Jaime’s Local Love Podcast: The Sparkle Bar

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- We talk to the founder of The Sparkle Bar in Old Town Scottsdale. It’s a makeup studio where you can have a professional do your make up for headshots, weddings, or just a night out. Alex Bradberry says The Sparkle Bar was born out of necessity. Unless you had a friend who’s a makeup artist or wanted to make a purchase at the makeup counter, your options were limited. That was, before she opened her business. Alex credits much of their success on her team, their location and their vision for the company. But before Alex could even open Arizona’s first makeup studio, she also learned she would first have to change Arizona law. So she did that too. https://thesparklebar.com/

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Available Now: Stream | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

PRIOR EPISODES

SugarJam The Southern Kitchen: It all started with a cookie and grew into a full-size brick and mortar that really rocks at brunch. We are talking dancing in the aisles at this Scottsdale restaurant! We talk to Dana Dumas, the founder and CEO of SugarJam The Southern Kitchen, about how her corporate background trained her to be a savvy businesswoman and how her family’s influence taught her a true love of food. SugarJam is named for Dana’s sugar jam cookie that she started baking with her mom out of her home. Hear how Dana grew her business, knew when to shift, and took some leaps of faith backed by hard numbers. SugarJam The Southern Kitchen | Lunch & Brunch in Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale - Mother’s Day Brunch (sjsouthernkitchen.com)

C2 Interiors - For the Love of Design: We meet the woman behind C2 Interiors, who went from a career in pharmaceutical sales to interior design. Connie Lamoreaux’s love of design started young—as a kid, she’d rearrange furniture with her mom at home, in college, she started designing her friends’ dorm rooms, and as a professional, they call her “The Material Muse.” Connie has a degree in industrial organizational psychology. We talk about how this unique degree served her well many times over. Plus, we get some advice on simple ways to elevate our homes. C2 Interiors | Connie Lamoreaux | Scottsdale Interior Designer (c2interiordesign.com)

Crust Restaurant Group: In this episode of Jaime’s Local Love: The Podcast, we meet the man behind Crust Restaurant Group. It serves up authentic New York Style Pizza with generous portions at a really good price. The owner, Michael Merendino, says he wants to keep his customers coming in two or three times a week, and not just when they’re celebrating. Merendino came to the Valley from New York after September 11th and worked in restaurants before going out on his own. Now 17 years later, he has three Italian restaurants, two pizzerias, two cocktail bars and more coming soon. www.crustpizzaplace.com

Genuwine Arizona: A Passion Project for Two Former Teachers: Two Valley teachers loved working together so much they often created projects to combine their math and science classes. Now Lindsay and Emily are tackling their passion project together: Leaving teaching behind to create a neighborhood wine bar on Roosevelt Row called Genuwine Arizona. It was inspired by a self-serve wine machine they discovered in Europe and the two call themselves business soulmates. We talk Arizona wines—March is Arizona wine month after all—locally-curated snacks, cheese boards, and what these two teachers learned about building a business from scratch. https://genuwinearizona.com/

Chris Powell: The “1 Million People” Promise: You’ve likely seen Chris Powell on his frequent appearances on Good Morning Arizona talking about healthy food and fitness. Powell’s been a regular on GMAZ for some 20 years and tells us how he garnered that coveted spot and keeps getting booked today. He has a passion for helping others invest in their fitness journey and made a promise to himself to help 1 million people and even tattooed that number on his body during one of his lowest points. Chris shares his story of vulnerability, strength, passion, and promises, and he gives us the family discount on his new fitness app. Plus, we got his good buddy, Scott Pasmore, to join in the conversation to spill the tea on both some funny stories and meaningful friendship.

Persepshen: Serving up a love of a local: “If we don’t make it, we don’t serve it.” That’s the motto at Persepshen in Phoenix. The restaurant’s owners Katherine and Jason Dwight met in culinary school at Scottsdale Community College. Now Katherine creates the pastries and Jason is on meats and veggies at their restaurant off Central and Highland. They started at the farmer’s markets with a focus on local ingredients and everything is really special to the Dwights at Persepshen, from the branch chandelier Jason cut down himself to the silverware their family polished for their wedding. Https://www.Persepshenarizona.Com/

Word of Mouth Grill: For the love of hard work, family, and BBQ: Word of Mouth Grill began with the concept of bringing people together with food. The family-owned and operated barbeque restaurant in Tempe boasts shredded pork like you’ve never had, a wing flight that takes your taste buds through a myriad of flavors, and heat and elevated collaborative dinners. Hear the incredible story of how the owner Demetrious Makel was left with his brother to raise themselves as teenagers, how he met the love of his life at a Halloween party, and how a mentor helped steer his life toward entrepreneurship.

Fair Trade and Amor Collective: For the love of coffee, business, and home sweet home: Stephanie Vasquez is a proud Arizona native. She grew up Maryvale, went to ASU and was a middle school teacher in the West Valley. She loved it! Then she went on vacation to Costa Rica and learned how tough the coffee industry can be on the people it employs and on Mother Earth herself. She had to do something. Vasquez opened Fair Trade Coffee in 2007 on Roosevelt Row—carefully sourcing fair trade coffee and creating a space for community. In her new role as an entrepreneur, she was still very much a teacher—often mentoring others coming up in business. To help lift up small business owners, Vasquez opened Amor Collective in August of 2023 featuring Latina business owners. Hear more about Vasquez’s journey from teacher to business owner and why she loves Arizona so much.

Naked Rebellion: A husband-and-wife team with three kids and two businesses. That’s what you’ll find behind the brand of Naked Rebellion. Owners Jessica Wenger McPhaul and Jay McPhaul started the clothing brand after Jessica was fired from her costume job in L.A. because she couldn’t find inclusive bras. So she and Jay started their own underwear line and now the two want to help other people—and other couples—start their own businesses too. https://nakedrebellion.com/

The ‘Arizona Insider’ - Ian Schwartz’s Love of Local: In this week’s Jaime’s Local Love, we mixed it up a little. Instead of interviewing a local business owner, we invited Ian Schwartz on, calling him the Arizona Insider. It’s a name he gave himself around the Super Bowl last year as he highlighted events happening around the big game. Ian grew up in Mesa, and when not working at Arizona’s Family, he’s often exploring new attractions. Ian tells us where to have fun in the Valley in 2024.

Local First Arizona - For the Love of Arizona: We talk to the founder of Local First Arizona, Kimber Lanning. The Arizona native started her own record store as a teenager. That’s when she realized small businesses had minimal support in our state. She would spend the following decades working to change that through her foundation, Local First Arizona, which provides businesses with education, grants, an incubator kitchen and so more. https://localfirstaz.com/

Loot N’ Booty BBQ - For the Love of BBQ: A former banker turned BBQ pitmaster joins us in the podcast studio. Sterling Smith—AKA Smitty—is Jaime’s brother-in-law. Smitty and Jaime’s sister Molly met when Molly was in high school and Smitty was in the Navy. We talk about building a business and a family while smoking meat, creating rubs and sauces, and winning a lot of trophies and checks.

Rinaldi’s Deli: Dedication to the Deli: A New York style deli where freshness comes first. That’s what you’ll get at Rinaldi’s in north Scottsdale. Owner John Sayegh is celebrating 30 years in the Valley where you can always count on—breakfast burritos filled with just-cracked eggs topped with his wife Bolivia’s homemade salsa, amazing deli sandwiches, and Italian dishes like chicken parmesan and baked ziti. John talks about his longevity in the Arizona restaurant business and in love, as he’s been happily married for decades.

Frites Street - For the Love of Fries: A Phoenix native bears the nickname “The Fry Guy”. In this episode, we learn how Flip Isard of Frites Street—a graduate of Shadow Mountain High School—launched a potato company, making the fries you’ll find in Phoenix’s fine restaurants. His journey took him around the world as a roadie for Jared Leto’s band, eating from late night frites shop in Europe. When he came back to Arizona, his dad told him to bet on himself. He bet on the power of the potato.

Wally’s American Pub ‘n Grille: Wally’s American Pub ‘n Grille is a neighborhood bar and grille where you can take the family or meet a friend for a drink. It has a cozy environment offering comfort food like meatloaf and pot roast. Wally’s has been family owned for 22 years and much of the staff has been there for decades too. We talk to owner/operator Matt Collins about running an institution as the neighborhood around him changes immensely.

Original Elderberry Co. - For the Love of Family: Divya Yoder works full time and is a dedicated mom trying to keep her husband and two young boys healthy. She says when one person in the house got sick, the illness ran through the whole family. To stop the colds, she found the healing power of the elderberry. Her continued research revealed many elderberry products on store shelves contained ingredients that she didn’t want to feed to her family, so she created a recipe of her own and the Original Elderberry Co. was born.

Rydables - Making Business Fun: If you are looking to explore what Arizona has to offer, learn, and laugh, ya gotta try Rydables! These are motorized large stuffed animals that roam Scottsdale, Mesa and Wildlife World Zoo on guided tours. On this episode, the creator of Rydables said he thought it would be something fun to do to entertain people. But he soon learned that these stuffed animals on wheels offered something more.

The Nixer: Small Changes = Big Results: The holidays can be filled with indulgence. Food and drinks flow with every celebration. And that’s why The Nixer wants to provide an inclusive experience whether you’re drinking alcohol or not. On this episode, we talk to Kristine Abrams-Petersman of The Nixer, a pop-up cocktail bar slinging non-alcoholic drinks. She says she saw major life changes when she nixed alcohol and she wants to support others who wish to do the same, all while still staying social.

Retail Therapy: For the Love of Small Business: In a year-and-a-half, two Arizona entrepreneurs went from one location to four. The business is called Retail Therapy AZ. It is a makers’ market, supporting small business owners, with locations in downtown Glendale, Westgate, Scottsdale Fashion Square and coming soon to the Phoenix Convention Center. But first, the two owners, Jacqueline Thomas and Erica Jerido, worked in a restaurant together where Erica said, “I’m quitting, and Jackie is too!” It was then a new booming business was born.

Grapes and Hops - A Place for Friends and Neighbors: A former TV reporter takes what she learned in the field to create grapes and hops at Tatum and Greenway. Arizona native Jen Rogers took one of her first TV jobs in Washington wine country where she’d interview the farmers growing grapes and fell in love with the work behind the wine. Fast forward to today when she just opened a neighborhood bottle shop. She says she dreamed of created a space that offered a moment of peace in a busy day and a place where neighbors become friends.

Wild Bunch Desert Guides: For the love of the desert: Showing people how to enjoy the beauty of the desert is the job Laurel Darren of Wild Bunch Desert Guides gave herself. She created her own hiking and mountain biking tour group and shows visitors and locals the best practices when it comes to taking on Mother Nature on two wheels or two feet. Hear how she works with many first timers and loves helps people overcome a fear, enjoy some wind therapy, or fall in love with something new.

Desert Rock Winery and Distillery - For the love of wine, veterans, and dogs: Paul Hoffman of Desert Rock Winery and Distillery has long worked in the world of wine. Founded in 2006, this is his 20th vintage making wine and 13th year in spirits. He gives back in many ways to our veterans and our animals and works with soldier’s best friend. Hoffman’s facility is by Kierland Commons and is the only one in the Valley where guests can have first-hand experiences to see and feel all elements of winemaking and distilling. When you go to Desert Rock Winery and Distillery, you can taste, hold a party, and even hang on the tiki deck.

Twenty6 Designs: Words Have Power: Words have power and handwriting artist Rachel Hudgens is committed to using her words to spread kindness, love, happiness, and faith. Hudgens started her hand lettering as a hobby, and when she started making shirts expressing her love of her new hometown of Phoenix, her business exploded. Hear how she went from trapped in a dumpster (it happened!!) to finding purpose in gratitude.

Pedal Haus Breweries: The Man of Mill Avenue: Julian Wright’s built bars along Mill Avenue since the 2000s. He says his key to success are blind confidence and scrappy ways. Pedal Haus Breweries is one of his most recent ventures. In Jaime’s Local Love, we talk about when money was short but hope made a way.

Two Plates Full - You can call her Terri “Two Plates”: Terri Weisz started her own business in Scottsdale out of necessity. She was pregnant and left to raise her child alone. She thought running her own kitchen store would allow her the flexibility to work and raise a family. Thirty-four years later, her store “Two Plates Full” is still going strong. Hear how Terri bobbed and weaved to make it work.

Barter and Shake: A story of Cocktails and Marketing: The best cocktail bar in the United States is right here in the Valley. The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announced Century Grand in Phoenix the Best U.S. Cocktail Bar. The awards are like the Oscars for the beverage industry. Yet, Kailee Asher of Barter and Shake, says the award announcement generated more digital leads from LOCAL media, not the article in the big name magazine. She knows this because she studied the analytics. She quite literally wrote the book on it in her self published book: Mise En Place Marketing. She writes the recipe for small bars and restaurants to get the most out of their marketing and how to fish where the fish are, plus we get to hear the story of how Undertow and Century Grand came to be.

Cave + Post: When “Someday” Becomes TODAY: Patrick and Mary Burch are fourth-generation Arizonans who met in seventh grade. The couple LOVES Arizona but realized we were missing something in the Valley—a men’s boutique with casual yet stylish options for men. That “someday” finally came and the Burches opened Cave and Post. And in a nod to Arizona legacy, the shop is located in the same building as the former Easley’s Fun Shop. Hear all about the Burches’ Arizona family history and how they made “the jump” to work for themselves. Plus, you’ll want to shop with them too!

Just Roughin’ It - Take a hike, AZ!: Debbie Hendricks grew up in Arizona and learned to enjoy our state’s beauty at a very young age. Debbie and her husband Ray started an adventure company which then turned into an outdoor retail business, offering everything you need from a backpacking trip to a day hike. Debbie gives us some “pro tips” on which hikes have the best sunrises and sunsets and which are the least traveled—yet a must do!!

Porters and Old Town Gypsy - Family Tradition: The Halpin family is one of entrepreneurs. Meet a son, Grey Halpin, and his mother, Peggy Halpin. The family owns Porters Western Saloon and Old Town Gypsy Boutique in Scottsdale, Arizona. Learn how they create a tight-knit community among their customers.

Screws and Sparkles - Buckeye Bound: Host Jaime Cerreta introduces us to California born Sophia Martinez. She followed her in-laws to Buckeye, Arizona and developed a deep love of the city. Hear Sophia’s intense passion to help others grow their businesses as she grows hers into a place for community and fellowship.

Los Muertos Salsa: From Mortgages to Markets: Once in the finance world, Los Muertos Salsa maker and founder Anthony Perez is celebrating nine years as an Arizona entrepreneur. Host Jaime Cerreta learns how Anthony started by taking salsa orders at the bank to working the farmers markets, moving into a commercial kitchen and shifting business strategies during the pandemic. Los Muertos Salsa is a newsroom favorite at Arizona’s Family.

Lunch Money - The Quirkiest Shop in Town: Erin Dragoo says she bounced from job to job until she went back to the way she spent her lunch money as a child. Host Jaime Cerreta learns how Erin’s childhood fascination with colorful trinkets, tongue in cheek sayings, and happy vibes led her to her passion—helping people find the perfect gift to give! Her Chandler, Arizona store is filled with key chains, water bottles, stickers and more-- all designed to make you smile.

Knee Deep: For the Love of Denim: At just 30 years old, RaeAnn Luksza has four retail concepts and owns a building. Host Jaime Cerreta talks to RaeAnn about why she learned to upcycle denim, the surprising challenges she’s faced with social media, and how no DIY project is too big for a business owner.

The Cerreta Candy Company: Where Local Love began: Host Jaime Cerreta introduces us to the source of her love of local. As a little girl, she watched two very important people work as business owners in the ice cream and candy industries. Jaime launches this podcast by interviewing her parents—the reason she feels so passionate about local business owners—Jim and Kathy Cerreta

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.