Maine For Keeps
Maine For Keeps
Podcast Description
Welcome to Maine For Keeps, hosted by Jonathan Bush. Each week, we're sitting down with real Mainers - from small business owners fighting to survive, to industry leaders and innovators, to working folks trying to make ends meet - for raw, unfiltered conversations about:
→ The real stories of what's killing Maine jobs (like the 174 we just lost at the cement plant)
→ How Maine's smartest businesses are finding ways to win despite the obstacles
→ Why "environmental protection" often hurts both business AND the environment
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores critical issues affecting Maine's economy, highlighting themes like job loss, business innovation, and the impact of environmental policies. Episode examples include discussions on the loss of jobs at local cement plants, strategies employed by profitable companies, and the complexities of regional energy policies, with a focus on how these factors influence the state's economic landscape.
Welcome to Maine For Keeps, hosted by Jonathan Bush. Each week, we’re sitting down with real Mainers – from small business owners fighting to survive, to industry leaders and innovators, to working folks trying to make ends meet – for raw, unfiltered conversations about:
→ The real stories of what’s killing Maine jobs (like the 174 we just lost at the cement plant)
→ How Maine’s smartest businesses are finding ways to win despite the obstacles
→ Why “environmental protection” often hurts both business AND the environment
What started in the basement of a YMCA is now one of the most innovative community centers in the country.
In this episode, Jonathan Bush sits down with Barrett Takesian, founder and executive director of Portland Community Squash, a one-of-a-kind community hub that blends sports, youth development, immigrant integration, and economic mobility under one roof.
Barrett shares how he turned a few squash courts into a multigenerational, multicultural home for over 1,000 families in greater Portland — and why it works.
We cover:
- Why programs that try to “pick a lane” fail — and what happens when you build for everyone
- How squash became the vehicle for something much bigger
- The business strategy behind belonging, and why it’s twice as effective as traditional models
- Why he runs tournaments by skill, not age or gender — and how that creates connection across class and culture
- What Barrett sees as Maine’s greatest untapped advantage
This is an episode about sports, yes — but more than that, it’s about community, entrepreneurship, and a radically hopeful vision for Maine’s future.
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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