The Chef Rock Xperiment

Links Mentioned   Mammy History https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/ Aunt Jemima Website as of June 17, 2020 http://www.auntjemima.com/our-history Dan Gasby petition for B. Smith  https://www.change.org/p/ask-pepsico-to-replace-aunt-jemima-with-b-smith Lawsuit against Aunt Jemima https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/2014/10/03/pancake-flap-aunt-jemima-heirs-seek-dough/16654599/ PepsiCo's Racial Rejuvunation https://www.pepsico.com/racial-equality-journey

Laura Hayes of The Washington City Paper asked me the question and here's the beginning of my response.  Email me at rock@rocksolidfood.com

Director of the Dillard University of the Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture

Chef Chris Hayes is a beast in the kitchen and an honorable, servant of his community. We met in New Orleans at Howard Conyers' Gumbo Jubilee where he and several other chefs roasted a whole cow led by Conyers and his father. Flanking the whole cow bbq were the most amazing oysters I'v ever had in my life. Chef Chris would not even begin to tell me what was in his secret sauce and I can't blame him. Listen in for his story and what he's up to now-I promise you'll be impressed.  *I mentioned Chef David Hannah from rocksolidfood.com/tcrx59

What do you stand to gain if you get 1% better each and every day?

Gideon Culman of K Street Coaching sits down with Rock to share his wildly cool background, exactly what an executive coach does and who his favorite rapper of all time is.  Gideon believes that embracing curiosity is essential to creating the world we want. Life today is accelerating at a ferocious clip. The stability, predictability, and certainty that we may have taken for granted is falling away. The more tightly we cling to a fleeting world order we once knew, the more fluidly it seems to slip through our fingers. Stepping back and taking in the impact of the volatility that greets us at every turn can take our breaths away. Rising to the occasion of life in a rapidly evolving world, and our exceedingly demanding roles in it, leaves us with no choice but to grow and change. “Gideon is great to work with because he's easy to relate to, an interesting, kind guy with a great sense of humor – but he never lets that get in the way of saying what needs to be said. And sometimes what needs to be said is nothing. In this kind of work, the silences can be as important and powerful as anything else, and Gideon has the confidence and understanding to let those silences stand, allowing what's important and powerful to emerge from it.”                       — Advertising Executive This is why K Street Coaching® exists. Gideon supports senior leaders to pause, breathe, adopt new perspectives, consider deeper questions, and take better actions. Gideon holds masters degrees in Eastern Classics and Liberal Arts from St. John's College. He likes to wander outside right before dawn and well up with awe as the sun casts long shadows and paints the District around him bold shades of daybreak. Previously an international development professional, Gideon refocused on attention on developing individuals' lives in 2012, for many years traveling to Kuala Lumpur and New York City to train others coaches. Parenting two boisterous children with his wife, coaxing refractory leafy greens out of his community garden soil, and losing himself in stories from all points across the globe provide Gideon with lenses through which to see how we can bring ourselves most fully to our lives. Gideon holds each conversation he records for his podcast Where Genius Grows as a brilliant tile in an expanding mosaic that sheds light on the complexity and interconnectedness of our world. https://kstreetcoaching.com  

If you'd like to avoid burning out as a chef, awareness is the first step. Sit still and be honest with yourself.

Goals sound super sexy, right? They don't work, it's your system that does! Listen to this quick (> 4 minutes) visit https://jamesclear.com for the book. 

Frying is an often underestimated cooking method. It doesn't get the same amount of care and respect as sautés or braises. Listen in for the 6 enemies of fat and how they can help save you money and flavor.

In this episode I breakdown what food cost actually is and how to calculate it. I'm giving more homework too-but it's easy. Send this to 3 chefs that you believe in. foodcost.toasttab.com Rocksolidfood.com/tcrx70

If you're in the restaurant business, you know what pre-bussing is. I need you to treat your life like your tables. Go!

Last year, I had the opportunity to sit with some of the most amazing chefs and hospitality professionals at IGF's @internationalgourmetfoods Shift Drink-the industry's first after-hours food show. I'll be releasing those interviews over the next few months. IGF took the show to Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlotte and Atlanta. Their territory runs from Baltimore, Maryland on down to Birmingham, Alabama. This year I'll share quite a bit of insight on choosing vendors and partners to serve your food business and I can tell you without a doubt that IGF is the gold standard. Service and ingredients-no one does what they do as well as they do it. This episode you'll hear from Chef David Hannah @regularchef of Virginia Beach. Chef David is talented, humble and very wise. You will also hear from his "wifeager", Mrs. Hannah. I think many of you will find it cool to hear how that dynamic plays out in the interviews especially the humble and quiet ones. I was inspired by his story and his vision. Chef hosted a super dope pop-up last year that was inspired by McDowells, the restaurant in Coming To America the movie. How cool is that? There's more, so check him out and listen to the show. 2 questions: What city should IGF @internationalgourmetfoods hold its next Shift Drink? Thoughts on the interview? rocksolidfood.com/tcrx59 #chef #tcrx #thechefrockxperiment #restaurant #internationalgourmetfoods #shift #shiftdrink #stoptheshit #starttheshift

The restaurant industry is on a path UPWARD! Here's a couple of things to keep in mind, listen in.

Tune in to hear my thoughts on this week's quote: "You get what you repeat." -James Clear Visit https://jamesclear.com to sign up for his newsletter, download a free chapter or buy his powerful book, Atomic Habits. 

Movie time! Gordon Ramsay's Burnt versus Disney's Ratatouille. If you could stage under one chef, who would is be?

The biggest pain point I hear from chefs and restaurant industry folks is not having enough money. Before we can get to the bag, we have to deepen our understanding of how food and money work in the restaurant business. Food cost is a great start, chefs. Listen in as I talk about food cost.

Trey, Ciera and Kristin

Hugo

Scott Elmore

A brief summary of this episode

Ross Riddle

Eric King

International Gourmet Foods host the food industry's first after-hours food show and I speak with the chefs, restaurant owners and everyone in between that attend the show. Sipping on cold beverages, checking out new and exciting ingredients, and all after a shift-what could be better? Grab your shift drink and take a listen!

Can restaurants create a culture of mutually reinforcing culinary excellence and personal dignity? Gideon Culman of K Street Coaching and I try to find out. 

Rising star and author of "Son of Southern Chef", Chef Lazarus Lynch joins me to talk about his book, his family and spiritual self-care. This was such a wonderful conversation. Chef Lazarus humbly shared with me that is an "old soul" and I certainly agree. It's my practice to only speak with people that intrigue me and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised author rich and fulfilling our conversation was.  I hope you enjoy! https://www.sonofasouthernchef.com

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Bingo Beer Special Events Coordinator, Stacy Lunstford speaks with me here. International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Johnson & Wales Graduate and line cook, Kyra Creek speaks with me here. International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Owners Filippo and Giuseppe Giambanco speak with me here. http://www.thegiambancos.com/ International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Paige Drewry of Kelsick Speciality Market speaks with me here. https://kelsickmarket.com/ International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Amy Baum of Grafton Village Cheese speaks with me here. https://www.graftonvillagecheese.com/ International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Rachel Sargent and Moni Mi of The Quark Hotel speak with me here. https://www.destinationhotels.com/quirk-hotel International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Chef Landon Saul of Vivace Restaurant speaks with me here. International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/ https://www.vivacecville.com/about-us

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Founder of 100 Proof Strategies, Eric King speaks with me here. International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods at Bingo Beer Company in Richmond, Virginia. Chef and Owner Jason Alley speaks with me here. International Gourmet Foods http://igf-inc.com/ Bingo Beer Company https://www.bingorva.com/

I speak with chefs, owners and many others in the food business in the industry's first nighttime food show presented by International Gourmet Foods.

Erinn D. Tucker, PhDof Georgetown University is the faculty director, associate professor of the practice in the Global Hospitality Leadership master's program and co-founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week. She has worked for over 20 years in academia, sport, hospitality and event management with companies such as Charlotte Knights and Hornets, General Motors and Dave & Busters. Before Georgetown, she has held faculty appointments at Boston University, Temple University, and Johnson and Wales University.

Erinn D. Tucker, PhD of Georgetown University is the faculty director, associate professor of the practice in the Global Hospitality Leadership master's program and co-founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week.  She has worked for over 20 years in academia, sport, hospitality and event management with companies such as Charlotte Knights and Hornets, General Motors and Dave & Busters. Before Georgetown, she has held faculty appointments at Boston University, Temple University, and Johnson and Wales University.

EP #033: Suzanne & Michelle Rousseau of Summer House at the Liguanea Club Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau are Jamaican born sisters, cookbook authors and restaurateurs who developed the concept of Modern Heritage Dining. Their sophomore cookbook Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking (click to buy from Amazon) is as much a catalogue of West Indian vegetarian recipes as it is a tribute to West Indian women who have laid the culinary foundation of the Caribbean. Pick up their books today! Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking Caribbean Potluck: Modern Recipes From our Family Kitchen Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher What ya' don't know… Michelle and Suzanne did't start out in food!  "Rock Bottom" "This morning you mean? Like when I woke up!"  They shared an actual rock bottom moment but that was a good laugh. Cooking with Intention "Our culinary lense is really one that is informed by an understanding of the country, the region, the history of that place and how do we really translate that into a visceral experience to all your senses." -Suzanne What are you most passionate about today? "Honestly, telling stories and sharing the magic that we have here. For me it really is about telling the untold, the unknown stories and that in some ways could be about the ingredients, the women, that's our great grandmother. Whenever I see something special and something magical here, I'm driven to share that." -Michelle  On The Fly Biggest roadblock in your path? Access to cheap money. The greatest rapper of all time? Biggie Smalls! Fill in the blank with a habit: Without art/failure I wouldn't be successful. The restaurant industry needs more diversity and more equitable representation.  The restaurant industry needs more female cooks and more women as restaurant owners.   Books & Resources Mentioned: The Book of Night Women by Marlon James  Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Connect with Suzanne & Michelle Rousseau www.2sistersandameal.com www.summerhouseja.com   Facebook   http://twitter.com/2sistersandameal (Twitter)   Instagram Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment!   Shoot me an email to let me know what you thought of the show! tcrx@rocksolidfood.com  

Howard Conyers is a Manning, SC native, specifically Paxville or Home Branch if you really know the area.  Google  Manning, to see the rural town he is from in South Carolina.  Howard did not know what engineering was officially until his 11th grade year.Howard was 1 of 32 students nationwide awarded the prestigious USDA/1890 scholar to study Bioenvironmental Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University, a historically black college and university.  Howard graduated with perfect 4.0 GPA and earned the NAMASKAR award at A&T for his commitment to campus leadership, community service, and academic excellence.  He later earned his  MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University with a specialty in Aeroelasticity in 2009. Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment Apple | Google | https://open.spotify.com/show/1oPaxl6X8UnqaZmcLrq3rE (Spotify |) Stitcher What ya' don't know… He's just a humble kid from the south. Where he got his entrepreneurial spirit… The entrepreneurial spirit came from my family. My grandparents were both farmers in the south and to survive you were entrepreneurs. How he came to love barbecue… I was born into it. I was lucky enough to born into a community that really practiced this tradition of pit-cooked barbecue. On competition barbecue: I'm not a fan of competition barbecue, Rock. I love it as an engineer but as a traditionalist, as a black pit master in this country, I hate it. It doesn't show the people who… were very much hands on in developing and perfecting American barbecue.

EP #031: How I Ever Won Anything Recap of the last two episodes and what's on the way https://rocksolidfood.com/tcrx29/ (Sheree Williams of Cuisine Noir Magazine) https://rocksolidfood.com/tcrx30/ (Chef Therese Nelson) Comin up on The Chef Rock Xperiment https://www.howardconyers.com/ (Dr. Howard Conyers - Rocket Scientist, Pitmaster and host of Nourish on PBS) http://2sistersandameal.com/ (Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau - Chefs, and authors of Provisions) https://ascender-c.com/ (Paul V. Grant - Senior Producer and CCO Ascender Communications) https://kstreetcoaching.com/ (Gideon Culman - Executive Coach at K Street Coaching) https://www.dmvbrw.com/ (Dr. Erinn Tucker, PHD - Faculty Director of Georgetown University's Global Hospitality Leadership master's program and Co-Founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week) Chef Jerome Grant - Executive Chef A few of my professional successes http://www.bsmith.com/about (Smith's Washington, D.C. Executive Chef) Hell's Kitchen Season 3 Winner I opened Ben's Next Door and met President-Elect Barack Obama (Me behind the dad at 0:36) https://vimeo.com/1700323 (March of Dimes National Celebrity Chef) DC Central Kitchen Board Member, Director of Kitchen Operations and Culinary Instructor Member of the Inaugural Diplomatic Culinary Partnership   Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher   Resources Mentioned: The Magic of Thinking Big Makes Me Wanna Holler Union Temple Baptist Church Connect with Me Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment!   Shoot me an email to let me know what you thought of the show! tcrx@rocksolidfood.com Note: some of the resources mentioned may be affiliate links, meaning I get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.  

EP #030: Therese Nelson of Black Culinary History Chef Therese Nelson is a proud Newark, NJ native where she was born and raised in its historic Weequaic section. She is a suma cume laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University where she holds degrees in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. In addition to her culinary life Therese is the founder and culinary curator of Black Culinary History, an organization she founded in 2008 as a way to connect chefs of color to preserve black heritage throughout the African culinary diaspora, to promote and share the work of her colleagues, and to preserve the legacy being constructed by black chefs for this next generation.   Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher   What ya' don't know… Where Chef Therese got her start! I didn't guess this either.   What she's doing right now... “I wanted to feel more inspired. I needed to feel more connected.” Freelance writing for a few sites, mainly taste.com Running Culinary Black History Private Chef “Rock Bottom” 2008 was the beginning of the economic implosion in America. Traditionally thinking would say that this wasn't the best time to start your own business. Therese shares her story on the process of starting her business this same year and the conversation with her Mother and Grandmother around “that old oak table” that eventually lead to her discovering her why. Powerful stuff! The ‘Light Bulb' Went Off “Edna Lewis told me in that book (https://amzn.to/2Xe8iau (The Taste of Country Cooking)), when I'm 18 years old, that black people have a birthright to American cooking.” “She told us that in the 70s and I received that message in the 90s.” On The Fly Biggest roadblock in your path? Me! The greatest rapper of all time? She went the Dr. Howard Conyers/author route and said https://amzn.to/2IbhHvQ (Countee Cullen) Fill in the blank with a habit: Without introversion I wouldn't be successful. The restaurant industry needs conscience. What is you why? “I love this industry like an adult loves their partner. I respect this industry. I require the truth. I require more of myself and more of this industry. The truth is that we built this industry. We built this country, but especially this industry. We need to be more clear and conscious of how we our engage our work. It's too precious.” Books & Resources Mentioned: Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis   https://amzn.to/2N8YlX1 (Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman) https://amzn.to/2DIkqYl (Freedom Farmers by Dr. Monica White) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0o0F5G6068 (Dr. Monica White Keynote-Black Farmers, Food Security and Justice)   Connect with Chef Therese Nelson Website-https://www.blackculinaryhistory.com/ Facebook Twitter Instagram   Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment!   Shoot me an email to let me know what you thought of the show! tcrx@rocksolidfood.com

EP #029: Sheree Williams of Cuisine Noir Magazine Sheree Williams is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the first print and digital magazine that connects the African Diaspora through food, wine and travel, Cuisine Noir, based in Oakland, CA.   Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher   Sheree starts off by sharing some of her challenges in media and how she overcame them. She shares what she saw in 2009 and what she is seeing now in 2019 as it related to Blacks in these industries. Favorite stories of interviews over the years? We talk a bit about the future of digital and print publishing. What do you think we will see in the future as Blacks continue to be empowered to tell and share our own stories? You'll want to hear her answer! Resources Mentioned: Millionaire Moves   The Secrets of The Millionaire Mind God is my CEO   Connect with Sheree Williams and Cuisine Noir Magazine Website-https://www.cuisinenoirmag.com/ Facebook Twitter Instagram Subscribe to The Chef Rock Xperiment!   Shoot me an email to let me know what you thought of the show! tcrx@rocksolidfood.com

What up everybody!   Welcome to The Chef Rock Xperiment, Season 3!   A little about myself: My name is Rahman Harper and I'm from Alexandria Virginia I've been in food for over 20 years Restaurants have been great for me-I've even owned a couple Service and the power of community are important to me and what I do. The March of Dimes, DC Central Kitchen, Central Union Mission You may know that I competed on season 3 of Fox's hit reality show Hell's Kitchen with Chef Gordon Ramsay and I won Since HK, I've done a few cool things. Diplomatic Culinary Partnership James Beard Foundation's Chef Boot Camp for Policy and Change A bunch of TV https://vimeo.com/297394145 (Gumbo Jubilee and Whole Cow Barbecue) What will the podcast be about… You can expect interviews with some of today's brightest and most successful minds in food and culture. I want to speak with people that are making a dent in the zeitgest and moving culture forward.   You may see some shows where I'm purely offering my insight into a certain subject like how to cost out food and plan a menu. I know or thing or two about that.   One of my passions is to provide chefs with the tools outside of the food realm to achieve success. So, expect to hear interviews about building those mental muscles and strengthening the rarely talked about skills in chef and restaurant culture. In my interview with Gideon Culman, host of Where Genius Grow Podcast, we get some great insight into these skills.  Sheree Williams, CEO and Editor in Chief of Cuisine Noir Magazine, now celebrating its 10th year speaks about how she got started in media and what her mission for the groundbreaking publication is for 2019, and beyond. Dr. Howard Conyers the rocket scientist and pitmaster talks about his hit show Nourish on PBS and we talk about Gumbo Jubilee the event in New Orleans where many of us had the privilege to meet the phenomenal Leah Chase and also see Dr. Conyers barbecue a whole cow. https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/sweet-home-cafe (Chef Jerome Grant of The National Museum of African American History and Culture) comes on to talk a little fashion and his success one of the founders of black restaurant week in DC, https://www.dmvbrw.com/ (Dr. Erin Tucker)  and the incomparable Therese Nelson the chef, writer and steward of Black Culinary History plus many more stop by The Chef Rock Xperiment to chop it up with me.   We will also talk about the number one subject people want to know about: MONEY! If you're like me, you want to know more and hopefully my guests will help all of us learn more than we did before. When will the show launch and how often… The new season launches March 3rd at 11:01 PM EST and you can expect an episode every Monday from there on out. We may have some bonuses for you, but at minimum, you'll get some powerful content each and every Monday right here on the 3rd Season of The Chef Rock Xperiment. If you haven't already, please subscribe, rate and review the show. Your feedback is everything to me! You can also drop us an email at TCRX@rocksolidfood.com  Holla at you soon, peace!  

Cultural appropriation is on the rise. Not this time. The Facebook post I mentioned https://www.facebook.com/priestdn?fref=pb&__tn__=%2Cd-a-R&eid=ARA8qSDy2giQ9cl2RlmOjbQbbpRNSGGFhFJoivubvxDZ8aMW9vxewaGForexmsOWIW8wuR6GBP8kcxwZ&hc_location=profile_browser

Musician, biologist and legal assistant are a few of the hats Danny Lee tried on before finding his perfect toque as Chef and Owner of Mandu, a traditional Korean restaurant in Washington, DC. No stranger to the restaurant business, Lee's mother, Yesoon Lee, also chef at Mandu, owned a sandwich shop in Old Town Alexandria, VA in the 1980s, and in the late ‘90s, a Charlie Chiang Kwai takeaway store at Reagan National Airport. It was at Charlie Chiang Kwai that Lee learned the basics of running a food establishment. He cemented his restaurant knowledge at Oceanaire, where he worked under Chef Rob Klink who trained him both on the managerial and culinary side of the food business. In 2006, Lee and his mother decided to open their own restaurant, one that played to their strengths and represented their culinary traditions and culture. They opened Mandu's first location near Dupont Circle in November 2006 and five years later, the second one in DC's Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood.   Mandu has won “Best Korean” in the Washington City Paper annually since 2010 in addition to being featured in several local and national publications.  Mandu was also recognized as a recommended restaurant in the Michelin Guide's premier Washington, DC issue in 2016 and again in 2017. In the Fall of 2016, Lee and his mother were invited to London to showcase a Korean tasting menu for a two week Mandu residency at Carousel Restaurant. In 2017, Lee started a new restaurant group with Andrew Kim and Chef Scott Drewno, called The Fried Rice Collective.  The group's first restaurant, CHIKO, opened in July of 2017 on Barrack's Row in Washington, DC. CHIKO serves modern Chinese and Korean cuisine in a fun and casual environment.   CHIKO immediately garnered local and national interest upon opening, including being named one of Washingtonian Magazine's Best New Restaurants of 2017 with a three star rating.  The Washington Post also featured CHIKO in their 2017 Fall Dining Guide as one of the top ten restaurants in the city with the Post's food critic, Tom Sietsema, giving CHIKO a rating of three stars.  In 2018, CHIKO was a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Award Foundation. Lee has been featured in several national and local publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Men's Health, Lucky Peach, Washington Post, Washingtonian, and many more. IN this episode, we talk about his path to success. Enjoy!   EPISODE 27:     Welcome to Season 2 of The Chef Rock Xperiment. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHEF ROCK XPERIMENT! http://rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink (Watch the trailer for the upcoming visual, Shift Drink at rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink)   HOW BEST TO CONNECT WITH CHEF DANNY LEE: http://www.chikodc.com https://www.instagram.com/dannyleedc (Instagram) http://chikodc.com/media (ChiKo and The Fried Rice Collective Media)

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

  Derek Brown is a leading spirits and cocktail expert and president of Drink Company, which owns and operates 2017 Spirited Award winning “Best American Cocktail Bar” Columbia Room as well as PUB, a rotating pop-up bar that's housed the wildly-popular Miracle on 7th Street, Cherry Blossom PUB and Game of Thrones PUB. Playboy magazine named him as one of “The 10 Entertainers, Thought Leaders and Heroes Who'll Save Us in 2017.” Derek is a spirits judge at the prestigious San Francisco World's Spirit Competition and works with many charities and organization in a role as advisor, including the DC Public Library Foundation, BevCon Charleston and Share Our Strength   Rock Harper continues his converstaion with Derek Brown about his secrets to success and much more!     EPISODE 26:     Welcome to Season 2 of The Chef Rock Xperiment. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHEF ROCK XPERIMENT! http://rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink (Watch the trailer for the upcoming visual, Shift Drink at rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink)   HOW BEST TO CONNECT WITH DEREK BROWN: http://www.drinkcompany.com http://www.drinkcompany.com/dc-team/ (Derek's Bio) https://www.instagram.com/betterdrinking (Instagram) http://www.twitter.com/drinkcompany (Twitter) Washington Post, Playboy and other cool press

June 4, 2018 Derek Brown Derek Brown          Derek Brown is a leading spirits and cocktail expert and president of Drink Company, which owns and operates 2017 Spirited Award winning "Best American Cocktail Bar" Columbia Room as well as PUB, a rotating pop-up bar that's housed the wildly-popular Miracle on 7th Street, Cherry Blossom PUB and Game of Thrones PUB. Playboy magazine named him as one of "The 10 Entertainers, Thought Leaders and Heroes Who'll Save Us in 2017." Derek is a spirits judge at the prestigious San Francisco World's Spirit Competition and works with many charities and organization in a role as advisor, including the DC Public Library Foundation, BevCon Charleston and Share Our Strength   Rock Harper sits and talks with Derek Brown about his secrets to success and much more!     EPISODE 25:      Welcome to Season 2 of The Chef Rock Xperiment. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHEF ROCK XPERIMENT! http://rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink (Watch the trailer for the upcoming visual, Shift Drink at rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink) SECRET — HOW TO ATTRACT MENTORS AND INVESTORS If you put your passion and service first, then you're going to probably find that relationship in the future with someone that can help you. Sometimes people put the idea first. They put their business first. When they do that they might miss the opportunity to meet somebody or connect with somebody.  SECRET — HOW TO GET $1,000,000.00 Ask for it. QUOTABLE "First you have to be prepared to say no to money. You're out there beating the streets trying to get money in, you have to be prepared to no to the wrong person." ON HIS PATH "Up until about the age 27, I wold describe myself as a shiftless loser."  WHAT ONE STRATEGY OR “RECIPE” WOULD COMPOUND INTO BIG WINS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS? I had this kind of feeling, I didn't know who it was but I knew that somebody was the best bartender in the world and I didn't know why I couldn't be that person."   HOW BEST TO CONNECT WITH DEREK BROWN: http://www.drinkcompany.com http://www.drinkcompany.com/dc-team/ (Derek's Bio) https://www.instagram.com/betterdrinking (Instagram) http://www.twitter.com/drinkcompany (Twitter) Washington Post, Playboy and other cool press  

May 9, 2018 Chef Patrick O'Connell Chef Rock and Chef Patrick O'Connell at The Inn at Little Washington               Rock Harper chats with Chef Patrick O'Connell about his secrets to success and much more!     EPISODE 24: 40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCY   Chef Patrick O'Connell has had just about every award a chef can possibly have. James Beard Award? Check. Best restaurant in The Washington Post? Check. Le Chef Magazines Top 100 in the world? You better believe it. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF HIS MOST NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS He is one of the greatest chefs of our time and his accomplishments could be the subject for a feature film. Can you tell that I'm I fan? Well, I am. It was tough for me to stay poised and not be a fan boy on this interview, folks. I'm sitting across from someone the chef that was the standard 20 plus years ago when I was a teen in high school. And he served be the best cookies and coffee I've had in life. I hope you find the conversation fulfilling and valuable. Welcome to Season 2 of The Chef Rock Xperiment. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHEF ROCK XPERIMENT! http://rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink (Watch the trailer for the upcoming visual, Shift Drink at rocksolidfood.com/shiftdrink) SECRET — PRIORITIZATION TECHNIQUE Whatever the guests need that day, in that moment, becomes the priority.   COULD HAVE RUINED YOUR BUSINESS — BUT NOW —  AN INVALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE An early loan OF $1,500,000.00 on the expansion of The Inn got called in. It was Monday and the bank wanted the money back by Friday. QUOTABLE “...understand that the real challenge is intuiting the guest-entering into their mind and being flexible enough to realize that the joy and the pleasure for yourself  is succeeding and being able to take a hundred different people and hit that button with each one of them...you really train your mind to not to think about yourself as get into the head of the guest.” HOW HE MEASURES THE GUEST EXPERIENCE? “We attach a mood rating to everyone who comes-1 to 10...It has to be a 9 or above before they depart.” WHAT ONE STRATEGY OR “RECIPE” WOULD COMPOUND INTO BIG WINS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS? Influential client relationships are versed in loyalty, commitment, and trust. WHAT DID THE LESSONS IN ADVERSITY TEACH YOU? "These periods would produce in me a huge burst of adrenaline. And when that hit me, I could pretty much do anything. And knowing that I had this reserve of this incredible adrenaline, made me feel like 'bring it on!'" HOW BEST TO CONNECT WITH CHEF PATRICK O'CONNELL: http://theinnatlittlewashington.com (http://theinnatlittlewashington.com) https://www.facebook.com/patrick.oconnell.1257/ (His Facebook Page) https://www.theinnat40.com (A Magnificent Dream with Patrick O'Connell-The Inn at Little Washington 40th Anniversary ) An Evening with The Inn at Little Washington-The National Museum of American History Amazon Links to his books: The Inn at Little Washington: A Magnificent Obsession Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine: The Inn at Little Washington