Host: Ann Donnelly
Guest: Mike Borgos, Partner, Borgos & Del Signore Attorneys at Law
Episode Overview
In this bonus episode of Building Success Stories, recorded live on-location at Moreau Commons during Scott Cross’s community gathering, host Ann Donnelly sits down with local attorney Mike Borgos of Borgos & Del Signore Attorneys at Law.
While Mike has practiced law in the Glens Falls region for over 30 years alongside his lifelong friend and partner Mark Del Signore, this conversation isn’t about legal briefs or courtrooms. Instead, Mike and Ann dive deep into the economic engine and cultural heart of Upstate New York: building a relationship-based economy, tackling youth exodus and aging demographics, navigating the grueling “shoulder seasons” for local business owners, and why regional collaboration is the ultimate key to sustainable growth in the North Country.
Key Takeaways
- Relationships Over Transactions: Why the Glens Falls and Adirondack regional economy thrives on long-term relationships and informal networks rather than purely transactional business models.
- The “Ombudsman” Approach to Community: How serving a small-town region requires business leaders to act as connectors and community advocates, even when a request falls outside their core specialty.
- Recruiting a Region, Not Just a Job: Why Upstate New York employers must band together to market the lifestyle, social opportunities, and vibrant culture of the region to attract and retain young professionals.
- The Unsung Sacrifice of Local Entrepreneurs: A candid look at how seasonal tourism affects small businesses, and how restaurant and retail owners absorb shoulder-season losses specifically to keep local workers employed full-time.
- Proactive Local Support: Why supporting local vendors, trades, and innovative service providers year-round—not just during the holidays—is critical to economic sovereignty.
Memorable Quotes from Mike Borgos
“We are more relationship-based up here than transactional… You never know how a chance meeting may benefit somebody—you, me, or somebody listening to this.”
“What we need to do is band together and go sell a region… We need to recruit people to move here and say, ‘We have a space for all of you. Build your own community.'”
“Nobody realizes that they’re doing this, but [restaurant owners] are making the money in the summer and bleeding through the rest of the year because they want to keep those people full-time employed. It’s just the right thing to do.”
More Information
More about Borgos & Del Signore Attorneys at Law:
- Website: https://www.bordellaw.com/
More from Ann Donnelly:
- Ann Donnelly Business Growth Strategist https://anndonnelly.com
- Building Success Stories Podcast & Articles https://anndonnellysuccessstories.com
The North Country Media Network:
- Are you an Upstate New York business leader looking to dominate your market? Subscribe to The North Country Insider – the premier weekly dispatch for regional economic insights and strategic authority-building assets delivered straight to your inbox.
- Want your business’s legacy captured with broadcast-quality impact? Don’t let your story get lost in the noise.
Find out more about NCMN: https://northcountry.media
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