Beachwalk and Beyond

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk and Stroll Beacon Lake) sits down with João Victor, owner of Hipo Homes — a kitchen and bathroom remodeler who grew up in Brazil, spent five years in Boston, and moved into Beachwalk last August. He named the company after a hippopotamus on purpose, he takes only two to three jobs at a time, and every other Thursday he shuts the business off to work a barn for kids with special needs.

In this episode we cover:

•     Brazil to Canada to Boston to Beachwalk — the short version of a long move

•     Why the company is named after a hippopotamus

•     Big, calm, precise, and very hard to ignore — the philosophy behind the name

•     Why contractors get a bad name, and what he is doing differently

•     Kitchens and baths: the puzzle of plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, and countertops

•     A new office on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach

•     Every other Thursday at the barn — horses, therapy, and kids with special needs

•     Planting flowers for veterans' homes on the First Coast

•     Only two to three jobs at a time — and why that is the entire point

•     Tennis, golf, and finally learning Cimarrone is open to the public

•     Maggie — the rescue he was not looking for

•     Hipo Homes featured in Stroll Beachwalk this September

Local Events Mentioned in This Episode:

•     Beachwalk Farmers Market returns Saturday, August 22 — 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

•     Fourth Saturday of every month from there, for the next nine months

•     Live music, DJs, bounce houses, vendors, prizes, and giveaways

•     The Cimarrone gathering — first Tuesday of every month, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., at Stone & Barrel (open to the public)

Find Hipo Homes:

•     Website: https://www.hipo.homes

•     Instagram: @jv.homes

•     Phone: (904) 584-7383  ·  Email: [email protected]

•     Office: 822 A1A N, Ste 310, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 — by appointment

•     Licensed and insured — CRC1335743

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we'd love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet João Victor — his first time on a podcast

00:35  Brazil, Canada, Boston, and finally Florida

01:17  Moving into Beachwalk and finding the community

01:59  A year in — “this is the place I need to be”

02:18  Why the company is named Hipo Homes

02:46  What a hippo actually means — calm, present, precise

03:46  Why contractors get a bad name

04:33  Kitchens and bathrooms — the specialty

04:58  Historic Boston renovations to high-end Florida homes

05:21  “I love the puzzle” — what a remodel really takes

05:44  Outdoor living and a statewide residential license

06:08  The new office on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach

06:31  Every other Thursday at the barn

07:15  Scooping stalls and petting bunnies with the kids

07:27  Planting flowers for veterans' homes

07:49  Why he started his own company

08:17  Two to three jobs at a time — full attention

08:50  Hobbies — tennis weekly, golf monthly

09:37  Cimarrone: first Tuesday, 5:00 to 8:30

09:54  Stone & Barrel — open to the public

10:34  “It actually feels like a community”

10:56  Why this farmers market feels different

12:07  Fred on people, family, and the magazine

12:52  The Farmers Market returns Saturday, August 22

13:18  Something for everybody

14:10  Not about business — about the people behind it

15:20  “Connecting businesses throughout your community”

15:37  Maggie — the rescue he wasn't looking for

16:36  Road trips, camping, and a Stroll feature in September

17:12  How to reach Hipo Homes

17:37  Ten years in construction, six months of showing his face

17:59  “It should feel like a signature piece of art”

18:48  Thank you and closing

19:13  Share your 210 corridor story

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk and Stroll Beacon Lake) sits down with Carleen Leffler — a fifth-generation native Floridian, Shearwater resident, and attorney with nearly 15 years of experience — now running for Circuit Judge in Florida's Seventh Judicial Circuit, covering St. Johns, Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam counties. The election is Tuesday, August 18 — and it's the only judicial race on the ballot.

In this episode we cover:

•     Fifth-generation native Floridian — Daytona roots, Sanford family, Shearwater now

•     College volleyball at Webber International — and a one-stop-sign town

•     Law school at 20 — and a law degree and an MBA earned on the same day

•     Licensed at 23 — nearly 15 years in probate, estate planning, corporate, and real estate law

•     A family legacy — her great uncle the judge, her grandfather the trial attorney

•     “You're in court more than you think” — the conversation that changed her mind

•     Judge Rowe retires — “This is it. I'm running for judge.”

•     Campaigning under the judicial canons — what candidates can't say

•     The education gap — most voters don't know judges are elected

•     The Cimarrone gathering — how this episode came together

•     Fred on giving back, cold plunges, and the neighbor who helps everyone

•     How to vote — mail-in, early voting, or election day

The Election — Circuit Judge, Seventh Judicial Circuit:

•     Tuesday, August 18, 2026 — vote by mail, at early voting, or at your polling place

•     Open to ALL registered voters in St. Johns, Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam counties

•     The only judicial race on the ballot — decided August 18 (nothing in November)

•     Learn more about Carleen: https://lefflerforjudge.com

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we'd love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Carleen Leffler — fifth-generation Floridian

00:56  Daytona roots, Sanford family — Shearwater now

01:19  Fred's New York-to-Florida story

02:14  College volleyball at Webber International

02:38  A law degree and an MBA — on the same day

03:21  Law school at 20 — the tri-sport athlete

04:44  What sports build — work ethic and accountability

05:46  Lehigh winters and cold plunges

06:51  Running for Circuit Judge — four counties, one seat

07:15  Campaigning like building a law practice

08:22  Nearly 15 years of law — probate to real estate

09:38  Why a judge? A family legacy

10:19  “You're in court more than you think”

11:07  Judge Rowe retires — “This is it”

12:10  August 18 — two names, one and done

12:32  The Cimarrone gathering — how this episode happened

13:58  Full circle — Stroll, the podcast, and connections

15:13  Four years of Stroll — 3,000 residents

17:12  What judicial candidates can't talk about

17:58  “Win or lose, I've won” — the connections

18:22  Fred on life's 180s

19:05  Giving back — “the greatest selfish thing”

19:52  Mark Payne — the neighbor who helps everyone

20:39  Fred's baptism — learning to let go

21:43  An invitation back to Cimarrone

22:22  How to vote — mail-in, early voting, August 18

22:52  Share your 210 corridor story 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk and Stroll Beacon Lake) sits down with Curt Cabot — a 21-year Navy veteran, Northrop Grumman manager, and founder of the LDC Memorial Classic, a charity golf tournament honoring his father, who served 21 years in the Navy and passed from complications of pulmonary fibrosis. The 6th Annual LDC Memorial Classic tees off Friday, July 31 at Cimarrone Golf Club — and it all supports the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

In this episode we cover:

•     Growing up in a military family — California, Hawaii, and Virginia

•     Boot camp graduation on his 21st birthday — then 21 years in the Navy

•     From rescue swimmer school to C-130 flight engineer

•     Landing in St. Johns during COVID — and “the Yard,” a neighborhood of retired chiefs

•     Falling back into sports cards — his collectibles business (and Fred's Mickey Mantle bat)

•     Building the E-2D Hawkeye at Northrop Grumman St. Augustine

•     The LDC Memorial Classic — honoring his dad and fighting pulmonary fibrosis

•     What $125 gets you — golf, lunch, practice balls, swag bag, and a bounce-back voucher

•     Cheats for a cause — mulligans, strings, and grenades

•     The first-ever hole-in-one golf cart giveaway

•     Raffle baskets from local favorites — plus the “apology bucket” for spouses

•     Sponsor packages from $150 to $2,000

•     Fred's challenge — beat him on July 31, or come explain yourself on the podcast

The 6th Annual LDC Memorial Classic:

•     Friday, July 31, 2026 · Cimarrone Golf Club · 2800 Cimarrone Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32259

•     Check-in 7:00 a.m. · Modified shotgun start 8:00 a.m. · Lunch with awards presentation to follow

•     $125 per person — includes golf, lunch, a bucket of practice balls, a swag bag, a $49+tax bounce-back voucher, and winner/hole prizes

•     Format: group scramble — the winning team gets its name on the LDC Classic trophy and free registration next year

•     Register: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/20266thannualldcmemorialclassic/

•     Questions or sponsorships: [email protected]

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we'd love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Curt Cabot — a military family, coast to coast

00:46  Growing up in Hawaii

01:38  Joining the Navy at 21 — boot camp on his birthday

01:58  Rescue swimmer school to C-130 flight engineer

03:02  21 years of service — camaraderie and family

03:58  Finding home in St. Johns during COVID

04:19  “The Yard” — a neighborhood of retired chiefs

04:53  Three boys: Wyatt, Everett, and Beckett

05:10  Fred's boys — and kids who know everything

07:33  What Curt is doing now

07:49  Falling back into sports cards and collectibles

10:08  Northrop Grumman St. Augustine — building the E-2D Hawkeye

11:12  Fred's flyby story

14:31  The golf outing — July 31, for a great cause

14:50  The LDC Memorial Classic — how it started

15:29  Honoring his dad — 21 years in the Navy

15:50  Pulmonary fibrosis — why the fight matters

16:39  Rick Shoemaker and the Cimarrone gathering

16:57  Mom steps in — and the tournament grows

18:23  The goal: sell out all 18 holes

18:39  What $125 gets you — group scramble

19:16  Raffles, baskets, and local sponsors

19:52  Cheats for a cause — mulligans, strings, and grenades

21:49  Fred's foursome is in

22:08  The vision — a tournament that runs itself

22:43  “An unfair disease” — why Curt does it

23:24  First-ever hole-in-one golf cart giveaway

24:16  Raffle prizes — putters, hobby boxes, and Jaguars gear

25:04  The apology bucket

25:28  Fred's Imus tournament story

26:35  How to register

27:49  Sponsor packages — $150 to $2,000

28:18  Fred's challenge

29:02  Share your 210 corridor story 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down with Steele Thompson — a 16-year-old entrepreneur who moved from Kansas City to St. Johns at age 12, found his footing at Acton Academy in Nocatee, and built Mertan’s Card Forge to make the trading-card hobby fair and fun for kids again. This week he’s hosting his first-ever event: The Forge Card Show in Nocatee.

In this episode we cover:

•     The move from Kansas City to St. Johns at 12 — a leap of faith for a special school

•     Acton Academy: no tests, no teachers — guides, a badge system, and real-life skills

•     Why he started the business: scalpers pricing kids out of the hobby

•     From Steele’s Card Shop to Mertan’s Card Forge — the family legacy behind the name

•     The Forge Card Show — Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., free, indoors at Acton Academy

•     Vendor details: a six-foot table for $50 — cards, video games, comics, sports, and 3D printing

•     A 40-hour apprenticeship at Gone Broke Gaming in Orange Park

•     Lemonade first, then Pokémon — how school business projects lit the spark

•     Favorite Pokémon (Gengar), the best card he’s found, and the rarest card of all

•     What PSA grading means

•     Faith at Eleven22: fair prices and giving cards to kids

•     His advice to any kid who wants to start a business — put your whole heart into it and take action

Mertan’s Card Forge:

•     Facebook: facebook.com/mertanscardforge

•     Buy · Sell · Trade · Play — Pokémon now, with Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh to come

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we’d love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Steele Thompson — a 16-year-old entrepreneur

00:33  From Kansas City to St. Johns — a leap of faith for a special school

00:55  Four years at Acton Academy — built for entrepreneurs

01:23  What makes Acton different — guides, badges, and real-life skills

01:55  Why he started the business — scalpers ruining the hobby

02:29  Pokémon now; Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh next

02:51  Steele’s Card Shop becomes Mertan’s Card Forge — the name’s meaning

03:19  Plans to expand — a card show now, a building in five years

03:43  The Forge Card Show — July 18, 9 to 2, Acton Academy, free

04:27  Vendor details — $50, a six-foot table supplied, 12 vendors and counting

04:50  What vendors can sell — cards, video games, comics, sports, 3D printing

05:20  Who it’s for — ages 7 to 16, and plenty of adults

05:44  How Steele got started collecting Pokémon cards

06:22  School business projects — lemonade first, then Pokémon

07:32  The card business is the one that stuck

07:53  A 40-hour apprenticeship at Gone Broke Gaming in Orange Park

09:09  GameStop vs. the local shop — and eyeing the gaming industry

09:50  His first show, run entirely on his own

10:07  How Steele and Fred met — the Beachwalk farmers market

10:27  Dropping the episode Tuesday to promote the show

11:05  Fred’s Pokémon memories with his sons

11:33  Favorite Pokémon: Gengar

11:34  The best card he’s found — a gold Mega Greninja

12:00  The rarest card of all — the Illustrator Pikachu

12:48  What PSA grading means

13:01  Advice for young entrepreneurs — heart, soul, and taking action

13:35  Organizing a market — why getting vendors is hard work

14:12  Faith at Eleven22 — fair prices and giving cards to kids

14:54  Going to church with family

15:35  Summer camp and the Raiders

16:14  Vendors still needed — how to get involved

16:34  Wrapping up — Steele’s future and staying in touch

17:41  How to reach Steele and Mertan’s Card Forge

18:40  Share your 210 corridor story 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down with Joseph Tolbert Jr. — Navy veteran, author, and CEO of Corner Stone Group Financial, a private equity company with businesses across Northeast Florida. From the oldest of ten kids in Detroit to quitting the Chrysler assembly line on the spot, Joseph’s story is about discipline, mentorship, and faith — and about teaching people to stop letting money talk to them and start telling their money what to do.

In this episode we cover:

•     From Detroit — the oldest of ten kids — to the U.S. Navy, and a promise to build a financial legacy

•     The day he quit the assembly line: “Do we have a plant in Jacksonville, Florida? No? I quit.”

•     Two garbage bags, a 27-inch TV, and a Ford Probe — and getting fired from his first Florida job

•     What Corner Stone Group Financial does: private equity, real estate, semi trucks, and lending

•     The portfolio: an esports facility, a salon, a software platform that teaches futures trading, and a comedy club deal downtown

•     The trading rule he taught his son: don’t lose what you made yesterday

•     Win 30 days in a row — no home runs, all base hits

•     Trading in the Zone, mindset over mechanics, and why he says 90% of retail traders fail

•     Fred’s own trading story: the mentor’s challenge and nine months without a red day

•     Find the thing you can do every day — discipline in health, marriage, and business

•     The Anti Mediocre Podcast and refusing to accept average

•     550 men at 6 a.m. — faith, the 1122 men’s group, and “trust and obey”

•     Why he says most retirees end up back at work — and how to tell your money what to do

Reach Joseph:

•     Corner Stone Group Financial: thecornerstonecontract.com

•     Email: [email protected] · Phone: (904) 762-6057

•     Joseph’s book, A Quick Guide to Discovering the Best You, is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0aOYOalh

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we’d love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:13  Meet Joseph Tolbert Jr. — how he and Fred met

00:30  Detroit, the oldest of ten kids, and the Navy

01:02  “I didn’t want to be average” — a mentor and a legacy

01:32  A $5,000 start — and a calling to include everybody

01:54  What Corner Stone Group Financial does

02:27  Out of the Navy, back to the Chrysler plant

02:52  “Do we have a plant in Jacksonville? I quit.”

03:16  A Ford Probe, two garbage bags, and a trailer

03:47  Fired from his first Florida job

04:00  Esports, a salon, semi trucks, and a comedy club

04:45  Fred the equities trader; a son who trades futures

05:16  Teaching futures trading — two classes a week

05:38  “An extra $2,000 a month from your laptop”

06:20  How Fred trades now: core positions and swings

07:26  Trading in the Zone — mindset over mechanics

07:48  Checkers with dad: trying not to lose

08:14  The rule: don’t lose what you made yesterday

08:53  Win 30 days in a row — all base hits

09:26  “Only $50?” — 15 minutes on a laptop

09:43  Fred’s story: starting at the top of the 1999 market

10:28  The mentor’s challenge: green every day for a month

12:12  Nine months without a red day

13:01  The Heat rule: be able to walk away from anything

13:48  Discipline at 58 — health, food, and showing up

14:31  Find the thing you can do every day

15:41  Books and the Anti Mediocre Podcast

16:07  “What are you top notch at?”

18:38  His book: A Quick Guide to Discovering the Best You

19:07  Fred’s morning: the Bible and prayer

19:26  550 men at 6 a.m. — the 1122 men’s group

20:43  Faith as the foundation for hard times

21:31  Fred’s baptism — November 8, 2020

22:14  “Trust and obey — there’s no other way”

23:29  Knocking on a stranger’s door at 10 p.m.

24:22  Why most retirees end up back at work

24:51  The one constant: the need to earn money

25:20  Money talks to you — or you tell it what to do

26:36  How to reach Joseph

26:56  Wrap-up — share your 210 corridor story 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down with Martin Pyszczymuka, a retired FBI agent and Republican candidate for St. Johns County Commissioner, District 2. From a family that survived a WWII labor camp to a career as a federal Air Marshal and FBI fraud investigator, Martin lays out why he’s running and what “Slow the Growth, Stop the Waste” actually means for the county. It’s a wide-ranging, local conversation about growth, accountability, and the August 18 election that will decide the seat.

In this episode we cover:

•     Why the August 18 primary is open to every St. Johns voter this year — Republican, Democrat, or no party

•     The story behind his last name: a WWII slave-labor camp, Belgium, and the middle name Valerian

•     From federal Air Marshal instructor to FBI white-collar crime and SWAT

•     Why he refuses developer money — and how he qualified for the ballot by petition

•     SB 354 and the roughly 50,000 acres that could be developed with little county oversight

•     Restoring local home rule and the fight in Tallahassee

•     The math of growth: 4.7% a year since 2000 vs. a sustainable 2.5%

•     Traffic on CR 210, clear-cutting, and lessons from South Florida

•     A county budget that he says doubled in six years — and subsidizing Publix

•     Faith, accountability, and why he felt called to run

Learn more:

•     Candidate site: VoteMartin2026.com

•     Early voting starts August 8 · Election Day / primary is August 18, 2026

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we’d love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Tuesday.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Martin Pyszczymuka — candidate, District 2

00:32  Why this primary is different: every voter can vote Aug 18

01:25  Retired FBI agent; “Slow the Growth, Stop the Waste”

01:48  How Fred & Martin met — the Stroll Beachwalk cover

04:44  “What’s the deal with your last name?”

05:11  A WWII survival story & the middle name Valerian

07:01  Struggling with the name — and finding it on the ballot

07:55  What qualifies him: FBI, Rutgers economics, MBA, business

09:00  Fred’s own developer background & the politics of growth

11:03  Air Marshal, FBI SWAT & a father in the HRT

12:20  Capitalism vs. crony capitalism: following the money

13:04  What sets him apart: no developer money, on by petition

15:20  Accountability, faith & why he felt called to run

17:11  SB 354 & ~50,000 acres at risk; restoring home rule

19:14  “There’s no slowing the growth” — and why he disagrees

20:17  Krista Joseph, a board majority & exposing approvals

22:16  Traffic, CR 210 & lessons from South Florida

24:06  4.7% growth since 2000 vs. a sustainable 2.5%

25:16  “Plug the hole”: clear-cutting & habitat loss

25:44  Does being “from here” matter? Growing up in New Jersey

27:27  Rising taxes & who really pays for growth

28:08  Infrastructure & a budget that doubled in six years

29:23  Subsidizing Publix & “accountability over transparency”

29:57  Wrap-up: early voting Aug 8, Election Day Aug 18

31:18  Re-elect Krista Joseph; VoteMartin2026.com

31:31  Thanks & how to get on the show 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down on location with Seth Neiman, owner of Island Fin Poké at Beachwalk. Seth left a 25-year career in the New York entertainment industry, moved his family to Florida during COVID, and took a leap into the restaurant business. What follows is a refreshingly honest conversation about chasing a dream, the hard math of running a storefront, and the faith and grit it takes to keep going.

In this episode we cover:

•     Leaving a 25-year entertainment career in New York after a COVID layoff

•     How the Beachwalk marketing video sold him on opening here — and the video he made splicing it with reality that went viral

•     What poké actually is (a Hawaiian word for cubed meat — yes, even spam)

•     99% gluten-free, kids’ bowls, the new tacos, and Dole Whip soft serve

•     A 4.9 rating across 400+ reviews — and why service from a teenage staff is the secret

•     The honest truth about high rents, thin margins, and the struggling storefront model

•     The pizza-and-poké idea, and delivering pies to the Beachwalk apartments by golf cart

•     The record-breaking July 4th fireworks happening right behind the store

•     Fresh, made-to-order Hawaiian lemonades coming to the menu

Find Island Fin Poké:

•     Located at Beachwalk on CR 210, St. Johns, FL

•     4.9 stars across 400+ reviews

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we’d love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Seth Neiman of Island Fin Poké

00:30  From New Jersey to Florida: a COVID-era leap

01:14  Falling for poké & a 3-year road to opening

01:38  Settling in Beacon Lake, across from Beachwalk

02:03  The marketing video that sold him on Beachwalk

02:38  The video he made that went viral

02:56  The “mini town center” dream vs. the 5–7 year reality

03:36  Roadwork, traffic & why restaurants here are hard

04:29  How Fred and Seth met — and the Stroll cover

05:19  What is poké? (It means “cubed meat”)

06:42  Building your bowl & going 99% gluten-free

07:00  The new tacos & eating with your hands

08:19  Foot traffic, Margaritaville & filling storefronts

09:02  Slower summers & the July 4th fireworks behind the store

10:25  Looking for a partner to help with cash flow

11:18  The pizza-and-poké idea

12:10  Golf-cart pizza delivery to the Beachwalk apartments

12:47  Planting seeds, keeping faith & not giving up

13:18  4.9 stars, 400+ reviews & service that stands out

14:04  Dole Whip soft serve & table service

15:20  Why the podcast — sharing 210 corridor stories

16:19  Breaking news: fresh Hawaiian lemonades

17:00  Fred’s Kool-Aid stand & why people really buy

18:14  The Beachwalk farmers market & what really sells

19:04  “Come to Island Fin Poké” — raw, real & honest

19:40  Faith, journey & being the vessel

23:05  Thanks & wrap-up 

Welcome back to Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down with Chris Sileo, better known as “The Florida Realtor.” Chris is a native Floridian who spent 20 years in Central Florida before moving his family to Beacon Lake in 2024 — and he doesn’t do anything halfway. Real estate is the day job (nearly ten years, everywhere in Florida except Miami), but he also runs a holiday-lighting business, films a YouTube channel just for the fun of it, and writes a regular column for Stroll Beacon Lake.

In this episode we cover:

•     Why a tangible, printed magazine still matters in a digital world

•     Leaving a 20-year life in Central Florida and starting over in St. Johns

•     Ten years as “The Florida Realtor” — listings from Central Florida to the Georgia line (just not Miami)

•     Holidays Done Bright: hanging Christmas lights, climbing roofs barefoot, and surviving the Florida heat

•     Golf, volunteering inside the ropes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the casual monthly mixer at Cimarron Golf & Country Club

•     Skim boarding since middle school — headstands and backflips off the shore break

•     What’s happening in Beacon Lake this summer: Food Truck Fridays, the pool, kayaking, and pickleball

•     The biggest July 4th fireworks show St. Johns County has ever seen, coming to Beachwalk

•     His Doing Stuff Today YouTube channel — from building a shed to Disney rides to changing a car battery

Find Chris Sileo:

•     Real estate: “The Florida Realtor” on Facebook

•     Holiday lighting: Holidays Done Bright (Facebook / holidaysdonebright.com)

•     YouTube: “Doing Stuff Today”

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.

Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we’d love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

00:00  Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond

00:12  Meet Chris Sileo & thanks for the Stroll cover story

01:22  Why a tangible, printed magazine still matters

02:05  The Stroll story: a 500+ market franchise, one local magazine man

02:46  Twenty years in Central Florida, then home to St. Johns

03:47  A family man — featured on the Stroll cover

04:11  The “Doing Stuff Today” YouTube channel & family adventures

05:00  Ten years as “The Florida Realtor” — everywhere but Miami

07:00  Holidays Done Bright: the holiday-lighting side hustle

08:00  Climbing roofs in the Florida heat — barefoot

09:05  Writing a column for Stroll Beacon Lake

09:46  Golf, nature & volunteering at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

11:45  Cimarron Golf & Country Club — the monthly mixer open to all

13:42  Recovery shots & getting the whole family into golf

14:45  What’s new in Beacon Lake this summer

15:30  Beacon Lake’s resident-funded July 4th fireworks

16:13  Beachwalk’s record-breaking July 4th show (Margaritaville)

18:13  Fireworks, kids & Disney every night

19:00  Food Truck Fridays, the pool & pickleball

20:05  Kayaking, paddleboarding & skim-boarding tricks

21:29  From skim boarding to wakeboarding & boat-kid days

23:44  Let’s go golfing (and maybe wakeboarding)

24:26  Where to find Chris: real estate, Holidays Done Bright & YouTube

26:08  Sponsorship, friendship & wrap-up 

Welcome to the very first episode of Beachwalk and Beyond — local stories and events from the 210 corridor in St. Johns, Florida.

Host Fred Amato (owner of Stroll Beachwalk) sits down with his friend and business partner Diane Ingram of CGC Home Services. Diane took a leap of faith out of the medical field nearly ten years ago and never looked back — today she's one of the most recognizable faces in the St. Johns business community.

In this episode we cover:

• Why Florida water is so different from up north — and how a reverse-osmosis system changed Fred's family's daily life (and got his son off bottled water)
• Inside CGC Home Services: 80 years of service, full-service plumbing, water treatment, and a new store in Ponte Vedra
• Diane's path from the medical field to "Queen of Networking"
• Downsizing, becoming empty nesters, and the surprising freedom of letting go of "stuff"
• Faith, family, seven grandchildren in Michigan, and finally finding the courage to sing in church
• The biggest July 4th fireworks show St. Johns County has ever seen, coming to Beachwalk

CGC Home Services — water treatment & full-service plumbingCall Diane directly: (904) 776-7256Referral program: refer a friend and you each get $75 — and $225 when they install a system.

Beachwalk and Beyond is brought to you by Stroll Beachwalk and LBW Productions.Have a story, a business, or an event to share with the 210 corridor? Email Fred at [email protected] — we'd love to have you on the show.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Chapters00:00 Welcome to Beachwalk and Beyond00:13 Meet Diane Ingram: a leap of faith into water treatment00:52 How Fred and Diane met01:12 Inside CGC Home Services & the new Ponte Vedra store01:31 Why Florida water is different: reverse osmosis & filtration02:22 Family, faith, and seven grandchildren in Michigan02:55 The "Queen of Networking" & St. Johns community life03:59 Celebrating 80 years of service04:55 Meet the owners: Kelly and Dan05:28 The biggest July 4th fireworks in St. Johns County06:12 Downsizing & the freedom of empty-nester life07:36 Leaving New York and learning what you really need08:46 Faith, family, and singing in church10:18 CGC's mission & referral program11:06 How to reach CGC Home Services11:32 Sponsorship, friendship & wrap-up