The Bizwood Podcast: Recent Episodes
Eric Chemi
Local business is the heart and soul of a community, and the Bizwood Podcast is here to shine a spotlight on Ridgewood and Bergen County businesses impacting the region.
Ramon Hache was the previous mayor of Ridgewood and is now a Bergen County Commissioner. His career started in the financial sector before he reassessed his entire life and dedicated himself to service, first as a volunteer in his church and youth sports.
Ramon talks to me about why he decided to get involved with local politics, how he won his first election as an unknown outsider, and why he moved up from the village job to the county one.
We discuss the different priorities of business owners versus local residents, how those differences play out when it comes to voting and local decisions—and the current debates over hot-button issues like the municipal parking garage.
Jay Daly is the General Manager of Garden State Plaza—the biggest (depending on who you ask) mall in New Jersey and one of the biggest in the Northeast. The enormous facility includes nearly 300 stores, sprawls well over 2 million square feet, and has many more acres of property beyond the buildings themselves.
The mall is undergoing its own transformation, like converting the old JCPenney store into 15 smaller units. And creating a brand new mixed-use development on the location. Management is also adding more experiential options for people, including entertainment and dining. While the retail shops are closed on Sundays because of Bergen County’s “Blue Laws,” the entertainment and dining options can stay open, bringing foot traffic to the mall. Jay is dealing with all of that.
We talk about the counterintuitive trend of online stores now creating an influx of brick-and-mortar retail locations into the mall’s physical space. He hints at the types of stores he’d love to see at the mall. Jay also breaks down the typical revenue model of a store’s lease and talks about the intricacies of accounting for certain types of sales. Consider an online sale that offers in-store pickup; should the retailer pay a percentage of that sale on their lease agreement to the mall?
We also learn about his career: moving from the restaurant industry to property management. And of course, we can’t forget...the difficulties of parking, the pandemic, and even the recent flood!
Daniela started her business at just 23 years old. And to be a successful entrepreneur, she says, you have to be OBSESSED. She learned from her father about attention to detail, risk-taking, and work ethic. How did she come up with the name Araya? With an assist from a clairvoyant! As for how she ended up in this downtown Ridgewood location, it was by chance, at the very last second, despite the landlord already having a deal to lease the space to somebody else.
What motivates Daniela is that she loves her clients, loves her employees, and relishes being positive and smiling. It’s hard to find good workers, she acknowledges. A high level of professionalism is key. Too many Ridgewood businesses think that they’ll succeed simply by opening up shop, yet they skip over the basics.
Daniela once tried to sell her business. And she says she’s still open to selling--as long as she can still work there as an employee!
Chris Kaplanis shares his story of being a kid with an entrepreneurial bent to someone who would later leave his job at GE Capital to become a full-time triathlon coach--alongside his wife, Elizabeth. The Ridgewood couple are quite possibly America’s only full-time, husband-and-wife triathlon coaching duo.
Chris shares the business model of their organization, how they grew the business from nothing, and how Covid has affected them over the past two years. He talks about how long it takes to prepare for a triathlon, their pricing model, and some of the business mistakes they/ve made in the past. He also explains why triathlons have become so popular, and how much of the coaching is physical, versus mental or emotional.
Ernie Lamour has been the CEO of the Ridgewood YMCA for about 5 years. He was originally born in Haiti and moved to Stamford, Connecticut as an 8 year old. He was the youngest of six kids! His dad said he could only go to three places: school, church... and the YMCA.
Ernie shares his journey from the housing projects to college...to the JCC...to the Stamford YMCA, to becoming its CEO...to eventually getting the Ridgewood YMCA job. Ernie never specifically planned to come to Ridgewood, but he talks about how a mentor’s advice helped shape his journey.
Ernie describes the changes he’s made here, his management style handling such a big staff, and how he balances family versus work time. Ernie has an abundance of positive energy!
This week I sit down with Valley Bank CEO, Ira Robbins. Valley has branches all over New Jersey, New York, and other states--including right here in Ridgewood. Ira has spent his entire career working at Valley.
He talks about the importance of culture, stakeholders and doing the right things. Ira shares with me how he balances his home and work life, including letting his kids hang out at the office before hockey practice down the street.
We also talk about the company’s recent pivots, like expanding into Florida and moving to a more hybrid work environment. And how Valley outperformed during the PPP rollout last year. Ira also shares his thoughts on current tax and interest rate policy, and what New Jersey’s leaders should be doing to actually improve the state’s economic direction. Hint: it’s not higher taxes.
Jim Parks is one of the nicest people you’ll meet. His big smile and patient approach make him an ideal fit for serving clients during periods of extreme market volatility. Jim is a wealth manager, based right here in downtown Ridgewood. He tells me how he got into this industry out of college, and how he leapt from employee to owner.
Managing somebody’s wealth is a tricky game, as the ups and downs of money can bring out people’s raw emotions. Jim has to strike that balance of building trust during both the good times and the bad. He tells me about difficult client situations, his approach to growing the business, and how he customizes unique solutions for each client.
We also talk about the pricing model for a wealth manager, especially given the rapid increase of online DIY trading platforms. Jim explains how his approach is different from competitors, and even when he’s had to fire clients!
Ridgewood resident Eric Fluet somehow transformed a long career in the amusement park industry into his own marketing firm, focusing on...you guessed it...amusement parks.
He gets the luxury of working right in a small office in Ridgewood itself, and has the fun of helping out various amusement parks around the country. His model is to do freelance marketing, for firms that need a CMO-level person, but only for specific projects or certain other special needs. Eric talks about how Covid derailed what would have been a huge 2020 for him, the lessons learned in figuring out the right pricing structures, how he finds new business, and how he’s learned to manage working on several clients at once.
Eric talks about his career starting as a young ride operator making a couple bucks an hour, how and why prices for big amusement parks have skyrocketed, and the different jobs he’s had across the country. He also shares some hidden gem locations that can be done as a day trip from Ridgewood.
Arthur Lynch and his brother have been running the Lynch Law Firm for almost 30 years. We talk about how he grew up working hard in the Bronx, why he decided to be a lawyer, and how he ended up doing personal injury cases.
We talk about what it’s like running a business with his brother, and how he splits his time between legal work and actually running his business. We also talk about the big marketing push his firm has made in recent years. You can’t drive on the highway without seeing one of their billboards. Arthur also talks about the common mistakes people make when protecting themselves, whether it’s through insurance or legal services.
His background is fascinating because he spent many years defending insurance companies (and their clients) in lawsuits—but eventually changed sides, now working for plaintiffs who are looking to get compensated for their injuries. We get into the pros and cons of the American legal system, and how he avoids falling into the trap of the “ambulance chasers” that can often put a bad mark in his profession.
Michael McCarthy - aka “Large” from Barstool Sports - talks about his path from the trading floor to the media world. Many years ago, his edgy writing spread all across the Wall Street trading community. His popularity within the financial industry helped make his employer lots of money, but eventually that notoriety put him in the crosshairs. To keep his trading career going, he had to bury that side of his personality for over a decade.
Many years later, he eventually left Wall Street completely and got a full-time job at Barstool. He came full circle, as he had turned down an offer from Barstool ten years earlier.
Large shares the story of how he got that nickname, his growing role within the Barstool empire, the hidden business aspects of the firm that most fans don’t see, and his unique role working there as a Wall Street veteran. We talk about some of the company’s criticisms, what outsiders don’t realize about Barstool, and the uncertain path for where the media industry is headed next.
This week I sit down with the owner of Karma Organic Spa, in Downtown Ridgewood, to hear how Nasuil Zaheer made the American Dream his own. An immigrant from Pakistan, he was working as a high-end waiter until he decided to open his own nail salon. But not just any nail salon--a fully organic one, whose products now draw an international following and are often featured by big-time influencers on social media.
First though, Nas had to go to cosmetology school, where he was the only guy in class. Nas shares the reasoning behind why he started Karma Organic, why he picked Ridgewood for his first location, and how he was able to remove all the dangerous chemicals that other nail products typically include.
Nas shares his struggles and ability to pivot during the pandemic by leaning on his online product sales. We discuss why his employees have stayed with him for so long, what feeds his entrepreneurial spirit, and how he plans to keep growing his business.
Bart Feder had spent an entire career in the media business, working across the country in TV and radio news, both as an on-air presence and management executive. He rose up to roles including General Manager, Senior VP, and CEO for some of the country’s biggest news brands.
Much of his focus was training other leaders to grow, helping his company by maximizing the department heads who reported to him. This leadership coaching is what led to Bart deciding to eventually go out on his own and start his own executive coaching practice.
We talk about the specific traits that the best leaders all share, and how his practice will help bring that out of people. Bart also explains the special training and education one needs to be an executive coach, it’s not something that just anybody can do. He also shares his experience in growing his business, how he plans to grow, and advice for parents thinking about raising their own kids to fulfill their potential.
Stacey Kliesch is a North Jersey native and longtime Ridgewood resident. She talks about how she ended up in architecture, and her career transition from being an employee to running her own business. We discuss both the joys and the frustrations of being in charge of everything.
Stacey explains why people need to hire an architect and gives some examples of how things can go wrong when a consumer tries to renovate without one. She also describes how she selects certain projects over others, and why she won’t work with her own friends.
Homebuilding is in a unique time right now, so we talk about the impact of the pandemic on labor and materials shortages--along with the massive waiting lists people face right now, and whether renovation is more or less attractive as a result.
Paige Amesbury-Morris says many people are confused by what she does. They think she’s a party planner. But her events are massive corporate affairs, with 15,000 people or more. It’s a serious business.
Typically her clients are the world’s largest corporations, who have immense logistical challenges in gathering their employees in one physical place. Just getting them all together at the same time is Paige’s job. Flights and hotels and buses are just the beginning. Her company has a trained army across the country ready to step into action where needed.
Paige tells me about how she was out West when the pandemic suddenly intensified and how she barely made it back home. She also tells me how companies are now fighting to gather in person again, only to find hotel waiting lists are years out. Only a few U.S. cities even have enough convention space and hotel rooms to accommodate such large events, so the choices of where to go are limited.
Paige tells me how she got into such a unique business, and why she keeps Ridgewood as her home—even though all her events are typically far away.
Kuiken Brothers has been a Bergen County staple for over 100 years. Matthew Kuiken, a Ridgewood resident, is now in charge of many of the day-to-day operations. Matt describes how his Dutch immigrant ancestors started the business and how it has evolved through depressions, wars, and suburban development.
Matt tells me about the importance of railroad transportation in getting their lumber all the way from the Pacific Northwest to New Jersey. We talk about the impact Covid has had on business, his experience as a kid working long hours in the yard, and how the recent volatility in lumber prices has affected their operations.
Matt describes his management style in running so many locations—with hundreds of employees—while also serving customers across the nation. And he tells us how Kuiken Brothers stands apart from its competition.
This is a jam-packed episode filled with management insights about a capital-intensive family business.
Ridgewood resident and former Wall Street veteran Amy Nidds has had a love of travel her entire life. After criss-crossing the globe, she eventually transitioned all the knowledge she’d built up into being a full-time travel advisor. She helps families navigate the complex world of hidden perks, discounts, and other services that mere mortals would never know about. We also talk about how travel agents get paid.
Amy started her business, White Glove Getaways, just a few months before the pandemic hit. But now that travel is reopening, business is booming. Trips are already having to be booked out pretty far in advance. Amy shares some secrets of her trade, and gives important reasons for why travelers should use an advisor to avoid the problems that can pop up when people booking travel on their own, like overbooked and canceled hotel rooms; unavailable rental cars; and secret discounts and bonuses being lost.
Plus, she tells us the best under-the-radar places to go that aren’t just the typical touristy getaways.
Three years ago, the sudden passing away of their father after a long battle with cancer brought together a brother and sister who had been thousands of miles apart. For many years, Dr. Daniel Yoo and his sister Dr. Katie Passman had dreamed of working together and opening up their own practice.
Life kept getting in the way, but after their father’s death, they knew it was finally time to make their dreams reality. “Dr. Dan” left behind his home, job, and lifestyle to move to Ridgewood. His sister was already living here, and they opened Glen Rock Smiles last year—in the middle of the pandemic. He’s the dentist, and she’s the orthodontist. They focus solely on children.
Now coming up on one year in business together, I sit down with the sibling duo and talk about how and why they finally made this happen, what it was like organizing all this during the pandemic, and of course, what are the worst possible things kids can eat?
Many siblings would probably struggle to work together, but these two make it seem easy and fun.
Jim Nesci is the CEO of Blue Foundry Bank, a North Jersey regional bank with 18 branches - two of them right here in Ridgewood. Those branches are about to be consolidated into the large downtown space where The Gap used to be. We talk about that transition and what the future holds for in-person branches versus a fully digital experience.
Jim describes his experience running the bank during the pandemic, his management style, and the true reality of what it’s like to be a CEO. We also talk about how and why the company changed its name two years ago from “Boiling Springs.” And speaking of changes, Blue Foundry is about to go public on the stock market, which Jim believes will help set them up for future sustainable growth.
We talk about how they compete against the national megabanks, their ideal type of customer, and the struggles of many small businesses to grow. I also ask Jim which bank he personally uses for his own money.
John Amorosa is the CEO of The Toresco Company, which owns Ridgewood’s tallest building. You’ll probably recognize it: the 5 story brick building downtown at 45 North Broad Street, right across from the train station, next to Steel Wheel. Its official name is “The Lincoln Building".
Before becoming CEO at Toresco, John earned his MBA after running his own wealth management business. The Toresco family (including John’s grandfather, uncle, and cousin) originally started with auto dealerships before selling those off and focusing on real estate. Now they own commercial real estate, residential, multi-use, investment properties, development, management and more—in towns and cities all over New Jersey.
John describes the process of getting the business off the ground, how he navigated Covid, what it’s like running a family business, and how he plans to grow.
A couple years after leaving her Wall Street job, Ridgewood resident MarySue Dwyer started making women’s ribbon belts in her basement. Since then, her business has consistently grown into a broader fashion empire. BeRibbon now is a wholesaler to boutique stores across the country, along with its own retail e-commerce site, selling nationwide.
MarySue tells me about her unique approach combining art and business, how she sources her unique materials and design patterns, and how she’s kept up with changes in both fashion trends and the retail business.
We talk about the benefits of partnering with Etsy to run her online retail business, and the surprising demand increase that came about due to the pandemic.
Rob Wunder shares with me the unique philosophy of his business approach that has allowed him success as an entrepreneur on multiple occasions. On one hand, he is trusting, brimming with optimism, and filled with long-term faith for his ventures. And yet several times he’s had to fire employees on their first day because they couldn’t do what they promised.
Rob talks about the details of his process. He’s never written a business plan or taken outside investors. He lets the people he hires have independence. He wants people to be happy, rather than worry about who has the cheapest price or is the most profitable company. He tries to keep his companies small rather than deal with the stress of managing too many people.
Rob tells me about his personal strengths and weaknesses, shares mistakes he’s made, and gives advice to other entrepreneurs who may want to emulate his path. It’s an eye-opening conversation. Anybody running their own business or thinking about doing so one day won’t want to miss it.
Ridgewood couple Carolyn Butler and Rich Amsinger started Borobabi during the pandemic to cut down on all the waste involved with children’s clothing. Borobabi (pronounced “borrow baby”) clothes are designed to last for a long time, so that parents can rent and send them back for someone else to use.
Borobabi’s clothes are designed with high standards in mind, focusing on organic fibers, durable natural materials, sustainable practices, and staying away from harsh chemicals. By making the clothes high quality from the start, they can be passed along to help more families over time. It’s “slow fashion” - the opposite of the cheap, throwaway, chemical-infused materials that “fast fashion” has brought us.
In particular, Carolyn was a chemical engineer before starting Borobabi, so she knows all about these chemicals and why people should avoid them. She’s also a graduate of Ridgewood High School and coming back to her roots is a big reason why she and Rich are raising their family in Ridgewood.
Carolyn and Rich both have MBAs from Columbia, and this episode is jam-packed with stories about trying to launch a startup during the pandemic, optimizing pricing, contract negotiations, renting versus buying, the challenges of venture capital fundraising, the misunderstandings investors have about their business, and of course….a TikTok video that went a little too viral.
After spending 14 years as an environmental lawyer in Manhattan, Kerri Pilchik finally broke out to follow her passion as a fulltime interior designer. She now has her own firm right here in Ridgewood.
Kerri shares with me how Covid has dramatically changed her business: demand has skyrocketed while supplies have diminished. She even tells me how the big ice storm in Texas caused a delay in foam which led to delays in furniture manufacturing.
We talk about the business aspects of her job: different pricing models in her industry, how she decides to split her time among competing priorities, and what unique qualities make her stand out from the competition. Also fascinating is how her experience as a lawyer has been so valuable in her career as a designer.
Jennifer Parsekian is a lifelong Ridgewood resident, and has spent the last 28 years as a real estate agent in town. She shares with me the crazy stories of what business has been like over the past 12 months, how prices have spiked up, and how she considers herself a therapist to many buyers and sellers.
Parsekian also reveals some of the business side of being an agent: are commissions negotiable? What happens if I use a cheaper broker? What happens if I try to sell the house on my own? She also tells me how HGTV has changed expectations for buyers.
It’s a fascinating episode about what’s been changing in town. Despite the high prices and high taxes, Parsekian is optimistic about the economy here because there is still high demand for people who want to move to the area.
Shannon Orr started Clay Paper Scissors studio because of her passion for making things. She’s the ultimate-DIY person, a professional architect raised by a civil engineer. She founded the studio in 2017, and entirely through word-of-mouth has grown her business in just a few short years — including through the pandemic.
Shannon tells me why she moved to Ridgewood and the early challenges she faced in launching her studio. Her customers range from little kids to teenagers...and even full-grown adults. She talks about growth plans to spread her concept to multiple locations. And she explains how YouTube and TikTok are changing her approach — and how kids get excited about making things.
For over 30 years, John Palatucci has been musical director of Ridgewood’s Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus. The organization has been around since 1909. For over a century the group has had to keep up with times in multiple ways: music selection, technology, recruiting, finances...and of course, Covid. John talks to me about how the pandemic has forced the organization to change their approach. For more about the organization, you can click here for their website: https://www.ridgewoodorpheusclub.org/
But John also talks about the various business and finance aspects of running the group. Figuring out the right ticket pricing, managing schedules so as to avoid competitors who might take away some of their audience, spending money on facilities, licensing, guests, and so on. There’s also the discussion about how social media has increased their ability to fundraise during the pandemic.
John shares with me what makes the organization unique after 100+ years, and gives our podcast listeners a short but exclusive vocal performance. His lungs are stronger than mine!
Max Viola spent countless hours at his parents’ restaurant while growing up in Bergen County. He was only in his 20s when he felt ready to launch his own Italian restaurant, right here in Downtown Ridgewood. We talk about what attracted him to that specific location, how he kept growing over the years, and mistakes he’s seen other restaurant owners make.
Max shares how he had to adapt during Covid...as well as the “adjustments” he had to make because of the brand new parking garage that is inches from his restaurant. We also talk about Max’s growing role as the new president of the Ridgewood Guild, his plans for the long-term future, and where his next Pearl location might be (hint: not in New Jersey).
What I love about Max is his positivity and optimism, his work ethic, and how he brings a family atmosphere to the Pearl--a restaurant he hopes his own kids will take over someday.
Glenn Carlough is a Bergen County native who had always wanted to open up his own restaurant. He jokes with me he’s practically never had a real job after graduating college, spending much of his early career as an ice hockey coach.
He was finally ready to open up his own restaurant. But only after a wild series of events, with various deals coming together and falling through, he at last was able to buy the location of the former Smith Brothers Steakhouse and turn that into Ridgewood’s Steel Wheel.
Glenn tells me how the name “Steel Wheel” was picked, the way he’s learned from other restaurant owners in the area, who he considers to be his “competition”, and the major struggles he faced during the pandemic. He even tells me which dish on his own menu he will never eat himself—and why it’s still on there.
Miho Grant shares her story coming from Japan, leaving behind her corporate job after becoming a mother, and transitioning to a full-time professional photographer based right here in Ridgewood.
In the past couple weeks, Miho moved a few blocks down the street to a much bigger studio, reflecting her company’s growth in the last two years. Miho shares with me how Covid actually increased demand for family portraits, and she shares tips we can all use for our own quick photos.
You’ll be intrigued by Miho’s explanation of how iPhone cameras distort the way we truly look...and impact the self-esteem of many people who have never actually seen a realistic photo of themselves.
Fara McNeil is a Ridgewood resident and the owner of CKO Kickboxing up the road in Allendale. Fara tells me how kickboxing personally changed her life--helping her lose 75 pounds after having three kids. She then left behind the corporate rat race and decided to open her own kickboxing franchise. Now she’s making a difference with her clients, battling her way through the pandemic, and enjoying the freedom that comes from running her own business. Fara tells me how she loops her own kids into helping out - and her plans to grow in the future.
Rob Wunder is the rare entrepreneur who co-founded two companies in two totally different industries and led the way in fundamentally changing each one.
His YumEarth venture kicked off the entire organic candy category in America. YumEarth won many awards and was the leading organic candy company in America--and in many other countries. It even inspired the candy industry to remove harmful ingredients from other existing products, and its legacy lives on through the entire organic candy category.
Before that, Rob created VoiceNet, a standalone calling card company that changed calling cards forever--until mobile phones made the industry obsolete. We discuss his innovations there, including rounding calls to six-second increments and eliminating per-call surcharges and high rates.
We talk about how Rob achieved all of this without being an expert in either industry. How he hired (and fired), how he grew, how he knew when to trust his instincts, and the biggest challenges he had to overcome. It’s especially impressive as Rob had barely made it through college before launching both of these massive successes. And we talk about what might be next for this incredible entrepreneur.
Peter Mueller is the President of the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club, an institution that’s been around for over 100 years. Peter tells me about the extreme difficulties in running a tennis club during the pandemic, and managing hundreds of members who have very different opinions about how the place should be run.
We talk about the unique business model because the club is owned by its members, and how little overlap there is between this role and his day job helping to run a big data cloud technology firm.
John Russo’s family has been in Ridgewood for a century. From very poor beginnings and facing discrimination for being Italian, the Russo family has gone on to become major real estate owners in the village. Russo owns many commercial and residential properties in Ridgewood along with running his own legal practice.
He’s also the owner of the two North Broad Street buildings (that housed Bagelicious and Mediterraneo) which burned to the ground a year ago. This is a jam-packed episode. John talks candidly about his struggle in trying to rebuild the burned-down area, the crazy antics of his father, his ideas for downtown Ridgewood post-pandemic, and what he hopes he can pass on to the next generation.
Scott Lief is a very busy man. He is the President of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, the President and Co-Founder of Ridgewood Business Connections, and works his day job as a senior mortgage banker for Atlantic Home Loans.
Scott started his professional career in the radio industry, working for 20 years in a variety of roles at radio stations across the country. Scott shares his career transition from radio to mortgages — going through the subprime boom-and-bust of the mid-2000s — and how he’s adjusted along the way.
He also delves into Ridgewood’s efforts during the pandemic to keep businesses alive, deliver food to those who need it most, and use a $1 million grant the village won to make that happen on a bigger scale. Scott also shares his thoughts on working with village government and mistakes he wishes won’t get repeated as Ridgewood continues to evolve post-pandemic.
Meg Antonelli has seemingly out of nowhere become a massive sensation on TikTok. The lifelong Ridgewood native (who grew up and raised her family here until a few months ago) has generated millions of views from her “Costco Momma” profile, reviewing food and drink items in under 60 seconds. The crazy part is that the popularity grew out of her first video, posted just this past December.
The national news media has written stories about some of her biggest hits, her family gets recognized in public (even while wearing a mask!), and companies of all sorts are reaching out asking if she would review their products.
What started as an innocent video about three-flavored hummus has turned into an entire social media ecosystem. Meg talks about handling her newfound popularity, the business of “influencing”, and which types of videos do better than others. She also gives her advice to individuals and brands who want to make a name for themselves on social media.
You can find “Costco Mamma” at this link: https://www.tiktok.com/@floridamomof3?lang=en
Rob Keve is the CEO and co-founder of Flow, a global e-commerce technology company. Rob shares his experience - and mistakes - as an entrepreneur. He also talks about his journey from the U.K. to Ridgewood.
He originally was a venture capital investor himself, searching for good entrepreneurs to invest in, before deciding he wanted to turn the tables and become his own business-builder.
We talk about how his 6am running training partner became his co-founder at Flow, the lifestyle changes he’s made to find a better balance, and how he leads a technology company despite little experience as a computer programmer. The episode is a lesson for any aspiring business owner.
Brian Giammarella started off on a typical path: getting his computer science degree and writing software for big banks and hedge funds.
But then 2009 hit, and Brian felt he needed a change...a big change. He left his corporate job, earned his MBA, and went into business with his family as a real estate investor and developer.
More than a decade later, Brian has bought, developed, and sold countless properties across the nation, mostly here in Northern New Jersey. Brian shares some of his craziest stories in the business and mistakes he’s made along the way.
But perhaps most importantly, he talks about his growing involvement with the Ridgewood-famous Somerville/Hawes Dad’s Night and being involved here in the Ridgewood community.
I have never smoked a pipe or cigar in my life, and yet I am blown away by how Gary Kolesaire runs The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood, a business he and his wife have owned since 1979. Every single detail is thought through with precision. That includes the window displays, the air filtration system, and of course the exact science to optimize humidity and temperature.
Gary comes from a line of coppersmiths on his father’s side, and the store displays his talents, as he has personally done much of the hands-on craftsmanship. Gary shares his story of buying the store from its previous owner, eventually leaving his day job to run the shop full-time, his battles against unnecessary government regulation, and the risks he took on to continually expand the store.
Gary tells me that moving his store just 100 feet down the block was far enough for customers to spend years thinking he had closed shop and disappeared. I record this episode in the spacious and luxurious Davidoff Lounge, which spans the entire third floor of the building. Gary talks about how the store keeps him energized, mistakes he’s made in the past, and what excites him about the decades to come.
Hyungmin Mun is the owner of Bibillia, one of Ridgewood’s newest restaurants. Min had the unfortunate luck, because of construction delays, of having his restaurant open in March 2020...exactly when the pandemic hit.
But he is so confident in the quality of his fast-casual Korean bowls that he still plans for this location to become the flagship (and kitchen) for additional franchise locations. (I will personally admit I find the food delicious.)
We talk about Min’s background in visual media, art and graphic design has impacted the way he runs the story. Min also describes how his father’s passing led him to open his own restaurant, and the fact that his mom is the only person who knows the recipe for their cult-hit sauces. And if you’re thinking of working here, Min shares the number one qualification he looks for in his hiring decisions...the answer might surprise you.
Gary Dedoussis is the founder, owner, and CEO of Core Technology Solutions. He’s the guy behind those advertising screens inside of elevators and the massive deployment of network routers used by mega-companies like State Farm and Dollar General.
Gary’s New Jersey-based firm installs telecommunications equipment at 50,000 sites across the country, each and every year. The work involves more than 10,000 contractors.
We talk about how he started his business from scratch at age 45, how many years it took before business really began taking off, why his retail customers keep him up at night, and how electric vehicle charging stations are about to reshape the way we “fill up.” He also explains why one high school bookkeeping class changed his life.
Is Ridgewood’s own Racefaster about to be the next Lululemon? If you’ve ever thought Racefaster was just another running store, think again. Owner Aidan Walsh started as a running coach in town who was having remarkable success--getting 4-hour marathoners down to 3, even sub-3--and at the suggestion of his future wife, whose family had experience with Chinese suppliers, got into designing his own line of apparel. Now Racefaster is a coaching business, a fast-expanding retail chain, and the organizer of multiple area races. We talk about navigating the pandemic, why he came to Fairleigh Dickinson for college as an Irish high school track star, and why he loves New Jersey. And it turns out, Racefaster is also behind some of the incredible success Ridgewood High School running teams are enjoying. Aidan tells me about his worst ever job, why he didn’t move back to Ireland, how his carpentry training came in handy, and who his business heroes are.
RJ has lived many lives all in one. His first career was in the car dealership business, following in the footsteps of his father, uncles, and grandfather. His family’s dealerships were a mainstay in Northern New Jersey. But RJ was the guy innovating on the radio with unique marketing and advertising. He did the voices himself, something that seems normal now but was brand new at the time. Eventually he transitioned out of the car business and into acting, in movies and TV. RJ also has his own production company, and tells me about handling movie production right now in the age of Covid. RJ shares stories of his dealings with celebrities ranging from Eddie Murphy to Dr. Ruth. He shares how he ended up in Ridgewood and his involvement as a board member of the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival.
This week I sit down with Josh Ford, a true modern Renaissance man. He’s a geologist who became a Manhattan corporate lawyer, and then went out to start his own business, Ford Legal, based right here in downtown Ridgewood, New Jersey. But wait there’s more...Josh is a computer programmer, and the co-owner of an environmental trucking business, Grid Logistics. He tells me about how all his many career experiences have come together to create this specialty niche. I also learn about dirt arbitrage, trying to read through PDFs that are 16,000 pages long, and the fact that you can indeed negotiate a lawyer’s bill after the fact. And don’t miss the very end, when Josh explains why he got into a car with a wiretapped FBI informant of the Gambino crime family.
Arnold Lau is the owner of Ridgewood Karate Academy right here in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. Arnold bought RKA in 2016 after a long history of owning other fitness and real estate properties - all while working a demanding tech job for a big Wall Street bank. Arnold talks about trying to keep RKA afloat during Covid, and why there are fewer bargains on rent than you might think. Arnold describes the changes he had to make when taking over the studio, including the struggle between martial arts “traditionalists” and the commercial realities today. Arnold talks about who he thinks his competition is for new students, his plan to create a subscription all-inclusive pricing plan so parents don’t feel nickel-and-dimed, and how most insurance companies don’t want to insure a karate studio, because they think it’s MMA. In case you are wondering, Arnold can definitely kick my butt. He’s been training in martial arts for over 30 years and has competed in many international competitions.
This week on the BizWood Podcast I sit down with Renu Vitale, a Ridgewood resident who runs Renu Vitale Coaching. She tells me about the many high-powered and high-paid executives who seem to have it all but are lost on the inside; the loneliness many entrepreneurs struggle with; and how many of us are defined by our past rather than our future. Renu shares her own story of leaving the corporate world to start her own business, along with the periodic pull of that world trying to bring her back. Now she faces her next challenge: how to grow her business and scale it in a way that is meaningful to both her and her clients.
Followup notes from the conversation: VaVa Virtual Assistants is the company Renu referenced. And the author who spoke to her work group at AmEx was Madeline Levine.
Todd Rothman is a Ridgewood resident and owner/director of Deerkill Day Camp, a summer camp for school-aged kids in nearby Suffern, New York. Todd talks about his surprising journey from Wall Street to DC to San Francisco to taking over a summer camp started by his wife’s grandparents. The decision and process to open the camp in Summer 2020 during the COVID pandemic was one of the hardest times of his life. We also talk about what it’s like owning a business with your wife, today’s “lawnmower parents”, and how he reinvigorated the business after taking it over in 2007. And despite Todd thinking he would never use anything from his entrepreneurial finance MBA class, it turns out he uses every single thing.
This week's guest is Bob Larson. He's a Ridgewood resident and the founder of Berman Larson Kane, a NJ-based staffing firm, one of New Jersey's Best Places to Work in 2007 and 2008. Bob shares his insights on decisions he got lucky on, mistakes he's made, and what he would do differently if he could. Bob talks about keeping his business going throughout the crash of 1987, 9/11, the Great Recession, and what the pandemic will bring. We also hear about his son's appearance on Jeopardy, the $7,000 copy machine he bought, and the near-stalking he faced when certain people wanted to buy his company.
George Cheah joins me this week. He founded and runs the New Jersey Pickleball Association, and he’s based right here in Ridgewood. We touch on a few aspects of his career, including working on Wall Street, starting his own financial technology firm, and his good fortune to escape from the World Trade Center on 9/11. It was a life-altering experience, which eventually led him to smell the roses more, and that meant 7 days of week of playing tennis. Eventually he switched to Pickleball, where his organizational and business creation skills are in full use. George tells me about the growing popularity of Pickleball, the demand for courts, and plenty of altercations on the Pickleball courts. George shares what it was like to have the door slammed in his face when he tried to find more courts for his players, and he offers his take on the growing Pickleball controversy happening right here in Ridgewood.