Rambling Business Podcast

Rambling Business starts its Alameda Island, California series by looking back into history with the legendary furniture of Gustov Stickley. Rick and Judy talk to Gus Bostrom of the California Historical Design Company about how Gustov Stickley inspired him and the historical furniture you find today. Check out our webpage at www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on ITunes ---> http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

Rambling Business finishes our California’s Silicon Valley series by examining one of the most unusual edifices in Silicon Valley, the looming 80-foot tower in Palo Alto on El Camino Blvd. There are no written records of this tower, but it currently sits in the middle of a Dinah’s Garden Hotel’s driveway and used to attract customers. It continues to create a buzz about its origin and serves as an attraction for local businesses. But where did it come from? Nobody knows. Rambling business looks at these theories and adds on of our own about this business advertisement that can be seen for miles. Subscribe on Itunes --> http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR www.RamblingBusiness.com

Rambling Business continues our California’s Silicon Valley series by talking to the beautiful people. Rick met with owner Rebecca Rook of Kiss and Makeup cosmetic artists of Los Gatos. Hear how Rebecca blossomed her career as a make-up artist into one of the most popular studios in Silicon Valley. www.RamblingBusiness.com

Rambling Business leaves our Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada series and flies south to California’s Silicon Valley. Here Rick met with Myszka (“Mishka”) Hall of Sierra Toy Soldier Company and learned how she and her husband, Michael turned a passion into a famous resource for toy soldier/history collectors. www.RamblingBusiness.com http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

Rambling Business finishes our Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada series with the story of the Masana Tapia family. Rick and Judy talked his son, Ramon of Suquet (“Suket”) Interiors about how his mom and dad went back to their origin in Mexico City after the disastrous 1985 earthquake and ended up bringing back a new designer movement to their home in Vancouver. Subscribe to the podcast on Itunes ! http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR www.RamblingBusiness.com

Rambling Business continues our Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada series by taking a walk into one of the most unusual chocolatiers we have ever encountered. Rick met with Hodie Rondeau of XOXOLAT ( Sho-Sho-LA ) of Yaletown who not only emphasizes the healthy aspect of chocolate, but designs beautiful chocolate pieces that size up to even the most trendy shoes. www.RamblingBusiness.com http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

Rambling Business continues our Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada series by hoping over to the Grandville Island Public Market. There, Rick and Judy met artist Michelle Vulama who can bring out colorful faces from ordinary rocks. See how she took this unique talent and turned it into a successful moneymaking business. Check out www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes (Apple Podcast) http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR #Artist #RamblingBusiness #Podcast #Vancouver #BritishColumbia #Canada #Rocks

Rambling Business leaves our Glendale, Arizona business series and heads WAY north across the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There, Rick and Judy talked to Craig Harris, manager of the Yaletown Distilling Company to learn about their unique role in producing vodka, gin and whiskey. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Apple Podcast (ITunes)http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our Glendale, Arizona business series by going back in time. Rick and Judy walked through Catlin Court and stopped for a chat with Ed Mowry of the Primitive Peddler. Learn about Ed’s story and the hidden secrets to running and antique business. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Apple Podcast . http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We continue our Glendale, Arizona business series with part two of businesses started by Teresa Outzen and Pete Gliniak. Last week, we spoke of how Teresa and Pete established their historic B&B. Here we see how they created the Desert Rose Steakhouse and all around fun zone for families of all ages. Check it out at RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Apple Podcast at http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We leave our Julian, California business series and head east across the Arizona border to the city of Glendale. Here Rick and Judy walked into history and stayed at the Gaslight Inn Bed and Breakfast. Learn how Teresa Outzen and her husband Pete Gliniak went from a heartbreaking business venture to a successful popular B&B. www.RamblingBusiness.com for the complete multimedia experience Subscribe on ITunes --- http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our Julian, California business series by going back to its beginning-The Julian Gold Rush. Here Rick and Judy walked into the Eagle Gold Mine and traced the ore car tracks deep into the mountain where others have struck it rich. Learn about the history of the Eagle Mining Company and what 3rd generation Paul and Craig Nelson are doing today to preserve it. Subscribe on ITunes -- http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR www.RamblingBusiness.com for the full multimedia experience.

We continue our Julian, California business series with a hop, skip and jump to the area's premier birdwatcher resource store, the Birdwatcher. Here Rick and Judy dropped by for a chat with Brenda Campbell who told them the story how she and her husband Rick turned a passion into a thriving business which nurtures the birdwatching passion of others. Check out our the total multimedia experience -- www.ramblingbusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes -- http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We continue our Julian, California business series by dropping by a very unique shop known to bikers all over Southern California. Rick and Judy had the pleasure of meeting Nancy Pisano who turned her passion of riding a “full-dressed hog” into a Harley Davidson biker accessory shop. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe and leave a review on ITUNES ! http://ow.ly/cPSd305h2Jp

We leave Escondido, California business series and move south into the mountains to the town of Julian. The first stop in our Julian, California business is the Julian Gold Rush Hotel B&B . Rick and Judy had the pleasure of staying at was the family-run, national historic landmark where they spoke to co-owner, Radne and learned about the history of this B&B built in the 1890s. www.RamlingBusiness.com Subscribe and review on ITunes! http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our Escondido, California business series by venturing back into the California hills. Rick and Judy stayed at the Ranch in Bandy Canyon when visiting Escondido. Here they were surprised at how this functioning Ranch has been preserved since 1870. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes --

We continue our Escondido, California business series by soaring to new heights. Rick and Judy met with Harmony Chute at Trapeze High acrobatic school of Escondido where Rick and Judy not only learned about the history of the school, but got a chance to swing on the trapeze. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes ---http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We move much farther south to the hills of Southern California to another historic town, Escondido. Compared to other areas of California, Escondido entered the California wine industry a little later. Rick and Judy talked to Francisco Cordiano of Cordiano Winery to learn the unique story of how the Cordiano family practically started the wine industry in this area. Check out the full multimedia experience at www.ramblingbusiness.com or subscribe and leave a review on Itunes --->http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our San Juan Capistrano Business series by getting on board at a converted train station and rail cars at the Vintage Steakhouse. Rick and Judy met with Heather Tran of the Vintage Steak House and learned how she and her husband, Chris, stepped into history to carry on a tradition. See the multimedia experience at www.ramblingbusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes . http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We continue our San Juan Capistrano Business series by meeting a business you wouldn’t think existed in San Juan Capistrano, dairies. Rick met with Rey Rivera of MRV Dairy Solutions and learned how MRV changed the way milk is sold in California.

Prism of Rhythm's (family band)latest release--"Francisco". Amber Rose Manley (daughter)--Lead vocals Brandon Norris (son)--Backup Vocals Devin S Norris (son)--Keyboards Judy Stepan-Norris --Percussion Satya Fuentes (Devin's girlfriend)--Backup Vocals Sarah Lloyd (Brandon's girlfriend)-- cello Rick E Norris (guitar) Spencer Lere (Drums, Engineer) Music and Lyrics by Rick E Norris Produced by Rick E Norris, Devin S Norris and Spencer Lere Hear the Rambling Business podcast series "Haight Ashbury Business" which inspired the song.

We leave our Costa Mesa Construction Business series and move down the California coast to the mission town of San Juan Capistrano. Rick and Judy met Eddie Del Canto and Rey Rivera from Compsure Insurance solutions. Now if you think insurance is a boring subject, consider Compsure’s success record of setting the world on fire by slashing this cost to their small business customers by using a proprietary model. Their methodology can be duplicated in probably any industry. www.RamblingBusinss.com

We continue our Costa Mesa Construction Business series. If you have been following us, Rick and Judy are sharing the stories of the small businesses who helped them do a major remodel. Today we tell the unique story of their plumbing contractor, Hybrid Plumbing, and its founder Steve Hammett and why he said “no” to new business. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We continue our Costa Mesa Construction Business series. If you have been following us, Rick and Judy are sharing the stories of the small businesses that worked on their house. Today we tell the unique story of their heating and air conditioning contractor, Family Heating and Air, and its founder who learned the trade after bombing Hitler during WWII. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We leave the Idyllwild business series and head back to the Orange County coastal city of Costa Mesa. Today we start one of our industry-specific series: Costa Mesa Construction Business! Rick and Judy will bring you the small businesses that worked on their house, giving it a complete remodel and facelift. Each week we will interview a different contractor or supplier and what we learned from the running of their businesses in the risky construction industry. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe in Itunes --http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We conclude our Idyllwild business series by looking at unique country gourmet food. Rick talked to the owners of Coyote Red’s, Bryan Tallent and Jon Stonitsch, on how they have become a primary outlet for some of the most unique foods of the country. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We continue our Idyllwild business series by visiting Paul and Katie White of the Idyllwild Bake Shop and Brew. Here Rick, Judy, grandma and great aunt Gilda stumbled onto this one of kind culinary havens among the forests above Palm Springs. Learn how an infantry instructor and baker married the yeast in their respective passions (beer and baked goods) to make one of the most unique businesses in Idyllwild. www.RamblingBusiness.com Subscribe on ITunes -- http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We leave our Ashland Oregon business and fly back down to the little town of Idyllwild, which is in the California mountains just above Palm Springs. Here Rick met Eric and Jessica Landis of the El Buen Cacao (Ka-Cow) chocolate shop where Rick learned how a former archeologist and anthropologist turned heads by making the purest of chocolate like the Mayans. www.ramblingbusines.com Subscribe on Itunes --http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We continue our Ashland Oregon business by visiting Kevin Broadie at Ex Nihilo Restaurant. Hear what Rick learned about how Kevin bought his European chef training to this small Shakespearian town to create something special out of nothing. Subscribe and leave a review on ITUNES--http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR For the full multimedia podcast, go to www.ramblingbusiness.com

We drive up north from Sonoma up to the great state of Oregon. But we are not stopping at just any Oregon town, but the Shakespearean town of Ashland. Here Rick and Judy met Andy Card of Oberon’s Restaurant and Bar and how Andy and his wife Sachta transformed a restaurant to fit in with the Shakespearian culture. www.ramblingbusiness.com Subscribe and review on Itunes ---> http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We continue our Sonoma Coast Series by driving to Bodega Bay. Rick and Judy stayed at the Sonoma Coast Villa and learned about its unique history that veered away from the original business plan for the buildings and site. www.ramblingBusiness.com Itunes -->http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We leave our Yreka series and drive southwest to the Sonoma Coast of California, which is just an hour north of San Francisco. Here we start in the town of Sebastopol where Rick and Judy visited Melena Moore Gilbert of the Bliss Organic Day Spa. Hear about how Melena built her business, in part with other woman-owned businesses to become a hub of the business life of this cool wine country town. www.ramblingbusiness.com Subscribe and review on Itunes! http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our series of Yreka, (the small gold town in northern California) by telling you about the city’s biggest historical landmark: The Franco-American Hotel. Stick around for the amazing history that Rick learned from Gary Nelson and why you should make it one of your stops on the way up highway I-5 towards Oregon. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We continue our series of this small gold town in northern California, Yreka, by looking at the Hospice non-profit industry and how they use common sense as business sense in order to take care of those in our society who need us most. Learn how the Heartisan Boutique was created from an idea that not only helped the ill but also the environment. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We jump into the small gold town in northern California to start our Yreka Business. Learn how Zephyr Books and Coffee was created with a unique timing of love, alliances and opportunity. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We finish our Sedona series by looking at a family that did the opposite of the Beverly Hillbillies by moving from Beverly Hills to the outback of West Sedona, Arizona. Learn what this family did to create a legacy of serving others which has lasted to the next generation. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We start our Sedona Business series by talking to Clara Mak of Bonanza Native Flutes and Jewelry. Join us we tell you one way to transform your business when the bottom drops out. www.ramblingbusiness.com Subscribe on Itunes: http://ow.ly/Mm5d305iwvR

We finish our Route 66 series by driving to a big hole in the earth. Learn about the Barringer family legacy and how they turned a failed geological endeavor into a world renown wonder. www.ramblingbusiness.com

We continue our Route 66 series in Flagstaff by popping next door to Galaxy Sales Outfitters and James Burns. Join us as we tell the story that starts with escaping Belgium Jews during WWII who settle down in Flagstaff.

We continue our Route 66 series by hitting Flagstaff and its oldest business, The Grand Canyon Café. Join us as we tell the story on how two families joined together to keep this historical legacy alive. ramblingbusiness.com

We continue our Route 66 series by driving off the highway to the northeastern Arizona to the Navajo Nation. Rick and Judy met Leon Skyhorse Thomas who owns the Canyon de Chelley (“Shay”) Navajo- Guided Tour Company. Find out the history and challenges of the Navajo people doing business with the Federal Government in one of the most beautiful and historical national monuments. See us at www.ramblingbusiness.com

We start our Business on Route 66 series in Flagstaff Arizona. Rick and Judy were drawn to the Flagstaff Artists Gallery just a half a block from the historic Route 66. Join Rick and Brandon for the fun as they talk about the history and joys of running a Co-op in the historical part of this amazing small town. www.ramblingbusiness.com

Last Memorial Day weekend, our family of 20 extended our Ojai adventure by kayaking with the Santa Barbara Adventure Company in the Channel Island caves. Rick talked to Michael Cohen about how he went from sleeping in the back of his pickup truck to one of the most sustainable GREEN businesses in Ventura County.

Last Memorial Day weekend, our extended family of 22 stayed at the Dent House to celebrate Rick and Judy’s birthdays. Hear the story of where they stayed,the 1908 Dent House. It serves as a good example of business with the sensitivity of culture and history.

Rick talked to owner, Barbara Haskins about how her family got into the honey business, and how they have changed to keep it profitable. This is part of our Ojai, California Business series.

We start our Ojai Business series with Rick and Judy visiting the Ojai Olive Oil Company Grove. Rick talked to owner, Phil Asquith about its beginning and how he and his family have lived a balanced life while producing the highest quality olive oil. #RamblingBusiness.com

Rick and Brandon visit Booksmith, which has creatively survived, not only the tumultuous year of Haight-Ashbury, but the changing climate of bookstores. www.RamblingBusiness.com

We continue Haight-Ashbury series by stepping back years BEFORE the hippie movement and how one business had to adjust to flower children. Rick stopped by Mendels, which has supplied the Haight with fabrics and other creative items for decades and talked with 3rd generation owner Naomi Silverman. www.ramblingbusiness.com

Join Rick and Brandon as they showcase "Distractions", the oldest existing business in Haight-Ashbury offering a mix of vintage clothes, accessories, steampunk and Victorian items. Learn how you can prosper running a trendy business. www.ramblingbusiness.com

We finish up our series Cowabunga! Malibu Business with Rick’s conversation with a Malibu legend. Zuma Jay! Learn how Jay stayed true to himself in developing his surfing business while helping the local area and surf culture. www.ramblingbusiness.com