When the COVID-19 shutdowns ended her children's fitness company in 2020, Julia Walderzak had the idea to launch a mobile bar, Decanted Wine Truck.
The business started with one renovated vintage trailer, Winona, but with demand growing rapidly, more trailers and bar carts were added to the fleet.
Now, Decanted travels all over New England, bringing their full-bar beverage service to all kinds of events, from weddings to anniversaries, and birthday parties to corporate functions. And not only do they provide the drinks and licensed bartenders, they'll also handle catering menus, decor, florals, and all the other elements to make your special event flawless!
Decanted on Instagram: (1) Instagram
Decanted's Website: MA & CT Full Service Mobile Bar - Events, Weddings, Bridal Showers & More! Decantedwinetruck.com
Upon learning of her newborn's sensitivity to caffeine and discovering her own growing sensitivity to dairy, Nichole Nduati began searching for a vegan chai latte to replace her favorite guilty pleasure.
When none could be found, she started experimenting with her own recipes, and after sharing those creations with friends and family, Nichole and her husband decided to launch a business selling tea blends, now known as Teajani.
Each Teajani blend is crafted with care, sourced from small family farms, and focused on intentional living.
Teajani on Instagram: (1) Instagram
Teajani's Website: Drinks and Beverages, Tea Party Catering, Mango Passion White Tea - Teajani - Auburn, Massachusetts
After losing her daughter to the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Cherylann Gengel co-founded Be Like Brit, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the children of Haiti by establishing a safe, nurturing, and sustainable orphanage.
At the time of her passing, Britney Gengel was on a mission trip with her college and had been texting her mom about the experience, expressing her desire to one day open an orphanage for the children she had grown to love.
Now, 15 years later, Brit's legacy of compassion and hope lives on through Brit's Home in Haiti and all the other ways Be Like Brit provides education, healthcare, and support to Haitian children.
Be Like Brit on Instagram: Instagram
Be Like Brit's Website: Be Like Brit
A family nurse practitioner and certified holistic wellness coach, Alana Giannopoulos understands the importance of taking care of the whole person: mind, body, and soul.
She started Vita Hydration and Wellness to give people an outlet to heal and tend to their whole selves by detoxing, de-stressing, and restoring.
Located in Worcester, her holistic wellness center offers a series of services—including IV drips, infrared saunas, red light therapy, and salt rooms—that encourage one to reconnect with their well-being.
Vita Hydration + Wellness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vita.hydration/
Vita's Website: https://www.vitahydrationandwellness.com/
From painting to carpentry, epoxy to power washing, and wallpaper removal to color consultation, Sarah Bueno and her team at @queenofheartspainting can transform your space.
Whether you need just a touch-up or a full-on new look, Queen of Hearts will deliver. Based in Wellesley, they serve all of Massachusetts, including the islands.
In this episode, we talk to Sarah about how her background in design and real estate influences her work now, and what her experience has been operating in a male-dominated industry.
Queen of Hearts Painting's Website: https://www.queenofheartspainting.com/
Queen of Hearts Painting on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queenofheartspainting/
Healing Habits Psychotherapy & Therapeutic Services is an outpatient mental health office in Spencer offering in-person and online talk therapy, EMDR, and therapeutic groups to individuals in Massachusetts.
CEO and therapist Brittany Price, LICSW, opened this private practice in September of 2024, wanting to devote more time to her clients to serve them in the best way she could.
In this episode, we talk to Brittany about her journey to becoming an LICSW and common misconceptions about therapy.
Healing Habits on Facebook: Facebook
Get in touch with Brittany: brittany@healinghabitspsych.com
Makena Waterhouse believes that the confidence women gain from strength training translates into all aspects of their lives. That's why her online strength training business, MJW Coaching, all stems from helping women build confidence in AND out of the gym.
Makena has a dual degree in nutrition and kinesiology, allowing her to serve a diverse range of clients with varying fitness goals. Her methods are backed by research and the latest scientific literature, not internet fads or what's 'trendy.'
Hear more about Makena's personal fitness journey and her coaching approach in this episode.
MJW Coaching's Website: mjw coaching
MJW Coaching on Instagram: Instagram
1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Pawsitively 4 Pink helps lighten the financial burden of that diagnosis for low-income, underserved women in Massachusetts.
Founded in 2018 by Michelle Power, the nonprofit organization provides financial assistance in whatever ways needed—whether it's paying for groceries, mortgage/rent, phone bills, utilities, transportation costs, or medication. They also help train emotional support dogs to provide comfort and stress relief to these women and their families.
We talk with Michelle and P4P's President Kathy Chapman about all these ways in which they work to support MA women affected by breast cancer.
P4P's website: Home - Pawsitively4Pink
P4P on Instagram: Instagram
Working as a nurse during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, making charcuterie boards became a way for Kerry Dwyer to unwind after work. But after posting a picture to social media that garnered interest, this passion quickly turned into a business.
Now, as charCUTErie Woo, Kerry makes all types of specialty meat and cheese boards, has a board of the month club, creates large grazing tables for special events, and teaches several DIY charcuterie board classes each month all over New England. Most recently, she's opened a storefront in Paxton that also serves lunch on Fridays!
In this episode, we talk to Kerry about her entrepreneurial journey, the rise in popularity of charcuterie, and what her personal must-haves are for a board!
charCUTErie Woo on Instagram: (1) Instagram
charCUTErie Woo's website: Best Charcuterie Worcester MA | charCUTErie Woo
Renae LeCuyer is a Registered Dietitan (RD) and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN) who works with individuals and businesses in Central Mass to provide expert nutrition guidance through her side hustle, Simply Nourished.
Whether they're working toward a fat loss goal, managing medical diagnoses, or just looking to eat a better-balanced diet, a variety of patients can benefit from working with Renae to align their eating habits with their lifestyle needs.
In this episode, we learn about her process for working with patients to develop customized plans and hear her perspective on some widely circulated food myths.
Simply Nourished on Instagram: (3) Instagram
For more than 100 years, Girls Inc. of Worcester has aimed to inspire all girls to be strong (healthy), smart (educated), and bold (independent). They're the oldest and only facility-based, girl-centered organization in Central Massachusetts.
As CEO, Tiffany Lillie works to advance this mission and elevate the Girls Inc. Experience every day so that the organization can serve more than 1,000 girls each year.
In this episode, we talk to Tiffany about how she came to lead the nonprofit, their research-based programming, and what's in store for the next 100 years.
Girls Inc. of Worcester on Instagram: (1) Instagram
Girls Inc. of Worcester's website: Girls Inc. of Worcester
Jill Cofsky is a professional voice talent who works behind the scenes to add narration to your projects, including educational, commercial, audiobooks, book trailers, real estate tours, websites, or explainer videos.
She's narrated over a dozen children's audiobooks and works with the Hanover Theatre in Worcester to provide audio description services for blind and low vision audience members.
In this episode, we talk to Jill about the technical training that goes into becoming a voice actor and how she was introduced to the career.
Jill Cofsky - Voice Actor on Instagram: Instagram
1 in 3 children in Massachusetts experience clothing insecurity. And underwear is even less accessible because it needs to be brand-new to be donated.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catherine Maloy founded Cocotree Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to distribute new underwear to at-risk youth in Massachusetts, providing them with a sense of confidence, comfort, and dignity.
Since 2021, they've served more than 56,000 kids in MA and distributed nearly 400,000 pairs of underwear.
In this episode, we chat with Catherine about what inspired her to start this organization and how she and her team partner with the community to advance their mission.
Cocotree Kids on Instagram: Instagram
Website: Cocotree Kids
With 18 shelter beds and 79 units of housing, Abby's House is the largest provider of affordable, supportive housing in Worcester, designed to meet the needs of women and children.
This nonprofit organization provides shelter and affordable housing, as well as advocacy and support services, to homeless, battered, and low-income women, with or without children. Founded in 1976, Abby's House overnight shelter was one of the first shelters in the United States for women; since then, they've helped more than 16,000 women and their children.
Hear our conversation with Abby's House executive director Julie Orozco about the increased need for their services and her vision for the future of the organization.
Abby's House on Instagram: (3) Instagram
Abby's House's website: Empowering Women in Central MA | Abby's House
Fueled by a passion for plants and a desire to share her love for greenery with others, Tiana Diaz opened a specialty houseplant shop T.A.J. Tropicals & Trinkets.
Since opening in 2020, T.A.J. has moved locations a few times before settling in their current home at 100 Grove Street in Worcester.
Aside from selling plants, plant care accessories, and other trinkets, Tiana also hosts a variety of workshops, like terrarium building and 'plant & sip' nights, where she gets to share her plant knowledge and build community through hands-on experiences.
Learn all about the shop's evolution and Tiana's entrepreneurial journey in this episode.
T.A.J. on Instagram: (3) Instagram
T.A.J.'s website: Home | T.A.J Tropicals & Trinkets Inc.
Sharon Sanchez believes in the transformative power of habits. At Lileo Skin, she's designed a skin care experience grounded in this belief; it's not just about the products, it's about the rituals.Lileo wants to take you on a journey back to the skincare basics. Their mission is to simplify skin care, focusing on essential, nourishing ingredients, that work with your skin—no unnecessary fillers or complicated routines. In this episode, we hear more about Sharon's inspiration to start the brand, how she formulates products, and what skin essentials are in her daily routine.
Lauren Howe believes every brand has a story to tell. And through empHowered PR, she helps you shout it from the rooftops!
Lauren's team works with clients internationally to craft their brand voice and align their messaging, offering brand strategy, executive communications, media training, thought leadership, and more.
Outside of PR and communications work, Lauren is incredibly active in the Central Massachusetts community. Her most recent project, Feel Your BrEaST—which was inspired by her own personal experience with breast cancer—works to connect local women undergoing breast cancer treatment with salons who offer them free hair washing services.
Hear more about Lauren's career, path to entrepreneurship, and community involvement in this episode.
EmpHowered PR's Website: Home - empHoweredPR®
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: (1) Lauren Howe | LinkedIn
As the owner of Budget Blinds of Worcester & Holden, Allison LeMay is committed to elevating her clients' daily home life with the best window treatments for their unique needs.
From blinds and shades to shutters and drapery, her team has a window covering for every style and budget.
Servicing residential and commercial spaces in Worcester, Holden, and Jefferson, Allison and her team bring the showroom to you, making the entire shopping process even more convenient!
Budget Blinds of Worcester & Holden's Website: Window Coverings | Budget Blinds Worcester & Holden, MA
On Instagram: Instagram
Lady LaRouge is a multifaceted showgirl who offers a unique blend of entertainment and education in the realm of burlesque and drag.
Performing locally in Worcester, as well as regionally and nationally, Lady LaRouge strives to preserve the history of the art of burlesque when she takes the stage.
Off stage, she produces other drag & burlesque (draglesque) shows, conducts research, and hosts workshops to educate people on the history of these art forms.
Lady LaRouge on Instagram: Lady / Laddie LaRouge (@xladylarougex) • Instagram photos and videos
Website: Home | Lady La Rouge
Real people. Real ingredients. Fake tans. That's the blushtan motto! Their one-of-a-kind tanning solutions are made from organic ingredients, meaning it's the safest way to get a tan!
Jenna Sharma opened the BlushTan Worcester studio in 2018 and has been helping women of all shapes, sizes, and colors achieve a healthy, natural glow ever since!
In this episode we talk with Jenna all about blushtan's unique approach, why their spray tans are better than other fake tan alternatives, and the importance of proper prep before getting a tan.
BlushTan Worcester on Instagram: Instagram
BlushTan Worcester's website: Organic Spray Tan Salon Worcester — blushtan
