The Gorge Connected Podcast

EP 15: Lisa Farquharson of The Dalles Chamber of Commerce

We're back with another episode! Matt Cole from DirectLine IT has taken over host of the show and today he sat down with his good friend Lisa Farquharson of The Dalles Chamber of Commerce.    Lisa is a big supportor of local business and community development. Her passion for business deveolpment has led her to her role of CEO of the The Dalles Chamber of Commerce. In today's episode, Matt and Lisa go over all things small business and the kinds of resources the chamber offers to its community memebers and its business owners!    From The DallesChamber.com   "THIS CHAMBER MEANS BUSINESS! Mission & Strategic Objectives To provide value to our members through advocacy and leadership, promoting a positive environment for business, tourism, community, and education. By being the voice of business, promoting collaboration and helping members grow."

EP 14 - WE'RE BACK! Matt Cole from DirectLine-IT

After a long corona virus hiatus, THE SHOW IS BACK!  In today's episode I sat down with a good friend and client of mine, Matt Cole, owner of DirectLine-IT in Hood River.  Matt and I have been talking about this show for some time and we've decided its time for us to come together on this show and bring in some businesses we'd like to learn more about and work with! This episode is packed with lots of good info on Matt and our plans for this show!

EP. 13 - Samantha Rodgers of Local Rhoots

In this episode I spoke to Sam Rodgers, Owner of Local Rhoots. Local Rhoots is a small business here in the Gorge that provides ready to go meals for yourself and family. What makes Sam's business unique is she sources products from other local businesses AND uses reusable packaging. Combine that with that really good recipes, your family will be eating good while supporting the community!      From www.localrhoots.com [http://www.localrhoots.com] "Think globally, act locally, impact the world through our community. On the surface, Local Rhoots is a meal delivery service using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, creating jobs within the community and delivering in reusable packaging.  Essentially, we feed humans whole food that tastes awesome. For many customers, the service we provide delivers way beyond their expectations, but for those who want a deeper understanding of how our local choices effect the world, we encourage you to take a short journey with us. With an ever present passion for food and a desperate need to create more time for herself and her family, Sam began designing weekly meal plans with prep guides to feed her own household.  She quickly realized that this was a missing component in the lives of many busy families and there was an opportunity to help others by sharing those meals plans; Eating Clean, Cooking Dirty [https://www.eatingcleancookingdirty.com/] was born. Two years in and she was getting so many requests from people to do the meal prep for them that she decided to test out the idea.  But, it had to be deeper than just a meal delivery service.  Sam wants to make an impact in her community and in the world.  That's where the "Local" part come in. Eating locally is good for our bodies.   Buying locally is good for our community.   Working locally creates jobs in the community we serve.   Sam and Local Rhoots is dedicated to these three core values, seeking to impact the world through the community we live in.  "

EP. 12 - Cecily Diffin of The Ruddy Duck and Mikes Ice Cream

Driving down Oak Street in downtown Hood River, chances are you've seen a bunch of families hanging out on a corner or laid out across the park, all enjoying some ice cream and family time. We'll in this episode I sit down with Cecily Diffin, the "CFO" of The Ruddy Duck and Mikes Ice Cream. Her and Her family came to Hood River years ago and helped establish one of Hood River's favorite places to visit while in town. Cecily has been here since she was just a child and has seen the shift of what Hood River used to be to what it is now and shes got a lot of great insight in her community. You guys are going to love her story as well as her families.   The Ruddy Duck 504 Oak St, Hood River, OR 97031 www.shoptheruddyduck.com [http://www.shoptheruddyduck.com]   Mikes Ice Cream 504 Oak St, Hood River, OR 97031

EP. 11 - Kim Salvesen-Pauly of Columbia River Gorge Windermere

If you've ever driven up or down the Columbia River Gorge, chances are you've seen a sign for a Windermere Realtor. Well in this episode, I sat down with the owner of Columbia River Gorge Windermere, Kim, for a one on one chat to find out about the person behind the business. We discussed her upbringing, her profession, her love for her family, her passions, but most importantly her community. If you ever wanted to learn about the company and person behind the yard signs, this is the episode to listen to.