Port City Profiles

From Counselor to Portrait Photographer w/ Kevin Titus | Ep 4

Rich Cardona — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Kevin Titus used to shoot three-hour sessions for $100. Now he shoots twice a week at most and puts everything he has into each one.

Rich talks with Kevin about leaving a career in counseling for portrait photography, why most people who ask for "just a headshot" really want a new chapter, and how he gets nervous clients past "I'm not photogenic." Kevin also plans a branding shoot for Rich on the spot and shares the workshop that changed how he runs his business.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:44) - From Counseling to Portraits

(04:31) - Getting Past "I'm Not Photogenic"

(08:28) - More Than a Headshot

(12:46) - From $100 Shoots to Premium Pricing

(14:55) - What Happens After the Session

(18:38) - Editorial Branding and Theatrical Headshots

(23:58) - Planning Rich's Branding Shoot

(28:48) - Advice for Aspiring Photographers

Connect with Kevin:

Website: https://kevintitusphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevintitusphoto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevintitusphoto/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkleitches/

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles

Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/

Produced by ⁠UNFLTR

The Detective Approach to Functional Medicine w/ Mackenzie Jones | Ep 3

Rich Cardona — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Before she opened Breakthrough Functional Medicine, Mackenzie Jones worked in the ICU and ER, treating the same patients for the same problems again and again. She wanted someone to ask why it kept happening. So she built a practice around that question.

Rich talks with Mackenzie about what functional medicine is, why a 15-minute appointment leaves so many people feeling unheard, and how she tracks down the cause of fatigue and gut issues like a detective. She walks through her foundational assessment, why she hired a health coach, the faith behind starting her practice, and why she tells patients this is still medicine, not a replacement for their doctor.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:53) - What Functional Medicine Is

(04:45) - Detective Work on Fatigue

(09:15) - Gut Health and Reflux

(15:20) - From the ICU to Root-Cause Care

(17:26) - How the Foundational Assessment Works

(20:16) - Faith, a Calling and the HOCATT

(24:16) - Myths About Functional Medicine

(26:53) - Insurance and Investing in Your Health

Connect with Mackenzie:

Website: https://breakthroughfunctional.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakthroughfunctional/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughFunctionalMedicine/

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles

Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/

Produced by ⁠UNFLTR

Switching Sides Against the Insurance Companies w/ Nick Mendez | Ep 2

Rich Cardona — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Nick Mendez started his law career defending insurance companies, trying to shave $10,000 off claims from people living paycheck to paycheck. It didn't make him feel good. So he and his partner Devlin Horton switched sides and built Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys.

Rich talks with Nick about what the insurance playbook looks like from the inside, why his intake team works from home instead of a call center, and how a contingency fee shapes which cases the firm takes. Nick explains how a case gets valued, why so few go to trial, and why North Carolina's contributory negligence law makes slip and fall claims so hard to win. He also tells the story of a veteran client whose seven-figure settlement protected his retirement after a crash with a commercial vehicle, and why the firm shows up on billboards in Hawaiian shirts.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:15) - From Insurance Defense to Injury Law

(05:43) - The First Call After an Injury

(08:58) - Managing Client Expectations

(10:44) - What a Case Is Worth and Going to Trial

(13:56) - A Veteran's Seven-Figure Recovery

(18:06) - Hawaiian Shirts and Approachable Marketing

(20:47) - Slip and Falls and Contributory Negligence

Connect with Nick:

Website: https://hortonmendez.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hortonmendezlaw

Instagram (Español): https://www.instagram.com/hortonmendezley

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles

Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/

Want to know more about UNFLTR? Visit https://unfltr.io

Produced by ⁠UNFLTR

The Roofer Who Lost His Own Roof w/ Sean Claire | Ep 1

Rich Cardona — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In 2018, Sean Claire moved his family to the North Carolina coast. Three months later, with a two-week-old son at home, Hurricane Florence came through, their roof failed, and the family spent 60 days without a home.

Sean had roofed every summer since he was 14. After Florence he left a career in venture-backed tech and started Fortitude Roofing, built on two words that are now on every truck: integrity and craftsmanship. Rich talks with Sean about the door-knocking insurance pitch homeowners should watch out for, how long a roof really lasts near the ocean, how his crews replace a full roof in a single day, and why every Google review Fortitude gets turns into a donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Sean also names the mistake he would fix first if he started over: processes and KPIs, sooner.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction: First Guest on Port City Profiles

(00:53) From Teenage Roofer to Business Owner

(03:02) The Silicon Valley Detour

(05:09) Hurricane Florence: The Divine Intervention Moment

(06:56) Building on Core Values: Integrity and Craftsmanship

(09:46) Giving Back: Supporting Autism Awareness

(10:50) What to Expect When You Need a Roof

(13:17) Red Flags: Avoiding Roofing Scams

(15:22) The Fortitude Process: Four Steps to Peace of Mind

(17:45) One-Day Roof Replacements and Quality Craftsmanship

(19:58) The Undervalued Trades: Why Roofing Matters

(22:35) Lessons Learned: Building a Business the Right Way

(24:48) The Future: Developing Leaders and Growing Impact

Connect with Sean:
Fortitude Roofing: https://fortituderoofing.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortituderoofing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortitudeRoofingCompany
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanclaire

Resources mentioned on the episode:

Support the Autism Society of North Carolina: https://www.autismsociety-nc.org

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles
Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/
Want to know more about UNFLTR? Visit https://unfltr.io

Produced by UNFLTR

Coming soon | Port City Profiles

Rich Cardona — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:29:28 -0000

How well do you actually know the businesses in your own city? Port City Profiles is Rich Cardona's weekly conversation with the owners and pillars building Wilmington to know a little bit more about how and why they do it. Built for Wilmington locals and future locals, this show is how you get to know the Port City through the people who make it what it is. New episodes drop every week, so hit subscribe and get to know your city. Whether you already call Wilmington home or you're thinking about it, Port City Profiles is your way in.