1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Hi, guys, welcome back to Post Run. 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 2: Hi. I am so excited to get into today's episode 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 2: with Christina TAUSI. If you guys don't know, Christina is 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 2: the founder of Milk Bar, and Milk Bar is an 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 2: iconic bakery here in New York City. She is one 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 2: impressive woman and I am just so excited for you 7 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: guys to get to know her. This is going to 8 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: be a little bit of a short episode, and that's 9 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: just because Christina had around twenty five to thirty minutes 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: with us after our run to sit down and do 11 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: this podcast. And if you like founder stories, especially female 12 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: founder stories, then I think you're gonna love today's episode. 13 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: So excited for you guys to listen to it. 14 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: Let's get into today's episode with Christina. 15 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: Christina, welcome to Post. 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 3: Her and high my gosh, I'm feeling amazing. 17 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: Well, I'm so excited to have you here, guys. 18 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: Christina and I just ran a couple miles in Williamsburg 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: and we ended at her infamous Milk Bar location there 20 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: in Williamsburg. 21 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 3: There's like no greater feeling than going on a run 22 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 3: and then eating cookies and then being like cool, let's 23 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 3: just hang out in some lounge chairs and talk about life. Yeah. 24 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it's so funny. I've been telling you 25 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: this since we've met this morning. I've been a fan 26 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 2: of Milk Bar for so many years. You guys, you 27 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: started Milk Bar in two thousand and eight. It's so 28 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: impressive what you've built. And I love knowing that you're 29 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:30,279 Speaker 2: a long distance runner. 30 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: That's something I never knew, and I feel like I 31 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: wish I had known. 32 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 3: Can I just say about long distance runners? When you 33 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: found another long distance runner, You're like, I can see 34 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 3: into your soul. I get you. Thank you for you, 35 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 3: and also we're gonna be connected forever because we're both 36 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 3: crazy enough to love the same thing. 37 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: It's like, now I know why you're so successful. 38 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 3: I still have you ever met? 39 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: Yeah? 40 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 3: Truly. I mean one of my things is like I 41 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 3: wish I could ask in the interview process if people 42 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 3: were long distance runners, because a long distance runner is 43 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 3: the greatest hire you could ever make, because they have 44 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 3: kind of like the infinite game mindset and they just 45 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 3: you just never stop, You never say die, Like it's 46 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 3: not There's something about the longevity of going after something 47 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 3: you love and being able to live in discomfort because 48 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 3: you're here for the journey of it, You're here to 49 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 3: get somewhere. But also on long distance running, there's never 50 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 3: really a finish line. You're you're just obsessing over your 51 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 3: next long run. 52 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: It's so true, and I feel like that shows up 53 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 2: so much in what you've built at Milk Bar and 54 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: how you guys have over the years continued to innovate 55 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: and guys, just a little preface, were doing a little 56 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: bit of a shorter episode today because Christina is going 57 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 2: back because she has an hour and a half long 58 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: tasting after this. 59 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 3: We have so many great ideas on the bench in 60 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 3: Milk Bar. This is it's like the agony and the 61 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 3: ecstasy of it. We go at all of these different ideas, 62 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 3: whether like their flavors, store ideas, or format ideas, or 63 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 3: partnerships that we're working on, or because you just never 64 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 3: know how long it's going to take to nail a recipe. 65 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 3: That's the best part of baking and the hardest part 66 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 3: of baking. I think you just never know. You know 67 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 3: when it's done. We sort of have this like if 68 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 3: we're not obsessed with it, we can't expect you to be. 69 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 3: But you just don't know how long the process is 70 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 3: gonna take. And every week we do like an hour 71 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 3: and a half long dessert tasting, which is like so brilliant, 72 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 3: and you also for me, I have to remember to 73 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 3: paste myself because I love dessert so much. An hour 74 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: and I'm like, wait, we still have thirty more minutes 75 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 3: of things to taste, to tinker. And then it becomes 76 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 3: a little bit of this, like you want to make 77 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: sure your palette is bright and fresh and in the 78 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 3: right mindset. But it's also great to be a long 79 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 3: distance runner because there's always room for more dessert. 80 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so true. 81 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: And I can't even imagine being in your tastings because guys, 82 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: today after our run, we sat and we had five 83 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: cookies was it? Five different cookie options? And I started 84 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 2: with the chocolage of cookie. If you guys know, you 85 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: know I love chocolate chip cookies. And after I had 86 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: the original gooey chocolatechip cookie, I was like, how could 87 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 2: it get better than this? And then every single one 88 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: after that, I was like, wait, was this better than 89 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: the chocolate chip cookie? So I can't imagine in your tastings, 90 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: because truly it must be like one great thing after 91 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 2: the next it's fun. What flavors are we hyper fixating on? 92 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 3: Right now? We're going into the holiday season, which I 93 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 3: actually think is the hardest season to create and innovate 94 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 3: for because we are so conditioned to think about food 95 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 3: and nostalgia through the holiday season, Like it's fall, so 96 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: it must be apple or pumpkin or cinnamon or spice. Right, Okay, 97 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 3: it's like the Christmassy December era. Okay, it's gingerbread, it's eggnog, 98 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 3: it's peppermint, it's chocolate. We don't it's really actually hard 99 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 3: to get people out of those flavor boxes. So then 100 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 3: it becomes more of a challenge to go, Okay, what 101 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 3: haven't we thought of? What haven't we created? A little 102 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 3: bit like backing ourselves into a corner with these air 103 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 3: quoting because I do love these flavors, limited flavors of 104 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 3: the seasons. But that's really that also makes the job 105 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 3: really fun. But we're like hyper fixated in the fall 106 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 3: winter of it, and then we're also hilariously it's almost 107 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 3: like running a magazine where you're like, we're fixating on 108 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 3: Valentine's Day even though it is early fall at best 109 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 3: right now, Like we sweat a little bit. We switzed 110 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 3: a little bit outside on our run, you know, and 111 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 3: I'm already thinking like, okay, how do we really think 112 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 3: about like Valentine's Day in the right ways? But it's fun. 113 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: You get to think about, like what flavors is will 114 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 3: my future self and Kate's future self and everyone's future self, 115 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 3: what will we be excited about? What will we be 116 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 3: curious about? What will we want to like get up 117 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 3: and race out for dessert or race to order dessert 118 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 3: online to arrive at my doorstep? What will that be? 119 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 3: And that's really that's fun part of. 120 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: The job to Yeah, it's like choose your own adventure. 121 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 2: You know what I was getting excited about as I 122 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 2: was walking through. We were at your storefront, which in 123 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: Williamsburg has this like massive what is it storage unit 124 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 2: basically in the back where you guys are making all 125 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 2: a lot of food and it's like a warehouse. 126 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 3: I wouldn't know is there. That's the eleven thousand square 127 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 3: feet of space and it's everything from all of our 128 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 3: walk in fridges and freezers to where we do a 129 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 3: lot of our like distribution, to where we are and 130 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 3: d anything and everything that goes on the menu. Where 131 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 3: we shoot it like it's it really is like the 132 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 3: creative hub of Milk Bar, one of many, but a 133 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,919 Speaker 3: really important one. And yeah, it's like, oh, it all happens. 134 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: The's the best part of living in New York City. 135 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 3: You're like, no matter where you walk, you're walking on 136 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 3: this beautiful, fun, sacred, exciting, energetic ground that someone creative 137 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 3: is doing something exciting and we'll share it with the world. 138 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's amazing. 139 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: And I'm so excited to get into like what you 140 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 2: built and how you built it, because guys, Christina started 141 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: Milk Bar when she was twenty six years old. Can 142 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: you believe that everybody listening, what were you doing at 143 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: twenty six? 144 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: I don't know. 145 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 2: I don't know what I was doing, I guess, but 146 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: twenty six years old, you built this massive company. But 147 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 2: I just have to say really quickly, I saw a Leprechaun, 148 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 2: a little leprechan figurine in your warehouse, and I immediately 149 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 2: started thinking about Saint Patrick's Day. And then I think 150 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 2: I got a peep at the tasting table and I 151 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: don't know if this cookie will ever come out, but 152 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 2: there was something green and I was just immediately thinking 153 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: about I know, that's probably my gosh. 154 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 3: St. 155 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: Christmas. But I was like Saint Patrick's Day. 156 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, I love you. It's you are very 157 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 3: much the like, always looking for a spark and the like. 158 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 3: Any reason to celebrate a day is totally reasonable. Saint 159 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: Patrick's Day on my elementary school growing up was called Limbrook, 160 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 3: Home of the Leprechauns. So Saint Patty's Day was really good. 161 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 3: Are you Irish? I'm my Tozy. Tozy is Northern Italian, 162 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 3: like this red, it's like Swiss, yes, Alps. 163 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 2: I wasn't sure what you were going to say, what 164 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 2: nationality you were going to say after you said schitzing, 165 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 2: because normally I'm married to somebody that's Jewish and like 166 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 2: his family's always saying schmid things, I'm like, it's Jewish. 167 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: Is you Italian? If you've been in. 168 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: New York, if you've been in New York long enough, 169 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 3: you must know what schitzi is? 170 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: Right? 171 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 3: So true? 172 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 2: Okay, So let's go back to the early days. So 173 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 2: you grew up in Ohio and you grew up in 174 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 2: a family that loved to bake and cook, right, So, like, 175 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: tell us a little bit about your childhood and then 176 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: how you ended up in New York City building milk bar. 177 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 3: My mom and dad are both from Ohio. They were 178 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 3: both raised in Ohio, Midwest Columbia. Real big fan of Cincinnati. 179 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 3: My mom was from a small town between Columbus and Cincinnati, 180 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 3: like just small rural town. It's called Port William for sure, 181 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 3: the only port running through it is a very small creek. 182 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 3: But like dairy farmers, cattle farmers, soybean corn, just like 183 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 3: salt of the earth. And my dad from just outside 184 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 3: of Cleveland, Beria area. And I yeah, I was raised 185 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 3: with this just Midwestern sensibility, right, not fancy, not fussy. 186 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 3: We never like when you're going out to a restaurant, 187 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 3: and my mom's family, you're driving twenty minutes to go 188 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 3: to Wendy's, like a beautiful way, which means that everything 189 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 3: that you fuel your body with it happens at home. 190 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 3: It's at the table, right, And so you cook for 191 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 3: every meal because how else are you gonna, you know, 192 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 3: stay alive and feed your big family. And the matriarchs 193 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 3: in my family, so my grandma's, my aunts, my mom, 194 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 3: they love to bake. But we're talking like nothing fancy, right, 195 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 3: like oatmeal, cookies, rolls, in confection or sugar and brownies 196 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 3: and lemon bars like this apple pie, apple dumpling, salt 197 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 3: of the earth stuff, And that's where I definitely fell 198 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 3: in love with. I fell in love with baking and 199 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 3: the like making something bring it to life. But really 200 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 3: I fell in love with eating cookie dough, my grandma's 201 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 3: oatmeal cookie dough, and she would always make oatmeal cookies 202 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 3: because she's like, oh, maal cookies are healthier than chocolo 203 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 3: chip cookies, so naturally, I mean, are they who knows? 204 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 3: But like if Grandma says so, yes, yeah, And so 205 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 3: I really fell in love with baking because I fell 206 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 3: in love with eating cookie dough, like sneaking the cookie dough. 207 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 3: I didn't realize until much later in life was that 208 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 3: these other parts of being raised in this Ohio community 209 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 3: with baked goods was really we wouldn't eat dessert, like 210 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 3: every night, we would bake these things, and then our 211 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 3: baked goods would become like conduit for community in the 212 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 3: outside world. So we'd bring, you know, a plastic baggie 213 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 3: with a brownie in it to a neighbor that was sick, 214 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 3: or you know, a platter of these cookies or an 215 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 3: empty oatmeal container full of cookies to like the old 216 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 3: folks home or to the county fair or what have you. 217 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 3: And I didn't realize or understand or even quite acknowledge 218 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 3: that spirit of connectivity that the baked goods brought, and 219 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 3: like kind of the runner's high, right like a baker's 220 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: high when you give someone your baked goods, and like 221 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 3: the feeling and the emotion. I didn't realize that I 222 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 3: was obsessed with it until like long after you know, 223 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 3: went to college studied math in Italian. Was like, oh 224 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 3: my gosh, I have to be grown up now, I 225 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 3: have to like pay my own way. What does this 226 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: look like? And I was like, I don't actually want 227 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 3: a desk job. I want to make cookies for the 228 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 3: rest of my life, thinking that it was really just 229 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 3: so I can have an excuse to like be on 230 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 3: my feet, be creative, eat cookie dough. It wasn't until 231 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 3: I thought about really making it a business at milk 232 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 3: Bar that I was like, oh wait, it's so much 233 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 3: deeper than just loving cookie dough. Doesn't remove the fact 234 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 3: that I'm obsessed with cookie dough, but it's like so 235 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 3: much deeper. It was like hiding in plain sight the 236 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 3: whole time. Well, it's so true. 237 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 2: And I love that you said, like the high that 238 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 2: you get from giving somebody the baked goods that you made, right, 239 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 2: And it's like when you make something that somebody eats 240 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 2: and says, wow, that was really good. It's like it's 241 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: like them saying this has stood out to me from 242 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 2: everything else I ate that day, Like that is a 243 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: really special thing. 244 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: So it makes sense why you love that so much. 245 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 3: And it's also, okay, here's my other like kicker on 246 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 3: top of that, because I do love to feed. I 247 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 3: love to cook, so I love to feed people in 248 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 3: general and your mom now, and yeah, exactly, the yeah 249 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 3: feed in the little for you, the big ones. Dessert specifically, 250 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 3: it's like it's not part of the food pyramid. It's 251 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 3: not three round meals. You do not have we have 252 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 3: to eat to stay alive. We don't have to eat dessert, 253 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 3: which is amazing. It means the dessert is an opt 254 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 3: in course. It is the opt in course. And when 255 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 3: you're opting in, I don't know, maybe you're opting in 256 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 3: because you had a really bad day and you're just 257 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 3: trying to like escape, or you had no OK day 258 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 3: and this is gonna make it better, or you had 259 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 3: a freaking rocking day and this is the cherry on top. 260 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 3: But there's something about this sliver of a moment that 261 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 3: we invite dessert into lives that is like all that 262 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: all the more special and poignant and emotional. And we 263 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 3: don't take that invitation in lightly at Milk Bar, I mean, 264 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 3: we don't take ourselves too seriously by any stretch of 265 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 3: the imagination, but like that, there's something in that part 266 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 3: of dessert that is awesome. 267 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, because it's a conscious decision to have dessert right 268 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 2: and like to be the thing that somebody chooses to eat, 269 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 2: Like they're like, I really want a birthday, truffle. 270 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was the last time you were like I 271 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 3: want a birthday? You know what I mean? 272 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: Like the last time I was like I want a birthday? Truffle. 273 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: I can tell you. 274 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 3: I was living in West Village. 275 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 2: I was subly sing room in my friend's apartment and 276 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 2: I was on one of my runs and we ran. 277 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: Past Milk Bar. 278 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 2: Actually, I did a run where I ran into Milk 279 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: Bar with somebody when I was doing an ice cream tour, 280 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 2: and that was the first time I had the Cereal 281 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 2: Milk Soft Serve ice cream. But after I think it 282 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: was after doing that run, I had said to Jeremy, 283 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: my husband, I was like, we need to go back 284 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 2: to Milk Bar in West Village, the West Village location 285 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 2: and get birthday truffles? 286 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 3: Can I also say, Cereal Milk Soft Serve the best? 287 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 3: Are you ready for the best kept secret about Cerri 288 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 3: Milk's officer a whole portion of it. This is also 289 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 3: what I love about dessert. There's all these like kidden secrets. 290 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 3: A portion of Cereal Milk Soft Serve is one hundred 291 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 3: and forty five calories, Like everyone eats it in a 292 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 3: way that's like, oh, I really shouldn't be having you 293 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 3: know what I mean. It's like, no, the treat yourself 294 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 3: can really be like a treat yourself. And also the 295 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 3: like don't do that, don't let the other just like 296 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 3: release yourself to it and don't let the other voices 297 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 3: in your head do anything other than just like go away. 298 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: Also the names, the way you named your desserts, they're 299 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 2: just they bring again about this like sense of nostalgia 300 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 2: like everybody can think about I mean, unless you're like 301 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 2: a psycho when you don't eat your cereal with milk? 302 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: Do you eat your cereal with milk? 303 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 2: Yeah? 304 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: Thank god? Okay, but like everyone most people. 305 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 3: People are eating cereal without milk. 306 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: Yes, some people do they put a little. 307 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 3: I mean maybe if you're like trail mix on a 308 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 3: hike snack. I get that if you don't have milk totally. 309 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 3: But if you have milk and you're eating your cereal 310 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 3: without milk, are you? Are you eating it with melted 311 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 3: marshmallows and butter in a cereal treat form? 312 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 2: Like? 313 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 3: What how are you eating it? 314 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: Guys? Please? 315 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 2: Comm how are you eating your cereal? I know I'm 316 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 2: dousing mine in milk. Let's kind of bring it back. So, 317 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 2: post college, you studied mathematics and Italian, very different than 318 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 2: you know pursuing a career in the food industry, although 319 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 2: I could imagine that bits and pieces of those studies 320 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 2: do translate, especially math, into baking and cooking and getting 321 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: your ingredients right. When you first graduated, did you go 322 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 2: straight to the French culinary Institute? 323 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 3: So my math Italian, which I think is like just 324 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 3: a good life lesson, I studied those two things. I 325 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 3: had no practical reason to study them other than they 326 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 3: were the classes that brought me joy, so like my 327 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 3: compass has always been my true north has always been 328 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 3: like what brings you joy? What makes you happy? And 329 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 3: in college I was like, what are the classes you 330 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 3: would take at seven am or eight am? And it 331 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 3: was always like oh math an Italian Like I would 332 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 3: get out of bed being like I love my life, 333 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 3: let's go, like, let's go to those classes. Only I 334 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 3: didn't really have a plan, like when you're sort of 335 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 3: like joy trailing, you're using joy is like, you know, 336 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 3: the thing that's paving your way. It doesn't always feel 337 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 3: like it comes together. But when I finished college, yeah, 338 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 3: I basically it was. It was always made very clear 339 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 3: to us being raised by these great parents. They were like, 340 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 3: we got you. We're gonna, you know, save up, We're 341 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 3: gonna we're gonna help with college. You have to be responsible. 342 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 3: You got this many years in college. Do not mess around, 343 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 3: like we worked really hard. And when you get out 344 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 3: you're an adult, so good luck, you know, like we 345 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 3: raised you right, We're not gonna make excuses. Only I 346 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 3: got out and was like, oh, so am I gonna 347 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 3: be an actuary or a translator? Like what is this? 348 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 3: And I kind of use that same like joy trail compass, 349 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 3: and just asked myself, like, okay, so what is I 350 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 3: have really passionate parents about what they do as a living, 351 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 3: and they're the kind of parents that you know did 352 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 3: the same job at the same place their whole career, 353 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 3: so they modeled for me this and so I was like, okay, 354 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 3: so you get one job for the rest of your 355 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 3: life and you have to be as passionate as they 356 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 3: were and do it every single day until it's time 357 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 3: to retire. And I was like, okay, so it's not 358 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 3: math and it's not Italian, and I was like, it's 359 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 3: bake cookies. That was the one answer that I had. 360 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 3: And I say it now and I almost say it 361 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 3: in a way that maybe is like, hmm, that's jokey, 362 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 3: but I was serious in my brain. I was like, Oh, 363 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 3: it's just bake cookies. It's that simple. And I didn't 364 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 3: think about how that sounded, and I didn't think about it, 365 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 3: and I kind of say it in a way where 366 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 3: I'm it's almost pejorative when I say it out loud now, 367 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 3: but I didn't think about it that way. I took 368 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 3: myself seriously, and I took that seriously. Only. I was like, okay, 369 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 3: so what is someone that make bakes cookies for a living? 370 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 3: What does that translate to as a profession. I was like, Oh, 371 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 3: it means you're a pastry chef. And if you're gonna 372 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 3: be a pastry chef, and you're gonna be the best 373 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 3: pastry chef because I'm not wasting my time in life. 374 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 3: I'm not middling. I don't live in middle middle land, 375 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 3: right Like. I want the most out of life and 376 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 3: I expect a lot out of myself and my time, 377 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 3: and if I'm gonna go for it, I'm gonna go 378 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 3: for it. So I was like, I'm gonna move to 379 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,399 Speaker 3: New York City and I'm gonna go to the most 380 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: intense pastry show program and I'm going to be a 381 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,400 Speaker 3: student by day and I'm going to work in the 382 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 3: best restaurants by by night. Because if I'm going to 383 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:08,959 Speaker 3: do this, I'm going to go all the way in. 384 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 3: I'm a cannonball spirit kind of person. And so I 385 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 3: moved to New York City and enrolled in the French 386 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 3: Culinary Institute. I didn't know anyone. I told my parents 387 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 3: like right before I left, because I was like, there 388 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,439 Speaker 3: are ten out of ten not gonna like this. My 389 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 3: mom is an accountant, most passionate accountant. This woman. Imagine 390 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 3: an accountant that brings you like gouey underbaked bar cookies 391 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 3: every time she does your taxes and tells you and 392 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: tells you it's going to be okay, and like gives 393 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 3: you a hug. That's her. And then my dad, you'll 394 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 3: love this was an agricultural economist setting dairy prices, Dairy Division, 395 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 3: Department of Agriculture. None of this made any sense, of course, 396 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 3: until I opened Milk Bar, and all of a sudden 397 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 3: I had an accountant and a real, real, real like 398 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 3: way into the dairy industry. 399 00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,360 Speaker 1: Dad tell me where to get my mouk from. 400 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 3: Basically, so moved to New York City, went to culinary 401 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 3: school by day, worked in fine dining restaurants by night. 402 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 3: Worked for free and fine dining restaurants first cause, to 403 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 3: be clear, when you have no experience, you have no experience. 404 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 3: And the premium that is put on experience is real 405 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 3: in New York City. And so I was like, I 406 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 3: will work for whomever for free until there's a paying 407 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 3: spot and until i'm actually you know, worth a paying spot. 408 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 3: And I got my foot in the door and I hustled, 409 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 3: I mean, I got my butt kicked and I hustled 410 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,199 Speaker 3: at the same time, and I got I mean so 411 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 3: many great lessons of like humility. I mean, when you 412 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 3: work in restaurants, you're making mistakes in real time, out 413 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 3: loud for everyone to see, and it really character defining 414 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 3: on a bunch of different levels. 415 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, And you know what I think is so 416 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 2: cool too about your journey is like I think by 417 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 2: having parents because I come from a similar situation. My 418 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 2: dad works in finance. My mom I'm always worked for nonprofits. 419 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 2: When you have parents that have very traditional jobs, even 420 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: if you want to do something that's a little bit 421 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 2: outside of the box from what your parents did, you 422 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 2: still are somebody that's capable of like knowing how to 423 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 2: stay in your lane and do what you need to 424 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 2: do to like be good at whatever you're doing. And like, 425 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 2: you know, obviously it's like we're always striving to be 426 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 2: the best, right It's like, but who knows if that's 427 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 2: actually gonna happen. But at the end of the day, 428 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 2: it's like, it's very cool knowing that you were like 429 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 2: I want to follow some somewhat of a traditional route, 430 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 2: within this untraditional career that I'm trying to carve out 431 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 2: for myself, and totally so. I like knowing the steps 432 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 2: that you took to hone your skills and learn from 433 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 2: the best. 434 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 3: I was always raised to follow the rules right, to 435 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 3: be like an upstanding citizen. And what I realized as 436 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 3: I was as I'd gotten out of the house to 437 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 3: go to college, was I really learned how to play 438 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 3: by the rules, but to also figure out where the 439 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 3: lines were, like a little softer right, like how to 440 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 3: learn the rules and how to learn how and when 441 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 3: to break the rules while still living within the system 442 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 3: of rules. And I think that's a really big secret 443 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 3: to life on so many different levels. I think following 444 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 3: all the rules doesn't get you anywhere. I think you 445 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 3: have to learn the rules. You have to learn when 446 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 3: they're meant to be broken, when they can be broken, 447 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 3: how to define the you know what I mean. It's 448 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 3: all based on like context and definition. But it is 449 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 3: really interesting. I mean, I can only imagine what your 450 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 3: parents think about what you do. Right where there is 451 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 3: this beautiful part I'm now a parent, where you sort 452 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 3: of have to have the confidence of like, Okay, I've 453 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 3: been modeling to my family what the expectations are, but 454 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 3: what success ken and should look like. And you have 455 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 3: to really learn how to turn the volume down on 456 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 3: context anywhere else. Because they were certain that if I 457 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 3: didn't wear a suit to work, I was not going 458 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 3: to be successful in life, right Like it's very strange 459 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 3: to be like, I'm gonna go work not even minimum wage, 460 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 3: no wage, because I really believe in what I do, 461 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 3: and you just you have to really have the trust, 462 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,439 Speaker 3: in the confidence as a parent, I think, to do 463 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 3: that and to just know that when it doesn't make 464 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 3: sense it will in life. Also, things that don't make sense, 465 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 3: it's okay that they don't make sense right now. You 466 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 3: just have to trust that you're on the path and 467 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 3: it all makes sense. It all comes around together in 468 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 3: the end, which is also so much of your story. 469 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 2: Yes it's so true, and I'll tell you at another time, 470 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 2: But my parents thought I was literally insane leaving my 471 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 2: agency job to go run with a tripod and film 472 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,360 Speaker 2: with strangers on the streets of New York. And then 473 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 2: it's transpired into this thing that when I had first 474 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 2: started it, it wasn't an interview show. It was really 475 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 2: a vlog on the run and I was having so 476 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,959 Speaker 2: much fun with it, and naturally it progressed into like, okay, well, 477 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 2: when you get your ten thousand hours in talking to 478 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 2: random strangers, you get pretty good at improv on the 479 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 2: spot with them, and then all of a sudden you're 480 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 2: having full blown interviews while running, and then now you're 481 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 2: doing a sit down podcast. It's like, you never know 482 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 2: what happens when you just follow that spark. And I 483 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 2: think that's so true for you, right, And let's talk 484 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,360 Speaker 2: about the best piece of advice that you received from 485 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 2: it was David Chang. So David Chang Momufuku iconic New 486 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 2: York City food franchises. 487 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: Can I call it that? Is it a franchise? 488 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,479 Speaker 3: Restaurant? Restaurant grew, collection of restaurants, collection of restaurants. We 489 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 3: hate titles in the kitchen. I mean, we love titles 490 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 3: because you have to know the brigade of it, but 491 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 3: we're very like unfancy, unfussy people. We just want to 492 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 3: cook and feed people. 493 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, but when I first learned about you, it was 494 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 2: through David Chang, So let's talk about how he was 495 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 2: instrumental in your life and then in Milk. 496 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 3: Bar's growth and man Dave is like my brother still 497 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 3: to this day. He's the person that, like I would 498 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 3: do anything for. And also we can get in like 499 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 3: the most hilarious arguments about everything and nothing, which I 500 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: think that's when you have like a real friendship, you know, 501 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 3: a real kinship. What he was doing, I had worked 502 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 3: in these fine dining restaurants and I got I ended 503 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 3: up getting to like the top of the food chain 504 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 3: in them, and then I'd always find myself then looking 505 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 3: for another adventure, and I thought to myself, what is happening. 506 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 3: Your whole point is to be the best pastry chef, 507 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 3: like that's your goal, and then you get to the 508 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 3: top and you don't want to go any further. What's 509 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 3: going on? And I realized that I really missed the 510 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 3: simplicity of a baked good and the power. It's kind 511 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 3: of like a trojan horse into people's lives. Everyone knows 512 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 3: what a cookie is, everyone knows what a brownie is 513 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 3: or an ice cream, and there was something about the 514 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 3: simplicity of that format that didn't exist in fine dining. 515 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 3: So I ended up getting out of fine dining. But 516 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 3: I loved food, and I had met Dave because the 517 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 3: food industry like most industries, is infamously really tight knit 518 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 3: and really small, and Dave just needed help figuring out 519 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 3: what the heck was happening in his restaurants. He had 520 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 3: followed a similar career, gone into fine dining, culinary school, 521 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 3: find dining on the savory side, working for the best 522 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 3: savory chefs in America, and at the end of the 523 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 3: day he kind of gave it all up and had 524 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 3: opened this Ramen shop, and through tinkering, was just cooking 525 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 3: the food he wanted to cook. He was basically democratizing 526 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 3: savory food. It was, of course a noodle bar, but 527 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 3: it had a bunch of other random, delicious dishes on it. 528 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 3: And then he opened Sombar, very similar story. And what 529 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 3: he was doing he was cooking out loud. He was 530 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,880 Speaker 3: breaking every rule that was quite frankly meant to be broken, 531 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:29,719 Speaker 3: taking his craft from like very fine dining, savory culinary 532 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,959 Speaker 3: terms and bringing it back to a very accessible, very 533 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 3: very entry level dining format. And I was just inspired 534 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 3: by that. Like, my favorite people that I ever worked 535 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,479 Speaker 3: for were always people that were doing something that was different, 536 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 3: and from that, I was like just a sponge. I 537 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 3: want to be in this environment. I don't know why. 538 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 3: And then as I worked a little bit more and 539 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 3: a little bit more, was like, that's why, that's why 540 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 3: I learned. I learned, I learned and learn pick it up. 541 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 3: And what I realized through what Dave was doing democratizing 542 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 3: savory food, I was like, this is this is the 543 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 3: I'm drawn to this because this is what I'm looking for. 544 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 3: This is what I want to be doing in dessert 545 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 3: Land on bake goods Land, and Dave I was helping 546 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 3: him build restaurants and run operations Andy and n by day. 547 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 3: But like, if you're a baker, baker's got a bake 548 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 3: And so I would go home and bake right like, 549 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 3: I'd work crazy hours and then I'd go home in 550 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 3: the middle of the night and bake because it's just 551 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 3: like my expression. I'd come in. Also, if you're a baker, 552 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 3: you probably bake almost every day. You can't eat all 553 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,239 Speaker 3: the bake goods yourself. There's only so much room in 554 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 3: your body, and you secretly love, secretly love to feed people. 555 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 3: And so I would just bring in whatever I had 556 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 3: baked the night before to work the next day, and 557 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 3: Dave would one day was just like I'm this, I'm done. 558 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 3: I'm done with you in true sibling land. And I 559 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 3: was like, I don't even know what you're talking about, dude, 560 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 3: what's with the attitude? And he was like, you so 561 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 3: clearly are meant to bake for a living, Like being 562 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 3: here is a waste of time. Basically like you should 563 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 3: open your own place. You know exactly what it is 564 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 3: in your head, I know, you know, and like basically 565 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 3: go And we found a spot right next to MoMA 566 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 3: Fuku Sambar that was an old laundromat and he was like, dude, 567 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 3: let's go, like this is you, this is your jumping 568 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 3: off point. And we got in so many screaming matches 569 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,959 Speaker 3: about like he was on some work trip, came back. 570 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 3: We were about to open milk bar. I showed him 571 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 3: the menu and he was like what, like what is 572 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 3: a compost cookie? And why aren't the cakes frosted on 573 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,199 Speaker 3: the sides. But also in a true way, it was 574 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 3: like I also know nothing about dessert, but I know 575 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 3: it tastes good, right, So I fed him, fed him 576 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 3: the cereal milk because ies bugged out of his head, 577 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 3: you know, And he was like, also, just go for it. 578 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 3: You know what else are you waiting for. 579 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 2: It seems like from what you're saying, there was all 580 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 2: this positive momentum that really was like the tipping point 581 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 2: you were finally pushed into this direction of like, Okay, 582 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 2: we're launching milk Bar. I want to get into how 583 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 2: you named it milk bar and why, but first I 584 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 2: want to ask, like, did you ever have a rock. 585 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 3: Bottom moment where you really so many rock bottom moments? Yeah? 586 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 3: I mean what I've learned about myself is the way 587 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 3: my brain works is I do have the answers, but 588 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 3: I oftentimes won't part of myself won't let myself see 589 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 3: that I know the answers, So I need pushes, Like 590 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 3: Dave was definitely like the push. I was like, Ash, 591 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:20,719 Speaker 3: he's calling me on it. 592 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 2: Talk about an amazing mentor though that you know, the 593 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 2: best mentors are the ones that tell you that don't 594 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 2: hold you. 595 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 3: Back from one hundred percent one hundred percent. I mean 596 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 3: my husband even was like, we're in love, we're gonna 597 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 3: get married, and I'm like, oh, yeah, you're right, Okay, 598 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,400 Speaker 3: that's probably you know what I mean? Like, I live 599 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 3: in La La land in my head and I need 600 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 3: those forces that really like ground me and help me 601 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 3: sort of like mark where I am in life. But 602 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 3: I mean my rock Bottoms are everything from like working 603 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 3: my way up and fine dining restaurants and like you're 604 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 3: eating humble pie day in and day out. You're getting 605 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 3: no sleep. It's demoralizing, and you just have you can't 606 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 3: let any of the other voices in your head out. 607 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 3: You just have to be like try again. I mean, 608 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 3: it's a long distance running mentality. Just go at it again. 609 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 3: I'll just go on another run. I'll get a little 610 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 3: bit better tomorrow, right, like the it's not the end 611 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 3: of the world. I'm I was raised by a mom 612 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 3: who is like the best mom and also really embarrassing, 613 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 3: like the kind of mom that like, you know, that 614 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 3: kind of mom that like cheers too loud across country races, 615 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 3: that kind of mom. And I think she just also 616 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 3: raised me to be uncomfortable being embarrassed, and so no 617 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 3: matter what the professional embarrassment was, it was like, Okay, 618 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 3: that's fine, that's fine. I'm just uncomfortable. It's no big deal. 619 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 3: But I mean rock Bottom were like, you know, the 620 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 3: first year of Milk Bar, just like sleeping at the bakery, 621 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 3: you know, like getting no hours of sleep, asking for 622 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 3: help having no money, you know, like all the things 623 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 3: that you do, and yet at the same time it 624 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 3: also all made sense or maybe said differently. I never 625 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 3: questioned it because I think when you're when you set 626 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,959 Speaker 3: yourself on a path, you really have to let yourself 627 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 3: be on a path and you have to just keep going. 628 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 3: You have to just keep going, like every day, every 629 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 3: hour is an opportunity to just advance and to just 630 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 3: believe in like the stacking mentality of like you stack 631 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 3: it up, it's little by little by little, by little 632 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 3: by little. 633 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 2: Was milkbur an instant success when you guys opened a 634 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 2: kind of. 635 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 3: I remember opening day November fifteenth, two thousand and eight. 636 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 3: I remember I had like gone home to like take 637 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 3: a thirty minute shower and walk my dog and be 638 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 3: like okay, I got to turn around and come back 639 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 3: in the middle of the night and start baking cookies 640 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 3: and in in and I remember, I mean this was 641 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 3: before social media. People were still using blackberries, Like the 642 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 3: iPhone wasn't a thing, not in the way that it 643 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 3: is now. People were there was no Google Maps, you 644 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 3: know what I mean, Like, I think you're probably using 645 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 3: map quest or something. And I remember there was a 646 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 3: line out the door and around the corner as I 647 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 3: was going to open the gate, and I remember thinking, 648 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 3: who are these people? Where are they coming from? They 649 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 3: don't know who I am, they don't know us, they 650 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 3: haven't even they don't even know what they're waiting in 651 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 3: line for the beauty of New York line by the way, 652 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 3: Still that still rings true, But you know, I think 653 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 3: I was really smart and strategic about using Momofuku as 654 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 3: my launch pad. And what people knew about MoMA Fuku 655 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 3: and the East Village was like you were gonna get 656 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 3: loud food, loud flavors. There was a boldness, there was 657 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 3: a heartbeat to it, right, like it was real and 658 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 3: it was emotional, and you could tell that we were 659 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 3: leaving everything that we had on the plate every day, 660 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 3: every service. And so I think people were cute up 661 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 3: out of curiosity. But what was unclear was whether people 662 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 3: would understand like what is cereal mom? Would they be 663 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 3: down for like a dense gouey underbaked pie. Would they 664 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 3: want ground coffee and pretzels and potato chips and coffee 665 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 3: in their cookie? Right? Like I remember one woman being like, 666 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,239 Speaker 3: where are the cakes that Oprah's talking about? Are her 667 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 3: favorite cakes and I'm like, they're right there, and she's 668 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 3: like they look like spaceships, whereas they're not frosted on 669 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 3: the sides. Are they done yet? And being like, no, yeah, 670 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 3: they're done. Would you like a slice? You know that 671 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 3: sort of thing, and very quickly we just we got 672 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 3: a lot of love really quickly, and I think that 673 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 3: really helped contextualize who we were and what we were 674 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 3: trying to do, and it gave people a way to 675 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 3: understand what we were doing and to embrace it and 676 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 3: to just come by and taste it. I mean, I 677 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 3: think with any food, tasting is believing you can't read 678 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 3: about food. You have to eat it, you have to 679 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 3: be there, you have to witness it, you have to 680 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 3: see it, you have to smell it, and you have 681 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 3: to take a bite to really get it. And they 682 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 3: got it. But I also think the democratization of dessert 683 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 3: right like, everything that we do at Milk Bar still 684 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 3: is like it's a cookie, it's a cake, it's a 685 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 3: Piet's ice cream. So the leap of faith is not 686 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 3: in format. They're all formats that you know and love 687 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 3: and are really safe and ideally help make you feel 688 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 3: like yourself they bring you back, they bring you forward. 689 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 3: It's in how we do it, the texture, the flavor, 690 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 3: the flavor stories, what we make possible in the formats 691 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 3: and flavors that makes it really fun and curious and contagious. 692 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: That's what I was gonna say. 693 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 2: It's like you guys at Milk Bar have really redefined 694 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 2: traditional desserts, you know, and have blown people away with 695 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 2: everything that you just mentioned, from the texture is what 696 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 2: they taste like to just everything that you guys do. 697 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: What is cereal milk? 698 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,959 Speaker 3: Cereal milk is an ice is a soft serve ice 699 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:22,840 Speaker 3: cream that we sell the Milk Bar, and it tastes 700 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 3: like what's left in your bowl after you eat all 701 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 3: the cereal. 702 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 2: Aut But when you're pouring it into coffee, Yes, what 703 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 2: is that? 704 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: Is that like a milk? 705 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 3: Yeah? So we toast corn flakes, not because I think 706 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 3: cornflakes are the best cereal. To be clear, everyone has 707 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 3: a favorite cereal. I have many favorite cereals, but it's 708 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 3: it is the flavor of kind of all of the 709 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 3: flavor of the idea of cereal milk. So we toast 710 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 3: the cereal and then we make basically a giant bowl 711 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 3: of cereal. So thing honey shrunk the kid's moment. We 712 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 3: pour milk over it and it washes the flavor of 713 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 3: the cereal into the milk below. But cereal milk is 714 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 3: kind of the reason that milk is called milk bar. 715 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 3: I had made it as like a plate of dessert 716 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 3: for one of the moment Fuku restaurants. I had this 717 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:11,280 Speaker 3: idea and was eating it with Dave and we were like, oh, 718 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 3: this is a thing, and I was like, it's cereal milk. 719 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 3: Like he was like, what's it called. I was like, 720 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 3: it's cereal milk, And it really for me was the 721 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 3: it's more than baked goods. And my idea for milk 722 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 3: Bar early on was before we opened, was a modern 723 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 3: day take on a dairy queen with like a bakery 724 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 3: smushed in right, So like this sort of roadside custard stand, 725 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 3: soft dairy queen, soft serve machine, roadside attraction, meshed with 726 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 3: all of my favorite bake goods that I thought the 727 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 3: world needed in their lives, and so sort of like 728 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 3: dairy queen, milk Bar kind of like lived in that 729 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,759 Speaker 3: same sort of naming convention, and I liked that it 730 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 3: was sort of simple and non specific, but also clear. 731 00:34:58,840 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 3: You know, I think great name. 732 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: Do that, Yeah, they do. I mean milk. 733 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 2: It's such a good name, and I mean it's yeah, 734 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 2: it's very sensory in a way too, Like everybody knows 735 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 2: what milk tastes like, you know what I mean. And 736 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 2: it's kind of just this word that evokes like a 737 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 2: certain feelings, like hard to explain, but it's just it's good. 738 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,799 Speaker 3: It's textural, yeah, or there's a viscosity in a creamy stay. 739 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 2: Yes. Yes, it's like it's nostalgic, which is like a 740 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: play on kind of a lot of stuff that you 741 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 2: guys do at Milkbark. 742 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:25,399 Speaker 1: I said this to you on the run. 743 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 2: I think one of the most impressive things that you've 744 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 2: done is not only are you obviously an incredibly skilled chef, baker, cook, 745 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 2: like all of the things, and you've studied at the 746 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 2: highest level for you know, the high dining and fine 747 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 2: dining whatever you want to call it, but you've also 748 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 2: created this incredible brand that is now is it international 749 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 2: or just national? 750 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess it's international. Most of our presence is 751 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:49,960 Speaker 3: here in the US, right. 752 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,320 Speaker 2: So it's so cool to be able to sit across 753 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 2: from you and just like the business woman that you are. 754 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: It's amazing. 755 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 2: You've written books, you've hosted shows, you've you know, won 756 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 2: so much any awards for what you do. It's just 757 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 2: it's so impressive. You're a mom, You're really doing it all. 758 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 2: So it's just I could talk to you for hours. 759 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 3: Until our next run, my friend, until our next we'll 760 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 3: go on a lot. We'll go on like a half 761 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 3: marathon run, and then we'll really can you know what. 762 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 2: I'll let you know when I'm in Nashville and maybe 763 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 2: we do a longer interview. 764 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 3: Then, oh, I love that. 765 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 2: Maybe maybe our run ends with you like teaching me 766 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 2: how to bake on the. 767 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:26,919 Speaker 3: Cookies you we should do a bake club together. That's 768 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 3: really it. 769 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 2: Okay until then, until then, what's a piece of advice 770 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,840 Speaker 2: Christina that you have for our listeners today. 771 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 3: Here's the best advice that I live my day, week, month, 772 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 3: year life with. And it's the secret to life is 773 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 3: always having something to look forward to. And that can 774 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 3: be big, but it can also be small, like things 775 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 3: that I'm looking forward to last night, things I was 776 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 3: looking forward to. I get to go on a run 777 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 3: and call it work. Then I get to eat cookies 778 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 3: and call it work, then I get to hang out 779 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 3: with you know. It's it is really celebrating these it's 780 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 3: really getting excited about little or big things that are 781 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:10,000 Speaker 3: on your near or super far out horizon and like 782 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 3: milking it, like getting it, really getting excited about it, 783 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 3: because when you're in it, you experience it and appreciate 784 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 3: it so much more. And then no matter, you're gonna 785 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:24,800 Speaker 3: have this in a day. Those waves are so easy 786 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 3: to ride, the highs and the lows are so easy 787 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 3: to ride because you're like, Oh, I know what's coming 788 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 3: up that I'm excited about. I'm not bothered by this. 789 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 3: I'm not bothered by a little turbulence. Thank you sing much? 790 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 2: All right, guys, thanks for listening to Post Run High 791 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,280 Speaker 2: with Christina. Why don't you stop buy milk bar after 792 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,759 Speaker 2: this episode and fuel yourself up with some cookies or 793 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 2: cake or pie. 794 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:47,280 Speaker 3: Oh I brought you a slice of the pumpkin coffee 795 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:48,839 Speaker 3: ca cake from the bakery. Let us go eat it. 796 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 3: There you go? 797 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 2: Alrighty, thanks for listening to Post Run High. If today's 798 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 2: episode moved you, please share it with a friend and 799 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:58,799 Speaker 2: make sure you subscribe if you don't already, I'll see 800 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 2: you guys next week not