Santa Barbara's Alexander Stoeber looks to upset the system in Santa Barbara's District 6, in his bid for Santa Barbara City Council. Stoeber, a Realtor, shares his poignant story of rising from homelessness and breaking the cycle of a rough upbringing. He offers his views on State Street, the city budget, downtown, bikes and much more.

This is one in a series of conversations with candidates for Santa Barbara City Council. Stoeber is running against Gabe Escobedo in District 6.

Santa Barbara Talks is a podcast hosted by journalist Josh Molina who creates dynamic conversations with individuals in the areas of politics, education, housing, art and much more. Please hit subscribe on YouTube and visit www.santabarbaratalks.com to make a contribution to support these podcasts.

EXCLUSIVE FILMED AT KIVA CO-WORK!

Ari from Visionari Content has taken Santa Barbara by storm and has emerged as Santa Barbara's top social media star.

In this episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina, I sit down with Ari from Visionari Content for an amazing conversation about storytelling, social media, and building a creative business from the ground up. Ari shares how she grew from making videos as a kid in Minnesota to taking a risk and moving to Santa Barbara and now becoming Santa Barbara’s most recognizable and most viewed content creator.

We talk about her early love for filmmaking, attending Santa Barbara City College and even working at Jersey Mike's in Santa Barbara.

Ari explains how her Santa Barbara history videos—covering topics such as the Castillo underpass, Elings Park, and Franceschi Park—resonate because they make people feel more informed about their community.

She also talks about the realities of being a visible woman online, dealing with criticism, and learning how to stay authentic.

Ari discusses the pressure, coping with local recognition, and why she tries not to create for attention alone.

She focuses on making content that is useful, engaging, and rooted in curiosity.

We talk about the business side of content creation, the importance of valuing her work and her future. She also discusses family, the challenge of valuing herself, and her goal of building a healthier creative business that serves the community.

Video highlights

0:00 — Introducing Ari and Visionari Content

2:11 — Why Ari wanted a long-form conversation

3:55 — What it feels like to suddenly become highly visible in Santa Barbara

6:34 — Recognition, public attention, and navigating online criticism

8:14 — How Ari turned her own growth into proof of her marketing approach

9:52 — The first major viral moment: filming Maroon 5’s pop-up concert

16:18 — The local-history video that put Ari on the map

19:58 — Research, fact-checking, and handling public pushback

22:02 — How Ari finds and develops Santa Barbara story ideas

30:02 — Being a woman creator in a highly visible public space

37:47 — Mean comments, misinformation, and protecting creative confidence

45:42 — Building Visionari Content and helping local businesses grow

51:06 — Starting the business during COVID and the early setbacks

56:31 — Multiple jobs, early clients, and finding a path in content creation

61:30 — Working at Jersey Mike’s and the work ethic behind the current success

67:23 — 10Xing her income, pricing creative work, and living in Santa Barbara

74:04 — Ari’s Minnesota childhood and early obsession with cameras

80:13 — Discovering filmmaking, journalism, and a creative career path, attending Santa Barbara City College

84:47 — Family, distance, and building an independent life

93:23 — The state of social media: value versus empty attention

107:27 — Ari’s visual style, color, and cinematic approach

109:40 — Being herself on camera and getting comfortable in public

114:38 — Advice for aspiring creators

121:32 — Ari’s podcast and expanding the stories behind her short videos

129:20 — Life outside of work: biking, local spots, and Santa Barbara living

139:51 — Becoming a local public figure and being spotted in the media

145:20 — Favorite music, coffee, food, and local recommendations

152:54 — Josh shares his own journalism journey and lessons on self-worth

165:22 — Ari’s vision for the future: healthy growth, community, and balance

171:31 — Closing thoughts and appreciation

Santa Barbara Planning Commissioner Devon Wardlow talks about her plan to run for Santa Barbara City Council, in the latest episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Wardlow, who graduated from Santa Barbara High School, offers her views on housing, State Street, rent stabilization and much more. Wardlow is running for City Council in District 4.

Journalism Joshua Molina creates compelling conversations with variety of individuals on topics such as housing, education, politics, business, transporation and much more. Visit SantaBarbaraTalks.com to make a contribution and go to Santa Barbara Talks on YouTube and subscribe to get more than 300 podcasts with the community's most interesting individuals.

On the 21-year-anniversary of the Michael Jackson trial and verdict, former News-Press reporter Dawn Hobbs recalls her time covering the high-profile trial. Hobbs covered every day of the trial in Santa Maria. In this episode of Santa Barbara Talks, Hobbs explains how she was assigned the story, how she approached the beat, and the moment she "locked eyes," with Michael Jackson. Hobbs also talks about her career as a reporter, her fight previous News-Press ownership and the state of journalism.

Josh Molina is a journalist and instructor at Santa Barbara City College. He creates dynamic conversations with individuals on the topics of housing, politics, media, culture, business and much more. Follow his podcast at www.santabarbaratalks.com and subscribe on YouTube to Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Consider making a contribution to support his podcast.

Josh Molina talks about his memories of Loretta Redd; Also, a possible collaboration with Instagram's Visionari, in this Josh-only podcast. Josh reported on Loretta in various capacities over the years and he shares some of his thoughts on her. Also, Josh is talking with Visionari about being a guest on Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Who is Visionari? We kickstart the conversation here. Visit www.santabarbaratalks.com to make a contribution and support these podcasts.

Explore Jason Dominguez's vision for Santa Barbara, his background, and his approach to local governance as he campaigns for District 4 City Council. This interview covers key community issues like housing, fire safety, State Street, and rent stabilization.

In this episode:

Jason's personal journey from Maywood to Santa Barbara and his legal and international experiences

His previous city council service, emphasizing fiscal responsibility, community engagement, and transparency

Stakeholder perspectives on housing, rent stabilization, and controlling rising costs

Fire safety strategies in District 4, including coordination with fire departments and urban planning

The future of State Street and balancing commercial vitality with pedestrian-friendly policies

Dominguez's stance on political independence, collaboration, and maintaining respectful debate

Timestamps:

(00:01) - Welcome and introduction to Jason Dominguez's background

(0:30) - Why Jason is running for District 4 City Council

(2:43) - Growing up in Maywood, education, and early influences

(5:48) - How international experiences shaped his civic perspective

(10:00) - Transition from law career to local government

(13:08) - What Jason aims to accomplish in his current campaign

(17:19) - Community priorities in District 4: fire safety and development

(20:08) - The debate around rent stabilization and affordable housing

(24:26) - Perspectives on State Street revitalization

(32:15) - Balancing commercial growth with community needs

(36:42) - Views on urban planning, retail, and street redesign

(40:39) - Enhancing bike safety and youth recreation

(43:52) - Addressing concerns about political style and past interactions

(49:43) - Reflections on leadership, mistakes, and community service

(60:40) - The influence of fatherhood on his worldview

(63:23) - Final thoughts on voter trust and legislative experience

Santa Barbara Talks: Ryder Christ, Santa Barbara's Street Interviewer, talks with Josh Molina about his transition from News Director at KEYT to man-on-the-street interviewer. Christ opens up about his questions, his character, his approach, his dress, his style and what he learned from John Palminteri. Christ is leading a wave of local social media personalities capturing eyeballs on the South Coast.

Josh Molina is a journalist and college professor who creates dynamic conversations with celebrities, politicians, activities and experts in their field. Find more than 300 podcasts on this channel. Please follow and subscribe. Also visit SantaBarbaraTalks.com to contribute.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse won't run for re-election afterall, opening the race wide open for council colleagues Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon. Wendy Sims-Moten is also in the contest. Josh Molina talks about what led up to Randy's departure and what happens next on the road to the November mayoral election.

Jeramy Gordon started a newspaper in Santa Barbara at the age of 23 years old. For the next seven years, the paper emerged as such a popular media source that expanded with the launch of the Montecito Messenger. In this podcast, Gordon talks about running the newspaper as a young entrepreneur, in the triumphs and challenges, and what led to the paper's closure seven years later.

Gordon then talks about his new life as a business owner, author, father, husband and family man. He is also an author of several books, including his latest, "Opinionated, not Judgmental."

Gordon and the Santa Barbara Daily Sound represent a signifcant part of Santa Barbara's media history. Don't miss this provocative podcast episode.

Find Jeramy Gordon at:

Website

https://www.opinionated-book.com

Facebook

/ opinionatednotjudgmental

Instagram

/ jeramygordon

Buy the Book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDJCZCF3

Joshua Molina is a journalist and college instructor. He creates compelling conversations with a variety of individuals on the topics of housing, education, politics, business and media. Visit www.santabarbaratalks.com to consider a contribution to support his podcasts.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s...

Betsy O'Brien is the host of TheBetsLife podcast, and has crafted a vibrant platform where she focuses on women, business, fashion, fitness and culture, while living her "best life." The Montecito native opens up about her life, her business and what she loves about Santa Barbara.

Joshua Molina is a teacher and journalist in Santa Barbara. He is the editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press. This podcast creates dynamic conversations and spotlights amazing people making an impact on the community. Follow Josh at motownjoshnews.com. Listen to this podcast on all streaming platforms.