Episode #130: Feeney Talks with Allie Belluci

Show Notes

#BeAGoodFriend and check out episode #130  of #FeeneyTalksWithFriends featuring Allie Belluci. 

It was great to talk with my #friend, Allie! 

Allie is the owner of Bellu Jean Creative LLC. 

We talked about:

West Hartford (minute 1)

Bellu Jean Creative (minute 3)

Allie created the Friends of Feeney website (minute 3)

Allie’s inspiration and story (minute 5)

Teaching during Covid-19 (minute 8)

Cameras, photos and storage (minute 12)

Social Media Editor (minute 14)

Garlic knots (minute 15)

What makes Alex a good #friend? (minute 17)

Dave at GolfTec (minute 18)

Allie’s dad, Harry (minute 20)

Videos from Golf Tournament and Holiday Stroll (minute 22)

Erika Smith Rappaport from Home to Home CT (minute 24  &27)

Brewster, Cape Cod (minute 29)

Allie’s favorite teacher, Joannie Greenfield (minute 33)

Chamber photos with Victor (minute 36)

Google Reviews (minute 38)

Allie’s favorite restaurant(s) with 4 dinner guests (minute 42)

Podcast sponsors (minute 47)

The Fix IV Therapy (minute 48)

Our youngest podcast guest ever, Baby Matthew! (minute 50)

3 Keys (sponsored by West Hartford Lock) to being a Content Creator (minute 55)

3 Keys (sponsored by West Hartford Lock) to being a Big Sister (minute 57)

Upcoming podcast guests (minute 59)

Allie’s favorite superhero and superpower (minute 1.01)

Being a “Dog Mom” (minute 1.02)

Book and podcast recommendations (minute 1.04)

Podcast Sponsors: 

The Fix IV - www.thefixivtherapy.com

West Hartford Lock - www.westhartfordlock.com

Keating Agency Insurance - www.keatingagency.com

Goff Law Group - www.gofflawgroup.net

Parkville Management - www.parkvillemanagement.com

Luna Pizza - www.lunapizzawh.com/lunas-menu

PeoplesBank - www.bankatpeoples.com

Float 41 - www.float41.com
Maximum Beverage - www.maximumbev.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.

Editor

Stefania Sassano

Stefania's acting journey began as early as the fourth grade, where she took on the role of Scarlett O'Hara in a stage production of Gone With the Wind. This early experience sparked a lifelong passion for the arts. With a background in musical theater fueled by her love of music and singing, Stefania stepped into larger roles, such as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret during her sophomore year at the University of New Haven. This performance earned her a nomination for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Award at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival—an honor she would receive again in her junior year.

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

All right, all right.

Feeney talks with friends.

Episode 130.

We're in the 13th season of this.

We have ten episodes a season.

You're breaking it.
You're in the next decade.

How are you doing, Ali? I'm doing great.
How are you doing?

We're here with Ali
Baluchi, a blue jean creative. Yes.

This is amazing.

This is amazing.

I'm so excited to be here.

Cool cool cool. Episode 130.

My name is Eric Feeney, founder
and president of Friends of Feeney.

Our mission is to help

children and families that need assistance
after heartbreak or tragedy.

And I use this podcast
Feeney talks with friends,

and I talk to wonderful people in
the community that are doing great things.

And, Ali, you've been in the community
quite some time.

I have my whole life.

Fourth generation? Yes.

Yeah.

We my family has lived in Hartford
for four generations.

Exactly. Nice, nice.

What's what's your favorite thing
about West Hartford?

That's a great question.

I think my favorite thing about West
Hartford is the community.

I mean, I moved back here
because I knew that

I'd be supported and starting a business
with this community.

I knew it was strong.

I think it's cool how you can just, like,
go to the grocery store

and see somebody you know, or
I was walking in the park yesterday.

I saw my friend from high schools,
parents, and I honestly love that.

It's like small town, but yeah,
also a little bit city vibes now.

Yeah. More than more
than when I was growing up for sure.

Yeah, well, I'm not born here,
but I live here now.

I live and work and teach in West
Hartford.

My daughters, I've raised my daughters
here, and it's an amazing place.

So. Yeah.

And the community buy in for our nonprofit
has been amazing.

And that local businesses,
we're here at Luna Pizza. Yes.

99 Farmington.

Avenue, one of my absolute favorites.

Yes. Good pizza.

And then we're going to get into
what is blue Jean creative.

What is it?

Yeah, well,
it is a social media marketing company.

I do logos, websites, graphic design.

But kind of my main thing I would say is
I have monthly clients

where I take their photos, that video,
I edit it and I post it

and just build their presence,
build their vibe.

Very cool.

And then I'm here to thank you personally.

I don't know if you noticed,

but I like all our listeners to go
check out [e-mail].

Yes, this new and improved website.

It's absolutely amazing.
I've gotten so many compliments.

Allie, I can't thank you enough.

And Allie is
the is the brainchild behind that.

So thank you Allie.

Yeah she did our website. It's
one of my favorite spots.

Take us you know step by step.
What did you do?

What were some of your thoughts

or your inspirations
on the Friends of Fini website?

Well, I already loved your colors.

I felt like

they had like a really good contrast
with each other, the blue and green.

And then you kind of had
that whole kind of athletic.

And then Saint Patrick's Day vibe.

So I tried to pull those in.

And it's also, you know, a huge part of
your nonprofit is kids and families.

So I wanted to make it feel
welcoming to that demographic.

So just yeah, you know, there's all like
the little parts that move that are fun.

And yeah, you know, I just want it
to be fun, bright and happy.

I mean, I can't yeah,

I think that's exactly what I saw
when you presented it, where Matt

and you work partner with Matt,
our board of directors.

A huge help. Huge part of it for sure.

Yeah, yeah. So he was great.

You guys were going back and forth
for quite some time, but I love it.

That's the sports.

You have the bouncing logo
I get that a lot.

I love that on yeah.

People love
they can chase it and try to move it.

I thought that was fun.
I hear so many compliments on that.

The color and the contrast.
Yeah. It's amazing.

The Saint Patty's,
there's some clovers in there.

Yeah, a little. Bit tossed in. I love it.

No, I cannot thank you enough
I am you exceeded expectations.

Thank you.

So, if you're looking for someone
to do your social media

or your website, go to friends
if you need.com.

It's a wonderful example of what Ali
can do.

Yes. Thank you.

Yeah. What? Yeah.

So, and Ali's at blue Jean creative.com.

She also has a wonderful website
for you to check out.

Thank you. Yeah.

So what inspired you to start websites?

Websites.

Well, honestly,
all of us had been a hobby of mine since,

I mean, so to start off,

the minute
I figured out what a video camera was

when I was, I don't know, 8 or 9 years
old, I was obsessed with it.

I have hilarious home video of like,
my friends

and I directing each other
and I don't know, like TV shows we wrote.

Yeah.

And then when I was in eighth grade,
I got my aunt

gave me like a Nikon camera
for the first time,

and I started taking people's pictures
for their holiday cards.

And then I did graphic design
the class at Hall for all four years

and then started ended up designing,
different things for Hall, like different

sports
team shirts or, like the student planner.

And I always thought of it as a hobby.

I don't know why
I never thought of it as a career.

I think because, like,

when I was growing up,
the whole digital age did not exist yet.

So everything was print, which was more
art rather than what it is now.

But, yeah, once I graduated college,

I was kind of like,
maybe I should make this my career.

So I started off in PR,

and then part of the PR division I was
in was a lot of social media.

And, actually,
when I was living in New York City,

I graduated University of New Hampshire,
moved right to New York.

And I opened the same business
I have now.

It was called a Wildflower Project,
and I was just running social media

for a few restaurants around there.

That's pretty much how it all started.

It's amazing.
Yeah. You have a wonderful story. Yeah.

Check that out. There's an eight minute
video on your website, which I watched.

And you got into that.

Yeah, yeah.

You you, went to New Hampshire? Yep.

And you moved to New York City?

Yes. Started the wildflower. Yep.

Pandemic.

Oh that's right. Pandemic,
then I couldn't.

Did you teach?

I did you. Teach in New York
or just teach in West Hartford?

No, I taught in New York. That's right.

That's kind of where I got my start.

So when I was running wildflower,
you know,

I turned 26 or whatever it is where you're
not on your parents insurance anymore.

And I was really young,
and I just was like, okay,

I think it might be easier
to have a full time job.

And this at the same time.

So I have all those benefits,
not knowing what I know now

about how, you know, it's possible
to like, go on your own.

So I started working for a charter school
called Success

Academy,
and just need a bachelor's degree.

But my parents are both public school
teachers, my mom and my dad,

so I knew what it was going in.

I had spent so much time in schools
growing up.

My mom used to score best portfolios.

Oh yeah.

So she would have the VHS tape and
I'd be like, oh, well, what about this?

I so I like.

How old were you
when you were looking at Best Videos?

I did a best video.

Did you. Yeah.

Maybe she scored yours.

One. Thousand
and one. Did I get out 2004?

Honestly, that was around the time I.

Yeah, when I was in elementary school.
That's crazy.

So, I such a.

Stressful thing on the teacher.
Why are you bringing. That up with PTSD?

Well, my mom, you know, she did a good.
We had a record.

As a teacher.

Record the lessons, and in the lesson
plans, they had to match. Yep.

And then you get school with a rubric.

Not for best, because it's different now.

But, Yeah, I have my master's in general
and special education K through 12.

Oh, nice. Yeah.

So I did like teaching.

I ended up with closing my
the Wildflower project

when Covid hit, because only working with
restaurants and all of them closed down.

I don't think a single
one of them reopened up.

Just pretty sad.

But luckily I had that teaching job
because I was really happy, honestly.

Teaching.

I thought remote learning
was really successful.

I think due to the fact
that I'm really good at computers,

and I was able to use my graphic design
background

to make all these really cool things
for the kids.

Like, I had a whole interactive classroom
where they could

click on different things and play games,
and I was really into it.

So I did kindergarten,
a full year in the garden remote.

It was great though, because the parents,
I think because it was the kids

first year of school,
they were so invested.

But the crazy thing is,
is that I had 30 kids in my class,

plus their parents sitting next to them.

So I was teaching it like 60 people a day.

Yeah, and you're not.

It's not normal
to have people's parents in the classroom.

The nice thing was that behavior
management was really easy.

Yeah. Mute.

I talk.

Yeah,
I taught second grade during Covid. Yeah.

And lovely grade.

Same thing. I saw so many nostrils. Yep.

And then I had to say hi to every dog.

Hey, where's Barney, where's spot spike?

And there's, Or show and tell.

We ended every lesson with show and tell.

Or sometimes we got.

Creative.

Moms with the nightgowns
walking back in the background and stuff.

I just like yelling in the background,
and I'm like, oh, mute?

Mute. Yeah, I got to.

No, no, no.

When the lights up to it, you hear it
and you see which ones,

where's it coming from?

Because you got the full square
like the Brady Bunch.

Yeah. Squares.

Always really interesting, but, so fun.

So you did that

going back to the classroom
the next year, I switched the first grade

and my whole class looped with me,
so I had to save.

So cool.

And the same parents.
So that was really awesome.

During that, I went to third grade
and I looped with, like, six.

Yeah. And I call them like, I'm like,
you guys are the lucky ones.

Yeah,
I get me two. Years in. Every single kid.

Wow. You looped with the whole class?

That's so cool.

They're like,
normally we wouldn't do this,

but we feel like
this is a special circumstance.

And since it's their first year
in real school.

Yeah, you really built the rapport
in the relationship.

And also, kindergarten
is kind of like the core of

getting used to being in a classroom.

And then the first grade is like,
we're in school. This is real.

So I think that really just helped

that, you know, little community of kids
and their parents.

You ever watched The Goldbergs on TV?

ABC this kid, it's like an 80 show.

And the kid had the camcorder.

Yeah, he made videos. Yeah.

And it's a true story.

Now. All the videos he made,
he turned into a TV show.

So he'll show the TV show.

And then at the end of the TV show,
he shows the real clip that he recorded

from the 80s. It's funny.

Oh, that's really cool.
And I could do that.

You should watch that.

Yeah,
you could do that. Yeah, I could do that.

That'd be awesome.

Yeah, you could like the blue cheese.

It's like my neighbors.

So it's us, and then my neighbors
put their last name to the cliff,

like the Clifford's. Yeah.

So their son just bought the house
next to that house.

So my parents are now neighbors with him.

Just one house removed.

Wow. That's.

So we have the same backyards
and everything to film it, and.

You could relive it?

Yeah, I like it. Okay.

And then you have a cool picture.

You with the disposable camera
on the website.

When you're a kid? Yeah.
I just always. Loved taking pictures.

Even way back. Yeah.

You were like six, 7 or 8. Yeah.

I had a, one of those Kodak
Polaroid cameras to do that.

Yeah, I have a whole album of the pictures
I took from that camera still.

Yeah, I was just always interested in it.

You said you had a Polaroid.

Yeah, I had a Polaroid.

I have one now,
but I had, like, an original one.

Yeah, I remember wanting one really badly.

Those were so expensive.

I had a Polaroid. Yes,
to buy the package of photos.

Oh, yeah. It's so expensive.
It's like a dollar a photo.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then, like, God forbid

you print them out and it's like someone's
blinking or not looking.

I know. But imagine it when we were kids.

Yeah. You just got what you got.

I sent them away.

We had to go
to, like, a Kodak photo Mart or CVS.

Yeah.

Turn in your little tube or photo.

Yeah.

Get it back and it's lotto.

Whatever you got, you're like,
oh. I actually have a film camera.

That was my mom's that I'm excited
to start to learn how to use this spring.

And a few friends
who use the film camera still.

Wow. So we're all gonna go out
and see what we can get.

Because you got two year olds now,

our three year olds going,
let me see the picture.

Let me see the picture.

I know how to. They know right away
and everything.

It's immediate.

When we got a picture, we were like,
all right, we'll see that.

And then what do you do with the pictures?

You know.

I have shoeboxes in my basement.

Yeah. College.

I think it's important to, like, try
to put them in some sort of book, like a

get them printed or get them printed
in a book, because otherwise they just.

Also kids for my students.

Anyway, when I take a picture,
I also try to print them out

so they can have the handhold.

Because kids, you know, if you don't like,

we all put them on social media,
you see them on Facebook, whatever.

But get them to get.

That print in your hands on training.
So yeah. And then.

You get to.

Keep it, put it on the fridge,
tack it to your wall.

At the end of the year,
I hope they create a memories poster.

Oh, that's keep them all.

And they do best things
about the school. Yeah.

And that's so fun.

It's really cool.

I would have a big picture of that. Yeah.

So I can same I relate.

Yeah I can relate. And I.

Guess how many videos I have on my phone.

Like right

now, like video like how many,
how much storage.

Do 13,000 videos.

13,000, ladies and gentlemen.

13,000.

Yeah. I'm about to go to Apple
and have them help me out.

So you pay for extra storage?

Yeah, like a terabyte.

How much? A terabyte of storage.

A terabyte. Yeah.

How much is that per month?

I think I pay an extra $0.90.

$10. Maybe you pay an extra ten bucks
a month.

Like part of my business.
So, yeah, it's a business expense.

True. Yeah.

But I'm starting to try to figure out
a way to store because, I mean, a part

part of that is, you know, all my clients

content that I never want to delete
because I use things from other months.

And I just I'm at the point where, like,

I've been in business
for a little bit over a year,

and now I'm like, okay,
I have to figure out storage and where

I'm going to keep everyone things
and I don't want to get rid of.

From Direct Line Media.

Yeah, yeah, I met up with him.

He's great. Big.

I got burned by
a flash drive once, though.

I still haven't.

Got corrupted.

And then. Oh, I use cloud storage.

Okay. Big fan of cloud.

Yeah, but where does it go?

And who gets to see it in the cloud?
You trust the cloud?

I mean, if anyone wants to look through
all my pizza photos, they can dogs and.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah. So cool.

We did the social media.

Let's talk about the, oh, social media.

But what's it called when you post
for people's Instagram pages?

Is that also social media?

It's called like a social media manager.

So I take the photos,

I take the video, I edit it,
I come up with the captions and I post,

and then I also go on their page
and just like stuff.

Because you're we're here at Luna Pizza.

Yeah, one of my clients,
one of your clients.

So I'm going to pull up something
I didn't show.

This works people because

she posted today.

Today. Bella, look at this.

Look at those.

We're going to show that. Boom.

Got that.

And it's just.

Warning one bite of these garlic knots
and you're hooked for.

Life.

You are
I saw this video, Alex I saw this video.

I saw this picture.

Look what I as soon as I get here,

what did I order?

Ladies and gentlemen, the garlic.

I mean, we have pretty realistic, right?

We got what's that called?

Virtual reality.

Oh yeah.

But look, they look as good in person
as I do in the photo, right?

I'm realistic. Realistic? That sauce.

Warning one bite
and you're hooked for life.

Online pickup 9.99 Farmington. Yes.

That was cool.

It works.

Yeah, I'm I'm big into that.

When I see something some guy

881 down
in Hartford, he does a chicken sandwich

and he has all these guys come in
and eat the chicken sandwich idea.

And then, like, people rate the chicken
sandwich and talk about the chicken.

Oh, no. No. Excuse me. Fish sandwich.

It's fishing chain.

Fried fish chain a fish chain. 881.

And he has all these videos.

And I was like, I got to try it.

Yeah I went down there.
I'm waiting in line.

Some guy comes in.

He drove from Springfield
after seeing the same video I did.

So those those videos work. So whatever.

Especially for food. Yes.

Because you say top of mind and what
people see a lot, they start to crave.

Yeah.

Because it was like I think social media
is just like super important for food.

I love taking pictures of food.

You dangled the carrot. Yeah.

And I'm like, I have to get these garlic.

Nice are my favorite subjects.

But sometimes I had the unfortunate one.

I want to say their name,

but they posted like this
ice cream sandwich and it was like fluffy.

The cookie looked great.

The ice cream was filling.
It was perfectly cylinder.

It was like, great. I was like,
all right, I'm going to go get this.

I get it.

And it was like
mushed flat croquettes, small.

And I was like,
oh, this Instagram really let me down.

Yeah. I mean,

so like my whole thing is that

I want my pictures to look like
what things look like in person.

So, you know, some people in the past,
a lot of marketers will have different

setups or different tricks
to like make things look fluffier or make.

And I was like, why?

That's not what they're going to get

when they get to the restaurant
and it's going to be disappointing.

So you want to try to make it.

I've always it's possible I think. Yeah.

There you go.

Back in the day I guess
cereal commercials

when they were pouring the cereal
and the milk would come out.

Yeah. Urban legend, it
was. Glue, I'm sure.

Or they would inject, like, water

into the burgers to make them
look fluffier or sprinkle like, fake.

I've never gotten a McDonald's burger
that it's fluffy like they had.

Oh, then the commercial that.
Like a flat piece of.

That's the biggest false
advertisement ever.

I don't know why commercial.

Photography is just not for me.

Yeah, yeah. It's.

So how'd you connect with Alex?

Our motto?

Be a good friend.

Pick up trash is not yours.

Give a compliment. Be charitable.
Hold the door.

That's not yours.
What makes Alex a good friend?

Yeah, I don't think he's listening.

I don't think so.

I know,

Alex has a good friend because he always
thanks me for the work I do.

Even though he pays me to do it. Yeah.

And he's always really grateful
for everything I post, and.

Yeah, and he's fun to work with.

Like, when I'm here.

We're chatting the whole time.

We're in Duncan Wings. Where?

Yeah, we have fun. So. Yeah.

What's better than being a good friend
than being a fun friend?

Being a fun friend,
I agree. Yeah, we hit it off once.

Soon as I met Alex, I was like,
I got to get this guy on my podcast.

Yeah.

Then he turns out he's got a great heart.
He's generous.

It's thoughtful. Oh.

Because they played in your golf
tournament?

That's right. Yeah. Together.

Some other person.

I was like, oh, my dad plays golf.

How's how's Harry as a golfer?

He's a really good golfer.

I think this spring we're going
to get some some serious golf lessons in.

Him and I are both lefty golfers.

Oh, I write with my right,
but I golf with my left.

Got to go to golf tech,
see my guy Dave on New Britain Avenue.

Okay. Golf tech.

Is that. Square you away.

He'll show you a video.

Oh I've heard about he does lines.

It's very.

Yeah. It's like a.

He structures here
lessons coaching my daughter and I go, oh.

That's fine. Dave.

That good golf tech.
I highly suggest them.

Oh cool.

New Brighton Avenue,
you just celebrated. Fun.

I want to say seven years or eight years.

I feel like I met him,
and then maybe a networking thing.

Dave, remember learning about that?

Went to Florida State for golf
to to like golf management.

Yeah. Class.

Yeah we've definitely met because I think
I look the website up pretty good.

It's cool. Yeah. Cool concept.

And it's working. He's
killing it down there.

So it's full every day.

And then here Harry come on here.

Are you going to be a podcast
guest? Can we.

Make a, a plea to get Harry.

On? I don't think you have to play.

I think he'll just come.
How long has he been doing?

Is he still teaching,
or did he retire? Nope.

He retired 40 years.

40 years.

I'm on 21, and it feels like forever.

I don't even know. How's 40. Years? Yeah.

What subject?

So is Ed, and originally,
he was going to be history,

but he was playing
football behind Buckley High School

right when he was about to graduate
from central.

And his football coach was like, or

his high school football coach was like,
hey, what do you do in, like,

you're graduating?

Do you want to come coach?

And so that's
how he started coaching at Buckley.

Then it just progressed
to becoming a teacher

and then a coach for other sports.

And then, in 1994, he switched to Harford
High and stayed there

until, I guess, 2022.

Wow. Yeah.

And there's a field named after him to.

Harry Baluchi Fields. Wow. Yeah.

I mean, he made that fields happen
because they were one of the only places

in the state stadiums in the state
that didn't have lights.

And he I think he called the mayor
every single day.

I'm not even kidding.

And then they got those lights up.
So it's a beautiful field.

He's off.

The track is blue.

It's cool.

Have you been to Hartford
High? Yeah. No. Yeah.

It's over by the,
Hartford Athletic and Yard goats are.

Where is. It? No.

I know Weaver.

It's not. It's not Weaver. It's
not Buckley.

It's Hartford Heights.

Off of Farmington
Ave going towards, downtown.

All right.

I'll have to check it out.

Yeah, I'm trying to think there's
a historic house next to it, not.

No. Oh, but the other mark Twain.

Mark Twain house is right next door. Okay.

Yeah. Okay.

All right. I'm tracking. I've been there.

All right, Harry, I look forward
to talking with you and come.

Come to the golf tournament.

Hopefully, Alex and Harry.

I'll save the date. September 13th.

Okay. You coming?

You can help out. You volunteering
or you going golf now?

I'll probably volunteer.

Well, last year,
I. I kind of just came and.

Did some pictures.

Hung out and made that video for you guys.

Go on, talk about the video.

I have it on the list to talk about.
Great.

It was so fun. We drove around in the car.

We had a great time.

Oh. Victor's driving.

Yeah. You're in the passenger.
No, I think you drove.

Oh, yeah. Hang on the back.
You guys switched?

Yeah. And I was, like, filming
you above like this.

It was fun.

Because I don't think Victor's ever driven

a golf course, so I was like, hey, drive.

Yeah, and that video in 76 likes nice.

A thousand won 1.4 thousand views.

1.4. Yeah, 1400 views.

Silly math.

One, 1619 views on TikTok.

So I'm killing it.

Is that practically viral I went viral.

I feel like it's viral.

I mean, you did my first viral.

My first video went viral.

Come on. Yes.

As for Naples pizza,
and it was for Easter.

And it was just a video of them taking,

the pizza
out of the oven and putting them in boxes.

And I put crust has risen
and they got like 35,000 views.

Nice. I was like,
how do you guys feel about Easter jokes?

They're like, sure, I was one of
the first videos I did for them.

Yeah. Chris Risen here.

And you've been killing it ever since.

I mean.

No, I wanted to thank you.

That golf video was funny
because I'm, like, barking in the back

about being a good friend.

Yeah, well, this is. Cruising. Around.

That was kind of spontaneous. Right.

So this year will be
it will do a few. Yeah.

No planning, no script.
Just one shot. You.

Yeah.

Interview some of the golfers around and.

Okay.

Plan some more, please. Some more content.

Yeah.
I wanted to thank you for that video.

That was an awesome video for the stroll.

Holiday stroll video you made for us.

Oh, yeah.

400 views,
300 on TikTok, 400 on Instagram.

Yeah, that was just kind of I was there.

Saw you guys. Yeah.

You caught me in the middle of the street
about friends of me and you just quickly.

It was fun.

One also.

Thank you.

You volunteer to help out our let's
Grab Lunch Christmas event.

So thank you for
you work to door with Marty.

Yes. And greeted people. And. Yeah,
that's what.

I'm talking about the the night.

So thank you for that. Yeah.
And thank you for the website.

So there's my fourth
thank yous. You're welcome.

This is great.

We're here with blue Jean creative.

Allie. Bella Lucy Allison.

Allison. Baluchi

Allison.

Baluchi at 8604.

This is our cell phone.
People. Write this down.

[phone].

Yeah, we haven't gotten to the point

where we have like a separate business
phone yet. Oh.

That's on the website.
Yeah, I'm good with it.

Or you can email her at Baluchi
Allison at gmail.com. Yes.

Or text. Or text.

Emails.

Probably best though.

So let's talk about these tweaking logos.

Oh, speaking of which,
you tweaked a common friends tweaking.

Tweaking. What did I say?

I don't know, I wasn't sure is.

It set in? I'm just tweaking. So.

So you.

Tweaked someone's.

This person likes to knit.

Yes. Erica.

I'm gonna guess.

You're gonna guess. You know,
and probably now.

Erica.

Erica Smith wrap up for Erica's to home
moving special. Yes.

And a wonderful crochet our knitter.

Fabulous.

Made me multiple hats
with the Friends of Jeannie patch.

So I want to thank Erica for her
husband's eye.

He's he's decent. He's. We'll keep him.

He's he's I decent.

This is the thing. I'm gonna use that DS.

I might get made fun of for that, but.

My daughter just said something to me
like, are you tired?

Are you tired?

Are you old as well?

So I will, because I'm
the oldest of my cousins.

Yep. So that was really cool
until they figured out

they were Gen Z and I was not cool.

Well, no, they said I was punk.

Hunk or.

Uncle unk like uncle.

Wow. Yeah. The summer.

You got asked.

I got punked, which I don't know.

Part of me feels like it's cool.

Part of me is like,
they just think I'm kind of cringing now,

but I.

But I honestly stay cool because of them.

Nice.

I know all the slang.

I come back from the cape
and I'm like saying all the cool

things like the kids do.

Yeah, like.

Sus. Yeah,
I feel like that's an old one now.

I know, but that was an old one. So,

What,

you don't get down with the Liberty
toilet?

Ohio. That's Riz. No, Riz.

I try to think back to
when I was in high school.

Like, did we have equivalent nonsense.

Like we said, that's fair.

I remember the first time I saw the guy

at the bus stop, the kid car drove by
and I was like, that car was fat.

And I was like, I'm processing.

Like, is a how is this car overweight?

Like, what's going on? Is it fat?

I don't remember, like slang words
that we use for some reason.

I have to say really cool.

We used to say, oh, that's mad cool.

But then when I got to New Hampshire,
everyone was like, oh, that's wicked cool.

Wicked cool. Yeah, yeah.

And they thought it was funny
that I would say Mad Cool,

I don't know.

Yeah, I can even think of other

slang words from my childhood.

That I remember the day I heard Fat.

Dope.

Yeah, pretty hot and tempting.

That was on, rush hour. Oh, is that what?

That's pretty hot and tempting.

Fat didn't know.

That's
what I thought was kind of like Fish Peak.

No, I think it was pretty hot
and tempting.

Okay. That fat?

Yeah. Like you teaching me
the the lingo. Now you. Learn.

Write these down.
Now I'm going to have to.

But back to Erica and home to home.

And then we'll talk Cape Cod
because I love Cape Cod.

Me too.

So, Erica, I can't thank you enough.

And we're going to talk about home
to home.

Check out that website. Yes.

Erica was the first person I worked with
in the chamber.

Nice. Yeah.

I really appreciate her.

Took a. Chance on. You. She did?

I mean, I think

she knew that I

would do a good job
just from talking to me,

but she had no idea because I had done
no work for anyone in West Hartford.

And it turned out great.

And it was cool because.

So she took the company over from her mom,

and they had this logo
that's really outdated.

But she wanted to, you know, keep it.

Within the heart of the logo.

To honor her mother.

And, you.

Know, she kept the colors and like, the
idea of the house and this, like, heart

situation and,

And, and I like the two ages
that look like two houses.

I saw you tweaking video
tweak, twerking or tweaking.

To. I don't know, you're talking
about tweaking for sure.

I don't think I would be twerking.

To tweaking the video logo.

It said I got professional design,
photography, tweaking logos.

Come on. Of course.

My website. Is bold. It's in bold too.

These are all bold.

I got I got the bold words.

I got the headline. Okay, I mean cool.

Yeah, I do tweak the logos
I guess either redesign them fully,

but I mean you guys redid your logo
and it wasn't a redo, it was a tweak.

Hey Dave, she shout out to Dave.

She love him. He's great.

We're we're,
you know, in the same industry but nice.

He's a great support.
He's been doing this a lot longer than me.

So any time of a question,
just email him up.

He answers right away.

He's awesome. And he's helping out.

He's he's going to help create our,

promo all our promotions
for the golf tournament too.

So our material so perfect.

That's working with him. I love it.

So you got home to home.

All right.

Now let's go Cape cod, Cape cod.

Why? Brewster.

My aunt and uncle
have a house in Brewster.

And they have, I think, since like 2001.

And we just go there every summer

hang out with my cousins.

We have a huge 4th of July party.

My mom's birthday's on the 4th of July.

So it's always really fun.

Because shout out to Cape Cod I go. Yeah.

Where do you go to.

Hyannis Center right. There.

Right, right. Yeah.

I've been going since 1979. Nice.

My aunt had the house
and so shout out to HT Belk.

It's an Uncle Jimmy.

So what do you go to?

We go to Craig Ville beach.

Is that a bay beach? Ooh.

Like on the bay.

Buzzards Bay. Yeah. It's bay. No waves.

Is there? Bay.

Yeah, there's there's waves.

So there's a way. So we're in the bottom.

So like is it the not it side.

Because like we'll go to north the beach
for like the waves the big waves.

That that has to
be bust bicep side right. No.

Yeah.

Yeah. It looks. Like this.

This is ocean. This is Bay. Yeah.

So when we're in Brewster
we go to Lynell Landing which is Bay,

which is part of like ski beach. Yeah.

Or like the Brewster Flats
where, like, the low tide goes out.

Okay. And you can.

Walk all the way out.
I've done that. I've done that. Okay.

We try to do that
like every day. You look for seals or. No.

Is that something. Else
at Nauset on the beach?

Beach? The wave beach? Yep.

You can see
seals. We've seen sharks. Whoa.

We don't really go swimming anymore.

That part, we'll go in a little bit,
especially during low tide.

But, yeah, it's pretty scary.

We stick surf lessons there.

So we were out there looking like seals

in the in the wetsuit.

You know that water is cold.

It is pretty chilly. It's pretty chilly.
But I love it.

I do too.

I think I do.

A road race is their road race, Cape Cod,
five K in Brewster.

There's got to be is there
is there a brewery in Brewster?

Well, this is what.

Is there a downtown walking area
with like ducks in the window.

Is that a store in Brewster?
Maybe you think of Chatham.

I think that's Chatham.

I always confuse the two downtown.

You're right.

You're right. You're exactly right at.

The races, too.

And that's
where the races. Darn it. Brewster.

Yeah?

Is there, a coffees in Brewster?

I don't know if it's in Brewster
or Orleans, but it's quite close.

Yeah.

Brewster has, like, the Brewster
General store.

Colby's ice cream.

We go to Four Seas.

Ice cream horses.

JFK used to go there.

Taylor Swift has been there for seas.

Yeah. You have to go this summer.

Go to Fauci's

ice cream cafe pool.

And then you got to go to the country
store, also known as

Penny Candy, 1865 country.

Store, general store than what it.

Is. No.

Totally different.

Yeah. This is in Centerville. Okay.

So right around the corner,
it's like we the trifecta.

We go to the park.

Centerville library.

Cute. Thrifty niche.

Four seas ice.

Cream, thrifty niche, antique
like oh, I love it's like a vintage.

Like it's in the basement of a church.

Oh, that's one of my favorite things.
I'm probably wearing something thrifty.

Niche now.
Maybe my pants. I love. For socks.

Oh, I love antique stores.

I love it. All about it.

You'll love the thrifty niche.
Tell him I sent you.

You might see a friend's,
a fanny sticker in there.

Okay. Or some friends.

A few. Teas everywhere.

I have the magnet on my car
and I feel like I'm part of a cool club.

You're in.

Have cops
pulled you over since you got the magnet?

No, I'm trying to tell you
people be a good friend.

Cops don't pull over good friends.

Yeah, I guess the last time I got pulled
over was when I was in New Hampshire

for going too fast.

They said,

where are you going so quickly?

And I was like, the big bean,
which was a famous, like, breakfast place.

And that was like,
it closes in like 30 minutes.

He goes, okay,
I understand, just slow down.

Oh, cool. See?

Honesty works. Yeah.

I'm sorry,
I just had to make brunch. Yeah.

He understood. Everyone loved that place.

So blue jeans.

All right. All this teacher talk.

Do you have a favorite teacher? Yes.

I have a story. About your dad.

Well, I feel like.

See your mom.

Well, my parents were never my teacher.

Teacher, teachers.

What did your mom teach?

If you know, my master.

Teaches pre-K right now.

She's still teaching. Yeah.

How many years of shit?

I'm not sure. Because she stopped.

Pregnancy, stopped, and.

Yeah, she stopped when we were in school.

But she did like the best thing,
which was like mostly from home,

which is crazy
because there's really no remote jobs in.

Yeah,
but that was when I got the video tape.

Popped it in. Wow.
But she's at no Webster.

Okay.

All right.

Sorry to cut you off.

Favorite teacher and.

Story? Story. Okay,

so I worked at North

Felt two years ago, which is where
I went to elementary school.

I love it.

One of my favorite teachers,
Johnny Greenfield, is still there.

And so then I got to be like,

so she was my favorite
one of my favorite teachers in school.

And then I got to be like her
colleague, her best friend, and like,

I didn't have a classroom

when I was there because I was like
with resources and stuff.

So I put my bag in her room.
I ate lunch with her.

I was like her. She was my home base.

We made like music videos
with the kids to like, do like create

a few creative projects.

And we had a really good time.
That's so cool.

I still hang out
with Greenfield. Greenfield? Yeah.

What minute are we.

So I don't know, Greenfield.

I 3434.

What's your first name? Joni.

I'm going to send her email
through the public schools.

Yeah.

Joni Greenfield. Yeah.

Minute 34, shout. Out at Northfield.

But she wasn't my second grade teacher.

She was actually the job I had at North
Felt was instructional para

when I was in kindergarten.

And then. So I'm the oldest of three.

And so for now,
I felt like my parents never left

nor felt until, I don't know, 23.

I'm like, I don't know for ten years.

So they knew us well.

Oh yeah.

So my mom ended up helping her
get her teaching license.

And so we always stayed close with her
because her mom, my mom and her

stayed friends.

And, you know,

she's just like one of those people
who makes you feel really special.

Like you're walking in the hallway.

She'd be like.

And leave the luchi. Yeah,
I like to, yeah.

You know, you everyone. Like a VIP.

That's exactly how she did it. Yeah.

So it always.

I can relate. I'm the oldest of three.

I think I taught at
the same elementary school that I went to.

Really? In Waterbury,
Connecticut. Kingsbury school?

Yeah. You went to.

You lived in Waterbury.

Mrs. Jarreau, my fifth grade teacher,
became the principal who hired me

to teach third. Wow. How cool.

She was my favorite teacher. Yeah.

But then there was a couple colleagues
that still teachers that were still there.

Yeah. I talked about it with Victor.

Victor knows. Ask her.

Ask Victor next time. Okay.

Rose wise. I talk to Victor all the time.

Rose wise

oh, we got lots.

And Victor, speaking of which,
is gonna send Victor a selfie.

Okay, then. We'll add this to the.

He'll be jealous.

Does he even know?

No. No, it's,

Victor.

I switched all my banking over to me
because of Victor.

Nice.

Send it to Victor.

We'll send it to Victor will.
And then we'll send.

Some of my friends up with NBT now

to kind of support our fellow chamber.

Yeah. Friends.

Friends.

Ifeanyi has an account at MT.

Yep. Cool.

And people's and American Eagle. So

don't tell Victor that now.

He'll, he'll probably watch this episode.

All right.

What makes Victor a good.

Hey, what's the deal with you and Victor?

Every event.

Is that a thing? Yeah.
You get a picture. Together, so.

Okay, so there's, like, a jet lag, right?
Okay.

It's a joke.
So it has to be a running thing.

When I just started

going to the chamber, like, Chris Conway
took a picture of Victor and I. Yep.

And then, like,

the next event, he happened to take
a picture of the two of us,

and then he's like,
oh, and every event after that,

he was like, oh, well,
now I need a picture of you guys.

So now every event we go to, even
Chris isn't there.

We'll take a picture and send it to him.

So I feel like at some event he's
going to have to do a slideshow of us,

but we make sure we stay on the same side
every time. Nice.

Yeah. So it's just turn into it's funny,
it's funny, funny.

I love that I've noticed that. Yeah.

I'm like, do these guys again? Yeah.

And you get the slides
like the real for the Christmas video

I didn't, I couldn't make I forgot why,
but you were like oh there's alien Victor.

Yeah.

If you look up NBT on Google.

So I like I love doing Google reviews.
Yeah.

Because I wanted to get to like level
ten reviewer, which Avi did too.

And we connected on this. Yeah.
What do you do.

What does that mean.
So like every table. Review.

This is like the nerdiest thing I do.

Hold on.

Let me pull up my Google Maps
so I can show you how crazy this.

So every time,

someone recommend something to me,
I like, save it.

See all those dots?
Those are all things I've saved.

If I go to New York City,
which is when I started it.

I like.

Those are Google reviews that you put. In.

So those are all places and places
that. You've been.

And or wanted to go to and haven't been.

Hearts are places I love.

So you've been.

The hard right places.

Okay, I haven't changed all of them.

But anyway, you can review places
like if you go somewhere.

I always have pretty nice reviews
unless there's really something wrong.

And then like everything you contribute
you get points

and then you go up
in like the rankings of Google reviewer.

So I was like I want to know what happens
when you get to level ten.

And I was like told Erica about this.

And she was like,
oh my gosh, are these the same?

And he's at level
nine and I'm at level four.

And I was like, what?

So I he texted me like, I made level ten.

Nothing happened. To it.

Nothing like, I mean,
I thought they'd send him something like

I thought like you would get invited
to some special Google conference

cause
it's really hard to get to level ten.

How many.

Do you look up. Reviews
you do think you have to make to.

Get it obvious? Basically.

Anywhere it'll tell you.

West Hartford Abby has reviewed it.

I tells you how many reviews?

No, that's a good move.
I've noticed that, though.

Eric Bergen's good for this.
Does he do that too?

No, he does it on this friends
and family of West Hartford page.

When someone asks a recommendation,
he does.

He's he's good to like.

I feel like you're staying.

I don't want to say relevant,
but you're getting your name out there

and he's
he always offers something nice to say.

So it looks like, hey, he's a good guy.

He's making good suggestions
and good recommendations.

Yes, 32,123 contributions.

So he is 32,000 reviews on Google
Contributions, which includes pictures.

Take some pictures,
just pictures and reviews.

32,000. Yeah, I've never done anything 30.

2000 I

literally if you look up anywhere in West
Hartford,

you can see
Abby's review and I really trust that.

Has you ever given a bad review

or does he.

Choose giving all five stars?

Well, he.

It's I don't think. It's
nice to say don't say nothing at all.

Is that his. Yeah,

I don't know.

Because once a Google reviews out there
there's no turning back.

You can't you can.

I would never do something out of spite.

But there was one time
I did leave like, a three star review

because my sister's celiac
and we got to go salads.

And then there was bread crumbs on it,

and there was a sticker on it
that checked off gluten free.

And now she's like, are these gluten free

croutons? And I was like,
I don't know what I called the restaurant.

They're like, no, we don't have that.

So like they said, she's like,
and you only.

Gave them a three.

That's super nice. I know. We'll.

Show a game a negative three.

Their food had always
been trying to kill people.

I mean she could get really sick.

So I was like, that's not cool.

So that was really the only time.

Yeah, I just talked.

Sally and Bob's Google
reviews are all positive.

Yeah.

Anthony's abatement, our last guest.

Oh, positive. Google reviews.

I got to start Google.

Reviewing mineral positive.

So far so good kit.

I think I've like seven. Nonprofits
get a Google review.

Do you have a Google business page?
Do I have to set that up?

You do have to get a Google Business
page to get Google reviews.

I might have that Google.

Business page business. I think you do.

I think I do too.

It's not good because I think I set it up
like ten years ago.

Funniest thing.

Though, this part for Matt. Matt

Google reviews buddy page Matt

Lake George,

Monte Carlo,
where we're talking about Google reviews

and the host comes over and goes,
oh, you want to see a funny Google review?

Look up this one.

It's called like Bob's Birthday

and like.

I don't establishment. Monte
Carlo was the restaurant.

Bob's birthday was.

This woman was waiting

and they, like, put her in the corner
and Bob's birthday shows up.

And she was like comparing her experience
to watching Bob's birthday.

Bob's birthday was getting everything.

The waiter went over every minute
to check on them, brought them water.

She sat there for ten minutes,
didn't get anything,

and it was just like a compare
and contrast of Bob's birthday.

And the hostess and my daughters and I and
my wife are just dying like,

yeah, that's funny.

I mean, people
people get creative with stuff.

Yeah, it was pretty good.
It was like a comedy act. Yeah.

Like Bob's, I.

Don't know,
that would be a good look at it.

Yeah.

Oh, I've heard of, like,
the person like monologue.

Like typing their review
while watching it. Yeah. Like.

Well, Bob, they sat me over by a piano
like she was set.

Yeah. There's a self playing piano,

that
you put money in and it just plays music.

And she's really nice.

And kids, kept playing music,
so she said the piano was in her ear.

She was all alone.
No service to the piano.

Oh, they did her dirty,
but it was so funny. Funny?

I'm gonna look that up.

Oh, it's so funny.

So, favorite teacher, Mrs.

Joni Greenfield. Yes.

All right, another question. Okay.

I mean, it's a tough one
for a lot of people,

but I think your favorite restaurant,
or maybe top three, where I.

Lorna, I know you can say that
I'm going to have a don't mind me.

I think I'm going to try not to get.

Get or not. This food.

Honestly. Come on. Favorite restaurant?

It's so hard
because I do a couple out of restaurants.

So I mean,

I work with three restaurants
and I have to say,

they are all extremely elite
and delicious.

Luna obviously. Garlic Mount.

Lamesa, which is known to be amazing

and it is love their food.

And then Naples Pizza in Farmington
is another fave because they're

they were one of my first clients,
which is called Naples Pizza.

So I live one exit away and that was
when I first we moved from New Haven.

So finding a pizza was challenging. Yes.

So I would drive that Luna's pizza. Yeah.

Nathan Farmington. Naples. Yeah.

And Nathan Farmington
High School is having a fundraiser

and their logos are big F
with, like feathers on it.

Yeah.

So I was like, fini f.

I'm like,
I'm buying a shirt, I'm getting pizza.

I'm like, I love Naples. This is great.

They do a great job.

So something cool about that is.

So I met their owner, Curt, through
one of my friend's dad's as his friend.

So I'm like, you know, pitching to him.

I, I think they're like,
picking between a few people.

And it ends up that the manager
there was my manager

when I worked at Wampanoag in high school,
so I had already worked for him for like

seven years.

I worked there from high school
all the way through college.

So it
and he was like one of my favorite people.

I had ever worked for.

So you're like, boom, I got the job.

So I mean, it was easy.
It was just perfect.

Because going into anything
where you have a monthly client,

obviously I get to choose who I work for
and work with, but it's

nerve wracking because they can become
a huge part of my life.

So making sure that the people I work with
are people who make me feel

happy and good about myself and are,
you know, easy enough

to work with other than for
is important to me.

So going into that right off the bat,
I knew it would be a good experience,

which is cool.

That's awesome.

Yeah.

Naples.

Luna.

All right, so just say either
you're at la mesa Luna or Naples.

One of the three.

We are I one of the three of your

restaurants.

Okay,
you have for dinner guests that are alive.

Oh, gosh.

And when we went in our life,

anybody in the world

you get for you and for

three. Okay,

I would probably do
my mom's dad, Carmen's.

I never met.

You out here.

I I'm going to give you that. Thank you.

I'll see you.

Soon. 19th or something.

Yeah.

So my grandpa, who I never met for sure,

he passed away when my mom was like,

I don't know, 22.

Three other people. Now.

I know there's a Patrick Feeney out there.

My grandfather never met him. Yeah,
so that'd be.

I like that one. Yeah.

I think that always be on my top four.

Maybe Taylor Swift t swizzle.

I can't deny I've been a swiftie
even when it wasn't cool.

Wow. Yeah. Me and my sister are.

Still not cool, actually.

But go ahead.

Okay. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

Totally kidding.

I feel like a lot of second graders
would fight you on that right now.

13 is my favorite number.

Yeah, yeah. See,

I got 13th season, right?

I do, I know I should have worn my friends
the bracelet.

I've messed up.

T swizzle inspired me.

T swizzle.

Grandpa.

This is such a hard question.

Should have sent me this one before.

Nope. Got a nap just off the rib.

Honestly,
I would probably want both of my sisters

to be there because they're really funny
and keep the conversation going.

Even though this is like,
a very weird for people now.

A very strange,

oh, strange grandpa will love grandpa
Taylor Swift and my sisters love it.

I just
want them to share the experience with me

if he was there.

So I couldn't imagine
not him being there. Yeah, we do that.

Okay. We could do.

Let's shout out some sponsors before.

But okay, let's let's just solidify.

Okay.

Grandpa

T swears two sisters for four at either or
about one of your three favorite places.

Yes. Great job handling that question.

What about.

Oh, we're here at Luna Pizza.

Sponsor time.

No, late in the game for the sponsor time,
but I like to thank Keating.

Agency insurance float 41 the fix v Luna

pizza golf law group, people's bank
Parkville management.

Maximum Beverage and Direct Line
Media and West Hartford lock.

Wow and shout out to the fix Ivy

because they're across the street
and I just went I got the rocket booster.

Little shot in the caboose.

What does that do?

I'm feeling great. I'm a real now.

So the relax has magnesium in.

It's going to help me sleep okay.

It's the perfect weather to run.

The the rocket has vitamin
C in zinc in it.

Okay. Those are good, right?
Yes. And power.

It's called power.

So I'm really big on vitamins
and supplements.

You should try the fix C.

Try it.

Yeah, well, I knew all these.

How are you. Feeling? Feeling the needles.

Fine. I guess,

but I already knew all these matters
because they put them on your website.

Oh, that's right, that's right.

Yeah. You got them on the box. Yeah.

Shout out to the sponsors.

Yes, I'm.

Scrolling page. Scrolling bar. Yeah.

Well done on that. Back to our website

dot friends.com.

Yep done here by we
we shouted you up website.

And the created by.

Oh yeah on the bottom. Yep.
It's on the. Website.

And I was got a lot of, positive feedback
for that press release we put out.

We had.com.
Thank you Ronnie. Yeah thank you.

We had.com and big.

Yeah. You got a quote I know.

Thanks for helping friends.

And Fini was an easy mission to buy into.

Yeah something like that right.

I see I said it like YouTube.

Yeah like how I talk.

Be a good fan is so cool.

It wasn't suss at all.

No wrist.

Cat. Best cat.

No, no, no maximum rates.

What would they say
when it's like the most? That's right.

Ultimate res. Ultimate res. Yeah.

Yeah. Our website has received yes series.

All right.

So our sponsor our sponsors with West
Hartford Lock.

What are four key the three keys
that make you a great content creator.

Three keys

I have a good eye.

Good eye.

You. Ethan.

Congratulations.

I saw the baby.

Yeah.

Come on in. The baby.

Get the baby on the podcast.

Oh, my. My nephew's here.

Yeah. So you don't have.

Enough.

Holds us, baby.

It's like two,

Not even, like, maybe one even.

Let me look up the name
real quick. Ethan's.

Yeah, we've been sorry to interrupt,

but this is my dude right here.

Oh, yeah.

Come on in.

I love it,

you two.

He sure. Oh.

Let's go.

Come on in.

It's a live podcast.
Come on in. But I got to see the baby.

Is it live?

Hey, Ali, I'm Ali Blue.

Nice to meet you.

Blue Jean creative website.

She designed our friends a fini website.

So if you go to the new website,
check it out.

She created it. Yeah.

Thank you.
How you been, man? Great to see you.

Yeah, he's a real man now, everybody.

He's a dad.

He's a dad.

Eric, did you mean two months?

Two months or two years?

What did I. Say?
You said two years. Oh, maybe two months.

Yeah. I was going to say there's no.

Come on, come on. You get her on the,

podcast. Oh, my.

Goodness, I love it. No,

I love the baby.

I have to take a picture of you. Yeah.

You're gonna say hi. We're here.

He's already on a podcast. Superstar.

Oh, no. Man. Here, man.

Is this the youngest guest to ever be on

our first?

This is episode 130. It's special.

Our youngest guest ever. Matthew.

Say, Uncle Feeney.

Uncle Feeney is an ardent supporter.

Yes, I told him. All of us.

Yes. He's like God, he's so cute.

Look at his little bear ears I love
I got I go. Oh,

I miss my babies.

They're 16 now.

What's his name? Matthew.

Hi, Matthew.

He's so cute. Oh, come on, let's see.

What do you got to say?

Say your first words on the podcast.

Say be a good friend.

What's a good to me is usually not so shy,

I love it.

My name is Mr. Feeney.

I teach grade three at Woke Elementary.

Oh my goodness. Thanks for.
Let me do this.

This is amazing.

Oh my gosh.

He's he wants to shout.

Out all the friends at JC.

He's going to dominate in like 30 years.

Yeah he's
got the big feet the long speakers.

Let's check that grip.

How's that grip?

Oh nice grip. Buddy.

Strong kid.

He's iron those garlic knots.

Yeah. You want the garlic sauce?

Yeah. It's garlic. Not time.

Yeah. Maybe the ice.

Going to be anesthesiologist,

you know. Yeah.

This is good.

He said chill. That's very important.

I'm so excited.

This is great.
Episode 130 is a special one.

Started off 13th season with the baby.

Hey, my girls will babysit.

Let me know. Hey,
we got the whole fam here.

How are you guys doing?

Yeah. Grandma, how are you doing?

Hey, Vanessa.

Auntie,

what makes you a good friend?

Here, this is

be a good friend. Oh,

It's a cute one.

I love it. Your new one. Here.

Me Uncle Feeney loves you, buddy.

Met you. Was wonderful meeting you.

You see, you in a Matthew.

Bye world.

By Matthew.

Hey. Take that. That's great to see you.

Bye, man.

Thanks for popping in.

That was awesome. You made that.

You made the day so excited.

Oh, my God, how cute.

Sorry for that interruption,
but it was well worth it.

Hey, have a wonderful day.

I get to see him.

Like, what could be better than having.

Oh, I love big

I. There's pictures
when we just had parent teacher

conference and, when parents roll in
with a baby, same thing.

I'm like, come on, give me the baby.

I got pictures and now I have a picture.

I have a baby picture of a kid
who's now in second grade.

Wow, that I might get next year.

And I was holding him at that age.

That's so.

It's weird how that my.

Dad had grandparents, parents and kids.

That's wild.

Yeah.

In 40 years, of course,
I never hit the point where I.

I'm not there yet. 21 years. Parent.

I be like, there's this the do family.

None of your students have had kids yet?

Not yet.

But what was your first year teaching?

What year actually,
no, I was in 2004, so in Waterbury.

So I'm kind of lost.

If it was the same school, I would know
you probably.

Well.

So most likely they've had children.

Oh yeah. They 100% had children by now.

What? No.

02I guess 2004.

They were in what grade? No, no, 2000.

I think they were born in 2004.

And I was like, no, no, no, no.

But they were in, you.

Know, my guy Drayton Booker, future guest.

He's my third grade teacher.

He was in my third grade
class. We're still cool.

He just had a kid. Yeah.

Because he would have been. Yeah.

What grade A do you teach there?

He he was it my third grader.

But that was 21 years ago.

So. Yeah. So that was if.

He was ten is like 34.

I know what grade I was in
because like 2001 to 2002,

I was first grade to second grade.

Yeah.

It hasn't 2003 and a second grade
to third grade.

So my grade always matched the date.

At the end.

Yeah. Gotcha.
That's a good way to remember. Know.

Yeah.

When people talk to me in years
I go my years go September to August.

Oh yeah.

Everyone else in the world.

New year starting January.

Teachers are year starts.

School year.

You're still in school year, year or no.

No, not as much anymore.

But yeah, they're like literally.

Oh my god,

what year are you? I'm like, oh.

It's a good question.

Where were we be forgot?

Interrupted by the beautiful baby.

Three keys, three. Keys. Three keys.

You got a good eye.

Good. I, I'm original.

I don't follow the trends,
which could be controversial

for marketing, but I think it's boring

because who wants to scroll through
and hear the same song over and over?

If I heard that song
three times in a row, I'm skipping.

So the crust has recent.

Crust has risen. I try not to

get too inspired by other people.

Like enough to, you know, stay inspired,
but not so much

where I'm never copying
anything that anyone does or try not to.

So creative.

So when I said original.

I got good I creative original was that.

Three yes.

Creatives in the name?

Yeah, that goes without. Saying. Yeah.

Do you feel like they all kind of
go together though?

All right. Now I got another three keys.

Three keys to being a big sister
because you have two little sisters.

I'm a big bro to two.

I have a brother and a sister.

Three keys.

Three keys to being
I have to my two younger sisters.

They're not really.

So your dad has three girls? He's a girl.

Dad, dad, shout out to Harry.

I'm a I'm a girl dad, too.

Rock.

Honesty

and honesty like I.

But I don't really try to ever.

All right. Never have, like,
sugarcoated things for them.

I always try to stay real with
what's going on in my life

so that they know.

You know, it's probably gonna something
that could happen to them or something

they could relate to.

You know,
I never wanted to fake being happy

or, you know, I don't know, just.

Keeping it real. Keeping it real.

That too they one,

that I think.

Let me think.

What would be a word for this?
What? Humility.

Be humility. Be the right word.

Where, like,

just because I'm older doesn't mean
that I always have

the best idea that I'm always right.

I like that one.

That's really good.

One is that would that ability for, And

closeness.

Just checking in.

I texted them every single day.

What's their ages now?

Erin is 27 and Claire is 23.

Nice. And I'm 30.

Wow. Boom boom. Boom.

Number 30.

Yeah. Dirty 30. That big trio.

New decade.

New decade. New decade, new me.

Episode 130.

Yeah, you turn 30.

Yes, she's meant to be.

It's meant to be for sure.

Oh, wow. So you're a big sis? Yes.

Oh, I also just quickly,
I want to shout out some upcoming guests,

see if you know who these guys. Yeah.

John Lyons of Lyons Auto.

No, not Lyons on a good great people.

John John Lyons.

We have the weather guy.

Yes. He is the dad of two of the girls
I went to high school with.

He lived in the same neighborhood?

No, not same neighborhood,
but we all went to hall.

And, What be some good questions
for John Lyons about about his daughters

or about something.
Come on, give me something.

I'll ask him next episode.

One of his daughters, Foster's dogs.

And one of them is, like,
very big in the space world

and very cool and boss like.

Like outer. Space.

Yes, like outer space.

Like space or like NASA.

I'm either.

Like space for humanity.

Like sending humans to space.

That's what she used to do. What?

But then now
I think she has something else.

But it's still like.
All right, John Lyons coming up.

Yeah. Space okay.

Asking those questions Rich Capela.

What does he do.

He was on channel eight for years.

Don't know that one.

Christina and Kate from we are in power.

It's a woman's power Ryan soft wash
connect with him yet Ryan soft.

What you do.

He does the power washing houses.

Car last name is not soft wash. It. Is.

It is on. His birth certificate.

No, I'm kidding, it's Ryan McGinnis.

No, I don't know him,
but that's a cool business.

I always thought
that'd be super lucrative. Like.

Good idea.

Not for me, but for someone. Ben Fuchs.

No. Fuchs financial.

You're shocking me
with how many little people I know.

To be honest.

Fuchs financial, he's on TV, okay?

He's got a TV show. Wow.

Oh, Ryan McKenna and Thomas Holtz,
they're in Bristol.

You want to know them?

They won this in a raffle at the.

Let's grab lunch.

Oh, yeah.

Coming on the podcast was a raffle prize.
That's cool.

They won. Okay.

We're going to do it
there. It's gonna be great.

Jarrett Roque from American Job Center

for, insight plus technology.

Oh, Thomas and Ryan, our insight
plus technology.

Cool.

And then Aaron Fox
across the street at the fix.

Going to get the fix on camera.

Oh cool. Are you going to do the podcast
in there.

As I'm getting the fix. Wow.

Right over there going to be like
are you both going to be doing it now?

Probably not. I don't know,

should I or should I not show them?

Get the shot into the back on the camera.

Did you become like big

like un monetized or whatever? Yes.

YouTube wouldn't allow it.

You have to, like, censor it.

So, like a whole bar or something, or

like the Friends of Fini logo, like, ooh,
I like it's actually kind of funny.

I like it.

So we did Favorite Teacher.

So shout out to Stephania episode 123.

Do you have a favorite superhero

that's

not in superhero?

I mean, not in particular super powers.

My cousin's favorite

superhero is Batman, and so like,
we would always get him Batman.

Everything growing up.

So I'll go with Batman.
Batman could answer.

What was the next ten superpower?

Superpower?

Okay, made up this superpower once.

So like it might become real now
because of technology,

but like human Google brain
like you immediately if anyone asks you

any question, math, history,
anything like you know the right answer.

You just got.

To do this now. Yeah, I like it.

You just see it.
Google brain, Google brain.

Wouldn't that be so.

And that's like every language.

Oh that's everything. Like you heart.

Directions. Yeah. Language.
You just know it.

You just know I mean you wouldn't know
everything because you only know facts.

So like,
there's a lot of life that isn't fact

I guess.

Right.

Like life experience.

You can't Google that necessarily.

Like you'd be so smart.

I like it, it's superpower.

It is. Right. Intelligence
is a superpower.

Intelligence
is probably the best superpower.

So how's it being a dog mom?

It's amazing. I should have brought her.

Oh, she would have just sat here.
She's super calm like that.

Yeah. We never have.

Had the baby and the, Well,
she kept. Well.

Did you see my latest reel?

No. Let's pull it up. Show excited.

And you started a new thing.

Do you have an Instagram for your dog?

No. Okay.

But she.

She's now a, Service dog.

Now she's.

She's the CPO chief
puppy officer, evolution creative.

Hi, everyone.

It's Lola, I'm the CEO puppy officer.

I'm rooting for you.

And I'm really busy.

So I said I would make her some meals.

I started my day
and I was not quite right,

so my mom had to stop working
to fix that for me.

But after she fixed it,
she said, I'll hold it to the mic

in Farmington and that's a cheese ball
I love cheese.

Eat pizza.

And this is our pizza the monster lunch.

It looks really tasty.

This is another new dish they have.

It's morada that's also cheese.

I'm not expecting. That.

But she's super brave.

Hey this is another new dish from Naples.

And I was kind of tired, so I took a nap
while she ended these photos for them.

And you should go check out Naples.

They're really yummy. And good
right there.

Oh, good. The videos in the whole world.

I wanted to go outside,
so my mom took me out and I wore mine.

And this is year plan to make less time
for seafood and that's about it.

So tune in next time
and we'll see you then. Bye.

So super cute.

He's going to start making reals for me
because I don't like being on camera,

which is super ironic
because he's going to. Voice.

Me. Oh, boy.

So it's like, Voice altering.

Thing. Yeah.

I like it.

But my friend was like,
how do you come up with that script?

I was like, I just like winged it.

That's why I think I sound like a kid

because I'm just like, you know,
because I.

He's playing in the bowl,
spilling the water. That's so funny.

Yeah, she does stuff like that
all the time. She's pretty good.

I think.

Send that to me or I'll grab that.

We'll put it on the podcast.

Oh yeah.

We're showing

I can just send you like the video
instead of it on my Instagram if you want.

We'll figure it out.
The best way to share it.

Yeah, it's.

Any recommendations.

For. Podcast restaurants, books, movies.

Books? I'm really into reading.

I'm reading the, parable of a sower right
now, like Tavia Butler.

And it's pretty creepy because it's set.

It starts in 2020.

And like now they're in like 2027.

But the world is like
or the United States is like ending.

So it's very apocalypse.

Like a sower parable, you know. So.

Oh okay. Interesting.

She can so which I think is a, skill
that not a lot of people have on that.

Totally sure why yet, but she

is like collecting these

people on the road
and, like, creating her own religion.

Pretty much.

But it's all about like,
it's called, like, good Seed.

So it's just about being
like a good person

and making a community
that helps each other

because they don't have any access
to, like, money.

So basically, everyone in the community,
the her idea is that everyone

just helped each other.

She's been a good friend.
She's been a good friend.

Parable of the sower.

Fabulous book. So far, so good.

Apparently there's a second one to,
other books

that I've read recently.

I'd have to say I, I've like a thing on
my Instagram where I like, post them on.

Books that I last read.
I'm currently reading. Do you do that?

Currently reading. This?

Oh no, I just do it
when I when I've finished the book, I say.

Feeney talks with friends.
You're going to check it out.

We just interview people.

Feeney talks with friends.

Go to your YouTube or your Spotify.

Check it out.

It's a pretty good track line. Media.

That's Stephania, that's Allie.

Hey, what's your name?

You want to shout out the camera
on your be on this one.

You have a crazy today.

Oh okay.

In fact one morning

that I went straight to her.

Okay we won't.

We'll check it out.

Feeney talks with friends.

Boom.

Are you related to this person
who asked me?

I like it, no.

I read it reading her book cycle.

I have a there are a lot
of psychological thrillers that I read

you, which I like, keeps it interesting.

You know, page turner

trying to look for a book that I've read
that isn't too creepy to tell people

I really liked, Demon Copperhead.

That was a great one, too.

It's like a,

think of, like, catcher in the Rye,
but set in the Appalachian Mountains.

Okay, I like it. That's. Yeah. Set me up.

I know exactly I'm no podcast.

I only
I only listen to this podcast, of course.

And then the toast, which is a millennial
morning show for girls and pop culture.

So it's kind of like my fun two sisters

and listening to them
since I was, I don't know, in college.

All right.
The toast. Yeah, a couple books.

Two books.

Any closing remarks?

Anything you think you have to share
that we didn't touch on?

Any questions for me?

Closing remarks.

Well,

I guess I could plug for your restaurant.

Who wants social media
and great pictures?

That's kind of what I'm looking for.

The people I'm looking for.

Yeah. Promise I'll do a great job.

We'll even touch on.

Like you. Do honeymooners.

You do families. Businesses.

Yeah. So, like.

Like taking pictures of food.

Food's my favorite.

And obviously dogs.

Sure.

And if you again, I highly suggest.

I'm so happy with our website.

It was an honor to speak with you.
Yeah. You too.

This is blue Jean creative LLC. Yep.

We're we're Ali Belushi,
this was episode 30.

Please like and share this podcast.

Please subscribe.

You're going to like
and share it, right? Yep.

Hit that subscribe button.

And then check out Ali below.

Follow both of us on Instagram.

Yep, yep. What else?

Follow websites like.

Like sure.

Follow leave a Google review.

As long as it's five stars.

32,000 A catch. Abby.

Yeah if you can be Abby.

And now as of as you look up restaurants
in the area look for Abby Smith.

Rapaport
review tickets will probably be there.

Level ten, level ten.

Oh, you also go back and check out
episode 119.

You're on there too. What do we do on 119?

Oh that's fun.

There's this funny picture.

Maybe we'll add that.

We'll end with that.

The picture of you eating a wing.

Do you have a picture
that I've never seen?

Okay.

How about. Big?

Oh, yeah.

With my red face.

Yeah.

That was like the.

Well, it didn't even taste good. Oh.

It's burns.

I still can't even taste. This
tastes like chemical.

It's bad.

119 go back and check it out.

Abby's on that fun podcast.

That was fun.

I was glad I was in the audience for that.

Well, I can't thank you enough.

You are a good friend.
You're a wonderful website creator.

We are so happy with your work.

Check it out.

Friends of ecom.

Check it out!

Blue Jean creative.com on three.

Let's see.

Be a good friend 123.

Be a good friend.