to explore how the World Awareness Children’s Museum is bringing global culture and creativity to kids in the local community. They dive into nonprofit leadership, navigating challenges like the pandemic, and the importance of arts education in childhood development. Learn more about Bethanie Lawrence and the World Awareness Children’s Museum on their website at worldchildrensmuseum.org [http://worldchildrensmuseum.org]. You can also find them on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/worldawarenesschildrensmuseum], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/worldkidsmuseum], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-awareness-childrens-museum/] by searching for the World Awareness Children’s Museum. 0:00 Intro and guest welcome 2:00 History and mission of the museum 4:00 What makes the museum unique (arts vs STEM focus) 6:00 Age ranges and who the museum serves 8:00 Bethanie’s background and move to the area 10:00 Becoming executive director 12:00 Leading through the pandemic 14:00 Running a nonprofit like a business 16:00 Revenue streams and community support 18:00 Leadership style and managing teams 20:00 School partnerships and outreach programs 22:00 Annual gala and fundraising efforts 24:00 How local businesses can contribute 26:00 Summer hours and tourism impact 28:00 Summer camps and youth programs 30:00 Final thoughts and how to get involved

Declutter Your Life & Mind with Brandon Dewyea | Buying Local #72

In episode 72 of the Buying Local Podcast, Mike sits down with Brandon Dewyea as she shares how her work as a stylist and wellness professional helps people feel more confident, organized, and mentally at ease. From decluttering your environment to experiencing vibroacoustic therapy, this conversation explores how rest and simplicity can transform your daily life.  Find Brandon on her website at findyourmoxie.net [http://findyourmoxie.net] or email her directly at inquiretomoxie@gmail.com [inquiretomoxie@gmail.com] to book a session. 0:00 Intro & guest welcome 0:30 Brandon’s background & business (Moxie) 1:10 From personal training to styling & organization 2:10 Discovering vibroacoustic therapy 3:00 What vibroacoustic therapy actually is 4:30 Benefits: anxiety, sleep, nervous system reset 6:00 What a session feels like 7:10 Choosing tracks & first-time experience 9:55 What you hear during a session 11:00 Frequencies & how they affect the body 12:30 Meditation, relaxation & shutting off your mind 14:30 Adding red light therapy 16:45 Locations & how sessions work 18:40 How Brandon ties all her services together 22:50 Business philosophy & trusting the process 24:45 Where to find Brandon & closing thoughts