132: Erik Ramstad: "We threw it all under the table and decided to start from scratch"

135: Timing is Never Going to be Perfect ft. Sarah Pelligrini

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Sarah Pellegrini — Syracuse native, real estate veteran, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Noble Cellar — for a conversation about what it really means to bet on yourself, bet on your community, and build something that didn't exist before you showed up. Sarah has spent over 20 years executing across real estate, sales, business development, and hospitality. She guided more than 600 families to achieve their real estate goals. She spent five years as Vice President of a national real estate coaching organization, mentoring hundreds of agents and business owners across the country. And then — in the middle of all of it — she co-founded Noble Cellar, a fine-dining restaurant inside a historic downtown Syracuse church that went on to earn Wine Spectator Awards, DiRōNA recognition, and Best Restaurant honors in its first two years. She didn't wait for the perfect moment. She didn't wait for the perfect space, the perfect plan, or the perfect time to come back home. She found a building that made her feel something — and she built the rest from there. Because timing is never going to be perfect. And Sarah Pellegrini is proof of that. 💬 Topics we cover: * What it takes to lead across industries — from real estate to fine dining — and the thread that ties it all together * Why she came back to Syracuse and what community investment really looks like in practice * What she learned coaching hundreds of business owners that most people never figure out * How she and her co-founder built Noble Cellar without investors — just vision, grit, and each other * What it felt like to be told fine dining would never work in Syracuse — and then prove them wrong * What she wants builders and leaders who are in the thick of it right now to hear If you've ever talked yourself out of something because the timing wasn't right — this is the episode you needed to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Connect with Sarah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-pelligrini-syracuse/] Learn more about Noble Cellar [https://www.noble-cellar.com/] ⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevUSBdGbpTOBGXjuGNeY8PN6uNSKHWCJwKOS2SpsCtJ1WCaw/viewform] to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.alexcanavan.com/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcanavan/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavan.co/] Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavanpodcast/] This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.diammedia.com/]

134: Whose Definition of Success Are You Living? ft. Barb Stone

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Barbara Stone — entrepreneur, author, TEDx speaker, leadership development coach, and founder of Build Your Path LLC — for a conversation about what it really costs to spend 25 years chasing someone else's version of success. And what it takes to finally walk away from it. Barb did everything right. She earned her MBA, climbed the ladder in manufacturing — one of the most male-dominated industries out there — and reached the top. Executive Vice President. CFO. Impressive by every measure. And then one day, she stopped and asked herself a question that changed everything: Whose definition of success am I actually living? What followed wasn't a clean, Instagram-worthy pivot. It was a reckoning. With identity. With worthiness. With the version of herself she had been performing for decades. Through the loss of her first husband, a kidney cancer scare, and living with alopecia — a condition that took her nearly eight years to stop hiding — Barb kept doing the inner work. Studying resiliency. Getting certified as a coach. And eventually, building a life that actually looks like her. In April 2025, she released her first book — So Much to Drool About: Lessons for Living Large — inspired by the Great Danes who taught her more about presence, courage, and showing up fully than any boardroom ever did. 💬 Topics we cover: * What it was like being a woman in manufacturing and learning to lead without losing herself * The moment she realized looking good and getting it right was killing her soul * What resilience actually means — and why it's about building forward, not bouncing back * How her Great Danes became the unexpected teachers behind her first book * The daily practices that keep her grounded, intentional, and moving forward * What she wants every quietly unfulfilled high-achiever to hear right now * Why the antidote to being stuck is simpler than you think If you've ever built a life that looks great on paper but doesn't feel like yours — this is the episode you needed to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about Barb Stone [https://barbstone.me/] ⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevUSBdGbpTOBGXjuGNeY8PN6uNSKHWCJwKOS2SpsCtJ1WCaw/viewform] to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.alexcanavan.com/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcanavan/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavan.co/] Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavanpodcast/] This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.diammedia.com/]

133: She Didn't Stop. Until She Had To ft. Kennedy Myers

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Kennedy Myers — former corporate professional, founder of The Graze Catering and The Graze Management, and one of the most honest voices on the internet right now — for a conversation that is raw, courageous, and impossible to forget. Kennedy was doing what so many of us do: working a nine to five, building two businesses on the side, and grinding through every warning sign her body threw at her. When she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia — a blood cancer with a 0.0006% chance of occurring in someone her age — everything stopped overnight. The businesses she poured herself into. The clients she showed up for. The identity she had built around doing it all. What came next was a fight for her life. And a lesson that no hustle culture guru will ever teach you. Kennedy turned to TikTok to document her journey through diagnosis, aggressive chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and everything in between — unfiltered, and without a safety net. Nearly 130,000 people found her there. Because she was saying the thing nobody else was saying out loud. 💬 Topics we cover: * What life looked like before the diagnosis and the signs she kept explaining away as burnout * The moment her heart rate hit 285 BPM and everything changed * What it actually felt like to close her businesses from a hospital bed and the guilt that followed * Why chemo made her feel closer to dying than the cancer ever did * Her stem cell transplant, graft-versus-host disease, and where her recovery stands today * Why she started posting on TikTok and what it means to find community in the most isolating experience of your life * Her message to every entrepreneur who thinks they can't afford to stop This one will shake something loose in you. If you've been ignoring the signs, running on empty, or putting your body last on a very long list — this is the episode you needed to hear. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about Kennedy and her journey [https://www.tiktok.com/@kennedy.leary] ⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevUSBdGbpTOBGXjuGNeY8PN6uNSKHWCJwKOS2SpsCtJ1WCaw/viewform] to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.alexcanavan.com/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcanavan/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavan.co/] Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavanpodcast/] This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.diammedia.com/]

you are exactly who you think you are

In this week’s solo episode of Cultivate, Alex reflects on a transformative dinner with her advisory board and the powerful realizations that came from being in a room full of women who lead, build, and understand the weight of ambition. This episode explores: * Imposter syndrome and self-doubt in entrepreneurship * Why successful women still question themselves * The importance of relationships that reflect your potential back to you * Building a business that supports you, too * The reminder that you don’t need more evidence — you need more alignment If you’ve been feeling called toward something bigger but questioning whether you have what it takes, this episode is for you. Follow the podcast:Instagram & TikTok — @alexcanavanpodcast Connect with Alex:@alexcanavan.co Learn more about CNY Women’s Network:Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & LinkedIn — @cnywomensnetwork www.cnywomensnetwork.com

132: Erik Ramstad: "We threw it all under the table and decided to start from scratch"

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Erik Ramstad — COO of Farmwell and part of the family behind one of upstate New York's most purposeful food and beverage brands — for a conversation that is grounded, genuine, and quietly refreshing. Erik and his family didn't set out to build a beverage company. They set out to grow something real. What started as a family dream rooted in the aronia berry — one of nature's most antioxidant-rich and underrated superfoods — has grown into a Regenerative Organic Certified® farm and a brand built on a simple but powerful belief: that farming well and living well go hand in hand. This episode isn't about hustle culture or scaling fast. It's about intention. Craft. And what it actually takes to build a product people genuinely believe in — from the soil it's grown in to the bottle it ends up in. 💬 Topics we cover: -What regenerative organic farming actually means — and why it changes everything about the final product - The real process behind developing something people trust and keep coming back to - What it's like to build a brand as a family — and what that dynamic actually looks like day to day - The intersection of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and getting your product into the world - What Farmwell is building next — and the vision behind it This one is warm, thoughtful, and a great reminder that the most meaningful things are usually grown slowly. If you've ever wanted to build something you're truly proud of — from the ground up, with purpose — this conversation is exactly where to start. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Learn more about Farmwell [https://farmwelldrinks.com/] ⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevUSBdGbpTOBGXjuGNeY8PN6uNSKHWCJwKOS2SpsCtJ1WCaw/viewform] to be a guest on Cultivate Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.alexcanavan.com/], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcanavan/] & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavan.co/] Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/alexcanavanpodcast/] This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.diammedia.com/]