Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 21
00:00:04
What’s up guys and welcome back to another episode of Hustle & Heat Podcast. My name is George, your host, and today we welcome a very unique guest to the show.
If you’ve ever walked into a networking event in North Port and seen someone dancing, laughing, spreading energy everywhere she goes, you already know today’s guest. From bone collecting and fossil hunting to community art movements and entrepreneurship, Michele Moore has built one of the most interesting creative brands in Southwest Florida.
Without further ado, welcome Michele Moore.
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00:00:35
Michele talks about moving from Miami to North Port in 2005 to work for PGT in the glass and glazing industry. She explains that North Port reminded her of old Florida — open land, horses, cows, and small-town charm — which immediately made her fall in love with the area.
After layoffs in the construction industry, she worked for companies like Black & Decker and DeWalt before eventually landing at Wells Fargo, where many locals remember her from the drive-thru banking lanes.
During this period, DJ Peaches was born, and Michele spent years DJing throughout the local entertainment circuit.
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00:02:29
The conversation shifts into how Michele met her husband Philip, a three-time Iraq War veteran, and how learning about PTSD completely changed her understanding of trauma and healing.
She explains how hobbies became a major outlet for both of them. Coming from a creative family background with a home economics teacher mother and contractor father, Michele had always been hands-on with crafts, tools, and artistic projects.
That eventually led them into fossil hunting through Mudslinger Tours in Gainesville, where they began discovering shark teeth, fossils, and eventually preserved bones.
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00:04:34
Michele explains the legal fossil digging process in Florida and how their interest in fossils naturally evolved into skull preservation and bone collecting.
Because Philip also worked in wildlife removal, they became familiar with invasive species management and preservation techniques. What started as curiosity slowly turned into a full-blown passion project.
She shares how she began learning to clean and curate skulls like museum displays, eventually growing their personal collection to more than 100 skulls and dozens of fully articulated specimens.
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00:07:10
The turning point came when Michele saw a pair of armadillo vertebrae earrings and realized she could turn bone preservation into wearable art.
Shortly after losing her mother just before her wedding, Michele entered her first art show, sold out, and officially launched Bone Boutique.
Now nearly 10 years later, Bone Boutique ships products across the United States and has become one of the most recognizable creative brands in the area.
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00:07:43
Michele also shares how painting entered their lives during COVID after taking a class at the North Port Art Center as a date night activity.
Painting became therapeutic for Philip, leading him to create Art of War — a powerful pastel series inspired by his military experiences overseas.
The artwork traveled through museums, galleries, and public exhibits throughout Florida and helped raise nearly $25,000 for the Veterans Arts Scholarship at the North Port Art Center.
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00:09:22
From there, the North Port Paint Posse was created.
What started as a few artists painting outside on Sundays evolved into a movement with more than 150 members and around 25 active painters regularly participating.
Michele explains how the group eventually inspired the creation of the North Port Art Crawl, a community-driven event focused on helping artists connect directly with the public rather than relying on expensive galleries and middlemen.
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00:10:54
George and Michele dive deeper into PTSD, relationships, and healing.
Michele openly discusses how PTSD affects not only veterans but also their spouses and families. She talks about learning communication skills, emotional awareness, and even creating “safe words” to help de-escalate stressful situations.
She explains that healing only works when someone truly wants help and is willing to continue working toward it.
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00:15:28
The conversation shifts into how Philip slowly became more involved in the community through educational presentations and museum-style displays featuring their bone and fossil collection.
Michele shares stories about speaking at North Port High School anatomy classes and how students wrote over 150 thank-you letters after the presentation — something that deeply impacted both of them.
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00:18:37
Michele also talks about her love for hiking, long-distance backpacking trips, and outdoor adventures with Philip.
She shares the story of hiking 40 miles over five days through Tennessee and North Carolina, which ultimately became the moment Philip asked her to marry him.
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00:19:12
The conversation circles back to Bone Boutique and the unexpected popularity of bone art and ethically sourced jewelry.
Michele explains how she sources materials through wildlife removal professionals, farms, road recovery, python hunters, and local donations while remaining transparent about the preservation process.
She jokes that now every time people drive past roadkill, they think of her.
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00:27:56
As the conversation transitions into painting and public art, Michele discusses her passion for capturing everyday life in North Port through watercolor paintings.
From churches and parks to pickleball courts, city buildings, and even porta-potties, Michele sees beauty in ordinary moments throughout the community.
She also speaks openly about the challenges artists face when people expect creative work for free and why artists deserve to be properly compensated for their time and talent.
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00:33:19
Michele shares her vision for the future of the North Port art community, encouraging artists to connect directly with collectors and become more confident sharing their own stories and work.
She credits organizations like the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership North Port, and North Port University for helping deepen her connection to the city.
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00:35:30
As the episode wraps up, Michele encourages local artists to join the North Port Paint Posse and invites listeners to attend the North Port Art Crawl every third Saturday of the month.
George closes out the episode by thanking Michele for sharing her story and encouraging listeners to support her work, follow the podcast, and subscribe for future episodes.
