HOME TOUR
to have in our extra bedrooms in just one guest room now — the crib, a bed, my sewing table, etc.” But the perks of downsizing far outweigh the sudden lack of space. With less home to take care of, the Cavales have embarked on new adventures and, as Stephanie put it, are “learning how to travel.” Next month, they plan to go to Paris to visit their son, and they even dream of someday subletting their house so that they can live in New York City for six months. Since his retirement, Mike has taken a deeper dive into running his organization, Rainmaker Productions, with partner Ryan Stillwater. Through concerts and live entertainment, Rainmaker Productions brings worldrenowned artists to Visalia while raising funds for local nonprofits. From classics like Heart and Vince Gill to today’s hits like Morrisey and 3 Doors Down, he’s 28 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 8
helped bring a lot of exceptional talent to both the Visalia Fox Theatre and the Visalia Convention Center. It might come as a surprise that Mike, a successful booking agent with decades of experience, was an insurance agent for more than 30 years until his retirement in August 2017. When Mike joined the insurance industry, he kept his booking agency going for another year before turning it into his hobby. Early on, when his boys were young, Mike made it his mission to bring Christian bands to the area in order to surround them with positive influences. “The ministry aspect of bringing these concerts here was always really rewarding,” Mike said. “It was so cool to be sitting in the concert and know they’re making a difference in the lives of the audience.” For Mike, continuing to promote concerts while helping nonprofits in Tulare County is
The Cavales start their day in the sunny master bedroom.
a dream retirement gig. “I don’t necessarily want my legacy to be as an insurance agent,” Mike said. And Stephanie agrees: “I always used to say, ‘How cool would it be to promote concerts full-time?’ He’s really happy that he gets to do the thing that he likes to do best.” Another hobby that consumes quite a bit of the Cavales' time is hanging out with their two grandsons, Finn and Beck. In fact, one aspect of the home that really drew them to it was the backyard, which has several raised garden beds and plenty of space to play. “There’s truly nothing we would rather do more than spend time with them,” Stephanie said. “They are just so fun.” The only downside to having young ones frequent their remodeled home is the delay of investing in new furniture. While the Cavales have purchased a few