It's Happenin' In the Haven

On today's episode, we speak to Ashley Tucker, VP of Sales and Marketing at Blue Line Aviation. We chat about Blue Line's unquote training program, their experience doing business in Winter Haven and much more.

On Episode 153: The Pet Healer, we speak to Dr. Mitsie Vargas, Founder of Orchid Springs Animal Hospital. She shares about her love for Winter Haven, her long career in veterinary medicine, using acupuncture at the clinic and much more.

On Episode 152: Musical Roots in Winter Haven, we speak to Hunter Smith, singer, songwriter and commercial insurance agent with Mulling Insurance. We talk about his experience growing up in Winter Haven, falling into singing and songwriting, his musical inspirations and more. 

On Episode 151 we speak to Keisha Pyzynski, Founder, Creative Director, Designer at Key Design & Media. Keisha shares about her journey to Winter Haven, her experience as an entrepreneur in the digital marketing and video industry and the upcoming projects she's most looking forward to.

On Episode 150: From Undercover to Winter Haven's Favorite Coach, we are joined by Alex Santiago. We talk about his journey to Winter Haven, his time with the police force in New York City, his community involvement, and everything in between!

On Episode 149: Designing Opportunities for All, we are joined by Tresa Warner, Director of IMAG Academy at Lake Region High School. We talk about her experience getting started with teaching, founding the IMAG program, her involvement with the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, and much more!

On Episode 143 we take a trip down memory lane with some of our favorite episodes from past seasons! On this Best Of episode, you will hear from former Professional Wakeboarder, Zane Schwenk, Public Works Director for the City of Winter Haven, MJ Carnevale, and the team with Adler's.

On Episode 142: Getting to Know Brianna, we interview the Winter Haven Chamber's Marketing & Communications Manager and our podcast host, Brianna Price. Brianna shares all about how she came to Winter Haven, her excitement for motherhood and much more.

On Episode 141: Winter Haven Chamber Update, the team gets together to give you the scoop on all things Winter Haven Chamber! We chat about the Capital Campaign, Leadership Winter Haven, upcoming events and more. Tune in now!

On Episode 140: Getting to Know Miah, we speak with Miah Bennett, the Chamber's Information Center Concierge. Miah shares about her journey to Winter Haven, her Masters program and everything in between!

On Episode 139: Collaborating for Community Growth, we speak to the Senior Vice President & COO of the Central Florida Development Council, Lindsay Zimmerman. Lindsay shares about their collaborative efforts surrounding talent pipeline, working together to grow Polk County and more.

On Episode 138: The Legacy of Leadership Winter Haven, I speak to Cindy Price and Rick Hemenway, participants of Leadership Winter Haven Class 4. Cindy and Rick share about the impact Leadership Winter Haven made on them in 1984 and how beneficial the program still is today.

On Episode 137: Uniting Our Community, we speak to Dr. Rod Crowley, COO of United Way of Central Florida. Rod shares about the impactful programs they support at United Way and the collaborative partnerships they are leveraging to make a difference in Polk County.

On Episode 136: Collaboration with a Heart, we speak to Ann Claussen, Dr. Cara Nelson-James and Dr. Karen McKenzie with Central Florida Health Care. We chat about the incredible services they offer Winter Haven, as well as the impact they have made on Polk County during their 50 years in healthcare.

On Episode 135: Collaboration in Downtown, we speak with Chris & Amy Sexson, Owners of Destroyer Media. Chris and Amy share about their journey to Winter Haven and all of the ways they are collaborating to make Winter Haven the best place to play, stay, work and live. 

On Episode 131: Collaborating to Grow Polk County, we speak to Peyton & Raelyn with Visit Central Florida. Peyton and Raelyn share about the collaborative efforts of Visit Central Florida to bring people to Winter Haven and how those efforts are making a difference locally. 

On Episode 129: Life-Saving Collaboration, we speak to Charlie Bird, the City of Winter Haven's Director of Public Safety. Charlie shares about the collaborative approach that the Public Safety team is taking and the amazing impact it's having on Winter Haven.

On Episode 126: Journey from Germany, we speak to Inga Stettler, Business Manager here at the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Inga shares the story of how her family moved from Germany to the United States, her experience growing up in Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 125: Getting to Know Our Chamber Board Chairwoman, we speak to Dr. Falconetti, President of Polk State College. Dr. Falconetti is our 2022-2023 Chamber Chairwoman. On this episode, you'll get the inside scoop on all things Dr. Falconetti! 

On Episode 124: Making Winter Haven Home, we speak to Hannah Spivey, Events & Programs Manager here at the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Hannah shares about how she came to Winter Haven, her experience with events like the Kentucky Derby and the College World Series and everything you need to know as she heads out on maternity leave. 

On Episode 123: Lakes Management & Hurricane Prep, we speak to MJ Carnevale, Director of Public Works for the City of Winter Haven. MJ shares about lakes management, hurricane preparation and more. 

On Episode 122: Water Ski Hall of Fame, we speak to Justin Laferriere with Visit Central Florida! Justin shares more about all that the Welcome Center offers, the inside scoop on the incredible Water Ski Hall of Fame and much more. 

On Episode 121: Life on the Lakes, we speak with Rue Denton, Owner of Living Water Boat Cruises. Rue tells us about growing up on the Chain of Lakes, the amazing offerings they have at Living Water Boat Cruises, the incredible wildlife on the lakes and more. 

On Episode 120: A Week of Water Ski, some of the Chamber team gets together to talk about the International Water Ski Show coming to Winter Haven THIS week, all the incredible festivities in store and more. 

On Episode 119: Leaving a Legacy on the Lakes, we speak with Tricia Gurr with Marine Supply The Boating Center. Tricia shares about growing up in Winter Haven, what it's like operating a 70-year-old family business, the benefits of being on the Chain of Lakes and more. 

On Episode 118: No Place Like Home, we speak to Zane Schwenk, a former Professional Wakeboarder who got his start in Winter Haven. Zane tells us some wild stories about traveling, the X-games and more. He also tells us why Winter Haven is truly the best place for water recreation. 

On Episode 117: Winter Haven: A Little Slice of Heaven, we speak to Eddie, Waylon and Gigi with Freedom Boat Club. They share all about the perks of the club, the amazing stories from their members and why people come from all over to enjoy the Chain of Lakes. 

On Episode 116: Reimagining Treasures of Cypress Gardens, we speak with Nick Miller, Director of Operations at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Nick shares the exciting details of the newest attraction coming to LEOGLAND, Pirate River Quest. This ride will combine the history of Cypress Gardens and the excitement of LEGOLAND Florida Resort. 

On Episode 115: Paddling the Chain of Lakes, I speak with Kami Rickert, Owner of Paddleboard Winter Haven. Kami shares how Paddleboard Winter Haven is enhancing our lakeside lifestyle, the community that has grown from it and all they have coming this year. 

On Episode 114: Diving In to Natural Resources, we speak to Dustin Everitt with the City of Winter Haven & Shannon Carnevale with UF IFAS Extension Polk County. They share about all things natural resources, including taking a deep dive into our Chain of Lakes and even fun stories about opossum c-sections and more. 

On today's episode, we speak with Ryan Buckley with Polk County Sports Marketing. Ryan shares about the incredible things coming this fall to celebrate the 100 Years of Water Ski, how it will impact Winter Haven and much more.

Season 5 of It's Happenin' In the Haven podcast launches next week! This season's theme is: Lakeside Lifestyle. 2022 has been a big year for our lakes as we celebrate the 100 Years of Water Ski! It's been great to reminisce on the history of the lakes, while also getting to celebrate all that lakeside lifestyle is today! 

Tune in every week to hear all about one of Winter Haven's biggest assets, the Chain of Lakes. These episodes will feature restaurants, recreation, history and much more. And not to mention the incredible people who help make lakeside lifestyle possible in Winter Haven. 

So subscribe to the podcast. Put on your headphones next Monday. And get ready for an incredible season. 

On Episode 111: Maximizing Your Chamber Membership, we hear from our very own Membership & Sponsorship Development Manager, Ana Saavedra. Ana takes us on a deep dive into getting the most from your membership with details on the things you may not know about membership to all of the perks that make being a member of the Chamber a necessity in being a vibrant, growing business.

On Episode 110: Winter Haven Chamber Team Take Over, the Chamber team steps up to the mic for a fun game of Winter Haven trivia and to talk about all of the exciting events coming up this fall. Don't miss an episode full of laughs and events you don't want to miss!

It's time for another Best Of episode! On this episode you will hear from Benjamin Vickers, Owner of Honeycomb Bread Bakers, Steve and Lisa Bates, Owners of Black Oak Creative and Brad Beatty, Executive Director for Heart for Winter Haven. 

On Episode 107: The Winter Haven Library, we speak to Cori Greear, the Public Services Librarian for the Winter Haven Public Library. Cori shares more about the history of the library, the numerous FREE resources they offer, how she came to Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 106: The Winter Haven Hug, we speak to Owners of Adlers, Jackleen and Wade Walston. Jackleen and Wade share about their journey to downtown Winter Haven, how collaboration has impacted their business and exciting things coming down the pipeline.

On Episode 105: Healthcare Beyond the Doctor's Office, we speak to Aimee Keller Pickford, Chief Operating Officer for AdventHealth Heart of Florida. Aimee shares about her longtime career in healthcare, how AdventHealth aims to collaborate with and serve Polk County and exciting things on the horizon.