On the mic: Sarasota Speax podcast gives a voice to local entrepreneurs and innovators
Sarasota’s reputation — that it’s slow, suspended in time, a haven for retirees, and a ghost town for everyone else — precedes it. But Trey Martell, Brad Hannon and Felipe Colon don’t buy the talk.
The three, all longtime residents and local businessmen, know a different Sarasota. They see a city brimming with passionate innovators, entrepreneurs and business owners. They see the second-fastest-growing city in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report, and the opportunities within.
“Everybody thinks Sarasota’s just a retired community, but that’s only part of the story,” Colon said.
Colon, Hannon and Martell decided to hold a microphone up to the other half of that story, launching their own podcast — Sarasota Speax — in June. The podcast sees its hosts interview prominent local figures to spotlight Sarasota’s shifting business and lifestyle landscapes.
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The trio connected when Martell, a lifelong Sarasota resident and owner of Strong Roofing, pitched the podcast to Colon, a financial adviser with Sanderling Partners, and Hannon, who owns multiple insurance firms. Martell noticed the disconnect between Sarasota’s reputation and reality, and he sought to dispel the old stereotypes on a modern, engaging platform.
“I wanted to promote Sarasota and entrepreneurs in Sarasota,” Martell said. “Just have interesting conversations with interesting people."
A podcast seemed like the perfect conduit. Martell recruited co-hosts Colon and Hannon, and lightning struck.
With backgrounds in business and a shared love of Sarasota, the three’s chemistry came easy, they said. Colon and Hannon only knew each other through Martell before the show, but they banter like old friends on the air.
The dynamic is down to a science now. If Sarasota Speax were a sports broadcast, Colon said, Hannon would handle play-by-play coverage, Martell would add big-picture strategy, and he would jump in with color commentary.
“It’s a natural conversation,” Colon said. “Almost like we’re having a coffee or a beer together.”
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That’s the appeal, the hosts said: a peer-to-peer approach in a casual atmosphere. The show’s makeshift recording studio in Hannon’s office is decked out in LED lights and decorated with a rotating cast of Funko Pops figurines and merch from the host’s companies. True to form, episodes are organic — unscripted, unfiltered and minimally edited.
Production, too, is DIY, with self-taught videographer Eric “E-Dub” Hollister manning the bulk of filming and editing and Morgan Steffes, Martell’s girlfriend, running the show’s social media. Guests are often friends or associates: selections from their Rolodexes of connections that include former “Teen Mom” star Mackenzie McKee and two Sarasota mayors.
The podcast’s first episode saw former mayor Erik Arroyo deliver an impassioned rundown on Sarasota’s abundance of roundabouts (he’s vehemently in favor of them), and since then, the podcast has quizzed big city players like Georgie’s Garden Café owner George Wood, personal injury attorney Tom Cherichello and 1-800-Ask-Gary founder Gary Kompothecras on similar local quandaries. The topic of opening Midnight Pass is a show favorite, and thus far, opinion’s been split.
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The show’s fun, fast format — with a “rapid fire” section that puts guests in the hot seat — has drawn local interest. The show's YouTube channel has garnered almost 400 subscribers and more than 46,000 total views, with several Instagram reels reaching views in the thousands.
“There’s some traction going on here,” Hannon said. “We want to use that platform to spotlight local small businesses.”
With the show in its early stages, the next steps are murky, but the trio has big plans. A more sizeable presence online and more resources could turn Sarasota Speax into its own media enterprise, a place where local businesses would seek to promote products and build brands. Steffes has already launched Sarasota Bites, an offshoot of the podcast that highlights local restaurants on Instagram, as a means to expand the brand.
For now, Colon, Hannon and Martell are using the area’s growth to dismantle old stereotypes. As Sarasota’s population climbs, the trio hopes new transfers begin to see the area for all it has to offer.
“There’s a whole crop of new folks,” Colon said. “They have a hunger to get involved, and this is a great point for them to learn.”
Contact Herald-Tribune Growth and Development Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sarasota Speax podcast spotlights local entrepreneurs
