It’s A Long Beach Thing: Recent Episodes
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We bring on business owners, entrepreneurs, business professionals, and anyone in the know of Long Beach California. We discuss our love for the city of Long Beach and the surrounding areas. Topics discussed are business, real estate, food, art, or anything dealing with the great city of Long Beach.
Jeff Levine shares his powerful story of overcoming substance abuse and finding long-term sobriety. He talks about his love for Jesus and how his faith gave him the strength to overcome addiction. Today, as CEO of the Long Beach Rescue Mission, Jeff brings a unique level of empathy to those struggling with addiction. His story is one of faith, redemption, and using his experiences to help others.
John Morris, founder of Legends the very first sports bar, a longtime community leader. and current owner of Boathouse on the Bay. John shares stories about his involvement with the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, Big Bang on the Bay, local politics, and the future of Long Beach. A candid conversation with one of the city's most influential business owners.
Justin Atherton shares his experiences working in law enforcement and the jail system, and how those experiences helped shape his leadership journey. Now a keynote speaker and bestselling author, Justin discusses the lessons he's learned along the way and the message behind his book, Get to the Damn Point. A great conversation about leadership, communication, and personal growth.
Crowd Source Carrie shares her journey from a small town in Minnesota to Long Beach and discusses what inspired her to speak out against injustices she sees in our political system. Her passion for creating change and advocating for her beliefs shines throughout the interview.
Kris Gragson shares how his entrepreneurial spirit developed at a young age and helped pave the way for his success as a business owner today. He discusses the future of artificial intelligence, how businesses and individuals can leverage AI to their advantage, and the opportunities it presents moving forward. Kris also reflects on his experience running Movies on the Beach, one of Long Beach's most popular community events, and how bringing people together through entertainment has become an important part of his journey.
Ed Caspers discovered art accidentally in college while searching for a minor, and it quickly turned into a passion that has guided him throughout his life. Today, he has his own art studio in Signal Hill and is continuing to build both his career and his life in Long Beach through creativity, hard work, and dedication to his craft.
Oscar Cancio talks about being raised in Koreatown in Los Angeles by a single dad, an experience that helped shape his work ethic, resilience, and perspective on community. From there, his journey led him into the military, where he developed leadership skills and a deeper appreciation for service and discipline.
More than 10 years ago, Oscar moved to Long Beach and quickly fell in love with the city, its diversity, neighborhoods, culture, and people. Having lived in several different parts of Long Beach over the years, he believes he has a unique understanding of both the strengths and challenges facing the city today.
Oscar shares his thoughts on public safety, housing, local business growth, and community connection, while discussing what he believes can help improve the quality of life for residents across Long Beach.
Rebecca Hinderer, owner of Let's Yolk About It and candidate for Long Beach City Council District 3, shares her inspiring journey from growing up in the foster care system to building a thriving restaurant business in Belmont Shore.
In the conversation, she discusses the challenges she overcame, her deep passion for the city of Long Beach, and the experiences that shaped her as a business owner and community leader. Rebecca also explains why she decided to run for City Council, her vision for District 3, and her commitment to supporting local businesses, public safety, and the Long Beach community.
Joshua Rodriguez a husband, father, and police officer has reached a turning point. Frustrated by rising crime, homelessness, and a challenging environment for local businesses, he’s stepping up to take action in the city he loves, Long Beach.
Long Beach mayoral candidate Chris Sweeney joins the podcast to share his vision for the city. He discusses his plans to lower crime, address homelessness, support small businesses, and create a stronger future for Long Beach.
Bill Grisolia, founder of the Long Beach Blues Society, talks about his love for blues music and how it became his life’s passion starting at the age of 27. Bill shares the many ways he has helped elevate blues music in Long Beach and the work he has done to support and grow the local blues community.
Chris Acker, head coach of Long Beach State men’s basketball, talks about his basketball journey and his transition into coaching. He also shares why he decided to take the job at California State University, Long Beach and what needs to happen for the program to be successful. He discusses the culture he wants to build, the type of players he wants in the program, and his vision for the future of the team.
Hector Bordas talks about his style of leadership and his definition of a strong workplace culture. As a Chief Clarity Officer, he shares the tools in his toolbox that help businesses improve their work culture in Long Beach and beyond. His insights offer practical strategies for leaders who want to build stronger teams, better communication, and more positive work environments.
Jordan Baseball Head Coach Phil Berman talks about his opportunity to play baseball at Jordan and as result, it gave him an opportunity to play college ball. Now has the head coach, he helps his players live out their goals and passions on and off the field.
Desiree Vavak shares how being taken advantage of through her own personal mortgage loan inspired her lifelong mission to protect and support others. Tune in to hear her inspiring journey to becoming a successful loan officer, helping people who have been turned away elsewhere and finding solutions to secure the loans they need.
Uduak shares his story of being a young dad at Long Beach City College, while maintaining the highest GPA on the football team and working 2 jobs to provide for his family. He was also the 17th California State Oil and Gas Supervisor. But more than all that, Uduak has a sense of service since a very young age and has always given back to his community in North Long Beach.
Brian talks about going from Pre Med, to a 5 Star Chief, and ending up as a highly successful Financial Advisor. Learn about Brain's unique journey and his passion on helping his community find financial independence.
David Black is a local Long Beach Entrepreneur, who was a partner of the famous Gondola Getaway that goes through the canals of Naples. He talks about his new book The American Gondolier, where he wrote about all the exciting stories on making his dream a reality.
Coach Nes is on mission to make the sport of lacrosse accessible for all kids in Long Beach and in the surrounding area. His passion for the sport shines bright in the interview.
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish shares his remarkable journey to becoming Chief and offers a candid look at the city’s current crime landscape. He breaks down the challenges, the progress, and how the police department and community are working together to keep Long Beach safe.
Sequoia Neff talks about growing up in the District 9 of Long Beach and all the fond memories in the neighborhood. After establishing herself as a successful real estate broker, she has moved back into the area. She has identified things she wants to change and improve, so she has decided to run for Long Beach City Council of District 9.
Real Estate expert Greg Ernst gives us the insight of Long Beach real estate. He also talks about his first memory of going to Long Beach as a very young boy seeing the Queen Mary and growing up near Heartwell Park.
Rick Anderson talks about his athletic journey through Long Beach and his time playing at the University of Arizona. Rick explains about the practice of Yoga and how it was a key source to handling the pressures of being an elite athlete. As a result, he has built a career teaching Yoga at Long Beach City College.
Eli from the 562 breaks down the long beach high school football programs, woman's flag football, girl's volleyball, and men's water polo. Learn everything you need to know about the Long Beach high school fall sports.
Tyler Schafer talks about the mindset it takes to play division 1 college sports. His perspective is extremely refreshing in this competitive world. He also talks about his goals going forward as a professional golfer.
Sebastian and Willie talk about all it took to bring a professional football club (soccer) to the city of Long Beach. They big plans to build a stadium and hire local talent to make the club grow in the city they love.
Kelly Ruggirello talks about her journey getting to become the President of the Long Beach Symphony. She is very excited about all the upcoming future of the Long Beach Symphony. Kelly is also the President of the Long Rotary Club and explains all the great things ahead for the club.
Danny Katene Marindin has an extreme love for the sport of lacrosse. He has dedicated his time to grow the sport in the city of Long Beach. His goal is to make lacrosse one of the top youth sports in the community.
Casey Kammel talks about his very inspiring story of breaking his neck and being told he would never be able to walk again to competing in triathlons. Now he his a motivational speaker and has owned gyms in the Long Beach area for several years.
Head coach of the Long Beach State Baseball Team the Dirtbags TJ Bruce, talks about his journey from playing with the team in the mid 2000's to becoming the head coach. TJ talks about his old school style coaching and his vision for the Dirtbags going forward in the future.
Jerusha Day talks about her journey, finding her way to the great city of Long Beach! From working at Universal Studios to Kodak and finding her passion in real estate! Please tune in to her remarkable journey.
Owner of the World Famous VIP Records Kelvin Anderson SR. Talks about creating a positive culture for the Long Beach Community and for local hip hop artist to thrive. He has worked with many hip hop artist such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg and so many more.
Jim talks about his journey as an educator starting in the mid 90's in the city of Long Beach. He expresses his opinion on the evolution of the education system and what needs to change to improve it. He also expresses his joy of being a singer songwriter playing at venues all over Long Beach.
As a young boy Jordan was diagnosed with ADHD. School was extremely hard for him and he was lost. However, due to the love of his parents, he was able to get through high school and now he is thriving! He owns and operates Primo Plumbing, an elite family run plumbing service in the area.
Bobby talks about his professional journey taking him all over California and ending up at his dream job at Long Beach State. He also talks about the state of the athletic program and how they will be tackling the new world of NIL.
Paige talks about her journey from growing up in Long Beach, moving away to LA to attend USC, and finding her way back to continue the Long Beach family real estate business. She also talks about Long Beach real estate, strategies to buy and sell in a high rate and high demand market.
Conor Weir talks about his journey from Minnesota, to Oxford University in England and then ending up in warm sunny Long Beach CA. He talks about building a financial company with his wife in the LB area. Conor also talks about giving back to the Cambodia community of Long Beach. He takes pride in the Long Beach Rotary, helping youth camp groups for high school kids to help them learn great life skills. Please listen in to this amazing interview.
Dr. Mike Munoz talks about his early struggles as a young father balancing multiple jobs, education, and fatherhood. He also talks about his amazing journey from humble begins all the way to running Long Beach City College. It's an inspirational story not to be missed.
Trey talks about coming from a small town in Wisconsin to where he is supposed to be in the city of Long Beach. He also discusses the important of fitness and eating a good diet can really improve a person's life style. Lastly he speaks about his journey as a business owner in Long Beach.
Juan went from not knowing any English to becoming one of the biggest go to Long Beach real estate experts in all of the city. He is truly living the American dream.
Angel talks about opening a karate studio for students that would not be allowed at a traditional studio in the city of Long Beach. His patience and love for his students shows through out the interview.
Jon talks about his amazing journey from Michigan to California. From playing pro volleyball to owning several Rock & Brews restaurants, there's nothing he can't accomplish. Now he's working on his greatest project, giving the Long Beach youth the attention they deserve.
Randy talks about his start in California, being laid off from Montgomery Ward all the way to being the President and CEO of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. Due his great work in the community, Randy has now cemented himself has the voice of Long Beach.
Paul talks about his rich history of Long Beach from going to St Joseph Elementary School to becoming the CEO of the Long Beach City College Foundation. His hard work from when he was kid to where is today has paid off and as result the community of Long Beach is benefiting.
Jax talks about her passion for women sports. She wanted to create a place where women's sports were the focal point. They're thousands of men sports bars all over the nation, it's time for the women to have a place their own.
Zana talks about living the American Dream from Germany to Long Beach. She also talks about ways for Long Beach Restaurants to stay profitable in a slow economy.
Marcelle talks about her amazing journey from humble beginnings to becoming a CEO at very young age. Along the way she has found her voice, now she is on a mission to advocate for women in the business world for greater opportunities in all aspects of life!
Arturo talks about his love for Long Beach ever since he went to high school at St Anthony. He also talks about his love of music since he was 10 years old. The passion of the art of music moves him in ways only Arturo can explain.
Brandon West talks about his humble begins in Oklahoma all the way to Naples Long Beach. He has since open a podcast studio in Signal Hill and ready to help business owners level up in marketing.
Council Member of the 3rd District Kristina Duggan gives us an update on what is currently going on in the 3rd District of Long Beach. She talks about the Colorado Lagoon Project, the issue of homelessness, Concerts in the Park, bringing back Movies on the Beach, PCH Building Project, Belmont Shore business, Zaferia business, and so much more.
Reggie Ward talks about the principles that his mother instilled in him as a young boy. These are the principles he used to excel on and off the football field. Today as a speaker, coach, and author he shares these principles on a bigger stage.
Danny shares his devotion for the Christian Church while early on having an internal struggle on the church’s stance on the LBGTQ community. With his own research and love, he has come to the conclusion that everyone should be welcomed into the church with love and open arms.
John Grossi talks about starting a Long Beach magazine during a time where print media was falling off a cliff. Learn about his inspiring story and his great love for the city of Long Beach.
Mayor Rex Richardson shares his journey bouncing around from State to State as a boy, ending up in the city of Long Beach. He also shares his long term vision for the great city of Long Beach.
We interviewed leadership coach and organization consultant Dr. Christine Petit. She talks about her how her life experiences and background organizing for workers' rights and living wages led her to where she is today.
Local Long Beach Artist Andrea James talks about her journey of being someone who thought there was no way of making a living being an artist to someone who has a team painting murals in the city of Long Beach.
John Cross goes over his journey of growing up in Ohio and moving to sunny Long Beach California. He talks about knowing earlier on that Long Beach would be his home. While living in Long Beach, he was able to land his dream job with the Long Beach Symphony.
Lisa takes us through her journey of humble begins as a very unsure young girl in Connecticut. Now as a confident woman in Long Beach, she wants to help other women with their struggles so they can bypass the problems she faced from her past.
Lydia talks about her courages journey from moving from Maine to Long Beach at 18 years old. She also talks about being a mom and balancing all her careers. Her story is truly remarkable.
Sumer Temple talks about her dad's business legacy (Don Temple) in the city of Long Beach. She expresses her love for the city and what her business is doing currently to improve Long Beach.
Performance artist Kelly Pfeider talks about her performing company putting on performances for companies and organizations tackling subjects such as work place harassment, sexual harassment, gaslighting, and so much more. The company deals with the matters in a serious way but gives an entertaining flare.
Founder of the 562 .org JJ Fiddler talks about his passion covering Long Beach athletics and how journalism has evolved through technology.
Arion talks about only having $31 to his name to having a thriving business in the Bixby Knoll area of Long Beach.
Sheila talks about journey through going to Harvard and her life lessons learned about being away from home for the first time. She also talks about her education business and the future of education in the classroom for kids and so much more.
Venice talks about the frustrating events that happened to his children while attending Long Beach and LA Unified School Districts. He also has some solutions for the issues going forward.
Candice talks about the challenges of opening up a body art shop in the middle of Belmont Shore. She also shares her passion for street art and wants to spread the art onto 2nd Street.
Marc shares his story of holding down a full time job in Long Beach and going to LA to audition for acting roles. He also shares his great passion for the city.
Dean takes us through how he has made a full time living as an artist. He goes over his up and down journey through the art world. He also discusses his relationship with the city of Long Beach.
Dana goes over her inspiring journey from the world of hospitality to the competitive world of real estate. She also gives advice to people looking to buy and sell properties.
On the Next episode of It's A Long Beach Thing, we spoke to Long Beach Personal Trainer and Entrepreneur Shannon Shondeff. She talks about her journey of starting family in Long Beach, going from her and her husband to having 4 kids. She talks about balancing a family with a thriving business.
Bruce shares his positive outlook on the future of the city of Long Beach and the company he works for UPS.
Michael shares with us how to live a more holistic life style without sacrificing all the things we love.
Ryan's love for the city of Long Beach comes shining through our conversation. He has a plan to improve the city for the better. Ryan has an inspiring story of taking his business to extreme heights but still has so much more to accomplish.
Joe goes over how the Long Beach housing market is changing due to the increase interest rates. He also goes over tips to buy in this type of market.
Mike goes over his journey growing up in Long Beach and always wanting to set up roots in the city. He goes over his ups and downs in the baseball word and so much more.
Ben shares ways as citizens of Long Beach we can improve the city. He also shares his mindset overcoming cancer to come back even stronger than before.
Neil talks about how his business has been a success. He discusses his struggles with running a business during COVID and what he did to stay above water.
Business Consultant Brad Lyon goes over sound strategies for companies to follow to grow the businesses at rapid pace. He also goes over all the businesses he has worked for in the last 40 years.
Max Evans talks about his love for the city of Long Beach. So much so, he writes about the city in his books. Max is an advocate for fathers and promotes fatherhood all over Long Beach and in the surrounding areas.
Long Beach Realtor Danielle Fehmel talks about the current housing market in Long Beach. She also discussed why she made Long Beach her home from Northern California.
Trent talks about how he group up in Long Beach and the great experiences he had as a young boy. Then moving to the OC and running track at San Barbara State. After, competing to make the Olympics to moving back to Long Beach as an adult to start a family. Trent moved up the ranks of his dad's company with no special favors. He found his stride so well that he bought his dad's company and has taken it to new heights.
Ericka came from an abusive relationship and living in poverty all the way to having a successful career in the Air Force and in law enforcement. She shares her amazing story with us.
Long Beach Justin Rudd talks about all the charities, events, and the other things he has done to improve the city he lives in Long Beach.
Photographer Maribel Farina talk about her journey in becoming a professional photographer. She also shares her favorite spots to shoot in Long Beach.
Chris has written many memoirs for people such as the Doobie Brothers, John Oates from Hall and Oates, former wrestler and Fox News contributer Tyrus and many others. He talked about the mindset of becoming a successful writer. He shared so many great stories with us about his journey in writing.
Cesar talks about loving the city of Long Beach so much, he set a goal to bring his business to the city. As a result, he also purchase a home in the the LB. Cesar talks about being responsible and to look at all aspects before rezoning an area.
Chris talks about moving down to Long Beach from the Bay area to attend Long Beach State. He feel in love with the city and has never left since. Chris also talks about the proper mindset you need to succeed in the financial world.
Keir talks about his plans for the future of Signal Hill and the great progress the city is making now. He also shares the reasons why he moved to Long Beach and the great places to eat around the city.
Chuck and I discuss the future of hospitals in the city of Long Beach.
Chuck Thrash is familiar will most types of construction including concrete tilt-up, masonry, wood framing, light gauge steel framing, structural steel frame, etc... Currently have 6 years of experience with industrial & commercial construction, some residential experience along the way, and 14 years of healthcare and laboratory design. Specialize in existing hospital remodel work.