Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Stephanie Viva of Cape Cod

Stephanie Viva shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Stephanie, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
Before I started a farmers market, I thought it was simple-you invite a few farms, and they show up. The reality is far from that. We are deeply disconnected from our food sources, and if you’ve ever tried to grow a single tomato plant in your backyard, you know how much effort it takes to consistently produce food, even enough for one person.
Farmers commit to meticulous planning and spend significant money long before a single head of lettuce ever grows. That’s why the casual suggestion; “Can you just get one of your farms to pop up and sell some veggies?” always stops me in my tracks. The truth is, for a farmer to do that, they must wake up early, harvest, pack, transport, and then spend all day in the sun selling produce, often with no guarantee they’ll make enough to cover their time. For all of that, they may walk away with just a couple hundred dollars, while also losing an entire day tending their farm.
As consumers, we can pop into a market for fun and leave with a bag of fresh produce. But behind that simple exchange is an enormous amount of unseen labor and risk. And as an organizer, bringing together farmers, food producers, and artisans isn’t just a phone call-it’s a massive lift requiring coordination, planning, and trust. A farmers market may feel like a charming community event, but it’s built on the back of extraordinary effort from everyone involved.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Stephanie Viva. I am the owner of Lemonadio, founder of Lemon-Aide Co., and the Executive Director of the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce. At my core, I’m a storyteller and community-builder. Through my events and podcasting firm, I’ve produced more than 500 events this year alone, from trivia nights and festivals to meaningful community gatherings that bring people together in creative ways.
What makes my work unique is the way I weave fun, purpose, and connection into everything I do. Whether I’m handcrafting games that spark laughter, producing podcasts that amplify local voices, or building initiatives that strengthen food security and small business on Cape Cod, my goal is always the same: to create spaces where people feel engaged, supported, and inspired.
Through Lemon-Aide Co., our nonprofit, I’m focused on blending entertainment with impact- supporting farmers markets, sustainable food access, and community wellness. With Lemonadio, I get to keep experimenting with media, podcasting, and digital storytelling. And with the Chamber, I’m proud to champion Mashpee’s businesses while helping to shape the future of our region.
At the end of the day, my work is about connection; connecting people to each other, to their local economy, to healthy food, and to the joy of shared experiences. That’s what keeps me showing up every day with new ideas and fresh energy.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
For me, it was my grandmother, Mary. She was soft and funny, yet tough and resourceful. She could decorate a cake and play tea party, sit down at the piano and belt out show tunes, or make Bible stories sound like fairy tales. With her, life was full of popcorn, sleepovers, and dance parties. She had a gift for turning ordinary moments into magic.
Mary raised eight children on her own after losing her husband at just 44. She carried strength and resilience with such grace, even as she fought her own long battle with breast cancer. She left this world too soon, at only 57.
I was 16 when she passed, standing at a crossroads in my life-struggling with depression, and reeling from my three-year-old brother’s near-fatal car accident that left him in a coma. The day he finally woke up was the very day my grandmother died. I lost the person who had always truly seen me; my potential, my energy, my light.
She loved me simply for who I was, without conditions or expectations. She believed I would be a force for others, a multiplier of light in the world. That belief has never left me. Even now, she remains my beacon; guiding my strength, reminding me to keep shining, and to carry forward the love and resilience she instilled in me.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Buckle up-you have the strength to get through this. I wouldn’t tell myself to stop pouring passion into the losses, because that’s where the real transformation happened. It was in the suffering; in those moments where I thought I was completely lost that I realized I didn’t even want the life I was clinging to.
Yes, I wasted years letting life simply happen to me. But the truth is, my life really began when I decided I had the power to create change. It was when I stopped waiting and started showing up, shoveling both figuratively and literally. That’s when everything shifted.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. I made that shift on the radio when we changed formats from top 40 to adult contemporary. My husband reminded me, “You’re married with children now-and still just as likeable and funny. You don’t have to play the single, funny girl anymore.” That hit me. I realized I didn’t have to fit the traditional role women were given on morning radio-the sidekick, the laugh track.
It was an epiphany: I could share real things with people. I could have opinions, and they mattered. And I knew there were other women out there with voices and perspectives that deserved to be heard too. That shift gave me permission to step fully into myself-and I’ve never gone back!

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
The work I am most proud of is the stuff most people don’t even know I do. I give my best 95% of the time- I do have to sleep sometimes!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
These photos are my own
farmer photo-tatiana greenburg

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