This week Mike is talking with Trish Alejandrez, co-owner of Papa Joe's Mexican Restaurant in Westminster, about their local Westminster restaurant of 19 years. All their Mexican food is made from scratch and it's delicious, so check them out! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This week I'm talking with JoJo Maguire of JoJo Maguire Design, a new business in Westminster that specializes in offering a full service bridal experience. This is the show for April 27th and they also have a Grand Opening with us set for May 7th.

In honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2025), I'm interviewing two board members from the Carroll County Environmental Council about what they do and about their awards.

This week Mike is talking with Michelle and Mia Alessi, the owners of Starlings Kitchen & Bakery at 172 E. Main Street in Downtown Westminster. They're open 7 days a week and they serve amazing baked goods, as well as a very diverse breakfast and lunch menu.

This week my guest is Garrett Hoover, President and COO of Carroll Hospital and Sr. Vice-President of Lifebridge Health. We're talking about Carroll Hospital's new Emergency Department Renovation Project.

This week I'm talking with United Way Board Member, Celene Steckel, about the United Way of Central Maryland ‘s 100 Year Anniversary Celebration.

This week Mike is talking with Mandy Gilbart, Principal of Carroll Lutheran School, about the excellent education they offer that is formed in faith.

This week I'm talking with Stephanie Powers, Executive Director of Care Healing Center, formerly Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County. They are the primary provider of free comprehensive services to survivors of sexual violence in Carroll County since 1978 and now with an expanded mission and new name, they also provide services for h…

My guest is Cody Snyder, Manager of O'Lordan's Irish Pub in Downtown Westminster. We're talking about all the happenings at O'Lordan's as they gear up for St. Patrick's Day on March 17th.

The Carroll Biz Challenge application period is officially open! I'm chatting with past Grand Prize winners, Steve Moore of Run Moore in Downtown Westminster and Hannah Brookfield of BotaniGal in Downtown Sykesville, about the Biz Challenge and what the experience did for their businesses.

This week my guest is Steve Potorti, the owner of Giulianova Groceria and Italian Deli at 11 East Main Street in Downtown Westminster. Giulianova is the next door neighbor of the Chamber and Mike is beyond excited about their new Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich! As Mike is a Chicago native, this slice of home is so welcome!…

This Sunday. I'm with Paul, the owner of Chicken Salad Chick. We're talking about this new Westminster restaurant and all they have to offer!

This week I'm chatting with Sam Havighurst, President of North Carroll Community School, about their philosophy on educating children and their amazing school.

This week I'm talking with Steve Lowe, co-owner of 127 Creative and the Producer of the Chamber's Marquee event, the Carroll Biz Challenge. We're holding the Biz Challenge Kickoff meeting this Tuesday, February 4th, at 6 PM at Carroll Community College.

This week my guest is Jaclyne Roberts of R & W Kitchen and Bath in Westminster. We chat about the unique service this long standing local business provides. Owners, Jaclyne and her husband, Daniel, are community-minded people who are very involved in the Chamber's Young Professional Group, Launch Carroll.…

My guest is Art Riley of Kiwanis and we are talking about the leadership programs they are offering for 7th and 8th grade students, as well as 9th and 10th graders. This sounds amazing and there is still time to enroll your students.

This week Mike's guest is Megan Plumley, co-owner of Plumley Creative, a design studio in Sykesville that specializes in branding and web development. Megan is also the newest Chamber of Commerce Board member.

Mike's guest today is Sherry Cracium-Bolin, Principal of Brown Plus in Westminster. Sherry fills us in with some of the bigger business tax changes coming in 2025.

Today Mike is talking with Dort Mollett, owner of Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, about their amazing establishment, which is a true jewel and Carroll County destination.

Today Mike is talking with George Wenck, co-owner of Westminster's newest Main Street business, Bargain Hunters Antiques and Collectibles. Located at 10 East Main Street in Downtown Westminster. They are celebrating their Grand Opening and Ribbon cutting on Wednesday, December 18th, at 1PM. This is a great place to pick up some last minute gift ite…

Today Mike is chatting with Mark Seaman, General Manager of the TownMall of Westmsinter about the festive happenings going on there, including the visit by Santa!

Today Mike is chatting with Ian Scott of Quest Voyager about the Chamber's amazing European Christmas Markets trip in December of 2025! Pure Magic!

Behavioural Paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey returns to tell us about the science behind the stories of Season 3. Dr Billy has picked some moments where our generous guests have touched on areas on which there is lots of evidenced based research, and then he breaks it down to some super simple stuff that we can all put into practice. In this stacked e…

Mike is talking with Brenda Meadows, Executive Director of the Shepherds Staff, about their upcoming Festival of Trees and about their new home.

One of Hamish’s oldest and dearest friends finally sits down on the HODD couch for a well overdue chat. Wippa and Hame talk all the time, but not often about the deep stuff that drives them to be better dads. In a conversation that is equal parts serious and silly, Hame and Wip discuss the formative impact of Wip’s own dad, dealing with big questio…

As the holidays draw near, Mike is chatting with Sweetbay Farms about the events they have planned to bring some Christmas cheer to the local community! Check out their amazing offer on Christmas trees...it's like getting your tree for FREE from Santa!

Andy is responsible for igniting a love of reading in millions of kids. It’s a complex alchemy, but bum jokes have played a large part in it. From The Day My Bum Went Psycho to the hugely popular Treehouse series (which he created with longtime collaborator Terry Denton and which was edited by his wife Jill), Andy has written wild, boundless and ve…

Today Mike is talking with Dr. Rose Mince, the new President of Carroll Community College, about exciting things happening at the College!

An awesome outdoorsy special, with inspirational outdoor specialist, Rick Petersen. Rick featured in Season 2 of Alone Australia, and quickly became a fan fave (especially for Hame), with his unwavering positivity in the face of huge adversity and very little food! Beyond trying to stay alive on Alone, using his skills as an ex-soldier and expediti…

Today Mike's guest is Jason Siddock, Executive Director of the Carroll County Veterans Independence Project. They talk about what the organization does for local veterans and about their upcoming events in celebration of Veterans Day.

As a long time host of Play School, Luke’s probably spent more time entertaining kids than any of us ever will! But beyond that, he’s an amazingly accomplished actor… from getting his start on the kids show Lift Off! back in the early 90s, to being a regular on the awesome Redfern Now and more recently in the big budget adaption of The Artful Dodge…

Today Mike and Becky showcase upcoming Chamber events and the benefits of joining the Chamber in it's 100th year!

When you push your limits and things get a little uncomfortable, you often learn something about yourself. When you repeatedly do it for years, we reckon you must learn some universal truths about humans and how we tick. As a professional adventure racer, Nathan has spent much of his adult life pushing his physical and mental boundaries and helping…

Today Mike is chatting with Ms. Denise Beaver, the Carroll County Economic Development Director, about the Workforce Development program.

HODD overseas adventure time! We headed to Wellington to chat with Kiwi comedy and music legend, and one half of Flight of the Conchords, Bret McKenzie and he gave us a masterclass on playing with our kids. Bret makes up silly stuff for a day job (he even won an Oscar for it!) and as a dad he’s focused his gift for absurdity and daftness into creat…

Today Mike is chatting with noted economist, Anirban Basu, about some of the topics he'll be covering at the Annual Meeting on October 24th.

He’s been on our screens making us laugh for years, most recently in Colin From Accounts, but in this chat Patrick Brammall unpacks one of his more meaty roles to date… Being a first time dad! Patty’s path to parenthood is a little unique with him and his wife Harriet Dyer adopting a baby girl in 2021 (Harriet is also co-creator/co-star of Colin Fr…

Mike is happy to have Jon Weetman back for Part 2 of their interview, and they discuss Jon's involvement with the Chamber Board and the Chamber's Foundation Board, as well as his annual involvement as Emcee of the Carroll Biz Challenge. Jon is the owner of Jonathan C Weetman, the Entrepreneur's Lawyer.…

“I wasn’t going to miss the podcast just because I was slightly paralysed” - It’s one of the better quotes we’ve had on the show! But it neatly sums up the unassuming yet unflappable nature of Dr Harry, who unless you were on a 12 month silent retreat in 2018, you’d know was the cave diving anaesthetist who helped in the against all odds rescue of …

Today Mike is chatting with Chamber Board Member, Jon Weetman, owner of Jonathan C. Weetman, the Entrepreneur's Lawyer. In the first part of a 2 part show, we discuss why entrepreneurs need legal guidance and why Jon became an attorney at the age of 40.

He’s helped create some of Australia’s most memorable comedic characters, battled tirelessly to elevate Football (the proper round ball kind!) to the upper echelons of Australian sport, and most importantly, he’s the father to 2 (now adult) sons. But before looking at his own dadding, Santo takes us back to Melbourne in the 1960s and 70s, painting …

This is Part 2 of the interview with Doug Howard, President of Growth Team Strategies and we're talking in this episode of Doug's 8 Strategies to be an Effective Leader in Turbulent Times.

As one of Australia’s great contemporary artists, Ben’s compassion and humanity is evident in all his work, and so is his willingness to self-examine. So perhaps unsurprisingly in his chat with Hamish, Ben opens up about what shaped him in his own childhood, his thoughts on masculinity, the shockwave of sadness that hit him recently when his adult …

Today Mike's guest is Doug Howard, business coach, and President of Growth Team Strategies. We're talking about the qualities of a leader and the basic need of all business professionals to have a Coach.

As a prolific co-creator of Australian comedy classics like Upper Middle Bogan, Wayne is probably more comfortable bringing to life hilarious, and hilariously flawed characters, rather than reflecting on his own life. But we know Wayne to be so thoroughly kind, thoughtful and wise that we really put the screws on him to come and have a chat. Thankf…

Today Mike is talking with Mike Spence, the Owner of X-Golf of Eldersburg, the new Carroll County entertainment destination located at 1346 Liberty Rd. STE-2 Eldersburg MD 21784. Enjoy simulation golf and augmented darts 7 days a week, along with delicious food and drinks!

Finally, after waaaaaay too long, Season 3 of HODD is here. Well, actually… not just yet. It’s here next Friday, September 13. But boy, is it close!! To wet your appetite, here is a little taste of what’s to come this season. We’ve been lucky to chat with some absolutely wonderful guest dads who will make you laugh, reflect, reminisce and maybe eve…

Today Mike chats with Coleen Kramer Beal of Velnoskey Wealth Management and Emily Miller of Barnes Bollinger Insurance about the 3rd Annual Carroll County Women's Conference set for Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at McDaniel College.

Today Mike talks about the Chamber's exciting trip to Turkey in April of 2025 and the upcoming September 10th webinar!