Left of the Lake

Morgan Humphries is a bridge engineer with Adams & Smith.  Ever wonder what it's like to build a bridge?  Check him out. Episode Highlights 02:21 - Settling in Saratoga Springs 03:52 - Unique unique profession of bridge building 06:12 - Heavy lifting in bridge construction 09:10 - Infrastructure failures and maintenance issues 14:30 - Traffic solutions and challenges 19:00 - Favorite bridge projec...

Tommy Petersen, Coach, West Lake Rolling Thunder Mountain Bike Team joins us to talk about his experiences coaching the West Lake Rolling Thunder Mountain Bike Team. Episode Highlights Enthusiasm for outdoor activities and mountain biking. Overview of the Westlake High School Mountain Biking Team. Inclusivity in mountain biking - financial aid and scholarships. Mountain biking season schedule. Det...

Lawrence Christiansen from Reviv Agency, an amazing graphic artist, joins us to talk about his gaming collaboration with Jeff, coming soon to Desert Books! Episode Highlights Designing Games for Desert Books. Innovative Game Series Branding. Unique Mechanics in Game Design. Engaging Box Design for Player Experience. Release Plans for Multiple Games. Fast-paced Game Design Process. Lawrence's Graph...

We welcomed Robyn Chavez and Kyle Howell from R&R Tactical to talk about their huge, new 32,000 square feet building, expected to open in February, 2025.   Episode Highlights Environmental Benefits of Indoor Ranges. Developing Classes for Shooting Safety and Skills. Addressing Female Comfort in Shooting Courses. Community Engagement and Supporting Local Economy. Building Expansion and Entrepreneur...

We talked with Kristen Jones.  She helps people with anxiety and other issues by offering hair cuts in either their homes or her home.   Episode Highlights Teaching husband to style hair. Moving to Saratoga Springs in 2004. Winning at Utah State Fair for painting. Career journey in hairdressing. Opening a home salon. Color blends for men. Hair styling trends and client preferences. Horrible hair m...

We talked with Matt Goodwrench, owner of Game Grid Saratoga Springs about how he came to open a Game Grid and his passion for creating a space for people to come together and play games.   Episode Highlights The impact of Utah's booming economy. Housing price paradox in Utah. Moving from country lifestyle to HOAs. The inception of GameGrid store idea. Overcoming business plan challenges. Importanc...

We talked with Tana Cofer about her amazing new company, Glitter Faced. This brand new product, just released in 2024, is an edible glitter that you add to your drinks. It makes your drinks look fun and amazing, great for parties!   Episode Highlights From corporate to small business ownership. Adventure and Jeep trails in Saratoga Springs. Leaving Pattern to aid small businesses. Launching Rosie...

We talked with Jorge Sanchez from the Utah National Guard about his career and upcoming retirement.   Episode Highlights Enlistment and service timeline. Deployment experience in Iraq. Transition from Marine Corps to Army. Recruiting for Army, pilot program insights. Career opportunities and education in the military. Unique civilian skills in the National Guard. Utah's linguist advantage. Prepari...

We interviewed Samisoni "Soni" Finau about his MMA career and his current job teaching wrestling at Westlake High School.   Episode Highlights Soni's MMA journey and move from Alaska to Utah. Discussion about training at high altitude in Utah and its benefits. Childhood and early fighting influences: Boxing with family. The unique benefits of Jiu-Jitsu and its role in MMA. Humility and trust in ma...

We talked with Doug Marriot from SurfacePix about his cool new printer that makes high definition, photo quality art right on your walls. Episode Highlights Doug discusses moving to Saratoga Springs. Doug introduces his company, SurfacePix. Explanation of the types of ink used - UV cured, vegan-based. Comparison between printed murals and traditional mural artists. Doug talks about the DPI (dots p...

We talked with Julie King, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain's School Board representative about the upcoming Alpine School District split. Episode Highlights Feasibility Study initiates the split discussion. Objective of the study: unbiased financial analysis. Interlocal agreements among municipalities for potential new districts. Reasons behind the split: differing regional needs and growth cy...

Laxman showed up to talk about his latest restaurant in Eagle Mountain, Taqueria 27. Originally from Nepal, Laxman attended BYU, then earning his citizenship by joining the US Army for 8 years. Episode Highlights New restaurant opening: Taquería 27 in Eagle Mountain. Laxman's background: From Nepal to restauranteur in Utah. Military service: Joining the U.S. Army and gaining citizenship. Multiling...

Tara and Jethro Peretto with Amrita Honey talked with us about raising bees and making honey right here in Saratoga Springs! Episode Highlights Mother-son beekeeping beginnings. Unique honey flavors based on location. High interest in beekeeping classes. How to set up your yard for beekeeping. Managing 3,000 hives with mentorship. Regulations for placing hives in the area. The importance of raw ho...

We talked with Sherry Aguero, owner of Solo Solutions. Sherry connects people looking for full time work with employers looking to hire them. She's a great person providing a great service to our community.   Episode Highlights Women in business networking. Cultural difference moving from New Jersey to Utah. Difference in weather and environment between Utah and New Jersey. Founding Solo Solutions...

We had a great conversation with Camille Ramirez, owner and operator of That Limo Girl. You've probably seen her white limousine driving around town! Here about how she got started with her own limo service and what she is up to now. Episode Highlights The Giving Pantry Initiative How Camille Got Her First Limo The Start of a New Business Offering Free Rides to Senior Citizens Surprise Wedding Gif...

We have a great talk with Alma Ohene-Opare, a Ghanaian immigrant and author of "My American Privilege: A Chronicle of my Transatlantic Journey to Become American". Alma's journey to America is not just a physical transition from one continent to another; it is a profound exploration of identity, purpose, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. Episode Highlights The challenge of gaining a U.S. visa....

Dive into the rhythm of Eagle Mountain with Parris McCaul, the passionate guitarist from McCaul's Guitar, on the latest 'Left of the Lake' podcast! Neil and Jeff host an enlightening chat about Parris's journey from small-town dreams to guitar teaching. Tune in for a touch of nostalgia, a look at diverse guitar styles, and how music weaves its way through life's tapestry! Episode Highlights Parris...

We chatted with Alex Varela from SHOOTAH.  SHOOTAH is the largest live-fire gun event in Utah, and will shortly become the largest in the western United States. Why is SHOOTAH™ so big?  It's the celebration of our inherent 2A freedoms with a focus on Utah's firearm industry. Whether experiencing a thermal scope for the first time, a full auto machine gun, or a .50 cal Barrett sniper rifle from you...

We invited one of our favorite local real estate agents, Kat Ashby, to talk about what's going on in our little corner of Utah. Hear about current real estate trends, plus some of the dangers of being a real estate agent.   Episode Highlights The current market trend of new builds selling well and existing homes not selling as well Kat's preference and experience as both a buyer's and seller's age...

We had Eduardo Morales in the hot seat and he brought us food! Eduardo earned his nickname "The Cuban Sandwich King" during this episode. This is a great story about how he started up his own business making truly delicious sandwiches and his plans for the future. Episode Highlights Eduardo's migration to the Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs area from New Jersey when he was about eight or nine yea...

We had a great chat with Davy Crockett from the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame. Hear about his amazing journey from being a 44-year old 230 pound couch potato to being the 15th person in the world to complete 100-mile races. He is also a historian, documenting the fascinating history of ultra running. Episode Highlights Davy Crockett talks about when and why he moved to Saratoga Springs His ex...

We talked with Rob Young, a resident of Saratoga Springs. During a wildfire a few years ago, Rob stepped up and helped save his neighborhood and several houses from being burned down.   Episode Highlights Robert's love for hunting and fishing and his growing up in Michigan How Rob ended up living in Saratoga Springs, Utah How he decided to save a bunch of heavy equipment that was in the path of th...

We had a great talk with Marci Herrell, owner of Nautical Bowls in Saratoga Springs. Their bowls are plant-based, gluten, soy and dairy free. Made with organic or all natural ingredients! Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients to fuel your life!   Episode Highlights What the Nautical Bowls in Saratoga Springs is Collaborations with various fitness centers The diversity and flexibility of Nau...

We chatted with Hannah Robbins, the Director of Business Development at the Point of Mountain Chamber of Commerce. We talked about what Point of the Mountain Chamber is and what they do for our community. Episode Highlights Hannah's entry into the Point Chamber The benefits of networking and education for businesses Advantages of joining the Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce Businesses get...

We interviewed Shon Reed, with the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project and heard about efforts to help and preserve these beautiful birds. Episode Highlights How the hosts met Sean The inception of the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project and their initiatives The migration behavior of kestrels The owl species in Eagle Mountain Project's funding and contributors, including the significant contribution of Eag...