Talking Local

Think Local
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business

Talking Local: The Think Local First Podcast In our very first episode of Talking Local, Think Local First board members Ryan Buckholdt and Anthony Guajardo sit down with Brian Upton from Santa Cruz Vibes to unpack the spirit — and strategy — behind this year’s Think Local for the Holidays campaign. We talk about why “local” isn’t just a December slogan, but a year-round muscle that keeps our community strong. Then we hit the streets, visiting beloved Santa Cruz shops and makers to hear directly from the people who pour themselves into this county every single day. What do the holidays mean to them? How do they stay rooted in community values even in the busiest season of the year? And why does choosing local — in small, consistent ways — matter more than ever? This episode is part storytelling, part celebration, and part reminder: our local economy is made of real people, real families, and real dreams. When we choose them, we all rise. Welcome to Talking Local. Let’s kick this thing off the right way.

Episodes

  1. Jul 16

    Carina Reid: What If Your Shadows Are Your Strength

    You can hear it in Carina Reid’s voice: she’s not selling a perfect comeback story, she’s telling the truth about what it takes to survive and rebuild. Karina grew up around addiction, felt different early, and learned how quickly alcohol and drugs can turn from “escape” into identity. We walk through the tough parts without flinching, because real empathy starts when we stop pretending the road to the streets is simple.  From rehab cycles to the shock of pregnancy and the responsibility of motherhood, Carina explains how recovery actually works day to day: community, meetings, sponsors, tiny actions that feel impossible at first, and the long, slow return of emotions. She shares the moment she hit bottom in 2007, the decision to stay in treatment longer, and what “no days off” sobriety looks like in real life. If you care about mental health, substance use disorder, and what resilience looks like beyond motivational posters, this conversation is packed with lived insight.  Then we shift into Santa Cruz small business lessons. Carina describes how movement became her lifeline, how an unexpected cardio kickboxing class launched her coaching path, and why her “secret sauce” is vulnerability and creating a safe space. When COVID shut everything down, she built Fuel Fitness from her living room with donation-based workouts, pivoted to Zoom, reinvested fast, opened a studio, then had to pivot again when redevelopment broke her lease. The result is a powerful local collaboration and a reminder that community is the real heartbeat of any brand.  If Carina’s story helps you, share this episode with someone who needs hope, then subscribe, leave a review, and send us your own pivot story.

  2. Jun 18

    Cheri Bianchini: How The Healthy Way Builds Lasting Weight Loss In Santa Cruz

    You can’t out-hustle biology with willpower and you definitely can’t “scale fix” your health with another extreme diet. We’re joined by Cheri Bianchini, founder of The Healthy Way in Santa Cruz, to unpack what she’s learned from 40 years of nutrition coaching, weight loss support, and helping people rebuild their relationship with food. Cheri started as an ICU nurse at Stanford, but watching preventable chronic illness hit the hospital doors pushed her toward a more proactive path: teach people how to eat in a way that supports real health for the long run.  We get concrete about what makes her program different, starting with blood sugar stabilization and a low glycemic food plan that doesn’t rely on deprivation. We also talk honestly about GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and related peptides: when they help, when they become a trap, and why “less hunger” still isn’t the same thing as better nutrition. Along the way we dig into emotional eating triggers using the HALT framework, the “bliss point” behind ultra-processed food cravings, and why swapping habits matters more than chasing fast scale wins.  Cheri’s story is also a small business masterclass. She’s stayed open through the 1989 earthquake, looting, COVID disruptions, recessions, and personal loss, and she credits one core strategy above everything else: customer service that feels human. We wrap with why Think Local First matters in Santa Cruz and details on her 40th anniversary health fair with local vendors and community wellness.  If you like episodes that blend health, real-life behavior change, and local business grit, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a quick review so more people can find the show.

  3. May 6

    Matthew Swinnerton: Building Community One Event at a Time

    Santa Cruz can feel divided between optimism and burnout, but the fastest way to change the mood is surprisingly old-school: get people in the same place, at the same time, sharing something real. We’re joined by Matthew Swinnerton from Event Santa Cruz, one of the folks doing the quiet, hard work of turning parking lots, venues, and storefronts into moments that make people actually want to go out again. We talk through Matthew’s path from years of sales grind to building community-forward events like the Entrepreneur Speaker Series, Midtown Fridays, and projects that spotlight local businesses and local musicians. He breaks down what makes an event “work” beyond the party factor: helping small businesses get noticed, giving artists a leg up, and creating a consistent rhythm that trains a community to show up. We also dig into Legends Live and Local and the idea of pairing Santa Cruz talent with iconic musicians, plus what it really takes to book big names, produce the show, and make it meaningful. Then we zoom out to the practical side for business owners and creators: why experience-driven retail matters more than ever, how “third spaces” can bring back connection, and why the City of Santa Cruz economic development department is an underused resource for permits, guidance, and even storefront beautification grants. If you’re trying to grow in Santa Cruz, the message is clear: collaborate, build community into your model, and do not be afraid to ask. Subscribe for more local conversations, share this with a Santa Cruz friend, and leave a review with the one event or place that makes you feel most connected to the community.

  4. 12/15/2025

    Local Spending, Lasting Impact

    A stronger Santa Cruz doesn’t begin with policy or big programs — it starts with something simple: the next time you spend a dollar, where does it land? This is the very first episode of the Think Local First podcast, and we’re kicking things off with the people who keep this place stitched together: the shop owners, makers, growers, and do-ers whose work turns a small transaction into a hometown ripple. In this episode, we sit down with familiar faces across Santa Cruz to explore why buying local isn’t a slogan — it’s a system. Freedom Meat Locker talks about the craft and care that comes from knowing the families you serve. Hideout Vodka walks us through that “give us ten minutes, we’ll figure it out” responsiveness that big chains simply don’t run on. Local business is personal, and memory — real memory — is a competitive edge you can’t automate. We get into the numbers with The Boardroom and the stories with Ohm Gallery. They break down how a single purchase moves through wages, vendors, sponsorships, school fundraisers… all staying right here instead of disappearing into a national ledger. You’ll hear about shopkeepers who send customers down the street to neighboring stores, because in a healthy downtown, everybody rises on the same tide. And then there’s The Homeless Garden Project — the reminder that local commerce and local compassion are branches of the same tree. Your purchase can create training, structure, dignity, and actual paychecks for people rebuilding their lives. That’s community at its most functional. If you care about this place — our bookstores and bakeries, our surf shops and bistros, our growers and gallery walls — this episode is a road map. Start small. One gift. One dinner. One bookstore trip. Tell a friend. Leave a review. Keep the energy in the county where it can do the most good. This is Santa Cruz, told through the people who make it work.  Welcome to Episode One of the Think Local First podcast.

  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Talking Local: The Think Local First Podcast In our very first episode of Talking Local, Think Local First board members Ryan Buckholdt and Anthony Guajardo sit down with Brian Upton from Santa Cruz Vibes to unpack the spirit — and strategy — behind this year’s Think Local for the Holidays campaign. We talk about why “local” isn’t just a December slogan, but a year-round muscle that keeps our community strong. Then we hit the streets, visiting beloved Santa Cruz shops and makers to hear directly from the people who pour themselves into this county every single day. What do the holidays mean to them? How do they stay rooted in community values even in the busiest season of the year? And why does choosing local — in small, consistent ways — matter more than ever? This episode is part storytelling, part celebration, and part reminder: our local economy is made of real people, real families, and real dreams. When we choose them, we all rise. Welcome to Talking Local. Let’s kick this thing off the right way.

Information

  • Creator
    Think Local
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Local
  • Show Website
    Talking Local