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Welcome to our Local Love Issue.
As a little girl, I always woke up on Valentine’s Day morning to a stuffed animal and a box of chocolates from my dad. I remember it so vividly. And now, years later, I find myself carrying that tradition forward with my boys, spreading the love with stuffies every February 14th. It is funny how those small gestures become the ones that stay with you forever.
This issue is stocked with local love stories, kicking it off with the story behind The Smashing Machine. The film, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt, is based on legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who calls the Valley home with his gorgeous wife, Francie. We connected with the two of them on life after the blockbuster, reflecting on life together and life after the fight.
We also spotlight powerhouse couples and people who are making a statement across Arizona, from the Mayor of PV to a former D-back. But this issue goes well beyond the cliché love story.
This issue is packed with all the feels, some of which were hard to write. We share a love story between a daughter carrying on her mother’s legacy after her passing. We tell the story of a mother who lost her daughter, with the care and tenderness it deserves. And we hear from a mom who has found love again after loss. These are the stories that remind us how fragile and powerful the heart really is.
For our family at home, Valentine’s Day is best spent simple. A heart-shaped pizza. A movie. Wine-while-wearing-sweats. It's the little things... like stuffies and chocolates.
This issue is all about local love. The kind of love that lives in our homes, our hearts, and our community. I hope it fills you with all the feels.
NADINE BUBECK, PUBLISHER
February 2026
PUBLISHER
Nadine Bubeck | nadine.bubeck@citylifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Maddox Cherry | maddox.cherry@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lorraine Tallman, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels
Jim Schafer, Element IV Therapy
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
James Patrick Photography
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Zach Miller
LAYOUT DESIGNER Andi Foster
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell
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One of the most important and often misunderstood questions in regenerative medicine is also the simplest: Where do the stem cells actually come from?
If a stem cell center can’t answer that clearly, transparently, and confidently, that’s a signal to pause.
Auragens exclusively uses umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells, sourced from healthy, full-term births. These donations occur in accredited hospitals, with informed consent, and under strict medical, ethical, and legal oversight.
There is no embryonic tissue, no fetal tissue, and no shortcuts. Only perinatal tissue that would otherwise be discarded after birth.
Why does that matter? Because umbilical cord stem cells are biologically young. They are more potent, more adaptable, and significantly more anti-inflammatory than stem cells taken from adult fat or bone marrow. They are also immune-privileged, meaning the risk of rejection is extremely low. This is why leading research institutions around the world, and even space-based studies, favor perinatal stem cells for next-generation therapies.
Just as important as where the cells come from is how they are handled. Auragens built its own on-site, ISO-certified, GMPand AABB-aligned laboratory to ensure total oversight. These certifications and regulators are key differentiators that athletes, celebrities, and clients trust.
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At its core, regenerative medicine is about trust. Trust in the science. Trust in the process. And trust that what’s being offered is exactly what’s promised. Auragens has built its reputation by honoring that trust through open transparency, concierge service, and cutting-edge medicine.
Founder of The LEGACY Membership & host of Finding Small Wins
Dr. Adam Loiacono is a performance physical therapist with fifteen years across the NBA, MLS, and NWSL, including serving as Director of Rehabilitation & Performance for the Phoenix Suns. A Doctor of Physical Therapy and board-certified Sports Clinical Specialist, he merges movement, medicine, and precision systems to create measurable results.
Welcome to the next chapter in your LEGACY.
department
She
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Eisenberg and Larry Fitzgerald
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IN HIS CORNER: A LOVE STORY BEYOND THE BIG SCREEN
ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK
Before the red carpets and before Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stepped into his body, Mark Kerr walked out of a hotel room in Japan carrying a pillowcase filled with cash. No entourage. No press. No security. Just a world champion fighter trying to get hundreds of thousands of dollars through an airport without getting robbed.
Today, Mark is best known as The Smashing Machine, the undefeated MMA force whose dominance helped define an entire sport. His life is now the subject of a major motion picture starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, both Golden Globe nominees, with the film earning major buzz of its own.
“Taking another man’s will is the hardest thing to do. Once you do it, however, it becomes the most addicting thing in the world.”
But beyond the big screen, this is a story about Mark and Francie, husband and wife who call Scottsdale home. Their love story. Their second act. And a rare, unfiltered conversation in the middle of movie madness that keeps it real.
BEFORE THE SMASHING MACHINE MOVIE, HOW DID YOU FEEL KNOWING YOUR LIFE MIGHT BE TOLD ON SCREEN SOMEDAY?
Honestly, I tried not to think about it. I had already lived through the HBO documentary, and that was raw. That was happening in real time. I did not have control over how I was portrayed then because I did not have control over my life. So when the
idea of a movie came up years later, I did not want to attach myself emotionally to it.
I have learned that when you attach your identity to outcomes, you suffer. So I kept living my life. If the movie happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I was still going to wake up the next morning and do the work.
HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST LEARNED DWAYNE JOHNSON WANTED TO PLAY YOU?
Disbelief... then pressure.
This was not some fictional character. This was my life. My mistakes. My addiction. My relationships. My worst moments. If he got it wrong, people would not just
critique the performance. They would be judging me all over again.
But what mattered to me was that he was not interested in playing a hero. He wanted to play a human being. That is when I started to trust it.
YOU LATER LEARNED HE HAD CARRIED YOUR STORY WITH HIM FOR YEARS. Yes. So humbling and heavy.
To know someone watched that documentary back in 2003 and never forgot it. To know it stayed with him all those years. That told me it was not about fighting. It was about addiction, identity, pain, and trying to control chaos.
That made me feel seen in a way I had not before.
AFTER THE MOVIE WAS ANNOUNCED, THERE WAS A LONG PERIOD OF SILENCE. WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING THAT TIME?
It was quiet.
I had Dwayne’s number for three years and never texted him once. It didn’t feel right. Movies take forever. They die all the time. I did not want to be the guy checking in asking if it was still happening.
So, I focused on what I could control. My health. My sobriety. My marriage. My work. If the movie came back around, great. If it didn’t, my life was still full.
Francie was the one who finally suggested I reach out.
AND SO YOU DID.
Yes. I called his agent. He said your ears must have been burning and told me he could not say anything. Dwayne even texted me. Then nothing. Then another text. Then nothing again.
Finally, he called and said the movie was moving forward.
At that point, I didn’t even know Emily Blunt had signed on. I didn’t know Benny Safdie CONTINUED >
AUSTIN BATES Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer
“Why the ‘Smashing Machine’ title? Because I pounded him like a machine.”
was directing. I didn’t know A24 was producing it. Everything was already in motion. That’s when it became real.
WHAT WAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT ONCE THE MOVIE OFFICIALLY MOVED FORWARD?
The script was the first real work.
Working with Benny was not like working on a movie. It was like therapy. We were not just shaping scenes. We were digging into moments I had not revisited in decades.
There were things I had to look at and say, that was me. No excuses. No blaming circumstances. Ownership.
That was uncomfortable. Necessary. But uncomfortable.
DID YOU EVER WANT TO SOFTEN CERTAIN MOMENTS OR PROTECT PARTS OF YOUR STORY?
Of course. Anyone would.
But that was not the point. The point was truth. Benny wanted authenticity. Dwayne wanted authenticity. They were not interested in protecting my ego.
Once I accepted that, it became freeing.
HOW CLOSELY DID DWAYNE STUDY YOU AS A PERSON?
He became my shadow.
He paid attention to things people do not think about. How I sat when I was overwhelmed. How my voice changed when I was uncomfortable. How I shut down emotionally instead of reacting.
We trained together. We talked. He listened more than he spoke.
The first time I saw him in prosthetics wearing my shoes, I turned around and started cursing. It was like looking in the mirror twenty years ago.
Nobody else could have done it.
WAS THERE A MOMENT ON SET THAT TRULY SHOOK YOU?
Seeing my house.
They did not build fake walls. They built my actual house. Full rooms. Layout. Artwork. Everything. The cameras were hidden. The lights were buried.
A lot of scenes were done in one take. No resets. No second chances. That meant the emotions were raw and real.
It felt invasive in the most respectful way possible. They also used all my real mementos and trophies.
THE MOVIE DOES NOT SANITIZE YOUR ADDICTION.
I did not take opiates to get high. I took them to function. To train. To stay available. Availability was my currency. Promoters did not care how you felt. They cared if you could fight.
Back then everybody did it. It was accepted. Nobody talked about it.
Shame isolates you. And isolation kills people. If showing that saves one person, it is worth it.
YOU FOUGHT ALL OVER THE WORLD.
JAPAN STANDS OUT. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE IN REAL LIFE?
Japan was surreal.
They paid ten times more than anywhere else and they paid cash. The first time I got paid, I went into a hotel room. There were guys smoking cigarettes. A suitcase on the table. They asked what currency I wanted. Dollars.
They counted it out in front of me. I signed the contract. I did not realize until later I was fighting for the Yakuza.
I did not know how I was supposed to get that money home. I took a pillowcase off the bed, filled it with cash, tied it up, and walked out.
That is how the sport worked back then.
YOU’VE TAKEN A LOT OF DAMAGE OVER THE YEARS. WHAT WAS YOUR WORST INJURY?
Tore my transverse abdominals.
FIGHTING AT YOUR LEVEL IS NOT JUST PHYSICAL. WHAT IS IT LIKE TAKING ANOTHER MAN’S WILL?
It almost sounds sick to say it, but taking another man’s will is the hardest thing in the world to do. Once you are able to do it, it becomes the most addicting thing in the world.
EARLY ON, YOUR RECORD WAS 11–0. DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF WINNING. Ecstasy.
It’s not like a team sport with eleven guys on the field. It’s you. You won or you lost. You get addicted to the crowd. The adulation. That environment. To be honest, it’s a feeling nothing else has ever given me.
WHAT WAS YOUR SIGNATURE MOVE?
Controlling somebody.
HOW DID YOU EARN THE NAME THE SMASHING MACHINE ?
My first fight in Brazil was against Fabio Gurgel, one of the most respected Brazilian jiu jitsu fighters in the world. Fifteen minutes. No rounds. No time limits. Basement of a hotel in São Paulo. Bare knuckle.
He wouldn’t give me his will. He wouldn’t quit. He wouldn’t tap.
I fractured his orbital. Broke his nose. Knocked teeth out. The referee stepped in.
The next day his wife called me. Fabio wanted to have me over for lunch.
CONTINUED >
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I thought it was a setup. It wasn’t. It was lovely.
He set the stage for how I would carry myself as a fighter.
Why the Smashing Machine? Because I pounded him like a machine.
People think fighters hate each other. It’s competition.
WERE YOU ALWAYS WIRED THIS WAY GROWING UP?
As a kid, I was a daredevil. I wanted to be Evel Knievel.
FRANCIE, YOU KNEW MARK LONG BEFORE THE MOVIE AND LONG BEFORE YOU WERE TOGETHER. HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE STORY NOW?
It is a story of timing and consistency.
We crossed paths for decades. We were not ready then. When we reconnected, it was not fireworks. It was showing up. Training together. Encouragement. Trust. This love did not rush. It waited. And that made all the difference.
MARK, WATCHING THE FINISHED FILM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN VENICE, WHAT DID THAT MOMENT FEEL LIKE?
Heavy and accurate.
I had seen an early cut before Venice, but it wasn’t finished. No music. No crowd. No full emotional weight.
Venice was the first time I saw it fully realized. There was a fifteen-minute standing ovation. I leaned over to Dwayne and asked if that was normal. He said no. It was not normal for any of us.
IS THERE A MOMENT AT THE END OF THE MOVIE THAT HITS YOU THE HARDEST?
When the credits roll and it says, Now you know his name. His name is Mark Kerr.
For a long time I was the fighter. Or the addict. Or the cautionary tale.
That moment felt like ownership of my full story.
WHAT DO PEOPLE STILL MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT STRENGTH?
They think strength is the absence of emotion. It is not.
The strongest thing I have ever done is ask for help. Write poems. Cry. Be honest. Vulnerability is strength.
FINAL MESSAGE.
You can recreate yourself.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
A book, probably. A podcast coming soon… we have great interviews lined up. And a collaboration with Auragens, as I prioritize my health and wellness.
In addition, Franci and I own Absolute Wellness, where we design elevated wellness spaces that enhance the way people live. Through refined environments, premium fitness/recovery experiences, and thoughtfully curated wellness products, we bring intentional wellbeing into both residential and commercial spaces.
Absoulute-Wellness.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRET ELENGOLD, SCOTTSDALE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY The Real Story Behind Regal American Homes & the Couple Who Built it Together
Some may say Avi and Sheri Azoulay’s success story is Regal American Homes becoming one of Arizona’s most respected luxury builders, known for constructing some of the most private and highly valued residences in Paradise Valley and beyond.
Others, however, would say the real success is that they do it together.
Husband and wife. Business partners. Parents. Teammates.
In an industry defined by pressure and high stakes, Avi and Sheri have built a company side by side while protecting something even harder to sustain: their marriage, their family, and a shared life.
“We love each other, so it’s easy. We have shared purpose and respect and always have each other’s backs,” says Sheri.
“Working together feels natural. We take every day the way it comes,” adds Avi.
It began with a blind date.
Avi Azoulay had moved to Arizona from Israel chasing opportunity, not certainty. Sheri was immersed in a demanding career and thinking very little about slowing down. Neither expected the night to matter beyond a drink.
They met at Olive & Ivy.
What Sheri thought would be a quick stop stretched longer than planned. Conversation came easily. The energy surprised them both.
“It was love at second date,” Sheri says.
The pace that followed reflected how they would eventually do everything else.
They married within a year. Kids followed soon after.
“When I commit, I commit. There’s no halfway,” says Avi.
From the beginning, they built their life the same way they would later build their company, with commitment and clarity.
“Working together actually brings us closer. If we didn’t work together, we probably wouldn’t even see each other as much,” says Sheri.
“We rarely fight,” says Avi. “And when something goes wrong, we talk about it and move on. If you don’t talk about things and resolve them, it backfires. When you have a good relationship built on friendship, it’s easier to get through anything.”
That philosophy would quietly become the foundation of Regal American Homes.
When Avi arrived in Arizona in 2009, the market was in free fall. The recession had stripped opportunity down to its barest form. He spoke limited English. He had no local network. What he did have was an instinctive understanding of construction shaped long before Arizona entered the picture.
“I’ve always learned by doing,” Avi says.
In Israel, he had grown up on job sites, learning trades hands-on, absorbing how buildings come together and how they fail. So in Arizona, he started where he could.
He flipped homes purchased at auction for $40,000, then $100,000. He worked with his hands. He designed homes himself, selected materials himself, and made decisions that would later define his reputation.
“I had to survive first. Big dreams come after survival,” he says.
CONTINUED >
By 2014, Regal American Homes launched. By 2015, Avi was building in Paradise Valley. By 2019, Regal had become a fully custom builder working exclusively with private clients.
Today, their business operates in a rare tier of the Arizona market with projects surpassing $30 and $40 million and often never appearing publicly.
As homes grow more private and personal, requests move beyond traditional luxury. Regal gets some wild requests: underground tunnels, hidden rooms, interior slides, custom wellness spaces, and even a fully engineered residential shark tank.
“People aren’t just building houses anymore. They’re building lifestyles,” he says.
Over the past decade, Avi and Sheri have watched Arizona’s luxury market change dramatically. Clients want longevity, privacy and spaces that support family life, health, and retreat. That’s where Regal’s expertise lives.
When Avi began building in Paradise Valley in early 2015, he says premier lots traded for roughly $900,000 to $1.2 million, with construction costs averaging around $300 per square foot.
Today, the equation is different. Prime lots now command $3 million to $5 million, construction costs have climbed to $800 to $1,100 per square foot, and entry-level luxury begins closer to $10 million.
“A home Regal sold as a spec for under $6 million a decade ago would now be valued near $18 million, without changing a single detail,” he says.
That rapid rise didn’t just reshape the market. It reshaped their lives.
Before Regal reached its current heights, the company was still scaling, and during that time Sheri was working her previous career, traveling extensively and closing international deals. It was Avi who saw the shift before she did.
“I saw her potential immediately. I knew she could help me tremendously in the business.”
“He told me to quit my job,” Sheri recalls. “He said I would make more in my first year working with him than I ever had.”
And she did.
“I didn’t come in thinking I knew anything. I came in ready to embrace everything,” says Sheri.
Sheri ran remodels, oversaw purchasing, and managed complex timelines, quickly mastering construction systems, budgets, and high-pressure decision making. In her first year alone, while pregnant, she flipped eighteen homes. She also earned both her general contractor’s license and her real estate license building the foundation for what would become a formidable career.
“Sometimes the student surpasses the teacher. She’s one of those people,” Avi says.
When Sheri formally joined Regal as partner, the company changed in a way clients felt immediately. Avi focused on structure, construction, and execution.
Sheri anchored operations, client experience, and relationships.
“We’re not sitting next to each other all day,” says Sheri. “We have our own roles.”
“If it’s about relationships, I go with her advice. If it’s construction, that’s my lane,” Avi adds.
In April 2020, Regal American Homes found itself on a national stage when a photo of Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury inside his Paradise Valley home, captioned “War Room 2.0,” went viral during the NFL’s virtual draft.
But most people don’t know the backstory.
Regal American Homes spent two years constructing the residence, designed by Israeli architect Ilan Pivko, who had mentored Avi years earlier in Israel.
“That moment was full circle,” Avi says. It was the only United States based home Ilan Pivko ever designed, created alongside the builder he once taught.
As Regal’s reputation grew, so did the profile of its clients. Many of Regal’s most significant projects will never be public. Privacy is non negotiable.
“What people see is what they get,” says Sheri. “We’re honest, reliable, and we show up for people.”
CONTINUED >
Beyond business, their lives are deeply rooted in family. Four children. Full calendars. Open doors. Avi coaches second grade basketball, while Sheri keeps a home that’s always welcoming.
That closeness carries into everything they do.
“If we can build for our neighbor and still be friends afterward,” Avi says, “we can build for anyone.”
They might be building multi million dollar homes, but the real success story isn’t measured in square footage or price per foot. It’s measured in partnership and parenting.
“I want my kids to see what commitment looks like,” Avi says.
Sixteen years ago, Avi arrived in Arizona with a dictionary and a dream. Sheri never imagined her life would include building multimillion-dollar homes alongside her husband.
Today, Regal American Homes stands tall, not because of flash, but because of foundation.
regalamericanhomes.com
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How did your love story begin?
Andrew: Our love story began when we met as teenagers. I unexpectedly showed up at a friend’s house where they were laying out by the pool, and I instantly fell in love. Although we didn’t start dating until college, I made a 24-hour drive to get a New Year’s kiss, and from that moment, we’ve been inseparable.
How do you balance strategy and risk-taking as partners in business?
Andrew: When it comes to strategy and risk-taking, I wear both hats. However, my inspiration for high-risk ideas often comes from Nicole, who has a remarkable risk tolerance. I then filter and simplify these ideas into a few viable options. We make our decisions together, ensuring they align with our goals.
What does working together look like?
Andrew: I’m the President of Hopkinson Aircraft Sales and Nicole is our Chief Marketing Officer. Working together means our personal, professional, and family goals are always in sync. We are intimately aware of each other’s daily experiences, allowing us to discuss detailed topics efficiently and reach consensus quickly. It’s rare for us not to agree almost immediately, and at most, it takes us a day or two to revisit a topic.
If your relationship had a business motto, what would it be?
Andrew: “Keep it simple.”
How do you unplug and reconnect outside of work?
Five Powerhouse Couples Shaping Business, Family, and Life in the Valley
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
Andrew: We love going out for a good dinner and reconnecting over a glass of wine and movie at home.
hopkinson.aero
What’s your love story?
Leslie: We were introduced by friends. I had just graduated from ASU and Jake, who is a few years older, was working in Scottsdale. Jake was smitten from the start, and we connected right away. I loved Jake’s vision for the future… running his own business, a focus on building a family, and sharing a Catholic faith.
Who made the first move?
Leslie: After meeting, Jake asked for my number and called me the next day. I got butterflies every time we spoke. Eventually, we went to dinner and it was the best first date we both have ever had.
Do you work together, apart, or a little of both?
Leslie: We work together raising our kids (Landon 10 and Ava 8) and running our home, but it is a partnership and takes a village! We have never formally worked together professionally, but I value supporting Jake’s company events and helping him network within the community, which I’m very philanthropically involved in. We have always both supported each other in our professional efforts; watching each other succeed gives us a profound respect for one another.
What is a career strength your partner has that you admire?
Leslie: Jake has the strongest photographic memory. He reads and does extensive research daily to guide his clients in an ever-changing market. He has a savvy way of articulation- one I greatly admire. He deeply cares for his clients knowing the advice he provides them is shaping their family’s future.
Jake: Leslie is very organized and strong at multi-tasking. She operates like she has 100 tabs open in her brain and always knows what’s going on in each. I admire her continuing to work full time with a work-life balance that has kept her in the medical device industry for nearly 20 years.
Who is the strategist and who is the risk taker?
Both: Leslie looks at all the angles and really thinks through a decision. Jake makes the financial decisions and determines the best approach. Leslie has always felt blessed to have a trusted financial advisor in Jake, and she knows whatever decision he makes will be the best!
JACOB (JAKE) DUFFY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE DUFFY MATHIAS GROUP - BAIRD WEALTH MANAGEMENT
LESLIE DUFFY, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH ECONOMICS AND MARKET ACCESS FOR BOSTON SCIENTIFIC
-Leslie Duffy “
“We have always both supported each other in our professional efforts; watching each other succeed gives us a profound respect for one another.”
How do you unplug together?
Both: We try to take one big trip a year out of the country together. This past September, we traveled to Greece and Italy for two weeks celebrating Jake’s successful year in business, Leslie’s birthday and our upcoming (February 18th!) 20th anniversary! We also love spending family time together in Park City, UT.
theduffymathiasgroup.baird wealth.com/team/jacob-a-duffy
AFFILIATED PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS
How did your love story begin?
We have been together since college at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and both ventured to Los Angeles for dental school as crosstown rivals, Danielle at USC and Tal at UCLA. We have been married for 14 years and have 2 boys, Brooks (10) and Levi (7) and our newest addition, a 4 month old puppy, Markley.
What does working together look like?
We are fortunate to work together at the same dental practice; however, due to having two locations and different working schedules, we are only under the same roof a few times a month. We complement each other professionally by collaborating on cases and providing our patients with a comprehensive dental experience.
What makes you a unique husband and wife team?
We are able to celebrate each other’s wins (and struggles) at work because we have an understanding of one another’s professions. Working together allows us to combine our strengths and support each other through challenges. We truly are each other’s cheerleaders in and out of the office.
How do you maintain balance between work and home life?
We have a rule that once we are home, our focus shifts to our family. We absolutely love our professions but we also value our time when we are able to escape from the office whether on date nights, dinners out with friends, or family adventures.
What is something you have learned from your spouse that has made you better professionally?
One thing Danielle really values about Tal is his genuine nature and the care he shows when interacting with patients.
What is one career strength your spouse has that you wish you had?
Tal says he wishes he had Danielle’s ability to multitask and always complete office to-do lists efficiently.
smilesbyapdo.com
What’s your love story?
Adrianna: Our love story isn’t exactly a fairytale… it’s better. It started with him approaching me in a Kierland parking lot when I was doing hair, and ended with a proposal after a night of drinking while I was undressing in our hotel room. Somehow, it’s the perfect story for us.
Do you work together, work apart, or a little of both?
Scott: We work together, though Adrianna is now pursuing a new career avenue as well. It’s added a new dynamic to our relationship… one where we’re still a team but also evolving independently in ways that strengthen us.
What’s something that makes you a great pair professionally?
Both: After nine years of working side by side, our trust in each other and our alignment on the end goal is unwavering. That foundation is what drives everything we accomplish together. Although always a work in progress.
What is a career strength your partner has that you admire?
Adrianna: For Scott, it would be more patience. For me, it would be staying calm and clear-headed in difficult transactions.
Who is the strategist and who is the risk taker?
Adrianna: Scott is the strategist in our relationship, while I’m the one who’s ready to jump into something new and take a chance. It’s a balance that makes us a strong team.
What is one challenge you’ve tackled together?
Scott: Amongst many challenges throughout our 17 years, it was opening our brokerage… a true make-it-or-break-it decision. We proved we were built to make it.
What is one thing your spouse does that always makes you laugh?
Adrianna: Watching Scott get ready. He stares himself down in the mirror, blows kisses, and gives himself more love than he gives me some mornings.
Your relationship in three words:
Both: Work in progress (LOL).
Spice up the season with vibrant flavors and a lively atmosphere at ZuZu, a one-of-a-kind gem in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. From chef-driven dishes to handcrafted cocktails poured with style, every visit brings something new to savor. Gather, indulge, and enjoy an unforgettable dining experience. Feeling extra bold? Try the Chef Roulette and let the kitchen surprise and delight you with six inventive courses.
February is a high-performance season in Arizona, when pressure, focus, and execution matter most. As The Performance Psychiatrist®, I work with elite athletes, executives, and high achievers to build mental resilience and sustained performance under stress. This month, I’ll be speaking in San Francisco during championshipweek events, bringing those same performance principles back home.
chouletperformance.com |
ERIK (OWNER)/KIRSTEN (TINKER CONTROLLER), TINKER DEVELOPMENT
Do you work together, work apart, or a little of both?
Kirsten: Although we work together (I’m the Tinker Controller), I work from our home office and Erik works from our company office in Scottsdale. I think it’s great we each have our own space while working simultaneously in building our business. We started building our business in 2014, and this has only strengthened our relationship. Building a business is a lot of work, but it is similar to building a marriage in that you get what you give. It has helped us ensure we are always communicating, making important decisions together, and supporting one another.
Who is the strategist and who is the risk taker?
Kirsten: I am definitely the strategist and Erik is the risk taker. I am a planner and am okay with marginal outcomes if the risk is less. Erik, on the other hand, lives by the motto of our Pops (Bruce Arians): “no risk it, no biscuit.” It makes for some interesting conversations where we have to meet in the middle, but we always figure it out.
What is one piece of business or life advice you always give each other?
Kirsten: We always keep God the center of everything we do. We always know God will provide and His plan never fails. When things get stressful, we remind each other of this. We can only control what we can control, so it is important we give 100%.
How do you unplug?
Kirsten: We have another home in Payson and our home-away-from-home is at my parent’s home in The Black Hills, South Dakota.
What is one challenge you’ve tackled together that made your relationship stronger?
Kirsten: Erik stopped drinking over a decade ago. It was the biggest challenge we faced together, but he did it. I am so proud of him. Once we knew we could get through that, we knew we could get through anything.
tinkerdevelopment.com
A Joyful Look at the Marriage Behind the Mayor of PV
You know Mark as the Mayor of Paradise Valley. Barb knows him as the man who still makes her laugh, calls her several times a day just to check in, and somehow keeps life feeling light after more than twenty years of marriage. Their relationship doesn’t feel ceremonial or polished. It feels lived in and very much in motion. They weren’t searching for love when they met. In fact, they both say plainly that they “weren’t looking for love that day,” but the moment their paths crossed, “something clicked.”
What followed wasn’t dramatic or rushed, just natural. As Barb puts it, “what started as a simple conversation quickly became the beginning of a love story we never saw coming.”
From the beginning, Mark’s energy stood out to her. He was “so funny and charismatic… and handsome.”
For Mark, it was Barb’s eyes that stayed with him. “They express joy and passion for life,” he says, a detail that never faded.
Time together moved easily. Barb remembers loving “listening to him talk about everything,” and that they “always had an exciting time no matter what we were doing.” Mark admired her intellect and her sense of fun. Those early years felt exactly as they describe them now. “Exciting. Non-stop. Never boring.”
When Mark popped the question, it felt true to who they were together. Walking along a pier in St. Tropez overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, “he went down on his knee and proposed.” The wedding followed soon after, outdoors at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego in July. “It was hot,” Barb laughs, “but it was an amazing event.” Their first dance was to Annie’s Song, and they practiced for weeks. These days, the soundtrack is lighter. One of their favorite songs to dance to now is Twist and Shout by the Beatles.
CONTINUED >
Marriage quickly expanded into family. Together they raised two children who are now 18 and 16, along with Barb’s two older children. Today, they’re also grandparents. “There is never a dull moment in our life,” Barb says. Kids changed everything. “We have to really plan our days around their schedule,” she explains, adding that despite the planning, “they continue to bond our love.”
Some things never shifted. “Our sense of fun and adventure,” Barb says, is still there. And, she adds with a smile, “we live in the same house.”
As Mark stepped into public service, responsibility grew, but their center held. Barb mentions it almost casually. “And, on top of that, Mark is the Mayor of Paradise Valley.” Staying connected means staying organized. “We try to review each of our weekly calendars so we are on the same page,” she says.
Disagreements happen, like they do in any long marriage. “Usually, Barb is the one that always gets mad,” Mark admits. When that happens, he listens, waits “till he has digested what she said,” and then responds “diplomatically.” It works because there’s respect on both sides.
Admiration runs deep. Barb says she admires that Mark has “the drive to volunteer and work for his community and his friends to the end.” Mark describes Barb as “a force of nature,” someone who “makes things happen and keeps all the trains running on time.” When Mark ran for mayor, Barb stepped in as his campaign manager. “It was so fun,” she says, especially “when he won.” Being First Lady of Paradise Valley, she adds, “is like a dream come true.”
Their definition of marriage is refreshingly grounded. “Listening to each other.” “Knowing you are and always will be individuals.” “Never forgetting the moment you fell in love.” And most importantly, “friendship.”
“Twenty years of marriage has been a beautiful journey, filled with laughter, growth and an unwavering love. We never stop choosing each other.”
Date nights don’t need reinvention. They’re happy with “appetizers and drinks on the patio at Rita’s Kitchen at Camelback Inn,” or “a dirty martini at AZ88.” Sometimes those nights turn into memories, like the evening they unexpectedly found themselves dining with Mark’s high school friend Andy and his wife, Kate Spade.
Adventure has always been part of their story. Their honeymoon in Tahiti included scuba diving, zip lining, water skiing, and nights under the stars. Even now, Mark is more adventurous, swimming with sharks and skiing black diamonds. Barb is more likely to be early. Mark is more likely to be late. Barb is the better cook. Mark says sorry first. Mark is also the bigger romantic. He once had Tiffany’s in Maui close early just to surprise Barb with a babymoon necklace.
Public life requires intention. They prioritize communication, scheduling, and family first. Small gestures matter most. Mark makes the bed every morning. He calls Barb at least three times a day. Barb sets out their coffee mugs. Pride lives in the quiet moments too. Barb lights up watching Mark play bass guitar. Mark remembers standing beside Barb when she said she wanted to have children with him.
When asked to describe their marriage now, the answer is simple and certain. “Twenty years of marriage has been a beautiful journey, filled with laughter, growth and an unwavering love that only deepens with time.” Looking ahead, they’re excited for what’s next. “Having time to go on trips and make family memories.” And above all, “never stop choosing each other.”
Paradise Valley may know Mark as its mayor and the President at Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, but the real story lives in shared calendars, inside jokes, family dinners, and a love that keeps choosing itself, day after day.
In Arizona, February is flavor-forward, fast-paced, and full of reasons to host, celebrate, and savor.
TRUE POWER DOESN’T SHOUT.
It’s in the details—an unwavering gaze, a sculpted jaw, a profile that commands presence without ever asking for it.
At CraftMD, we specialize in aesthetic refinement for men who expect excellence. Whether you lead from the boardroom or the gym, your appearance should reflect your strength—never your age.
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REFINEMENT IS STRENGTH. STRENGTH IS TIMELESS.
Dr. Randy Craft is a double board-certified and Harvard-trained plastic surgeon. He is the founder of CraftMD Aesthetics/Wellness, specializing in cosmetic procedures. Notably named “Best of the Valley” in 2023, 2024 and 2025, his extensive training, combined with a sense of artistry, enables him to provide patient-centric, compassionate care—always with an emphasis on safety.
For our Love Issue, we invited three respected voices from our community to share thoughtful insight on relationships, finances, and the foundations of lasting partnership.
I work with families at some of the most pivotal moments of their lives, where love, finances, and long-term planning intersect. Here, I share some insights to help couples protect what matters most.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST LEGAL MISCONCEPTIONS YOU SEE AMONG HIGH NET WORTH COUPLES CONSIDERING DIVORCE?
High net worth couples often assume assets titled in one spouse’s name or income earned by one spouse are separate, or that “fair” means equal. In Arizona, community property rules apply broadly, and poor documentation or commingling can convert separate assets into community property quickly.
HOW CAN COUPLES PROTECT THEMSELVES EARLY?
Long before divorce is discussed, couples should keep meticulous financial records,
respect business formalities, avoid commingling personal and business funds, and use well-drafted prenuptial or postnuptial agreements. Planning done during stability is far more effective and far less expensive than planning done in crisis.
WHAT STRATEGIES DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR PARENTS NAVIGATING DIVORCE?
For parents, the top priority is reducing conflict exposure for the children. Both parties must continue to respect each other as that child’s parent. Treat co-parenting like a professional partnership, not an emotional battlefield, and keep children out of financial and legal disputes.
spencerfane.com/ professionals/alexandra-leclair
“Planning done during stability is far more effective and far less expensive than planning done in crisis.”
Cat Cantrill, CEO of The Scottsdale Matchmaker
I work closely with highly accomplished individuals, matchmaking with intention, clarity, and emotional intelligence as they navigate modern relationships. Here, I share how real matchmaking works and what it takes to build lasting connection.
The biggest myth is that matchmaking is a shortcut or a purchase order for love. It is not a catalog and it is not instant. A great matchmaker is not selling people. We curate connection.
Matchmaking works best when clients understand the process is collaborative and relational, not transactional. My role is to help them clarify who they are, how they show up in relationships, and what kind of partnership will truly support their life. That often means gently challenging old patterns. When clients arrive open, curious, and willing to grow, the results can be extraordinary.
Any promise of guaranteed matches is a red flag. A matchmaker can guarantee effort, discretion, and integrity, but no ethical professional can guarantee outcomes between two people. When guarantees are made, they often favor quantity over quality, leading to rushed introductions and poor alignment.
Real matchmaking takes time. It requires vetting, timing, emotional readiness, and mutual choice. I’m transparent about what I can control and what I can’t. Love isn’t a commodity. It’s a relationship between two people with agency, and a reputable matchmaker focuses on doing the work well, not overselling certainty.
One of the most unrealistic expectations is that chemistry should feel instant, effortless, and overwhelming right away. Many people confuse familiarity or intensity with true compatibility. Others expect a partner to fit perfectly into their life without any adjustment or growth. I approach this gently but honestly by reframing what a healthy connection actually looks like.
I ask clients to focus less on fireworks and more on how they feel in someone’s presence. Attraction can grow over time, and lasting relationships are built through consistency, not performance. My job is to refine standards, not lower them.
I stay involved well beyond the introduction. That’s where the real work begins. Early dating can surface excitement, uncertainty, and old patterns, especially for people who are highly accomplished or long single. I offer guidance on pacing, communication, and expectations, always with discretion. My role is to provide clarity, not interference, while empowering clients to build the connection themselves.
scottsdalematchmaker.com
Natasha
I work closely with couples to help them navigate money with intention, transparency, and confidence, especially as life and priorities evolve. Here, I share a few insights to help couples build a stronger financial foundation together.
HOW SHOULD COUPLES APPROACH COMBINING OR NOT COMBINING FINANCES?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but the key is intention. Some couples thrive with combined finances, others with a hybrid system. What matters most is transparency and agreement. Start with shared goals around bills, savings, investments, and long-term planning. Alignment and communication matter far more than account structure.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MONEY MISTAKES YOU SEE HIGHER-INCOME COUPLES MAKE?
One of the biggest mistakes couples make is assuming high income equals financial security. It often masks poor habits and leads to spending before planning. Without a shared strategy, high earners risk inefficiency,
unnecessary taxes, and misaligned portfolios. Wealth doesn’t replace discipline. It demands it. The most successful couples treat planning as essential, not optional.
WHAT’S ONE SMART FINANCIAL MOVE COUPLES CAN MAKE IN EVERY DECADE?
In your thirties, focus on accumulation through shared habits of saving, investing, and goal setting. In your forties, shift to optimization by refining investments, taxes, and protection strategies. In your fifties, prioritize clarity with retirement and legacy planning. At every stage, couples who revisit their plan together stay more confident and connected.
sunstonewealthmanagement.com
Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors. Inc. Sunstone Wealth Management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.
ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY JACKIE DUNN
Before the prison story.
Before the love story.
Before the explanations people think they already know.
There is context.
Barry Sanders. Eddie George. Donovan McNabb. Elite collegiate athletes. Olympic-level swimmers. State champions across Arizona.
This is the level where athletes place their trust.
Chad Dunn doesn’t lead with credentials, but they surround him anyway. Today, he is the owner of MOVE Human Performance and Physical Therapy, a Valley-based performance and recovery center where professional athletes, elite competitors, and driven families come to work. Not because of hype, but because of presence. Because of trust that is built, not claimed.
But long before MOVE existed, long before people asked him to speak on national stages, long before his story became something others asked to hear, Chad was quietly building a system in his own head.
That system is now his debut book, Mind Over Virtually Everything: 10 Codes to Transform Your Life
“This isn’t a self-help book,” Chad says. “It’s the how.”
The book doesn’t open with success. It opens with identity.
“If you ask someone to tell you about themselves, most people tell you what they do,” he says. “They don’t tell you who they are.”
So Chad does the opposite.
He tells the truth first.
“I’m a convicted felon. I’ve had six DUIs. I’m a former substance abuse user. That’s who I am.”
He doesn’t pause there.
“I’m also a CEO. I’m optimistic. I’m loving. And I choose who I am every day.”
That tension between who someone has been and who they decide to be is the backbone of the book. It’s also the backbone of his marriage.
Chad and Jackie’s story doesn’t begin neatly. It begins in a Tempe bar. Jackie was bartending. Chad was relentless.
“For eight months, he asked me out,” Jackie says. “For eight months, I said no.”
The first night they met, Chad made a declaration.
“EVERYTHING I’VE BEEN THROUGH HAS BEEN A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE… EVEN THE WORST PARTS. OPTIMISM IS A SKILL. YOU TRAIN FOR IT LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. I CHOOSE THIS LIFE EVERY DAY.”
“He told me he was going to marry me. I told him to get in line,” she says. When Jackie finally agreed to go out with him, Chad didn’t arrive with flowers. He arrived with paperwork.
“I gave her my indictment. I wanted her to know exactly who I was,” he says.
“People make mistakes,” she told him.
What neither of them could fully grasp yet was how much waiting, testing, and uncertainty that decision would involve.
Chad didn’t grow up in chaos. His parents were present. Supportive. Still married. He was an athlete. A competitor. Someone who chased adrenaline and stimulation. Somewhere along the way, however, entertainment became identity.
“I didn’t have a drinking problem; I had an entertainment problem,” admits Chad.
That appetite, combined with the wrong crowd and a willingness to bend rules, eventually crossed into breaking the law. Money laundering tied to Hawaii.
“I made bad choices.”
Now, years later, he says it plainly.
“Getting caught was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
The legal process dragged on. Years passed. When sentencing finally came, Chad received 30 months in federal prison. Jackie drove him there herself.
“I told her I loved her and hopefully I’d see her again in 30 months.”
She believed him.
“I was all in,” Jackie says. “One hundred percent.”
In prison, Chad worked construction management inside. He enrolled in school. He earned his associate degree in business marketing. And often, when the noise finally stopped, he sat alone.
“You have to go quiet,” Chad reflects. “You can’t hide from yourself in there.”
One night stands out more than most.
Chad remembers lying on his bunk, counting hours instead of days, when a man new to the unit was brought in. Angry. Loud. Still carrying the street with him. Within minutes, tension filled the room. Everyone watched. Everyone listened.
“I remember thinking, this is exactly where I’d end up if I didn’t change everything.”
That night, Chad made a decision that had nothing to do with survival and everything to do with direction.
“I stopped asking when I’d get out and started asking who I’d be when I did.”
Prison was rigid and routine, but purpose was a choice. So he built his own. On top of one thousand burpees a day.
“There was structure in there if you were willing to build it,” he says. “And I was willing.”
That’s where the codes began to solidify.
“Everything I’ve been through has been a positive experience… even the worst parts.”
When Chad was released, his parents picked him up.
“I asked for one thing,” he laughs. “A Mountain Dew.”
Then, rom-com-esque, he went straight to the bar where Jackie was working. This was after months of Jackie intentionally going quiet, stepping back emotionally to survive the separation.
“My knee started shaking,” she says. “I ran over and hugged him.”
Freedom didn’t mean instant clarity. They stumbled. They separated. They found their way back. Trust was rebuilt slowly, with Jackie’s three kids at the center of every decision.
Eventually, they married in Coronado, with the kids by their side and Jackie’s son serving as best man.
“Marriage is all in. There’s no half,” says Chad.
And work mirrors life.
After prison, Chad returned to performance training, working again with the same company that had employed him before. That stability mattered. But reality followed closely behind.
Background checks shut doors. Corporate roles disappeared.
“That was another punch in the face,” Chad says. It became clear he would never fit neatly into someone else’s system. Jackie was the one who said it out loud.
“It’s time,” she told him. “You need to do your own thing.”
MOVE Human Performance and Physical Therapy opened in 2017.
Together, Chad and Jackie built something different. Cash-based. Relationship-driven. Physical performance fused with mental preparation. A place where conversation matters as much as conditioning and character matters as much as talent.
Athletes came. Families drove in. Word spread.
There’s a moment Chad talks about often, one that has nothing to do with headlines.
An elite athlete stands in front of him. Top-level talent. Money on the table. Pressure everywhere. The body is ready. The mind isn’t.
“They always ask for more work,” Chad says. “They never ask how to slow down.”
Instead of adding weight, Chad pulls the athlete aside.
“We’re not training your body today,” he tells him. “We’re training your thinking.”
They sit. They talk. They break down choices. Consequences. Preparation. What happens when no one is watching.
“That’s where trust is built,” Chad says. “Not in the lift. In the conversation.”
MOVE now trains top swimmers in Arizona across multiple clubs. Two MOVE athletes competed in Olympic Trials last year. High school state championships follow season after season. Collegiate athletes, NIL-era prospects, and professional players train alongside kids just beginning to dream.
“These kids are talented, but when the coach is gone, most of them don’t know how to think.”
Chad works with athletes navigating NIL deals, professional transitions, and the mental pressure that now comes earlier than ever. MOVE’s team reflects that philosophy. Physical therapists. Performance coaches. Specialists who have all overcome something themselves.
“You can’t build culture without character,” Chad says.
And Chad’s book circles back to the same principles he lives daily.
In his debut book, Chad details ten codes. Not rules; rather, choices.
Identity comes first.
“You have to know who you are,” he says. “Not what you do.”
Then choice, followed by optimism.
“Optimism is a skill. You train for it like anything else.”
There is accountability. Silence. Preparation. And finally, the anchor.
“If you don’t have a plan,” Chad says, “you’re going to become someone else’s.”
Jackie sees the codes in motion every day.
“He doesn’t really get stressed. Compared to where he’s been, most things don’t register as problems.”
In fact, when Jackie read the book, something shifted.
“I saw things I still need to work on,” she says. “We all do.”
Today, Chad speaks nationally. He coaches athletes and executives. Trains bodies and minds. Lives firmly in the small percentage who don’t return to prison.
“I choose this life,” he says. “Every day.”
mindovervirtuallyeverything.com moveperformance.com
There is a moment, often fleeting, when a home stops being a set of rooms and becomes a reflection of who you are and how you live. Blueprints & Beyond was created for that moment.
Hosted monthly inside the iconic Design Within Reach showroom, Blueprints & Beyond is not another networking event, panel discussion, or sales pitch. It is a curated experience for discerning homeowners who are considering new construction or a luxury renovation and want real ideas, real insight, and real inspiration without the noise.
Co-hosted by Kevin Hunter of American Premier Builder and created by Jason Monczka, this monthly gathering brings together the Valley’s top minds in architecture, design, construction, and lifestyle planning. Think of it as a private gathering for people who care deeply about quality, detail, and doing things right the first time.
What makes Blueprints & Beyond different is its focus on the full picture. Not just finishes or floor plans, but how a home should function, feel, and age with you. From thoughtful layouts and material selection to the unseen decisions that determine comfort, longevity, and value, guests gain an insider-level perspective normally reserved for private consultations.
The setting matters. Design Within Reach provides a refined, modern backdrop that immediately elevates the conversation. Surrounded by timeless furnishings and intentional design, guests are encouraged to think differently about their own spaces and how form and function support everyday living.
Each event is intimate by design. Guests enjoy elevated conversation, curated insight from trusted experts, and the opportunity to ask the questions most people do not think to ask until it is too late. Whether you are years away from breaking ground or actively planning your next chapter, you will leave with clarity, confidence, and a sharper vision.
For those building a legacy home or reimagining one, Blueprints & Beyond has quickly become the must attend event in the Valley. It is where ideas are refined, expectations are raised, and great homes begin long before construction ever starts.
If you are serious about your home, this is where you belong.
Jim Ballinger’s Influence on Arizona as Scottsdale Art Week Returns
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY PHXART ARCHIVES
This March, as Scottsdale Art Week returns, one of Arizona’s most influential cultural leaders is receiving the recognition his life’s work deserves. James (Jim) Ballinger will be honored with the Scottsdale Art Week Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging more than four decades of leadership that
“We did Tamayo’s first exhibition in America and Cuevas’ first exhibition in America.” -Jim Ballinger
reshaped the Phoenix Art Museum and, in the process, transformed the cultural identity of the entire region. In fact, the Phoenix Art Museum is the beneficiary of the Scottsdale Art Week Opening Night Vernissage taking place on Thursday, March 19th.
When people talk about the rise of Arizona’s arts scene, they often point to the museums, the collectors, the galleries, the exhibitions. They rarely talk about the decades of steady leadership that made it all possible. For Arizona, that leadership belongs to Jim.
When he arrived in Phoenix in the 1970s, the city’s arts landscape was still emerging. The Museum was modest. The audience was small. The future was unwritten.
“I planned to stay for five years. Get some experience and move on.”
Instead, he stayed for more than forty.
Over the decades, Jim guided the Phoenix Art Museum through an extraordinary evolution that mirrored the
growth of Phoenix itself. The building expanded. The collections deepened. International exhibitions arrived. Education programs flourished. Community partnerships strengthened. What began as a regional institution became a national force and Phoenix became a serious art city because someone believed it could.
“I often tell people I worked at three different museums. They just happened to all be at the same address.”
His personal archive traces that transformation. Early black and white photographs of small galleries. Groundbreakings for new wings. Opening nights that brought global art to the desert for the first time. In fact, some of the Museum’s most defining moments came early in Jim’s tenure.
“We did Tamayo’s first exhibition in America. We did Cuevas’ first exhibition in America. And we showed Frida Kahlo long before the world really knew who she was.”
Fair Director & Co-Owner
Back then, Frida was Diego Rivera’s wife. Today, Diego Rivera is Frida Kahlo’s husband.
The same instinct guided the Museum’s early contemporary acquisitions. Jim remembers purchasing a Kehinde Wiley painting for seventy thousand dollars. Today that work would command millions. The value was never just financial. It was about recognizing cultural significance before the world caught on.
What Jim built was not simply a museum. He built an ecosystem. Programs like Contemporary Forum cultivated collectors and supported artists. The Museum became a civic gathering place, a classroom, a conversation, and a mirror of a city discovering its voice.
“It is a rather humbling experience. Years later, it’s nice people still know I am around.”
For Jim, that perspective comes from having witnessed the full arc of Arizona’s cultural rise from the inside. And today, that arc is still unfolding.
That momentum is on full display as Scottsdale Art Week presented by Scottsdale Ferrari returns, standing at the cultural crossroads of the American Southwest. The same desert landscape that once drew creative giants like Georgia O’Keeffe and Frank Lloyd Wright now welcomes a new generation of global voices, with well over one hundred galleries from across the United States and around the world gathering in Scottsdale.
Event Co Owner Jason Rose has watched that momentum accelerate rapidly.
“Any upstart has to prove itself and we were no different. But after an amazing year one from the venue to the experience to the sales the interest from galleries across the world has been exceptional. We will have a sold out show from extraordinary galleries.”
He adds that the world’s attention is now firmly on the Valley.
“People are fascinated by the Phoenix and Scottsdale metro area and view it as a new frontier for their galleries because of the population explosion here including being the fastest growing region in the country for millionaires.”
For Fair Director and Co-Owner Amy Gause, the fair’s arrival feels less like a sudden success and more like the natural result of decades of cultural groundwork.
“I have spent the last twenty five years of my career in the art world both nationally and regionally and it became clear that Scottsdale was ready for an event of this caliber.” -Amy Gause
“I have spent the last twenty five years of my career in the art world both nationally and regionally and it became clear that Scottsdale was ready for an event of this caliber. We have a deep and sophisticated collector base, a distinct cultural identity and a continued influx of wealth into the state. We were the only major city in America without an international art fair.”
She explains that the fair’s mission is to honor the Valley’s creative identity while opening its doors wide to the world.
“Our mission is dual focused. We aim to present the well established art scene of Scottsdale and the Southwest to the international art world while also bringing the global art world directly to Scottsdale.”
And honoring Jim carries special meaning.
“Jim Ballinger served as Director of the Phoenix Art Museum for 40 years and now holds the title of Director Emeritus. The recent dedication of the museum’s North Wing in his honor speaks volumes about his lasting impact. Today, Phoenix Art Museum stands as the preeminent museum in the Southwest, and we are incredibly fortunate to have that institution here. We all owe Jim deep gratitude for his enduring commitment to the arts in Arizona. We are honored to echo his long-standing contributions to the arts in Arizona at Scottsdale Art Week.”
As Scottsdale Art Week unfolds with monumental installations, international voices, expanded cultural programming, and new collector spaces, it is also quietly celebrating the rare kind of leadership that makes everything else possible.
CONTINUED >
“Our mission is dual focused. We aim to present the well established art scene of Scottsdale and the Southwest to the international art world while also bringing the global art world directly to Scottsdale.”
-Amy Gause
March 19–22, 2026
WestWorld of Scottsdale
With galleries from across the country and around the world, Scottsdale Art Week presented by Scottsdale Ferrari continues its rise as one of the most exciting new art fairs in America. Slated to feature 120 galleries, the fair blends historical and contemporary works while spotlighting contemporary Indigenous artists and honoring the Southwest’s rich cultural legacy.
Set at the crossroads of American art history that once drew icons like Georgia O’Keeffe and Frank Lloyd Wright, Scottsdale Art Week offers four days of exhibitions, awards, entertainment, and cultural programming during Arizona’s most beautiful travel season.
Opening Night Vernissage (March 19th, 2026) launches the celebration, setting the tone for a globally connected art experience rooted in the heart of the Valley.
scottsdaleartweek.com
A new year brings new opportunity to make things right. At Shine Lawyers, we break down barriers to justice and help the injured claim the compensation they deserve.
Arizona local, and leading attorney, Kelley Durham joins Shine to bring her legal advocacy and compassionate counsel to individuals and families across the state.
The WM Phoenix Open has always evolved. This year, the changes are less about spectacle and more about refinement.
Here’s what’s new and worth knowing this year.
The iconic Coliseum structure at the 16th hole has been redesigned with higher ceilings, wider interior bays, frameless glass railings, and improved sightlines across every level. The footprint remains familiar, but the experience is noticeably more open, modern, and permanent in feel. The structure is also fully reusable, reinforcing the tournament’s sustainability goals.
For the first time, fans can purchase individual daily tickets to a groundlevel hospitality venue at the 16th hole. The new Pin Hi Club sits near the green and offers a premium experience without requiring a full suite. It’s a meaningful shift in how access to the Coliseum works.
A dedicated Family Care Center offers a temperature-controlled space with seating, TVs, nursing and changing stations, kids activities, snacks, and restrooms. It gives families and caregivers a place to pause without leaving the tournament and signals a more inclusive approach to the fan experience.
The Desert Oasis BBQ and Beer Garden near holes 5, 6, and 7 continues to expand and remains one of the strongest general admission areas on the course. With elevated views of multiple holes, Little Miss BBQ, craft beer, and room to spread out, it offers a more relaxed alternative to the 16th hole.
Located near the par-3 12th, the Fairway House has been updated for better flow and comfort. With shade, upgraded concessions, seating, and fan activations, it remains a practical reset point that keeps fans close to the action without the congestion.
Music continues to play a central role during tournament week. The Concert in the Coliseum features The Killers performing inside the 16th hole, reinforcing the venue’s role beyond golf. The Coors Light Birds Nest hosts four nights of performances, with Bailey Zimmerman opening the week, Zach Top joined by ERNEST, Nelly and Ludacris with Ja Rule, and John Summit closing it out. The range reflects how WMPO now programs for multiple audiences, not just one.
Free admission continues for U.S. military members, veterans, and first responders, along with access to the Patriots Outpost hospitality venue near the 18th hole. Complimentary food, drinks, and viewing areas are included, maintaining one of the tournament’s most meaningful traditions.
Ford Free Days return on Monday and Tuesday, offering free general admission during practice rounds. The schedule includes the Pro-Am, junior clinics, Dream Day programming, and the Special Olympics Putting Challenge. It remains one of the most accessible entry points to tournament week.
SUSTAINABILITY
Green Out Saturday returns, encouraging fans to wear green in support of the Working for Tomorrow Fund. The tournament’s sustainability efforts are visible throughout the week, from reusable structures to fan-driven fundraising and environmental initiatives tied directly to Arizona.
WMPO week stretches far beyond TPC Scottsdale. During tournament week, the Reffer app acts as a discovery layer connecting visitors with trusted local businesses, experiences, and brands. Through curated recommendations, activations, and partner experiences, Reffer helps fans navigate where to go, what to explore, and how to engage with the Valley during one of its busiest weeks. Download for free.
wmphoenixopen.com
Most golfers walk into the 19th hole thinking about a cold drink.
Serious players think about recovery.
Hydration isn’t about avoiding thirst. It’s about protecting swing speed, carry distance, tempo, judgment, and stamina over four hours in the sun.
According to PGA Sports Science research, a hydration loss of just 2% percent can reduce swing speed, shorten carry distance, slow reaction time, and impair decision making. That’s why the back nine feels heavier. Your mechanics aren’t breaking down. Your physiology is.
In Arizona, the problem is amplified. Dry desert air pulls fluid from the body long before thirst registers. Sports scientists estimate that hydration loss in arid climates can be as much as forty percent higher than in coastal regions. That deficit shows up everywhere: tempo slips, accuracy fades, mental clarity dulls, and next day recovery suffers.
That’s why if you’re serious about your golf game, your performance, or love of sport, you shouldn’t leave it to guesswork. You use targeted hydration strategies to replace what the desert strips away.
It’s also why Element IV Therapy developed a specialized “19th Hole” IV formula designed specifically for golfers enjoying the greens in desert conditions.
The 19th Hole formula focuses on what actually breaks down during play.
Toradol helps reduce inflammation, keeping joints and soft tissue fluid through long epic golf weeks.
Magnesium supports muscle relaxation and nerve signaling, helping prevent forearm tightness and grip tension late in the round.
Vitamin B12 supports focus and stamina when precision matters most on seventeen and eighteen.
A Bi-amino complex enhances circulation and endurance, so your swing on eighteen feels like it did on three.
The smartest players understand this: the 19th hole isn’t the end of the round. It’s the start of the next one.
Serious golfers hydrate deeply the night before. They replace electrolytes during play. They recover immediately after the round so they wake up restored instead of fighting a deficit.
Whether you’re a low handicapper or casual golfer, the round doesn’t end on eighteen.
It ends when the body is ready to perform again.
That’s the real 19th hole.
How Arizona golfers are rethinking hydration, recovery, and performance.
ARTICLE BY JIM SCHAFER, OWNER, ELEMENT IV THERAPY
by Cat
I’m Cat Cantrill, a professional matchmaker and dating coach helping singles find meaningful relationships since 2015.
With a background in psychology and sociology, I combine relationship science with intuition and empathy to guide clients through the realities of modern dating. My coaching focuses on authenticity, clarity, and confidence, helping professionals understand what they truly want in a partner and how to attract it.
In 2021, I launched Dear Matchmaker, a podcast now ranked in the top 5% globally for its honest, heartfelt approach to love and connection. I have been featured in Fortune Magazine, DatingAdvice.com, and on CBS and PBS, but my greatest reward remains the relationships I help bring to life.
Services include:
• Matchmaking
• Dating Consulting
• Styling for Dating
• Private Rolodex Membership
Each experience is personalized, private, and designed to help you find the relationship you truly deserve.
Give yourself the gift of connection this season. Visit scottsdalematchmaker.com or call to schedule your complimentary consultation. Submit it anonymously to “Dear Matchmaker” at team@scottsdalematchmaker.com -your question could be featured in an upcoming issue! www.scottsdalematchmaker.com
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY AQ SHIPLEY
How AQ Shipley & Celeb Chef Beau MacMillan turn Super Bowl Week into a Celebration of Food & Friendship
As we gear up for the Super Bowl, there is one event AQ Shipley savors where calories don’t count and neither do penalties.
That event is Taste of the NFL, a favorite of AQ Shipley, former Arizona Cardinals center and radio analyst for the team.
It’s where football meets flavor, where the sport’s biggest names trade playbooks for plates, and where friendships are built between bites. For AQ and Arizona’s own esteemed Chef Beau MacMillan, it has become a tradition that has followed them from city to city since 2015; a yearly rhythm of competition, creativity, and connection during the most electric week in sports.
In the spirit of Super Bowl month, we’re serving up this tasty story for you.
How long have you and Chef Beau been part of Taste of the NFL together?
AQ: 2015 was our first year… we were together every year and absolutely remember the first year. Chef Beau did the pork belly and Brussels with his famous Dragon Sauce. It was in San Francisco.
What do you remember about the food and friendship at that time?
AQ: It was my first year doing it. Seeing all the athletes celebs and celeb chefs made it feel so big. I think it’s the best event during Super Bowl Week.
Explain Taste of the NFL and why it’s a special part of Super Bowl.
AQ: The event brings together a chef and an NFL player from every team city across the country. They also pair NFL legends with nationally acclaimed chefs as part of the league’s featured table, creating an atmosphere where guests mingle, sign autographs, take photos, and enjoy incredible food and drinks from some of the best chefs in the country.
Was there one meal that really bonded you and Chef Beau?
AQ: I always go back to the pork belly and Brussels with the Dragon, a staple in Chef Beau’s catalog that’s both incredibly refined and impossibly good. He also makes a mean fried chicken. I also love the bao buns he does. So good. Perfect texture, homemade pickles, sweet and spicy gochujang. Delicious.
How has cooking and sharing meals shaped your friendship over the years?
AQ: We’ve become lifelong friends because of our first meeting in 2015. I’ve seen his kids grow up and our wives share the same birthday.
From the NFL side, what’s it like trading the playbook for the prep table with a true culinary rockstar?
AQ: So awesome seeing him work. He’s super detailed and a total perfectionist with the taste, the look, the presentation, everything. Very similar to my prep in football.
Do you see a lot of NFL comrades jumping on the culinary bandwagon?
AQ: We all love to eat, so yes, I see a fair share of former teammates and friends getting into cooking and barbecue. A few of them have even been on cooking competition TV shows.
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Are there other players you know who love being in the kitchen?
AQ: Jared Veldheer, a former teammate and fellow lineman when we played together with the Cardinals, loves to cook. He’s super into his food and diet and was recently selected to be on a Gordon Ramsay TV show in January.
During Taste, do you cook side-by-side during the event or does everyone naturally fall into their own lane once the crowd starts moving?
AQ: The chefs mostly do their thing while the players mingle, sign autographs, and take photos. Beau knows how much I enjoy cooking and eating, so he brings me in here and there.
Was Taste of the NFL how the two of you first connected or was there a moment where the friendship really clicked over food?
AQ: He cooked at my house for my birthday. What a day that was. I came home from an NFL OTA practice and he was standing in my living room. We cooked a feast. Lobster, udon, pork belly, Brussels, watermelon feta salad. And more. So good.
What’s a funny moment from Taste of the NFL that still makes you laugh?
AQ: We always end up hanging out late after the event. In San Fran the first year, we went to a bar, and that was when Pappy Van Winkle was really starting to blow up. We shared a fun night drinking some of the best bourbon on earth.
Is there a BTS moment that didn’t make it to social media but still sticks with you?
AQ: Robert Irvine was in town for a lunch and learn at Sanctuary when Chef Beau was there. We hung out after, then a few of us went back to his house and drank some great wine. It was a fun night, and I ended up being a little too loud and woke up his oldest son from a full sleep. Pretty funny moment.
Looking ahead, do you see yourselves teaming up again?
AQ: Absolutely. We’ve done so many events together over the years, and it’s always been so fun. I’d love to cook something up and get back to making some oldies but goodies from his bread and butter Asian American cooking style.
“They pair NFL legends with nationally acclaimed chefs as part of the league’s featured table, creating an atmosphere where guests mingle, sign autographs, take photos, and enjoy incredible food and drinks from some of the best chefs in the country.”
If you’re heading to the Super Bowl, REFFER, co-founded by AQ and Shari Shipley alongside their co founder, allows people to discover brands, businesses, and services through curated lists from voices they already follow and believe in. During Super Bowl week, it becomes a free, powerful engine for connection through curated experiences, gifting, and Top Picks from NFL wives and partners, driving lasting visibility, referrals, and real results.
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February is American Heart Month, a nationally recognized observance dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease, prevention, and cardiovascular health. The message is especially important for women, as heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States; yet, it is still widely misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and often overlooked.
Understanding your heart is one of the most powerful investments you can make in your future. Here are the insights every woman should know:
1. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.
More women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined, yet awareness and screening still lag behind.
2. Women’s symptoms often look different.
Heart attacks in women may present as fatigue, nausea, jaw pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, anxiety, or back pain, not just chest pressure.
3. Prevention begins earlier than most realize.
Cardiovascular disease often starts developing decades before symptoms appear, making early lifestyle choices critical.
4. Hormones play a powerful role. Estrogen protects the heart. As hormone levels shift during menopause, cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation often rise, increasing risk.
5. Chronic stress damages the heart. Sustained stress elevates cortisol, blood pressure, and inflammation, all of which contribute directly to cardiovascular disease.
Because your heart health deserves
Dr. Sharma offers industry-leading cardiovascular treatments & care through diagnostic testing, clinical programs & surgical procedures.
Miguel Ángel Montero is a two-time MLB All-Star and World Series champion who spent more than a decade catching in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals.
But that’s not the story that defines him now.
Today, Miguel calls Paradise Valley home as a husband, a father, and a man anchored in family. In a town filled with stars, his story stands out for its quiet consistency. A love that began in sixth grade. A marriage nearing two decades. A life intentionally built after the roar of stadiums faded.
To Miguel, success is no longer measured in accolades. It’s measured in presence.
For our Love Issue, Miguel shares what matters most now, the life built after baseball, and the partnership at the center of it all.
HOW DID YOU AND YOUR WIFE FIRST MEET, AND WHAT MADE YOUR RECONNECTION FEEL LIKE THE MOMENT TIMING FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO THE TWO OF YOU?
We met back in sixth grade in elementary school. We went to school together and then lost touch for a period of time. We reconnected when we were around 18 years old, and it felt like the timing was finally right. We’ve now been married for 19 years.
YOU LIVED THE WHIRLWIND OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL. WHAT DID REAL PARTNERSHIP LOOK LIKE ONCE THE NOISE, TRAVEL, AND PRESSURE OF MLB FELL AWAY?
Life became much quieter. I stayed busy taking the kids to school and their sports, but it was still an adjustment. After doing something intense for so long, having it suddenly stop took time to get used to.
HOW DID STEPPING OUT OF THE LEAGUE CHANGE YOU AS A HUSBAND? WHAT SHIFTED IN THE WAY YOU SHOW UP AT HOME?
It was a different routine. My wife might answer this better than I could, but we definitely spent more time together. I don’t regret any of it. Being around my family more made me love it even more. Being a dad and being present is priceless.
DESCRIBE A NORMAL DAY IN PARADISE VALLEY FOR YOUR FAMILY NOW. WHAT DOES THIS CHAPTER FEEL LIKE COMPARED TO YOUR PLAYING YEARS?
Paradise Valley is just home. It doesn’t define who I am. It’s a good, safe environment for my kids, but I want
them to understand not to take anything for granted. I worked hard to get here, and I want them to learn to work hard for their own future.
DO YOUR KIDS PLAY BASEBALL, AND HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU?
Yes, they play sports, and I really enjoy watching. I don’t feel the need to jump in or coach. I’d rather sit back and let them have fun. I went through the grind, and I don’t want to put that pressure on them.
WHAT DO YOU TELL PARENTS AND YOUNG ATHLETES WHO DREAM OF GOING PRO?
It’s a long road that takes dedication, courage, and responsibility. Parents need to know if it’s really the kid’s passion or just pressure. I want my kids to be who they want to be and to always do their best, nothing more.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT YOUR DIAMONDBACKS YEARS, WHAT MOMENT STILL HITS YOU EMOTIONALLY?
The Diamondbacks are true love for me. They gave me my first opportunity at 16 years old out of Venezuela. Every step of the way with that organization is emotional. I’ll always be a Diamondback.
IF YOU COULD RELIVE ONE MOMENT FROM YOUR CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I wouldn’t relive or change anything. I learned from the good times and even more from the bad times. Every step was part of the learning process, and I’m still learning today.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT LIFE AFTER BASEBALL?
I realized how much we take for granted what mothers do. Being home every day, taking kids everywhere, it’s a grind sometimes bigger than baseball. I truly respect my wife, my mom, and all moms. I love being home and being a dad.
WHAT DOES ROMANCE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU NOW?
Valentine’s Day is just a date on the calendar. Any day can be special. We keep it simple and believe the small daily gestures matter more than one big day.
WHAT DOES A DATE NIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE?
We’re pretty simple. Dinners, family gatherings, or cookouts at friends’ houses. We should probably do more date nights, but we enjoy keeping things relaxed.
CONTINUED >
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOUR WIFE BRINGS OUT IN YOU THAT BASEBALL NEVER COULD?
I cook a lot more now than I ever did before. We help each other out and push each other. After so many years together, teamwork at home matters most.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF AS A COUPLE?
The family we’ve built. Great kids, a strong partnership, and constantly push ing each other to be better. We’re proud of what we’ve built and continue working to be our best selves.
WHAT WAS YOUR WALK-UP SONG, AND WHAT WOULD IT BE TODAY?
My walk-up song was fun, entertaining, and fans loved it. I’d probably pick the same song today.
WHO WAS YOUR BASEBALL HERO GROWING UP, AND WHO DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING NOW?
I grew up watching Andres Galarraga, Omar Vizquel, and Ivan Rodriguez. Now I enjoy watching Perdomo and Corbin Carroll with the Diamondbacks.
WHAT LESSON DO YOU HOPE YOUR KIDS ABSORB FROM THE GAME?
Be responsible, be on time, and have a strong work ethic. I see that especially in my daughter Camilla. Her work ethic is off the charts. That’s what I want for all my kids.
Whether your plans include fun at the Phoenix Open or Spring Training, hosting friends for the big game, or a special night out with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, Let our Hive BEE your Village!
Download the app to join our Hive!
An Op-Ed on Love Beyond Loss
ARTICLE BY LORRAINE TALLMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MCKINDREE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Some love stories arrive all at once. Others take decades, circling, pausing, letting life unfold, before finally finding their way home.
Ours began in the late 1980s at a trade show in Chicago. I was setting up my booth when Jeff kept walking by, making small circles until finally he stopped, smiled, and said hello. He confessed he was a vendor too and simply wanted to meet me. That simple moment turned into an easy friendship, one built on laughter, long hours on concrete floors, and the kind of camaraderie only a “trade show family” understands. Over the years, we crossed paths at shows, referred customers to one another, and became a familiar comfort in an exhausting world.
Life, as it often does, took us in different directions.
I married, became a mother of three, and later found myself a single mom with children aged two, four, and six. Jeff and I tried to date long distance, every other
weekend, shared trade shows, but love alone couldn’t compete with reality. As much as I adored him, I let go and moved forward.
Years later, life would ask more of me than I ever imagined. I remarried a wonderful man, Marty, and together we built a beautiful life. Three years into our marriage, our precious daughter Amanda was diagnosed with leukemia. After a courageous three year battle, a brief remission, and then a devastating brain tumor diagnosis, Amanda Hope lost her fight at just twelve years old. Four years of relentless courage, faith, and love shaped our family forever.
The toll was immeasurable. A few years later, Marty, my rock through it all, passed away from stomach cancer. Out of unimaginable loss, our family foundation Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, was how I got out of bed every morning. I devoted my life to supporting families walking the same painful road we once traveled.
CONTINUED >
“It goes beyond becoming Jeff’s bride, it’s my mother’s smile. After years of worry, she knows I am finally safe, loved, and cared for.”
I did not expect love to find me again.
Years after Marty’s passing, I returned to the trade show world I had known for twenty years, searching for butterflies for mindfulness kits for our foundation. Across the crowded floor, I heard my name shouted, and there was Jeff. My old friend. The one whose heart I once broke. The one who felt like a piece of another lifetime.
It felt as though a cloud lifted from both of us.
Jeff was still in the wholesale business, still unmistakably himself. He even had photos on his phone from our early days, thirty five years later. We stayed in touch after that meeting in Las Vegas, especially
as he began sending back to school supplies and donations to Amanda Hope. My staff would laugh and ask, “Who is this Jeff guy? He’s earning serious brownie points.”
But what returned wasn’t just kindness, it was familiarity. Comfort. Laughter. A voice I had always known.
After a few months, Jeff gently asked if we should see whether there was still a connection between us. I agreed, thinking we were simply good friends. When he suggested our first date, he insisted it shouldn’t be New York or Phoenix. Instead, he asked a daring question, “Have you ever been to London?”
Neither of us had. So we went.
It was bold. Risky. What if the magic wasn’t there? I told myself that at the very least, I would be traveling with a friend. Instead, London gave us everything, Hamilton, Harrods, my birthday, quiet walks, laughter, and a feeling that had been waiting patiently for decades. When I returned home, we kept talking. Jeff invited me to New York for Christmas and New Year’s, with one request from me, this Jewish girl from the Bronx would need a Christmas tree and a menorah. He happily agreed. That holiday, with Broadway shows, museums, Central Park, and my daughters by my side, felt like something sacred was unfolding. I think Jeff knew if my daughters did not like him, we would never make it.
“I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING YOU BECOME HEALTHY,ADVENTUROUS & CONFIDENT IN LIFE.”
Falling in love again was not easy.
Grief doesn’t disappear just because joy returns. I pulled away on anniversaries. On heavenly birthdays. Sometimes Jeff would be visiting, and I would abruptly ask him to leave. Yet he stayed, emotionally, patiently, unwaveringly. He made me laugh when I thought I couldn’t. He listened endlessly. One day he told me simply, “My life is better with you in it. I’ll take you anyway I can.”
He loved me in my broken places.
The moment I knew I was truly ready came at our Night of Hope gala last year. It was Marty’s birthday and the twelfth anniversary of Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels. As I stood sharing my journey, I looked down to see Jeff comforting my daughters. In that instant, I felt certain, Amanda and Marty had sent him to us. Not to replace love, but to help heal it.
“He loved me in my broken places. Love after loss is possible.”
Jeff honors Amanda every day. In retirement, he poured his heart into our foundation, packing comfort kits, sourcing toys and backpacks, using his import export expertise to help us reach families across the country. His love for our little warriors deepened our bond in ways words can’t capture.
When Jeff proposed, it was Valentine’s week in New York. Surrounded by friends before a performance of Anastasia , he raised a toast, spoke of his love, and asked me to marry him. I cried before I could answer. He smiled and asked, “Is that a yes?” It was. My daughters and parents had already given their blessing, creating a true circle of healing for both our families.
Our wedding is more than a celebration, it is a testament.
On December 31st, before ringing in 2026, we stood beneath a chuppah, honoring Jeff’s parents who are now in heaven and embracing the sacred beauty of Jewish tradition. Amanda was present through butterflies, photos, and words spoken by our Rabbi. She is, and always will be, part of us.
What takes my breath away most isn’t just becoming Jeff’s bride, it’s my mother’s smile. After years of worry, she knows I am finally safe, loved, and cared for.
Today, love means something different than it once did. It is not assumed. It is treasured. It is knowing tomorrow is never promised and choosing gratitude anyway. I have been blessed to be deeply loved by two husbands in one lifetime.
Love after loss is possible.
Your Angels want you to be happy. Watch for signs. Miracles are always closer than you think. As Amanda would always say “Big Hugs.”
amandahope.org
Where Remembrance Meets Renewal
A family-friendly day of light, love, and legacy
This spring, Tristan’s Trees will host its inaugural Festival of Hope, a community gathering rooted in remembrance, healing, and light. The organization was founded by Dr. Sheridan James after the devastating loss of her son to stillbirth, a loss that forever changed her life and ultimately shaped her purpose.
Out of profound grief, Dr. James created Tristan’s Trees to honor children lost too soon and to support families navigating the quiet and often misunderstood pain of stillbirth and child loss. Today, as a mother to daughters, she carries Tristan’s memory forward by instilling compassion, resilience, and hope, ensuring his legacy lives on through both family and community.
The Festival of Hope marks the foundation’s first public community event, intentionally designed to be welcoming and family centered. It creates space for grief to be acknowledged while allowing joy, connection, and healing to exist alongside remembrance. This inaugural gathering invites the broader community to stand with families who have experienced loss and to help bring visibility to a conversation that deserves care and attention. From loss came purpose. From remembrance comes hope.
PROVIDED
INAUGURAL FESTIVAL OF HOPE
Sunday, March 1st, 2026
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Hopi Elementary School 5110 E Lafayette Blvd Phoenix, AZ 85018
A family friendly community event featuring music, inflatables, a petting zoo, crafts, and opportunities to connect, all in support of Tristan’s Trees and its mission to provide living memorial trees to families who have experienced stillbirth or child loss.
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There is no language for the moment a parent loses a child. There is only the long walk afterward. For Shannon, that walk began three years ago, after losing her daughter Maddie in a battle with her mental health at just fourteen years old. The kind of loss that breaks time into before and after. The kind that reshapes every breath. And yet, from the deepest place of grief, something quietly extraordinary emerged. A children’s book
written from Maddie’s own spiritual perspective. A mother’s act of love. A message of hope for families walking the same impossible road. Shannon’s book, Always With You: A Short Story of My Spiritual Journey That Brought Comfort and Healing to My Family, is now available on Amazon. It was born from the signs she felt from her daughter and the belief that Maddie is still present in her life every day.
LOVE, MEMORY, AND THE COURAGE TO KEEP LIVING AFTER LOSS.
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
“My inspiration for writing this book was the amazing signs from my daughter and the idea that she is always with us,” Shannon says. “Knowing she is always around and helping is such a comfort. I wanted to create a book to help the siblings of children who have passed. I wanted them to know their brother or sister is still with them. They now have a different type of relationship.”
Her son Brandon was only eleven when Maddie passed. In the months that followed, Shannon felt an overwhelming need to give him something more than words. Something that could meet him in the quiet places grief reaches. Something that would remind him that love does not disappear when a body does.
“I also wanted my daughter to be remembered. She only had fourteen short years on this Earth. I want everyone to know her story. My goal is not only to live for myself, but to live for her as well.”
Writing the book did not come immediately. It took nearly a year before Shannon could begin.
“I felt and still feel such a strong spiritual connection to Maddie that I needed to share with everyone what gave me such comfort. Grief is such a personal journey and what helps one may not help another, but I felt so compelled to try to help other grieving families. I felt like I had Maddie’s strength to help me along.”
For Shannon, the most meaningful part of the process was simple and profound.
“To see her memory live on in print. To know that other people will read about her and how she helps us every day puts such a smile on my face. Her story helping people is a wonderful thing to experience.”
Her message for children is tender and steady.
“I hope that children know their brother or sister is still with them, just in a different way. Not physically but spiritually. I want them to know their loved ones want them to be happy and that you can still find hope and joy among the grief and sorrow.”
And for parents trying to navigate conversations that feel impossible, Shannon speaks with the wisdom grief teaches.
What began as a deeply private act of survival soon became something much larger. When other grieving parents began reaching out, telling her how much the book comforted them, Shannon realized Maddie’s story was doing what she had always hoped.
“I honestly didn’t realize it until I heard from other grieving parents that the book was very comforting and very different from other books about grief.”
“Communication is so important. Everyone will deal with their grief differently. My husband, son, and myself all grieve in different ways. Keeping lines of communication open is key so there aren’t fractures in the family.”
The book became part of Shannon’s own healing.
“Writing this book absolutely helped me. I felt Maddie with me every step of the way. I was always reminded of Maddie’s sweet spirit with each page and illustration.”
Her central truth is this.
“Your loved one is still with you. Dealing with the loss of their physical body is extremely hard. It is a matter of realizing you now have a different relationship, a spiritual one. They want you to be happy.”
When asked what helped her take her first steps forward as a mother, Shannon does not pretend it was easy.
“That first year after her passing was such a blur. Some days are hard and some days are good. I choose to live for Maddie and try to make the best of every day.”
CONTINUED >
“Living for Maddie makes me happy.
Being happy is the best way I can think to honor her.”
She continues to show up not because it is simple, but because love demands it.
“I can either let the grief get me and just sit and wallow or sit in my grief for a bit and get back to life. I choose the latter. I have an amazing husband and son.
Living for Maddie makes me happy. Being happy is the best way I can think to honor her.”
Even her cookie business carries Maddie’s fingerprint.
“I was one year into my business when Maddie passed. I almost quit. Then I realized quitting does not honor
my daughter or my efforts. I took a break and came back to baking. I have created a cookie in honor of Maddie. She used to taste test everything. Baking has been my love for over thirty years.”
What she hopes people feel when they taste them is the same thing she hopes families feel when they read Maddie’s story.
“Love. Purpose. Comfort. Hope.”
Because for Shannon, love did not end when Maddie left this world. It simply learned how to stay.
Sugar & Chip AZ is a beloved local home bakery known for unforgettable cookies, created by Arizona native Shannon, whose 25-year passion blends comfort, craft, and purpose. Honoring her daughter Maddie, she launched the Maddie Melde Foundation and authored Always With You Order her cookies and taste the love: sugarandchipaz.com
A Mother–Daughter Love Story for Anyone who Carries the Loss of a Parent
ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
Meg H. Seoane has spent years returning to the early moments, trying to understand when her mother first began to change. Not to relive them, but to make sense of what happened. To answer the questions she once carried into doctor’s offices. To explain what could never quite be explained.
“It all becomes more clear in retrospect,” she says now. “But in the moment, it’s next to impossible to see the first signs clearly. My advice to anyone going through this is to give yourself grace.”
Her mother had always been precise, thoughtful, deeply intentional in the way she lived. In her early sixties, with three daughters grown and married, she decided to give each of them a handwritten cookbook. Every recipe carefully copied by hand so no daughter would feel more special than another. It was exactly the kind of thing she would do.
But when Meg and her sisters began using the books, something felt off. Recipes were repeated. Some were missing. Measurements drifted. The woman who never missed a detail was suddenly losing them.
They laughed about it. They filled in the blanks together. Only later would Meg realize the cookbook was the first goodbye.
Then came the subtler changes. Her mother withdrew from crowds. She spoke less. She seemed sad. It felt reasonable to blame the stage of life. The youngest daughter had just moved out. The house was suddenly quiet. Nothing about it seemed urgent.
Until the day Meg delivered her third child.
Recovering from a C section, she needed her mother to help with driving. The woman who had flown around the world for decades could no longer follow simple directions.
“Slowly, then quite suddenly, it hit me,” Meg says. “It was cognitive.”
From there, the unraveling accelerated. Doctors missed the diagnosis. Anxiety was suggested. Then more medication. Meg knew something was wrong, even when no one could name it yet. By the time they reached the USF Byrd Alzheimer’s and Research Center in Florida, her mother was already in moderate to severe stages of the disease. Even now, Meg says, they never truly learned what caused the neurodegeneration.
Still, there was much of her mother that remained.
Among her daughters, she had always been known as the baby whisperer. Newborns who defeated everyone else somehow settled in her arms. No amount of colic could outlast her patience. Even as the disease took pieces of her memory, that gift never left her.
“So she couldn’t cook anymore or host large gatherings,” Meg says, “but the key to unlocking this new phase was finding and highlighting the ways she could instinctively feel valuable.”
Meg learned to look for what stayed. To stop measuring loss and start noticing presence.
“You never really lose the person while they’re here,” she says. “You are continually meeting them in the present moment, trying to honor who they are now, not who they used to be.”
Their relationship changed shape. Conversations grew shorter. Activities became simpler. They happily sang along together to
CONTINUED >
“You never lose the person while they are here. You meet them again and again in the present, learning to honor who they are now, not who they were.”
The Sound of Music. They laughed at America’s Funniest Videos. They learned to connect in the spaces that still existed.
“We needed her to know she still held an honored place in our family,” Meg says.
Her father never left her mother’s side. He became her caregiver, her constant, her witness. Meg watched the man who had built his life with this woman now build his days around her care.
When her mother passed, the loss did not feel sudden. It felt like the end of a very long vigil.
Meg was 44 when her mother died. The older she gets, the younger that sounds. At the time, her children were between 5 and 15, and the family was split across the country. She had just moved to Phoenix when everything back home became unbearably hard.
“I held a lot of it to myself,” Meg says. “It’s a really sad thing to talk about when you’re meeting new people. But if I could go back and give myself advice, it would be this: be open about the things that are hard in your life so people can help you.”
Grief stayed. It did not leave when the hospital visits ended. It did not quiet with time. It simply changed form.
Faith became one of the anchors that carried her through. A neighbor across the street taught her how to pray the rosary. Neighbors who were not Catholic joined. One of her closest friends, who is Jewish, sat beside her after her mother passed and prayed as well. It was her way of honoring Meg’s mother. Different faith, same intention.
When Meg finally returned to Phoenix after her mother’s death, the moment that met her at baggage claim stayed with her forever.
“My kids ran toward me,” she says. “Being wrapped up in them and in my sweet husband’s bear hug, I have never felt so safe. At the end of the day, that is everything. Your family.”
Meg did not want her mother’s story to disappear when the disease was over. She did not want the learning, the staying, the caring to end in silence. She needed somewhere for all of it to go.
That need became Croquet for a Cure.
Not as a project. Not as an event idea. But as an extension of a life that had shaped her.
What began as a small gathering grew into something much larger. Over the years, the event has raised more than $260,000 for Alzheimer’s research, patient care, and the new Cognitive Care Clinic at the Bob Bove Neuroscience Institute in Old Town Scottsdale. But the numbers were never the point.
The point was the people.
The families.
The conversations.
The quiet understanding that forms between those who recognize pieces of themselves in one another’s stories.
Meg carries her mother with her now in everything she does. In the way she listens when another woman begins telling a story she recognizes too well. In the way she notices the small details that matter. In the patience she offers, not as something learned, but as something inherited.
Healing also arrived in motion often through hiking. Meg looks for heart shaped rocks and leaves them where others can easily find them. Sometimes she returns later and finds they have been moved or piled together. CONTINUED >
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“It’s my quiet Godwink,” she says. “A guardian angel moment that makes me smile and think of my parents. It feels like forever and a blink at the same time since I’ve had them next to me.”
At home in Arcadia, she is raising her own children inside that same quiet philosophy of presence. They know their grandmother’s story. They understand that love is not always loud. Sometimes it is sitting beside someone and staying. Sometimes it is learning how to hold joy and sorrow at the same time. They have grown up watching their mother build something meaningful from what she lost, and in doing so, they have learned what it means to live with intention.
Croquet for a Cure now threads through her everyday life. It shows up in school conversations, in community gatherings, in the way neighbors and friends step closer when someone’s family begins walking a road Meg knows well. There is no separation between the woman she is at home and the woman who leads this effort. It is all one life.
Each year, when the event returns, Meg watches people arrive with their own stories. Some come hopeful. Some exhausted. Some quietly afraid. Over the course of the day, conversations unfold that do not happen easily anywhere else. People talk about their parents, their spouses, their children. They talk about fear. They talk about memory. They talk about what they are trying to hold onto. And in those moments, Meg sees what her mother’s life has become.
Not something that ended.
Something that continues.
There is one truth Meg wishes more families understood earlier in the Alzheimer’s journey. Acceptance is the great turning point. The diagnosis is terrifying, and it is tempting to resist it. But without acceptance, you cannot let go of the life you thought you would have and begin learning new ways of connecting with the person you love.
“If I could have given my dad the gift of acceptance earlier, I would have,” Meg says. “It broke his heart to come to terms with the diagnosis. But once he truly understood it, he could release the expectations. As painful as that was, it allowed him to love her in ways that were still possible.”
When Meg thinks about her mother now, she no longer tries to locate the exact moment when things first changed. She understands that love did not disappear when memory did. It simply asked her to learn a new language. One built on presence, patience, and the decision to keep showing up even when the future feels uncertain.
That is the love she carries forward.
croquetforacure.org
An Evening Benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter
Friday, April 24 | Arizona Science Center
Emceed by PVCL’s Nadine Bubeck
As the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s surpasses 7 million for the first time, nearly 4 in 5 Americans say they would want to know if they had the disease early and would pursue treatment even with risks if it could slow progression, according to the 2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report.
“This year’s report finds that the impact of Alzheimer’s on Arizona residents and families is significant,” says Terri Spitz, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter. “We must advance awareness, research, and treatments that can slow the current trajectory and support Arizona families.”
A signature night of giving back, the Era of Hope Gala unites the Valley in support of families impacted by Alzheimer’s and all other dementia, raising critical funds for care, research, and support.
Why It Matters
• 151,500 Arizonans 65+ living with Alzheimer’s
• Recent data reflects a notable rise in deaths related to Alzheimer’s disease.
• 240,000 unpaid caregivers
Learn more: alz.org/dsw Gala Tickets: alz.org/EraofHopeGala
Where Savvy Sippers Escape Reality for Valentine’s Dates and Galentine’s Nights
If you’ve ever stepped inside Century Grand and felt as though you had crossed not just a doorway but a threshold in time, you have already encountered the work of Alexander Montoya.
As Bar Chef for Barter & Shake, the creative force behind Sunny’s Cocktail Lounge, Undertow, Century Grand, Platform 18, and Grey Hen Rx, Alexander does not simply design cocktail menus. He builds worlds. Each venue becomes its own living story, complete with setting, emotional tone, and an experience that transports guests far beyond Scottsdale.
“At the heart of what we do is hospitality,”
Alexander says. “Century Grand is immersive and celebratory. Every room is built to honor a specific time period and culture, all rooted in exceptional hospitality.”
That philosophy extends directly into the cocktail program. The drinks are not just beverages. They are narrative tools. Every ingredient, technique, and historical reference is selected to tell the story of a place and a moment in time. For those who appreciate savvy sipping, Century Grand is the kind of destination where cocktails become conversation and the experience becomes the centerpiece of the night. It is exactly what makes it an ideal Valentine’s date night or Galentine’s gathering. Whether you arrive dressed to the nines with someone you love or step in with a group of friends ready to toast the evening, the energy feels celebratory, elevated, and quietly electric.
Alexander’s creative process begins with what he calls “Optimistic Creativity.”
“Inspiration can start anywhere,” he explains. “A new spirit, a candy I haven’t had in years, a song I just discovered. Anything can become the beginning of a new cocktail.”
That openness fuels everything he creates. He draws inspiration from nearly everything around him, allowing memory, culture, flavor, and emotion to guide each new concept.
“I love finding inspiration everywhere,” he says. “Staying open allows me to keep creating and finding beauty in everything.”
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Inside Century Grand, each room becomes its own creative universe. Platform 18 centers on storytelling, rebellion, and extravagance, with menus designed to allow the team to act as both guides and narrators. Undertow is rooted in reverence for history, tiki culture, whimsy, and layered detail, complete with easter eggs for guests who love to dive deep into the lore. Grey Hen focuses on flavor, comfort, and ease, creating a space where guests can arrive without reservation and always find something familiar and welcoming.
“Storytelling is deeply rooted in everything we do,” Alexander says. “Hours of research go into making sure the story is told in a respectful and meaningful way. We are not just telling my story. We are telling stories of heroes and rebels people may have never heard of. We explore deep cultural connections, like those between Germany and Mexico, or the celebration of Asian influence on South American cuisine. Stories surround us. Having a medium to tell them through cocktails is a privilege.” Behind every menu is a tremendous amount of experimentation. Since inspiration can come from anywhere, the creative process is constant testing, learning, and refining.
“Experimentation is one of my favorite phases,” Alexander says. “It’s where I learn the most, and where I get to teach the most. My optimism allows me to not get discouraged when things don’t work out.”
What excites him most in the industry today is watching people weave themselves into their work.
“I’m beginning to see so many people weave themselves into what they write,” he says. “Stories from their past, ingredients from their ancestors, jokes from their friends. I think it creates such a personal and beautiful path forward for celebrating diversity and inclusion in our industry.”
If there is one cocktail that best represents the spirit of Alexander’s approach, it is the Royal Danish Navy.
“The Royal Danish Navy represents everything we love about storytelling,” he says.
Inspired by the deep cultural history shared between Germany and Mexico, the cocktail features dill seed–infused Charanda, Jägermeister, passion fruit, pineapple, orange, epazote, and an upsidedown Underberg. Underberg itself is an icon of German beer culture, and lager brewing was brought to Mexico by German
immigrants in the 1880s, eventually leading to the creation of brands like Corona, Modelo, and Dos Equis. Even a single cocktail becomes a lesson in history, culture, and connection.
For Alexander, cocktails are simply the medium.
“Cocktails are the medium,” he says. “The real craft is the experience and how a guest feels when they are completely transported.”
Whether it is a romantic night out, a celebratory girls’ night, or one unforgettable evening of savoring something special together, Alexander continues to remind Scottsdale that the best nights are the ones where every detail tells a story.
Film Star
A glamorous tribute to Josephine Baker, reimagining the classic Vesper with only French spirits. Served with a martini and a playful bowl of caramel corn.
Westside Cowboy
A bold, Southwestern-rooted cocktail inspired by the legendary “West Avenue Cowboys,” featuring Garrison Brothers bourbon, custom cowboy tea, grapefruit, Arizona wildflower honey, and spiced pecans.
Three Star Harbor
A jewel-toned tiki showstopper built on Planetary 3 Star rum from Barbados, Trinidad, and Jamaica, layered with cream sherry, yuzu, falernum, ube, and Undertow’s famous orgeat.
Royal Danish Navy
A global story in a glass, blending dill seed–infused Charanda, Jägermeister, passion fruit, pineapple, orange, epazote, and an upside-down Underberg, finished with fresh mint.
Café Con Cubano
A grown-up take on coffee and cigars with Café Bustelo–infused vodka, tobacco bitters, cold brew, orange agricole shrub, and Borghetti coffee liqueur.
bartershake.com
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MEET PINYON’S FLAVOR ARCHITECT
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY PINYON
In every issue of PVCL, we play 21 Questions with an esteemed Valley chef. This month, we’re hanging with Chef Erika Gonzalez of Hi Noon Hospitality, the culinary force behind Scottsdale’s Mediterranean-inspired Pinyon. Known for coastal flavors, live-fire cooking, and ingredient-driven menus, Erika brings calm intensity and creative depth to everything she does.
1. WHERE DID YOUR CULINARY JOURNEY BEGIN?
Growing up watching my family, especially my grandmothers, cook meals that brought everyone together.
2. DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WANTED TO COOK PROFESSIONALLY? No. It happened organically when I got my first kitchen job, and once I started, I never looked back.
3. WHO ARE YOUR CULINARY INFLUENCES?
The people I cooked alongside every day. We learned from each other constantly.
4. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE FOOD WAS YOUR PATH?
Subconsciously as a kid, but consciously once I entered a kitchen and became obsessed with technique and growth.
5. HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH PINYON?
Mediterranean cuisine aligned naturally with our philosophy of fresh ingredients and intentional cooking.
6. WHICH MEDITERRANEAN REGION SPEAKS TO YOU MOST?
Eastern Mediterranean. It’s honest, confident food where technique supports the ingredient.
7. WHAT LESSON FROM MEDITERRANEAN FOOD CULTURE STAYED WITH YOU MOST?
Simplicity as a discipline. Food is about connection, seasonality, and letting ingredients speak.
8. WHAT DOES COMMUNITY MEAN TO YOU IN COOKING?
Cooking creates belonging. In the kitchen and at the table, it’s about connection.
9. WHAT IS IT LIKE COOKING ON THE JOSPER GRILL?
It’s controlled fire. Deep smokiness, intense heat, beautiful caramelization.
10. WHAT DOES LIVE-FIRE COOKING UNLOCK?
Bold, charred, juicy food full of character.
11. WHICH DISHES ARE TRANSFORMED MOST BY THE JOSPER?
Proteins, vegetables, and fish. It elevates simplicity.
12. FIRST-TIME VISIT: WHAT MUST GUESTS ORDER?
The hummusiya with house-baked pita, then something off the grill.
13. WHAT INSPIRED THE HUMMUSIYA MENU?
Hummus is a centerpiece in the Mediterranean. It’s communal, fresh, and rooted in tradition.
14. WHICH DISH FEELS MOST LIKE YOU?
The grilled vegetables. Simple, restrained, and ingredient-led.
15. HOW DO YOU BALANCE BOLD SPICES, SMOKE, AND COASTAL FRESHNESS?
Balance. Nothing dominates. Everything works together.
16. WHAT SPARKS YOUR CREATIVITY?
Letting the ingredient lead and editing until the dish feels honest.
17. WHAT ARE YOU OBSESSED WITH RIGHT NOW?
Live-fire cooking, preserved citrus, cultured dairy, fresh herbs, and great olive oil.
18. HOW DO YOU WANT GUESTS TO FEEL AFTER DINING AT PINYON?
Nourished, inspired, and genuinely seen.
19. WHAT KITCHEN CULTURE DO YOU AIM TO CREATE?
High standards without ego. Hard work, generosity, and memorable food.
20. WHAT IS ONE LEADERSHIP LESSON YOU VALUE?
Listening is just as important as directing.
21. WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
My mornings are very intentional. I start with meditation and a walk with my dogs.
pinyonrestaurant.com
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A curated journey through four destinations redefining romance and connection, where culture and charm collide
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
The City of Brotherly Love
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia is one of the newest Four Seasons properties in the world and among the most architecturally ambitious the brand has ever created. The hotel occupies the top floors of the Comcast Technology Center, the tallest building in Philadelphia, and begins on the 60th floor. You are physically above the city, with uninterrupted, floor-to-ceiling views from every guest room and suite.
The property features 200+ rooms and suites, all wrapped in glass, making every stay a sky-level above-cloud experience. The Corner Suites are especially sought after, offering panoramic exposures with two full walls of windows.
On the 57th floor, the hotel’s infinity-edge pool stands as the highest hotel pool in the city and one of the most dramatic urban pools in the country. Just steps away, the spa continues the elevated experience with custom treatments, crystal elements, and an atmosphere built for genuine restoration.
Dining anchors the property as one of Philadelphia’s most significant culinary destinations.
At the top of the building sits Jean-Georges Philadelphia, led by world-renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The experience begins in the sky-high cocktail lounge, one of the most coveted rooms in the city, and continues into the refined main dining room where the menu blends global technique with seasonal precision. Evenings in the lobby often include live music performed by local high school students, a tradition that reflects the property’s deep connection to community and culture.
At street level, Vernick Fish, from James Beard Awardwinning Chef Greg Vernick, has become one of the city’s most celebrated dining rooms, known for its pristine seafood program, inventive oysters, and coastal-driven American cuisine. Vernick Coffee Bar completes the experience with house-made pastries, espresso, and daytime fare that feels seamlessly integrated into the rhythm of the city.
The property is also notably family friendly. Children are welcomed with personalized arrival treats and small in-room gifts, and the service team adapts each stay with a level of thoughtfulness that allows parents to enjoy the full Four Seasons experience without compromise.
1. Walk Philly’s historic streets and visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall
2. Explore the Philadelphia Museum of Art and run the Rocky Steps
3. Stroll Rittenhouse Square and browse Walnut Street boutiques
4. Visit the Barnes Foundation for one of the world’s most extraordinary art collections
5. Wander Reading Terminal Market for local food, pastries, and people watching fourseasons.com/philadelphia
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If you want the energy of Waikiki with the space, privacy, and comfort of a true residence, this is where you stay.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach sits in one of the most walkable and desirable locations in Waikiki. You are just steps from the beach, world-class shopping, dining, and nightlife. Yet the moment you enter the open-air lobby, everything feels calmer, quieter, and elevated, with ocean breezes and natural light setting the tone.
This is not a traditional resort hotel. Every accommodation is a spacious condo-style suite, available in one, two, three, and four bedroom layouts. The suites are built for living.
Accommodations flaunt sweeping ocean views, private balconies, kitchens ammenities, expansive living areas, and in-suite laundry. For couples, families, and longer stays, this setup offers a level of flexibility and comfort that most Waikiki hotels simply cannot match.
The property recently completed a multi-phase, multi-million-dollar renovation that refreshed guest rooms, public spaces, dining areas, and amenities throughout the hotel. The experience now feels even more polished while maintaining the relaxed sophistication the brand is known for.
Two rooftop infinity pools crown the building, offering panoramic views over Waikiki, the Pacific Ocean, and the city skyline. One pool is reserved for adults, creating a serene retreat above the city, while the second pool is designed for families and includes a dedicated kids pool with a mini waterslide. From morning swims to sunset cocktails, the pool decks remain one of the most memorable features of the property.
Dining is anchored by Solera, the hotel’s newest restaurant, highlighting Hawaii regional cuisine prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. In the evenings, guests are invited to My Story of Oahu, a cultural program where a local Hawaiian language student shares traditional chant and personal stories that connect visitors to the island’s living heritage.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach combines the service and amenities of a five-star resort with the comfort and function of a private residence, all in the heart of one of the most iconic destinations in the world.
Waikiki: 5 Things to Do
1. Walk Waikiki Beach at sunrise and sunset, stopping at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue for classic island views
2. Stroll Kalakaua Avenue and browse luxury shops, island boutiques, cafés, and live entertainment
3. Explore International Market Place, home to a century-old banyan tree and one of Waikiki’s best open-air dining scenes
4. Visit the legendary Waikiki Sandbar, the world-famous shallow-water gathering place featured for decades in films, music videos, and global travel stories
5. Wander the Waikiki shoreline path for swimming, surfing, people watching, and uninterrupted Pacific views
ritzcarlton.com/waikiki
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Her concierge practice focuses on preventative and precision medicine, helping patients achieve optimal wellness through personalized, proactive care.
Members enjoy direct access to Dr. James via phone, text, email, or video visits—ensuring ongoing support and continuity of care beyond the traditional office setting
Where Modern Luxury Meets Midwestern Love
Loews Kansas City Hotel is one of the largest and most significant hotel developments in the city’s history. The property features 800 guest rooms and suites and sits directly connected to the Kansas City Convention Center via a newly built pedestrian bridge, placing guests at the center of the downtown corridor.
The hotel was designed as a destination in itself. Its interior architecture blends modern lines with warm materials, expansive public spaces, and floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the lobby and dining areas, creating a light-filled, urban atmosphere from morning through late night.
Dining anchors the experience:
The Stilwell is the hotel’s signature restaurant, paying homage to Kansas City’s railroad history with a menu built around great American classics, barbecue influences, and an extensive bourbon program.
Bar Stilwell, located in the lobby, serves custom cocktails and a creative take on American fare and remains one of the most active social spaces in the building throughout the evening.
Horsefeather Social overlooks the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and offers local cocktails, craft beer, and wine in a relaxed lounge setting ideal for pre-theater drinks.
The property’s newest addition, 1587 Prime, is located inside the hotel and anchors the dining scene with confidence.
Spanning two elegant floors and nearly 10,000 square feet, the contemporary steakhouse was created in partnership with NFL stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes and has quickly become one of the city’s most sought-after reservations.
Loews also offers a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor saltwater lap pool, and more than 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including the largest ballroom in Kansas City and a massive outdoor terrace overlooking the city.
Kansas City: 5 Things to Do
1. Explore the Crossroads Arts District and its galleries, boutiques, and street murals
2. Visit the National WWI Museum and Memorial
3. Catch live jazz in the historic 18th & Vine District
4. Walk the Country Club Plaza
5. Eat your way through Kansas City’s legendary BBQ scene
loewshotels.com/kansas-city-hotel
The Carolina Inn in North Carolina is simply a living chapter of Chapel Hill’s story. For nearly 100 years, The Carolina Inn has welcomed presidents, musicians, scholars, families, and couples beginning their own stories. What makes it extraordinary is not what it has changed, but what it has preserved: a sense of belonging, tradition, and quiet grace that continues to define Chapel Hill.
Built in 1924 by UNC alumnus and trustee John Sprunt Hill, the Inn was created as a home for the University’s alumni and visitors, a place meant to hold the life of the campus beyond classrooms and lecture halls. In 1935, Hill donated the property to the University of North Carolina, with all profits designated to support the University library and the North Carolina Collection. Nearly a century later, his vision still shapes the soul of the Inn.
Located directly on the edge of UNC’s historic campus, The Carolina Inn sits at the very heart of the University’s daily rhythm. Faculty meet for coffee in the lobby. Alumni return to celebrate milestones. Students pass by on tree-lined paths just outside the doors. Locals refer to it affectionately as “the University’s Living Room,” and it truly feels that way.
The property features 185 guest rooms and suites and holds a AAA Four Diamond designation. All throughout, layers of brick, warm wood, heirloom furnishings, and classic Southern textures create an atmosphere that feels both stately and deeply personal. Every corridor, sitting room, and gathering space is rich with intricate detail. From curated artwork and historic photographs to patterned fabrics, carved moldings, and thoughtfully placed antiques, the Inn feels less like a hotel and more like a beautifully preserved Southern estate. There is something undeniably romantic about the setting, a sense of stepping into another era where hospitality was an art and every design choice told a story. Tasteful and timeless.
Plus, the Inn’s flagship restaurant showcases refined Southern cuisine with seasonal ingredients and a carefully curated wine program, drawing guests and locals alike for long dinners and lingering conversations.
Chapel Hill: 5 Things to Do
1. Walk UNC’s historic campus and visit the Old Well
2. Explore the Ackland Art Museum
3. Browse Franklin Street’s bookstores, cafés, and boutiques
4. Visit the North Carolina Botanical Garden
5. Attend a performance at Memorial Hall
carolinainn.com
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Affiliated Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is a specialized dental practice offering pediatric care for children starting at one year of age, as well as orthodontic treatment for patients of all ages. For years, our team has been providing quality care and exceptional service, ensuring our patients a lifetime of dental health.
Six Locally Sourced Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him, Her, and the Kids
LT Custom Style
For V-Day, gift your man custom clothing designed exclusively for him. Spanning tailored suits, tuxedos, statement jackets and everyday wear, Lindsey creates garments that reflect confidence, character, and individuality. With over two decades of experience styling A-list athletes and celebrities like Aaron Judge, Brock Purdy and the The Thunderbirds, her approach is rooted in quality, precision, and personal service. Every piece is made-to-order with no inventory, allowing complete creative freedom. Check out her Old Town showroom, delivering a truly high-end, personalized experience from first fitting to final stitch.
ltcustomstyle.com
The Viridian Scottsdale
Preserved roses are real flowers carefully treated to maintain their natural beauty for years. At peak bloom, each rose is harvested and infused with a gentle, plant-based preservation solution that replaces moisture while retaining softness, color, and form. The result is a rose that looks freshly cut, with velvety petals and vibrant hues, yet requires no water or sunlight. Symbolizing enduring love and timeless elegance, preserved roses offer a sustainable alternative to fresh bouquets. They bring lasting warmth to any space, serving as a quiet reminder that beauty can be both delicate and enduring.
theviridianscottsdale.com
Taisiya’s Fashion
It’s a V-Day gift she’ll appreciate. The Elevated is Taisiya’s signature personal styling package designed for the sophisticated modern woman. The experience includes a private style consultation, closet edit, professional color and body analysis, and curated outfit planning with 20+ new looks created specifically for her, complete with direct shopping links.
taisiyasfashion.com
“Preserved roses are real flowers carefully treated to maintain their natural beauty for years. They bring lasting warmth to any space, serving as a quiet reminder that beauty can be both delicate and enduring.”
Garage Children’s Clothing Boutique
More than a one-stop shop for designer kids’ fashion, Old Town’s Garage Boutique & Concept Store is your go-to destination for unforgettable V-Day gifting, WMPO gear and crowd pleasing b-day gifting. Once inside the boutique doors, you’ll discover retro toys and candy, merchandised alongside Chloe for kids, Stella McCartney, graphic concert tees, hair bows, bracelets, Labubus, and charm-filled accessories for every age and style. There’s also a thoughtful mix of merchandise for mom like candles, coffee-table books, and chic treasures.
garageboutique.com
Myranda Fine Jewelry
A timeless gift with heartfelt meaning, diamond flower earrings blend the classic brilliance of diamonds with a soft, nature-inspired floral design. The result is a feminine silhouette that feels romantic, joyful, and forever in style. Diamonds symbolize love, strength, commitment, and beauty, while the flower motif adds a layer of renewal and growth. Perfect for everyday wear or special occasions, they offer effortless sparkle that lasts a lifetime.
myrandafinejewelry.com
Cordially
Cordially’s Valentine’s collection is filled with charm, sweetness, and timeless romance. Shop an assortment of collectible Jellycat stuffed animals; cozy, cuddly, and perfect for little loves, best friends, or anyone who appreciates a comforting keepsake. Paired beautifully with them are the beloved Lori Mitchell Valentine figurines, known for their whimsical expressions, vintage-inspired style, and hand-painted details. Together, the collection creates joyful, thoughtful gifts that celebrate Valentine’s Day with warmth, personality, and a touch of whimsy.
cordiallyphoenix.com
“A timeless gift with heartfelt meaning, diamond flower earrings blend the classic brilliance of diamonds with a soft, natureinspired floral design.”
Every month, we love sharing what’s new, what’s next, and what’s unfolding across our PVCL community.
Join PVCL owner and publisher Nadine Bubeck on her nationally syndicated podcast, Now with Nadine. Featuring athletes, actors, and entrepreneurs, each episode offers a candid, BTS look at their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. ICYMI…
January cover girl Brooke Burke joined us for an unfiltered conversation now streaming on the pod, continuing the story from our January issue and offering a rare, relaxed look at Brooke’s life, work, and everything in between.
Airing this month...
Leading the lineup, this month’s cover stars Mark Kerr and Francie Alberding join Nadine in studio for an intimate, deeply personal conversation. The discussion unfolds in the midst of their major motion picture The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson
Also, as featured in this issue, Chad and Jackie Dunn share their powerful journey from prison to performance in an unfiltered love story. In addition, we sit down with Avi and Sheri Azoulay of Regal American Homes for a deeper look at the partnership and purpose behind their success.
All episodes stream everywhere.
PURELY PVCL ON IG @PARADISEVALLEYCITYLIFESTYLE
Our Purely PVCL video series on Instagram is dedicated to telling stories beyond the pages of the magazine and giving you a multimedia look at our incredible partners. You’ll also find updates, spotlights, and community moments we love sharing.
If you’re a PVCL partner, mark your calendar for our annual anniversary celebration on 2.24.26. It’s going to be awesome.
PVCL’s Nadine Bubeck is honored to serve as MC for the Alzheimer’s Association Era of Hope Gala this April. VIP tickets are available now: eraofhope.givesmart.com
If you would like to join our publication, platform and community, we’d love to hear from you: Nadine.bubeck@ citylifestyle.com
March Home Issue, because there’s truly no place like home.
At Sunstone Wealth Management, we believe financial success is built through alignment. As your central coordinator, we help keep every member of your wealth team connected, informed, and working toward the same goal: your long-term success.
Your wealth team should include:
role is to lead, simplify, and integrate the process so your entire team moves in one direction.
