The Small Business Spotlight

Can a mental health practice feel more like a safe space than a clinic?

In this episode of the Credit Banc Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz interviews Chyllia Dixon, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Hazelwood Mental Health. After leaving a six-figure job, Chyllia followed her calling to create a practice built on holistic, relationship-driven care.

From integrating hypnotherapy and aromatherapy, to measuring success through patient stories, Chyllia shares how she built trust, grew through word-of-mouth, and stayed grounded in her mission.

Whether you're in healthcare, starting your own business, or passionate about mental wellness, this episode offers insight, inspiration, and a reminder that healing starts with human connection.

🔥 What You'll Learn: ✅ Why Chyllia walked away from a 6-figure salary ✅ The power of hypnotherapy, aromatherapy & holistic healing ✅ How patient relationships fuel retention and outcomes ✅ Why authentic care beats traditional marketing ✅ What's next for Hazelwood: workshops, expansion & community

🔗 Connect with Chyllia:

🌐 Website: https://hazelwoodmh.com

👤 LinkedIn (Personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/chyllia-dixon-pmhnp/

🏢 LinkedIn (Clinic): https://www.linkedin.com/company/hazelwood-mental-health/

📞 Phone: (480) 949‑5700

Irv Cruz is a business advisor at Credit Banc, specializing in funding solutions, business credit, and strategic growth for small businesses. Whether you need capital, better credit, or a plan to scale, he's here to help. Book a call with him today!

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What do The Sims, zoning laws, and housing shortages have in common?

In this episode, Irv Cruz interviews John Poillucci, founder of Space House Architecture, to talk about his journey from childhood dreams to launching his own architecture firm. John shares how designing in The Sims as a kid sparked his interest in building real homes, why ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) are a vital part of solving the housing crisis, and how technology is transforming how clients visualize their dream spaces.

From navigating zoning headaches to building trust with clients, John drops valuable insight for anyone interested in design, construction, or starting their own business.

🔥 What You'll Learn:

✅ Childhood passions can turn into powerful business ventures ✅ ADUs are a practical and scalable housing solution ✅ Zoning laws can complicate, but not kill, good design ✅ Communication is the backbone of client relationships ✅ Visualization tools help clients feel confident in the process ✅ Starting a firm takes grit…but the reward is worth it ✅ Space House's mission: make homes more attainable for everyone

• 🌐 Website

• 💼 LinkedIn

• 🏠 Space House LinkedIn

Irv Cruz is a business advisor at Credit Banc, specializing in funding solutions, business credit, and strategic growth for small businesses. Whether you need capital, better credit, or a plan to scale, he's here to help. Book a call with him today!

• How Amber Gaige Built a Marketing Agency That Runs Without Her

• 5 Things You Need to Know About the FUTURE of Men's Personal Care

• From Corporate to Culinary: Brittney Iten's Flavor-Fueled Journey with Saucy Chops

• Meet The Marketing HERO Who Built Income On Demand

• What I Learned from Travis Fox About BUILDING a Better Community

What do psychology and roofing have in common? More than you think.

Our next guest, Lauren Morley, went from psych grad to CEO of two construction companies — and she's doing it with heart, hustle, and a plan called PRIME.

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz interviews Lauren Morley, President of R3NG and CP&M, who made the bold leap from psychology major to roofing CEO.

Lauren opens up about taking over the family business, redefining leadership in a male-dominated industry, and how her unique PRIME framework—Plan, Repair, Restore, Replace—is elevating standards in commercial roofing.

Whether you're a business owner, builder, or marketing strategist, Lauren's journey is full of hard-earned insights on growth, branding, and building a team that wins.

✅ How Lauren went from psychology to construction leadership ✅ What it's like to buy and grow a family-owned roofing company ✅ Why relationship-based marketing drives their success ✅ The PRIME approach: how it works and why it's different ✅ Big growth plans including revenue scaling and tech adoption ✅ Why team loyalty and personal development are essential

🌐 R3NG Website: https://r3ng.com 🏢 CP&M Website: https://cpandm.net/company/ 🔗 Lauren's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenrosemorley/ 🏢 R3NG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/r3ng/

Irv Cruz is a business advisor at Credit Banc, specializing in funding solutions, business credit, and strategic growth for small businesses. Whether you need capital, better credit, or a plan to scale, he's here to help. Book a call with him today!

• How Amber Gaige Built a Marketing Agency That Runs Without Her

• 5 Things You Need to Know About the FUTURE of Men's Personal Care

• From Corporate to Culinary: Brittney Iten's Flavor-Fueled Journey with Saucy Chops

• Meet The Marketing HERO Who Built Income On Demand

• What I Learned from Travis Fox About BUILDING a Better Community

In this episode of Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz sits down with Scott Campbell, the founder of Love in My Tummy Foods, to explore how his personal health journey turned into a mission-driven food brand.

From overcoming dietary restrictions to navigating the strict food industry regulations, Scott reveals the secrets behind creating desserts that are plant-based, nutritious, and actually delicious.

Whether you're a food entrepreneur or a health-conscious foodie, this one's packed with insight and inspiration.

✅ The health scare that sparked a purpose-driven dessert brand

✅ Why sweeteners matter more than you think

✅ The biggest challenges food founders face (regulations, R&D, funding)

✅ Pandemic downtime was a catalyst for product experimentation

✅ The market for healthy, plant-based dessert alternatives is booming

• 🌠Website

• ðŸ"— LinkedIn

• ðŸ"¸ Instagram

• ðŸ"˜ Facebook

Irv Cruz is a business advisor at Credit Banc, specializing in funding solutions, business credit, and strategic growth for small businesses. Whether you need capital, better credit, or a plan to scale, he's here to help. Book a call with him today!

🎧 Watch now & drop your biggest takeaway in the comments!

• How Amber Gaige Built a Marketing Agency That Runs Without Her

• 5 Things You Need to Know About the FUTURE of Men's Personal Care

• From Corporate to Culinary: Brittney Iten's Flavor-Fueled Journey with Saucy Chops

• Meet The Marketing HERO Who Built Income On Demand

• What I Learned from Travis Fox About BUILDING a Better Community

From beat producer to beverage boss. 🎶➡️🥤

Deondrikk "Deon" McFadden launched Carolina Made Beverages from scratch—no big investors, no corporate help. Just hustle, rebranding, and serious social media game.

In this episode of Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz talks with Deon about how he transformed his music audience into loyal customers, self-distributed his first cases, and scored his first sports sponsorship.

If you're a product-based founder or want to grow your brand on a budget, this one's a playbook.

🔥 What You'll Learn: ✅ Starting a beverage brand with zero funding ✅ Why rebranding changed the game ✅ What self-distribution really looks like ✅ Using social media + music to drive traction ✅ Where Carolina Made is going next

🔗 Connect with Deondrikk "Deon" McFadden 🌐 Website: https://carolinamadebev.biz/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinamadebev/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MerkerzEnergyDrink/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deondrikk-mcfadden-16b0b2124/

📞 Need capital or support growing your distribution business?

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt

🚚 What happens when a corporate career meets a Cubano Loco? You get Saucy Chops—a food truck packed with flavor and built with grit, creativity, and one hell of a sauce lineup.

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz talks with Brittney Iten, founder of Saucy Chops, about how she went from corporate grind to culinary trailblazer—launching her brand in the middle of the pandemic and building it into one of Denver's tastiest success stories.

Whether you're starting a food business, building a personal brand, or scaling a small business—you'll walk away with fire ideas, real strategy, and a whole lot of inspiration.

🍽️ What You'll Learn: ✅ Turning a pandemic pivot into a powerful business ✅ Why sauce is the brand in a crowded food space ✅ The marketing moves that built local buzz ✅ Real talk on permits, festivals & food truck logistics ✅ How Saucy Chops is gearing up for online sales & pop-ups

🔗 Connect with Brittney Iten & Saucy Chops: 🌐 Website: https://www.saucychops5280.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittney-iten-3b77521a/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saucychops5280/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saucychops5280

📞 Need capital or support growing your distribution business?

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt

What if your marketing didn't just look good… but actually worked?

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz sits down with Amber Gaige, founder of Far Beyond Marketing, to talk about how bad marketing is costing business owners time and money—and what it really takes to build a brand that drives results.

As a third-generation entrepreneur, Amber gets real about the mindset shifts that fueled her growth, how she overcame imposter syndrome, and how she built a company that doesn't rely on her day-to-day involvement. If you're tired of cookie-cutter campaigns and ready to scale the smart way, this episode is for you.

✔️ What "bad marketing" really means—and how to avoid it ✔️ How to make your business less dependent on you ✔️ Why mindset & imposter syndrome hold back great entrepreneurs ✔️ How a solid team and smart systems fuel sustainable growth ✔️ The role of AI and tech in scaling a lean, profitable agency ✔️ Amber's no-BS take on leadership, delegation, and what works

🌐 Website: Far Beyond Marketing 🔗 LinkedIn: Amber Gaige

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt

What happens when a former Silicon Valley exec leaves the tech world behind to redefine what a barbershop can be?

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz sits down with Don Yurick, owner of Hammer & Nails Grooming Shops for Men, to unpack how he's transforming the men's grooming experience—one subscription at a time.

From building recurring revenue with a subscription-based model, to leading a team that thrives on purpose and personal growth, Don shares what it takes to succeed in the booming men's personal care industry. Whether you're thinking about franchising, leveling up your team culture, or launching a service-based brand—this episode is packed with insights and actionable strategies.

✅ Why Don left corporate life to pursue entrepreneurship ✅ How Hammer & Nails built a high-margin, subscription-driven business ✅ What makes grooming a smart industry for recurring revenue ✅ How genuine leadership creates loyalty and reduces turnover ✅ Why success isn't just about numbers—but transforming lives ✅ Key funding and franchising strategies that fuel growth

🌐 Website: https://hammerandnailsgrooming.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-yurick

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt

🔧 From trading floors to torque specs—Andy Bizub's entrepreneurial journey is anything but ordinary.

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Will Hyder sits down with Andy Bizub, owner of Midwest Performance Cars, a top-tier European auto repair and performance shop based in Chicago.

Andy shares how he pivoted from being a commodity trader to running a multi-location automotive business built on trust, culture, and customer-first service. From hiring challenges to building strong banking relationships, this episode offers a roadmap for any business owner looking to grow with purpose and resilience.

Whether you're in the trades, automotive industry, or simply love a great business transformation story, this episode delivers insight, strategy, and inspiration.

✅ How Andy transitioned from finance to automotive entrepreneurship ✅ What makes Midwest Performance Cars stand out from dealerships ✅ Why company culture is key to employee retention and growth ✅ The toughest challenge: hiring and training skilled labor ✅ Why strong banking relationships matter more than ever ✅ How Andy mentors co-owners to take over leadership roles ✅ The mindset shifts that drive sustainable business success

• Website: https://www.midwestperformancecars.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybizub/

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt

🚀 What happens when a tech-savvy founder applies startup grit to food and beverage distribution?

In this episode of Credit Banc's Small Business Spotlight, host Irv Cruz sits down with David Banisakher, founder of Paradine Services LLC, to explore how he bridged the world of tech, sales, and food retail by creating a third-party marketplace distribution powerhouse.

From early cash flow struggles to building a powerful sales team and investing in brands he believes in, David opens up about the strategic pivots, mindset shifts, and leadership lessons that helped him scale — without losing startup speed.

Whether you're launching a new business or trying to scale an existing one, this episode is packed with insights on sales strategy, product-market fit, and building the right team.

✅ How David used his tech background to grow a product-driven service business ✅ Why relationship-building and smart networking are essential to growth ✅ The biggest time, team, and cash flow hurdles he faced (and how he overcame them) ✅ Why Paradine Services invests in brands by purchasing inventory upfront ✅ What mindset shifts fueled David's evolution from founder to leader ✅ His future plans—including a powerful software solution for brand scaling

• 🌐 Website

• 🔗 David's LinkedIn:

• 🔗 Company LinkedIn

👉 Book a strategy call with Irv Cruz: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/contact-irv-cruze-yt