Seacoast Stories

*ANNOUNCEMENT* The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE podcast is coming! In the first live podcast in the illustrious history of Stone Church Music Club, host Troy Farkas brings the Seacoast's No. 1 podcast to Newmarket, N.H., on Thursday, May 7. For this special recording, he'll talk to Max Pruna from La Mulita Coffee and U.S. Congressional Candidate Stefany Shaheen (-D). Plus, live music from Caitlin Piper, and an after-party upstairs in Stone Church's private room. The space is small, and seats are limited. Secure your ticket here.⁠Amber Lilyestrom⁠ is one of the most powerful women the Seacoast has to offer.And yet, she's one of the most soft-spoken and deep-feeling people you'll ever meet.In the second part of her "Seacoast Stories" appearance, the 7-figure-earning business coach, poet, public speaker, podcast host, 4x author, proud UNH alum, rejoins the show to display all sides of her multifaceted personality.From the Tree Haus in the woods of Lee, N.H., the 44-year-old mom of two joins ⁠⁠host Troy Farkas again to discuss why she became a business coach at 31 following a near-death experience during childbirth. Then, she talks about the local events that catapulted her to (Seacoast) superstardom, building a "right-sized" business for her life, and the heartbreaking infertility journey that ultimately led Amber and her husband to leave New Hampshire in the middle of the night to go adopt a baby boy in Florida.For daily inspiration from Amber, you can follow her on Instagram ⁠@amberlilyestrom⁠, or check out ⁠"Homeward: The Sovereign Business Podcast"⁠ on Spotify. Her latest book, "Little Big Beautiful Things" is available ⁠here.⁠EPISODE CHAPTERS:The big decision to become a brand & business coach at 31 (00:00)SPONSORS: LANEY & LU + Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains (26:30)The huge events she hosted on the Seacoast (29:50)Building a "right-sized business" in line with her values (35:55)Amber's painful fertility struggles (39:48)The emotional story of adopting her son (49:40)SPONSOR: 27 Teas (56:32)Amber's family dynamics & current life philosophy (58:20)SPONSORS:⁠LANEY & LU⁠: The Seacoast's go-to restaurant for feeding your mind, soul & spirit! Visit their Portsmouth location or ⁠order online here.⁠⁠⁠27 Teas⁠: Use code STORIES to get 15% off Manchester's high-quality hand-blended teas when ⁠shopping online⁠ or in-person!⁠Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains⁠⁠! Get your girl started on her next adventure today by visiting ⁠⁠GirlScoutsGWM.org⁠⁠.UPCOMING EVENTS:Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, April 15, in Manchester, N.H.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seacoast Singles (35+) at 3S Artspace: On Friday, April 24, 16 brave singles will stand on stage in a room full of single folks. Will you be one of them? Buy your ticket here.AFFILIATE LINKS:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Studio One⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use the code COASTIE26 at checkout on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Studio One website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to unlock a 1-month trial of UNLIMITED spin, yoga, strength, pilates, and barre classes for a special price of $25 for "Seacoast Stories" listeners ONLY!

*WARNING* This episode contains discussion about sexual violence, disordered eating, and a near-death experience. Listener discretion is advised.Amber Lilyestrom is cut from a different cloth.A former UNH soccer player, associate athletic director, 4x author, content creator, public speaker, and podcast host, she's now a 7-figure-earning business coach to female entrepreneurs of the Seacoast and beyond.But, as it often is with the greats, it wasn't an easy road to get here.From her estate in the woods of Lee, N.H., the 44-year-old mom of two joins ⁠host Troy Farkas ⁠to talk about EVERYTHING: The sexual abuse she experienced as a 3-year-old in Mass., testifying in court against her abuser at five years old, moving to New Hampshire, playing D-I soccer at UNH, rising up the ranks of the UNH athletic department after college, and the near-death experience that led her leave it all behind.For daily inspiration from Amber, you can follow her on Instagram @amberlilyestrom, or check out "Homeward: The Sovereign Business Podcast" on Spotify. Her latest book, "Little Big Beautiful Things" is available here.EPISODE CHAPTERS:What makes Amber a special human (00:00)The sexual abuse Amber experienced as a very young child (06:00)Playing and working at UNH (19:32)SPONSORS: LANEY & LU + 27 Teas (31:30)Amber's battles with disordered eating (34:37)Amber's deep connection to herself (45:30)SPONSOR: Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains (57:12)How Amber nearly died during childbirth (58:45)SPONSORS:LANEY & LU: The Seacoast's go-to restaurant for feeding your mind, soul & spirit! Visit their Portsmouth location or order online here.⁠27 Teas: Use code STORIES to get 15% off Manchester's high-quality hand-blended teas when shopping online or in-person!Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains⁠! Get your girl started on her next adventure today by visiting ⁠GirlScoutsGWM.org⁠.UPCOMING EVENTS:Seacoast Stories Dinner Club pres. by ⁠Market Square Bakehouse⁠: Friday, April 3, in Amesbury, Mass.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, April 15, in Manchester, N.H.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AFFILIATE LINKS:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Studio One⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use the code COASTIE26 at checkout on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Studio One website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to unlock a 1-month trial of UNLIMITED spin, yoga, strength, pilates, and barre classes for a special price of $25 for "Seacoast Stories" listeners ONLY!

While throwing epic events, going viral on social media, and running a successful weekly market, Alyssa Pine was quietly handling something the public never knew about.In her third appearance on "Seacoast Stories," the 32-year-old Live Freely Market founder speaks for the first time about the heartbreak and grief she's battled since finding out a devastating piece of news two days before throwing the first Live Freely Fest in August 2024.Plus, she tells host Troy Farkas some exciting news regarding Live Freely Fest 2026, recent developments at the Live Freely Market, winning the Stay Work Play Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2025, must-do summer activities in her beloved Hampton, business lessons learned from her father, Shane Pine (The Community Oven, Shane's Texas Pit, etc.), and more.To check out the Live Freely Market, you can pay Alyssa and her vendors a visit at 356 Lafayette Rd. in Hampton. The market is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. SPONSORS:To get started on a path toward better financial investment, email our friend David Higgins ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! He's a Portsmouth legend, and you won't regret it.Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains! Get your girl started on her next adventure today by visiting GirlScoutsGWM.org.⁠Visit Budget Blinds of the Seacoast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for local windows, shades, & creating your cozy Seacoast dream home!UPCOMING EVENTS:Seacoast Stories Dinner Club pres. by Market Square Bakehouse: Friday, April 3, in Amesbury, Mass.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, April 15, in Manchester, N.H.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AFFILIATE LINKS:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Studio One⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use the code COASTIE26 at checkout on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Studio One website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to unlock a 1-month trial of UNLIMITED spin, yoga, strength, pilates, and barre classes for a special price of $25 for "Seacoast Stories" listeners ONLY!EPISODE CHAPTERS:Alyssa's backstory + our friendship (00:00)Relocating Live Freely Fest 2026 to Applecrest (05:48)Live Freely Market's explosion on social media (15:32)SPONSORS: Financial advisor David Higgins + Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains (25:42)The grief & heartbreak Alyssa faced while building the Live Freely Market (29:00)Winning the Entrepreneur of the Year award last year (45:15)SPONSOR: Budget Blinds of the Seacoast (51:10)Changes happening at the Live Freely Market (52:35)Must-do Hampton activities this summer (58:30)Investment and insurance products are Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency, Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate, Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested.Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Clearing Services (WFCS), LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. WFCS uses the trade name Wells Fargo Advisors. 1 North Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63103.

You probably don't know this, but ...Maine is home to some of the cleanest water in the country.So when accomplished businesswoman Jen Millard - who spent 30+ years building big CPG brands all over the country - returned to her home state of Maine a few years ago, she knew she wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.Her idea? Canned water sourced straight from Sebago Lake, one of the cleanest lakes the United States has to offer.Now, nearly two years after forming the business, Millard says Mainelove is at a "do-or-die" moment.From The Canopy Hotel in Portland, Millard and host Troy Farkas discuss the unexpected origin story of Mainelove, the complex (yet also simple) process of getting the water from Sebago Lake into a can you can drink, the importance of keeping all the revenue from this business in Maine, their recent expansion into N.H. and Mass., as well as their hopes to expand to Fla. later this year. Plus, why now is the time to go all in and think even bigger.To get your hands on cans of Mainelove water, you can find it at Lil's, Henry's Bagels, 3S Artspace, The Community Oven, Golden Harvest, and more. You can also order cases of water directly from Mainelove.com.SPONSORS:Business coach ⁠⁠Jennifer Wilder⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Women can get $100 off 1:1 private advisory with one of the Seacoast's top business minds! Lock in your discount and book your time with Jen by visiting ⁠⁠TheJenniferWilder.com/seacoaststories⁠⁠⁠⁠Oomph Salon⁠⁠⁠: Special happy hour haircuts for just $45 at New England's top-rated salon! Visit Budget Blinds of the Seacoast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for local windows, shades, & creating your cozy Seacoast dream home!AFFILIATE LINKS:⁠⁠⁠⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Studio One⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use the code COASTIE26 at checkout on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Studio One website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to unlock a 1-month trial of UNLIMITED spin, yoga, strength, pilates, and barre classes for a special price of $25 for "Seacoast Stories" listeners ONLY!UPCOMING EVENTS:Seacoast Stories Dinner Club pres. by Market Square Bakehouse: Friday, April 3, in Amesbury, Mass.! ⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, April 15, in Manchester, N.H.! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠EPISODE CHAPTERS:SPONSOR: Budget Blinds of the Seacoast (00:00)The Mainelove origin story (01:15)The BTS of building a canned water company (15:37)SPONSORS: Biz coach Jennifer Wilder & Oomph Salon (29:12)Why she's keen on keeping all the business in Maine (32:35)Expanding the brand to FL, NH, MA, and more (38:56)The do-or-die stage of bulding this business (49:22)

Corinne Benfield's story is a uniquely New Hampshire one.Benfield, a Manchester, N.H., native, left The Granite State for college, vowing not to return to the state that raised her. Then, she moved to New York City to pursue an art career.Her time in The Big Apple didn't go as planned, leading her back to New Hampshire, where she began to see her home state through a completely different lens.Now, as the Executive Director of Stay Work Play, it's her job to convince young professionals to have the same epiphany she once did.Today, Benfield joins host Troy Farkas to share her story: Why she came back to N.H., the endless opportunities afforded to young people in the state, and the "master narrative" that's driving so many young people away. Plus, the biggest pain points for young professionals, and the three things she would change in this state if she were given a magic wand. To learn more about Stay Work Play's upcoming events, research studies, and more, just visit StayWorkPlay.org or follow @stayworkplay on Instagram.SPONSORS:Business coach ⁠Jennifer Wilder⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Women can get $100 off 1:1 private advisory with one of the Seacoast's top business minds! Lock in your discount and book your time with Jen by visiting ⁠TheJenniferWilder.com/seacoaststories⁠⁠Oomph Salon⁠⁠: Special happy hour haircuts for just $45 at New England's top-rated salon! AFFILIATE LINKS:⁠⁠⁠3 Bridges Yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: NEW yoga students can unlock a stellar deal of $45 for unlimited classes at the Seacoast's top yoga studio for a month! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3BridgesYoga.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, select the "Seacoast Stories" special, and type in promo code SEACOASTSTORIES to activate the deal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Studio One⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use the code COASTIE26 at checkout on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Studio One website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to unlock a 1-month trial of UNLIMITED spin, yoga, strength, pilates, and barre classes for a special price of $25 for "Seacoast Stories" listeners ONLY!UPCOMING EVENTS:Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Friday, April 3, in Amesbury, Mass.! ⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠Seacoast Stories Dinner Club: Wednesday, April 15, in Manchester, N.H.! ⁠⁠⁠Sign up here.⁠⁠⁠EPISODE CHAPTERS:Manchester's glow-up & Corinne's backstory (00:00)The opportunities N.H. affords young people (15:10)SPONSOR: Business coach Jennifer Wilder (21:55)Corinne's path to Stay Work Play (24:03)The effect of the housing crisis on YP's (31:30)Childcare costs and workforce displacement (49:27)SPONSOR: Oomph Salon (54:07)A rough social life & dating scene for YP's (55:30)Three N.H. issues Corinne wants to solve ASAP (01:04:55)