Carl Goldman, KHTS radio station co-owner (with his wife, Jeri Seratti Golman, pictured with him), is an entrepreneur, a community leader, and a humanitarian. He is also my friend, and when I asked him to be my guest for this week’s podcast he was quick to agree. He and Jeri are second generation radio folk, which is extremely rare. They’ve owned the radio station, KHTS 1220, since 1990, and have been fixtures in Santa Clarita ever since moving here with their two young sons. When the earthquake hit in 1994 KHTS became the communication source for everyone living and working in the area. Carl is also active with the local Red Cross, and leads the SCV (Santa Clarita Valley) Disaster Coalition. All of this has led to his further involvement in the community, in politics, and beyond.
Santa Clarita, a city of 280K just north of Los Angeles, is unique in many ways, including geographically. This has made it possible for Carl to move into other areas that are so important to him and his values in terms of helping others in times of need. Santa Clarita has gone through eight major disasters since Carl and his family moved here in 1990, including fires, floods, and earthquakes. KHTS, along with the SCV Disaster Coalition, have become first responders in many cases.
Carl also discusses his involvement in Habitat for Humanity, which now has a focus of helping veteran’s with their housing needs in our city. Their biggest project, through Habitat for Heroes, is a village of 87 homes to be built exclusively for returning veterans. They have partnered with many local non-profits and groups, including College of the Canyons, Child and Family Center, Action Family Counseling, and the Sheriff’s Department, in order to better serve the needs of these young warriors. This is the first program of its kind in the United States.
We also talk about the opportunities for entrepreneurs that arise from community involvement. Carl recommends choosing a local non-profit that you are passionate about and getting involved, but to make sure its mission is close to your heart. He and his wife, Jeri, were passionate about helping the families of children with cancer after having neighbors with a young son who was going through this, and they were instrumental in the founding of the Michael Hoefflin Foundation to support families throughout our region who are dealing with childhood cancer. He shares that many businesses build a brand around their community involvement and take an active role in causes that resonate with them.
He describes the economy as a roller coaster, making it next to impossible to put together a five year plan. Many new businesses fail, so it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to have enough resources and contacts to be successful. There are small business development groups in many communities, and this is the place to start. The goal is to connect with the people who are willing and able to guide you in your business.
I asked Carl his thoughts on masterminding with like-minded people, and he said that he does sit down with others in the community to share ideas and information on a regular basis, and even does this with his competition. They do this informally, over lunch or dinner, and this is where some of the most effective ideas are born and nurtured over time.
Carl feels that it’s important to stay on the cutting edge of technology to stay ahead of the curve, and they are now finding that their traffic from wireless sources is increasing at a very fast pace at Home Town Station. He anticipates that within a year more than 60% of the radio station’s traffic will come from wireless sources. He also believes that ‘Google Places’ is a worthwhile use of your time to help your business grow. I would encourage you to check out the KHTS Home Town Station website to see more of what they are doing.
