Lee Brice: Garth Brooks is my hero | Kurt's Country
Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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A Local’s Guide to NYC
Produced by Carousso Enterprises, LLC and NY2C Corp.
NEW YORK, NY — Here are some of the places you must go when visiting New York City that aren’t the typical tourist spots.
James Dukas and Ben Manlapaz check out some local hangouts and activities on NY2C’s What’s Up New York.
NY2C’s flagship digital series “What’s Up New York” is produced and written by Carousso Enterprises, LLC.
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Schmear Gold! CT’s Popupbagels Makes Waves in NYC
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — As the saying goes, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” But, whoever heard of a bagel company from Connecticut making it in New York City?
Introducing: Popupbagels.
“People started asking like, ‘Hey, I’m going back to New York. Can I grab an extra dozen so I can bring it to my family?’ And I would say, ‘Well, wait a second, like you live in New York, there’s bagels there.’ And they were like, ‘No, but yours are better. You need to come to New York,'” recalled founder Adam Goldberg on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
Goldberg started the business in December 2020 in his Westport home. Within several months, he sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of bagels and moved into a commercial kitchen in Connecticut and partnered with New York restaurants, including Danny Meyer’s Daily Provisions, where he makes bagels by order for pickup only.
“We borrowed some kitchens in New York and started cooking there. And, you know, it kind of took off,” he said.
Popupbagels does not have a storefront, but they have pickup locations in Westport, Redding, Greenwich, Manhattan and the Hamptons.
“It’s like a bagel shop that’s so exclusive, you can’t get into it,” Goldberg said.
Popupbagels does not have a storefront, but they have pickup locations across the New York City area. Photo credit Popupbagels He told WCBS 880 that its rapid growth has solely been a result of organic marketing.
“Our whole marketing budget is spent on Instagram, which is amazing, because it’s essentially free. And then it’s really just word-of-mouth.”
Goldberg said he surveyed his customers to find out why they believed Popupbagels stood above its competition and discovered it is because his bagels are more like traditional New York bagels from the 1980s than what you will find in a Manhattan deli today.
“The average bagel in New York right now is over 150 grams where our bagels (are) about 105 to 110 grams. So, you don’t eat it and then feel like you need to take a nap; you kind of eat it, and you basically feel like you want a second one,” he said.
Popupbagels serves different flavor cream cheeses from local restaurants and runs various promotions to bring in more customers. It also has a subscription service.
“I grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, and we always, every weekend, went to Livingston Bagel (and) bought a dozen bagels,” said Goldberg “(We) would come home, throw them on the middle of the table, and as a family, we would eat bagels.”
That family tradition inspired his subscription model, where for $38, you can get a dozen bagels every week. Popupbagels now has 450 subscribers across Connecticut.
See how Popupbagels has grown from Goldberg’s home kitchen in Fairfield County to New York City on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight video above.
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Behind the Mic: Mets P.A. Announcer Colin Cosell Shares View from Citi Field Booth
Executive Produced by Carousso Enterprises, LLC.
Flushing, NY — Colin Cosell’s voice can be heard bellowing through Citi Field when the New York Mets play home games. He’s part of the team’s game day operations, providing a boost to the fan experience and entertaining those who come out to watch baseball.
Cosell, who grew up watching his grandfather Howard Cosell eloquently provide the word pictures to some of the greatest sporting events in history, is living out his dream as the Mets public address announcer. He gave NY2C’s On The Call a behind-the-scenes look at his job from the control room at Citi Field.
Carousso Enterprises executive produces NY2C’s On The Call.
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Why Cooperstown? 5 Things to Know about the Home of Baseball’s Hall of Fame
Executive Produced by Carousso Enterprises, LLC.
Cooperstown, NY — Cooperstown is a rural oasis in Central New York, located 190 miles away from Midtown Manhattan. This small town with a population of 1,869, according to the 2020 census, is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum where baseball’s best are immortalized.
How did Cooperstown, flanked by acres of farmland, become a dream destination for those in the sport? Rachel Luscher has 5 facts you might not know about the village.
Carousso Enterprises executive produces NY2C’s On The Call, including its Hall of Fame coverage.
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Travel Consultants in Demand as Business Travelers Return to Skies
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — As business travel begins to pick up, agencies are discovering new post-pandemic expectations.
“This ‘bleisure’ theme is definitely coming back,” said Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel, on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
“Bleisure” is a portmanteau of “business” and “leisure,” which grew in popularity as people enjoyed working remotely from scenic getaways and vacation hotspots.
“We’ve seen companies want to have culture and community and focus on their core values. And they’re doing it with offsite meetings. They’re doing it with retreats.”
Valerie Wilson Travel noticed the owners of small and medium-sized businesses were among the first to fly again.
“(Small business owners) were the first ones to get back on the road, because they wanted to see their customer. They wanted to look them in the eye, shake their hand, thank them for their business,” said Wilson-Buttigieg.
The Manhattan-based firm employs a team of industry specialists working day and night to cater to corporate clients.
“We have employees that work on different accounts or different businesses like leisure, corporate, cruises, safaris,” she said. “And then we have independent contractors who run their own business under our umbrella. And as an independent contractor, they certainly could work 24/7, but we do also utilize a 24/7 service.”
VWT’s corporate and individual clients turn to its advisors for more personalized service, which is at the roots of the business.
“Knowing that time is the most precious commodity, whether you travel for business or vacation, you want it to be the experience you’re planning,” Wilson-Buttigieg said. “And no differently than having a professional help you on a will or sell a home or do your taxes, the role of the advisor has been elevated.”
Her mother Valerie Wilson started the company in 1981 after she could not find a travel consultant who would give her trip across Europe the individual attention she desired. Wilson returned home and launched Valerie Wilson Travel.
Photo credit Valerie Wilson Travel “We’re in the business of serving and we love the travel industry,” said Wilson-Buttigieg.
Valerie Wilson Travel was acquired by another family-owned business, Frosch International Travel, in April 2021 because the Wilson family did not want to lay off any employees during the height of COVID when its business was down as much as 95%.
“We were so excited to bring these two powerhouse brands together, but with the goal of saving as many employees, jobs and benefits during this very challenging period, because we knew travel would eventually rebound and we’re going to need them,” the second-generation president said.
Research suggests 60% of family-owned businesses fail to transition to the second-generation, while third-generation businesses fail nearly 90% of the time. For VWT, the bond between sister co-presidents – Wilson-Buttigieg and Kimberly Wilson Wetty – leading the second-generation appears strong.
“We try to text each other as sisters and we email each other as colleagues,” said Wilson-Buttigieg.
See more on this thriving family-owned business and the changes in travel on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight video above.
