Natural beauty, world class food and wine, top-notch entertainment and the North Bay’s unmistakable style and ambiance—there’s a reason people say we’re “living the dream.” Here, North Bay business leaders tell us what they love about the place we all call home. We asked:
• How do you define “Success”?
• What’s one of your favorite spots for a North Bay getaway?
• What’s your favorite North Bay restaurant? Recommend a dish.
• If you could have one “re-do” in your career, what would it be?
Lucy Andrews, RN, MS, DNP(c)
CEO
At Your Service Home Care (serving Sonoma and Marin counties)
Success: I define success as “passionate happiness.”
Getaway: I love Sea Ranch.
Restaurant: Everything is wonderful at The Farmhouse Inn (near Healdsburg), and I recommend the clam chowder at The Villa in Santa Rosa.
Re-do: Don’t take yourself so seriously—really!
Bill Arnone
Managing partner
Merrill, Arnone & Jones, LLP, Santa Rosa
majlaw.com
Success: Short-term, I’d say not overcooking my scallops; long-term, it’s definitely watching my grandkids torture their parents.
Getaway: It’s a tie between Nick’s Cove and Bodega Bay Lodge
Restaurant: For breakfast and lunch, it’s Jeffrey’s Hillside Café—try the duck hash. For dinner, the spaghetti Levi Leipheimer at Santa Rosa’s Riviera Ristorante is very good.
Re-do: I should’ve learned how to touch type.
Tom Boylan
Owner/creative director
Boylan Point Agency, Santa Rosa
www.boylanpoint.com
Success: Success in business is having strong relations with existing clients and the ability to provide creative work to inspire others to want to work with you. Success in life is having family and friendships to enjoy the good times and to carry you over the difficult times.
Getaway: As a “local,” it’s amazing how little we actually venture into places that others in the world can’t wait to visit. Special places for me include anywhere in Bodega Bay that offers a view—Bodega Harbour, Bodega Bay Lodge, Bodega Bay Inn.
Restaurant: Given that I work with two of the area’s great restaurants, Walter Hansel Bistro and The Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards, I’m torn to pick one over the other. I’d recommend coquille St. Jacques for the bistro and porcini pappardelle for the restaurant at RRV.
Re-do: I spent a lot of years working in various media, which was fulfilling, but I love what I do and the response we get to our work makes me wish I had started my agency even sooner. I’m fortunate to have my two sons, Brendan and Sean, following in my footsteps. They started with the agency at a much earlier age than I was back in 1997.
Barney Brady
Owner
Mountain Meadow Landscape, Healdsburg
www.mountainmeadowlandscape.com
Success: Business success, to me, is when I’ve helped to identify my client’s landscape goals and worked to meet them in a manner we both enjoy!
Getaway: A favorite North Bay spot is any of the various wetlands with trails, where we can hike with friends and get into nature. Spring Lake comes easily to mind.
Restaurant: We have a Japanese restaurant in Healdsburg, Sake ‘O, that has very high quality sushi. Check it out, it’s been here many years.
Re-Do: I have few regrets in life, but as far as my landscape career goes, I wish I’d utilized heavy equipment earlier. Hand digging is hard on the body. C’est la vie!
Percy Brandon
General manager
Vintners Inn, Santa Rosa
www.vintnersinn.com
Success: Doing every day what you love most!
Getaway: I enjoy going to Goat Rock for the day.
Restaurant: John Ash & Co., of course. I love the beef Carpaccio
Re-do: I wish I completed a masters Degree.
Eddie Brascia
President
Sonoma Design, Apparel & Promotions, Inc.; Santa Rosa
www.sonomadesignapparel.com
Success: I’d say it’s creating an environment where my two sons have the opportunity to be more successful in life than I am. When a client is 100 percent satisfied with the service we’ve provided, recommends us to their friends and continues to come back.
Getaway: I love a weekend at The Wine Country Inn in St Helena. Great spot.
Restaurant: Any of the Noodle dishes at Sea Thai Bistro in Santa Rosa are perfect.
Re-do: Nothing. I’m very blessed with business, great clients and an exceptional staff.
Rene C. Byck
Owner
Paradise Ridge Winery, Santa Rosa
www.prwinery.com
Success: When you feel good about something you’ve done.
Getaway: Armstrong Grove and Sonoma Coast are favorites.
Restaurant: I love the mussels and the steak frites at Bistro 29 in Santa Rosa.
Re-do: I would have loved to be a sports broadcaster.
Ann Marie Carinalli
President
Ann Marie Carinalli CPA, Inc.; Sebastopol
carinallicpa.com
Success: I think success is the ability to have freedom in your life.
Getaway: Shopping at Gina’s Boutique in Healdsburg.
Restaurant: Ribeye steak with truffle fries and a great glass of red wine at K&L Bistro in Sebastopol
Re-do: I wish I’d saved more in the early years—not easy to do, though.
Victoria Carlson
President
Connections IT Inc.
www.connectionsit.com
Success: When I was growing up, I equated money and power to success, but as I’ve matured, that’s changed. I see success as a personal thing that drives an entrepreneur. In the end, it all comes down to balance. We all want to be successful, but we need to also be able to share our success with other startup businesses and give to our community. To me, that’s true success.
Getaway: Fisherman’s Wharf is my favorite place to visit, because I grew up on the docks.
Restaurant: I like to visit The Tides Wharf restaurant and bar in Bodega bay. Try the Osake martini prawns and spicy sautéed prawns.
Re-do: I wish I’d found a mentor earlier in my career. I believe a mentor would’ve helped me with advice and setting goals on my career path.
Michael Cook
Vice president, planning and landscape architecture
Firma Design Group, Santa Rosa
www.firmadesigngroup.com
Success: When, at the end of the day, I’ve accomplished my goals and I get to come home to my two daughters and wife for dinner.
Getaway: I like Calistoga for its small town charm.
Restaurant: Anything on the hamburger menu at Flavor Bistro in Santa Rosa
Re-do: To be better prepared for the Great Recession and not have to start my own business in the heart of it.
Beth Costa
Executive director
Wine Road, Healdsburg
www.wineroad.com
Success: I’d say it’s giving 100 percent effort. Even if things don’t work out as planned, knowing you gave it your best is “success.”
Getaway: Heading out to the coast for camping at Wrights Beach.
Restaurant: Living in Healdsburg, we’re often found at Agave. I’m addicted to the shrimp tacos.
Re-do: I’ve never had a plan. I’ve simply followed interesting opportunities, so there’s no need for a re-do.
Jon Dal Poggetto
Managing partner
Dal Poggetto & Company LLP
www.dalpoggetto.com
Success: Success is working and living in a community that offers recreation, artistic pursuits and exceptional quality of life for my family.
Getaway: Bodega Bay.
Restaurant: Try the shrimp gumbo at Sweet T’s in Santa Rosa.
Re-do: I should have bought Sonoma County commercial property early on for my business.
Matthew Delaney
Partner
JDH Wealth Management, Santa Rosa
www.jdhwealth.com
Success: It’s being able to provide for my family and spend quality time with my wife and kids.
Getaway: A round of golf with friends at Fountaingrove
Restaurant: John Ash & Co.: It doesn’t get any better than the beet salad.
Re-do: I’d go back and undo the dialing for dollars (cold calling) that I had to do as a new financial consultant for a well-known investment firm. Every call was painful and I could write a stand-up comedy routine based the colorful comments I received day-in and day-out for two weeks.
Art Dexter
President
Leduc and Dexter Plumbing
leducanddexterplumbing.com
Success: It’s having the chance to make other people’s lives better.
Getaway: Sea Ranch
Restaurant: Willie Bird’s sausage sandwich (Santa Rosa)
Re-do: Pay more attention to education early on: You don’t know you need it until you need to know it.
Jeff Farnsworth, CCAM-PM
President
Steward Property Services, Inc., Petaluma
www.stewardprop.com
Success: I define success by our ability to nurture positive relationships within the communities we manage.
Getaway: River’s End Resort in Jenner offers completely off-grid rooms, which is an excellent way to escape from being consistently “plugged in.”
Restaurant: Grilled filet mignon salad at Sugo’s Trattoria in Petaluma is delicious.
Re-do: I would’ve incorporated staff input into my operational decisions a lot sooner.
Chris Frost
CEO
West County Net, Inc., Santa Rosa
www.westcounty.com
Success: If the people around me are happy, I’m doing something right.
Getaway: Mountain Home Ranch is absolutely the most amazing place to unplug.
Restaurant: Go to Bruno’s on Fourth Street in Santa Rosa and order the flat iron steak. There’s no need for a menu, just get the flat iron.
Re-do: I wouldn’t change one thing. Everything that’s made West County Net what it is today has been worth the journey.
Jeri Gill
CEO
Sustainable Napa County
sustainablenapacounty.org
Success: For me, success is doing something I value, with people I value, for a community I value—and feeling fortunate every day that it still doesn’t feel like work.
Getaway: Marshall Gulch Beach in Bodega Bay for a day trip. We can be there from Napa in about an hour with a picnic and the dogs. It’s a small beach but has beautiful views, lots of rocks and crashing waves. We can be home by late afternoon for a glass of wine on our own patio (our second favorite getaway in the North Bay).
Restaurant: I love Angelé in Napa. My go-to dish is the steak tartare and, of course, a side of delicious fries. Oh, and a glass of red wine.
Re-do: I would’ve learned to play the violin. The skill has no bearing on my career path whatsoever, but I’ve always wanted to play “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” at a party.
Lori Harkey
Vice president
Harkey Construction, Inc., Windsor
www.harkeyconstruction.com
Success: It’s when your brand becomes the go-to-company in your industry.
Getaway: Bodega Bay Lodge
Restaurant: Stark’s Steakhouse in Santa Rosa. Try chicken “under a brick.”
Re-do: Nothing. I gave up the corporate world to build a family business, and I’ve never looked back.
Maureen Highland
Executive director
Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF), Petaluma
www.pefinfo.com
Success: I’d say it’s being well-respected by your peers and being able to create partnerships between different groups that result in great impact for all.
Getaway: Growing up in Marin County, Nick’s Cove was always a local landmark.
Restaurant: Too many to choose from, but of course, Petaluma offers the best selection making it a perfect spot to live for dining out with friends and family.
Re-do: I would have started in the nonprofit world sooner. I loved my career in marketing, but in my current role, being able to give back and make a difference on a daily basis has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve worked with some of the “best of the best” in the Bay Area over the years and joining PEF continues to offer me the opportunity to learn and grow, personally and professionally, with some amazing people.
Peter Holewinski
Owner/president
Home Care Assistance Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
www.homecareassistancesonomacounty.com
Success: It’s being motivated to put in a full day’s effort doing the things you love with the people you love.
Getaway: The Mendocino Coast
Restaurant: Tov Tofu in Santa Rosa. Try any of the hot casseroles.
Re-do: I wish I hadn’t stayed in banking so long.
Wayne Ingraham
Partner/co-founder
LINK Creative, Santa Rosa
linkcreative.com
Success: Success, to me, has always been achieving what you set out to do, despite the odds being stacked against you.
Getaway: It can be very easy to take this area for granted. It’s all so beautiful, which is why its hard for me to consider it a “getaway,” but Alamere Falls near Bolinas (one of the only two tidal falls in California) is my favorite. It’s a bit of a trek and, without signs, can be a bit confusing the first time, but it’s one of the most peaceful journeys.
Restaurant: I’d probably answer this question different each time you asked, as there are some incredible restaurants in this area. The place that really has my attention right now is Bibi’s Burger Bar on Third Street in Santa Rosa. It’s the only place on the West Coast that makes a Connecticut style steamed cheeseburger, and it’s absolutely delicious!
Re-do: Absolutely nothing. Every struggle, every mistake, has made my company what it is today. We just opened a second office in San Francisco. Sure, knowing what I know now and having a re-do on certain things might have made it slightly easier, but far less gratifying. What good is a victory if you weren’t challenged to get it?
Brandon Jewell
Director of business development
Sonoma County BEST, Santa Rosa
www.sonomacountybest.com
Success: Those who are remembered for making a positive difference will forever be successful.
Getaway: Any of our amazing beaches.
Restaurant: Bibi’s Burger Bar has the best burgers in town! You can never go wrong ordering the smokey burger.
Re-do: Why look back when there is so much ahead?
John Jones
Managing partner
Linkenheimer LLP, CPAs and Advisors
www.linkcpa.com
Getaway: Healdsburg has a beautiful downtown, great restaurants and Dry Creek Valley is only a few minutes away.
Restaurant: The Monday night special at Monti’s Rotisserie is Sonoma Hills Ranch barbecue goat tacos.
Re-do: No re-dos allowed. I really wouldn’t change a thing.
Jerred Kiloh
CEO
Thrive Birth Center, Santa Rosa
thrivebirth.com
Success: Success is making a business that affects change and supports the needs of the community. There are so many directions a business can go even after the first years of being open, and evolving into a resource that’s respected and trusted is paramount to my feelings of success.
Getaway: Annadel Park, because it’s in the heart of Sonoma County and is accessible to all who strive to be a part of nature. It’s not far away and it isn’t a huge commitment to enjoy the space and diversity of exercise opportunities and sports that are housed in one place. It just shows that you can get away without traveling too far.
Restaurant: I’d recommend any pork dish they serve at Monti’s Rotisserie, because it’s tender, flavorful and smoked onsite.
Re-do: I’d be more politically active in Sonoma County. I’ve lived and worked here for nearly 20 years, yet all of my political efforts are in San Francisco and Los Angeles, which I thought were the centers of political discourse. I see now that affecting change should start in your own backyard.
Gail Morgan Lane
Broker/owner
St. Helena Real Estate, St. Helena
winestates.com
Success: Love what you do and do what you love with passion, honesty and integrity; stay “right-sized” and always give back.
Getaway: Since I’m a fifth generation resident of St. Helena, my “getaways” are usually away from the North Bay, but I did purchase a vacation home on the ocean in Bodega Harbor. It’s a 75-munite drive from my office but I find the ocean very soothing. If I were visiting the beautiful Napa Valley, there are many spectacular getaways, including Meadowood Resort, Solage, Calistoga Ranch and Auberge just to name a few.
Restaurant: I can honestly say I have many favorite restaurants depending on the type of food I feel like and the overall dining experience I’m seeking. I enjoy Market Restaurant for comfort, quality service, consistently great meals and no corkage for local wine lovers. I love the gnocchi at Cook, the salmon at Don Giovanni’s, the dining experience at Meadowood, the view from Auberge, everything served at Solage and its dog-friendly attitude, the casual great dining experience at Sam’s Social Club, anything Terra Restaurant serves, the burger at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and the mushroom soup at Goose & Gander.
Re-do: I was passionate about my 10-year teaching career and I’ve been passionate about sharing my love of this valley with home buyers and helping property sellers for the past 30 years. My clients are friends for life. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Steve Ledson
Owner/winemaker
Ledson Winery, Kenwood
ledson.com
Success: It’s having a positive perception of whatever is presented to me on any given day. I want to help people make their lives better and that starts with a positive perception. No matter what negatives are presented to you, always find the positive and communicate positively. People don’t remember what you say as much as how you make them feel. We all will have not-so-good days, however, there is no better feeling that helping someone go from a not-so-good day to an incredible day. That is success.
Getaway: There’s so much to do in Sonoma County that it’s hard to go wrong with whatever you choose to do. However, having a schedule set for you on your visit of where to stay, where to eat, and where to taste incredible wines. With the impeccable hospitality by people with connections to all the best makes for a more relaxing stay, you don’t have to think about anything, you just enjoy. We do that for our customers on a daily basis.
Restaurant: Stark’s Steakhouse is very consistent with their quality and there are plenty of selections on the menu. I took a friend there recently, we started with a dozen oysters a bottle Unti Cuvee Blanc, Picpoul Vermentino. Great textures and mingled flavors teasing the pallet for more. We then opened a bottle of our Mountain Terraces Cabernet that I brought along and paired it with a prime filet medium rare with a side of asparagus. The steak was so tender I could cut it with my fork. The wine was a perfect balance of tannin and acid to pair with the rich flavors of juicy steak. The asparagus adds enough change on the pallet to complete an enjoyable lunch.
Re-do: We should all learn as our lives unfold. I’m sure that, in everyone’s life, there are things they would change, not necessarily re-do. I think all of us, me included, could always work on our communication skills and our perception of what’s happening or what’s said at any given moment.
Ross Liscum
Real estate broker
Century 21 North Bay Alliance, Santa Rosa
www.rossliscum.com
Success: Waking up each day with a smile!
Getaway: Bodega Bay at the Inn of the Tides.
Restaurant: Have you tried the veal cordon bleu at LaGare Restaurant in Santa Rosa?
Re-do: I wish I started my real estate career sooner.
Susan MacAusland
VP sales and marketing
Perfect Timing Personnel Services, Larkspur
www.perfecttiming.com
Success: It’s loving what you do and being able to enjoy the rewards of hard work.
Getaway: I head for a beach house on Tomales Bay to enjoy biking and hiking in Point Reyes National Seashore, kayaking and clamming on the bay.
Restaurant: Tony’s Seafood in Marshall has terrific barbecue oysters and seafood tacos.
Re-do: It’s all turned out so nicely, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Matt Martin
CEO
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), Santa Rosa
www.saysc.org
Success: I define success as “leaving it better than how I found it.”
Getaway: Portuguese Beach is my favorite respite spot for a getaway afternoon. Nothing beats a picnic on the coast.
Restaurant: My favorite North Bay restaurant is Dierk’s Parkside Café in Santa Rosa. I’d recommend two poached eggs, hash browns, a bit of grilled spinach and (of course) a side of pastrami. Let’s not forget the Village Bakery English muffins, either.
Re-do: I really don’t have a re-do yet. To date, I feel very lucky to get to what I do, with the people I get to do it with and for those who benefit from our work. It’s been a dream.
Mick Menendez
Senior partner
Pacific Advisors
www.pacificadvisors.com/mick.menendez
Success: I’d say it’s the ability to do what I want, when I want, while giving back to the community.
Getaway: I enjoy taking the grandkids to practice golf at Santa Rosa Golf and County Club.
Restaurant: Go to Riviera in Santa Rosa for the fettuccine Bolognese.
Re-Do: I would’ve moved to Santa Rosa much earlier than 1980.
Marie Miller
Owner
Atrellis Flower & Gift, Windsor
www.atrellis.com
Success: Being happy with yourself as a human being, living in a wonderful area of the world, loving your work and the people you work with, being able to afford the lifestyle you like to live and having savings in the bank.
Getaway: I like to visit the Mendocino area.
Restaurant: Stark’s Steakhouse for the great atmosphere, the martinis, because there’s no corkage fee for the first two wine bottles and for their garlic glazed loaf bread, of course.
Re-do: I would have been a bit more politically correct in my 20s when working in a corporate environment.
Jim Murphy
President and founder
Jim Murphy and Associates, Santa Rosa
www.j-m-a.com
Success: Professionally, I’d say success is respect among my peers. Personally, it’s being married to my best friend for 52 years and having two wonderful daughters and four outstanding grandchildren.
Getaway: I really love the redwoods at Armstrong Grove and also the coast in Northern California.
Restaurant: We don’t get there often enough, but I think one of the best meals in Sonoma County is at Madrone Manor just outside of Healdsburg. I always get fillet mignon when we go there, and it’s outstanding.
Re-do: In the early 1980s when interest rates topped 20 percent, I decided to build some spec houses (something I had little experience in). It didn’t go that well for me. I’d love to have a “do-over” on that one.
Anthy O’Brien
President/CEO
Top Speed Data, Petaluma
www.topspeeddata.com
Success: Making a living at what I love to do and still have time for family and community.
Getaway: Hiking anywhere or kayaking in Tomales Bay
Restaurant: Try the calamari antipasti salad at Cucina Paradiso in Petaluma.
Re-do: I would have the confidence to launch Top Speed Data years earlier.
Madeleine Keegan O’Connell
CEO
YWCA Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
www.ywcasc.org
Success: To me, success, is finding the work that you love and enjoying every minute of it. Even challenges can be met with enthusiasm if you’re passionate about what you do.
Getaway: On the weekend, I love to take my husband and little boys to the beach. There’s nothing like the ocean breeze and sand in your toes to get the cobwebs out. I return refreshed and ready for my work week.
Restaurant: Novato’s Wildfox Restaurant is on the top of my list. We love the saku ahi tuna roll.
Re-do: Bringing my banking career back to Sonoma County in 1998 was the best decision I ever made. If I had a “re-do,” I may have wanted to enter the nonprofit field a few years earlier.
Laurie O’Hara
Director of business development
Working Solutions, San Rafael
www.workingsolutions.org
Success: It’s the magical combination of happiness, fulfillment, altruism and achievement in professional and personal life.
Getaway: Definitely Calistoga Ranch
Restaurant: I love the moules frites (mussels and fries) at The Left Bank in Larkspur—best in the North Bay.
Re-do: I would have entered the world of entrepreneurship much earlier in my career. Entrepreneurs are an inspiring and fascinating group of people.
Paloma Sky Patiño
COO
West County Net, Inc., Santa Rosa
www.westcounty.com
Success: Success is a journey; you have to be consistently successful to be truly successful.
Getaway: Austin Creek in Cazadero
Restaurant: Go to Diavola’s in Geyserville. I recommend the gluten free pork cheek ragu followed by the housemade tiramisu.
Re-do: I wouldn’t change a thing. It all led me to West County.
Heidi Pay
COO
Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty
www.deckerbullocksir.com
Success: My fortune is the opportunity to create an amazing work environment and be surrounded by consummate professionals who care about their clients and community. That’s success!
Getaway: Breakers Inn in Gualala on the Mendocino Coast
Restaurant: I love oyster bingo at the Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley.
Re-do: I would have started with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand sooner. It’s a pleasure to be affiliated with a global brand that has such a stellar reputation.
Stephanie Peace
Business Development Director, Go Red for Women
American Heart and Stroke Association, Santa Rosa
Success: For me, success is simply defined as the ability to set, work toward and reach both personal and professional goals.
Getaway: Bodega Bay
Restaurant: The chocolate chunk and banana croissant bread pudding at Willi’s Wine Bar is to die for.
Re-do: There were many steps in my career that could benefit from hindsight, but where’s the fun in that?
Ronit Rubinoff
Executive director
Legal Aid of Sonoma County
www.legalaidsc.org
Success: Success is being happy. What makes me happy is feeling like I’m having a positive impact on my community, that I’m helping create equity between people in housing, safety and economic opportunity. For me, impact has always been about social justice.
Getaway: I escape to Tomales Bay to kayak whenever I can. I feel like I’m in a different world when I’m on the water.
Restaurant: So many choices! I like K&L Bistro in Sebastopol—I recommend anything on the bar menu. I also love the oyster shacks on Highway 1.
Re-do: I wish I had taken some time after law school to work abroad as a lawyer. I thought about working with Palestinian refugees in Israel and about working on voter registration in Guatemala, but I was too worried about “falling behind” in my career.
Rob Sanville
General manager
ComputerLink, Santa Rosa
clinksr.com
Success: I define success as an opportunity for a well-balanced lifestyle with respect for and from my community.
Getaway: The coast, from Bodega Bay and north. We are so lucky here in Sonoma County to have this natural beauty and open space.
Restaurant: The steak Caesar at Stark’s Steakhouse, hands-down.
Re-do: I’d like to have gotten more formal education. I feel it would enrich my successful career.
Tony Schmoll
President
North Bay Insurance Brokers, Inc., Sonoma
www.northbayinsurance.com
Success: If you do the right thing, success follows.
Getaway: I head to Stuhlmuller Vineyards with a picnic of food from Big John’s Market in Healdsburg.
Restaurant: Sante at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. It’s all good.
Re-do: There’s no such thing as a re-do, and you never know where or what you’d be if you had one. Things can be better, but they can also be worse.
Christine Scioli
CEO
Zan Media, Novato
www.zanmedia.com
Success: Repeat business.
Getaway: Abbotts Lagoon at Point Reyes offers nature extraordinaire, and the tourists haven’t found it.
Restaurant: Deli sandwiches at Sonoma Cheese Factory on the Plaza. Locals get a discount if you ask. They have terrific pickles. Best choice is the hot salami with hot pepper jack on a sourdough roll. The tourists have found this, so go before the buses start rolling in at noon.
Re-do: When I was filming a PSA for the Magic Theater with actor Bill Pullman, I shouldn’t have said, ”I loved you in Twister.” It sort of set him back for a few minutes.
Laurie Shimizu
Co-owner
Mark Shimizu Design, Windsor
www.markshimizudesign.com
Success: Our success is based on the relationships we’ve developed with our customers. If they trust us and love what we offer, they’ll continue to do business with us.
Getaway: We love getting out to the coast for a weekend or even for the day. It takes us away from our busy lives, clears the cobwebs and rejuvenates the soul.
Restaurant: Tomi Thai in Windsor: Try the yellow curry with chicken and the crystal soup (with ginger). Both are my go-to comfort foods. They also have a wonderful wine and beer selection.
Re-do: Our only career re-do would be to have opened our business 10 years earlier.
Doug and Ame Van Dyke
Owners
E.R. Sawyer Jewelers, Santa Rosa
www.ersawyer.com
Success: We think it’s happy clients, happy staff, being a strong members of the community and having time with our family.
Getaway: The Farmhouse in Forestville is close, but feels like you’re a million miles away—amazing food, service and people.
Restaurant: So many to choose from, but one fabulous place just a little out of the way that our whole family adores is Catelli’s in Geyserville. They have fabulous kale salad and we love the spicy Michael’s pasta.
Re-do: We wish we were a husband/wife team in the store earlier. We love working 3 feet away from each other every day.
Jason Weaver, AIA, CSI
Vice president
AXIA Architects, Santa Rosa
www.axiaarchitects.com
Success: Success is having my toddler sleep through the night. On a serious note, success is achieving balance between doing what you love and spending time with those you love. Family is a key element to success; without them, you only have achievement.
Getaway: One of my favorite North Bay getaways is a little spot on the Russian River between Geyserville and Cloverdale. I deeply enjoy the ever-changing shoreline, natural shade of the old growth trees and the wildlife all around. There aren’t many places where you can experience the full diversity of what this county has to offer.
Restaurant: Hands down, Bruno’s on 4th. My wife and I had our first taste of Bruno’s a few years ago during restaurant week and have been hooked ever since. The meatloaf is amazing.
Re-do: There are things that, at the time, I may have wanted to do differently, but each action and reaction has lead me to where I am today. I would have liked to take time traveling abroad and further expand my world view and skills.
Joanne Webster
President/CEO
San Rafael Chamber of Commerce
srchamber.com
Success: When I can fall asleep at night knowing that I helped somebody and made a difference for them.
Getaway: Nick’s Cove feels like a million miles away.
Restaurant: Il Davide for the raviolis, The Fenix for the music and Vin Antico for the wine—and I don’t even have to leave Fourth Street in San Rafael.
Re-do: I would have said yes to the offer from Dominican University’s Green MBA program. They selected people to be “volunteers” to provide feedback on the program, so they offered their very first class the opportunity to take the course for $500 per semester. What was I thinking?
Dianna Wilusz
CEO
The Pendolino Group, Sausalito
www.pendolinogroup.com
Success: The feeling of satisfaction and appreciation that comes from coaching leaders and teams to discover their sense of purpose.
Getaway: I spend time hiking the Marin Headlands or playing golf at any one of our amazing courses.
Restaurant: A Taste of Rome in Sausalito: My go-to dish is their caprese salad.
Re-do: I’d say learning earlier on in my career to trust my gut-instinct and follow my heart.
Keith Woods
CEO
North Coast Builders Exchange
www.ncbeonline.com
Success: I live by words I’ve believed my whole life: “All success comes from exceeding expectations—not just others’ expectations, but your own as well.”
Getaway: Brewery Gulch Inn on the Mendocino Coast is classy, has classic rooms and legendary breakfasts and dinners.
Restaurant: Jackson’s Bar & Oven in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. My quest to find the perfect cheeseburger in North America ended there.
Re-do: Occasionally, I think maybe I should have accepted the scholarship offers from Harvard and Yale instead of Fresno State. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change any part of my former Chamber of Commerce career or my current work at NCBE.
Mitzi Zamarripa
Account executive
Sonic.com, Santa Rosa
Success: It’s taking care of all my clients in a timely manner and providing them with the best possible service Sonic can offer.
Getaway: Sea Ranch
Restaurant: Scopa in Healdsburg—honestly, anything you eat there is amazing!
Re-do: I would have experimented more with being an entrepreneur.
