Fred Talk with Freddy Vasquez

Tricia Williams is the founder of Social Clover Marketing. For many of us, COVID was a huge bummer. But for some, it was a new opportunity. Tricia was furloughed from her employer at the time with no timeline for return. Instead of sitting on her laurels, she decided to start a new business where her talents could be used to give her the freedom she longed for. Now, this isn't the first rodeo for...

Sir Hamilton Newton is a DJ, Voiceover Artist, Fighter, and Survivor. When I first sat down to speak with Hamilton, I figured we would do the usual routine of where you're from, where you've been, etc. But what I didn't expect was full transparency. Hamilton has lived not one but many lives in his short span of time here on Earth, and he's made it admittedly hard on himself and others. But what I...

Adam Serrano is a freelance artist originally from Brooklyn, NY, currently residing in West Reading, PA. Adam is influenced by anything from graffiti to hip-hop to sci-fi. He's known locally for his incredible mural work in Lancaster, PA, logo designs, album artwork, and he's personally created not one but two original pieces for FXV Digital Design. The cool part about this conversation was that i...

Kevin Kolb is the founder of Soul Recovery Academy in Bernville, PA. His new podcast, 6:47 with Kevin, helps get your day started by motivating you to achieve positivity by fighting through the pain, hurdles, and challenges we all have daily. Kevin and I have that type of relationship where we build each other by using our skill sets to help each other. This first episode featuring just the two of...

Russell Farbiarz is the owner of Antanavage Farbiarz, PLLC in Hamburg, PA. Russell has been a friend of mine for over ten years now, and there isn't anything I don't know about him. But it was great to FINALLY sit down and discuss how he is on a mission to ensure Berks County is prepared for the inevitable! Russell also has an AWESOME new podcast, "Not Minding My Own Business" where he talks with...

Annabelle Bowers is the owner of AB Photography in Reading, PA. Annabelle grew up being one of the kids in the high school art room surrounded by creatives. She became passionate about taking photos and decided to sharpen her skills in college. After having her first child, she started AB Photography to ensure she was a present mom while making a living with her camera. Along with taking photos, A...

Alex Bernhard is the owner of New Age Hoops in Reading, PA. New Age Hoops was founded by Alex Bernhard in 2016 to develop young players into the best version of themselves through basketball. What Alex discovered was a need to not only develop the player's skills but their mindset as well. It's been an absolute pleasure to watch Alex and New Age Hoops grow into an asset in the Reading community an...

Don Carrick is the owner of Studio 413 Photography in Reading, PA. We met at a networking event back in 2016 and we've been friends ever since. Don is known for making Berks County professionals look confident and charming. His magic powers include producing the perfect headshot, donating his time to community organizations, and making his clients laugh any chance he gets! Take a trip with me now...

I've made it a point to make 2023 the greatest year of branding I will ever have for my company FXV Digital Design. Self-reflection is a great way to be honest with yourself when it comes to any part of your life and I've been doing it a ton lately. I finally opened up myself and my company to other opinions, ideas, and creativity. This seems like common sense to any other business owner, but to m...

My latest Fred Talk Flow episode wraps up the 2022 Awesome Toy Drive! The drive ended with 1,325 gifts collected and $2,000 donated to Opportunity House and Olivet Boys & Girls Club! This year began with a little worry. Tags were not leaving as quickly as in the past, but with the addition of 20 more locations, we were able to beat last year's numbers and create new friendships with businesses in...

JD Turner is the owner of Holistic Skateshop in West Reading, PA. I first met JD a few years back when my daughter asked for a skateboard. We headed over to Holistic and had one of the greatest customer experiences of my life. He took the time to ask my daughter the appropriate questions and set up a board custom just for her - but that wasn't the only AWESOME thing that day! JD informed me of a d...

Ethan Lasher is the owner of Ethan Lasher's Auto Detailing. I enjoyed my time with Ethan on the podcast because he gives me hope! At such a young age he has made some pretty large life decisions, yet I am envious of the confidence he had while making those moves. Born and bred here in Berks County, Ethan set a goal for himself to own his own auto-detailing business, ditch the college life, and mar...

Erik Arizmendi is the owner of Comālli Taqueria, the tastiest taco joint in town! Erik started his journey towards earning the title of Taco King in 2015 with a canopy tent and an Al Pastor machine. He kicked up his game in 2019 by purchasing his first taco truck, and quickly found himself with a brick-and-mortar spot in West Reading before the year was out. We all know how 2020 went, but that did...

Shawn Borelli is the owner of Borelli Designs and ProCore Contracting here in Berks County and a man I considered competition. After coincidentally hanging out with him on a pontoon boat, I quickly found out competition is a lame reason not to befriend someone. Fast forward a few months and a weekend trip in Delaware, and I am quickly realizing Shawn is an asset to not only the community around us...

This week's guest is David Hall, a videographer, musician, and a dude that dreams it and creates it. I wanted to have David on the show because his social media accounts are filled with images of a structure called a nonagon, which if you don't know is a nine-sided polygon. It's in the middle of a forest here in Pennsylvania and David plans to not only use it as his home but a recording studio. Ge...

This week's guest is Meggan Kerber, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Alvernia University. Meggan and I go back to the days of Bethany Children's Home. She called me in to do some website work and a new friendship was born. Fast forward a few years and a couple of careers , and she's here enlightening me with her thoughts on community involvement, funding for non-profits, an...

This week's guests are Marcy Tocker and Stephanie Smith of Grey Muzzle Manor For the past year and a half, I've had to struggle with mental health. Two major events that happened in my life made me question everything I ever was as a person, man, father, husband, and friend. I quickly began to think negatively about most of my relationships and I was seriously considering a way out of them all. I...

This week's guest is Javier Ramos, owner and creative director of A Night with Javier. The source of the proverb ' The devil is in the details ' is often attributed to the German/American architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. This is almost certainly a misattribution. The expression derives from an earlier German proverb - "Der liebe Gott steckt im detail", which translates as 'God is in the detail'...

This past weekend I visited the city of St. Louis. I checked out the Cardinals and crossed off ballpark number 14 on my list. Busch Stadium is an excellent place to catch a game and be amongst some of America's most die-hard, rabid fans . The vibe is jumping in Downtown St. Luis when the red birds are playing, and it made my personal Top 5 list when it came to parks already visited. If you're curi...

This week's guest is Eddie Rodriguez, entrepreneur and sales guru! Working in the automotive sales industry for over 20 years, Eddie grew to become one of the most successful salesmen in the game! Making six figures was a walk in the park, but believe it or not - HE QUIT! Ya see, COVID actually gave Eddie the gift of staying home and that's when he realized he needed to make a change to keep his p...

This week I hosted my very first two events at FXV Digital Design . I was nervous. I was scared. How bad was I going to be up there speaking to a small group of peers and friends? I felt like I tanked! But session two came around and the outcome was different. I also drove hours to hang out with my Uncle in Brooklyn. We decided to get together before he left for TN to start the next chapter of his...

If you want to grow and become a better version of yourself , uncomfortable situations need to be part of your routine. This week I plan on holding two in-person website seminars to jumpstart the next chapter of my career and my life. It's the unknown and the uneasiness you put yourself in that makes goals so awesome to achieve. If I've learned anything during my time here, it's that you can never...

This week's guest is Ed Burns, entrepreneur, marketer extraordinaire, sales guru, and all-around awesome dude! Starting his journey at the University of Miami, Ed figured out  college wasn't for him . He ended up coming back to Berks and grabbing his degree locally before stepping up to the plate to face LIFE. Ed is in love with learning. So much so that he took a shot at running a  political camp...

This week's guest is Andre Young, motivational teacher, author, and founder of You Evolving Now, LLC. I recently had the pleasure of watching Andre speak for the first time at an event and my mindset has evolved ever since. From the moment you wake up, to the minute you lay your head back down, gratitude, attitude, and love should be consistent parts of your day. There are a plethora of positive n...

This week I'm talking about your SOUL! You need to take the time to make sure your SOUL is filled with all the goodness it needs so you can continue to enjoy the ride we call life. I also speak about letting go of the negative and listening to the future of America - they actually know what they're talking about!