Breezin' Chats

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, Cindy Dervech Owner of Breezin’ Entertainment and Productions is joined with her executive team Jessie Soplinski and Michael Dervish. Today we are going to be chatting with a local Tampa business that has helped make Tampa a little bit sweeter. How one person’s dream to be on a list has grown into a staple dessert known everywhere in the Tampa bay area!Today’s guests just wants to remind everyone to “Always Be Sweet”! This family owned, and operated company has been around since 1998 and has won numerous awards since the start.  Made with the finest ingredients, their buttery, sweet, chocolatey, crumbly toffee is a Tampa treasure, distributed coast-to-coast! With a national reputation for award-winning sweets. Their handmade toffee has been honored as "Best Chocolates", "Best Candies", "Best Desserts", and Most recently they were awarded the Peoples Choice Award for Best Desserts at the Dessert Wars Tampa in February of 2020. Please help us give a warm Breezin chats welcome

We will discuss how trust, creativity and collaboration helped our guest get to where she is today. Our Guest was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Graduating in the bottom third of her high school class.  As early as her mid-teens, she had a passion for fashion, modeling, and beauty. As her love of learning grew stronger after attending Baldwin-Wallace College and earning her BA in Chemistry, she applied and was accepted to one of the top schools in the Midwest, Case Western Reserve University.  There she not only excelled in academics, but she was awarded “Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching” for five consecutive years.Our guest later went on to earn a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and accepted an Assistant Professor position at GMI Engineering and Management Institute in Flint, Michigan. With that burning desire of fashion, modeling, and beauty still in her heart she was able to realign herself, after years of research in skin chemistry, with her passion in the industry of beauty enhanceme

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, Cindy Dervech and her executive team, Jessie Soplinski and Michael Dervech talk with featured guest, Romy and Gaby Camargo of Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center. The team covers about the Charity and Romy’s road to recovery, a look inside the program and classes, this year’s Gala event, and what’s to come in the future for Stay in Step. So please give a warm welcome to Romy and Gaby. Living with a neurological injury is a challenge in itself, but that doesn’t stop Romulo “Romy” Camargo from living his life to the fullest. Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center is an organization founded by husband and wife Romy and Gabriela Camargo that begun in June of 2015. This recovery center provides critical physical therapy services to victims of neurological injuries. Despite its importance, unfortunately healthcare providers do not provide these recovery centers. But the hardworking couple made it their goal to make this happen for the Tampa Bay area. In 2008

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, the team is talking with featured guest, Jessica Rivelli, the founder of Working Women of Florida, about what it takes to run the fastest growing women’s networking group in Florida, her journey to building her empire, and more. So please give a warm welcome to Jessica Rivelli. Jessica Rivelli is the founder of Working Women of Florida, which includes Working Women of Tampa Bay & Working Women of Central Florida. The organization is the largest women’s networking group in the state with 850 members and 35,000 social media fans/followers. Jessica launched Working Women of Tampa Bay after leaving a successful career in Television News. She credits her 12 years of multimedia experience for her ability to create dynamic & relevant programming. Since its 2009 launch, Jessica has produced more than 1200 events for women in the Tampa Bay & Central Florida regions. Many of those events include educational workshops designed to help women entrepreneurs follow their dreams of owning

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, the team is talking with featured guest, Jordan French, to talk about his time in Tampa, his involvement in Breezin’ Magazine, and what’s next in his career as a man who wears many hats. Jordan French is a combination of engineer, intellectual-property attorney, and dynamic creative with a penchant for rolling up his sleeves to market, connect, and build brands. You may also recognize him from last year’s edition of Breezin’ Magazine as a contributing writer for the “40 Under 40 Awards.” He is an award-winning journalist and the Executive Editor at Grit Daily news. He is also currently working on a new book, The Gritty Entrepreneur. So please give a warm welcome to Jordan French. Want to hear more of Jordan French’s story? Tune in to Breezin’ Chats to hear more about Jordan French. Breezin’ Entertainment launched a spin-off podcast series, called Breezin’ Chats. Breezin’ Chats is a wedding, corporate, and social entertainment podcast channel that offers next-level entertainm

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, the team is talking with featured guest, Lauren Ibey, to talk about Tampa’s evolving event and hospitality industry, her career, networking, and starting your own networking events. Lauren Ibey is the Senior Catering Sales Manager at The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa. So please give a warm welcome to Lauren Ibey. For more information about The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa, please visit www.godfreyhoteltampa.com Want to hear more of Lauren Ibey’s story? Tune in to Breezin’ Chats to hear more about Lauren Ibey story.

On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the team is talking with featured guests, David Diaz, Bri Brokaw, and Jon Soler, to discuss their united mission to make life more musical for the Tampa Bay youth through Instruments 4 Life. David and Jon are native residents to Tampa, and Bri has a background in world travel. Together they share a strong passion for music and community outreach that is making kids lives better each day. David, one of the founding members, has most enjoyed the journey of seeing Instruments 4 Life come together after years of hard work and seeing the kids grow with the program. Jon, a local musician and founding member, calls the organization a family that uplifts each other. He believes this powerful quality gives Instruments 4 Life a competitive advantage against lots of factors. Bri originally came into the program to assist with fundraising, but after a break in which she worked for the Peace Corps and became a teacher abroad, she brought the skills she learned back to Instruments 4 Life

Breezin’ Chats Episode 14: The Runway to Tampa’s Future (Feat. Danny Cooper) On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the team is talking with featured guest, Danny Cooper, to answer the question, “What is flying people to the Tampa Bay area?” Danny is a nine-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and currently works as the Senior Manager of Marketing at Tampa International Airport. So please give a warm welcome to Danny Cooper. Want to hear more of Danny Cooper’s full story? Tune in to Breezin’ Chats to hear more about Danny’s career, his insight on marketing, expansions, and improvements at Tampa International, and where the future of Tampa Bay is headed

On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the team is talking with featured guest, Santiago Corrada, about tourism in Tampa. Santiago has dedicated over 25 years of his life to public service and is a long-time hospitality specialist. Now, he is the President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, a program that has greatly improved Tampa’s tourism industry. So please give a warm welcome to Santiago Corrada.

On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the team is diving into the world of bridal shows and ex-ploring the journey and future of this week’s featured guest, Julie Mackie. Julie is the head of sales and marketing for Nuovo Bride Media Group and is also an associate publisher for the magazine. Throughout her career, Julie says she has gained several valuable experiences, especially during the tougher times of being in an environment where skills like multi-tasking and adaptability are required. These were just a few of the lessons she learned on her journey. Julie grew up in New York and graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. One of her very first jobs took place in Chicago where she worked in commodities trading at just 21 years old. It was a high-energy and stressful environment for Julie, but she says that it was still an “incredible experience.” She was able to support herself for 12 years and then moved to her current home, Sarasota, FL, when she had a son. With her strong sales back-ground,

On this episode of Breezin' chats, CEO and Publisher of the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine, Bridgette Bello, is sharing her journey to becoming the successful woman she is today. She is a media professional with over 25 years of experience working in every aspect of the media business from being a writer for the daily newspaper, a media buyer for advertising agencies, and everything else in between. She was also the president and publisher of the Tampa Bay Business Journal for 11 years and is a seven-time winner of the prestigious Eagle Award. However, her achievements also came with challenges that impacted her life. So please give a warm welcome to Bridgette Bello. Bridgette began going to school for journalism at the University of Florida. When she heard a commercial on the radio looking for on-air talent, she knew she had to act right away. She received a position in morning news but later found out it just wasn't for her. A few years after graduating, she became pregnant, but struggled to find w

On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the team is featuring artist turned fashion designer turned entrepreneur and contributing writer to Breezin’ Magazine’s Entrepreneurial Edition, Vicky Anglo of Anglo Couture. Cindy Dervech, Michael Dervech, and Jessie Soplinski dive into the world of bridal fashion, as they talk about how Vicky Anglo took the Bridal Fashion Industry in Tampa by storm. They will also be learning about Anglo’s Greek roots, her passion for design, and love for the glamour and elegance of weddings. Vicky has showcased her designs all over the world, even in New York and Bridal Fashion Week. For Vicky, the best part about her job is personally working with each bride to create a unique one of a kind gown with style, personality, and vision. Vicky knows all brides are different, and she wants the bride’s personality to shine- especially on their wedding day – so through innovative design and personal collaboration, Vicky works with brides to ensure they look as great as they feel on their special

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, the team is featuring award-winning makeup artist and Breezin’ Magazine’s “40 Under 40” finalist, Michele Renee, Founder and CEO of Michele Renee The Studio. Cindy Dervech, Michael Dervech, and Jessie Soplinski dive into the world of hair and makeup, as they talk about the process of what it takes to make a bride look stunning on her special day and much more. They will also be learning about Renee’s Texan roots, her love for giving back to the community, and her hair and makeup empire that she built. Michele Renee The Studio specializes in airbrush makeup application and hairstyle services. Based in Tampa, FL, Michele Renee The Studio serves a global client base for weddings, boudoir, corporate events, film, television, social events, photo shoots, and more. So please give a warm welcome to Michele Renee. Michele Renee’s newfound love for Indian culture and its traditional weddings have launched her to start a donating to local children charities in India. Michele has learn

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, the team is featuring the successful and influential, Kelly Flannery, who has greatly impacted the Tampa Bay community. As an actively involved individual, she has received multiple recognitions for her work. She is a two-time honoree of Business Women of the Year and a two-time honoree of Business of Pride. Recently, she was featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Power 100 and is also the president and CEO of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce where she works closely with business owners and leaders in the community to make Tampa the best place to work and prosper. Furthermore, she serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida along with her other leadership positions. So please give a warm welcome to Kelly Flannery. Kelly Flannery was born and raised in South Tampa and studied at Florida State University where she earned her B.S. in political science. After graduating, she wanted to go somewhere new and different. With that, she moved

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, we are featuring Anna Coats, who is a finalist from Breezin' Magazine's “40 under 40.” She has appeared in several national talk shows like Daytime TV, ABC action news, News Channel 8, and Fox 13. With over fourteen years of marketing experience, she was a finalist for the Tampa Bay Business Journal and named Businesswoman of the Year. However, her major success in serving the Tampa Bay community was achieved through various, unplanned, and unanticipated experiences. So please give a warm welcome to Founder and CEO of Marry Me Tampa Bay, Anna Coats. She grew up in Kentucky and attended Western Kentucky University where she studied news, journalism, and marketing. After school, she spent a year as a financial advisor and worked for an SAT prep company where she taught students on the side. She also helped the company with their operations and marketing for eight to nine years, which made her want to pursue marketing even more. She then received an opportunity to do marketing

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, Cindy and Michael welcome Dana Blickensderfer: a creative, hard-working, and highly involved individual in the Tampa Bay community. Dana was born on Long Island, NY and moved to Tampa in 2001 where she studied public relations at the University of South Florida (USF). She got her start in business at an early age. In middle school, she painted and sold birdhouses around her neighborhood. Little did she know, she was becoming an entrepreneur herself. Now, she runs her own company helping people grow and scale their own businesses and on the side, is an active Artist traveling all across the U.S. showcasing her works. Take note that this did not happen overnight. So please give a warm welcome to Dana Blickensderfer. Upon graduating USF, Dana worked at her parents' law firm, where she founded and developed its marketing department. On the weekends, she was an abstract painter who sold her artwork online and at art shows. Searching for a clearer direction in her career path, she

Episode 5: Speak Your Hustle (Feat. Debbie Lundberg) On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, the Breezin' team is welcoming Debbie Lundberg and discussing her long and inspiring journey to becoming the founder and CEO of Presenting Powerfully. She discusses her professional background, experience, and advice to be a leader and even some fascinating personal stories. So please give a warm welcome to Debbie Lundberg. Debbie was born in Flint, Michigan and worked for General Motors, which was pretty rough at times, but the experience gave her the opportunities that lead her to where she is today. She was given several leadership positions and traveled all across the country working for Dale Carnegie Training. After fourteen years at General Motors, she realized that coaching in speaking and professional development didn't really exist and wanted to help fulfill this niche. Today, she is the author of ten books, a public speaker, and a coach for people who want to become strong and confident presenters. She is an infl

Breezin’ Chats Episode 4: Follow Your Dreams (Feat. Whitney Holtzman) On this episode of Breezin’ Chats, host Cindy Dervech and her team talk to one of their contributing writers, Whitney Holtzman of Social Victories, behind the Entrepreneurial Edition of Breezin’ Magazine Vol. 2. Whitney is a moving force; she once worked under the digital marketing king, Gary Vaynerchuk and soon after started her own company. She went from employee to entrepreneur just like that! So please give a warm welcome to Whitney Holtzman! Whitney, born in Tampa, talks about how it’s possible to get your dream job in your dream city. During her time at USF, she got the chance to learn more about all of the different industries and fields through internships, but from a young age, she was always interested in sports, so sports reporting seemed like the perfect job. Whitney had always been told that if she wanted to make it in the sports reporting industry that she would have to start from a small town job. However, Whitney didn’t want

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, Cindy Dervech is joined with co-hosts Jessie Soplinski and Michael Dervech for a special interview with Jen McDonald, a finalist from Breezin' Magazine's 40 under 40 awards. Jen is one of the first finalists to be featured in Breezin' Chats. So please give a warm welcome to Jen McDonald! Listen as Jen shares her journey on how she got started in the insurance field, the obstacles she faced, the accomplishments she made, and her next moves for the future. As a Philadelphia native, Jen grew up taking subways and buses to school. During college, she was an undecided business major but later found interest in entrepreneurship and insurance from an intro class she took. This lead her to accept an internship in Dallas, Texas where she realized how much of the world she had been missing out on. To broaden her view of the world more, she backpacked through Europe and later decided to move cities and take a job offer in Tampa, FL. Now, she calls Tampa home and runs her insurance busi

On this episode of Breezin' Chats, founder Cindy Dervech and VP Michael Dervech are accompanied by special guest Jessie Soplinski, who is the Director of Events at Breezin' Entertainment. She has been with the company for over ten years and recently started her work with Breezin' Weddings. As a college graduate, Jessie struggled to find a career that would suit her creative spirit but soon found her calling with Breezin'. In episode 2, "Life Lessons, Tips, and the Journey to Entertainment " Jessie discusses her transition into the entertainment industry and how she found her passion for preparing and organizing events. She also shares her expert advice and witty, personal stories on weddings she has coordinated.