Southbay November 2018

Dream Chaser Hermosa Beach Singer & Songwriter Lisa Ritchie

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ADMINISTRATION BUILDING A new Administration Building to better serve the district on the site formerly occupied by the Administration Building, which first opened in 1947.

POOL & CLASSROOM COMPLEX An 81,200-square-foot-facility featuring two fully equipped, spectator-friendly indoor pools for instructional use and athletic competition for the El Camino College swim, diving and water polo teams.

GYMNASIUM Housing two full instructional and athletic competition areas for basketball, volleyball, and badminton, as well as a multipurpose fitness facility, and team locker rooms.

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30 DATEBOOK South Bay calendar

110 THE LOCAL LENS Califramed

32 ARTS Hermosa’s punk mural

122 SEEN Who’s who around town

42 PALATE Lovingly leftover

135 THE BUBBLE

48 ENTREPRENEURS Flores Lane

186 LAST WORD Fighting the battle

62 DESIGN Lisa Marē Jewelry 100 WEEKENDER Watergate Hotel

32 48 62

also...

79 ETCETERA FALL Fashion trends from local boutiques 138 PROFILES Trusted Advisors 170 REAL ESTATE Spectacular local listings

COVER Musician Lisa Ritchie Photographed by Justin Ruhl

NOVEMBER 2018 | SOUTHBAY

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NOVEMBER 2018

features 34 ARTISTIC TOUCH A bicoastal couple fills their home with personal artwork, collected finds and cozy zones for entertaining and surf-watching.

52 ON THE ROCKS Keep it cool with these Southbay style picks for the fall season.

66 NATIVE DAUGHTERS Two new venues from South Bay natives put local soul in the community.

74 LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD If you ever questioned your potential or buried your calling in self-doubt, you’re hardly alone. Just ask Hermosa Beach singer and songwriter Lisa Ritchie.

94 THE RIGHT FIT With her Crawford Denim brand, Susie Shaughnessy pieces together years of collaboration, know-how and hard work.

102 LEADER OF THE PACK Wolf & Shepherd’s Justin Schneider puts the classic dress shoe to the athletic test.

114 GOING THE DISTANCE Fifty years after winning a bronze medal in rowing at the 1968 Olympic Games, Rolling Hills resident John Nunn reflects on life, love and how his quest for glory shaped his destiny.

52 114 102

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

Our goal is to help you pursue yours.

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Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA®) is the owner of the certification marks CPWA® and Certified Private Wealth Advisor®. Use of CPWA® or Certified Private Wealth Advisor® signifies that the user has successfully completed IMCA’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for wealth advisors. CRPC® and Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM are registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning. © 2018 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

GROUP PUBLISHER

Darren Elms

Jared Sayers

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING

Michelle Villas

Media Solutions Manager | Erika Carrion 310-897-2424 | erika@goldenstate.is

COPY EDITOR Laura Watts

Media Solutions Manager | Marcie Gutierrez 424-220-6337 | marcie@goldenstate.is

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Christine Georgiades, Kelsey Elliot

Media Solutions Manager | Amy Tetherow 424-220-6338 | amy@goldenstate.is

DEPUTY EDITORS Bonnie Graves (Food & Wine),

Media Solutions Manager | Jen Turquand

Kara Mickelson, Tanya Monaghan,

424-220-6335 | jen@goldenstate.is

Jennie Nunn Publisher | Robin Sanders WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS

818-427-2050 | robin@goldenstate.is

Erin Lynn Brooks, Ian Freshman, Michele Garber, Kat Monk, Jess Weiner

Senior Media Solutions Manager | Sue Williams 818-625-3515 | sue@goldenstate.is

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeff Berting, Meghan Beierle-O’Brien, Chad Michael Brooks, Kimber Brown, JP Cordero, Kat Monk, Shane O’Donnell, Lauren Pressey, Justin Ruhl, Hope Schneider, Renata Stone,

discover southbay on instagram

Patricia Van Hanswijck de Jonge

@ O U R SO U T H BAY MANAGING PARTNERS Charles C. Koones

Todd Klawin

MARKETING & OPERATIONS Partner/Brand Publisher | Emily Stewart Partner/Managing Director, Media & Analytics | Warren Schaffer Director of Account Services | Bev Wurth Brand Publisher | Hannah Lee Director of Marketing & Business Development | Cherice Tatum Director of Digital | Charles Simmons Director of Film & Video | Bryce Lowe-White Digital Marketing Manager | Mike Sayers Operations Director | Allison Jeackjuntra Marketing Manager | Chloe Curtis Community Manager | Natalie Long Director of Events | Danielle Price Accounting | Janet De La Cruz, Ljay Farris No part of this periodical may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent from The Golden State Company, LLC. Any and all submissions to this or any of The Golden State Company, LLC publications become the property of The Golden State Company, LLC and may be used in any media. We reserve the right to edit.

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TO OUR READERS Southbay welcomes your feedback.

Please send letters to: Reader Response Department, Southbay Please include your name, address and email. Edited letters may be published.

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editor’s letter

Home of the Brave Hello, readers! Once again I’m thrilled to have my incredible fashion editor Tanya Monaghan join me in co-editing duties for this edition of Southbay. Tanya is not only a local with an incredible eye and great taste, but she’s also a wonderful human being. Proud to have her as part of my team. Take it away, Tanya …

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anais Nin In this issue the theme that shines through to me is courage. We have included stories on some pretty amazing people doing extraordinary things: from a former Olympian, John Nunn (who also happens to be my first AYSO soccer coach), to Trish Baden, a Lyme disease survivor who turned her comfort of making candles during a difficult time into a very successful business. Our cover girl, Lisa Ritchie, packed up her jeep and drove herself from her hometown in Michigan to the lights of L.A. to follow her dreams of becoming a singer and songwriter. Decathlete Justin Schneider, who recovered from an injury that ended his athletic career, shifted gears to become a groundbreaking entrepreneur.

Courage is action in spite of fear—not the absence of it. Whether it is the courage to follow your dreams or start a business, all of these amazing people have faced adversity and fear to make their dreams a reality.

DARREN ELMS

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

TANYA MONAGHAN

contributors

Established 1997

Kimber Brown PHOTOGRAPHER “Beneath the Surface” Kimber, a South Bay native, has been behind the camera since 2007. After working as a graphic artist in the fashion industry, she found her passion for soulful storytelling behind the lens—shooting everything from food to fashion. When not behind the camera, she spends her days chasing after her two littles while always on the hunt for that next Insta-worthy spot.

INSPIRED WEALTH MANAGEMENT FOR INSPIRED LIVING

VINCE A. DILEVA MS, CFP®, AIF®, Senior

Justin Ruhl PHOTOGRAPHER “Let Your Voice Be Heard” & “On the Rocks” A California native, Justin’s photographs can be seen in various editorial and advertising print campaigns. Also enthusiastic about travel and photographing other personal work, he stays busy pushing his ideas and translating them into visual representations of what he sees. When not taking photographs, Justin can be found spending time with his family and enjoying life.

SEIA provides customized wealth management and investment strategies for individuals and corporations.

OUR SERVICES

“Let it Glow” & “Native Daughters” Lauren has been photographing South Bay children and their families since 2006. She strives to capture her subjects honestly and artfully and loves the Southern California landscape she gets to work with. A resident of Hermosa Beach and mother of two, she can often be found traveling with camera in hand, documenting the craziness that is her little family.

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27

MARQUEE LIGHT UP LETTERS WEDDINGS / EVENTS / SPECIALTY RENTALS

november SONGBIRD STYLE

Cover musician Lisa Ritchie wears a fray V-neck Destroy sweater, $54; Katwalk in Manhattan Beach.

Jeans by Girlfriend, $246; Beehive in Manhattan Beach. Large cozy throw blanket, $328; Gum Tree in Manhattan Beach.

datebook

Putting it Together

October 27 Redondo Ballet’s Through the Pages Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center redondoballet.com

28 SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Registration 8 a.m., walk 9 a.m., Manhattan Beach Pier, skechersfriendshipwalk.com

18 thru January 26, 2019 Experience 37: Matriarchs

Gum Tree at 10!

November 1

Lori and Will Ford toast a year of Gum Tree in Hermosa Beach beginning November 1. To celebrate they’re offering a limited edition of 10 solid 14k gold Hermosa Beach necklaces by Zoe Chicco. They’ve also partnered

El Segundo Museum of Art esmoa.org

November

to celebrate the anniversary. The bag comes free with a

17 Mandalas & Margaritas

purchase of $100 or more. 238 Pier Avenue in Hermosa

4 p.m., Terranea Resort terranea.com

with The Pacific Standard for a printed canvas tote bag

Beach. gumtreela.com

Annie Leibovitz

November 5

As one of the most high-profile celebrity photographers in the world, Annie Leibovitz has shot some of the most iconic celebrity images of the last 30 years—in the shape of world leaders and moguls, movie stars and rock stars. Hear her discuss her prolific career as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series. 8 p.m., Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. speakersla.com

Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama November 15

The event will feature intimate and honest conversations between Mrs. Obama and a selection of to-be-announced moderators, reflective of the extraordinary stories shared in the wide-ranging chapters of her deeply personal book. Guests will hear firsthand Mrs. Obama’s intimate reflections on the experiences and events—both public and private—that have shaped her, from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her years spent at the most famous address in the world.

8 p.m., The Forum. ticketmaster.com

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

22 Turkey Trot Fun Run 8 a.m., Torrance Crossroads Center torranceca.gov

25 Torrance Antique Street Faire 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Downtown Torrance torranceantiquefaire.com

Through November 30 The Great Pumpkin Hunt South Coast Botanic Garden southcoastbotanicgarden.org

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Take Me to Church

Hermosa celebrates its punk roots with a new mural.

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY KAT MONK

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

Milo Aukerman, Greg Ginn, Bill Stevenson, Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Jim Lindberg, Fletcher Dragge, Byron McMackin, Jason Thirsk … musicians synonymous with the underground Hermosa Beach punk rock scene that began in the 1970s. Punk rock enthusiasts have these names engraved in their consciousness, but the majority of the population tends to recognize their band names a little more: the Descendents, Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Pennywise.

Many of these influential musicians will be showcased in the most recent mural in Downtown Hermosa Beach. Hermosa is cutting-edge in terms of honoring and developing artistic accents within its city limits, which so far include utility boxes and murals.

The artist who would attempt this mural would need to have a deep understanding of the historical significance of each band as well as the entire scene around the bands. Accordingly, a careful process to pick the perfect artist took almost a month.

Michael Collins, owner of ShockBoxx Gallery in the Hermosa Beach arts district, found out about the project and immediately thought of Daniel Inez. “Given Daniel’s roots—but more importantly his commitment to the punk, surf and skate culture of Hermosa Beach—I think he is an excellent choice,” says Michael.

Daniel, a 1991 Redondo Union High School graduate, continued on to Otis College of the Arts after discovering while he was in the Navy that he wanted to pursue graphic design. In addition to what he learned at Otis, he got a crash education in design when he started working for The Metro. Today he focuses his attention on M1SK, his own company that concentrates on design and apparel.

Daniel is no stranger to punk rock. He’s fronted a few punk bands himself and has lived and breathed the South Bay punk rock scene for decades. Daniel formed the Rescendants, a Descendants cover band, and later formed a cover band called Beach Blood. Beach Blood was created just so they could play at the infamous 4th of July Ironman where they covered music by all the South Bay punk bands.

“I knew the other guys were very talented, but if I didn’t try I would always regret it,” he says. So for the next two weeks, Daniel stopped everything and only focused on a design concept for the mural. “I conceived and composed the idea, and then my friend Josh Kimbrell, a tattoo artist, penned it for me,” he explains. “It took about two weeks until we were stoked on it.”

A couple weeks later, Daniel received the call from George Schmeltzer of the mural board that he got the job. “We thought the way Daniel conceived of this project really put it in a time and place that could only be Hermosa Beach,” says George.

The main component of Daniel’s concept is the infamous church located at Manhattan Avenue just north of Pier Avenue. The church was a haven for the emerging underground punk rock scene.

The second component portrays the iconic figures. “Greg Ginn started Black Flag and SST records, so I made him the biggest thing on there.” Mike Smith is the most known skateboarder to come out of the South Bay, and it’s because of him that the term “Smith grind” was coined. The van represents the Descendants with lead singer, Milo, driving the van. Initials for many influential people in the scene are also throughout the mural.

Daniel then needed to find someone to paint his concept as the full-scale mural.

“I never even considered that he is a designer rather than a painter, because I just see Daniel as a guy with a great eye for detail,” shares Michael. “He captures the essence of whatever he is chasing.”

Daniel interviewed a few painters until he found Vivache. He took Daniel’s rendering and executed it exactly as it was envisioned. According to Pennywise lead singer Jim Lindberg, who is included in the mural, “Daniel has created his own unique, easily recognizable aesthetic, and it matches perfectly with the attitude of punk rock and the South Bay. So he was the perfect choice for it.”

“I don’t think people realize how much the town of Hermosa Beach is revered in the international music community,” says Jim. “I talked to a girl after a show in Croatia who said she had saved all of her money for a plane ticket to come to Hermosa Beach and stayed in the hostel—just to be in the same town as her favorite bands. Our town is absolutely a mecca for hardcore punk.” ■

NOVEMBER 2018 | SOUTHBAY

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Artistic Touch A bicoastal couple fills their home with personal artwork, collected finds and cozy zones for entertaining and surf-watching.

WRITTEN BY JENNIE NUNN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGHAN BEIERLE-O’BRIEN

NOVEMBER 2018 | SOUTHBAY

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B

oston–based couple Cecelia and Jim Rappaport dreamed of someday owning a home in Southern California near the ocean. When Cecelia, a self-taught artist, and Jim, a real estate investor, stumbled upon a three-story, 2,400-square-foot home one block from The Strand in Manhattan Beach, they knew they had to have it.

“It was a really magical find, and it’s very difficult to find places in Manhattan Beach,” says Cecelia. “I really loved California, and our kids are all grown and gone [one is in Santa Monica, one in the Valley and one in Massachusetts]. I love the ocean and the breezes. I felt much more inspired out here,

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

and to find this house was a real treat.”

Initially, the 3-bedroom, 3½-bath residence lacked a substantial exterior front entry, so Cecelia designed an iron gate and planted inviting greenery. She also enlisted an artist friend, Steve Hallmark, to build a portable art station to allow her to enjoy ocean views while she paints on the third floor.

“It’s 8 feet long by 4 feet high with a collapsible work shelf,” says Cecelia, a mixed media artist who sells her artwork on her website, ceceliacatherinerappaportcontemporaryart. com. “It is on casters so I can move it easily to take advantage of the best light.”

For the interiors, Cecelia knew she needed help with the design. “We have high ceilings

on the second floor, so right away it felt like it was more sophisticated and not a beach feel,” she says. “I like black-and-white, and I love the rustic and vintage look.” With a busy travel schedule and trips back and forth from their home in Boston, Cecelia waited six months before beginning the design process.

It all began with a walk past Manhattan Beach home boutique Dacha Interiors.

“When I first moved in, I didn’t have a lot of time and I didn’t have a lot of resources.

I wanted to focus on painting,” explains Cecelia of the store owned and curated by decorator Lauren Alexander. “I kept walking

by Dacha, and I loved everything in the shop.

She has all these artifacts and sources that I

love. I knew I couldn’t wait any longer.”

The first few times Cecelia went into the store, however, Lauren wasn’t there. Later when Lauren came to the house for a design consultation, a friendship quickly sparked.

“She’s one of the most gracious and warm people I’ve ever met, and she was open to anything. It was just easy,” shares Lauren.

“The original intention was to focus on the living room and the master; ultimately we’ve done the whole house. She really wanted landing places where they could entertain and people could sit and hang out but also make it functional for Jim. It was an exciting project to not have to tone anything down or scale back, and we were totally on the same

page. She wanted a home that felt coastal but that also felt global and traveled.”

Lauren knew this would be different than some of her other projects. “Their lifestyle isn’t that of many of my other clients [young families living in more of a surf/beach culture]. They have a lovely art collection as well as treasures collected from their travels, and their sensibility is more eclectic and global— which is why Cecelia found Dacha appealing,” she says.

Lauren continues: “We definitely didn’t shy away from a coastal vibe, especially in the living room upstairs, which incorporates a lot of natural materials [linen and seagrass], plants and an earthy color

palette. But we did push past that in other rooms—such as the master bed and bath, where we went more glam/sexy with luxe materials and finishes and a warmer color palette, and in the den, which is completely atypical of what one sees at the coast.”

In the master bedroom, Lauren took cues from an existing brown marble fireplace that anchored the space. “The fireplace really spoke to me, and I thought we could go a little darker and moodier in the space,” she says. The room is layered with hand-marbled silk pillows by Rule of Three (available at Dacha); jeweled nightstands by Roar + Rabbit for West Elm; a Keil wall sconce by Aerin for Visual Comfort; and Untitled (Black

NOVEMBER 2018 | SOUTHBAY

37

& Beige)—an acrylic/India ink/graphite/charcoal on canvas by Kieva Campbell.

The adjacent master bath features a bold, black-and-white wallcovering (Palm Jungle

by Cole & Son) with a Havana sconce by Arteriors, and one of Cecelia’s own nude drawings. “Powder rooms are a fantastic place to take risks,” says Lauren. “It’s fun to do something bold and unexpected in a small space like a powder room.”

Throughout the home, pieces of Cecelia’s own artwork are intermingled with works by her favorite artists including oil paintings by Tony Curtis, H.C. Hubbell and Tanya Doskova.

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SOUTHBAY | NOVEMBER 2018

In the half bath on the third floor, they created an eye-catching gallery wall.

“Since we didn’t go full-tilt beachy anywhere else in the house, I thought, ‘OK, let’s do it here,’” explains Lauren. “The Rappaports already had several pieces of art that felt ocean-inspired; it became really impactful when grouped together in this small space.

So we added a grass cloth wall covering and filled the walls with an eclectic mix of abstract paintings and prints, traditional seascapes and photographs—some framed and some unframed. The overall effect is very fun and whimsical.”

The landing at the top of the stairs features a marquetry-style surfboard made of mahogany, zebrawood, Brazilian cherry, ebony and pine by Lauren’s father, Dick Gregory—a dentist and surfboard shaper. “My absolute favorite thing in the house is the surfboard,” says Cecelia. “It’s a sophisticated representation of the surfing community in Manhattan Beach.”

For the kitchen—a main gathering spot in the home—an existing turquoise fabric on the banquette was removed and replaced with a quieter fabric with neutral tones (Ink Blot by Porter Teleo for Perennials) and

topped with vintage textile pillows available at Dacha. They outfitted the space with Hoffman chairs from Design Within Reach, a framed palm print found at local fundraiser Walk With Sally, and a custom, pie-shaped maple table with a steel base by Matt Tafoya of Cactus, Inc. Another popular hangout is the living room, lined with a sofa from H.D. Buttercup, a vintage travertine coffee table from Bullock’s department store dating to the 1960s, and a Pehuen llama wool throw blanket from Dacha.

The biggest design surprise, though, was

the den—an office space intended for Jim. In about two weeks, Cecelia and Lauren transformed the existing wood-paneled room into an office and extra guest room with a space-saving, trundle-style sleeper, sconces

by Barbara Barry for Circa Lighting, custom pillows by Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks and a vintage Persian rug.

“I love this room,” says Lauren. “Initially Jim insisted that we leave it alone because it was his ‘safe space.’ But while he was away on a business trip for about two weeks, we installed shelving, cabinets and a built-in desk in the same style (molding, wood detail and

stain), so the effect is seamless. The room is very warm and inviting for guests, and it also feels masculine and like a proper den for Jim, who is originally from Boston. I was a bit nervous about what his reaction would be, but he absolutely loves it … thankfully.”

Now when in town from Boston, the Rappaports are right at home. “We enjoy spending time with our family, close friends and neighbors when we are in Manhattan Beach,” says Cecelia. “I wanted to be able to hear the ocean from every room in the house, and I have it. It’s a dream.” ■

NOVEMBER 2018 | SOUTHBAY

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(

Proceeds benefit Sandpipers’ philanthropic programs.

Tax ID# 47-4366111. Sandpipers is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.

Sandpipers.org /SandpipersSouthBay @Sandpipers1931

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Join us for an Open House!

Live Demos 路 Free Consultations 路 Botox 路 Juvederm 路 Drinks

Special one night only pricing on all aesthetic treatments!

November 15

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Lovingly Leftover We thankfully turn yesterday’s feast into amazing post-holiday dishes.

PRODUCED, STYLED & PHOTOGRAPHED BY KARA MICKELSON

Stuff ing Re-Hash with Egg & Cranberry Hot Sauce Serves 4 to 6

3 ounces breakfast-style sausage links* 1 medium russet potato, peeled (optional) and diced 1 to 1½ cups leftover prepared stuffing ¾ cup leftover turkey or ham (or a combination), diced 4 to 6 eggs fresh sage garnish, optional Cranberry Hot Sauce (see recipe at right) In a large saucepan cook sausage until light brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve. Save dripping and sauté potatoes in the same pan until cooked and slightly brown. Add stuffing, turkey, ham and sliced sausage to potatoes. Cook over medium heat until heated throughout.

Reserve. Prepare eggs as desired (sunny side up or poached). Place stuffing hash in bowls.

Top with an egg. Garnish with sage and serve Cranberry Hot Sauce on the side. *If the leftover stuffing mix already has sausage, eliminate it from the recipe and use vegetable oil or butter to cook the potatoes.

CRANBERRY HOT SAUCE ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce ¼ to ½ cup water as needed, to thin out sauce 1 small jalapeño, deseeded and minced 1 to 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and minced ¼ cup white vinegar ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoons salt, or more to taste Place all ingredients in a sauce pot or pan and heat until cranberry sauce has a thin, pourable consistency and a sweet and spicy peppery flavor. Add more water, chili pepper, spice and/ or vinegar to taste. Remove from heat and strain, if desired, into a heat-proof container.

Chill and reserve.

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Fall Pho Licious Serves 4 1 package flat, narrow rice noodles (banh pho) sliced leftover turkey, 2 to 3 slices per serving leftover ham, thinly sliced, optional 3 tablespoons coriander seeds 4 whole cloves 1 whole star anise 2½ pounds turkey bones, cleaned and broken down 1 medium white onion, quartered 2½ inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled 7 to 8 cups of water 2 to 3 teaspoons salt ¼ cup fish sauce, Vietnamese 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 1 fresh red or green chile, sliced (serrano, jalapeño, Fresno) Garnish Set-up: trimmed turkey meat from the broth bean sprouts, small handful per serving, washed 2 red or green chili peppers (serrano, jalapeño, Fresno), thinly sliced 2 limes, cut into wedges, 2 wedges per serving fresh Thai basil fresh cilantro white onion, quartered and thinly Sliced condiments (soy sauce, Sriracha, chili flakes, fish sauce, chili oil, sambal, Ginger Dipping Sauce— see recipe at right)

Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain, and evenly distribute noodles into serving bowls. Top with turkey and ham. Reserve under refrigeration until ready to use.

In a large stock pot, Dutch oven or Instapot pressure cooker, heat spices over medium heat until fragrant and slightly toasted. Add turkey bones, onion, ginger, garlic, water, salt, fish sauce, sugar and lemon juice or vinegar.

Simmer 45 minutes to an hour and skim off any foam on top while cooking. If cooking in an Instapot, adjust timing per manufacturer’s instructions. Strain broth and reserve any turkey meat from the bones for the pho. Return broth to pot, and adjust seasoning with fish sauce, salt and chili to taste.

While broth is simmering, prep garnishes and condiments. Reserve and chill. Pour broth over noodles, turkey and ham. Top with garnishes and/or serve on the side. Enjoy!

GINGER DIPPING SAUCE ¼ cup granulated sugar 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup of water Stir mixture and heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Reserve.

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No Hassle Sweet Potato Stuffed Pancakes (gluten-free!)

Makes approximately 14 (4-inch) pancakes ½ cup leftover cooked sweet potatoes 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 box gluten-free or traditional pancake mix ingredients on box: eggs, butter or oil, and milk salted butter maple syrup or honey Heat oven to 200º. Prep the sweet potatoes. If you are using traditional-style leftover sweet potatoes (baked with marshmallow, sugar and nuts), drain excess liquid from sweet potatoes. Remove any visible skin from the potatoes and any nuts or marshmallows that are burned, as they will taste bitter.

Crush any remaining larger nuts into the mixture, creating smaller bits. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until somewhat creamy.

If you are using whipped or pureed leftover sweet potatoes: If mixture is very wet, cook out some of the liquid and cool before using. The mixture should hold shape on a teaspoon and not be “soupy.”

Add spices to dry pancake mix and then follow recipe on box. Ladle batter into a prepared, hot, lightly greased skillet. Working quickly, use two spoons in a scraping motion to top pancakes with small dollops of evenly spaced sweet potato mixture. Use about three teaspoons of sweet potato mixture per pancake.

Carefully ladle more batter on top of the pancake and delicately smooth with the back of a spoon.

Cook about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes over when the edges look done and small bubbles start to form, or when the bottom turns golden brown. Continue to cook another few minutes until set. Remove pancakes and place on a sheet tray in a preheated oven until serving.

Repeat until all pancakes are completed. Dollop with butter and top with maple syrup or honey just before serving. Yum! TIPS: *Topping the pancakes with additional batter lowers the yield for the box recipe, so you may have to sacrifice a few. *The same technique of topping the batter with dollops of sweet potato can be used for waffles too! *Don’t stir the sweet potato mixture into the batter, as it may alter the structure of the recipe creating gummy, flat pancakes or sticky waffles.

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NOW, WORLD - CLASS CANCER CARE IS RIGHT HERE

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IN THE SOUTH BAY.

Carey A. Cullinane, M.D. • Garth Green, M.D. • Cancer is unpredictable. Which is why having access to world-class cancer care is so important. Now, City of Hope’s pioneering cancer research and compassionate care are available close to home here in the South Bay. City of Hope offers many innovative treatment options for many cancers. Plus, City of Hope South Bay accepts a wide variety of insurance plans. To find out more, visit CityofHope.org/SouthBay

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Let it Glow

For Trish Baden, the creation of candlemaking company Flores Lane burned a bright light during a dark and difficult time.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN PRESSEY

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I affectionately call Trish Baden the candlestick-maker. Trish’s bubbly personality and quirky sense of humor shine through her social media posts, and when you meet her in person you just can’t help but fall in love with her.

Lauren Pressey and I arrived to photograph Trish in her element, “pouring” candles in her apartment. She bounced out to greet us at the door and led us into the building and through the door of her home. Freshly popped popcorn rested invitingly on the table, music videos were streaming on the television, and one of her wonderfully scented candles was burning.

“This is where the magic happens,” says Trish welcoming us into the back room. We felt as though we were entering another dimension of time—walking into a magician’s secret room. The rustic shelves are filled to the edges with all sorts of relics, crystals, candles, tools and a couple iconic photos of old-school hip-hop artists, of whom Trish is a huge fan.

I stood in that room for close to an hour and saw something different every time I looked up. It is a feast for the eyes.

Trish is one of three girls born and raised by a single mom in a rural town just outside Cincinnati, Ohio. She describes her mother as a very strong woman who found herself divorced with three young children in the Midwest during the ‘90s. She decided to get her master’s degree in education so she could provide for them. She did this by working a full-time job and going to school at night, all while raising three daughters.

Her mother also somehow found the time to be their volleyball coach and Girl Scout leader. Trish looks back and doesn’t understand how she did it, because she always seemed to be there for them in all they did. Trish grew up with an incredible female role model whom she watched juggle everything effortlessly.

“She normalized being a bad-ass!” she says. “That’s why when I achieve something, I just keep going. I feel like nothing I achieve is ever going to be as amazing as what she has done.”

Trish and her sisters all have a very crafty side, which her mother has always encouraged. Trish considers herself the least creative of the lot though. It’s ironic that now both of her sisters who grew up painting are registered nurses, while she is the candlemaker.

Trish studied English literature and interactive media. Her goal was to write online via digital and social media forums. She got her

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first job in Madison, Wisconsin, but unfortunately got Lyme disease a couple months later from a tick bite on the side of her head.

She initially thought it was something as minor as an infected ingrown hair but started to develop a sore throat and then had a full-blown fever. She had no insurance, so for eight months she was back and forth to the ER trying to address 58 “unrelated symptoms” before finally getting a spinal tap and an accurate diagnosis.

More extremely bad luck followed when what was supposed to be a routine procedure to make a port for the antibiotic IV treatment turned into an absolute nightmare. The surgeon mistakenly cut her lung open and collapsed it. When he tried to anesthetize the other side, he mistakenly poked a needle in her other lung. Trish woke up from surgery with two collapsed lungs.

The way she explains this mistake is that the surgeon did not take into account her height (Trish is very tall), which means that her lungs are actually positioned above her clavicles. The most frustrating part was that Trish wasn’t even well enough to file a claim for malpractice because there was a 90-day time clause to file. She ended up being in intensive care for six days.

True to form, her mom came immediately to her bedside. Trish sent her home once she was lucid enough because she knew she had to work.

Trish had to be on an IV for eight hours a day for two years. Her everyday life was turned upside down.

Work became increasingly difficult, and her workplace at the time was not supportive. Some of her colleagues complained that her IV was making people feel uncomfortable. Trish soon left that job to find a friendlier work environment.

How could she continue to work while dealing with this debilitating disease? “Honestly, I just wanted to feel normal,” she shares.

“Showing up somewhere and having something to do was what got me through it.”

After some time her doctor suggested that Trish move to California to join a program that could better treat her. A woman working with the FDA on experimental treatments using ozone therapy—an oxygen treatment—led the program. Six months later at the prompting of her doctor, Trish decided to make the move. She found a place in L.A. on Craigslist, put in her notice, sold everything she had and left for California.

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Despite appropriate treatment, some people living with this debilitating disease develop joint pains, memory problems and feel tired and severely fatigued for long periods of time. But she landed in L.A. with new hope and quickly got a job at Emser Tile close to where she lived.

She loved the work environment and, unlike her previous jobs, felt appreciated and supported. She worked directly with the

owners of the company and in turn learned so much about supply chain management, which helped her immensely in the success of her own business.

Flores Lane was born to literally create light during a dark time in her life. Trish found that burning candles while she was sick soothed her. The downside was that she was spending a lot of money on them. So she figured she would take a candlemaking class to learn something useful and hopefully also make some friends. Trish giggles because she found herself the youngest in this class by at least 30 years.

She started making candles on her own and sending them to friends. She would work at Emser Tile by day and make candles by night, even though she wasn’t feeling that great. She eventually opened an Etsy shop, sold at the Melrose Trading Post and opened an LLC.

She was selling her candles in Mason jars with handwritten labels. When they began selling out at the Melrose Trading Post, she realized she was onto something. She also feels personally responsible for the price inflation of Mason jars at Target. She jokes, “I had created an affordable luxury item that no one had ever done before. It was so simple.”

Having moved to a completely new place, Trish often found herself describing L.A. to people from out of town. Her wheels began turning.

“What if I made scents that replicated my memories or how I think it smells?” she thought. “Beverly Hills smells like hydrangeas and roses, like what you would find in a powder room on Rodeo Drive. Manhattan Beach smells like magnolia and reminds me of a lunch party that you would see on Pinterest, with a long wooden table with big flowers on it. Hermosa Beach is hibiscus and gives the feeling of warmth because the city itself is so small and intimate. Downtown L.A. is different—it’s tobacco and bayleaf, and in my head I have this picture of a man covered in grease working in an abandoned building. Redondo Beach is orange with a little bit of brown sugar; it warms up well and is vibrant and fresh.

Palos Verdes is similar to Manhattan Beach but has hints of iris, which reminds me of a Kate Spade perfume I am obsessed with. I just feel like Kate Spade would have lived in Palos Verdes.”

All of Trish’s candles are made with soy wax and are named and scented according to a city or feeling. The branding is clean and simple and displays the city center’s longitude and latitude marks. The name Flores Lane comes from the name of the street where she lives and makes her candles.

Her ubiquitous candles are now found across the nation, with hopes of expanding internationally soon. Trish also does custom candles for clients for company brands, events or weddings. She may branch out into body oils next, but for now she is working on her candles full-time.

No one hustles as much as Trish does, all while managing a disease that has compromised her immune system. Her inner strength and positive outlook are amazing and inspiring. When I mention this to her, she humbly attributes all of her drive to her mother by saying, “When you are raised by someone so strong and capable, you can’t help but emulate that.” ■

N O W O P E N AT 3 5 1 5 H I G H L A N D AV E .

I N N . M A N H AT TA N B E A C H

On the Rocks Keep it cool with these Southbay style picks for the fall season.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JUSTIN RUHL HAIR & MAKEUP BY ERIN LYNN BROOKS STYLED BY TANYA MONAGHAN

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Checked pants by Closed, $336, plaid coat by SEA, $656; Wright’s in Manhattan Beach. Double ruffle tank, $39; Katwalk in Manhattan Beach.

Gold hoop earrings by Girls Crew, $136; The Beehive in MB.

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Knitted metallic sweater by Giada Forte, $870, metallic pleated skirt by Bash, $276, gold laminated star sneakers by Golden Goose, $530, brown leather belt

by De Palma, $192; Wright’s in Manhattan Beach. Gold rings

by Gypsy and Gold, $20 each; Katwalk in Manhattan Beach.

Shaker Pep pants

by Mother Denim, $248, navy bra by Xirena, $108; Beehive in Manhattan Beach.

Grey dropstitch sweater by Maiami, $644, gold laminated star sneakers

by Golden Goose, $530; Wright’s in MB. Gold rings by Gypsy and Gold, $20 each; Katwalk in MB..

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Gauze wrap sweater coat by Giada Forte, $856, Ida bra by Flannel, $128; Wright’s in MB. Snake skin vegan leather skirt, $70; Zara at Del Amo Fashion Center, zara.com. Suede boots by Dolce Vita, $152, gold hoop earrings by Girls Crew, $136; The Beehive in MB. Paperbag camel pant, $59; Katwalk.

Black mohair tank by For Love & Lemons, $89, black woven mules by St. Agni, $260, gold hoop earrings by Girls Crew, $136; The Beehive in MB.

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Snake print dress, $70; Zara at Del Amo Fashion Center, zara. com. Camel coat by Apiece Apart, $726, suede boots by Dolce Vita, $152, gold hoop earrings by Girls Crew, $136; The Beehive in Manhattan Beach.

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YOU R HE ALTH IS OU R PASSION

…WHAT’S YOURS?

EL SEGUNDO | TORRANCE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS

FORMERLY TORRANCE ORTHOPAEDIC & SPORTS MEDICINE GROUP

310.316.6190

COASTALORTHOCA.COM

SINCE 1971

NICHOLAS M HALIKIS, MD GLENN J HUBER, MD JAMES M LODDENGAARD, MD BRIAN MAGOVERN, MD KENNETH K PARK, MD TODD A SHRADER, MD DANIEL R STEPHENSON, MD JOHN F FLEMING, MD BRITTANY BELLOWS, PA-C

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Beneath the Surface With her beach-inspired jewelry line, Manhattan Beach’s Lisa Flannigan answers the call of the ocean.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIMBER BROWN

Even as a very young girl, Lisa Flannigan wanted to go into the beauty business. “I wore red lipstick and my grandmother’s stinky perfume to kindergarten,” she laughs. “I’ve always been fascinated by the transformation that something as simple as lipstick can achieve, and how that makes you feel.”

Lisa is anything but traditional, yet she comes from a family of four, complete with a stay-at-home mom and business-owner dad.

Growing up, Lisa’s fondest memories are of the times they spent together on the beach, which would come to inspire so much of her life as well as her aesthetic.

She studied at Parsons School of Design in Greenwich Village, New York—widely regarded as one of the most prestigious art and design schools in the world. She went on to create beauty products and launch brands for the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Estée Lauder, Juicy Couture and Bliss during her 15-year stint in Manhattan.

Lisa loved her career and went back to

work full-time after her first son was born.

She welcomed her second son a short time thereafter, but while she was on maternity leave Hurricane Sandy devastated the area.

The event left Lisa and her family, who lived on the Hudson River, in a house surrounded by water and without power.

Her husband ran a hotel company based in Santa Monica at the time, so it made sense to go west for a while. Thirty-six hours later and on the last flight out of NYC, they arrived in L.A. sunshine. Lisa fell in love with the lifestyle right away.

Six months later, they officially made California their home. They lived in her husband’s hotel for more than a month before making the move to nearby Venice Beach.

Venice was great, but with two small children in tow she was on the lookout for something a bit more family-friendly.

That’s when she discovered what she calls the “quintessential, idyllic California coastal beach town.” Six months later, she declared Manhattan Beach her happy place.

After the unexpected move from the East Coast, Lisa focused on being fully present for her children. With that decision came an adjustment and a different source of self-identity for her. She dabbled in interior design projects in Montauk, New York, and consulted for beauty and lifestyle brands along the way.

“Those parts of you that have been pushed back a bit by motherhood returned for me, and I felt a calling to do something new.”

She started making some jewelry pieces for herself—the types of pieces she wanted but couldn’t find. Her friends loved them and asked her to make some for them too.

From there word-of-mouth spread, and everything started to roll out organically. She found her wheels turning while her children were sleeping or at school—designing in her head during those spare moments.

When her youngest turned 5, Lisa decided to seriously start working on her own brand.

Ever since she could remember, she had collected all sorts of items: minerals, crystals,

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rocks and shells—mostly sourced from living by the water.

“I am so enamored with the ocean and with how much life lives underwater,” she explains. “I need the water. It’s very therapeutic to me. Lisa Marē was born out of my endless obsession with the mysticism, power and beauty of the sea, and precious stones. My pieces are the ultimate talisman—reminding us of the tenuous balance between power and vulnerability.”

Her stunning collection of jewelry is inspired by and made with natural elements such as shells, opals, diamonds and even fossilized shark teeth mixed with gold. Along with the jewelry line, Lisa has created stunning, museum-mounted shark jaws plated in 14k gold.

“The jaws are from my personal collection formed over years of travel. The fossilized teeth found at the ocean’s floor have taken millions of years to form.”

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Lisa officially launched her brand, Lisa Marē, in January. Things have progressed nicely, and she sells directly through Instagram and her website. She will continue to focus on products that are one-of-a-kind and expand her reach through new partnerships and channels of distribution. “I have been so lucky,” she says. “The women who find me are very like-minded.”

Lisa feels very empowered by the ocean and wants her pieces to create that same feeling for those who wear them. To help, she supports a nonprofit called A Walk On Water (AWOW)—an organization staffed by an amazing family of watermen who help give children with special needs the feeling of freedom and power that comes from riding a wave. Lisa gives them a portion of all her profits.

The cause is close to Lisa’s heart. “I really wish that people would see others for their abilities rather than for what they can’t do,”

she shares. “That’s what AWOW does. They believe everyone has an inner athlete, and I want to help.”

Lisa is deeply involved with this mission in her own community as well. She remains active with a local organization called Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), which brings together and provides resources to families with special needs in the school district and encourages inclusion and promotes support.

“I believe we can learn more from people with special needs than they can learn from us,” she says. “People should be seen for who they are rather than any perceived limitations.”

For Lisa and her brand, success is defined by more than economics. “I believe success is achieved by being a good person and giving back. I want to make rad, one-of-a-kind pieces that make people feel empowered and beautiful.” ■

Native Daughters Two new venues from South Bay natives put local soul in the community.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN PRESSEY

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WELCOME, HOMIE Kelley Haley’s Manhattan Beach roots run deep. She grew up here in the ‘60s and ‘70s at a time when she and her sister could roam freely as young children. The beach was their playground, and Downtown Manhattan Beach was their zone. They knew all the merchants and even enjoyed accounts at the local grocery store where they could buy anything they needed—from food to shoes.

It is the fond memories of that “second home” in Downtown Manhattan Beach that inspired homie, a favorite hangout for locals. Homie is comfy and approachable with well-made yet affordable food. Kelley has even created kid accounts at homie, where young customers can come hang out and eat (with their parents’ consent, of course)—just like she did when she was younger.

Kelley’s mother was a flight attendant, and her father was a pilot. They met, fell in love, got married and had their first daughter. But soon after Kelley (their second child) was conceived, her father left and she never would meet him.

When Kelley was a toddler, her mother bought a home on 13th and Manhattan Avenue. It wasn’t so much a home as it was a commune. On the outside it looked like a quintessential Cape Cod cottage, which appealed to her East Coast mother. On the inside the rooms were painted black—something her mother quickly got to work changing.

The two girls lived in this house with their mother and a couple of other flight attendants who would rotate caring for the girls when their mom was working. Kelley laughs because everyone wanted to live in the Hill Section or Tree Section, as most of the area by the beach was sand-blocked.

Kelley attended Grandview Elementary—coincidentally also the school of her husband and later her son. She completed the Manhattan Beach school experience, attending the local middle school and Mira Costa High.

Kelley’s first job was as a sandwich delivery girl for the iconic Talia’s Restaurant in Manhattan Beach—originally an Italian deli. She made deliveries on her bicycle, with sandwiches stacked in the front basket.

Kelley was also the first female bartender at Ercoles, a local staple in Manhattan Beach since 1972. Kelley says of her experience there, “I didn’t realize what it was like to be surrounded by so many men. I didn’t grow up with a man in my family. I was raised by women. Everyone was very friendly, and there were all sorts of people in there. Mangiamo’s was fancy, fun and really well run, and Ercoles was super-casual and grassroots. Working at both places, I felt like I

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got the best experiences of the full spectrum of the industry.”

Talia’s was owned and run by the Guidone family, and when Ron Guidone took over Talia’s from his first-generation Italian father, Kelley worked closely with him for years as a waitress, bookkeeper and manager. Ron still owns Mangiamo and has been a great supporter of and inspiration to Kelley—maintaining a huge presence in her life to this day.

She describes the restaurant business in Manhattan Beach as very intimate, with all of the restaurants surprisingly supportive of one other.

Kelley found this to still be true when she opened the doors of homie … Simmzy’s, The Kettle and Shark’s Cove carried her through the first few weeks when she was constantly running out of supplies. For that she is forever grateful.

After working many years in the restaurant world, Kelley felt she needed a change and decided to put herself through nursing school.

Kelley worked as a nurse for an impressive 29 years, and the work was very rewarding for her.

For 19 of those years, she worked for Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles where she was a clinical nurse specialist in pediatric brain tumors. She worked for a world-renowned physician, whose sole purpose was finding a cure.

He conducted intense research for 50 years, and Kelley feels very lucky to have been able to work so closely with him for as long as she did.

Once he transferred she continued to work for him remotely for many years, but it just wasn’t the same. After 29 years she decided to call time on her nursing career.

But retirement lasted all of six weeks, as Kelley quickly got bored. She’d thought about it before, but it took a friend to convince her to open a restaurant. Her friend knew she had all the connections she needed to find the right people to do it, so why not try?

He introduced her to Jason, who is now her chef. Jason had worked at Mangiamo, but their time there had never overlapped. He checked all the boxes for Kelley … not only is he a fantastic cook, but he knows the front and back of the restaurant. His parents were restaurant owners, and he had worked in the business his whole life. And so homie was born.

Kelley’s aim with homie was to make things good but simple. Her menu offers burgers, salads, burritos, beer, wine and really good coffee. She wanted people to come in for the food that they and their kids just love to eat. Together Kelley and Jason selected craft beers and sourced great wine from small vineyards.

For coffee, Kelley wanted to find something different since she was around the corner from Peet’s, The Coffee Bean and Starbucks. She

found a coffee company with a cultish following up north in Santa Cruz called Verve. There are two dedicated Verve Cafe’s in L.A.; they came to take a look at homie and decided it would be a good fit.

The key to success, of course, is location, and the space they found was perfect. Previously home to another South Bay favorite, Nikau Kai, the building used to be an auto garage. This inspired Kelley to keep the original auto floors, industrial lighting and roll-up doors.

Kelley’s vision for homie to be a comfy, local favorite was coming together nicely. The space was also zoned for retail, and it was important to Kelley that the goods she offered and the vendors she sourced from were not in any other Manhattan Beach store.

She also wanted to appeal to a group that she felt was not truly catered to in town: the tween, 20s and even 30s market. She explains, “They gift each other a lot, and their price range is between $5 and $20. You should be able to come in to homie and find something for that price. And it’s working!”

The next step was signage for the store, and Kelley really wanted something hand-painted.

She researched hundreds of graffiti artists and finally found a kid from Long Beach who was in the Cal Arts program, had his own sign painting company and also specialized in antique painting. Kelley knew he was the artist she was looking for. Putting up the signage meant it was finally done, and homie opened for business in May. Kelley has created a space that isn’t a chain and isn’t too fancy. It’s a place where her customers feel comfortable hanging out with their families or just sitting and relaxing by themselves. With free WiFi and good, affordable food, she loves the fact that many local merchants come in to eat (she gets about 15 to-go orders a day from them). The back of her space can comfortably fit about 25 people, so it has also become a place where larger groups of people can commune and meet up, such as book clubs and private parties.

Kelley attributes her success to surrounding herself with good people. Another example of all that support was how many people stepped up to help her with the business when she sustained a terrible foot injury the month after she opened. She has a loyal tribe of women who have her back, and she feels so lucky to be a part of a community where people genuinely want to help one another. And Kelley wants to be everyone’s homie.

1140 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach, 310-546-4663, homiemb.com

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HERMOSA GO-GETTERS Opening their Studio Curate retail space is a dream come true for Christa and her daughter Lauren (they affectionately call it their “lady cave”). Both born and bred in the South Bay, Christa is in fact a third-generation South Bay resident. She has always been an artist at heart and has worked in the interior design space for many years.

With a fine art degree, she started her own painting company when her two girls were little, offering custom faux finishes and murals. Both of Christa’s parents were also extremely artistic; she describes her mother as a DIY type who also had a great love for nature and the beach.

Christa grew up in a tropical, mid-century modern beach home surrounded by a lot of artistic influences. Her parents had an interior design store named Mira Costa Home Store, located on Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach, so the family tradition burns brightly.

Christa’s daughter Lauren started working retail at a very young age. She worked for The Beehive and Wright’s, on and off, for about 15 years. Both stores are owned

by Nancy and Dana McFarland, and Lauren reflects on that time with great nostalgia.

Nancy afforded her a lot of responsibilities

and ownership, inviting her along on exciting buying trips to Las Vegas and New York.

Now with L’Oréal, Lauren is focused in the area of beauty influencer relations.

With their combined experience and creativity, Christa and Lauren put their talents together to create Studio Curate in Hermosa Beach—operating as both an office space and boutique. Christa and Lauren offer their clients a number of different services and packages—from attending to all of their home design needs to making customized cocktails for a party. They call what they do “lifestyling.” They help with any design need, tailored to anyone’s lifestyle and budget.

A popular service they offer is consultation on creating an organized and curated home.

Clients may choose to start fresh or transform their home into an entirely new look with the pieces they already own through the power of feng shui. They also offer a seasonal swap where they transform the feel of your home from summer to fall or vice versa.

With their event planning services, they seek to throw you the perfect party. The Curated Cocktails party package includes their presence as bartender duo, as well as the bar, a curated cocktail menu in a theme of your choosing, vintage glassware, decor

and even furniture if needed. The goal is to take care of everything so you can be the life of your own party. They have also partnered with an amazing caterer so your food needs can be met.

Many of these services were born from the realization that, outside work, they were always entertaining at their own homes. They had the epiphany that they may as well capitalize on doing what they love. They kept on talking about it until, one day in May of this year, fate stepped in and they heard about an available space in Hermosa Beach.

They both took it as a sign and decided to go for it. They freshened up the space and decorated it with eclectic vintage and new pieces from antique fairs, flea markets and tiki festivals. In an age of mass production, it was refreshing to see all the unique pieces with stories to tell.

They feel so lucky to be a part of such a supportive community, and their aim is to focus on working with local designers who embody a fresh, different and organic aesthetic. Best of luck, ladies!

1326 Monterey Boulevard in Hermosa Beach, 310-988-9211, studio-curate.com ■

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Let Your Voice Be Heard If you ever questioned your potential or buried your calling in self-doubt, you’re hardly alone. Just ask Hermosa Beach singer and songwriter Lisa Ritchie.

After years of “yes,” “no” and “maybe,” she boldly threw caution to the wind and went after her dream. Here’s why she’s never looking back.

WRITTEN & STYLED BY TANYA MONAGHAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY JUSTIN RUHL HAIR & MAKEUP BY ERIN LYNN BROOKS

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SCOTT DICKEY FOR THE USE OF MINT CHIP THE JEEP

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W

hen you first meet Lisa Ritchie, you may be so taken by her beauty that it’s hard to even hear what she is saying. But once you hear her sing, you will also be captivated by a voice both true and soulful.

Lisa was born on Galveston Island off the coast of Texas and later moved to Michigan with her parents at age 8. Raised by scientist parents, Lisa smiles at the irony of them producing such a creative, artistic child.

Although they didn’t always understand where her music came from, her parents were supportive of her talents—buying her a piano and lessons. Lisa admits she didn’t always stick with her music teachers. “I was a really weird kid who loved poetry,” she shares. “I used to carry around books by Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in the fourth and fifth grade. I also wanted to be a lawyer, so I kept a legal dictionary handy to learn new words.”

When she was in seventh grade, her best friend played the guitar and shared with Lisa the music of Nirvana and The Ramones. Lisa felt the guitar calling and wanted to learn to play. She bought a chord book and started to teach herself. It seemed quite fitting that she and her friend would then start a middle school band named Perjury.

They played Nirvana covers with Lisa as the lead. They would even hold shows at the local coffee shop. She smiles as she remembers making her own shirts before the shows. “I was a ‘wannabe artist’ from early on.”

While Lisa mostly played cover songs during this period, she

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longed to write her own music. In high school she started to experiment with writing and more guitar playing but kept her progress hidden because deep down she didn’t believe she had a strong voice.

Over time she realized that a lot of successful singer/songwriters, like Bob Dylan and a young Taylor Swift, also didn’t feel like they had vocal chops.

With practice Lisa overcame her self-doubt and improved. “If you have a good voice and have a story to tell that is believable and relatable, then what you are saying or singing becomes more of a focus than the quality of your voice,” she says.

Having kept her budding talent hidden for so long, she decided to break out of her shell at age 18. She entered a talent show at her college, the University of Michigan, where she was studying PR and marketing. Lisa sang a song she had written, and to her surprise the response was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone went wild for it, squelching that doubting voice in her head that had persisted for years.

That initial feedback validated and affirmed her passion and talents.

A couple weeks later Tom Halpin, a fellow student studying to be a producer at the university’s music school, approached her to create an album. She already admired his talent, and they both shared a love for the same music genres and bands. The musical chemistry worked, and they completed an album together. Tom also helped her start a band called Hush Love, and they played gigs together for a year and half until they disbanded at the end of college.

She distinctly remembers walking across the university grounds

and coming across a band playing named Lord Huron—they have subsequently achieved some notoriety due to recent TV show placements. As amazing as they were, Lisa noticed that most people just walked past them as if they weren’t even there. She thought, “How do they just walk by? They were pouring their hearts out, and no one was listening.”

At that moment she decided a musical path might be just too painful. Maybe she didn’t have it in her to be a musician. So after college she decided to do the “responsible” thing and take a corporate job.

She became the executive assistant to the CEO of an aviation company where she mainly did PR work. She got a taste of the “jet-set” lifestyle—attending conventions, flying around in private jets, rubbing shoulders with some highly successful people.

But after two years she knew there was something else she was destined to do. She decided to take a chance on her dream and put all her time into music.

At 23 Lisa’s good friend Kelsey offered to be her manager, helping her secure gigs in Michigan for the summer. She was able to quit her day job and focus solely on her writing and singing. She no longer worried she might be that artist singing her heart out as people walked by … this was the only thing that felt true to her.

Lisa and Kelsey worked together for six months until Kelsey moved to Chicago.

Then, as if straight from the pages of a movie script, Lisa packed her Jeep, left her hometown boyfriend and started driving by herself

“It’s kind of like dating. You can’t force it to happen.

It has to be the right match, and they have to see where the song can go. I feel that I am good at writing lyrics and the bass of the melody, but I need that talented person to see the message I am trying to get out and enhance it.”

from Michigan to L.A. She didn’t know where she would be living or what would happen, but she felt it was right.

Her parents were incredibly supportive of her decision. Her mom gave her a hug and told her if things didn’t work out, she could always come home, reboot and go back and try again. Having that safety net took a lot of the pressure off Lisa.

On the way, she visited Kelsey in Chicago and then stayed with a friend’s sibling in Nebraska. Other than those brief respites, it was just her and the open road. She drove through the fog and clouds right into the sunny skies of California. She didn’t know what was going to happen, but a sense of adventure kept her going. She was following her passion and finally felt alive.

Ben Gibbard, the front man of one of Lisa’s favorite bands, Death Cab for Cutie, said his album Codes and Keys was his least favorite because he wrote it while he in L.A.—which made him feel constrained in what he was allowed to say. Lisa found it profound that Ben believed he wrote better in different locations. She says, “All songwriters have the dream to pick your stuff up and go to a cabin somewhere and just write. And I still have that dream—there is a part of me that wants to rent a villa in Italy and write.”

So not knowing a single soul, Lisa arrived in the City of Angels with that spirit of adventure and her dreams fueling her. She bounced around at first, staying with friends of friends, but eventually she found an apartment in Glendale. Although that apartment was a steal, she realized she wanted to be based in Hermosa Beach and started working with local producer A.J. Fox. Lisa worked as a nanny to a 3-year-old to pay the bills while producing tracks with A.J. Together they created her two favorite tracks—“Est” and “Paper and Receipts”—in 2017. “Est” represented the time difference between L.A. and Michigan, as well as the dynamic of her past relationship with the boyfriend she left behind.

“Paper and Receipts” is about the little things from relationships that you find and remember.

Soon she met Zacc West, a fellow South Bay musician, at one of her gigs at The Strand House. He approached her after she played a set, told her she was really talented and later reached out with the idea that the two of them should work together. Before agreeing to his offer, she wanted to watch him play. His talent blew her away, and for the next year they worked together writing songs.

Zac, born and bred in the South Bay, exposed her to all the best local jaunts and restaurants the Beach Cities have to offer. They produced an album together earlier this year titled Copperline and made it available on Spotify. Within the first year of moving to the South Bay, she started getting some happy hour gigs at places such as The Standing Room, The Strand House and The Slip Bar. Lisa now has a steady stream of gigs at Terranea Resort, The Portofino, The Point and Hotel Café in Hollywood. She enjoys the niche found here but also wants to write and release more of her own music. She is actively looking for the right producer to collaborate with—often the most challenging part of the process.

“It’s kind of like dating, she says. “You can’t force it to happen. It has to be the right match, and they have to see where the song can go. I feel that I am good at writing lyrics and the bass of the melody, but I need that talented person to see the message I am trying to get out and enhance it.”

In the coming year she hopes to find that perfect match and get some new music out. Lisa’s dream is to reach as many people with her music as possible and share her love of it with others. We can’t wait to hear it. ■

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FALL Stylist Tanya Monaghan reveals this season’s biggest trends with the fashions of six notable South Bay boutiques.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHAD MICHAEL BROOKS STYLED BY TANYA MONAGHAN HAIR & MAKEUP BY ERIN LYNN BROOKS SHOT IN STUDIO AT UNITA

Trend: ROSE GOLD Rose gold has become a pop culture phenomenon. Surprisingly versatile, it complements a wide range of skin tones and styles. No matter your wardrobe choice for the day, it just works. Not many pieces of jewelry have that kind of flexibility. And don’t forget your shoulder dusters. This season’s earrings are all about the drama ‌ the longer the better.

Hamilton Butler jewelers 14kt rose gold oval diamond pendant, $10,025 14kt white gold diamond bangle, $5,600 14kt rose gold diamond and moonstone bracelet, $3,080 14kt rose gold diamond and moonstone earrings, $2,015 14kt rose gold 7.37ct, $15,200 14kt rose gold diamond and moonstone ring, $4,350 14kt rose gold hexagonal rose cut diamond band, $10,895 14kt rose gold diamond and pink tourmaline ring by Sirciam, $2,954 14kt rose gold diamond and moonstone ring, $2,240 14kt rose gold oval diamond ring, $28,000

200 Pier Avenue, Suite 301, Hermosa Beach 310-374-7700 | hamiltonbutlerjewels.com Facebook: hamiltonbutlerjewels | Instagram: @Hamilton-Butler-Jewels

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Trend: Corduroy The retro fabric from the ‘80s and ‘90s is back with a fresh new take.

Corduroy for fall is being applied to every wardrobe staple including shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, dresses and shoes.

Cords are basically the velour version of denim, which also means they can be worn with anything. The bonus for wearing corduroy: The velvety texture will help keep you warm in the fall.

Planet Blue at The Point Striped Dusty sweater by Rue Stiic, $150 East Coast flare corduroy pants by Rollas, $99 Vintage polka dot bandana by Chan Luu, $38

840 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite B102, El Segundo 310-616-3380 | shopplantetblue.com | thepointsb.com Social: @shopplanetblue

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Trend: Suiting The power suit is back, and it’s more versatile than you think. The idea is to bring the suit to a place where business meets pleasure.

You can wear it as a power suit buttoned up, ready for business, or you can dress it down for everyday wear, pairing it with a graphic T-shirt and sneakers or booties.

MARGARET O’LEARY Black tux jacket, $385 Black pleated pull on pant, $198 Sol Angeles tee, $78 Jolie cobra clutch, $210 Blue cashmere wrap, $255 Metallic Willow bootie, $425

margaretoleary.com Facebook: margaretolearycollection | Twitter & Instagram: @MargaretOLeary

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Trend: Layering Length is key to the art of layering jewelry. Layer different length chains to let each pendant necklace have its own moment and shine. A simple gold chain is easy to build upon with more necklaces—whether you want to weave in chokers, pendants or just multiple layered chains. The pinky ring is also a strong jewelry trend. The star signet ring is both masculine and dainty and has shown a colorful past from the Victorian era to mobsters and rappers.

Morgan’s Jewelers Torrance Diamond 18k yellow gold ear climbers by Norman Covan, $ 6,750 Diamond 14k yellow gold pave bar ring by Jordan Scott designs, $725 Diamond 14k yellow gold triple bar ring by Jordan Scott, $1,650 Diamond 14k yellow gold thin bypass ring by Jordan Scott Designs, $580 Diamond fancy 18k yellow gold infinity ring by GGR jewels, $2,250 Pinky ring in 18k yellow gold with letter “M” by Shay Jewelry, $1,670 Diamond pave triangle 16” necklace 14k yellow gold by Jordan Scott Designs diamond, $1,680 Diamond tapered stick 16” necklace in 14k yellow gold by Jordan Scott Designs, $730 Diamond bezel set lariat in 16”–18” necklace in 14k yellow gold by Morgan’s Collection, $785 Martellato hinged diamond bangle in 18k yellow gold by Roberto Coin, $12,300 Diamond open rectangle link bangle in 14k yellow gold by Morgan’s Collection, $1,900 Pave diamond fang bypass bangle in 14k yellow gold by Morgans Collection, $2,795 Pave diamond bar ID bracelet in 14k yellow gold by Morgan’s Collection, $2,350

22200 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance 310-375-4471 | morgansjewelers.com Facebook: morgansjewelerstorrance | Twitter & Instagram: @MorgansJewelers

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Trend: Pattern mixing Dressing shouldn’t have too many rules, and here is one trend that gives you permission to have fun.

You can mash and mix heritage classics, textures and prints. You can choose to either clash the patterns and colors with unusual pairings, or choose a unifying color to blend the prints. The choice is yours.Â

Trina Turk Cowl neck leopard print club soda top, $298 Highland Park pant in Glen plaid, $278 Polished gold 3 Rib twist ring, $84 Polished gold and black enamel ring, $108 Polished gold wavy adjustable size ring, $90 Gold Sunset Blvd heels, $198

333 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach 310-303-3153 | trinaturk.com Facebook & Instagram: @trinaturk | Twitter: @shoptrinaturk

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Trend: Trench coat No longer a preppy staple, the trench coat has re-energized the classic coat. The silhouette is popping up in fresh new fabrics and can even be worn with sportswear for a fashionable street look. This look is anything but preppy and is extremely versatile. Â

LULULEMON AT THE POINT Cloud Crush waterproof jacket, $228 Free to be Moved strappy sports bra in quicksand/porcelain pink, $68 Ready to Rulu jogger pant in heathered arctic plum color, $108 Out of Range weekend duffle bag, $158

840 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite B108, El Segundo 310-640-9476 | lululemon.com | thepointsb.com Social: @lululemonla

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Meet the Talent These are the faces behind the South Bay’s style trends.

Let’s get better acquainted, shall we?

CHRISTOPHER MARTINEZ STORE MANAGER LULULEMON How would you describe your style in six words?

Fashionable, performance, functional, fun, powerful and luxurious.

What design trends are you most looking forward to this fall/winter season?

Our beautiful, in-depth fall color story.

What is the key to your brand success?

The experience we offer for our guests and the close bond with our local South Bay community.

TRINA TURK CREATIVE DIRECTOR TRINA TURK How would you describe your style in six words?

Colorful, creative, modern, directional, optimistic and fun.

What design trends are you most looking forward to this fall/ winter season?

I love plaids in fall/ winter—a menswearinspired jacket or a kick flare trouser, but of course with a pop of color to give it a feminine twist.

What’s one essential item every customer should have in her closet?

Something leopard!

JONI HAMILTON AND SHELIA BUTLER OWNERS HAMILTON BUTLER JEWELS How would you describe your style in six words?

Life is short, buy the jewelry.

What’s the one style item you can’t live without?

Earrings, the jewelry equivalent to eight hours of sleep.

Where are we most likely to find you when you’re not working?

Baran’s 2239 ... amazing food and great people.

MARGARET O’LEARY

MELISSA VARON WEINBERG

DESIGN DIRECTOR/CEO MARGARET O’LEARY

THIRD GENERATION MORGAN’S JEWELERS, TORRANCE

What design trends are you most looking forward to this fall/ winter season?

Cashmere is my all-time favorite yarn, and you will find lots of this luxe yarn in my fall/winter collection.

What’s one essential item every customer should have in her closet?

My favorite pieces are those I believe will stand the test of time.

Therefore, everyone should invest in the perfect-fit cashmere sweater.

Where are we most likely to find you when you’re not working?

When I am not in the design studio, I love to shop flea markets around the world for inspiration.

How would you describe your style in six words?

Chic with a touch of edge.

What design trends are you most looking forward to this fall/winter season?

Chunky chains and bangles, large hoop earrings, overall statement pieces that make any outfit go from basic to beautiful. Think 80’s bold gold.

What’s the one style item you can’t live without?

My Rolex Daytona.

It goes everywhere with me.

The Right Fit With her Crawford Denim brand, Susie Shaughnessy pieces together years of collaboration, know-how and hard work.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY RENATA STONE

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I

n the middle of her Manhattan Beach living room, Susie Shaughnessy is helping a young designer work on a long folding table. The first thing you notice about her is her huge, sparkling blue eyes. She smiles and introduces the young man she’s assisting. He is quick to describe how incredibly helpful, amazing and supportive Susie is before politely excusing himself.

This scene is an accurate reflection of Susie’s true character: selfless, extremely humble and someone who you would want as a friend. Yes, she is driven—she runs her own fashion company, Crawford Denim, and hardly sleeps. But somehow she still finds time to help others.

Susie was raised in a large family in the Bay Area of Northern California. She is the middle child of five children. They all attended Berkeley for college, and she attributes this pattern to the influence and guidance of their mother.

Having a father who was a teacher and football coach also helped. He was the first one in his family to graduate college and valued that education. She reflects back on her childhood with a laugh—describing it as filled with a lot of healthy competition and an emphasis on school, arts, sports and music.

They were each given the freedom to focus on what they were uniquely interested in.

At Berkeley, Susie majored in fine arts with a minor in costume design. Her costume design experience was integral to the path she would later take as a fashion designer.

Because she had some previous sewing experience, she was able to hop on the machines right away and contribute to the costume design department.

She worked closely with her professor (whom she is still friends with today) and later became his assistant teacher in his last years of teaching at Berkeley.

She costumed several shows and worked on some major productions for Berkeley, specifically in their dance department. A highlight was dressing dancers from Martha Graham’s original cast, who later became her protégés. She considers the experience invaluable—learning everything she would have learned in design school but in a more “handson” manner.

During the last semester of school, Susie earned an internship at a very small local design company where she also managed all aspects of the business. She laughs, “It was these experiences that gave me the tools to literally start my own business in my own living room, which is what I am doing now!”

Although she had a wealth of knowledge and experience under her belt, to get her foot in the door Susie went to work for Levi’s as their phone operator. Because she didn’t have an accreditation from a design school, most fashion companies wouldn’t give her a chance.

So she did what she had to do.

As fate would have it, the day before Susie interviewed for an open position as a design assistant, the head of design came in to

make some business cards and saw Susie’s sketches. She interviewed with her the next day and got the job as her design assistant in the fabric and finished development department. Susie worked with all the mills and saw firsthand how the jeans were made and produced at the factories.

She went on to do more hands-on designing, working on tops and bottoms for Levi’s. She worked there for five years—an experience that gave her the foundation to get where she wanted to go. She took jobs at several other denim companies and then landed one at GUESS, where she learned about domestic production in the U.S. Not only was she designing product, but she was also learning how to manufacture it.

After a couple years at GUESS, Susie took a job at O’Neill—an opportunity to design an entire collection under Kris Bergeron. She describes him as one of the most brilliant designers she’s ever worked with.

They had a lot of freedom to choose which designs they wanted to work on based on what they were feeling at the time, and they often collaborated with one another. The family-run atmosphere made for an intimate experience she truly enjoyed … so much so, she still freelances for them from time to time to this day.

She took a job offer at Old Navy so she could move back home to be with her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She was able to spend the last year of her mother’s life by her side, which was a true gift.

She stayed with Old Navy for eight years to be close to her family, whom she needed for support at that difficult time. It also afforded her the opportunity to save money for her future plans to create her own fashion brand.

“The pain doesn’t get easier; it’s just that you grow more accustomed to it,” she shares. “Losing a parent is like losing the history and connection to the person who knows you the best.”

She named her new company Crawford Denim after her mother’s family name. It is an important part of keeping her mom’s memory and heritage alive.

The Crawford family comes from Susie’s grandmother’s side; she was a first-generation immigrant from Portugal and married a Crawford. Her uncle on her mother’s side is the last to carry the Crawford name, and he is proud to wear his namesake jeans. On Crawford Denim’s first photo shoot, he is photographed in his jeans on his ranch.

The photographs and subject matter made for a truly authentic ad campaign. “What’s behind the brand is a lot of family, a lot of history and a lot of ‘Americana’ heritage,” says Susie. “It’s all integrated into a California lifestyle, and how we show stories about it is what we want to promote.”

Crawford Denim is also U.S.-manufactured. Susie wants to make people aware that you can still manufacture domestically in small batches and be able to promote small businesses in the U.S. “I know

“What’s behind the brand is a lot of family, a lot of history and a lot of ‘Americana’ heritage. It’s all integrated into a California lifestyle, and how we show stories about it is what we want to promote.”

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this is really political at this point, but I started doing this six years ago when this wasn’t really a topic of conversation,” she says.

Susie set out to bring U.S. manufacturing back—especially after the economy tanked at the end of 2008. It was a way she could not only help create jobs with livable wages within the industry but also bring back the heritage that had been lost.

“Even though the machinery is more automated now, you can still be more self-sustaining—being able to produce apparel and upholstery locally,” she adds. “We can really be doing this across the board (not just in L.A. and New York) and help smaller businesses manufacture. It was a lost art form, so it would be nice to regain some of that heritage.”

Susie feels really lucky that she started her journey with Crawford Denim at the same time that a lot of other like-minded people and friends were starting their own brands. They synchronized around the ideas of finding old chain stitch and felling machines, finding people who did this day in and day out, and working with small businesses.

They believe in a bigger picture—one where everyone is for each other and for the better of the group as a whole, rather than competing against one another.

She explains, “If one person does well in the industry, then we all do well. And everyone has something slightly different to offer. Small boutiques in turn have more to choose from, and they can offer more for their customers than what they would get at bigger brand name stores. Small boutiques are doing well these days because people want a more intimate buying experience. They are putting their hardearned money into something of value. To know that something is U.S.-made—or small-batch produced, or is just unique—makes them feel like they are investing in what they wear. They treat that piece with more precious care.”

Susie is sensitive to the fact that not everyone can afford what she makes, so she created a mix of new and vintage clothing. Her inspiration is a mix between the ‘70s era and all things “Americana.” With a $200 price point for her pieces, she hopes to be affordable to her

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customer but also loyal to those who work for her and pay them a livable wage.

Susie positions Crawford Denim as a vehicle for illustrating how we can be living a “bigger lifestyle.” Crawford uses dead stock fabric so it doesn’t go into landfills. They use recycled goods, and they also contribute back to local businesses. They buy their trims locally in Tustin.

The aim is to be in the communities that are closest to them, similar to the slow food movement—buy from the local farmer and you contribute to everyone’s overall local economy. Susie’s goal is for the line to be fashion that can be worn at any time—a classic and timeless look no matter what period but still on trend with what is current.

It is influenced by icons of style like Steve McQueen and Paul Newman and musicians like Johnny Cash. She laughs out loud at herself: “I mean, look at me. I even wear my hair like Willie Nelson!”

It’s tough to fathom all that Susie does in a day. “It’s part of the faith that you have to have,” she says. “I will work a million different jobs because I know the brand will eventually do well. It’s tricky to begin with because I don’t have outside investors, and every sale I make goes directly back into the company.”

For example, she decided this year that she was going to be dedicated to working the Long Beach Flea Market, and that was where her marketing budget was going. It’s a great venue for people who want to invest in things that are vintage-inspired but also U.S.-made. Everyone leaves her booth with a physical postcard filled with some of her Instagram images—an effective and powerful tool to get the word out.

Susie is inspirational—not only as a creative force but as an entrepreneur. She’s using what she has learned and helping other companies shape their brands. She believes the challenge and goal is to live the life of your company—not just focus on the numbers. When you get this aspect right, she reckons, the message bursts through in a very authentic way.

And this is what makes Crawford Denim stand out: the lifestyle … a timeless fashion piece that exudes an easy and understated coolness.

Something truly authentic, just like Susie. ■

THERE’S A NEW FLORIST IN TOWN

B LO O M

M AV E N

F LO W E R S PLANTS C AC T U S GIFTS WEDDINGS EVENTS I N S TA L L AT I O N S

w e d e l i ve r

1 6 1 6 C rave n s Ave n u e , D o w n t o w n To r ra n c e | w w w. b l o o m m ave n . c o m | f o l l o w u s @ b l o o m m ave n

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Scandal Chic

Four decades after a most infamous incident, The Watergate Hotel tries for a new kind of intrigue.

WRITTEN BY DARREN ELMS

With the midterms just around the corner, all eyes will be on Washington D.C. to see where the political winds blow. In 1972 all eyes were on Room 214 at The Watergate Hotel. That’s where E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who helmed The Watergate break-in team, stationed themselves while communicating with everyone involved in the burglary of the Democratic National Committee in the adjoining Watergate Complex. A Watergate security guard named Frank Wills noticed suspicious activity, which prompted him to call the police and ultimately led to the discovery of the scandal.

Originally designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti, the hotel made waves with its groundbreaking contemporary style and quickly came to epitomize the fabulous lifestyle and sophistication of its time. Fifty years since it first opened, the hotel received a $200 million renovation and introduced new vibrant spaces such as The Next Whisky Bar, Kingbird, Top of the Gate and Argentta Spa. Guests who want to truly experience a piece of the hotel’s historical roots can book Scandal Room 214. The room was conceptualized, curated and designed by Lyn Paolo, the costume designer of the hit series Scandal, and Rakel Cohen, co-owner of the hotel, to create a one-ofa-kind experience for guests.

Among the subtle nods to The Watergate break-in throughout the property, guests will find room keys that read “No Need to Break-In,” the main phone number alluding to the break-in date (844-617-1972), Nixon speeches instead of hold music, in-room pencils engraved with “I Stole This from the Watergate Hotel” and more.

The Watergate Hotel is located within walking distance to both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Georgetown neighborhood, should you need to make a quick escape. ■ For more visit thewatergatehotel.com.

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Leader of the Pack With his shoe company Wolf & Shepherd, Justin Schneider puts the classic dress shoe to the athletic test.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY HOPE SCHNEIDER

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J

ustin Schneider is a phenom—smart, ambitious, good-looking and super-athletic. It would be natural to think that, for someone with so many gifts, everything came easily to him. But it is his unstoppable drive and insatiable work ethic that sets him apart and has brought him true success.

One of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Justin’s path to launching his breakout dress shoe company, Wolf & Shepherd, was anything but standard.

But being an elite athlete, he has sailed over every hurdle. His shoes have been worn by celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Jeremy Renner, Joe Jonas, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth. But rather than resting on that success, he keeps his feet on the ground and continues to work hard.

Justin won a scholarship for decathlon at Notre Dame, where he studied architecture initially before moving into industrial design. He would train seven hours a day: wake up at 6 a.m., go to class, use lunch to work out, go back to class, have an afternoon snack, work out, have a heated ultrasound or ice bath, go to the studio and work until midnight. Then wake up at 6 a.m. and do it all over again.

For Justin and his family, that’s just how life was … you wake up and get right to work. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Justin is one of three children. His father is German and his mother Korean, and his drive for success appears to be genetic.

Justin’s mother was born in Seoul to a wealthy family that owned a large rice distribution company. But they lost all their money in the Korean War. Her father was a missionary and moved to the States post-war for a better life. In America, Justin’s grandfather planted churches, while his grandmother ran a tailor shop. His mother was also a phenomenally hard worker—she taught herself English and

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went on to study musical theory at Oxford. She would eventually become a celebrated concert pianist.

Back at Notre Dame, Justin recalls phoning her: “Mom, it’s so hard.

There is more work than I can get done, and it’s just not fair.” His mother would say, “Do you want to know what’s not fair? The only time your dad and I had dates was when he would come to my studio while I was practicing the piano. I would play the piano all day and night until my knuckles would turn purple and blister because this is what it took to play the piano at such a high level.”

That bit of perspective helped him realize that, although exhausted and often in pain from training, he was all right and life wasn’t so hard. He felt grateful for his scholarship and his opportunity to get a superb education.

Although he had dreamed of being an architect, industrial design fit better with his goal of competing in the decathlon. He would train hard but still sponge up everything he could about design. If he truly loved architecture, he argued, he would get a master’s degree after school and figure out how to pay for it then. He wanted to become a runner—and in fact still holds the Notre Dame decathlon record—but figured that if he couldn’t make it, he could use his industrial design skills to design equipment for runners. A series of bad luck and serious injuries forced him into plan B. Justin worked as a footwear designer in his junior year at college for the Adidas Group in Portland, Oregon. That experience helped him land a job after college with New Balance in their innovation department, working to create shoes that were faster, lighter and more comfortable. His directors would challenge him with questions like, “How can we inspire people to win? What are you going to do to

make the athlete better? How do you make them feel like a hero?”

Everything was centered on elevating the athlete. The shoes needed to look good and feel good. The firm demanded an authentic improvement to the existing product they had, every time. With his background as an elite athlete and his years of industrial design study, Justin thrived in the space. In his first year after college, he designed a track shoe that Jenny Barringer Simpson wore when she competed in the 2011 World Championship Games. She won the 1,500m gold medal for the U.S. in those shoes.

Justin has adapted everything he learned as an athlete and designer into his Wolf & Shepherd dress shoes. Although he created his products with cutting-edge materials and technology, he also kept what was best about tradition. The wingtip, for instance, was invented by the Irish for hunting and entrenched its reputation as a more athletic shoe in the mind of the consumer when the Prince of Wales wore it to play golf in the 1900s. The Chukka boot was invented in 1941 when Nathan Clarke saw someone wearing these comfortable, flexible and breathable shoes in the desert. Queen Victoria’s shoemaker came up with the Chelsea boot with the vulcanized rubber (elastic ) because it was easy to take on and off during riding and battle.

What is now considered formal footwear has rich traditions of practicality. However, the technology had not been improved for more than 100 years in some cases. So Justin asked, “What are we doing to make the shoe lighter, more comfortable and better? This is the direct approach we are taking with Wolf & Shepherd. Our goal is to inspire working professionals to succeed.”

Justin launched Wolf & Shepherd in 2015, but the path to get there wasn’t straightforward. He moved from New Balance to Reebok,

where he worked on a collaboration between Reebok and National Geographic. As a result of that project, Justin first discovered his entrepreneurial talents.

An organization called Madagascar Health and Environmental Research funded the creation of a medicinal guide of newly discovered plants that were alternative sources of protein to bush meat.

Those plants were identified as a potential solution to relieving hunger caused by over-population in the country. Justin’s brother’s friend was running the organization and needed someone to take on the art direction aspect of the guidebook.

Justin jumped at the opportunity to take this pilgrimage and live somewhere totally different. His father had always told him, “Just be a sponge and absorb as much knowledge and information as you can, and then you can figure out later in life what it is exactly that you want to do.” He took this as one of these opportunities to gain another skill set.

Justin drew and painted 135 watercolors for the project, and just 10 days after he returned to the States he put on an exhibit in a local gallery. He invested everything he had in that show, inviting every magazine and publication in the area that might be interested. The event was a great success, and he sold enough to cover his costs and make a small profit. It encouraged him to begin selling the pieces as collections. Within six months he had made $70,000, which would become part of the initial investment in Wolf & Shepherd.

During this period he received an unexpected call from a good friend who lived in New York: “Justin, I just spent $600 on Englishmade dress shoes, and I hate them. I am 28 years old, my feet are killing me and I can’t even walk to work. I have been trying to break

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them in for weeks. Can you please just make me a pair of shoes that look this good but feel good too?”

Justin found the challenge interesting. He began cutting up some of his own dress shoes and running shoes to get close to the product—a technique he learned at design school.

Although Justin’s background was athletic shoes, he realized that most working professionals couldn’t wear those to the office every day. “What is the gear that allows us to perform? How can I help working professionals feel empowered in their competitive arenas?

I realized there really hadn’t been a great demand for men’s dress shoes to evolve. People just wanted a good-looking shoe that retains that nostalgia and heritage. Heritage is important—and I am not trying to strip the tradition out of the shoe—but what matters to me is the question of how to incorporate technology to improve it but still retain the classic style.”

Justin is philosophical about merging the two worlds of athletic and formal wear, which is how he came up with his company’s name. “That’s the wolf and the shepherd. Wolves are driven, ambitious and never hesitate; they work in teams, but they are impulsive. They are young and hungry. And then you have the shepherd.

Shepherds are guides. They are in the back room helping guide the sheep from point A to point B. We have these very adversarial personalities or characteristics but are on the same playing field. Our brand is built on how we juxtapose these two adversarial components into one thing. For example, what would it look like to combine the classic style (the shepherd) and an athletic fit (the wolf)?

Or to combine ambition (the wolf) and leadership (the shepherd)?

We think you need both of these characteristics to succeed. You need to be ambitious, but you need to be humble enough and wise enough to make the right decisions.”

He continues, “Wolf & Shepherd does that through helping our customers feel lighter on their feet. You might not run a marathon in your dress shoes, but with ours you could! Our point is that you can do more in your dress shoes—walk comfortably to work, catch that train, run to the meeting. Ours is the story of concealed comfort.”

As part of a marketing strategy, in 2016 Justin had the brilliant idea of running a road race in Wolf & Shepherd dress shoes to show how comfortable they are. He documented a friend, former Syracuse runner Juris Silenieks, running a marathon in his Wolf & Shepherds.

Justin thought, “If he could just finish the race, that’s got to be a great testament to how comfortable the shoes are.”

One week before the race—and with only one pair of shoes left in Juris’ size—they were able to register him. Juris gladly accepted for the novelty of it: a free race entry and the promise of a steak dinner at Justin’s parents’ home in Atlanta.

Justin and his team then sent a press release to 200 copywriters and editors of publications that might be interested in featuring this story. They got one response from a contributing writer at Forbes who happened to be in Atlanta at the time. Armed with bikes and GoPros, Justin had five of his local Atlanta friends film the race. Juris ran the entire race in Wolf & Shepherd dress shoes and dress socks and won by five minutes!

That night Justin’s wife edited the footage down to a 1.5-minute video, which they fired out to the same 200 copywriters and editors on the following Monday morning. The video went viral. They were contacted by the likes of Business Insider, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated and 45 other publications. Many of them featured this outlandish story about a runner winning a race in dress shoes. The PR ploy turned out to be massively successful, even setting a Guinness

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“You might not run a marathon in your dress shoes, but with ours you could! Our point is that you can do more in your dress shoes—walk comfortably to work, catch that train, run to the meeting.

Ours is the story of concealed comfort.”

World Record for the fastest half marathon in dress shoes.

Justin called Juris their “ringer,” which inspired the name of a shoe they came out with right after that race: the ringer loafer. Since then, all of Wolf & Shepherd’s shoe names refer to sports or speed. They moved from selling five dress shoes a week to selling five dress shoes a day, and grew by double-digit percentages each month for the next year and a half.

It was not all smooth growth, however. The beginning was very hard. Justin sold shoes to friends and family and individually called each person with his story to help get referrals. His customers weren’t only buying the shoe; they were also buying the story. They wanted to be a part of the journey.

Justin recalls one story about the challenges he faced early on.

His first shipment of 80 pairs of shoes from the factory was stuck overnight in customs and already late. The shoes were destined for customers who had already waited eight months to receive them, and they were phoning Justin day and night to check on their orders.

Unfortunately, during that overnight stay in customs a soap company’s boxes fell on the shoe cartons and ruined them. Downhearted but determined, Justin decided to take matters into his own hands.

With only $800 cash in the business bank account, he flew to the factory in Mexico. They told him they could not deliver on time and had to start over again.

In solution mode, Justin inspected the shoes and saw that the soles were fine. He walked around the factory and found a box of leathers in a similar color. After convincing the factory to let him use

the leather, he stayed up all day and all night through the weekend to reconstruct each shoe, and shipped them independently to each customer. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

He put everything they made back into the business. By the end of 2015 they had earned $135,000 in sales, then $500,000 the next year and $2.5 million the year after that.

Justin has built on the success of Wolf & Shepherd by opening his first retail store. He wants people to experience the shoes for themselves. The store is located at the beautiful Westfield Century City mall. As Justin says, “For me it’s often easier to learn in person rather than online. You can track data but not always personal experiences.

Wolf & Shepherd’s aim is to bring someone into the store and have them be the hero.”

The firm raised $2 million dollars to build the business even further, and Justin’s wife, Hope, officially joined the team in January 2018 (but has been part of the journey for much longer). Working with his wife has been great because their values are aligned. He says the company wouldn’t be where it is today without Hope’s help. They are looking to launch a women’s line in spring 2019, which Hope will spearhead.

“If I were to use the metaphor of the wolf and the shepherd again,” says Justin, “I would be the wolf and Hope would be the shepherd.

She’s the one who keeps me motivated, grounded and focused—my guide.” Their goal is to grow the best brand possible without compromising their values, their ethics or their family life. Based on Justin’s track record, we know they will succeed. ■

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The Local Lens A worldly nomad lands in SoCal with her family and rediscovers her love for photography and surf culture.

WRITTEN BY TANYA MONAGHAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY PATRICIA VAN HANSWIJCK DE JONGE

’m a citizen of everywhere and nowhere, but I am always excited to embrace each new ‘home,’” shares local photographer Patricia van Hanswijck de Jonge.

“Photography has helped me appreciate and embrace the individuality of every place I go.”

Patricia was born in Geneva, Switzerland, into a mix of Dutch and Italian roots. She speaks four languages—learned as a daughter of a foreign diplomat—and acclimated to a nomadic life at a very young age. By the time she was 14 she had lived in five countries around the world.

Patricia has always been creative. As a child she was encouraged to explore her talents and was frequently gifted paints and art supplies. She completed the International Baccalaureate program with high grades and, with encouragement from her teachers, applied for The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

Notoriously difficult to get into, she remembers feeling very intimidated at the evaluation interview.

“The waiting room was full of people, most of whom were a lot older and more experienced than me,” she says. “Their work looked so impressive.”

She felt out of her element as she entered a big dark room where four men dressed in suits sat at a very long table, ready to evaluate her artwork. After the interview she left feeling there was no way she would be chosen. It came as a delightful shock when she was ultimately selected as one of the 15. She clearly remembers her art teacher saying to her, “If you don’t take this opportunity, I will kick your ass.”

But even though she excelled at art in school, she rebelled against the expectations. She felt as if being an artist was being pushed on her. “There was something in me that had always been told that this was what I was going to do,” she shares. “But I think I felt that I had to prove that I had another part of me too—a scientific side.”

She finished her schooling in The Hague, Holland, and went on to study psychology. Patricia became passionately interested in the psychology of eating disorders. At 22 she moved to London to do a psychology placement in a specialist eating disorder hospital, St George’s Hospital Medical School. She spent seven years studying and working under the guidance of Professor Lacey, an expert in the field, and earned her PhD. What was originally supposed to be a six-month stint in London became another “home” for her. She was captivated by the city’s diversity, the people, culture and art. Although she had lived in so many different countries in her 22 years, she didn’t really feel like she belonged to any of them.

“Landing in London felt comfortable because it is such a melting pot of people and culture,” she says. “In a weird way, I didn’t feel any different from anyone else because everybody else was like me: different. I felt like we all had accents and came from somewhere else.”

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“I’m a citizen of everywhere and nowhere, but I am always excited to embrace each new ‘home.”

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Patricia met her husband, Pete, six months before completing her PhD. Getting through it was a huge feat, and she was grateful for his support. She started working with patients battling anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and obesity.

Following the completion of her PhD, Patricia started working as a research scientist for a Londonbased international consultancy specializing in health outcomes for pharmaceutical companies. Her role quickly evolved into managing director of the London office—an inspiring and exciting challenge for her.

Outside their working life, Pete and Patricia kept very busy raising their sons in London. Shortly after their youngest was born, they decided to move to Switzerland for Pete’s work. Patricia again found herself in a new country, but this time she was a parent with three kids under the age of 4.

Knowing from personal experience how tough it could be to acclimate, Patricia decided to give up her career and became a stay-at-home mom. It proved to be a difficult transition, as her career had played a huge role in forming her identity as an adult.

Suddenly it was gone.

“Another new country, a new language and no friends. I felt like I was constantly looking after three kids, wiping bottoms, changing diapers and cleaning messes,” she remembers. “I felt really lost, but I couldn’t really do much else at the time because I had a newborn baby and two other children under the age of 4. Leaving my career was the choice that I myself made, but it was really, really hard.”

Being isolated in Switzerland encouraged her to get back in touch with her creative side again. On a whim, she bought a camera and signed up for a course. Once she started gaining confidence, she branched out from taking photos of her own children to taking photos of other children. The word spread, and her side hobby spiraled quickly into a full-time commitment. Overwhelmed again, she decided to put her art aside to fully focus on her family.

Six years later in 2016, the worldly woman found herself moving yet again—this time to Los Angeles.

L.A. was so different from anything she had ever been a part of … living in an iconic landscape she had only seen on TV or in the movies.

“I was just struck by it all,” she says. I wanted to share it with my friends, who are now all around the world. As I was living it, I wanted them to live it too … and the amazing thing about social media is that you can help other people live things they can’t.” And so her instagram account @Califramed was born.

Within three weeks of landing in L.A., she challenged herself to take a photo each day for a month and post it—even though she had no idea how Instagram even worked at the time. It started with iPhone shots of iconic or beautiful images around L.A. but soon blossomed into a true artistic expression … the one she’d always had and had been trained for.

“It made me see my surroundings in a different way. It slows me down to appreciate what is around me,” Patricia says. “I could walk past a cactus and normally not even look at it. Now I notice the fine red edging, and it’s just so beautiful. In the same way that people do yoga—to slow themselves down and reconnect to their breath and body—photography connects me to my surroundings and makes me appreciate them more.”

She adds, “To get that next level in a photo, you need to be completely connected to it. You need to fall in love with your subject, whether that is the ocean, a cactus or a grain of sand. You feel that and really see it way before you even take the picture.

That translates into the kind of photography that I want to do: images with a soul.”

Living close to the beach also reignited her longtime love of surf culture. When she first met her husband 18 years ago, they took a trip to his hometown of Sydney, Australia. There was something about the surf culture there that pulled her in, especially the captivating work of Jack Eden, a popular Australian surf photographer of the 1970s.

She collected 15 of his prints and studied them with her artist’s eye. She noticed that unlike most surf photography, the surfers weren’t literally surfing the waves in each photo. Jack would take a photo of a surfer standing on a rock and looking out toward the sea or of surfers taking their boards out of their vans.

It somehow captured their spiritual connection to the ocean, and for Patricia being near the ocean is being as “at one with nature” as you are going to get.

“I am a surf photographer, and in a male-dominated industry I realize that I am one of a very few women who photograph surfers,” she says. “I think that because I approach the shot from a female perspective, it inherently makes everything a bit different.”

Patricia also loves to collaborate with others— doing custom, large-scale fine art photography for homes, working with interior designers and a variety of media. She recently exhibited some of her work at Suite Six in Manhattan Beach, which led to a collaboration with Lululemon for the grand opening of their new store at The Point in El Segundo. As part of that project, the talented Annabel Lee filmed a documentary about Patricia and her photography, to be released over our social media channels soon.

Her work is available to purchase in-store at Riley Arts and Two Guns in Manhattan Beach, and custom orders and prints are available by reaching out to her directly on Instagram @califramed.

Patricia’s passion for her art shines through brilliantly in her images, but she is beautifully humble. “I aim to continue developing my photography and my creative self,” she notes. “The two are highly intertwined. Photography is the art of connection … connect with yourself, connect with the subject, connect with the viewer.” ■

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Going the Distance Fifty years after winning a bronze medal in rowing at the 1968 Olympic Games, Rolling Hills resident John Nunn reflects on life, love and how his quest for glory shaped his destiny.

WRITTEN BY MICHELE GARBER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFF BERTING

F

or nearly six decades John Nunn’s life has been entwined with the esteemed sport of rowing. He has competed and coached at the collegiate and international level while serving as mentor and advocate for others in his sport. He and his wife, Maureen, have been happily married and living in her Rolling Hills childhood home for almost 50 years, where they raised their five children—now adults.

After success in the corporate world John became an entrepreneur, launching his own manufacturer’s rep business. John has led a full and fascinating life. Yet much of his remarkable life may have unfolded quite differently had it not been for a fateful, lifealtering moment in 1960 on his very first day at Cornell University.

Most of us can reflect back on our lives and distinguish those key moments, chance encounters or critical choices we made that inexorably set the course of our destiny. For John Nunn, that pivotal moment came while waiting at freshman registration at Cornell.

A tall, strapping, athletic young man, John had played many sports growing up including basketball, cricket and ice hockey.

But his plan was to play football at Cornell.

John’s father had played football for Cornell and had gone on to play professional ball with the Boston Shamrocks in the original American Football League of the 1930s. That fateful day at freshman registration, John’s path to follow in his father’s cleated footsteps seemed certain. Queue fate.

While standing in the registration line he was approached by Bill Stowe, captain of the prior year’s champion freshman rowing team.

Since height is an essential attribute of rowers, John’s towering build easily caught Bill’s attention among the hundreds of freshmen milling about in the auditorium.

Bill approached John and asked if he had any interest in rowing. Resolute in his gridiron intentions, John politely declined—saying he planned to play football. But Cornell had one of the most preeminent rowing programs in the country, and Bill was looking to enhance their crew—so he wasn’t easily dissuaded.

He told John that Cornell had a top rowing team and added that the year John would graduate would be an Olympic year. Thus if he became a competitive rower, he could potentially have Olympic prospects. John’s curiosity was piqued.

Bill plucked John from the line and brought him to meet rowing coach Walt Schlaepfer. The life-changing conversation went something like this:

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Coach Schlaepfer: “How tall are you, and what do you weigh?”

John: “6’6” and 197 lbs.”

Coach: “Perfect! Got any experience rowing?”

John: “None.”

Coach: “That’s the way we like ‘em.”

In an instant John’s football plans evaporated, and he began rowing the next day.

Fortunately rowing is not a sport that requires athletes to start at a young age to succeed. With his raw athletic talent, John took naturally to rowing and, more importantly, he loved it. His natural ability and work ethic led to quick success in the water.

His freshman team placed second in the National Championships. His sophomore and junior teams went undefeated and were Varsity Eight National Collegiate Champions in 1962 and 1963. Their crew was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

John’s team placed second in the Grand Challenge Finals at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in London and took third place in the Varsity Eight in 1964.

John twice competed for a spot on the 1964 Olympic team—first on an eight-man sweep team that was sadly eliminated by Yale. Then a few weeks later John rowed with a four-man team whose chance to qualify for an Olympic berth looked strong until a teammate injured his back a week before trials and they had to scratch. Meanwhile John’s former Cornell friend and teammate, Bill Stowe, captained a scull team that went on to win gold in the 1964 Tokyo Games.

Inspired by his teammate’s success and still only 22 years old, John wanted another shot at competing in an Olympic Games and decided to continue rowing in hopes of making the 1968 Mexico City team. He also opted to switch from sweep (two hands on one oar) to scull (one oar in each hand).

After graduating from Cornell in 1964, John entered grad school at the University of Michigan and received his MBA in 1966.

Throughout his time at Michigan, John continued rowing.

Fortunately the mid-‘60s job market was red-hot, and John received multiple offers from companies throughout the U.S.—he had his pick of where to relocate. Notable among the offers was a position with Pillsbury as brand manager for a new product line: the Pillsbury Doughboy.

John recounts that the Pillsbury position was hands-down the best job offer he received. There was just one catch: Pillsbury was based in Minneapolis, where the ground and water are frozen six months of the

year—or as John amusingly refers to it, “a hard water problem.” To adequately train for the Olympics, John needed a climate conducive to year-round rowing. Intent on pursuing his Olympic dream, John instead accepted a position in Beverly Hills with Dart Industries—a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate in the drug/chemical/plastics industry.

Looking back on the decision, John laughs at how he may have become a “Dough Boy” himself eating the samples. More importantly he would never have met his wife or been in the Olympics had he taken the Pillsbury job.

Beyond Southern California’s ideal weather that would allow year-round training, there was an additional benefit to moving to L.A. After Los Angeles hosted the 1932 Olympic Games, many of the world-class venues used in the Games remained in place. Among those was a top-notch rowing facility, boat house and rowing club in Long Beach. By relocating to L.A., John would have the unique opportunity to train at an actual Olympic venue.

John was working 10+-hour days at Dart— requisite for a newly minted marketing exec.

All of his free time was spent training and commuting across the L.A. Basin. John found it hard to even find time for sleep.

Then another life-changing event occurred: On a blind date he met Rolling Hills native Maureen Drown, a beautiful and spirited redhead. John was smitten. Though the two hit it off instantly, courting Maureen proved complicated given John’s 24/7 work and training schedule. And the local beauty had other potential suitors.

As John recounts, “I would call her up every Tuesday night. I would pop my Stouffer’s TV dinner in the oven (microwaves didn’t exist), set the timer for 20 minutes and call Maureen. The timer would ding, and I’d say, ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’ And that was all the contact we had. She must have thought the timer was someone ringing the doorbell.”

John laughingly recounts, “She was so impressed with that intense level of courtship that she got engaged to somebody else.”

Meanwhile John’s ambition to compete in the 1968 Olympics endured. In 1967 Dart gave him an unpaid leave of absence, and he traveled to New York, Canada and Europe for about four months to qualify for and compete in the Pan Am Games.

John rowed in the double sculls at the European Championships in Vichy, France, placing sixth.

He earned the silver medal in single scull at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

Upon his return from the Pan Am Games, fortune shined on John once again. Maureen had split with her fiancé. John and Maureen were reunited and shortly thereafter engaged.

Fresh off his success in Winnipeg, John was primed to try once again to qualify for the Olympic team—and he had luck on his side. The qualifiers for the 1968 team were held in Long Beach—John’s backyard.

Alas, the day of his trial for single scull he had the stomach flu and didn’t secure a spot. Luckily rowing tryouts were wisely separated so single and eights would compete first, then doubles and fours would compete six weeks later— giving those who missed the team for singles and eights a second chance.

John partnered with Bill Maher, a fellow rowing teammate, competitor and friend. John and Bill instantly clicked, won their trial and made the U.S. team. Before long they were off to Gunnison, Colorado, for high-altitude training in preparation for the Mexico City Games.

Although the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games are sometimes overshadowed in comparison to higher profile Olympic Games like those of 1972 and 1976, the 1968 Games certainly had historical significance … and even controversy. The most notable aspect of the 1968 Games was the high altitude and its impact on competition. Many Olympic records fell because the thinner air allowed people and objects to pass more quickly through air. The javelin, discus, even high and long jumpers were positively impacted.

On the flip side, the altitude had a much more significant and adverse effect on endurance sports. Only a small number of athletes hailing from high-altitude locales were able to compete at their peak performance. Many top athletes fell short of their goals and records as the effects of altitude diminished their capabilities. The impact was so pronounced, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will never again award a Summer Games to a high-altitude city.

John recalls seeing as many as 30 rowers pass out during practice and competition. And in the case of rowing, this was especially dangerous because the rowers would plop unconscious right into the water.

In preparation for the altitude of Mexico City, Bill and John trained at high altitude in Colorado.

But adapting to altitude can take many months, and Gunnison has an extremely dry climate.

The dry air caused respiratory issues for many

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athletes including Bill, who developed persistent bronchitis. He muscled through all of his qualifying heats and managed to row well enough that the pair received the bronze medal in the finals.

But after every row, Bill passed out. As John recounts, “When we finished our race, Bill was passed out on the dock, so John Van Blum, the single scull, had to jump in and accept Bill’s medal.”

After the competition, Bill went out and had several tequilas, which miraculously cured his bronchitis. If only he’d had tequila a few days earlier.

The other major news story of the 1968 Olympics was the Black Power movement that professor and civil rights activist Dr. Harry Edwards pushed during the Games.

Dr. Edwards unsuccessfully tried to get the entire U.S. Olympic team to boycott the Games.

Though the boycott failed, two of Edwards’ students from San Jose State— Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who won gold and bronze in the 200-meter sprint respectively—created an international uproar with a high-profile protest during their medal

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ceremony. While the U.S. National Anthem was playing, Tommie and John mounted the podium in black socks sans shoes to symbolize poverty, and each raised a black-gloved fist into the air—the symbol of Black Power.

After the ceremony they were booed, publicly ridiculed, suspended by the U.S. Olympic team and expelled from the Olympic Village by the IOC. Five decades later, as our nation once again grapples with similar issues, they are now widely recognized as heroes of the 1960s civil rights movement.

At the time, John’s perception of the protest was in keeping with most of the U.S. and other athletic delegations competing at the 1968 Games. Most acknowledged the pair’s right to protest yet preferred that the Games remain apolitical.

Just 10 days before the Opening Ceremony of the 1968 Games, Mexican police and military troops massacred dozens of unarmed students during a protest in the Tlatelolco district of Mexico City. The massacre was followed with a vast government coverup, many details of which are only coming to light now—50 years later.

At the time the Mexican government

downplayed the severity of the incident, so international awareness was minimized. As John recalls, during the Games he and his teammates were essentially unaware that any recent unrest had occurred. It was only after they returned home that they learned of the tragic event.

After Mexico City, John returned to California, married Maureen and started a family. In 1971 he again competed in the Pan Am Games in Cali, Columbia, and won the bronze in double sculls.

He considered trying to compete in the 1972 Munich Games, but he had a rapidly growing family to support. His employer at the time, Martin Marietta, would not give him the time off, so he opted not to pursue another Olympic run. Yet John’s passion for the sport remained high, and he continued rowing.

In 1976 the IOC added women’s rowing as an official Olympic sport. Over the years John had met several of the women’s team members who also trained in Long Beach.

He’d often chat with them and occasionally give them pointers. When their coach pulled out due to illness, they invited John to be

their coach in Montreal. It was at the 1976 Games that John had one his most enduring and memorable Olympic experiences.

Certainly winning the bronze in 1968 was the high point of John’s Olympic journey.

But perhaps a close second occurred while John was in Montreal with the women’s team. Between races, John enjoyed spending his free time in the athlete’s village. At both the Mexico City and Montreal Games, John became an avid Olympic swag trader.

One day while at the village trading, he ran into a Romanian rower named Walter Lambertus whom he’d previously met while riding the shuttle to the rowing venue. Walter was fluent in English, and the two had had an enjoyable chat while on the bus.

Walter approached John in the village with an unusual request. He was planning to defect to Canada, where unbeknownst to Romanian authorities his uncle lived. He asked John to help him get his belongings out of the heavily guarded Romanian dorm and hold them in his room until he was ready to defect.

Romanian President Nicolae Ceauşescu was a notoriously brutal dictator who had

mistreated his people since assuming power a decade earlier. John was more than happy to oblige his new friend in his effort to escape Communist Romania.

They hatched a plan. John would bring his swag bag, and when they’d arrive at the Romanian dorm they’d pretend to be trading items while actually retrieving Walter’s belongings. Feeling a slight tinge of nervous energy, the two entered the dorm room and there was a group of 16 other Romanians glued to the television. At that exact moment Nadia Comăneci was on the balance beam, and the Romanians were mesmerized.

The diversion gave them a perfect opportunity. John said to Walter, “Let’s not screw around. Let’s get your stuff and get the hell out of here.” The next day Walter successfully defected. Three more Romanians and a Russian also defected to Canada during the 1976 Games.

For the crime of defecting, Walter was sentenced in absentia to 20 years of hard labor. He moved to the Niagara Falls area and for many years lived in fear of being caught

by Romanian secret police. He ceased direct contact with Romania and forwarded letters

to a friend in Austria who would repackage and mail them home for him. He had triple locks on his doors and a rope ladder ready to go out a window if he was ever found.

After the fall of Ceauşescu, Walter was finally able to relax. He now has a family and lives in the Whistler area. John and Walter have remained good friends. A few years ago they met up in B.C. and shared a bottle of Romanian brandy that Walter had given John in Montreal.

After coaching the 1976 women’s team, John returned home and continued to row while also broadening his involvement in other aspects of the sport. He has served in leadership positions and on the boards of multiple rowing organizations including serving as president of both the Southern California Rowing Foundation and the Long Beach Rowing Association.

In 2008 John was inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame. At 76, John still runs his manufacturing rep business. He and Maureen now have five grandchildren. And he continues to row regularly. He recently had knee surgery but looks forward to getting his scull back in the water soon. ■

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To celebrate female local leaders and business owners, Southbay magazine organized “The Future Is Female” presented by Del Amo Fashion Center and Nordstrom. After striking a pose, guests made their way into the space dotted with lights and intricate floral installations by Bloom Maven.

The centerpiece of the evening was an inspirational panel moderated by Kori Clausen and featuring Brooke Williamson, Ria Ray, Ursula Beatt and Kathy Wunderli. Nordstrom created a fall style seminar with Southbay fashion editor Tanya Monaghan.

Guests were pampered with Nordstrom’s Drybar, Sisley, Charlotte Tilbury and Creed beauty stations, skin rejuvenation treatments by OrangeTwist, gel manicures by The Cosmo Studio and nostril waxes by BOX Human Landscapers.

Fresh fruit signature cocktails were crafted with Ketel One Botanicals, and local favorite Barsha Wines & Spirits poured a full international wine menu. Health-Ade Kombucha served muddled mocktails from the custom Coastal Cocktails caravan.

Thanks to The Ripe Choice Catering, guests indulged in a charcuterie tower and passed appetizers. Bazille provided bite-sized versions of their seasonal menu, and for dessert the floral-covered POPS cart shared their renowned organic frozen treats.

This event was made possible through the partnerships with Love This Way, CHALK SHOT, Choura Events, Penta, Z Gallerie and VOX DJs. Thanks to Jessica Lococo of Town Social Events for her continuous support.

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Movies at the Beach Movies at the Beach is a free sunset film series on the sand, presented by Friends of the Parks in Hermosa Beach. Friends of the Parks is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to preserving and enhancing Hermosa Beach parks, including our largest park: the beach. Learn more at hermosamovies.com.

Mayor Jeff Duclos and Laura Leventhal

Keller Williams Beach Cities Team

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Sunset Music by Nick Shattuck

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MIKE NOWAK

Lazy Acres Team

Los Angeles Kings Beach Cities 5K/10K The Redondo Beach coastline set the stage for the LA Kings Beach Cities 5K/10K, the kickoff event for the 2018-19 LA Kings season. Daryl Evans, Kings radio commentator and former player, hosted the event and was joined by fellow alumni, Kings players, staff, fans and partners. More than 2,000 people attended the annual event.

Daryl Evans

Bailey the mascot and Daryl Evans

Council Member Christian Horvath and Bailey the mascot

Jeff Carter, Jack Campbell, Alec Martinez, Jonny Brodzinski, Laura Bell Bundy, Nate Thompson, Alex Iafallo, Trevor Lewis, Dustin Brown

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Portuguese Bend National Horse Show Peninsula Committee of Children’s Hospital held its 61st annual Portuguese Bend National Horse Show (PBNHS) at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. The United States Equestrian Federation has designated PBNHS a “Heritage Competition”—a prestigious distinction given to horse shows that have run for 25 years or longer and have made a contribution to the sport by “maintaining and promoting equestrian ideals of competition and sportsmanship.” This year’s theme was “Giving Our Hearts and Hands for Children.”

All of the money raised benefits The Associates Endowed Chair for the Chief of the Children’s Orthopaedic Center and The Associates Endowment for Liver and Intestinal Research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Patsy Doski, Karen Mitchell, Jan Van Riper

Saylor LaPorte and James LaPorte

Chuck & Lisa Noski, Peter & Jeniffer Morgan, Marcie Reed

Kate, Dave and Taylor Cocke

Grace Gentry and Betty Davidson

PBNHS Rider

Long Beach mounted police rider

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Kirk, Sue, Niki and Kyle Wilkinson

PHOTOGRAPHED BY FLORA FAIRCHILD

Marilyn MacLeod, Ian MacLeod, Lisa Carroll, Matt Carroll

Fall Fashion Harvest The Morgan’s Jewelers & Trina Turk Fall Fashion Harvest was an afternoon filled with pumpkin spice and everything nice. Guests enjoyed a VIP shopping experience in Morgan’s Jewelers, sneak peak at Trina Turk’s fall fashion trends, Marco Bicego trunk show, Drake’s delicious cocktails, seasonal bites and chances to win huge giveaways and a Pinterest-worthy DIY project.

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Indivisible at Resin Gallery The South Bay art scene came to life for INDIVISIBLE at Resin Gallery in Hermosa Beach. The South Bay Artist Collective partnered with Southbay magazine to bring together 46 of the top local artists—from photographers to fine artists to sculptors. The night was made special by Uncorked, Gerry AV Realty Remax/HB, Wonderful, Dr. Robb Farms, Manhattan Repro, Funddeed, Stacked, King Harbor Brewing Co, Rolling Hills Flower Mart and Gum Tree Café.

Jared Sayers and Meagan Sayers

Paula Langstein, Ian Logan, Emily Brantley, Blakeley Hunter, Kevin Gilligan

Christina Miyamoto, Jon Way, Sienna Kingston, Brian Kingston, Cory Kingston

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Sabrina Armitage and Emily Brantley

Drica Lobo and Gerry Vasquez

DJ Ecklectic

Catherine Baumhauer, Stephen Baumhauer, Andrea Doyle, Steve Doyle

Sam, Milo and Becky Harang

Jeff Poe, Monika O’Deegan, Wendy Stillman, Sheri Lopez

Celebration Gala 2018 Enjoying the Havana Nights themed evening at the Celebration Gala, 500 of the community’s most generous philanthropists and leaders gathered in support of Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers San Pedro and Torrance’s mission to provide high-quality, compassionate health care to all in the South Bay, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Jaye Azoff, Dr. Steven Brass, Sean Armstrong

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEATS ELLIOT

Dr. Julie Valentine, Priscilla Hunt, Garry Olney

Mark Paullin, Craig Paullin, Mike Patel

Ken Prindle, Marilyn Prindle, Andy Prindle, Jen Prindle

Stephan Morikawa and Mary Morikawa

Cece Williams, Nancy Ortiz, Rea Ricafort, Christen McIntye, Nina Patel, Dr. Amdhu Shokeen, Nisha Patel

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Age of Summer Premier

Southbay was in attendance for the debut of the film Age of Summer, a coming-of-age story set in the South Bay in the mid-‘80s. Cast and crew were on hand for the intimate showing at the Hermosa Playhouse.

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Honda Evening Under the Stars Gourmet Food and Wine Festival World-renowned saxophonist Kenny G and surprise guest Richard Marx serenaded guests at the 32nd annual event presented in partnership with the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds benefit Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s new Hunt Cancer Center.

Steve Morikawa, Stephen Lathrop, Kenny G, Bill Haggelstein

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEIDRE DAVIDSON

Jackie Geiger, Greg Geiger, Judy Gassner, Jack Baker, Ayne Baker, Laura Schenasi

Steve Morikawa and Craig Leach

Craig Leach, Jay Abraham, Christy Abraham

Pam Branam and Travis Sayre

Kirk Retz, Linda Perry, Shaun Retz

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Sunset Beach Party 2018

Marc Conneely and BJ Arnold

Leslie Leaf, Randy Leaf, Carol Glover, Dave Salzman

Michael Zislis and Andrea Zislis

Alexa Dedlow and Keisha Wright

Glenn Parrish, Chris Verbin, Todd Maxwell

Randy Stoklos and Kevin Barry

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY PATRICK RECORD

The Downtown Manhattan Beach Business & Professional Association hosted the second annual Sunset Beach Party in the AVP Skydeck. 2017 AVP/MBO Champions joined locals to kick off the 2018 MB Open. Twelve Manhattan Beach restaurants and The Lucky Ones came together to raise money for the Roundhouse Aquarium OTS.

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Hermosa Beach Hotdogger Championship

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BETH O’ROURKE, RICK BICKFORD AND KIYO OKADA

The recently revitalized Bay Cities Surf Club organized the third annual Hermosa Beach Hotdogger Championships Presented

by Subaru Pacific at the Hermosa Beach Pier southside. With a $3,500 cash purse and equal payouts for both men and women, the traditional surf contest attracted top surfers from all over the world and more than 200 contestants ranging from ages 9 to 90. Division sponsors like San Onofre Surf Co., Sun Bum, Sector 9, Kinecta Federal Credit Union, Chevron and Hippy Tree stoked out all finalists.

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You’ll never think of high school the same way again.

Learn why at an Open House.

Saturday, December 8 Saturday, January 12 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Registration opens at 8:30 AM. RSVP at vistamarschool.org/openhouse 737 Hawaii Street • El Segundo • CA www.vistamarschool.org Vistamar is a private independent high school in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.

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I’ve seen firms come and go, so I was determined to figure out what it takes to make it work.

We established a strong mission statement that speaks to teamwork and a creative approach, which allows us to serve our clients and the community, while continuing to grow our firm sustainably.”

— DENISE M. GUZMAN, GUZMAN LAW GROUP, PC

PRO FILES

trusted advisors The key to financial success—for individuals and businesses alike—is a professional team of trusted advisors.

These experts inform us about our options and help us discover solutions for life’s challenges. When making decisions that impact business, home and family, we can depend on the guidance of these South Bay specialists, known for innovative solutions and topnotch client care.

140 GUZMAN LAW GROUP, PC

Denise M. Guzman

160 KINECTA WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Sean Patikas-Hunter

142 CAMBRIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LP

Meb Faber

161

BAKER, BURTON & LUNDY PC

162 STONE & SALLUS LLP 144 NAVIGOE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Scott Leonard 146 NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

Paul Baboolal 148 BEZAIRE, LEDWITZ & ASSOCIATES, APC

Samuel B. Ledwitz

163 MORGAN’S JEWELERS PALOS VERDES

Marshall Varon 164 ADISHIAN LAW GROUP, P.C.

ADISHIAN CAPITAL

Chris Adishian

150 BURKLEY BRANDLIN SWATIK & KEESEY LLP

165 CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.

Casey Mervine

152 LENZE LAWYERS, PLC

Jennifer Lenze

166 MIONI FAMILY LAW, APC

Lovette T. Mioni

154 CHASE LAW GROUP, A PC

DeAnn Flores Chase

167 SANFORD JOSSEN 168 JWM CPA & COMPANY, PC

156 DIVIDEND GROWTH PARTNERS 158 ERNENWEIN & JOHNSON, LLP

Robert Ernenwein

& Stephanie Johnson

EDITED BY LAURA WATTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY JP CORDERO & SHANE O’DONNELL

169 EDWARD JONES

Audrey A. Stansbury

trusted advisors

Denise M. Guzman, Founder/Principal Attorney 1230 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 650, Manhattan Beach 310-321-6640 guzmanlg.com

“We are in the job of protecting people.”

H

What type of law does the firm practice?

Denise M. Guzman, Business, Estate Planning and Trust Attorney: “We are a multi-faceted law firm handling a variety of matters from Estate Planning and Business needs to Entertainment and Sports. I like working with individuals and businesses.

I enjoy that each day is different. I can be doing a $30 million deal one day and the next day I am helping the founder of a startup lay a strong foundation so they can raise capital and grow a successful business.”

To what do you attribute your expertise in your industry?

Edward Powell, Business Attorney: “I began my legal career as a banking lawyer in the 1990s during a transformational time for financial institutions. This resulted in exposure to a great variety of acquisitions, financings and securities offerings involving companies in all industries and of all sizes. My representation of businesses draws on this experience every day in formulating creative, efficient and solid solutions for our clients.”

Describe the services you provide.

Carol T. Contes, Entertainment, Copyright & Trademark Attorney: “I provide services as if I were a client’s ‘in-house’ lawyer, providing advice and action to secure the rights necessary to allow for the successful development,

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production and distribution of entertainment content across all media throughout the world. Every business has its unique requirements (business and legal), and the entertainment specialist must ensure that a client’s ‘brand’ or ‘product’ is secure in all respects.”

How has the growing tech sector influenced your practice?

Drew Hallett, Business and Entertainment Attorney: “With the emergence of Silicon Beach, the rise of the tech industry in the Los Angeles area has been prominent.

The tech space is overflowing with startups and new, smaller businesses, hoping to climb their way to the top. We work with companies like these, guiding them in business and legal manners, and putting them in a position to succeed. The tech space is always evolving and adapting, and we want to do the same as a new generation makes their mark in business.”

How do you help clients who feel stressed and overwhelmed?

Marcus Chang, Business and Estate Planning Attorney: “Part of my role as an attorney is to alleviate clients’ stress. Oftentimes when I meet with a client for the first time, the source of their stress is founded in the unknown and their lack of legal knowledge. One of the first steps we take is to present clients with a plan on how we will address their legal matter and answer any questions they have. Providing a path toward the end goal for a client lifts a weigh off them. They know they can rely on us to protect their legal interest and provide high-caliber legal work.”

What is unique about your team?

Charles Shelton, Litigation Attorney: “Two things: First, we have real depth of experience in the area of trusts, estates and business, and secondly, we leverage the expertise of the other lawyers within our firm. When I was in business school, I noticed that a small group of people working together could inevitably produce better results than even the smartest person could working alone. Guzman Law Group understands the value of teamwork.”

Adnan Karama, Business Attorney: “One of the unique things about the firm is our diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Each member of the team is able to bring a unique skillset that allows us to comprehensively assist our clients in all types of legal matters. By working in a collaborative manner, GLG is able to craft an optimal solution for our clients.”

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARISA GUZMÁN-ALOIA

Guzman Law Group, PC

eadquartered in Manhattan Beach, Guzman Law Group represents clients across the U.S. The firm has handled numerous business law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and securing financing, organizing and restructuring a business for tax or estate planning purposes, and advice on strategic exit and succession planning. Guzman Law Group represents a diverse client base that consists of high net worth individuals, manufacturers, distributors, content creators, production companies and internet pioneers.

“We are in the job of protecting people, and that role comes quite naturally to me,” says founder Denise M. Guzman, who earned her law degree from UCLA and is a noted business and estate planning attorney.

She functions as virtual in-house corporate counsel for many clients and is an integral part of key decision-making and ongoing operational activities of her clients. She is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer on business, estate planning and trust administration issues.

L to R: Attorneys Adnan Karama, Carol T. Contes, Drew C. Hallett, Edward Powell, Denise M. Guzman, Charles Shelton, Marcus Chang, Carla B. Hoffman.

trusted advisors

Cambria Investment Management, LP Meb Faber, Founder & CEO

2321 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 3225 El Segundo 310-683-5500 cambriainvestments.com cambriafunds.com

“Focusing on paying as little as possible in fees makes a tremendous difference.”

C

ambria Investment Management was co-founded in 2006 by Meb Faber, an 18-year veteran of the financial industry. The firm manages global investment portfolios that represent more than $1 billion in assets for individuals and institutions. To help diversify clients’ portfolios, Cambria offers an array of investment products and services—ranging from holistic investment portfolios to specific niche ETFs. What is the biggest mistake investors make?

“There are two. First, the average investor pays far too much in management fees and commissions, which often negatively impact returns much more than most investors realize. Second, investors often have under-diversified portfolios that are heavily over-weighted with U.S. investments (as opposed to global investments). We call this mistake ‘home country bias.’ We feel a globally diversified portfolio is often more beneficial for investors in the long run.”

What is the best way for a professional advisor to become regarded as “Trusted Advisor” by his/her clients?

“A registered investment advisor is required by law to act in the client’s best interest—in other words, being a ‘fiduciary.’ But trust is achieved through doing right by your client consistently, over time, so that’s our focus. Today we’re proud that more than 30,000 investors that have entrusted their wealth to Cambria.”

Speak about authenticity in your line of work.

“Did you know over half of mutual fund portfolio managers don’t invest a single dollar into their own fund? We think managers should ‘eat their own cooking.’ That’s why I invest nearly 100% of the dollars that I’ve allocated for public investments into Cambria funds.

We also believe transparency is key, so we go to great lengths to share our market approach and beliefs. To that end we’ve published seven books, numerous academic papers, more than 2,000 blog posts and more than 100 podcasts. After providing this transparency, it’s simply a matter of doing what you say you’re going to do.”

What is your process?

“At Cambria we consider ourselves quantitative investors, meaning we have rules that dictate our investing style. We’re aware of our own limitations … which are tied to emotions.

Simply put, when the market is dropping, it’s hard not to sell in fear—often at the wrong

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time. On the other hand, when markets are hitting new highs like right now and everyone seems to be making boatloads of money, it can be challenging to avoid the herd mentality of throwing more money at overvalued investments—again, often at the wrong time.

That’s why we engineered our Trinity Portfolios to account for our own humanity. These portfolios approach the markets with a logical, rules-based framework. Also, it helps to have a local advisor to speak with when markets are getting volatile. That’s why our doors are always open. We’re happy for our clients to drop by our offices in El Segundo anytime they want to chat.”

What’s your advice for people trying to handle their investments by themselves?

“I’d suggest that they determine whether that’s the best use of their time. The South Bay is home to a great many incredibly talented, successful individuals. When you break down what these individuals earn on an hourly basis, that rate can be incredibly high. When they decide to allocate lots of time to their own investments, it often comes at an expensive (yet invisible) opportunity cost. A huge advantage of working with an advisor is that doing so enables the individual to focus his/ her time on whatever activity they excel at. It just makes far more sense from an economic perspective.

Second, despite the overwhelming success of many of our South Bay neighbors in their chosen fields, that same success doesn’t always translate to investing. Many investors can be their own worst enemy when the emotions of greed or fear come into play, and having a fiduciary there to guide you can be critical.

If you do decide to invest on your own, have a written investment plan. Too many investors aren’t clear as to what they’re doing and why—and the minute the market pulls back, fear kicks in and the individual often reacts in a way that’s counterproductive to long-term goals. Like following a diet, having a written plan ahead of time helps avoid this. After that, balancing a portfolio through assets diversified by geography and asset class is crucial. And then focusing on paying as little as possible in fees makes a tremendous difference.”

What do you love about working and living in the South Bay? “It’s just a beautiful little corner of the world filled with wonderful people. Also, the French onion soup at The Kettle.”

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L to R: Himanshu Surti, Jonathan Keetz, Meb Faber, Sarah Ministrelli, Jeff Remsburg, Justin Bosch

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trusted advisors

Navigoe Wealth Management Scott Leonard, Founder 417 Beryl Street Redondo Beach 310-697-0400 navigoe.com

“Twenty years ago our investment strategy was academically sound.

Now it is also market-tested.”

C

ERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Scott Leonard founded Navigoe Wealth Management in 1996 and has more than 25 years of experience in the finance industry. In 2012 he was named one of the Top 5 most influential financial advisors by RIABiz. Navigoe is a fee-only financial fiduciary working with business owners, executives and families to maintain and grow their financial prosperity. The firm’s services include portfolio management, financial planning, tax management, estate planning and asset protection.

What is unique about your services?

“Wealth management is the sum of three distinct services: portfolio management, advanced planning and professional coordination. All three of these responsibilities must be provided together, in concert, for financial services to rise to the level of wealth management.”

What is involved in portfolio management?

“Portfolio management is the process of designing, implementing and monitoring an overall investment strategy customized for the investor’s specific goals. We create an Investment Policy, which acts as the guiding document for selecting and evaluating investment managers based on risk assessments, performance and desired results. It also provides the policy for how the portfolio will be managed through different market conditions. Much of the design of the Investment Policy is informed by the strategies created in the advanced planning process.”

What is advanced planning?

“Financial planning, tax management, estate planning and asset protection, including insurance. The process brings all these different areas of planning together into a comprehensive, holistic plan. We continue to evaluate, update and implement the various strategies in a complementary manner.”

Does Navigoe employ all the professionals involved with advanced planning?

“It is almost impossible for any single firm to employ all the professionals necessary to deliver all aspects of advanced planning.

That is the reason for the third element of wealth management: professional coordination. As the wealth manager, we bring all the recommendations of the different specialists

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—the attorneys, accountants, insurance agents and others—together into the holistic wealth plan. Then the wealth manager is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the wealth management tasks.”

What functions of advanced planning are provided in-house by Navigoe?

“Navigoe’s team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ professionals specializes in financial planning, retirement analysis and portfolio management. We also possess in-depth knowledge of the other advanced planning disciplines. The comprehensive education required to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ professional and 20+ years of experience allow us at Navigoe to be able to work with all the disciplines and act as the professional coordinator.”

Which Navigoe service makes you particulary proud?

“Our portfolio management strategy. One of the reasons I started the firm was to implement a strategy called Modern Portfolio Theory. It was the academically sound strategy, yet it was not found in brokerage firms or banks. We have been following that same investment strategy—using many of the same money managers—for more than 20 years. It has proven itself through the dot-com market crash, Y2K, Enron and the Great Recession. Twenty years ago our investment strategy was academically sound. Now it is also market-tested.”

More than 20 years with the same investment strategy—is that unique?

“Very. Most firms are making portfolio strategy changes every three to five years, if not annually. The implication is simple: If a firm has a ‘new’ way of investing, a ‘new’ money manager or mutual fund recommendation, or a ‘new’ portfolio allocation, it is because the ‘old’ one did not work. The industry would suggest that their research and analysis is finding something new, better or different. It is all smoke and mirrors to hide the fact that they just failed to deliver on the last strategy.

Don’t get me wrong; there is ongoing academic research around financial markets and Modern Portfolio Theory. But the resulting improvements are incremental to the sound concepts of the strategy. So while we continue to build upon and improve our portfolios, it is still based on the same academically sound research.”

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trusted advisors

Paul Baboolal, Wealth Management Advisor 515 S. Flower St., Fl. 34 Los Angeles 213-243-7073 paulbaboolal.com

“Our clients work hard for their money, so we need to make sure their money is working hard for them.

We build confidence in our clientele by alleviating fear and uncertainty from their financial future.”

Was there a moment that you first knew you wanted to work in this industry?

“During my first three months in business, I sat down with a young professional, who was also a young mother. She trusted me enough to tell me her story, and she started crying when she spoke about how important her family was to her. In that moment I knew that I could make an impact in people’s lives and help them achieve their goals—financially and personally. I just knew that I was meant to do this.”

What do you offer clients?

“Our firm specializes in holistic financial planning for individuals and businesses. Our goal is to help our clients create and implement their financial game plan so they can feel secure in a complex world. Our clients work hard for their money, so we need to make sure their money is working hard for them. We build confidence in our clientele by alleviating fear and uncertainty from their financial future.”

How do you get to know your clients?

“Our clients’ interests and motivations are central to the work we do. We don’t make assumptions about them. We dig deep to find out what makes them unique. We believe in building long-term relationships in which clients view us as the center of their financial lives. We want their financial plans to stand the test of time and make a positive impact on generations to come.”

What advice do you offer young clients?

“I advise young clients to take advantage of what I refer to as the eighth Wonder of the World: the power of compound interest.

No matter your career stage, it’s my belief you should be saving at least 10% of your gross income.”

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What has your experience been working with Northwestern Mutual?

“I’ve stayed with Northwestern Mutual for 25 years because the company has delivered on its promises to clients. With the quality of Northwestern Mutual products and my team’s focus on client experience, we can give our clients the white-glove treatment they deserve. Our Managing Partner, Matt Plocher, has been with us since 2011, and under his leadership, we are positioned for healthy expansion into several new markets in Southern California.”

What is on your professional bucket list?

“We are thrilled to announce that Northwestern Mutual will open an office in the South Bay in September 2019. After commuting to Downtown Los Angeles for 25 years, it will be a huge life change for me to be closer to my clients. I warmly welcome the opportunity to continue making an impact in my community.”

What do you love about the South Bay? “I have been living in the South Bay since 1996. We have wonderful places for the kids to play and a young, vibrant community around us.”

Tell us about your family.

“I feel so blessed to have a supportive family that allows me to spend time working on the business. My wife, Heather, had a successful career as an accountant, and she left the workforce to raise our two boys, who are 11 and 8. They keep me active and grounded.

The most important things in life are health and family.”

Are you involved in philanthropy?

“My family is actively involved with the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation, and Heather is on the board of the Hermosa Beach PTO. I coach two baseball teams and serve on the board of directors for the Hermosa Beach Little League. The Northwestern Mutual Foundation partners with organizations seeking a cure for pediatric cancer, such as the Starlight Children’s Foundation and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.”

Disclaimer: Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Paul Baboolal is an Insurance Agent of NM, primarily licensed in California and may be licensed in other states.

CA License: #0B03803. This is a paid placement.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JUAN TURCIOS

Northwestern P Mutual

aul Baboolal is a Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Los Angeles with more than 25 years of experience. He partners with successful attorneys, business owners, commercial real estate developers and South Bay families to assist them with their financial goals. As a Disability Income Specialist, he educates clients on financial literacy and wealth management strategies and solutions. Paul started his career with Northwestern Mutual as a college intern and began working full-time with the firm after he graduated from UCLA with a B.S. degree in political science.

L to R: Back: Elizabeth Gilbert, Maye Gutierrez, Nicole Hernandez, Jessica Ormandy Front: Travis Larsen, Paul Baboolal

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Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates, APC Samuel B. Ledwitz, JD, LLM, President & Managing Partner 21515 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 585 Torrance 310-316-2400 SmartEstatePlans.com

“I enjoy constantly learning and developing strategies to further the ability for my firm to help our clients.”

T

he law firm of Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates focuses on the areas of estate planning, estate administration, probate and estate litigation for clients. Owner and attorney Samuel B. Ledwitz founded the firm in 2007 and has been practicing law in California since 1998. He attended Pepperdine University School of Law, earning his law degree with an emphasis in the areas of estate and income tax. Next he attended The University of Miami School of Law, where he earned a post-doctorate degree in estate planning. He has served as a professor at Cerritos College within their law department.

What are some important life decisions that you assist clients with?

“The proper planning to manage a client’s health care wishes and asset management.”

How do you advise your clients to achieve and maintain success?

“Estate planning encompasses proper management and direction of not only your material assets but your health care as well.

The last thing that a person wants is to leave the decisions for their medical care and asset management in the hands of someone unintended. I feel good knowing that I have done a good job preparing family members during some of the most difficult times.

When a person has a proper estate plan, they and their family will benefit greatly from it. Knowing I have contributed to a family’s security and well-being is very gratifying.”

Tell us something unique about Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates.

“We retain two estate planning specialists who are certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar.” Give us a great piece of advice on how we can protect ourselves and our families.

“The short answer is to have a well-constructed estate plan in place. This ensures that you and your loved ones are properly taken care of while you are alive and after your passing. It is very important to have the appropriate documents in place in order for your wishes to be met concerning medical and financial matters. The decision about your health and property should be made by you and not the courts. That is what a proper estate plan can provide you.”

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Do you offer new clients a free consultation?

“Yes, all initial consultations are complimentary.”

Why does your industry appeal to you?

“It provides me the opportunity to help families when they are in the most need.”

Was there a moment that you first knew you wanted to work in this industry?

“As a college undergraduate.”

What’s most rewarding about your work?

“The satisfaction of knowing that I have helped someone and his or her family through a difficult time and provided support in what can be their most crucial time of need. I enjoy constantly learning and developing strategies to further the ability for my firm to help our clients. I enjoy working with other professionals within and outside of our firm and the camaraderie that comes with it as we pursue mutual goals.”

How do you distinguish yourself from the competition?

“Board certification through the California Board of Legal Specialization.”

What are your goals this year?

“I want to continue growing personally and professionally. I enjoy the ongoing learning and development of strategies to further the ability of my firm to help clients. I enjoy working with other professionals within and outside our firm and the camaraderie that comes with it as we pursue mutual goals. I want to continue growing Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates for the benefit of my clients and family.”

Does the media help or hurt your business?

“I wouldn’t say it necessarily hurts, but there is a lot of misinformation from many media sources concerning estate planning.”

How do you give back to your community?

“I am involved with multiple charities, including sitting on charity boards of directors.”

What do you like to do for fun, when you’re not at work?

“Spend time with my family. I have a beautiful wife and two children. I cherish the time I spend with them. My wife, Kamila, is a marriage and family therapist who has spent her career helping others manage the most difficult of circumstances—something I greatly admire her for.

She is a wonderful mother to our two children, Charles, age 10, and Emily, age 12.”

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Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP 21515 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 820 Torrance 310-540-6000 bbsklaw.com

“Our clients commonly refer to us as their extended family based on the personal service we provide to each of them.”

T

he attorneys at Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP assist clients with estate law, estate litigation, business law and real estate law.

Located in Torrance, the firm serves clients throughout Southern California.

Walter R. Burkley, Jr. has practiced law in the South Bay for more than 40 years, with experience in corporate and real estate law, succession planning for family businesses, and he has an extensive practice in trust and estate litigation. He is a past president of the South Bay Bar Association and was named the “2017 Lawyer of the Year” by the South Bay Bar Association.

Brian R. Brandlin has been certified by the State Bar of California as a legal specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law—a certification awarded to less than 1% of California attorneys. He has been designated as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” each year from 2007 to 2019. Since 1987, he has represented individuals and families involving the transfer of family wealth, probate, estate and gift tax planning, trust administrations and business succession planning.

Bruce R. Brandlin has practiced law since 1979 and holds an AV Preeminent Rating with Martindale Hubbell. He was a board member for the California Grocers Association for eight years and has served as counsel and attorney for several grocery corporations.

Deborah Keesey practices estate planning, trust litigation, trust administration, conservatorships, probate and corporate/business law. She is a director of the South Bay Bar Association, an executive committee member of the Trust & Estate section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and a member of the Torrance Memorial Hospital Professional Advisory Council.

Mark E. Swatik is certified by the State Bar as a legal specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law—a certification awarded to less than 1% of California attorneys. He has an MBA with an emphasis in finance, and he is also a licensed real estate broker and retired police sergeant. His practice areas include estate and tax planning, trust administration trust and estate litigation, probate, special needs planning, elder law, business and real estate law.

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Christopher Brandlin was admitted to the California bar in 2011 and is also a licensed real estate broker. His practice areas include real estate law, landlord-tenant law, personal injury, premises liability, product liability, employment law, probate, guardian- ships, conservatorships, business litigation and civil litigation.

Please give a brief description of Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP. “Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP provides a comprehensive range of estate planning, trust, probate legal services, as well as business and real estate legal services for all families throughout the South Bay and Southern California areas. The firm emphasizes solutions for business owners, small to high net worth clients and people with complex estate planning considerations.

The firm also represents people in trust and estate litigation matters involving wills, trusts and probate, as well as trust and probate administration, guardianships and conservatorships.”

What are your practice areas?

“Estate planning, probate and estate administration, wills, trust administration, business succession planning, conservatorships and guardianships, will contest, trust litigation, elder abuse, personal injury, business organization, business litigation, civil litigation, real estate law, landlord-tenant law, premises liability, product liability, employment law.”

What distinguishes your firm from others in your industry?

“From the moment our clients walk through our front door, they are given our undivided attention, loyalty and respect. Not only do we provide exceptional legal service and expertise that is unparalleled to any other law firm in the South Bay, our thoroughness and attention to detail is second to none. Our clients consistently refer us to their friends and family, which is an accolade and achievement to which every firm aspires.”

What is unique about your team?

“Our clients commonly refer to us as their extended family based on the personal service we provide to each of them. We are exceptionally responsive to our clients and address their needs in the most efficient, economic and effective manner possible.

Perhaps that is why we have maintained the top client performance and satisfaction reviews amongst any firm in the South Bay.”

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L to R: Bruce R. Brandlin, Chris P. Brandlin, Brian R. Brandlin, Deborah Keesey, Mark E. Swatik, Walter R. Burkley Jr.,

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trusted advisors

Lenze Lawyers, PLC Jennifer Lenze, Owner 1300 Highland Ave., Suite 207 Manhattan Beach 310-322-8800 lenzelawyers.com

“Helping others motivates me as an attorney—righting wrongs in whatever way you can without turning back the clock.”

L

enze Lawyers is a law firm that helps injured parties who have been unjustly harmed, including injuries from medical devices and pharmaceuticals, employment law, malpractice and personal injury. Owner Jennifer Lenze started the business in 2015 in honor of her other half, attorney Paul Sizemore, who passed away in 2014.

She has worked in the legal field for 12 years.

Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in 2002 and her Juris Doctorate in 2006 from the University of San Diego. During her time in law school she studied abroad at the Institute on International and Comparative Law, University of Barcelona, Spain, and Trinity College, Ireland, and was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.

After law school she began her career at the Los Angeles-based firm Girardi | Keese, where she received the distinction of lawyer of the year. In 2009 Jennifer helped start the Sizemore Taylor firm and later founded Lenze Lawyers.

What motivates you in your work?

“Helping others motivates me as an attorney— righting wrongs in whatever way you can without turning back the clock.

Keeping Paul’s legacy alive for our six kids also motivates me to continue to carry on his good work in the way he taught me so many years ago.”

What sets your firm apart from the rest?

“We are women-owned and womenoperated in a profession that remains dominated by males.”

What would you like our readers to know about Lenze Lawyers?

“We want people to know we all work hard, love what we do and care so much about our clients. Being involved in a lawsuit can be scary, but we want our clients to feel supported and confident they have found the right advocates in our firm. They can pick up the phone and call us with questions anytime.

We are happy to review their potential case with them free of cost.”

Are you a believer in trusting your instincts?

“Absolutely. They have guided me in the worst times. I listen to my instincts in running the business but also in the practice of law.”

Advice for women going into legal work?

“Be yourself, and do what scares you. As a young lawyer I was told I was too nice to be an effective trial lawyer. The best advice I got

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in the face of that was to be myself; I have found you can be a zealous advocate while being civil and gracious. You can use your fear as a positive to continue to grow as a person and in the profession.”

What inspired you to go into this profession?

“I was a single mom through college and knew law school would be a wonderful way to provide for my son while helping others.”

Who mentored you in your early years in the legal field?

“I started work at the Girardi | Keese law firm and worked for many amazing folks who I looked to as mentors, including Paul Sizemore. Tom Girardi is a legend, and it was such a gift to be able to watch and learn not only how he is as a trial lawyer but also how he ran a business and interacted with people.

He taught me that as trial lawyers we needed to bring back civility in the profession and change the way people view lawyers because the work we do is so important.”

What word do you most want associated with your firm?

“Caring.”

What is the secret to your success?

“It has been important to have an amazing team of folks who love and support each other.”

How do you maintain a healthy balance between work and family life?

“It is difficult, but I try to block off time where I can just be mom. We have also created an office environment where kids are welcome.

I want to make it as easy as possible for any mom at the firm to know they don’t have to choose between being a present parent and being successful at work. As women we are often hardest on our- selves, but with the right support in the workplace a healthy balance becomes more possible.”

What is your favorite thing about life in the South Bay? “The small-town feel and sense of community it provides. We work extremely hard for our clients, and to do so in such an amazing environment—with the beach and amazing town—is such a blessing.”

How do you unwind?

“Working out and hanging out with my kids and friends.”

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Chase Law Group, a PC DeAnn Flores Chase, Owner 1721 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Manhattan Beach 310-545-7700 chaselawmb.com

“Our clients come to us because they want to do things the right way.”

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hase Law Group is a business and real estate law firm working with business and professional practice owners to develop comprehensive legal structures that provide personal liability protection and manageable day-to-day operations. Owner DeAnn Flores Chase has worked in the legal industry for 22 years and started her own firm in 2007. She earned her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. What do you offer clients?

“We offer a team-oriented holistic approach to evaluate current business structures and provide in-depth guidance from legal specialists that collaboratively and seamlessly work together toward the ultimate goal of ensuring that our clients’ interests are protected at every turn. Our proven legal expertise helps clients safely move ahead in business. I spent the first 10 years of my career litigating complex business matters in virtually every courthouse in Southern California. This gives me a unique perspective when advising my clients on building a strong legal foundation for their businesses and professional practices.”

Speak about authenticity in your line of work.

“Authenticity in our line of work is critical.

That’s what sets us apart. Our team is authentic and genuinely cares about clients and what happens to them.”

What is your favorite part of running your own business?

“I like helping people. I am always so honored and humbled when I run into a client in the community and they introduce me as their lawyer who has helped them with their business needs. It is extremely rewarding every time we help our clients get through tough situations and grow their businesses and professional practices.”

What is the secret of success for a business owner?

“To focus on what they do best and rely on their trusted advisors to provide them with the expertise to run their business. For example, if business owners spend too much time trying to research how to handle all legal areas themselves, they take time away from what they do best—which is running their business.”

What are the traits of your favorite clients?

“Our clients come to us because they want to do things the right way. They value working

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with us early on and are proactive before or as soon as matters arise. An attorney-client relationship must have a mutual respect and trust.

It is important that the clients trust that we will do everything in our power to get them the best results. When they trust me to guide them it saves them time, money and frustration.”

Congrats on your recent 10-year anniversary!

What’s in store for the future?

“We are very excited to announce that we will be teaming up with The South Bay Show to launch a legal podcast! We also will continue our monthly newsletter, which we consistently receive positive feedback about. We have a link to sign up for our newsletter on the front page of our website. We look forward to connecting with our business community in new and exciting ways.”

What advice do you offer your clients?

“Take the time (and spend the money) to make sure that your legal structures are done correctly. Partnerships and investment relationships need to be carefully documented to avoid future disputes that can destroy the business.”

What do you hear the most? “‘What I need done is simple’ or ‘This is only a three-page contract.’ We create customized legal contracts for our clients that include key language that protect their interests without being full of difficult to understand legalese.

When it comes to the law there are varying levels of complexity that are often hidden, and that is why what would otherwise appear to be a ‘simple’ transaction may, in fact, be more complicated than one would assume. Don’t be fearful to do legal right because it will save you time and money in the long run.”

What do your clients say about you?

“A client recently wrote to us: ‘Liz Lang Creative is a production services company [that] would not be successful today without the help and guidance of Chase Law Group. Not only did Chase Law Group help me open and properly structure my business; they’ve been by my side as my company has grown over the last seven years. DeAnn and her team read and advise on every contract, big or small, that comes through my office. Whether we are negotiating a contract with a large entertainment studio, securing a location, casting models or actors, or hiring new crew members, Chase Law Group fights to keep our liability low and educate us on the most up-to-date legal findings.”

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Dividend Growth Partners 716 Yarmouth Rd., Suite 207 Palos Verdes Estates 310-997-0292 dividendgrowthpartners.com

“Sharing the same longterm goals and values as our clients makes us true partners.”

D

ividend Growth Partners is an independent registered investment advisor, part of Ridgewood Investments LLC. The firm offers comprehensive investment services that start with their proprietary dividend growth investments and are supplemented with a broad array of investment options including fixed income, international equities, real estate investments, 529 plans and donor advised funds.

What is the best way for a professional advisor to become regarded as “Trusted Advisor” by his/her clients?

“We take our role as a partner to our clients very seriously. By investing alongside our clients in the same strategies we champion, we believe that we establish very trusted relationships in which our incentives are strongly aligned with our clients. As such, we are partners in preparing for our clients’ financial futures.”

What’s so special about dividend growth investing?

“Dividend growth investing is at the heart of what we do. It incorporates many of the best elements investing has to offer. First and foremost, your investments actually pay you—your ‘personal income stream.’ Second, as companies raise their dividends, your income grows—like a personal raise without having do any additional work!

Finally, it is tax-efficient, as qualified dividends receive favorable tax treatment and many longterm gains are often deferred over time.”

Speak about authenticity in your line of work.

“One of the underpinnings of Dividend Growth Partners is our independence. We are independent-minded investors committed to providing customized investment opportunities for our clients. As part of Ridgewood Investments LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor, we focus on providing objective fee-only investment advice as a fiduciary to our clients.”

In what ways is your relationship with your clients a partnership?

“We focus many of our own personal investments in the same dividend growth stocks we buy for our clients. Sharing the same long-term goals and values as our clients makes us true partners.”

What is the key to long-term investment success?

“We offer our clients the potential to achieve meaningful long-term investment performance through the application of proven, timeless investment principles. At the core of our investment philosophy is a belief and confidence

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in the power of investing in companies with growing dividends. We see this as a key component to achieving long-term investment success.”

How do you protect senior clients?

“On a daily basis we actively help clients prepare for retirement through management of various types of retirement accounts such as IRAs, Solo 401ks and cash balance plans. As clients progress to an age where they’re utilizing their retirement funds, the benefit of a dividend growth strategy really shows—creating an income stream that can provide funds in retirement that will displace the need to sell assets for income. It also offers the potential for income growth, a vital factor in offsetting the impacts of inflation over time. This is a great way for those in retirement to effectively utilize their retirement funds.”

What advice do you offer your youngest clients?

“Dividend Growth Partners strongly believes in educating clients, and this is particularly true for our youngest clients. We encourage clients with children to consider 529 educational accounts as well as UTMA accounts where children can own— and learn about—dividend growth investing. We like to get our young clients involved in understanding their investments and what it means to prepare for their financial future. We send them regular reports on their accounts and are always available to talk them through their investments and answer any questions they might have.”

Was there a moment that you first knew you wanted to work in this industry?

Terrance McGuire, Partner & Portfolio Manager: “That moment came in high school. After losing most of my summer earnings on my first-ever investment (a junk bond), I was determined to learn more about how investing worked. When I discovered the long-term benefits of dividend growth investing—investments that work to grow your income over time—I decided to make this my life’s work.”

What do you advise your clients in terms of philanthropy?

“Partly due to our own personal commitment to this area, we love to help clients engage in philanthropy! We offer clients investment management services for donor-advised funds and charitable trusts. Dividend growth strategies are particularly well suited to philanthropy-focused accounts in that they generate a growing income stream from dividends that can readily be used in any required distributions from these accounts; alternatively, dividends can be reinvested and can potentially compound growth in the account.”

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L to R: Brittany Sullivan (Client Service Associate), Valerie Lemmon (Investment Analyst), Terrance McGuire (Partner & Portfolio Manager)

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Ernenwein & Johnson, LLP Robert Ernenwein & Stephanie Johnson, Partners 1405 Crenshaw Blvd., 2nd Floor Torrance 310-375-5858 ernenweinjohnson.com

“We are former prosecutors with an unmatched work ethic who fight every day to help our clients get their lives back.”

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rnenwein & Johnson is a criminal defense law firm representing those who are being investigated for or charged with a crime. Attorneys Robert Ernenwein and Stephanie Johnson, both former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorneys and owners of the firm, handle misdemeanor and felony cases throughout Los Angeles County­—typically driving under the influence, traffic matters, assault, battery, crimes of violence, sexual misconduct allegations, theft allegations and drug-related offenses.

Robert has been practicing law for 34 years.

He and his wife have lived in the South Bay since 1987 and have five grown children.

Robert enjoys playing golf and swimming on the weekends.

Stephanie has been a lawyer for 10 years. She and her husband moved to Los Angeles from Minnesota after completing law school and have two young children. They also live in the South Bay and love all that the beach life has to offer.

What do clients expect when looking to hire a criminal defense attorney?

“Experience, work ethic and a record of success. We will do whatever is necessary, work as many hours as required and explore every strategy in order to successfully represent our clients. We create relationships of trust through communication and ready access. Our clients have the benefit of having two lawyers and a team to help them navigate the criminal justice system and reach a successful outcome.”

How does being former prosecutors benefit your clients?

“Being investigated or charged with a crime is one of the most traumatizing experiences a person can face. As former prosecutors, we know the other side. We know how prosecutors approach cases and the arguments and mitigating information that lead them to decline to prosecute or offer favorable plea bargains. We also have the experience to go to trial. Most importantly, we protect our clients at one of the most difficult times in their lives.”

What steps do you take to get to know your clients?

“Constant communication and regular meetings help us get to know our clients. We learn about their families and their lives. This allows us to present our clients as real people when we are negotiating on their behalf. Prosecutors, law enforcement and judges need to see our

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clients as real people and not just suspects or defendants. It is the key to obtaining the best result.”

Is being a criminal defense attorney like what you see on television?

“The reality of our professional careers as criminal defense attorneys is quite different from what many people think. Defense lawyers who work hard, are honest and represent their clients diligently are respected by judges and prosecutors. Being cordial and friendly yields far better results for our clients than being rude and aggressive. Of course, there are times, such as in trial, when the ‘gloves come off’ and we go to war. But in most cases, a good working relationship with the other side is far better for the client. We practice law with integrity and honesty. We are always thoroughly prepared.

We know our clients and their cases inside and out. When we approach prosecutors and judges on our clients’ behalf, we come to the discussion as respected advocates and they often adopt our proposals.”

Was there a moment that you first knew you wanted to work in this industry?

Stephanie: “So many families are impacted by mental health concerns or substance abuse issues. When that reality hit my family while I was in college, I got to see the criminal court system firsthand. I was immediately fascinated by it and left my plans to enter corporate America for law school. I’ve been working in the criminal justice system ever since.”

Robert: “As a prosecutor I represented the government, and in this role I saw the tremendous power wielded by prosecutors and police.

During my days as a Deputy District Attorney, I became aware of the vulnerability and trauma suffered by people being investigated and prosecuted. I realized that the only person standing between the person being charged and pursued by the system was the defense attorney. I felt a calling to stand up and fill this role.”

What makes your firm so successful?

“Perhaps the greatest benefit we offer is the fact that our clients are provided two lawyers working as a team. The team is diverse: man and woman, older and younger. We regularly obtain successful outcomes on behalf of our clients.

We also provide the highest level of professional assistance with a team that includes a paralegal, a former LAPD licensed private investigator and a staff that genuinely cares.”

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Kinecta Wealth Management

Sean Patikas-Hunter 3027 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica 310-297-4351 | 323-620-1677

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fter graduating with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in sport management from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Sean Patikas-Hunter began his career in the financial services industry nearly two decades ago. In 2002, he joined Kinecta Wealth Management to focus on retirement planning for clients. He and his wife, Rita, have a 5-year-old daughter, London.

When did you know you wanted to work in finance?

“There were two moments when I knew this was my calling. First, growing up watching sports and hearing horrible stories of athletes going broke after making millions, I could never understand how someone who has essentially won the lottery could wind up destitute. I knew my calling was to protect athletes’ financial interests.

Second was when a client’s husband died and she was completely lost. I could feel her pain, fear and tension. After our initial meeting, I literally could see her burdens had been lifted. That feeling of appreciation is indescribable.”

What do you offer clients?

“We offer a full range of financial services: typical and traditional investing such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds, ETFs and annuities, and life and long-term care insurance.”

What’s the best way to become experienced at work?

“Time and training. Staying humble. Understanding that just because you’re considered knowledgeable in your line of work does not mean you know everything. Be willing to tell a potential client, ‘I do not know.’”

How do you protect senior clients?

“I am a momma’s boy, so I try to treat all clients as if they are my parents. I have a special affinity toward the elderly; it bothers me to hear stories of other advisors taking advantage of their lack of investment knowledge. All my clients know to call me with any concern. For example, I helped educate an elderly client on the negotiation process to purchase a new car one Sunday. She did not feel comfortable at the dealership and knew to call me. Within one hour, I was at the dealership speaking on her behalf.”

Disclaimer: Sean Patikas-Hunter is a Registered Representative with LPL Financial. CA Insurance Lic #0D33760. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services, Member FINRA/SIPC, provides referrals to LPL Financial. Kinecta Federal Credit Union and Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

“All my clients know to call me with any concern.”

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Not NCUA Insured Not Credit Union Guaranteed May Lose Value

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trusted advisors

L to R: Kent Burton, Christine Daniels, Brad Baker, Evan Koch, Steve Dawson, Albro Lundy, Clint Wilson

“Despite the emotion that underlies any lawsuit, it is imperative to keep a calm, cool head.”

Law Offices of

Baker, Burton & Lundy PC

B

aker, Burton & Lundy PC is an award-winning, full-service law firm founded in 1976. The legal team includes partners Brad N. Baker, Kent Burton, Albro Lundy and Evan Koch; attorneys Clint Wilson, Christine Daniels and Steve Dawson; and an experienced legal staff that assists clients with probate litigation, personal injury, real estate and business law, estate planning and employment law.

Logic or emotions—or both? How do you help clients with this?

“In Litigation: Despite the emotion that underlies any lawsuit, it is imperative to keep a calm, cool head. There are many costs to litigation—some financial and many emotional, particularly when a person suffers a

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serious injury. Sometimes, despite the costs— both emotional and financial—the choice to litigate is the right one. But it must be with a clear understanding of the risks. We help clients carefully analyze possible outcomes and realistically assess the financial and emotional costs of the legal process.

In Transactional Law: Working with our clients, we need to logically assess the economic terms and inherent risks in any transaction and then try to maximize the benefits (sometimes for both sides) and minimize our client’s risks. Emotions are involved in every deal. However, getting emotional during a negotiation is counterproductive. We try to eliminate emotions by building credibility and establishing a good relationship with opposing counsel, keeping

515 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach 310-376-9893 BakerBurtonLundy.com in mind that in transactional law the “winwin” is a successful closing.

In Estate Planning: In estate planning, clients face a unique situation. We get to tell them that whatever they want is right!

However, having such a wide-open playing field brings about a different challenge. With so many unfettered choices, how can a plan be finalized? We have many clients who use their intellect and logic to get to where they think they want to be in regard to distribution of their wealth. We then tell them to leave their logic behind and see if their decisions ‘feel’ right. If it ‘feels’ right, then we are good to go. If it doesn’t, we go back to the drawing board. Clients’ feelings and emotions will allow them to achieve the correct estate plan for them.”

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trusted advisors

L to R: Allison Strull, Evan Nakano, Jason Stone, Aura Ahrens, Daniel Sallus, Martha Miranda, Lindsay Sanders, Natalie Priest, Jason Barth

“Over the years, our clients consistently refer friends and family, which is a great honor.”

Stone & Sallus LLP

T

he attorneys at Stone & Sallus assist clients with business, real estate and estate planning matters. Many of them are lifelong residents of the South Bay, and the firm is deeply involved in the community—with team members serving on many nonprofit boards, corporate boards and community groups.

Tell us about your core practice areas.

“We knew our core practice areas would be helpful to our client base. Our clients include sophisticated businesses, families and individuals who trust us with their most important matters. They rely on our guidance for corporate compliance, real estate contracts and investment, and dispute resolution when problems arise. Because our firm practices in both transactional and litigation matters, we are uniquely positioned to handle complex matters and respond effectively.”

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How do clients benefit from your expertise?

“We leverage technology to help our clients both anticipate and respond to an evolving business and legal environment. Our firm uses the combination of our experience working with judges, government positions and private practice to maintain a deep understanding of how to draft contracts and documents and to anticipate problems and best avoid litigation. When the case should proceed through court, we are comfortable advocating for our clients to secure favorable outcomes.”

Tell us about your team.

“We have enormous goodwill amongst our attorneys and staff in terms of trust and collaboration. As a result, our clients experience better teamwork, new perspectives and better outcomes. Stone & Sallus is very fortunate to have truly excellent attorneys and staff

1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 500 Manhattan Beach 310-889-0233 StoneSallusLaw.com

members, all involved in important decisions and continued growth for our firm. We invest in our continuing legal education and technology to ensure our clients receive exceptional service and expertise.

Over the years, our clients consistently refer friends and family, which is a great honor. This is our most important metric as to our effectiveness.”

What do you offer clients?

“Our clients have our focus, loyalty and respect throughout their matter or case.

Our firm’s philosophy is: clients first and results. This is how we operate each day, each conversation, each decision as we facilitate deals or solve problems. We focus on our core practice areas and are happy to provide referrals as our clients look to us for recommendations and assistance outside the scope of our work.”

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trusted advisors

Morgan’s Jewelers Palos Verdes

Marshall Varon, Owner 50-C Peninsula Center, Rolling Hills Estates 310-541-2052 | morgansjewelerspv.com

M

organ’s Jewelers Palos Verdes offers customers a variety of gemstones and unique designs—some from other designers and some inhouse creations. Owner Marshall Varon and his team include creative artists, gemologists, horologists and manufacturers. Morgan’s Jewelers opened for business 72 years ago and has been family-owned and operated ever since—now with the third generation of family members.

What do you love about the jewelry business?

“My love for the industry satisfies my desires in all sciences: physics, chemistry, geology, geography, art of design, creation from scratch to finished product, and horology in the art of watchmaking, which has fascinated me since childhood. My company’s focus is offering great products for our clients with unique styling as well as classic designs. We are price-conscious. I was raised as an importer and manufacturer, so I have knowledge of the basic cost to manufacture. Also, we offer our clients a professional and relaxed environment to shop. Jewelry repairs are done by an in-house master craftsman. Watch repairs are done by a CW-21-certified watchmaker. We also provide in-house appraisals for individuals, estates or corporations and advice for home security protection such as safes, vaults and alarms.”

What steps do you take to get to know your client’s interests and motivations?

“We interview the client and then make recommendations for them.”

What’s the best way for someone to become an expert in your line of work?

“Get the best education you can in gemology, business and psychology. Learn all you can. Know your market conditions, investment strategies with various gemstones and develop a tract record with credible clients.”

Share your thoughts about the value of the human connection in your industry.

“Human connectivity is the core value of any industry. I thrive on personal relationships and friendships.”

Was there a moment that you first knew you wanted to work in this industry?

“While I was studying gemology and visited The Crown Jewels Of London.”

“Human connectivity is the core value of any industry. I thrive on personal relationships and friendships.”

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What do you love about the South Bay? “People are real—not phony. We have great weather, a great outdoor lifestyle and amazing schools.”

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trusted advisors

L to R: Emily Zinn, Trevor Zeiler, Cynthia Sun, Chris Adishian, Tamara Cook, Julia Toscano, Laura Mayer

“If you cannot genuinely connect with other humans, everything will be challenging.”

Adishian Law Group, P.C. Adishian Capital

Chris Adishian, Owner

dishian Law Group practices business, employment and real estate law. Their work includes leading mission-critical transactions and litigation, and high-stakes employment cases involving highly compensated professionals. Adishian Capital is a licensed real estate brokerage that provides property management services and select brokerage services. Together the companies deliver “family office” real estate capabilities giving clients relationship continuity across all their real estate activities. Owner Chris Adishian earned his B.A. in mathematical economics from Berkeley, with a minor in business administration from the Haas School of Business, and his law degree from Loyola Law School.

art, food, technology and fashion ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

A

What is the best legal advice you have ever received?

“I read in a business book—probably long before I went to law school—that the

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most important term in the contract isn’t in the contract. It’s dealing with people who are honest.”

222 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Ste. 2000 El Segundo 310-726-0888 | 310-426-8832 AdishianLaw.com | AdishianCap.com

Share your thoughts about the value of the human connection in your industry.

“It’s everything. You have to know yourself, be yourself and connect with your fellow humans in a genuine manner, even in times of tough business negotiations or outright litigation. If you cannot genuinely connect with other humans, everything will be challenging.”

What can our readers learn from your most successful clients?

“They are committed to improving their decision-making process in business and life.

They understand that the two great equalizers are: (1) time and (2) decisions. Over time, the compounded result of good decisions (and avoiding the compounded result of bad decisions) dwarfs any legal fees. Sometimes the best decisions are to not do something.”

Tell us some recent client success stories.

“We served as counsel to our seller/developer client in the construction and sale of two office buildings that are now the corporate headquarters for Australian toy company Moose Toys. In another matter, a Japanese company retained our firm to form its U.S. subsidiary for #JapanHouse Los Angeles—a global project to promote Japanese culture,

What is the most valuable skill you offer?

“My individual core skill set is along the lines of an ‘expert generalist.’ When we look at a challenge or opportunity, we start with the legal expertise. That’s foundational. Along with our legal advice, we bring deep knowledge and multidisciplinary experience, which come together to inform the client’s business or litigation strategy and execution.”

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trusted advisors

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Casey Mervine, CWS®, CRPC®, Vice President – Senior Financial Consultant 21370 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance 310-545-3254 | schwab.com/Torrance

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he Torrance branch of Charles Schwab & Co. provides a full range of wealth management services, financial planning, retirement and investment management. Senior financial consultant Casey Mervine joined the firm in 1996. A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, he is a Certified Wealth Strategist® practitioner and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ designation.

What do you offer clients?

“We work with Schwab clients in the South Bay in the creation and implementation of a wealth management plan to help them meet their financial goals.”

What resources are available to you?

“We are able to draw on the resources of Schwab—where we’ve been providing financial services to clients for 45 years. Because of the commitment Schwab has made to offering wealth management services, we have access to professionals and specialists who can help you match solutions to your plan—including the areas of portfolio management, banking, retirement, trust, tax, insurance and estate planning. We can help you establish a financial plan that reflects a disciplined approach to investing, including risk analysis, inflation expectations and asset allocation. We can also coordinate with your CPA or estate planning attorney.”

In what ways do you express your passion and enthusiasm for your work?

“In my 23 years at Schwab, I’ve found that there is no more fulfilling work than helping others to achieve their dreams. I did my homework and found Schwab had the culture I was looking for. At Schwab, we believe in the power of teamwork.

Ultimately everything we do—how we listen, how we solve, how we serve—is focused on helping our clients take ownership of their financial futures. We strive to build trust and see things through the eyes of our clients. This is a relationship business that grows with referrals from happy clients.”

“We strive to build trust and see things through the eyes of our clients.”

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Disclaimer: Brokerage Products: Not FDIC-Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value Wealth management refers to products and services available through the operating subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation, of which there are important differences, including, but not limited to, the type of advice and assistance provided, fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences when determining which products and/or services to select. Diversification and asset allocation strategies do not ensure a profit and cannot protect against losses in a declining market. ©2018 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). All rights reserved. Member SIPC.

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trusted advisors

“I always give my clients realistic expectations and educate them as to what the law is.”

Mioni Family Law, APC

A

fter working at large family law firms, attorney Lovette Mioni opened Mioni Family Law in 2014.

The firm specializes in divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements and division of assets. Lovette is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in family law and has worked in the industry for eight years.

Tell us about your firm.

“My firm practices exclusively family law. As a result, we are very good at what we do. I have been selected as a Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2016, 2017 and 2018. I have also been selected as a Top 100 Up and Coming Attorneys in Southern California, and Top 50 Up and Coming Women Lawyers in Southern California by Super Lawyers.”

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What is the best way to become regarded as a “Trusted Advisor”?

“By making clients feel confident in my ability. Clients need to feel heard, informed and advocated for. I strive to make sure my clients feel confident in my ability and in their decision to trust me with their divorce or other family law issue.”

Logic or emotions—or both?

“Logic, always logic. Divorce is hard. And emotional. I am certainly empathetic with my clients and try to guide them through their legal issues in a way that makes sense for them and that they are happy with.

However, I always give my clients realistic expectations and educate them as to what the law is. Divorces can get really out of hand financially and emotionally if it’s an

Lovette T. Mioni, Managing Partner 1815 Via El Prado, Suite 203 Redondo Beach | 424-259-1770 mionifamilylaw.com emotionally driven process.”

What do you love about the South Bay? “I have a great situation in that my office is located in the Redondo Riviera, which is walking distance from my house. I regularly leave the office, get home in five minutes and then walk back down to the Riviera with my husband and kids to have dinner at one of our many favorite spots.”

Are you involved in philanthropy?

“My firm takes on pro bono domestic violence cases that are referred to us by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. I also volunteer my time as president of the Palos Verdes Chapter of MOM’s club; we’re organizing a canned food and clothing drive this holiday season.”

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trusted advisors

Law Offices of

Sanford Jossen

Sanford Jossen, Senior Partner 136 Main Street, Suite “E” El Segundo 310-546-9118 | jossenlawfirm.com

T

he Law Offices of Sanford Jossen represent and litigate on behalf of children and adults who are seriously injured through the negligence of others.

They also handle mediations both on behalf of claimants and as mediator. Owner Sanford Jossen has been practicing law since 1982 and has litigated thousands of cases.

What do you offer clients?

“We are not a ‘traditional’ law firm. We are not stuffy or aloof. We embrace our clients and provide them with transparency, compassion, guidance, reliability and security. Each client has a team behind them every step of the way. We value loyalty, so many of our clients become lifelong clients who rely upon us for guidance not just related to their immediate case.

We handle serious injuries including auto, truck, motorcycle and bicycle accidents and injuries from dangerous conditions of property.

We emphasize the representation of children in sexual molestation matters, negligent supervision by schools, governmental entities and other institutions resulting in injuries to children. We also emphasize claims against governmental entities and civil rights claims.

We are aggressive and efficient. After 36 years of practice, we have an established reputation for smart, quality advocacy with both the court and opponents. We pride ourselves on old-fashioned lawyering. We hit the books, don’t take shortcuts and we don’t back down. We work hard to protect our clients, to obtain the best result for them and we tell the truth. We are not a mill or billboard lawyers. We are available to our clients every day. We appreciate their trust and work to honor it always.”

“We embrace our clients and provide them with transparency, compassion, guidance, reliability and security.”

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Speak about authenticity in your line of work.

“Making a claim after being injured can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. Court can be terrifying. We meet personally with every client. We are committed to their cause. I am currently the chairperson of the Los Angeles Bar Association’s lawyer referral service. We are involved in the local community. Our opponents know our firm, and judges know our firm. The fact that clients remain our clients long after their cases have concluded is evidence of our commitment to them.”

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trusted advisors

“We take away the stress of taxes for our clients by planning and keeping them informed.”

JWM CPA & Company, PC

J

WM CPA & Company offers clients accounting services, tax preparation and planning, business consulting and estate management. In his early 20s, John McLellan started his career as the executive administrative assistant to a CFO, which led to him become the accounting manager/ controller of an international construction company before becoming a CPA. He started JWM CPA & Company in 1999.

What would you like our readers to know about your firm?

“We are a boutique CPA office specializing in providing individual and business clients with personalized tax, accounting and consulting services based on their specific needs.”

What question or concern do you frequently hear from clients?

“Clients are most concerned about protecting their family’s assets and about the

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ever-changing new tax laws. They want to be in compliance with tax laws, to not have any issues with the IRS and to not have to pay any more taxes than are necessary. They want a CPA who is available year-round and not just during tax season.

We take away the stress of taxes for our clients by planning and keeping them informed. We listen to our clients’ needs, and we go beyond just crunching the historical numbers by providing proactive advice.”

In what ways is your relationship with clients a partnership?

“We have a vested interest in the financial growth of our clients. As our clients accumulate wealth, advance their businesses and/or focus on transitioning assets to the next generation, we are able to offer more comprehensive services such as helping them with cash planning and evaluating financial investments.”

111 N. Sepulveda Blvd., No. 310 Manhattan Beach 310 372-0672 | jwmcpa.com What do you advise your clients in terms of philanthropy?

“We provide clients with the knowledge of the tax benefits of philanthropy while understanding the intrinsic value of being philanthropic.”

Advice on how to protect ourselves and our families?

“If you have a small business with employees, you should be incorporated. If your family’s estate holds real estate, you should set up a trust to avoid probate. Lastly, everyone should have umbrella insurance policy to protect them.”

Tell us about your life outside work.

“My free time is typically spent with my family and young son. I love to get away camping and also enjoy surfing, mountain biking and Motocross.”

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trusted advisors

Edward Jones

Audrey A. Stansbury, Financial Advisor 1230 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 155, Manhattan Beach 310-725-7034 | edwardjones.com

A

s a financial advisor for Edward Jones, Audrey Stansbury helps clients meet their financial goals—including retirement plans, insurance needs, education savings (for children and grandchildren) and estate considerations.

After graduating from Miami University, she joined Edward Jones in 2004. She recently earned her Certified Financial Planner® designation.

Describe your firm.

“Edward Jones is the largest brokerage firm in the United States, with more than 13,000 branch offices in all 50 states. We currently manage more than $1 trillion and care for more than 7 million clients. For the 19th year, Edward Jones was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine in its annual listing.*” How do you get to know your clients interests and motivations?

“The first thing I do with clients is find out what is most important to them—not just their financial life but their values, hopes and dreams for their future. Next we discuss the established process that I will use to build personalized strategies to help them achieve their goals. Finally, we partner together throughout their life to help them stay on track. These steps enable my clients to feel understood, informed, in control and secure.”

Share the value of human connection in your industry.

“Today individuals have access to a plethora of information on the internet regarding investing and online trading.

At Edward Jones most of my work is still done face-toface, allowing me to partner with clients for the long term to help keep them on track toward their goals in all types of market conditions.”

How important is the relationship between you and your clients?

“The relationships that I have built with my clients are by far the most rewarding part of my job. Financial advisors are aware that there are many of us out there to choose from and that we offer basically the same products and services. When choosing a professional to guide you toward your financial goals, finding someone you can trust with all aspects of your planning is the most important criterion.”

“The relationships that I have built with my clients are by far the most rewarding part of my job.”

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Disclaimer: Edward Jones, Member SIPC. *From FORTUNE magazine, February 15, 2018. ©2018 Time Inc. Used under license. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with and do not endorse products or services of Edward Jones.

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Panoramic ocean, coastline and city lights views from this French Normandy estate in Palos Verdes Estates. Situated on two and half lots with over 7800 square feet of living space and 6 bedrooms, this gated residence has old world charm; updated with meticulous attention to detail. $9,999,000

DRE#00967574

real estate

AMAZING PANORAMIC VIEWS

Amazing Rolling Hills property with 4,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms and gorgeous, open living spaces! Panoramic views, pool, spa, horse facilities with a 6-stall barn, tennis court, guest house with living room and bedroom, and so much more! $5,495,000 Chris Adlam | Vista Sotheby’s | 310.493.7216

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MANHATTAN BEACH CONDOMINIUM 2 BEDS I 1.5 BATHS I 1,075 SQ. FT. I $729,000

RICHARD HAYNES Real Estate Broker 310.379.1724 richard@manhattanpacific.com DRE: 01779425

IT’S YOUR SOUTH BAY. OWN IT.

M a n h a t t a n P a c i f i c R e a l t y. c o m 310.379.1724

DRE: 01909107

M SE US LL T

Representing Palos Verdes’ Finest Homes & Estates for Over 30 Years!

3 Appaloosa, Rolling Hills

961 Via Rincon, Palos Verdes Estates

$7,688,000 | 6 bd/9ba | 9,100 sq.ft interior | 9 acre lot www.modernmasterpieceRollingHills.com

LI NE ST W IN G

R ED PRHU U ICGE C E TI O N

$3,999,900 | 6bd/7ba | 6,219sq.ft interior | 13,116sq.ft lot www.961viarincon.com

3 Nuvola Court, Rancho Palos Verdes

1560 Via Leon, Palos Verdes Estates

$2,199,000 | 4bd/3ba | 3,883 sq.ft interior | 16,013 sq.ft lot www.turnkeyviewhomePVE.com

P TO RIC SE ED LL

$2,599,000 | 4 bd/ 4 ba | 3600+ sq,ft | 28,188 sq.ft lot www.3NuvolaCourt.com

6545 Abbottswood, Rancho Palos Verdes

$1,999,999 | 4bd/3ba | 2,815 sq.ft interior | 11,157 sq.ft lot One level, view and 2010 rebuilt. Motivated seller with huge price reduction. www.6545abbottswood.com

6 Paseo de Castana, Rancho Palos Verdes

$2,189,000 | 4bd/5ba | 4,292 sq.ft interior | 9,479 sq.ft lot www.6paseodecastana.com

LILY LIANG

+1 310 373 3333 | lily@lilyliang.com | www.lilyliang.com 550 Silver Spur Road, Suite 240, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 BRE# 00837794

HOME TO THE FINEST COLLECTION OF REAL ESTATE EXPERTS IN THE SOUTH BAY.

STRANDHILL.COM

STRAND HILL | CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE LICENSE #01968431. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SQUARE FOOTAGE AND/OR ACREAGE, HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY VARIOUS SOURCES WHICH MAY INCLUDE THE SELLER, PUBLIC RECORDS, THE MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OR OTHER SOURCES. BROKER HAS NOT AND WILL NOT INVESTIGATE OR VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION.

Middleridge Lane N., Rolling Hills This charming, picturesque home features 4 beds, 3.5 baths, 3,164 sq. ft., with outdoor fireplace and kitchen, plus a huge bonus space across the street from the property, perfect for a potential barn, garden & more!

$2,995,000 www.MiddleridgeLaneRollingHills.com

The Inman Team www.InmanTeam.com

Gordon Inman 310.936.1979

KEIth KEllEy 310.944.5554

BrE #00446156

BrE #00446156

Beach Bungalow with Backyard Oasis

1133 8th Street, Hermosa Beach | $1,399,000 1389 square feet + sunroom / 3 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms Located at the apex of a cul-de sac street, this beach bungalow is in the middle of it all. Enter into the natural light-filled living room with wood floors and stone fireplace. The generous kitchen has granite counters, ample cabinetry and a dining area large enough to seat 6 people. Large master suite with beautiful custom closets opens up through French doors to a private deck. Spend afternoons in the spacious and quiet backyard with several spaces to enjoy, including a large grassy area, patio for dining and a rooftop deck with ocean views. A sunroom provides great additional square footage and is ideal for a family or game room.

310/938-9167 cariandbritt.com BRITT: BRE# 01799654 CARI: BRE# 00850678

ELITE LISTINGS IN LUXURY Go to ForbesCorrales.com for more photos

Located on one of the finest streets in the Manhattan Tree Section, this Pre-Zorp (4055 square feet) home has it all! Four large bedrooms all on the same floor and each with their own en-suite bathroom and good sized closet. The master suite is large, with vaulted ceilings, huge closet and fabulous bath with unique high end finishes. Downstairs is completely open, perfect for entertaining, with living room, dining room, family room and front, sunny office or game room. The kitchen has top of the line professional appliances, granite counters and hand distressed custom cabinetry.

The floors are distressed walnut and most of the walls are Venetian Plaster. This is truly a one of a kind home!!! Also, for a family with kids, this home has one of the best outdoor play areas available! Since it is street to alley, behind the home has a dead end or cul de sac alley where the children play basketball, ride their bikes and skateboards and play safely with no worry about cars, etc.

Offered at $3,500,000

- CO LDWELL BA N K E R R E S I DE NTI A L BR O K E R A G E L A U R E N C A L R E

F O R B E S

0 1 2 9 5 2 4 8

call | text 310.901.8512 Lauren@ForbesCorrales.com

JOHN

CORRALES

C A L R E

0 1 2 6 3 6 8 7

call | text 310.346.3332 John@ForbesCorrales.com

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. Š2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

www.CaskeyAndCaskey.com (310) 374-1800 CalBRE #01198999

Your Mortgage Your Terms Loans to $15 Million

the

SOUTH BAY’S LENDER OF CHOICE

Unlimited cash out Local appraisers Fico down to 600 Creative solutions for Self-Employed borrowers Business funds allowed for down payment and reserves Non-occupying co-borrowers allowed Interest Only for investment properties RSU income allowed

MANHATTAN BEACH BRANCH 1230 Rosecrans Avenue #402, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

844-247-6883 DAVID GENTRY

Branch Manager NMLS #243989

Discover a mortgage team that provides the service you deserve.

Discover a mortgage team that has the right loan product to fit your specific needs.

ERIC FORMILLER

Branch Manager NMLS #485383

Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. NMLS ID#6606. Subject to borrower and property qualifications. Not all applicants will qualify. Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. © New American Funding. New American and New American Funding are registered trademarks of Broker Solutions Inc. dba New American Funding. All Rights Reserved.

Corporate Office is located at 14511 Myford Road, Suite 100, Tustin CA 92780. Phone (800) 450-2010. 1/2018

Discover New American Funding.

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EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

THERE IS

always

TO BE

SOMETHING

thankful

FOR.

Thank you to all of our amazing clients for your support and friendship, and we wish you a happy holiday season!

Luxury property specialists with a refined understanding of the South Bay. We represent both buyers and sellers in residential transactions, structure savvy property investments, and coordinate distinctive construction projects.

WE KNOW THE MARKET. Thinking of buying or selling?

Give us a call!

JIM VAN ZANTEN 310.466.1004

ROB DEPAOLI 310.896.5343

MARCO DE LONGEVILLE 213.675.0197

CO-CEO, BROKER, DRE #00544011

REALTOR ®, DRE #01918925

REALTOR ®, DRE #01987515

KATELYN RICHTER Executive Assistant DRE# 02053902

LINDSAY FORGERON Project Manager

310.466.1004 | 310.896.534 3

The Van Zanten Group Development

THEVANZANTENGROUP.COM

DO YOU OWN A PIECE OF THE SOUTH BAY?

CHAD HEITZLER FAHLBUSCH | Top 1% of all Realtors in Los Angeles County | Luxury Home Listing Specialist | Selling Homes from Manhattan Beach to Palos Verdes

310.600.3555 chad@southbaychad.com www.SouthBayChad.com

BRE 01346526

W H Y S E L L AT AU CT I O N ?

Benefits to Selling at Auction

878 6th Street, San Pedro Listed for auction $424,000 | Sold for $525,000 with 14 Offers 1443 Emden, Wilmington | tinyurl.com/1443emden Listed for auction $424,000 | Sold for $545,000 with 3 offers in first 2 weeks on market

Tony & Courtney Self

5234 E Appian Way, Long Beach Just Listed for auction $1,100,000 | Previously on the Market for almost 6 months

201 Ocean Avenue 1903B | tinyurl.com/201ocean Listed for auction $900,000 | Sold for $1,026,000 in 23 days Previously on market for 8 months with zero offers 201 Ocean Avenue 504B | tinyurl.com/ocean504b Just Listed for auction $2,1000,000 | Previously on the market for 8 months with zero offers

Gary & Yvette Dempsey “The Dempsey Team”

30015 Valley Glen, Castaic | tinyurl.com/30015valley Just Listed for auction $900,000 | Previously on the market for 3.5 months with zero offers

2074 262nd, Lomita Listed for auction $575,000 | Sold for $665,000 in less than 30 days with 17 offers 1845 Corinth #107, Los Angeles Listed for auction $250,000 | Sold for $450,000 in less than 30 days with 7 offers

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Sounds Fabulous, Signifies Nothing

Moving beyond the “rah-rah” slogans, an honest examination of what constitutes real female empowerment WRITTEN BY JESS WEINER | ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTINE GEORGIADES

For the last 20 years, I’ve worked hard to build a career that focuses on empowering women and girls. As a strategist and cultural expert, I help brands and businesses not just look at but really see women and girls—in all our shapes, sizes, nationalities and abilities—especially in their marketing and advertising. If you’ve seen Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and Barbie’s recent makeover (four new bodies, seven new skin tones), then you’re familiar with my work.

This passion to help people be acknowledged is a deeply personal one. I remember growing up an ethnically ambiguous-looking girl with a curvy body and unruly curly hair, at a time when I saw exactly zero girls that looked like me in the media. When you are vanished from mainstream media, you are given the message that you don’t exist and therefore aren’t important. This can wreak havoc on a young girl’s self-confidence. It did for me.

Fast-forward a few decades, and we seem to have reached incredible progress in the diversity of women and girls we see and read about

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(special shout-out to social media for helping us democratize this process). And yet I can’t help but wonder if the “empowering” messages we hear are really moving us closer to true empowerment.

I mean, I love a good pep talk, but this is my local scroll through advertising aimed at women: Them: “Go Girl!” or “Love Your Body” or “Be a GIRLBoss.”

Me: I am going, I do, thanks and yes, I already am the CEO of my own media empire—as are many other women.

It’s a little confusing. Those words sound great, but they still leave me feeling unseen (and, if I’m being superdramatic, kind of emotionally dead inside). I call this tactic SFSN: Sounds Fabulous, Signifies Nothing.

And now that people have caught on to the fact that women are a huge buying demographic with global incomes totaling more than $18 trillion and controlling 80% of the purchasing, it’s not a surprise we are frequently seeing this kind of knee-jerk, rah-rah messaging.

While it may masquerade as a kinder

(less sexist), more positive way to speak to women, does it really help?

Telling women and girls they are important is one thing, but how about paying women an equal wage, allowing them to work in a safe environment and to see themselves as the (diverse) heroes of their own personal narratives?

What’s needed goes beyond a catchy tagline or pink package.

It’s time to up our game. Yes, let’s celebrate the strides we have made for women, and let’s also continue to elect more women to public office, get them on corporate boards and make sure our daughters know they are valued beyond their beauty.

We have more work to do to make this world a better place for the next generation. I remember this every time I take out my wallet for a purchase and when I slip into a voting booth. ■

Jess Weiner is CEO of Talk To Jess, a consulting firm that advises brands and organizations on how to create effective messages of empowerment.

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