A Day in Miami Show

Valeria Avirett, founder of Miami School Advisors, has toured over 100 schools and helped hundreds of families navigate one of the most competitive school systems in the country. In this episode she breaks down what most Miami parents don’t know — from the fact that top pre-K and kindergarten programs receive five to seven applications per spot, to the reality that you need to start the process at...

Ninoska Perez is one of the most respected and outspoken voices in the Cuban-American community — and in this episode she explains exactly why the fight for a free Cuba is far from over. She shares why she refuses to visit the island, what she saw at Guantanamo, and why she believes patience is running out among those who have been waiting for change for decades. She also covers the rise of social...

Attorney Marty McNeil has spent 19 years in the courtroom — first as a public defender, then in private practice, and now back at the public defender’s office in a specialized unit. In this episode, the Circuit Court Judge candidate for Group 5 breaks down how the court system actually works in a way most people have never heard explained before. He walks through how cases get assigned to judges,...

Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is back — and this time he’s laying out everything he’s accomplished and what’s on the line for November 3rd. From getting FPNL to pay for a $275 million power line undergrounding project at zero cost to taxpayers, to securing six acres of $150 million property from the University of Miami for the biggest park in the city’s history, his record speaks for itself. He al...

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia joins us to break down exactly how your vote is counted and why Florida gets results by 7:30 PM while other states take weeks. She explains the full process — from new machines that photograph every ballot to signature verification, logic and accuracy testing, and why none of the counting machines are connected to the internet. She also addresses fra...

Tomás Regalado is Miami's former mayor and current property appraiser — and in this episode, he breaks down everything you need to know about Amendment 3, your property taxes, and whether you might be overpaying without even realizing it. He explains exactly how the amendment works, what it means for homesteaded properties, and how a regular Miami family could save $1,600 in year one and $3,00...

South Miami Commissioner Lisa Bonich ran for office for one reason — she was tired of watching her city waste money. Now she’s been re-elected unopposed and the city is in a completely different place. She breaks down how South Miami reached functional zero homelessness, what’s happening with Sunset Place development, how permitting works for new businesses, the Deli Lane and Avalon 2 projects, th...

State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez represents one of the most diverse districts in Florida — stretching from Key West through the Everglades and Homestead all the way up to parts of Kendall. In this episode she walks us through the unique challenges that come with covering that much ground, from hundreds of derelict vessels abandoned across the Keys to ICE operations in Homestead, housing affordabi...

State Senator Alexis Calatayud is back on A Day in Miami — and this time she’s breaking down exactly what she’s accomplished for Miami families. She created Florida’s first down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers through Hometown Heroes, expanded child care eligibility for the first time in 25 years, and brought $24 million for veterans’ healthcare that the VA wasn’t covering — d...

Bryan Avila grew up in East Hialeah and started knocking on doors for campaigns at 14 years old. Now he’s the Republican pick for Lt. Governor of Florida alongside Byron Donalds. In this episode he tells us how he got the call, what the Lt. Governor actually does, and why lowering property taxes has been his number one fight in Tallahassee. He also talks about how Florida went from 10 million peop...

Keon Hardemon currently serves as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner and previously served as a City of Miami Commissioner and Chairman — which means he was there when the Virginia Key RFP went through the process. In this episode he breaks down exactly what happened, why the deal was recommended twice and still hasn’t moved forward, and why he believes failing to approve it sends a devastating mess...

Reese Wood has trained NBA players like Kyle Lowry and Joe Johnson — and now he's using that experience to develop Miami's next generation of basketball talent. In this episode he shares his journey from growing up in Philly to moving to Miami, switching from therapy to coaching, and building the Reese Wood Foundation to give kids real opportunities in the sport. We get into how he judges...

Miami-Dade County's Superintendent Rafael Villalobos sits down with us to address what most parents don't know — or get wrong — about the public school system. With over 300,000 students, 300+ schools, and seven straight years as an A district, he makes the case that Miami's public schools are far better than most people give them credit for. He also addresses head on why enrollment is...

Where does your property tax money actually go? Florida's CFO Blaise Ingoglia has been digging into every government budget in the state to find out — and the results are not pretty. In this episode he breaks down how Miami-Dade alone had $470 million in excessive spending, why local governments used COVID relief money to expand permanently instead of investing in infrastructure, and what happ...

Nicholas Vigil of Quirch Foods joins us to break down everything that goes into getting meat from the source to your plate. He walks us through the meat grading system, why Quirch stays focused on distribution instead of retail, the process behind producing different cuts, and why prices are likely to keep climbing. We also get into Wagyu, never-frozen meat, which countries produce the best beef,...

Menopause is something every woman will go through — yet most doctors barely talk about it, and most women go in unprepared. Dr. Jila Senemar, Miami's leading menopause and midlife wellness specialist, is working to change that. In this episode she explains why women today are living longer and looking younger than previous generations, the real risks around heart disease during menopause, and...

After our first Virginia Key episode, we got flooded with questions and concerns from viewers — so we brought the team back to answer every single one. David Filler of Suntex Marinas and Bobby Christoph of RCI Group sit down with us again to address the biggest concerns: Gramps is staying, there will be no dredging or mega yachts, and they are not out-of-state private equity. They also reveal that...

Congressman Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor of Florida, joins A Day in Miami for a wide-ranging conversation about his plan for the state. He shares his journey from growing up in Brooklyn with a single mom to entering politics after the 2008 financial collapse, and lays out exactly what he'd do on day one as governor — from lowering insurance premiums 20% and cutting housin...

State Senator Alexis Calatayud represents District 38, an area entirely within Miami-Dade County, and in this episode she breaks down exactly what her work looks like on behalf of her constituents. She covers school funding, why enrollment is declining, teacher pay, and where property tax dollars actually go once collected — including how property value gets reassessed when a home sells. She also...

Commissioner Ralph Rosado and Julio Robaina join us to tell the story of the Miami Loop — an idea first conceived 26 years ago that's finally becoming a reality. They walk us through how the plan came together, the dozen agencies and jurisdictions involved in projects like the Ludlam Trail, and how funding is being secured to bring the vision to life. We also get into the Underline's near...

Nestor Menendez joins us to make his case for why he's running for Coral Gables Commission. He shares his background, what the role of a commissioner actually involves, and the top issues Coral Gables residents care about most right now — from Centennial Park and Ponce Park to the ongoing debate around free parking and the future of the Cocoplum pedestrian bridge. We also get into the Charter...

Chris Vidal of Gershen Associates joins us to break down what actually goes into designing and developing Miami's restaurants, strip malls, and retail spaces. He shares the origins of the firm, how AI is starting to influence architecture, and how rising land prices have completely changed the way developers approach new projects. We also get into Miami's infrastructure challenges, the dow...

Robert W. Christoph Jr., President of RCI Group and the man behind Monty's and Nick's Beach, joins us to share his plan to finally save Virginia Key. He walks us through why preserving Miami's most iconic waterfront spots has always been central to his projects, why this particular redevelopment has taken so long to get moving, and what the referendum on November 3rd actually means for...

Joel Esquenazi of Vensure HR joins us to break down the most common — and most expensive — HR mistakes small business owners make. He explains why putting all your employees on 1099s can be a dangerous shortcut, what proper HR structure actually looks like, and why so many businesses don't realize they're at risk until it's too late. We also get into hiring solutions for the constructi...

Fui Martinez, Bryant Besu, and Juseff Puchara return to give us the full update on everything happening at Courtside Arena. They look back at the first two seasons, break down a recent star-studded event featuring Jake Paul and the Ball Brothers, and share behind the scenes stories from visiting former NBA player Carlos Arroyo in Puerto Rico. We also get a live opening of the new Courtside trading...