Tara in the Neighborhood

Tara in the Neighborhood with Gigi

Tara in the Neighborhood with Joe Steven

Episode 33 Tara in the Neighborhood with Joe Steven

      When Elon moved one of his launch sites to Brownsville his vision for space travel inspired our whole community.   Joe Steven, a local composer created a composition based on the story of a human's first trip to Mars and his interpretation of how it would feel using music as his form of expression.  I am not surprised Joe's new composition was inspired by space travel since Space X started their operations in Boca Chica the entire Valley began to really see our place in the World and b...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 32 - Talentless

In this episode, I finally got my youngest daughter to be a guest on my show.  We discuss the concept of being “talentless”.   The backdrop is a worldwide pandemic and sequestration of ourselves, a moment to have the time and space to “Be” with our humanity.  I debate with Ana the very meaning of life and we debate the question, “Can you build a life based on fun?”.   The concept of “being” leads to “doing” and “having” is a concept I have been playing with in my own life for the past 10 yea...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 31 with Diary of a Housewife

Selena reminds us to take care in the simple acts of life.   She reminds us all to take a moment and try to make it special. Selena does this with clothes but I see the bigger picture.  The bigger picture is to create rituals and ceremonies in our everyday life.  It could be as simple as curling your hair and choosing the perfect lipstick or reciting a poem to your loved ones.  The action of enchanting everyday life is what Diary of a Housewife does with her pretty pictures and heartful enco...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 30 with Dr. Reddy

Dr. Reddy is a Brownsville opthamologist who joins us to discuss her passion, eyes.   She takes us on her journey from India to Texas and shares her story of life in deep south Texas.   Dr. Reddy began mission work in early 2004 and found an outlet for her real passion helping her "extended family" see the world.    Her mission work takes her across the globe from Myanmar to Ecuador.   Her new project is with Stelle Middle school creating a mentoring program.    I have known Madhavi for ye...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 30 with Dr. Reedy

Tara in the Neighborhood with Dr. Zavaletta, MD

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 29 with Dr. Zavaleta, M.D.

In this podcast, I have a conversation with a local family practice physician, Dr. Beverly Zavaleta.  We dive into her personal journey from physician to  cancer patient.   We discuss the dissection of separating ourselves from our professional personae.  We meet both Dr. Zavaleta, the Havard trained physician and we meet Beverly, the person who has wisdom to share as she helps decipher the trials of chemotherapy. Dr. Zavaleta's book and personal story helps the reader take a  practical an...

Tara in the Neighborhood with Dr. Zavaleta, M.D.

In this podcast, I have a conversation with a local family practice physician, Dr. Beverly Zavaleta.  We dive into her personal journey from physician to  cancer patient.   We discuss the dissection of separating ourselves from our professional personae.  We meet both Dr. Zavaleta, the Havard trained physician and we meet Beverly, the person who has wisdom to share as she helps decipher the trials of chemotherapy. Dr. Zavaleta's book and personal story helps the reader take a  practical an...

Tara in the Neighborhood with Jose “Joe” Sanchez

 Jose “Joe” Sanchez on Tara in the Neighborhood Jose is a resident on South Padre Island, he is a teacher, musician, storyteller, inn keeper and sandcastle maker.  Jose left the Valley in the mid 1970's to attend Harvard University in Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  Jose started his academic journey as anthropologist but dropped out of Harvard to experience life.  Jose finished Harvard  10 years later after "being" many things from laborer to cook to musician.  Jose shares his philosophical vi...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 28 with Jose “Joe” Sanchez

 Jose “Joe” Sanchez on Tara in the Neighborhood Jose is a resident on South Padre Island, he is a teacher, musician, storyteller, inn keeper and sandcastle maker.  Jose left the Valley in the mid 1970's to attend Harvard University in Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  Jose started his academic journey as anthropologist but dropped out of Harvard to experience life.  Jose finished Harvard  10 years later after "being" many things from laborer to cook to musician.  Jose shares his philosophical vi...

Tara in the Neighborhood with Eduardo Campirano

Today on Tara in the Neighborhood we have Eduardo Campirano, the director of the Port of Brownsville. He manages all 40,000 acres of the port, provides about 44,000 jobs, and oversees the operation of 13 cargo docks. Not only does the port serve as recognition to Brownsville, but it also partakes in several recreational events like the 5K1M Dock Dash Family Run and Walk, and the restoration of Bahia Grande for recreational fishing. Eddie’s vision is to bring a greater amount of jobs with a h...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 27 with Eduardo Campirano and John Reed

Today on Tara in the Neighborhood we have Eduardo Campirano, the director of the Port of Brownsville. He manages all 40,000 acres of the port, provides about 44,000 jobs, and oversees the operation of 13 cargo docks. Not only does the port serve as recognition to Brownsville, but it also partakes in several recreational events like the 5K1M Dock Dash Family Run and Walk, and the restoration of Bahia Grande for recreational fishing. Eddie’s vision is to bring a greater amount of jobs with a h...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 26 with Dr. Francisco del Castillo

Today we have Dr. Francisco del Castillo, he specializes on gynecology, hypnosis, and acupuncture. Joining him today is his wife, Teresa del Castillo, they run neighboring clinics together which specialize on weight loss, lipo-massage, laser hair removal, and microdermabrasion in Brownsville, Texas.Together they want to change theValley’s way of approaching physical and psychological problems by integrating modern and age-old methods of practicing medicine, like hypnosis and acupuncture. It ...

Tara in the Neighborhood with Dr. Francisco del Castillo

Today we have Dr. Francisco del Castillo, he specializes on gynecology, hypnosis, and acupuncture. Joining him today is his wife, Teresa del Castillo, they run neighboring clinics together which specialize on weight loss, lipo-massage, laser hair removal, and microdermabrasion in Brownsville, Texas.Together they want to change theValley’s way of approaching physical and psychological problems by integrating modern and age-old methods of practicing medicine, like hypnosis and acupuncture. It ...

Tara in the Neighborhood with John Reed

Today we have John Reed joining us in Tara in the Neighborhood. John currently runs First Community Bank on South Padre Island, he is the chairman on the port of Brownsville, as well as a volunteer of many organizations like the American Red Cross. His passion was brought on by his father who was the chairman of the port before him, John later discovered he wanted to apply his business concepts into practice where his father did before him.He works every day to bring thousands of jobs into t...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 25 with Chad Tolar

Today we have Chad Tolar, a born musician later turned into a lawyer, who now practices law and manages an upcoming Country group the Powell Brothers. After he played one afternoon with talented individuals that Chad could synchronize with, a few years later they began the country band, Costello. He teaches us the magic behind being a professional band and how to get exposure by reaching radio shows out, and promoting venues. Because of Chad’s background in law he new how to handle all the l...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 24 with Angry Tias and Abuelas

In this podcast we discuss what and why the Angry Tias and Abuelas do what they do. Madeleine Sandefur begins by stating their philosophy, to offer dignity to human beings who have had to flee their country because of violence and circumstances too harsh to endure. This was all triggered by the family separation policy established by the Trump administration, after hearing about all the families and children on the Reynosa bridge a group of women decided to use their anger and passion to tak...

Tara in the Neighborhood with Angry Tias and Abuelas

In this podcast we discuss what and why the Angry Tias and Abuelas do what they do. Madeleine Sandefur begins by stating their philosophy, to offer dignity to human beings who have had to flee their country because of violence and circumstances too harsh to endure. This was all triggered by the family separation policy established by the Trump administration, after hearing about all the families and children on the Reynosa bridge a group of women decided to use their anger and passion to tak...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 23

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 22 with Duane "Tink" Tinker

Duane “Tink” Tinker joins us in Tara in the Neighborhood as we discussed how we have implemented podcasting into our businesses as a way to relate to the world and achieve relevancy. Tink, the CEO of Dental Compliance Specialists, found a way to resonate with his clients and the community when he began using podcasts, after discovering that voice transcends appearance. We discuss our different approaches to podcasting, and how a live podcast compares to remote, nonetheless both a medium to r...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 21 with Marie Chang

Marie Chang joins us in Tara in the Neighborhood as we talk about bringing a new type of flavor to the Valley. Marie talks about how she managed to fuse over five different countries together to create the unique cuisine of Bara Exotic Food. We discuss how Marie began her journey from being an exchange student in California, to moving to Harlingen with her husband and daughters. Marie was inspired by her hometown Jakarta, Indonesia and the island Bali as well as our traditional Mexican dishe...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 20 with Dustin Stair

Many of us dream of turning our passion into a career, and with great determination Dustin Stair made this dream into a reality. Dustin’s journey starts when he decided to steer away from becoming a history teacher and realized his God given talent was cooking, after a 3 year culinary apprenticeship in his hometown Little Rock, Arkansas. Once he relocated to Brownsville, Texas he saw an opportunity to open up a meal prep and grocery shop at 239 W. Saint Charles St, to share his passion with ...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 19 with Luis Urquieta

In this podcast we discuss coworking and the importance of encouraging our local entrepreneurs with Luis Urquieta, the founder of WorkPub located  at 847 E. Elizabeth St. Brownsville, Texas. Luis graduated from UTB/TSC with a Masters in Business Administration . After years of corporate and educational jobs, he decided to take a risk and pursued his passion as a social entrepreneur. He was inspired to create an inviting, comfortable setting in which local entrepreneurs could work from and at...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 18 with Eva Perez

  This podcast is about a nonprofit organization tasked with reducing drop out rates in our community.  Eva shares a lifetime of experiences and stories about what it takes to reduce high school dropout rates.  Many of us, take for granted graduating from high school but the reality is the "whole community" suffers when a member of the Valley does not graduate from high school.   The effect of high school dropouts has both an economic effect and a social impact.  Community in Schools takes a...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 17 with Micheal J. Limas

Micheal J. Limas is a retirement planning specialist, a financial consultant.  In our talk, Micheal talks about how he has chosen to give back to his community not only by his professional career but he is what I call a "super Citizen".  He is treasurer of the Brownsville Improvement Community Corp. (BCIC). The BCIC is our economic development corporation whose purpose is to enhance quality life projects.  Michael talks about his work as Chairman of Leadership Brownsville which is a leadersh...

Brownsville Police Officer Ruby Perez sings us through her life in Brownsville

This podcast is all about what Brownsville has hidden in our people.  Ruby shares not just her voice but her story.  Ruby is not just a police officer, she is a person who uses her "voice"  to remind us all ---we have a choice.  We can choose to sing our way through life or we can dance or we can use our voice to bring kindness and joy to those around us.  In the middle of the podcast, we get introduced to Isreal Segovia, a local musician who is a friend of Ruby's and rounded off our intervi...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 15 with Trey Mendez

 Trey Mendez, is a local community leader in Brownsville, Texas.  He attended UT Brownsville and graduated with a doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Texas in Austin.   UT Law school is one of the best in the United States and Trey is using his knowledge to help transform Brownsville through investing in our community both with time and money.  Trey serves as TSC Board member and is investing in downtown Brownsville with his new restaurant, Dodici Pizza.   Trey and I discussed ...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 14 with Ana Delagarza Dunn- A Different Perspective Art Studio

Ana Delagarza Dunn is a local artist who owns -A Different Preceptive Art Studio in Brownsville, Texas.   We discuss how finding your voice leads to a more creative life of your own making.   Ana explains how she colors her struggles and re-images them in bright colors to help transform pain into beauty.    www.adpstudio-anamaria.com Instagram https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fadpstudio-anamaria.com%2F&e=ATOTiVB6bSE9vZqsNKDGWJtrqfPd37ONEADdxhBywRhtT3CLUjvMdp9nJNoP8nbx298bSIAqARF...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 13 with Craig Grove

Craig is a Real Estate Broker for Grove Realty Team.   He has been in the community building through social media in Brownsville, TX  since 2008.   Craig created Brownsville Living. Be part of it and now created “Brownsville Live” a new video live streaming program.   We discuss changing the broker real estate relationship.  We discussed the idea of " owning a bit of Brownsville".   Craig talks about his “soul” as a community advocate and shares his perceptive of how social media platfor...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 12 with Sandy Feet

Lucinda is a local sand sculpture on South Padre Island.  She created this profession for herself over 30 years ago and is going stronger than ever.  She was one of the founders of Sand Castle Days which brings artists from around the World to create sand sculptures on South Padre Island.   She discussed her history and what is considered a "local" on the Island.   Facebook http://www.sandyfeet.com/     Enjoy Tara 

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 11 with Anabelle Cordona CEO Valley Grande Institute

An engaging conversation about creating a vision and moving the vision in reality.  Anabelle Cordona, CEO of Valley Grande Institute is a dynamic woman from the Valley who is committed to creating opportunities for students of all ages and walks of life.  When someone tells Anabelle "we can't" she says " We can and here is how..."     Enjoy!!!!  Below links to Valley Grande Institute: http://www.vgi.edu/   Tara 

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 10 with Scott Wolfe

Scott Wolfe is a local artist who is a Valley native. Scott attended Saint Josphe Academy and went on to attend the Art Center College of Design- Los Angelos and Parsons School of Design in New York.  He is owner and founder of La Maquila, a new curated retail/art space in Brownsville, Texas.  He discusses his passion for art in public spaces and his inspiration to "create" here in the Valley and bring a different perspective to his world. www.LAMAQUILA-SHOP.COM/ https://instagram.com/...

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 9 with Dr. Tony Zavaletta

Dr. Zavaletta is a border anthropologist based in Brownsville, Texas.  His discusses Brownsville history, his personal stories with shamanic healers and his new book about medicinal plants in the border region.    Dr. Zaveletta grow up in Brownsville and is a member of one of the 13 founding families in Northern Mexico.   http://www.tsc.edu/index.php/about/board-of-trustees/board-members/dr-tony-zavaleta.html

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 8 with Three Trees

Three Trees is a music healer.  He is currently on a trip across the country to "fill the well" and share his music healing with the country.   In our conversation, we talk about music healing, nonvisible energy and the history of sound in shamanic customs.   Information about Three Tree is found on his facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001368446069

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 7 with Pastor Bill Moore

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 6 with Liz Charles

Tara in the Neighborhood episode 5 with Nick Shah

Tara in the Neighborhood episode 4 Bonita Flats

Tara in the Neighborhood with Giselle from Bold Media

  Giselle, owner and CEO of Bold Media in the Rio Grande Valley. She shares her thoughts on business, social media and her experience working with one of the Valley's most notable businessman.    At one point, Giselle actually turns the table and interviews me on my "punched in the face" moment.    She is a dynamic speaker and her positivity is palable in this conversation.   Giselle can be found at www.beyoubold.com @giselleluspr-insta

Tara in the Neighborhood Episode 1

Tara in the Neighborhood episode 3 with Jordan Leech

Jordan is a local South Padre Island resident who gives his preceptive as a "white guy in the Valley" navigating being single and being a professional physical therapist.  He is one of the first Podcasts in the Rio Grande Valley, his podcast is called the Wolfman.   Enjoy the listen.... Tara    Jordan's Podcast : The Wolfman Podcast  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wolfman-podcast/id1299393047