Member Blog only

Alicia Shapiro provided tangible tips and tricks for businesses during our workshop on May 12, 2026. Alicia is the CMO and Head of News Reporting at AiNews.com, where she covers the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its impact on business, media, and society. She is also the founder of Aliro Marketing, a San Diego-based social media agency that helps small businesses and organizations strengthen their digital presence.

Alicia has spoken at major AI and technology events, including HumanX, Ai4, and TechCon SoCal, where she shares practical insights on AI adoption, business visibility, and the changing digital landscape. Through her work at AiNews.com, she focuses on making AI trends understandable and actionable for businesses of all sizes, including how tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude are changing the way people search for information, services, and local recommendations.

View Presentation

The Enjoy Ocean Beach Marketing Breakfast was a success, bringing together local business owners, marketers, and community members for an informative morning focused on boosting tourism and digital visibility in Ocean Beach.

The event, hosted by the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA), featured valuable insights from industry experts and practical takeaways for attendees.

Event Highlights

The morning began at 7:30 AM with registration and a light breakfast. Attendees enjoyed coffee from Cafe Bella, Nico's breakfast burritos, and pastries from Sourdough & Moore while networking.

From 8:00 AM to 8:15 AM, the OBMA team provided updates on marketing tools and resources available to businesses through the association to help drive foot traffic and engagement in the neighborhood.

The main presentation ran from 8:15 AM to 9:00 AM.

Download the OBMA Presentation and Marketing Opportunities PDF.

Brian Hilemon, Senior Director of Marketing Partnerships for the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) and a native San Diegan, delivered the keynote. He shared the big-picture outlook for San Diego tourism, discussed current drivers of visitor traffic, and explained how SDTA supports Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) like OBMA to increase neighborhood visits and economic vitality.

Download the Presentation - By the San Diego Tourism Authority.

Following the keynote, local Ocean Beach resident Kirby Challman of Red Blind Media led a hands-on, live session. Attendees learned how to optimize their Google Business Profile to function as an effective sales page. Key topics included improving visibility on Google Search and Maps, leveraging reviews to generate revenue, and tracking meaningful performance metrics that drive results.

Download the Presentation - By Red Blind Media.

The session included a practical Google Business Profile audit demonstration. Participants were encouraged to bring their phones and Google Business Profile logins for real-time application and Q&A.

Quick demos and an interactive Q&A rounded out the morning, giving everyone actionable strategies to implement right away.

A huge thank you went to our partner, Centric, for their support in making the event possible. And to Submerge Church for hosting our event.

The Enjoy Ocean Beach Marketing Breakfast provided Ocean Beach businesses with fresh perspectives on tourism trends and digital marketing tactics to attract more visitors and customers in the year ahead. Events like this continue to strengthen the local business community and highlight Ocean Beach as a vibrant destination.

Stay tuned to the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association for future opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together!

Join us for the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association’s Economic Vitality Committee Workshop.

More information coming soon.

Newport Avenue Maintenance Assessment District Annual Meeting

Join us for the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association’s Annual MAD Meeting at the office.

Topic: OBMA Maintenance Assessment District Annual Meeting

Time: May 6, 2026, 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Meet Stephanie Nivinskus

Stephanie Nivinskus is a dual-certified AI Marketing Consultant & the CEO of SizzleForce Marketing, an AI-powered marketing agency that specializes in branding, strategic planning, content marketing, and AI consulting.

Stephanie has taught AI marketing strategies and tactics to the marketing and communication teams at globally renowned companies including Microsoft, Pepsi, MetLife, FedEx, Nissan, Intuit, Charles Schwab, T-Mobile and countless others.

She has written for Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines and is the author of the international #1 best-seller, Absolutely Unforgettable: The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Creating A Heart-Centered Brand And Standing Out In A Noisy World.

All Members are Invited to Celebrate Ocean Beach Excellence!

The Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) is thrilled to host our annual awards celebration, honoring the incredible businesses, individuals, and community spirit that make Ocean Beach, San Diego (92107) so special.

Come enjoy a fun evening by the beach as we recognize outstanding contributions and raise funds for our ongoing community efforts.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Location: St. Peter's by the Sea
  1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., San Diego, CA 92107

Opportunity Drawing – Get Your Tickets!

We will be selling tickets for our exciting Opportunity Drawing to win beautiful gift baskets!

• Tickets are available at the event
• Suggested donations:
  • $5 per ticket
  • $20 for arm's length
  • $30 for wingspan

This is a wonderful way to support the Ocean Beach community while having a chance to win great prizes!

Sponsored By

Thank you to our event sponsor

Thank you to our program sponsors

For more information about the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and our ongoing work to promote and support local businesses.

Come celebrate with us – we can't wait to see you there!

Contact Us

SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP 

One of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association's Economic Vitality Committee goals each year is to provide our members with two valuable workshops that will help you and your business thrive. 

How AI has changed how Customers find your business on the Internet

Tips & Tricks for navigating search engine optimization (aka how customers find you on the World Wide Web) and how AI is impacting how customers find your business. 

This is going to be a fascinating workshop led by Alicia Shapiro with AI News and a local OBecian who will focus on real-life scenarios for OB businesses. 

Save the date!

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Question for you....

Which time of day works best for you to attend this one-hour workshop?

Options

• 8:00AM
• 9:00AM
• 12:00PM
• 4:00PM
• 5:00PM
• 6:00PM

Schedule Time

Contact Kristen Keltner if you have any questions. 
(619) 224-4906
[email protected]

Each year, Ocean Beach MainStreet Association celebrates businesses and people in the business community who exemplify the OB spirit. This year's Annual Awards Celebration will be on January 22, 2026.

Although our board of directors and committees nominate businesses, we would love to hear from you as well.

If you know of a business or person representing a business that has GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND in 2025 (January 2025 through December 2025), please let us know. You may also nominate your business!

Please note you must be an OB MainStreet Association member in good standing to nominate and vote for the Annual Awards. If you're unsure if you are a current member, reach out to Tracy Wagner at [email protected].

We will take nominations until 11:59 pm on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Our committees will consider all nominations during our December committee and board meetings.

Nominate Your Fellow Members Here!

Nomination Form

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

To help small businesses grow, innovate, and support their local communities, American Express is teaming up with Main Street America this Small Business Saturday® to launch the Amex Shop Small Grants Program. The Program will provide an initial $5 million to fund 250 grants of $20,000 each to eligible small business owners across the U.S. Plus, every time an American Express Card Member shops with their eligible Card at a qualifying U.S. small business on November 29, 2025, American Express will donate an additional $1 to fund additional grants.

The Amex Shop Small Grants Program reflects the shared commitment of American Express and Main Street America to champion small businesses that strengthen communities and help local economies thrive.

About Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country and is part of the larger Shop Small Movement. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Since its launch in 2010, U.S. consumers have reported spending an estimated $223 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.

To celebrate, American Express created I SHOPPED SMALL stickers for small businesses to share with their shoppers on November 29. You can order the complimentary stickers here.

Program Details

Urgent OBCF Parade Announcement!

Float applications for the OB Holiday Parade close in ONE week — Friday, November 14th.

There will be no extensions or exceptions, so if you’re planning to be in the lineup, now is the time!

Register your float ASAP to secure your spot in this year’s Galactic Holiday Beach Bash!

Register Online

Let’s make this year’s parade out of this world!