podcast

Jun 04

Faith Martin

By Chrissy Bernal Music, Podcast, TV No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re talking with the incredible Faith Martin, a woman who proves that life doesn’t slow down after 60; it just gets more interesting.

You might know her from her voice on the radio, her music, or her appearance on The Golden Bachelor. Her journey is inspiring, funny, and full of heart. We talk about reinvention, connection, and why saying YES to life is the best move you can make. Listen now!

This episode is sponsored by:

(Effortless solution to your junk removal needs!)

In this episode:

Why her guitar collection means so much (yes, there’s a Jimi Hendrix story!)
How she landed her first radio job with zero experience
What surprised her most about The Golden Bachelor
What it’s like broadcasting live from a horse trailer!

Quotations:

“It is a funny thing about guitars. They call your name. They haunt you. You could walk into three music stores and never be pulled to one guitar. And then you’ll find one that calls your name and you can’t think about anything but it.” ~ Faith Martin

“I’ve been doing radio ever since I was 18. And it truly has all been, always been about the music and the people.” ~ Faith Martin

“I always live my life by heart.” ~ Faith Martin

“It is a really wonderful thing that people can care about each other as complete and total strangers when they can find something to identify with that other person over. So that is what radio is. It’s all about that.” ~ Faith Martin

“I felt free in the fact that I can do with so little and still be completely happy.” ~ Faith Martin

“I think there are some things that all of us can relate to. So I try to keep my show kind of relatable.” ~ Faith Martin

“I think music just was what soothed my soul, and so it meant so much to me. I can hear a guitar solo that can just drop me to the floor. Music is so powerful in my being that it consumed me, and so I wanted to be good at it.” ~ Faith Martin

Bio:

Faith Martin is a vibrant 60-year-old radio host, musician, former high school teacher, and beloved personality from The Golden Bachelor. Born and raised in the mountains of Santa Cruz, California, Faith has spent her life in front of microphones, whether as a radio host, TV news anchor, podcaster, or classroom teacher.

She began her radio career in Provo, Utah, and spent a decade on-air in Salt Lake City before settling in Tri-Cities, Washington, in 1990. Today, she hosts three nationally syndicated radio shows and a lively podcast that dives into the joys and curveballs of modern dating.

Outside the studio, Faith is a thrill-seeker who lives life to the fullest. From diving with sharks and riding motorcycles to horseback adventures in the countryside, she finds freedom in movement and music. A talented singer and guitarist, she’s never far from her instruments, or her animals.

Faith is the proud mother of two sons and adoring grandmother to five grandchildren, who she says are the greatest loves of her life. She also cherishes time with her horses, two dogs, and, of course, her ever-growing guitar collection.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://www.thefaithmartin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithsmartin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fmfaithmartin35

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fmfaithmartin35

May 28

Love22

Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch Brewery

By Chrissy Bernal Booze, Business, Music, Podcast One Comment

This week on Here’s What We Know, Gary shares a pint (and some amazing stories) with Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch Brewery! From a teen trip to Germany that changed his life to crafting beers for big names like Sammy Hagar, Ryan Reynolds, and Trader Joe’s, Dan’s journey is equal parts inspiring and entertaining.

Plus, they dig into the heart of brewing, why music and beer are surprisingly connected, and how to do Oktoberfest the right way.

Whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast or just love a good story about pursuing your passion and inspiration, this episode is for you! Give it a listen, and maybe crack open a cold one while you do!

This episode is sponsored by:

In this Episode:

How a 15-year-old’s trip to Germany sparked a lifelong career
The science behind consistent, quality beer making
What it’s like brewing for Trader Joe’s, Kirkland, Betty Buzz, and beyond
How Dan’s music background shapes teamwork and creativity in business
Tips for Oktoberfest (and what to eat with your beer!)

Quotations:

“Every day is an adventure.” ~ Dan Gordon

“I play jazz. I’m a jazz guy and I still play professionally, and it is what keeps me sane.” ~ Dan Gordon

“If your kids are gonna learn an instrument, French horn and bassoon are the best two instruments for getting into a college of your choice. Every university is always short on those two instruments. It’s the fastest path to an acceptance into a great university.” ~ Dan Gordon

“It turned out I love manufacturing. Even though we were making canned fruit and tomatoes, I loved everything about it. I loved every industrial machinery that was processing, all the things involved with it.” ~ Dan Gordon

“So, just when we’re talking about the quality of beer, you can always make a great beer. That’s the first and foremost thing. But then, how it’s handled after it’s been brewed. Fresher is better. That’s one of the big things. Low oxygen fills; it has to have no oxygen contact. And that’s only done by using really high-quality German fillers. Those are critical. And then avoidance of heat and light is also critical too. Those are what keep beer in good shape.” ~ Dan Gordon

“Cooking is king.” ~ Dan Gordon

Bio:

Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch, has earned a reputation as one of America’s leading brewing engineers. As the director of brewing operations for Gordon Biersch, he supervises the state-of-the-art brewing and bottling facility in San Jose, CA.

Gordon is the first American in more than 40 years to graduate from the prestigious five-year brewing engineering program at the world-renowned Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan, West Germany. Before earning his brewing engineer’s degree there in 1987, he interned at Spaten Brewery in Munich and served as a technical translator at Lowenbrau Consulting.

Gordon, who was born in San Jose in 1960, entered the program after earning a resource economics degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982 and spending a year as an exchange student at the Georg August University in Gottingen, Germany. He also worked for at the Anheuser Busch brewery in Fairfield, CA to gain the brewing experience he needed to apply to the Technical University of Munich.

After completing the world’s most advanced brewing program, Gordon returned to California and joined forces with restaurateur Dean Biersch to take advantage of a new state law allowing brewery restaurants. In 1988, the partners opened their first Gordon Biersch brewery restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif.

In the decade since, Gordon Biersch and the concept it pioneered have both expanded dramatically. But Gordon still makes sure his beloved lagers — Pilsner, Märzen, Hefeweizen, and Blonde Bock plus seasonal beers — are brewed in strict accordance with the German purity laws. He uses only the finest ingredients, including Hallertauer hops and a pure strain yeast culture from the Weihenstephan yeast bank.

A lesser known attribute is Dan’s musical background as a jazz trombonist. Accomplished on both tenor and bass trombone he has had recorded with Michael Davis on Absolute Trombone II and Curtis Campbell’s Blues album “Live at the Sweetwater.” As an undergrad exchange student in Göttingen, Germany, Dan spent more time playing in the jazz clubs as opposed to studying and his jazz rock group was featured in a concert at the Deutches Theater (German National Theater). He continues to be active in the Bay Area jazz scene performing with numerous contemporary big bands and combos. Gordon grew up in Los Altos and attended Homestead High School whose famed music program was under the lead Rory Snyder.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://gordonbiersch.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-gordon-6429916/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/gordonbierschbrewingco/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gordonbierschbrewco/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gordonbierschbrewco

May 21

Love26

Sam LaCrosse

By Chrissy Bernal Business, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re welcoming back our very first three-time guest, Sam LaCrosse! From Olympic athletes to comedians, we’ve had some incredible conversations—but Sam always brings fresh, thought-provoking insights.

If you’re looking for an honest, down-to-earth conversation about life, business, relationships, and staying true to your values—this episode is for you.

This episode is sponsored by:

(Effortless solution to your junk removal needs!)

In this episode:

The power of consistency in content creation and how it’s helped Sam (and can help you too!) stay ahead.
His bold leap from corporate life to building the Value Economics Academy—and scaling it with heart.
A candid chat on modern dating dynamics and the rise of the “passport bros” movement.
Why Sam believes therapy culture sometimes replaces valuable family conversations, and how self-reliance plays a role.
Insightful tips for entrepreneurs on building businesses that stay true to personal values.
A heartfelt look at how parenting is often misunderstood in today’s society as a “burden” instead of a source of fulfillment.

Quotations:

“The only reason I’m really able to compete is because of something like that. I don’t think I’m outwardly special or talented or anything like that. It’s just that I work really, really, really hard, and I work a lot. And I think that over time, the quantity and the strategy of applying that quality are really, really essential in many ways.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“I think that you get to a certain threshold of winning. And when you get past that, you just start to win more.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“The future is going to be made by people who. own all of their own stuff and who have the most amount of freedom possible. And you just can’t be as free as you want to if you’re beholden to somebody else who really controls your pocketbook, your health insurance, you know, all of those types of things. If you want to make a truly sizable impact, you need to be free from those things.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“What can I do to become more sovereign? What can I do to own more of my own stuff? And I think that, you know, that’s the thing that I’ve been really chasing after for the longest time.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“I have sovereignty in the way that I live my life. I don’t have to necessarily answer to anybody, but you know, I’m a Christian, so I answer to God, and that’s it. And I don’t want it to be any more of those things. I don’t want anybody to kind of have a say inside of, you know, my life that I don’t respect, that doesn’t share my values.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“I want to make other people happy. I want to serve other people. I want to throw all my resources behind other people.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“Politics is not your values, but politics in a lot of ways is a reflection of your values in certain ways.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“We are a reflection of our behaviors and the choices that we adopt.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“The more you focus on yourself, the more you ruminate, the more you think about what your life is and is not, the more miserable you will be. That is 100 % of everything of how, it’s going to be.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

“We use the process of value economics to help. create or people accomplish the biggest goal in their life or solve the biggest problem they have going on in their life.” ~ Sam LaCrosse

Bio:

According to Sam, Sam LaCrosse is a nobody. He hasn’t done anything amazing. He is not extraordinary or impressive. He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia entry. He’s just an ordinary guy from Cleveland, Ohio, who now lives an ordinary life in Austin, Texas. But if you want to check him out, he’s the author of “Value Economics: The Study of Identity, writes blogs on dontreadthisblog.com, and hosts Don’t Listen to This Podcast. Sam is the CEO and founder of Don’t Do This, LLC, which makes no money. He is also a board member of Thrive Living Corporation and an ambassador for RallyCap Sports.

Guest Contact Info:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsamlax/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realsamlax/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@realsamlax

May 14

Love33

Felipe Esparza

By Chrissy Bernal Comedian, Fun, Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re rolling with the laughs—and some heartfelt moments—with the hilarious and down-to-earth Felipe Esparza! Felipe joins us ahead of his sold-out show at the San Jose Civic (May 10!), and we dive into everything from his early days at the San Jose Improv to what it’s like raising a stepson who’s enthusiastically trying to embrace his Mexican roots (despite being very white).

Whether you’ve been a Felipe fan for years or you’re just getting to know him, this episode is full of laughs, real talk, and the kind of heart that sticks with you. Listen now!

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!)

(Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!)

In this episode:

How Felipe transforms personal pain into laugh-out-loud comedy
Hilarious dating stories featuring “smart women with low standards”
Lessons from comedy greats like Richard Pryor
A peek into his hit podcast, What’s Up Fool? and History for Fools
Behind-the-scenes look at the art of stand-up, comedic timing, and joke crafting

Quotations:

“ I’ve never been with a woman who didn’t have a degree in my life.” ~ Felipe Esparza

“ You could just make anything sound funny just the way you say it, or the timing, or you put the right word in.” ~ Felipe Esparza

“When I’m learning about standup, I learned that, um, if you end a word with a letter K, it’s funnier than any other word.” ~ Felipe Esparza

Bio:

Felipe Esparza is not just your average comedian – he’s a force of nature on stage, leaving audiences in stitches with his wild stories and real world experiences that make up his material. Since winning NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2010, Felipe has worked hard to solidify his place among the top touring headliners working today.

With four successful stand-up specials under his belt at HBO and Netflix and his popular “What’s Up Fool? Podcast”, holding steady as a top comedy podcast for the last ten years, fans have gotten to know Felipe and the world he comes from, and they want more. They are flocking to his live shows to be part of the total experience. With Felipe’s new “At My Leisure” Tour launching fall of 2024, he’ll be going international for the first time, to include Australia, New Zealand, Canada and several European dates to close out the year. Felipe’s infectious energy and undeniable charm make every live performance an unforgettable experience.

In addition to his stand-up success, Felipe has started to make a name for himself on the small and big screens. With recurring roles on hit TV shows such as “Superstore”, “The Eric Andre Show”, “Gentefied”, and “Victor and Valentino”, as well as appearances in films including “Guest House” with Pauly Shore, “7th & Union” with Omar Chaparro, “Daddy Daughter Trip” with Rob Schneider, and “You People” with Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill, Felipe has proven himself to be a versatile and talented performer.

Felipe will be working on his 5th stand-up special during this new tour, promising even more laughs and unforgettable moments. With a slew of exciting projects on the horizon, Felipe shows no signs of slowing down.