What’s Up, Wake covers the people, places, restaurants, and events of Wake County, North Carolina. Through conversations with local personalities from business owners to town staff and influencers to volunteers, we’ll take a closer look at what makes Wake County an outstanding place to live. Presented by Cherokee Media Group, the publishers of local lifestyle magazines Cary Magazine, Wake Living, and Main & Broad, What’s Up, Wake covers news and happenings in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake Forest.
Pitch Analysis
Required Pod Score for this show. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
33%
Guest openness
Selective
Verified email on file
80/100
Required Score
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What’s Up, Wake is a leisure podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 75 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
About the host
Unknown Host hosts What’s Up, Wake, a leisure show with 75 episodes published.
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Episode #73
Lazy Daze: Cary's Premier Summer Festival with Jenna Kostka
Aug 13, 202631 min
50th Annual Lazy Days Arts & Crafts Festival in Cary: What to Expect + Insider Tips The episode spotlights Cary’s 50th annual Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, a two-day downtown event that draws about 50,000 visitors and features 250+ juried artist booths, live music, food, family activities, and more. Host interviews Jenna Kostka, the Town of Cary’s festival and events supervisor, about the festival’s origins (named for the “lazy days of summer” by founder Jerry Miller), the juried artist selection process (500 applicants for just over 250 spots), and what makes the festival unique, including four stages, a beer garden with local breweries, Kid Daze programming, and the Kid Collectors Market for ages 6–12. Jenna shares planning details, Sunday’s sensory-friendly first two hours, and how to prepare using carync.gov/lazydaze and @caryartdaze. 00:00 Welcome to Lazy Daze 02:40 Meet Jenna Kostka 04:00 Festival Scale and Name 05:21 What to Expect 06:06 How Artists Are Chosen 07:22 Beyond Art Kids and Music 09:07 Kid Collectors Market 10:34 Planning and Logistics 18:01 Volunteers and Chaos 19:45 Festival Mishaps and Weather 21:07 Why Lazy Daze Stands Out 22:34 Best Food Picks 23:53 Pro Tips and Sunday Calm 26:03 Beer Garden and Lounge 27:03 Anniversary and New Artists 29:49 Dates, Links, and Farewell
Camp Kesem: Empowering Kids through Shared Journeys
Aug 6, 202632 min
This episode features an interview with Camp Kesem regional program coordinator Jenna Rumsey and former camper turned counselor Grace Kester about Camp Kesem, a nonprofit providing free summer camp and year-round support for children whose parents are affected by cancer, including diagnosis, treatment, remission, and loss. They explain Kesem’s three main programs — Camp Kesem, Club Kesem (monthly virtual meetups), and Kesem Together (daytime community programs) — and how 115 college chapters and thousands of student volunteers, many of them former campers, create trust and relatability. The conversation highlights camp traditions, nicknames, and the “empowerment” session that helps kids share stories and build resilience, plus how to donate or get involved via kesem.org and local North Carolina chapters. 00:00 Local Sponsors Intro 01:44 Summer Camp Setup 03:04 Kesem Mission Programs 04:29 Student Volunteers Origins 08:12 Grace Camper Story 11:02 Fun Plus Empowerment 16:56 Nicknames Traditions 19:23 Chapter Vibes Moments 23:02 Growth Impact Stories 26:32 Partners' Favorite Memories 29:55 Donate Get Involved
Brewing Something Special with Sam Nelson of Pretty Good Coffee Company
Jul 30, 202631 min
Melissa interviews Sam Nelson, owner of Pretty Good Coffee Company, a North Carolina-based luxury mobile coffee cart business that grew from his home espresso hobby into a catering-focused operation. Sam explains why he chose the cart model over a brick-and-mortar shop, emphasizing flexibility and lower overhead, and shares how the “Pretty Good” name became a fun part of the brand. He describes his Chick-fil-A-inspired approach to fast, friendly hospitality and breaks down what “specialty coffee” means—precision, consistency, and even water quality—while noting their partnership with Black & White Coffee Roasters in Wake Forest. They discuss latte art, including a latte-art printer for custom logos and faces, how they balance speed and quality, training baristas for friendliness first, favorite events, launching a third cart, and future expansion into other mobile food and beverage concepts like bartending. 00:00 Meet Sam Nelson 02:52 From Chicago to Raleigh 03:22 Birthday Espresso Spark 03:52 Why Coffee on Wheels 05:19 The Pretty Good Name 06:17 Chick-fil-A Service Mindset 07:20 What Is Specialty Coffee 09:14 Beans Origins and Processing 12:09 Latte Art and Printers 13:51 Speed Quality and Gear 15:13 How Booking Works 17:37 Favorite Clients and Dream Venues 19:06 Decaf After 5 PM 19:19 Favorite Event Venues 19:59 Leadership Lessons Learned 21:14 Hiring Friendly Baristas 22:05 Latte Art Is Hard 23:09 Perfect Day Running Carts 24:00 Indoor vs Outdoor Setups 24:38 Three Carts Scaling Up 25:06 Future Beyond Coffee 26:22 Lightning Round Fun 27:16 Seasonal Signature Drinks 28:31 Wild Latte Art Requests 29:28 Where To Book Them 29:48 Final Thanks And Wrap
A Taste for Telling Stories with Food Writer David McCreary
Jul 23, 202636 min
The host interviews David McCreary, a freelance food feature writer for Cary Magazine, Wake Living, and Main & Broad since 2004, about how he got into food writing, his process for pitching and covering monthly themes, and why he focuses on positive storytelling rather than anonymous food criticism. McCreary discusses changes in the Triangle dining scene over the past 20 years, highlighting growth in Cary, Fenton, Holly Springs, Apex, and Fuquay-Varina, and emphasizes supporting local restaurateurs in a volatile industry. He shares tips for aspiring food writers, his biggest restaurant turnoff (a dirty restroom), and recommendations including Cilantro Indian Cafe, Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi, Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, and the hidden gem Frankie Frank’s hot dog cart, plus nostalgia picks like Darryl’s and Mr. Dunderbak’s. 00:00 Meet the Food Writer 02:42 How He Got Started 03:24 The Art of Describing Food 04:11 Behind the Scenes Process 05:39 Saying No to Bad Fits 06:20 Not a Critic Just Positive 07:53 What Makes Dining Great 08:40 Triangle Food Boom 10:49 Why Local Restaurants Matter 12:49 Favorite Bites and Trends 16:10 Foods He Avoids 17:25 Closures and COVID Impact 18:37 Keeping Writing Fresh 19:40 Food Critics Then and Now 20:28 Food Critics Today 20:53 Influencers Shape Dining 21:38 Bathroom Cleanliness Test 23:24 Restaurants Worth Reviving 24:34 Hard Parts of Food Writing 26:14 Hidden Gem Hot Dogs 29:03 Awkward Check Surprise 30:49 Tips for New Food Writers 32:25 Triangle Weekend Must Eats 34:29 Wrap Up and Thanks.
Executive Director Tonya Palumbo discusses how the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses as a 501(c)(6) membership organization, distinct from government and from 501(c)(3) nonprofits. She shares how member needs have shifted through rapid growth and rising costs, highlighting resources like business education, advocacy, networking, and access to small-business health insurance options through partnerships including the NC Chamber and Carolina HealthWorks. Palombo explains initiatives such as joint ribbon cuttings that connect multiple businesses at once and the chamber’s supplier program that helps historically underutilized businesses become HUB certified and connect with large employers like Fujifilm and Amgen to keep spending local. She also covers fundraising efforts that have raised over $100,000 for the Holly Springs Food Cupboard, downtown revitalization, community festivals, and the chamber’s milestone of a female-led executive committee and board. 00:00 Meet Tonya Palumbo 02:20 Photography Roots 03:51 What Chambers Do 04:54 Small Business Needs 08:06 Big Growth Impact 08:44 Supplier Hub Program 10:52 Downtown Boom 12:52 Joint Ribbon Cuttings 16:21 Food Cupboard Fundraising 18:48 Women Leading Chamber 21:30 Supplier Program Deep Dive 23:58 Events And Future 26:07 Why Join Chamber 28:37 How To Connect 29:11 Closing Thanks
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