12: In today's episode, we’re talking to Danielle Borja, President and CEO of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

As President and CEO, Danielle leads one of the largest Chambers in the state of California with over 700 business members, serving the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills. 

I thought it was fitting to end season 1 with Danielle as she adds a different perspective to the Conejo Valley business community. Not only will you learn about Danielle’s career journey in this conversation, you’ll also get a deep dive into the workings of the Chamber, what it was like to take on the CEO role 2 months before the pandemic, and all of the opportunities for small and big businesses to get involved.  

Listen to the end to see how to win 2 VIP tickets to The Taste of Conejo, the chamber’s signature event held in October. 

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠here⁠

Connect with Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce here

Visit ⁠EdelmanCounseling.com⁠ to take advantage of this limited-time offer for 20% off your first therapy session with an Edelman Counseling Associate. This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit ⁠EdelmanCounseling.com ⁠and enter Visionaries in your appointment note at checkout to redeem this offer.

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠.

11: In today's episode, we’re talking to Juliet Tabbara, board certified holistic coach, owner of Nourish Within Wellness and founder of the Conejo Valley Wellness Community.

After studying psychology in college, Juliet’s first job was in recruiting. She quickly learned that life was not for her. It was a serendipitous move to Phoenix with her then boyfriend, and an entry level job at a health insurance company, that put her on the wellness career path. 

Juliet gets candid about her own health journey, imposter syndrome, and how her desire for in-person connections led her to create a community of like-minded folks in the Conejo Valley. 

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

Visit EdelmanCounseling.com to take advantage of this limited-time offer for 20% off your first therapy session with an Edelman Counseling Associate. This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit EdelmanCounseling.com and enter Visionaries in your appointment note at checkout to redeem this offer.

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

10: In today's episode, we’re talking to Mike Ashamalla and Shawn Orr, two of the co-founders of Tifa Chocolate and Gelato.

In the early 2000s, Denise and Mike (mom & dad) and Shawn and Candace (brother & sister) knew they wanted to do something together that involved food. But they had no idea that a gelato experience during a family trip to Italy would inspire more than 17 years of a family-run chain of gelato and chocolate shops in the Conejo Valley and beyond. 

The dynamic between this father & son duo is worth the listen alone. Together they recount the inception of Tifa as a food cart at the Topanga mall to how they've grown the business to include several corporate stores plus a growing franchise business.

And, importantly, how family is still at the core of everything they do.

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

9: In today's episode, we’re talking to Amy Bates, co-owner of West Tasting Room in Thousand Oaks. 

Amy’s childhood passion and first career was in the film industry - where she project managed feature films. After over a decade of traveling around the world working on movies, she realized she was burnt out and knew it was time to pursue another of her passions: wine. 

In our conversation, Amy talks about when the idea for West came to be - and how she put the business plan on hold for a whole 6 years before eventually opening West in 2021.

Amy is open about the challenges of running a small business and how the incredible community she and her co-founder Rachel have built at West keeps the vision pushing forward. 

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

8: In today's episode, we’re continuing our conversation with Saverio Posarelli, the owner of ⁠Basta⁠ restaurant in Agoura Hills.

This week you'll hear about his move to the United States and how Basta came to be - with many ups & downs in between. Plus, Saverio shares his vision for the growing Basta empire including Basta Fatta a Mano opening later this year. 

Listen to Part 1 with Saverio here.

Saverio is so open, descriptive, and honest - I know you’ll love this conversation.

Sound note: We recorded this episode at Basta in one of the restaurant's beautiful backrooms. We apologize if the sound isn't as crisp as it usually is, but the location was worth it!

Connect with Saverio Posarelli here: https://www.instagram.com/saverioposarelli/

Connect with Basta here:

https://www.instagram.com/eatatbasta

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

7: In today's episode, we’re talking to Saverio Posarelli, the owner of Basta restaurant in Agoura Hills.

This interview covers so much ground that we broke it into 2 parts. This week you’ll learn about Saverio’s picturesque childhood in the hills of Tuscany, his father and Nonna's influence on his career pursuits, and his early culinary training around Europe and Japan. Next week, we’ll hear about his move to the United States and how Basta came to be. Plus this vision for his growing Basta empire. 

Saverio is so open, descriptive, and honest - I know you’ll love this conversation.

Sound note: We recorded this episode at Basta in one of the restaurant's beautiful backrooms. We apologize if the sound isn't as crisp as it usually is, but the location was worth it!

Connect with Saverio Posarelli here: https://www.instagram.com/saverioposarelli/

Connect with Basta here:

https://www.instagram.com/eatatbasta

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

12 episodes. That was my goal when starting the hyperlocal small business podcast Conejo Valley Visionaries.
Today marks the halfway point and I'm so proud.

In this mid-season solo Q&A, I answer questions about my background, explain the tools and resources I used to get started, and share stories about how the interviews came to be. I talk about the calendar hack that helped me get this project off the ground, and how I learned to not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.

The podcast is a childhood dream come true and I'm grateful for everyone who has listened, followed and shared their feedback.

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

6: In today's episode, we’re talking to Drew Pletcher, co-founder of Oak & Iron cocktail bar in Thousand Oaks, CA. 

Drew’s path to opening Oak & Iron was not a straight line. From film studies as an undergrad to practicing law, his career moves along the way are not a typical journey to owning a bar but have a common thread: storytelling.  

In our conversation, Drew shares how a job at Woodranch during law school reinforced the importance of hospitality in his mind, how the idea for Oak & Iron evolved due to city restrictions, and how he now supports other entrepreneurs navigating the complicated permitting process of opening a small business through his law firm Pletcher Law, APC. 

I love this conversation because Drew shines the light on the technical side of opening a business which I found extremely valuable.

Connect with Drew Pletcher here https://www.instagram.com/drew.pletcher

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

5: In today's episode, we’re talking to Marina Edelman, licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Edelman Counseling. 

Marina’s career began in finance where she worked as an analyst at a Fortune 500 company. After having children and relocating to the Conejo Valley, Marina decided to pursue a career change rooted in childhood interests - psychology. After getting her Master of Arts in Psychology, Marina opened her private practice in Westlake in 2009.    

In our conversation, Marina shares how her upbringing in the former Soviet Union informed her first career choice, what appealed to her about becoming a therapist, and how she leveraged her financial background to market her therapy practice initially. She also shares her top tips for couples and her favorite Conejo Valley date spots.

Connect with Marina Edelman here https://www.instagram.com/edelman.counseling/

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠.

4: In today's episode, we’re talking to Alisa Bertram, owner and lead designer of Beam Design and Consulting.

Alisa started designing and decorating at a young age when her parents let her design and manage all of their home improvements. When she purchased her first home and realized the true power of interior design and the value it adds to your home and yourself, she created Beam. She now services clients throughout the Conejo Valley. 

In our conversation, Alisa shares the power of word of mouth, the key role communication plays in running a service business, and the biggest misconception of interior design.

Connect with Alisa Bertram here https://www.instagram.com/beam_designs/

Connect with Conejo Valley Visionaries ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/conejovalleyvisionaries/

If you want to share your visionary story on the podcast, send us a DM - we are always open to guest nominations!

This episode was produced by Cristina Dennstedt and Justin K. Sloan. Conejo Valley Visionaries is edited by Justin K. Sloan and ⁠⁠⁠J.Sloan Productions⁠⁠⁠.