Our Two Cents Podcast

Kyle Jones and Amanda DiGacomo welcome Jasmine Mazariegos, Senior Broker at Virtuity Financial Partners and the newest tenant in the Mill Rock Way office. Jasmine Introduces the company she works with, Virtuity Financial and discusses the aspects behind financial literacy. Jasmine tells us how she attended CSUB with a major in kinesiology but later realized through experience that a career working 9-5 for someone else wasn’t going to get her to her financial goals, she was mentored and trained in Financial literacy and now provides the same information if not more to her clients. She discusses the change in perspective from working an average 9-5 job to dedicating herself to being an entrepreneur and teaching others that they can do the same. Jasmine provides her clients with financial advice that ranges from educating them about life insurance and advising them to protect assets in Trusts and Wills to teaching them about a wide range of investment strategies. She also discusses growing up not having the resources and education about financial literacy and is now passionate about teaching clients the importance of financial literacy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JASMINE AND REACH OUT WITH THE LINKS BELOW:

Website: https://virtuity.com/

Jasmine's IG: Jasmine_finance

Amanda DiGiacomo welcomes Jackie Koster, Founder and CEO of Key Staffing Inc and LLS Visionary of the year. Key Staffing is a company founded in 2019 by Mrs.Koster and it is now a leading recruitment firm serving all industries including, industrial, administrative, accounting, and medical. Jackie tells us the story of how Key Staffing came to be from simply her entrepreneuring spirit and determination to succeed. Amanda and Jackie also discuss the impact that generational cultures bring to the workforce and the difference on how to motivate for success. In starting a business there are always ups and downs, losses and wins, when Jackie started Key Staffing in 2019 the pandemic was an unforeseen obstacle but with great tenacity, Jackie and her team were able to provide the community with job opportunities for both candidates and clients. In 2023 Jackie discusses the loss in reduction of not only her company’s staff but the drastic reduction of revenue her company was receiving, but with consistent efforts and an amazing staff the company has been able to grow from what they lost. Key Staffing is a company committed to helping candidates find the right opportunity for their lifestyle.

Their mission is to create a long-term partnership with clients by connecting their workforce with companies and businesses. Key Staffing has collaborated with Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) to host a casino night in which all proceeds from the event will go towards funding research and supporting patients battling blood cancer. For more information on Key Staffing and the LLS casino night check out the links below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KEY STAFFING:

LLS Casino Night Tickets

LLS Donation Page

LinkedIn: Jackie_Koster

Instagram: Jackie_Koster

Website: www.hirekeystaff.com/

Kyle Jones welcomes Scott Garrison, Founder and CEO of Planned Exits, a new company that provides business owners with strategies on how to maximize their business’s value upon exit. Scott tells us the story of how Planned Exits came to be and his inspiration behind the company. The company is committed to helping business owners, and entrepreneurs plan for successful exits with the most favorable terms that help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Exit planning is a critical process that holds immense significance for businesses, and It allows them to strategically navigate the complexities of transitioning out of their ventures. Whether they are selling the business, passing it on to family members, or exploring other exit options. Exit planning addresses legal and tax considerations, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition through meticulous analysis, financial planning, and the development of a tailored strategy. For more information on Planned Exits check out the links below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLANNED EXITS:

Website: www.plannedexits.com/

LinkedIn: Planned_Exits

Amanda DiGiacomo welcomes Cepi and Lu, the executive board of Power Hub Bakersfield, a new local non-profit that helps businesses and C suite employees grow. Cepi the president tells us the story of how Power Hub Bakersfield came to be. Their inspiration behind bringing PHB to the community was that they wanted to provide business owners and C Suite professionals with the proper tools to power up their growth through networking, goal setting, financing, and accountability. This nonprofit is different from others as they provide networking, programs lead by experts, and an accountability coach. The board would like to invite any of you to their latest program sponsored by Lino’s venue on February 8th 2024. More information for their upcoming programs is on their Instagram linked down below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT POWER HUB BAKERSFIELD:

Website: https://powerhubbakersfield.org/

Instagram: powerhub_bakersfield

Kyle Jones welcomes Sarah Kuhlmann and Tarin Meadows, Co-owners of F45 Training Seven Oaks and Fit-Pantry. Sarah and Tarin tell us the story of F45 training. Their inspiration behind bringing F45 training to the community was that they wanted to provide a fun place that produces high-intensity workouts to get the heart pumping. F45 Training’s mission is to help its members conquer everyday movements and unlock their inner athlete. At F45 Training, their workouts are created by certified personal trainers to bring together all muscle groups in the body, helping them achieve exceptional strength, energy, and flexibility that leave their members feeling their best. More information on F45 Training Seven Oaks is down below.

Sarah and Tarin established their own business known as Fit Pantry. Their mission behind their restaurant is to connect people to healthy real food with ease. They opened Fit Pantry in October of 2016 and have made it their mission ever since to serve others with well-balanced nutritious meals. You can find their locations and more information on their website below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT F45 TRAINING AND FIT PANTRY:

Websites:https://f45training.com/studio/sevenoaksca/

https://www.fitpantry.com/

Phone number: F45 Training: (661) 310-3305

Phone number: Fit Pantry: (661) 679-7684

Facebook: F45_Training_SevenOaks

Fit_Pantry

Instagram: f45_training_sevenoaks

fitpantrybakersfield

Amanda DiGiacomo welcomes Debbie Powers, executive director of Golden Empire Gleaners. Debbie tells us the story of how the local non-profit was founded and how much they have grown since then. Debbie goes over what the non-profit does for the community and how it has an impact on many lives. She discusses the process in which the non-profit receives its donations and how they create and distribute the baskets. Donations are a big part of the non-profits mission, volunteering is the other important part, Debbie discusses how the volunteers are what allows the program to run smoothly and how because of volunteers they are able to reach more people around the community. Club 85 is a monthly monetary subscription in which your donation is used to create a case of goods that is then donated to a family in need every month. We encourage you today to check out this local non-profit and be a part of the team, whether it be through volunteer work or food/monetary donation.

Golden Empire Gleaners mission is to help alleviate hunger and provide food for those in need in the Kern County community. They accomplish this by collecting and distributing food and agricultural products that might otherwise go to waste. Through the help of their referring agencies, they are able to distribute food to needy children, senior citizens, families in crisis, people who are ill, disabled, homeless or unemployed.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOLDEN EMPIRE GLEANERS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE AN IMPACT:

Website: www.goldenempiregleaners.com/

Phone Number: 661-324-2767

Facebook: GoldenEmpireGleaners

Instagram: GoldenEmpireGleaners

We are welcomed today with a special recording from our Host Amanda DiGiacomo as
she tells us the story on how she came about founding Atlas Financial Solutions. Amanda goes
over a year-end business checklist for small business owners and how to close out their books.
She goes over minimum wage increases and sick leave changes for 2024. Atlas Financial
Solutions offers a variety of services that cater to small businesses, they are passionate about
giving back to their community. Small business owners face many burdens, teaming up with
AFS allows you to outsource those burdens.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ATLAS FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS:

Website: https://atlasfinancialsolutions.net/

Phone Number: 661-241-3719

Facebook: Atlas_Financial_Solutions

LinkedIn: AtlasFinancialSolutions

Instagram: atlasfinancialsolutionsca

Kyle Jones welcomes Richard Chapman, President and CEO of the Kern Economic Development Corporation. Richard educates us on what the Kern EDC corporation does and gives us an in-depth on the process of how they study and strategize the market overview of Kern County. He also gives us insight into what's going on in East Kern, he discusses how they started the East Kern Economic Alliance (EKEA) and goes over how they reach out to locals and corporations in the area to cultivate relationships and help sustainably grow their businesses.

Kern Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to cultivate and promote Kern County’s boundless opportunities for business. The Corporation (Kern EDC) is a public-private partnership that brings together private businesses, education, elected officials, and non-profit organizations for the purpose of a single goal: creating a strong and diverse economy for Kern County. Kern EDC promotes the region to businesses looking for areas to expand and works with existing local businesses to ensure they have what they need to thrive and grow here in Kern County.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION:

-Website: www.kernedc.com

-Phone Number: 661-862-5150

-Facebook: Kern_Economic_Development_Corporation

-LinkedIn: Kern_Economic_Development_Corporation

-Instagram: KernEconomic

Check out their market overview right here

Troy Burden Welcomes Eric Dhanens and Alex Vigil, partners of the strategic engineering firm known as Cornerstone. Eric Dhanens, the vice president of Cornerstone, gives us insight on the idea behind Cornerstone. He goes over the civil engineering process in our region and what kind of services they provide, from flexible and dynamic engineering to a diversifying environment that provides clean energy. He also educates us on the carbon capture process and its importance. Alex Vigil is the president of Well Done Consulting LLC and a partner of Cornerstone. Alex’s company, Well Done Consulting, works hand in hand with Cornerstone to provide clients with asset retirement, plug and abandonment, regulatory services, and so much more, all of which synergize smoothly with Cornerstone’s firm. Alex shares with us a local non-profit called Orlie’s Shoe Drive that Alex and his Wife, Nichole Vigil, co-founded in honor of Alex’s father, Orlie. Orlie’s family founded Orlie’s Shoe Drive, which focuses on providing school-age children with one of life’s basic necessities: shoes. They would like to give you the opportunity to positively impact our community by donating to their shoe drive fundraiser. More information on how you can contact and donate will be linked down below!

LEARN MORE ABOUT CORNERSTONE ENGINEERING INC.:

Website: https://cornerstoneeng.com/

Phone: 661-325-9474

LinkedIn: CornerstoneEngineeringInc

LEARN MORE ABOUT WELL DONE CONSULTING LLC.:

LinkedIn: WellDoneConsultingLLC

LEARN MORE ABOUT ORLIE'S SHOE DRIVE:

Website: www.orliesshoedrive.com/

LinkedIn: OrliesShoeDrive

Instagram: orliesshoedrive

YouTube: Orlie's_Shoe_Drive

Dave Plivelich (The Marcom Group) and John Duffield (Integra Accountancy Corporation) welcome Shannon and Kevin Lowther, managing partners of Central Pacific Valuation, as they discuss how a business is valued and the reasons why it is important to know a business’s value. Kevin and Shannon might value an interest in a business for clients who are interested in buying or selling a business as well as for gift, estate, and income tax matters. Shannon and Kevin give insight into what business valuations are by giving us a better look into all the aspects of a business valuation and breaking down the process of what a company’s truly worth.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CENTRAL PACIFIC VALUATION:

Website: https://centralpacval.com/

Phone: 661-527-9080

Instagram: centralpacvaluation

Facebook: Central_Pacific_Valuation

LinkedIn: Shannon_Lowther

Kevin_Lowther