Dave Burgio, co-founder of Trifecta Credit Solutions in Allentown, joins the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast to talk about how credit connects to capital.
The conversation covers credit readiness, business funding, SBA loans, debt consolidation, creative finance, private real estate lending, and the mistakes people often make before applying for funding. Dave explains why credit is not just about removing negative items, why personal and business credit often work together, and why paying on time is still one of the simplest and most important things people can do.
This is a practical conversation for consumers, small business owners, and real estate investors who want to better understand how to get lender ready before they need the money.
From the top of South Mountain to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem board member Dylan Stroup is preparing to climb Africa’s highest mountain while raising $50,000 for local kids through his Climb for Kids campaign.
We joined Dylan on South Mountain to talk about the personal goal that started the journey, the six months of training behind it, and why he decided that reaching the summit should also benefit the community around him.
Dylan shares how long aerobic workouts, balance exercises, loaded hikes, and repeated climbs up Blue Mountain have prepared him for the challenge. He also talks about the family and friends who inspired him, the community that has joined the campaign, and his belief that success should be measured by the impact we have on others.
The Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem has served local children and teens since 1930. Today, more than 650 young people rely on its educational, recreational, and character-development programs.
“People are social, and there’s not a whole lot of other opportunity to just go somewhere and socialize with all of your neighbors.”
Lisa Surma Borick said it simply, and she’s right.
Farmers markets are not just places to buy produce, baked goods, flowers, meats, soaps, coffee, mushrooms, or whatever else ends up in your bag on a Saturday morning. They are places where people see their neighbors. They are places where kids grow up knowing the vendors. They are places where customers do not just say they are going to buy something. They say they are going to see someone.
We spoke with Lisa Surma Borick of the Nazareth Economic Development Commission and Nazareth Farmers Market, and Emily Roland, Farmers’ Market Manager with the Greater Easton Development Partnership and Easton Farmers’ Market, about why farmers markets still feel so important right now.
Easton Farmers’ Market has roots dating back to 1752 and is known as America’s oldest continuously operating open-air market. Nazareth Farmers Market was reestablished in 2010 and has grown into a weekly gathering place in the center of town.
But the bigger story is not just history. It is what these markets do every week.
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Emily talked about the work people do not always see: selecting vendors, balancing farmers with prepared food and specialty vendors, handling permits, road closures, parking, layouts, special events, and all the details that make a market feel easy for the people walking through it.
Lisa talked about how markets create ownership. People say “my market.” They know the vendors by name. They bring their kids. They make the market part of their weekend rhythm.
The conversation also gets into the phrase “buy fresh, buy local” and what it actually means. Supporting a farmers market helps local farms, small businesses, makers, bakers, and families. It keeps money closer to home. It also supports food access programs, including SNAP matching programs that help more people buy fresh food while also helping farmers bring in more income.
As Emily said, “It’s so much more than buying.”
That is why farmers markets matter more than ever. They are not just about food. They are about people, place, access, relationships, and community.
GUESTS:
Lisa Surma Borick Nazareth Downtown Manager Nazareth Economic Development Commission / Nazareth Farmers Market
Emily Roland Farmers’ Market Manager Greater Easton Development Partnership / Easton Farmers’ Market
“It’s really like being dropped into a storm without a map.”
In this episode of Off The Record, George Wacker and Jeff Warren talk healthcare in the Lehigh Valley through the lenses of policy, frontline care, and the patient experience.
Guests:
Mike Schlossberg, Majority Whip in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Denise Williams-Dianna, nurse at St. Luke’s
Alyssa Glaser, co-founder of Life Always Facing Forward
The conversation touches on access to care, prevention, screening, and what treatment can feel like when real life is already heavy.
On this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we sit down with photographer and storyteller Alison Conklin, the publisher of Bonus Days Magazine, to talk about what it means to keep creating, even in the middle of the hardest seasons of life.
Recorded at Dan’s Camera City, this conversation starts with the way Alison sees the world through a lens and how “who you are personally is like your power.” From there, she shares the moment her health story took a sharp turn: “he told me in July that I had six months to live,” and what happened next as she faced the reality of needing a heart transplant.
Alison talks candidly about the waiting, the fear, and the pace of it all, including the shock of how fast things moved once she was listed. But the story doesn’t stop at survival. It turns into purpose and into print.
That’s where Bonus Days Magazine comes in, a print magazine centered on “all transplants and chronic illness,” created to “tell these stories that are not toxic positive.” Alison’s not pretending it’s easy: “not gonna tell you it’s all sunshine and rainbows.” She makes space for nuance too: “two things can be very true at the same time”… and sometimes, “just existing is enough.”
This week on the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we’re talking with Melissa Smith, corporate wellness coach and founder of Balance and Bloom, a health and wellness coaching company helping women, leaders, and organizations reduce stress, prevent burnout, and rebuild their spark.
With the holiday season in full swing, Melissa breaks down why this time of year hits women especially hard and what small shifts can actually make a difference.
In this episode, Melissa shares:
• Why the first three minutes of your day matter and how they set the emotional tone • Why women often feel responsible for “everything” this time of year • The difference between stress and burnout and how you can tell which one you’re in • Micro joys, what they are, and how they instantly shift your mindset
Housing is one of the hottest topics in the Lehigh Valley right now. On this episode of Off the Record with Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, George Wacker and Northampton County Commissioner Jeff Warren sit down with two leaders on the frontlines:
We talk about: • Habitat’s 142 homes in the Valley and what it takes for families to qualify • The reality of transitional housing and how New Bethany is adapting programs to meet demand • The difference between affordable housing and attainable housing • The stigma around low-income housing and how nonprofits are working to change it • Habitat’s ReStores in Hellertown and Whitehall and how donations fuel more homebuilding
“No child should ever wonder where to lay their head at night.” — Gina Loiacono “At the end of the day, there is more power in the private sector than the public sector when it comes to housing.” — Marc Rittle
The Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast sits down with the featured authors of the Society of the Arts’ Cocktails with the Authors (October 15, 2025) and Luncheon with the Authors (October 16, 2025).
This year’s lineup includes: • Adriana Allegri, debut author of The Sunflower House • Alison Gaylin, Edgar and Shamus Award–winning author of We Are Watching • Jason Rekulak, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Pictures and The Last One at the Wedding
These events bring acclaimed authors to Allentown for conversations, panel discussions, and book signings. Proceeds benefit arts education at the Allentown Art Museum, the SOTA Print Fund, and the SOTA Education Endowment.
Special thanks to sponsors: Michael Bernadyn with RE/MAX Real Estate, Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub, Banko Beverage Company, Wind Creek Event Center, WDIY 88.1 FM
For more than a century, A-TREAT has been part of the Lehigh Valley story. The sodas and seltzers we grew up with, the flavors that feel like home. Now the brand is doing something new: using that fizz to fight pediatric cancer.
In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast we are on site at the A-TREAT facility with Luke Jaindl, Vice President of Jaindl Companies, and Michelle Zenie Rounds, Executive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley (PCFLV).
Together they share the story behind “Fizz That Fights” Lemon Twist Seltzer, a limited edition release that puts community first. Every bottle helps raise awareness and support for PCFLV’s mission to provide hope, programs, and direct assistance to more than 450 local families navigating childhood cancer.
We talk about:
How the A-TREAT and PCFLV partnership came to life
Why local matters, from Jaindl’s rescue of A-TREAT in 2015 to PCFLV’s hyperlocal mission
The importance of awareness initiatives like “30 Days, 30 Stories” during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month
A-TREAT’s unique place in Lehigh Valley history, from Big Blue to holiday flavors, and what the future looks like
Listen in for community, history, and a whole lot of fizz.
On this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, George Wacker sits down with Michael Fickes, songwriter and frontman of Roman Patterns, to talk about the band’s debut full-length album Somewhere on the Highway, out now on Shaky Records.
The album follows their 2024 Darts EP and features 11 brand new tracks, including the singles Modern Man and Daylight Saloon, plus a reimagined cover of Fuel’s hit Hemorrhage (In My Hands). Recorded and produced at Shaky Records, the album blends grunge and alternative rock influences from the late 90s and early 2000s with modern indie rock sensibilities.
Michael shares how his creative partnership with producer Shaky reignited after a long break from music, how family and friends contributed to the record, and why Roman Patterns is focused on the studio rather than the stage — at least for now.
On this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we’re joined by Devika Knafo, the organizer behind The Mom Market, a vibrant new pop-up event coming to the Bethlehem Rose Garden on August 24.
The Mom Market is designed to celebrate and support mom and women entrepreneurs in the Lehigh Valley, featuring artisan goods, local businesses, wellness vendors, food, and entertainment in a family-friendly community setting.
We talk about how Devika came up with the idea, the challenges moms face balancing business and family, and why creating spaces for women to connect, collaborate, and grow is so important. She also gives us a preview of the day’s schedule, from community yoga to kids’ storytime and even Disney princess dance-offs, and shares what’s next for this seasonal series of markets.
On this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we’re joined by Kenna DeValor, a poet, publisher, and founder of FlowerMouth Press. Kenna’s new poetry collection DISCOFRUIT is a shimmering celebration of queer identity, vulnerability, and joy.
We talk about how the book was born in a small Poconos café under a disco ball, Kenna’s creative upbringing in Coopersburg and Charter Arts, and how FlowerMouth Press grew from a solo idea in 2019 into a nonprofit platform amplifying Gen Z voices around the world.
We also explore the importance of art, physical media, and why the next generation isn’t done with poetry.
What started as three filmmakers meeting at a Wegmans café has grown into one of the Lehigh Valley’s most collaborative creative communities. In this episode, George talks with Dawn Daignault, Michael Sheridan, and Vince Stahl, the founders of Route 22 Filmworks — a grassroots filmmaking group that now boasts more than 200 members and an annual film festival at Bethlehem’s Ice House.
We discuss the group’s origins, how they’ve built a space where newcomers and seasoned pros collaborate on no-budget films, and why their festival focuses on showcasing local talent. They also share behind-the-scenes stories, the unique challenges of keeping films under 20 minutes, and why they believe the Valley’s indie film scene is thriving.
Did you know that 62% of Americans are eligible to donate blood, but only 2–3% actually do?
In this episode of Off the Record with Lehigh Valley with Love, we sit down with Rami Nemeh, President & CEO, and Lina Barbieri, VP of Communications and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Miller-Keystone Blood Center, to explore the very real crisis facing our region’s blood supply — and what it will take to fix it.
With cohost Jeff Warren, we hear powerful stories of survival (including one that hits close to home for Jeff), and we learn how Miller-Keystone is using apps, AI, and even virtual reality to modernize donation and inspire the next generation of donors.
💡 Key stats we discuss: – 62% of Americans can give blood, but only 2–3% do – Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood – 60% of local donors are over age 55 – Only 5% are ages 18–25
In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we talk with Henry Rouhana, founder of Sure Fix Remodeling in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Henry’s story begins in Lebanon, where he spent summers on construction sites and found inspiration watching architects bring spaces to life. After earning his architecture degree from ALBA in Beirut, Henry immigrated to the United States with his wife and two young children.
Starting over was not easy. With no money and no resources beyond his determination, Henry launched Sure Fix Remodeling. Over time, his business grew to include a full showroom and a trusted team of family members.
Today, Sure Fix is known for its commitment to design, craftsmanship, and treating every client like family.
