Pine Island Experience

Brian Maclean helps Pine Islanders get where they need to go, with reliability, a great personality, and a genuine enjoyment of what he does. 🏝️🚖🧳✈️ When we asked Brian what he hopes someone remembers about his service after he drops them off … ✨ “That I was affordable. That I was reliable. Being on time, my grandfather taught me if I’m not early, I’m late. And I’ve got yelled at before for being early. And I just say I’m sorry but I can come back and I can’t guarantee you’ll be on time. It just changes the tune right away. I’ll arrive early and I’ll maybe wash the windows or sweep out the car. I try to make it clean and presentable. Unless you’re going to the beach every day you’re going to have a pound of sand in the car. I try to avoid that.” — Brian Maclean, BMac Taxi Services Affordability, Reliability and Peace of Mind ❤️ 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Check out BMac online and reserve a ride: https://taxiride.me/ 📱Text or Call Brian: (239) 240-9128 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

What did Jim Wentz do when no one volunteered to lead Pine Island F.I.S.H. — Fellow Islanders Sending Help? Jim volunteered himself! And after talking with Jim, we discovered that he and Jan don’t simply run an organization. They are part of the volunteer team, the administrative team, the fundraising team, the coordination team—and when a volunteer isn’t available, they step in themselves. At the heart of F.I.S.H. is something very Pine Island: ❤️ People taking care of people. 🌴🏝️ 👩🏼‍🦽👨🏻‍🦼‍➡️𓋿🩼📚🎒🏫 👟👕 👖👼🎄🎁 ⚽ 🧸🚗 🚂💳 But there’s one thing F.I.S.H. needs more of: volunteers. ✨ “The only thing we don’t have is a big enough volunteer base. Partly that’s a blessing, partly that’s a curse.” — Jim Wentz Maybe you’ve thought: “I’d love to volunteer, but I just don’t have much time.” Jim has an answer for that. ✨ “We don’t have a normal volunteer structure. It’s not one day a week or one week a month or one month out of the year. It’s when our phone rings, we call a volunteer and see if they’re available to take somebody to a doctor’s appointment…” You don’t have to commit to a regular schedule. When someone needs help, F.I.S.H. calls volunteers to see who is available. And Jim says you can simply call the F.I.S.H. phone line at 239-283-4442 and ask to be contacted about volunteering. Sometimes a couple of hours is all it takes to make a difference in a neighbor’s life. ❤️ 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Check out Pine Island F.I.S.H.: pineislandfish.org 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

John Duckworth believes great service starts with showing up, communicating clearly, and doing the job right. 🚜🌴🪴🌺🌳🏡🌿 But after talking with John, we discovered that what he provides goes beyond lawn care. Sometimes great service is simply giving someone peace of mind. When John told us what he wants for his customers, we knew he had summed it up perfectly: ✨ “They just want to be able to be kept. Where they can walk out and enjoy what they have and not have to worry having to drag palm fronds or the grass overgrowing their flower beds or their yards getting twelve or sixteen inches tall.” — John Duckworth Taking care of your yard—and you. ❤️ 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Check out Pine Island Lawn Service: pineislandlawnservice.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

Meet Suzanne Wilson, the creative force behind Sew Nautical’s beautiful custom window treatments, upholstery and marine interiors. 🌴🛋🪡✂️🛳⛵🚤 Have you ever wondered how custom drapery, re-upholstered furniture, or those comfortable marine chairs and benches come to life? Suzanne joined us to share how she does it—and the story of how her love of sewing began when she was growing up. What started as something she loved doing became a business that allows her to combine creativity, craftsmanship and, most importantly, her desire to make her customers happy. We asked Suzanne which project made her the most proud. Her answer says so much about the way she feels about her work: ✨ “I think all of them have. I couldn’t say that one was better than another. Just to see my clients when they smile when it’s all done and you take a room and you breathe new life into it. They all stand out, to be honest.” — Suzanne Wilson 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Checkout the Sew Nautical website: sewnautical.net 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

Meet Linda Bohacek, President of the St. James City Civic Association! 🌴 What do you think happens inside the Civic Association? If you’ve driven past it—or even attended an event there—you may be surprised by just how much this organization offers the Pine Island community. 🏓 Ping pong,🥌 Shuffleboard,💃 Zumba,🎨 Painting,🀄 Mahjong,🎤 Open Mic,🧶 Crochet,🌿 Nature activities,🍽️ Community meals …and so much more! But Linda says it’s about more than activities. It’s about bringing people together, making friends, welcoming newcomers, and creating a place where people can belong. Linda also shares how her father’s example inspired her passion for helping others and led her into a life of volunteering. ✨ “You’re going to get more out of life if you help others and I kind of fell into his footsteps.” — Linda Bohacek 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app 🌐 Checkout the SJCCA website and see what’s happening: sjccapi.org 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

Meet Matthew Morrison of Coastal Salt Soap Company 🌊 🧼 🛁 🧴  🧢 Through years of research, hard work, and determination, Matthew has turned a personal challenge into a business that’s making a difference—one customer at a time. Join us as Matthew shares the remarkable story of how Coastal Salt Soap Company was created, why it was so important to him,  and how he made his company a success. Hear how Matthew is driven to help others and provide the best soaps out there. He continues to expand his business and help others that not only deal with skin issues, but to also provide soaps to the everyday consumer. All of his soaps are carefully handmade with the finest products of soap base and essential oils. ✨“If I can make a difference in someone else’s life, even it it’s a small touch, it makes my day.” — Matthew Morrison 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected] 🌐 Order products at: coastalsaltsoapcompany.com/

🐮🫏 🐑🐔🏝️  Green Thumb Ranch How do you go from buying five acres for a man cave… to creating a ranch filled with miniature cows, donkeys, sheep, chickens, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, fresh eggs, and even a coffee roasting business? 💚 Meet Derick and Johanna Moreno, the owners of Green Thumb Ranch in Bokeelia. What began as an unexpected purchase became a place of healing, family, and community. Today, visitors of all ages can experience the joy of meeting their friendly farm animals, exploring the ranch, and enjoying coffee grown on the Moreno family’s farm in Nicaragua and roasted right here on Pine Island. Join us as Derick and Johanna share the remarkable story of how Green Thumb Ranch came to be, why they love opening it to the community, and how life’s unexpected turns often become the greatest adventures. ✨“I grew up on a farm in Nicaragua … I wanted to go ahead and grow my own food.  You buy food and you don’t know what they are putting on our food  We have 140 fruit trees.  80 of those are avocados.  Hopefully we will be selling some fruit.  We have 20 mangoes and 9 lychees and other fruit trees.  I’ve been blessed.  You do everything at the beginning correctly so down the line it’s less work.” — Derick Moreno 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Look at Upcoming Events and Book a tour: greenthumbranch.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

🏠 🏡🏝️  Matlacha Tiny Village and Nautical Tiki Cruises 🌊 🛖⚓ Bri and Taylor Johnson took a leap of faith when they chose Matlacha to build their future. As the new owners of Matlacha Tiny Village and Nautical Tiki Cruises, they’re investing in more than two businesses—they’re investing in our community. We talked about restoring a waterfront property, creating memorable experiences on the water, raising a young family, and why they believe Matlacha is such a special place 💛. 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com 🌐 Book your stay:  matlachatinyvillage.com 🌐 Book your cruise: nauticaltiki.com 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at: pineislandexperience.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

For Christine Karow, success isn’t measured by how many haircuts she can do in a day — it’s about helping people feel confident, cared for, and beautiful when they walk out the door. 💛 In this episode, we sit down with Christine Karow, owner of Christine Karow Hair Designs and Massage, to talk about her lifelong dream of becoming a hairstylist 💇‍♂️, her passion for creativity, and the meaningful relationships she has built with clients throughout the years on Pine Island. Her beautiful salon, filled with artwork from local artists including Mel Meo and Leoma Lovegrove, reflects the warm and welcoming atmosphere she and her talented team create every day. From stunning hairstyles to relaxing massages 💆‍♀️, Christine and her staff have created a place where people can relax, recharge, and feel good about themselves. We also talk about changing hair trends, creativity behind the chair, and yes… even the return of the mullet. 😊 ✨“Things always seem to come back around like the mullet. Right? We’ve seen that come right back. It’s come back with the kids. They put a different spin on it… you can be creative and switch it up a little bit by taking something old and making it new.” — Christine Karow 🌐 Visit Christine Karow Hair Designs and Massage: https://christinekarowhairdesigns.com 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at: pineislandexperience.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]

🏝️ Saving Pine Island: Big Wins, Bold Moves & What’s Next Robert Ballard returned to the podcast to share everything that’s happened with the Calusa Land Trust since our last interview in 2023 — and the momentum is remarkable. From major land acquisitions like Chipley’s Sandpatch Preserve to the mission to re-pine 🌲 Pine Island and celebrate 50 years of conservation, the Calusa Land Trust continues working to protect the island’s future one piece of land at a time. In this episode, Robert also shares something many of us never realized: why a simple $25 membership means so much to the organization’s ability to grow, secure grants, and continue preserving the land we all love. After serving as President of the Board, Robert recently stepped into the role of Chief Land Steward, continuing a lifelong commitment to protecting Pine Island 🏝️ for future generations. ✨ “We don’t have any paid staff. We’re all volunteers, but we’re still going strong. People recognize us as a unique group of volunteers trying to preserve this island — and that means a lot to me as a native Pine Islander.” — Robert Ballard 🌐 Learn more or become a member: calusalandtrust.org 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at: pineislandexperience.com 📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: [email protected]