Podcast Content


Our Story on Aging with an Angel - Anka Ille of Paradise Valley Senior Retreat

In today's podcast episode Isabel & I have a very personal conversation with Anka Ile, the founder of Paradise Valley Senior Retreat, the assisted living home where Isabel's dad is a resident. Anka is a wonderful “angel” as we call her for all she does for the residents in her care and has a very special life story, and it reflects in her dedication and kindness. 

Paradise Valley Senior Retreat offers long term care in Arizona for elderly, providing the utmost of quality eldercare services to our senior residents. Founders Florin and Anka Ile both have combined over a decade of experience in the Assisted Living Industry, specifically at a Directed Level of 24-hour care. Mark & Isabel highly recommend them and they actually have a few rooms available at the moment!

Website: http://www.pvseniorretreat.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pvseniorretreat/

Exploring a New Approach to Residential Design and Construction with Keith Galbut of Advocate

Our guest today is Keith Galbut, Founder and President of ADVOCATE – Residential Construction Advisors. Keith and Mark have known each other for a number of years and recently worked together on a very contemporary-style new build for a family in Paradise Valley and we have several other projects in the works!

Keith’s background is in business and law where he worked on hundreds of residential real estate disputes before turning that experience into a unique career as a Residential Construction Advisor. Their team offers extensive experience in all aspects of residential construction and renovation, and project management, so we can help you select the best-qualified team, clearly communicate your goals, interpret vendors' perspectives, ensure appropriate payments and lien waivers, and manage your project every step of the way. Keith currently serves as a Trustee on the Scottsdale Arts Board of Trustees, a Member of Greater Phoenix Leadership, and on the National Small Business Association Leadership Council.

Seamless Design to Construction with Kaitlyn Wolfe

The Joshua Tree home collaboration with Iconic, Temac & Candelaria Design

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Our guest on this episode is Kaitlyn Wolfe, incredible designer, general contractor and founder of Iconic by Kaitlyn Wolfe, an interior design firm with construction services based here in Scottsdale, AZ. Kaitlyn founded the company in 2016, and influences all the design and the practical construction components, planning every detail to ensure each project reflects her clients' unique personal styles. Her passion for travel and nature, combined with extensive experience in interior design and high-quality construction, enables her to design inspiring and artistic spaces. Kaitlyn holds a general contracting license and has earned numerous awards in the design and construction industry and recently launched her own product line, Ground Floor.

In this episode, we of course talk about the design process, but then we talk about travel, business and other topics which you will find intriguing. She is definitely dynamic and an inspiring go getter!

Website: https://iconicbykaitlynwolfe.com

Instagram: @kaitlynwolfe__ and @iconicbykaitlynwolfe

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/iconicbykaitlynwolfe/_created/

Catching Fire with Nick Hogan of Pyro Restaurant

Our guest today is Nick Hogan, Co-Owner and CEO of Flagship Restaurant Group, the team behind the popular new, award-winning restaurant Pyro in Arcadia, next to the Global Ambassador. In addition to Pyro, they have 16 other restaurant concepts spanning across Arizona to Chicago to Nashville! This team has defied the odds of successfully creating and managing multiple restaurant concepts simultaneously and talks about all the risks and luck in this journey.

In this episode we’ll hear about how this restaurant group founded over 20 years ago in Omaha, NE got started with a team of four friends who are still the same group of owners. Since, they have grown to multiple cities and states and over 40 locations and become a success here in Arizona. Just like architecture, this career is a mix of creativity and mathematics and takes a great team and leadership.

Nick will tell us about how Pyro came about and the design and menu creation. Also here in town, be sure to check out the beautifully designed Palma, Cham Pang Lanes and Ghost Donkey in downtown Phoenix and later this year two Blue Sushi Sake Grill locations are coming to Surprise and Tempe and a couple more in the works for 2026!

To learn more about Flagship Restaurant Group visit:

 www.flagshiprestaurantgroup.com 

"Design Meets Life" Podcast with Guest Mark Candelaria

Mark was honored to be the guest on the "Design Meets Life" Podcast based in Barcelona, Spain! Co-hosted by designer Kelli Ellis, the Co-Host of our recent TV series, Extravagant Spaces on The Design Network and YouTube!

We talked about several design and travel topics, including one that is very pertinent in today’s world. In this world of hurry, hurry, hurry and now with our homes soon being created by AI it is my belief that the next shift will be in creating homes that feed our soul and resonate with our souls and allows us to live our life in connection with the creator! You can feel the difference between a home created quickly by CAD and a home created with the collaboration of souls - the soul of my client in collaboration with the souls of the architect and designer and celebrating this journey of creation that then results in a home that is a vessel for enhancing and inspiring our souls and the way we live every day!

Iconic Hour: Architectural Case Study with 3 Leading AZ Architects

On this special episode of ICONIC Hour, Publisher Renee Dee is joined by three of Arizona's most prolific architects: Mark Candelaria, Brent Kendle, and CP Drewett. Each has made an impact on the architectural landscape of Arizona, utilizing their unique talents to create beautiful works of art within the desert environment.

In this episode, these three architects discuss their backgrounds in architecture, their sources of inspiration, and how to preserve and continue Arizona's flourishing architectural and cultural progress.

Click above to watch the podcast on YouTube or click below to listen to just the audio.

2021 MVPs - Project Architect Rebecca Roe

Every year our company takes the time to nominate individuals our team for MVP of the year and then we each cast our vote for MVP, well this year there was a tie, we had both Team Director and Project Architect Rebecca Roe and our Director of Lasting Impressions, Janice Rantanen take the top votes for 2021’s MVP, so they are each featured in their own podcast episode!

Rebecca was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York in an old farmhouse on her family's dairy farm. She spent much of her youth playing with legos, building forts and creating and renovating with her dad, which spurred her passion for architecture. From an early age that passion never faded and she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Technology. During college she traveled to Italy, an invaluable experience that sparked her interest in classic architecture.

Following graduation Rebecca immediately found her home at a Syracuse firm specializing in historic architecture and preservation. She spent over ten years with that firm learning valuable skills and techniques. In the fall of 2016 Rebecca moved to Arizona to be near family. She began with Candelaria Design in November as a Job Captain and is still happily working away and has moved up the ranks to Team Director.

They discuss leadership, architecture, different design styles, some of the current projects Rebecca's working on and what makes each one interesting and challenging.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rroearch

Masters of the Southwest - Candelaria, Vallone, Spitz and Berghoff

Masters of the Southwest from left to right, Donna Vallone, Jeff Berghoff, Mark Candelaria, & Walter Spitz

This episode features three very special Phoenix Home & Garden Master's of the Southwest, Walter Spitz, of Creative Designs in Lighting, Donna Vallone of Vallone Design, and Jeff Berghoff of Berghoff Design. We all share how each of us got started in the design industry and then a revisit some of our earliest collaborations from the 1980's and 90s' to some of our current works underway some 30 years later. Many times referred to as "The Dream Team" this group has created 100's of homes including the historic El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley. 

In addition to talking about the past we look ahead to the future and the trends and new technologies that are changing the design industry. We also talk about the transition and our plans for the future of all of our firms. Jeff and Walter have been on prior Inspiring Living podcasts and you can listen to them below.


Masters of the Southwest Dream Team Websites

Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine

2022 Master of Southwest Feature

Inspired Cooking with Chef & Blogger Giangi Townsend

Our guest today is Giangi Townsend, creator of Giangi’s Kitchen, a top-rated food and recipe blog. Back in the 1980s, Giangi’s desire as a working mom to provide healthy and delicious food for her family has since grown into a full-blown business featuring tons of recipes, an online shop, virtual cooking classes and her favorite cookbooks, including one of her own, Back to Basics – Cooking 101.

Giangi's childhood was spent between Southern Italy in the Summer and Paris in the Winter with her French father and Italian mother, it's no wonder she ended up as a fabulous chef! We talk about the importance of food and gathering for dinner, what led her to become interested in cooking and blogging, her favorite recipes and cookbooks, and tips and tricks in the kitchen and in life!

Green Living with Dorie Morales

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Our guest on today’s podcast episode is the dynamic Dorie Morales, Publisher and CEO of Green Living Magazine. This monthly magazine has been around for 11 years now and is an eco-conscious lifestyle publication based in Phoenix that aims to educate, inspire and empower readers to make eco-conscious choices for a healthier lifestyle and planet.

In this episode we get passionate as we talk about eco-conscious living, Dorie shares her inspiring life story and we discuss why living mindfully is so important, and how our city and culture are doing as far as sustainability and how we as individuals and as a community can improve our eco footprint. I also share the details on our 3D printed home we designed for Habitat for Humanity that's nearly complete, check it out here: 3d-printed-home-first-ever-in-united-states

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Discussing the Hustle with Matt Gottesman and my Wife Isabel Dellinger Candelaria

Today’s guest is the man who inspired Mark to start this podcast back in 2019, Matt Gottesman! Matt is a 3rd generation entrepreneur, an international business strategist and a brand architect with focuses on luxury, lifestyle, health and wellness, cannabis, tech, fashion, arts, music and entertainment. He has built, launched and created a series of online platforms that speak to the world on a daily basis through a variety of online media outlets to the tune of 10.5M per month. He brings creators from around the world to the forefront by documenting and publishing visionaries and their brands. “I feel blessed everyday to be doing this work. Put simply, I believe we all have genius talent and it’s up to us as individuals to express that to the rest of the world,” he says.

Matt also hosts a weekly podcast, Hustle Sold Separately, that aims to motivate and inspire by documenting the world's creative genius, makers, doers, talented creators and peers who are embracing the journey, building their brands, growing their companies, and evolving as human beings. He is a well of information, resources and wisdom that he generously shares with anyone interested across his various platforms and on our podcast episode today. Be sure to view his sites linked below to see for yourself!

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Lighting it up with Walter Spitz of Creative Designs in Lighting

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This week's guest, Walter Spitz, is someone our Candelaria Design Team has been collaborating with on projects for almost 40 years, and has become a very close friend of our founding partner, Mark Candelaria. Walter is the Founder, Principal and Senior Designer of Creative Designs in Lighting, an architectural lighting firm who has been specializing in "lighting for that special look" for over 40 years.

Walter began at a large lighting showroom in Phoenix as a teenager and developed a “theatrical eye” by designing for the stage, first while in school, then went on to light professional performances. This experience, combined with a growing fascination in lighting, led him to study at Banff Center of Fine Arts under Laszio Funtek. Walter is an award-winning lighting designer, recognized across the country as a residential lighting expert.

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Keeping it in the Family with Richard van Gilse of Facings of America

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This week’s podcast features Richard van Gilse, President of Facings of America, a local business offering some of the finest stone, tile, and architectural features in the world. For over 50 years, Facings of America has kept family, clients, staff, and community at the center of its business and advocates for a number of worthy nonprofit organizations each year.

In this episode Richard talks about how the family business started and then how he developed his love of business growing up here in Arizona; from his days at St. Mary's High School then on to ASU and finally into the family business. We discuss how Richard has grown the business, some of the new products they curate from around the world and some of the hot trends in materials and surfaces. We also talk about how the pandemic affected their operations and sourcing and delivering products.

Richard offers a good perspective and insight into how he finds his balance between running a business with two locations and maintaining a happy family life, along with his love of travel, golf, and cooking.

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Christopher Peacock - From London to Around the World

Today's episode features world renowned luxury cabinet designer, Christopher Peacock. Since the launch of Christopher Peacock Cabinetry in 1992, he now has showrooms across America and worldwide, as his commitment to quality and design is apparent in his products and service.

In this episode Christopher will talk about his upbringing and start in London, England, and how he made it here to the States where he took his life lessons and skills and turned them into a highly recognized brand in our industry. We chat about how the pandemic has impacted his company and the industry overall, his design process, some of his high-profile clients and projects, and life in general.

Embracing the Pivots with Award-Winning Journalist Catherine Anaya

Today ‘s episode features journalist, host, motivational speaker and media personality, Catherine Anaya! Catherine has 25+ years as a TV news anchor, event host and emcee, is an award-winning columnist, co-hosts a weekly radio show and is the founder of multimedia company, 4Hearts Media LLC.

During the episode, Catherine describes her journey starting in college at USC, to her first job as a news anchor in Texas, to Channel 12 in Phoenix in 1992, then back to LA for four years, then finally wound up back in Phoenix where she worked as an anchor for Channel 5 News for 12 years and as an award-winning columnist.

Mark & Catherine discuss the balance they've had to find while juggling their work, passions, family and health and why it's important to "step off the hamster wheel" and reflect on your past accomplishments, failures, lessons, etc. Catherine discusses the hard decision to step away from her lifetime of anchoring and what it was like to transition into a new path for her future, and the exciting things she's been involved with since!

A Look at the Career and Hot Real Estate Market with Sandra Wilken

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Our guest today is Associate Broker and Real Estate Advisor, Sandra Wilken of Modern Portfolio Real Estate Services. Modern Portfolio provides clients with the highest level real estate buying and selling experience along with a wide variety of premier concierge services, the first and only concierge service program of its kind in Arizona.

Sandra Wilken’s love of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona began more than 50 years ago when her family relocated to Arizona from Boston. That love, along with her natural winning way with people inspired her decision to jump head-long into the real estate industry. Sandra has devoted more than half of her 40+ year career to working with developers to create high-end luxury communities in the Valley of the Sun. Today, Sandra and her team are both humbled and extremely proud to have sold more than $1.4 billion in new development residential real estate since 1979.

Driven to be the best, Sandra quickly earned a reputation for providing her clients with high-quality professional services — all with a personal touch. During those early years, her portfolio of loyal clients continued to expand catching the attention of several Canadian real estate developers. Their vision to build premier developments in desirable locations throughout the Valley required an expert to ensure their success. Drawing on Sandra’s unique background in architecture, design, marketing and sales, a partnership was forged which ultimately led to the completion of seven world-class developments, such as The Phoenician and Gainey Ranch. Listen to Sandra describe the detailed on how the partnerships and these amazing travel and living destinations came to be.


Sandra continues to live her passion and is honored and inspired to work with the best advisors and clientele in the most distinguished neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale.

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Energy Unlimited with Danny Sharaby

Danny with his wife and three daughters

Danny with his wife and three daughters

This episode of Inspiring Living I speak with Founder & Owner of Tickets Unlimited, Danny Sharaby. Danny created this business while trying to support himself through Law School, well, he was so successful that when he graduated he never pursued Law and went on to found his company that now handles the buying and selling of premium tickets for local, national and international sporting, concerts, and theater events!

We chat about the events industry and how the pandemic has affected the business and him personally and the lessons he’s learned from the many twists and turns his life has presented. We wrap up by hearing about some of the amazing events and people he has met throughout the years and what events are on the horizon for 2021.

Danny with Steven Tyler

Danny with Steven Tyler

Danny with Charles Barkley at Tiger Woods v. Phil Mickelson in Las Vegas 2018

Danny with Charles Barkley at Tiger Woods v. Phil Mickelson in Las Vegas 2018

Danny & Mark recording the podcast

Danny & Mark recording the podcast

Danny & wife with Jim Courier & Lindsay Davenport, Wimbledon 2019

Danny & wife with Jim Courier & Lindsay Davenport, Wimbledon 2019

Jeff Kramer presents our 2020 "Jeff Kramer MVP Award" to Winner Mathew Grove

Mark recording with Mat Grove & Jeff Kramer

Mark recording with Mat Grove & Jeff Kramer

This episode of Inspiring Living features two amazing individuals and members of our Candelaria Design Team. First, we welcome Architect, Jeffrey Kramer, AIA, who has been a member of our team for nearly 20 years. Over the course of that time Jeff and i have collaborated on a number of amazing projects including a true legacy project, El Chorro in Paradise Valley, AZ.

In this podcast we will delve into Jeff Kramer's beginnings as a youth in New Jersey to his college days at Tulane University in Louisiana, to eventually ending up here in Arizona. Along the way, without even looking at Jeff's work, you will come to understand why Jeff established the MVP standard in our company and culture. 

Then, we actually present the Jeff Kramer 2020 MVP award to this year's recipient, Mathew Grove! Mat has been with the firm approximately 5 years and from his time just starting as an intern while completing his studies at the University of Arizona he has become a force and highly respected member of our Candelaria Design Team working on a number of marquis residences. 

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Jeff with his wife and two kids.

Jeff with his wife and two kids.

Jeff joined Candelaria Design as a Project Director in September 2000. After graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture from Tulane University, he spent the next 15 years with a local Phoenix firm as a Project Architect where he developed his skills on a wide variety of commercial and residential projects. Jeff joined CDA because of his enjoyment of working on quality residential architecture exclusively. He states, "Residential architecture provides an unmatched opportunity for personalized service and collaboration with clients in the creation of an inspiring and uniquely customized home. Jeff has retired from Candelaria Design to spend more time with his family and pursuing personal interests. He does however, continue to consult with Candelaria Design on several projects and provides quality control and back-checking of our projects.

Mathew joined Candelaria Design in February of 2014 as an intern and joined the firm full-time as Job Captain following his graduation from University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Mathew’s passion for architecture was evident at an early age and led him to intern in high school with the San Diego firm of Carrier Johnson Architects for two consecutive summers. His travels through Europe have influenced and inspired his architecture perspective. Mathew is committed to a high level of client service and looks forward to opportunities to contribute his creativity and attention to detail as a Candelaria design team member. In his spare time, Mathew enjoys biking, traveling, sports and spending time with family and friends.

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You can follow Mat here:
https://instagram.com/mgr760

Welcome to Season Two with Mark & Isabel Candelaria

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Welcome to our first episode of Season 2 of our podcast, Inspiring Living!

My wife, Isabel, joins me today as we take a quick look back on Season 1 and share some thoughts on our upcoming Season 2. Our podcast is about Inspiring Living and in each podcast we share the stories behind the people we live, work, and collaborate with in our daily lives.

I encourage you to go back and listen to as many of our first 50 podcast episodes from Season 1 as you can and stay tuned for a plethora of interesting and inspiring guests we have coming in Season 2! For a good recap of the first half of Season 1, check out episode 34 “Best of the First 25 Podcasts” where I play inspirational clips from every one of our first 25 guests, and add some commentary of my own on each. And coming up, I will be recounting the top 7 most-downloaded episodes from Season One and give a nice overview of those top episodes and their inspiring messages.

Please give us a rating and a review, we may just select your review as a winner of one of our Candelaria Collection Pasta Makers! Thanks again for all of your continued support of our podcast and I wish you all love, laughter, wisdom and good health in your future.