This is dedicated to all the recent graduates who are interviewing for jobs. I reached out to business owners, asking for tips to help you be successful. Responses came in from a variety of business owners and experienced professionals, including the owner of a dental practice, a successful real estate entrepreneur, a retailer, a magazine […]

I learned that my friend Abby Freethy had breast cancer from a fundraising event for her posted on Facebook. She learned she had breast cancer in February after feeling that “something was just not right.” I asked her if she wanted to talk about the impact her illness was having on her life, her family […]

“Success” is among the most overused words when it comes to talking about business. I’m guilty of using this word. But I’ve come to realize that using the word “success” to measure or describe our business puts a lot of pressure on us to achieve certain things, and if we don’t, we feel like we failed in […]

I remember when the “lipstick lady” used to come to our house when I was a kid. She and my mother would sit on the couch and Mom would sample makeup. As a little girl who loved playing with makeup, I would sit there like a puppy hoping for scraps from the table. Occasionally I would […]

Going into the real estate business with her mom wasn’t something Kortnie Hudgens was planning on. But three years ago, her plans changed. Kortnie grew up in Bangor and left to attend the University of Southern Maine, where she met her boyfriend, Nick Mullins. As graduation approached for Mullins, he began his job search in the […]

I recently completed a half marathon.  As I was between mile 9 and 10, it occurred to me that running a marathon is much like running a business.  Here’s why: You need to be prepared. You should not show up at the start of a marathon without preparing for it. If you have never run […]

When planning your next trip, remember that the most important thing you need to bring is a sense of humor. I was reminded of this as I crawled into my deluxe king-size bed in a well-appointed and highly rated hotel in Manhattan. This hotel has catered to the best and most discriminating travelers over the […]

When you pull out your wallet, do you think, “This wallet is really innovative”? If the answer is “no,” then you don’t own a Flowfold. Charley Friedman started getting innovative with wallets back in high school when he spent his summers working as a sail maker. When his old leather wallet fell apart, Charley made […]

We all want to smell good – right? But smelling too good in the workplace can be a problem for others who are sensitive to scents. This has led many businesses to create “fragrance-free” workplaces. Dr. Paul Shapero of Bangor, who specializes in treating patients with allergies and asthma, agrees that scent-free workplaces are important to […]

My decision to research and write about Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center in Bangor was a purely selfish one. I needed to rejuvenate my winter-weary soul. I found it when I walked into one of Sprague’s 15 greenhouses, happily inhaled the smell of dirt and saw colorful blooming begonias and seedlings that soon will be […]