Fresno's Best

Today, we have Isabel Dieppa on the show. Isabel is a journalist, roller skater and performing artist. She founded Fresno Skate Party in 2021. When she is not roller skating Isabel spends her time cosplaying and dancing. You can follow her on Instagram, and Tik Tok @isabelsdieppa Use the code frensoskateparty people can get %5 at Pigeon Roller Skate Shop ( link here ) Books: Pride and Prejudice Ja...

Today we have Arthur Moye on the show. Arthur is the CEO of Full Circle Brewing, Co. in Fresno, California. Formerly a CalCPA Chapter President, after 15 years of homebrewing, he went rogue and sold his CPA practice to purchase Fresno’s longest running brewery. With a background in accounting, he took a leap of faith to see how he could extend his experience with numbers to drive his passion for c...

Today, we have Enrique Meza on the show. Enrique is the founder and creative director of Meza Studios. He was born and raised in California’s Central Valley. He is a proud son of immigrant labor workers. Connection is a recurrent theme in his creative work, and deriving human emotions is what challenges him. His goal is to leave his audience with a sense of connection and adoration for its subject...

Nat Strafaci is a licensed therapist, clinical supervisor, psychic medium, and spiritual herbalist living and working on Lenape and Yokuts land. Their private practice centers the healing of Queer and Trans People of Color at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. They are a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work and the Sacred Vibes Apothecary Spiritual Herbalism Appre...

Today, we have Alison LeClair on the show of the Breadroom Bakery. Alison made her first loaf of bread in 2008, while studying speciality cake baking. Almost 10 years later and still thinking fondly of that first Pullman loaf, she began keeping a sourdough starter and casually baking with it in 2017. It wasn’t long before she realized that baking bread for people was a very cool way to spend her t...

Today we have Elliott Balch on the show. Elliott is the president and CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership, which is a 501(c) 6. The Partnership is leading downtown Fresno toward its future as a vibrant hub of business activity by promoting downtown’s image; supporting physical improvements and development; advocating for merchants; and hosting special events that bring new life to the historic...

Today we have another crossover episode with the sister program to this show that I produce called The History of CA Podcast. The interview is with two of the wonderful hosts of the amazing podcast Water Talk, one of my personal favorite podcasts which explores all things related to water, with an emphasis on California Water issues, but also covering broader areas as well.  The first is Dr. Malli...

Today, we have Christa Wiens on the show. Christa is the executive director of Central Valley Justice Coalition and the focus of our conversation is human trafficking, both globally and locally. We dig into definitions, tactics used by traffickers, signs someone is being trafficked, differences between sex trafficking and forced labor, beyond the obvious, common misconceptions, approaches to educa...

Marilyn Cowley is CEO and founder of PREM PR and Social and if there is someone in town whose opinion on marketing in this complicated environment I would trust, it would definitely be Marilyn’s. In this episode, we discuss internships, strategizing majors in college, old school marketing tactics, the state of email marketing, motivational speakers, the importance of habits, ballroom dancing, ethi...

Today, we have Liana Pierce on the show. Liana is the owner of and instructor at Four Corners Yoga Studio in Northeast Fresno. We discuss pain in Yoga, the comparison game, yoga and fitness, common mistakes, conflicts with religious worldview, overrated poses and clothes, the benefit of retreats, the business side of operating a studio, what she has learned about Fresno in teaching classes and ope...

Today we have Ellen Armour on the show. Ellen is a native of California's San Joaquin Valley, where she lived until attending UCLA. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition from the School of Arts & Architecture, and went on to work in project management for the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Google, Chevron, international consulting firm Turner & Townsend, and TETER Arc...

Today, I have an interview with Alex Treas and Jenn Guerra. Both from the valley, they share a passion for the growing technology industry here and, after the fallout from Bitwise, are striking out with a new venture called Reclaim Technologies that aims to help businesses and organizations leverage technology to achieve their goals.  Reclaim Technologies Website Books: Running Lean: Iterate from...

Today, we have Anna Covarrubias and Marcee Rodriguez of The Pie Mamas on the show. These two home bakers turned a passion into a thriving business and are baking some of the most beautiful pies in Fresno. Please enjoy our fascinating conversation about our favorite holiday dessert. The Pie Mamas Website

Today, we have Timothy Yeager on the show. Yeager is the Chief Clinical Officer at Centria Healthcare which is the leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy to children with autism in the country. Our conversation is wide-ranging covering ABA, pragmatism, NY-style pizza, reducing burnout in the helping industry, diagnosis as determinism, and more. Books Radical Candor: Be a Kick-...

Brooke is spear-heading a campaign to bring a library to the Tower District of Fresno. As a librarian, the host of this podcast couldn't be more supportive of expanding library access to as many people as possible. Please support the project in any way you can!  The Campaign's Website Books:  Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce The Alienist by Caleb Carr A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by...

Today's episode is a repost from my other podcast, History of California Podcast, with Katherine Blunt. Katherine Blunt is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric and What it Means for America’s Power Grid. The book, a national bestseller, won the 2022 Golden Poppy award for nonfiction. Her coverage of PG&E, a collaboration...

Today, we have Scott Miller on the show. Scott is the President of Chamber Commerce and the owner of Gazebo Gardens. Please enjoy our conversation! 

Today we have Arianna Chavez on the show. Arianna is the executive of Arte Americas. Born and raised in Fresno, Arianna attributes her passion for art to formative years spent at Arte Américas. She is returning home with a decade of experience in nonprofit arts organizations including the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and artist endowed foundations...

Today, we have the Jason Castro on the show. Mr. Castro is the Consul General of the El Salvadorian Consulate in Fresno. We talk about all things El Salvadorian, from the culture and history of the country to issues facing El Salvadorian immigrants in the central valley. 

Today we have Reis Thebault on the show. Reis reports on the American West Coast from Los Angeles for The Washington Post. He joined The Post in 2018 and has covered national breaking news, European politics and D.C. city hall. He previously worked on the local desks of the Boston Globe and the Columbus Dispatch. We have him on the show today because he wrote a front page story on the Bitwise situ...

Today we have Kiel Lopez-Schmidt on the show. Kiel is a trained architect and the Executive Director of the South Tower Community Land Trust. In this conversation, we discuss affordable housing, planning commissions, AirBnB’s effect on the housing stock, homelessness as a housing problem, historical preservation, and more. Link to Sign Up for the Queer Housing Summit  Books:  Pleasure Activism: Th...

Renee Delport is the director of communications at the Central Valley Community Foundation, an organization that does a lot to steward and direct resources to support our community. Drawing on her experience working in a variety of contexts, Renee has a deep love for community service, articulating a strong message, and recruiting others to join causes. This interview is chocked full of insight an...

Welcome to Fresno’s Best podcast, I’m your host Jordan Mattox. Today we have George Scott on the show. Scott is the co-founder of the Sinister Boxing MMA Academy and a highly experienced coach with over 25+ years of expertise in various martial arts and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. With his vast knowledge and passion for coaching, George is dedicated to helping his clients take the...

Today, we have two representatives from the WET Center at Fresno State: Benjamin Francis, Growth Operating Partner and Samuel Fairbanks, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist. Francis’s key experience includes investment analyst functions, establishing a successful accelerator program, working one-on-one with ventures to secure funding and growth opportunities. Francis has successfully deve...

Today, we have Joseph Rios on the show. Joseph is the newly minted poet laureate of Fresno. He’s also the author of the claimed poetry collection, Shadowboxing: Poems & Impersonations, which won the 2018 American Book Award. This was a fun, all-over-the-place style conversation, with deep insights about the connection between poetry and Fresno, but then also reminiscences about bars, living in...