BusinessWest & Healthcare News: Business & Health Talk Podcast

In 1979, the Iron Horse Music Hall opened inside a nondescript storefront on Center Street in Northampton — and launched four decades of music and memories. After it was shuttered a few years ago, the nonprofit Parlor Room Collective decided to not only reopen it, but fix what needed fixing while keeping its intimate model intact. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Parlor Room Collective Executive Director Chris Freeman talks withBusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar about the challenge of this project, an ongoing campaign to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete it, and why live music — and the Iron Horse — are so critical to the cultural life of this city and region. It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWest.

When BusinessWest celebrates its Difference Makers class of 2024 on April 10, one of the honorees will be Delcie Bean, who has been a fixture in the region’s IT space for the past two decades — and has begun to grow the footprint and reach of his company, Paragus Strategic I.T., well outside it. On the next episode of BusinessTalk,BusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar talks with Bean about that growth plan, how to build and retain an IT workforce, why he transitioned Paragus to a 100% employee-owned model, and the excititing changes ahead in the high-tech world, from VR and automation to AI, and how that will impact businesses of all kinds. It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWest.

Tourism is critical to the economic energy of Western Mass. — it’s often the first experience people have with the region, and can be a strong factor in whether they want to move or work here. And the annual economic impact of visitors — at tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, conventions, and events — soars into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. On the next episode of BusinessTalk,BusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar talks with Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, about what goes into energizing, promoting, and sustaining this critical sector — as well as the many events and attractions that promise to make 2024 a year to remember. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Today’s zoos — the best ones, anyway — have come a long way from what they used to be, and the Zoo in Forest Park and Education Center is a prime example, honing over the years its focus on education, conservation, and rehabilitation, and bringing much of that education into the community through its programs. On the next episode of BusinessTalk,BusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar talks with Sarah Tsitso, executive director of the Forest Park Zoo, about her passion for animal welfare, the challenges of funding a year-round operation that’s open to the public for only five months, and how the organization is helping to cultivate the next generation of animal-care professionals — not to mention the next generation of families making new memories together. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Fifty years ago, Curio Nataloni was laid off from a construction job and started doing solo kitchen projects. Ten years after he launched that business, his brother, Frank, joined him full-time, and just this past month, Kitchens by Curio celebrated 50 years in business. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Curio and Frank talk withBusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar about surviving and thriving through various economic shifts and the many changes in home renovation over the years, from high-tech advances to the way people shop to evolving tastes in kitchen and bath styles — and also about Curio’s son, Michael, who plans to eventually be the company’s second-generation leader.It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

For seven decades, the Home & Garden Show presented by the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts (HBRAWM) has been a much-anticipated annual event, where people come to check out what’s new inhomeimprovement, maybe book a project or two, and have fun with friends and family. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, HBRAWM Executive Director Andrew Crane talks withBusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar about why, even in an online world, people still love to see, touch, and talk about what they want to install in their homes, and why vendors value the show for the way it makes connections … and its impact on their bottom line.It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Bill Collins had worked at all levels of the restaurant business, amassing a wealth of experience, when he decided to open Center Square Grill 10 years ago. The decision proved to be a good one, as the East Longmeadow eatery, specializing in creative American cuisine, was an immediate success — but has still faced plenty of challenges along the way, especially during the pandemic. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Bill talks withBusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about what he’s learned over the decades, how to retain a large workforce at a time when many restaurants struggle with that, and what continues to drive his passion. It's must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Real estate investment with a purpose can be rewarding in more ways than just the bottom line. Just ask the team at Mill Town Capital in Pittsfield, which has invested in a wide array of projects aimed at rejuvenating local businesses, enhancing recreational amenities, and revitalizing key infrastructure. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Mill Town Capital CEO Tim Burke talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about his passion for his corner of the Berkshires and how the firm’s purposeful work is generating new life and new opportunities for businesses and residents alike. It’s must-listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Road Race are traditions in the Paper City and across the 413. They are events, but they are much more than that. They bring families and communities together, and they are economic engines — for Holyoke, but also the entire region. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, contributing writer George O’Brien talks with Hayley Dunn, 2024 president of the parade and road race, about all this and much more. They discuss everything from who’s in charge of the weather — the grand marshal — to having the parade on St. Patrick’s Day itself. But mostly, they talk about all that goes into putting these events on, and how the suspense builds in the weeks and days leading up to March 17.It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Mental-health awareness is on the rise — partly because more people are willing to talk about it, and that’s a healthy development. But it’s also because the needs in society are greater too, even as we move further away from an isolating pandemic. On the nextepisodeof BusinessTalk,BusinessWestEditor Joe Bednar talks to MiraVista Behavioral Health Center’s Shelley Zimmerman, hospital administrator, and Kimberley Lee, chief of Creative Strategy and Development, about what the Holyoke facility is doing these days to meet those needs, from reopening its renovated adolescent unit to supporting families in crisis and, yes, continuing to fight the stigma too-often associated with mental health.It’smustlistening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented byBusinessWestand sponsored by PeoplesBank.