Fresno's Best

Today we have another crossover episode with the sister program to this show that I produce called The History of CA Podcast. The interview is with two of the wonderful hosts of the amazing podcast Water Talk, one of my personal favorite podcasts which explores all things related to water, with an emphasis on California Water issues, but also covering broader areas as well.  The first is Dr. Mallika Nocco. Mallika is an Assistant Professor in Cooperative Extension specializing in soil-plant-water relations and irrigation management and director of the Conservation Irrigation Lab at the University of California, Davis. We also have Dr. Samuel Sandoval. Samuel is an Associate Professor in Cooperative Extension and Water Resources Management at University of California, Davis. He has developed effective communication programs in English and Spanish for topics related to water and created virtual forums that foster communities of scientists for exchanging ideas, collaborative projects, fact checking and myth busters. We cover so much in this conversation and I know you will enjoy it.

Today, we have Christa Wiens on the show. Christa is the executive director of Central Valley Justice Coalition and the focus of our conversation is human trafficking, both globally and locally. We dig into definitions, tactics used by traffickers, signs someone is being trafficked, differences between sex trafficking and forced labor, beyond the obvious, common misconceptions, approaches to education the public, Hollywood depictions of trafficking, fritters, fair trade, law enforcement approaches, and more.

Central Valley Justice Coalition Website

Books

A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer 

A Cry of The Heart: Human Trafficking: One Survivor's True Story Debra Rush and Penelope Childers 

Marilyn Cowley is CEO and founder of PREM PR and Social and if there is someone in town whose opinion on marketing in this complicated environment I would trust, it would definitely be Marilyn’s. In this episode, we discuss internships, strategizing majors in college, old school marketing tactics, the state of email marketing, motivational speakers, the importance of habits, ballroom dancing, ethics in marketing, building a social media brand, Taylor Swift of course, local news, why certain people are better in front of cameras, and more.

PREM PR and Social Website

Books

Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step StoryBrand Guide for Any Business Donald Miller and Dr. J.J. Peterson

The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure Grant Cardone

Today, we have Liana Pierce on the show. Liana is the owner of and instructor at Four Corners Yoga Studio in Northeast Fresno. We discuss pain in Yoga, the comparison game, yoga and fitness, common mistakes, conflicts with religious worldview, overrated poses and clothes, the benefit of retreats, the business side of operating a studio, what she has learned about Fresno in teaching classes and operating a studio, and more. Liana is wonderful and I know you’ll love this conversation.

Four Corners Yoga Website

Books: 

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art James Nestor

The Way Forward (The Inward Trilogy) Yung Pueblo

The Measure Nikki Erlick 

Today we have Ellen Armour on the show. Ellen is a native of California's San Joaquin Valley, where she lived until attending UCLA. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition from the School of Arts & Architecture, and went on to work in project management for the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Google, Chevron, international consulting firm Turner & Townsend, and TETER Architects & Engineers before landing at the Fresno Philharmonic, where she currently serves as Director of Marketing & Development, developing relationships and marketing best practices for an outstanding non-profit arts organization.

Ms. Armour serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of California Symphony Orchestras and is the immediate past Board President and Marketing Chair for the Fresno Arts Council. Ellen is also a classically trained pianist, vocalist, and composer of 33 years and loves sharing the beauty and joy of music with others. You can find some of her music on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms.

Ellen's Website

Books: 

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business Charles Duhigg

The Midnight Library Matt Haig

A House for Mr. Biswas V. S. Naipaul 

Today, I have an interview with Alex Treas and Jenn Guerra. Both from the valley, they share a passion for the growing technology industry here and, after the fallout from Bitwise, are striking out with a new venture called Reclaim Technologies that aims to help businesses and organizations leverage technology to achieve their goals. 

Reclaim Technologies Website

Books:

Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works Ash Maurya 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones James Clear 

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery Brianna Wiest 

Today, we have Anna Covarrubias and Marcee Rodriguez of The Pie Mamas on the show. These two home bakers turned a passion into a thriving business and are baking some of the most beautiful pies in Fresno. Please enjoy our fascinating conversation about our favorite holiday dessert.

The Pie Mamas Website

Today, we have Timothy Yeager on the show. Yeager is the Chief Clinical Officer at Centria Healthcare which is the leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy to children with autism in the country. Our conversation is wide-ranging covering ABA, pragmatism, NY-style pizza, reducing burnout in the helping industry, diagnosis as determinism, and more.

Books

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Kim Scott

Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children Todd R. Risley and Betty Hart 

Brooke is spear-heading a campaign to bring a library to the Tower District of Fresno. As a librarian, the host of this podcast couldn't be more supportive of expanding library access to as many people as possible. Please support the project in any way you can! 

The Campaign's Website

Books: 

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 

Today's episode is a repost from my other podcast, History of California Podcast, with Katherine Blunt. Katherine Blunt is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric and What it Means for America’s Power Grid. The book, a national bestseller, won the 2022 Golden Poppy award for nonfiction. Her coverage of PG&E, a collaboration with two colleagues, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and earned a Gerald Loeb award, the highest honor in business journalism.