Critical Mass Business Talk Show | Orange County’s Longest-Running Business Talk Show Ric Franzi | Critical Mass Business Talk Show

Jairo “JC” Carrion immigrated to the United States in 1986, fleeing political persecution from his native country, Nicaragua. He has over 25 years of experience in the recruitment industry and has partnered with leading organizations across a wide range of industries, including Life Sciences, Financial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Autonomous Driving.
myTOD is the fulfillment of a commitment made 33 years ago after Carrion's first experience with a recruiting agency where he struggled to get traditional recruiters to see his true talent. He felt the frustration of being placed in unsuitable roles and swore the same experience wouldn’t happen to others in the future.
The model at myTOD is built on values that come straight from the heart, forged through real-life experiences, and fueled by a passion for disrupting the world of talent acquisition. It is also built on the promise to pay back for the mentorship and support he received throughout his career as a young professional. myTOD is committed to nurturing the talent of 1,000 disadvantaged teenagers by 2025, and 10,000 by 2032.
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Join us as we celebrate 15 incredible years of Orange County's longest-running business talk show. In our 1500th episode, host Ric Franzi interviews three distinguished guests who have made significant impacts on the Orange County business community.
Meet Our Esteemed Guests:
Paul Roberts, Creator of OC Talk Radio: As the creator of OC TALK RADIO, Paul Roberts pioneered Orange County's only online business radio station and live podcasting platform. His innovative approach to live podcasting earned an Industry Innovator Award from Radio World magazine in 2018. Paul also serves as a Digital Media Consultant for the SBA's Small Business Development Center, helping businesses amplify their stories through digital media.
Rebecca Hall, Founder of Idea Hall: Rebecca Hall is the founder of Idea Hall, and has led the agency in delivering purpose-led creative communications for 21 years. Her nearly 30 years of experience includes leading international, national, and local branding, PR, and marketing programs. Rebecca serves as the Executive Vice Chair of Chapman University’s Board of Governors and is also the President Elect for the Orange County Business Council. Her influence and dedication to community service have earned her recognition in the Orange County Business Journal’s OC500 every year since its inception in 2017.
Peter J. Brennan, Executive Editor at the Orange County Business Journal: With a career spanning over 40 years in journalism, Peter J. Brennan has authored over 30,000 articles for prestigious publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Die Welt. He's written headlines and articles that have moved the market capitalization of publicly traded companies by hundreds of millions of dollars. Currently, he serves as the Executive Editor at the Orange County Business Journal, where he oversees coverage of an economy the size of Finland.
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

As Chief Executive Officer of Waymakers, Ronnetta Johnson has taken a visionary approach to the future of an agency that has served the Orange County community for 50 years. From a rebranding effort, which changed the agency name and messaging to a change in the leadership structure, from program expansion to facilitation of staff and board development, Johnson has focused on strategies that will ensure the agency’s vital services will be available for future generations.
Johnson originally joined Waymakers in 1995. Within the agency, she has held the positions of Program Director for Victim Assistance Programs, Director of Human Resources, Director of Victim Assistance Programs, and since 2015 Chief Executive Officer. During her tenure with Waymakers, Johnson has been instrumental in founding Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, establishing a crisis response team for mass victimization, opening two new crisis residential shelters, and expanding the youth development programs. Additionally Johnson has been a leader in the curriculum development and implementation of training programs for crime victim advocates throughout the State of California. Through her efforts, in partnership with her amazing team members, Waymakers has gained national, state, and local recognition for best practice service models.
Johnson is committed to mentoring and professional development for future generations of leaders and this commitment goes beyond the confines of Waymakers, sharing her expertise regionally and statewide. Johnson’s involvement with the California Crime Victims Assistance Association (CCVAA) spans almost three decades. Over the years, she held many positions in the Association, including President. Currently she is a member of the CCVAA Training Committee and serves as a core member of the curriculum development and implementation team. In Orange County, she is an Executive Coach for the Fieldstone Leadership Network. She has been a Director on the Coast Community College District Foundation Board since 2019, recently elected Board Chair.
Johnson holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership with a certificate in servant leadership from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Utah.
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.
Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m
#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Meghan Medlin’s career reflects a profound commitment to community service and transformative leadership. With over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, she founded Medlin Workforce & Reentry Solutions (MWRS) in 2019 and the Hub for Integration, Reentry & Employment (H.I.R.E.) in 2020.
Under her leadership, H.I.R.E. has made a significant impact, assisting over 123 individuals in its inaugural year in 2021 and now serving over 700 people annually. MWRS has also thrived, earning recognition as the emerging Woman-Owned Business of the Year in 2021.
In 2024, Medlin is leading an initiative to integrate H.I.R.E. and MWRS under one roof, creating a comprehensive “one-stop shop” for reentry and workforce development services in Orange County. Her participation in initiatives like the Stepping Up Initiative, OC Cares, Continuum of Care Board, SB 823, Ban the Box and numerous others highlights Medlin’s comprehensive approach to community betterment.
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.
Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m
#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

Douglas Freeman is the CEO and Executive Chair of Orange County Music and Dance, a nonprofit community performing arts school in Irvine, California. Doug comes to this role after a long career as a lawyer, businessman, civic leader and philanthropist. He served in a variety of capacities within the nonprofit field, including Board Chair of the Pacific Symphony, where he is now a Lifetime Trustee, and Board Member, now Trustee Emeritus, at the California Institute of the Arts. He was also Board Chair of the UCI Foundation and Founding Board Chair of The Literacy Project. He is currently the Chair and President of the Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation and of the Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation.
Doug has received a number of awards and recognitions, including being listed by the Orange County Business Journal on its inaugural 500 Most Influential People in Orange County (2016) and again in 2020. In 2019, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award. In 2015, he received the Orange County Boy Scouts of America Men of Character Award and in 2006, he received the University of California, Irvine, UCI Medal. Doug is the founder of National Philanthropy Day, proclaimed by Congress, signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and celebrated throughout the United States. He served in the Air Force, active duty and reserves, from 1971-1981.
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.
Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m
#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning

His name is Jonathan Brambles, but you can call him The Email Guy. After 16 years of hands-on automation architecture in Silicon Valley, he started his LLC in 2023 to fill an industry void that marketing agencies have been fumbling for decades — quality programs not built by interns.
As an x-mechanical engineer and vintage automotive racer, Jonathan takes the same ‘zero-failure’ principles of success at the race track, and uses them to implement sophisticated eco-systems for his clients. He takes pride in not outsourcing to third world countries or handing clients off to interns. “If something’s worth doing, do it right.”
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Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at Renaissance Executive Forums Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.
Catch up on past Critical Mass Business Talk Show interviews...
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHKT2gmF
LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2PzRhjQ
Podbean: https://lnkd.in/eWpNVRi
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gRd_863w
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gruexU6m
#orangecountyca #mastermind #ceopeergroups #peergroups #peerlearning