Meet from Cassie Pestana, Co-Owner of CLICKSTART DOG TRAINING ACADEMY in Lake Forest. And here her story about growing her business into a real "brick and mortar" location. And how the OC IE Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helped her to do that.

On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Shaun Sanders, the Senior Associate Director of LaunchPad SBDC joins us to discuss their unique virtual accelerator.  Hosted by Octane and run by the Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC) in Newport Beach, CA.  

As he talks about his work helping startups and other small businesses craft their "pitch decks" (and specifically their "business stories".)  At no cost (whatsoever!).  As part of this special SBDC program.  On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Meet Sergio Contreras, Executive Director of UNITED FOR STUDENT SUCCESS, Orange County United Way and President and Founder of MADE IN ORANGE COUNTY.  A former school board President and City Council Member in Westminster. And a current Estrella Award winner from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

As we begin a New Year, we bring in Rachel Daly, a psychotherapist from the Newport Beach Trauma Therapy Center to discuss the all too common "post Holiday blues".  Including their causes (from stress and financial worries to past traumas and current health challenges) and some tips on how to combat this all-too-common mental health problem which so many of us face this time of year.  Including not making it even worse by overloading yourself with too many overambitious "New Year's Resolutions".  And the realization that you're not alone (nor helpless in this struggle).

Using this "turn of the page" to create a new chapter in our life (instead of a repeat of past mistakes and negative patterns). Filled with what most people truly want (from Rachel's experience):  Love Connection and Being Heard.  

Hear more here on Orange County's only community radio station, OC TALK RADIO, Streaming live from our studio here at the University of California's Beall Applied Innovation Center.

Brian Castles, Founder of Castles Confections in Fullerton joins us to share how he became Orange County's very own Willy Wonka. And using his mom's family recipe, has brought back hand crafted toffee again to So Cal.

Hayden Ruiz, owner of Partee Golf Simulators joins us to discuss renting  a golf simulator for high end corporate events and/or personal parties.  The enormous leap in realism in these simulators today (where you are actually hitting a ball into a screen and then tracking that ball visually on some virtual course).  How PARTEE is actually starting to install these high end golf simulators into high end homes as well. And how a young man with a Bio Medical  Engineering Degree goes from that...to this!

On this week's OC SPOTLIGHT. On Orange County's only community radio station, OC TALK RADIO, streaming live from our studio here at the University of California Irvine's BEALL APPLIED INNOVATION CENTER.

Learn about LENDISTRY and their work helping deploy capital for government programs like the PPP Loans (Paycheck Protection Program) initiated under COIVD). As well as being a direct small business lender for small businesses that may not qualify under traditional banking requirement.

On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Diane Lydon joins us to discuss her work at a Business Outreach Manager for the State of California's  Office of Small Business and Disabled Veterans Business Services (often referred to simply as OSDS).  Helping small businesses and veteran owned businesses secure government contracts.  

Operating under the mandate created by California Assembly Bill AB-2019, 25% of all state government contracts are supposed to go to qualified "small businesses".  But finding those small businesses and teaching them the requirements and process of how to apply for these many contracts has been the challenge.  Which becomes the mission of people like Diane and others like the SBDC's local Contracting Center in Riverside (which we interviewed earlier) to assist small businesses of all shapes and sizes to seize this opportunity by registering, getting "small business certified" and then understanding the process and procedures to secure one of the many government contracts being awarded daily for every imaginable product and service from consulting and catering to construction and cleaning.

How to make it thru this maze of government agencies (with long acronyms) to the prize at the end? Start by going to www.CaliforniaEProcure.CA.Gov.  And then contacting Diane or the local Small Business Development Contracting Center here in Riverside for more FREE ASSISTANCE in getting started and set up to securing your own government contract.

On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Alicia Brayboy, DIGITAL MARKETING CENTER talks about her background and why she moved from NY to SoCal to further her marketing career. And how she helps businesses share their brand stories thru social media marketing and make sense of the many platforms and digital strategies available to businesses today.

On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Meet Manish Bhardia President of the Asian Business Association of Orange County (ABAOC).  And partner in his own firm THINK AI. As he discusses his cutting edge work in adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) to businesses  (just like yours!)  And helping other Asian businesses (thru his work with the ABAOC) learn about new technologies (like AI0 and use it to increase productivity in their own organizations.

On this week's PROFIT TALKS podcast. Brought to you by your Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC). Funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.