I-5 North County Enhancements Project Update
The I-5 North County Enhancements Project will be implementing a traffic shift on the northbound and southbound I-5 between Calgrove Bl and Parker Rd beginning Monday, June 2, 2025 through Tuesday, June 24, 2025. During this time, each direction of the I-5 will be shifted one lane from the outside shoulder to the median. This work will also impact the on- and off-ramps in each direction from Calgrove Bl to Parker Rd. 

Please view the full construction notice for the list of impacted ramps, closure schedules, and detours. | Northbound Full Notice | Southbound Full Notice

When one of our clients was accused of wrongful termination, their well-documented records told a different story. Detailed performance metrics, written coaching, and a clear improvement plan helped us resolve the claim quickly—before it ever reached litigation.

That’s the power of employee documentation. It’s not just a formality; it’s a strategic asset that protects your business when it matters most.

At Koegle Law Group, we help employers turn documentation into a proactive compliance tool. In our latest article, we explore:

• Documentation guidelines that can make or break your legal position

• What courts and agencies look for in disciplinary records

• Why “informal” conversations should still be documented

• Common missteps that weaken otherwise strong cases

Good documentation isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about protecting what you’ve built. 

Start strengthening your documentation practices, and your business, today.

👉 Read the full article here

This article was originally published by Koegle Law Group, proudly serving businesses in Santa Clarita and beyond.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will celebrate its 30th anniversary when it opens for the season on Saturday, May 24, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Guests will get the first look at the waterpark’s multimillion-dollar refurbishment.

The first of Six Flags’ Hurricane Harbor parks, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Valencia opened June 16, 1995. The milestone occasion has been commemorated with a multimillion-dollar makeover that includes numerous enhancements for both guests and park associates.

The park-wide improvements include:

A creative narrative that reimagines the water park as a tropical island village and is woven throughout the experience including now bringing the park’s iconic volcano to life with periodic rumbling effects and bursts of mist.

Restoration of all slides including new exterior colors, canopies and resurfacing for smoother and faster rides.

Repainting of key areas including focal areas such as other attractions, food and beverage and merchandise locations.

Extensive new landscaping that amplifies the park beautification and offers added shade.

Increased number of cabanas and the return of food and beverage services.

Upgraded food options and new frozen cocktail selections.

State-of-the-art conveyor belt will carry tubes to the top of Tornado.

Refreshed restrooms and changing areas.

New sound system, signage and employee uniforms that augment the themed environment.

A complete list of operating days and hours available at www.sixflags.com/hurricaneharborla/plan-your-visit/park-hours.

Special celebrations including the Military Appreciation Days sale this Memorial Day weekend can be found at www.sixflags.com/hurricaneharborla/events.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

26101 Magic Mountain Parkway,

Valencia, CA 91355

Daily tickets start at $49 if purchased online. Guests can also choose a gold pass or membership, which offers unlimited access to Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles AND Magic Mountain, free general parking and discounts on food and merchandise. Don’t miss the limited time offer Memorial Day sale for up to 35% off online.

More information available at www.sixflags.com/hurricaneharborla.

A Guide to Hiring for Small Business Owners

Ever wish there were two of you to handle all the tasks and responsibilities on your desk?

That’s probably a good sign, it’s time to hire!

Expanding your team, whether you’re adding your first team member or hiring your 25th employee, can be a complicated, exhausting process if you don’t have a specific system in place.

At Elevate, we love operationalizing and systematizing everything––and hiring is one of the areas where we shine!

Come with us as we share the signs it’s time to hire, the most common hiring mistakes we see, and our best tips and practices for hiring like a pro. We’ll even take you behind the scenes to show you how we streamline the hiring process for our clients so you can borrow what works best to use yourself!

Signs it’s time to hire

Balancing the need to bring in extra help and having the business to justify the expense of a new team member can be tricky, but putting off the need to hire for too long can lead to a loss of business, getting stuck at a specific revenue plateau, or serious burnout.

If you’re experiencing one (or more!) of these signs, it’s probably time to kick off the hiring process and bring in some additional help:

• There aren't enough hours in the day. You're consistently overworked and stressed out.
• You're turning down opportunities because you can't step away from client work.
• You and/or your team can no longer keep up with inquiries.
• You're missing personal time or family events to meet deadlines.
• Your team is reporting the same feelings of overload and burnout.

Mistakes to avoid when hiring for small business teams

You don’t have an unlimited budget, so it’s important that every hire is strategic, effective, and successful.

A bad hire can cost you thousands of dollars and slow down your growth, so it really is worth it to put in the time and energy on the front end to ensure a positive hiring experience.

Here are the most common mistakes we see that you should try to avoid:

• Creating a generic job description: If you're attracting applicants who don't fit your needs, revisit and clarify the job description.
• Not following a specific hiring process: You need a repeatable, flexible process tailored to the role.
• Focusing only on hard skills: Don’t ignore soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and collaboration.
• Ignoring company culture: Hire people aligned with your brand values to boost retention and team harmony.
• Hiring for tasks instead of outcomes: Focus on what success in the role should look like beyond just duties.

Best practices: Hiring for small business owners

If you know your current hiring approach isn’t working, here are 3 best practices from our playbook:

• Start with your mission and vision: These must be clear before you hire. Everything else flows from this foundation.
• Prioritize clear, consistent communication: Internally with your team and externally with applicants. Don’t leave people in the dark!
• Spend time crafting the job description: Focus on outcomes, expectations in the first 3–6 months, and both soft and hard skills required.

Streamlining your hiring process

A flexible, repeatable hiring system will save you time and improve results. Here’s what our experts recommend:

• Choose the right system: Consider HR platforms, project management tools like ClickUp, or even Google Sheets + Forms for smaller operations.
• Train your team: Everyone involved should understand the system, their responsibilities, and how to follow each step.
• Ask similar questions at every stage: Consistency helps you assess how candidates think and respond in different settings.
• Give yourself more time than you think you need: A longer runway prevents rushed decisions and accounts for inevitable delays.

Need help with hiring for your small business?

Our team of operational experts can take the work off your plate!

We’ll build every step of your tailored hiring process to attract the right person and make it easier for you to make an excellent hire every time.

We can create:

• Job descriptions
• Application questions
• A multi-step hiring process

All designed to give you the power to attract and select the perfect candidate for what you need.

Our Get It Done Service starts at $999, and you can click here for all the details!

Contrary to popular belief, sexual harassment training doesn't lead to more complaints—it leads to better workplaces. Informed employers know that clear expectations and consistent training reduce risk and foster a culture of respect.

Plus, California law requires it. Employers with five or more employees must provide ongoing sexual harassment prevention training. Falling short can result in legal exposure and costly penalties.

At Koegle Law Group, we help business owners approach compliance as a smart business strategy. In our latest article, we break down:

• Who must receive training and how often

• Key compliance rules every California employer needs to understand

• Best practices for documenting compliance and updating policies

• Misconceptions that can trip up even well-intentioned employers

Need training done right—and on your terms? We can help.

👉 Read the full article here

This article was originally published by Koegle Law Group, proudly serving businesses in Santa Clarita and beyond.

Kevin Shorten has been appointed Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

In this role, Shorten will oversee digital and information technology strategy and operations, leading the hospital’s digital transformation and innovation to build a more connected, patient-centered, and digitally enabled organization that advances patient care, enhances clinical efficiency, and drives organizational growth.

“We are pleased to have Kevin Shorten join Henry Mayo during a time when technology is playing an increasingly vital role in healthcare,” said Henry Mayo President and CEO Kevin A. Klockenga. “His deep expertise in IT strategy, digital health, and operational leadership will help Henry Mayo take advantage of exciting technological advances that

Shorten brings over 20 years of healthcare IT leadership experience with a focus on enabling organizations to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a digital-first world. Most recently, Shorten served as Vice President of Applications and Information Services at Alameda Health System in Oakland, CA. There, he led IT strategy and governance and innovation initiatives for a public health system spanning six hospitals and multiple outpatient clinics. Under his leadership, Alameda Health System achieved significant milestones in digital transformation, earning national recognition for excellence in implementing and adopting healthcare technologies.

“Kevin has a proven track record of delivering measurable results at multiple health systems,” said Klockenga.

Shorten holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Drexel University and a number of healthcare certifications from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and Harvard Medical School Executive Education.

Starting a new business? One of the most important decisions you'll make is selecting the right legal structure. Your choice—whether an LLC, corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship—can have lasting impacts on your taxes, personal liability, and growth opportunities. 

At Koegle Law Group, we help business owners navigate these decisions with confidence. In our latest article, we explain:

• The key differences between LLCs, corporations, and partnerships

• How each structure affects your taxes and legal protections

• Practical tips for choosing the best fit for your goals

Ready to make an informed choice?
👉 Read the full article here.

This article was originally published by Koegle Law Group, proudly serving businesses in Santa Clarita and beyond.

Santa Clarita Valley Employment Center and SCV Job Board - SCVJOBS.com

One-Stop shop for all SCV careers/jobs for over 20 years!

Proudly serving Santa Clarita Valley employers and job seekers for over two decades. Simply SCV jobs posted by Santa Clarita Valley employers. No email or phone harvesting, redirects, scams, fake or dated jobs, phony resumes, etc... SCV's #1 Job Board, serving...

Canyon Country ✦ Castaic ✦ Newhall ✦ Santa Clarita ✦ Saugus ✦ Stevenson Ranch ✦ Valencia ✦ Westridge

Stop the Stigma: A Community Call to Action on Mental Health

Join us on May 10th for Stop the Stigma, a community-driven event dedicated to breaking down misconceptions around mental health. Hosted by Mental Health Hook-Up, this event is designed to foster open conversations, connect individuals with resources, and build a stronger, stigma-free Santa Clarita Valley.

📍 Location: Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Campus | 23803 McBean Parkway Santa Clarita, CA 91355
🕒 Time: 10 AM - 2 PM (Speeches begin at 11 AM)

Whether you're a mental health advocate, a concerned family member, or someone seeking support, your voice matters. This is more than just an event—it's a movement.

What to Expect:

• Inspiring speakers with lived experience

• Resource booths and local mental health organizations

• Open dialogue on how stigma affects access to care

• Opportunities to connect, learn, and support one another

Together, we can rewrite the narrative around mental health. Join us and be part of the change.

For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-stigma-scv-2025-tickets-1242550585249

Happy clients stick around longer and shout your praises to their network, friends, and colleagues.

We all know it’s far more valuable to maintain an existing client than to land a new client, so keeping our clients happy clearly benefits our bottom line. For a lot of CEOs and business leaders, having happy, well-cared-for clients is also an important core value.

But how do you know if your clients are truly happy? And how do you know how well you’re managing client relationships?

It can be hard to tell. Many CEOs assume that everyone is happy until a problem pops up or a client leaves.

Because we are always working on being more proactive than reactive, a “wait and see” approach isn’t going to cut it when it comes to monitoring, measuring, and improving client relationships and retention.

At Elevate, we’re passionate about building long-term, meaningful relationships, and we have developed a number of systems and strategies to support this priority.

Keep reading to see what mistakes you may be making in this area and what you can do to improve your own client relationships and retention!

5 client relationship + retention mistakes to avoid

You don’t always know when you’re making a mistake with your client relationships. You may have a client who doesn’t speak up, so you assume everything is working well, and then suddenly… they’re mad and ending their contract.

We’ve also seen many cases where client relationships aren’t prioritized because there is a set beginning and end to the work or project as opposed to an ongoing retainer. But even if you’re not meant to keep a client forever, you still want to ensure they have a positive experience so they speak highly of your business and recommend you to others when their work with you is complete.

Here are the top 5 client relationship and retention mistakes you want to avoid:

• Being reactive: This looks like waiting until there is a problem to try to solve it. Great client retention includes identifying potential issues while they are still small (or before they’ve even occurred) and solving them proactively.
• Being inflexible with your services or solutions: This happens when a client signs up for a service that isn’t the best fit or when they have a slightly unorthodox need or request to make a service work for them. Unnecessary inflexibility can kill a client relationship in a snap.
• Poor communication: Unclear, inconsistent, and closed communication leads to more unhappy clients than almost anything else.
• Only focusing on problems: Don’t forget to identify wins and celebrate the milestones and achievements with your clients!
• Failing to reflect: Whenever feedback is gathered or shared (whether it’s positive or negative), you and your team should spend time digging into the information and reflecting on what you can or should do differently in the future.

How to improve client relationships and retention

The number one way to improve client relationships is simply to care about the people you work with.

When you bring compassion, empathy, and a desire to serve to your work, your clients will naturally feel valued, appreciated, and supported. Making sure your team members and employees share these values is also an important part of building and maintaining a client-focused culture.

At Elevate, we work with a number of different CEOs, leaders, and organizations, which gives us a sneak peek into what’s working and what needs to change when it comes to client retention. We also prioritize this area in our own business, so we have a number of proven systems and smart strategies to help you!

• A 360-degree structure for internal communication + collaboration: Create meeting structures that include individual contributors and leadership across departments. This keeps teams connected and ensures important details aren’t missed.
• Proactive engagement with clients: Use Quarterly Action Plan meetings to collaborate with clients and supplement them with consistent check-ins to celebrate wins and identify opportunities for change.
• A flexible, growth-minded focus: Elevate encourages clients and team members to identify gaps and suggest improvements. This openness fosters innovation and satisfaction on both sides.

Automate and streamline your client retention processes

As you focus on improving your own client relationships and retention, there are platforms and software we highly recommend to automate the process where you can without losing the human connection and touch that matters most.

• Start with a CRM to automate as much as possible:

  We recommend Dubsado! It's highly customizable and our MVP platform. We automate check-in emails, customize content per client, and use it to send branded proposals, forms, and questionnaires.

• Use a Project Management System to keep everyone on track:

  We use ClickUp to manage client communication and internal notes like preferences and personal details. It ensures all departments stay aligned and responsive.

• Create custom Zaps to save time:

  Zapier allows you to connect different tools and automate tasks. For example, we use it to schedule small treats like Starbucks gift cards for our clients.

If you need advice from a client relationship expert or help operationalizing your client retention efforts, you can always schedule a 1:1 Operations Call with our founder, Ashley Carlson.

We’re here to support you!

When shaping the future of your company, your hiring choices lay the foundation for your team's success. At Koegle Law Group, we’ve witnessed firsthand how a thoughtful approach to recruitment and timely personnel decisions can strengthen your organization.

Let’s explore why the philosophy of “hire slow, fire fast” serves as a smart, protective strategy for any business:

Don't Rush It

Bringing on a new employee isn’t just about checking a box—it’s about securing someone who brings the right expertise and fits seamlessly into your company culture. Too often, employers fast-track this process out of urgency, increasing the risk of a poor fit.

Our recommendation? Slow things down. Schedule multiple rounds of interviews, involving different team members at each stage. This comprehensive approach offers deeper insight into the candidate’s capabilities and how they might integrate with your existing team.

Prioritize Culture Alongside Skills

While technical ability matters, cultural alignment is just as vital. Ask yourself: Will this individual collaborate well with your current staff? Do they share your organizational values and preferred communication styles? These considerations foster not only workplace harmony but also long-term employee retention and satisfaction.

A strong cultural match boosts morale, improves productivity, and sets the stage for enduring professional success.

Protect Yourself Along The Way

Detailed documentation is your safeguard throughout hiring and termination processes. Maintain clear records of candidate evaluations, performance feedback, and any disciplinary actions. In the event of legal scrutiny, well-kept documentation provides critical evidence that your decisions were fair and consistent.

Fire Fast

Parting ways with an employee is never easy, but keeping someone who underperforms can weigh heavily on your team and overall business health. If performance falls short or if an employee disrupts workplace dynamics, it’s important to act decisively.

Many businesses hesitate to terminate because they fear the gap left behind. However, retaining the wrong team member can lead to greater costs — from reduced morale to potential liability. Address performance problems early, and document concerns thoroughly to ensure you’re making an informed and defensible decision.

Closing Argument

Embracing the “hire slow, fire fast” approach helps cultivate a resilient, effective team while minimizing legal and operational risks. Thoughtful hiring practices, combined with prompt action on underperformance, set your business on a path to sustained success.

At Koegle Law Group, we partner with employers to navigate the complexities of workforce management with confidence. If you need experienced guidance on hiring practices or termination procedures, we’re here to support you.

Learn more at the KLG Blog, or contact us today at (661) 362-0813.