Podcast Content


Inspired Cooking with Chef & Blogger Giangi Townsend

Our guest today is Giangi Townsend, creator of Giangi’s Kitchen, a top-rated food and recipe blog. Back in the 1980s, Giangi’s desire as a working mom to provide healthy and delicious food for her family has since grown into a full-blown business featuring tons of recipes, an online shop, virtual cooking classes and her favorite cookbooks, including one of her own, Back to Basics – Cooking 101.

Giangi's childhood was spent between Southern Italy in the Summer and Paris in the Winter with her French father and Italian mother, it's no wonder she ended up as a fabulous chef! We talk about the importance of food and gathering for dinner, what led her to become interested in cooking and blogging, her favorite recipes and cookbooks, and tips and tricks in the kitchen and in life!

Exploring the Inspiring Life & Career of Artist Priscilla Nelson

Episode 37 of Season 2 features Contemporary Figurative Artist and fellow Scottsdale Arts Board Member, Priscilla Nelson. Together we talk about art, creativity, family, passion, motivation and upcoming art events. Priscilla’s art career spans over 40 years and the majority of her work falls under two categories, Figurative, which explores the figure, clothing, and water to capture "a poignant mood and the hint of a story that can be interpreted in many ways". In her more Contemporary paintings she takes a very organic approach with inspiration from reflections and movement.

At the High Point Market with The Collector's House Jamilyn Fournier

For today's podcast episode we are recording from the Alfonso Marina Showroom in Greensboro, NC during the annual High Point Furniture Market. It was so much fun to see all these showrooms and mingle with others in the design field from all over the country! Our guest today is Jamilyn Fournier, Founder and Curator for The Collector’s House, a beautiful design studio and store in Scottsdale, AZ. We discuss much more than design in this episode, we are going to dive deep into Jamilyn’s life journey, her inner work, taking risks and starting an interiors business.

Green Living with Dorie Morales

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Our guest on today’s podcast episode is the dynamic Dorie Morales, Publisher and CEO of Green Living Magazine. This monthly magazine has been around for 11 years now and is an eco-conscious lifestyle publication based in Phoenix that aims to educate, inspire and empower readers to make eco-conscious choices for a healthier lifestyle and planet.

In this episode we get passionate as we talk about eco-conscious living, Dorie shares her inspiring life story and we discuss why living mindfully is so important, and how our city and culture are doing as far as sustainability and how we as individuals and as a community can improve our eco footprint. I also share the details on our 3D printed home we designed for Habitat for Humanity that's nearly complete, check it out here: 3d-printed-home-first-ever-in-united-states

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"Friends of Build Magazine" Podcast with Guest Mark Candelaria

This week Mark is a featured guest on the podcast "Friends of Build Magazine" with Host and Founder Ted Bainbridge.⁠

⁠Mark and Ted talk about all kind of topics, from what inspired Mark to host his annual Italy & Spain tours and the power of travel to refill his creative tank as a designer. Life and business wisdom Mark has learned from his very successful clients, industry trends and how more clients have been gravitating back toward traditional architectural design. Lastly, Mark goes in-depth on his initiatives to pay-it-forward, as well as his desire to see more of his countrymen living out the American Dream.⁠

Recording at Mark’s office

Recording at Mark’s office

TOPICS DISCUSSED

  • [01:58] The origin of Mark’s recipe book on the Candelaria website

  • [05:06] Why Mark began hosting wine tours

  • [10:23] How travel refills Mark’s creative tank

  • [12:27] The challenges of working with different builders on projects in different locations

  • [17:33] Traditional vs contemporary architecture and the emerging “Mod-iterranean” style

  • [20:22] Encouraging aspiring architects to embrace traditional styles

  • [28:09] What Mark has learned from working with prestigious clients through the years

  • [30:00] Giving back

  • [38:30] Mark’s most memorable career moments

  • [39:30] Upcoming trends in the industry

  • [44:08] Mark on how anyone can live the American Dream

The Life of a Baller with Frank DeBlasi

Our featured guest on this episode is Frank DeBlasi, Founder of The Baller Dream Foundation, formerly known as Ballsfest, a non-profit organization that lifts the spirits of children and young adults affected by cancer. In our first Season, Frank shared how his struggle with cancer led him to create this incredible nonprofit to raise the spirits of kids with cancer through amazing personalized gifts, such as college funds, trips and once in a lifetime experiences. Since founding The Baller Dream Foundation in 2013, Frank has provided gifts of hope to 70 young cancer warriors. He has grown the organization to seven states (AZ, NV, CA, AL, FL, NY, NJ) and although he is based in Arizona, Frank travels to each of those states and visits with every "Baller" several times, cultivating personal lifelong relationships with them and their families. Listen to his first podcast episode here: frank-deblasi-of-the-ballsfest-nonprofiti

Mark and Frank talk about the incredible fundraising event held last month at a private home in PV where Mark and his daughters cooked and served Paella to the nearly 200 guests in attendance. At the end of each event, Frank gives each "baller" their time in the spotlight to talk about themselves and their hobbies, wishes, etc. before they are surprised with one of their big wishes being granted!! The look on the children's faces and their parents when these wishes are granted is incredibly heartwarming and it's no wonder Frank has dedicated the past 9 years of his life to keep this foundation flourishing… even despite the year-long pandemic!

Curating Collectible Art with Alex Trimper

Our guest today is Alex Trimper, co-owner and managing director of Isabella Garrucho Fine Art gallery located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Alex and Mark met just last year while working together on the design of football star Larry Fitzgerald’s Paradise Valley estate, currently featured on the cover of Luxe Magazine - view it here. Alex was selected by Larry’s designer, who is also based on the East Coast, to be an art broker and negotiator on behalf of Larry to decorate his walls in time for the Luxe Magazine photoshoot.

In this episode we learn about how art buying and brokering works, running an art gallery, branding and marketing a business and Alex and his mother Isabella’s incredible life stories.

Karin Candelaria - My Mom's Life Story

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This week's podcast episode features Mark's mother, Karin Candelaria as they spent Mother's Day together visiting, cooking, sharing stories, and recording this podcast episode!

Karin shares the story of her dramatic childhood leaving everything behind to flee their home in East Prussia, Germany during WWII. The family then spent many years in hiding on farms in the Baltic Islands, then their journey continued to a refugee camp in Munich, then in Mannheim.

One day in her late teens, Karin met Don Candelaria, who was there with the Army, at the town's cultural center just a couple months before he had to return to America. The following year, when Karin was 18 she moved to Calgary, Canada and got a job as a nanny, which helped her learn English. All the while, her and Don are still writing letters. About two years later in 1959, Karin was persuaded by Don to take a Greyhound bus to Durango, CO for a visit while she was on summer with the family she worked for in Idaho. . . well the rest is history, listen in to hear what happened from there in her incredible life story!

Discussing the Hustle with Matt Gottesman and my Wife Isabel Dellinger Candelaria

Today’s guest is the man who inspired Mark to start this podcast back in 2019, Matt Gottesman! Matt is a 3rd generation entrepreneur, an international business strategist and a brand architect with focuses on luxury, lifestyle, health and wellness, cannabis, tech, fashion, arts, music and entertainment. He has built, launched and created a series of online platforms that speak to the world on a daily basis through a variety of online media outlets to the tune of 10.5M per month. He brings creators from around the world to the forefront by documenting and publishing visionaries and their brands. “I feel blessed everyday to be doing this work. Put simply, I believe we all have genius talent and it’s up to us as individuals to express that to the rest of the world,” he says.

Matt also hosts a weekly podcast, Hustle Sold Separately, that aims to motivate and inspire by documenting the world's creative genius, makers, doers, talented creators and peers who are embracing the journey, building their brands, growing their companies, and evolving as human beings. He is a well of information, resources and wisdom that he generously shares with anyone interested across his various platforms and on our podcast episode today. Be sure to view his sites linked below to see for yourself!

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Finding Your Path, Fulfillment and Prosperity with Life Coach Aimee Teesdale

This podcast episode is a profound one, as I speak with international Success Coach and Author, Aimee Teesdale. Aimee talks about why she was inspired to become a life/success coach and how she went about making her dream career and dream life living on the Spanish island of Ibiza a reality in her early 30's.

Her work focuses on enabling purpose-driven business owners to get out of their own way of success to become the person they want to be and create the financial prosperity, freedom and fulfillment that their soul desires. We dive deep as she shares how to hone in on your calling, the profound power of love and forgiveness to transform ourselves, others and attract a life you love. And she explains her fundamental 5D Method™ for overcoming limited beliefs about ourselves and that dream life we want to live.

We have a wonderful discussion, you can learn more and follow her social media and podcast via the links below.

Springing into the Phoenix Home & Garden Tour with John Roark and Isabel Dellinger Candelaria

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Welcome to Spring! Today’s Inspiring Living episode celebrates Spring perfectly as our guests include Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine Editor-In-Chief John Roark and Interior Designer and my lovely wife, Isabel Dellinger Candelaria. We talk about the Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine Garden Tour coming up this Saturday, April 17. You can get your tickets by clicking here, you will not want to miss this as we have a fabulous Candelaria Design home with Gardens by Refined Gardens on the tour, pictured below.

Give our podcast a listen, give us a subscribe and review for a chance to win a custom Candelaria Design Pasta Machine!

We also have a fabulous feature in this month’s Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine showcasing a Candelaria Design ~ Earth and Images home that is one of our favorites, shown below. Visit our Press Page here for more on the April/May issue and our feature.

Chef Chris Bianco - A Journey of Passion and Culinary Artistry

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This week's podcast episode features beloved Chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco, Panne Bianco and Tratto. This episode features his story from his early days in the Bronx to working his way to the West Coast and ultimately Phoenix where he quickly ascended the culinary ladder becoming a renowned chef not only known for his pizza making skills, which are now world renowned, but also for his culinary skills of bringing locally sourced ingredients to the table at his wonderful restaurant Tratto, which is one of Isabel and my favorites.

Chris has a wonderful book called Bianco - Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like which is a staple in my kitchen for sure. Chris is definitely outspoken and is never afraid to speak what is on his mind, which is something we all love about him. He is honest, hard-working, passionate about his craft, a true artist, a thinker, and Chris most definitely epitomizes Inspiring Living.

I encourage you to enjoy this podcast and visit all of his dining venues as they all offer a unique experience and menu.

Lighting it up with Walter Spitz of Creative Designs in Lighting

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This week's guest, Walter Spitz, is someone our Candelaria Design Team has been collaborating with on projects for almost 40 years, and has become a very close friend of our founding partner, Mark Candelaria. Walter is the Founder, Principal and Senior Designer of Creative Designs in Lighting, an architectural lighting firm who has been specializing in "lighting for that special look" for over 40 years.

Walter began at a large lighting showroom in Phoenix as a teenager and developed a “theatrical eye” by designing for the stage, first while in school, then went on to light professional performances. This experience, combined with a growing fascination in lighting, led him to study at Banff Center of Fine Arts under Laszio Funtek. Walter is an award-winning lighting designer, recognized across the country as a residential lighting expert.

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Keeping it in the Family with Richard van Gilse of Facings of America

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This week’s podcast features Richard van Gilse, President of Facings of America, a local business offering some of the finest stone, tile, and architectural features in the world. For over 50 years, Facings of America has kept family, clients, staff, and community at the center of its business and advocates for a number of worthy nonprofit organizations each year.

In this episode Richard talks about how the family business started and then how he developed his love of business growing up here in Arizona; from his days at St. Mary's High School then on to ASU and finally into the family business. We discuss how Richard has grown the business, some of the new products they curate from around the world and some of the hot trends in materials and surfaces. We also talk about how the pandemic affected their operations and sourcing and delivering products.

Richard offers a good perspective and insight into how he finds his balance between running a business with two locations and maintaining a happy family life, along with his love of travel, golf, and cooking.

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Christopher Peacock - From London to Around the World

Today's episode features world renowned luxury cabinet designer, Christopher Peacock. Since the launch of Christopher Peacock Cabinetry in 1992, he now has showrooms across America and worldwide, as his commitment to quality and design is apparent in his products and service.

In this episode Christopher will talk about his upbringing and start in London, England, and how he made it here to the States where he took his life lessons and skills and turned them into a highly recognized brand in our industry. We chat about how the pandemic has impacted his company and the industry overall, his design process, some of his high-profile clients and projects, and life in general.

Organic Catering with Chef Jennifer Johnson

This week’s podcast guest is Organic Chef Jennifer Johnson. Jennifer graduated culinary school over 20 years ago while working for a corporate engineering firm and in 2015 decided to break away and start an organic, farm to table catering company, Witnessing Nature In Food. Today she’s a leader in healthy organic dining experiences, recognized as a Platinum Level Phoenix Green Business Leader, City of Scottsdale Environmental Quality Award Winner and featured in Green Living AZ magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Fox 10 News and Channel 3 News, to name a few. Services include catering for corporate events and weddings, providing lunches for local schools, meal prep/plans for individuals and families, and teaching via cooking classes and her blog.

Mark & Tiffany Candelaria talk to Jennifer all about the food we find in stores, what costs and standards are required by farmer’s produce to be certified organic, why eating fresh, organic, local food is so important and how to make delicious meals. They also discuss their favorite local chefs, restaurants, farmers markets, their travels, and favorite cooking shows. We are looking forward to featuring Jennifer on our virtual cooking class in March and having her teach us more about organic cooking and healthy recipes.

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Elevating our Urban Youth with Jazmine Hall & Dalila Gamper

Today’s podcast episode features two fabulous ladies who help run local nonprofit, Elevate Phoenix: Dalila A Gamper and Jazmine Hall. Dalila started as a teacher with Elevate back in 2009 and is now the Executive Director and Jazmine started as a student of Elevate’s while in High School and is now Development Director! Candelaria Design has been involved the past few years as a mentor and has attended and sponsored some events since being introduced to Elevate through our client, PGA Pro, Tom Lehman.

Targeting individual students, Elevate Phoenix was founded in 2009 and provides curriculum and support to aid students at risk of dropping out of school. Across America’s hard-to-serve urban areas, public school students drop out of school in alarming numbers, and for those that do graduate, the road to post-secondary education is filled with obstacles. Too many of America’s high school students are underserved and, as a result, are underperforming. Part of the problem is a large majority of urban youth lack caring adults in their lives, leading directly to increased crime, gang, drug activity and other roadblocks to self-sufficiency.  

Elevate provides meaningful relationships, opportunities and experiences that shape students into the young adults we know they can become. The Elevate Phoenix model has proven effective in changing these trends and transforming the lives of our city’s youth.  It is our goal to change the outcome for our future leaders. They employ a holistic approach to meet each child’s needs, which means full-time salaried teacher-mentors, year-round programming, cross-age mentoring and a long-term relational approach in four areas: accredited classes, mentoring, reading & literacy, and graduation and post-secondary plans.

Elevate serves roughly 4500 students per year who achieve a 98% graduation rate with 100% of the students having post secondary plans. Join us in growing their programs across the entire Phoenix Union High School District, serving 17 urban title one schools and well over 20k+ students. Consider joining as a mentor or guest speaker, or donate and receive an Arizona tax credit up to $400 for single filers and $800 for married/joint filers.

Their mission and their success rate are absolutely amazing and we have been so grateful to see firsthand how together we can make a difference in these children's lives and in our community. 

https://elevatephoenix.org/

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www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-phoenix

www.facebook.com/elevatephoenixaz/

www.instagram.com/elevatephoenix2021/

www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEHyNJr3O606tgXu6MXMdA

Embracing the Pivots with Award-Winning Journalist Catherine Anaya

Today ‘s episode features journalist, host, motivational speaker and media personality, Catherine Anaya! Catherine has 25+ years as a TV news anchor, event host and emcee, is an award-winning columnist, co-hosts a weekly radio show and is the founder of multimedia company, 4Hearts Media LLC.

During the episode, Catherine describes her journey starting in college at USC, to her first job as a news anchor in Texas, to Channel 12 in Phoenix in 1992, then back to LA for four years, then finally wound up back in Phoenix where she worked as an anchor for Channel 5 News for 12 years and as an award-winning columnist.

Mark & Catherine discuss the balance they've had to find while juggling their work, passions, family and health and why it's important to "step off the hamster wheel" and reflect on your past accomplishments, failures, lessons, etc. Catherine discusses the hard decision to step away from her lifetime of anchoring and what it was like to transition into a new path for her future, and the exciting things she's been involved with since!

Checking in with Elizabeth Wholey in Umbria, Italy

This episode of Inspiring Living features one of our dear friends from Umbria, Italy, Elizabeth Wholey. We met Elizabeth many years ago during our Candelaria Design Tour Italy adventures and she has been our on-site chef and host for over ten years now when we stay at her Farmhouses while in Umbria.

This is Elizabeth's third appearance on our podcast and she gives us an update on how things are going there in Italy with the whole Covid-19 Pandemic. It is very interesting to get her perspective on how Italy has been dealing with the pandemic, especially over the course of the recent holidays, and shares her thoughts on how this might play out over the course of 2021.

We have scheduled our 2021 Candelaria Design Tour Italy thinking and hoping we might be able to pull it off this year. This will be our 16th Tour Italy over the last 20 years, so you do not want to miss being a part of this experience and get to meet Elizabeth for yourself. Our dates are set for September 15th - 29th starting in Florence, a week in Umbria and Tuscany, and finishing with a stay at the Villa d'Este on Lake Como. Click on the link for more info on our tours: https://www.candelariadesign.com/sign-upitaly2020

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elizabethwholey/
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.wholey
Elizabeth is also an amazing chef and has written a wonderful book about the cuisine and culture of Umbria: https://www.altabella.com/sustenance__an_italian_culinary_guidebook

A Look at the Career and Hot Real Estate Market with Sandra Wilken

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Our guest today is Associate Broker and Real Estate Advisor, Sandra Wilken of Modern Portfolio Real Estate Services. Modern Portfolio provides clients with the highest level real estate buying and selling experience along with a wide variety of premier concierge services, the first and only concierge service program of its kind in Arizona.

Sandra Wilken’s love of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona began more than 50 years ago when her family relocated to Arizona from Boston. That love, along with her natural winning way with people inspired her decision to jump head-long into the real estate industry. Sandra has devoted more than half of her 40+ year career to working with developers to create high-end luxury communities in the Valley of the Sun. Today, Sandra and her team are both humbled and extremely proud to have sold more than $1.4 billion in new development residential real estate since 1979.

Driven to be the best, Sandra quickly earned a reputation for providing her clients with high-quality professional services — all with a personal touch. During those early years, her portfolio of loyal clients continued to expand catching the attention of several Canadian real estate developers. Their vision to build premier developments in desirable locations throughout the Valley required an expert to ensure their success. Drawing on Sandra’s unique background in architecture, design, marketing and sales, a partnership was forged which ultimately led to the completion of seven world-class developments, such as The Phoenician and Gainey Ranch. Listen to Sandra describe the detailed on how the partnerships and these amazing travel and living destinations came to be.


Sandra continues to live her passion and is honored and inspired to work with the best advisors and clientele in the most distinguished neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale.

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