St Pete X features business and civic leaders in St. Petersburg Florida who share their insight, expertise and love of our special city. An initiative of the St. Petersburg Group, St Pete X strives to connect and elevate the city by sharing the voices of its citizens, and to bring awareness to the opportunities offered by the great St. Petersburg renaissance.
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Bridgette Bello joins SPx for a candid conversation about the changing world of media, business leadership, and relationship-building in Tampa Bay. The former Tampa Bay Business Journal publisher and founder of Tampa Bay Business & Wealth talks about why authentic connections matter more than networking, how influence differs from power, and what she's building with her new venture, The Executive…
After more than three decades as one of Tampa Bay's most recognizable news voices, Gayle Guyardo reflects on the moments that nearly ended her career—and the unexpected second act that followed. From losing her voice and rebuilding from scratch with nothing but a cell phone, to becoming a trusted presence in thousands of daily routines, her story reveals what it really takes to connect with a…
From sealing driveways at 15 to building one of the most powerful customer-acquisition machines in modern business, Kevin Harrington has seen the game from every angle. In this episode of SPX, the original Shark shares how he went from knocking on doors in Cincinnati to helping launch products that generated hundreds of millions in sales. This is a conversation about hustle, credibility, timing…
From sealing driveways at 15 to building one of the most powerful customer-acquisition machines in modern business, Kevin Harrington has seen the game from every angle. In this episode of SPX, the original Shark shares how he went from knocking on doors in Cincinnati to helping launch products that generated hundreds of millions in sales. This is a conversation about hustle, credibility, timing…
A veteran CEO peer-group leader and lifelong entrepreneur, Chip Webster shares how decades inside Vistage (and later Tiger 21) taught him that trust, accountability and curiosity are the real engines behind successful businesses and healthy communities. After COVID, he and his immunocompromised wife bought an RV and crisscrossed the U.S., where countless conversations in RV parks inspired his new…
Former Florida Governor Bob Martinez joins Joe Hamilton on SPx for a wide-ranging conversation on his journey from Tampa's mayor to the Governor's mansion to serving as the nation's drug czar. Martinez reflects on the contrasts between running a city, navigating state politics and shaping national policy—and how partisanship and media have transformed along the way. He also shares the story behind…
In this episode of St. Pete X, Joe Hamilton talks with Rudy Webb, President of Paradise Advertising, about the evolution of destination marketing. Webb reflects on two decades in the industry, from faxes to AI, and how his agency helps cities define and promote their identity. He explains how Paradise navigates RFPs, tracks tourism impact without direct sales data, and adapts messaging during…
Fred Forsley's entrepreneurial reach is as wide as it is unexpected—real estate broker at 18, founder of Shipyard and Sea Dog Brewing, maker of alt-THC beverages, vodka, rums, and even a mushroom energy drink. In this episode of SPX, Forsley shares his journey from hustling real estate in Maine to building a beverage empire that spans coastlines and categories. He talks frankly about seizing…
Join Joe Hamilton in a candid conversation with community leader Carl Lavender as he reflects on his life's journey—from his roots as a pastor's son in Cleveland, to navigating gang violence and fundraising in Chicago, and finally becoming a transformative force in St. Pete's nonprofit sector. Carl shares personal insights on leadership, balancing public service with self-care, and the vital…
In this episode, Joe Hamilton sits down with Kelly McBride—Senior VP at the Poynter Institute, NPR Public Editor, and Chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership—for a wide-ranging conversation on news diets, media trust, AI's role in journalism and the fading sense of local connection. From dopamine-driven doomscrolling to the potential of AI agents as personal information…
