FMBGN-ROXIE-AHT-Hurricane Protection Built Right

FMBGN-BIZ-Diversified Plumbing Services-Call The Cowgirl

When a toilet backs up or a water heater quits, you don’t just need a fix, you need someone who shows up calm, clear, and ready to help. We talk with Ashleydawn, the “call the cowgirl” face of Diversified Plumbing Services, about what it really takes to deliver reliable plumbing and septic service across Southwest Florida, from Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach to Marco Island and beyond. We get into the behind-the-scenes reality of running a family-owned plumbing company in a high-demand area: emergency calls, tight timelines, and the hardest piece of growth, finding great employees who treat customer service like the job, not an add-on. Ashley shares how their team thinks about trust, communication, and small maintenance habits that save homeowners money, including annual water heater flushes and proactive checks that catch issues before they turn into disasters. We also talk hurricane impact and recovery, including how saltwater flooding damaged older copper and cast iron systems and why many island homes needed full repipes. Then we zoom into what’s changing in the plumbing world right now, from true tankless water heaters to hybrid units that can even cool a garage. Along the way, Ashley shares her love for Fort Myers Beach, community giving through autism awareness with Family Initiative, and a personal message about skin cancer prevention and reef-safe sunscreen for beach life. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review if you want more local stories, practical home tips, and the people making Fort Myers Beach stronger. Diversified Plumbing Services of SWFL Inc. Ashleydawn Wells 534 Meadow Road Lehigh Acres, FL 33973 (239) 850-6674 Ashleydawn - (239) 691-2222 ashleydawn@servicedps.com dpservicesfl.com @diversifiedplumbingswfl Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor To Nominate Someone to be Featured Or To Subscribe to the Newsletter CLICK HERE [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/] https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/ [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/]

ST INS CARES-Florida Lions Eye Clinic-Restoring Sight In Southwest Florida

Losing your vision is scary enough. Losing it because you cannot afford care is something our community can change. We sit down with Kyle Hartman, Executive Director of the Florida Lions Eye Clinic, to hear how a small, mission driven nonprofit delivers specialty eye care, eye exams, and life changing surgeries for people who are uninsured or underinsured across Southwest Florida and beyond. Kyle walks us through the clinic’s origin story and the practical reality of meeting a growing need: a team powered by volunteer ophthalmologists, supported by paid doctors so patients can be seen consistently throughout the week. We also talk about the kind of dedication most people never see, including a retina doctor who flies in from St Louis to treat patients, plus expanding local specialty coverage. Along the way, we dig into what “underinsured” can really mean when your assigned provider is hours away, and how the clinic’s eligibility guidelines help working individuals and families who still cannot pay out of pocket. The conversation gets personal and specific, from migrant farm workers facing intense sun exposure while picking produce to the everyday moment you realize your eyesight is slipping, like not being able to read signs at a distance. We share why preventive eye exams matter, what cataracts can take from someone’s daily life, and what it feels like when surgery gives that life back. If you’re looking for affordable eye care resources in Florida, or you want to support a nonprofit that restores sight and independence, you’ll leave with clear next steps and real hope. If this story moved you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend in Florida, and leave a quick review so more people can find the clinic and the care they need. Florida Lions Eye Clinic Kyle Hartman 10322 Pennsylvania Ave Bonita Springs, FL 34135 (239) 498-3937 floridalionseyeclinic@fllec.com fllec.org [https://www.fllec.org/] State Insurance USA 4450 Camino Real Way Ft Myers, FL 33966 239-567-9992 100 Lovers Ln 3rd Floor Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931 (239) 690-6300 office@StateInsuranceUSA.com [office@StateInsuranceUSA.com] stateinsuranceusa.com [https://stateinsuranceusa.com/] https://www.facebook.com/Stateinsuranceusa [https://www.facebook.com/Stateinsuranceusa] #StateInsuranceUSA #SupportLocal #WeLoveOurClients @Stateinsuranceusa Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor To Nominate Someone to be Featured Or To Subscribe to the Newsletter CLICK HERE [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/] https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/ [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/]

ST INS CARES-All Star Athletic Foundation-Making Youth Sports Affordable

Youth sports can shape a kid’s confidence for life, but the price tag is getting out of hand. I’m joined by Marissa Battle of All-Star Athletics Foundation, a Southwest Florida nonprofit built to help families keep their kids in the game when tuition, uniforms, equipment, camps, and travel start to feel impossible. If you’ve ever wondered how families afford all-star cheerleading or the football camp and recruiting grind, this conversation gets real fast. Marissa shares how the foundation started, why it operates beyond a single school or gym, and what makes their model different: athletes fundraise into their own tracked accounts, and parents can use those funds for the costs that actually show up throughout a season. We talk about what’s allowed, what takes planning, and why transparency matters when money is raised in the community for kids. We also dig into the fundraisers that work best, from major partnerships like running concession stands and ice cream carts at Hertz Arena to community efforts like “canning” meet-and-greets, bake sales, car washes, quarter auctions, popcorn and cookie fundraisers, Super Bowl squares, and a big color run. Marissa explains how sponsorships help too, especially when local businesses want to support a specific athlete or sport. If you believe talent should not be priced out, listen, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. Want to help right now? Donate at allstarathleticsfoundation.org and hit subscribe for more stories of local impact. All-Star Athletics Foundation Marissa Battle (239) 245-3198 allstarathleticsfoundation@gmail.com allstarathleticsfoundation.org [https://allstarathleticsfoundation.org/] State Insurance USA 4450 Camino Real Way Ft Myers, FL 33966 239-567-9992 100 Lovers Ln 3rd Floor Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931 (239) 690-6300 office@StateInsuranceUSA.com [office@StateInsuranceUSA.com] stateinsuranceusa.com [https://stateinsuranceusa.com/] https://www.facebook.com/Stateinsuranceusa [https://www.facebook.com/Stateinsuranceusa] @Stateinsuranceusa #StateInsuranceUSA #SupportLocal #WeLoveOurClients Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor To Nominate Someone to be Featured Or To Subscribe to the Newsletter CLICK HERE [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/] https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/ [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/]

FMBGN-Tequila & Taco Tuesday-Pelican Bay Charters-Bonita Fish Co-A Tiki Boat Cruise for Grouper Tacos

A taco night on land is fine, but a taco night by tiki boat feels like a vacation you can squeeze into a Tuesday. We climb aboard the brand-new Chickee Tiki in Fort Myers Beach, point the bow toward Bonita Fish Company, and turn Tequila And Taco Tuesday into a quick, salty-air cruise with a dockside food mission.  On the ride, we get into the practical stuff people actually want to know before booking a boat tour in Southwest Florida: how many guests the boat fits comfortably, what BYOB really looks like, and why having water, soda, a cooler, and an onboard bathroom changes the whole experience. We also talk about summer weather, how captains watch radar and the sky, and how those fast afternoon showers affect sunset cruises and sightseeing trips around Fort Myers Beach.  Then we tie up, grab drinks, and dig into the star order: grouper tacos. You’ll hear the full breakdown of what’s in them, how the tortillas can be swapped for dietary needs, and why the flavor combo works so well. We wrap with a tequila toast, shout out the designated driver, and float the idea of making this taco run a regular tour. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves tacos and boats, and leave a review telling us your go-to taco order. Pelican Bay Charters / Chickee Tiki Captain Rob Jones 450 Harbor Ct, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 (239) 744-7376 pelicanbaycharters.com [https://pelicanbaycharters.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSAY6pleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtM3k4N3RWZ2Y0bWxHMUxOc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHipVxpc1v7dvTxlNUJctxQ6t5ENC9s16r_SuX7dDei37OPesUN1uK0Nn-3Cz_aem_YWdncwDFkFdGrzh9Jx3ny218xdu1&brid=YWdncwFLKTZgQvjHnIS4C2z-KFik] Bonita Fish Company 702 Fisherman’s Wharf Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 (239) 314 5132 info@bonitafishco.com bonitafishco.com [https://bonitafishco.com/] Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor To Nominate Someone to be Featured Or To Subscribe to the Newsletter CLICK HERE [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/] https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/ [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/]

FMBGN-ROXIE-AHT-Hurricane Protection Built Right

Hurricane protection gets marketed like a simple choice, but it’s really a chain of decisions where one weak link can ruin the outcome. We sit down with Jaime Zabala Jr. from Advanced Hurricane Technologies to hear how a family-run manufacturer (founded in 1993) designs, builds, and supports hurricane shutters at a level most homeowners never get to see and why they say quality is as much about people and process as it is about aluminum, motors, and hardware. We walk through what’s new behind the scenes: a purpose-built 55,000-square-foot facility, a digital workflow with iPads and quality checks at every station, and a customer experience that’s built for real-world changes like HOA approvals, last-minute color swaps, and sizing updates. We also talk honestly about tariffs and rising costs and why pricing tiers don’t mean what they used to in the hurricane shutter industry. Then we get into the topics everyone debates in Southwest Florida: impact windows, roll-down shutters, accordion shutters, hurricane screens, and the uncomfortable truth that impact windows can develop leak points over time. We break down why shutters and windows can work as a team, not competitors, and what you gain when the manufacturer is also involved in installation and ongoing maintenance. You’ll also hear about new product R&D, patents, extreme testing, and the growing interest in flood barriers along with the FEMA and NFIP nuance communities can’t ignore. If you care about hurricane preparedness, Florida building code compliance, and protecting your home with fewer surprises, hit play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review so more neighbors can find the show. Advanced Hurricane Technologies Jaime Zabala Jr. 16501 Airport Haul Rd, Fort Myers, FL 33913 (239) 445-5477 sales@aht-usa.net advancedhurricanetech.com [https://advancedhurricanetech.com/] Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor To Nominate Someone to be Featured Or To Subscribe to the Newsletter CLICK HERE [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/] https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasts/ [https://cabowabojim.com/listen-to-podcasst/]