![Shutterstock illustration.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1801592215.png?1698699694)
When #GirlBosses Are Toxic
Sacramento author’s new work of fiction shines a light on hustle culture, influencer lifestyles and surviving a toxic boss
Noelle Crooks, a Sacramento native, is generating a lot of buzz for her debut novel, “Under the Influence,” dubbed “The Devil Wears Prada” for the digital age. Although the book is a work of fiction, Crooks admits it was inspired in part by her own experiences working in a toxic environment.
![(Illustration by Jefferson Miller @ARTOFJEFFERSON)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/evil_hr_23_oct_final.png?1697485886)
Dilemma of the Month: What Should I Do About My Boss’s Memory Loss?
Our new CEO has been at our nonprofit for approximately six months. As the director of HR, the vice presidents and I went to our board with concerns regarding our new leader and his memory issues. He can’t remember the decisions he makes. I know there’s such a thing as a fitness-for-duty test, but these are usually centered around physical fitness. Where do I go from here?
![Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester starts her day at 5 a.m. and makes sure she checks in with her staff throughout the day and night if necessary. (Photo by Wes Davis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/763a6775-edited_final_1.png?1697484906)
The Way We Work: Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester
A glimpse into the daily life of Sacramento’s first female police chief
It’s a job just like any other job, except with responsibility for the safety of an entire city. No pressure. When Kathy Lester was sworn in as chief of the Sacramento Police Department in December 2021, she joined a new executive team with fresh eyes, and they surveyed the many challenges.
![Chris Glassman, a principal at LeadershipOne, says the “tough love” approach no longer works in the workplace. Employees will be glad to move elsewhere where they feel more valued. (Photos by Katy Karns)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/managment_chris_final_-1.png?1697230249)
The Evolution of Leadership Styles
Several factors, including lockdown and generational differences, influence managers
The pandemic, the rise of Gen Z and new cultural norms have all contributed to a shift in the values we expect from modern leaders. Understanding these trends — and the strategies required to keep up — is crucial for any leader who wants to retain employees, inspire their best work and even continue their own career.
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Running a Family Business in California Isn’t Easy
But local organizations are here to help
The line from “The Godfather,” “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business,” does not apply to the members of a family business. For us, there are a wide range of emotions that start at an early age as we realize that we are part of something that consumes our parents’ time, including conversations at dinner and the holidays.
![The Altamont Corridor Express, which currently provides service between Stockton and San Jose, is set to expand to 16 new stations. (Photo courtesy of ACE)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1023_feat_transportation_courtesy.png?1696624556)
Valley Rail on Track
A new commuter rail service is coming to the Capital Region
In the notoriously car dependent Central Valley, a new public transit option could have significant impacts on mobility and quality of life, as well as economic development. But delays to the Valley Rail project are reflective of the challenges involved in building intercity passenger rail anywhere in the United States.
![Denene, Ralph and Andrew Lucchetti grow peaches and other fruit on the 1860s-era ranch that Ralph’s parents bought in 1945. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/_mg_8965.png?1696439756)
A Piece of the Pie
Family business spotlight: The Fruit Bowl has been providing peaches and more to Stockton for 76 years
Over the course of summer and the first weeks of fall, over 60 varieties of peaches and nectarines pass through The Fruit Bowl, a 76-year-old produce stand on the rural outskirts of Stockton.
![It's all hands on deck at Sub Sea Systems. Jim Mayfield, right, is president and CEO, alongside wife Melissa, daughter Hannah de Bie, and sons Kyle, left, and Keenan Mayfield. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/_mg_996500001.png?1696439127)
Submersibles That Run Deep
Family business spotlight: World leader in marine tourism is buoyed by family values
The Mayfield siblings grew up in the charmed nautical world of their father’s imagination. At the Sub Sea Systems workshop in Diamond Springs, power tools whir as two generations work side by side to build custom submersibles that resemble something out of a Jules Verne novel.
![A Pyro Spectaculars fireworks show lights up the sky over downtown Sacramento. (Photo courtesy of Pyro Spectaculars)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/sacto_nye.png?1696372144)
A Fire in the Sky
Family business spotlight: From Macy’s Fourth of July to the Space Needle, Pyro Spectaculars produces more than 400 fireworks shows a year
The show producer opens his laptop, and with a touch of the keyboard the magic begins. Music swells, and a spectacular vision of multicolor sparkling flowers explodes in the night sky, along with golden starbursts and shiny cascading waterfalls.
![Ceronix founder Don Whitaker and his daughter, Sheri Bomhoff, the sales and service manager, at the company’s manufacturing center at Auburn Municipal Airport. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/_mg_8778.png?1696368356)
Gambling on Gaming
Family business spotlight: How an Auburn-based company cornered the gambling market
In his lifetime of entrepreneurship, Don Whitaker has managed to mostly avoid competitors. “You try to find a niche where you have no competition,” Whitaker says of his approach to business. He found his niche market with Ceronix, which he started in 1984 out of his Auburn home.