Send us a text

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 Beirut, Lebanon and coming to the United States during the civil war, and how that journey shaped his faith, his family, and the way he thinks about purpose. We also get into what long term ministry looks like when you are trying to reach and build up the next generation.

Pastor Mano shares how ACOP focuses on Armenian youth and families and the different ways they build community, including sports, music, and even motorsports ministry.

We also explore his other world as a mechanical engineer and longtime car builder, and how craftsmanship, discipline, and persistence show up in both the garage and ministry.
______________
Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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, consistency, and real belief in the kid standing in front of you.

Coach Buck shares what he looks for when a player walks into the cage for the first time, how he simplifies the game for young athletes, and why confidence often shows up before the stats do. We get into the difference between quick tips and long term development, plus how coaches and parents can stay aligned when a player hits a rough stretch.

We get into some of the difficulties that he's experienced growing up and building the business he has today. We also talk about training culture, what productive reps actually look like, and how to create an environment where baseball and softball players want to keep showing up and putting in work. If you care about youth sports, mentorship, and community based coaching, this conversation delivers practical takeaways without the fluff.

If you are in the San Gabriel Valley and you have a player who wants to improve their swing, sharpen their approach, and train with purpose, Coach Buck breaks down the mindset that helps athletes level up and stay in love with the game.
____________
Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 brand strategy, social media management, and creative campaigns.

We talk about what it takes to elevate a brand when you are busy running the day to day of your business. Dennis shares how he thinks about brand identity, marketing strategy, and consistent messaging so businesses can show up clearly and build trust over time.

Lupita breaks down the connection side of marketing and why community relationships still matter, especially for local entrepreneurs. We also get into the community work she’s involved in, including supporting local business networks and hosting events that help organizations build awareness.

If you run a small business and you want practical insight on marketing, branding, and relationship building that leads to real growth, this conversation will give you a clear next step and a better way to think about your business online.
__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 while carrying forward what makes the place feel like home.

Shaunt opens up about his journey through addiction, and how the loss of his best friend became the turning point that helped save his life. He gets vulnerable about the darkest stretch of that season and what it took to climb out, rebuild trust, and start showing up for his future with real intention.

We also talk about family, legacy, and what it means to return to the business with a new mindset. If you’ve ever eaten at Lee’s, you know the magic: the way the team remembers people, the warmth in the room, and the feeling that you’re not just another order. Shaunt shares what it’s like to keep that standard alive while growing into his own role alongside his dad.

This is one of those conversations that sticks with you. You’ve got to tune into this episode.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 Valley in 2008 to pursue audio engineering. An internship with Doggystyle Records opened doors to collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock. By 2015 he began releasing instrumental music, earning over 2 million streams and a loyal following in the lofi and chillhop space.

In 2022 he joined the Lone Lobos Podcast as producer and on-air contributor alongside Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand. The show has since amassed millions of streams and partnered with brands like Netflix, Sony, and San Diego Comic-Con. We dig into the craft behind consistent content: building audience, managing partnerships, and keeping creative energy high across music and podcasting.

His love for food traces back to Hawai‘i and a family heritage that’s Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, and Japanese. Inspired by his grandmother’s pasteles and his parents’ home cooking, he worked with East Los Musubi in El Sereno starting in 2015 and launched Unreal Poke in December 2023—a Native Hawaiian-owned pop-up rooted in food activism and cultural authenticity. In its first year, Unreal Poke served at 80+ events including Smorgasburg LA, 626 Night Market, and 88Rising’s Head in the Clouds Festival.

Fatherhood sits at the center of it all. Since 2011 he’s focused on raising his son with traditions passed down through food and story. This episode covers the journey from studio sessions to street food, how to build a values-driven pop-up, and what cultural integrity looks like in both music and cuisine. Keywords: Hawaiian food, Native Hawaiian-owned, poke pop-up, lofi, chillhop, Doggystyle Records, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Lone Lobos Podcast, Smorgasburg LA, 626 Night Market, Head in the Clouds, East Los Musubi, San Gabriel Valley.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 grounded family dramas with a hint of fantasy—stories of resilience, friendship, and hope drawn from the immigrant communities she grew up around.

She’s directed 13 short films and contributed to more than 30 film and video projects with companies like CBS, HBO, and Disney. Along the way she earned recognition in industry pipelines and competitions, including the CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge and the 2023 CAPE Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge (presented by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions).

In this episode, we dig into process and pathway: moving from idea to script to screen, casting authentically, building a crew, and translating lived experience into universal cinema. We talk festivals and funding, pitching and partnerships, and how a filmmaker balances creative voice with the practical realities of producing in Los Angeles and the SGV.

If you care about Asian American stories, indie filmmaking, or turning personal history into powerful narrative, this conversation is for you. Keywords: Chinese American filmmaker, San Gabriel Valley, Alhambra, UCLA, independent film, short films, women in film, Asian American stories, CAPE, CBS Leadership Pipeline, representation, immigrant family drama, Los Angeles filmmaking.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 delivery in Downtown LA, he’s now at Rewards Network, where he runs dining programs for major brands across airlines, hotels, and wireless. The focus: predictable traffic, measurable spend, and cash flow that helps restaurants grow.

We break down how these dining programs actually work—enrollment, card-linked offers, and the data that proves incremental visits—plus the funding model where Rewards Network pre-purchases members’ meals up front to inject capital into restaurants. Expect practical tactics on filling seats, lifting average check, and turning occasional diners into regulars through A/B-tested offers and localized campaigns.

His path runs from Phoenix to Pasadena to North Hollywood, with stints in Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Leucadia along the way. A Northern Arizona University grad with post-grad business coursework at Pasadena City College, he moved to Pasadena in 2002 to work at Charter Media and spent eight years there. He’s a Burbank Chamber member, a longtime restaurant partner to owners across LA, and a dad to a Pasadena-born son—plus an outdoors guy who camps on his own three acres near Flagstaff.

If you’re a restaurant owner or marketer, this episode is a playbook: how to evaluate dining rewards, negotiate terms, track true lift vs. cannibalization, and stack channels (delivery, loyalty, email, social) for sustainable growth. Keywords: restaurant marketing, dining rewards, card-linked offers, customer acquisition, loyalty ROI, restaurant funding, Caviar, LivingSocial, Rewards Network, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a text

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 support families affected by violence. The focus is whole-person impact—meeting physical, mental, and academic needs while strengthening community ties.

At the center of its work is the 212 Training Center, a program designed to develop student-athletes through fitness, mentorship, and academic support. From speed and agility to study habits and character, the model pairs training with guidance so kids can win on the field, in the classroom, and at home.

The foundation also speaks to healing and prevention. Its programs extend support to families of victims of violent crime, while leadership engages local youth and partners across the SGV. It’s community work rooted in real experience—and a belief that consistent mentorship, structure, and purpose can change lives.

In this episode, we dig into how a neighborhood foundation builds programs that last: fundraising, partnerships, facilities, and the day-to-day playbook that keeps kids showing up. Keywords: Man-e Moreno Foundation, 212 Training Center, Covina, San Gabriel Valley, youth mentorship, student-athlete training, victims of violent crime support, nonprofit leadership, community programs.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com