The Greatest Story

Send us Fan Mail Taro landed in America at 15 with almost nothing. Today, Mikuni is a beloved Japanese restaurant group with around 1,400 employees and roughly $91 million in sales. It all started with his father's impossible dream, two near-bankruptcies, and a refusal to quit. In this episode he opens up about resilience, finding your calling, the surprising origin of sushi, the cost success...

Send us Fan Mail Why do 9 out of 10 businesses fail? Business coach Michael Oakes breaks down the fundamentals every entrepreneur needs to master. Michael went from coaching college basketball to becoming one of the first employees at FedEx in 1973, then built a career helping entrepreneurs avoid the mistakes that sink most businesses. In this episode, he shares the mindset, discipline, and fundam...

Send us Fan Mail Sean Rabe sits down with us to talk about what's really going on behind the scenes in Auburn, California. Why hasn't the city's master plan been updated since 1992? Why did Costco almost come to Auburn? Why can't young families afford to buy here anymore? And what's the city actually doing about all of it? Whether you live in Auburn or you're just cur...

Send us Fan Mail Kevin Dobson, founder of Capital College and Career Academy, built a public charter high school where students earn college credits, gain career skills, and land paid internships all before graduation. In California, only about 30% of 9th graders ever earn a college degree. Kevin saw that number and built something better. In this conversation, he breaks down the broken promises o...

Send us Fan Mail Your brain is chasing dopamine. And it is being trained to want more. That constant pull to check your phone, refresh, and stay stimulated is not random. It is how the brain responds to intermittent rewards. Small hits of pleasure that slowly rewire attention, motivation, and emotional balance. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Binus explains how dopamine driven feedback loops affect me...

Send us Fan Mail Billions of dollars have gone missing in California. At the same time, housing keeps getting more expensive, fewer homes are being built, and families are getting priced out. So what’s actually happening? In this episode of The Greatest Story Podcast, Congressman Kevin Kiley breaks down what’s behind California’s affordability crisis and why it has become so hard to live, build, a...

Send us Fan Mail This conversation is for two kinds of people. Those who are still trying to figure out where they’re headed in life. And those already carrying responsibility, business, family, momentum, who are seeking practical success principles that actually last. In this episode, I’m joined by Vlad Chernioglo, a pastor at Light of the Gospel church, father, and business owner. Vlad navigated...

Send us Fan Mail Ashlie Bryant breaks the myths about human trafficking, explains how social and economic issues create vulnerable victims, and why prevention is the key to ending human trafficking. Ashlie is the founder and president of 3Strands Global Foundation. Her team is a survivor-informed, trauma-responsive group that teaches PROTECT in schools, runs  Employ + Empower and a Sacramento drop...

Send us Fan Mail Paul sits down with Mario Astorga, founder of Mario’s Early Toast, to unpack why so few restaurants survive, and how faith and humility helped him build one that thrives. Mario shares how putting people first and serving love, not just food, turned his breakfast spot into a community favorite. Check Out Mario's Early Toast Follow me on Facebook Follow Me on Instagram

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Greatest Story Podcast, we sit down with Sal Cortez, a veteran with 43 years in emergency medical services and the California Highway Patrol. Sal shares his journey from responding to some of the nation’s earliest active shooter events to developing tactical medicine training for law enforcement, military, and civilians. We cover: - How emergency response ha...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone agrees we need to solve homelessness, until a shelter or rehab center is proposed in their own community. The “not in my backyard” mindset has become one of the biggest roadblocks to solving homelessness crisis. In this episode, we talk with Keith Diederich the man who is behind the organization that is solving this problem. Keith shares how The Gathering Inn is meeting p...

Send us Fan Mail He went from being bedridden at 13 to launching wellness centers across the U.S. David Kostroub founded Arctic Elevation after years of personal health struggles and getting nowhere with traditional care. Today, his wellness centers offer a variety of treatments, including red light therapy, cryotherapy, NAD+ IV drips, and compression, to help people recover, recharge, and perform...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—the crisis of fatherlessness in America. Too many kids are growing up without a dad, and the effects are everywhere: in classrooms, in crime stats, and in emotional health. At the same time, there’s this idea that to succeed in business, your family has to come second. That success requires sacrifice...

Send us Fan Mail Assemblyman Joe Patterson joins us for a real conversation about what’s going wrong in California — and what it’ll take to fix it. We get into gas prices, homelessness, voter ID laws, parental rights, and why so many people feel disconnected from their own government. Joe shares his journey into politics, the struggles of being a Republican in a deep blue state, and why he’s still...

Send us Fan Mail Jim Menconi’s life has been a series of high-stakes decisions—from flying helicopters in Vietnam and surviving a crash landing under enemy fire to navigating the unpredictable world of business and real estate development. In this conversation, he shares the moments that shaped him, the painful lessons he learned from failure, and how faith guided him through it all. Key Topics:  ...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to build a multi-million dollar business? In this episode, we sit down with Dima Tupikov, founder of Good Life Construction, who shares the hard-earned lessons, mindset shifts, and personal sacrifices behind scaling his company to $40 million in revenue. From immigrant beginnings to leading a thriving business, Dima reveals the mistakes most entrepreneurs...

Send us Fan Mail What’s really at stake with the Second Amendment? In this episode, Chad Hertzel, owner of Confidence Safety Academy, joins us to unpack the evolving landscape of gun rights in America. From the rise of constitutional carry laws to the political challenges threatening your firearm rights, we cover everything you need to know. Whether you’re a gun owner, safety advocate, or simply c...

Send us Fan Mail What’s the biggest mistake people make with money—and how can you avoid it? In this episode, Garret Konrad, partner at Auburn-based wealth management firm Integrated Financial Concepts (IFC), shares his insights. From budgeting and investing to adapting to new technologies, Garret breaks down the strategies families and businesses use to secure their financial futures. Through men...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Moon, owner of Moon Healing Studio in Auburn CA, to dive deep into the power of the nervous system and its role in managing stress. Melissa shares her personal journey of facing physical manifestations of stress and how it led her to discover holistic healing. Together, we explore why chronic stress impacts our bodies, how unresolved tensi...

Send us Fan Mail Home loans/mortgages may not be a sexy topic, but it has been on many American people’s minds lately, especially for the Millennials and Gen Z generations. Since rates went up, starting in 2022, hundreds of thousands of loan officers left the industry.  Dozens of offices in the Sacramento region closed down.  The refinance industry became non-existent.  But there were a few mortga...

Send us Fan Mail Cindy Gustafson oversees one of the most diverse and expansive districts in Placer County—District 5, which spans from Newcastle to Lake Tahoe and makes up 80% of the county’s geography. With over 40 years of experience living and working in the area, Cindy shares how she balances growth with protecting the district’s natural beauty. Cindy has spent decades shaping the future of P...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I got the chance to sit down with Doug Van Howd, a renowned sculptor and painter whose incredible journey took him from Nevada to becoming a celebrated artist known worldwide. Based in his studio in Auburn, CA, Doug’s lifelike wildlife and western creations have earned him a place of honor, with his works displayed in prestigious locations such as the White House,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we have the opportunity to meet Dallas Drake, an entrepreneur and the owner of the well-known ice cream shop, The Yeti Tavern, located in Auburn, CA. Dallas shares his journey from landing his dream job to encountering the harsh reality that eventually steered him onto a new path. After leaving the corporate world, he embarked on his entrepreneurial venture. Seein...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Bob Litchfield, a remarkable and generous individual who breaks the mold of the typical lawyer. A key figure in our early career development, Bob has been instrumental in our success. A proud graduate of West Point, he went on to earn his Juris Doctorate with Great Distinction from McGeorge School of Law, graduating second in his class in 1980. Bob is not only a brilliant leg...

Send us Fan Mail What drives a small-town kid to become a successful business owner? Meet Wayne, a lifelong Auburn, CA resident whose journey from selling lemonade to running a successful auto shop and gun store will inspire and surprise you. Wayne shares how he overcame challenges, changed his mindset from scarcity to abundance, and the importance of community in his success. Hear how his love fo...