John Allen’s Personal Training: Train smarter, not harder
BY ALISON STANTON
Through his work as a personal trainer and owner of John Allen’s Personal Training in Chandler, John Allen enjoys meeting and working with people of all ages who want to change their bodies.
“It brings a smile to my face when they come in one way and leave in another way,” says Allen, who helps people “train smarter, not harder.”
Allen and his five trainers not only give personal attention, but offer group training with up to three people at once. They also provide nutritional counseling that involves sitting down and listening to what people are eating and creating a personalized eating plan.
“We also work with people who are recovering from a sports-related injury,” Allen says.
Everyone is given a thorough fitness assessment prior to starting any workouts.
“We assess all of their body measurements, including their body fat, their blood pressure, their resting heart rate, and then we also check their strength training and see how many sit ups and pushups they can do in one minute.”
Allen says the assessment is then done again six weeks later so that clients can see their progress.
“It helps to hold people accountable, because everybody wants their numbers to change.”
While teenagers who want to play football are hoping that some of their measurements will increase during their
time at John Allen’s Personal Training, people who wish to lose weight and tone up want to see the numbers go down.
“Everybody comes in with a different goal,” Allen says.
Although he knows that many people wait until the New Year to make changes to their eating and exercise plans, Allen says he welcomes new clients anytime.
“People shouldn’t wait until the holidays are over, now is a perfect time to come in and see me and start getting in shape now rather than next year,” he says.
During his career, Allen says he has seen many success stories. He especially remembers a woman who walked into his gym about a year ago.
“She was very overweight and very down on herself, and didn’t know where to turn. I said to her, ‘I know you’ve heard this before, but you will get results. We will monitor your nutrition, cardio and training, and if we do, you will get nothing but progress.’”
The client is now 65 pounds lighter and feeling great about her progress, Allen says.
“We can’t get her out of the gym now.”
For Allen, going to his gym each day is not something he considers to be work, but rather a gift.
“This is not a job, but an art. I look forward to coming to work and seeing my clients and helping them. I don’t turn anyone away but will make things work for them.”
John Allen’s Personal Training is located at 2915 S. Alma School Rd., Suite
8, Chandler. The cost is $45 to $60 per session. For more information, call (480) 917-7270 or visit www.johnallensaz.com.
Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com.
ACHIEVING TOP RESULTS: John Allen, front at left, and his team of trainers, Ryan Rush, front right, Mike Allen, behind Rush, and Brandon Allen, back left, want to help clients achieve their fitness goals. STSN photo by Kimberly Carrillo
Serrano’s Restaurants celebrate 35 years of family tradition
BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
The Serrano family has been engrained in Chandler for nearly 100 years. Evolving its business from clothing stores to many successful restaurants, the family has managed to change with the times while still honoring its roots, business ethics and recipes.
Arriving in Chandler in 1919 after moving from Tucson, Ernie and Eva Serrano founded Serrano’s Clothing Store in downtown Chandler. It grew to include several other Valley locations.
After malls moved into the area and squeezed out independent stores, there was a shift in the family’s business in the late 1970s, says Ric Serrano, president and CEO of Serrano’s.
“What took us into the restaurant business was opportunity,” Ric Serrano says. “The Chandler building was owned by my dad’s brother and a restaurant had just closed and it lent itself to a new opportunity.”
The Serranos jumped in with both feet. The clothing stores have long since closed but the restaurants continue to thrive and are celebrating their 35th anniversary.
“My mom is a great cook and both grandparents on both sides were great cooks,” Ric Serrano says.
“My mom had wonderful recipes and they got into something they knew nothing about.”
Andy Serrano, employee relations manager for Serrano’s and Ric Serrano’s second cousin, adds that nearly all of the restaurants’ menu items are made from
family recipes.
“About 75 percent of what is on the menu today is what was available when the first Serrano’s opened,” he says. “The gamble of changing industries paid off and the restaurant business has grown through the decades.”
The Chandler Serrano’s opened in 1979 and six of Ernie and Eva Serrano’s eight children are still involved in the Serrano’s restaurant business. Ernie has since died, but Eva maintains an office and still enjoys coming to work. There are also three Serrano grandchildren who work part time in the family business, which employs about 300 workers.
The company includes six Mexican restaurants and Brunchies in Chandler,
which serves breakfast and lunch.
With the changes the Valley’s demographic in the last 10 years, Serrano’s is strategizing for the future.
“It’s become a lot more competitive and the market is saturated with restaurants,” explains Ric Serrano.
“But, we’re very fortunate we’ve had 30 years to create a name and that’s the biggest part of a restaurant is your reputation, your name and what you sell.”
Andy Serrano notes there is a lot of competition with restaurants serving similar food—Ecuadorian, Cuban and Puerto Rican. Even with the competition, Serrano’s continues to set the bar for Mexican fine dining in the Valley.
“We see generations that grew up with
Serrano’s and that’s fulfilling,” Ric Serrano says.
Like most family businesses, Serrano’s is an important part of a legacy.
“This is tradition,” Andy Serrano notes. “It’s where we grew up and East Valley is who we are. We all live in the East Valley and we wanted to make sure that our restaurant locations were close enough to be able to manage easily. It’s like a personal commitment to where you’re born, it is part of us and it makes a difference.”
In honor of their 35th anniversary, Serrano’s restaurants are offering a special menu each Tuesday through Dec. 30.
The “Turn Back Tuesdays” menu includes many of the restaurant’s favorite dishes, including the taco, tostado and enchilada combo, as well as the unique chile relleno, which is baked and not fried. The menu also includes appetizers and desserts.
In a retail development, Bashas’ supermarkets recently started carrying Serrano’s Original Salsa that bears the image of a 17-year-old Eva Serrano.
Serrano’s has one location each in Tempe, Gilbert and Queen Creek, two locations in Mesa and the original Chandler location is at 141 S. Arizona Ave. Brunchies is located just north of the Chandler restaurant. All Serrano’s restaurants make fresh tortillas and salsa daily. For additional information on menus, banquet rooms and catering, visit www.serranosaz.com.
Lynette Carrington is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. She can be contacted at lynette@santansun.com.
FAMILY TRADITION: Serrano’s Ernie and Eva Serrano and their children have built a Valley restaurant empire that began in Chandler. Photo by Brandt Photography
Doing Business
Absolutely Brilliant Concepts Inc.
Marketing, Consultant and Copywriting
Owner: Anthony Policci
How long in business: 12 years
Specialty: Direct response marketing and copywriting
Unique features: Policci has helped local real estate trainer Dean Graziosi build a $200 million a year business. The business helps with online promotions, live events, online product launches, email campaigns, simple space ads and full-page advertisements. The business creates copy for any medium with a focus on the individual’s ultimate goal. Whether companies or individuals need down and dirty consulting on how to implement, or fix, marketing strategies, or someone to create copy, the business has them covered. As direct marketing “wizards,” the business helps individuals achieve results. The message will speak to the target audience in their language and moving them to take action.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday Address: P.O. Box 11881, Chandler, AZ 85248
Phone: (480) 782-1687
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Email this information to business@santansun.com or visit www.santansun.com and click on the “Doing Business” form to submit.
Amy Jones Group gives back with Animal Care and Control
The Amy Jones Group of Chandler and its partners spent a morning at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control in Mesa giving back to its “paw friends” in need during Make a Difference Day, sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine in collaboration with Points of Light.
“It is just so sad to see how many dogs and cats there are that need loving homes or are lost and are just waiting for their paw-rents to find them,” says Jones of the Amy Jones Group at Re/Max Infinity.
“We were thrilled to be a part of Make a Difference Day and give back to them and all of the volunteers who make sure they are loved, fed, and taken care of at the shelter.”
Jones and her team of volunteers donated more than 80 hours of labor cleaning the shelter, priming the shelter’s lobby for a fresh look, and walking the pups who wanted to stretch their legs. Volunteering was an opportunity to spend time as a team to celebrate the power of service, and to give back to a cause that means something to her fellow agents.
“Volunteering is so important,” Jones says. “It is good for team building, for your community, and for your soul. The Amy Jones Group was honored to be a part of the day and thank our partners at Bell Mortgage and Fidelity National Title who joined us.”
Make a Difference Day is an annual day of service celebrated nationally through
the planning and delivery of thousands of volunteer hours at some of the largest and smallest nonprofit organizations throughout the country.
The Amy Jones Group has been recognized as the No. 1 Re/Max team in the Valley and Amy Jones was voted Best Chandler Realtor for the last three years by a local magazine. The team of full-time agents specializes in all aspects of home sales, working with buyers and sellers throughout the Valley. For more information on the Amy Jones Group, visit www.amyjonesgroup.com or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ AmyJonesGroup.
VOLUNTEER: The Amy Jones Group and its team of volunteers donated more than 80 hours during Make a Difference Day at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control facility in Mesa. Submitted photo
Stay busy with the chamber through December
Throughout November and beyond, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of luncheons and meetings for its members and the community. Numerous leads groups are also offered to help business owners network with their community.
Events are held at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce office, 25 S. Arizona Pl., Suite 201, Chandler, unless otherwise noted.
To register, call (480) 963-4571, visit www.chandlerchamber.com or www. meetup.com/ChandlerChamber, or email info@chandlerchamber.com. No refunds are available within 72 hours of an event.
Leads groups offered daily
An assortment of leads groups are offered by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce to help business members network and grow their business. It also provides them with an opportunity to give the group information on their company, upcoming events and more. Individuals attending the leads group are allowed two free visits.
Monday Morning Leads Group
The Chandler Chamber Monday Morning Leads Group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Mondays at Brunchies, 17 E. Boston St.
Tuesday Morning Leads Group
The Chandler Tuesday Morning
Leads Group meets at BLD, 1920 W. Germann Rd., from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays.
Wednesday Morning Leads Group
The Chandler Chamber Wednesday Morning Leads Group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays, at Bernard’s at Ocotillo Golf Resort, 3751 S. Clubhouse Dr.
Wednesday Lunch Leads Group
The Chandler Chamber Wednesday Lunch Leads Group meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at La Casa Blanca, 24605 S. McQueen Rd.
Thursday Morning Leads Group
From 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., the Thursday Morning Leads Group meets at Rudy’s West Country Store and Barbecue, 7300 W. Chandler Blvd. There will be no meeting on Thanksgiving.
Thursday Lunch Leads Group
The Thursday Lunch Leads Group meets from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Nabers Music Bar and Eats, 825 N. 54th St. There will be no meeting on Thanksgiving.
Friday Morning Leads Group
Join others at Chompie’s Delicatessen Restaurant, 3481 W. Frye Rd., for the Chandler Chamber Friday
Morning Leads Group from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. There will be no meeting on Thanksgiving.
Small Business Counseling
Experienced business counselors provide advice, knowledge and insight to help individuals start or g row their business during Small Business Counseling every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Appointment times vary and the counseling is free and open to the public. Small Business Counseling is available Mondays and Tuesdays at the chamber office, by appointment only through the Maricopa Community Colleges’ Arizona Small Business Development Center network. Contact the Chandler Chamber of Commerce to schedule an appointment. There will be no meeting the day after Thanksgiving.
Chandler Chamber Lunch Club
The Chandler Chamber Lunch Club will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at Nabers Music Bar and Eats, 825 N. 54th St. The club is for anyone who would like to attend and help support member businesses. The goal of the Chandler Chamber Lunch Club is to network and promote each business while having a great meal at one of the hometown restaurants.
The Small Business Academy
The Small Business Academy will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, 25 S. Arizona Pl., Suite 201. It is a five-week program designed for busy entrepreneurs. Receive a certificate for attendance at all five sessions. The topic for this session will be on business strategy and marketing plan. It will meet again from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. The topic of this session will be on financial planning and funding options.
Chandler Chamber board of director meeting
A board of directors meeting will be held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Young Executive Series
The Young Executive Series will be
held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at SoHo63, 63 E. Boston St. The Young Executive Series for November will include interactive team-building activities.
Ribbon cuttings
A ribbon cutting will be held at Tootsie’s Boutique, 1940 S. Alma School Rd., Suite 2, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18; Social Box Eateries, 1371 N. Alma School Rd., from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19 and Hurricane Grill and Wings, 7450 W. Chandler Blvd., from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Author Feldt to speak at Chamber Women in Business Luncheon
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce announces that Gloria Feldt will be the keynote speaker for the November Women in Business Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The event will be held at SoHo63, 63 E. Boston St., with Feldt speaking from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feldt, is a best-selling author of several books, including “No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power,” as well as a recipient of numerous awards ranging from Arizona Civil Liberties Union’s Civil Libertarian of the Year to Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year. Feldt will be delivering the keynote speech entitled “What Will You Do With Your Power?” She is the former CEO and president of Planned
Parenthood and has since devoted her time to the founding and advocacy of her nonprofit initiative Take the Lead, an organization that hopes to promote women to full equal status in the workplace by 2025. Take the Lead is also partnered with Lean In, a similar women’s advocacy group founded by Sheryl Sandberg. Between managing her organization and being published in such newspapers as the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, Feldt also teaches the course Women, Power and Leadership at Arizona State University.
During the luncheon, Feldt will discuss several topics directly impacting women, such as the wage gap and the lack of women in positions of power. She will also talk about the potential power that women already have and how they can act upon it, especially with women earning 57 percent of college degrees, making decisions on 85 percent of consumer goods and making up more than half of the workforce in America. With women still earning only 78 cents for every dollar that men earn, with women of color earning even less, Feldt hopes to inspire women to take charge and fight for equality in the workplace as well as in everyday life.
Jennifer Kahtz will speak in the Education Salon from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. She will be discussing ways to “Get more clients and generate more sales in 30 to 90 days.”
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce encourages attendees to register early at its website at www.chandlerchamber. com or by phone at (480) 963-4571
as space is limited. Registration for November’s Women in Business Luncheon is $25 for chamber members and $35 for the general public. Tables of eight are available for $200.
Leadership Steering Committee
The Leadership Steering Committee will meet from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. This group is the steering committee for the Chandler Chamber Leadership Institute. Members of the committee participated in the first half of the two-year long Leadership Institute, the Leadership Class. The steering committee is the second half of the Leadership Institute, planning and programming for the current year’s leadership class.
Ambassadors Committee
The Ambassadors Committee will meet from 11:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. The ambassadors serve as hosts for the chamber events. This select group of individuals is the liaison between the chamber and the business community.
Chandler Chamber City Bus Tour
The Chandler Chamber City Bus Tour will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. The tour will begin at Brunchies, 17 E. Boston St. Join the chamber for its annual City Bus Tour, where individuals will have
the opportunity to hear about all the upcoming projects and developments in their backyard. Seats are limited, so register now and reserve a spot.
Technology Steering Committee
The Technology Steering Committee meeting will take place from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Coach and Willie’s, 1 E. Boston St. Planning and organizing the Technology Lunch Series and other Chandler Chamber Technology programs and events for 2014.
Stay connected with the Chamber
Individuals who would like to receive text updates from the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, text ChandlerAZ to 411247 for general updates, events, reminders and announcements; text ChandlerDeals to 411247 to receive text updates on specials going on around the Chandler area; text ChandlerEDU to 411247 to receive text updates on educational seminars, training programs and announcements; and text ChandlerEvents to 411247 to receive text updates on upcoming events, ribbon cuttings and reminders. Individuals or businesses that have a special going on or a deal to share with the Chandler community can email deals@chandlerchamber.com and give a short description, 160 characters or less, about the special. The deal will be sent out in text message alerts.
CORPORATE CHRONICLES
King named executive director at Desert Cove
Desert Cove Nursing Center, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Chandler, has welcomed a new executive director, Bret King.
Before coming to Desert Cove, King was administrator at The Haven of Safford for two years. He completed his administrator in training program at the facility as well. Previously a small business owner, King got into the longterm care industry through the encouragement of a friend.
Originally from Texas, King moved to Arizona when he was a child. He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise and wellness from Arizona State University.
King is relocating to Chandler. He and his wife, Nancy, have five children.
Desert Cove Nursing Center is located at 1750 W. Frye Rd. It is one of 17 skilled nursing and rehab facilities in Arizona operated or managed by Life Care Centers of America. Founded in 1976, Life Care is a nationwide health care company with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.lcca.com.
Sutherland appointed as Ak-Chin Casino VIP casino marketing manager
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino has appointed Timothy Sutherland as the VIP casino marketing manager. He is responsible for all aspects of marketing the development, implementation, management and coordination of VIP level player programs.
Prior to his position at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, Sutherland was the marketing manager at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Sutherland lives in Chandler with his wife, Karyl, and their four children, Jarrett, Timothy Jr., Michael and Julianna.
Chandler schools named Subaru’s charity of choice
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) and the Chandler Education Foundation (CEF) are continuing their partnership with the family-owned Subaru Superstore of Chandler.
This will allow Subaru of America and the Subaru Superstore of Chandler to donate to the CEF Scholarship Fund $250 for every new Subaru sold. This “Share the Love” event runs until Jan. 2.
Subaru Superstore of Chandler owners, Richard and Lisa Cvijanovich, are supporters of CUSD, donating $10,000 for Junior High VEX Robotics this year and $6,000 for an Apple computer media lab.
“We selected CEF again for our ‘Share the Love’ event because we place a priority on supporting our outstanding CUSD teachers and students and hope to be able to double the $10,950 donation earlier this year,” says Lisa Cvijanovich.
“Also, since one-third of Subaru drivers are educators, it made sense to select a local charity that will have a direct impact on our clients.”
Until Jan. 2, Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer’s choice of the following national charities: ASPCA, Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels Association of America, National Park Foundation and Alzheimer’s Association (local chapter). In addition to these, the CEF was selected exclusively by the Subaru Superstore of Chandler.
“We are excited to be able to share more love with more charities—including the charities in our owners’ backyard like CEF,” says Subaru chief marketing officer Dean Evans.
The sales growth experienced by the brand in recent years means that Subaru and Subaru owners will have given $50 million to diverse and worthy causes over the past seven years.
A family-owned and -operated dealership, Subaru Superstore is the Southwest’s largest Subaru volume dealer and awarded the Arizona Subaru Dealer of the Year for customer satisfaction by DealerRater.com. Its state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot facility located on 7 acres in Chandler offers the largest selection of new, used and certified pre-owned Subaru vehicles plus, the most highly trained factory-certified technicians along with, the very best selection of parts and accessories. For more information, contact Subaru Superstore at 1050 S. Gilbert Rd., Chandler by calling (480) 222-6000.
