In this episode of Shady Characters, we sit down with Jim Taylor, comedian, master of ceremonies, and the driving force behind San Juan Capistrano’s iconic Swallows Day Parade. Jim’s story is one of humor, hustle, and heart, spanning decades in stand-up comedy and nearly a decade leading one of Southern California’s largest volunteer-run community events.

Jim shares his early love of comedy, including his admiration for George Carlin and the mentorship that helped him find his own voice on stage. He reflects on years spent performing, hosting a long-running monthly show at the Irvine Improv, writing jokes for others, and learning the hard truth that comedy, like business, takes time, humility, and relentless persistence.

The conversation shifts to Jim’s unexpected second act as president of the Fiesta Association, where he now helps coordinate a 300,000 dollar parade powered almost entirely by volunteers. Jim walks through the realities of managing logistics, city and county relationships, safety planning, fundraising, and the delicate balance of keeping Swallows Day fun, inclusive, and family friendly. What was once known as a wild party has become a tradition centered on community pride, kids, and shared experience.

We also dive into Jim’s philosophy on volunteerism, leadership, and guerrilla marketing. From building visibility without ego to creating moments that make people stop and say, “I helped build this,” Jim explains why giving back is both selfless and deeply personal. He speaks candidly about failure, reinvention, and the satisfaction that comes from creating something bigger than yourself.

This episode is funny, honest, and deeply human. It is a look at how finding your voice, surrounding yourself with people smarter than you, and showing up year after year can leave a lasting imprint on a community. Jim Taylor is proof that legacy is built quietly, one joke, one volunteer shift, and one parade at a time.

In this episode of Shady Characters, we sit down with Linda Hakim, a true connector and community builder in South Orange County. Linda is the publisher behind three hyper-local magazines with Best Version Media, serves as an ambassador for multiple Chambers of Commerce, and leads communications for the San Juan Capistrano Rotary. Few people are as deeply embedded in the fabric of South OC as Linda, and this conversation reveals how she has built an entire career around local storytelling, relationships, and trust.

Linda shares her journey from working at Vons in the 1970s and selling Yellow Pages ads with Verizon to becoming a modern digital marketer who manages more than eight social media accounts and reaches tens of thousands of local followers daily. She reflects on how social media evolved from a creative outlet for travel and family memories into a powerful professional tool that now supports her magazines, chambers, Rotary work, and business clients.

We talk about her passion for featuring real families on magazine covers, why hyper-local print still matters in a digital world, and how community recognition creates meaningful impact for businesses and residents alike. Linda also opens up about personal loss, resilience, and how work became both purpose and legacy as her children grew and life changed.

The episode explores her newest venture, SouthOrangeCounty.com, a professional interview platform that gives business owners high-quality video, podcast, and social media content from a single conversation. Along the way, Linda shares stories from decades living in South OC, including San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and Rancho Santa Margarita, offering insight into how the region has grown while maintaining its character.

This conversation is about tenacity, reinvention, and the power of showing up for a community every single day. Linda Hakim is proof that local storytelling, done with authenticity and consistency, can build an enduring legacy.

In this episode of Shady Characters, we sit down with Jon Colburn, owner of Realtime AV—a high-end audio/video and smart home company based in San Juan Capistrano. Jon shares how a job at 14 (thanks to his speaker-engineer dad) turned into a 25-year career, a 50/50 partnership earned through sweat equity, and ultimately full ownership through seller financing. We talk loyalty, grit, learning by screwing up, raising boys with work ethic, and where smart homes are headed as AI changes everything.

Jon’s story is a rare one: loyalty, sweat equity, and playing the long game when most people bounce every few years. He got his start at Realtime as a teenager—working in the warehouse, taking out trash, and slowly earning his way into installs and sales. But the real turning point came after the 2008 financial crisis, when the business was still clawing its way back and Jon had just gotten married. With a family depending on him, he went to the owner looking for stability—and instead got a challenge: keep grinding, stay loyal, and good things will happen.

Three years later, over a meal at a local Sizzler, Jon was offered a path: 10% ownership, with profits reinvested into the company to build equity over time. What followed was years of nights, weekends, holidays, and relentless effort—until a Christmas party announcement revealed Jon had earned 50% ownership. From there, the partners formalized a buyout plan through seller financing, setting Jon on track to take full ownership and continue the company’s growth.

Along the way, Jon shares what loyalty really means (and why it’s becoming rare), how failure becomes “installed wisdom,” and why he believes the younger generation needs more opportunities to work, earn, and learn. He also talks about raising two boys, teaching them responsibility by having them show up at the office, answer phones, and get comfortable doing hard things.

And of course, because Realtime is at the intersection of luxury and technology, the conversation goes deep on what the company actually does today: from whole-home audio/video and hidden TVs to lighting, shades, security, networking, pool control—and “anything that turns on, off, opens, or closes.” Jon also breaks down where smart homes are heading next with AI-driven automation—and why robots still make him think of Terminator.

If you like stories about grit, leadership, and building something real over decades—not quarters—this one’s for you.