Paid The Cost Podcast

Chad Jolin

Chad Jolin is awesome! He’s definitely a sports guy but knew his limits on the field and decided to take another route to contribute to the world. He graduated from San Jose state university with a degree in journalism and then went back to get his masters degree in mass communication. He took that time and the opportunities in front of him to broadcast for all kinds of different sporting events. Traveling with the teams, he had an inside look into the sports world that most of us only dream...

Devien

West side San Jose is in the house! On this episode I sit down with Devien, a rap and r&b recording artist. We spoke about his label, dreams make you rich, how being a father changed his perspective and how his music has evolved over time. Devien has taken most of his music career into us own hands and has learned how to edit, make album covers and make sure that his vision is illustrated the way it was intended. I always gain a huge respect for people that are not only exceptional with thei...

Urban Moguls with B part 2

I’ve had the pleasure and honor to watch young B grow up. I’ve been around to see this young man put in work for what his dreams and a he has determination to win life. This is his second appearance on PTC and the change since his first time on is evident. We started our podcasts around the same time and we’ve been blessed to have each other to call on for questions and insight. B is a good friend but I get to call this amazingly talented young man family.  https://youtu.be/5ZgZ6VYCpic

Norman Hutchings

Norman Hutchings reached out to me after listening to a number of his friends on the podcast. We decided to meet one day. We sat and talked for 3 hours straight. We probably could’ve gone longer. Fatherhood, life, cars, friends, being the best human possible and so much more we’re all part of the convo. It’s good to know and have people like Norman in your life and I appreciate every conversation and all the support he’s given me. I thought it would be good to share some of his wisdom with m...

Andrew Carroll

Growing up in Santa Cruz I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. People who tried to manipulate the town to their own advantages and those who truly care about the community and become part of it. Andrew Carroll is one of those people who fell in love with the central coast and decided to be part of it and give back. Growing up in San Jose Andrew was no stranger to Santa Cruz, it’s beautiful mountains or it’s stunning beaches. A few years ago him and his wife, Amber, decided it was time to ma...

Richard Doughty

28 years of friendship rolled into a 1 hour and 45 minute podcast. Rich Doughty has come along way. It’s been honor to watch his journey and to be honest, I really admire the work he’s done on himself. Breaking family demons isn’t easy but, when you realize enough is enough, it’s all hands on deck. I hope you enjoy my brothers wisdom as much as I did in this way over due episode. https://youtu.be/Rmgrl2pkcdQ

Randy Mendez AKA Krist

Randy Mendez is a San Jose native that started off living on the edge, settling down at 18 and starting all over again at 39 with his new clothing line Members of the hopeless. When Randy was 15, an argument with a childhood friend got out of hand and he wound up in the emergency room with his shirt full of his own blood and a new nick name when he hit the streets. https://youtu.be/FxEBY0Dg_XI

Jessica Yarr

Chef Jessica Yarr is all about jumpsuits and has the soul of Julia Child, yes, amazing combo. Her new Pop up virtual kitchen, Chicken Foot, features Ukrainian soul food and is off to an amazing start. Her story starts in the Santa Cruz mountains in small town named Felton and picks up in a pandemic where she turns to her creative side and makes the decision to leave her full time job to start her own small business.  https://youtu.be/R9D82cRKoeg

Dwight Lowery

Dwight Lowery is the head football coach at Soquel high school. I’ve spoken with numerous parents that speak very highly of him. I starting hearing his name more and more throughout my son’s freshman year of high school and I finally got to meet “D-Lo” at one of my favorite places in town… Get Faded barbershop. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much I did recording it. https://youtu.be/FexDUCvRyOc

Alejandro Grijalva

Alejandro Grijalva is making a lot of noise on the central coast with his caricature art of local residents and PTC guests but, that’s only one reason I wanted to get him on the show. His heart is massive and the work he does for the community is what really sets this man apart from the rest. Working for a local non profit, he does outreach work for the unhoused. He’s also a CrossFit coach. You put all these things together and you have yourself a caring, creative and loving human who’s miss...

Lily Belli

Episode 100!! On this podcast I sit down with Lookout Santa Cruz food columnist Lily Belli. We talk about food, how she got into writing, growing up in Murphy, Ca with a population of 2,000 and I ask Lily for journalism advise. Click here to watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/cTieF5qjDKg

Eric Kennedy

I love it when a guest comes through and is so much more than I expect. That’s Eric. Not just a small mountain town  market and deli owner but also a man who’s taken the long way to get to where he is now. Starting a business puts you on a journey and for some, they find what they’re gonna do and stick with it, sometimes for the rest of their lives. And then there’s people like myself and Eric. We start things with the willingness and acceptance to change at a moments notice or better yet, a...

Royal Wave

Junior, owner and creator of Royal Wave candies and rim dip, joins the podcast for a conversation about growing up in Santa Cruz, how sports kept him disciplined and his fast growing company Royal Wave. 

Joel & Michael Swandive Media

It’s been awhile since I’ve had 2 guests on at the same time! Joel and Michael from Swandive Media grace the PTC studio for a break down of their lives, how the boys founded their amazing company and projects they’ve worked on. Local artist Tay Lion and Santa Cruz Waves are just a couple high profile names they’ve worked with locally but, their work spans the globe with environmental issues, social topics and more!

Brayden Estby

I was beyond excited to meet with Brayden creator and co owner of 11th hour coffee. I do my best to research guests before they come on.  Something I found that Mr. Estby didn’t mention was he is also a fellow podcaster! His show, Conversations Matter with Brayden, is great! In this weeks episode we talk about coffee, being in business for yourself, podcasting and more!

Mia Thorn

This episode is inspiring to say the least. It’s the story of the dreamer and the will. Mia Thorn has already made a huge impact on our local community by her work as an oncology nurse and now she’s put it all on the line to open Santa Cruz’s newest dining and tap room restaurant in downtown. Her experiences in the nursing field and her trust in her partner’s extraordinary culinary skills are ingredients for success. I can almost guarantee that you’ll be a fan of Mia’s after this podcast.

Young Soulja The Realest

Young Soulja The Realest  is a  rapper/song writer out of San Jose, Ca. His style is quite unique and all his own but, when you peel back the layers you find a young, intelligent man that’s chasing his dreams. Armed with a marketing degree from San Jose state university, deep knowledge of the music game and showmanship, Young Soulja has built a career that has taken him to places most people dream about. 

Jessica Escobedo

Jessica is an amazing person that’s done so much inner work on herself. From food to meditation this episode  is open and fun. I really enjoyed my time exploring Jessica’s thoughts and laughing together along the way. 

Akoma Culver

Ako is a super outdoorsman that focuses on kayak fishing. His instagram page is filled with fish from the Monterey bay and eye popping pictures from other fishing crews from California. He and a couple of his own friends started their own fishing crew called “Salty Nutz” and these guys are no joke. To them fishing is life. Ako also speaks on his current job with the city of Santa Cruz as park maintenance. We get into some of the problems the city has been facing for years and how he deals it. 

Manasa Grossman

Mental health is extremely important. I’ve been to therapy myself on and off for years. In this podcast I sit down with Manasa, who is a central coast based therapist, to talk about why she got into therapy and what it’s like to be in therapist chair. Manasa is extremely well spoken, articulate and open. I really enjoyed our conversation. I’ve always felt like being a therapist would be an extremely hard and tiring career but, maybe it juts takes the right person for the job. 

Tay Lion

Starting out as a graffiti artist in the streets to sitting in on corporate meetings and working with city councils, Tay Lion’s art career is beyond average. He’s worked his fingers to the bone creating an art filled world that’s spanned the globe. He’s latest endeavor, Santa Cruz SeaWalls, was one of Tay’s biggest challenges. Join the conversation and hear how Tay Paid The Co$t to earn his seat as one of the most prolific artists to ever come out of the central coast.

El Kallpa

El Kallpa’s story begins in the country of Peru where his family had its ups and downs. With his father’s passion for art and the struggles he also had with it, El Kallpa’s mother thought they might have a better chance in the states. After moving here, El Kallpa made it his mission to get himself a piece of the American dream. Becoming a US citizen, The United States Coast Guard, marine science, music and so much more, are all part of his incredible journey. 

Arod

Arod is the creator and host of the GPE Podcast in Salinas, Ca. He’s intelligent and his interviewing skills are impressive. He’s calm, cool and collected on his show so I had to invite him on PTC to get his back story. He grew up in a harsh environment that set the stage for what was to come. Be sure to check out the GPE Podcast on YouTube. 

Dan Balma

Dan is super humble and just a really cool dude. Through out our conversation I realized something, Dan has always followed his heart. Starting out in high school Dan realized he had a gift working with wood. He moved to LA and worked for high profile clients making cabinetry and other finished wood creations but, as she always does, life has a different direction for Dan's life. 

Dan Balma

Dan is super humble and just a really cool dude. Through out our conversation I realized something, Dan has always followed his heart. Starting out in high school Dan realized he had a gift working with wood. He moved to LA and worked for high profile clients making cabinetry and other finished wood creations but, as she always does, life has a different direction for Dan's life. 

Jose Moya

After our first sit down on season 1, Jose and I have become close friends. this dudes drive, determination and creativeness is off the charts. A few months ago we were having a conversation about how hard the pandemic was on him and his business, Get Faded Barbershop. We decided it would be a good topic for the podcast. during our convo we also spoke about his Bien Faded hazy IPA and how working out has changed both of our lives.

Jake Nielsen

Jake is a Watsonville, Ca native that learned his passion early. He was born to into a sports family but was also born with Cerebral Palsy. His family told him not to let it get in his way and found something that would change his life forever... a bass guitar. He found ways to make his dreams reality. I his younger years he would play guitar in bars in the Bay Area and learn from some of the area's best musicians. Jake Nielsen's Triple Threat is AMAZING and Jake plays the front man flawless...

Louie B Tha Name

Lou is a multi talented man. His rap catalog is astounding and his clothing company, Born 2 Rise, is growing fast. His story starts out rough, but in my eyes he was blessed with the right people, at the right time,  giving him all the right signals. His grandmother as well as her home, both major influences on Lou's life, were very well know on the east side of San Jose, Ca. We also got to break down Cutty Banks, who was tragically taken away from San Jose's rap scene in December of 2020 ove...

Kelvin Nivens

Happy Holidays to all! I will never forget the time and conversation with my next guest, Mr. Kelvin Nivens. We touched on his childhood, high school years, college, being a personal trainer and what it means to truly connect with people. This man has a big heart, in fact, Kelvin is really one of those people that you can see the love dripping out of their soul. I hope that anyone that listens to this amazing man's words leaves this podcast seeing the world differently. Kelvin really cares ab...

Ashoka McCormick

Returning season 1 guest, Ashoka McCormick, is back to tell us his bucket list experience in Brazil, his insight on the mind, body, soul connection within martial arts, and training with Master Paulo Mauricio Strauch, a red belt Brazilian Ju Jitsu master.

Health and Mindset Coach Victor Rey

Victor Rey is a Salinas, Ca central coast native who grew up in a small farming community. He's accomplished so much in his life but, there was a point that he started to feel like what he had done was the end of his story. The next part of his journey proves that social media can be a helpful tool if used correctly, he also had to walk by faith. His new chapter involved reaching out to a man that he had never met before. This move would be the beginning of Victor's new life and his approach...

Pastor Jerry Morales Victory Outreach Church Surf City Santa Cruz, Ca

The Mind Body Soul Experiment starts with my good friend Pastor Jerry Morales. This conversation was absolutely incredible. I've had some time with Pastor Jerry but, to hear his story raw and straight from him was profound. The following day, after recording, I was overflowing with joy and happiness. This man has done so much for the community. As a matter of fact, when I announced he was coming on the show so many people reached out to tell their own experiences with him. When somebody has ...

Tanika Patel Gonzalez featuring guest host Rohana Shultz

Our next guest is truly special to me. We actually tried to do an episode together but it was awkward. we know so much about each other and asking questions that I already knew the answers to seemed off. She’s my biggest fan and my best friend. She was born in London and moved to Santa cruz when she was 8. She’s grown her make up business into an extremely well known brand along with her own eyelash line mink and lashes. She’s a mommy Instagram influencer and damned good at it too! She’s an ...

Lorenzo Figueroa

This podcast features someone I’ve been very grateful to know for a long time. Every interaction with this man is nothing but positive and love….. and I’m not exaggerating in anyway, shape or form. If you’ve been lucky enough to be in his presence, then you know. He’s put in work in the Santa Cruz rap scene and helped form the well known hip hop group Krooked family. He’s known locally for having “hands” and although he’s not an aggressor, he’s willing to end confrontations with words or…. I...

Ultra Runner Chick SC Rohana Shultz

My next guest is simply incredible. She’s done Ironman triathlons, ultra man races, and her vibrations are on a whole different level. She was very open and I couldn’t be more thankful and grateful to her for bringing some much needed positive feminine spirit into the studio. Her life experiences are unique and like her brother, Ashoka McCormick , she is kind and gentle…. But she could break off the strongest of strong if you get her way!  Ladies and gentleman my friend Rohana Shultz

Nico Never Scared

My next guest has unique gift for seeing the world through a creative thinkers eyes. He sounds like a seasoned Fortune 500 ceo talking to a journalist for Forbes magazine. He’s extremely well versed and knows that no successful man is self made. Having a conversation like we had on this episode, can be rare or almost non existent. It can be difficult to think on the levels we touched on , but once you’ve had a taste, it’s hard to think any other way. I was overly impressed with the team and ...

The Santa Cruz Car Club featuring President Raul Guzman and Vice President Adrian Salgado

This podcast is special to me. It’s a blending of culture and my home town Santa Cruz Californian. I sat down with Raul Guzman and Adrian Salgado the President and Vice President of the Santa Cruz car club.  These men are making a name for Santa Cruz in the lowriding scene. The Santa Cruz car club was established in 2019 and is blowing up on the central coast and surrounding areas. These two men started with lowrider bikes at a young age and expanded it to lowrider cars as they got older. Th...

David Salinas

David Salinas has worked harder than most to get where he is today, but hard work pays off. Knowing what your purpose is can be the guiding light to your true potential. David has tapped into that light. We spoke about his time in high school, working twice as hard as his peers in community college to get to the same place, his sociology degree from San Jose state university, and the Aptos high school stabbing which left three families in devastation a few weeks ago. 

David Salinas

David Salinas has worked harder than most to get where he is today, but hard work pays off. Knowing what your purpose is can be the guiding light to your true potential. David has tapped into that light. We spoke about his time in high school, working twice as hard as his peers in community college to get to the same place, his sociology degree from San Jose state university, and the Aptos high school stabbing which left three families in devastation a few weeks ago. 

Anthony Johnson AKA ArtByAyeJay

Tom Laughron Santa Cruz Maniaccs SE Bike Team

Last weekend, (08/21/21) in Santa Cruz, Ca, we had the bmx ride out of all ride outs! Thousands of people came here from far and wide to experience bike life the Santa Cruz way! Unfortunately, the ride out was not permitted by the city and there was a huge backlash from the event. Tom Laughron,  the event coordinator, was hit hard by the community and law enforcement. I know Tom personally and decided to reach out and see if he could shed some light on the story from the bikers point of view...

Luis Macias creator and owner of Optimized Detailing in Salinas, Ca

My next guest is quite incredible. He is the son of migrant workers and he himself worked in the fields along side them. Learning the true value of work and the dollar. He moved around the state because the life of a migrant worker forces you to go where the work is at the time. He made many connections and used the situation to his advantage. Ending up in Salinas, Ca he worked many different jobs until he found his passion. Auto detailing. This is his story and the path he took to get there...

Who is Nativo Gonzalez intro & A Conversation With My Mom Part 2

A conversation with my Mom Part 2. Enjoy and thank you for your continued support! Whatever you may be going through, keep going. There's a path for everyone, sometimes it's just a little harder to find. 

San Jose California Rap Artist Adrian Mendez AKA Amen

I’ve been following Adrian Mendez for sometime now. Recently we’ve been communicating more and more. I had a slot for the podcast and decided to reach out. It was all go from there. This man’s story is incredible. His mindset, drive, and outlook on life is nothing short of positivity at its finest. I’ll forever be grateful just to know Adrian and I look forward to continue a friendship with him. Amen’s music is available on all streaming platforms  Follow Amen and these other San Jose, Ca b...

A Conversation With My Mom featuring Kelly Diane Gobiel

I sit down with my Mom (Kelly) and talk about my Grandma, some of my Mom's history, and some of our thoughts on life. 

The Tuff Gym

Today’s podcast is the third and final episode of paid the cost SoCal edition! A huge shout out to all the sponsors! My next guest has been through a lot. We had so much in common even tho we came from different areas and it showed! This is the longest podcast I have ever done coming in at 3 hours! I thought about cutting it down but thought to myself it’s worth putting out raw. It was so dope to connect with this man and I’m honored that I got to sit with him face to face. Ladies and gentl...

Creator and host of Put The Stress Down Podcast Mr. Mooky Star

Mooky is an amazing individual that has put his life on the line for his Marine Corp brothers and sisters and our country. His story was jaw dropping and i was thankful that he was able to share so much of it. His podcast, Put The Stress Down (PTSD), is all about breaking the stereotype of keeping thoughts and emotions to ourselves and he helps bring other peoples stories to his audience in a way that is truly innovative. He's already tapped into the Santa Cruz community and if you haven't h...

Richard Macias AKA Warpath.fit

Discipline!!!! Richard Macias has found his path through this mindset. His story is amazing and his day to day actions prove that if you want it.... Discipline is the key! Find him on instagram @warpath.fit and see what he's all about for yourself!

Marine Veteran, American Ninja Warrior & Father Mr. James Sclar

James Sclar is a marine veteran, an American ninja warrior, surfer, skater, yogi, cannabis connoisseur and, an amazing father. This was his first time guesting on a podcast and I’m thankful it was paid the cost podcast he was featured on. He dropped a lot of life lessons about how to adapt and how to discipline his mind to get through challenges he faced. I appreciated listening and being in the moment with him for an inside look into how he did it all. 

Creator and Host of Event Santa Cruz Mr. Matt Swinnerton

Matt Swinnerton hails from the southern end of the golden state. He moved to the Santa Cruz area almost forcefully by his wife but he couldn’t have made a better choice, as we all do when we listen to our wives. His career path in Santa Cruz starts at Comcast and continues with him creating events Santa Cruz. His commitment to the area  and the entrepreneurs that come out of it is astounding. He’s helped numerous businesses get a head start by promoting and getting the word out with his even...