Little Local Conversations

Matt Hanna
  • 5.0 (4)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

  1. Creative Chats With Erykah Chanel (What Does Your Next Level Actually Require of You?)

    1D AGO

    Creative Chats With Erykah Chanel (What Does Your Next Level Actually Require of You?)

    This is a recording from a series for the podcast at the Mosesian Center for the Arts called Creative Chats. I sat down for a live conversation with multidimensional entrepreneur Erykah Chanel to dig into the question: What does the next level actually require of you? Erykah shares her personal journey to discovering a framework (which she calls the Life of E's) that prioritizes things such as rest, clarity, and support rather than constantly going with the hustle. Then we open it up to audience Q&A on topics such as how do you ask the tough questions, getting over imposter syndrome to build community, how to prioritize within a life with multiple passions, and how find a balance between finding your tribe and seeking different opinions. Connect with Erykah on social @erykahchanel (Instagram, Facebook) Join the next Creative Chats event on March 6th Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    41 min
  2. Gallery Stories, February/March 2026: Magic, Layers, Solstice, Winter Showcase, Contemporary Landscapes

    6D AGO

    Gallery Stories, February/March 2026: Magic, Layers, Solstice, Winter Showcase, Contemporary Landscapes

    Discover the stories behind 5 art exhibitions going on in Watertown then go visit the galleries and experience the art yourself!  To see images of some of the pieces mentioned and more details about the shows, go to www.littlelocalconversations.com/episodes/gallery-stories-february-march-2026. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    41 min
  3. Local Government Update, February 2026

    FEB 16

    Local Government Update, February 2026

    Listen to the latest conversation with Tyler Cote, the Community Engagement Specialist for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV to discuss things that have happened during the past month in Watertown through key moments, success stories, and important numbers. Links mentioned in the episode: State House Testimony City Council - January 27th Civics Academy School Committee - January 26th Watertown Food Pantry Snow Ordinance Info Learn About Boards and Commissions Watertown Public Schools Website Watertown’s Open: Storytelling and Marketing for Solopreneurs City Update with City Manager George Proakis Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    36 min
  4. Episode 74: Laura Murray (Constituent Services Director, City of Watertown)

    FEB 11

    Episode 74: Laura Murray (Constituent Services Director, City of Watertown)

    Meet Laura Murray! She's the Constituent Services Director for the city of Watertown, which means she runs the 311 service center. In this conversation we chat about her early customer service lessons from a pizza shop to insurance call centers where she discovered she enjoys helping people even through their angry or confused moments. Then we get into what is 311, what went into launching the service, what are the most frequent questions she gets, success stories, and things she's learned through answering questions about city processes every day. Contact Laura and 311 (including now through text!): -Phone: Call 311 (or 617-458-8311 if outside the city) -Text: Send a message to 617-458-8311 -Email: 311@watertown-ma.gov -App: Use the Watertown MA mobile app for non-emergency requests Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    38 min
  5. Get to Know Your Local: Public Arts & Culture (February 2026)

    FEB 4

    Get to Know Your Local: Public Arts & Culture (February 2026)

    Want to know how ideas get turned into murals, festivals, and even a river race? I sat down with Watertown’s Public Arts and Culture Planner, Liz Helfer, to get a look into what's coming up for projects, but also to shed a little light on the process behind public art: where concepts start, how partners align, and why the best projects involve conversation between neighbors and experts.  Sign Up for the Watertown Arts and Culture Bulletin City of Watertown Public Arts and Culture Webpage Watertown Cultural District Website Community Sculpture Walk Expert Pairings Eco Fest Community Paddle Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    15 min
  6. Episode 73: Sarah Newhouse (Actors' Shakespeare Project)

    JAN 29

    Episode 73: Sarah Newhouse (Actors' Shakespeare Project)

    Meet Sarah Newhouse! She's a Watertown resident and founding company member of Actors' Shakespeare Project, a longstanding Boston-area theater company that is now company-in-residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. In this conversation we get into Sarah's career from her first lead at 11 in The Saving of Little Sarah (a play her music teacher wrote), to being taught in high school by the playwright of Driving Miss Daisy, sharing the stage with Cicely Tyson and Hector Elizondo in the Berkshires, and having an inside joke with Steve Martin when she acted in the East Coast premiere of one of his plays. We chat about the long road to "making it", including what it's like to be thrown into a long-running show like Shear Madness, and starting Actors' Shakespeare Project over 20 years ago. Then we talk about what Actors' Shakespeare Project is, a bit of its journey, and its upcoming play, Little Women. Find more info about Actors' Shakespeare Project here And grab tickets to see Sarah in Little Women at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in February here Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    49 min
  7. Episode 72: Benita Chelagat (Coffee Plus 254)

    JAN 22

    Episode 72: Benita Chelagat (Coffee Plus 254)

    Meet Benita Chelagat! She's a Watertown resident and founder of Coffee Plus 254, a Kenyan coffee brand. In this conversation we talk about growing up in Kenya, splitting time between the capital city, Nairobi, and her grandma's farm in Kericho. Then we get into her moving to the US for school and her coffee journey. You'll hear about her getting to know farmers back home in Kenya and their challenges with the coffee business and how Benita's set herself up to try and bridge the gap between those farmers and the roasters and market here in the US. Find out more at coffeeplus254.com or Instagram Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    45 min
  8. Local Government Update, January 2026

    JAN 15

    Local Government Update, January 2026

    Listen to the latest conversation with Tyler Cote, the Community Engagement Specialist for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV to discuss things that have happened during the past month in Watertown through key moments, success stories, and important numbers. Links mentioned in the episode: City Council - December 9, 2025 The City of Watertown Inauguration Ceremony - January 2, 2026 Information About the Alternative Pathway Program for Firefighter-Paramedics Shoveling Ordinance Information & Exemption Process Watertown Food Pantry Porch Food Pickup Historic District Historical Commission (Southside Report) Historical Society of Watertown River of Light (Listen to Event Highlight Podcast Episode) Walker Pond Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on. Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events. Thank you podcast sponsor Arsenal Financial! Listen to some Watertown Trivia on the podcast with Arsenal Financial's Doug Orifice. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks to podcast promotional partners, the Watertown Business Coalition and ...

    36 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Hanna
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Little Local Conversations
  • Show Website
    Little Local Conversations