The 207 Collective is back! This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bobby Timmons, a welder and fabricator at Timmons Machine and Fabrication, a family business in Windom, Maine. Bobby is also a racecar driver who began racing go-karts as a child and advanced to legend cars, prostocks, and won a championship in the Super Modified Series this past season. His passion for racing led him to become a host on the popular Black Flagged Podcast. If you enjoy auto racing and laughing, The Black Flagged Podcast is a must-listen, featuring Bobby alongside co-hosts Brad and Charlie as they share their thoughts on racing and their race track antics and more. The 207 Collective is available on all major listening platforms. Thank you for your continued support!

The Dream Factory inc. is a national, not for profit, volunteer, dream fulfilling organization based in Louisville, Kentucky.  There are currently 32 chapters throughout the US with more being developed each year.  The goal of the Dream Factory is to create the moment of a lifetime for critically and chronically ill children.  We are proud to be the only Wish granting organization that is all volunteer on the Chapter level.

The Dream Factory is committed to fulfilling the dreams of critically and chronically ill children ages 3-18.  For a child to receive a dream there are only a few criteria.  The first being, the child needs to have been diagnosed with a critical or chronic illness.  The second criterion is that the child has not received a dream from another dream fulfilling organization.

The fulfillment of dreams is not based on financial need and our gift of a dream is not given as charity.  We do what we can to make a child and his/her families take time to focus their attention on something other than the illness which they face daily.  A trip to Disney, a computer, a new pool, or meeting their favorite sorts team is a Dream come true for a child facing numerous Doctor visits, surgeries or medical treatments.

Individual, corporate donations and community fundraisers support the local Dream Factory chapters.  It is important to mention that a large majority (96.1%) of every dollar raised by our chapter stays with our chapter.  Our goal is to keep general and administrative costs to the barest minimum so that our funds go where it is most important- the fulfillment of dreams.  

The Dream Factory of Maine - York Chapter fulfilled our first Dream in July 1986.  In 2011 we celebrated our 25th Anniversary.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Dream Factory, would like to find out about volunteer opportunities, know a child who may be eligible for a dream, or would like to make a financial contribution, please email us at maine@dreamfactoryinc.org or call us at 207-646-3344.  Or send inquiries to:  The Dream Factory of Maine - York Chapter, P.O. Box 653, Cape Neddick, ME. 03992

Mike Gill is part owner of the quickly growing brewery River Junction Brewing located in Sanford, Maine.   River Junction Brewing has quickly become a must-try location for craft beer lovers since its opening just over one year ago.  Even if craft beer isn't your thing  River Junctions' laid-back atmosphere and family friendly environment has something for everyone! Please be sure to listen to this episode on your way to visit Mike & his crew! 

Jake Crosby is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word.  His sense of business and making money goes all the way back to buying and selling sodas at his jr. high school for a profit.   His venture into real estate began with purchasing a duplex and, soon after, buying another.  Then he began buying fixer uppers doing the work himself and flipping the houses, which prompted him to get his real estate license.   With the cost of dumpster rentals piling up, he proceeded to start his own dumpster rental company.   Over the years, with the help of his wife, Heather, his family, and a team of employees, Jake now owns several companies.    Pine Tree Properties, Crosby Construction, And  New England Dumpster Rentals are all based out of Sanford, Maine. Take a listen to hear more about how Jake built his multiple companies and give the episode a like and share! 

Aidan Madigan is an upholsterer, designer, and the owner of Siren Studios. Originally from Connecticut and now based in Alfred, Aidan runs Siren Studios from Outskirts Studios in Lyman, Maine. The studio specializes in upholstery and design for residential, marine, and commercial spaces. Whether it's restoring fine antiques, designing new kitchen banquettes, or retrofitting sailboats, Siren Studios adds the perfect finishing touches to both cherished pieces and new creations.

If you live in Maine and listen to local radio, or if you ever had the chance to watch a race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway then the voice of this week's guest might sound familiar to you. Andy Austin is a Sanford native who has gone full circle in his journey in local broadcasting. Andy is the director of content and equity partner in Port Broadcasting Seacoast Oldies 104.3 FM and 1220AM. Listen to hear more about his history and how he is reinvesting in radio for York County, Maine.

This week I sat down with friend and Jiu Jitsu training partner Jason Sirois.   Jay is a former power lifter who competed in the amateur body building circuit.   When seeing  other gym buddies make giant gains with the use of steroids the lure was too tempting.  Jay went in 100% he got the gains he was looking for but also a massive list of health problems.   Jay has had a stroke and heart attack in his early 50s.   Along with many other health problems due to excessive anabolic use.   Jay still loves the gym and enjoys his new passion of training Jiu Jitsu and recently became a Blue belt.  

Emmett is 6 years old he loves his pets Ellie and Betty.   He also loves football riding his dirt bike and chasing Bigfoot.   We had some time to kill so we recorded a short episode and he did a great job!!!

This past week, I sat down and spoke with Cassandra. These days, Cassandra is no stranger to the gym, but she talks about how she strayed away from a more healthy lifestyle and, for some time, lived a life that consisted of a lot of partying and drinking. After a while, she decided to make a change, and that is when she got back into the gym and a gym touting. Once she returned to the gym, she decided to set a goal of competing in amateur body building competitions. We discussed what changes she made in her life and the challenges she is facing while working to achieve her goal. 
Thank you for listening, and as always, please like, share, and follow "The 207 Collective" on Facebook & Instagram! 
Available on all major listening platforms. 

This past week, I  had the opportunity to sit down with Angela and Donnie Whitten.  They are two of the four founders of  Stay; For Life.  Stay; For Life is a non-profit organization that advocates for men's mental health and suicide prevention.  After Angela lost her teenage son Trent to suicide in 2022, she and her team have been on a mission to break the stigma surrounding men's mental health. If you are struggling and in need of mental health resources or if you would like to find ways to help or donate, please check out their Facebook page or their website for more information. www.stayforlife.org 

Tim Harder is a native of southern Maine and Thornton Academy graduate. He obtained his Bachelor's in Marine Biology  from Long Island University, Southampton College before joining the US Army infantry in 2002. After service and returning home he attended University of New England in Biddeford, Maine and earned his Master's degree in Marine Science with a concentration in Biology. His Master's thesis focused on sediment movement in the Saco River.

Tim owned one of the first seaweed experimental leases in Saco Bay in 2014 and was able to experiment with different mooring and grow line designs. For the past 5 years, he has worked in aquaculture nutrition out of Westbrook, Maine as an Account Manager for customers growing mainly trout and salmon here in US. When the opportunity arises, Tim does some freelance writing for online publications like The Fish Site and Aquaculture North America (see below)

He is a proud father of two boys and volunteers with the town of Saco on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, and the Travis Mills Foundation serving veterans. In his free time he enjoys lacrosse, golf, and attempting to garden in his backyard.

Link: linkedin.com/in/hardertimothy

In this episode I had the extremely talented tattoo artist Teresa Andrews sit down with me.   We discussed how she was born on the West Coast and how she made her way to Maine.  We talk about her struggles trying to get into the tattoo industry, and the difficulty of being respected in a male-dominated tattoo business being a young woman.   She didn't give up and worked at a couple of different shops before finding a home at the very well-known and respected tattoo shop Venom Ink owned by legendary artist Chad Chase.

William Brink is the founder of Brink Chiropractic Clinic, a cornerstone of Sanford, Maine, for 46 years. At 72, Bill remains actively engaged, seeing patients select days alongside his son Daniel. He has three children, eight grandchildren, and enjoys triathlon training and competition. Notably, Bill serves as Sanford's First Gentleman, supporting his wife Becky, the city's mayor.

For this episode, I sat down with Glen and Zac Richard.   We discussed the meaning behind Lacey's Ride.  Lacey is the daughter of Shelly and Glen and older sister to Zac.   She unfortunately passed away at the young age of 23 from colon cancer.  For the last 12 years, the Richard family and countless volunteers and sponsors have worked to raise money for individuals and families of cancer patients, accident victims, and many others.  We discuss what it takes to put on these events and what it has done for the numerous people over the years in Lacey's memory.  This year's ride is June 15th,  at the Waterboro Eagles  kickstands up at 10am!!!   

This week we are on location at FLIPPIN CUSTOMIZED in Wells Maine.  I sat down with owner Scott Brouillard.  We discussed  his fast growing business and YouTube channel FLIPPIN CUSTOMIZED.   Scott is a gear head to his core since being a young child.  At his shop you can find him  Powder Coating, welding, creating metal art, installing lift kits, lowering kits and if it's old and rusty then he is all about it!!  They also do full custom vehicle builds  with a speciality in Rat Rods.  And it's all posted on YouTube for you to enjoy!!!    Check out his YouTube channel Flippin Customized and website www.flippincustomized.com  

Zack Plante is from Sanford Maine.  Growing up life was spent out in the outdoors.   Many of his days growing up were spent fishing brooks   trolling lakes and ice fishing.  He even made a small business making and selling his own fishing lures.   When Zack was 22 he was in a bad motorcycle accident witch took a good part of his twenties to recover  from.   As he got better he began to fall in love with fishing the ocean and in 2019 Zack and his friend Charlie owner of the F/V Wasabi were selected to be on season 9 of the hit TV show "Wicked Tuna".   Zack now makes his living fishing with Lost Charters out of Kittery Maine.

In episode 1 with Joe we discussed how he overcame a hard partying lifestyle with dedication and hard work.   With success comes rewards and Joes was being able to pursue a Passion for racing.  What started as mud racing morphed into high end rock bouncers and working with teams in the world of Baja.  Due to injuries Joe now supports his son in his career in off road racing.  

This is Part One of a Two Part series with Joe Pierce.  Joe is the owner  of one of the most well known roofing companies in Southern Maine.   Joe grew up in Shapleigh, Maine with the love of anything with a motor.  Joe also dealt with alcohol and substance abuse in his teenage and early 20s and ultimately ended up in a rehab.   It was in rehab that he decided to get his life together and began working in the construction trade.   After a few years he ventured on his own and started Precision Roofing which has grown into a multi-million dollar company.   Something very important to Joe as he has gotten older is the message that you can come from having nothing to becoming very successful in life with hard work and dedication.

Gregg Martinez is the owner of the well known "Iron Tails Saloon" in Acton, Maine.  Gregg has been in the hospitality business for over 30 years, opening Iron Tails in the year 2011.   Though Iron Tails Saloon is primarily set up for and tailors to bikers, owning a bike isn't required. There is something there for everyone!  Live music,  wild events and a great atmosphere makes Iron Tails a must visit.   They don't care how you get there, just get there!!

Nathan Fenderson is a life long outdoor enthusiasts.   He has dedicated his life to his love of hunting and especially to his passion for chasing white tail deer.   He loves sharing his life long experiences and knowledge with youth hunters and his son Tyler.   Nate and friends were featured on the TV show Northwoods Adventures.   He now runs   the "Buck Reaper"  YouTube channel and  "Buck Reaper-North American Trapper" on Facebook.

This week I sat down with Dan Collins.  Dan is the owner and operator of NE Marketing Design.   Dan has made racing his passion since childhood and has done numerous things on different race teams to some of the highest levels of racing.   He has now turned his passion into a business designing  apparel, management of social media accounts and other Services for race teams and businesses.  If interested in his Services he can be found on face book NE Marketing Design or nemarketingdesign.com  

Scott Davis has been a outdoorsman his entire life.     One of Scotts passions was sharing his love of the outdoors with his son AJ Davis.   They hunted, fished did everything together until AJ's untimely passing.   In his honor Scott has put on a fishing derby for the last 6 years and it has quickly grown to be one of the biggest in Southern Maine.  Scott has a long history of setting up and directing derbies and goes into detail what it takes to make it happen.    If your interested in sponsoring volunteering or fishing on February 25th 2024 on Shaker Pond in Alfred Maine reach out to Scott Davis on Facebook or "The 207 Collective Podcast" on instagram for more information.

Dave Fitzpatrick is the owner of Irish Span Industries out of Arundel Maine.   He talks about how he went from working in the bread business for 25 years.  To starting  over completely in the steel building industry that he Knew nothing about.   He now has several hundred  steel Buildings all over the North East.   He's now began a new business venture buying and refurbishing property on the island of Roatan.   And building his island oasis and retreat known as DE ODISEA.

Curtis Johnson, a native of Waterboro, Maine, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2012 and served in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Infantry. After his service, Curtis built a successful career as a real estate agent and family man. All while creatively compiling “The Success Vault”, a collection of quotes and key takeaways from 60 books, which all guided him on a 2,500-mile bike ride across America. These adventures led him to create The Success Vault LLC, offering online mentorship, motivational merchandise, and his book (available on Amazon). This cross-country journey will be featured in an upcoming 8-part YouTube series, stay tuned! 

Brady Harrison is a graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy.   He makes his living working on an oil tanker off  the west coast of the United States.  Brady is also an avid hunter/fisherman and licensed blood dog tracker as well as a registered Maine guide.   Brady is also the younger brother of Jon Harrison who was on episode 1 of "The 207 Collective".  

This week I sat down with Ben Connelly owner and head mechanic of Connelly Auto in Somersworth, New Hampshire.   Ben has been involved in wrenching on anything since being a kid and has turned it into a very fast growing  and successful business venture.  

Chad Chase is the owner and head tattoo artist at Venom Ink in Sanford Maine.   Chad has been tattooing  nearly 30 years.   In this podcast he talks about how the tattoo game has changed over the years and some of the stresses of owning one of the most premiere tattoo shops in New England.    

For this episode I was lucky enough to sit down with Pete Tranchemontagne.  Owner of Uncle Petes Releaf  medical dispensary.    Pete has dedicated his life to fighting to change laws to bring medical marijuna to the fore front in Maine.  Pete is also a sitting council member for the city of Sanford Me.   He is also the vice president of the Maine Medical Cannibus Union.   

On this episode I sat down with the creator and host of the 207 collective myself.   I go alittle into my back round and the things I'm into and what has brought me to this point of my life!!

Jon Harrison graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy.   He lives his life as a merchant marine.  We discuss his day  to day aboard the ship how he's been all over the world and how he deals with time away from his wife and young daughter. 

Tabetha has been practicing Reiki for 10 plus years and teaching yoga for 6 years. She uses the principles of trauma-informed care and substance use recovery training to create mindful trauma sensitive yoga classes that are welcoming to every body at any level of practice. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services Tabetha combines the clinical models of mental health with the healing modalities of reiki, reflexology and yoga. Looking at what is energetically blocking you to support your physical, emotional and mental health is her specialty.

Kristen Pelletier, a native of Sanford,  She was involved, In a  life-altering car accident prior to her senior year of high school that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, as a mother of two, she is pursuing the title of Ms. Maine in an upcoming United States of America pageant. Her goal is to demonstrate that individuals with disabilities are not defined by their conditions. Regardless of the outcome, Kristen is dedicated to supporting others with disabilities and aims to raise funds for specialized equipment to aid in their recovery. To support Kristen on her journey, you can contact her through social media or vote for her online until October, with all proceeds benefiting the winner's chosen charity, accessible via the link  http://www.usoamissmaine.com/peopleschoice

Jack Bogard, a retired Sanford, Maine firefighter, owns Sanford Sound, established in 1995. Born in Saugatuck, Michigan, he moved to Maine in 1989 and worked at the Maine Mall and Old Orchard before settling in Sanford. His passion for electronics and cars makes this venture a perfect fit. Since moving to a new location in 2020, the business has grown to an 8,000 square-foot operation with five employees.

Mike Joiner, owner and operator of Mike's Mobile, is a mobile mechanic who comes to you. He is also the man behind The Maine Truck Show, where people can show off their rides. This year's show will feature various equipment, vendors, and food trucks, with all proceeds going to the Stay For Life Organization, a non-profit group focused on men's mental health and suicide prevention awareness. The show will be held at the Acton Fairgrounds in Acton, Maine on September 7th. For more information, visit www.MaineTruckShow.com.

Zenas Gagnon, a lifelong Mainer, sought a change and was called by his older brother to come work for him in Alaska. He obtained his CDL and started trucking throughout the state. With the Montana/North Dakota crude oil business booming, Zenas relocated his family and started trucking crude oil across the Montana  and North Dakota and to Canada. Once the economy stabilized, he returned to Maine to work for the family business,  And took up coaching youth wrestling and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Episode #27 is proud to feature Tom Narciso, a renowned instructor with a distinguished career spanning three decades. Tom initially taught Machine Trades at the Sanford Regional Vocational Center, where he had the privilege of instructing the yours truly. He subsequently transitioned to a professorship at Southern Maine Community College in Portland, Maine, specializing in precision machining and manufacturing. This podcast explores the alarming decline in interest for trade professions amidst high demand. Tom's leisure activities include sailing along the East coast and playing the drums.