Small Business Celebration

Richard Middlebrook, Founding Partner of Middlebrook and Associates, guides us on keeping your business interesting to you, finding the right community involvement for business exposure, the science behind DUI, and...the simple question that can change your business forever.

Jeannie Wells, the Managing Member of Jim's Honey Farm, LLC., guides us on teaching your children how to hire, growing beyond the farmer's market, being one of the first women to work in the California oil fields, and...transporting beehives without a bee suit?

Kristin Hagan, Partner at Hagan-Denison, LLP. (Preparing Emotionally for Legal Action) guides us on opening your own business first versus working for someone else first, don't performing for other people, and...paddle boarding and open delta?

Trevor Smith, owner of Cool Pools, guides us on educating your customers on evolving technology and products, employing siblings, mentorship through networking, and...glamping to save the soul?

Cal De Jager, Managing Partner at Western Sky Dairy, guides us on what to do during volatile markets, how to develop a positive workforce, how to handle growing pains, and...influenced by reading Les Miserables?

Jamie Michelle Pena, owner of Bridges of Kern Accounting (Needing Certifications to Run Your Business), guides us on how trust equals influence, starting business late in life, how to run a virtual business without being "big brother" to your employees, and...hip hop dancing to cleans the soul?

Rick Mossman, owner of Mossman's Coffee Shops and Catering (Creating A Small Business Exit Strategy) guides us on family not wanting to keep on the family tradition, national trends vs what your customers want, working for dead guys, and...legos to relax your mind?

Bret Sill, with Sill Properties (You Can't Use The Same Technology Your Dad Did), guides us on discerning which technologies to invest in, when to give to charities and when to start your own, and...creating culture with a snowboard?

Alison Hickman, owner of Alchemy Interiors and Events (Finding New Contacts In New Places), guides us on whether we still need a website anymore, being a strong woman navigating in a business world, and...why being a mother of five in the business world makes you relatable.

Dave Plivelich, Founder / President of The Marcom Group - Helping Worker Productivity in a Virtual Business, guides us on making a risky investment successful, retaining the past principles of success in modern-day technology, and...the best business advice comes from a wine club?

Dale Hill, President and CEO of Hill Threaded Products, Inc., guides us on how to build your business so you can take Fridays off, how to develop a leadership team anew, how to find new industries to even out your revenue stream, and...vending machines that don't sell soda pop and candy?

Steve Magar, owner of Kern Valuation Services (How to Interface with the Public) guides us on trusting an employee to help your business, being an introvert in public, growing your business through your connections, and...running out of air in a wreck?

This special episode features, Morgan Clayton, Tom Maxwell, and Lance & Sue England (Creating / Being a Part of Something Bigger than You) who guide us on discerning when to advertise with non-profits for name recognition and when it's the right thing to to do, understanding what to do with your money once you've earned it, getting purpose from those who influence you, and...giving without asking for money?

Sue Watson, a woman business owner coach of Business Initiatives (Life By Design vs By Default), guides us on talking about business failures, not tolerating bad office behavior, having value vs being useful, and...stealing tv money for cigarettes?

Michael Hansen, President of Advanced Data Storage, guides us on how to make family time from your business, putting your stamp on your business without bankrupting it, engaging business competition to be partners, and...does your father make you use a Yellow Pages ad?

Jeff Bitten, CEO of Pitch59 (How to Find the Best Employees in This Tight Job Market), guides us on how to put together a sales system that works, how to develop the talent you need from within, how to find the best vendors for your business, and...going to one of the happiest places on earth to talk technology?

Leland Davis, owner of Explorer Travel and Tours (getting ready for business travel), guides us on enjoying trips to their fullest, the truth about travel expenses, reading the fine print on online orders, where to experience the best meals, and...is SANTA in the house?

Josette Kouyomjian, owner of Number 46, guides us on have permission to have your own personal style, helping customers "feel free to be themselves," how influencers can make, or break, a brand, how to break "fast fashion," and...what does a janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?

Keandra Sandifer, owner of Knappy Hair, guides us on helping your customers feel a sense of community, growing your business as a single parent, how owning your business can make you feel more confident, and...how much easier life is when you're not pretending to be someone you're not!

Rabbi Jonathan Klein, rabbi at Temple Beth El in Bakersfield, CA (how to gain and retain the employees you need to grow your business), guides on the number one question sent to us on social media for the third year in a row: "Is it morally okay to have a financially successful business?" In addition, we talk about, how to overcome a merger that doesn't go well, and...with which hand do you light a menorah?

Lance and Sue England, owners of LS England Designs, guides us on how to tell between good and bad advice, small business giving during the holidays, why volunteering is fun!, setting boundaries when you and your spouse own the business...and...does "fear stop death?"

Carl Frank, owner of Bud's Brake and Wheel Parts, guides us on spreading the word about your business without the gimmicks, why having inventory on hand beats Amazon, how to help your spouse's unconventional business...and how do you train a 17-year old to take over your business?

Tom Maxwell, partner with Keathley, Maxwell, and Antongiovanni, (Get-Away's as Special "Thank You") guides us on how to use get-away's as a special "thank you" to you best clients and how to use them as an effective sales tool, what to look for when investing into other small businesses, worrying about other people's reality, and..."I can't believe I helped do this?'"

David Oxley, owner of Oxley Pest Control, guides us on defining your second plan, buying new vs used vehicles, how do plan for surprise expenses, using companies much larger than yours for forecasting...and what do you do when your employee's truck drives off a cliff?!

Anna Marie Frank, owner of Happy Whole You, guides us on having boundaries to protect your brand, how different everyone is the same, emotional blockage preventing you from being successful, and...how do you fight depression as a woman business owner?

Debbie Charpentier, owner of Charpentier Wealth Strategies (helping customers become comfortable about talking about THEIR money), guides us on business owners participating in the CalSavers program, deciding how badly you want your business to succeed...and how do you recover your business when it loses 10,000 customers?

Nicole Lazzerini and Kristi Windtberg, owners of LVL Fitness (having business resources BEFORE you start your business), guide us on being the reluctant business partner, having business resources BEFORE you start your business, choosing the "right" business partner, why you should be conservative on your business projections...and fighting about a $200 trash can?

Phillip Beltran, owner of Brother Ray's Salsa & Seasonings (starting a business close to retirement) , guides us on fostering community relationships, running your business off-the-cuff, growing beyond the farmer's market, starting a business close to retirement...and a love for trains can help your business?

Paul Campanario, owner of MaidPro-Bakersfield and Floors Reborn, (expanding your business into another area) guides us on what to look for when starting a second business, how to handle different businesses in different markets, how to discover what's missing in that new market...and running headfirst into unintended consequences?

Tracie Barmann, owner of Sharing Spaces (a woman owned second time business), guides us on what it takes to start your own networking group, what she's doing to help solve the California housing crisis, what it takes to be woman-owned tech startup...what has changed since the last time started up a new business?

Shaun Tidwell, owner of Salt 7 Even, (how to react to business owners who don't understand your business) guides us on marketing a business that is "off the beaten path," how the customer becomes the business owner, how to find effective local influencers, how to attract new customers with lighting...and fly fishing to concentrate thought?

Christiee Diane, owner of Vibe Stitch, guides us on dealing with depression as a leader, how to find the right influencer to promote your business, what you say "no" to, how to have employees work out of your home...and the benefits of wearing a hat that says, "I'm with the band" at a concert to get special parking?

Deidre Hathor, owner of Deidre Hathor Life Coach, (Communication When Stressed) guides us on how to present yourself when stressed, how to deal with failure as a weakness, the line between being authentic and keeping what's personal, personal on social media...and what to do when you business burns to the ground three times!

Patrick Moradkhani, co-owner of Bakersfield Crumbl Cookies and owner of Kern Power Company, (how to create purpose over paycheck) guides on "how do you figure out the best system for your business?", how do you find purpose over paycheck for your employees, why "If you don't have a problem to solve, you're just comfortable"...and llamas versus alpacas?

AJ Antongiovanni, President of Mission Bank, guides us on navigating your business's employees through controversial political / vaccination topics, can you separate your business's credit rating from your own, should you separate your business and personal accounts with different banks, what to do when you're thrust into a situation your unqualified for, and...what to do when you're older brother asks you NOT to join the family business?

Ever have one of those projects where even though you did everything right, and surpassed expectations, the project falls apart? Well, this episode is because of one of them. Enjoy how we've recovered for this week by featuring Sarah Slayton-Price, Keith Wolaridge, and NaTesha Johnson!

David Gordon, Co-Owner of Bird Dog Arts, (If someone's not ready to make a decision, they're not ready) guides us on how customers can "read" what you're selling, how to allow emotions to rise up (and die down), deciding what to do when your emotions rise up...and an art gallery in an outdoor mall on a working ranch?

Jennifer Tougas-Genova, co-owner of Allure Aesthetics, (Brand Identity Makes You Stand Out) guides on how being your own boss can empower you to provide quality over quantity, how your competition can find you intimidating when you grow quickly, how feeding on negativity can affect your work place, how creating your own brand makes you stand out because your clients want to see someone / something different...and custom t-shirts in an operating room?

Shauna Crane, owner of Red Crane Portraits, (appreciate how you look at 40) guides on how she successfully keeps her appreciative clients coming back, shows how your passion to show what you do makes your business fun!, how to instill confidence in your clients grows your bottom line, how to appreciate how you look at 40...and Vietnam selfies?

Heather Abbott, owner of Bella, guides us on talking with other business owners during trying times, the push to move your business's location give you confidence you need to say, "what have I got to lose?", calling or texting your customers so they know you have something special for them, how to engage your customers so that you don't become "just like any other store"...and making your brother play "UPS driver?"

Vikram Deol, owner of Coach Vikram (showing up consistently), guides us on being inspiring, how there is no more personal separation between business accounts on Instagram, why people do business with people they connect with...and rule number five?!

Jeannie Bertolaccini, primary architect (owner) of Ordiz-Melby Architects, A leading Woman Architect In Bakersfield, guides us on wearing the leadership hat, the importance on learning something new by doing, the significance of wearing hoop earrings, why not to shy away from opportunities...and the dangers of a little black dress.

Deanna Anderson, owner of Solar Grids of Central California (Gaining Clients as Friends), guides us on how superficiality will harm your business, how to use trial-and-error to learn what you have to sell in order to reach your goals, how horses are like people...and how do you repossess a parking lot?

Jon Busby, owner of Team Busby (Sell with Heart, Not Pocketbook), guides us on why you should be careful of who people tell you are over and over, why you should build up the confidence of your employees, when the money of your business will finally come...and what do you do with two metal legs and a metal arm?

Heather Laganelli, owner of Locale - Farm to Table, guides us on how and why utilizing social media expands your reach, the relevancy of customer feedback, about the "why" in being passionate about your business, why you need to be WITH present...and, really, you can be a creative AND own a successful business?

Joshua Moore, owner of Evermoore Films, (how your spouse inspires your business effectively) guides us on learning how to "boss people around," why you need a team to take care of your clients while you go get more of them, figuring out your definition of success...and a dinosaur named "Grip?"

Chris Shipp, co-owner of Mentors Moving, "give everyone a reputation to uphold," guides us on how NOT to be the smartest person in the room, how you can't let the idea of failing enter your mind, why you should find that one thing a person is good at, how you should react to what life throws at you...and the differences in the affordability of television sets affects his business?

Dan Monji, co-owner of Monji Landscape Company, guides on how to tend your business and it will grow, why you should not be afraid to sit down with a monster, why he hasn't had an original idea in his life, who has the hardest time changing...and how do you tell time with a clock with no hands?

Mario Delis, Co-Founder of the 420 Kingdom, Live Your Business on the Edge, Keep Improving All the Time, guides us about constantly moving forward, how living on the edge in the DNA of many small business owners, how to learn from your mistakes, about having balance in your life...all wrapped up in a very controversial business.

Laura Journey, owner of Baker's Outpost, guides us on getting big name support in town, why you need to act with almost a sense of desperation for your business, how to ask for help in the right places, a great place to get quality, immediate feedback on your products and services...and what happens when your first hire is your #1 fan?