Sean Puckett is a Vice President with Mechanics Bank. Mechanics Bank’s strategic merger with California Republic Bank produced California’s preeminent community bank. Mechanics Bank provides personal banking, business banking, trust, and estate services, brokerage and wealth management services through thirty-three offices across Northern California.

Richard and Sean discuss banking concerns of medium-sized businesses and how smaller community banks offer advantages over large corporate banks by saving the business time and money. They also discuss the effects of the tax cuts on businesses and the current business sentiment.

In addition to his banking duties, Sean is heavily involved in the Boys to Men Mentoring program. Sunday, September 21, 2019, will be the tenth anniversary of the 100 Wave Challenge to raise funds in support of the Boys to Men Mentoring program. Hundreds of surfers will hit the water at Mission Beach in San Diego, CA. The goal is for each surfer to attempt to catch 100 waves in one day and raise $1,000 for Boys to Men Mentoring.

In a two-pronged show, Joe Vecchio filled in for a vacationing Richard Muscio to interview CBS news veteran Scott Pelley and Dr. Gordon Saxe, founding member and Director of Research at the UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine.

Scott Pelley

Scott Pelley has been a reporter and photographer for more than 45 years. He is best known for his work on 60 Minutes and as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. Pelley’s work has been recognized with 3 DuPont-Columbia Awards, 3 Peabody Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and 37 Emmy Awards. Pelley is the most awarded correspondent in the history of 60 Minutes. He talks with Joe about some of the stories from his engaging new memoir, Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter’s Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Time, Scott Pelley writes as a witness to events that changed our world. In moving, detailed prose, he stands with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center on 9/11, advances with American troops in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reveals private moments with presidents (and would-be presidents) he’s known for decades. Pelley also offers a resounding defense of free speech and a free press as the rights that guarantee all others.

Dr. Gordon Saxe

Joe discusses with Dr. Gordon Saxe about his journey to become the Director of Research and founding member of the UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine, and co-developer of the UCSD Natural Healing & Cooking Program. Dr. Saxe is a national expert in cancer and complementary and alternative medicine, and most well-known for his pioneering work in the combined use of a plant-based diet and body-mind stress reduction to control the progression of advanced prostate cancer. As a founding member of UCSD’s Centers for Integrative Health, Dr. Saxe’s research has encompassed everything from the bacteria of the gut microbiome to complementary and alternative forms of medicine. He is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking research relating the beneficial effects on recurrent prostate cancer patients of interventions centered on body-mind stress reduction and a plant-based diet.

Complete show

Scott Pelley

Dr. Gordon Saxe

With his diverse background, people might wonder how Carl became the mystery thriller writer of Murderabilia. (Yes, “murderabilia” is a real term.) Richard and Carl discuss this and his strong philanthropic interests as well as what it takes to write an novel and get it published.

Carl Vonderau is the author of Murderabilia, a thriller that takes place in the upper crust world of private banking. Like the protagonist William McNary, Carl has been a private banker and was raised in a Christian Science family. On the other hand, his father was never a serial killer whose photos launched the “murderabilia” market. Nor did Carl’s family use Christian Science to heal his childhood illnesses—well, not most of them, anyway. Actually, Carl grew up boringly normal with two caring parents and his sister in a suburb of Cleveland. Then he went off to college in California, and things started to get more interesting. He ended up studying economics at Stanford and music at San Jose State University before he embarked on a career in banking. His career enabled him to live and work in Latin America, Canada, and North Africa and to do business in Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Carl’s love of books started in elementary school. Forbidden to watch TV after dinner, he had his head in a book almost every night. That led to ghost stories that scared the bejesus out of the other kids in his elementary school. Carl always loved to write but never had the time or money to do it full-time until recently. Carl says that fiction allows him to synthesize the seemingly contradictory parts of his life. Murderabilia combines private banking, serial murderers, and Christian Science.

Nonprofit work also inspires Carl. He is a partner at San Diego Social Venture Partners, an organization that mentors other nonprofits to reach the next level and strongly supports Traveling Stories which encourages reading, something he holds dear.

Effective networking with Rick Itzkowich. Rick Itzkowich is globally recognized as an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and networking expert. Rick is a San Diego Vistage Chair. Vistage is the world’s leading executive coaching organization. In addition, Rick is CEO of three Mexico-based steel manufacturing firms–Regiopytsa, PYTCO, and Quality Tube. As an official member of the prestigious Forbes Coaches Council, Rick is a contributing author for Forbes on trending business industry topics. Rick’s goal is to help business people bridge the gap between the two worlds of face-to-face networking and online networking for lead generation success.

RickItzkowich.com serves as a portal website for his private coaching services and proprietary products. Over the last 12 years, he has created workshops and turnkey products that meet today’s demand for tools to increase profits through referrals. His products: QuoteActions; Link Power Now; Rock-IT! Referrals; and YIKES! Workshop have generated millions of dollars in revenues for businesses worldwide.

Rick’s goal is to help business people bridge the gap between the two worlds of face-to-face networking and online networking for lead generation success. His Amazon-distributed book The Referral Playbook: How to Increase Sales with Proven Networking Strategies explains “how to” bridge the gap between the two worlds of face-to-face and online networking. Rick helps take the work out of networking lays out an action plan to put your networking skills to best use. All proceeds from his book go to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in memory of his father who passed from the disease in 2018.

On a personal note Rick was born and raised in Mexico City. He speaks five languages and has traveled to 43 countries while facilitating learning vacations. He plays on a nationally ranked baseball team. Rick resides in La Jolla, California.

Richard and Julie Heldman discuss the Original 9, her career in tennis and her mother Gladys, founder of World Tennis magazine and engineer of the Women’s Pro Tour. They also talk about how the movie “The Battle of the Sexes” differs from the true story.

Julie Heldman was a member of the Original 9. Julie Heldman was 25-years-old when she got word that the USTA was threatening to ban the nine women who were prepared to sign a $1 dollar contract with Gladys to play the Virginia Slims Invitational at the Houston Racquet Club.

In the mid-20th century, the Heldmans were tennis royalty. Julie was a volatile and gutsy tennis star, twice ranked number 5 in the world. Her mother Gladys Heldman was broadly admired for her unique magazine, World Tennis, and one of the foundational figures in the formation of women’s tennis, engineering the women’s tennis revolution. No one guessed that Gladys’s hidden emotional abuse was the source of Julie’s powerful drive.

Julie Heldman won 22 women’s tennis tournaments, with victories over all the top stars of her era, including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova. Julie represented the U.S. on two winning Federation Cup teams and at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where she won three medals, a gold, a silver, and a bronze. Her highest women’s rankings were number two in the U.S. (twice) and number five in the world (twice).

Julie’s book “Driven: A Daughter’s Odyssey” is a highly readable insider’s account of a pivotal time in women’s tennis history and an in-depth look at Gladys’s complex character, revealing the story of Julie’s interior journey, both on and off the court.

Richard welcomes Brenda Geiger of Geiger Law Offices to discuss estate planning and trusts.

Brenda Geiger is the Founder and CEO of Geiger Law Offices, P.C., a Trusts & Estates law firm which began in 2007 in North County San Diego. The firm has helped over 3,000 families to protect themselves and their wealth through innovative estate and asset protection strategies. It is also host to an annual Trusts & Estates Symposium that provides leading-edge education to allied professionals and the firm’s clients.

2019 Trusts and Estates Symposium

Brenda’s annual Trusts & Estates Symposium is being held on Thursday, May 23rd from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the beautiful Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach. Brenda Geiger, J.D. and her guest speakers are experts in trusts, asset protection, running successful businesses and in their fields are nationally known. This event is also a great opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals and get your 4 hours of MCLE or CPE credit. You can find more information about attending this popular symposium by visiting her website here.

Richard and Todd Lundbohm discuss the ever-changing world of film making, how movies get made, how movies get paid for, and the federal and state tax benefits and credits associated film financing.

Todd Lundbohm is an experienced writer with a demonstrated history of working in the motion pictures and film industry. He is skilled in Camera, Videography, Film, Documentaries, and Commercials and an arts and design professional with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) focused in Motion Picture and Television from Academy of Art University.

He is the founder of 828 Media Capital which provides “Hard Money” lending to the entertainment industry. 828 Media Capital works with filmmakers, producers, investors and sales agencies to fill out the capital stack needed to bring a project to light. They connect the dots and solve the problems that others may miss – always looking for those unique solutions. Their experience and expertise enable us to bring financial resources to projects that might otherwise be passed over by traditional lenders.

Joseph Metcalf is the Founder and Creative Director of Arise Design + Brand in San Diego, CA. Arise Design + Brand is a Visual and Web Design Firm that specializes in brand consulting and web design. They partner with ambitious companies to craft indelible brand experiences. They also help responsible, change-making organizations make their global impact by crafting indelible user-centric brand experiences.

Joseph is passionate about making a positive impact in the world by using design and branding as a tool to advance efforts ecology, human justice, and social equality and has woven those philosophies into the company’s values. To that end, Arise Design + Brand has introduced Thankful Thursday as an effort to support the organizations and communities that strive to make the world a better place. Every 3rd Thursday of every month Arise Design + Brand randomly select one of their clients to choose a non-profit organization to support. The clients choose one from Arise Design + Brand’s curated list of hard-working local and global non-profit organizations and a donation is made to them in the client’s name.

Outside of the office, Joe enjoys time with family and friends, travel and physical challenges like triathlon and aerial arts.

Anthony Lombardi joins Richard to discuss the Advanced Tax Planning Institute and the Lombardi Family Office and what a family office a does.

Since 1995, Anthony Lombardi has been developing and perfecting a business model whose primary focus is to assist leading CPAs and Attorneys to operate their practice more efficiently, to deliver maximum value to their very best clients, and to enjoy organic growth. One of Mr. Lombardi’s special and unique abilities is developing relationships and teaching “The Art of the Relationship” to CPAs and Advisors.

The Advanced Tax Planning Institute’s 19th semi-annual conference will help CPAs to serve wealthy families from all over the country to become more intentional with the life they’ve been given — while enjoying the journey of their affluence. The conference features speakers from among the most forward-thinking and brightest professionals in their field, and attendees leave motivated to transform their practices into businesses that serve their life, including your host, Richard Muscio.

The Lombardi Family Office helps clients make a significant impact on the lives of their best clients while helping them live the significant life they were created to live.

Jeff Severson owns Money Mailer of Northern San Diego a leader in direct mail marketing. Severson is a dedicated marketing veteran with over sixteen years of experience working for large advertising agencies, spearheading a number of experiential and multi-facetted campaigns for a wide variety of well-known brands including Gillette, PlayStation and Animal Planet.

According to a recent study by eMarketer, print coupons are still king, as almost 80 percent of U.S. internet users who were polled said that they use paper coupons. As small businesses continue to seek out the most effective ways to drive brand awareness, bring in new customers and increase sales with existing customers, Money Mailer of Northern San Diego is eager to partner with local businesses in the North County area to help them boost their bottom line. Money Mailer offers local businesses a unique portfolio of marketing solutions to reach consumers in the mail, online and on their mobile phones. The Money Mailer mobile application, which is available for iPhone and Android users, allows consumers to access endless coupons in just two quick finger taps.

Jeff grew up in Oceanside and cares a lot about our community. As part of his effort to help the local community Jeff is starting a new program offering free ads for local charities in his mailers. Contact Jeff at 858-276-8775 or visit his website for more information.