Wheels, Deals and Meals

This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, host Arnold Gacita talks to self made King of the Desert Tim Rogers. The founder and CEO of The Thermal Club in Southern California. Tim explained how he ran water utilities in Anchorage, blended crude oil in the California desert, supplied gasoline to more than 11,000 7-Eleven stores, and built a 487-acre racetrack that Ferrari and BMW now call home. He’ll tell you, without much prompti...

What happens when a high-earning healthcare director walks away from security to follow a divine media calling? This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, host Arnold Garcia turns the tables on Miami media personality Janel Baez. Raised in Miami by Cuban immigrant parents, Janel spent years climbing the corporate ladder in healthcare sales and communications before making a high-stakes leap of faith. She shares her journey of going bac...

What does it take to grow a home office startup into one of Houston’s largest minority-owned heavy civil construction empires? This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, we sit down with Gregg Reyes, President and CEO of Reytec Construction Resources, Inc. Growing up as number eight of ten children in Denver Harbor with three brothers serving in Vietnam simultaneously, Gregg’s relentless work ethic was forged early on. From...

What happens when a high-level math student reads an absurdist French play and decides to ditch business school for the stage? This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, we sit down on stage at the historic Alley Theatre with its visionary Artistic Director, Rob Melrose. Drawing from nearly 38 years of theatrical mastery, Rob opens up about how reading Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit completely redirected his life away from business s...

Hook: What does it take to manage a full-scale creative manufacturing empire behind the curtain? This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, we sit down on the stage of the Alley Theatre with its powerhouse new managing director, Jennifer Bielstein. With eight months under her belt leading one of America’s most historic regional theaters, Jennifer’s homecoming is a full-circle moment for a Texas girl who first found her thea...

What does a global logistics strategy manager do when he buys the world’s number-one rated cigar lounge?

This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, we set up shop in one of our absolute favorite places on the planet: Blend Bar in The Woodlands. But this isn't just another look inside the humidors—today’s show is special because we are sitting down with Blend's new owner, Sol Scott.

Sol’s story is a masterclass in...

This week we sit down with the ultimate powerhouse of the Houston business community, Dr. Laura Murillo, President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Under her leadership, the Chamber has smashed membership records and become one of the most influential institutions in the country.But today, we are diving behind the scenes of her critical role on the board of the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority. Dr. Murillo...

How do you go from managing a single storefront to operating a massive multi-unit empire?

This week, we sit down with legendary entrepreneur Ken Kades, founder of The Kades Corporation and Owner Operator at Multiple McDonalds. Ken has spent decades mastering the art of business operations, scaling his footprint to 80 highly successful locations at one point in his career.

In this episode, Ken pulls back the curtain on what it really...

What does it take to lead the retail coverage at Automotive News? 📰🚗

This week, Arnold catches up with Dan Shine, a man whose blood runs with Detroit motor oil and newspaper ink. Dan takes us through his incredible career, from the fast-paced night shift at the Dallas Morning News to his current role overseeing the most critical stories in the auto industry today.

Learn about the "hustle" of early journalism, the importance of indu...

Welcome back to Wheels, Deals and Meals! This week, we sit down at Amalfi Restaurant with Manuel Leyshon, the driving force behind Loco Tequila. From his early days in Mexico City to navigating the global spirits market, Manuel shares the story of how he helped build a brand that defies the status quo.

In this episode, we dive into the "Loco" philosophy—a commitment to quality, pure agave, and a process that respects the land ...

This week, host Arnold Gacita is joined by a true "Media Dream Team": Andrea Gomez, Willie Lora, and Dawna Campbell of the Los Angeles Tribune. We are back at Amalfi Restaurant in Houston for a deep dive into journalism, global PR, and the grit required to build a world-class career from the ground up. From the high-stakes newsrooms of CNN and ABC News to the intersection of finance and subconscious programming, this episode is pac...

In this episode, we take the show to the state-of-the-art studios of Hope Media Group to sit down with their CEO, Joe Paulo. From his "formative years" in Ohio to leading the nation’s largest Christian radio station, Joe shares a powerful narrative of leadership, career pivots, and the importance of listening for God’s timing.Inside the Episode:Work is a Learned Behavior: Joe discusses being willing to do anything&mdash...

In this episode, we sit down with Amy Wine, a licensed therapist and elite performance coach who helps "elite achievers"—from CEOs to pro athletes—reclaim their marriages, businesses, and personal joy. Amy shares her powerful journey from a traumatic childhood to becoming a transformation trailblazer, offering a raw look at what it takes to find your rhythm in a high-pressure world.3:26 – Meet Amy Wine: The "Execu...

In this episode of Wheels, Deals & Meals, Arnold sits down with Willie Daughters, the Executive Vice President and COO of Reynolds and Reynolds. With an incredible 34-year career at the same company, Willie’s story is a masterclass in work ethic, perseverance, and the power of a positive mindset.0:00 - Introduction1:00 - Growing up in Amarillo and early work experiences4:00 - The "Clay Pigeon" car and the value of a dolla...

Tech layoffs, Stanford degrees, and 190mph virtual Ferraris. 🏁This week, we visit Velocity Sim Racing to meet founder Viet Tran. Viet’s background is anything but ordinary—a Vietnamese refugee who conquered Silicon Valley before returning to Houston to follow his passion for speed.After a professional racing accident on the track, Viet discovered that simulation was the key to regaining his edge. Now, he’s sharin...

This week on Wheels, Deals, and Meals, we’re hanging out with the founders of Zubi Rum, Carlos and Tony! These two cousins are bringing the flavor of old-school Havana to the heart of Texas.

From the emotional history of their families fleeing Cuba to the grit required to build a business in 2024, this episode is packed with inspiration, laughs, and plenty of "Salud!" moments.

You won't want to miss:

-The "medicine bottle" rum s...

Welcome to Part 2 of our Best Of series! In this episode we will revisit some of the most impactful conversations from the past two years, featuring leaders who have shaped the automotive and business landscapes. We look back at Jack Hollis’ incredible 33-year journey at Toyota, where he shares vital leadership lessons on the power of listening and putting others first. Scott Joseph joins the show to discuss his early start i...