Please join us in welcoming Lena Takahashi of Age In Place Sacramento, who visited as a guest in late June and joined the group in July. Age In Place Sacramento is a nurse-owned, nurse-managed caregiving and chronic illness management service specializing in geriatric care: post-hospital and post-rehab recovery, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and stroke, medication management, and in-home caregiving by certified aides and companions. Lena serves families across Northern California, including Placer County, El Dorado Hills, and Yolo County, and her phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ideal referrals: Adult children of aging parents, especially anyone facing a hospital discharge, a recent fall, or a new dementia or Parkinson’s diagnosis in the family.
We also welcomed Gus Murphy, Sales Executive with Fidelity National Title, Greater Northern California. Gus’s team handles title insurance, escrow and closing services, 1031 exchanges, and construction disbursing for buyers, sellers, lenders, and the agents who serve them. He comes to title from a background in property and casualty insurance, is an Air Force veteran and an active member of the Placer County Association of Realtors, and volunteers with the Lincoln Library, Acres of Hope, and The Forgotten Soldier. Gus wasted no time getting involved: he gave his first full presentation to the group in August, which you can read about in our August roundup.
Ideal referrals: Realtors, lenders, and investors who want a responsive title and escrow partner, and any member who wants help identifying and reaching the right audience for their business.
We opened the month with Frank Messina, CPA, of Moore, Messina & Webb LLP. The firm serves individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and trusts throughout the Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills with tax strategy and preparation, peer-reviewed audit and assurance work, business accounting, and merger, acquisition, and valuation support. Frank describes the firm as “the best of two worlds: the expertise and resources of a big accounting firm with the personal and cost-effective service of a small firm.” Frank also serves as RGBBN’s program chair, which means he is the reason any of us know when we’re speaking.
Ideal referrals: Business owners who have outgrown their tax preparer, nonprofits that need an audit or review, and families with trust or estate tax questions.
Christian Hackett, agency owner with Farmers Insurance in Granite Bay (CA License #4409450), rounded out our first Friday. Christian’s agency writes auto, home, renters, condo, umbrella, life, and business coverage, and his approach is to keep the process “straightforward and personalized,” walking clients through their coverage options and hunting down every available discount rather than quoting a number and moving on.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners and business owners who haven’t reviewed their coverage in a few years, anyone struggling to place a California homeowners policy, and families who need life insurance but keep putting it off.
Luke Cordova, co-founder of Lock In Digital in Roseville, took the floor the following week. Lock In Digital handles SEO, web design, social media, and paid advertising for local businesses, with a particular focus on home-service companies and experience-based businesses like restaurants and venues. Luke is the agency’s strategy-and-technical half, and his philosophy is blunt: “Nobody buys from a business they’ve never seen. Money follows attention. We build the attention.” The agency measures itself on booked calendars, phone calls, and reviews rather than vanity metrics.
Ideal referrals: Contractors, plumbers, and other home-service businesses whose phones aren’t ringing from the internet, and restaurants or venues that want to fill seats.
Gary Yeatts of Clarity Technologies is RGBBN’s executive business coach. A retired Navy Captain with 30 years in the Naval Reserve and a career in human resources at multimillion-dollar companies, Gary holds a master’s degree in social work and is a Board Certified Coach, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, clinical hypnotherapist, and master practitioner of neurolinguistic programming. He partners with executives and management teams to grow their businesses, reach their goals, and improve teamwork and efficiency, and he works with individuals on the mental blocks that get in the way: confidence, public speaking, stress, and the habits we know we should change. His rule for clients applies to coaching and hypnosis alike: “Unless you are willing to change your behaviors, it will not work.”
Ideal referrals: Business owners and executives who feel stuck, leadership teams that aren’t pulling in the same direction, and individuals ready to deal with stress, anxiety, or a habit they want gone.
A business network isn’t a list of contacts. It’s a room full of people who know your name, your work, and who to send your way.
Mike Chickering of Early Bird Plumbing (License #858765), formerly EMC Plumbing. The Chickering family has run the company since 2005, serving Roseville, Granite Bay, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Elk Grove, and the greater Sacramento area with everything from drain cleaning, leak detection, and water heaters to repiping, sewer work, gas lines, and whole-house water treatment. What sets Early Bird apart is what they stand behind: a 100% satisfaction guarantee, a lifetime warranty on every part they supply and install, same-day emergency service, and “transparent, upfront communication” so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners with a plumbing problem who want it fixed right the first time, anyone with a water heater over ten years old, and property managers who need a reliable plumber on call.
Dr. Vance Dokes of Back to Health Chiropractic, with offices in Folsom and El Dorado Hills. Back to Health treats back and neck pain, personal injury, headaches, and posture problems, and offers spinal decompression therapy, pediatric and pregnancy care, nutrition counseling, and corporate wellness programs. Dr. Dokes’s approach starts with diagnosis rather than a quick crack: “Getting a quick adjustment may give you temporary relief, but to gain an understanding of what is causing the symptoms it is important that we do a thorough investigation first.” Dr. Dokes also serves as RGBBN’s inspector, visiting prospective members’ businesses before they’re voted in.
Ideal referrals: Anyone living with chronic back or neck pain, people recovering from a car accident, and employers interested in a workplace wellness program.
We closed the month with two presenters. Courtney Jones-Gelesko of The FixHer, who joined RGBBN in May, delivered her first full presentation. The FixHer is a female-owned, fully insured handywoman service with 28 years of hands-on repair experience, covering lighting and ceiling fans, bathroom fixtures, drywall and paint, smart-home installs, door and trim work, senior safety modifications, and small commercial and property-management jobs across Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Folsom, and the Sacramento area. Courtney’s pitch is about relieving “the mental load of unfinished home maintenance,” and her clients consistently describe the same thing: respectful, efficient, and “walked me through the fix without talking down.”
Ideal referrals: Homeowners with a running list of small repairs, seniors (and their adult children) who need grab bars and safety upgrades, and property managers who need punch-list work done right.
Fred Mobley III of Mobley Pest Services (License OPR-10241) finished the month. Mobley has served Roseville and the greater Placer, Sacramento, El Dorado, and Yolo county region for more than 20 years, handling general pest control (ants, spiders, rodents, wasps, mosquitoes, roaches, fleas) and specializing in termite inspection and treatment, where the damage is usually done long before anyone notices. The company offers one-time and recurring service with 24-hour response and weekend appointments.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners who want a reliable quarterly service, realtors who need a termite inspection before close of escrow, and anyone who has seen one too many ants this summer.
