Some days on the show just feel good from the first minute… and this was one of them.
I kicked off rocking my “Attitude is Everything” mug, reminding myself—and all of you—that good energy is a choice!
And on Wellness Wednesday, I’m all about finding ways for us all to feel more alive, more connected, and honestly… more joyful.
And guess what? Science says I’m onto something.
The Science of Laughter (Yes, It’s a Real Thing!)
Came upon a story in the Smithsonian Magazine about—the science behind why we laugh.
Turns out… laughter isn’t just about something being funny. It’s actually:
- A bonding signal
- A social connector
- A built-in way to reduce tension and build trust
Basically… if you laugh with someone, you’re already halfway to a wonderful connection.
I’ve used humor in business my whole life. It disarms people, breaks tension, and creates connection FAST.
Let’s just say… if you don’t have a sense of humor, we’re probably not hanging out anytime soon.
My “Secret” Project Revealed: Alert Pop™
Okay… BIG moment. I’m finally sharing something I’ve been working on behind the scenes for almost a year with an amazing entrepreneur and inventor whose vision and comparable energy to mine really sparked me.
We met blindly on LinkedIn over a year and a half ago when he randomly connected with me and we just clicked, and our mutually respectful and exciting ‘balance of talents’ partnership just took off.
I will introduce you all to him personally in a moment but first….
Meet: Alert Pop™
It’s a sugar-free caffeinated lollipop (yes, you read that right) invented to help combat drowsy driving—but it’s turning into so much more.
It’s not only a product with a purpose but it’s an innovative ‘better for you’ energy option when you need a ‘little lift’ to focus that has everybody and their mother interested in it. Honestly, it’s one of the most exciting products I’ve ever worked on. I am a Founding Partner and I sense by the non-stop inquiries and high level of interest from retailers, that this product looks like it’s going to be a HUGE winner.
Here’s why else I’m excited:
- The Alert Pop™ lollipops are sugar free
- Each pop = about ½ cup of coffee
- They’re made with organic green tea caffeine
- No jitters, no crash
- Three Flavors: Espresso / Blue Raspberry/ Watermelon
- And honestly… they taste great.
My Real-life Alert Pop Moment:
I was sitting in my car around dinner time in the dark, in the supermarket parking lot wrapping up a slew of emails and texts on my iPhone trying to get the energy to get out of my car – to go food shopping. I was tired and wishing I had a cup of coffee. Aha! I remembered I had Alert Pop™ samples in the car. I honestly laughed to myself sitting there, as I tore open my espresso lollipop hoping it was my solution. Sure enough, it did the trick.
Up. Moving. Food shopping. Back in action. Lol
The Story Behind Alert Pop™ (This One Matters)
I brought on Alert Pop™ inventor and serial entrepreneur Stephen Caldwell to introduce him to you all, and so we could share the back story behind his invention and our collaboration.
Stephen is a family guy. Lives in Portland Oregon. Has a great wife and business partner named Lory, and he has 5 kids. 4 are girls. Met up with Stephen, Lory and two of his daughters Lizzie and Alli Grace in Las Vegas last September. Great people.
Stephen was on a family vacation when his daughter Alli Grace (above in white top ) told him about her close college pal who fell asleep at the wheel after working and studying nonstop. Totaled his car. Walked away—but it could’ve been very different. Horrible story that stuck with Stephen. It could have been his own daughter. Could have been him. Could have been anyone!
Stephen woke up in the middle of the night on vacation and wrote down “Alert Pop™”.
Here’s the reality:
1 in 25 drivers admits to falling asleep at the wheel
Let that sink in.
So, this isn’t just a product—it’s a purpose-driven innovation.
Stephen Caldwell has a background in creating and manufacturing food products, so he knew he could bring this product to life. And he sure did!
Now almost one year later Alert Pop™ has launched.
And lucky me … ‘The Universe’ put us together from the inception of the idea and I’m honored to work side by side with Stephen Caldwell as a Founding Partner of Alert Pop™ to get this amazing product out into the rest of the universe.
I hope you’ll enjoy the interview the second segment of the show as we both share what’s really been going on behind the scenes with Alert Pop™ leading up to now – and what’s ahead!
Teeth, Humor & “Life Happens” Moments
Because no show is complete without a little real life situation…
I shared my current ongoing dental saga (thank you, chemo side effects ), including:
- Test driving my “new teeth” while my dentist is on vacation
- Wondering if the two front teeth make me look like the Easter Bunny
- And laughing through it anyway because what the heck else can I do?
Oddly there was a relevant humorous story out this this week proving I don’t own the ‘dental mental’ market.
Seems a poor gorgeous beauty pageant contestant had her veneers fell out mid-speech…
…and she calmly popped them back in and kept going.
THAT, my friends, is resilience with style! Gotta love Miss Grand Thailand contestant Kamolwan Chanago who after the shocking mishap, just confidently strutted down the stage to complete the rest of her routine. I will vote for her.
Like I always say “Attitude is Everything!”
Get Outside—It Changes Everything
One of my biggest Keeping the “Live” in Alive! habits I try and stick to when I can? Getting outside.
I’ve officially become… wait for it… a tree hugger?
Not kidding:
- Flowers pushing through the dirt
- Buds forming on trees
- Ducks back on the water
It’s like nature whispering..“Hey… we’re back. So are you.”
And I posted this Italian phrase and some nature photos on my social media that really stuck with me:
“Finché c’è vita, c’è speranza.”
Translated to English…
“As long as there is life, there is hope.”
If you know me you know… I’m a dealer in hope.
Speaking of being outside – I caught that USA Today is asking folks around the U.S. to vote for USA’s
“10 Best City Parks”.
I read that one close by the radio studio Bruce Park in Greenwich; CT is nominated as one of the Best City Parks in the U.S.
And it got me thinking about all the incredible places where people just… slow down.
A few standouts:
- Balboa Park (San Diego) – 1,200 acres of magic
- Central Park (NYC) – untouched perfection in chaos
- Golden Gate Park (San Francisco)
- Little Island (NYC) – a floating park (!)
There’s something powerful about a place where:
You’re allowed to just sit
No rushing
No pressure
We all need more of that.
Nigel Barker, Espresso Martinis & a Night to Remember
Quick highlight from a fabulous night…in case you missed my blog about that.
I hosted a fireside chat with Nigel Barker at the Townsend Cinema a luxury 40-seat theater inside the Hyatt Regency Greenwich (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds).
And let me tell you:
- Nigel talks more than I do (I know… shocking but wow what a unique life he has had)
- His Barker Espresso Martini & Cappuccino Martini? DELICIOUS!
- And the whole experience? Next-level
Movies. Martinis. Conversation.
Lovely night.
Traditions, Memories & Sorry ‘Bout Dropping You Ma
Ok this was ridiculous.
During the commercial break right before the end of this show, my engineer Bob out of the blue randomly walks over to hand me my late mother’s prayer card.
Said he found it in the parking lot—just before it went down a drain.
Seriously? Wow.
Must have fallen out of my car in the radio station parking lot one day.
Thought I would share:
- My mother rides with me on my car visor every day.
- Easter is coming… and I still haven’t made her sweet pies (again – yet?)
Reminded me that we all do our best to carry on family holiday traditions.
And reminded me that ‘Italian guilt’ is endless.
Spring = Comeback Season
Here’s my theory…
People who live through winter?
We’re built for COMEBACKS.
Just like the flowers that return outside the supermarkets!
Because when spring hits, we go:
- Let’s bike!
- Let’s walk!
- Let’s clean everything!
- Let’s try pickleball!
- Let’s LIVE!
And then… we get exhausted just thinking about it
But still…
The energy shift is REAL
Final Thought: Whatever Turns You On—Do More of That
That’s the whole point of this show.
To spark you to find more:
- Joy
- Energy
- Curiosity
- Connection
- New things to try (like sugar free caffeinated Alert Pops™! Use my discount code DN20 at checkout for 20% off )
Because…
“If Ya Still Gotta a Pulse, Ya Still Gotta a Shot!”
Debservations
Attitude is Everything, Baby.
Hope you enjoy this podcast of the live show from the WGCH Radio Studios in Greenwich, CT.
(Show is live 11-12 noon EST Wednesdays on air and online at WGCH.com)
If you’d rather read than listen the transcript of the audio is below.
Follow the show on FB The Debbie Nigro Show or follow me on Instagram @therealdebbienigro, or on LinkedIn ‘Debbie Nigro’
Debbie 💛
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT:
0:00:05
It’s time for the Debbie Nigro Show with Debbie Nigro, who says she’s still a babe, or at least she thinks she still is. That’s right, attitude is everything, and Debbie’s delusionally young. No one sees the glass of Cabernet half full like Debbie. She’s fresh air with a magnetic flair. Someday has arrived, and as far as she’s concerned, it’s time to roll.
0:00:56
(Speaker 1)
Hey everybody, I was trying to show the WGCH Mike Flagg in the video that I’m trying to do that looks skinny and young, but that’s not working out. So what the heck? Hey, I’m back in the studio live with you guys here on Wellness Wednesday. I’m Debbie Nigro, and this is the show I dedicate to keeping the live in alive. That’s what we’re trying to do here, Bob, to keep the living alive.
0:01:28
(Speaker 17)
Hey, Bim Bob.
0:01:30
(Speaker 9)
Okay.
0:01:30
(Speaker 5)
I was worried that I didn’t remember how to do this, but it’s coming back to me.
0:01:35
(Speaker 1)
Attitude is everything. You see, I got that attitude mug today. All right. Good show lined up for you today. You know, I love to laugh, right? So I was happy to read about a story about the science behind why we laugh.
0:01:53
(Speaker 1)
They did some interesting research into the science about why we laugh. And it was an article in the Smithsonian. that had excerpted the story and I put it on my Facebook page yesterday and really it was it started like back in the day like way back in the day okay like you know when there were no people the animals used to laugh together I think the whole laughing hyena thing started sure they did sure they did so what they found out is they they think laughter started as a like bonding signal like that this is safe if you were laughing at the same thing you you would feel like you were with the right kind of people in their in their company right don’t you know that you’re drawn to people with the same sense of humor aren’t you like when you’re both laughing about something it changes the game for sure i use i use humor a lot in business most um straight people don’t see it coming, so it’s always disarming and it diffuses the edge of seriousness. It really does. I mean, I can be as serious as anybody else. I can be respectful if somebody doesn’t have a good sense of humor.
0:03:03
(Speaker 1)
I don’t really want to hang out with them anymore, but I love to laugh, right? So the study, the science behind it is in fact proving that it smooths social interactions. It just really does, and it strengthens relationships. Bobby, you and I have had some laughs. You don’t laugh as much as me, but you do laugh. There you go.
0:03:25
(Speaker 6)
Okay, I don’t laugh as much as you.
0:03:27
(Speaker 1)
No, you don’t. But in the end, laughter, they said, according to the Smithsonian people, that was on Apple News, is more than a reaction to humor. It is a rapid -fire collaboration of things that are happening in your body, cognition and emotion and biology, and it’s a built -in mechanism. Yes, there is. that promotes joy and resilience and human connection. So that’s how I wanted to open the show today. I do want to say I have a great guest coming up today.
0:03:57
(Speaker 1)
And I’m excited because I have not publicly talked about this yet. But I am going to today, Alert Pop. What the heck is that Debbie Nigro? Well, I’ve been involved secretly behind the scenes in a bunker for almost a year. It’s a product that nobody doesn’t want to know about. They want all kinds of solutions to doing better, better for you products to put in their bodies, just options, right?
0:04:50
(Speaker 1)
knowledge, and there’s a huge business out there of energy drinks, energy supplements, you know, blow your brains out with caffeine kind of products, and I personally have not bought one of them. Have you?
0:05:04
(Speaker 5)
Oh, you got the coffee.
0:05:05
(Speaker 1)
Yeah.
0:05:06
(Speaker 6)
No, I didn’t actually have coffee, and I have a cup that’s empty, but that’s okay.
0:05:08
(Speaker 1)
I’m going to have to go get your coffee.
0:05:10
(Speaker 6)
No, it’s okay.
0:05:10
(Speaker 3)
Realize this, but it’s okay.
0:05:11
(Speaker 1)
No, we’re good. We’ll have a minute to do that in a minute. We’re good. We’re good. We’re good.
0:05:15
(Speaker 5)
Have you tried energy drinks or have you bought a five -hour energy?
0:05:19
(Speaker 1)
No. I mean, they’re very successful, obviously.
0:05:20
(Speaker 16)
Yeah, I don’t know why, but that hasn’t appealed to me. I figured I could have a cup of coffee if I want that.
0:05:26
(Speaker 1)
Right, me too, me too. But there have been moments where I’ve been sitting in my car, you know, how many cups of coffee can you have during the day, right? Well, this is true. And I have reached the point in my life where too much coffee gives me agita. I’ll give you an example. I’m sitting there one day in my car, and I got all these Lurp Pops, you know, sitting on the seat next to me, because I’m, you know, behind them, a founding partner of this company.
0:05:48
(Speaker 1)
And they’re different flavors. They have a watermelon. They got blue raspberry, espresso, made with organic green tea caffeine. They were invented, again, to help avoid drowsy driving. The inventor’s coming on to the show, Stephen Caldwell, and we’ll tell you how we met.
0:06:00
(Speaker 1)
It’s a great story and how I got involved in this crazy thing. But anyway, I’m sitting there. I got to go food shopping, but I’m losing it. I can barely get out of the car. I’m in a parking lot. I’m doing emails.
0:06:09
(Speaker 1)
I’m doing texts. I can’t get out of the car, Bobby. I’m like, I wish I had a cup of coffee. I go, oh, I’ve got an alert pop. So I reach over, I get my alert pop, and I’m like, son of a gun. Because it just gives you just a little lift.
0:06:22
(Speaker 1)
Each pop is like a half a cup of caffeine, right? I have my pop up, and I went food shopping. There she went. There she is, reenergized. So there are reasons why this makes sense for different demographics, obviously.
0:06:33
(Speaker 6)
People who are out at night and want to stay up a little later, you know.
0:06:37
(Speaker 15)
But the reason it was invented was to avoid drowsy driving.
0:06:39
(Speaker 6)
One in 25 people.
0:06:40
(Speaker 11)
drivers have admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.
0:06:42
(Speaker 1)
By the way, it’s a nice tasting pop. Yeah. There’s no sense at all that you’re having anything caffeine in a taste. No, no. It just gives you a little something, something, right? Yeah.
0:06:51
(Speaker 1)
A little something, something. So I joke around. I said, do you think I was dealing drugs for how many people want to know about this product? They’re calling me. They’re texting me. And great story about what’s happened since we started this.
0:07:00
(Speaker 1)
It only went live a couple of weeks ago, you know, so you’ll be able to hear that coming up. Okay. So why we laugh. And I really wanted to do this on camera. which I will do again, maybe I’ll say that, about my teeth. That’s funny.
0:07:15
(Speaker 1)
I got a lot of dental problems ever since I had the chemo. All those times I had chemotherapy, right? You know, just kind of left me with some issues. And I have this great dentist, Dr. John Castanero, great sense of humor he’s got to have me as a patient. And I’ve had all kinds of problems.
0:07:29
(Speaker 6)
So we’ve been leading up to the teeth, Bob.
0:07:34
(Speaker 5)
The other teeth, not the original ones I was born with.
0:07:37
(Speaker 1)
The ones that will make me look Like, I’m okay, you know, socially. And their teeth are a problem. to fit to get to go to Ford, you know a lot of money Anyway, I picked up the the real ones yesterday and I’m test -driving them.
0:07:53
(Speaker 5)
Okay, we think Very good.
0:07:56
(Speaker 1)
But you know, it’s funny, you had to smile like that for me to see them, otherwise I wasn’t seeing them. Oh, God. Well, you’re going to see them because I’m smiling for everybody. Which brings me to the story that cracked me up last night, more about humor, and it’s sad, but she was laughing too, about the contestant. Did you read about Miss Grand Thailand? Oh, I did not.
0:08:14
(Speaker 1)
She was going to make her speech in the pageant. Young, beautiful girl, right? And her veneers fell out in the middle of the speech.
0:08:23
(Speaker 6)
Like, aw, poor girl.
0:08:25
(Speaker 1)
So she turns around, very classy, sticks him back in and continues on.
0:08:29
(Speaker 11)
And kind of didn’t miss a beat, but it’s just one of those things, you know.
0:08:35
(Speaker 1)
I mean, teeth are kind of funny. I mean, look at the bunny rabbit. The Easter bunny. Okay. The big guy. All right.
0:08:41
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, you know, those are exaggerated teeth, but everybody knows the Easter bunny. has some extra teeth there. Actually, for a minute, I thought I looked like the Easter Bunny yesterday when I first saw them. I was like, Oh, no, I was taking selfies in the car and sending it to my friends ago. I look a little bucky. But anyway, yes, sense of humor.
0:09:01
(Speaker 1)
I do want to say there is a subject that came up about since I’m talking about this new product and, you know, new adventures with the whole living a live thing. The whole point I’m doing this show is to have more of whatever turns you on in your life while you’re here. Okay, so that you can enjoy your life to the max, whether that’s starting a company, visiting a new park, you know, going out to the best restaurant, whatever it is for you. I’m just trying to gather information to share with you so that you can make your decision about what you want to take from this show that will enhance your life in some way, whether it’s longevity information, I’ve got stuff coming up about how to get some toxics out of your body. Somebody said there’s a food you should eat that can help you get rid of, eliminate, um, how you say, um, that’s ridiculous.
0:09:52
(Speaker 1)
We’ll fix that in a minute. All right, come on back. This is the Debbie Nigro Show. Stephen Caldwell, inventor of Alert Pop, coming up next. You know, some songs just last forever in terms of appeal. This is one of them, man.
0:10:11
(Speaker 1)
Hi, everybody. I’m Debbie Nigro, keeping the living alive. That’s the theme of the show. Wellness Wednesday is when I like to pull it all together for you guys. And I’ve got a great guest coming on for you right now, something I’m excited to talk about today. Because, you know, I just love the I love action.
0:10:29
(Speaker 1)
I think it’s got to do with my amygdala. What’s that thing in your brain, or the hippocampus? Something needs stimulation up there, so I’m totally drawn to innovators, entrepreneurs, especially with ideas that do good for the world, if you will, okay? You know, I always say, make money, do good for the world, have fun, okay? That’s kind of how you’re supposed to live it, but, you know, the order of things is do good for the world first, okay? So, Stephen Caldwell, who’s about to join me, Invented this thing that I’ve been talking about that for the first time on the air.
0:10:58
(Speaker 1)
I’m showing you called alert pop Okay, it’s a natural caffeine lollipop sugar -free not for kids made with organic green tea caffeine in the better for you category of If you will a little lift in the world of caffeine takeover, right? That’s happening in all the the convenience stores. You haven’t seen a five -hour energy. You obviously haven’t left your car So these are three flavors espresso Watermelon and I’m sorry, that’s blue raspberry and this is watermelon. What is alert pop?
0:11:31
(Speaker 2)
It was invented to combat drowsy driving, but the story behind it is very heartfelt.
0:11:36
(Speaker 1)
And the inventor is somebody who’s dear to my heart now. I am a founding partner of this company, thanks to a random connection on LinkedIn. Say hello to Stephen Caldwell, my new BFF. Stephen! Good morning, Debbie!
0:11:51
(Speaker 2)
How are you?
0:11:52
(Speaker 1)
Good.
0:11:53
(Speaker 11)
Stephen’s out in Portland, Oregon.
0:11:56
(Speaker 2)
And gosh knows how we are besties these days. And we work together. We’ve been working on this for almost a year. Yeah, just out of year, exactly. Okay, so, Stephen Caldwell, why don’t you give a little back story on the product, and then we’ll go from there. Sure.
0:12:15
(Speaker 2)
About a year ago, we have two daughters. You know them well, Allie and Lizzie, and they go to the University of Oregon in Eugene. And Allie was telling me a story as we were heading to the airport a year ago to go on spring break, where we try to connect with our girls at least on a one -on -one for seven days and get that face time with them. Allie was telling me a story about one of her closest friends, Paul, whose family owns a restaurant here in Portland.
0:12:43
(Speaker 1)
And he was studying for finals and, you know, doing a double shift to make enough money to, you know, have a nice spring break himself. He was driving home late. He fell asleep at the wheel, totaled his car, all the airbags went off. Thank God he walked away without a scratch. that I just I I literally and I’m driving to the airport and it’s you know four in the morning and it’s dark out and you know I’ve been there you’ve been there we’ve all been there where you start to nod and I’m thinking you know that could have been my daughter Allie behind the wheel my wife myself uh I’ve done it I mean I’m 61 and I gotta tell you there’s I’ve got a handful of stories said you know down the road you know over a glass of wine that we can talk about hair raising uh that you’re driving down the road and you literally don’t eat the the last three exits.
0:13:31
(Speaker 5)
Oh my gosh.
0:13:32
(Speaker 2)
I was just going to say that. I’ve actually been shocked myself sometimes. I go, wow, did I just pass seven exits?
0:13:38
(Speaker 1)
You know, where you can zone out, right? So, all right.
0:13:41
(Speaker 2)
Yes. You know what they call that? They call it micro -sleeping. So go ahead.
0:13:44
(Speaker 1)
Oh, really? I didn’t know that. It’s a study that 1 in 25 drivers, Debbie, admit to falling asleep at the wheel. Now, this is a study done by the National Sleep Association, the National Auto Insurance Association, the National Trucking Association. I mean, these are real numbers, and these are the ones that admit to falling asleep at the wheel. Who knows the ones that don’t?
0:14:09
(Speaker 1)
Well, it’s very funny because alert popping, again, I’m in the studio. I’ve got the product. I’ve got my camera on, Stephen, because I’m so proud to be involved with you. I really, really adore you.
0:14:19
(Speaker 2)
You’re a big brain. You’re such an amazing entrepreneur. But what’s come out of this, everybody, is the total interest in something that It gives you a little energy but is better for you. So, Stephen, a little back story on creating the product, you know, with zero sugar and no carbs and da -da -da -da -da. How’d that happen? Go ahead.
0:14:45
(Speaker 2)
Because of my experience in another company I own, in the food space, I’ve had a lot of experience in finding what’s referred to in the space, in the food spaces, co -manufacturers. So you don’t make really anything yourself unless you’ve got super deep pockets.
0:15:01
(Speaker 1)
And you’re always looking for that, you know, for the manufacturer that can marry the product and sync it up, right? Well, after three tries in one day, the third time was truly a charm. i found the number one better for you sugar free lollipop manufacturer in the country who’s already doing you know so well and you know in the marketplace uh… and and their whole mantra is better for you, sugar -free, candies, gummies, lozenges, and lollipops. With my idea and their expertise, It was a match made in heaven. And they were able to jump on board.
0:15:42
(Speaker 2)
The world’s first caffeinated lollipop. And what’s great about these lollipops is that each one only has about a half a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine, right? So there’s no overload. And what is it that gets into your system? Why does it get into your system faster than a cup of coffee? Tell me.
0:15:59
(Speaker 2)
It’s because when you, you know, first of all, It’s the oral simulation of a lollipop. So you have something while you’re driving down the road and you have to think about it, right? It’s not a, it’s not a, you know, it’s not a sip of coffee and then you start to nod.
0:16:12
(Speaker 1)
This is something that you can just keep playing with in your mouth and it’s a nice 10, 15 minutes, you know, you know, until it’s completed, right? Right. But what makes it happen is the natural organic green tea caffeine coupled with a little bit of coffee, right? And now on top of that, Debbie, You heard it here first. We are now powering it with L -theanine and B6 and B12 vitamins, where L -theanine is another organic ingredient that the number one partner is caffeine. So L -theanine with caffeine, L -theanine for focus and caffeine for the lift.
0:16:52
(Speaker 1)
really balances you out without the jittery, gives you the lift without the crash, and with the B vitamins, you know you’ve got something that’s clean in your mouth, doing the job you need it to do, and that’s the one we’re launching in May at the Sweets and Snacks Show. Okay, this is very big news because now we’re about to announce something that happened in the last week or so, and that is Alert Pop has been chosen top five best new product out of thousands of products to present on main stage. Steven’s going to be on the main stage in Las Vegas at the convention presenting direct to retailers. Amazing, huge, big applause.
0:17:29
(Speaker 2)
Oh my gosh.
0:17:30
(Speaker 1)
Bob, you have applause. My engineer has applause for you, Steven. Hold on a second. He had the applause. There we go.
0:17:39
(Speaker 2)
Thank you, Bob. Thank you, thank you. travel rest stops lined up to launch in the summer. We’ve got all kinds of convenience chains and supermarkets lining up and we have this website that’s pretty darn amazing called alertpop . com being run by some of the best people in the social marketing world and this ingenious woman named Lolita Petrasov who is behind the idea of how to really market new products and she’s been pretty people clamor for her. Stevens found all these great women to surround himself with which is hysterical because who else is involved in the company is his wife and his daughters and all these very cool women.
0:18:47
(Speaker 2)
Talk about the female power play you made. I got it. I got to tell you, I learned at a young age. First of all, I’m a girl dad. I have four daughters, one son. And so I’m truly that girl dad, right?
0:18:59
(Speaker 1)
And I really appreciate the power of the woman, the tenacity, the commitment. I got to tell you, the most powerful people I’ve ever surrounded myself with in business are women. And you know this and I know this. because number one it’s my wife, it’s you, it’s my daughters that are involved in this company, it’s our operations manager and our whole team made up of women in Missouri that handles all operations for both companies nationwide. I gotta tell you there’s you know I love the fact that You know, there’s no egos running around. Nobody’s talking at each other.
0:19:38
(Speaker 1)
We’re just, you know, I just feel so incredibly blessed that I’ve got the strongest women I could ever think of on our team and never having to worry for one second that not one of them is not doing a thousand and one percent on a daily basis to take this company to the next level. Yeah, it’s great. And very, very respectful. You know, the male -female thing. I love working with you because you’re great at things I’m not and vice versa and there’s just a nice balance of talents. It is my, again, my pleasure and my honor to be involved with you and I’m having so much fun.
0:20:10
(Speaker 1)
Who else loves these things? So we’re testing these out. Once you try this, you’re like, oh yeah, I love it. not just like it, people are like losing it over the espresso flavor. The girls down at the Pickleball, National Pickleball Foundation, my friends who are the co -CEOs, we donated product to their fundraiser for Special Olympics. It was in all their 200 gift bags.
0:20:28
(Speaker 1)
We get asked a lot all of a sudden, can you donate product to our charity, to our bridal shower, to the after party? People want our product, right? And the gift bags. But they’re calling me afterwards going, oh, Debbie, I stole all the espresso. ” I’m like, what? I’ll just send.
0:20:44
(Speaker 1)
No, it was me. They were loving it, right? My Aunt Linda, who’s 82 in Florida, every day she’s calling me. Okay, I got the Alert Pops. Everybody in the whole community loves the Alert Pops. My friend’s aunt, everybody in Rhode Island loves the Alert Pops.
0:20:57
(Speaker 1)
Steven, right? Everywhere we go, we’re giving them out. Bob loved them.
0:21:01
(Speaker 14)
It’s just amazing.
0:21:02
(Speaker 2)
So who would also benefit besides drowsy drivers to help avoid that? Super moms. Moms are like, okay, this is great in between. but the moms have to keep the lollipops away from the kids because kids love that. People in the wellness community, people who are quitting energy drinks and looking for an alternative without the crash are loving this. The students, oh my gosh, the students, we’ve got colleges lining up for this, busy professionals who may be sitting all day long in front of a computer or working in the medical field where they can’t get out for a cup of coffee and need a lift.
0:21:34
(Speaker 2)
So people are switching and looking for better for you alternatives and we we happen to be in the right space at the right time and it sure is exciting but it’s all thanks to you Steven with that big brain of yours did you get up in the middle of the night and write down the idea when you had the the idea in your head is that is that how it happened well the day it happened and Ali told me this story I woke up the next morning at 2 a . m. couldn’t sleep walked out made a pot of coffee, sat down, grabbed the notepad at the hotel and a pen, and I literally wrote down, alert pop. And that’s how it all started, and by the end of that same day, I secured the manufacturer that is now taking us to the promised land, as it were. And I’m telling you, it’s, and there’s something to say, Debbie, about the stick, right? And I got a quick story.
0:22:27
(Speaker 2)
Lori and I drive a lot. We’re in Southern California on a regular basis. And it’s a 16 hour drive when we bring our dogs and stuff. And, and so when we’re, when I was driving down there a couple of years ago, and you know, I would, you know, about every two hours, I’d stop at the coffee shop and pick up a cup of coffee, right? You can’t do that, you know, for, you know, eight times in a 16 hour drive, right? I’m just done a couple of cups of coffee and I’m, I’m wrecked, right?
0:22:52
(Speaker 2)
And so, you know, those stir sticks at the Starbucks that they, that they plug it so they don’t spill.
0:22:58
(Speaker 13)
bill when you’re taking them out to the car.
0:23:00
(Speaker 2)
It’s that plastic plug that Starbucks has. Well, I had one of those and Lori said, hey, why don’t we stop by another Starbucks? You’re starting to get tired. I said, no. And I grabbed one of those because I’d taken it out of my coffee, out of the cup holder.
0:23:12
(Speaker 2)
I started chewing on it. Get this. That lasted for two hours, and then it was mangled to where you couldn’t even recognize it. It looked like a piece of nuclear waste. And I grabbed another one. Well, get this, I chewed on that for another two hours.
0:23:25
(Speaker 1)
So I stopped in Sacramento, walked in, asked the nice people at Starbucks if I could get a couple of dozen of those sticks.
0:23:32
(Speaker 2)
And we didn’t even stop that night. We usually stop 12 hours in.
0:23:36
(Speaker 1)
I made it all the way down to SoCal. And that was how the stick started. It all started with that Starbucks green stick because of the oral stimulation. And I put two and two together. started searching, couldn’t find a caffeinated lollipop, and that’s where we are today, Debbie. And what would you say to our working relationship for people who might not know what it’s like working with me every day?
0:24:02
(Speaker 1)
I’m telling you right now, Debbie is the most intense energy bomb I’ve ever been with, and I’ve met my alter ego, my sister from another, Mr. Debbie Nigro. We are going to the promised land together. students, whatever. It’s a feel good product and again, excited to be involved. Thanks so much Steve and Colwell. Have a great day.
0:24:58
(Speaker 1)
Oh yeah, you only got today, that’s for sure. I mean, you could have tomorrow, but there’s no guarantee on that. I just wanted to take a second here on the Debbie Nigro Show about keeping the living alive and some of the things that I do that keep me kind of, you know, alive, if you will. And since this is Wellness Wednesday, you know, we talk about things here on the show that have been sort of, you know, proven or ideas for you to have a better quality of life. One of the things that always has been, get outside, right? Take a walk with nature.
0:25:26
(Speaker 1)
It changes your brain. Changes everything. I’ve become a tree hugger. Who knew? So I wrote something on my social media the other day, and actually it was an Italian phrase. Not that I speak Italian, just some inappropriate words.
0:25:43
(Speaker 1)
But anyway, I knew the spirit of what I was trying to say, and I kind of remembered a line. Finche che vita che speranza. Okay, I’m not even sure I’m saying it right. But what it means and translates to from Italian is, as long as there is life, there’s hope. And I’m a dealer in hope. And what I was posting along with that were all the pictures I took along the way at the parks I went through this weekend, with the little flowers shooting through the dark brown, crusty ground, like, hey, we’re back, you know, purple, like, oh, god, how’d they do that?
0:26:15
(Speaker 1)
A little puff of green grass like out of nowhere. You can see the trees getting the buds and the swans and the ducks are out there floating around because they can because the ice is melted. Just little things that made me happy and feel alive being outside breathing fresh air. It was still cold that day, but I made a point. I even saw a guy who was a kite surfer. I think he was out with a wetsuit.
0:26:39
(Speaker 1)
I’m like, he’s a little premature, but whatever. So yeah, being outside. And then I was reading this story about where are the best parks? And you know, one of the best parks being voted on as top 10 parks, Reader’s Choice Awards for, I think it’s you Today is right in Greenwich, Connecticut. Really?
0:26:57
(Speaker 1)
Yeah.
0:26:58
(Speaker 6)
I thought that was really cool. They have an expert panel over there at the Reader’s Choice Awards, and they’re asking people to, you know, jump in on this.
0:27:09
(Speaker 11)
And yeah, Bruce Park in Greenwich, Connecticut was, it’s a crown jewel of a piece of property, that’s for sure.
0:27:16
(Speaker 1)
Nominated for Best City Park 2026 by USA Today. Okay, that’s who’s involved with this. Interesting. Yeah, because you know the parks and people love when it’s sunny out to take their kids to the park, grandkids to the park, sit in the park, walk in the park, you know, all those things. It just draws you. It’s one place where you know the space is for chilling and not rushing.
0:27:37
(Speaker 6)
You know, there’s everything else you’re supposed to move around.
0:27:39
(Speaker 1)
Not you can just sit and nobody bothers you. Of course, it’s got quite a view of the highway, which is, you see everybody else rushing by, and you’re sitting relaxing.
0:27:48
(Speaker 5)
Maybe that’s the better thing about it.
0:27:49
(Speaker 12)
I don’t know.
0:27:50
(Speaker 1)
I know. Well, okay. Maybe that’s not the best part of it. But the story behind Bruce Park, and there’s a Bruce Museum there. I don’t know if you’ve been there. I haven’t been there in a while.
0:28:02
(Speaker 1)
Not right there, but it’s nearby. He used to belong to Robert Moffett Bruce, who was a cotton magnate and a philanthropist, and he donated his home, which is now the Bruce Museum, and 100 acres to the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, back in 1908, which makes the property the town’s oldest public park. Did you not know that? Not that far back. I didn’t realize that. You know, it’s got a lot going on there.
0:28:26
(Speaker 1)
So, you know, There are places in the world where people are blessed with the beauty of nature. This is one of them. And some of the other places they’re talking about, because I did say, oh, wow, okay, what else is a Best City Park 2026 contender? And I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Balboa Park in San Diego, but I have, and that is a contender, man. That’s 1 ,200 acres in San Diego. First of all, San Diego is incredible.
0:28:56
(Speaker 1)
I would live there if I wasn’t Italian and guilty and want to stay near my relatives. But anyway, all these attractions are there, 18 museums, performing arts venues. gardens and trails and they’ve got a free train, Bob, they’ve got a free train that takes you around the whole complex in Balboa Park. It’s a National Historic Landmark. That was the last trip I took with my mother before she passed. I took her with me. I don’t think my mother and I did too much Debbie and Mommy traveling, but this particular trip was when the first Wives Club, the Broadway musical that had never actually made it to Broadway, but was heading there, had a opening in San Diego at this Balboa Park in one of the amazing venues.
0:29:39
(Speaker 1)
And I took my mother and we stayed at this cool little, like, almost too funky for your mother hotel in downtown San Diego and we shared a bed, you know. It was too funky for my mother. But we had a wonderful trip. and it was a memorable last experience before she got sick to spend together in San Diego. I had her overseeing all the sailors, you know, on the ships. She posed with that statue of the sailor kissing, the woman kissing the sailor.
0:30:03
(Speaker 1)
That’s like eight million feet tall and my little mother’s at the feet. Like, it’s this little tiny mother. It’s one of the great pictures I took. All right, other parks that are making the contention list here. Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, Florida. I didn’t know about this.
0:30:17
(Speaker 1)
It’s an urban oasis, former rail yard. on 168 acres, and they transformed it into this really stunning park. Very beautiful, winding trails, native plants. They have a 200 -year -old grandfather oak tree there. I would be staring at it, Bobby. I’d be hugging it.
0:30:37
(Speaker 1)
Kids go to the playgrounds, of course, and there’s outdoor yoga classes they have next to the lagoon. They got botanical gardens. food truck rallies, outdoor concerts, so very cool. And I don’t know what else is, oh, down in Nashville, Centennial Park is up for the award of top ten. That’s a big beautiful park. plays.
0:30:58
(Speaker 5)
They got a replica of the Parthenon there.
0:31:00
(Speaker 1)
Did you know this in Nashville? No. Yeah, and a lot of musicians perform there.
0:31:05
(Speaker 5)
They got a lake called Lake Watouga.
0:31:08
(Speaker 1)
Watouga. W -A -T -A -U -G -A. Lake Watouga. I love these lake names, right? And they have people do Shakespeare in the park there. never really got shakes sounds like huge parks compared to our little Bruce Park Central Park in New York City is up again huge huge well Central Park is a National Historic Landmark you ever look at Central Park from up top of a rooftop in New York City and No, but I have that photo I made from Google Earth, which looks down on it.
0:31:40
(Speaker 1)
It’s incredible. Yeah, yeah. But nobody touched it. They just said, okay, nobody touched this. And there’s a million buildings around and there’s this giant green in the middle that nobody can touch. Perfect rectangle.
0:31:49
(Speaker 1)
Don’t mess with it. Yeah, perfect rectangle. Houston, Texas has Discovery Green. which is managed by the Discovery Green Conservancy. That’s up for top 10 parks. Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.
0:32:02
(Speaker 6)
Oh cool, they have, that used to be the country’s first mental health facility, used to be the ground for it.
0:32:07
(Speaker 1)
It’s a 308 acre park. And it’s a very ambitious project down there in Raleigh that is filled with sunflower fields and daffodil fields. And they’re trying, you know, they’re trying to pay homage to the history of the park. They added a dark park and a flowers field and they have, you know, sunrise yoga and forest bathing. And yeah, a big, wonderful new place. Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, South Carolina is up for the award.
0:32:36
(Speaker 11)
Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri.
0:32:39
(Speaker 10)
and Frick Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
0:32:42
(Speaker 1)
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Gathering Place has been submitted. Golden Gate Park in San Francisco has been submitted as top choice.
0:32:50
(Speaker 9)
10 parks for USA Today.
0:32:51
(Speaker 1)
That’s got a nice view of Golden Gate Bridge. Yup. In Honolulu, the Capiolani Regional Park is submitted. Dallas, Texas has Clyde Warren Park. Orlando, Florida has Lake Eola Park.
0:33:04
(Speaker 6)
Lincoln Park in Chicago.
0:33:06
(Speaker 1)
Little Island in New York City. Have you been to Little Island? No. Where’s that? I’m drawn to want to go there. It’s a fake island.
0:33:13
(Speaker 1)
Oh. Okay. And it juts out into the Hudson River. It’s not that old. It’s a New York City park that sort of looks like it’s up on stilts. Got water on all sides.
0:33:26
(Speaker 1)
Oh, I’ve seen pictures of this. Yeah. And you can only get there by pedestrian bridge to like the mainland, if you will. Okay. Two and a half acres. Very unique attraction in the Hudson River Park.
0:33:39
(Speaker 1)
Opened only 2021. And it’s got walking paths and lawns and trees and plants and a small stage. And they have a 687 seat amphitheater there. I didn’t know that. stills off the water, off the water, in the middle of the water.
0:33:53
(Speaker 8)
Yeah, crazy.
0:33:54
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I want to go there. Origin Park in Clarksville, Indiana, Railroad Park in Birmingham, Alabama, Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, Massachusetts.
0:34:03
(Speaker 6)
And that’s the story.
0:34:04
(Speaker 1)
Okay, they got the expert panel picking them up. Because I think this time of year, everybody is searching for something outside to do. Having been in, especially in the Northeast, for so long inside. I was thinking the other day in the shower, you know, I do my best shower thing. How different the heads are inside of people who have to deal with winters in the northern part of the country versus people who are Lottie dying around in warm weather the whole time we’re suffering. And they’re just like on
0:34:34
(Speaker 5)
they have like a normal speed of their brain right they just go on and on the weather is kind of what it is in like New York and Connecticut and and North you know and all the cold cities everybody’s just like and then breaks out and the brains go crazy and they want to do everything and they have all these thoughts and all these ideas and people they want to see and then it starts going back in the winter so I think there should be a comparison between the brains at certain seasonal times to see if the people who have to deal with winter are better suited for comebacks, if you will, in their heads.
0:35:11
(Speaker 7)
Because I think so.
0:35:12
(Speaker 1)
Major comebacks going on.
0:35:13
(Speaker 5)
Major.
0:35:14
(Speaker 1)
Okay. Did I read you? I read you the Italian thing already. All right. I want to change topics. We used to have music when I did that.
0:35:21
(Speaker 1)
Well, we could still do it. Oh, we can. That’s nice, Bob. That’s really nice. All right. What else do I want to tell you that’s going on in the world?
0:35:32
(Speaker 1)
I’m talking a lot about the brains inside your head, none of which any of us can see inside. Where else would they be? Well, yeah. I like to ask the question, and I didn’t get a chance to ask it to my guest the other night at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Nigel Barker, from the fame of America’s Next Top Model and fashion photography. Can I ask you how that went? Oh, yeah.
0:35:53
(Speaker 1)
So, Nigel Barker has invented this new espresso martini. Like, he’s bottled it. One’s espresso and one is cappuccino martini. freaking delicious. Okay, when you think about it, it was long coming because espresso martinis are maybe the top drink order of many women in this country these days. It’s really a hot drink.
0:36:19
(Speaker 1)
But then the bartender looks at you like he wants to poke you in the head because he’s got to make espresso. He’s got to go get the coffee. It’s a whole thing, right? Not everybody has coffee. Not everybody has espresso. So
0:36:30
(Speaker 1)
sometimes they make fake ones, right? With a little this and a little… So it’s all done, and it’s absolutely delicious. Very, very high -level flavor, right? Done professionally. So anyway, he’s there.
0:36:41
(Speaker 1)
Greenwich Hyatt Regency Hotel is one of the first in the country, if I don’t think there’s a handful, if there is more than one or two, that has a bespoke luxury 40 -seat movie theater inside the hotel. Luxury seats, they’re heated. I fell asleep three times, even after the espresso martini. It was like so comfortable. And what they were doing at the event, movies and martinis, was Nigel Barker was there. They were showing Project Hail Mary in the movie theater.
0:37:08
(Speaker 1)
First run movie. That’s what they do there. It’s unbelievable. And I was asked if I would go host a fireside chat with Nigel Barker. I was like, OK, I can do that. But guess what, Bobby?
0:37:20
(Speaker 1)
Nigel Barker talks more than me. So I got there. And actually, I kind of pre -sent. They said, can you send over some questions? You know, his lovely wife and him beforehand. I was like, sure, I hate doing that.
0:37:31
(Speaker 1)
But OK, for you people, I’ll do it. You know, I usually listen and like to have a real conversation. But I sent the questions. So he knew what I was going to talk about and ask. And I asked, like, one question. Then he just went to the races.
0:37:42
(Speaker 1)
Like, I was, yeah, he just went. And I was like, oh, OK. And I dare not interrupt him. Right. And then I was like, I ain’t got it. Anyway, obviously, a guy has had some incredible life, you know, with the likes of all the most famous supermodels in the world being the top fashion photographer in the world.
0:37:58
(Speaker 1)
Now, I think he might have America’s top espresso martini. I do believe he may have nailed it. Anyway, check it out. It’s called Barkers. obviously for his last name, Barker’s, Espresso Martini and Cappuccino Martini. All right, more to come here.
0:38:12
(Speaker 1)
Actually, one more segment of the Debbie Nye Grow Show. Good to have you guys with me here on Wellness Wednesday, keeping the living alive. That’s what I’m trying to do here. Be right back. Hi everybody, I’m Debbie Nagro, welcome back. to the Debbie Nigro show on WGCH.
0:38:44
(Speaker 1)
And we are live all around the globe on WGCH . com, which is a digital live stream. Of course, if podcasts after them go up on my website, DebbieNigro . com, then they go up on all the major podcast platforms. And I take a little piece here, put some on Instagram, a little piece here, put it on Facebook, a little piece here, put it on LinkedIn. Quite frankly, it gives me a headache.
0:39:03
(Speaker 1)
But OK, so I love to laugh. We open the show with the power of laughter and the science behind it. It’s how we bond, right? So here’s a funny story. Bob just comes in right now and says, is this yours? Okay, it’s my mother on a mask card.
0:39:18
(Speaker 1)
My poor mother passed away, Eileen Nigro, miss her. August 6th, 2010. Bob says, I found it in the parking lot. I said, you found it in the parking lot? I go, sorry, Ma. And he said, yeah, it was near a drain about to go down.
0:39:30
(Speaker 1)
I go, Ma, I’m so sorry. And then why is my mother in the parking lot on the ground near a drain, Bobby? Because I always keep her on my visor in my car. So she drives with me, along with some other people. And I know it’s a weird thing I do, but that’s how I keep my mother close. My brother’s there, I got people there.
0:39:50
(Speaker 1)
So I got to thinking about my beautiful mother, Eileen, and the fact that we have Easter coming up, and what would be a tradition right now. And my mother used to make the Easter pies, the sweet pies were her big thing. And every year I say, I’m going to make the sweet pies and I fail. So maybe I should get on it. Okay, because that’s like coming up. And you know, holidays have traditions, right?
0:40:09
(Speaker 1)
Passover is starting this tonight and this week for my Jewish friends. And they do the Seder, which, you know, requires them to have certain foods that they do in order to, you know, be reverent to their holiday and the history of their religion. Catholics have their thing, you know, Easter ham and roast lamb and we decorate eggs. I was talking to a friend of mine who just finished Ramadan.
0:40:34
(Speaker 6)
He was telling me they couldn’t wait till they do three dates and they have the honey and they’ve just spent, you know, intermittent fasting for like a month and look terrific and have a lot of energy. I’m like, that’s a good idea.
0:40:45
(Speaker 1)
That was a good idea for that religion. Anyway, we all have traditions. So I wish you joy in whatever traditions you’ll be celebrating as we move through spring and the new season. And I do want to say that I’m trying harder to get outside and exercise more, though I have one problem, Bobby. I can’t figure out where to do my weighted hula hoop that I travel around with the back of my car. I’m surprised that didn’t fall out.
0:41:10
(Speaker 1)
I bought this a year ago because I saw a lady in a park who I’ve had since I’d on the show. She was a reverend. She was in a park and she had this weighted hula hoop. I go, what is that?
0:41:20
(Speaker 5)
And I bought one on Amazon.
0:41:21
(Speaker 1)
Right. But there’s nowhere really like appropriate for a woman my age to stand there with a hot blue weighted hula hoop and swing this thing my hips around. So I’m going to have to find another park that’s not up for Best Park because no people will be there if you let me find one you let me know, okay?
0:41:40
(Speaker 4)
And yeah, I’m going to be outside more. What are you going to do for spring? What are you doing Bobby? Planning on trying something new out there? I think I’m going to clean up my bike and put it back in service as it were. having just had quite a conversation with another cyclist from way back when and we’ve kind of energized each other.
0:41:57
Yeah, bike riding is so great. Yeah, you got to take stuff out that’s been there like tennis rackets. I’m thinking should I get them restrung? We’ve got pickleball paddles that have never been used. We saw an outdoor pickleball thing, Dave and I, the other day. I was like, oh maybe we should do that and maybe we should do this and maybe I should clean my house and maybe there’s spring cleaning and then maybe I should get
0:42:15
car washed, and get the plants in, and then, gosh, I’m exhausted and nervous, but I will do my best to honor my ideas for keeping the live in alive, and you should, too. Whatever turns you on, whatever makes you happy, keeps you well, right? Okay, so I’ll see you next time. Do we have time for the Daily Toast, or we’re done with that? Yeah, we’re done for now. No, no, we’re done.
0:42:35
Attitude is everything, baby, until we meet again. I’m Debbie Nigro. Ciao. So while I play tambourine, the general directions of the music that I make
