Our next guest has been creating cookie-cracker crisps that have been passed down from her grandmother, Carolyn. Amie was inspired to make these crisps after having a hard time finding snacks that fit her needs and had the taste she was looking for. These crisps are gluten free, vegan, and soy free. She has a variety of flavors from sweet to savory and is now even producing bark which is partially inspired by not wanting the broken crisps to go to waste. She reflects on her previous life as an A...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 29 min
Our next guest makes our current favorite ice cream! Handmade and small batch pints with some of the most creative flavor combinations we’ve heard of. She shares some of her earliest memories with ice cream, journey through hospitality, and how she brought Ice Cream Girl Co to life. I appreciate her sense of adventure! We spent some time reflecting on some of her travels and how she navigated the pandemic while abroad. Please enjoy my conversation with Sarah Cochran. https://icecreamgirlco.com h...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 39 min
Our next guest is the Director of Partnerships and Communications at DishRoulette Kitchen. A nonprofit that provides financial assistance and entrepreneurship education to small businesses no matter where they are in their journey. Their most notable case study is the beloved Rubi’s tacos by the Ramirez family. The impact of creating a consistently profitable and sustainable business is far-reaching and DRK is empowering families to create generational wealth. Please enjoy my conversation with C...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 41 min
Our next guest is an indie baker who has generated quite the buzz around his bread and pastries. What started as an outlet in the pandemic has blossomed into a full time career. His journey is an example of being right where you need to be at that very moment as well as being ready when opportunity strikes. I deeply appreciate how he’s always stayed true to what he wants to do. Please enjoy my conversation with Daniel Koester. https://danthebakerchicago.com https://instagram.com/danthebakerchica...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Our next guest is the Founder of Pink Salt; a Thai sauce company and pop-up series. What started as a food blog turned into a restaurant in a food hall but the pandemic forced a pivot into a pop-up series. Through the pop-ups, there was a demand for the sauce (chili jam) that is now known as Nam Prik Pao. We caught her in this major growth phase as she’s currently selecting a co-manufacturer. We talk about our Asian American experiences, journey to medical school, and the various peaks and valle...
Nov 25, 2024•2 hr 9 min
Our next guests are the operators behind the New York slice shop in lakeview Chicago, Zaza’s Pizza as well as the two Nemec Brothers locations in the suburbs. In addition, they’re brothers with skill sets that complement each other. We dive into their individual and collective journeys with pizza, what makes their product standout, and how they’ve been able to expand so fast. They’re honest, gracious, and ambitious. Please enjoy my conversation with Chadd and Brett Nemec. https://www.zazas-pizze...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 52 min
Our next guest came on the podcast two years ago. It was our second time meeting back then. Fast forward to today and I’ve come to admire and look up to this wonderfully creative human being. We catch up on her residency in the Ambassador Hotel, some of the community activations we have brewing, and her experience curating her first Tedx Chicago Art show. She also recently took on the role of Creative Director for a house DJ, Monty Kiddo. Please enjoy my conversation with MKODJ. https://www.inst...
Nov 19, 2024•3 hr 8 min
Our next guest has built a career around promoting nightlife and cultivating unforgettable experiences. He shares his personal experiences into the industry and why he’s pivoting towards healing through self-inquiry and alternative retreats. Please enjoy my conversation with Eric Boss. https://instagram.com/ericbosschicago
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 45 min
Our next guest was recently named a Lululemon Ambassador for the motivation and inspiration she brings our city through her classes. She is a group fitness trainer in a variety of modalities from yoga, HIIT, and functional training. She probably goes through 3-7 workouts on any given day. She shares her humble beginnings of discovering fitness and her love of challenge. She evokes a goofy but no BS mentality in her workouts. She’s an empathetic savage who's figuring life out like the rest of us....
Nov 05, 2024•2 hr 21 min
Our next guest has struck a balance between work, family, and hobbies. He’s known to some as a jiu jitsu phenom by consistently training 6 days per week on top of his already busy schedule with work and fatherhood. We reflect on his journey through school and pivoting from a solely finance career to a tech career with a focus in finance. We explore his love for jiu jitsu and how he got so good at it. He's currently part owner of the second iteration of the Valko Jiu Jitsu Academy and he shares w...
Oct 09, 2024•2 hr 2 min
Our next guest shares her journey through dietetics and opening up a private practice as a board-certified sports dietitian during the pandemic. Her witty and relatable hot takes or as she calls it, yapping caught my attention and I’ve been hooked ever since. She specifically aims to work with combat athletes that require peak mental and physical performance but is open to supporting anyone seeking her help. She offers 1 on 1 coaching, corporate consultations, and speaking engagements. If you li...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 59 min
Our next guest is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fatherhood Initiative, The Dovetail Project. An organization that provides African American and Latino fathers from ages 17-24 with the skills and resources to be great fathers. We reflect on their tumultuous upbringing, becoming a father themselves, and what their organization has been up to recently. Please enjoy my conversation with Sheldon Smith. https://thedovetailproject.org/ https://www.instagram.com/dovetailproject...
Sep 22, 2024•1 hr
Our next guest has been making waves in the pizza community with his take on the pan pizza. He had childhood dreams of opening a restaurant one day and after 16 years of waiting tables, he decided to go all-in on himself at the start of the pandemic. What started as a personal project for him and his wife is now a brick and mortar with two locations. After being inspired by the well-known Burt Katz and receiving some help from some pizza legends, Milly’s Pizza in the Pan was born. Please enjoy m...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Our next guest revisits us after almost 5 years. She reflects on how she lost her way and almost gave up her lash and brow business. She shares how she reprioritized herself which inevitably cultivates discipline and clarity of what’s truly important to her. We then explore her current iteration and how she’d like to change the culture of lash artists by emphasizing the amount of work it takes to truly be great. Please enjoy my conversation with Gianna Carpanzano https://www.rebellashandbrow.com...
Sep 14, 2024•1 hr 51 min
Our next guest is shifting the perspective of Cannabis from simply a vessel to get high to more of a modality for wellness. Whether that be through the run club he co-founded, Runner’s High, where they normalize cannabis with an active lifestyle and community clean-ups or through his non-alcoholic cannabis infused cocktails, these groups are destigmatizing what we previously thought about cannabis. As someone who was convicted of a felony for selling cannabis, we eventually round out the episode...
Aug 28, 2024•2 hr 45 min
Our next guest is the creative force behind Drip Collective, West Loop’s newest coffee spot. He reflects on his earliest memories working for Peet’s Coffee as well as being the coffee buyer at Whole Foods. He then leans further into coffee by taking on a manager role with La Colombe and even relocated to LA to help open a West Coast location. Only to come back to Chicago to have a string of positions with La Colombe, Metric Coffee, and a hospitality job until he lands at Side Practice Coffee. (S...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 50 min
Our next guest is the owner of a unique bottle shop in Lincoln Park. He helped us find a handful of anniversary wines that we had our wedding guests sign. He reflects on his earlier memories of hospitality in the kitchen, moving up to the bar, and then becoming responsible for a wine list. It was then that he developed his palette and appreciation for wine and spirits as an investment vehicle. It is this philosophy that led him to purchase what is now known as Off Premise. Stay til the end as he...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Our next guests are childhood friends, dance teammates, pharmacists, and entrepreneurs. We explore their friendship through dance, becoming pharmacists, and the entrepreneurial journey. After completing the stereotypical Asian parents’ dream of becoming a doctor, they set out to pursue new dreams. What started as a series of pop ups and catering events with boba tea is now a full blown brick and mortar space in Wicker Park. Please enjoy my conversation with Daniel Dinh and Chris Fontillas. https...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 59 min
Our next guest has an energy that is palpable. From theater, modeling, film, and TV, she is a creator within many vessels of the performance arts. We explore her humble beginnings in Arkansas, moving to Chicago, all the odd jobs she worked to make ends meet, and how she’s balancing life at the moment. She shares some insights into freelance modeling and what it's like to be in the SAG union. Please enjoy my conversation with Whitney Masters. https://www.whitneymasters.com/ https://silhouetteands...
Aug 23, 2024•1 hr 49 min
Friends of the podcast will be familiar with Jenn Dieas but in this episode, we get to catch up with what she and her partner, Shane, have been up to. Finding the right life partner is one of the most important life decisions you can make. They truly complement each other so well. They are an example of the quote, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is an episode on partnerships, entrepreneurship, and iterations. Please enjoy my conversation with Jenn Die...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 39 min
Our next guest was in town for a photoshoot as he finalized his prep before his bodybuilding show. This episode was recorded on May 29 and since then he’s already completed two bodybuilding shows. We explore his humble beginnings of bodybuilding and personal training. We manifest his entrepreneurship and his potential dream gym. We also discuss utilizing a hobby as a source of income and how to not let the work extinguish your love for the hobby. Please enjoy my conversation with Ian Angelo. htt...
Aug 21, 2024•55 min
Our next guest is an aspiring actor and has made a name for himself through comedy sketches on tik tok, youtube, and instagram. If you’re a Chicagoan, you’ve probably seen his skits about cops vs firemen, portillos, and northside vs southside. The comments are always filled with either people feeling seen or triggered. Please enjoy my conversation with the one and only Johnny Viti. https://www.instagram.com/johnnyviti https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnyviti https://www.youtube.com/@JohnnyViti...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Justine and I recently took a trip to Michigan for her birthday and thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on our wedding day and the last 8 months of married life. It’s been nothing short of great. We’re currently planning our 1 year anniversary honeymoon to Italy so if you have any recs, throw them our way. Please enjoy my conversation with my wife, Justine Chan.
Jul 08, 2024•50 min
Our next guests are the founders of a local kombucha called RMBR (which is short for Real Memories, Better Rituals). They share their individual journeys as well as how they all came together. We reflect on the wave of kombucha and nonalcoholic beverages, navigating farmers markets and getting into retail stores, as well as how to scale into other areas around the country. Although you can find them within Fresh Thyme, Marianos, and Jewel, I admire how much they strive to be on the shelves withi...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 57 min
Our next guest is an executive assistant and wedding planner. In fact, she was our wedding planner and was very instrumental in helping us experience the best day of our lives. Her energy is palpable, her attention to detail is unmatched, and she’s an absolute joy to work with. We cover some early moments of planning family events, becoming an executive assistant, and what makes a great wedding planner. We share our thoughts on our dream wedding venue, dating apps in 2024, and even prenups. Plea...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 45 min
Our next guest is one of the Founders of the local nonprofit, EcoShip. An organization that collects used shipping materials and redistributes them to small business owners for free. It was an insightful chat about what materials are actually not recyclable. Depending on your local protocols, those white and blue amazon poly mailers or even bubble wrap containing low density polyethylene plastic are not considered recyclable. Or how recyclables need to be rinsed and dried prior to tossing them. ...
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 32 min
Our next guest shares his experience within Notre Dame Football, politics, and generating sales for a beverage distribution company. He’s now known for his work as a producer and Host of the Emmy winning show, The CEO series. He’s talked with CEOs of companies like Portillo’s, DUDE Wipes, Lou Malnati’s, and the Chicago Blackhawks to name a few. He and his brother founded a strategic consulting agency called Salvi Media where they assist executives on how to better communicate with their team and...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Our next guest has had several iterations on his way to realizing his dream. He’s created a space that overlaps retail, fashion, hair, and networking. Whether it be working at his family’s Carnitas restaurant (Carnitas Don Alfredo) or cutting hair, hospitality and gratitude are at the forefront of Blankness Studios. Gratitude for this blank canvas we get to create art with every day. Please enjoy my conversation with Sergio Torres. blanknessstudios.com blankness.co https://instagram.com/worldwid...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Our next guests are the Founders of Pickled Prince. A condiment brand that’s making waves through local farmers markets and collaborations with local restaurants. They recently won Chicago Reader’s Best Preserves in 2023! They’ve collaborated with the likes of Pizza Friendly Pizza, Umamicue, and TriBecca’s Sandwich shop. We explore their individual journeys, how they met, and how they started to pickle things out of boredom during the pandemic. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian and Alex of...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Our next guest is a mentor and a friend. He’s a dad of three girls, practitioner and teacher of jiu jitsu, and the Founder of the best cold brew I’ve ever had, Kyoto Black Coffee. For the OG’s of the podcast, Justin came on a little over five years ago when he was still at the cafe, Edge of Sweetness. Since then, we briefly cohosted a tasting show where he walks us through palate training with various food and beverages. You can find Justin’s coffee around places like Drip Collective and SoHo Ho...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 9 min
