Home in Maine, #89

Mike LePage:

I really view what we're in now as the service industry because we are really trying to help. When we're working with a buyer, we're trying to help them find what's right for them. And that's a process. It's very. It's a psychological, it's an emotional process, and one where the better you get to know your clients, the better that you can represent them.

Chris Lynch:

I still think it's a surprise to people when they, when they come just how rich the culture is here and the arts and the music. That there's, I think, a widespread misperception. And I think it comes from the misperception about the weather, you know, that Maine is dark, subarctic tundra nine months a year. The weather is much better, I think, than people think it is. And when they get here, they're really surprised at how rich and deep the culture is year round, not just in the summertime.

Rick Taranto:

You know, I've always thought that life is in the details. You know, it's those small moments, those small things, those that one tiny little perfect element that you carry with you and I think, remember, and it makes something so much more special. So I'm excited to have the opportunity to be working with clients and help them figure out what is that detail? What's the feeling that you're going to create in that environment to make it a special wedding, special event, whatever it is for you and your guests.

Lisa Medina:

It's really remarkable how far we've come. I mean, the insulin pump was the size of my head at some point, and then now it's just so small and so seamless and people are able to really take control. And I mean, we started out as a research organization. We're also focusing on prevention and management because we don't know when there's going to be that cure for type two and type one. So, you know, we really need to take all facets into consideration.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast Show Number 89, Home in Maine, airing for the first time on Sunday, May 26, 2013. On today's show we speak with guests who have ideas about what it is to have home in Maine. Our guests include Chris lynch, president of Legacy Properties, Sotheby's International Realty, and Mike lepage, owner agent from RE Max Heritage in Yarmouth. Also Rick Toronto, a business owner and homeowner in Kennebunkport, and Lisa Medina, the event manager of Tour de Cure Kennebunks. I have called Maine Home since 1977. My parents, both Maine natives, wanted their children to know their extended family. Having been born in Vermont during my father's final year of medical school, I spent my early years near the Navy bases in Virginia and Florida where my dad completed his family medicine training. When my parents suggested that we would be moving north, I was intrigued. A January baby, I had experienced snow on my birthday only once during a freak Jacksonville storm. I wanted to enjoy winter white, so I readily agreed to our family's journey back to the motherland. In retrospect, this may have been short sighted snow I have since seen aplenty Maine winters begin to seem pretty long by March. What I could not have known as a Florida first grader was that Maine would become my home indefinitely, or that it would ultimately become a home of choice rather than destiny. Maine is a complicated, often cantankerous state. It is not for the faint of heart. In addition to endless winters, we have our share of poverty and social woes. But but we who live here also have an accepting and indomitable spirit. We know what we have gotten ourselves into and we accept equally the challenges and the rewards. We relish the intensity of the short Maine summers and the beauty inherent in the landscape year round. We understand our good fortune. I came to Maine in 1977. I have traveled and lived elsewhere, but I choose to live in this great state. Maine is and will always be my home. We hope you enjoy our home in Maine. Conversations with Chris Lynch, Mike LePage, Lisa Medina and Rick Toronto.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Today in the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour, we're exploring the importance of homes and why people choose to make a home here in Maine.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I couldn't think of two better people to come in and talk about this notion than Christopher lynch, who is the president of Legacy Properties, Sotheby's International realty, and Mike LePage, broker owner of ReMax Heritage.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So thank you for coming in and having this conversation with me. It's good to see you both.

Chris Lynch:

Good to see you. Thanks.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And our listeners, longtime listeners, will know that Mike LePage has been on previously, I believe it was a year ago in January, talking about your very personal story and struggles with cancer and overcoming Sid's deaths and all these very interesting things that make you this wonderful person that I've loved to have in my life for a long time, not only

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

as my own personal real estate broker,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

but also my friend. So I hope people who are listening go back and listen to that show From January of 2012, that show, ironically called Joy. It's called Joy. Right. But that's the idea is that you actually, you've had these things happen and you've managed to find joy in your life. And Chris has also managed to find joy in his life because I had a conversation with Chris just yesterday talking about choices he's made to go from Wall street, you know, many hours, not that much time being able to be spent with your family and your kids, and just one day saying, you know what? I got to change my priorities. I've done what I need to do over here, and I'm going to move to Maine, and I'm going to do things differently. So, you know, it's interesting to have you here as people in the real estate field, but it's more interesting to have you here as people. Is it unusual for two people who are owners of their own agencies to sit together in a room and have a conversation like this?

Chris Lynch:

Not at all. And Mike and I spend time together in a number of different venues in real estate. And frankly, outside of real estate, one

Mike LePage:

of the things that people forget is that, you know, real estate transactions typically have two people coming together to either buy or sell a home. And usually there's a broker on either side of that. And the better that we know each other, the more we cooperate, the better it goes for both of our clients. And that's really been true with Kris.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In my experience, real estate strikes me as a very unique story sales situation because you aren't just selling a product or. And you're not just selling something that is impermanent. You're selling a very real part of a person's upcoming life. You're selling them possibly a piece of their dream.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Does that present challenges at times?

Mike LePage:

You know, I don't even think of it as sales. I had been in sales in my life before, and I really view what we're in now as the service industry because we are really trying to help. When we're working with a buyer, we're trying to help them find what's right for them. And that's a process. It's a psychological. It's an emotional process, and one where the better you get to know your clients, the better that you can represent them.

Chris Lynch:

We find that the emotional attachment that so many sellers have to their homes is where they raise their kids. It's where they had their daughter's wedding, it's where they had their sons graduation parties. It's where their whole life is wrapped up in all those memories on every corner of the house. And they attach a tremendous amount of value to that, including financial value. Where the buyer coming in doesn't have that, they're looking to clear that space and make their own memories going forward. So it is early on, it's very, very difficult.

Mike LePage:

And true for the seller, too. That emotional value of leaving a house is very real. Once over. The financial aspect of it, if they've lived there for 20, 30 years, their kids have grown up there, the little marks are on the wall where, you know, they grew another inch. Those things are very emotional for people, and it's a tough process to go through for them. But at the end of the day, I think it's part of our role to make it as smooth and seamless as it can be.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I can attest to this because, as I said, I've done a lot of buying and selling of houses with you, Mike. And I know that you and I spend a lot of time, I guess, driving around in cars and looking at various places. And it is. I think you're making an enormous decision about something that isn't always completely rational. It's a hard thing to try to bring both your brain and your heart together to make a decision that could have a really significant impact, not only emotionally, but financially.

Mike LePage:

And the bigger challenge sometimes is there's two brains and two hearts involved in the decision. So helping them find that match, too, is part of that creativity, I think.

Chris Lynch:

And the moving process brings out a lot of that emotion. And they're in the attic cleaning out boxes that they haven't opened in 25 years. One of my agents was just with a couple, and they pulled out a box that had. Their daughter is 40 years old, 41 years old, pulled out a mask that she wore in her third grade play, and they were arguing over whether to keep the mask or not, and brought back all those memories of the times in the house. And so it really is. It's that getting the two people on the same page to begin with and helping them understand that where they're going is probably going to be simpler, likely cheaper. And there's a sustainability element, you know, for their lives to moving on. But it's very hard to cut the cord.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you have to help people with the idea of letting go?

Mike LePage:

Yeah, that's a big part of it. Listening to Chris talk about that experience reminds me. I was with my sister, I grew up in Bath and I was with my sister this weekend visiting my parents. And we drove by the first house we ever lived in. And it's a tiny little ranch in Bath, Maine. And it just struck me how everybody needs four bedrooms, two and a half baths. And we grew up very happily for the first eight years of my life before we moved to only a slightly bigger house in this tiny little three bedroom house and a little neighborhood in Bath that was. Really grabbed me as a perspective that I hadn't had in a while.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Now, Mike, as you said, you grew up in Maine, you grew up in Bath. I know you went away and you came back. Chris, you grew up in Andover, Mass. And you spent time on Wall street and made this big decision to change. There was something about Maine for the two of you that caused you to come back here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What was it?

Chris Lynch:

For me, it was really the. It just seemed like a perfect place to raise kids. I had working on Wall Street, I was there for 17 years, typically left the house at 5, 5, 15 in the morning, got home between 9 and 10 at night on a good day, traveled quite a lot, both domestically and internationally. And we had three kids at home. And my wife, who I very rarely saw most of the weekends, were either working or recovering from the work week. And a month after my 38th birthday, came home and said, let's go do something different. Let's take the kids, let's go someplace where they can grow up a little more slowly, where they can really, where we can enjoy ourselves, enjoy our kids, enjoy our family. And the greater Portland area was one of the few spots as you go up and down the Eastern seaboard that has. We were also looking for more of a vacation element as well, outdoor lifestyle element, an oceanfront element that to have the school systems in the greater Portland area with the access to the ocean was really relatively unique. And the greater Portland area, frankly was substantially less expensive from an entry price point than places like Marblehead, Massachusetts, which would have been high on that list, or Annapolis, Maryland, which would have been high on that list. It was also much less crowded and we just felt it was going to create opportunities. Our kids at the time were going to fourth grade, second grade, kindergarten, and we just had a one year old. So it was a really neat time for us as a family to do something very different.

Mike LePage:

How did Maine hit your radar in the first place?

Chris Lynch:

I was a Bates grad, and so I came from Massachusetts to Bates Bates in New York. I knew Maine, I knew the greater Portland area, loved my time at Bates. And it just the lifestyle here, the fact that there's very little crime, very little traffic, easy access, was just. It had always been on my radar screen as a possible resting stop.

Mike LePage:

I think that's pretty common for a lot of people. I mean, Lisa and I were talking earlier about what first attracts people to Maine. Why do people return here after they've done some things in life? And I think in Maine in particular, there are a lot of touch points, like Bates, Bowdoin, Colby. Historically, the Naval Air Station in Brunswick is one of those places where people maybe only spent a year here, maybe two years, but something grabbed them. I mean, to me, in that Brunswick area, it's that drive out to Bailey's Island. I think in my mind, that's what people think of when they think, what is Maine like? And it is like that. But it's, of course, so many other things too.

Chris Lynch:

Summer camps. I had lunch yesterday with someone who was a camp counselor at one of the main camps back in the late 60s, early 70s, and he left the state. He wasn't living in the state at the time, just here for the summer and met his wife, then fiance. And the verbal prenup was that at some point they would have to live in Maine is that connection through being a summer camper and a summer camp counselor. And we hear that a lot. That connection with just some of the fantastic times in their lives, largely due to the outdoors, you know, just the fantastically beautiful lakes, ocean, mountains, hiking, woods, you know, it's just really special.

Mike LePage:

I worked for seven summers at one of those summer camps, and none of the campers were from Maine. And it's a camp that still exists. It celebrated its 95th anniversary last year. And I went and it was this great celebration. But a number of those campers who are now in their 50s like I am have a summer home in Maine on a lake, you know, just taking advantage of exactly what you were talking about. And there are so many camps in Maine, it's just a real draw. And that's their first experience, and they keep coming back.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the reasons that we Wanted to have you in today is because the Kenny Bunkport Festival is coming up very soon. I know that Legacy is a big sponsor of the Kennebunkport Festival. And Mike as. As someone from ReMax and ReMax is a sponsor of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. Dr. Lisa Radio Hour is very much affiliated with the Kennebunkport Festival.

Mike LePage:

All coming together.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

See how I made all those connections work? We wanted to talk about specifically why people, why that part of the world, why that part of the state, why Kennebunk has had such a draw? I mean, you have Walker Point, you

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

have the Bushes who live there still live there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This just seems to have become this great spot of activity and energy.

Mike LePage:

I mean, Chris really touched on it when he was talking about his story of moving to Maine. And part of it is, I think a lot of people, if they had the opportunity, would love to live in a home that looks at the ocean. And, you know, Maine has more waterfront than California and Florida combined.

Chris Lynch:

Right, Combined.

Mike LePage:

I was quoting you from last week, I think 3,500 miles. Yeah, over 3,000 miles of waterfront. That makes it affordable. And it's also as far north as you can go in the United States. And our population is low. So there's real opportunity for people to live for half price compared even less than that, compared to what it would be in Massachusetts, even New Hampshire, even. So that's the first point. But I think it's more than that.

Chris Lynch:

And I don't know what brought the Bushes to Kennebunkport originally. Maybe it was before my time. Maybe it was always a great destination. But clearly it's become very, very, very popular. And it's probably what we see in our business is probably the biggest feeder market for potential buyers. Not everybody buys in that market, but they come, they enjoy it. And maybe they're looking for something a little different, something a little more remote, a little more private, more peaceful, less expensive. It also happens to be one of the more expensive marketplaces in the state. But it really is a fantastic draw for people from all over the world and to come and dine and play on whale watches and harbor cruises and see the Bush estate and meet all kinds of interesting people, not just in the summer anymore, but year round now.

Mike LePage:

And it's also true, those people that spend some time in Kennebunkport, it doesn't take them very long before they go to a place and then they're known already. It's such an intimate place that relationships are built quickly and there's a familiarity that happens much faster in a place like Kennebunkport. That Dock Square area is just so small. You walk around twice, you start to see people that look familiar because you just saw them yesterday. Mabel's and Alison's restaurant and all of those places are just really great spots.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We'll return to our program in a Moment on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast. We've long understood the important link between health and wealth.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Here to speak more on the subject

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

is Tom Shepard of Shepherd Financial.

[Unidentified voice]:

Maine is my home. My home is in Maine. But what does it take to feel at home in Maine? Do you know what to do, where to go and who to go there with? When you do and it feels natural, then you'll know that you've made a home in Maine. But first, Maine wants you to discover what she has to offer and then make a place to create. There's more drama in this pattern of life here in Maine than some other places. That is what makes Maine a harder place to live and work, but in the end, a place that is far more rewarding. There is no auto road to the top of our tallest mountain, just a knife edge. And it surely can be said of this place, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. That is why I chose to make Maine my home. Not because I'm an idiot, but because I find more value in feeling the journey. If you need help designing your home in Maine, take send us an email to Tom shepherdfinancialmaine.com

Mike LePage:

The Maine association of Realtors has a campaign ongoing called Pinch Me. It's got a lobster on the on the advertisement for it and Pinch Me because second home in Maine is affordable and you know, mortgage interest deduction is one of those things that threatens the real estate business and sort of the privilege of home ownership. And we're working Hard to maintain that through our contacts in Washington D.C. and locally. But that whole piece of having a part of Maine in your portfolio, as inexpensive as it is, becomes really important to people.

Chris Lynch:

I travel the country and making presentations on Maine and what Maine has to real estate agents in different markets. I've been to New York and Boston, Washington D.C. montreal, down in Florida, across the California and I meet with agents and I usually start the presentation by saying I'm going to gas. And in Montreal I'm going to guess that everybody has a connection to Maine and Montreal. And There are about 50 or 60 agents in the room and they could all see, they were all nodding their heads yes, yes, yes. And I hosted gathering afterward and there was one woman who came up to me and said I don't have a connection. I said, I'm sure you do.

Mike LePage:

You do now.

Chris Lynch:

And it turns out as we talked through for about five minutes, her brother and sister in law summered in Ogunquit for five years. Going back about 10 years ago, she'd sort of forgotten. But from time to time they still talk about coming back, renting and possibly even buying a place in a gunquit. See, connection to Maine is really very deep and it's broad in all these cities in the feeder markets to Maine that everybody knows someone here, they've all been here to visit and they've all left with this feeling of what a

Mike LePage:

special place and this notion of second homes. I think many people think that someone from out of state is coming and buying, you know, a fairly expensive second home. But a very high percentage of the second homes in Maine are in the middle of the woods for taking advantage of that asset or on a lake, on a river, on a pond. On a pond. Just it's sort of a getaway, you know, what do they call it, a staycation stay in Maine for your vacation. Because a lot of people haven't really explored all that Maine is, you know, depending on where you are. You know, there's just some spots in Maine like Katahdin. I don't know what percentage of Maine have ever taken the trip out to Mount Katahdin, but one of those really special places that needs to be seen before you go to Boston.

Chris Lynch:

Even my wife hiked it last year and I canoed around it the year before. But I haven't gone to the top.

Mike LePage:

Let's do that.

Chris Lynch:

I know we should do that.

Mike LePage:

Okay.

Chris Lynch:

Before we get too old.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

All right. I feel like the inmates are really asylum a little bit here, but I think that you've Provided this really broad idea of why it is that people come to Maine, why it is that people stay in Maine.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I now both of you have

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

children who are on the older side, I guess. Mike, your kids are all. You have your final ones in college now, two seniors. Two seniors.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And Chris, you have a few more years. You have an 11 year old.

Chris Lynch:

I have an 11 year old, he's in fifth grade.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you think that you will stay in Maine once you've. I mean, you're in these great school systems, all of those things we just talked about. Will you stay in Maine once you're done raising your kids?

Mike LePage:

I don't know. I'll always have a place in Maine. I don't ever anticipate leaving Maine permanently. But with four kids, if, you know, if they're in a central place. I have two kids in Denver right now. So, you know, where's the ocean there. But I could see moving somewhere else, but always having an anchor here. But that's so far in the future. That's at least 10 years away.

Chris Lynch:

Same with us. But to answer your earlier question, a different way is so much of what drives that second home purchase is where their kids and grandkids are. And that attraction is. We do see a number of buyers who are buying homes today in hopes and expectations that their kids will come for the summer or if they're too busy working all summer, they'll send their grandkids for the summer and they'll get to enjoy Maine in a different way with their grandparents who now own a place on a lake in the woods, on the ocean in Maine.

Mike LePage:

I mean, really, we need to turn this around to you. You're one of 10 children who grew up in Yarmouth, Maine. Your parents are still there. What's the story with your siblings? What percentage of them are around? And your nieces and nephews and such. What do you think?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, you know, Mike, that's an interesting question and that we've had. Most of my siblings have gone away and many of them have come back. And I think the big draw is that my parents are still here. My parents made a conscious decision to stay here and they actually bought a big enough house so that all the grandkids can come stay. So I do think there's something very special about Maine and it keeps families here and it keeps them coming back and.

Mike LePage:

And that was part of our experiences. You know, when first married, my wife Megan and I moved to Seattle where she worked as a lawyer and we loved it. It was just a great city and the irony of it all was we kind of came back here the fourth summer that we were in Seattle and just for a vacation. And as we were on the plane heading back, we were kind of like, wow, what a tiny little place Maine is. Kind of. And that was in August. In October, we sat around the dinner table and said with our 2 year old, will we ever move back to Maine? And the answer to that was yes. And on December 27, we got in a car and drove back to Maine and my wife started working at a law firm with 21 other first year associates. And one of those is still in Seattle today. And we just felt really lucky that when we moved back to what we considered home, it was main for some of them. It was other places that I find less appealing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I really appreciate the support that both of you have offered Maine Magazine, Maine Home Design, have offered the Kenny Bunkport Festival upcoming, and have offered the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. And actually the support that Mike has personally offered me and my houses and the support, I know, Chris, that you've offered Kevin Thomas, the publisher of Maine Magazine. I mean, what you do is really important. People who are listening, it's really, really important. And it's so much more than, as we've said about sales. It really is helping sort of build the community. So you're doing really good work and I'm glad you took the time to come in and talk to me today.

Chris Lynch:

Well, thank you for inviting us.

Mike LePage:

It was fun.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've been talking with Christopher lynch, who

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

is the president of Legacy Properties, Sotheby's

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

International realty, and Mike Lepage, broker owner of ReMax Heritage. The goal of the Dr. Lisa Radio

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Hour is to help make connections between the health of the individual and the health of the community. The goal of Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes is to deepen our appreciation for the natural world. Here to speak with us today is Ted Carter.

[Unidentified voice]:

This morning, as I was walking my dog, as I do every morning bright and early, the birds are out, the sun's just coming up, my landscape is coming alive where I can see it again. And I was very interested to see the goose flying east. It was actually two geese and they were flying east. And I went into my meditation room to check what that really meant. And Mother Goose is all about childhood fairy tales. The story of our childhood or the stories in our childhood. Communication through the use of stories, something fun about a natural storyteller is a real gift in life. You might know storytellers, they really bring a depth and resonance to our lives that is really quite Remarkable, the geese. Their incessant honking seems to call to us to follow them on a great spiritual quest. Their return is the harbinger of spring and the harbinger of new beginnings. So when we see geese showing up in the springtime, it reminds us that, yes, spring, because they are not around in the wintertime. The V formation is symbolic as its shape reflects an openness to new ideas, much like an arrowhead pointing in a new direction. So these are things to pay attention to in nature and they bring more meaning to our lives. So when you're in your landscape, be aware, be present, know what's out there and understand what they're trying to teach you and tell you, I am Ted Carter, and if you'd like, you can contact me@tededcarterlandscapes.com we'll return to our program

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I knew our next guest before he knew me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I actually stayed in his house before he even realized who I was. And I was very fortunate to do so because our guest, Rick Toronto, lives

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

in arguably one of the more beautiful

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

houses and one of the more unique houses in Kennebunk. It's Kennebunk, right? Not Kennebunkport? Yes, I always get those confused. But you live in a beautifully designed house right near the beach. The doors open out to the ocean. And this, it's such a special place. And we thought we'd have you come in and talk to us today because clearly you were drawn to this very special place. You were drawn to Kennebunk, and you've been a big supporter of the Kennebunkport Festival for the past few years. So we said, you know what? If anybody can tell us what it is about Maine that's magical, Rick Toronto can do that.

Rick Taranto:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So thanks for coming in. Thank you for having Me, Rick, you're not a Maine boy. You're from elsewhere. You're from away. Tell me about where you've come from.

Rick Taranto:

Sure. I grew up in Burlington, Mass. And have been living in Boston for the last eight or nine years. And then three years ago, came up to visit some friends. Wasn't looking for a home. They were convinced that it was something that I needed to have. So we went for a quick viewing and immediately fell in love with the spot. As you mentioned, it is extremely unique. I love the architectural interest of it. It looks like a beach house from the outside, but inside it feels like a much more modern open space. So we bought in May of 2010 and have just grown to enjoy more and more our time that we spend up here in Kennebunkport.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What was it about Maine that initially brought you to the state before you even saw this beautiful house that you now live in? Why did you come to Maine?

Rick Taranto:

I visited Maine often as a child visiting friends in York beach, but really haven't been back in quite some time. So it was after some friends relocated to Kennebunkport that we started to come up a little bit more often and just really started to feel like this was a place where we'd be very comfortable and really just want to live.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I believe you used to have a place in Fort Lauderdale.

Rick Taranto:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you had the chance to live this exciting life, this glamorous life. You've been near. You know, you've lived near Boston. You could have chosen any of these more urban locales to kind of sort of lay your head for the rest of your life. But that's not what you did. Why, as you're moving into. I know you're going into an important birthday. Why is. You're going into this important birthday. Why was it important that you be in Maine?

Rick Taranto:

I think Maine picked us. I don't necessarily think that we. We picked it. We had been in Fort Lauderdale for a few years, and it was a nice getaway, but it was. It was more of an escape. It wasn't a place that we felt like we'd really grow any roots. And after spending just a little bit of time here, this really seemed like the place where we'd be able to establish roots and really just start to build a new life for ourselves. And honestly, after we saw the house and moved in, it was. It very quickly became comfortable. And Maine was the place that we wanted to be spending more time than Boston. Boston is where work happens, and I think Maine is where our life really happens.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You Have a daughter, Olivia. And I believe you told me she's turning 11.

Rick Taranto:

She will be, yep.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How does she feel about Maine?

Rick Taranto:

She loves it. She keeps asking daddy, why don't we live here all the time? Well, we have some life back in Massachusetts, but eventually this will be full time home.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In addition to making main transitioning into main being your more full time home,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

you've also had some transitions in your work life.

Rick Taranto:

Sure. I think some very exciting changes. Personally, for the last 15 years I've been working in clinical research in Boston in a number of different roles in sales and marketing and executive management. And it was certainly a great learning opportunity, not only professionally, but personally. And looking towards my 40th birthday and trying to figure out is this what I'll be doing for the next 10 years or is it time to shape things up? Decided that it was time to start something completely new. So just established a new company in Kennebunkport in December. Details event staging. So focusing more on weddings and events and providing unique furniture, tabletop and accessories. So it's a very exciting transition time.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the things that I noticed when I stayed in the house, because you were gracious enough to rent it out to Kevin Thomas, who initially was the person who built this house, you rented it back to him for the first year that I was there at the Kennebunkport festival.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's not your classic main cottage, you

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

know, with the whitewashed walls and the, you know, to the beach sign. I mean it's got a very distinctive feel to it.

Rick Taranto:

It does.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Can you describe that feeling?

Rick Taranto:

I think the sense that we get when we're in the space is certainly it's a much more open, grounded, it's not light and airy. I think it's a bit more masculine in the design. What we are hoping to do soon is redecorate and take it to. I think the house really speaks to a mid century modern type feel. So really trying to bring that out in the house a little bit more. So hopefully we'll be making some updates

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

this season and this is really working with a different part of your brain. You said you've done clinical research for 15, so in your 20s you started doing this job which you've been doing for a long time. Now you're going to this other thing, this events, details, events staging and you're trying to bring beauty into people's special occasions. But that's so interesting that you've gone from one to the other and you're using these different parts of your Brain,

Rick Taranto:

trying to tap into more of what I find myself gravitating towards in my downtime. You know, we certainly love to entertain. Designing events has always been something that I've gravitated towards. We were married in October of 2011, and that really started to bring out, I think, a lot of the interest and excitement in that, in using that part of my brain, and now just really trying to focus on it and make that my business.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think anybody who goes back and looks at the wedding issue from Maine magazine, the most recent wedding issue, will see you in there, you and your partner, your husband. Now, the fact that you would want to get married in Maine even, is also very telling of your love of place, that you would bring the love of your life up here, that you would bring your daughter up here, that you would bring yourself up here, that you would bring your entire life up here. But there's so much of a draw to other places, and I still. It's the magic and the mystery that I just wonder about. Can you speak to that at all?

Chris Lynch:

Sure.

Rick Taranto:

Well, when we were initially planning and trying to figure out where would be the right spot for our wedding, Massachusetts certainly seemed like the obvious choice, since at that time was not yet same sex marriage was not yet legal here in Maine. But after thinking about it and, you know, really fitting into that, Boston's where we work, Maine's where we live. This is really, this was the logical place to celebrate such an exciting milestone in our life together. So I initially had some apprehension wondering as I started calling vendors, would people be receptive, welcoming, want to work with us, and after just a few phone calls, realized that so many people here in Maine just are open minded, welcoming, and really just wanted to work with us and did such an amazing job helping us execute what I think was a really great weekend.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's something that not every couple has to deal with. Not every couple has to think about the fact that maybe people won't be accepting of their marriage. That actually took me aback for a minute because I'm thinking, gosh, usually people just think routinely, weddings, well, it's a wedding. It's so wonderful, it's so nice. Everybody's gonna be accepting of this. But you actually had to get to a place where you said, okay, so we're a little different than many people who are trying to get married.

Rick Taranto:

John was very encouraging of pushing me to, you know, start planning everything up here. And I'm so grateful that we did and now certainly excited that other loving couples, all loving couples here in Maine now have the opportunity to get married. So I'm excited to be working with a few same sex couples and helping them plan their future weddings.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And is that part of this, the deciding to do details event staging, is that you really want to bring the same joy to other people's lives that you've felt in your own life?

Rick Taranto:

Absolutely. I think there's, you know, I've always thought that life is in the details. You know, it's those small moments, those small things, those. That one tiny little perfect element that you carry with you and I think, remember and it makes something so much more special. So I'm excited to have the opportunity to be working with clients and help them figure out what is that, what is that detail? How does that, what's the feeling that you're going to create in that environment to make it a special wedding, special event, whatever, whatever it is for you and your guests.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And what about the Kenny Monkport Festival that's coming right up.

Rick Taranto:

It is.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you're hosting another dinner this year?

Rick Taranto:

Yes, absolutely. We had such a great time. Last year was the first year that we participated in the festival. We were fortunate to have Rob Evans, who's going to be coming back as our chef this year. And it's such a great week to be in Kenny Book. It's great to reconnect with people that are just starting to come back for the summer season, meeting new friends that are in town that you haven't had a chance to meet out and about before. And just all the people that come in from out of town and travel to camp as a destination. I think it's such a great experience to be able to share Kennebunkport with those people.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And this is one of the private dinners so people will come to your house. And Rob Evans, who used to be the head chef and owner at Hugo's and now is a duck fat, he'll be actually in your house preparing food in your beautiful kitchen. Where I've been and it's really quite wonderful. I've actually eaten dinner and a private dinner at your house. And this is what people get to experience as part of the Kenny Monk Pork.

Rick Taranto:

Absolutely. It's such a great, it's a great opportunity to have a really intimate setting with such a great chef. I mean, last year everything was just flawless. Not only the quality of the food, but the execution. And it was enjoyable to see Rob get very involved in it too, meaning he was excited to be sharing with all the guests what was the inspiration for the meal. So the whole environment I think is it's very special and it's also great to be able to open your home up to people in support of a great cause for Share Our Strength.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What else will you be doing during the Kenny Monk Fort Festival?

Rick Taranto:

We're definitely attending a few other private dinners at friends homes and then pop the Kenny Monks.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I will see you there. And I appreciate your coming in and talking to us about your love of Maine and your second home, which is probably rapidly becoming your only home at some point in the future. How can people find out about your new venture about Details?

Mike LePage:

Sure.

Rick Taranto:

I have a website, detailsevent Staging, also a Facebook page, and I'm on Twitter and look forward to posting more and more photos of events that we are involved in through the summer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, thank you so much for coming in and talking to us today. We've been talking with Rick Toronto, who is the founder of Details Event Staging and also a longtime supporter of the Kennebunkport Festival. So thank you for being part of that as well.

Rick Taranto:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

and podcast hope that our listeners enjoy their own work lives to the same extent we do and fully embrace every day. As a physician and small business owner, I rely on Marcy Booth from Booth, Maine to help me with my own business and to help me live my own life fully. Here are a few thoughts from Marcy

[Unidentified voice]:

so Did you ever wonder why geese fly in a V formation when they head south for the winter? Amazingly, they know that a V pattern increases their speeds by more than 70% versus flying in another pattern or alone. When in formation, they share the leadership and have a mutual respect for their common goal, which is to arrive safely at their destination. They equally divide the hardest tasks, gather their faculties, and combine their resources and talents. This unified effort, their formation, makes the journey easier. Less energy is expended because they are all working together for a common cause. When the leader tires, he goes back to the end of the formation and another team member takes the lead. Each goose or a member of the team uses their voice or quack to encourage the leader to stay focused and to keep organized. So how does the V formation of migrating geese apply to running your business or your household? In a word team, a group working together to accomplish and achieve the same goal with mutual respect and understanding, those teams will always come out ahead. Unlike the lowly seagull who scavenges and shouts Mine only, looking out for its own best interest without ever seeming to get anywhere, geese are unified and always looking out for each other applying the law of least effort and gaining the most. It's a lesson we all could learn. I'm Marcie Booth. Let's talk about the changes you need. Boothmain.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We are fortunate here in Maine to

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

have many people who love to ride their bikes. And this time of year is a perfect time of year to be riding

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

bikes and especially a perfect time of

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

year to be participating in events such

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

as the Kenny Bunks Tour de Cure,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

which is coming up right here in June. And with us today we have Lisa

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Medina, who is the event manager for

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

the Kenny Bunks Tour de Cure. And you've, you've not ridden your bike

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

up, but you've driven your car up

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

from Boston this morning to be with us. So thank you so much for doing that. I'm happy to be here. Tell us about the Tour de Cure.

Lisa Medina:

So the Tour de Cure we have, it's one of the largest cycling events raising money for the American Diabetes association, which sort of has like a three prong approach where we have our money go, which is diabetes research, information and advocacy. And right in New England, a large chunk of that research money comes because of, you know, Boston being the epicenter for the medical community. So we love to see that all the money really does from nationwide comes back into New England. So the cycling event, we have five different events in New England. I run the Kennebunks Tour de Cure out of Wells, Maine, but we also have a ride in Rhode island, the Ocean State Tour de Cure in Connecticut, the Connecticut Tour de Cure in Massachusetts, the North Shore Tour de Cure and our multi state ride which is a 150, 550 plus which is a multi state ride coming out of Lubern and either looping back up to Biddeford for the 150 and then looping all through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and back to Woburn in Massachusetts. So all different kinds of rides. So there's really something for everyone. The Kennebungs, Torticura specifically, we have five different routes. So. So if you're not an avid cyclist, we have something for everyone. We have a 5k, which is our three mile family fun ride. We have a 25k, a 50k, 100k and a 100 mile sentry ride. So we have anything from serious cyclists to someone who just wants to get on the bike and really support the cause.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why did somebody decide that biking would be a good event to participate in when it came to diabetes?

Lisa Medina:

Well, the thing with diabetes is really having an active lifestyle really helps you take control of the disease rather than it controlling you. We have a very sort of unique program similar to some of the breast cancer events. We have a Red Rider program. Our Red Rider program is our any participant living with type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes and they get a free recognition sort of Gift Dave event. And it's a jersey that says Red Rider. And I ride with diabetes. So these are the people that are really letting you know, taking exercise and really taking control of their diabetes. Because some people with type 2 don't even need to take medication because they're sort of revamping their lifestyle through either meal planning and exercise. But diabetes is sort of progressive of a disease. So later on while they may be able to sort of prolong without medication, sometimes later on they may have to, but exercising really kind of delays that process. So I think with the bike ride, we used to have some walk events in the area, but we sort of consolidated our events and we have a walk event. So for those people that aren't cyclists in Boston. So some people really do come from Maine. Walgreens is one of our supporters nationally and they come down to the Boston Walk. But I think the thing with cycling is that, you know, we get out there together, we have some fun. We have rest stops all around along the coastline of Maine, which is really beautiful. So it's a nice sort of something to look forward to. It's not just your everyday walk around a loop, but, you know, it's really about the experience.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What I like about the Tour de Cure, Kenny Monks is that. Or the Kenny Monks, excuse me, Tour de Cure is that it's affiliated with the Kenny Monk Port Festival, which is all about going out and living your life, eating good food food and doing and going dancing with the Pop, the Kenny Bunks and really embracing this Very active lifestyle on the one hand, but then it's also paired with a bike riding event where you can go out and you can do what you need to do after you've eaten all that good food and really enjoyed your life. This is the first year, I think, that you've had that association.

Lisa Medina:

Exactly, yeah. This is the first year we've been associated with Maine Magazine. It's really great because so far we've had a few teams come from our partnership. And I mean, it's really great because people that embrace the Kennebunkport Festival, embrace the beautiful coastline of Maine, they embrace the outdoor lifestyle. It's just a really nice pairing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's also interesting because the Kennebunkport Festival, a large portion of the proceeds goes to benefit Share Our Strength, which of course, is a hunger relief organization. And so you have Share Our Strength over here with hunger relief. And then you have Tour de Cure, which is diabetes and education, advocacy. And research. And research. And it's just an interesting. It's all about kind of you eat good food, you help other people who don't have as much to eat, and then you're also helping other people who are trying to live healthy, active lifestyles. Exactly. What have you noticed about the need for diabetes research and advocacy over the last 10, 15 years?

Lisa Medina:

Well, the thing is that the incidence of diabetes has really started to increase in the past couple years, whether it be through obesity epidemic or through any family history, or our population is really aging right now. So it's really increasing, especially with type 2 diabetes. About 26.8 million people have diabetes, and about 90 to 95% of those people have type 2. And with the incidence sort of increasing, our government funding is decreasing. So we're trying to fill in that void where there's a lack of funding in diabetes research and trying to sort of, you know, support type one, type two and gestational. And I think we're a really unique organization because we support all of those facets of diabetes. While they are very different, you still deal with sort of the same kind of pains associated with that, whether it be like pricking your finger, you know, 10 to 15 times a day or checking your blood sugars. And, you know, it's not something you can really take a break from. And it's really starting to increase. And I feel like it's something we should be really aware about. And a lot of people, because it's sort of a silent disease, we don't really think it's something serious. You know, they're not. You can't visibly see the consequences of diabetes. And when people aren't taking care of it, you know, some of the complications can be nerve damage, heart disease, kidney failure, all of those things. And, you know, a lot of times you hear people passing away and all that things, and people don't realize that it's complications from their diabetes. My grandfather passed away and he had diabetes, but it was through kidney failure. So that's what we attribute that to. And the more and more that I've been involved with this organization, the more and more I see how many people have been touched with this disease. You know, I think just about everyone knows at least one to two people that have been affected by type one, type two, or gestational.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Now, you have degrees from the University of Delaware and you have a master's degree from Emerson in communication management. But you chose to go into nonprofit. Yes, nonprofit. And you specifically chose to go into something that was health related and had sort of a family connection for you. Exactly. Was that on purpose?

Lisa Medina:

I would say it is on purpose. I did. When I started working here, I actually started interning here. I focused my degree on public relations, but I ended up really focusing on sort of the health communication side. And I think I picked the American Diabetes association because not only my grandfather was affected, but my mother is living with type 2. And it's something very personal to me. I have the family history, so it's something that I could be at risk for. It's a little nerve wracking because it's. It's something that. It's a drastic change from having not to manage something on a daily basis, on an hourly basis, to really kind of shifting, really having to take care of yourself because there are some serious complications if you don't. So it wasn't an accident. It was definitely. I think it was the right move to do. And it's. I mean, even though I've been affected personally, I meet so many people that have been affected just by the ride.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And.

Lisa Medina:

And we even have a cyclist who works at KeyBank. He really used the Tour to sort of really embrace the active lifestyle. When he had started, he was around 245 pounds. He could barely get through the 25k. Right now he's lost 150 pounds. And he uses the Tour de Soar as a training goal year round. I mean, this is his third year doing it, and now he's all the way down to the 100 mile. So it's really something you. You could really look forward to. And you use it to embrace meal planning, just being healthy, because it can really take over you if you don't sort of embrace and take control of it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I want to give you a lot of credit because clearly you are young. I mean, you're accomplished, you have a master's degree, but you're young enough so that you could just say, oh, this will never happen to me. I don't have to worry about this. But instead you are doing what you've just said. You're being very mindful. You saying, my family has this. I don't know what my future looks like, but I'm certainly not going to just sort of roll over and not do anything about it.

Lisa Medina:

Right. I'm very hopeful because a lot of the research going on right now makes me hopeful that there could be a cure in the near future. Right now, a former co worker of mine did the bionic pancreas study where essentially she was a week free without type 1 diabetes, which was something that I had never thought that would happen this soon. And they might even potentially have it by 2017 out commercially, which is something that's really remarkable how far we've come. I mean, the insulin pump was the size of my head at some point, and then now it's just so small and so seamless and people are able to really take control. And I think that's a lot because we've been, I mean, we started out as a research organization and we've really kind of taken it. You know, we're also focusing on prevention and management because we don't know when there's going to be that cure for type two and Type one. So, you know, we really need to take all facets into consideration.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is an interesting challenge because, you know, diabetes is something that people live with. It is something that has what they call end organ damage. So you can have a nerve problem, you end up, you can end up getting amputations of your feet because of nerve damage, kidney failure, all these things you've talked about. And yet it's not like cancer where people get it and they could potentially die. And it seems so much more dire

Lisa Medina:

so that because people, people control it, people just figure it's not that bad if you don't see it and you don't see the consequences unless it gets really serious. Where someone loses a foot or loses a leg or, you know, ends up in the hospital, you just think they're fine. I mean, you just think it's just, you know, they're pricking their finger, they're working through it. I just don't think people can visually see that it could be very serious. And it is quite the grind to go through all of that on a daily basis. I don't know how people do it. I really don't.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is this something that you think causes sometimes a little bit more of a challenge for the Diabetes association when it comes to having people don't make donations or.

Lisa Medina:

Yeah, I think sometimes people associate with a type 2 sort of organization and they feel that people are, you know, they're letting themselves go. You know, they did this to themselves. But, you know, there's the family history and there's, you know, there's things in the food and all these things. And, you know, quite frankly, you don't need to be obese to have diabetes. It can happen to anyone. I've seen it happen to anyone. And people just. I think we need to treat diabetes as a, as a whole and not just separate type one versus type two. We're here to help everyone. We're here to prevent the disease. We're here to manage the disease. And that's why we're doing this. We're doing it to support the 25.8 million people living with diabetes. And that's what the ride's all about. We have, like, with the red riders, we have a little saying. We say, go, Red Rider. When you see someone with that jersey, it's about the courage that it takes to live with this disease. And today is your day. You're the hero of our event because you put on that smile day by day. But this is the day that you can look forward to.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Lisa, how do people find out about the Kennebunks Tour de Cure or any of the Tour de Cures associated with the Diabetes Association?

Lisa Medina:

You can see us on our website@diabetes.org tour you check the drop down menu. We have five rides in New England and we have about 87 rides throughout the nation. So there's something for everybody and I really hope everybody will join us. It's gonna be a fun day. I'm really excited. We're expecting about 900 to 1,000 people, so I hope I can see everyone there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Lisa, it has really been my pleasure to spend time with you talking. Today we've been talking with Lisa Medina, who is the Kennebung's Tour to Cure event manager. And thank you for all the work you're doing for diabetes.

Lisa Medina:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 89, Home in Maine. Our guests have included Chris Lynch, Mike LePage, Lisa Medina and Rick Toronto. For more information on our guests, visit Doctorisa.org we also recommend that you get involved in the upcoming Kennebunkport Festival 2013 which is taking place between June 4th and 9th in Kennebunkport, Maine. This is Maine Magazine's six day festival which celebrates the finest food, wine and art in Maine. All of the major events will take place in downtown Kennebunkport this year, providing festival guests the opportunity to to really explore this beautiful oceanfront town. For more information on the kennebunkport festival, visit kennebunkportfestival.com Please note that proceeds from the Art of Dining dinners at the Kennebunkport Festival go to Share Our Strength the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast is downloadable for free on itunes. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our E Newsletter and like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest and read my take on health and well being on the Bountiful blog. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle hoping that you have enjoyed our show Home in Maine. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.