Eden Mills is an independent artist and assistant for Pender County Tourism, combining creativity with community engagement. Through her business, Art of Eden, she creates paintings, jewelry, and murals, drawing inspiration from historic towns, vintage decor, and the outdoors. Eden also enjoys connecting with others through art and tourism.

A Burgaw native, Eden’s community shaped her artistic journey. After graduating from Heide Trask High School, she earned an associate degree in fine arts from Cape Fear Community College. Since 2018, she has worked out of her studio above Burgaw Antiqueplace, creating art and preparing for projects. As a Pender Arts Council board member, she promotes the arts locally.

In 2021, Eden and her family renovated a historic home in downtown Burgaw, embracing small-town life. Her work in tourism reflects her love of Southeastern North Carolina, which she shares through her creative and professional endeavors.

Originally from Ohio, Rhea attended Ohio University before her journey to the beaches of North Carolina.

She’s the owner of Picnic Haven in Surf City, a certified personal trainer with Beyond Fitness with LaLa, a cardio Kickboxing instructor, an author, and a women’s bodybuilding champion. She also founded Loves Active, which began as an activewear retail store and has since evolved into a T-shirt brand that embodies her belief that “love is active.”

Rhea leads with compassion and believes in the power of personal growth, often inspired by her role as a mother to a child with autism. She values unity, especially among women, and finds strength in Topsail’s welcoming community. She attributes her resilience to her mother’s support and the Topsail community, who welcomed her with open arms. Rhea believes deeply in giving back, especially to women facing adversity, feeling a strong sense of purpose in sharing her experiences and supporting others along their paths.

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Mari is a trauma practitioner, coach, and somatic healer dedicated to helping women heal, grow, and achieve meaningful goals.

Originally from Michigan, Mari earned a business degree before moving to the Florida Keys, where she worked for a nonprofit restoring coral reefs. During this time, she became a yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner, blending movement and healing.

Her own challenges—including losing her home to Hurricane Irma and personal health struggles—fueled her healing journey. Now based in Wilmington, NC, Mari combines her resilience and expertise to empower women through coaching and healing.

Passionate about personal growth, Mari inspires others to create meaningful lives, whether through her healing work or podcasting.

Marlon Weems is a former finance professional with over thirty years of industry experience. He began his career in Arkansas, where he founded the state’s first Black-owned investment bank. He later spent more than a decade on Wall Street organizing and managing several securities trading businesses. 

After leaving the industry, Weems consulted as a subject matter expert in fintech and use cases for blockchain applications in finance and healthcare. 

He has authored numerous essays, white papers, and reports on various aspects of the capital markets, the economy, and American culture. His work has been featured in a variety of digital publications. The Journeyman, his Substack newsletter has thousands of subscribers. 

Marlon and his wife Shannon are co-owners of Soulstice Botanicals, a mobile plant store that specializes in pop-up events in and around the Topsail Island area.

Savannah Price loves entertaining. As a middle school drama teacher, she thrives on engaging conversations and inspiring young minds. Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, with parents in science and engineering, Savannah learned to balance creativity with practicality. Her passion for theater began at age eight, performing in The Velveteen Rabbit, and by sixth grade, she knew she wanted to teach drama.

After earning her degree from East Carolina University, Savannah moved to Surf City to join her partner, Joshua Williams, a Topsail Island local and owner of Surf Dogs. Together, they’ve built a life on the island with their cat, Beef Wellington.

In her free time, Savannah enjoys exploring local spots, biking, and soaking up the coastal beauty. A storyteller and podcast fan, she’s excited to share the stories that make Topsail Island special and showcase the people and places that define the community.

Anthony Sampogna is currently employed in the law enforcement field as an Investigator. He started his law enforcement career with the North Topsail Beach Police Department as a K9 Officer, and now works for the State of North Carolina!

Anthony is a former Podcast Co-Host, who concentrated and highlighted the stories of the brave men and women from across the country, who work as frontline first responders!

Anthony is dedicated to helping multiple non-profit organizations through volunteer work and fundraising! 

Anthony lives with his family in the Topsail Island Area. He is looking forward to hearing and sharing the stories of our community members with Topsail Insider’s followers!

Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Trevonn Caesar showed a creative spark from an early age. His fascination with cinema began with Jurassic Park and grew into a love for classic Toho Godzilla films. Inspired by imaginative worlds of heroes and villains, Trevonn developed a passion for storytelling. At 14, he wrote his first novel, though he later discarded it as “cringe.”

At 23, Trevonn joined the United States Marine Corps, spending four years working with computers and staying fit. Despite the military’s demands, his love for storytelling endured. After his service, he used the GI Bill to earn a Bachelor of Science in Digital Filmmaking from The Los Angeles Film School, graduating with honors.

In 2021, Trevonn founded Angry Pharaoh Studios LLC, aiming to bring a film to the big screen and uplift his community along the way.

Trudy is very dedicated to the Topsail community. She actively seeks opportunities to connect with people, expand collective knowledge, and improve family and work life for everyone involved.

Trudy was born and raised in North Carolina and moved to Surf City in 2009 with her husband and three children. She volunteers with the Topsail Turtle Project as a Beach Coordinator, protecting sea turtle nests and educating visitors about local marine life. Additionally, she works at The Gathering as one of the Children's Ministry Directors, organizing special events for kids and families.

In 2023, Trudy expanded her community involvement by winning the Surf City Town Council election. Recently, the Pender County Advisory Board of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina also selected her as a member.

As a local public servant, neighbor, and friend, Trudy values the efforts of Topsail Insider and its guests in contributing to the community.

Leah Norman is the owner of Topsail Talk and a guest host and collaborator with Topsail Insider. Playfully calling herself a Texan who landed in Topsail, Leah was born and raised a military brat, living all over before settling in Topsail with her family of seven in 2019. She began documenting her local explorations in 2021 through Topsail Talk, a platform dedicated to promoting businesses, services, and activities in the Topsail area.

A self-proclaimed foodie, Leah is passionate about connecting with local chefs and eateries and hopes to highlight them during her time with Topsail Insider. When she’s not exploring or guest hosting, Leah manages social media for local businesses and nonprofits, fostering growth and community engagement.

Follow Leah’s journey on Topsail Talk via Facebook and Instagram, and the Ocean City Jazz Festival episode of Topsail Insider, released on June 14, 2024!

Christa is the Producer and Host of the Topsail Insider podcast interviewing local businesses and nonprofits in the coastal towns of Greater Topsail, North Carolina. 

Having grown up in North Carolina, she loved the local culture and community but moved to Los Angeles for college and worked in and around the entertainment industry after 25 years. Eventually, as a mother of two young boys, she felt the pull back to North Carolina for a quieter, more peaceful lifestyle.

Returning home didn't mean leaving that passion behind. Instead, it allowed her to combine her love for media with her desire for community connection. Topsail Insider is the best of both worlds: the tranquility of coastal living and the creative freedom to produce content that resonates with our community and highlights all that Greater Topsail has to offer.

Ernie Mezich is the owner of Nomadic Orca, a videographer, social media agency, and brand builder. His passion for storytelling began with early life lessons that taught him independence, patience, love, understanding, and a deep desire to share stories.

Ernie founded Nomadic Orca to pursue his dream of traveling to different cultures, interviewing locals, and sharing amazing stories. He saw the perfect opportunity to combine his love for culture and storytelling by helping business owners elevate their brands, share their message, tell their stories, and connect with their ideal clients.

Visit NomadicOrca.com to explore Ernie’s package offers, and follow Nomadic Orca on Facebook and Instagram for special deals! He has special packages specifically for Topsail Insider podcast guests to leverage their episode with clips/reels to use across social media platforms.

Jim began editing Topsail Insider’s audio podcasts during Season 1 in 2023 and has recently expanded his role to include video editing for Amplified CEO.

Jim Mendes-Pouget is a Canadian living in Portugal. As an experienced Audio & Video Podcast Producer, Manager, and Editor, Jim works with entrepreneurs, startups, and businesses to create high-quality podcasts. With meticulous attention to detail and standardized procedures, he ensures a consistent listening experience while freeing up clients’ time.

Previously, Jim had a successful career as a Captain in the aviation industry, where he honed skills like precision, decision-making under pressure, and meeting tight deadlines—expertise he now applies to podcast production.

Jim combines aviation precision with creativity to deliver consistent, on-time episodes and bring clients’ podcast visions to life.