A Day in Miami Show

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...

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava joins us to break down the biggest financial question facing the county right now — what happens if property tax reform actually passes. She explains the real challenges behind this year's county budget, what services and community based organizations could be at risk if funding dries up, and why she believes residents need to understand the full pi...

Miami-Dade's Sheriff and Commissioner Rob Gonzalez join us to make the case for why police officer salaries need to go up — and why the county actually has the money to do it. They break down why salaries have stayed so low for so long, how raising corrections officers' pay already helped Miami-Dade regain control of its jails, and how severely understaffed the police department currently...

Uly "The Monster" Diaz is coming out of retirement — and in this episode he tells us why. He opens up about how difficult bare knuckle fighting really is, what his family thinks about his return, and how he's preparing for the unique challenge of the triangle ring ahead of BKB 58 on August 29th. We also get into his complete fight week routine, what fight day mornings look like, how...

Daniel Figueredo and Rosa Romero built Sanguich de Miami together — as business partners and as husband and wife. In this episode they open up about what it's really like to run one of Miami's most beloved food brands together, how they navigated COVID as a couple and as business owners, and what it takes to keep both a marriage and a restaurant thriving at the same time. We also get into...

Bella Cianni just released her first single and music video — and in this episode, she takes us through the entire journey that led to this moment. The Miami-born and raised artist opens up about her early beginnings, her experience on America's Got Talent, and what it took to write, record, and film her debut release. She also talks about growing up faster than most of her peers, meeting Shak...

Marshall L. Davis Sr. has spent over 40 years guiding kids and building community programs across Miami — and now he's running for Congress in District 24. In this episode he shares what pushed him into politics, the impact of the McDuffie riots on his path, and the success stories that have come out of his programs over the decades. We also get into his 3-3 affordability plan for education an...

Michael Arias, a former prosecutor and financial regulatory attorney, joins us to explain why he's running for Congress in Florida's District 27. He shares the moment he decided to run, why he believes Congress needs more competent lawyers making decisions, and what he sees as the biggest issue with the current District 27 representative. We also get into his priorities if elected — tackli...