We Are One Marin Podcast

School-to-Career Day with Rob Devincenzi, Marin Independent Journal

S1 | E27:  Today, we met Charley Conner, a San Marin High School student on School-to-Career Day.  She was shadowing with our friend, colleague and silent podcast partner, Rob Devincenzi, Publisher of the Marin IJ. 
They came downstairs in the office building we share to see our podcasting studio in action.  It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up, since we've wanted to interview Rob, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, all season long.  But, the newspaper man stayed true to his craft and he turned the tables around on us.  It seems that he got us to do most of the talking. 
Stay tuned as Kalina and I share a little of our own experiences about how Marin works.
Guests:  Rob Devincenzi, Marin Independent Journal and Charley Connor, San Marin High School
www.marinij.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Istanbul Rug

S1 | E26:  In our final episode of Season 1, we continue inviting you, the listener, deeper into our process. 
Today, you will hear our conversation with Ogi Teker, 4th generation owner of Istanbul Rug - and you'll hear it from start to finish, literally, as we hit the record button right when Ogi arrives. 
Ogi and his father Esref opened their San Rafael store in 2019 right on 4th Street.  Now, one of three locations in the Bay Area since Ogi's dad moved the family from Turkey, when his son was only 10. 
Join Kalina and I as we pull back the rug on how Marin works - the thing is, all we found were treasures.
Guests:  Ogi Teker, Istanbul Rug
www.istanbulrug.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Vern Glenn

S1 | E25:  You just heard strong words from KPIX-TV sports broadcaster, Vern Glenn, from a recent story he did about the Play Marin program and its creator, Paul Austin.  We talked to Paul a few episodes ago about the success he has had teaching life lessons to kids of all colors through sports. 
Back to Vern, you may know him from his current 11 year run at KPIX or previously as "Mr. Involvement", during his 22 years at KRON.  Vern started his career at a TV station near his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.  After 38 years in broadcasting, most of them while living in Marin and raising a family here, we wanted to ask him what it's like to be a public figure, a role model, and a Black man in this county that is 85% White. 
Join us as Kalina and I continue our look at how Marin works. 
Guests:  Vern Glenn, KPIX
www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/personality/vernon-glenn/
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Jolly King Liquors

S1 | E24:  Welcome to our last drop of Season 1!
Today, Kalina and I turned on the mics a little early, so you can join us in the room where it happens with Anil and Nidhi Dhir.  We are keeping it in the family today, father-and-daughter owners of Jolly King Liquors in Mill Valley.  
Guests:  Anil and Nidhi Dhir, Jolly King Liquors
www.yelp.com/biz/jolly-king-liquors-mill-valley
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

San Rafael’s Citizen of the Year

S1 | E23:  MCYC is the Marin County Youth Commission, founded in 1969 to act as a political voice for young people.  Today we sit down with the Commission's coordinator, Samantha Ramirez, who has dedicated her career so far to the San Rafael schools, where she was once a student.  This year, she was recognized for her efforts with a special honor.  Stay tuned as Kalina and I get schooled on how Marin works.  
Guests:  Samantha Ramirez, San Rafael's Citizen of the Year
www.yli.org/program/marin-county-youth-commission
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Carroceria Collision

S1 | E22:  What do a pickup truck, a Valentines Day dance and an auto body shop have in common?  You'll have to meet the Llamas family to find out.  And what's funny is everyone in their auto body business has a different answer.   But, whatever the family stories are, one thing they all agree on is how the parts fit together, at home and at work - it starts with a strong foundation.  Join us for a conversation with a father-daughter duo whose Novato business, Carroceria Collision, needs no repair as we continue to navigate how Marin works. 
Guests:  Jorge and Elizabeth Llamas, Carroceria Collision
www.carroceriacollision.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

AidLife Home Care

S1 | E21:  Those were my comments from before we began our interview with the three nurses who own AidLife Home Care in San Rafael.  We don't usually start our episodes with me talking, but that "getting to know you" chat was a good example of the personal stories and experiences many of us have with caring for our relatives.  We learned as we spent more time with Patricia Ursua, Jocelyn Cruz and Kenneth Liggayu that caregiving gets easier if you see things the AidLife way, where everyone is family.  Join us in conversation about home health care, friendship and the hardships that come along the way, as we support how Marin works.  
Guest:  Patricia Ursua, Jocelyn Cruz and Kenneth Liggayu, AidLife Home Care
www.aidlifehomecare.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

F45 Training San Rafael

S1 | E20:  You just heard from one of the owners at F45 Training in San Rafael, who is no stranger to community.  Together with his husband, not only are they building community here in Marin, they had to build it after a move from the East Coast, after two dramatic career changes and perhaps, most notably, after years of struggle to join the community of married couples.  We will talk about it all and laugh too as Kalina and I work out how Marin works. 
Guest:  Michael Perry and Kyle MacBeth, F45 Training San Rafael
www.f45training.com/sanrafael
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Marin County Office of Education

S1 | E19:  Work experience can be hard to come by for high school kids.  Juggling school and the possibility of college is overwhelming enough, but how do you figure out what you might want to do or what you might be interested in?  Or, if college is right for you at all?  The Marin County Office of Education has a program for that.  Keisha Fuller's job there is match maker, matching interns with intern hosts.  Turns out her own life experience was a perfect match for getting her into this role.  We invited Keisha to sit down with us for a longer conversation about how Marin teens and Marin businesses work. 
Guest:  Keisha Fuller, Marin County Office of Education
www.marinschools.org
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

United With Earth

S1 | E18:  Picture yourself for a moment, in the heart of Marin County - San Rafael, California.  A town with many distinct neighborhoods, East San Rafael is home to the Canal neighborhood.  It's one that marries cultural diversity and economic vitality.  There are a few industrial districts there, and today Kalina and I find ourselves in a former Star Wars warehouse, seated between a life-size, cardboard C3PO and several crates of imported dates, nuts and fruits.
Welcome to United With Earth, distributor of specialty, ethnic products, owned by a self-described Iranian, Jewish immigrant.  Join us for some dating advice as we learn how Marin works. 
Guest:  Daryoush Davidi, United With Earth
www.unitedwithearth.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Good & Clean

S1 | E17:  Stinson Beach has been called the most southern California of Marin's beach towns.  In a town of 541 people, where there are three real estate agencies, two restaurants, one grocery store and about 150 rental houses, there is only one residential cleaning business - that's Good & Clean.
Stinson Beach is separated from the rest of the County by a steep, windy, two-lane highway.  Along the drive there, you may see a few white cars with Jeremy and Milton Gooden's company name branded on all sides.  This remote beach town supports Good & Clean as its only Black owned business since Milton began it in 1996.
His son Jeremy officially started in 2006 after graduating college and brought with him some ideas for expansion and modernization, like the hybrid cards, to grow their business.
As in our previous episodes about Marin City, today we have a deeper conversation about the Black experience in Marin, in business and in the United States in general.  So, for Milton the talk of community is a chance to reflect on how far he has come and it's a story that might surprise you.  Stay tuned as we clean house with father and son on our continued pursuit of how Marin works.
Guests:  Milton Gooden and Jeremy Gooden, Good & Clean
www.goodandcleaninc.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Alegre Home Care

S1 | E16:  Alegre Home Care is a safe place for everyone, including it's LGBT clients and staff.  Founder and CEO, Charles Symes, started Alegre from a small apartment in San Francisco's Castro District by following his personal mission to be of service.  His company now serves people in nine office throughout the greater Bay Area, and they do it thoughtfully.  As a gay man starting his own business, Charles wanted other LGBT mentors.  He found groups like the Golden Gate Business Group in San Francisco and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. 
Since 2014, Alegre Home Care is the only in-home care business that is LGBT certified in all of California.  While advertising as an LGBT certified business is a plus for many, it carries the risk of anti-gay backlash too, which Charles candidly explains seems to be on the rise lately.  Stay tuned for our conversation with Charles and his colleague, Carol Parks, as Kalina and I continue our education about how Marin works. 
Guests:  Charles Symes and Carol Parks, Alegre Home Care
www.alegrecare.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Mid Season 1 Trailer

We Are One Marin Podcast | The Marin Council of Chambers.  
This is storytelling at the local level, told one diverse voice at a time. Meet the merchants of our County as host Stephanie Plante listens to how Marin works.
Welcome to our inaugural series sponsored in part by the Marin Community Foundation. Special thanks to the Marin IJ.

MC Arts & Culture

S1 | E15:  In our continuing celebration of Marin City's 80th, we made a visit to MC Arts & Culture, where we learned that the "MC" stands for many things.  It can be Marin County, Marin City or, in the more traditional sense, Master of Ceremonies, which is where Oshalla Diana Marcus comes in.  As you will hear, she wears the title MC very well. 
She is of the world, but always circles back to her MC, Marin City, where the gallery is located.  Oshalla's family roots represent some of what will be featured in the MC80 exhibit, as well.
So stay tuned as Oshalla leads us on a cultural and historical tour as we continue to learn how Marin works. 
Guest:  Oshalla Diana Marcus, MC Arts & Culture
www.mcartsandculture.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Performing Stars

S1 | E14:  Today's guest practically needs no introduction.  She's lived and worked in Marin City for more than thirty years.  She's both a youth advocate and these days, she's becoming an historian.  Felecia Gaston is the Director of Performing Stars Marin, an arts enrichment program with a mission to combat the isolation of Marin City's children.
Stay tuned for the second episode in our three-part special this month, where Felecia shares how Marin City's history has been gifted to her and how she plans to highlight it through the upcoming MC80 events.  Here's today's look at how Marin works, then and now.
Guest:  Felecia Gaston, Performing Stars
www.performingstars.org
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Play Marin

S1 | E13:  Paul Austin has heard this refrain from many parents as the founder and head coach of Play Marin in Marin City.  It's one of the reasons his program grew from one basketball team of nine players to twelve separate teams full of kids from his neighborhood and all over the County.  When we met, he led us in some drills, not only on diversity and inclusion, but we also talked about his coaching philosophy and how the lessons he teaches his players on the court translate to lessons for life.  Stay tuned for the first in a three-part special this month dedicated to Marin City's 80th anniversary.  Today Play Marin, coming up in the next episodes, other influential leaders who continue to impact so many of our County's young people.  Here's another window into how Marin works.
Guest:  Paul Austin, Play Marin
https://www.playmarin.org
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Salon B Part II

S1 | E12:  As promised, we're back with Bishlam Bullock, the owner of Salon B, which is the only Black-owned storefront on 4th Street in San Rafael.  In Part II, we go back to Bishlam's childhood in Marin City and learn how that foundation invigorated his activism today.  Welcome back.
Guest:  Bishlam Bullock, Salon B
www.salonbsanrafael.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Salon B Part I

S1 | E11:  We made an appointment with Bishlam Bullock at Salon B in San Rafael for this episode and haircuts were just the beginning of the conversation.  We spoke to him about his hairstyling history, his business history, his personal history and what he learned along the way.  Colorist, stylist, specialist - or is the specialty something else entirely?  The answer may surprise you, so stay tuned for a look in the mirror at Salon B as we highlight how Marin works.
Guest:  Bishlam Bullock, Salon B
www.salonbsanrafael.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Stinson Beach Market

S1 | E10:  Happy customers are the key to any business, but Sergio Vergara isn't a weather man.  Together with his wife, Susy, he owns the Stinson Beach Market, where they sell just about everything - except sunshine.  We spoke to him about the special sauce they provide at their West Marin grocery store and how the allure of this beach town drew them from their native Peru in the first place. 
A visit to West Marin also gives us a chance to learn more about this show's producer, Kalina Cloud.  She grew up five miles up the coast from Stinson Beach in Bolinas.  Stay tuned for a road trip to West Marin as we learn how Marin works.
Guest:  Sergio Vergara, Stinson Beach market
www.facebook.com/Stinson-Beach-Market-136371746398279
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Wink Optics

S1 | E9:  This is Frank Gomez, owner of Wink Optics in San Anselmo.  When Kalina and I sat down with him, he went to the heart of the We Are One Marin campaign's mission - how do we promote social equity in business and in community right here in this County?  From his childhood in one of Sacramento's poor neighborhoods to his early career in the emerging rave culture, Frank has made the most of his opportunities.  Even after he started selling sunglasses, it wasn't enough to be the rep, he found a way to own the shop and be the optician instead.  As he grew his number of locations and took on a partner, he remained true to where he started by advertising as a minority-owned business in a predominantly White area.  
If you're a regular listener of the podcast, this episode may sound a little different, and by different, I mean it's a little bit longer and the subject matter is more sensitive too.  You will hear our conversations about domestic violence and racial equity, and you'll hear some of Frank's personal opinions.  Stay tuned for our deepest dive yet, as we really talk, about how Marin works. 
Guest:  Frank Gomez, Wink Optics
www.winkoptics.com | www.sunglasscity.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Tanya and Victor Photography

S1 | E8:  Today, Kalina and I want you to meet Tanya Rodriguez, who cut and pasted her way to fulfilling a dream.  She owns Tanya and Victor Photography together with her husband, where they are role models for prospective wedding clients.  Not only have they been married for nine years, between them they represent almost 250 years of marriage in their families.  Tanya draws from her lineage in other ways too.  Her parents immigrated to the United States before she was born.  Her Dad's career path helped her launch into photography, and her Mom's life experience is guiding where Tanya takes the business next.  Stay tuned as we zoom in on this San Rafael photography business and learn how Marin works. 
Guest:  Tanya Rodriguez, Tanya and Victor Photography
www.tanyaandvictor.com 
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Salt & Pepper

S1 | E7:  Today, you will join us at Salt & Pepper restaurant where the owner, Paul Monterroso, did not start at the top.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  He began his career as you heard, working for Charlene Jackson as a busboy at the New Morning Cafe in downtown Tiburon, about 1992.  The place was a breakfast institution for almost 50 years.  For those familiar with the eatery, you can still almost picture the green triangle-shaped building with sidewalk tables and of course the smell of bacon just adds to the nostalgia.  Ms. Jackson saw another opportunity when longtime Main Street restaurant Rooney's was closing after 40 years.  That's when she asked Paul to take the next step up the ladder and become her partner.  With a lot of hard work, Salt & Pepper continues the legacy of community, family and longevity with Paul at the helm on Tiburon's Main Street.  Spoiler alert - stay tuned for a special guest and a "pancake situation" as we learn how Marin works.
Guest:  Paul Monterroso, proprietor of Salt & Pepper
www.saltandpeppertiburon.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

VC Workplace Solutions

S1 | E6:  Today, we sit down with Karen Carrera.  She co-owns Workplace Solutions, where she trains and investigates discrimination in the workplace.  Karen moved to the United States from Peru as a child and experienced her single Mom's struggles to find a job and support their family.  This makes Karen a sought after lawyer who can counsel employers and employees in two languages.  Join us for some continuing education as we learn how Marin works. 
Guest:  Karen Carrera, VC Workplace Solutions
www.vcworkplacesolutions.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Miracle Mile Cafe

S1 | E5:  Today the proof is in the pudding - or in this case the pancakes - as you heard from her customers.  That's what Karen Garcia has become known for at the Miracle Mile Cafe in San Rafael.  When we visited, we found a patio full of colorful umbrellas, we heard the sounds of happy customers and we could smell the delicious food everyone was raving about.  Karen started her career as a server after moving to Marin from Mexico City at age 15.  Now she's raising her young family, while running two restaurants together with her husband.  It's their livelihood and a place where they can teach their kids everything from good table manners to how to take over for Mom one day.  Stay tuned for some of the secret ingredients in Karen's family business as we learn how Marin works. 
Guest:  Karen Garcia, proprietor of Miracle Mile Cafe
www.miraclemilecafe.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Aging Solutions

S1 | E4:  Today, Kalina and I sit down with Terri Abelar.  She appealed her way into a job in a hospital at age 11 and has since made a career out of senior care management.  Terri's experience growing up in a large, Hispanic family contributes to how she runs Aging Solutions.  The staff interacts like a family as they offer guidance to other families in transition.  Join us for some advice on planning for tomorrow as we learn how Marin works.
Guest:  Terri Abelar, Aging Solutions
www.agingsolutions.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

City Carpets

S1 | E3:  Today we visit Leigh and Hossein Bakhtiari.  They’ve owned City Carpets in East San Rafael for 30 years and I’ve actually known them as colleagues and friends for much of that time.  Without any higher education when they started, Leigh and Hossein used the strong foundation of their marriage to grow their family and their business.  They now have a grown family with 5 children, a bustling store and a diverse staff of 14 and they still make each other laugh.  Join us to hear how they built their business success from the carpet up, as we learn how Marin works.
Guests:  Leigh and Hossein Bakhtiari, City Carpets
www.citycarpets.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast
 

Caribbean Spices Restaurant

S1 | E2:  Today we are on location with Frantz Felix. He owns Caribbean Spices restaurant in San Rafael.  Thanks to some fortunate advice from a stranger, he left a 16 year career managing a pet store to open a food truck which ultimately led to his dream of starting his own restaurant.  Join us for a tour of the back of the house at Caribbean Spices and get a taste of how Marin works.
Guest:  Frantz Felix, proprietor of Caribbean Spices
www.caribbeanspicessanrafael.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Organic Cleaning Supreme

S1 | E1:  Today we sit down with Jaime Perez.  He owns Organic Cleaning Supreme in San Rafael with six employees and more than 75 regular clients.  But, thirty years ago, when Jaime came to Marin, there were days when he only had fifty cents in his pocket.  Join us, as we start our season and learn how Marin works.
Guest:  Jaime Perez, Organic Cleaning Supreme
www.organiccleaningsupreme.com
For more information on today’s episode follow us on Instagram at weareonemarin_podcast

Trailer: We Are One Marin

We Are One Marin Podcast | The Marin Council of Chambers.  
This is storytelling at the local level, told one diverse voice at a time. Meet the merchants of our County as host Stephanie Plante listens to how Marin works.
Welcome to our inaugural series sponsored in part by the Marin Community Foundation. Special thanks to the Marin IJ.