Move the Needle

This week's episode was recorded in front of a live studio audience at the Bottle and Bean in Ocotillo.   On this episode, we sit down with brothers Jovanni and Danny, the East Valley Dream Center creators, to talk about their foundation, which started with sandwiches and chips and grew to a staff of 40 plus. This group is dedicated to helping the homeless and houseless community, among other things, and these two have big dreams of what it could do. Check out our interview with them to see how you can get involved.    Then we caught up with Spike Lawrence, partner of coffee and wine shop Bottle and Bean. If you don’t know him by name, you know him by his projects. Living Room, CHoP Chandler, The Waters at Ocotillo, and their latest endeavor, New Square Chandler. We discussed his vision for Octitillo and what brings him the most pleasure with these concepts.    Finally, we caught up with the Mayor of Chandler, Kevin Hartke. Mayor Hartke has been married for 42 years and lived in Chandler since 1985. He served as Lead Pastor at Trinity Christian Fellowship in Chandler, where he worked from 1985-2018.  Mayor Kevin Hartke began his second term in January 2023, and in our chat with him, we talked about his city winning the Battle of Burbs, his secret to a long marriage, and, of course, his vision for the future. He’s a sweet man with a pure heart, and we hope you enjoy our chat.   Learn more and become a part of our Move the Needle Podcast HERE.    Follow along on our YouTube channels and Instagram platforms.  Learn more about Mathew Blades or Steve Petz. Video captured and edited by Max Muehlhausen.  

We’re back with another episode recorded live at the D’Vine Gourmet in Chandler.  Today, we sit down with Executive Director of Elementary Education Heather Anguiano from Chandler Unified Schools, LaShay Marks, Co-Founder of Operation Thrive, and realtor of the year Darwin Wall. First, we sit down with Lashay Marks, a philanthropist in the Veteran's space. His organization is doing everything it can to support Veterans with Operation Thrive. Lashay talks about healing through movement and how he supports that with yoga, kayaking, mountain biking, and his signature event, Operation Thrive 5k.  📅 Date: November 9th, 2024 ⏰ Time: 7:30 AM 📍 Location: AJ Chandler Park   Register now and be part of the change! Let’s run, thrive, and support our heroes.  Next, we sit down with Heather to discuss the state of Chandler Unified schools and how much has changed since the pandemic. We discuss policy, budget cuts, and how schools are now so much more than academics. It’s an eye-opening interview about the challenges our educators face.   Finally, we sat down with Darwin Wall to talk about youth hockey, real estate, and his family's history in Chandler, which started years ago with his grandfather's clothing store. His signature event to raise money for breast cancer is coming up, and you can learn more about that right here. WHEN: Saturday, October 19th, 2024 CHECK IN SATURDAY – The Perch Brewery at noon – Located at 232 S Wall St, Chandler, AZ 85225   Learn more and become a part of our Move the Needle Podcast HERE.  Follow along on our YouTube channels and Instagram platforms.  Learn more about Mathew Blades or Steve Petz. Video captured and edited by Max Muehlhausen.  

Welcome to the third episode of the Move the Needle podcast! This week, we're coming to you from Foothills Golf Club in Ahwatukee with some fantastic guests. First, we welcome Kim Tarnopolski of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun. She explains their giving circles and how they're able to give $10K to local charities four times a year. Then we sit down with two of the women whose charities were direct beneficiaries of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun: 1) Michele Thorne - Co-Founder and CEO of Care 4 the Caregivers 2) Kay Wright - Co-Founder and President of Women4Women Tempe Next we talk about the biggest story in real estate with Amy Richardson of Savvy Real Estate. We also cover:  How much real estate has changed since Covid What home owners want in 2024 Why people are getting dropped from insurance because of their roof We finish our podcast with local legend John Gambadoro from Arizona Sports. We hashed out: How much money he made at his first job His favorite sports moment What he'll do when he walks away one day Meet the Hosts The Move The Needle podcast is hosted by former radio personality Mathew Blades and community catalyst Steve Petz. They spotlight extraordinary individuals dedicated to positive community impact. 

Today we sat down with Jeremy Strauss, the General Manager of the Foothills Golf Club which will be opening back up October 18th. Since it was taken over by Troon it's been closed for renovations. We talk about the work they have done to every single hole on the course as well as the updated practice facility.  To watch our podcasts, visit our YouTube channel.

Mathew and Steve sit down with two former Major League Baseball players, Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Butcher. Their new adventure, The Pizza Butcher, is a real home run. Plus, they chat with Off 87 owner Tami Butcher and D'vine Gourmet founder Denise McCreery. In this episode, you’ll hear about Shea’s rise to the top of the MLB ranks and the rock bottom moment that changed his life forever. It’s one of our favorite interviews so far and left us speechless. The conversation with Off 87 owner Tami Butcher was incredible as we learned she is a kidney donor. The story does not disappoint. We’re heading to D'vine Gourmet to record our next episode, so it was great to meet up with its founder and owner, Denise McCreery. Twenty years ago, PHX Magazine named her “One to Watch.” What she’s done with jelly and wine since then is pretty awesome. Please settle in for our second episode of Move the Needle with your hosts, Mathew Blades and Steve Petz.

Welcome to our inaugural episode of Move the Needle, recorded in front of a live studio audience at Vero Chicago Pizza in Ahwatukee. We sat down with Alex Mejia, the restaurant's owner and operator, to discuss culture, how they deal with staffing issues, and their delicious cauliflower crust pizza.  Then, we had a great conversation with Jim Prueter, an automotive and travel writer, about our first cars, the most overrated brands, and the current state of electric and hydrogen vehicles.  Our Move the Needle feature interview was with Brooke Beardall, who started Holy Yoga and now has a new adventure called Sugar Magnolia Mushrooms. It was an enlightening conversation about the power of microdosing her proprietary blend of Albino Penis Envy and Albino Avery++.  We invite you to join our next podcast taping, so please make sure you follow us on our social media platforms.   Thanks for listening :) Mathew and Steve

The mission of our podcast is to spotlight remarkable individuals through engaging interviews and inspiring stories. We aim to celebrate unsung heroes, showcase their contributions, and inspire others to join in the collective effort of building a brighter, more compassionate world. Oh, and it's gonna be fun!