Inspiring Living with Mark Candelaria

This episode features Dr. Gerd Wuestemann, President & CEO of Scottsdale Arts. I joined the Board for Scottsdale Arts about 6 months ago and that’s when I first met Gerd and experienced his passion and vision for the arts firsthand.

After getting to know him better through prepping for this podcast, I cannot wait to learn more about his fascinating life story, starting in Germany as a Classical guitarist touring the world at an early age. In his mid/late 30’s tragedy forced him on another path where he built an academic career as professor of guitar studies at U of Louisiana. After that he launched two successful companies before starting a career in arts administration and eventually becoming the President & CEO of Scottsdale Arts as we know him today.

Gerd will also tell us all about Scottsdale Arts and its various branches, the importance of the organization in the community, the challenges of the past pandemic years, the improvements and visions for the future of Scottsdale Arts and all the exciting performances, events, etc. coming up this year!

Visit our Podcast Page to see renderings of the new Civic Center Performing Arts Center in downtown Scottsdale, as well as photos from all our past podcast guests and topics!
candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast 

In this episode my “rival” Erik Peterson of PHX Architecture and I spend a weekend together with our daughters during the Xavier Father-Daughter Ski Trip in Durango, CO. Despite what some might think, Erik and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and shared interests, so naturally we decided it would be fun and interesting for our listeners to hear us podcast together! We talk about architecture, being dads of teenage girls, the affects of the pandemic, Erik’s office and community in LA, and we pick up on where Erik’s chat with Renee Dee on her “Iconic Hour Podcast” left off. Listen to that podcast to learn more about Erik’s personal and professional story here.

For photos and more info on this episode and all of our other episodes, visit our website’s podcast page: candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast 

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. Jeff and Walter have been on prior Inspiring Living podcasts and you can listen to them here:

Jeff Berghoff: https://www.candelariadesign.com/podcast-content/2020/3/23/jeff-berghoff?rq=bergh

Walter Spitz: https://www.candelariadesign.com/podcast-content/2021/3/28/lighting-it-up-with-walter-spitz-of-creative-designs-in-lighting?rq=walter%20spitz

Jeff Berghoff’s Phoenix Home and Garden Master of the Southwest feature: https://www.phgmag.com/phoenix-home-garden-masters-of-the-southwest/

Today, March 4th, Mark celebrates his 40th anniversary of his first day working as an architect and has two special podcast episodes! 

“March 4, 1982 was my first day on the job in an architect’s office – that office being the offices and studio of my mentor and good friend, George W. Christiansen! Some 2000+ homes later and over 20 tours, it’s rewarding to look back and remember where this all started! I am SO grateful to all of my colleagues who helped me along the way, my clients who trusted in me and gave me the opportunity to create their dreams, and my family who put up with my endless efforts and hours in creating these homes and now our company, Candelaria Design! 

To celebrate and tell the story I have created two podcast episodes, the first episode is with the two people who were with me on that first day in 1982. These special guests are CCBG President and Architect, Brian Cassidy and Dianne Kleber who ran George’s office and called and told me I had gotten the job!.

Then we flash forward 40 years and the second episode is with my current partners at Candelaria Design, Evelyn Jung, Meredith Thomson, and our newest partner, Tim Mathewson! We look back at the nearly 23 years of Candelaria Design and then talk about what we see for the future of architecture and Candelaria Design! 

⁠⁠These are two fascinating episodes full of wonderful memories and exciting plans we hope you won’t miss!

Today, March 4th, Mark celebrates his 40th anniversary of his first day working as an architect and has two special podcast episodes! 

March 4, 1982 was my first day on the job in an architect’s office – that office being the offices and studio of my mentor and good friend, George W. Christiansen! Some 2000+ homes later and over 20 tours, it’s rewarding to look back and remember where this all started! I am SO grateful to all of my colleagues who helped me along the way, my clients who trusted in me and gave me the opportunity to create their dreams, and my family who put up with my endless efforts and hours in creating these homes and now our company, Candelaria Design! 

To celebrate and tell the story I have created two podcast episodes, the first episode is with the two people who were with me on that first day in 1982. These special guests are CCBG President and Architect, Brian Cassidy and Dianne Kleber who ran George’s office and called and told me I had gotten the job!.

Then we flash forward 40 years and the second episode is with my current partners at Candelaria Design, Evelyn Jung, Meredith Thomson, and our newest partner, Tim Mathewson! We look back at the nearly 23 years of Candelaria Design and then talk about what we see for the future of architecture and Candelaria Design! 

⁠⁠These are two fascinating episodes full of wonderful memories and exciting plans we hope you won’t miss!

Our guest today is Page Knudsen and her and her brothers are second-generation owners and operators of Knudsen Vineyards, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. In this episode she shares the rich history of their vineyard and the region that has grown to receive worldwide recognition for outstanding Pinot Noir grapes.

We were fortunate enough to meet Page last summer on a guided Pinot Wine Walking tour that Page herself led that day. She told us all about the vineyards and the area’s history while walking us through the vineyards and sampling the wines along the way. We are so excited to include this wine walk & lunch on our first ever Willamette Valley Wine Tour this month with 16 of our friends and to have Page on our podcast today!
Take a look at all the photos from the vineyard and the region here: candelariadesign.com/podcast-content/page-knudsen  

http://www.knudsenvineyards.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/knudsen-vineyards

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knudsenvineyards/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDDDDU_DZWqh-9jSSjsiFA

For more podcast episodes, visit our Podcast Page Inspiring Living here: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast 

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 and they receive a weekend staycation package at the resort of their choosing. It’s a great way, in addition to quarterly bonuses and our other incentives, to reward our staff for work well done. 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! 

Janice has lived in the Valley since 1982 and joined Candelaria Design as Director of Lasting Impressions early 2019. She does an amazing job of catering to our valued clients and design team members, as well as upholding the Candelaria Design Lifestyle brand throughout the office, client dinners, meetings, site visits, events and is currently crafting our newest Candelaria Tour France! 

Prior to joining Candelaria Design she represented a semi-custom home builder in selling many of Scottsdale’s finest communities. In addition to her real estate background she also owned one of Scottsdale’s most beloved home and garden stores specializing in farm antiques and accoutrements sourced from Europe. Janice has always had an interest in architecture and interior design; she enjoys antiquing, cooking, gardening and traveling the US as well as abroad.

For photos and more about Janice, visit our website’s Podcast Page: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast

And check out this past podcast from Iconic Hour where magazine Editor Renee Dee, Jamilyn Fournier founder of The Collector’s House, Architect Mark Candelaria  and Janice Rantanen discuss “living beautifully”.
https://iconichour.libsyn.com/jamilyn-fournier-mark-candelaria-and-janice-rantanen-living-beautifully

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.

For photos and more info about this podcast episode and all of our previous episodes, visit our website’s podcast page: https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast 

Happy 2023! In this first podcast episode in the new year Mark and his oldest daughter Tiffany talk about their incredible Christmas and New Year spent in Europe! Mark treated his three daughters on an incredible holiday trip where they spent 4 nights in Paris (scouting for our CDA France Tour this September), 3 nights in Zurich, Switzerland (to go someplace none of them had ever been), 4 nights in Florence and 3 nights in Rome (because they love Italy)! The youngest daughter is 17 and off to college next year, so Mark figured this might be the last time all 4 of them could take the time to do a trip like this, especially given the last time they all took a trip together for the holidays was back in 2015! 

Mark and Tiffany share all the logistics that went into this trip, from expedited passports, to AirBnBs overseas, to trains strikes, to navigating the metro and other helpful tips when traveling to multiple cities abroad. Of course they will also recount all the fun stuff too, like the amazing restaurants, the Christmas Markets, the famous sights and the memories they made. 

Visit our website’s Podcast Page to view photos from the trip and all of our past podcast episodes! https://www.candelariadesign.com/inspiring-living-podcast 

Our first guest of 2023 is Julie Skrei, Director of Sales for the prestigious travel company Abercrombie & Kent where she has worked for over a decade. Julie is a highly regarded travel industry professional, with an extensive background in sales within the luxury hospitality market. Julie tells us how she got her start with Hilton Hotels, The Sanctuary and then helped open a billion dollar resort in Las Vegas, during which she was named the #1 revenue generator and later “Travel Agent Specialist of Arizona” for all Promus Hotels on the West Coast.

Twelve years ago she started with Abercrombie & Kent, one of the most prestigious travel companies in the world and explains what makes them the best.  For those of you who want ideas and inspiration for creating an amazing adventure on your own, the Abercrombie & Kent website and social media channels are great free resources full of information. They are also happy to customize a trip for any group size and price point, and they have exclusive connections you can’t find anywhere else. 

In this episode Julie shares a bit of her life story, her broad range of sales and travel skills, and inside info on what it’s like working in the hospitality and travel industry. With all her extensive travel, we of course ask her to tell us about her favorite trips, destinations and hotels and the value of good travel! 

PS Our first design book is now out!!  Mark Candelaria Homes  features 12 standout homes over 232 beautiful large pages. Each project is unique and is accompanied by sketches, floor plans, personal anecdotes from those involved, and each is paired with a special recipe by Mark! Get your copy today on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or at one of our upcoming book signing events: The Collector’s House March 11 from 1-3pm and March 23 at a fun fundraising event with the Scottsdale Saguaros at The Agency from 5-8pm.