Recruiter Secrets: Forget the Algorithm, Here's How People Actually Get Hired

Does Peppa Pig Give Kids a British Accent? And Other Questions for Speech Therapist Rachel Moon

Rachel Moon, founder of Remedy Speech Therapy, joins The People You Meet in Old Town podcast to share her journey from early intervention specialist to private practice owner. Rachel breaks down what speech-language pathology covers, from articulation disorders and language delays to autism and stuttering, and offers practical guidance for parents of young children. Rachel walks us through key developmental milestones parents should watch for in the first two years of life, the power of reading aloud and reducing screen time, and how to make the most of educational shows like Ms. Rachel and Danny Go! She also addresses common parental concerns about bilingual households, accent development, and when to seek a professional evaluation for speech impediments. Remedy Speech Therapy is a boutique pediatric speech and occupational therapy practice offering personalized, evidence-based care that nurtures confidence, connection and communication - one child at a time. To learn more about Remedy's speech therapy, occupational therapy, myofunctional therapy, literacy groups, literacy tutoring, k-5 tutoring, feeding therapy and much more, please visit https://www.remedyspeechtherapy.com [https://www.remedyspeechtherapy.com]. Timestamps: 00:00 When Kids Start Talking 01:05 Meet Rachel Moon 02:30 What Speech Therapy Covers 03:41 Milestones and Red Flags 04:42 Reading and Play Tips 05:29 Screen Time Done Right 06:58 Sounds Kids Grow Into 08:00 Bilingualism and Delays 09:47 Accents and Environment 11:55 Building Remedy Practice 13:04 Finding Therapy and Classes 14:17 Old Town Lightning Round 15:44 Wrap Up and Thanks Around Old Town and beyond: • Remedy Speech Therapy: Old Town Alexandria | remedyspeechtherapy.com [http://remedyspeechtherapy.com] | IG: @remedyspeechtherapy • Landini Brothers: 115 King St | landinibrothers.com [http://landinibrothers.com] | IG: @landinibrothers • For Five Coffee: 1800C Diagonal Rd | forfivecoffee.com [http://forfivecoffee.com] • Happy Place: Waterfront, Old Town Alexandria | IG: @happyplaceoldtown

Let Go of Aunt Sue's Chair: Patina's Amanda Mertins on Designing a Home You Love

Amanda Mertins, co-owner of Patina Polished Living, Old Town Alexandria’s beloved home goods and interior design shop,  joins The People You Meet in Old Town podcast to talk about a life spent making spaces feel like home. From setting the table at elementary school dinner parties and rearranging furniture in her tiny bedroom, to building a thriving retail and design business alongside her partner Kim, Amanda shares how passion, persistence, and a head for economics turned a lifelong instinct into a 14-year-old business. Amanda breaks down her signature approach to editing a home, how she walks through every room before touching a thing, spots the hidden gem gathering dust in a guest room, and gives clients permission to finally let go of Aunt Sue’s chair. She shares her philosophy on mixing vintage and new, high and low (in both interiors and fashion), the two things you should always spend money on, why you should never buy a sofa online, and the design rules she loves to break. She also talks about the reality of running a retail store in Old Town: the joy of installation day, the grief of broken deliveries, and the partnership that has kept Patina thriving for over a decade. TIMING: 00:00 What Makes Home 01:32 Amanda’s Design Origins 04:42 Launching Patina 06:38 Retail Reality Check 08:21 Editing Homes Superpower 13:29 Inside the Storehouse 16:48 Paint Color Shortcuts 18:53 Retail Joy and Client Reveals 23:52 Installation Day Magic 27:44 Client Reactions and Referrals 28:22 Sourcing Trips and Vintage Finds 29:41 Estate Sales and Market Hustle 30:26 Retail Grunt Work Realities 33:00 Designing for Family and Heirlooms 34:42 When Husbands Drive Design 37:09 Investing in Quality Furniture 38:07 Old Town Lightning Round 41:55 Personal Style Over Trends 44:14 Designing Semi Permanent Choices 46:59 Podcast Praise and Farewell   AROUND OLD TOWN AND BEYOND: Patina Polished Living: 111 S Columbus St [https://www.google.com/maps/search/111+S+Columbus+St?entry=gmail&source=g] | patinapolishedliving.com [http://patinapolishedliving.com] | IG: @patinapolishedliving Indochen: 1615 King St [https://www.google.com/maps/search/1615+King+St?entry=gmail&source=g] | indochen.com [http://indochen.com] | IG: @indochenva Monogram Logistics: monogramlogistics.com [http://monogramlogistics.com] | IG: @monogramlogistics   LET’S STAY IN TOUCH Email us at podcast@peopleyoumeetinoldtown.com [podcast@peopleyoumeetinoldtown.com]. To stay up to date with The People You Meet In Old Town, and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify or YouTube. THE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria is a podcast that explores the people, places, and ideas that shape the historic district. Hosted by Jane Khodos Beyer, the show features wide-ranging discussions with local leaders and experts who bring practical ideas on how to preserve our heritage and build a vibrant community. © 2026 The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria. All rights reserved.

She Was Supposed to Be a Doctor. Now She Conducts at Carnegie Hall

Marie Bucoy-Calavan, the Artistic Director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, joins The People You Meet in Old Town podcast to share her remarkable journey from a Filipino immigrant household to the conductor's podium at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Marie recounts how parental pressure to pursue medicine or law gave way to a deep love of music, and how a mentor's belief in her at age 21 set her on the path to earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Marie explains why Washington, D.C. is a "choral mecca" — home to a thriving ecosystem of choral ensembles — and highlights the incredible venues across the region where live choral performances come to life. She also speaks passionately about musical education for young children, the Mozart effect, the Suzuki method, and hidden classical music gems in beloved children's shows like Bluey and Danny Go. And she shares what it means to lead the Choral Arts Society to Carnegie Hall for the concert, From Darkness to Light.   Timing: 00:00 A Baton and Harmony 00:59 Meet Marie Bucoy-Calavan 01:03 How We Met in Old Town 01:32 Finding the Conductor Path 04:11 Arts Career Doubts 05:37 From Piano to Many Instruments 08:53 Empathy for the Orchestra 09:57 Doctorate and Training 11:10 DC as Choral Mecca 12:33 Best Venues and Joining Choirs 14:45 Carnegie Hall and New Programs 15:59 Kids and Early Music Exposure 19:39 Singing Toys to Choirs 20:05 Kids Chorus Options 21:42 Danny Go Movement Songs 23:24 Bluey Classical Easter Eggs 27:07 Taylor Swift Parallels 29:11 Live Performance Stamina 30:33 Handling Mistakes Onstage 32:00 Old Town Lightning Round 33:27 Closing Thanks and Culture   Around Old Town and beyond: •       Maman: 500 King St | mamannyc.com [http://mamannyc.com] | IG: @mamancafe •       Café du Soleil: 1723 Connecticut Ave NW | IG: @cafedusoleildc •       Le Refuge: 127 N Washington St, Alexandria | IG: @lerefugealexandria •       Orangetheory Fitness Alexandria: 1101 King St | orangetheory.com [http://orangetheory.com] | IG: @orangetheoryfitness •       Choral Arts Society of Washington: choralarts.org [http://choralarts.org] | IG: @choralarts •       Levine Music: levinemusic.org [http://levinemusic.org] | IG: @levinemusic •       Children's Chorus of Washington: childrenschorusofwashington.org [http://childrenschorusofwashington.org] | IG: @childrenschorusdc •       The Strathmore: 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda | strathmore.org [http://strathmore.org] | IG: @strathmore •       The Kennedy Center: 2700 F St NW, Washington DC | kennedy-center.org [http://kennedy-center.org] | IG: @kennedycenter

On the Right Track: Railroads, Aging in Place & Dr. Seuss

Ever wondered what's actually on that two-mile-long train rolling through town? Chriss Nielsen has spent 30 years as a freight rail economist and she ended up there entirely by accident. In this episode, she breaks down how goods move across America, why your Amazon package probably crossed three states by rail, and what AI might mean for driverless trains. Then Chriss shares her other passion: At Home in Alexandria, a village-style nonprofit helping neighbors age in place, including the 92-year-old she drives to the gym every Wednesday. Oh, and she grew up trick-or-treating at Dr. Seuss's house.    00:00 Welcome to Old Town 00:56 Book Club Beginnings 03:39 From Temp to Rail 05:52 Rate Cases Explained 07:49 Rail vs Trucks 10:40 Deregulation Debate 13:05 Big Railroads Today 14:59 Future of Freight 16:53 AI and Driverless Trains 19:46 Amtrak vs Freight 21:04 Amtrak vs Freight Priority 22:46 Why US Rail Lags Europe 23:41 High Speed Rail Reality 25:38 Best Rail Systems Today 26:32 Transit Subsidies Debate 27:23 At Home in Alexandria 28:14 Village Services Explained 31:40 Volunteer Story at the Y 32:58 Dr Seuss Connection 36:38 Lightning Round Favorites 37:42 Markets and Monopoly 38:11 Seuss Railroad Rhyme 38:40 Final Thanks and Wrap    Around Old Town - places mentioned in this episode: * Fresh Baguette: 1101 King St | freshbaguette.net [http://freshbaguette.net] | IG: @freshbaguette * Principle Gallery: 208 King St | principlegallery.com [http://principlegallery.com] | IG: @principlegallery * At Home in Alexandria (AHA): 3139 Mt. Vernon Ave | athomeinalexandria.org [http://athomeinalexandria.org] | IG: @athomeinalexandria   Email us at podcast@peopleyoumeetinoldtown.com [podcast@peopleyoumeetinoldtown.com]. To stay up to date with The People You Meet In Old Town, and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/peopleyoumeet.oldtownalx/], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ThePeopleYouMeetinOldTown], Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-the-people-you-meet-in-old-town/id1883573768?i=1000753933223] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5YDFdmcAIdgYr3SjzSeLSk]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.    The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria is a podcast that explores the people, places, and ideas that shape the historic district. Hosted by Jane Khodos Beyer, the show features wide-ranging discussions with local leaders and experts who bring practical ideas on how to preserve our heritage and build a vibrant community. © 2026 The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria. All rights reserved.

Historic Homes and Hidden Stories: Anne Metcalf's Journey

In this episode of People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria, host Jane Khodos Beyer sits down with Anne Metcalf—lobbyist, architectural enthusiast, historic home restorer, and author of Old Town At Home. Together, they explore the rich stories behind Old Town’s iconic homes, from centuries-old construction techniques to the surprising discoveries hidden within their walls. Anne shares her personal journey—from growing up surrounded by architecture and history to restoring historic properties and advocating for cultural institutions. You’ll hear fascinating insights into what it really takes to preserve these homes, the challenges of renovation, and why protecting architectural legacy matters. They also dive into: · The untold history behind Old Town homes · Real-life restoration stories (including oyster shell fireproofing!) · The balance between preservation and modern living · How community, history, and architecture intersect · The inspiration behind Anne’s book and what may come next Whether you’re a homeowner, history lover, or simply curious about what lies behind those beautiful Old Town facades, this episode offers a rare look inside one of America’s most charming historic neighborhoods. 00:00 Introduction to Old Town 00:26 Meeting Anne Metcalf 02:06 Growing Up in McLean 02:44 Early History Connections 04:25 Professional Background in Lobbying 05:45 Historic Home Restoration Journey 09:09 Discovering Hidden History 13:16 The Genesis of the Book 15:41 The Book Creation Process 18:47 Uncovering Home Stories 19:10 The Chapman Home Story 21:16 Architectural Styles and Favorites 23:20 Building Community Through Book Clubs 25:16 Lobbying for Museums 28:34 Future Book Projects 30:16 Where to Buy 30:47 Closing Thoughts The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria is a podcast that explores the people, places, and ideas that shape the historic district. Hosted by Jane Khodos Beyer, the show features wide-ranging discussions with local leaders and experts who bring practical ideas on how to preserve our heritage and build a vibrant community. © 2026 The People You Meet in Old Town Alexandria. All rights reserved.