Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 12, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 31 By Kathryn Calo Kathryn Calo is a partner with the Worcester law firm Mirick, specializing in family law. 1. Execute a prenuptial agreement before you remarry. A properly drafted prenuptial agreement can preserve property for your children from a prior relationship and ensure they receive something if you pass away or get a divorce. 2. Alimony obligations to a prior spouse will continue. Your decision to remarry will not automatically terminate or reduce alimony payments. You will need to show a material and substantial change in circumstance to seek modification. 3. Stepparents do not have legal custodial rights. While stepparents play an important role in your children's lives overall, your new spouse does not have legal decision- making authority over your children's health, education, or welfare. 4. Having another child does not reduce existing child support obligations. The birth of a new child cannot be used as the sole basis for modification of an existing child support obligation. However, it can be used as a defense if the other parent requests an increase in child support. 5. Your new spouse's income is not factored into support calculations. Courts will not consider your new spouse's income when determining child support or alimony. That said, their contributions to shared expenses may still matter, so you should consult an attorney. 6. Update your estate plan. You should consult an estate planning attorney before your marriage to understand how your remarriage may affect your existing estate plan and to ensure it is consistent with any prenuptial agreement. 7. Remarriage can impact your former spouse's health insurance. If your prior spouse is on your medical insurance plan, your remarriage will typically make them ineligible for continued coverage on your plan. You should consult an attorney to ensure you are complying legally with the requirements of any judgment or separation agreement. Why most business podcasts fail, and how to beat the odds BY JILL MCSORLEY Special to WBJ A s the world changes rapidly, the use of technology within business has become more prominent. It is critical for managers to stay on top of new technological trends and not fall behind other companies. Integration of new technologies can be hectic for managers as employees may be resistant. However, if managers can portray a positive outlook on it and utilize it properly, it can benefit the company as a whole. Communicate the benefits. Employ- ees tend to get used to the technologies they use at work and are accustomed to the tools provided to them. Working can become a routine, and when new technologies are brought in, it can seem Adopting new technology BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to WBJ S tarting a podcast is easy. Making one last is not. e numbers prove it: According to Buzzsprout, 90% of podcasts never make it past episode 3. Of those that remain, another 90% stop before episode 20. at means if you've recorded episode 21, you're already in the top 1% of podcasters worldwide. Yet the bar for success is even higher: Most shows need more than two years and 100+ episodes before they begin to see measurable results. ese sobering statistics should make anyone think twice before diving in. e podcasting boom of the COVID years created a flood of shows, but as of Jan- uary 2025, only about 15% of podcasts on Apple Podcasts are considered active, meaning they've released an episode in the past 90 days. In other words, the vast majority of podcasts you see online are abandoned. So why do so many fail? Because podcasting requires far more than hitting record. e first hurdle is time. Producing a podcast demands weekly hours of recording, editing, publishing, and promoting, not to mention planning content and booking guests. If you're already stretched thin, you'll be in that 90% who drop off before Episode 3. e second hurdle is differentiation. With millions of podcasts competing for attention, you need to know exactly what makes yours worth listening to. What expertise do you bring? What conversa- tions are you adding that aren't already out there? A podcast without a clear dif- ferentiator quickly fades into the noise. Technology is another sticking point. A microphone alone won't cut it. Successful podcasters invest in a stack of equipment and soware: computers, editing platforms, hosting services, and even cameras if they plan to vlog. Poor audio quality is one of the fastest ways to lose listeners. Even with the right gear, podcasts rarely succeed as solo acts. Unless it's your full-time job, you'll need support. Specialists in editing, marketing, and promotion can help keep your podcast consistent and professional. While there are compelling solo podcasts, most of the top-performing shows feature a co-host or frequent guests, which creates the energy and variety listeners crave. A personality cannot sustain a pod- cast alone. You need great content. You and your guests need to provide new perspectives and insight, not rehash- ing what others talk about or reading from an AI-generated script. Listeners don't tune in to just hear someone talk. Speaking of guests, networking within the podcasting community helps here: appearing on other shows and inviting others to yours is one of the most effec- tive ways to build credibility and grow your audience. When it comes to first impressions, your branding is critical. From logos to writing style, your podcast should sound and look like you. Leaning too heavily on AI-generated branding or generic templates will make you forgettable. What sets you apart is authenticity. If all of this sounds like work, that's because it is. But that's the opportunity. Most people give up before episode 3. If you can sustain the push – batch content, plan ahead, and stay consistent – you'll already be in rare company. If you can keep going for 100 episodes or more, you'll be among the very small minority of podcasters who see real, lasting results. 7 THINGS I know about ... ... Getting remarried like a pain. "It is crucial to communi- cate the reasons behind the adoption of new technology to your employees. If your employees are not aware of its pur- pose, you could be met with resistance. Clearly explain how the technology aligns with the company's goals and how it can positively impact their over- all productivity," Pavel Stepanov writes in an article for Forbes. Embrace changes. It is important for managers to allow new technologies into the workplace. ey have to keep up with the times as well as their com- petitors. Even if the company has found success in its current routine, techno- logical advancements are always being made to help businesses reach their full potential. "ose not embracing technology are at risk of falling behind their competitors. As more and more businesses adopt these new technolo- gies, managers who resist change risk becoming obsolete," Jodie Shaw writes in an article for Medium. Take advantage of its tools. Although most technology presents its challeng- es, there are perks to having it around. Managers can take advantage of the communication tools technologies offer in order to foster better relation- ships between employees. Even though technology has allowed people to work remotely, it has given people access to virtual resources that can make work more enjoyable. "Team messengers, video conferencing apps, and everything in between can dramatically improve internal communication, which results in greater productivity," according to a 2020 blog post by Management Training Institute. W W W Julia Becker Collins is chief operating officer of Northborough marketing firm Vision and co-host of weekly business podcast enVisioning Success.

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