The Break

He helped close Disney's deal for Pixar, and now runs one of only two non-profit casinos in the United States. President and CEO of Q Casino Alex Dixon on this episode of The Break.Alex Dixon hails from Las Vegas, as a third generation hospitality employee. He left that world to study at Howard University, and work in financial markets in New York City, London, and LA. How did get back in hospitality, in Dubuque Iowa of all places? Hear Alex's amazing story.

Taniya Nayak got into design because of Vern Yip and the TV show Trading Spaces! Her old friend joins her for a deep discussion on how being true to yourself can open up a world of opportunities. Vern started as a pre-med student because he didn't want to let his parents down, who moved from Hong Kong to the US for better opportunities for Vern. But architecture was always his passion, and Vern found his genuine self as he followed his passion.Hear about Vern's multiple 'big breaks' during his inspirational journey, including similarities with Taniya's upbringing as well. 

The Break is part of Muddhouse Media, a diverse podcast network, created in part by Hollywood producer Kris Meyer, who joins Taniya on this episode to tell his remarkable story. After 5 years in Hollywood trying to ‘make it', Kris was working as a bouncer and ready to move back to Boston when his first big break finally appeared.  Kris is an Emmy nominated and award winning producer who has worked for the comedic duo The Farrelly Brothers under their production banner, Conundrum Entertainment, for over 20 years.  He has worked as a creative executive, production executive and producer on such blockbuster hits as “There's Something About Mary,” “Me, Myself & Irene,” “Shallow Hal,” “Fever Pitch”, “Hall Pass”, “The Three Stooges” and “Dumb & Dumber To”. Conundrum's body of work has resulted in over $2 billion in box office sales. He continues to work with The Farrelly Bros. on joint ventures.  Kris has independently worked on a number of films and tv shows ranging from the Sports Emmy nominated ESPN/THE LOST SON OF HAVANA to PLIMPTON! which aired on PBS/American Masters.   Under his own banner, BlackEagle, Kris's most recent movies THE DO OVER starring Adam Sandler was released on NETFLIX, and most recently SUPERTROOPERS 2 was released nationwide.  Muddhouse Media combines niche expertise to create compelling, engaging and appealing storytelling. Muddhouse strives to present the most passionate individuals discussing the subjects they live for, with people who either share their zest, or can offer a novel or unique take or opinion on the subject

David Meltzer made a million dollars very quickly working during the explosion of the internet and the first mobile phone system. He then worked for superstar sports agent Leigh Steinberg, the agency that spawned the film 'Jerry McGuire'. But he soon lost it all. You'll be surprised to hear what David considers to be his 'big break', the one that allows him to today find "the light, the love, and the lessons in everything".He'd never have been able to transform if it wasn't for an old jacket his father gave him years before. Why? Hear his amazing story as he explains to Taniya how he's improved his ability to learn and improve everyday of his life.  

Go behind the scenes of HGTV's new hit show "Build It Forward" with co-hosts Matt Blashaw and Taniya Nayak, who didn't even get a screen test together before they stepped in front of there camera! Taniya and Matt worked side by side for 5 amazing episodes on location all around the USA, giving back to those who have given so much to their community.Matt's journey to his big TV 'break' is unique. May grew up working at his dad's lumberyard before graduation from Chapman University. He then worked at a variety of jobs in both construction and entertainment, including a technical services gig at Disney. Matt learned a valuable life lesson after he landed a TV show audition after he decided to "just be himself". From there he went on to host over 450 episodes of shows like "Yard Crashers".But he almost left the business for good, before getting back with "Build It Forward". Hear all about it on this episode of The Break.

The first program that Loren Ruch produced on HGTV featured Taniya Nayak, starting a 15+ year friendship. The two talk about the their amazing journeys as 'nice guys who finished first', bucking the stereotype that you need to be mean to succeed in the TV business. "There is a misconception that nice people are weak" Loren says, and talks about staying true to yourself and that by doing so the rewards will come. As senior VP of Programming and Development at HGTV, Loren oversees the production team that comes up with concepts for, or takes pitches for new shows on the network. He then oversees them during the development phase, through to the pilot episode, and then if all goes well to a series. Ever wonder what a guy like Loren looks for in a pitch for a new show? He'll tell you!Loren tells a hilarious story about his appearance on Love Connection (it never aired, sorry!) before he worked there, and also opens up about how hard bullying was on him, having endured years of it himself as a child. With great support from his family, Loren was able to strive for the things he wanted in life. He says now that "playing the part of what I should be in my career got me where I am today".  A truly inspiring episode of The Break!

You may know Maneet Chauhan as a frequent guest/judge on Food Network shows such as 'Chopped' or 'Guy's Grocery Games', and here she shares the journey that got her into those prime time spotlights. She shares her remarkable story with Taniya in this episode, telling her that "food is the biggest connector in this world". Hear about the Sunday morning trips to the markets in India with her father that set her on her food path, motivating her to want to be a chef from a young age. She would also help her neighbors cook as a girl, learning all about the many spices in Indian cooking. Find out how a drab $8.99 'all you can eat' Indian buffet propelled her to create authentic Indian food in the United States. Even though Maneet graduated from a top culinary school, she found it difficult to find work right away. She built her foundation in the culinary space working for her aunt and uncle's restaurant in New Jersey, before packing up and moving to work in Chicago and then New York City. She believes that food is "the universal language" and talks in depth about it and the community connections it forms.And does she challenge Taniya to do shots of Tequila at her restaurant in Nashville? Find out!

Find out why Taniya calls Robert Irvine (Restaurant Impossible/Dinner Impossible/Food Network) her 'brother from a different mother'. Interviewed during the height of Covid-19 after a shoot for 'Restaurant Impossible', Robert shares why passion and work ethic are more important than ever for the success of the hospitality business. He also talks about leadership and inspiration in that space, and how he's made so many friends with the owners he's worked with and helped while filming over the years. Taniya and Robert are joined by Robert's wife Gail Kim, and his longtime Producer Jill Littman. The stories are funny, touching, and above all, REAL!

You may know Marc Summers as the long time host of Unwrapped on The Food Network, or remember him slinging SLIME as the host of Double Dare on Nickelodeon, but did you know he stared out as a magician, and it took him 13 years to get that show? How did he become a successful smoked salmon salesman? Hear about Marc's incredible journey, including a long run as a stand up comedian and TV show 'warmup', for shows like Soap, Alice, Mac Davis, Star Search and Webster. Marc went on to create TV shows like Dinner Impossible and Restaurant Impossible, and his first encounter with Chef Robert Irvine is unreal! Hear all about Marc's story of perseverance on this episode of The Break.

Part 2 of Taniya's heartfelt and emotional interview with fashion icon Gretta Monahan. In this episode Gretta opens up about her battle with cancer, and how she actually considered it another "break" in her life. It opened up her eyes to a whole new perspective on life and business. She also talks more about honor, trust, and collaboration with her team, and how one of her clients actually got her to go back to school at the height of her success, to Harvard no less!

In this heartfelt and emotional Part 1 of 2, Taniya talks with Gretta Monahan, TV personality, lifestyle expert, and fashion icon. Gretta opens up about the incredible hardships she endured in her life from childhood until now, and how it affected her journey to success. Gretta shared her insight on how she built her business, from an eager college student who couldn't wait to get to New York City, through her early career in the industry, her "a-ha" moment, and how her team has been instrumental in helping her build her 'empire'.

Clinton Kelly is an American TV personality, author, and lifestyle consultant. He won an Emmy for his role as the moderator on the popular ABC daytime show The Chew. The Chew was nominated for multiple Emmys and ran for seven seasons. He is also known for his role as co-host on the prime time reality show What Not to Wear, TLC's long-running reality program that featured fashion makeovers, for over 10 seasons. Kelly is currently a contributing columnist to Woman's Day magazine offering style advice. He has published several bestselling books, including his most recent, I Hate Everyone, Except You - a humorous and candid collection of essays. Kelly started his career as a freelance writer for several fashion magazines and was an editor for Marie Claire and Mademoiselle.More good stuff here...https://clintonkelly.com 

Passionate chef, author, cyclist, and philanthropist, Chris Cosentino is co-owner of two restaurants: Acacia House in Napa Valley, California, and Rosalie in Houston, Texas. He is a partner in the CampoVelo cycling events in California's wine country. He hosts a weekly podcast and is a regular judge and competitor on food TV. https://www.chefchriscosentino.com 

Karen Akunowicz is the Chef/Owner of Fox & the Knife and a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award winner. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 2001, Karen enrolled in the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and earned her degree in 2004. That same year, she embarked on her professional culinary career as a cook making local farm-to-table fare at the beloved Ten Tables restaurant in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Thereafter, Karen accepted a position at restaurant Via Matta in Boston's Back Bay and fell in love with Italian food. In 2008, she decided to fully immerse herself in Italian cuisine by living and cooking in Modena, Italy for a year, serving as the Chef at L'Avian Blu.https://www.foxandtheknife.com/welcome 

Host of "From Scratch" and former child actor David Moscow joins Taniya on this episode of  The BreakDavid Moscow started his career as an actor in 1988, playing the character of young Josh Baskin in Big, in which the adult Josh Baskin was played by Tom Hanks. He landed the role of David Jacobs in the 1992 filmed version of the musical Newsies along with Christian Bale. He has also featured the main character opposite Jessica Alba in the movie Honey. He has also appeared in several different network television shows and now hosts, From Scratch.

Stand up Comedian and TV star Gina Yashere Joins  Taniya Nayak on "The Break"Gina Yashere has been a stand up and TV star in the UK for numerous years now, with appearances on iconic TV shows such as Live At The Apollo & Mock The Week, as well as creating & performing the hugely popular comedic characters, Tanya & Mrs. Omokerede on The Lenny Henry Show.She broke onto the American comedy scene with her appearances on Last Comic Standing (NBC), where she made it to the final 10, and then never went home! Gina went on to be named one of the top 10 rising talents in the Hollywood Reporter.She is also known in the US for being the only British comedian to ever appear on the iconic Def Comedy Jam, as well as for her hilarious appearances on The Tonight Show (NBC) & Crashing on HBO. Gina self produced 3 separate 1 hour Stand Up Specials, Skinny B*tch, Laughing To America, & Ticking Boxes, two of which are currently streaming on Netflix. Gina's 4th stand up special is also streaming on Netflix, as part of The Stand Ups, season 2, and is  garnering rave reviews on the network. She is also regularly featured on Comedy Central as the British Correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Gina is also an in demand voice artist.  She has voiced characters in various animations, including Keisha in the British cult hit, Bromwell High, & Gravelle in the latest movie from the makers of Wallace & Gromit & Chicken Run, Early Man! She can be currently heard playing a starfish called Gareth, on the Children's ITV show, The Rubbish World of Dave Spud. (UK)Gina has performed for audiences not just in Europe, the US & Australia, but she is in fact, a highly sought after comedian in Asia, making numerous sold out appearances in Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia & Hong Kong. It's a wonder she found the time to pick up her 4th award in a row for “Best Comedian” at the recent Black Entertainment & Comedy Awards (UK).Gina has performed numerous times at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and Toronto.Feature films appearances have included Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Mr. in Between, and she has also appeared on the West-End stage in The Vagina Monologues.Gina currently resides in Los Angeles where she is producing, writing and acting on the new sitcom Bob hearts Abishola, which she co-created with Chuck Lorre, & is currently airing on CBS.info@ginayashere.com

Taniya Nayak welcomes good friend and television host, designer & writer, Sabrina Soto on her first episode of The Break An incredibly engaging and vivacious personality, Sabrina makes you feel as if she's stepped out of the TV and right into your living room. Sabrina has been featured on TODAY, Live with Kelly and Ryan, Good Morning America, Rachael Ray, The View, The Chew, The Talk, and has appeared in publications such as TIME, Elle Decor, People, Huffington Post, InStyle, Esquire, USA Today, Parade, Variety, Better Homes and Gardens, Latina and The New York Post, among others. Sabrina has enjoyed extensive exposure as host and designer of various HGTV shows such as The High Low Project, Design Star, Real Estate Intervention and Get it Sold. She's has made guest appearances on White House Christmas, HGTV's Green Home, Bang for Your Buck, House Hunters and as a cast member of TLC's Trading Spaces. She's also served as a judge on the ABC series, The Great Christmas Light Fight! Most recently, you can catch Sabrina as the designer on the new CBS primetime series, Secret Celebrity Renovation. Currently living in Los Angeles, Sabrina juggles being a mom to Olivia, designing, consulting and filming.  When not working on a project, she treats her friends and family to her second passion of cooking.https://www.sabrinasoto.com

The Break with Taniya Nayak - Coming Next Week!