This episode is a first for me. As some of you may know, I record these episodes months in advance and have collected 6 months' worth of podcasts to put out.

With times like this, I reached out to Scott Atwell, the Executive VP & CEO of the Key West Chamber of Commerce to bring you as many helpful tips as we can for your business. We recorded this episode on April 2nd, and it is airing on April 3rd, so we can provide the best up to date information.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Alex Risius (Assistant Program Director) and Mill McCleary (Executive Program Director) to talk about the data behind what's happening to our coral reefs.

We talk about how Reef Relief® is making a difference on a global scale, and how tiny changes you make, can make a big difference to our oceans.

Reef Relief® is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving and protecting our coral reef ecosystem.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Len Johnson, the co-owner of Better Than Sex - A Dessert Restaurant, to talk about where Len's wife Dani gets her inspiration as head baker, and how she "tested" her recipes on all their dinner guests.

We talk about the genius behind the restaurant's name (it was all Dani's idea), how they had the "guts" to even start this business after the recession, and how changing their client focus catapulted the brand.

Be on the lookout for the Better Than Sex podcast, and don't forget to visit any one of their many locations to try, "Cookie Nookie Pie," Between My Red Velvet Sheets Cheesecake," "Peanut Butter Perversion," "The Morning After," just to name a few.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with local brand creator and artist Cristina Velardi.

We talk about where the vision of the brand came from, how she ended up at the Art Shack, how she got started in screen printing, and how patience has been her biggest strength.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with yogi, chef, and all-around awesome person, Sofia Artola.

We talk about the transition going from student to teacher to business owner, moving locations (twice), and incorporating the cafe into the space, creating a full organic experience.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with celebrity chef Graham Dailey of the famed Cafe Marquesa.

We talk about his early beginnings at the Peninsula Grill as the Executive Chef, to professional kitchens in New York City, where he worked under well-known Chef Anthony Bourdain.

Later on, Chef Graham moved to Paris and became the first American to apprentice at the Michelin star-rated Hotel Lutetia, one of France's most prestigious hotels; to now find his new home in Key West at Cafe Marquesa.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with the family (almost the entire family) behind Tropical Vibes Cones & Bowls.

We talked about family values, how the business got started, and how their love for the community is the driving force for the business.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Michael Halpern to talk about life at the famed Southernmost House, his wife's beautiful foundation (Michelle's Foundation), and the wonderful things the B&B is doing for the community.

We share some NYC stories, revel in how kindness and old school morals matter, and how Michael pulled off the cleanup of the "quiet end" of Duval Street.

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Raymond Vazquez of the famed real estate brokerage firm, Truman & Co.

We talk about oil spills, fly fishing, and of course Real Estate :-)

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Key West local Nick Norman to talk about where he started, and where he is going.

We find out how he got started with music and how he is constantly working to "sharpen the sword" of his craft.

This is one of my favorite interviews so far because Nick is so easy to talk to and talks about his career as an open book. 

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Alessandra Torre, an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-two novels.

We talk about how a summer project turned into her first novel, and how tweaking a couple of words on the Amazon description had her go from 10 sales per day to over 2000 per day.

If you are interested in writing a book, publishing, or how to even get started, this episode is for you!