Florin Petruescu, A-OK Pool Care
We opened the month with Florin Petruescu of A-OK Pool Care, a family-owned, Rancho Cordova-based company that services pools across the Sacramento region, from Roseville and Granite Bay to Folsom, Rocklin, and Loomis. Florin walked us through what separates a true pool-care company from someone who simply skims the surface: weekly maintenance, equipment repair, filter cleaning, green-pool recovery, and plaster start-up service performed by CPO-certified staff. A-OK is also certified by the National Plasterers Council for new-plaster start-ups.
The part of Florin’s talk that stuck with the group was the science. Pool water that is out of balance doesn’t just look cloudy; it quietly damages the pool itself. According to the National Plasterers Council, water with a pH below 7.2, or with low alkalinity or calcium, becomes “aggressive” and can destroy pool tile grout, metal light rings, heaters, and pool equipment, pulling calcium right out of the plaster. Water that swings the other way (pH above 7.8) becomes scale-forming, leaving mineral deposits and staining on the surface. Etched plaster is permanent: once the surface is pitted and rough, it stains more easily, harbors algae, and in severe cases the only fix is to replaster the entire pool. That’s why Florin’s weekly chemical balancing isn’t a luxury. It’s the best insurance a pool owner can buy.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners, HOAs, and apartment or commercial complexes that want to extend the life of their pool and avoid a costly resurfacing down the road.
Brian Haley, Titan Carpet Care
Brian Haley of Titan Carpet Care reminded us why carpet cleaning is as much chemistry as it is elbow grease. Longtime RGBBN members will remember Brian’s earlier live stain-removal demonstration, and this presentation built on it. Brian starts by identifying what kind of stain he’s dealing with (pet, food, oil-based, tannin, dye) because each has a different chemical makeup and responds to a different product. As Brian likes to say, “It isn’t what you put on the carpet, it’s what you get out. There’s always a chemical to get out any problem you have.”
That’s also the honest answer to the question we’ve all asked him: is a rental machine worth it? Not really. You simply don’t get the quality or strength of the chemicals that come with a professional service. Brian’s expertise goes well beyond carpet, too: pet damage repair, tile installation, upholstery cleaning, and pressure washing, backed by on-the-job training and certifications in restoration, smoke, fire, and water damage. Yes, he can even get smoke odor out of items; it’s just a laborious process.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners and businesses with a tough stain that hasn’t come out, anyone who wants a true carpet refresh, and anyone who wants to extend the life and wear of the flooring they already have rather than replace it.
Paul Hoerman, PC Heights
Paul Hoerman of PC Heights showed us what practical AI actually looks like for a small business. PC Heights is a digital and AI transformation consulting firm whose motto is “We don’t lead with technology, we lead with your business goals,” and whose services run from AI strategy and process automation to systems integration and digital risk assessment. Paul’s approach follows four steps (Discover, Strategize, Implement, Optimize), and his goal is to cut through the AI hype to find what actually works for your business.
The best part was seeing it in action with one of our own members. Paul described a workflow he built for Florin at A-OK Pool Care: when an emergency service request comes in, or a pool’s monitoring system sends an alert, the system recognizes it, pulls together the key details, and delivers a clean summary email to Florin so he can respond immediately instead of digging through messages. It’s a simple example of the kind of automation that gives a business owner hours back each week.
Ideal referrals: Small and mid-sized business owners drowning in repetitive tasks, inbox triage, or manual processes who want a right-sized automation solution rather than an enterprise price tag.
Chris Figueroa, Figs Landscaping
Chris Figueroa of Figs Landscaping (State Contractor’s License #540405) has been building and maintaining landscapes in the Rocklin and Sacramento area for 37 years. Chris covered the full range of what “Mr. Fig” does: pavers and concrete, retaining walls, waterfalls and water features, irrigation and sprinkler system installation and repair, drainage, sod, and ongoing lawn and landscape maintenance. His motto says it all: “No job too small or too big.”
Ideal referrals: HOAs and property managers looking for a licensed, long-established landscaping contractor to handle a maintenance contract, along with homeowners planning a paver patio, water feature, or irrigation overhaul.
Darian Bisquera, Impact Air Solutions
Darian Bisquera of Impact Air Solutions serves Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Folsom, Elk Grove, and Sacramento. Darian’s company handles heating and cooling installation, tune-ups, repairs, indoor air quality, and custom HVAC design, but what sets him apart is his repair-first philosophy. If a homeowner has been told by another company that their system is “unrepairable,” Darian can usually fix it. He doesn’t upsell, and he doesn’t push replacements. As one of his own customers put it, he “could have suggested that the system needs to be replaced. He did not.” His goal is simply to get the system running and keep it well maintained.
Ideal referrals: Homeowners who’ve been quoted a full HVAC replacement and want a second opinion, and anyone who wants an honest heating and air technician for seasonal maintenance.
Benita Tadena, Team Tadena Home Lending
Benita Tadena of Team Tadena Home Lending (NMLS #265422), powered by Answered Home Lending, first visited RGBBN as a guest in March of last year and is now a fixture of the group. She brings 25 years of mortgage experience serving the greater Sacramento and Tri-County areas and leads a four-person mortgage team out of Sacramento. Her focus is on guiding buyers through every step of the home loan process and making homeownership feel achievable, informed, and stress-free. Her team emphasizes clear communication, competitive rates, expedited approvals, and lending options tailored to each buyer’s situation rather than a one-size-fits-all product.
Ideal referrals: First-time and move-up homebuyers, anyone considering a refinance, and real estate professionals who want a lender who returns calls.
Dr. Grace Maniego, Dental Haven
We closed the month with Dr. Grace Maniego of Dental Haven in Roseville, who gave us a refreshingly honest look at what stress does to our mouths. When we’re stressed, it shows up in our teeth; grinding and clenching are often the first sign. Bleeding gums can signal infection, whether from stress or from care that’s slipped. Healthy gums should be pale pink, not red. Dr. Grace explained that exams at Dental Haven go deeper than checking for surface cavities: her team looks for the early signs and symptoms of gum disease and addresses pain before it costs a patient a tooth. Her reminder landed with everyone in the room: we don’t truly appreciate our teeth until we start losing them, so keep up the maintenance and don’t let it get to that point.
Ideal referrals: Anyone who has been putting off a dental visit, patients experiencing pain or bleeding gums, and people who want a Roseville dentist who’s understanding about where they’re starting from.
Kevin McDonald, Realty ONE Group Complete
Kevin McDonald of Realty ONE Group Complete (Broker, License #01390445) has helped buyers and sellers across Placer and Sacramento counties for 22 years, and he delivered his always-popular local real estate market update. Kevin has seen every kind of market since 2004, including the 2006 downturn that produced a six-month sales drought and the wave of short sales that followed, so when he reads the numbers, the room listens.
For August, he reported that the average sale price in our area is running around $364 per square foot, with Loomis currently commanding the highest price per square foot in the region. Homes are averaging roughly 35 days on market, up from the 28 days he reported last spring, which tells us buyers are being more selective and that presentation matters more than ever. That’s where Kevin adds value beyond the listing: for homeowners thinking about selling, he’ll walk the property and recommend budget-friendly cosmetic repairs, addressing visible issues like dry rot, tired paint, and overgrown vegetation, that can meaningfully lift the final sale price. And for clients who need to sell in order to buy, he structures “sell to buy” transactions, including bridge-loan options, so they aren’t stuck between two homes.
Ideal referrals: Anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Placer County, and especially homeowners considering a sale in the next 6 to 12 months who want to know what their home is worth and what small improvements would make it worth more.
