Episode #53: Feeney Talks with Brad Drazen

Show Notes

Brad Drazen is the Vice-President of Communications and Advertising for The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.  Prior to this, Brad was a journalist on NBC for 17 years.

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It was great to sit down and talk with Brad.    

We talked about: 

Podcast Sponsors (minute 1) 

Asset Framing (minute 8) 

3 Keys (sponsored by West Hartford Lock) to be a great Vice-President of Communications and Advertising. (minute 14) 

Storytelling (minute 17) 

School Shootings (minute 25) 

Puppuccino (minute 31) 

Playing basketball with Brad (minute 33) 

Andy Katz interviews Feeney in 2012 (minute 40) 

Lauren Drazen (minute 42) 

Brad's Favorite Teacher (minute 48) 

2022 West Hartford Memorial Day Parade and passing out Poppies for Ella Niski (minute 53) 

Crazy Questions sponsored by Donut Crazy (minute 57) 

Brad's scariest news report (minute 1.03) 

Max Drazen's newest song, "Let Me Down Slow"  (minute 1.08)  

Brad's favorite restaurant and 4 dinner guests (1.11)  

Shout outs: 

Directline Media - www.directlinemediaproductions.com 

WeHa Brewing and Roasting - www.wehabrewing.com 

Over 30 Basketball League at The Mandell JCC - www.mandelljcc.org 

Max Drazen - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gxdQj1Dy77p45uTuve030 

 

Podcast Sponsors:  

Donut Crazy - www.donutcrazy.com 

The Fix IV - www.thefixivtherapy.com 

West Hartford Lock - www.westhartfordlock.com 

Keating Agency Insurance - www.keatingagency.com 

GastoPark - www.thegastropark.com

Creators and Guests

Host

Eric Feeney

After teaching for nearly a decade at his alma mater in Waterbury, in 2014, Eric Feeney began teaching at Wolcott Elementary in West Hartford. Shortly following, Sam Sohn, the father of one of his students, passed away suddenly from a heart attack. He left behind four beautiful children and a loving wife, Nancy Wallace-Sohn. Eric saw first-hand the toll this took on the family as they navigated their way through this unthinkable tragedy. The following year, Rashad Collier Sr., another father of a student in Eric’s class, passed away in Hartford as a result of gun violence. Rashad left behind two fantastic children and a loving wife, Denise Villegas. The impact of these tragedies weighed on Eric and motivated him to build an organization that could provide assistance for similar situations. With that, Friends of Feeney was born. In 2019, Friends of Feeney Inc. became an official 501©(3) nonprofit organization, allowing more funds to be raised and expanding the range of services provided to children and families in need. Today, over a decade since Eric’s idea to build a community organization dedicated to supporting our friends in need, Friends of Feeney has burgeoned into a reputable and recognized organization capable of providing financial and resource support to numerous families and individuals across greater Hartford and beyond. Through this work, an incredible community of children and families has been recognized, who care for and appreciate each other’s kindness.

Producer

David Chmielewski

David started his video career in the early 1990s working on video crews as an independent contractor for such companies as Martha Stewart Living, IBM and Xerox. After graduating Southern Connecticut State University with the degree in Corporate Communications, David continued his video production career and accepted a position at WFSB in Hartford, CT. Within a few years the news and production studios became his charge and David designed, installed and maintained the televisions sets for the various programs at the station. At the end of 2013 David founded DirectLine Media, a video production company that specializes in creating memorable and compelling video content for businesses.

What is Feeney Talks With Friends?

Eric Feeney talks with #friends! Eric is the founder of the nonprofit organization Friends of Feeney. Their mission is to help children and families who need assistance after heartbreak and tragedy. www.friendsoffeeney.com