Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins

Hair removal shouldn’t feel like a gamble. We sit down with Emilie Wilson, owner of Simply Sugared Aesthetics in Denver, to explore a gentler way to get smooth: sugaring. Using a simple paste of sugar, lemon, and water, sugaring removes hair from the root without the heat of traditional wax and without stripping live skin. If you’ve struggled with redness, irritation, or ingrowns, this conversation opens the door to a method that c...

Your skin routine might be doing too much. We sat down with esthetician and studio owner Demetria Wildenstein of Skin by Demi to unpack why sensitive skin responds best to fewer products, smarter ingredients, and a patient plan that protects the barrier. Demetria brings a rare blend of experience to the table: massage therapy, cosmetology, and aesthetics licenses, years in medical settings, and two decades running a studio on South...

Need help at home but unsure where to start? We sit down with Eric Burnett of Humble Horizons Home Health to demystify modern home care and show how skilled support can fit your life instead of forcing your life to fit care. From nursing and therapy to respite and homemaking, this veteran-owned team builds flexible plans that keep people safe, mobile, and independent in their own homes.

Eric explains how home health differ...

Buying a home shouldn’t require a translator. We sat down with mortgage pro Conor Bodaken to turn industry jargon into plain English and give you a practical roadmap for buying, refinancing, or scaling an investment portfolio. Conor came up through private banking, entered lending during the rate boom, and learned the deeper lesson fast: long-term success comes from relationships, not headlines. He shares how a discovery-first appr...

What if “do no harm” guided every choice your clinician made? We sit down with Tanna Donaldson of Redbud Medical Spa in Denver to explore what happens when you leave a metrics-obsessed system and rebuild care around trust, prevention, and natural results. The conversation moves from subtle aesthetics to functional medicine, showing how real wellness emerges when treatments are tailored to the whole person, not just the symptom in f...

Great eyebrows don’t shout; they frame, lift, and quietly change how you carry yourself. That’s the craft Zenobia Rivera has honed as The Eyebrow Lady, a Denver specialist who’s turned precise shaping and thoughtful maintenance into a confidence-building ritual for people of every age and gender.

We explore how a front-desk job at a five-star spa sparked a career, why New York taught the standards but Denver became home, a...

A lost farm, an oil rig where a home once stood, and a promise to protect families from ever facing that kind of surprise again—this conversation with attorney Jillian Hishaw is a masterclass in turning hardship into service. We sit down with the founder of Hishaw Law to unpack the real-world tools that help people keep their homes, preserve their vehicles, and reset crushing debt without losing everything. If you’ve ever believed ...

What if the fastest way to remove rust, paint, and stains didn’t touch the surface at all? We sit down with Jim Ford, the owner of Bison Laser Cleaning, to unpack how laser surface cleaning delivers precise, eco-friendly results across homes, classic cars, and industrial settings. Jim explains how he dials in power, frequency, and speed so the laser vaporizes coatings while protecting wood grain, thin steel, textured molds, and del...

Craving a story as satisfying as a great taco? We sit down with Berenice Longoria of The Taco Stop to trace a 13-year journey from a street cart on College and Oak to a full restaurant that opened in the middle of COVID—powered by grit, community, and standout flavors that honor heritage and spark curiosity.

We talk candidly about what the restaurant grind really looks like: thin margins, long hours, and the unglamorous wo...

A tiny measurement can decide whether your airbag fires on time. That’s the line that stayed with us as we sat down with Megan Mueller of Ozzie's Body Shop, a Loveland institution that’s been restoring vehicles—and trust—since 1967. What starts as a neighborhood story quickly opens into a masterclass on modern collision repair, from high-strength steel and aluminum to carbon fiber, ADAS calibration, and the precise steps that ...

What if aging well had less to do with marathons and more to do with small, steady moves you can stick to? We sit down with Yvonne Hanning of Willow Tree Studios to explore how online fitness for active agers turns consistency into confidence, balance, and real-world strength. Yvonne’s clients—ages 65 to 90—join live on Zoom or catch classes on their schedule, making fitness accessible for caregivers, travelers, and anyone who pref...

Ever seen a small dance company move a whole city? We sit down with Mary Elizabeth Lenahan of Dance Express, a Fort Collins nonprofit where adults with and without disabilities create performances that feel joyful, honest, and deeply human. What began with her sister Theresa’s love of rhythm has grown into a recognized cultural force, recently honored as a Legend of Dance by the University of Denver’s Dance Archive.

We dig...

Warm water changes how the body listens. We sit down with Gina Michelle of Malama Massage and Bodywork to explore aquatic bodywork inside a purpose‑built, 22‑foot therapy pool in Fort Collins—and why buoyancy, heat, and gentle movement can calm an overworked nervous system faster than a traditional table session.

Gina traces her arc from the high‑pressure music industry to decades of massage therapy and a dozen years pract...

What if dinner could be both deeply nourishing and easier than takeout? We sit down with holistic personal chef Angie Spuzak to explore how in-home cooking and weekly meal delivery can transform family food routines without blowing the budget. Angie walks us through her model—organic, seasonal ingredients, nutrition-forward menus, and zero use of bad oils or refined sugar—so every plate supports energy, recovery, and real-life sche...

What if the part you need doesn’t exist—or no longer exists? We sit down with product designer Nick Cassidy of Kano 3D Services to show how local 3D printing turns napkin sketches, broken bits, and bold ideas into precise, durable objects you can actually use. From fixing a dishwasher knob to launching a small-batch product, Nick breaks down the process that takes you from concept to CAD to a finished print you’ll be proud to hold....

Some career pivots change more than a job title—they redefine how you solve problems for people at life’s highest stakes. Nick sits down with Fort Collins broker Fred Porter, who left engineering to build a family-run real estate firm that blends technical rigor with neighbor-first service. Fred breaks down why Colorado’s market demands more than a quick search: expansive soils that can shift foundations, radon that requires testin...

Suffering doesn’t have to be the story. Mary Richardson, founder of Evolve Healing Therapies, joins us to explore psycho-spiritual healing that blends compassionate inner work, integration, and a surprisingly practical path back to the authentic self. From her early career as an Army physical therapist to a life-changing motorcycle accident and a years-long recovery from TBI, Mary shares what happens when identity cracks—and how he...

What if the best event training for kids comes from the world of high-end hospitality? We sit down with Gina Maez, the heart behind Little Hands Play Studio in Old Town Fort Collins, to explore how a veteran bartender and event pro reimagined a space designed for preschoolers first—safe, creative, and genuinely fun. From cape-making and slime labs to stomp-rocket launches, Gina shows how a child-first approach can be both calm and ...

If you’ve ever wondered whether couples therapy actually works—or worried it’s only for the brink—this conversation with Dr. Tasha Seiter offers a grounded, hopeful reset. We dig into why waiting six to seven years to get help is common, why it makes change harder, and how early, evidence-based counseling can quickly shift the patterns that keep partners stuck. Drawing from Emotionally Focused Therapy and Gottman research, Tasha sh...