Archives: Episodes

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I’m at J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works for the Taste of Appalachia showcase, an Advantage Valley initiative promoting local food businesses. I meet Paula Kingry from Dark Hollow Foods, who’s been making sauces and mixes since 1999 and contributed her original dark sauce to the gift boxes. Then I talk with Coleman Irwin of Harvest Trails in Martinsburg, whose company freeze-dries locally grown fruits and vegetables; his cinnamon apples and lemons are featured, with the cinnamon apples being the crowd favorite. Finally, I speak with Michael Irvin from Coal River Coffee Company in St. Albans, who started the business with his wife in 2018 and now ships coffee worldwide. Their Wild and Wonderful medium roast and Almost Heaven dark roast are included in the boxes, with the medium roast leading sales. I encourage listeners to visit tasteofappalachia.com by October 17th to order these locally curated boxes that celebrate Appalachian flavors and support regional businesses.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I’m at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works for the Taste of Appalachia showcase, an Advantage Valley initiative that promotes local food producers. I talk with Brad Pinard from Appalachian Cellar, who features jams from JarHead Farms and granola from Hinerman Farms, with Christmas jam being the favorite. Paul Ronk from Lincoln County shares his pure and cinnamon-infused maple syrup, with cinnamon selling best. Brenda Burdette and Sarah McCoy from Sassy Gals Gourmet Treats offer handmade dips and bourbon pecans, which are crowd favorites. Rick and Connie Martin from We B Frying make wheat-based “make-believe” pork rinds, including a new pizza flavor and their CinnaLocos variety named after their dog. Every vendor I meet reflects the creativity and heart of Appalachian makers. I wrap up by encouraging everyone to visit www.tasteofappalachia.com and order gift boxes by October 17 to support these local businesses.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk about how I do not see my business as just being financially rewarding. For me it is about freedom, control, and doing work I believe in. I compare money to happiness—if you chase it directly, you never find it. I see a lot of false promises online about easy income, but real business takes long hours and persistence without immediate payoff. That is why passion matters. Without it you will not stick through the work. I say if you love something, like origami or gaming, and put in consistent effort, you can eventually turn it into income, but it will not come overnight. My passion is video production, marketing, and helping business owners grow their audiences and revenue. I often work sixty to eighty hours a week, sometimes for free, but I love it. I believe if you serve others, solve problems, and stay committed, the money follows in time.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works for the Taste of Appalachia Showcase, an Advantage Valley initiative that features gift boxes filled with West Virginia-made foods available until October 17 at TasteofAppalachia.com. I talk with Mary and Travis Smith of Tipsy Roo’s about their sauces like Peach Jalapeno Rum and Brew Berry, and Travis shares his love for freeze-dried fruit. Duane Legg from Legacy Foods tells me about their cinnamon apple butter, hot pepper jelly, and apple cider vinaigrette, with the jelly being the most popular. Zack Fairchild of Blue Smoke Salsa highlights their blueberry jalapeno salsa, developed with Chef Paul Smith, as a crowd favorite. Lillian Kratc from J.Q. Dickinson explains they contributed burnt caramel sauce and heirloom finishing salt, with the traditional salt standing out as their bestseller. I wrap up by encouraging listeners to order a box and support local makers across the region.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Troy and Dawn to talk about the Homesteading-ish Conference, now in its second year. They tell me the “ish” stands for In Search of Help and the goal is to give people tools to take more responsibility for their food and learn skills like gardening, raising animals, beekeeping, and food preservation. Troy explains that the idea started with his farm and the Capital Conservation District working together to offer a wide range of presenters in one place. He says modern homesteading is about self-reliance, not the old Homestead Act, and that interest has grown in recent years, especially after the pandemic showed how fragile supply systems can be. Dawn shares that participants want clean food, sustainable practices, and a community to support their journey, and many have already returned for a second year to build on what they learned. They both see the future of the event as keeping it intimate so people can connect directly and continue learning together. I leave feeling like this gathering is less about farming alone and more about creating lasting community around food and self-reliance.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I am at the Westside Community Health Fair with Dr. Robert Haley. He tells me the event offers screenings for things like HIV, hep C, blood pressure, and diabetes, along with booths for veterans, disability services, and other community resources. More than seventy medical students from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine are here to learn how to connect with people and provide real help, and Dr. Haley says they have even identified emergencies like diabetic crises in past years. He explains the fair began around the pandemic to meet needs that were being overlooked and has grown into a trusted annual event. We talk about how many people feel intimidated going to a doctor’s office, but here they can talk freely about what hurts and get pointed toward the right care. Dr. Haley reminds me that screenings can save lives, because ignoring a problem does not make it go away. He hopes people leave saying they found someone who listened and cared in a welcoming space.