Jaime's Local Love Podcast

At just 29 years old, Karla Meza opened her first store front offering furniture and home goods at affordable prices. She created Casa Lola at 5th Street and Camelback to give everyone an opportunity to furnish their home with fashion. The design lover started sourcing great products at huge markdowns then filling her store. She loves seeing people smile when they look at the price tags and realize they can afford to have luxurious couches, rugs, fluffy chairs, etc. in their homes. Hear the design tips to add finishing touches to your home and what Karla hopes to do next. https://www.instagram.com/casalolaphx/?hl=en

In this episode, we meet Lisa Banish, Executive Director of Community Food Connections, dba Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market.  The market started 19 years ago to connect the community to clean, healthy, locally grown food. They have 100 + local vendors, around 80% food and 20% artisan. The Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market is part of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, providing extra SNAP/EBT benefits to customers through the Double Up Program and WIC. They have small businesses and micro businesses specializing in fresh farmed food, meat, plant starts, skin care, herbal tea and so much more! Their holiday fundraiser for CFC, Phoestivus, is in its 15th year on December 12th, 13th, and 14th. Visit our website Phoestius.com for more information. The market is open every Saturday rain or shine (or extra shine) 8 am – 1 pm located at 5th Street and McKinley.  DowntownPhoenixFarmersMarket.org

If you're looking for something to do with the family, this is it. We meet Monica and Kirk Nicodemus of JoyridesAZ. They love Scottsdale so much, they created a luxury golf cart experience to show off their hometown. They are always learning, reading and exploring on their own, so they are chock full of Scottsdale knowledge for your tour. They promise you will learn something new about the architecture, public art, or Scottsdale history—even if you're a local. JoyridesAZ has tours for everything- wine tasting, native culture and art, Instagram murals, margaritas and tacos and a holiday lights tour. Or you can customize your tour to get a little taste of everything!  https://joyridesaz.com/

We meet Wendell Crow of Crow's Dairy.  Wendell grew up in Buckeye in the dairy farming industry. He raises goats and makes cheese to sell to big name chefs and clients all over Arizona. He delivers the cheese himself. Wendell says the key to success is to keep his goats happy. The animals are his life. If you're a cheese lover, you must try the Crow's Dairy chevre: It is so good! You can find it at places like Shea Cheese and Arcadia Meat Market. Instagram: @crowsdairy 

You’d think the name ATL Wings stood for Atlanta, but this time it means all the love and that’s what this family pours into their delicious chicken wing recipes. We meet the Valley couple behind the creative sauces at ATL Wings, sauces so good, they’ve garnered a cult following! Mike and Cianna Kirksey grew their one business into 18 franchised stores. They have 18 to 22 wing sauces. For first timers, they recommend the honey jalapeno, the chef’s special, and the ATL dry rub. While the Kirkseys success story is inspiring, so is their love story—Meeting in a Las Vegas club. https://www.atlwings.com/

We meet Sharon Cunningham of CC's on Central. She already owns a Creole restaurant in California, but with her two grown children living here, she decided to move to Phoenix and open a Southern comfort restaurant here—offering all the favorites like jambalaya, wings, and po'boys—so she could be close to her kids CC's on Central is a great space to host an event and they cater too, and can make anything from deli sandwiches to a lasagna dinner.  https://ccsoncentral.com/

Kimberly Pak has a heart for the local maker. She throws some of the biggest markets in the Valley, bringing together hundreds of makers in one location for a celebration of everything local. She opened a storefront to provide a fulltime space for her makers to sell, then she opened another, and another. Now with two Scottsdale locations and one Phoenix location, Kimberly says she’s learning to trust her gut as a business owner. She also shares with us a very personal struggle and how she says her faith showed her the way out. www.themerchantileofscottsdale.com/  

Valley natives, Geri Hormel and Hunter Rodgers, are passionate about animals. At home, they have dogs, chickens, and goats. At work, Geri rescues pregnant mom dogs and puppies at Almost There Rescue. ATR has 19 kennels, offers a Puppy Preschool Program, and daily enrichment for the dogs in their care. Next door, Hunter is manning the 10,000 pound homemade Italian pizza oven at Pizza To The Rescue. He's cooking up scratch made fresh pizzas with 25% of the proceeds going to Almost There Rescue. PTTR offers a "Yappy Hour" from 3-6 with $10 pizzas and subs, plus opportunities to play with puppies on the patio. It's a win-win. ATR is always looking for volunteers-- you can even play with puppies for an hour to help! It's holding its Vanity Fur event November 15th at the Wrigley Mansion. www.almostthererescue.org  www.pizzatotherescuephx.com

He's long been "The Festival Guy" around the Valley, throwing food fests focused on tacos and pizza. In this episode, we meet David Tyda of Taco Fest and Phoenix Pizza Festival, and now he owns a bar too. Barcoa Agaveria in downtown Phoenix celebrates the art of creating and tasting tequila but Tyda says he never set out to be a bar owner. Find out how he says the building the bar's in "found him" and how his degree in humanities is put to work as he studies the history of tequila making to share with his customers. Taco Fest at Salt River Fields is October 19 and 20th. The 9th annual Phoenix Pizza Festival is November 16 and 17th. WWW.BARCOAPHX.COM  WWW.TACOFESTAZ.COM WWW.PHOENIX.PIZZA

A former truck driver and a singer find romance online and go into business together. We talk to the owners of Old School Grub Cafe in Mesa. Frank and Carlotta Perla give you a taste of nostalgia with a restaurant filled with vintage toys and comic memorabilia, all with a huge menu of comfort food like meatloaf and homemade pie. When you visit Frank and Carlotta, they want you to feel like family. Old School Grub is kicking off a brunch and a dinner buffet so you can get a taste of everything. They offer daily specials and Carlotta, the singer, leads you through karaoke sessions on the weekends.