Inspiring Living with Mark Candelaria

Our guest today is Alex Trimper, co-owner and managing director of Isabella Garrucho Fine Art gallery located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Alex and Mark met just last year while working together on the design of football star Larry Fitzgerald’s Paradise Valley estate, currently featured on the cover of Luxe Magazine - view it here .   Alex was selected by Larry’s designer who is also based on the Ea...

This week's podcast episode features Mark's mother, Karin Candelaria as they spent Mother's Day together visiting, cooking, sharing stories, and recording this podcast episode! Karin shares the story of her dramatic childhood leaving everything behind to flee their home in East Prussia, Germany during WWII. The family then spent many years in hiding on farms in the Baltic Islands, t...

Today’s guest is the man who inspired Mark to start this podcast back in 2019, Matt Gottesman! Matt is a 3rd generation entrepreneur, an international business strategist and a brand architect with focuses on luxury, lifestyle, health and wellness, cannabis, tech, fashion, arts, music and entertainment. He brings creators from around the world to the forefront by documenting and publishing visiona...

This podcast episode is a profound one, as I speak with international Success Coach and Author, Aimee Teesdale. Aimee talks about why she was inspired to become a life/success coach and how she went about making her dream career and dream life living on the Spanish island of Ibiza a reality in her early 30's. Her work focuses on enabling purpose-driven business owners to get out of their own...

Welcome to Spring! Today’s Inspiring Living episode celebrates Spring perfectly as our guests include Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine Editor-In-Chief John Roark and Interior Designer and my lovely wife, Isabel Dellinger Candelaria.  We talk about the Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine Garden Tour coming up this Saturday, April 17. You can get your tickets by clicking the link below, you will no...

This week's podcast episode features beloved Chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco, Panne Bianco and Tratto. This episode features his story from his early days in the Bronx to working his way to the West Coast and ultimately Phoenix where he quickly ascended the culinary ladder becoming a renowned chef not only known for his pizza making skills, which are now world renowned, but also for his...

This week's guest is someone I have been collaborating on projects for almost 40 years, and has become a very close friend, Walter Spitz. Walter is the Founder, Principal and Senior Designer of Creative Designs in Lighting , an architectural lighting firm who has been specializing in "lighting for that special look" for over 40 years. Walter began at a large lighting showroom in Pho...

Today's episode of Inspiring Living features Richard van Gilse, President and CEO of  Arizona based Facings of America, which is a family owned local business with a global offering of finely curated tile and stone from around the world. Facings of America was started by Richard's father in 1967 and Richard is now taking the business to the next level with two beautiful showrooms, the or...

Today's episode features world renowned luxury cabinet designer, Christopher Peacock, based in New York City. Since the launch of Christopher Peacock Cabinetry in 1992, he now has showrooms across America and worldwide, as his commitment to quality and design is apparent in his products and service. In this episode Christopher will talk about his upbringing and start in London, England, and h...

This week’s guest is Organic Chef Jennifer Johnson.  Jennifer graduated culinary school over 20 years ago while working for a corporate engineering firm and in 2015 decided to break away and start an organic, farm to table catering company, Witnessing Nature In Food . Today she’s a leader in healthy organic dining experiences, recognized as a Platinum Level Phoenix Green Business Leader & City...

In today’s episode, Mark speaks with Jason Barlow, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona and Chris Owen, former Banking Executive turned Real Estate Agent and Chairman of the Board at Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Habitat is celebrating their 35th year in the Valley of the Sun and have now built more than 1,160 homes and renovated or repaired thousands more since 1985....

Today’s podcast episode features two fabulous ladies who help run local nonprofit, Elevate Phoenix: Dalila A. Gamper and Jazmine Hall. Dalila started as a teacher with Elevate back  in 2009 and is now the Executive Director and Jazmine, who was actually one of Dalila's student's while in high school, has become the Development Director for Elevate Phoenix! Candelaria Design has been invo...

Today's podcast features Catherine Anaya, a name you may recognize from the local news in the past. Catherine is a  journalist, motivational speaker, media personality with 25+ years as a TV news anchor, event host and emcee, co-hosts a weekly radio show and is the founder of multimedia company, 4Hearts Media LLC.  She describes her journey from college at USC, to her first job as a news anch...

This episode of Inspiring Living features one of our dear friends from Umbria, Italy, Elizabeth Wholey. We met Elizabeth many years ago during our Candelaria Design Tour Italy adventures and she has been our on-site chef and host for over ten years now when we stay at her Farmhouses while in Umbria . This is Elizabeth's third appearance on our podcast and she gives us an update on how things...

Our guest today is Associate Broker and Real Estate Advisor, Sandra Wilken of Modern Portfolio Real Estate Services. Modern Portfolio provides clients with the highest level real estate buying and selling experience along with a wide variety of premier concierge services, the first and only concierge service program of its kind in Arizona. Sandra Wilken’s love for PV and Scottsdale, Arizona began...

Today's podcast episode features the incredibly talented interior designer and famed writer, Patricia Hart McMillan from San Antonio, Texas.  We are proud to have three of our Candelaria Design homes featured in her recent book Christmas By Design  which is available on our website at candelariadesign.com/candelaria-collection/christmas-by-design In this episode we follow Patricia from her ea...

This episode of Inspiring Living I speak with Founder & Owner of Tickets Unlimited , my friend Danny Sharaby. Danny created this business about 30 years ago while trying to support himself through Law School, but was so successful that when he graduated he never pursued Law and instead went into the ticket resale business! Shortly after he founded his company that handles the buying and sellin...

In this episode, I got to sit down with my friend and former Mayor of Paradise Valley, Vernon Parker. And his lovely wife Lisa. Vernon served as first ever Assistant of Civil Rights for the Dept. of Agriculture and was a part of the settlement team for the largest civil rights claim ever won against the US, served as General Console of the US Office of Personal Management in D.C., and served as Sp...

This week's episode kicks off the virtual opening of Iconic Haus Winter 2020 with the woman who orchestrated it all, Renee Dee. Renee is the Founder and Publisher of Iconic Life Magazine ,  and Iconic Haus is a designer show house that was designed by Candelaria Design , built by Temac Development and decorated by 22 award-winning designers. This podcast will feature all three of these team l...

This episode features a fellow acclaimed Arizona architect, Brent Kendle, whom Mark met back in the early 80’s during Architecture School. Brent grew up in Chicago and was inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright to become an architect and attend ASU’s Architecture Program. The Passive Solar program they were promoting to students was very pragmatic and eco-friendly, which appealed to Brent&apos...

This episode features a man who truly embodies overcoming major life challenges with both physical and mental strength and grace. This incredibly inspiring man is Patrick McLaughlin, husband, father, local business owner, survivor of a major car accident that led to over 38 surgeries, and is now battling brain cancer! If this isn't a testament to the strength of the human spirit, I don't...

Today's episode Isabel and I chat with our friends Russell and Erika Dickey. We talk a bit about the state of the world, which segues into their incredible grassroots effort in helping the Navajo Nation battle Covid-19, and how with the help of friends, connections and a passion to make a difference, anyone truly can. Lastly, we end up reminiscing over our past Tours to Italy together in 2014...

This week's episode couldn't be more relevant, as we speak with Founder and CEO Jessica Pierce of Career Connectors, a local nonprofit that provides resources for those looking for a new job and for companies having to downsize. Jessica speaks with Mark on networking, how Covid has affected the unemployment rate and unemployment benefits, best practices for finding employment or switchin...

This podcast episode features Chef, restaurant owner and friend, Angelo Brunson of Angelo’s Ristorante. I met Angelo during a dinner at his restaurant back in 2004 while up in Idaho working on a luxury log home on Lake Coeur d’ Alene. We were very impressed with this newly opened, authentic Italian restaurant and of course I wanted to meet the chef behind this great food. Over a decade later, I co...

Carrie Evans is a photographer here in the Valley and Scottsdale-native, specializing in fashion, lifestyle and corporate photography. Her range, charisma and talent have landed her work in a multitude of local and international magazines such as Institute Magazine UK, Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home & Garden, Obscurae Magazine, and Veux Magazine in Toronto.  I met Carrie many years ago on a ph...