The Zest from Orange Coast magazine

You may recognize this week's guest from season 23 of “The Bachelor,” but in this episode, Cassie Randolph talks about her Orange County-based company called Ocean’s Therapy, where she offers speech pathology services as the executive clinical director. She discusses how she first became interested in this field and what inpsired her to open her own practice. She also gives insight into what it wa...

Gresham Taylor is the founder of ViaClover, a design and manufacturing company has created beautiful retail spaces for brands including Goop, Reformation, Chloé, FWRD, and Louis Vuitton. On this week's episode, he talks about how he first started working at his family's display company and how he introduced them to the idea of focusing on fashion brands, and how he came up with the idea for ViaClo...

Glenn and Kenny Tanaka are the owners and farmers of the family-owned-and-operated Tanaka Farms, which is an authentic working 30-acre farm in Irvine that produces a variety of fruits and vegetables and also hosts educational tours. The father-son-duo joins Chelsea to talk about how their farm was founded in the early 1900s, how they started giving educational tours, what guests can expect on a to...

Brian Garofalow is the CEO of Skullcandy, the headphones, earbuds, gaming, and speakers’ company that was originally launched in 2003. He’s also held marketing positions at companies including DC Shoes, RVCA, Igloo, and more. In this episode he shares how he first became passionate for skateboarding, how his major at Chapman helped him succeed in the business world, and how he stepped into his cur...

Jeff "Doc" Lausch is the founder and shaper of the surfboard brand Surf Prescriptions in Huntington Beach, with shops also in Brazil, South Africa, Israel, Ireland, and Japan. On this week's episode, Lausch shares how he got his iconic nickname, what first drew him to shaping, and more. He also shares stories about his mentor Shawn Stussy and working with surfing legends such as Donovan Frankenrei...

Here's a look back to one of our earlier episodes! Raissa Gerona is the chief brand officer of Revolve, a leading global fashion retailer. She shares with Chelsea everything from immigrating to the U.S. when she was seven years old to attending UC Irvine, working at Revolve, her inspiration for influence marketing, and more.

This week, Keira Henninger joins Chelsea on The Zest to talk about how she got her start as a trail race director and eventually became the founder of KHRaces, which puts on some of the most popular and hardest trail races and ultras in Southern California that attracts racers from around the globe. She is also a former Patagonia ultrarunner and has won several races including two 100-mile distanc...

Ashley Rogers is the founder of four companies including Spudsy and Buff Bake and is the CEO of Sprinkles Cupcake’s sister company Sprinkles Consumer Packaged Goods. Her products have been featured on the “Today Show,” Forbes , and the Food Network and she recently launched a podcast called Hello Dreamer. In this week's episode she discusses how she came to find each company, how to get your produ...

Taylor O’Sullivan is a documentary filmmaker and photographer who has worked with Katy Perry as well as MTV and Sunset Magazine. In this episode she shares how she first got into making documentaries, what led her to find her passion for photography, and what she looks for when she's shooting photos. She also discusses her roving exhibit CULTERRA and her experience working with Katy Perry.

Here's a look back to one of our earlier episodes! Carissa Stanton is a food blogger, recipe developer, and author. Her Instagram @BroccYourBody features delicious recipes, such as a healthier take on a Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme, and has more than 620,000 followers. She shares with Chelsea how she came to create her popular account, what inspired her to create her cookbook "Seriously So Good,"...

Drew Chaffee is a multi-instrumentalist, music director, and co-founder of Spacebar, which is a creative agency whose clients include Beck, Lil Nas X, Foster the People, and more. In this week's episode, he shares how he first got into the music industry, leaving college to tour in Europe, and how he founded Spacebar. He also discusses what it's like directing music for a project and working with...

Randy Wyner is the founder of Chronic Tacos, a fast casual Mexican restaurant chain. This week, he shares how he founded Chronic Tacos as well as special memories such as when they had a taco eating contest and professional competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi came. He also discusses how he made the decision to franchise the business, what his strategy is for keeping the quality consistent, and more...

In this special Zest Partner episode, international opera singer Deanna Breiwick shares how she first got into her singing. Recognized by the New York Times for being a “vocal trapeze artist,” Breiwick discusses what she does to prepare for a performance and more. You can see her perform at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach in December for the Holiday High Tea & Songs of the Season e...

Steve Kassajikian is the head of global artistry at Urban Decay and he's worked with celebrities such as Tinashe, Bebe Rexha, and Chloe Cherry. In this week's episode he shares how he first got into makeup, what it was like working at Benefit's beauty counter, and how he eventually came to work at Urban Decay. He also discusses makeup tips and tricks, his favorite Urban Decay products, and more.

Eric Crane is the CEO of Birdwell, a men’s and women’s clothing brand, which was started in Santa Ana in 1961. He’s also held executive positions at brands including Nixon and Electric. In this episode, he talks about moving to Hawaii to pursue a career in surfing, how he started designing surfboard quivers, working in the surf industry, and how he came to work at Birdwell. He also shares some of...

Josiah Lilly is the owner of EPIC Ceramic & Stone, a partner of The Zest. This week, Lilly shares the inspiring story of how he founded the luxury tile and stone installation company. Keep an eye out for him in Orange Coast 's November 2024 issue to read more.

Carly Landig is a celebrity stylist, brand strategist, and creative consultant who has worked with everyone from Kaia Gerber and Laura Harrier to Sofia Richie. Her work has been featured in InStyle and Nylon . She discusses how she became the director of brand marketing at Who What Wear, styling for "Selling the OC," and more. She also gives tips on updating your closet each season, how to approac...

Florence Shen and Athina Wang are the founders of the inclusive eyewear brand Covry, which has been featured in Vogue , Elle , and Fast Company . In this episode, they discuss how they became friends in high school and growing up in New Jersey. They also share how they came up with the idea for their company, raising funds on Kickstarter, and hurdles they came across along the way. Shen and Wang a...

Tilly Levine is the co-founder of Irvine-based Tillys an action sports retailer that sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. She’s also the founder of Tilly’s Life Center, which is a nonprofit that takes a proactive approach to empowering teens in high school and enabling them to navigate life’s challenges. In this episode, she shares how she moved from the United States at just 23 years old before...

Courtney Conlogue is a world class surfer who was on the World Surf League Tour for 13 years and was inducted into the surfing walk of fame as woman of the year in 2019. She’s been featured in Sports Illustrated as well as ESPN’s The Body Issue and is the founder of the coffee and apparel brand Sea Tiger. In this episode she shares how she started surfing, what it was like traveling the world as a...

Sofia Sheth is the head of marketing for LSPACE, which is headquartered in Costa Mesa. She has also held marketing positions at brands including YouTube, Conde Nast, Goop, and Frame. In addition, she created her company Beautiful Ideas Co., which offers brand strategy and marketing to companies. In this episode, she discusses starting Goop's podcast with Oprah as its first guest, how LSPACE&#3...

Alicia Cox is the founder and CEO of The Prjkt Restaurant Group. She discusses how she came to own and operate seven eateries in Huntington Beach including SeaLegs at the Beach, The Huntington Beach House, and Sahara’s Sandbar & Pizza. She also talks about her time working at her uncle's business Hurricanes Bar & Grill, what inspired her to start her first business SeaLegs, and how she...

Ed Templeton is an acclaimed contemporary artist, photographer, two-time World Skateboarding Champion, and owner of the skateboard company Toy Machine. He has published more than 20 photography books and his work as been exhibited worldwide. Last year, he released "Wires Crossed," a compilation of photographs, collages, interviews, and more chronicling skate subculture between 1995 and 2...

Nikki Bostwick is the founder of Laguna Beach’s The Fullest, which offers therapeutic-grade saffron supplements for anxiety, depression, and more and has been featured in Goop and Vogue . She is also the co-founder of the Honarkar Foundation for Arts and Culture as well as Baile, which features products that infuse the elements of the countryside. In addition, she has a podcast of her own called N...

Murphy Karges is the former bassist for the band Sugar Ray and has been seen on MTV, VH1, NBC, and “The Tonight Show.” He is also the co-founder of Sunset 17, which is a TV and podcast studio in Costa Mesa. In addition, he recently published a book called "Basics for Bassists." In this week's episode, he shares how the band initially formed, what it was like creating music for Sugar...