Live Here Riverside

While a fresh coat of paint might be a good start to liven up your living space, it's a far cry from the way a professional interior designer can transform not only the aesthetics of your space but also the way your family uses it.My guest today is Aimee Sahlas. Aimee is the owner of Style Design Sahlas, an interior design and consulting firm located right here in Riverside.In our conversation, we discuss Aimee's return to Riverside after growing up here in town, how she's successfully combined her construction background and love of design into her current business, and how the people who are there for you no matter what make Riverside such a special place to live.Without further ado, here's my conversation with our neighbor, Aimee Sahlas.

While Riverside's history and charm is easy to see, it takes a special business owner to see the unique potential that our small village in the forest offers. Luck for us, our guest today saw that potential when he decided to branch out on his own in Riverside. My guest today is Joel Alejandro. Joel is the owner of Mago's Styling Cave, a new barber shop located right here in downtown Riverside. In our conversation, we discuss Joel's start in and passion for barbering, how commuting through Riverside led to Joel opening his barber shop here, and how Riverside's strong sense of community has already made him feel welcome in our little village. I really enjoyed learning more about Joel's vision for his barbershop in Riverside and I think you will too.

As generations of Riverside families with young children have done before us, we took the plunge – pun intended! – and joined Riverside Swim Club (RSC) this summer. And if our daughter's excitement level on opening day about having a group of her local friends to play and swim all summer with was any indication of what lies ahead, we're confident we've made a good investment. Assuming we weren't the only family in Riverside looking to learn more about the pool, I reached out to Chris Porter, a long-time board member and current president of Riverside Swim Club. In our conversation, we discuss how Chris and his family found their way to Riverside and how a neighbor's encouragement lead to Chris volunteering for the RSC board. Chris also shares a brief history of the pool, what's on tap for this upcoming summer, and why young families should consider joining the pool to tap into a built-in community of family fun. I really enjoyed learning more about the pool and I think you will too. Here's my conversation with our neighbor Chris Porter.

​April is Riverside Junior Woman's Charity (RJWC) month here at Live Here Riverside. We are highlighting the many great things that the Juniors do right here in Riverside in three mini episodes featuring three different members and their stories. My third guest in this special series is Christine Long, a native of Riverside and a long standing member of the Riverside Junior Woman's Charity. In our conversation, we discuss Christine's experience growing up in Riverside, how the charitable component of the Juniors is what initially attracted her to the group, and her appreciation of the many forms of kindness shown both within the Juniors and through out Riverside. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Christine Long.

​April is Riverside Junior Woman's Charity (RJWC) month here at Live Here Riverside. We are highlighting the many great things that the Juniors do right here in Riverside in three mini episodes featuring three different members and their stories. My second guest in this special series is Ashley Prosser. Ashley currently serves as the Vice President of Member Services for the Riverside Junior Woman's Charity. In our conversation, we discuss how Ashley and her family found their way to Riverside, how her mother's experience with a similar organization lead to her joining the Juniors, and how Riverside's walkability, proximity, and neighborly vibe works well for her and her family. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Ashley Prosser.

April is Riverside Junior Woman's Charity (RJWC) month here at Live Here Riverside. We are highlighting the many great things that the Juniors do right here in Riverside in three mini episodes featuring three different members and their stories. My first guest in this special series is Joanne Schiemann. Joanne currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for the Riverside Junior Woman's Charity. In our conversation, we discuss how Joanne and her family found their way to Riverside, how she values her involvement with the Juniors as a stay at home mom, and why she decided to join the Board to do even more to help make the Juniors thrive. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Joanne Schiemann.

One of my favorite parts of this podcast has been meeting so many of our neighbors with successful niche businesses that we might not have otherwise known about and getting to share their story. Today's guest is yet another great example. My guest today is Romney Cirillo. Romney is the founder and owner of Something Fishy, an aquarium installation, design, and maintenance company serving the greater Chicagoland area. ​In our conversation, we discuss how Romney found his way to Riverside and how a summer internship in corporate America was all it took to know he wanted to run his own company. He also shares his plans for expanding Something Fishy to provide mobile aquarium therapy at children's hospitals here in Chicago and potentially across the United States. I hope you enjoy getting to know our new neighbor Romney Cirillo.

Time is a luxury item for parents with small children so whenever you can knock out multiple things at the same time, it's a big bonus. That idea is something that today's guest kept in mind when launching her latest business. Nina Makovski is the owner of Waterlemon Kids, a one of a kind indoor play, coffee, and boutique shop located nearby in downtown La Grange, IL. ​In our conversation, we discuss how Nina and her family decided to leave LA returning to their midwest roots when their daughter was born, how their desire to provide a place with something for everyone in the family lead to opening WaterLemon Kids, and how Riverside has delivered in spades providing the neighborly interactions and small town experiences that they were missing out west. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Nina Makovski.

Is there anything better than having a neighbor & friend that brews their own beer? While you might be inclined to say no, you could have neighbor & friend that runs & owns a local brewery. My guest today is Ike Orcutt. Ike is the co-founder and head brewer at BuckleDown Brewing, a local small craft brewery conveniently located right next door in Lyons, IL. In our conversation, we discuss how Riverside's unique footprint on Google Maps lead Ike and his family to Riverside, how he transitioned from home brewing and working in advertising to starting a brewery with a former client of his, and how his business and family prioritize giving back locally through their involvement with the Riverside Junior Woman's Charity. I think you'll enjoy getting to know our neighbor Ike Orcutt.

As we get into the swing of things here in 2019, you're probably not alone if getting in better shape found it's way on your New Year's Resolutions list. If you're tired of DIY fitness or are looking to add something new to your workout schedule, you'll really want to know about today's guest. With over 16 years of experience in the health and nutrition industry, Jerry Owen is a licensed nutritionist and leading Chicago personal fitness trainer who has trained five professional fighters and six marathon competitors. He owns and operates Jerry Owen Strength + Conditioning in nearby Countryside, IL. In our conversation, we discuss how Jerry's curiosity ultimately lead him from his hometown in Florida to Chicago and eventually to Riverside, his diverse background in acting, strength training and nutrition, and how he fell in love with Riverside's small town charm and even joined a popular neighborhood band. I know you'll enjoy getting to know our neighbor Jerry Owen.

Amazon, Microsoft, Disney, and Apple - all started out of a garage. While today's guests aren't quite yet a multi-national behemoth, their business story also began in a garage as a passion project and has experienced tremendous business growth ever since. Andrea & Anthony Vizzari are the co-founders of A&A Studios Inc., a multi-faceted creative studio capturing the golden age of the photobooth. As the "Photobooth Architects", Andrea & Anthony provide custom digital design and analog restoration of photobooths. In our conversation, we discuss how Andrea & Anthony found their way to Riverside, how their backgrounds in architecture, photography, and design and Andrea's love of photobooths lead to starting their business, and how they've fallen in love with Riverside's small town charm while enjoying easy access to the city for their business needs. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbors Andrea & Anthony Vizzari.

Despite being a village of only 9,000 residents, Riverside seems to be full of folks doing interesting things within their chosen profession who also make time to give back to the small village we call home. Today's guest is another fine example of someone who excels in doing both. Shari Klyber is the director of the Early Childhood Development program at Principle Dance in nearby Forest Park and also serves on the Riverside District 96 School Board. In our conversation, we discuss Shari's experience growing up around the country and how her background in physiology led to her current role at Principle Dance. We also learn about Principle Dance's beginnings in Riverside and how Shari's desire to bring a teacher's perspective to the school board lead to her decision to volunteer & run. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Shari Klyber.

Riverside as a whole seems like a place where everybody knows your name but if you're looking for a spot in town where that's especially true, look no further than today's guest and her business. Kristen Phelan Swiderski is one of the new co-owners of 34 East Lounge, Riverside's longest standing neighbor bar and lounge located right in downtown Riverside by the Water Tower. In our conversation, we discuss how Kristen knew at a young age that she was destined to live in Riverside, how her husband's desire to keep his favorite bar stool started the wheels in motion to purchase the bar, and how they are committed to making 34 East Lounge a family friendly gathering place for everyone here in Riverside. I think you'll really enjoy getting to know our neighbor Kristen Phelan Swiderski.

Riverside has no shortage of creative folks building new & interesting businesses and today's guest is another great example. Grey Ingram and his wife Lauren are the creative geniuses beyond Loud Mouth Food Bikes, one of Chicago's first food bike businesses specializing in locally sourced gourmet hot dogs & sausages. In our conversation, we discuss Grey's small-town Southern roots, the highly competitive advertising world that lead to developing a plan B, how they came up with the food bike concept and took Loud Mouth Food Bikes from a vision to reality, and how our community can help make sure this cool new business not only survives but thrives. I hope you enjoy getting to know our neighbor Grey Ingram.

When you have a conversation with someone that is so genuine and real, it's hard not to walk away feeling recharged & refreshed. And that's the exact feeling I got from my conversation with our guest today. ​ Sarah VenHorst is the owner of CC Wellness Solutions, a new community focused wellness center offering adolescent & women's health counseling, reiki, and creative life coaching right here in downtown Riverside. ​In our conversation, we discuss Sarah's journey from English teacher to school counselor to private practice, how and why she started her practice before leaving her previous role, and how her desire to provide a place of community and well-being right here in Riverside inspired her to launch her own business and build out additional service offerings. I really enjoyed getting to know our neighbor Sarah VenHorst and I think you will too.

"Luck is a matter of preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca My guest today - Erin Ahern of EA Beauty - has taken her opportunities along the way and turned them into a thriving bridal hair business. In our conversation, we discuss Erin's decision to become a hair stylist, how a serendipitous opportunity lead to her focus on weddings, the unique way her and her husband picked out Riverside as their home, and how Riverside acts as her recluse from the intense demands of her industry. I think you'll really enjoy getting to know our neighbor Erin Ahern.

I first met today's guest through my daughter's school. Then, in typical small-town Riverside fashion, we proceeded to seemingly run into each all over town. Once we got to talking and I learned more about her business, I knew her story would be a great one to share. Suzanne Muirheid is a co-founder of Mindful Wellness Therapy. Located right next door to Riverside in the Berwyn Depot District, Mindful Wellness was founded in 2016 with the vision of becoming a community resource to help people feel better and lead more fulfilling lives. In our conversation, we discuss how Suzanne and her family choose Riverside based on it's community feel and her small-town roots, how an interest in social work lead her to counseling, and how her combined desire to give back to her community & being from a family of entrepreneurs ultimately lead to the formation of Mindful Wellness. I hope you enjoy my conversation with our neighbor Suzanne Muirheid.

When I started the Riverside Newcomers Facebook group, it wasn't intentionally done to discover folks to feature on this podcast but I quickly realized it would help me do just that. It's been a pleasure to spread the word about new folks who are doing great things here in Riverside and today's guest is no exception. Apryl Chapman-Konar and her family are fairly recent arrivals here to Riverside. Apryl is the owner of Raising Blossoms Photography, where she specializes in natural, lifestyle photography. In our conversation, we discuss how a job change brought Apryl and her family from California to Riverside, how the Riverside Area Mom's Facebook group helped her realize Riverside was the right spot for her family, and what it's like growing her business one connection at a time in a new community. I hope you enjoy my conversation with our new neighbor Apryl Chapman-Konar.

Riverside Arts Weekend (RAW) is coming up on Saturday, May 19th & Sunday, May 20th in Guthrie Park and this year marks the 11th annual RAW. Board member Jill Mateo was kind enough to spend some time talking with me about the history of RAW and also shared what's in store for this years event. You won't want to miss this great kickoff to spring right here in Riverside.

Many people over the years have been drawn to Riverside through their love of our pastoral setting & historical homes. My guest today first noticed Riverside's downtown on a train ride years ago and our unique architecture clearly stuck with him as his family now calls Riverside home. David Pollard is an architect and co-founder of Liv Companies, a design & build firm that specializes in residential remodels, additions, and custom homes. You might have noticed some of his work as Liv Companies has completed a number of projects right here in Riverside. In our conversation, we discuss how David made his way from Virginia to Chicago, how his noticing our Water Tower while on the train years ago ultimately lead to his family moving to Riverside, the unique approach Liv Companies uses to simplify the design & build process, and how David and his family appreciate how much our community has welcomed them with open arms. I hope you enjoy my conversation with our neighbor David Pollard.