Local Level Podcast

This week Immigration attorney, Alen Takhsh of Takhsh Law, P.C. in Evanston, gives his perspective on Immigration law in America, the division in our country today, and how important it is to protect the freedoms that we have.

Alen immigrated to the U.S. from Iran (by way of Germany) after the Iranian revolution of 1979. His family lived during the turmoil surrounding the eventual fall of the Berlin wall. He has a unique perspective on the topic of immigration and the importance of free speech and civil discourse.

If you need legal advice or representation:

https://www.takhshlaw.com/

In this episode, Steve sits down with Mike Reppe Owner of "Rep's Place Sports Bar & Grill in Rolling Meadows, IL.

www.repsplace.com

After just over a year in business Rep's has proven to be a local favorite. Not only did Mike and the staff open with local praise, they more than doubled the space with an expansion into the space next door within the first year.

We talk about the things leading up today, past jobs, lessons in the industry, and some missteps along the way.

Up until recently Rolling Meadows really hasn't had its own hangout place, people have usually had to go out to neighboring towns to find cool places to go.

Knowing this, After over 25 years in the industry, it was a simple choice for Mike to open up back home with a traditional sports bar.

If f you're in the NW Burbs of Chicago, stop by Rep's.

My advice, try the peanut butter burger. You're welcome.

In this episode, Steve talks with local portrait photographer, David McNaney. Dave works with his customers to capture natural emotion in one shot. We talk about the art of photography and the reasons why David decided to go from a comfortable career in tech sales to opening his own successful photography Studio.

“Book a Portrait Session or Headshot Session with David McNaney Photography by January 31, 2020, and receive One Complimentary Portrait Print ($200 value). This offer cannot be combine with any other promotions. To Book Your Session, please go to https://www.davidmcnaney.com and click “Schedule Your Session”.

For more episodes:

https://www.locallevelshow.com

https://www.podriver.com

In this episode, Steve is joined by Courtney Mahoney, Sr. VP Operations Chicago Wolves.

Courtney is in her 24th season with the Wolves and 10th as
the senior vice president of operations.

Over the years the Courtney has spearheaded some of the club’s
most successful community endeavors, including the Read to Succeed
and Adopt-A-Dog programs.

Under her supervision, more than $6
million has been raised for Chicago Wolves Charities.

If you're looking for a fun time for the whole family:
https://www.chicagowolves.com

For more episodes:
https://www.locallevelshow.com

This week we talk with Stacey Kalamaras, Intellectual property / Trademark Attorney.

Living many lives and learning the ropes over time, Stacey now works to teach new lawyers to handle clients that have business issues with branding or trademark issues.

Working in the advertising realm in her early years gave her insight into the way brands are made and managed.

Through her years of experience and the desire to learn and grow, Stacey has developed a strong instinct for the needs of business owners that have ideas and concepts that need representation or advice on intellectual or trademark law.

Here are just a few topics that we cover in this one:

Patent trolls, counterfeit goods, and how that affects you.

How to comply with a scary letter.

How to navigate and protect your brand.

How does a business choose a name?

How to register a trademark and the confusion behind it.

Are you safe from trademark claims?

How do you protect yourself from lawsuits?

When is it right for you to trademark your brand?

Learn more about Stacey’s mentorship program:
https://www.trademarkabilities.com/

Kalamaras Law Office:
https://www.klolegal.com

This week Steve talks with Mike Reppe Owner of Rep's Place Sports Bar in Rolling Meadows about the effect the shutdown has had on his business. We talk about the impact on the bottom line, community support, PPP loans, and his thoughts on getting back to normal.

Check out Rep's Place: https://www.repsplace.com/

For more episodes: http://www.podriver.com

In this episode, Steve talks with Miro Wcislo owner of HodgePodge, a Chicago based company that specializes in sustainable junk removal and moving & storage service. HodgePodge is a "purpose-driven" company that makes recycles, donates and repurposes unwanted items removed for customers. Miro is a first-generation Polish immigrant that traveled to the United States at a young age with his parents to find the "American Dream". He studied to become a CPA and after graduating, getting his "Dream Job" and becoming absolutely miserable, He quit. Miro tells his story.

For more episodes:
https://www.locallevelshow.com

Check out our other shows:
https://www.podriver.com

This week Max Barack returns to the show to break down employee rights in the midst of the shutdown.

We cover topics such as wrongful termination, unemployment protection, workplace safety, and various other topics related to employment law today.

Max is a plaintiff-side employment lawyer with The Garfinkel Group of Chicago

For more episodes:

https://www.podriver.com

Kevin Ng DDS., of Molar City in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, joins the show to talk about moving forward safely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about some of the safety protocols that he has employed to protect his patients, employees, and himself. Business and life has changed across the nation. Dental care is an important part of overall health. Listen to this one to learn more about how technology and office design will play into your next dental visit.

Kevin has advanced experience in all aspects of dentistry including oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, restorative, pediatric and cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Ng also provided comprehensive care for patients with complex medical history and special needs.

Contact Molar City for an appointment.

Learn more:

https://molarcitychicago.com/

For more episodes:

https://www.podriver.com

Running a restaurant takes a lot more creativity than ever before with indoor dining shut down.

Mike Reppe, Owner of Rep’s Place talks about some of the ways he's been adapting to the difficulties so many small businesses have had to face with everything going on.

https://rmtalk.com

https://locallevelshow.com

This Week: Whether you slip on a banana peel at the grocery store or tear an ACL playing in the NFL....

Richard Gordon (Gordon Law Offices, Ltd.) is the man to call.

Richard joins us to talk about representing the rights of the wrongfully injured and disadvantaged, as well as his work representing professional athletes with their injury claims.

Learn more: https://gordonlawchicago.com/

This week Dr. Dan Hidaka of Harper Health, a concierge healthcare service, joins the show to talk about the current state of medicine during the pandemic from his perspective.

We get into several topics including:

What is concierge medicine?

Physician burnout.

Experience in the field today.

Outlook for the fall.

Types of testing available.

Tips for staying healthy.

How to get set up with a personal care physician.

Ideas for a better healthcare system.

If you are interested in learning more about personalized concierge care for yourself or someone you love.

Visit:

https://www.harper-health.com

ROCKIT is based on Founder and President Michael “MZ” Ziffra’s passion to help business leaders achieve their personal and professional goals. MZ is an entrepreneur and dynamic communicator with over 40 years of experience building high-performance teams and businesses serving Fortune 500 companies, including Abbott Laboratories, Disney, McDonald’s, and Burger King. In his early 20s, MZ created a production and service startup… then saw it skyrocket with his vision, innovation, and integrity to become the premier player in its space.

Learn More:

https://www.rockitbusinessaccelerator...

Check our our upcoming event:

https://www.leadersession.com

This Week…

Annie and Donald Farrell, Owners of Annie’s Resale For The World, a for-purpose resale shop in Rolling Meadows talk about how they have been able to affect change in people's lives across the globe through the sale of gently used items donated to them from people in our community.

This episode was recorded in Feb 2020, just before the shutdown. There just hasn’t been a good time to release it. I think there may never be a better time than now, so here it is.

The stories in this episode are heartwarming, and it is apparent that the work that they do is deeply important to them.

The benefits of their efforts have built schools, fed hungry children, and provided people like you an opportunity to donate to a great cause.

For more info on Annie’s Resale:

https://www.anniesresalefortheworld.org/

Elizabeth Ricks is a staff attorney for Chicago House's Trans Life Program. The Chicago House TransLife Care (TLC) program exists to provide free healthcare and social services to vulnerable individuals who identify themselves as trans, non-binary, or gender expansive. Our programs offer support for housing, legal, medical, sexual health, and employment.

Learn More:

https://www.chicagohouse.org/translife-care

Jessica Bednarz is the Director of Innovation & the JEP for the CBF. Jessica directs special projects to advance innovation in the practice of law, including the CBA/CBF Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law & Innovation. Jessica is also responsible for leading and overseeing all activities of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project (JEP), a small business incubator for lawyers to start their own socially conscious and innovative law firms targeting low- and middle-income people and small businesses. Jessica and her organization are working hard to get the word out to people about legal resources that are available during the pandemic and beyond.

Learn More:

https://chicagobarfoundation.org/jep/

https://podriver.com

This week Brian Bohley, founder of inFocus Payroll in Evanston, IL talks about the need that small business owners have, now more than ever, for payroll and bookkeeping assistance.

Keeping track of money going out when there isn’t as much coming in is so important, Brian and his team work closely with their clients to provide sound advice and service.

Payroll protection and the various other relief resources available to small business can be confusing. Brian breaks a lot of it down for us.

Learn more about inFocus Payroll:

https://www.infocuspayroll.com/

For more episodes:

https://www.locallevelshow.com