Jaime's Local Love Podcast

Two Valley natives meet and fall and love. One owns and runs his family's legacy flower business, the other created a public relations company for luxury hotels and travel. In this episode, we learn the back story on the Luomas. Eric Luoma is the President of Cactus Flower Florists, who are celebrating 50 years in the Valley. His wife, Tatum Luoma, promotes some of Arizona's iconic hotels. We learn how they met, how Eric used to dress up as the Easter bunny as a little boy to attract customers into the flower shop, and how Tatum discovered she could promote the beautiful places she loves to visit, as a business. 
https://www.cactusflower.com/
https://www.tlcpublicrelations.com/

Arizona is a hotspot for golfers, but women sometimes struggle to find good clothing that helps in the heat and doesn't interfere with their backswing. In this episode, we meet two Valley eye doctors who coincidentally both saw a need for change in women's athletic wear. Tara Ransdell of TJ Sport created a women's clothing line focused on fit, function, and fashion. Katy Craft of VimHue created a hat that fits the female head like a hug and has several patents. Hear about how they started their businesses, how they met, and what's next for their companies.

Jewelry is a must, and we love when we find someone locally who has great jewelry that is meaningful too. In this episode, we meet Lisa Valenzuela from Truly Blessed Jewels. She tells us how a difficult situation at work pushed her to go out on her own. Hear how she went viral and gained a big following, she says she owes her success to the people who lifted her up during challenging times. Truly Blessed Jewels offers permanent jewelry, hand chains, necklaces, engraving and more. https://trulyblessedjewels.com/

PHOENIX Magazine aims to be very helpful to its readers. It features ways to enjoy Arizona through travel, hikes, food and more. In this episode, we meet Managing Editor Leah Lemoine. She grew up in Arizona and worked her way up the ranks at PHOENIX Magazine after her college internship. She shares her love for print, in-town day trip ideas, and her favorite neighborhood spots. PHOENIX magazine: Experienced writers, editors, and designers capturing all sides of the Valley.

In this episode, we meet Jane Spicer, the lady bringing fun and flair to your golf game. As a teenager, Spicer created and sold her first golf club headcover right here in Phoenix. Now with four decades in the business, Daphne's Headcovers is international, selling animal headcovers offering everything from alligator to zebra. While things are great now, she tells us there was a time in her career when she thought they were done. Hear the betrayal from within the company and how Spicer chose to fight to get her business back on course. Now, she's able to give back to the community; to both youth golfers in Arizona and charitable causes in Africa. https://www.daphnesheadcovers.com/

In this episode, we meet Sarah Chisholm of Wild Rye Baking Co. She spent her youth training to be a ballerina, and after a career ending injury at Ballet Arizona, she had to start over. She turned to a place she loved to be as a kid, in the kitchen, with a mixing bowl. We talk about Chisholm's transition out of dance to find her identity and creative flair again in the kitchen. And after years as a successful pastry chef in the Valley, she just launched a new line of elevated baking mixes from cakes to frosting that are now selling in Crate & Barrel nationwide. www.wildryebaking.com

That's what Darleen Santore wants to help you do. In this heartfelt conversation, we talk to the board-certified occupational therapist, mental skills coach, and author about her career, her recovery after three strokes and her new book in which she shares the secret sauce on how to show up as a better YOU! She says it all starts with intention, mindset, and "reviewing the tape". In her book "The Art of Bouncing Back". Coach Dar walks you through key action points to sharpen your mental skills and emotional intelligence too. You'll love spending time with Coach Dar and hearing her inspirational story. https://darsantore.com/

In this episode, we sit down with our resident world traveler Jared Dillingham here at Arizona's Family. He talks about the great sights to see not just in Phoenix but across Arizona. And even though Jared is a global traveler, he says his favorite place in the world is right here in our home state. Jared loves the outdoors and has some great Arizona recommendations for us. And if you're looking for international travel, he covers that too, telling us places to visit and pro-tips to plan your trip abroad. Plus, we'll dish a little about working here at AZfamily too!

We meet Valley native Jenni Pollack of Light and Bark Candle Co. She says her love of dogs sparked an interest in fundraising for the animals, so she started making candles. Those candles turned into a full-time business that now gives back to at least ten rescues in the Valley. Light and Bark Candle Co. is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. They offer build your own candle experiences, parties, or you can choose from what they've designed. Jenni tells us about the challenges of being a business owner, the new location, and the time they helped re-home an abandoned dog at a Valentine’s Day event.  

MORE INFO: https://lightandbark.com/

Herbal remedies like teas, tinctures, and oils are gaining new interest as people search for natural ways to improve their health. We meet an herbalist who’s always loved how plants can help us heal. MeriHelen Nunez owns Tangled Root Botanicals in historic downtown Glendale. It’s an apothecary where she loves working with plant medicine and empowering others to navigate their way through supporting wellness from nature. They carry more than 130 different, organic or wildcrafted bulk herbs that people use for remedies, crafts, or spiritual uses.  They also offer many workshops from yoga to reiki. Make sure to check out their event calendar.    
Web: www.tangledrootbotanicals.com
Instagram account: @Casa_Medicina_Az
Facebook account: Casa Medicia Az

The best meats and cheeses from around the world paired with perfectly balanced cocktails. That’s what Phil Lewkowicz wants to deliver with the new Belmont Kitchen and Cocktails in North Scottsdale. We learn Phil’s family knows fine dining, as they own both Café Monarch and The Reserve. Phil says he’s always loved hospitality and Belmont Kitchen and Cocktails will provide a more casual way to enjoy a high-end meal. Plus, he drops some clues on his next project too. https://belmontkitchenandcocktails.com/

A lawyer with a love of art created a shop 17 years ago to support local artists. When Jane Reddin passed away from cancer, she left the store to an employee who she knew would love it as much as she did. Since then, former news photojournalist Lisa Olson, has poured her heart in making Practical Art a cornerstone for art in our community. If you're looking for wall art, prints, t-shirts, bowls, or a baby gift, Practical Art at Central and Camelback has it all. Lisa absolutely loves community and takes her artists’ treasures to sell at Uptown Farmers Market on Saturdays. When you see her, call her the crazy mug lady, and she'll love it. You must listen to the podcast to find out why! https://practical-art.com/

The WM Phoenix Open is this week and Spring Training is close behind. We talk to two pros when it comes to Arizona events: our own Scott Pasmore and Ian Schwartz. They tell some wild stories from covering the events and give some recommendations on restaurants to try while out and about with your friends.  

From fresh off the fishing boat in San Diego to grilled on your plate in Arizona, we meet the couple behind Chula Seafood. Arizona native Jon Heflin’s family’s been in the fishing industry in San Diego for decades. His wife Mandy (who he met while at ASU) is from the Pacific Northwest and was craving fresh seafood here in the desert. They started by distributing to our Valley restaurants then created their own Chula Seafood restaurant locations in South Scottsdale, Uptown Phoenix, and Greyhawk in North Scottsdale. https://chulaseafood.com/

We meet the inspiring Chrissy May. The serial entrepreneur, author and wellness advocate hosts Aligned and Alive podcast and holds Sacred Experiences retreats. She offers one-on-one coaching on creating breakthroughs and lasting transformations. May tells us about the power of resilience, the importance of self-love, and why we should get comfortable saying "no." 

Scott Keppel of Scott's Training Systems is celebrating 20 years of guiding healthy transformations in people's lives. The personal trainer and nutrition coach aims to simplify your approach to food and exercise. Scott's trusted reputation in the Valley has earned him the ability to train many Arizona pageant girls and women as they prepare for their competitions. Hear how it was a twist of fate and his own kindness that won him that role. Plus, he helps us make some new food and exercise goals for ourselves and tells us how to prepare mentally so we can stick to our plan and get back on track when we don't.

Mixela is a small plates and wine restaurant in Phoenix with an international flair. The chef, Gian Franco, is from Venezuela and his wife Valentina is from Mexico. We learn how the two met in Monaco years ago. Now the couple's created a neighborhood bar and restaurant for people to come and hang and share small bites. On the menu, you’ll find sushi, meatballs, empanadas, cheeseboards, and much more. Hear how the Gian Franco and Valentina have navigated the ever changing restaurant business, from food trucks, to pasta making, to fresh fish flown in from Japan.   

Chef Stephen Jones of The Larder & the Delta is moving Southern cuisine into the fine dining space in a multi-course fancy and fun culinary experience. Jones has been a prominent name in the Phoenix food scene for more than a decade, creating friendships and mentoring young chefs but he almost left Arizona after his first summer here. Learn how a meeting with Chef Mark Tarbell of Tarbell's changed his future and how you can attend his multi-course dinner, brunch, family style dinners, or hang in the bar for drinks and snacks. 

A former bank president decided to change her career by filling a void. Susie Timm says she saw a hole in the industry for food and beverage experts who do PR and marketing in Phoenix and nationwide. She took what she knew about helping small businesses with finances from the bank and combined it with her husband Eric's M.B.A. in marketing and created Knife and Fork Media Group. They represent local businesses like Macayo's, LDV Winery, the City of Scottsdale and events like Scottsdazzle. Susie says she's learned how to close a sale, handle last minute media requests and she calls business ownership a daily adventure that's not for the feint of heart.