Two Valley natives meet and fall and love. One owns and runs his family's legacy flower business, the other created a public relations company for luxury hotels and travel. In this episode, we learn the back story on the Luomas. Eric Luoma is the President of Cactus Flower Florists, who are celebrating 50 years in the Valley. His wife, Tatum Luoma, promotes some of Arizona's iconic hotels. We learn how they met, how Eric used to dress up as the Easter bunny as a little boy to attract customers into the flower shop, and how Tatum discovered she could promote the beautiful places she loves to visit, as a business.
https://www.cactusflower.com/
https://www.tlcpublicrelations.com/
In this episode, we meet Paul Ford of Big Red's Hot Sauce and Ryan Alarie of RA Seasonings. The two flavor kings work out of the same Arizona commercial kitchen whipping up their creations. Ryan started creating healthy spices after donating his kidney to his cousin. Paul made his first hot sauce after seeing his neighbor's hot sauce collection. Hear how their passions were sparked and persistence paid off. https://raseasonings.com/ https://bigredshotsauce.com/
Arizona is a hotspot for golfers, but women sometimes struggle to find good clothing that helps in the heat and doesn't interfere with their backswing. In this episode, we meet two Valley eye doctors who coincidentally both saw a need for change in women's athletic wear. Tara Ransdell of TJ Sport created a women's clothing line focused on fit, function, and fashion. Katy Craft of VimHue created a hat that fits the female head like a hug and has several patents. Hear about how they started their businesses, how they met, and what's next for their companies.
CEO/Founder of Wildjoy, Lacy Cain, says she forgot to do the things she likes to do. That realization sparked her passion project and now career: Wildjoy. We learn how she uses social media to share experiences people can enjoy to get out in nature and out of their own heads. Lacy hosts events to make friends as adults. She says she's working on a merch line, featuring a Sonoran hot dog t-shirt and has some fun things in the works. Check out Wildjoy on Instagram.
Jewelry is a must, and we love when we find someone locally who has great jewelry that is meaningful too. In this episode, we meet Lisa Valenzuela from Truly Blessed Jewels. She tells us how a difficult situation at work pushed her to go out on her own. Hear how she went viral and gained a big following, she says she owes her success to the people who lifted her up during challenging times. Truly Blessed Jewels offers permanent jewelry, hand chains, necklaces, engraving and more. https://trulyblessedjewels.com/
PHOENIX Magazine aims to be very helpful to its readers. It features ways to enjoy Arizona through travel, hikes, food and more. In this episode, we meet Managing Editor Leah Lemoine. She grew up in Arizona and worked her way up the ranks at PHOENIX Magazine after her college internship. She shares her love for print, in-town day trip ideas, and her favorite neighborhood spots. PHOENIX magazine: Experienced writers, editors, and designers capturing all sides of the Valley.
Baking with love and cooking with purpose is what they do at BEG Bakery and PARM Italia in the Valley. BEG stands for no butter, no eggs, no gluten. PARM represents "plants are restorative medicine". Owners Rich and Michelle Bonura both live with dietary restrictions. They are both foodies. After Rich got sick a few years ago, he lived bed ridden for eight months and did a lot of research on the food he was putting into his body. He decided if he got better—which he did—he needed to eat healthier. At BEG Bakery and PARM Italia, the food is vegan friendly. The couple even created a dairy free ice cream. Learn more about their philosophy on plant-based foods and how they wanted to create a place where the family could eat together no matter their dietary needs—and have the meal still be delicious with generous servings!
Instagram: @begfordessert / @eatparmaz
In this episode, we meet Jane Spicer, the lady bringing fun and flair to your golf game. As a teenager, Spicer created and sold her first golf club headcover right here in Phoenix. Now with four decades in the business, Daphne's Headcovers is international, selling animal headcovers offering everything from alligator to zebra. While things are great now, she tells us there was a time in her career when she thought they were done. Hear the betrayal from within the company and how Spicer chose to fight to get her business back on course. Now, she's able to give back to the community; to both youth golfers in Arizona and charitable causes in Africa. https://www.daphnesheadcovers.com/
In this episode, we meet Sarah Chisholm of Wild Rye Baking Co. She spent her youth training to be a ballerina, and after a career ending injury at Ballet Arizona, she had to start over. She turned to a place she loved to be as a kid, in the kitchen, with a mixing bowl. We talk about Chisholm's transition out of dance to find her identity and creative flair again in the kitchen. And after years as a successful pastry chef in the Valley, she just launched a new line of elevated baking mixes from cakes to frosting that are now selling in Crate & Barrel nationwide. www.wildryebaking.com
That's what Darleen Santore wants to help you do. In this heartfelt conversation, we talk to the board-certified occupational therapist, mental skills coach, and author about her career, her recovery after three strokes and her new book in which she shares the secret sauce on how to show up as a better YOU! She says it all starts with intention, mindset, and "reviewing the tape". In her book "The Art of Bouncing Back". Coach Dar walks you through key action points to sharpen your mental skills and emotional intelligence too. You'll love spending time with Coach Dar and hearing her inspirational story. https://darsantore.com/