Seacoast Stories

" People that have been there, no explanation is necessary, and people that haven't, no explanation is possible." Gregory Tufts spent years in Afghanistan and Iraq, serving as an emergency medic for the U.S. Army. He's also a full-time firefighter paramedic for the city of Portsmouth. Additionally, he's the founder of Forged Medical Wellness, a new practice in Rye that specializes specifically in men's health, offerings services like testosterone replacement therapy, IV drips, and more. From his office in Rye, founder Gregory Tufts joins host Troy Farkas to talk about his journey to Forged - from the battlefields of Afghanistan, to the basements of Portsmouth, and to everywhere in between. Forged's marketing director Dennis Bolduc also joins the show. A lifelong type 1 diabetic, he and Troy share their own stories of dealing with a disease that threatens to kill them nearly on a daily basis. To learn more about Forged Medical Wellness, please visit ForgedMW.com. SPONSORS: Men's Mind: The Seacoast's first therapy practice that's exclusively for men. ⁠⁠⁠⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth⁠⁠ & SWTHZ ⁠⁠Bedford⁠⁠: Lock in your founding membership today for contrast therapy, red light therapy, & more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Budget Blinds of the Seacoas⁠t⁠⁠: Blinds, shades, and shutters reasonably priced, professionally installed, and done right the first time. Appletree: Quality bookkeeping, tax services, and payroll for small businesses. SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS: ⁠Literally Kittery: The official bookstore of Seacoast Stories ⁠Smithline⁠: The official business consultant of Seacoast Stories. Get a FREE opportunity map by emailing [email protected] UPCOMING EVENTS: Seacoast Stories Dinner Club CONCORD pres. by ⁠⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠⁠: Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club HAMPTON pres. by ⁠⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club PORTSMOUTH pres. by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In a special bonus episode of Seacoast Stories, Juniper Pickwick returns the show to tell more stories of Portsmouth's haunted past. This time around, Pickwick tells host Troy Farkas tales from Portsmouth's oldest cemetery, the Point of Graves, which give a fascinating window into what life in colonial Portsmouth was really like. Plus, the real story behind the fires that burned the city down, and a look inside the complicated life of John Paul Jones, one of Portsmouth's most famous figures. To support Juniper, you can pay her a visit at Deadwick's, Pickwick's, or Fezziwig's. SPONSORS: ⁠⁠⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth⁠ & SWTHZ ⁠Bedford⁠: Lock in your founding membership today for contrast therapy, red light therapy, & more! ⁠Great Bay Community College⁠: Looking to further your education or make a career transition? Take a look at GBCC! ⁠⁠⁠Budget Blinds of the Seacoas⁠t⁠: Blinds, shades, and shutters reasonably priced, professionally installed, and done right the first time. SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS: We Can Help Cleaning: The official cleaning service of Seacoast Stories Empowering Path: The official healer of Seacoast Stories. Get $25 off your first healing session, email [email protected] to redeem UPCOMING EVENTS: Seacoast Stories Dinner Club CONCORD pres. by ⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠: Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club HAMPTON pres. by ⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠ on Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club PORTSMOUTH pres. by ⁠⁠⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE CHAPTERS: Shoutout to Great Bay Community College (00:00) Changes coming at Deadwick's (02:20) Tales from the Point of Graves (08:05) The great fires of the early 19th century (19:00) Keep monsters out of your home with Budget Blinds of the Seacoast (30:21) Conquer your cold plunge fears at SWTHZ Portsmouth (31:18) The wild story behind the Vaughan Tomb (32:28) Portsmouth's role in early America (40:45) The complicated history of John Paul Jones (44:50)

Brian & Lindsey Pickowicz witnessed firsthand the immense pressure faced by the world's top performers. After a few years in Los Angeles, the ex-bodybuilders (and N.H. natives) moved to Dallas to become the live-in personal trainers for a very wealthy mortgage lender, giving the Pickowicz's an intimate look at what it's really like to be "successful." The large staffs. The endless notifications. The weight of the world seemingly on their shoulders. And how their health-and-wellness goals often fall to the wayside. So when Brian and Lindsey moved back to New Hampshire in 2023, they went all in on The Fitness Project, a coaching and leadership development program designed for burnt-out executives, business owners, and high-performing leaders. From their home in Bedford, N.H., the Pickowicz's join host Troy Farkas for a wide-ranging discussion about meeting as teenagers, why they both fell in love with bodybuilding, a three-minute conversation with Arnold Schwarzenegger that changed their lives, lessons learned from living with the mortgage lender, the 1000+ clients they've helped, and the common mistakes high achievers makes when it comes to their health. Plus, the two even talk Troy off the ledge, giving him actionable wisdom so that he can start to lighten the load he's taken on with "Seacoast Stories." To join Troy at the two-day Fit To Lead event in Concord, N.H. next week, you can learn more here. UPCOMING EVENTS: Seacoast Stories Dinner Club CONCORD pres. by ⁠RC Conner⁠: Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club HAMPTON pres. by ⁠RC Conner⁠ on Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club PORTSMOUTH pres. by ⁠⁠RC Conner⁠⁠ on Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠⁠⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: ⁠⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth & SWTHZ Bedford: Lock in your founding membership today for contrast therapy, red light therapy, & more! Great Bay Community College: Looking to further your education or make a career transition? Take a look at GBCC! Rooted Family Wellness: York, Maine's home for direct primary care and a better relationship with your PCPs. CHAPTERS: How Brian & Lindsey met (00:00) Pursuing personal training & bodybuilding (10:08) How Arnold Schwarzenegger convinced them to move to L.A.(23:11) How York's ⁠Rooted Family Wellness⁠ can transform your PCP experience (28:10) Further your education or change careers with ⁠Great Bay Community College (29:25) Life lessons learned from living with a top performer (30:31) Why that experience inspired them to start The Fitness Project (47:30) Contrast therapy at SWTHZ Portsmouth & SWTHZ Bedford COMING SOON! (52:40) Troy opens up about how owning a business has negatively impacted his health (53:43) Their Fit to Lead event in Concord next week (01:05:41)

Victoria Arlen nearly died (again). Late last year, the Seacoast celebrity experienced another setback in her physical health, causing her to (temporarily) give up on her new book, spiral out of control, and return to the wheelchair she's spent years trying to stay out of. But as always, Arlen persevered, and now she's ready to tell her story more loudly than ever before. In front of a live audience at The Press Room in downtown Portsmouth, the Exeter native, TV anchor, Dancing With the Stars alum, speaker, author, and nonprofit founder joins host Troy Farkas for a wide-ranging discussion about her tumultuous mental health journey, covering topics like spending four years in a vegetative state, drawing boundaries to protect herself from the wrong people , physical health setbacks, and much more. The two also discuss how often the most successful people in the room are the ones we need to check on the most, why she almost never published her latest book, how to help someone who is struggling with mental health, and more. Plus, questions from the audience! To purchase Arlen's latest book, "The View Is Worth It," you can get it here. UPCOMING EVENTS: Seacoast Stories Dinner Club CONCORD pres. by RC Conner: Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club HAMPTON pres. by RC Conner on Wednesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. ⁠Book your seat at the table here.⁠ SPONSORS: ⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth: ⁠Lock in your founding membership today at Portsmouth's newest home for wellness.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Insights Group: Rye's go-to mental health therapy practice! Additional thanks to photographer Rachel Kimberly, videographer Kyle Michaud, Director of Partnerships Lucy Donnally, and Paige Arlen for making this evening possible. CHAPTERS: SS on NH Chronicle (00:00) Love of the Seacoast (10:06) Why she's the best she's ever been (13:30) Learning to draw boundaries (16:05) The 2025 relapse that nearly killed her (21:40) Suicidal ideations five years ago (32:10) The painful process of writing her new book (40:09) The problem with being labeled a "survivor" (51:04) Tips & tricks to cope with mental health (56:10) Questions from the audience (01:05:50)

Ohana Kitchen is one of the most recognizable restaurant brands on the Seacoast. With locations in Portsmouth, Exeter, Kittery, and Dover, the fast-casual poke bowl joint is a fan favorite of many. And yet, despite the local chain's success, Ohana isn't enough for the husband-and-wife team of Jay and Stacy Krecklow. At least, not anymore. From the West End of Portsmouth, the Krecklows join host Troy Farkas to announce the breaking news surrounding their latest venture, giving all the exclusive tea about the motivation behind the new restaurant business, what differentiates it from Ohana, why now is the right time to go all in on the concept that's haunted them for a decade, and more. Plus, they tell the entire backstory of Ohana Kitchen, from Stacy's years of living in Maui while managing a Hawaii Flatbread location, to Jay's significant Portsmouth restaurant experience, and everything in between. Plus, a surprise at the very end of the episode! To learn more about Pearl Fish House, you can follow them on Instagram @pearlfishouse or visit their website pearlfishhouse.com. UPCOMING EVENTS: "Seacoast Stories LIVE feat. Victoria Arlen" at The Press Room on Tuesday, October 13! Pres. by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your tickets here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Seacoast Stories Dinner Club CONCORD pres. by RC Conner: Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30 p.m. Book your seat at the table here. Seacoast Stories Dinner Club HAMPTON pres. by RC Conner on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. Book your seat at the table here. SPONSORS: SWTHZ Portsmouth: Lock in your founding membership today at Portsmouth's newest home for wellness.⁠⁠ RC Conner⁠:⁠⁠ The Seacoast's No. 1 home for kiln-dried firewood! ⁠⁠⁠Budget Blinds of the Seacoas⁠t: Blinds, shades, and shutters reasonably priced, professionally installed, and done right the first time. SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS: 3 Bridges Yoga: 10% off 5-class packs, 10-class packs, and retail items purchased online with code SEACOASTSTORIES at the Seacoast's No. 1 yoga studio! Ohana Kitchen: Visit their locations in Portsmouth, Exeter, Dover, and Kittery! CHAPTERS: FOLLOW "Seacoast Stories" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube (00:00) Breaking Seacoast news! (02:22) Working in the restaurant business as a husband-and-wife pair (18:25) The joys of working in the restaurant business (23:37) Lock in your founding membership at ⁠SWTHZ Portsmouth (26:30) Tell stories around the fire with ⁠RC Conner⁠⁠⁠⁠ (27:46)