Dear Elite Reviewer

3-star review lover and Cheesecake Auntie Chera Amlag talks about her experiences starting Hood Famous Cafe + Bar. On one end she's finding inspiration from latte art to design Ube Cheesecakes and other the other end as a first-time business small business owner she's finding that you owe someone money at every turn. Listen in to hear how getting Famous in the Hood can get you that elusive nod from James Beard.Oh, and the song is "The Ave"Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Jumping on Razor scooters, racing handcars, trophy husbands, and special brothels. Nomad PNW, Wilkeson's premiere specialty coffee shop, joins us and talks about what it's like to establish a cafe in a historical small town. Listen in as this SoCal couple drives up The 405, trashes Taco Time, and gives shoutouts to every individual in Wilkeson. Empanadas and they announce a new beverage!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Efrem Fesaha from Boon Boona Coffee discusses the upcoming pumpkin season, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, and schools James and Amy about the blessed but masochistic traditional coffee ceremony using a jebena after hitting them with a Taco Time pump-fake. Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Making the choice between your career and your family can be hard, but sometimes honoring your parents leads to some dope kicks and a legendary shoe store! Caroline gives us the lowdown on how it all started, how it's going, and how she's bringing it into the future! What kind of shoe is James? What kind of shoe is Amy? Also, Taco Time.Support the show

Our very own Yelp Elite consultant divulges the Pirate Code of these Elites. While losing every possible sponsorship, Amy comes hard with the questions and James' mind is blown when learning some Foodie/Influencers are paid cold hard cash to give good reviews. Nelson waxes poetic about Joey's and how to cheat Costco. Big thanks to Nelson for being the monolithic representative for all Yelp Elites!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Carol Xie is the daughter of Jason Xie who owns Purple Dot Cafe in Seattle. Representing her family's business she gives us perspective on what it's like to be a kid growing up around Chinatown, working in the acquired family business, and the general battles to get with the times. Should reviews posted prior to the current ownership still be valid? We also all commiserate about how the hope of government support has been an emotional roller coaster which has ended positively for some but also has brought others to literal tears. There's a lot to unpack here!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Robin Wehl and Clay Martin from Hello Robin join us to talk about what makes a great cookie, their Seinfeldian influences, how words have meaning, and where does the name "Hello Robin" come from? How do you respond when a customer doesn't want the money they spent going towards BLM? At least we all agree on Taco Time and the infamous Mackles'more!If you or anyone you know owns a small business and is interested in being on, submit the survey on our website at dearelitereviewer.comSupport the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Celebrity Chef Melissa Miranda of Musang waxes poetic about Taco Time, discusses developing a solid team through keeping it real and vulnerability, and why she doesn't want to be called "Chef" in her kitchen. At what point is the restaurant industry choose to break free from its past? Probably about now. At what point should Amy join Musang's Little Wildcats program? ASAP.Sign up for Ate Mel's newsletter as well!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Prashanthi reflects on her passion for rice milk, dogs, and how pursuing her dream turned her life into one big coffee break. Also, should sales reps leave reviews? Let's hear what she has to say about that!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Dr. Aakanksha and Mr. Uttam dive into how a lack of representation of their culture pulled them away from their 9-5s to bring the flavor explosion known as Spice Waala. More importantly we dive into how the people from our own cultures can be our own worst enemies... Familiarity can bring out the best/worst in reviewers!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Edmonds' own Karin Butler chats with us about what it's like to evolve as a small business and how growth can mean rejection and acceptance from the same companies as well as opening and closing a retail location. As if running a small business isn't enough, being a black-owned/women-owned business means navigating COVID and social justice issues are just icing on the cake. Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Lois Ko dives into what true entrepreneurial hustle looks like, but she'll tell you why it's overrated. How many samples are too many when you visit an ice-cream shop? Listen in to get the perspective of a true 100% authentic creamery from the U-District's own Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)

Welcome to Dear Elite Reviewer! The podcast about small businesses and how online reviews affect them, hosted by James and Amy. Future episodes will feature small business owners who get the opportunity to respond to reviews with their real voices. Each week a different guest will be read one positive and one negative review of James and Amy's choosing. In this introductory episode James and Amy discuss some of the positives and negatives of the online reviewing world, influencers, and a plethora of tangents. We hope you get a feel for the journey we're heading down and join us for future episodes!Support the show (https://cash.app/$watsonscounter)