1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcasts. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 2: So one thing you guys might not know about me 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 2: is that I used to be a huge Food Network junkie. 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 2: But it was like old school Food Network when Paula 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 2: Deane was there and Rachel Ray, and there was that 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 2: other woman who like made food with half ingredients you 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: could get at the grocery store and then half fresh ingredients. 8 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: And I was addicted to it before I had kids 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: because I had time to watch the Food Network. And 10 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: then I had kids and I didn't have time, and 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 2: I saw this chef who was on social media all 12 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: the time and talking about healthy food. I was like, 13 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: this guy sounds awesome, and he and his wife would 14 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 2: make food together in their kitchen. It was like my 15 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: dream to be able to have that kind of life, 16 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: to be that kind of chef. And now I get 17 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: to have him on the podcast. So Andrew Grule, thank 18 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 2: you so much for being. 19 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 3: Here, Thanks for having me. 20 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: I appreciate it absolutely. 21 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: So how did this, I mean, honestly, how did you 22 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: do this? Because obviously I am just somebody who likes 23 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: to watch this stuff, and I will I will admit 24 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: you are one of the judges on some of these shows. 25 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: And I am not as big a fan of this 26 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: show where you have to like challenge someone else to 27 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 2: cook against you because it's so stressful. But I was 28 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: a huge fan of watching like Polyadine make the worst 29 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: possible fattening food ever and then trying to make that 30 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: in my kitchen. But you're healthy, and I love watching 31 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: what you do too, So how did you? 32 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: How did you get there? 33 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 3: You know, it's funny. Actually I agree with you. I 34 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 3: love the dumping ster cooking shows. That's what got me there. 35 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 3: But I'll go back even further. The dump and ster 36 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 3: cooking shows that got me hooked were those ones on 37 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 3: PBS right, Young Kind Cook, Shakpapen, Julia Child, the like 38 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 3: really really low and mellow and almost seemingly uncomfortable because 39 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 3: they were just slowly walking through a recipe. So when 40 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: I was sick, you know, from school, when I was 41 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 3: like seven or eight years old, I started watching those 42 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 3: and I got like absolutely hooked, and I started faking 43 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 3: being sick just to watch the old PBS cooking shows. 44 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 3: But I didn't actually think cooking was going to become 45 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 3: a career for me. I loved it. I love the culture. 46 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: I loved the kitchen. I started working in restaurants when 47 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 3: I was like fourteen, fifteen summer jobs and then beyond 48 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 3: went to a small liberal arts college to study something 49 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 3: totally different, but ended up spending more time in the 50 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: kitchen than I did in class, and I realized, wait 51 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 3: a minute, maybe this is the path that I should 52 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 3: be following and kind of learning this world of food 53 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 3: and hospitality and beyond. 54 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: So I find that interesting because we have a lot 55 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: of parents who listened to the podcast, and we've had 56 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: some people on who have said, you know, when your 57 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 2: child has a passion for something, even if it's something 58 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: that you think, oh, this is not a career, this 59 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: is not going anywhere, kind of lean into letting them 60 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: explore that passion. One of the moms that we had 61 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 2: on her son became like a big gaming executive producer, 62 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: and people were like, what, he's always on games and 63 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,839 Speaker 2: telling her not to let him do that, and then 64 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 2: that led into this and you have to me, what 65 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 2: you've done is kind of like crack the code of 66 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: something impossible is to be a capitalist in California with 67 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: your own businesses that are selling food because California is 68 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 2: so everything is a challenge for you there, but you've 69 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: done it. 70 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is. It's like you know, swimming upstream or 71 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 3: you know, training with weights on, training for running with 72 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: weights on. I mean, training with weights is natural. And 73 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: you know that. Thanks for bringing up that point about 74 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 3: kind of teaching your kids that, you know a little 75 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 3: bit of history. I went to like a real small 76 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 3: private school in New Jersey where everybody is really like, 77 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 3: it's very academic, and you're being trained to be either 78 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: a lawyer or a politician or a doctor. Right. And 79 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: when I left school and went to college and then 80 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: left college, my sister was like, what are you doing, Andrew? 81 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 3: And she kind of stayed in that group, and she's like, 82 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 3: everybody's joking about how you're you're a cook, right, Like 83 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 3: that was the joke that I was a cook. And 84 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 3: just recently I went back and gave a keynote to 85 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 3: the students there now and explained to them my arc 86 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 3: and my journey because it was exactly the opposite of 87 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: kind of what we were training to do. But my family, 88 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 3: my parents always supported me no matter what I wanted 89 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 3: to do. They know I was kind of quote trying 90 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 3: to find myself. The key to it is still understanding 91 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 3: like your general education, because I wouldn't have been able 92 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 3: to accelerate through my career as ultimately a chef and 93 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 3: in going back to business school if I didn't have 94 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 3: those like fundamental that one oh one kind of class, 95 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 3: you know, understanding how to write, how to communicate, how 96 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 3: to do basic math, how to reason, all of that stuff. 97 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: That's what I tell everybody nowadays, is like, just make sure, 98 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 3: especially because I've got four kids, make sure you understand 99 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 3: those those the fundamentals of education. 100 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 2: That's a point that I don't think we hear that 101 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 2: often because we are used to the American dream, and 102 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: I would say that this is you are living your 103 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 2: American dream. And I think that's amazing because that's what 104 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: this country is all about. But so many of our 105 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: kids in neighborhoods where they're not getting a great education, 106 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 2: the schools are rated low, they're reading is And in 107 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: Michigan we probably you probably have the same thing. In California, 108 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 2: we have a really big problem with kids that aren't 109 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 2: able to read and their parents can't read either, because 110 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: they went through the same system that passes you along 111 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: and once you have a generational deficiency in literacy, it's 112 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,559 Speaker 2: really hard to come out of. But you have gotten 113 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: involved a little bit in politics on the local level 114 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: to kind of give people these opportunities and say, hey, 115 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: we're going to push back on some of the stuff 116 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: that it's just genuinely messed up. 117 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, and from a local level, I've been talking about this, 118 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 3: harping about this. If anybody's going to get involved in politics, 119 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 3: it's like, you've got to start on a local level. 120 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 3: I say, it's an MBA into politics because what you're 121 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 3: going to get in regards to like pushback and even 122 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 3: like the community rage is going to be amplified on 123 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 3: a local level. So if you can handle that, you're 124 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: good thereafter. You know, it was funny, were not funny actually, 125 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: but the previous city council member here in Huntington Beach, 126 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 3: t u Ortiz, who was a professional MMA fighter. You know, 127 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 3: he was on a city council for three months and 128 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 3: he resigned. He's like, I'm not dealing with this. When 129 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 3: I told somebody that I was joining city council here 130 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 3: in Huntington Beach, they go, you're talking about a guy 131 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 3: who was paid to get punched in the face for decades. 132 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 3: Three months in city council. Are you sure you're ready 133 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 3: for this? And it certainly is interesting. However, you have 134 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 3: the opportunity to, especially in a place like California where 135 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 3: you're dealing with like the school board and the ways 136 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 3: in which kids get to school and how they you know, 137 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 3: kind of navigate and operate within their community, and so 138 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 3: many of these things are integral in the way in 139 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: which they grow up and whether they're going to kind 140 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 3: of go down a bad path a good path where 141 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 3: you can re establish like those roots in a local 142 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 3: community which have been ripped out over the past, especially 143 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 3: over the past five to ten years, which is really 144 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 3: the goal of kind of the communists is to unmore 145 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 3: us from society. So that's why it's been important for 146 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 3: me joining city council. 147 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I just actually and I saw that you were. 148 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 2: You spoke with Alex Marlow recently and it just had 149 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 2: him on the podcast and we kind of had this 150 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 2: discussion about it's really challenging for the average person to 151 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 2: get involved in politics because it is such an attack. 152 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 2: But for you, I wonder have you felt comfortable doing 153 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 2: this because you have businesses and this is something I 154 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 2: ask kind of on a personal level too, But I 155 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 2: know a lot of people who listen are interested in politics, 156 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 2: but they might be a local business owner or you know, 157 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: maybe they are someone else influential in the community, and 158 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: they're concerned if I step out and I admit I'm 159 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: a Republican. And I don't know if people feel this 160 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 2: way on the Democrat side. I think it's different on 161 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 2: the Democrat side because Republicans are so demonized. 162 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: Do you ever feel like that could hurt your business? 163 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 3: Well, it did hurt my business initially, right, So I 164 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 3: was kind of quietly in the shadows for years. And 165 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 3: then when I was doing all the Food Network stuff 166 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 3: and other TV, and then and you know what's funny 167 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 3: is is like I grew up obsessed with politics and 168 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 3: learning about it, and like, right, I was like president 169 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 3: Young Republicans Club and Youth and Government model you in 170 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 3: it was volunteered for state senators all while I was 171 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 3: growing up. This has been a passion of mine. I've 172 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 3: really bit my tongue on this. In the restaurant industry, 173 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 3: I was always focused on policy more from kind of 174 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 3: a high level, nonpartisan perspective. But then when the pandemic, 175 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 3: kid was like enough of this, right, like it all 176 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 3: came out and it was like, cancel this guy. Oh 177 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: my god, Like people's words were falling apart. I can't 178 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 3: believe this guy's conservative. And because you know, we had 179 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 3: forty plus restaurants at the time, so like we had 180 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 3: a pretty deep ace of fans nationwide. We grew it 181 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: as a franchise and which I ultimately had to sell. 182 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 3: But I'll tell you what. The first thing, and I 183 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 3: remember going to my wife and I was like, man, 184 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 3: should I pull back a little bit? And she's like, 185 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 3: heck no. She's like, we're doubling down, like we're in this, 186 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 3: like there's no forgiveness. Right. She was the one who 187 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 3: actually kind of smacked me in the face and was 188 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 3: like nope. And that's why it's key to have a 189 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 3: strong family unit. But also when we did, our sales 190 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 3: went up so much. Interesting to those people is like, 191 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 3: if you start kind of wiggling and trying to play bolls, 192 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 3: you cannot play both sides. You don't have to be 193 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,359 Speaker 3: a jerk about it, but you need to be resolute 194 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 3: and firm in your position and confident with in what 195 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 3: you believe, and people will respect you more. And because 196 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 3: of that, the people on the people you know, I'm 197 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 3: not saying this universally, but the people who are telling 198 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 3: you they're going to boycott you never went to your 199 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 3: business to begin with. I mean that's kind of a guarantee. Yeah, 200 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 3: you might have like an anecdote here or an anecdote there, 201 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 3: and then you point to that one person, but by 202 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 3: and large, those people don't go to your business, and 203 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,439 Speaker 3: the loudest people do because the people who are genuinely 204 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 3: concerned are going to be disappointed and they're still going 205 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 3: to go to your business just quietly. So as long 206 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 3: as you're not a jerk about it, your sales will 207 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 3: go up. So what's hilarious is when I got now, 208 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 3: it was like like we embraced everyone, but then we 209 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 3: used it for the good, right, Like, that's the idea 210 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 3: is you want to use it for the good. You 211 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 3: don't need to. You can disagree, but you don't need 212 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 3: to be a jerk about it in a public business setting. 213 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 3: But then when I got on a city council, everyone's like, 214 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 3: we're boycotting this business. You already boycotted my business. You 215 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 3: can't boycott something more than once. You've been boycotting my 216 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 3: busin for five years and then when I got on 217 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 3: city Council and everyone went bold on these kind you 218 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 3: know next door Facebook groups about how they're boycotting us. 219 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 3: Our sales doubled again and they really need to go up. 220 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 3: We're up thirty five percent year on year, week on week, everybody. 221 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 2: Do you think that kind of says secretly about people's 222 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: politics too in California, because we keep hearing that people 223 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 2: in California are not buying into some of the radical policies, 224 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 2: and maybe they're kind of secretly like keep going. 225 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 3: That's exactly it, and it's the only way that they can. 226 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 3: You know. It's like they're you know, they're they're just 227 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 3: cloistered and they are ready to blow and they want 228 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 3: to get their feelings out. So they go visit a 229 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 3: conservative business. Yeah, maybe that's it. But so I tell 230 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 3: those people who are concerned about it, it's like, look, 231 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 3: just be resolutely, be firm, and trust me, you're going 232 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 3: to lose some customers. You can never please everyone in business. 233 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 3: It's just impossible. Uh, if you want to make it 234 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 3: your business that you're going to be completely moderate and 235 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 3: down the middle, understand, your moderacy is considered right wing 236 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 3: by the left. So silence is violence, like a If 237 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 3: you're going to be moderate and try and avoid the 238 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 3: political issues, you need to understand you're still going to 239 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,319 Speaker 3: get boycotted by the left. That's how insane they are. 240 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 241 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 2: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. If you are going to be 242 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 2: a business owner in today's environment, that you also have 243 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 2: to be engaged in the local politics. You have to 244 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 2: because if you are not. I mean, this is what 245 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 2: we saw with my dad's business. He had never been 246 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 2: interested in politics at all, and I look back now 247 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 2: and I think a lot of the struggles he had 248 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 2: was because he was just not engaged in the political process. 249 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: And that there's also kind of this longstanding people who 250 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 2: have been in politics for a long time. They're almost 251 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 2: offended if you're not asking them to be involved. So 252 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 2: it's a weird thing. But you've got to be aware 253 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 2: of every day for an aspect of how your business 254 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 2: is going to be, especially in a purple state or 255 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 2: a blue state. I think you have to be really 256 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 2: hyper aware of how politics can affect capitalism. 257 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 3: That's such a great point. And that doesn't mean you 258 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 3: have to go to every single networking meeting and right 259 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 3: then you know, schedule go to every city council meeting. 260 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 3: But I mean just a five minute peruse on any 261 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 3: community Facebook page nowadays will pretty much give you a 262 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 3: cliffs notes version of what's going on and then just 263 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 3: understanding the way in which it kind of works through 264 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,599 Speaker 3: the you know, kind of the calculus of city operations. 265 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree. I mean, meet with your state House rep. 266 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: Meet with your state Senate senator. These are just take 267 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 2: five minutes and say hey, this is I just want 268 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 2: you to be informed is what I'm doing in my 269 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 2: business and what our goals are, and just want to 270 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 2: be sure that we're on the same page. 271 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,439 Speaker 1: Because these I think that they're. 272 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 2: More likely to come to you and say, hey, I 273 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: want to tell you this is coming down the pike 274 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 2: and you might want to be aware of this rather 275 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 2: than getting completely blind by some I mean even here 276 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 2: in manufacturing in Michigan, we obviously we make cars here. 277 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 2: There's a lot of chromers here. They chrome metal, and 278 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 2: we had a person from the EP or the egle 279 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 2: as our environmental agency, come to some of our cromers 280 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: and be like, yeah, we're changing your process. It's like, 281 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 2: wait a minute, could you give us a little warning 282 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 2: on this. But if you're involved, they're more likely to 283 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,319 Speaker 2: come to you early and say there's something coming down 284 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 2: the pike. 285 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: It's going to change. 286 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,839 Speaker 3: That is such a good point being involved in politics 287 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 3: and knowing your local politicians. You're right, you know, state, Senate, House, 288 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 3: whatever it is, even committee, city council. They I used 289 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 3: to think that they were scary, and I'm like, I 290 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:45,959 Speaker 3: don't want to bother them. Oh my gosh, is there 291 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 3: a chance I can meet them? They want to talk 292 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 3: to you. I mean even me, I'm on a very 293 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 3: very local level, Like I want to talk to everybody 294 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 3: because I need that real world feedback. I'm sick of 295 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 3: the charts. I'm sick of the graphs. I'm sick of 296 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 3: the surveys. It's the anecdotal evidence that actually matters right now. 297 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 3: So they want to hear from you. Get involved. 298 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 2: So let's get to a restaurant that recently had the 299 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 2: public get quite involved in their business, and that is 300 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 2: Cracker Barrel who went out and said we're changing the logo. 301 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,719 Speaker 2: And I think it's kind of funny because you can 302 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 2: look at this two different ways. You can look at 303 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 2: this as they should fire this ceo right away, or 304 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: perhaps they should say their business has to have gone 305 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: up in the last few weeks. Maybe this was like 306 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 2: a secret genius thing. I don't think the CEO meant 307 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 2: it to be, but I mean this could be like 308 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 2: the best marketing employee ever to get people on the 309 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 2: road traveling to stop at a cracker barrel. 310 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: Now that they changed their logo. 311 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 2: Back, but you made a post saying they've also changed 312 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 2: their food over the past few decades. So tell us 313 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 2: what you think about what's happening in some of these 314 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 2: chain restaurants. 315 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 3: Well, I'll start by saying it's funny everybody thinks business 316 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 3: is like tinkering with a brand and a logo and 317 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 3: like typography and these things that you can deal with 318 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 3: on fiver for fourteen ninety nine. You know, a brand 319 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 3: is so much deeper than that, and it's not about 320 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 3: the logo. So we're talking about the logo, and the 321 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 3: point I was making is it's so much deeper than 322 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 3: the logo. And I think it also goes to show 323 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 3: that whoever the firm was, and whether it was the 324 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 3: CEO working through somebody else, that they were focusing on 325 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 3: the logo as emblematic of these changes goes to show 326 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 3: their elementary thinking. Because the reason Cracker Barrel has gone 327 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 3: downhill so much over the years, and I've seen it 328 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 3: as a customer, is because in twenty eleven they were 329 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 3: bought out by private equity along with hundreds of other brands. 330 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 3: Right there was this massive gold rush in fast casual 331 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 3: and casual dining where private equity was trying to buy 332 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 3: up as much revenue as they could to either you know, 333 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 3: kind of fix it, sell it for the parts, flip 334 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 3: it work through another private equity firm, or just increase 335 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 3: the asset value of their own portfolio hoping one of 336 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 3: them would hit. And the way in which they do 337 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 3: that is that they bring these legacy brands on board 338 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 3: that are well liked, known, love deep deep, legacy brand, 339 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 3: and then they slowly start to pull back on the 340 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 3: in house cooking. They start to offsite most of it, 341 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 3: copack everything, and whether it's a franchise or company or 342 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 3: licensed own stores, the copacking also gives them an opportunity 343 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 3: to establish additional revenue which then they can create into 344 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 3: another company. So, for example, if I'm making all my 345 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 3: sauces in house and I've got four employees that are 346 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 3: devoted to making those sauces. Well, now I ship it 347 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 3: out and I have an off site company create those sauces. 348 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 3: But when you're off site, you have to add preservatives 349 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 3: and chemicals and all these other FDA and USDA required 350 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 3: elements and ingredients. Now I get rid of those four employees, 351 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 3: which decreases my labor costs, and I ship those products 352 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 3: in and then I start doing it with every single 353 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 3: thing on the menu and ultimately doing either frozen kind 354 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 3: of slopping PLoP or bagging the box type cooking. And 355 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 3: that's what's happened over the past fourteen years to Cracker Barrel. 356 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: So we find this. I find this very interesting. 357 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 2: I'm going to talk to my mom about this after 358 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: I do this podcast, because we have been talking for 359 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 2: ever since the pandemic. It seems like food has changed 360 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: so many of the rust that we went to regularly. 361 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 2: My mom's like, I've not had a good meal, and 362 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 2: she keeps saying, did my taste buds change after COVID, 363 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,239 Speaker 2: And I'm like, I don't think so. 364 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: I swear this food is different. 365 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 2: And it's just you go there and you spend money 366 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 2: and you're like, I could have made something way better 367 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 2: at home. 368 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: But that's not that's not how it used to be. 369 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 3: That is exactly so when I'll tell you what. So 370 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 3: it started in like the twenty eleven to twenty fifteen, 371 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 3: like restaurant gold rush. It was amplified, exacerbated and blown 372 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 3: up during the pandemic. Right, So the infrastructure was there 373 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 3: with a lot of these co packers. And I know 374 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 3: this because we actually have franchise, right, So I had 375 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 3: restaurants across thirteen different states, and they could not produce 376 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 3: some of my products on site. So I was out 377 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 3: there shopping co packers that would do it organically without 378 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 3: the preservatives. By the way, couldn't find any, but I was. 379 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 3: I went deep into that copacker world and the the 380 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 3: you know, the goal was consistency, standardization, plus then you 381 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 3: can actually co pack it and determine and sell it 382 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 3: for retail. Everybody during the pandemic started doing this because 383 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 3: I remember reaching out during the pandemic back to a 384 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 3: couple of these people that are like, we're full, We're full. 385 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,719 Speaker 3: I'm like, you're beyond capacity. We're two years beyond capacity. 386 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 3: Especially because these larger multi unit chains were doing it. 387 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 3: But as I mentioned earlier on the chemicals and what, 388 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 3: you know, whatever, I'm not using chemicals as a pejorative here, 389 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 3: because somebody on X is going to be like, well, 390 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 3: technically all of the just chemicals, the you know, kind 391 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 3: of lab creat. 392 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 2: But you don't even have to explain because I don't 393 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,479 Speaker 2: care about those people. I mean, now I'll get yelled at, 394 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 2: like there's people she doesn't care about. I don't care 395 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 2: if you're going to rip on what I have to say. 396 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 3: I just always need to disclaimer this, you know, kind 397 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 3: of the lab created food items and simple things. A 398 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 3: lot of them are just preservatives. But preservatives are like 399 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 3: salt and acid. So ultimately it's going to change the 400 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 3: flavor profile. MSG is you know, kind of technically one 401 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 3: of those preservatives that's going to significantly change the flavor profile, right, Karagian. 402 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:01,199 Speaker 3: These kind of emulsifiers, these artificial mulcifiers xantham, it's not 403 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 3: even the same. It's like, actually, it's beyond apples to oranges. 404 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 3: It's more like steak to grass in my opinion. So 405 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 3: that's what. 406 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: So it changes the flavor. 407 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 3: It significantly changes the flavor, the flavor, the mouthfeel, you know, 408 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 3: and also a lot of restaurants think, now you can 409 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 3: extend the shelf life on these products, so they keep 410 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 3: them a lot longer, which doesn't mean you're going to 411 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 3: get sick. But anything as it oxidizes decreases, it loses 412 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 3: its potency and freshness and flavor. So I'm not suggesting 413 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 3: they're serving you something bad. I'm suggesting they're serving you 414 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 3: something that's muted in flavor as well. Well. 415 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 2: I think it's interesting that you bring up MSG, because 416 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 2: even as a kid, I can remember people talking about, Wow, 417 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 2: I can eat certain foods because they have MSG, and 418 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 2: then I get this migraine. So that was like connected. 419 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 2: That was the first time I heard something that you 420 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 2: ingest being connected to something that affects your health. 421 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: And now I think with the. 422 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 2: Maha movement, we're hearing a totally different version of this. 423 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 2: It's like, Wow, we're at actually consuming a lot of 424 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 2: chemicals and they are likely affecting our health. 425 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: And we you know, the whole movement with RFK. 426 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 2: And everybody saying wow, he's really talking about childhood diseases, 427 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 2: and we're seeing a lot of a lot different interpretation 428 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: of whether it's important to be aware of what we're ingesting, 429 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: and gosh, even this morning, I will say, you know, 430 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 2: I want to say, God bless the families out in 431 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 2: Minnesota and what they're dealing with with the school shooting 432 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 2: and the poor. I pray for the poor families that 433 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 2: lost their loved ones and the families that have the 434 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 2: students that were injured and they're recovering. 435 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 1: It's just devastating. 436 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 2: But this is the first time I have ever seen 437 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 2: the Secretary of Health and Human Services the next day 438 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: go on national TV and say, you know what, We're 439 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 2: going to start looking at some of the chemicals that 440 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 2: are going into people's bodies. And that is not just food, 441 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 2: but we're talking about some of these medications that we're 442 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 2: told or safe. But somehow, as we continue to ingest medications, 443 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 2: we continue to have a higher mental health issue. And 444 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 2: I think that we are at a point where we 445 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 2: have a government, Like you said, getting involved in local 446 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 2: government is so important, but we have people who have 447 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 2: been involved who have been kind of like shut down 448 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 2: in saying this stuff may not be good for us. 449 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: What's it like from your perspective, because I know for 450 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 2: years you've been saying, hey, let's get these chemicals out 451 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 2: of our food. What's it like from your perspective to 452 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 2: see this administration saying we're going to look at what 453 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 2: you're consuming. 454 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 3: This conversation has really been that kind of was originally 455 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 3: the genesis of my culinary career. So I went to 456 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 3: college and I had horrible stomach problems. Going from high 457 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 3: school to college. I was a big I was an athlete. 458 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 3: I was a distance runner and swimmer, and you know, 459 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 3: my stomach was so bad that I actually had to 460 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 3: stop running when I got to college, right, and it 461 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 3: was just you know, fast forward. It was ultimately all 462 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 3: the It was the food, it was the process food. 463 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 3: I had certain types of allergies. But I'll tell you this. 464 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 3: So I get to college and I go to the 465 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 3: school doctor and I'm like, yeah, these stomach problems are 466 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 3: so bad because I was far away from from where 467 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 3: I lived. And they say, okay, well we're gonna send 468 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 3: you this. So I go to do an initial kind 469 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 3: of you know, basic triage. We can't find anything. And 470 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 3: I'd done this through high school as well, but I'm like, 471 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 3: it's getting worse. They send me the school psychologists. School 472 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,160 Speaker 3: psychologists like, oh, you have anxiety disorder. Here's some valume 473 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,479 Speaker 3: here's some xanax, right, and I'm like, I'm not like 474 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 3: I was the goodie two shoe athlete. I'm like, I'm 475 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 3: not taking any of that stuff. They're like, no, no, 476 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 3: it's the neurotransmitters in your intestines that are overreacting because 477 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 3: of your anxiety. So I'm like, okay, this is weird. 478 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 3: Then they send me again to the school psychologists. They're like, 479 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 3: we've got it. You need to go on antidepressants. I 480 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 3: was not. I was like a happy kid, right, This 481 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 3: was not This was strictly my stomach issues, So like, 482 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 3: we're going to put you on. First it was like Paxel, 483 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 3: and then it was Zoloft, these crazy antidepressants, right. And 484 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 3: I remember I took the antidepressants for like six months. 485 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 3: I'm like, this is doing nothing for my stomach, but 486 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 3: it's making me feel crazy, right, So I stopped it. 487 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 3: And then it was like ten or fifteen years later 488 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:05,479 Speaker 3: through my culinary arc that I had this kind of 489 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 3: aha moment in learning food systems where I started cutting 490 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 3: out seed Oil's processed foods all this guess what six 491 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 3: months ninety five percent. 492 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: Better Aha moments, Maha moments now exactly. 493 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was going there, but but just that that story, right, 494 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 3: which is like very personal to me, and I don't, 495 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 3: I don't. I actually just recently started talking about it 496 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 3: because I thought it was kind of weird to begin 497 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: with and embarrassing that their immediate reaction was these mind 498 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 3: altering drugs for a stomach problem and not oh my gosh, 499 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 3: look at what you're eating. 500 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 2: This is like, I feel like I'm having an AHA 501 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 2: moment right now because I've had so many times I 502 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 2: look back, and you just reminded me. I remember when 503 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 2: I there was a time when I didn't necessarily enjoy running, 504 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 2: but I was a runner, and I would get like, 505 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 2: I guess it was pleurisy, and it would cause me 506 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 2: to have struggled to take a deep breath, and they said, 507 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 2: it's anxiety. You've got to take meds and I didn't. 508 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 2: And then and I remember being like, that's insane. I 509 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 2: am not anxious, I am not depressed. I refuse to 510 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,199 Speaker 2: take this medication. But not because I was smart about it. 511 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 2: I just was, you know, kind of defiant, like I'm 512 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 2: not doing that. And then fast forward, I would just 513 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 2: talk to my doctor a few weeks ago and I'm like, hey, 514 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 2: I'm getting to that point in age where I know 515 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 2: I have a few hot flashes, like life is changing, 516 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 2: and they're like, oh, for hot flashes, we recommend an SSRI. 517 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 2: Why why would you put me on something that I 518 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 2: can never get off of that has so many side effects, 519 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 2: like you know what. 520 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: I'll do with the hot flashes. But that's the first response. 521 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 2: That's what's crazy because I again, like you said, I 522 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 2: haven't really talked about this to anybody because it is 523 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 2: kind of embarrassing. 524 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: And you're like, oh, I was I was told I. 525 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 2: Have to be on these meds, but now I think 526 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 2: that what the thing the situation is so many people 527 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 2: that's the first go to and the pharmaceutical companies are 528 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 2: pushing this, and once you have somebody on this, you 529 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 2: have a lifelong patient. This person has to come back 530 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 2: every month and make sure they're okay so you can 531 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 2: continue to charge them. 532 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 1: And I'm not. 533 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 2: Saying that these doctors are bad, but I think this 534 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 2: has become a culture. 535 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: And the crazy thing is you say, instead of. 536 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 2: Looking at what you were eating, you were going to 537 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 2: the doctor and hearing. 538 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: That you should be on a medication, and it's it's. 539 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 2: Less normal for you to push back on that and 540 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,479 Speaker 2: and go out and look at what you're eating that 541 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 2: you're demonized for saying food could be bad. 542 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, you're woo woo, right like you're you're you're kind 543 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 3: of like, yeah, that was it. And and it's funny. 544 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 3: And as I tell that over the years, as I 545 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 3: would like tell that story to close friends and family 546 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 3: members and trying to get them to change the foods 547 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 3: that they were eating, you know, they were just it 548 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 3: was like trying to break into the loover. It was. 549 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: It was like a nut if you talk about it, Yeah, exactly. 550 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 3: And and what's great about our K? People always ask me, 551 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 3: they're like, are you happy with what RFK is doing? 552 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 3: He hasn't done this or what have you? And I said, 553 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,640 Speaker 3: he he won in my mind before he did anything, 554 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 3: because the mere awareness and national conversation about these issues, 555 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 3: Like that's the hardest part. The mechanics of getting it 556 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 3: done is policy and politics, but the conversation to establish 557 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 3: the awareness about it. You couldn't pay somebody. You would 558 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 3: have to pay a marketing firm a half a billion 559 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 3: dollars to do it, and they probably couldn't even do 560 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 3: it nationally. 561 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 2: Oh and you're absolutely right. Let's take a quick commercial break. 562 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 2: We'll continue next on the Tutor Dixon Podcast. I saw 563 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 2: you the other day. I don't I can't remember what 564 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 2: you were who you. 565 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: Were on with. 566 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 2: Maybe it was like Alex Clark or someone, but you 567 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 2: were talking about olive oil, and it shocked me. And 568 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 2: I feel like sometimes it's like, oh, I'm going to 569 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 2: go to the chef and ask him about cet oil's 570 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 2: But I really was kind of stunned, and I've been 571 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 2: stunned since because I just bought olive oil at the 572 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 2: store the other day. And I bought it because it 573 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 2: was like the pretty bottle. I don't know what I'm 574 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,439 Speaker 2: looking for. I'm gonna admit I have no I assume 575 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 2: I'm getting something healthy because it the colors are bright 576 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 2: and it says organic, you know, and I'm like, that 577 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 2: must be perfect. But then all of a sudden, you're like, 578 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 2: there's this mafia that's bringing in sea olive oil filled 579 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 2: with seed oil, and I'm like, God, that's probably what 580 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 2: I got. 581 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 3: Well, just buy US olive oil and it's fine. 582 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,919 Speaker 1: Seriously, that's I mean, I really don't know. 583 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 2: I've known US. 584 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 3: Olive oil and I go for the organic as well, right, Like, 585 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 3: that's just and I know that that label has been 586 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 3: kind of greenwashed a little bit, but I think it 587 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 3: still has some some strength if it's a US product 588 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 3: and the yeah, just the buy a US organic olive oil. 589 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 3: What I also tell people is go with the extra virgin, 590 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 3: like a cold or a or a cold press is best. 591 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 3: But if you get like a pulmus oil or even 592 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:54,160 Speaker 3: like the light olive oil, sometimes that is a lower quality, 593 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 3: but you can still use it for cooking. It's great 594 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 3: for roasting and panseyering, et cetera. But a lot of 595 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 3: my extra virgin olive oils that I'll pay a pretty 596 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,200 Speaker 3: penny for, and I'm talking like for twenty plus dollars 597 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 3: a bottle. I'm never going to spend fifty dollars on 598 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 3: a bottle olive oil. I always finish with that, right Like, 599 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 3: I always finish with that olive oil, so I never 600 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 3: even cook it, and you get the health benefits and 601 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 3: the flavor benefits. 602 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 2: So I will just say I think that you should 603 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 2: continue to put out as much cooking content as you 604 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 2: can because I think it's like it just totally sucks 605 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 2: me in is and I think there have to be 606 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,159 Speaker 2: people on my same algorithm that are just going to 607 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 2: constantly get it, because I think it's fantastic that you 608 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 2: cook a London broil and you're like, you know what, 609 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 2: this is only going to take five to seven minutes 610 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 2: in the oven. I'm just going to finish it with 611 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 2: this little cherry cherry sauce and it's going to be 612 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,719 Speaker 2: really easy. And all I can think is like, oh, 613 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 2: it says London, and it must be foreign. 614 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: I can't do it. 615 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 2: So I am so impressed with what you do every day, 616 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 2: and I just love watching it. 617 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 3: I appreciate that maybe I should rename it a refugee boil, 618 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 3: but you know it, for me, it's been And I 619 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 3: know there's a ton of like culinary content out there, 620 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 3: although those of us kind of more on the like 621 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 3: libertarian right don't like we don't have that content. Every 622 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 3: single platform is just like the same topic, just redone 623 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 3: over and over again. And my wife and I were like, 624 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 3: we're just leaning into this cooking thing because cook. My 625 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 3: wife's also trained chef, my kids get in the kitchen 626 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 3: with us. We obviously own and operate restaurants, which heck, 627 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 3: that could be a reality show in and of itself 628 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 3: craziness with four kids in. 629 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: A restaurant idea. 630 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 3: But we we you know, I try and express to people, 631 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 3: cooking is actually very easy once you learn some basics, right, 632 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 3: like just those fundamentals as I talked about, kind of 633 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 3: the academic fundamentals, the culinary fundamentals which are at which 634 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 3: is much smaller subset of information. And once you do it, 635 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 3: it's like playing basketball and the hoop is the size 636 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 3: of the court. It's really that easy. But we need 637 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 3: to get in the kitchen more. That's the problem. From 638 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 3: the early like the nineteen eighties to the nineteen nineties. 639 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 3: I think it really started in like the nineties and 640 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 3: beyond because I was a latch key kid. Both my 641 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 3: parents worked. Like my mother was, like you know, owned 642 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 3: her own business and she's still does. She's in her 643 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 3: mid seventies and she still works from like seven in 644 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 3: the morning until midnight. And it's unbelievable. She's such a 645 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 3: powerful woman, but she But like I grew up where 646 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 3: it was like the microwave generation, Sarah Lee on Christmas 647 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 3: morning and like microwave cinnamon rolls. And we need to 648 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 3: get back to being in the kitchen as a family 649 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 3: and understanding where our food comes from, and that goes 650 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 3: back to what RFK is doing is just establishing awareness. 651 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 2: Then and when you watch your videos, you're like, oh, 652 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 2: this is such a cute family. And then your wife 653 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 2: walks in and you're like, his wife is smoking hot, 654 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 2: Like your wife is so cute. You guys are just 655 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 2: the perfect family. I'm you know what, you are a 656 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 2: nice looking man, but your wife is really beautiful. You 657 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 2: are very lucky, so and you guys seem just so happy. 658 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 2: So thank you so much. Tell people where they can 659 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 2: find your content, because I really do think that they 660 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 2: should be checking out what you're doing. It's just because 661 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 2: it's not only that it's great food and that you're 662 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 2: telling people how to make it. 663 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: It is just really inspiring. It's really nice content. 664 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, So I'm on x at chef Rule. You can 665 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 3: go to dubdubdub dot americangravy dot com. Those have all 666 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 3: of our cooking videos and they kind of link out 667 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 3: and tentacle to all the other social sites. And then 668 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 3: I'm on Instagram at Andrew Gruel. Our restaurant is Calico 669 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 3: Restaurant in Huntington Beach, So Calico Dash Restaurant dot com. 670 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 3: So if anybody watching is in Huntington Beach, near Huntington 671 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 3: Beach or coming through Huntington Beach, if you come in 672 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 3: and mention that you watch this podcast, I'll take care 673 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 3: of your meal. 674 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: Awesome. 675 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 2: So I have to come in at some point, so 676 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 2: next time I am out your way, I'm going to 677 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 2: stop by. 678 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: Chef Andrew Gruel. Thank you so much for coming on 679 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 1: the podcast. 680 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. 681 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 2: It's an honor absolutely, and thank you all for listening 682 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 2: to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. For this episode and others, 683 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 2: go to Tutor Dixon podcast dot com, the iHeartRadio app, 684 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and you 685 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 2: can watch it at Rumble or YouTube at Tutor Dixon. 686 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 1: So join us next time and have a bleased day