My SGV Podcast
Welcome to the My SGV Podcast. A show where you will hear personal stories of triumph over failures, and how others successfully navigated the unique landscape that is the San Gabriel Valley. What makes us different? Well, just like you, we have chosen the San Gabriel Valley for our home or businesses, or both. We believe it is the people and small businesses that make this community great and we love to share their stories with you. We always encourage your questions and feedback and you can find all of our contact information at sgvmasterkey.com.
Episodes
259 episodes
George Dera - Authentic Lebanese Cuisine and Wahib’s Mediterranean Express in San Gabriel
George Dera is the owner of Wahib’s Mediterranean Express, a restaurant located in San Gabriel, California. Born in Zahle, Lebanon, Dera moved to Glendora, California, at the age of 14 and has remained a resident of the city since his arrival. ...
Armando De La Torre Jr. - Guisados Founder on Boyle Heights Tacos and LA Restaurant Growth
Armando De La Torre Jr. is a Los Angeles–born restauranteur, entrepreneur, and artist known for creating and developing Guisados, Georges Burger Stand, and Playita Mariscos. A graduate of Loyola High School and Loyola Marymount University, wher...
Aaron (Phu) Luong - From SGV Upbringing to Aloha Food Factory Owner in Alhambra
Aaron (Phu) Luong was born in Hong Kong under British rule and immigrated to the United States at a young age. He grew up in Rosemead and Monterey Park, later attending San Gabriel High School, where he balanced academics, extracurriculars, and...
Marcel Rene Michel - From Corporate Recruiting at Disney to Opening a Pasadena Restaurant
Marcel Rene Michel is a Southern California native born in Bellflower and raised in Hacienda Heights, with roots in Guadalajara and Colima, Mexico. A first-generation Mexican American, Marcel attended Don Bosco Tech Institute and later built a ...
Shelly Lin - From Medan, Indonesia to SGV Small Business Owner at Coconut & Co.
Shelly Lin is the co-founder of Coconut & Co., a San Gabriel Valley business built around natural, high-quality drinks and desserts that are inclusive, health-conscious, and made for everyone. Born and raised in Medan, Indonesia, Shelly gre...
T.D. Tran - Yelp Community Director Connecting the San Gabriel Valley
T.D. Tran, also known as Thuy Dan Tran, is the Yelp Community Director for the San Gabriel Valley, where she helps connect people, spotlight local businesses, and celebrate the depth and diversity of SGV. She has become a recognizable force in ...
Sandra Gomez - Carrying On a 50-Year SGV Legacy at Moffett's Chicken Pie Shoppe
Sandra Y. Gomez is the co-owner of Moffett's Chicken Pie Shoppe, a beloved San Gabriel Valley restaurant with over 50 years of history in the community. A Baldwin Park native and graduate of Baldwin Park High School, Sandra brings a background ...
Yamato Miura - The Entrepreneur Behind Sushi Kisen and SGV's Rising Japanese Dining Scene
Yamato Miura is a Tokyo born entrepreneur and restaurateur whose path to hospitality has been anything but ordinary. Before building one of the most respected Japanese restaurant groups in Southern California, he moved alone to the United State...
Anthony Ma - The Filmmaker Behind God & Buddha Are Friends
Anthony Ma is an award winning actor, filmmaker, and voiceover artist from Arcadia, California whose career spans television, film, animation, dubbing, and directing. On screen, he has appeared in series including Scandal, S.W.A.T., This Is Us,...
Dylan James Ho - Cantonese and Laotian Roots Through the Lens of SGV Food Culture
On this episode of the MySGV Podcast, I sit down with a Temple City raised creative who turned a lifelong love of food and travel into a full time career behind the camera and on the page. We talk about how growing up in the San Gabriel Valley ...
Deja Fabro - Infertility, Mental Health, and Finding Her Voice Through Stand Up Comedy
Deja Fabro brings big energy, sharp observations, and fearless vulnerability to this episode of the MySGV Podcast. She is a stand up comedian and expressive storyteller who uses self deprecating humor to talk about mental health, infertility, e...
David Marquez - SGV Roots, LA Eats, and the Creator Journey to @bestoffoodla
In this episode, I sit down with David Marquez, a San Gabriel Valley native who grew up in San Gabriel and built a career around the thing he has always loved most, food. We talk about how the SGV shaped his palate, why Los Angeles is one of th...
Thomas Liu - From Chaos to Clarity: Building BYOB, Loose Leaf, And Broth and Gold Banh
In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Liu, an entrepreneur whose story includes the messy parts people usually skip. He talks openly about growing up bouncing between schools, dealing with bullying and identity struggles, and how he made wron...
Michael Hamner, FAIA - East LA Roots, USC Architecture, and a Life of Service
In this episode, I sit down with D. Michael Hamner, FAIA, an architect, educator, and longtime community leader whose story starts in East Los Angeles and runs straight through Montebello and the University of Southern California. We talk about...
Emanuel Griffin - Identity, Healing, and the Work of Real Transformation
In this episode, I sit down with Emanuel Griffin, the founder of Heart2Soul Legacy, an organization built to help people navigate life’s toughest transitions through coaching, facilitation, and leadership developmentEmanuel shares how h...
Dr. Alex Cheah - Natural Results and the Truth About Modern Plastic Surgery
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alex Cheah, a plastic surgeon who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and took a long road through elite training before bringing his work back to Southern California. We talk about his early years in the SGV,...
Manuel “Mano” Agulian - From Beirut to Pasadena: Faith, Family, and Purpose
In this episode, I sit down with Manuel “Mano” Agulian, known to many as Pastor Mano, a Pasadena based pastor who leads the Armenian Christian Outreach at PazNaz and serves in Armenian Ministries. We talk about his story of leaving...
Edward "Coach Buck" Maldonado - Training Mindset and Player Development in South El Monte
In this episode, I sit down with Edward Maldonado, better known as Coach Buck, the owner of Marathon Batting Cages in South El Monte. We talk about his coaching journey and what it means to build athletes the right way, with patience, consisten...
Lupita & Dennis Ramirez - Marketing That Grows Small Businesses
In this episode, I sit down with Lupita Ramirez and Dennis Ramirez, the husband and wife team behind Think, Create & Connect, Inc., a family owned creative marketing agency that helps businesses strengthen their online presence through bran...
Shaunt Der Ohannesian - Loss, Recovery, and Carrying a Family Legacy in Pasadena
In this episode, I sit down with Shaunt Der Ohannesian, the son of Shahan Der Ohannesian and part of the family behind Lee’s Hoagie House in Pasadena. Lee’s has become a true neighborhood staple, and Shaunt now helps run day to day operations w...
Jordan "JMKM" Maldonado - From Studio Sessions to Street Food: The Unreal Poke Story
Here’s the story of a producer, creative, father, and entrepreneur who blends music, storytelling, and authentic Hawaiian food. Born and raised in Pepe‘ekeo, Hawai‘i and rooted in values of aloha and community, he moved to the San Gabriel Valle...
Dorothy Xiao - Writing, Casting, Producing: Turning Lived Experience into Cinema
Here’s the story of a first-generation Chinese American filmmaker whose roots in Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley shape every frame she makes. With a psychology degree from UCLA and a name honoring her parents’ immigration lawyer, she crafts...
Brian Cooper - Restaurant Funding Playbook: Pre-Purchased Meals for Cash Flow
Here’s a conversation with a restaurant growth operator who’s spent 20+ years at the intersection of dining, loyalty, and partnerships. From helping launch LivingSocial’s first outside sales footprint to expanding Square’s Caviar gourmet delive...
Robert Moreno - From Tragedy to Triumph: Building Youth Programs in the SGV
Here’s the story of a San Gabriel Valley nonprofit turning loss into action. Based in Covina, the Man-e Moreno Foundation was created after the death of Manuel Joseph Moreno, transforming a family tragedy into a mission to serve youth and suppo...
Chris Loos - Community Media That Works: Civic Shows, Local Impact
Here’s a conversation with a broadcast veteran who’s spent nearly 30 years in large-market media—hosting radio, interviewing icons like Eminem, Mike Tyson, Jim Brown, and Kendrick Lamar, and now operating on the executive side with a global mus...