S4 Bonus Episode: Clearing Business Blocks: The Ruby Red Road to Peak Leadership Performance

Ann Donnelly on September 28, 2026

In this live-on-location episode from Moreau Commons, host Ann Donnelly speaks with Karen Carey, owner of Ruby Red Road. Drawing on 30 years in the customer service and beauty industries and 17 years of dedicated coaching experience, Karen breaks down how intuitive life and business coaching helps entrepreneurs, non-profits, and corporate teams break through frustration and operational chaos. Whether addressing team friction, leadership misalignment, or personal burnout, Karen shares how clearing blocks creates a direct path to sustainable success.

S4 Bonus Episode: Can You Afford Not to Have a Financial Advisor? Inside Wealth Planning with Equitable Financial

Ann Donnelly on September 28, 2026

In this live-on-location episode from Moreau Commons, host Ann Donnelly sits down with Brandon Crist and Max Benedetto of Equitable Financial Advisors. Brandon shares insights from a decade of helping state employees, retirees, and local business owners navigate complex pensions, Social Security optimization, and tax-efficient distribution strategies. Max discusses his journey coming on board, passing his licensing exams, and elevating client management and customer service. Together, they break down why financial planning isn’t just for the wealthy, how fee transparency works, and why having a trusted local advisor in Queensbury and the North Country makes all the difference.

S4 E14: Anonymity is the Enemy of Growth: Building a Marketing Engine That Converts

Ann Donnelly on September 23, 2026

What happens when you have the best product in town, but nobody knows you exist? In this role-reversal episode of Building Success Stories, regular host Ann Donnelly hands the mic to guest host Janice Durant, Chief Franchise Matchmaker at New Trails Business Consultants. Together, they dissect the foundational pillars of business survival: branding, budgeting, and the raw truth that passion alone does not equal sales. From the specific percentages you should be spending on marketing at every stage of your business, to the hidden advantages of the franchise model, this episode is a strategic masterclass on converting anonymity into authority.

S1 E1: Walking Out of the Darkness with AFSP NENY Executive Director Missy Stolfi

Ann Donnelly on September 9, 2026

Suicide prevention is everybody’s business. In this debut episode of the AFSP Northeastern New York podcast, guest host Ann Donnelly (North Country Media Network) speaks with Missy Stolfi, Executive Director of the AFSP Northeastern New York Chapter. Together, they discuss the transformative power of coming together as a community, what to expect at the upcoming Out of the Darkness Community Walks, and how grassroots action across our 15-county region is saving lives and bringing hope to thousands.

S4 E12: Unlocking Upstate NY: Small Business Resources, Upskilling & Economic Strategy with Carrie Woerner

Ann Donnelly on August 25, 2026

In this episode of the Building Success Stories Podcast, Ann Donnelly sits down with Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner at ADKtechs headquarters to dissect the economic engines driving Upstate New York. They trace Carrie’s strategic career shifts, from the early days of e-commerce to shaping policy for a diverse, 135,000-person district spanning Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties.

S4 E5: Building a Foundation of Trust: How Northern Builders is Expanding the Trades and Workforce Growth

Ann Donnelly on June 10, 2026

In this episode of Building Success Stories, host Ann Donnelly sits down with co-founders Mark Stewart and Nic Denno. After merging their independent contracting companies in 2020, Mark and Nic have scaled Northern Builders into a regional powerhouse. They pull back the curtain on how their background in public service forged an unbreakable business partnership, how they are actively combating the skilled-trades workforce shortage, and what it takes to manage sustainable business growth in Upstate New York.

S4 E1: Spencer Bray & Nic Ketter, Founders, Realize Brokers & Consultants, Glens Falls, NY

Ann Donnelly on May 3, 2026

What do aviation, cryptocurrency, and a chance meeting at a local cigar bar have to do with the future of real estate in Glens Falls? In this episode of Building Success Stories, host Ann Donnelly sits down with Spencer Bray and Nic Ketter, the innovative co-founders of Realize Brokers. Rejecting the older, traditional methods of property brokering, this duo is rewriting the rules of the local market. Discover how their unique backgrounds—from fueling planes to working in emerging tech at General Electric—led to a real estate agency built on custom digital marketing, intense discretion, and deep community relationships. Whether you are looking to buy, thinking of selling a business, or just want to understand the shifting landscape of Upstate New York real estate, this episode is packed with insider knowledge.

S3 E21: Colleen Carlson, Director of Sales, Saratoga Casino Hotel

Ann Donnelly on April 28, 2026

In this episode, Ann Donnelly sits down with Colleen Carlson, the Director of Sales at the Saratoga Casino Hotel, to explore a career that spans decades at one of Saratoga’s most iconic properties. From her humble beginnings selling race programs at age 15 to overseeing sales for a massive complex that includes a hotel, casino, fine dining, and elite event spaces, Colleen shares the “magic” behind their “under one roof” strategy.