1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,439 Speaker 1: I ended up going to c I A for this interview. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: I was getting ready to go home. My phone was dying. 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: I was at the train station. I was like, shoot, 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: let me call my husband right now, and I said, oh, 5 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: I have a message. Hi. Carla. This is magically as 6 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: we're calling back from the interview, can you come back 7 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: for a second interview. This is after I had my 8 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: first interview. I am fifteen minutes from getting on the train. 9 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: They want you to come back today, like right, They 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: wanted me to come back that day. Okay, So everything 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: about that experience was conspired for me to be on 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: that show. So for me, I'm a big believer in 13 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: everything is going to happen that is supposed to happen, 14 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: and I think that is for you. Will ever pass 15 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: you by. Carly telling us that as she was leaving 16 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: the audition for Top Chef, they called her no more 17 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: than fifteen minutes before her train had to leave. She 18 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: was supposed to be doing what she's supposed to be doing. 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: All right, we got some commercials coming up. But on 20 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: the other side of the break, we introduce you to 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: Carla Hall. Every champion and carry champion is to be 22 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: a champion out of Champion and carry champion and carry 23 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: champion out of Champion and carry Champion and carry champion 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: rates Raiders and Sports and Entertainment can Naked wicker in 25 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: the world with vulnerable considered. We come and remove the 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: vail from entertainment elite. It's a difference between what it's 27 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 1: real and with the public seats. So here's your favorite 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: celebrities behind the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then the whole 29 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: story specific life ought to rendivents to shake the person 30 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: that you Henry got a champion, they carry champion the 31 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: girl you did it. It's the greatest in sports and entertainment. 32 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: Can naked with every champion and carry champions to be 33 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: a champion out of champion, they carry champion the girl 34 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: Chappy kount of Champion and carry Champion and carry champion 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: raider free and Sports and entertain making Naked wi he 36 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: everybody welcome to a new edition of Naked. Today's guests 37 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: is Carla Hall. You may know her from Top Chef 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: if you are a huge fan of the show on 39 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: Food Network and she was on seasons five seasons eight 40 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: as well. Both seasons she did not win. But it 41 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: is where most of you found out about this amazing 42 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: woman who has lived so many different lives and ultimately 43 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: has rested as a television chef that is now a 44 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: known personality. She was on The Chew from twenty eight team, 45 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: which is a very long time to be on a 46 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: nationally syndicated show, And that is where I found out 47 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: about her. That is where I fell in love with 48 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: one Carla Hall. And as she talks about on today's 49 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: episode of Naked, I fell in love with her authenticity. 50 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: That's the currency that most people don't employ anymore. And 51 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: since that everybody is fake, everybody's trying to present something 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: that they are not um and when someone can really 53 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: truly be themselves, be big as they are. And I'm 54 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: not talking about as high, because she is a tall, 55 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: beautiful woman, but I'm talking about a big personality and 56 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: it's just naturally who she is. So that's that's what 57 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: drew me to her, as it did um millions of 58 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: people and now um, she is just doing her own things. 59 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: She has shows on Discovery, she has shows on the 60 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: Food Network. She is really truly, as she said, exercising 61 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: that hustle muscle. And there are so many lessons that 62 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: I got from this podcast, you'll hear me who in 63 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,119 Speaker 1: awe the whole time. But it was right on time, 64 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: and I hope that you all can sit back, relax 65 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: and enjoy her. It's just a really good conversation. But 66 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: most importantly she gives out some gems. I love a gym. 67 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: Without further ado, let's welcome Carla Hall to n I 68 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: would like to begin with what I think is a 69 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: beautiful trajectory in terms of your journey and where you've been. Uh. 70 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: I read you know that you've had We all have 71 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: different lives, but I read that you were a model. Um, 72 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: so can we begin? Can we begin with growing up 73 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: in Nashville, living this life and and clearly always tall 74 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: and beautiful in present? Um, not always, but okay, can 75 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: can you talk to me about growing up in Nashville 76 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: and what you think, in your opinion when you look 77 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: back on your life growing up there fed you into 78 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: being in this world that we live today. Um. Well, 79 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: So I grew up in Nashville. I was born in 80 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four, and I say that because it was 81 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: such a different time, and um, I was I was 82 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: painfully shy, and um I went to my first Broadway 83 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: play when I was around eleven years old, and that 84 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: had such an impact on me that I had memorized 85 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: some of these lines. And I went home and I'm 86 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: like reside in the to my mom and like for 87 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: a month, and um, she was telling some of her 88 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: friends about this, and they're like, put that girl into theater. 89 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: And so I think, Um, up to that point, I 90 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: was so shy. I played basketball because I'm tall, but 91 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: I'm also very at the time, I was very lanky 92 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: and goofy. But I went to a Catholic school and 93 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: so I had known these these girls, like, you know, 94 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: since they were five, so they're not gonna tell me 95 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: you can't play basketball. I mean I was the person 96 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: that they put in if you're fifty points ahead and 97 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: there's a minute left, Okay, we can put Carla in 98 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: because she's not going to mess up the game. So 99 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: I mean I was like that person, really kind of goofy, 100 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: and I would hyperventilate when I had when I worked 101 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: out too much. I mean, you know, really a hot mess. 102 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: But theater was the thing that I think, um sort 103 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: of saved me from being bullied because you know, in theater, 104 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: they're like, dare to be you dare to be different. 105 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: It's okay if somebody calls you weird, you know. I 106 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: learned to say, oh, thank you, because that's that's like 107 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: a badge of honor in the theater world, to not 108 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: be like everyone else. And so my mom put me 109 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: in theater at UM twelve and then I started taking 110 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: I was taking classes from twelve to seventh, thing from set. 111 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: From twelve to seventeen, I was taking acting classes. And 112 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: I really thought that that's what I was going to do. 113 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: I wanted to go to Boston University because our my 114 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: drama teacher had hurt kids at Boston University. Some of 115 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: my friends went to Boston University. That was the only 116 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: school that I had my eyes on. That was the 117 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: only conservatory that I auditioned for, because I just knew 118 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,239 Speaker 1: they were going to accept me. And then they didn't 119 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: and I was crushed. I was crushed. They were going 120 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: to defer my admissions and I'm like, what all I 121 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: saw was like a um, a gut punch of just 122 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: you know, not favoring me. Um. And so I decided 123 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: to go to Howard because my sister was going there. Again. 124 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: I only applied to Howard after this. I was like, all, 125 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,239 Speaker 1: I guess I'll go to Howard, not even thinking about 126 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: in hindsight all of the people who went to the 127 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: fine arts program, like the theater school at Howard. You 128 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: know that, I see now. But my acting teacher was 129 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: from New York. She knew Um, she knew Boston University. 130 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: So my rejection from Boston University didn't carry on and say, oh, well, 131 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: maybe you can do the the fine arts at Howard. 132 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: So I didn't. So I made an about face in 133 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: diat accounting, as one would do, because I liked my 134 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: accounting teacher, I mean acting, accounting all the same and 135 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: the same on the same family. UM. I read that 136 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: you quit after a couple of years because you hated it, 137 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: and you were like, what's next? You went to model? 138 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: How do we say, you know what later for accounting, 139 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: I'm going to go model. Well, it was because I 140 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: didn't know what I wanted to do, and modeling was 141 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: a brand. Was sort of a bridge between what I 142 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: knew I didn't want to do, which was accounting, and 143 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: what I eventually wanted to do. And if you know 144 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: anything about Howard University, our fashion shows are epic. And 145 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: I started modeling. Um at Howard for those fashion shows. 146 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: And then when I went to Tampa and somebody came 147 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: at to me and do you model? Like, well, I 148 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: modeled in college, and so I started modeling as a 149 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: way to meet people. But it wasn't a dream of mine. 150 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: Then I hated my job. Honestly. I was afraid of 151 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: being forty and hating my job. That was my biggest fear. 152 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: So um, some girls were like going to Paris and 153 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: they were like, oh, We're going to Paris to model, Like, 154 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. So that's what I did, 155 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: I mean, And it what's so interesting as I as 156 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: I think about it, I didn't have a plan. I 157 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: wasn't running towards something. I was running away from something, 158 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, And that's when you find your plans. Right, 159 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: How great is that? How beautiful it is to say, well, yeah, 160 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: all right, let me go to Paris is, by the way, 161 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: my favorite city. But to go there at an age that, 162 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: to me, that's the dream. Like, if I could do 163 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: it all over again, I'd go live in Paris, not 164 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: to model, but just to live in Paris or over 165 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: in Europe. When you're young and you're just figuring out 166 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: and then you come back and figure and say, okay, 167 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: I'll try something else. Now I would love that. What 168 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: was that experience like, like, what did it change about 169 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: you and your person? I think, you know, there's a 170 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: sense of independence. My mother let me go. Um, she 171 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 1: probably didn't think it was gonna last. You know, me 172 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: being in Paris in London for two years. Um, you 173 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: know I went there by myself with one telephone number, 174 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: of our of our woman, a model who was there 175 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: that I hadn't even met. And so it's a sense 176 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: of discovery and independence. Um that I didn't realize I 177 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: when I left there and I was going to Germany, 178 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: I was going to Italy. I can navigate my way 179 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: through a foreign city an airport with just a map. 180 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: That I know that about myself, I am pretty much 181 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: independent and so that's what it gave me a sense 182 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: of who I am. How to get on with people, 183 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: I don't know, how to navigate a strange city. Yeah, 184 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: I'm I'm really good at that and that Yes, so 185 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: what tell me, okay, like realistically back then, if you 186 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: don't mind me asking, because when that sounds glamorous, but 187 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: then I remember Tyra Banks when she had the Top 188 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: Model show. She was like, I don't want to be 189 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: a poor runway model. What were you making? Like her show? Like, 190 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: how did you start? It was a poor runway model? 191 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: And what does that mean? Like are they giving you 192 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: a hundred bucks a show and you're just hustling for work? 193 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: What are you doing? So what let's so let me 194 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: put let me let me put you into that space. So, 195 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: first of all, it's just as hard to get to 196 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: find an agency who will represent you so that you 197 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: know where to go to get those castings as it 198 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 1: is to actually get the job right. So Tyra was frob. 199 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: I think Tyra had a completely different experience than I did. UM. 200 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: Tyra was probably plucked out of obscurity, and so she 201 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: had agents in New York. She had agents in UM France, 202 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: you know, so she had she had agents who were 203 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 1: taken care of her. Maybe Tyra also had an apartment 204 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: that was given to her or paid for by her agents. 205 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: I didn't have that. UM. I was also, I think 206 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: I was older than she would have been when she started. 207 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: I so I had been to college. I was about 208 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: twenty two, twenty three, mind you, UM, because I had 209 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 1: started in accounting and and this was a bridge. I 210 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,679 Speaker 1: wanted to complete the CPA exam, so I was studying 211 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: for the c P exam while I was in France. 212 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: Right So I still because for me, that was a 213 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: box checked of something that I had accomplished that I 214 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: didn't want to leave dangling and unfinished. So UM, So 215 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: once I got an agency, then you have to get pictures. 216 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: I'm fortune into this world. I'm still trying into UM 217 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: find myself. So you have the agent. The agency they 218 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: give you UM during this season, so you have the 219 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: ready to wear season prett to porte, and then you 220 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: have the ocature season. The ready to wear is casual. 221 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: You're going there are a lot more shows. UM. It's 222 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: sort of like UM Fashion Week in New York. You 223 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: are you have a list of let's say ten places 224 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: to go and see, and you have a map, and 225 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: you have a list of people to go see with 226 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: an address, and it's up to you to find your 227 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: way to those places by yourself. And it's almost like 228 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: you see all of these models and at the time, 229 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: all wearing black, all of their hair snatched back. I 230 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: remember somebody said, you need to learn how to tame 231 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: those edges, because right here I was wearing contexts in 232 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: the time, never glasses. Needless to say, but she's like, 233 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: your edges aren't really nice and laid down, so the 234 00:12:55,160 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: bun like the lowest chinnng the hair snatched back, um, 235 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: black pants, black top, looking very smelt um. And that's 236 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: how we showed up at these castings. They would look 237 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: through your book lay things. I mean, you know, a 238 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: lot of time nonchalant to though right like they're just 239 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: the whole time, the whole time. Girl. Let me tell you. 240 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: For the first day I was there, um before I 241 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 1: even called my friend Rosalind Johnson. I UM, I went 242 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: downstairs and I'm staying at a pension e um the 243 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: fifth floor. There's a there's a slanted roof, you know. 244 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: I'm I'm almost six feet tall and I'm having to 245 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: cock my head to the side just so I don't 246 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: hit my head. And I go downstairs to order some food. 247 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: I don't really know French. I took like a month 248 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: of friends before I left home, and I'm at this 249 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: um petisitary and I'm like on clissant divisity a play 250 00:13:54,640 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 1: uh clissant And I'm like, okay, I did theater. Let 251 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: me let me mimic her h Claissant du Berl play 252 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: a classant. I was like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna 253 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: starve here. I cannot order my food. Um, and so 254 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: I was like, uh Claissant and that with the mouth 255 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: and everything. I was like, dude, She's like, uh okay, 256 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: oh you know what. I cannot tell you something. They 257 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: get on my nerves with that. I swear I was there. 258 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: By the way, it's funny. I'm laughing. I was here 259 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: with my friend and this half a half the nerve 260 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: and she's like my big sister. So I consider her 261 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: much more elegant. She's been to Paris a bunch. She 262 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: just bought a channel person. We're sitting down after she 263 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: buys the very first channel person, because that's what you 264 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: do in Paris. Is this a real high level. I'm saying, 265 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: you guys, please forgive us for bougee. But she sits 266 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: at this cafe as she orders the steak, and she 267 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: orders it one well done. They could have kicked her 268 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: out too. She asked for catch up the man so 269 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: he was like, banap, pap papa. Is this McDonald's. I'm 270 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: loving it. He told her this is not McDonald's and 271 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: you cannot have catch up with your steak or your fries. 272 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: He told her. No, I was like, yo, they are 273 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: so dead set about their ways in this place for 274 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: them to not want to give you that flu And 275 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: even then, I've never had that happen to me. I 276 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: think they realized Americans how they make their money. They 277 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: can't they can't just dismiss us because they have to 278 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: make some money. But I could imagine, you know, you 279 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: being a young girl and they were like, no chrissan 280 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: for you walking in some little tiny cafe, nothing for you. Yes, so, 281 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: and I don't know when you went. So this was nine, 282 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: and they were very I think snobby about not knowing 283 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: the language right. But I also had to make my 284 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: money stretched, so I was not buying a channel. Parson 285 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: is a matter that recently I was like the time, 286 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: like within the last like you know, I I worked 287 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: for the Titnis channel, so I used to go every 288 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: year to cover the French open but this was maybe 289 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: not not recently. It's like or something like that, that's recent. Yeah, okay, 290 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: I mean that's reason. So when I was there, my 291 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: girlfriend and got we had gotten this paper and we 292 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: were like Okay, where the inexpensive places to eat? So 293 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 1: we're going through this list and we found this place, 294 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: were like, oh my gosh, there's only five francs. We 295 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: are totally going we get there. It's basically a soup kitchen. 296 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: We that's where we were. I just sell you the difference, 297 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: you like, girl, I would back to the original question. 298 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: I was a poor runway model. Don't talk to me 299 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: about persons. Okay, wait, so how long did you live 300 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: in Paris in London? And for my understanding, I believe 301 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: Milan for a while? How long were you over? Yes? 302 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: So I was there back and forth. Um, so I 303 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: was going for the season. So I was there for 304 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: back and forth for a year. So I would go 305 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: there for the season and then I would come back 306 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: and I would try to pick up um showroom work 307 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: in New York and um I worked for Yoli, which 308 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: is a designer in New York. And just going back 309 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: and forth, and then you would go I would go 310 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: to Milan for the season. I happened to be in Florence. 311 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 1: I mean, girl, I have stories. I remember. So this 312 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: was also back in the day when you know, we 313 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: didn't have the roller bags, you didn't have that you 314 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: had to put a suitcase on a contraption that opened 315 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:24,239 Speaker 1: up like a dolly that you would put your suitcase on. Right. 316 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: I didn't have that either, So when I had these big, 317 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: heavy bags, I would have to take out like some 318 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: socks and put it under on my shoulder, under the 319 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: strap of the bag and carry them. I think that's 320 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: what I was doing. I just wanted to set the 321 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: picture of how this was not glamorous. Okay, wait, so 322 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:47,159 Speaker 1: as a model, you would put socks under underneath the 323 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: strap of the bag because it was so heavy to 324 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: help your shoulder correct. When I was traveling from city 325 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 1: to city. This is what I was doing when I 326 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: would come back into a city like the States. My 327 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 1: friends didn't know how I was coming to visit. I 328 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: could be on a bus, I could be on a train, 329 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: I could be maybe on a plane if it was internationally. 330 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: But I'm just telling you that's that was my reality 331 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: at the time. Okay, But it sounds so romantic when 332 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: I read it on your resume. Was it not a 333 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: wonderful time? You know what was wonderful? There was a 334 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: woman named Elaine Evans from Memphis, Tennessee, and she would 335 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: invite a bunch of models over to our house. And 336 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,640 Speaker 1: it was a bunch of black models who were living there. Um. 337 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: I mentioned my friend Rosalind, She's from New Jersey. There 338 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: was a woman named Sherry from New Jersey. All of 339 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: these models like from the New York area, and we 340 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: would go there and have these brunches, right, which was 341 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: very similar to the Sunday suppers that I had at 342 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:57,160 Speaker 1: my grandmother's house. And Elaine was such a great cook. 343 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: Interestingly enough, she was a great cook. And I found 344 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: out later that Jessica Harris, Dr Jessica B. Harris of 345 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: High on the Hog that's on Netflix, Jessica Harris taught 346 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: Elaine Evans how to cook. So by the time, right, 347 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: I mean, what are you kidding me? Like, So, by 348 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: the time I saw Elane, Eline was this amazing cook. 349 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: And when I'm telling Jessica this story, she's like, wait, 350 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: Elaine Evans from from Memphis. I taught Elane how to cook. 351 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, you're kidding. It was just just give me chills, 352 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: because you know what it's all meant to be. It 353 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: is that those are these moments in life. Guys, if 354 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: you're listening where you know, God has you exactly where 355 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: you're supposed to be, or had you where you're supposed 356 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: to be, like it's also ordered and destined. Oh my god, 357 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: that's so wonderful. Yes, So we were having these amazing 358 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: brunches and um what we would make buffalo wings, macaroni 359 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 1: and cheese. Elaine would try to get to the farmers 360 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: market early because they were turn ups, but they would 361 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: throw away the turnip greens so we can make greens 362 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: like I mean that that was my world. And so 363 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: in that respect it did feel glamorous. It felt like 364 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: here I am, you know, having this amazing meals with 365 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: these beautiful women, you know, at a gorgeous Parisian apartment. 366 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: And and then the conversation came up about, oh, you know, 367 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: everybody's debating back and forth with my mother, does macaronians 368 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: like this? My mother doesn't like this girl. I I 369 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: am about twenty three at the time. I would eat 370 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: macaroni and cheese what once a week. We never had 371 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: it more than that on Sundays. And I had no idea, 372 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: I said, I have no idea how this dish is made. 373 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: None in that interesting and full circle. Look at you 374 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: of all of the chefs you are arguably the most known. 375 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: I love to hear that because there are all these 376 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: moments in your life that you can think about that 377 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: led up to where you are right now, your cathlete trajectory, 378 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: and that is really one of these moments, like the 379 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: alchemy of it all, speaking of did you did I 380 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: just say that? And I I know And I wasn't 381 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: even ready to go to alchemy catering caterers. I wasn't 382 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: ready to do that yet. But it was so beautiful, Carrie. 383 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: Let's talk about that with this beautiful Carla Hall. Okay, wait, 384 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: you didn't even know what was made, you guys. Listen, 385 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: she didn't even know what was in the mac and 386 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: cheese that her mom made on Sundays. Why everybody was 387 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: explaining the recipes and mac and cheese is very serious 388 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: in a black household. You guys know that. Um. But 389 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: you you come back, and I'm I'm doing a little 390 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: truncated version here. You you come back from being a model, 391 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: and how do you I know that you got started 392 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: in cooking in the fact that you brought at least 393 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: according to WICKI and other research we've done, you can 394 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: please clarify you maybe brought some sandwiches, left over sandwiches 395 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: to a to a friend's job, and people were like, 396 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: ever come back and you realize you were a hit. 397 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: I'm sure there were more. It was more moments than that, 398 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: people kept telling you and cook. Well, but tell me 399 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: how you started actually getting into the idea of wait, 400 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: maybe I should be doing this for a living. I 401 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: should be a chef, I should be cooking, I should 402 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: be working in catering, I should be doing something of 403 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: that nature. Well, I was still in the bridge. I 404 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: was still on the bridge trying to figure out what 405 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: was next. And there's a pattern with me. I I 406 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: take clues from the universe very well, but clues of 407 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: where I'm supposed to be in the moment um that 408 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: aren't very And also I'm a quick start. So some 409 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: of the something I have an idea, I'm like, Okay, 410 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. I don't. I don't I don't 411 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: get analysis paralysis. I'm like, all right, that sounds good. 412 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. Um. So you know, I started 413 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: that lunch delivery service just like that, And the next 414 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: thing I knew I had been working and doing it 415 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: for five years. I had worked every single day for 416 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: five years before I went to culinary school, and um, 417 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: so when so when I went to culinary school, it 418 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,120 Speaker 1: was and then that's when it took five years to say, 419 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: wait a minute, I really I really like this, I 420 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:02,360 Speaker 1: really want to do this. I really want to bet 421 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: on myself and do this for a living. But it 422 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: took five years of just working every day. But in 423 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: those five years, as hard as it was, I enjoyed 424 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: taking food to people. What started out as an act 425 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: of gratitude in all the different places I lived turned 426 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: into a way of nurturing people. Right, how did you 427 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: How did you know? Well, I didn't have children. Um, 428 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 1: I got to know all of my clients. I knew 429 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: their likes, their dislikes. I knew I'm like, well, I 430 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: would make things from like what is your favorite? I 431 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: would go to your office and say, hey, what is 432 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 1: your favorite? And then when we had special meals on Fridays, 433 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: the next thing, I was making that favorite thing for them. 434 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: Maybe it was lasagna, maybe it was a chicken pot pie, 435 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: maybe it was a cow zone. And when I made 436 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: cow zones, I was making the crust, I was making 437 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: the filling. And then I would and my my business 438 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: was highly illegal. I was clicking out of my house 439 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: and no permits. But um, it was amazing because you 440 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: did it. Hey, guys, do something illegal until it can 441 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: be legal. Um. But I mean that was also way 442 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: back in the day. Um. And it was so I 443 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: felt like this need to take care of my my 444 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: my clients and this community. And I primarily I was 445 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 1: working in d C in a black neighborhood. Um. I 446 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: started on Kennedy Street, door to door hair salis, barbershops, um, 447 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,239 Speaker 1: you know, doctor's offices, and then social services where they 448 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: would send me to another place and those people send 449 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: me to another place. UM. So it was this community 450 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: that I felt like I was the glue and connecting 451 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: all of these people and it was it was amazing. 452 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: And I think one time in particular, this woman wanted 453 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,360 Speaker 1: to buy one of my dishes and I said, oh, 454 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: I don't think you're gonna like it because you don't 455 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: like cilantro. And she looked at me and she said, 456 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: do you remember that. I'm like, of course I remember, 457 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: but I do think you would like this, right. So 458 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: it was all of that, like how someone felt when 459 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: they knew that I saw them mm hmm. It was 460 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: healing m yeah. Wow. Actually food is very healing in 461 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: the sense that um, it can be comforting in good 462 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: ways and on most ways, like food is comforting, like 463 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 1: when you needed you needed. I was sick, you know, 464 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: I had a cold, no no COVID, and I felt 465 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: like I was eating my way through it. And you 466 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: gotta say that now you can't just girl, you have 467 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 1: to say it. You cough. I've been coughing for decades 468 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: and people like, oh my god, you got coughd you 469 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: got covid. I've been coughing for peers. You can't. You 470 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: cannot cough on earth, and do not when I tell 471 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: you when I coughed, I know, I'm like, no covid. 472 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry. But you can't even clear your throat 473 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: without somebody looking at you like you crazy. Let me 474 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: just tell you going off off on a tangent. So 475 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: I I try to maintain my health and stamina so 476 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: that I can run to a plane, a bus or whatever. 477 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: I mean that that's my bar, right. I need to 478 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: be able to run to make a train. So when 479 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 1: I am running to make uh my Amtrak train, and 480 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: I get there and I have exercise induced asthma because 481 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: I have been running and I'm getting their coffid and everything, 482 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: and I'm just looking at the person next n I'm like, 483 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: I'm not Jeremy. It is um exercise induced to asthma 484 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: because I've been running for the train. Then I get 485 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 1: really chatting and they're just looking at me like shut 486 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:49,640 Speaker 1: the hell up. But I huh, I well, first of all, 487 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: and now speaking, we're gonna stay on this tangent. You 488 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: have the recess, which I love that you just that 489 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 1: you do. I don't know if you still do that 490 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,159 Speaker 1: every day at eleven am Eastern, because that, to me 491 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: seems very difficult to maintain, especially when you have a 492 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: work schedule. But I happen to watch a couple of them, 493 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: in one of which you were like, I gotta I 494 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: gotta work today here and makeup on a way. But 495 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: let me show you. I'm gonna put these hula hoops 496 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: down here and we're gonna hula hoop are weight and 497 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: just change your mood. Because you're right, exercise does, or 498 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: any kind of movement changes your mood, but the idea 499 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: or blown exercise could turn people off. So I get it. 500 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: So like by the way you inspired me, I was like, 501 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 1: maybe I just need a hula hoop, you know, because 502 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: my trainer good on mine. I don't feel like doing that. 503 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,239 Speaker 1: When I see him, I'm like, I really don't want 504 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: to see you today. I really don't want to do this. 505 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: I don't, but I would love to. I'd be motivated 506 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: to get out of the house to Hulu because right back, right, 507 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: shake your booty, change your moody, that's what I was saying, 508 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: right I, but I love hula hoops. So during that time, 509 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: it was during the shutdown, uh huh, and I people 510 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: were really stressed out. I was stressed, you know, being 511 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 1: at home all my word like gone right. But I decided, 512 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: I'm like, what did kids do when there in school 513 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 1: they have recess? I was like, let me grab my 514 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: hula hoop and then right the energy, changing the energy. 515 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: But then I started getting all of these kids toys 516 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: like the skip ball, bubbles, roller skates, you know, I 517 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: got a bouncy ball, right. I if I could be 518 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: somewhere and just body roll down the hill, Okay, I 519 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: realized I can't do that too much because I get sick. 520 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: You know that. You don't know what, but I would 521 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: do all of those things, and it was just amazing. 522 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: And one day I decided to grab my suitcases. I'm 523 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: not using I said, you guys, loads of suitcases up, 524 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: act like you're going somewhere. This is the exercise. Go 525 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: down the street, come back, you have your suitcase. It's like, 526 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: you know, play by the way. That is so smart. 527 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: You just said bubbles. I'm like, Wh're gonna go by bubbles? 528 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 1: That would just change my mood if I could just 529 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: blow some bubbles during that. I you know, I don't 530 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: know if we understand how important it is just to 531 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: do those type of things. I'm starting to real eyes 532 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: and I feel like there's just like so many messages 533 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: I'm seeing people are stressed out. I know it's still 534 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,479 Speaker 1: the shut not shutdown shutdown, but people are still stressed 535 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: the hell out, and those little things can change your mood. 536 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: We have to pay some bills, as we often do. 537 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: You can fast forward, as I often say, back on 538 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: the other side of the break. Every champion and care 539 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: every chappi is to be a champion, a champion and 540 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: carry chappion and carry chapiyon. A champion and carry chappion 541 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: and carry cheppis sports and then the same make and 542 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: make it work very Chappion and carry Chappi is to 543 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: be with Chappiana Champion. They carry Chappi and they Chappi 544 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: and they carry Champion and care with Chappi Sports and 545 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: in the same make and Naked, Hey, everybody, do you 546 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: guys know how to cook biscuits? Okay? I didn't think so. 547 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: Carla Hall ultimately tells us the one thing she loves 548 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: to do is cook biscuits. Welcome back to Naked, I 549 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: go back you. Then you now have an audience. You 550 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: have this great business. People love you. They're coming to you. 551 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: We're back to Cookie And as I cleared my throat 552 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: getting over a cold, no covid um. You create a 553 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: business and to correct me if I'm wrong, alchemy catering 554 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: or caterers. Yeah, well now, yeah, that's right. So it 555 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: started out as the lunch basket because I literally put 556 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: all that food in a basket. And when they're like, oh, 557 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: you have a business, what's the name of it? Because 558 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: I didn't plan anything. I looked down, I see a basket, like, oh, so, 559 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: lunch basket, when are you coming back? I'm coming back tomorrow, 560 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: you know, because I'm I've been improving all my life, 561 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: so I changed it to Alchemy Caterers because a friend 562 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: had said, Carla, you need a pet, a plant or something, um, 563 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: so you should like go and adopt a pet. So 564 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: I went to adopt a cat. My life didn't support dogs, 565 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: but I went to adopt a cat, and I said, 566 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna name you Alchemy because apparently you're gonna change 567 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 1: my life. Um. And I had just read The Alchemists 568 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: by Coelo, and so I named my cat Alchemy, and 569 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: then I named I ended up naming my catering company 570 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: Alchemy because intuitively, I felt like I knew what people 571 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: wanted to eat, and I wanted I wanted to charge 572 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: that business with changing people by cooking with love for them. 573 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: M M. I love it now, named though we've because 574 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: it's a fisher. You're like, why give that away? It's 575 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: uh is it Alchemy by Carla hall or what is it? 576 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: So then I changed. I changed my business to Alchemy 577 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: by Carla Hall um, because you have a name and 578 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: it's a platform, and it makes it even more known. 579 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: I love exactly because it's the business of it now. 580 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: And what's so interesting when you say a name, you 581 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: are activating what the name means and so for me 582 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: that Alchemy by Carla Hall changes and now my company 583 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 1: is called Adventure Follows Limited because my six words of 584 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: advice to anybody say yes, adventure follows, then growth. Wait 585 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: say it again, say yes, adventure follows then growth. And 586 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: so you think about those three parts of your life. 587 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: So first of all, uh, if something comes to you, 588 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 1: whether whether it's an adventure or a lesson, you have 589 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: to say yes to it. By saying yes to it, 590 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: you go through it, you get to the other side 591 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: of it, and you will grow from it. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 592 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: I love that, say yes. And that's with anything, workship, relationship, friendships, 593 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: man um. Too many downloads for me to date to 594 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: even process. I'm just taking it all in. I think 595 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: that I fell in love with you, love with you, 596 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: probably as America did, and I did not believe it 597 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: or not. I wasn't. I didn't watch any of the 598 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: Food Network shows. You had two seasons on Top Sholf. 599 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: I'm sorry I did not watch those, but I knew 600 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: you from the chew um and being a television personality myself, 601 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: I liked. I was immediately drawn to you. You have 602 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: this thing and you've heard it before that makes you 603 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 1: just want to be your friend, and I want to 604 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: hang out with you. I don't even know what you're 605 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: talking about. I just want to hang out with you. 606 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: I think I get that a lot. Um I think 607 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: is because, um, I'm being real. When you watch somebody 608 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: on television and I and I have to say, all 609 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: goes back to theater. It all goes back to me 610 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: feeling comfortable in my scan. And that didn't mean that 611 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: I didn't go through awkward stages in my twenties. And 612 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: and you know, I wasn't crazy at thirty, you know, 613 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 1: but every decade I become more of myself, um, where 614 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 1: the inside matches the outside. And and so I think 615 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: that me and in the moment, I can I can 616 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: be silly, I can be quirky. I don't feel like 617 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: I have to be the cool chick. I don't have 618 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: to be the bushie chick. I don't have I don't 619 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: have to be I don't have the cool black girl. Yeah, 620 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 1: I didn't send any of that. Authenticity is a currency 621 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: that people don't employ enough. And I think we're starting 622 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: to realize that what that is what works Candidly, there 623 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:08,919 Speaker 1: was a time I think I was watching the show 624 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: and there was, you know, and that could have been 625 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,720 Speaker 1: me reading into it. This is the you on ABC. 626 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 1: It was on air from I believe, and it was, 627 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 1: I mean, wildly popular, and it made sense and it 628 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: fit with all the daytime shows and and the thing 629 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 1: about having a five day a week show, it's like 630 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna see You're gonna catch it eventually. If you 631 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: don't know about it, you'll catch onto it. You'll see it. 632 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: You'll be in the airport, you'll be at home, You'll 633 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: be flipping through the back at the doctor's office. Yeah back, 634 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: people watched me right at the doctor's office, and even 635 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: you know, like that's what it is. But I felt 636 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: like I called one a few times. There was this 637 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: awkward moment. You may have not you, but there was 638 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: something going on in a guest or a co host 639 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: might have been. There might have been an awkward moment, 640 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: and you handled it, to me, um with so much 641 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: grace in class when someone could have fell into their 642 00:34:58,160 --> 00:34:59,839 Speaker 1: ego and didn't like it, you know what I mean, 643 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: Like you were just so dismissive of it. And it 644 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: was such a lesson for me because at the time 645 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: and probably even still now, I would have I would 646 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: have responded with my ego and you didn't, and I 647 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:11,399 Speaker 1: was I was impressed by that. And by the way, 648 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:13,360 Speaker 1: I didn't even know that's what you were doing, but 649 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: I just liked that you didn't even let it phase you. 650 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: And um, and then I realized, I was like, she 651 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 1: wasn't even ego centric about it. Because people on TV 652 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: in any capacity, when I feel there an expert and 653 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 1: they have an audience and a following, and and you 654 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 1: listen to what people say on social media, you feel 655 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: something about yourself if you're being treated a certain way 656 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 1: on television. Um, and you were just very dismissive, and 657 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: I love that you're You're probably right. There were many 658 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 1: moments that I can recall where things like that happened. 659 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: And in the moment, Uh, I had a choice, you know, 660 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,799 Speaker 1: if it was a guest, I know, I always wanted 661 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 1: them to feel welcomed, like you you have stepped into 662 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 1: my house, you know, so I will I will always. 663 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:00,040 Speaker 1: I always want you to feel good here, you know, 664 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: even if you laugh and I'm like, oh my god, 665 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 1: what the hell is that? Right? But I would never 666 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 1: My duty as a host is to take care of 667 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: you in my house, and I would have always taken that. 668 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: I would have always chosen that over my ego. What 669 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 1: a beautiful way, What a beautiful way to describe that. 670 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 1: Because it is your home and you're welcoming someone into 671 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: your home the audience. Guess whoever feel comfortable. We're not 672 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: here to make you feel bad. Um, right I. I 673 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: then you watch it the chew you've all these. First 674 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 1: of all, your look is totally different. You're beautiful, you're tall, 675 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,520 Speaker 1: you're very distinguished. It is it is obvious to see 676 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: who you are, right, um, physically and personality wise. And 677 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 1: I have to I have to imagine when you did 678 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: Top Chef that you didn't think that that would turn 679 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: into a TV gig on ABC. Walk me through the 680 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: process of being on that show and what was it 681 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 1: like to be in front of the public and everyone 682 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: knowing who you are and commenting on everything you do, 683 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 1: and how you made them know the gumbo and if 684 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: they didn't like the gumbo and why he was a 685 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 1: fan favorite. Number five and number six, number seven, number eight. 686 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 1: I don't watch Top Chef, y'all? All right? You know, uh, 687 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: we we know, we know that's okay. UM, So you 688 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: know interestingly enough, um, and you you said it, you 689 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,359 Speaker 1: said it earlier. You know, the universe speaks like when 690 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: you're meant to do something, like everything in the universe 691 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:25,880 Speaker 1: conspires too to make that thing happen. When it was 692 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:32,239 Speaker 1: in two oh seven that I actually filmed Top Chef, 693 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: and I remember my um I was out. It was 694 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: a long day catering, and my sous chef came in 695 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 1: the next day and she said, oh, I had a 696 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: dream you were on Top Chef. I had just found 697 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: out about the show. I I started watching Top Chef 698 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: after season uh like season three, four and when they 699 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 1: were when they were getting ready to cast for season five. Um, 700 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: I had a long, busy catering season. I literally binge 701 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 1: watched all of Top Chef, you know how they how 702 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: they started playing and all the shows, and then I 703 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 1: started watching on the fourth season. So I go back 704 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: in and my my um suschef says, I had a 705 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 1: dream you were on Top Chefs. So that same day 706 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:11,839 Speaker 1: I get home and there was a call to oh, 707 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,320 Speaker 1: we're calling from Magical Elves and I was just like, 708 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: because I have I have jokes was as friends, you know. UM. 709 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,240 Speaker 1: So I'm like, yeah, I'm not I'm not gonna return 710 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:21,320 Speaker 1: this call because they're they're just setting me up, and 711 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 1: but I had it on my cell phone and my 712 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: home phone, and so I called back and I was like, oh, hey, 713 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: what's up. And then they're like, oh, we're calling from 714 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: Magical As. I'm like, oh, you really are. And so 715 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: it's just so crazy because and then it was it 716 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: was I'm in an organization called it John Discoffier, which 717 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: is a a female organization of chefs and people in 718 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 1: the hospitality business. And the president had recommended me. So 719 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: I because they didn't remember her name, I had no 720 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 1: connection to who told them about me when I applied. 721 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 1: I went to this lady blind and said, Hey, would 722 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:04,439 Speaker 1: you do right a a reference for me? She said, 723 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: of course, because I gave them your name. Had no idea. 724 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: I had no idea. I went back to her. I 725 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:14,160 Speaker 1: ended up going to see I a upstate New York 726 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:19,160 Speaker 1: for this interview, and I was getting ready to go home. 727 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 1: My phone was dying. I was at the train station. 728 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 1: I was like, shoot, my phone is dying. Let me 729 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: call my husband right now to tell him. Look, I'm 730 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 1: probably I'm not gonna be able to call him. And 731 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: I said, oh, I have a message. I'm at the 732 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:35,400 Speaker 1: train station. I listened to my message. Hi Carla, this 733 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 1: is magically as we're calling back from the interview. Can 734 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: you come back for a second interview? This is after 735 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 1: I had my first interview. I am fifteen minutes from 736 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: getting on the train to go home. They want you 737 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 1: to come back today like they wanted me to come 738 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:53,080 Speaker 1: back that day. Okay, Hey, do you imagine though the 739 00:39:53,200 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 1: train getting the mess like what me? So every thing 740 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:04,800 Speaker 1: about that experience was conspired for me to be on 741 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,359 Speaker 1: that show. Yea. And at the time I was forty four. 742 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 1: A lot of people don't realize that I was one 743 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:15,440 Speaker 1: of the oldest um because black don't crack and you 744 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,840 Speaker 1: look amazing in your spirit is so young you can't 745 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,080 Speaker 1: even I like maybe because I look I used to 746 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 1: wear silver hair all the time, and I'm like, yeah, okay, 747 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 1: I like it. You no one would know, No one 748 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:29,240 Speaker 1: would know. And you say it's so boldly and proudly 749 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: in the world that tells you you're not supposed to. 750 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: This is what I love about you. Two. Oh yeah, 751 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,879 Speaker 1: I'm always telling people. I mean, now I'm eight, I'm 752 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 1: looking forward to sixty. What the wisdom even even though 753 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,880 Speaker 1: possible my hair go gray, which it is not possible. 754 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: It is I okay, find a wrinkle, find something. I 755 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: feel sorry for y'all who not got no melanin in 756 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,799 Speaker 1: y'all tone, like I am sorry, I am sorry, y'all 757 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: mad at us, I'm sorry. We stay fine and we 758 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:03,839 Speaker 1: are well, could you fine? Go on? I'm sorry, Thank 759 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:08,719 Speaker 1: you girl, thank you are fine, thank you. But but no, 760 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: it's um so so I'm going through all of that 761 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: when I am on top chef, because I was a caterer, 762 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:20,560 Speaker 1: because I was older, I was I was not taken seriously. 763 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,480 Speaker 1: Every time I would win and I'd come like, oh 764 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,320 Speaker 1: my god, I would and they would look at me 765 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 1: like what the hell and how did that happen? So 766 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:31,480 Speaker 1: I felt that I'm very intuitive. I felt that um 767 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:34,840 Speaker 1: a lot of times I felt like I was the 768 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 1: odd person out. And I remember telling my friend um 769 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:45,520 Speaker 1: Arian Dwarte, I said, you know, she was like, oh 770 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,400 Speaker 1: my gosh, I'm on the bottom. And I said, when 771 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: you're on the top, you get feedback from the judges. 772 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: When you're on the bottom, you get feedback from the judges. 773 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 1: When you're in the middle, you get nothing. So be 774 00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 1: grateful for the top or the bottom because you get 775 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,960 Speaker 1: something out of that. Correct, be grateful for the top 776 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: or the bottom, because you're gonna get something out of 777 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: it when you just mediocre and like nobody's paying attention 778 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 1: and you're right there in the middle. Oh boy, wow 779 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,839 Speaker 1: wow wow again writing this down, guys, hope you guys 780 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: are too in my mind mental note. So then you 781 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: go on and they bring me back because you were 782 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: a fan. Whether you were a fan favorite in their 783 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:26,800 Speaker 1: mind or not, they bring you back. They asked me 784 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: three times to come back, and I said no. My 785 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 1: PR company at the time was saying, Carla, don't do it. 786 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 1: You've been working hard to try to establish your own brand, 787 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:40,839 Speaker 1: separate from the top chef brand. We suggest you don't 788 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:42,960 Speaker 1: do it. And they even said what if you get 789 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: kicked off? First, it was like wait that I didn't like, 790 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:52,279 Speaker 1: that's not gonna happen. Sorry, you got me, You got 791 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:55,759 Speaker 1: me all the way aft up. Yeah, okay, go on, No, 792 00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 1: but that was a challenge and it was at that point, 793 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: so so that was a challenge. But but you know, 794 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:03,480 Speaker 1: it needles in your head. And then um, one of 795 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:06,839 Speaker 1: the producers said to me, Um, what if you made 796 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,960 Speaker 1: it part of your plan. Now, a lot of chefs 797 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 1: go on because they have restaurants they want to be, 798 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 1: you know, on the show that it's a publicity thing. 799 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:15,800 Speaker 1: It wasn't. It was never that for me. It was 800 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,120 Speaker 1: a personal challenge because I'm competitive, that's what I do. UM. 801 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: So this time I didn't want to cater anymore. I 802 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 1: had Alchemy catering and I was like, oh my gosh, 803 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:25,680 Speaker 1: I don't want to cater anymore. And I said to him, 804 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 1: I said okay, because I wanted to get out of catering. 805 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:30,839 Speaker 1: In the meantime, I had a really toxic and bad 806 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: UM partnership that I that I got into because I 807 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:40,399 Speaker 1: needed UM. I needed stability with the catering. I needed 808 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,799 Speaker 1: somebody to help me with the infrastructure. So I said 809 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 1: yes to a partnership that I shouldn't have said yes to. 810 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 1: Now I wanted to get out of it, right, So 811 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:51,000 Speaker 1: all of that was happening. The thing that people don't 812 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: realize when you do these shows and people know you 813 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,719 Speaker 1: and everybody's coming to your little spot to like get 814 00:43:55,760 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 1: a piece of you, it changes how that business runs. 815 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,680 Speaker 1: When you're in a restaurant, it made be different. If 816 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: it's a big restaurant. If it's a small restaurant, it 817 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 1: generally ruins that restaurant. The number of people, what you 818 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,439 Speaker 1: can take on, how many people are standing in line, 819 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: it changes the face of that restaurant. And that's what 820 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,879 Speaker 1: happened to my catering company. And so I really wanted 821 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: to say I don't care anymore, okay, But I was like, 822 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 1: what do I want to do? And that's when I said, 823 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:24,320 Speaker 1: you know what, I think I'm gonna have a cookie company. 824 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 1: And that's when I did Alchemy by Carla Hall. It 825 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 1: was more cookies and desserts. I had these tiny cookies 826 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 1: that were the size of sugar cubes. Um. But it 827 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:36,560 Speaker 1: was stupid because nobody knew they were cookies, so they 828 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: still thought I catered and that so that that that 829 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 1: that wasn't thought out. But but you know, so I 830 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:45,319 Speaker 1: was doing that and then they would go and get 831 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,000 Speaker 1: you to the where you needed to be exactly to 832 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:50,359 Speaker 1: the next thing again still on the bridge or back 833 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 1: on another bridge, right um. And so so I did 834 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,880 Speaker 1: that and then I got sort of too the finale 835 00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:00,160 Speaker 1: where there are many chefs, but I got kicked off. 836 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 1: But then that was the show that they voted me 837 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 1: as fan favorite. It's because I was fan favorite and 838 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:08,279 Speaker 1: this and I want to go back and say a 839 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,320 Speaker 1: lot of people will even tell me this now. They're like, 840 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:13,840 Speaker 1: you were robbed, you were robbed. It wasn't, but I 841 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:18,759 Speaker 1: wasn't because if I had one Top Chef and oh eight, 842 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:21,960 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have whatever it was it oh eight. Yeah, 843 00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:26,480 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have been back on that show. In eleven 844 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:28,359 Speaker 1: was when they were looking for people from the CHEW. 845 00:45:28,719 --> 00:45:33,240 Speaker 1: Because I won fan Favorite, I was on their radar, 846 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,279 Speaker 1: and that's when I talked to the people about how 847 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:40,360 Speaker 1: everything happens the way it's supposed to happen. Absolutely, you 848 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:43,880 Speaker 1: may not even know it. Everything happens for a reason. 849 00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,520 Speaker 1: But I also believe that every lesson has a name. 850 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: So you see those people that you are angry with, 851 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,200 Speaker 1: you're angry with that person, don't be angry at the person. 852 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 1: It's the lesson that's going to teach you to get 853 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:56,960 Speaker 1: you to the next place. It is a lesson with 854 00:45:57,239 --> 00:46:00,520 Speaker 1: a name. Every relationship you had, every job that didn't 855 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:02,800 Speaker 1: turn out, every time boss that failed you, that you 856 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: think failed you, If you would allow to accept that lesson, 857 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 1: you will learn something for the next thing. If you don't. 858 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:13,840 Speaker 1: If you're in denial, you keep yourself in that place 859 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:21,200 Speaker 1: just saying all of it. You're saying all the things. Now, 860 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:22,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, let me, how do I look at my 861 00:46:22,680 --> 00:46:25,560 Speaker 1: ex boyfriend? That is what the end in my I'm 862 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:27,640 Speaker 1: not like, I'm going to give you all lessons because 863 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: I know the lessons, but I gotta give you, like 864 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,200 Speaker 1: the lesson, the real lesson what I've learned from that. 865 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:37,120 Speaker 1: That is so amazingly smart. Um, And it's also a 866 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:41,040 Speaker 1: beautiful way to to make peace with what did and 867 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:44,280 Speaker 1: did not happen in your life and allowing and allowing 868 00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:47,839 Speaker 1: that to teach you more. Um. I'm here for all. 869 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:50,279 Speaker 1: I'm here for the learning and the journey. But I'm 870 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,160 Speaker 1: gonna tell you so when I got the too, so 871 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: they didn't pick me initially, so the producers did not 872 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 1: pick me. There were five other people. Daphne Oz was 873 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:03,080 Speaker 1: the only original member of the two the only original 874 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:06,160 Speaker 1: member they decided to come back. After a year of 875 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:09,520 Speaker 1: testing that show and work shopping it that came back 876 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,719 Speaker 1: and they brought in for twenty minutes. It was. It 877 00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:16,840 Speaker 1: was Daphne, Clinton, Michael, and Mario. The five of us 878 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:20,680 Speaker 1: were together for only twenty minutes. The next day they 879 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:25,400 Speaker 1: announced us as the cast. That deal went fast, it 880 00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 1: was it was crazy. The same day they announced that 881 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,080 Speaker 1: you was the same day that I had um gone 882 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:36,440 Speaker 1: for a um my my book, My first cookbook was 883 00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:38,799 Speaker 1: being auctioned. So they're like, oh my gosh, she's gonna 884 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:40,680 Speaker 1: beyond the two. So that meant I got I got 885 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 1: a good deal, right, I mean, all of that came 886 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:48,120 Speaker 1: down to that one moment. It was amazing. Actually six 887 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:51,759 Speaker 1: days later. Yeah, and you have several books. Um, you 888 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:53,600 Speaker 1: guys have to check them all out. I want on Amazon. 889 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:55,880 Speaker 1: I did all my full research. The latest I believe 890 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 1: is a children's book. Actually Payton did the search, thank you, 891 00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:03,879 Speaker 1: peyton Um. And then there's a children's book. Um, it's 892 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:07,320 Speaker 1: Carla and the corn Bread Christmas Carla and the Christmas 893 00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: corn Bread. Yes, and I love that the idea of 894 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 1: because now it's time, right, you're an an author. Now 895 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:16,799 Speaker 1: it's time for the you know, we have to talk 896 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:19,759 Speaker 1: about the Christmas corn bread. Um. If if someone's looking 897 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:21,360 Speaker 1: to get that for their child, what is the what 898 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:24,080 Speaker 1: is the lesson? What is the lesson with that children's book? 899 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: I think for this book, it's the power of intergenerational 900 00:48:28,239 --> 00:48:34,120 Speaker 1: clicking together, a child clicking with a grandparent and carrying on, 901 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:37,239 Speaker 1: especially in the black community, in any community. You don't 902 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:40,800 Speaker 1: have to be Black to understand this, this concept to 903 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,880 Speaker 1: cook with a grandparent. That is how the stories and 904 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:48,960 Speaker 1: your culture are passed down from generation to generation. Having 905 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: all of those stories and the sensory and taste. It 906 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:56,239 Speaker 1: is not the written recipes, it's the recipes that are 907 00:48:56,360 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 1: stored in all of your senses. That is how your 908 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: culture is passed down. And so I love I love 909 00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:06,759 Speaker 1: corn bread. My grandmother made the best corn bread for me, 910 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:09,239 Speaker 1: and she never made it until we were on the 911 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,040 Speaker 1: inside of the door and just remembering all of that. 912 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:17,520 Speaker 1: But when I was working with the illustrator Charise, she's 913 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:19,440 Speaker 1: looking at the book and she's like, Okay, I go 914 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:21,480 Speaker 1: to bed and she's like, hey, can I ask you 915 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:25,759 Speaker 1: did you wear for rollers in your hair before a 916 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:29,200 Speaker 1: big like of holiday or something like, oh my gosh, yes, 917 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,600 Speaker 1: I did write roller in the bangs, roller in my 918 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:38,719 Speaker 1: like pigtails. And and I'm bringing that up because this woman, um, 919 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:44,520 Speaker 1: she's from um Bermuda and um, but we share we 920 00:49:44,680 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 1: had that common thread as a as a black woman 921 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:51,200 Speaker 1: and pulling out those threads and she only has the manuscript. 922 00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: There are no pictures that she is creating these pictures 923 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:57,000 Speaker 1: and we're going back and forth. That is the power 924 00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:00,440 Speaker 1: of culture and it is not to be underrea cutimated. 925 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:03,760 Speaker 1: And let me tell you there's nothing like bonding over culture. 926 00:50:03,760 --> 00:50:05,800 Speaker 1: And again this is for any culture. I could have 927 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:08,640 Speaker 1: a conversational one. I'm immediately connected when you say that. 928 00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:11,000 Speaker 1: You say rollers and I'm like, oh yeah, my mom 929 00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:13,520 Speaker 1: us to put a roller right here until I can 930 00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:14,960 Speaker 1: figure out how to do my own hair and burn 931 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:17,839 Speaker 1: it out myself. And then and she by, by the way, 932 00:50:17,840 --> 00:50:21,000 Speaker 1: my mom still rolls her hair, like I don't know girl. 933 00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 1: I'm all like, mom, how are you still rolling your 934 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:26,240 Speaker 1: I don't even know what that. I'm like, the process 935 00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:30,080 Speaker 1: is too much work at the part role part, I'm like, 936 00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:36,440 Speaker 1: good luck with that. But um, the connection that you 937 00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:40,440 Speaker 1: have transcends culture, right because everyone feels connected to you. 938 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:43,759 Speaker 1: Cooking is very powerful. But it's such um for me. 939 00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:47,200 Speaker 1: It's so obvious to see that that is the conduit 940 00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,680 Speaker 1: in which you have been given to reach people. But 941 00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:54,239 Speaker 1: it's more about I think, UM, do your spirit like 942 00:50:54,360 --> 00:50:57,080 Speaker 1: you're a gift. You walk into a room, you sit down, 943 00:50:57,160 --> 00:50:59,480 Speaker 1: you talk to people. You're a gift and you give 944 00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:03,920 Speaker 1: that whatever that can be. Because I'm I'm inspired not 945 00:51:04,080 --> 00:51:06,960 Speaker 1: to cook, but just inspired by your personality. It lightened 946 00:51:07,280 --> 00:51:09,759 Speaker 1: my day, you know what I mean. So when you 947 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:15,480 Speaker 1: when you think of how God works for people like I'm, yeah, 948 00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:17,239 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you this talent, but it really is 949 00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:20,600 Speaker 1: to give something else back. So that's wonderful, you know 950 00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: when you say that. So when I got the two 951 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:27,080 Speaker 1: and I was blown away. Um. You know, here I am. 952 00:51:28,239 --> 00:51:32,160 Speaker 1: I was on a competition show as a chef, um, 953 00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:35,719 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, here I am thrown into 954 00:51:35,840 --> 00:51:40,320 Speaker 1: a show on national television, um by in one of 955 00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:43,320 Speaker 1: the big networks. And I went to her friend and 956 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:45,640 Speaker 1: I said, what do I do with this? I mean, like, 957 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:49,239 Speaker 1: what do I do with this? And she said, um, 958 00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:55,720 Speaker 1: your prayer every day should be authenticity because that says 959 00:51:55,960 --> 00:52:00,879 Speaker 1: more to the audience and anything. UM, And I knew 960 00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:03,560 Speaker 1: that at that point, I also had to give back 961 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:06,920 Speaker 1: the responsibility of having this platform, which I think a 962 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,440 Speaker 1: lot of young people don't take seriously. They're like, well, 963 00:52:09,640 --> 00:52:12,279 Speaker 1: that's not my child. I don't have anything to do 964 00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:15,680 Speaker 1: with that child. But when you are on national television. 965 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,640 Speaker 1: That platform speaks volumes and it goes to places and 966 00:52:19,719 --> 00:52:21,359 Speaker 1: you don't know where it goes. And so when people 967 00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:24,799 Speaker 1: come up to me and said, my children really like you. Um, 968 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: my grandmother watched you every day. I was watching your 969 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,680 Speaker 1: show and we were in the hospital with my grandmother 970 00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:33,320 Speaker 1: and that was the one thing that we did together. 971 00:52:34,719 --> 00:52:38,600 Speaker 1: That set speaks volumes to me. And so I own 972 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:43,279 Speaker 1: that responsibility. Yeah, so I I appreciate you saying that. 973 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:46,200 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. You do and you own it. Well, yeah, 974 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:49,879 Speaker 1: I love it. Okay, So get the book. Guys, I'm 975 00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:52,319 Speaker 1: gonna I'm going to Carlo. I hate when I end 976 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:54,000 Speaker 1: with a question of what do you have next? Is 977 00:52:54,040 --> 00:52:55,840 Speaker 1: there anything that we should be promoting? Because I have 978 00:52:55,920 --> 00:52:57,759 Speaker 1: been on I following your slides, You've been doing it. 979 00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:01,080 Speaker 1: You have a partnership I see most recently with Disney. 980 00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:04,120 Speaker 1: Talk to me about all the ways in which we 981 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:07,960 Speaker 1: are making this bag get bigger and bigger. You can't. 982 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 1: I just tell you, Carrie. Let me just tell you. 983 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:16,560 Speaker 1: My hustle muscle is very strong. And listen ha ha, Yes, 984 00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:21,480 Speaker 1: I need streams on streams on streams of revenue. People. 985 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:24,880 Speaker 1: So my hustle muscle is very strong. I'm working on 986 00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:27,320 Speaker 1: a product line. I'll say more about that later. I 987 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 1: have to come back, um I did. I was recently 988 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,319 Speaker 1: in at Disney to do something with Tiana and her 989 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:38,320 Speaker 1: merchandise line that just came out. It's amazing, like this 990 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:43,000 Speaker 1: culinary merchandise line. My deal is with Discovery and Food Network, 991 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:46,960 Speaker 1: so you will see me on Halloween Baking Championship starting 992 00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:50,719 Speaker 1: in September, and then Holiday Baking Championship. I'm getting ready 993 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:55,879 Speaker 1: to film um Holiday Baking Championship Gingerbread Edition, and then 994 00:53:56,120 --> 00:53:58,960 Speaker 1: in January, I have a new show coming out called 995 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:03,520 Speaker 1: Chasing Flavor and and it is my dream show. I 996 00:54:03,680 --> 00:54:09,080 Speaker 1: love that. I love that title. Yes, yes, and it 997 00:54:09,239 --> 00:54:12,800 Speaker 1: is a travelog show. And uh, not only am I 998 00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:15,879 Speaker 1: the host, but I'm also an EP on it, which 999 00:54:15,920 --> 00:54:20,240 Speaker 1: whoop whoop yah, yes, yes, yes, right, all the things 1000 00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:24,239 Speaker 1: and so um so that is really exciting. And the 1001 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:29,360 Speaker 1: show is about taking a dish that is beloved by Americans. 1002 00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:33,480 Speaker 1: It's not necessarily quintessentially American, but it is beloved by Americans. 1003 00:54:33,560 --> 00:54:35,960 Speaker 1: But we take it to a from a nuanced version 1004 00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:39,240 Speaker 1: and we trace it back on a path in history 1005 00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:41,440 Speaker 1: and and you know, food can go in different directions, 1006 00:54:41,520 --> 00:54:44,080 Speaker 1: so we choose a path so that we can give 1007 00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:47,279 Speaker 1: credit to the cultures who had a hand in that dish, 1008 00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:51,000 Speaker 1: because a lot of times, you know, we remember the 1009 00:54:51,160 --> 00:54:54,600 Speaker 1: latest thing, but we don't know where that dish came from, 1010 00:54:54,719 --> 00:54:58,880 Speaker 1: and we sort of disk and erase all the cultures. Yeah, 1011 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:04,880 Speaker 1: sing flavor? Wow, Okay, what no work you said? I mean, 1012 00:55:05,040 --> 00:55:07,000 Speaker 1: I mean, just oh my god, just say Disney. Sorry, Mickey, 1013 00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:11,360 Speaker 1: it's not you, It's not Discovery. Yes, yeah, Warner Discovery. 1014 00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:13,920 Speaker 1: What's the new name gonna be? Warner Discovery HBO? But 1015 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:15,719 Speaker 1: I don't know. But I'm glad they at least say, 1016 00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:18,160 Speaker 1: green lighting projects over there because they canceling everything. So 1017 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:21,040 Speaker 1: I'm glad you got your because I was at CNM 1018 00:55:21,080 --> 00:55:23,040 Speaker 1: plus with a whole show that they got rid of. 1019 00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:28,279 Speaker 1: So I just said, yes, okay. So with that being said, um, 1020 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:33,000 Speaker 1: you are based where exactly? I am based in d C. 1021 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:35,640 Speaker 1: But I'm in d C. I live in I live 1022 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:39,400 Speaker 1: in d C, and um, yeah, in the D not 1023 00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:41,520 Speaker 1: the M, not the V, but in the D. I'm 1024 00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:44,920 Speaker 1: just saying, why does that establish when I can come 1025 00:55:44,960 --> 00:55:47,120 Speaker 1: over and have dinner? Because that this is I'm not. 1026 00:55:47,560 --> 00:55:50,880 Speaker 1: This is a selfish assid. This isn't about yeah, you know. Okay, 1027 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:52,680 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna get your phone number when we get 1028 00:55:52,680 --> 00:55:54,879 Speaker 1: done recording, because I don't want my folks to call 1029 00:55:54,920 --> 00:55:56,759 Speaker 1: you talking about what's that recipe to the mac and 1030 00:55:56,840 --> 00:55:59,920 Speaker 1: cheese and a corn bread? No, let me tell you, okay, Carrie. 1031 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:02,560 Speaker 1: First of all, it is my service to make biscuits 1032 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:05,720 Speaker 1: with people. I do corn breath, but it is my service. 1033 00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:10,520 Speaker 1: I get. I will say. I I would walk up 1034 00:56:10,520 --> 00:56:12,360 Speaker 1: to strangers and say I do how to make a 1035 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:14,480 Speaker 1: biscuit in New York City and go to their homes 1036 00:56:14,719 --> 00:56:18,160 Speaker 1: like I did it in San Francisco. I've I've I've 1037 00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:21,040 Speaker 1: helped restaurants make biscuits. I'm like, this biscuits is terrible. 1038 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:24,640 Speaker 1: When can we get together? When when can I come 1039 00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:26,360 Speaker 1: and teach you all how to make biscuits? Because this 1040 00:56:26,520 --> 00:56:30,800 Speaker 1: right here, ain't it? Um? So yes, I will host you. 1041 00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:34,040 Speaker 1: We just redid our house so it's it's the main 1042 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:37,320 Speaker 1: and beautiful and you can also see that my house 1043 00:56:37,480 --> 00:56:40,440 Speaker 1: on Discovery. So um oh, I love it. So let's 1044 00:56:40,480 --> 00:56:42,000 Speaker 1: do it. Let's do it from all hid angles, come 1045 00:56:42,040 --> 00:56:45,120 Speaker 1: and catch me everywhere. Yeah, are you are in your 1046 00:56:45,160 --> 00:56:47,239 Speaker 1: You're in your purpose and it is beautiful to see. 1047 00:56:47,280 --> 00:56:49,719 Speaker 1: And if anybody is listening as they are, you have 1048 00:56:49,840 --> 00:56:52,040 Speaker 1: to understand what it feels like, it looks like to 1049 00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:54,840 Speaker 1: be in your purpose. That's why you look amazing, sound amazing, 1050 00:56:55,280 --> 00:56:59,480 Speaker 1: and the energy is great. Like that's that is goals, right, Like, 1051 00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:02,480 Speaker 1: that is the goal of life, to be in your 1052 00:57:02,520 --> 00:57:05,799 Speaker 1: purpose and very be very well aware of it. Wow. 1053 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:08,120 Speaker 1: And I think that the last thing I'm going to say. 1054 00:57:09,320 --> 00:57:11,800 Speaker 1: But it's not static. So I didn't stop it and 1055 00:57:11,960 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 1: get upset with the two because I knew there was 1056 00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:16,920 Speaker 1: more life. Like there's always a bridge between what you 1057 00:57:17,080 --> 00:57:19,320 Speaker 1: had done and what you eventually wanted to do. What 1058 00:57:19,440 --> 00:57:21,240 Speaker 1: you eventually want to do. And one of the things 1059 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:23,960 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get into voiceover's I want to do acting. 1060 00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:26,400 Speaker 1: I want to come back to acting now because that's 1061 00:57:26,440 --> 00:57:28,640 Speaker 1: where I started. As it begins is how it ends. 1062 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:31,200 Speaker 1: That's what I want to do. I'm a gossip girl. 1063 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:36,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be a gossip Girls. Season to the Wants, Okay, 1064 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:41,400 Speaker 1: how are you forget that? All right? I forgot? Sorry? Yes, 1065 00:57:41,520 --> 00:57:43,680 Speaker 1: it's coming out in September. There's so much going on 1066 00:57:43,800 --> 00:57:45,520 Speaker 1: in so many blessings, guys, I just forget all the 1067 00:57:45,560 --> 00:57:49,080 Speaker 1: things that are happening. No, and I'm doing art. I 1068 00:57:49,200 --> 00:57:51,840 Speaker 1: love paper culting, so I draw, I work with my 1069 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:54,960 Speaker 1: hands and so all of those things. I yeah, I'm 1070 00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:57,320 Speaker 1: just so creative and I do it in different ways 1071 00:57:57,960 --> 00:57:59,680 Speaker 1: or as you said, it will end with this that 1072 00:57:59,760 --> 00:58:05,560 Speaker 1: hus a muscle is strong. Carla Hall, thank you, thank you, Carrie, 1073 00:58:05,760 --> 00:58:10,040 Speaker 1: thank you paying for all that research. We use the 1074 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:12,840 Speaker 1: word a few times. I often hear it used in 1075 00:58:12,960 --> 00:58:16,320 Speaker 1: the lexicon, and sometimes I think it's used inappropriately. But 1076 00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:20,240 Speaker 1: the name of her business Alchemy by Carla Hall. So 1077 00:58:21,160 --> 00:58:22,880 Speaker 1: my way of background, I just wanted to give this 1078 00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:27,200 Speaker 1: to you, guys. Alchemy means something that is seemingly magical, 1079 00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:32,840 Speaker 1: a process of transformation, creation, or combination. Using it in 1080 00:58:32,920 --> 00:58:37,080 Speaker 1: a sentence, finding the person who's right for you requires 1081 00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:41,960 Speaker 1: a very subtle alchemy. It's a magical process. And everything 1082 00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:46,280 Speaker 1: about her journey from being a model to uh, let 1083 00:58:46,360 --> 00:58:49,000 Speaker 1: me go back, from being an account to a model 1084 00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:52,520 Speaker 1: to someone who was just making lunches for people, who 1085 00:58:52,600 --> 00:58:55,160 Speaker 1: then created a catering business, who then heard from her 1086 00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:57,400 Speaker 1: friend who said, Hey, I think you should be on 1087 00:58:57,480 --> 00:59:00,200 Speaker 1: the show because it's pretty popular and she never watch 1088 00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:02,840 Speaker 1: the show Shop Chef, but just days later got a 1089 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,480 Speaker 1: call about it. I mean, come on, that's alchemy. Just 1090 00:59:05,640 --> 00:59:08,560 Speaker 1: be not even subtle. It's very obvious she is doing 1091 00:59:08,640 --> 00:59:10,800 Speaker 1: what she has meant to do, so it makes sense 1092 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,720 Speaker 1: that she uses that word and understands that word. Um. 1093 00:59:13,840 --> 00:59:16,080 Speaker 1: Everything in life takes a little bit of magic, and 1094 00:59:16,160 --> 00:59:18,560 Speaker 1: I hope that you all feel that in your life 1095 00:59:18,720 --> 00:59:23,320 Speaker 1: as well. Her usual pursue your dreams, chase that magic, 1096 00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:27,720 Speaker 1: find that magic and just say yes. Carla Hall was 1097 00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:30,760 Speaker 1: a gift today. Thank you for joining Naked. We'll be 1098 00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:32,160 Speaker 1: back next week.