Orange County Power Players

Danny and Bryan trace Bryan’s unlikely path from North Dakota and stealth tech to building and exiting his own apparel company, then being “thrown into the fire” to launch Oakley’s licensed eyewear division that exploded with NCAA/NFL demand. Bryan unpacks why brands are often resource-tepid at first, how early wins unlock internal support, and the “plug-and-play” model he uses at LiquidMind to solve targeted growth headaches without disrupting in-house teams. You’ll hear how virtual teams (pre- and post-COVID) became a competitive advantage, what due-diligence looks like before entering a new category, and how product vision and marketing strategy must move in lockstep to win.
Key takeaways
Start where the customer already has momentum: adapt core products to new channels and fan bases to unlock surprising demand.
Expect constrained resources early; prove revenue, then scale support and infrastructure.
“Plug-and-play” resourcing beats big-agency overhead for specific, high-impact problems.
Virtual, distributed teams give brands access to global expertise and speed.
Product vision and marketing must be developed together — not in silos.
Future-casting: define the barriers to your brand vision, then sequence product and go-to-market to clear them.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

Raised in Santa Ana, Tricia earned a full-tuition scholarship to USC and learned sales the hard way at Xerox. With her husband, she launched what became C3 Tech (Client-Centric Consulting), now a Santa Ana–based leader in copier repair, dark web protection, and managed IT. Tricia opens up about building the company while raising three kids, sweating through the scary seasons, and why service beats size.
We dig into:
Turning world-class sales training into entrepreneurial momentum
Building a business at night while keeping a day job—and when to leap
The 9/11 reset, the 2008 pivot, and breaking from a big manufacturer to control the customer experience
Hiring for character, keeping culture strong, and learning from mis-hires
Winning a multi-year County of Orange copier/printer contract covering 1,000+ devices—and outperforming billion-dollar rivals
Running a business as a married team (EOS, complementary strengths, and boundaries)
Giving back: AMAC, Working Wardrobes, USC Latino Alumni, and more
What’s next: succession planning, health, family milestones, and making space for life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

In this conversation, Pete explains the three pillars of Giving Children Hope: weekly food distribution serving 300–350 families in Buena Park, a warehouse that channels 10–15 truckloads of Amazon/Costco returns each month to partner nonprofits, and practical leadership formation that helps parents and teens move from survival to success.We dig into Pete’s “covenant leadership” model—why trust, love, and results create 100% commitment—and how moving the “bottom 20%” from negative to positive engagement can triple output. Pete shares real stories from the nonprofit, from business turnarounds and mergers to student-run enterprises, and previews a Toys for Tots–powered literacy pilot where kids “read books, earn toys.” You’ll hear simple ways leaders can coach, not “hold accountable,” and why hiring for attitude beats hiring for resume.
You’ll Learn
How Giving Children Hope helps families with food, essential goods, and leadership skills
Why “covenant relationships” outperform transactional cultures at work and at home
A step-by-step path to build commitment: become wise, be loving, get results
How coaching replaces fear-based accountability and boosts retention and performance
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

Danny sits down with Tammy to unpack her journey from humble beginnings to building a tech-enabled luxury resale platform. Tammy shares how she bootstrapped through consignment, built community on Instagram, and proved that certain designer pieces can outpace traditional investments. She also talks about launching Moon Tea House in Costa Mesa, balancing startup life with motherhood, and the mindset shifts that helped her delegate, hire, and buy back her time.You’ll hear how her team authenticates every item in-house, why renting is popular with style-switchers and even the ultra-wealthy, and how AI is powering instant pricing, faster customer support, and smarter operations.
What We Cover
Turning pressure into purpose: using doubt as fuel
Zero-capital start: building via consignment and community
Buy, sell, rent, restore: why holding inventory matters
“Try before you buy” for $10k–$20k bags
Investment pieces: how a rare Birkin became a $40k win
Time management: delegation, hiring, and prompts that work
Practical AI: automation for quotes, support, and social DMs
Running a passion project (Moon Tea House) without burning out
What’s next: tech upgrades and an in-progress Series B
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

Host Danny Flores sits down with Bob Cretel, an entrepreneurial insurance leader with 40+ years across Liberty Mutual, State Farm, and AAA/Auto Club. Bob traces his journey from early fraud investigations to senior leadership, and explains why breaking claims into silos created friction for carriers and consumers. His fix: reunite claims under a single point of contact, then supercharge that adjuster with modern technology—AI bill reading, photo analysis, estimate checks, and summarization—so decisions are faster, fairer, and more consistent.
Bob also previews his upcoming book, The Best Advice I Ever Gave, packed with career lessons like “don’t play defense against yourself,” embracing new tools, and leading with an owner’s mindset. He’s now consulting, training teams, and advising insurtechs to help carriers boost combined ratios by being 1–2% better on every claim—wins that add up.
What You’ll Learn
Why claims got siloed—and the hidden cost to customers and carriers
How a single point of contact improves speed, accuracy, and trust
Practical ways AI can flag inconsistencies in injuries, estimates, and photos
Leadership lessons: initiative, promotion mindset, and change adoption
Bob’s next chapter: consulting, conference speaking, and his new book
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

In this episode, Danny sits down with Matt Raminick, founder of Sunnyside, a marketing collective serving lifestyle and outdoor brands. Matt explains how his team tightens strategy, refreshes creative, and retools paid media to reignite growth—without the black-box reporting or revolving junior teams.He walks through the traits of ideal-fit clients (think apparel/outdoor, $10–50M revenue), how he vets product-market fit, and why integration with in-house teams unlocks performance across Google, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and more. Matt also shares the scrappy, bootstrap path behind Sunnyside, his hiring philosophy (“who, not how”), and how he builds trust during uncertain markets.
What You’ll Learn
A simple framework to diagnose weak performance across channels and creative
How to align paid media with brand goals (not vanity metrics)
Why agency–brand integration beats handoffs and “black boxes”
Building a high-performing team: ownership, humility, and the “who not how” mindset
Practical ways to ladder channel metrics up to C-suite business outcomes
When to aim for top-line growth vs. profitability—and how that shifts the plan
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

Angie explains why down payment savings are the #1 roadblock for many first-time buyers and how VowToSave lets friends, family, employers, agents, and lenders contribute safely through PayPal. She and Danny unpack the current buyer’s market in Southern California, why “marry the house, date the rate” can be smart, and how to avoid title fraud—especially with vacant land. Angie also shares the story behind Homeownership Day (her annual education event that grew from Orange County to national and global reach), plus trends she’s tracking: blockchain, smart contracts, and how crypto may show up in real estate over the next 5–10 years. Finally, she gives a peek into her shared-economy lifestyle, running deals virtually with Starlink while short-term-renting her homes.
You’ll Learn:
How down-payment crowdfunding works with VowToSave
What a buyer’s market looks like and how to negotiate
The “marry the house, date the rate” approach to refinancing later
Quick checks to reduce risk of title and land fraud
Ways homeowners can use events like Homeownership Day to build long-term wealth
Where blockchain/crypto could impact real estate next
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

Josh walks through his 22-year journey as a multi-company operator, from launching dot-coms as a teen to running large investor showcases in Newport Beach. He explains how Global Deal Flow matches companies, investors, and service providers worldwide, why SOPs and delegation unlock scale, and how AI and robotics are creating new job classes while boosting quality of life. We also talk about building SoCal’s founder–investor corridor (OC–LA–SD) and Josh’s plans for international events and a dedicated impact fund.
What You’ll Learn
How investor summits can replace “four sharks” with hundreds of qualified investors (in-room + livestream)
Practical ways to embed AI across sales, marketing, deal sourcing, and ops
The real secret to scaling: SOPs, KPIs, and smart delegation (yes, the unsexy stuff)
How OC founders can tap regional angel groups, VC firms, universities, and corporate partners
Where Josh is taking his ecosystem next: London, SoCal expansion, and an impact fund
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

In this insightful episode, Danny Flores sits down with May Chan, COO of Americor, to explore how operational strategy, process improvement, and customer-centric innovation drive success in the financial services industry. May shares her journey from investment banking to manufacturing and ultimately into mortgage and debt resolution—unifying her background in Lean Six Sigma and project management to lead large teams and deliver scalable solutions.
She dives into the transition of Six Sigma principles from factory floors to customer experience, offering real examples of how Americor has helped over 450,000 families regain control of their finances.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest

In this inspiring episode of The Orange County Power Players Podcast with Danny Flores, we sit down with Judy Jaikaran — a 29-year veteran of the dietary supplement industry and a breast cancer survivor who has turned her journey into a mission of empowerment.
Judy shares how a temporary job led to a thriving career in sales, supplying raw materials to companies that create vitamins, minerals, and other health products. She explains the realities of sourcing from China, navigating tariffs, and building long-term client relationships through trust and genuine connection.
Beyond her business expertise, Judy opens up about her diagnosis with bilateral breast cancer, how she worked through treatment, and the community she’s built to support other survivors. From hosting retreats for breast cancer warriors to teaching confidence-building classes, Judy’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and passion.
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Our Next Guest! Interested in sharing your success story with a wide audience of local leaders and influencers? "Orange County Power Players" is looking for guests like you—successful, insightful, and ready to tell the world how you've made your mark. Here’s why you should consider joining host Danny Flores on our next episode: Ready to Share Your Story? Click below to fill out a short questionnaire and book your interview time. We can’t wait to spotlight your journey! https://ocpowerplayers.com/guest