<p>How does a community find the strength to rebuild after an unimaginable disaster? </p><p>In this special ‘<strong>Podcasthon</strong>’ episode, I’m joined by my guest Marilyn Ball who shares the resilience of Asheville, North Carolina, in the wake of <strong>Hurricane Helene</strong>, celebrating a city whose history, culture, and unbreakable spirit refuse to be washed away. Together, we reflect on personal stories of devastation and hope, showing how neighbors became lifelines and strangers became friends. Despite the massive obstacles, local businesses continue to thrive, communities unite around relief, and visitors are still discovering the magic that makes Asheville so unique. </p><p><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><p>[00:06] Introduction to the hurricane’s aftermath</p><p>[02:06] Guest Marilyn Ball shares Asheville’s origins</p><p>[03:49] Early stories of the city’s resilience</p><p>[12:56] Community unity in the first days after the disaster</p><p>[17:47 Insight on rebuilding plans</p><p>[26:23] Impact on art and music scene</p><p>[30:00] Learning from Maui's Disaster</p><p>[32:55] Importance of tourism in recovery</p><p>[35:13] Final reflections and call to action </p><p>[40:08] My reflections on the interview with the PMC cast and community</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Links &Resources </strong></p><p>My GoFundMe: <strong>Support for Our Asheville and Western North Carolina: </strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/amymarcsupportavl" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.gofundme.com/f/amymarcsupportavl</a></p><p>Podcasthon: <a href="https://podcasthon.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://podcasthon.org/</a> </p><p>Marilyn Ball’s Podcast, Speaking of Travel: <a href="https://pod.link/1375022004" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://pod.link/1375022004</a> </p><p>Marilyn's Episode with Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority: https://bit.ly/sotavlairport</p><p>My Asheville AirBNB: <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/h/mmr-avl" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.airbnb.com/h/mmr-avl</a> </p><p>Asheville Fringe Festival <a href="https://www.ashevillefringe.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.ashevillefringe.org/</a></p><p>Asheville Visitors Bureau <a href="https://www.ashevillecvb.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.ashevillecvb.com/</a></p><p>Remember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us grow and bring valuable content to our community.</p><p>Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 7am ET (US) on Clubhouse: <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w</a></p><p>Brought to you by<a href="http://ironickmedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> iRonickMedia.com</a> and <a href="http://nextgenpodcaster.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">NextGenPodcaster.com</a></p><p>Please note that some links may be affiliate links, which support the hosts of the PMC. Thank you!</p><p>--- Send in your mailbag question at:<a href="https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/</a> or marc@ironickmedia.com</p><p>Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Chat? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: </p><p><a href="https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b</a><br></p>
![<p>How does a community find the strength to rebuild after an unimaginable disaster? </p><p>In this special ‘<strong>Podcasthon</strong>’ episode, I’m joined by my guest Marilyn Ball who shares the resilience of Asheville, North Carolina, in the wake of <strong>Hurricane Helene</strong>, celebrating a city whose history, culture, and unbreakable spirit refuse to be washed away. Together, we reflect on personal stories of devastation and hope, showing how neighbors became lifelines and strangers became friends. Despite the massive obstacles, local businesses continue to thrive, communities unite around relief, and visitors are still discovering the magic that makes Asheville so unique. </p><p><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><p>[00:06] Introduction to the hurricane’s aftermath</p><p>[02:06] Guest Marilyn Ball shares Asheville’s origins</p><p>[03:49] Early stories of the city’s resilience</p><p>[12:56] Community unity in the first days after the disaster</p><p>[17:47 Insight on rebuilding plans</p><p>[26:23] Impact on art and music scene</p><p>[30:00] Learning from Maui's Disaster</p><p>[32:55] Importance of tourism in recovery</p><p>[35:13] Final reflections and call to action </p><p>[40:08] My reflections on the interview with the PMC cast and community</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Links &Resources </strong></p><p>My GoFundMe: <strong>Support for Our Asheville and Western North Carolina: </strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/amymarcsupportavl" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.gofundme.com/f/amymarcsupportavl</a></p><p>Podcasthon: <a href="https://podcasthon.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://podcasthon.org/</a> </p><p>Marilyn Ball’s Podcast, Speaking of Travel: <a href="https://pod.link/1375022004" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://pod.link/1375022004</a> </p><p>Marilyn's Episode with Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority: https://bit.ly/sotavlairport</p><p>My Asheville AirBNB: <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/h/mmr-avl" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.airbnb.com/h/mmr-avl</a> </p><p>Asheville Fringe Festival <a href="https://www.ashevillefringe.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.ashevillefringe.org/</a></p><p>Asheville Visitors Bureau <a href="https://www.ashevillecvb.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.ashevillecvb.com/</a></p><p>Remember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us grow and bring valuable content to our community.</p><p>Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 7am ET (US) on Clubhouse: <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w</a></p><p>Brought to you by<a href="http://ironickmedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> iRonickMedia.com</a> and <a href="http://nextgenpodcaster.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">NextGenPodcaster.com</a></p><p>Please note that some links may be affiliate links, which support the hosts of the PMC. Thank you!</p><p>--- Send in your mailbag question at:<a href="https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/</a> or marc@ironickmedia.com</p><p>Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Chat? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: </p><p><a href="https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b</a><br></p>](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/ec/14/c1/ec14c119-bc16-cb92-901f-009d72d7eaa8/mza_1041736305117376633.jpg/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
