Connor Lock | Discussion Combustion Podcast | #294

[00:00:00] We'll have this discussion. Discussion? What discussion? This is a discussion. Combustion. Coming to you from Denver, Colorado, this is Discussion Combustion Podcast with your hosts, Kevin Batstone and Arthur Rawe. Episode 294. 294, yep. 294, baby. Welcome in. You just got done watching Connor make us delicious food. Try not to be in a food coma here. Get lively here for the program. If you are just listening, I would encourage you to scroll down and click that link to view it on YouTube so you can watch the video.

[00:00:32] That amazing cooking session that we just got done doing. We just got done eating some delicious food. Man, thank you for being here. Thank you for providing us some food. It's good to see you, bro, man. It is good to be back, my friends, and especially coming in to be able to cook for y'all. Oh, man. I mean, look, when you have a world-traveled man, you're well-traveled. You have a culinary taste and a love for culinary arts, I should say. And what you just did with the

[00:01:04] broccoli sushi roll with beet? I don't even know how to describe all the ingredients that you had in there. A lot of ingredients. Yeah. It was super delicious. Thanks, guys. Yeah, it was just a really off-the-cuff little creation that I wanted to make for y'all. So I kind of had a rough premise of where I wanted to go, but really it was dictated by what I found in the grocery store and from my purveyors and just wanted to really experiment.

[00:01:29] So that dish that you had tonight, I've never made before. It was sort of a combination of all these different things and techniques and such and flavor profiles that I've developed from traveling around the world with my cooking show and such. So I hope you guys enjoyed it. So you got the first taste of that dish. I don't even know what to call it. I'll ask me my next question. What are you going to call that thing? I don't know. I mean, it's one of those ones where I'd still, I would like to develop it a little bit more.

[00:01:57] You know, I'm always very critical of myself and like, oh, I could have done this better, done that better. But where were you critical tonight? Was it the heating? I feel like that's where you're going to go with it. The spice level, you mean? Or the temperature. Or the temperature. Like, what were you critical with? Just from an observer, that's what I would have thought. Yeah. So I think, I think with the being able to, if I was able to set up my little makeshift kitchen in the studio, being able to toast off that little wrap would have been just,

[00:02:27] because we had so many different things inside of there that were kind of almost like diluting the wrap and sort of making it almost soggy. It wasn't too soggy, but it could, if it would have sat too long. I don't think it was soggy. You know? Yeah, I didn't do any sog to it. I think it just needed a little more structure. A little more structure? Yeah. Like if you, like you said, toasted it. Yeah. So you would roll it and then zap it on each side to kind of lock everything in. Oh, yeah. Okay. Get it crunchy. Yeah. A little bit of, I thought it was phenomenal. The flavor was there. Yeah. I mean, what a treat.

[00:02:57] And then also served by a friend that I'm also a fan of because, because you are always getting creative. Your hair's different every time that you come on the show. That is true, isn't it? It's been different every time you come on. Oh, yeah. And we were talking before we got on here. We've actually like known each other a little over four years. Yeah. And it all started from a little networking event. I know, right? Yeah. Just sat down on, sat down on a couch next to y'all. The next thing you know, we hit it off and here we are.

[00:03:26] And dude, to think like where all of us were at four years ago. Amazing. So much has changed. I mean, I know for myself. Oh, wow. Jeez. I mean, even from the last time that was on, like that was like right before I embarked on this huge wave of everything with the stage, the cooks venture. And going to all these different countries and just, my gosh, I have so much to share. I will keep some of it secret because I want to leave that for the show.

[00:03:54] But yeah, it's awesome to be here, guys. I'm so stoked. It's great to have you back for sure. You've been all over the world. I mean, so you were gone how long? Since you left Denver, I should say. Oh, man. I mean, I was traveling off and on for almost two years. I mean, that's for filming the cooking show. It was, yeah, about two years. And I mean, it's going over two years now because we're finished filming. All the filming is complete. It's wrapped.

[00:04:23] Just got to do like voiceover stuff, a couple like interview things and such, like little fine tune things and everything like that. I've already got the cover art and stuff done. My buddy, Joe Friend, who is an amazing photographer here in Denver, Colorado. Actually, we got to utilize this new technology and he made these composites.

[00:04:45] So for my cover images for each episode, I dressed up in the attire of the different parts of the world that I was in and described the location that I was in to Joe. And then Joe utilized this AI technology, Leonardo AI, to develop the backgrounds and figure out the lighting and such like that.

[00:05:11] So we went into a studio on a green screen and would have me on the background and he would build the light with the studio lights. And then he would make a composite of the AI generated background because obviously we couldn't fly to every single location and country that I went to. And we, you know, we zhuzhed it up a little bit, made it a little bit more fantastical because, you know, when you're looking at like a movie cover or episode covers, like you want that like visual impact. Right.

[00:05:40] So we just got those done. I just uploaded those to my site. And yeah, it's just a thing of I'm to be completely honest with all that it's it's I have to replenish my budgets. I self-funded this entire thing through my design agency and I funded by your passion. Exactly. Funded by it. Yeah, very much. Funded by my passion. And I remember, you know, we talked a little bit of last time when I was here and I was saying how I what I wanted to do.

[00:06:09] But I mean, now that I'm complete with that, like I just had a article release in Westward for it was an article called Peak Performance, where I was one of several other people who did super challenges on Colorado 14ers.

[00:06:27] So for my season finale episode, I went to Mount Bierstadt and I fabricated a sled with my makeshift kitchen and all of my ingredients on it that I built with my dad out of the cabin. And then I had a deer harness and I strapped that sled up to my back and I it was roughly about 100 pounds. And I sleded that whole thing to the top of Mount Bierstadt, set up my makeshift kitchen and cooked gourmet meals for unsuspecting hikers. Wow.

[00:06:57] So just people pass them by. You're like, hey, we got some food for you up here. Yeah. They're like, what? What? Yeah. That's cool. That is awesome. I can't wait to watch that. That's awesome. The look on these people's faces at that. Oh, yeah. At the summit. Yeah. They're like this. They're like, this is better food than I've had in a restaurant, let alone like being at 14,000 feet up. He's like, I'm going to take this Clif Bar and see you later. Yeah. 86 the Clif Bar. Yeah. Wow. That's awesome. So like, are you thinking about doing this stuff before you go to sleep at night? Like, where's this coming from?

[00:07:28] Man, it just, you know, I just, man. Yeah. Really? Is there a place like that you've noticed your ideas pop up the most? Like, is it during a show? Like, you know, you hear these cliche things of when people like get good ideas. Like the one of the, this one guy, like for Nintendo, he had like, he would swim and write. He had like a, a waterproof pen and paper. Oh, really? That he could write with while he was swimming. Interesting.

[00:07:58] Cause that's when he had his best ideas. I mean, that's interesting. I've definitely had some good ideas. Like in the, in the shower, I like, well, the steam will go up on like the window or something. And I'll like, I've, when I'm doing design work, I'll like draw preliminary logos or something like on their notes. But, uh. Oh, with the fog? Yeah. With the fog. Yeah. Okay. And, um, all those fog notes. Fog notes. Yeah. Take me into the fog.

[00:08:20] But as far as the cooking stuff, man, I think it really comes from when I'm around people and seeing other people cooking, going and seeing these different cultures. And like an idea will come to me and then I'll write it down in my sketchbook. And I mean, when I was figuring out like for the show, like where I was going to go with all this stuff, I, I'd had like a little spreadsheet of like just the wildest ideas. And I'm like, okay, how could I make these things actually happen?

[00:08:44] And I mean, I had way more than like the 10 that I had set out, but you learn real quick when you're out there in the elements and doing this for the first time. Like I have no training in this. I just had the idea. He's giving them a shot. Gave it a shot, man. And some of them, you crash and burn. And, you know, uh, I think, uh, it was episode three or something that's called, uh, uh, and now you're like plans are canceled or something like that. Um, that's bad of me that I don't know the episode name, but my, my mind is racing.

[00:09:14] No, you're good. You're good. And so is it like a 10 episode series? Yes. Or did you do more? 10 episodes for season one. That's like perfect amount. I think. I think so too. Yeah. About 30, 40 minutes per ep. Yeah. Perfect. Yeah. It's going to be long format because there's just so much. I mean, it is, it is a daunting task. Oh yeah. To go through all of that stuff. Like it's kind of in the post edit now. So voiceovers. Oh yeah. Circling back and polishing some things up. Mm-hmm. Is there a 2025 release date?

[00:09:41] I mean, probably not because I have a lot of personal things that are kind of going on. Sure. Uh, need to be handled first. And, uh, I mean, I'll jump right into it saying how like, yes, this was an incredible experience. I learned so much. I met some incredible people. I mean, shoot, I met my wife on this journey. Yeah. So episode seven is, that is the love story. Oh, okay.

[00:10:05] So, yeah, I actually, uh, I mean, I won't disclose all of the information, but I actually, uh, filmed her before we even met. It was, I was in Warsaw, Poland, and I was testing out local cuisine and checking out the, the old village area. And I'm walking through these little cobblestone streets and I hear this beautiful violin start playing. And I'm like, oh, where is this coming from?

[00:10:34] And I come around the corner and I look and right up there in the square, the sun is shining. There's horses going by, people walking around. And this guy is just ripping this violin. It's, it's magical. I'm like, dang, sweet shot. We set up the camera and start filming. And as soon as we start filming, it's a beautiful lady comes out of the crowd, takes a little money out of her purse, puts it down in his violin case. And I was like, oh, sick B roll. So I jump out, you know, finish right up there.

[00:11:03] I put a little bit of money into, into the violin case. Guy thanks me. I go and I sit down on the, um, on the ledge there. And as soon as I sit down, he starts playing Vivaldi's winter, which is the opening composition for chef's table. And I'm like, dude, I'm on my world cooking tour. And, you know, this is going on right now. I was like, couldn't be any more perfect. So I start filming again.

[00:11:29] And then as soon as he finishes that, she's sitting down next to me and strikes up a conversation with me. And we've been inseparable since. Isn't that amazing? Who would have thought? That's a hell of a love story. Yeah. I mean, that's going to be a fun one to tell over and over again. People are like, well, how'd you meet? And you're like, wow, let me tell you. Well, watch episode seven. Yeah. I mean, there's, and there's just so much other like amazing juicy bits that like, that are associated with that.

[00:11:57] Just that makes me believe like, wow, like I was meant to go on that journey. Yeah. I mean, I have a couple of things that I want to say here. Yeah. The first thing is, isn't it funny how, when you're pursuing your passion and chasing your, your dreams and fulfilling yourself, you find the love of your life. Yeah. First off, I want to, I just want to point that out. That's what happened.

[00:12:21] And then I had the second question I had is, you know, you, you went to all these different cultures and tried all these different foods. So which culture has the best chefs? That's a loaded question. Man, you, man, you about to get me stabbed, boy. Free in the heat. I know, man. You can, you can defer that. I can, I mean. Put stage on the spot here. Yeah, no. Jeez. Jeez.

[00:12:46] You've got, well, I just like a favorite location, which I didn't go to on this journey, but where I have been prior, I have to say Copenhagen is like one of my favorite places ever. Just like the city. Oh, the city, like between art, skateboarding and the food. It's just in the culture around there. Like I can totally live there. Yeah. It might be a little tough in the, in the rainy dark seasons and the winter times. Might have to travel elsewhere. Cause I'm a sunshine person. Yeah.

[00:13:15] But, uh, overall, like it just, it's rad, man. I first traveled there for skateboarding and would go out to the contest out there and just fell in love with it. And then obviously like I love food. So, I mean, some of the world's best restaurants are there and some of the most innovative chefs. And I'm always, my palate is always challenged when I go to, uh, Copenhagen. Interesting. Well, in like big cities like that too, it seems like there is a lot of different cultures that live within one place.

[00:13:44] A hundred percent. Yeah. Especially in Europe. Yeah. I mean, yeah. In Europe, when I was, uh, out in Sweden last year, like I had a bunch of different types of food that you wouldn't like expect is in Sweden. Right. So, so it's, it's, it's fun. It's fun to taste the world and like, you know, and what you just kind of what you finished doing and filmed. Like a lot of people, people would be like, I want to do that.

[00:14:09] I, I, that sounds fun, but did they actually like start booking tickets? Right. It inspired people to travel there. Cause I want to know more about, I'm Polish. So mom's last maiden name was Zawacki. So we have deep roots to Poland. So you've been there. Yeah. You've tasted the cuisine on the ground. Yes, sir. What was some of the best, like true Polish cuisine that you had? Well, uh, probably one of the most, uh, wild dishes that is actually associated, um, with, uh, episode seven is, um, is hot neck.

[00:14:40] And if, if I spelled that for you, you would look at me like what? And it took me forever to figure out how to properly pronounce that. But what it is, is a, uh, summer, like cold soup. It's a beet soup. Like borscht? Um, it's, it's made with kefir, uh, beets, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, radishes, a bunch of dill, parsley. And it's in a little bit of sour cream.

[00:15:09] Like it's, uh, and it's like a soup and it's this almost, it's literally like the color of my shirt. It's served hot. No, no, no. It's a cold, cold soup. Like a summertime. Yeah. And it's, it's so like refreshing and nourishing. Oh, and a bunch of lemon as well to like, yeah, it's, it's great. So I, I tasted that. Not one, just the visual was incredible. Cause like you look at me and you're like, what is this? Like an acai bowl or something, you know, like you expect it to be sweet. Yeah.

[00:15:37] Um, but no, I mean, and obviously like pierogies are incredible. One of the random dishes that I had that I didn't think would be a stunner for me is we went out to this one, uh, neighborhood restaurant and we had, uh, chicken livers, which it was chicken livers with, with a candied apple.

[00:15:57] And, um, you know, the, uh, with all the onions and stuff, but they also had these, uh, plums like these preserved plums that went with it. And the plum with the, like the, the caramelized onion and the apple and such. And then just like that, um, really earthy and like, you know, almost like irony, like flavor that you have with like with the chicken livers and meaty.

[00:16:24] It just, I'd never had a flavor pairing like that before. And it really just blew my mind. It was delicious. I ordered it twice. I finished it and I was like, excuse me. I was like, run it back. Like another. That was good. If you had to get a second round. Yeah. You know, it is. Was the portion large? Was it a good size portion? Yeah. And that's another thing too. I can't stress enough how, like when I, I had no idea about Poland. I, it was, I wasn't even supposed to go to Poland.

[00:16:52] Uh, I was supposed to, I was filming in Paris and I was supposed to head to Belgium afterwards. Okay. But my contact out there, uh, it busted his leg and it was not a good time. We weren't going to be able to film and such. So like, well, I'm half Argentina and I'm half Polish. I was like, how about I, I've been to Argentina. I was like, how about I try out Poland? So I flew from Paris to Warsaw, Poland, and I had four days there to just make something of it. So I had no idea.

[00:17:20] So it was, I could not believe, like, I thought it was just going to be dark and gloomy and, you know, this like post-war thing. But man, it is such, especially Warsaw is so vibrant. There's tons of stuff going on. Amazing art scene. Great skate scene too. Fun, like underground music shows too. Like, I mean, it's in the food, dude, it is the food and the beer, like beers are like 74 cents to like, yeah, it's unreal.

[00:17:49] And the best quality stuff. And you can go out and have a meal. So they're not on the Euro. So they're on the Zlotti. And I believe, I don't know what the conversion is right now, but I know when I was there, it was five U.S. dollars was equivalent to 20 Zlotti. Oh, wow. So the dollar is way stronger. Oh, a hundred percent. Like when my missus and I would go out to eat, we took her out to this super nice Chinese restaurant out there.

[00:18:19] And we got cocktails to start. We had an appetizer. We had small plates, our main bottle of wine, dessert cocktail and dessert. And I think it was like 169 bucks all in. Wow. 169 bucks. Yeah. And great food. So, and again, like we were saying before how these larger cities and such have all these different, you know, people that coming from all over the place and showing off their cuisine.

[00:18:49] And Warsaw is a big, big proponent of that. So I'm, and there's other places around there too, that not only do you have those old cities, but if you head to the South close to Slovenia, like Zakopane. Oh my gosh. The closest thing that I've ever seen to the Swiss Alps. I almost don't want to say it on air because I'm like, I don't want to blow up the spot, you know, because now everybody's going to be like going there. And, you know, it, it was incredible.

[00:19:14] So I actually, that's, um, we went out there for, uh, my lady's, uh, birthday. We printed a little mountain cabin out there and hike through and got to go to these glacier mountain or glacier lakes. And it just is breathtaking. And everybody's just super friendly. And, um, just a lot of people speak English. Yeah. There's quite a few that do speak English in Poland. And, um, and so they speak Polish. Polish. Yeah. Tough language.

[00:19:43] Cause I don't know how many, like how many languages are in Europe. Exactly. Like there, yeah, there's a lot. Oh yeah. It's a melting pot. Yeah, it really is. Polish is a very tough one. It's one of the few places where I'm like, I've traveled around to where the, the signs, the street signs, it's like, you know, starts with a, you know, uh, CRV. And then it's like, blah, blah, blah. And then ski at the end of it. It's got a ski on it. Yeah. There's, there's a ski. I'm like, what is this?

[00:20:10] So I would just like memorize the last like four letters of like the street that I needed to turn down. I'm like, okay, I think that works. That's interesting. I'd like to get over there somehow though. Yeah. So much family history. And I love the food. Yeah. Like glumkies. You ever mess around with any of those? Oh yeah. Like that's basically a Polish cabbage roll, right? Yep. Oh yeah. Muy delicioso. And there's a, gosh, there's so many other dishes that is like blanking in my mind right now.

[00:20:39] Um, but it's, uh, yeah, I highly recommend it. Um, it's, they've got a whole, I mean, they're, they've got people from all over the place. Yeah. There. Melting pot. Yeah. Total melting pot. So then from there, your travels took you to, was it, was this before you went to the Emirates? Uh, yes, that was before I went to the Emirates. Okay. Because then you went over there and got to experience that. Yes. And that was wild. Just seeing the, all the different one, again, other than melting pot of people.

[00:21:08] Um, and seeing, you know, like being in, uh, Caledonia village, um, where my buddy had a skate shop down there. And then right next to him was a, uh, uh, Saudi, uh, bakery. And just, they constantly were busy every moment of the day. They have this, uh, you know, oven that was in there and they have the crazy stick that goes in and they like throw that thing in and they have this hook that they like, once

[00:21:35] it bubbles and boil or, uh, bubbles up and like use the, this poker thing to like stab it in there. So it releases the pressure. Then they whip it around on this thing and pull it out. I mean, it cooks in like a minute, like less than a minute and just so fast. And then they've got like the Tandoori and it just was fascinating watching these guys work and just rolling up. There'd be guys on bikes and they would just wrap everything up, send them out for a delivery or people come in and they just buy stacks of them.

[00:22:04] But that place never shut down. And it was cool to see that even though I was in the UAE, it's like, I get to see like this Saudi Arabian like style of, of bread making. How was it? I'm sure you tried it. Oh, it was incredible. Yes. Yeah. I filmed a lot in there too. And they got to bring me back into the kitchen and show me all this stuff. Yeah. And you just, you're just like, look, I'm the stage. And they're like, really? And then you're all like talking and then you just get all this access.

[00:22:35] Man, that the biggest thing I'll say from traveling around. So the, the whole premise for stage is to one, to challenge myself, to challenge myself physically and mentally on all these adventures. And two is to inspire. I want to inspire people to like, check out the world, learn about these different cultures, push yourself into like, you know, learning these new techniques or just hearing other people's stories.

[00:23:01] I think it's so important for us and obviously based around cooking. So, I mean, I, I'm so grateful that I did all of that. I feel like such a, a sharper human and a better communicator as well. Um, not just for cooking, but just for any sort of aspect in my life. Cause I've got to see and experience how all these different people live. There, there is like a new maturity to you since last time we met. Really?

[00:23:30] I'm sitting here with my like Hawaiian shirt on as such. He's a, he's a traveled, uh, traveled man now, you know, with a more enhanced palette, you know, creative ingredient ability. Right. Like you said today, you were thinking like, what am I going to do? You just walked in the store, you started grabbing stuff. Now, do you base it around the protein first? Like, let's start with what protein we're going to work with. Where do you just, how do you get to the final product? Where do you begin? It's, well, I think it, I treat it a lot like, cause first and foremost, like I'm artist into the designer.

[00:24:00] So I apply a lot of my design and my artistic principles to how I cook. So thinking about like the hierarchy, the color palette, how I want to invoke an emotion or a flavor from something. And, uh, also just creative problem solving. So when you say like, Oh, do I start with a protein? Sure. I could. And then I could go down a whole different route. Or if I know that, okay, I have a pineapple. I'm like, start your focal point on a pineapple.

[00:24:29] What can you do with a pineapple? And then I'll can build from there. So I just figure out what is my starting point. And then I start developing from there. And, um, you know, it's kind of like art is like, well, you know, I've got my rough color palette. Uh, let's see what I start creating on this canvas. And as you're working through and seeing this image come to life and finding your direction, it's the same, similar to me. Like when I'm working in the kitchen is like, as I'm working with these ingredients

[00:24:57] and I'm tasting this, I'm painting my picture and developing my, my palette and the flavor and the intention. And I'm like, Oh wow. I could do this with the pineapple and turn it to this, maybe grill it here and that. And then it sends me on down to a whole new line. So sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to cook up until like the last moment. But you could throw a bat random bag of groceries at man. I guarantee you come up with something amazing. That's the, that's the fun creative part. Cause you said, I don't know if you said it on mic or off mic that you don't do recipes.

[00:25:27] You just, you create as you go. Yeah. A hundred percent. It's not like a, Oh, when's your, when's your recipe or your cookbook coming out? I was like, if I ever did one, it would be more of just a story. Yeah. Cause for, for me, it's more about the adventure and then the by-product is learning about these new flavors and these, these things like that. So, um, I mean, there's hundreds of recipes out there. Well, and you, um, you also met your wife on the whim to go to Poland. Yeah.

[00:25:57] So that wasn't planned. No, no. The universe led you there where you got this awesome shirt. You weren't looking for it. You just happened to find out. There's like, there's a theme going on here with your lifestyle. And, and I think what it is, and I also do my best to listen to the powers that be and like follow intuition and follow the flow of the river of life. Um, and I feel like, I feel like that's what you're doing and you're trusting it and, and

[00:26:24] you're allowing the risk to exist in order to go with the flow of what feels correct. Yeah. And like, that is in my opinion, kind of like breaking the chains a little bit of some of the, uh, mental constraints that people give themselves. Because once you can actually let go and trust and faith, then you don't have to think about how it's going to come together anymore. Like you just know it will. Yeah.

[00:26:53] I mean, well, sometimes, you know, it does sometimes you don't. And that's kind of the beauty of it as well is, uh, I, again, like I said, I feel so like right now I am the richest I have ever been in my entire life with the people that are in my life, the knowledge that I've, I've gained in access, my skill level. Uh, and it's, it's wild, but I will say, you know, I also, it was a huge investment.

[00:27:23] And yeah, like I could have, I literally gave up the, you know, down deposit to buying a house to go do this. And I asked myself, you know, should I have gone and just bought the house and planted roots down and everything? And then I think back to myself, I'm like, man, I would have, where would I've been with that? I would have been there. Yeah. I would have been trapped inside of that.

[00:27:48] I would have, I would have invested in my own terrarium, you know, like to cage myself. And, and I know some people like that, that's, that's what, you know, they need that stability and comfort and stuff, but to really truly push yourself into like, get to these wild experiences and really get the most growth out of life. I do believe that you have to, you know, break out of that norm and get a little bit discomfort

[00:28:13] because man, there was the amount of mental breakdowns that I had all around the world. I mean, you know, being out in the middle of a random jungle and, you know, everything's falling apart and you don't know if you're going to get out of there to get your little puddle jumper flight to the actual airport. And I mean, there's just so many things or you show up in like the, uh, you know, nobody shows up to one of your events or something, or the person you're supposed to film with doesn't show up.

[00:28:42] It's like, and then you're constantly problem solving in there. So like, and that's actually another point too, is like another reason it's taken so long as well is because I had to, yes, I learned so much and it helped me grow, but man, I, it was, it took a huge toll on me and I didn't realize it at first I had to take some time off to recalibrate and take a breather.

[00:29:08] Cause I had just had so much built up inside of me and it, you know, when you have your crew with you and you have all these other people, it's like, I didn't want to let anybody down and I'm like, gotta stay strong, gotta stay strong. And man, when I, when I finished that final episode and I was at the top of Mount Bierstadt, I mean, it all came out, dude.

[00:29:33] Like I, I let it, let a lot go in there and I, I don't think, I don't think I would have been okay if I hadn't accomplished that and finish that out. Um, there was a lot of times when I wanted to quit, um, and give up. I was facing a lot of, you know, like the year, like last year we had my design agency, which funds a lot of this.

[00:29:59] We, one of our largest clients went bankrupt and next thing you know, it was like dominoes clients started like knocking, falling off, falling off. They're like, Oh, we're going to wait till after the election. And it just, I watched our entire revenue stream go to zero for six months, brother. And I had to do a lot of restructuring and also just personal life stuff, you know, had to reorganize.

[00:30:26] And I, I mean, you know, I was not okay. I was really not okay. And, uh, it's, you know, people say, Oh, when's the show come out? I was like, it's going to come out when I'm ready, you know? And it's an art project to me. It's not looking to get famous or dump it all up. That's like, I, I'm not trying to create a big YouTube channel out of it. If that was the case, I just like film a bunch of stuff, dump it on the tube and be done.

[00:30:53] But this is a, a, a documentary of two years of an incredible journey of like somebody really finding themselves and finding their new chapter in their life. So, uh, means a lot to me. So it's a passion project. I mean, yeah, there's no, there's no other way to put it. It's a hundred percent passion. Passion is what, you know, got me out of bed when I'm sweating in the floor of some jungle

[00:31:18] or got me up and out, like to make my flight and to keep going or to like turn the smile on, like to, that's another thing too. The camera's on. Yeah. You gotta, gotta be that guy. Nobody wants to see, nobody wants to see the sad guy traveling, you know? And there was, that's not the truth. Yeah. It's, it was really tough. I mean, one moment I'm there like, you know, fighting back tears and frustrations. And then it's like three, two, one action.

[00:31:46] You gotta go and look alive and show all these things and get people hyped and stoked on it. And it's, it was a lot, man. So I have a new appreciation for, uh, people who do all this stuff because it is not easy. Would you say hands down most difficult thing you've ever been through in life? I mean, yeah. I mean, so many life challenges and all of those things. And I mean, leading up, like we said before in the past podcast, it was like right before that I got hit by that car and almost died.

[00:32:16] Oh, dude, you were wrecked. Yeah, you were wrecked. Holy crap. You were on your bicycle when that happened, right? Yeah. That was, that was me training for, um, the, uh, three country course meal. That's one of the episodes where I cycle across Wales, England, and Scotland with my camping stuff on one side of my bike and my cooking gear on the other side. And I would forge for food and create a dish in each location in each country before I would leave.

[00:32:42] Um, yeah, so it, it's wild to say like, if the listeners out there is my biggest thing is if you have this wild idea, give it a go. You know, I think about like what my dad said to me when I started my, my first company is he's like, you know what, Connor is like, remember you have the rest of your entire life to work. If you have the drive and the passion, like do it now, go for it. And if you go down the line and it gets way too tough and obviously don't put yourself into

[00:33:13] a dire situation and everything, but it's better to give it a try. Cause we only got one shot on this thing. Yeah. One shot. So I encourage people to, you know, pursue your passion and you might be very humbly surprised at what you might discover on that journey. Yeah. Well, and I think people too kind of want like the overnight results, like you're talking about, like, Oh, when's it coming out? When is it, can I, yeah, I want to scroll. I want to see the clips. I want it now, now, now, you know, this is a two year project for you. You're taking, you're letting it marinate, take its time. It's slow cooking.

[00:33:43] You know, that's, that's letting the journey marinate and taking it all in. Slow and low baby. Whereas I think a lot of folks get discouraged. Like, Oh, that's too hard. That's going to take too long. You don't have the money for that. You know, maybe, maybe when, if, and once I get here, you're saying do it now. Yeah. Let's let her rip. We'll send it now. I mean, if, if you're able, I mean, we're, we're doing an article tomorrow on happy Friday about a guy that sold everything to buy a sailboat. He took him and his cat and he sailed to Hawaii. Amazing.

[00:34:09] See, and it's, and there's the only person that's telling, you know, is you, you know, like, yeah. Other people can discourage you and stuff like that, but it's like, you, you can do this. Yeah. It's amazing. Well, and I appreciate how real you're being talking about this journey too, because it was full of exciting times meeting the love of your life, like all these different experiences, getting in bike wrecks. And then also at the end realizing like this, this weight of what you just accomplished and

[00:34:37] always being on for two years straight, like that also takes a toll. So it's like, you can have all these fun times, but like in a lot of ways, the greatest experiences come from a sense of suffering to get there in a sense. And so I appreciate you being honest about like letting it out. Cause modern men cry. You could be masculine and let the tears flow.

[00:35:03] But like, it's, it's a joke if we're sitting here saying that, like, it's easy to do all this stuff or it's easy to keep showing up even when you're broke and your company is, is not performing like it was. And, you know, there was so many opportunities for you to just be like, you know what? Like that was the final straw. I'm going to quit. But like you said, if you would have done that, you would ended up kind of disappointed in yourself for not seeing it through. Well, and it would have all that, you know, all that work that I did would be for nothing.

[00:35:33] So yeah, I might not have hit my goal of, of releasing this thing like a year ago. But I know to myself that it will get done. And I also, I pushed cause I'm very stubborn. I'm like, I pushed it probably a little bit farther than I should have. And I realized like, wow, like if, if you continue to push this, I was like, then you're probably

[00:35:58] going to lose your design agency because I needed to like crisis things were on fire. I needed to focus on that. And it was, you know, and then personal life stuff too. So it's a foundation. It's like, if you're, I, I, I realized that my foundation was starting to shake and move. And how am I supposed to start, you know, showing people all the beautiful rooms of like the foundation and the house is going to break. Sure.

[00:36:26] So I had to do some reconstruction to get through all of that. And, you know, one of my, one of my good buddies was saying, he's like, dude, the only person that's, you know, putting a deadline on this is you. And I'm like, yeah, you're right. And I, you know, there's just so many great stories, all the people that I've met, I want to tell those stories and honor them through that. And I'm so grateful for each and every one that has helped me along through this.

[00:36:52] And, you know, speaking about personal stuff, like, you know, like Alina has been such a huge supporter of this, you know, not only just because she's literally a part of the journey, you know, but, you know, when I'm, you know, at my wits end and feeling like, you know, when the, my design company was struggling and I was like, gosh, I just feel like a loser. Like, am I not a good designer? If I don't know what I'm doing in business, like what is going on?

[00:37:19] Like she was my rock there to help me through a lot of that. So again, like I went through this big investment to find another person to help me through that. And that, I guess that's a message to the listeners right now is, you know, ask for more help and really reach out to people. Like that was a big thing as I tried to try to be strong and hold on to so much stuff is like, no, I'm going to figure this out.

[00:37:43] But as soon as I started letting more people in and sharing that stuff, it, it helped me through it. And I guarantee you it saved me. And there was a lot of times that I got really, really low and just wanted to, to give up. There were some days I just slept, man. I did not. And you know me, I like, I got a lot of money. I love to be out. And for me, I, I just would lay in bed and not do anything. It was like a, you know, that, like a stun, you know, like a, one of those flashbang grenades went off.

[00:38:12] It's like, like, that's what it felt like. And it felt like my blanket was super heavy over me. And I just like thinking of all the things that had to get done and just how I'm missing deadlines on this. And I'm like, what is the, what's even the point? What's even the point? Why even keep going? And you sink into that dark hole. And then, you know, I get a message from Alina or I get a message from one of my friends,

[00:38:38] you know, or I'd flip open Instagram and I'd see people and I'd be like, you know what? Look at this. Like there are people that are counting on you for this. Get your ass up out of bed, take a deep breath, go on a walk. My God, I need to do more walks and just no phone, no nothing. Just go walk and focus on your breathing. And my God, that helped me so much. So. Hell yeah. Incredible journey, huh? Dude, it has been wild.

[00:39:05] I've been ups and downs on tops of mountains and underneath the, onto the ocean floor spear fishing for lobsters. That is awesome. Yeah. I was watching some of your stuff. I don't know, a couple of months ago, it looked like you were, were you back home in South Carolina area doing like a, like an outdoor, it's like a big festival going on. You guys were smoking a bunch of meats. Oh my gosh. That looked epic. So that was, so that kind of full circle.

[00:39:29] So the first episode that I filmed out in North Carolina at my buddy EJ's restaurant called Nollies filmed the first episode out there. And then I came back and they were having this like big block party and everything going on where they like shut down the street, got the permits for it, set up a bunch of ramps and they're like a food vendor or food rep and everything came out and brought the big smoker. And so we were able to cook out on that.

[00:39:58] And it was like 700 people showed up to this thing. It was, it looked massive out of control. And, uh, did you guys run out of any food? Have to go get refills? Oh, of course. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, uh, chef Ronnie and I, so, uh, he's the chef that I, uh, competed against in episode one for our crazy challenge that we did.

[00:40:19] Uh, we collabed on a dish, uh, on a chicken sandwich, um, that we did a, uh, gochujang and kimchi like reduction style sauce. Like that we, um, also we were working with this, uh, uh, boiled peanut, like Cajun boiled peanuts. So we took the, the brine from the, the Cajun, uh, boiled peanuts and we brined the chicken in that.

[00:40:45] And then we obviously took the peanuts out and we snapped all those up and I made like a, uh, boiled peanut pate and we ended up making like a, uh, like almost like a redneck style, uh, banh mi sandwich. So like a toasted brioche bun, we had fresh cilantro on there. We had the, uh, the boiled peanut pate on it with the, uh, smoke. We smoked the chicken for hours as well on this gigantic thing. Thank you, Chaney brothers.

[00:41:13] And, um, that grill was incredible. The thing looked amazing. Yeah. It was hours and hours on that thing. Not a lot of sleep. And yeah, then we would, we dunk the sandwich into the sauce and threw it onto the fire to get some good char on it, lathered some more sauce on it, use some salad sprinkles. And yeah, it, oh, and I made a daikon radish and carrot, um, uh, pickle to go on it as well. And at first people were like, cause it's like a big skate event.

[00:41:41] People are expecting just barbecue and hot dogs and everything. Like what is it? They're like, what is this? They're like, well, it was like a little, almost too much for him. But again, you know, as soon as that one person got it and they were like, oh my gosh, like, what is this? And then they're walking around and that's the best advertisement is then you just got everybody slamming beers and they're like, what is it? I smell. Oh, let me get a taste. Next thing, you know, I didn't put my head up once and we just, you're a crazy, just gone. Yeah. Wow. I mean, I was like scraping the bottom of everything just to go like, we want more.

[00:42:11] Like we're out. We're, we're out. Um, so yeah, that was a super fun event. Uh, my buddy, uh, Dave did a little, little film edit for that. So, uh, yeah, I mean, again, down to do any wild, crazy cooking event. Uh, right now I'm kind of just on tour. Um, another big update that since I saw you guys is like, okay, what else do you, what else do you got, man? You've been dropping bombs this episode. Yeah. I mean, gosh, what else?

[00:42:39] I mean, you know, I've got my design agency, which we're starting to pick back up again. That's good. Thank the Lord. Yes. Uh, you know, I've been doing, doing all the cooking stuff. So I do private, uh, private, uh, chef events. I do in-home cooking tutorials for people too. So I help people utilize the kitchen appliances and the skills they have in their kitchen to make them more empowered. And so people can hire me to come to their kitchen and show them how to utilize all their stuff.

[00:43:04] Uh, and then also just because, you know, I need more shit to do is I also co-founded a mural festival out on the East coast with my friends with girls who paint murals. So yeah, we got a little stickers right there. So this festival is called melt. It stands for murals, entertainment, lifestyle, and tradition. And we are trying to bring Charleston's first ever muralist festival specifically geared

[00:43:33] around celebrating the tradition of public art and working with muralists. There's tons of different art festivals, but nothing specifically for muralists. So as a mural artist myself and the other, my other co-founders, it's, it's a hundred percent by artists for artists. And we're funding this whole thing ourselves. I'm doing all the design work, helping with the, you know, uh, sponsorships, getting all the city permits and just everything.

[00:44:01] Again, once again, yeah, once again, just diving in to really never done anything like this before, but giving it a go. And, you know, like, and again, understanding that there's no way I could do it myself. And so glad to have like, you know, the girls who paint murals, Allie and Christine, like they have been crushing it on doing outreach and handling all the, you know, artists resume stuff and everything. We have six featured artists from all different parts of the world. It was incredible.

[00:44:31] We had like over a hundred, 150 applicants. Really? Apply for this. And we didn't know advertising, like just started an Instagram, made the website and put it out there. And next thing you know, people started applying to this thing. And it's, it's pretty incredible. Like that was, that was one of the toughest things too, was to go through all the, I mean, there were so many amazing artists and to pick six out of that many.

[00:45:00] It was rough. It was, it was us. And then also the city of North Charleston. So North Charleston is one of our sponsors and is helping us put this on. And it's going to be like a block party style festival. We're gonna have local vendors kind of lining up the street and people will walk through to see all these different local businesses. And then it'll like turn into where Rebel Taqueria is at and all of the wall surrounding there and the other businesses there too.

[00:45:27] We're going to have all of our artists transforming the space from September 11th is when they start. They have to finish on the 14th, but Saturday, Saturday, the September 13th will be the block party. So it'll go from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be the block party style. And then all the extra festivities and after parties will go on at Rebel Taqueria and all the other businesses there, Bar Pilaris.

[00:45:52] And it's just going to be a cool vibe and bringing something really, you know, fun and engaging to this community is what we're all about. And I've taken upon myself to be working with the client relations in that community as well. So going to some of the neighborhood association meetings to learn about what they've got going on. And one of the things that when I fly back out to Charleston this upcoming week is meeting

[00:46:17] with them to try to learn more of the stories, to get their feedback on a drawing prompt to give to our artists, to be like, hey, here's what this neighborhood's all about. So that way they're kind of like following a certain theme. Yeah, exactly. And so again, the artists have complete creative freedom on everything. Obviously no profanity and anything that's going to be too vulgar, but it's like, hey, here's a starting point. If you want to play off of like some of the stories and the heritage of this neighborhood,

[00:46:45] you know, let's see your rendition of it. So that way the community can feel more engaged with what's going on rather than just, oh, we came in and just. Did their thing. Yeah. Did their thing. So yeah, lots of things going on. So those are my big three. No, I have big four commitments, you know, Alina, number one, my design agency, my cooking company stage, and then the mural festival. So needless to say, a lot of things are going on, my friends. A lot of irons in the fire. Yes.

[00:47:14] So I'm hoping it'll smooth out a little bit because right now I'm, I'm doing my best on everything, but you know, me being a perfectionist, it's like, I feel like I'm doing everything not to the level that I would like to be right now because I'm just, I'm just spread so thin. Yeah. And you don't have any time for a vacay or some, some downtime. I mean, the only downtimes I get is when like, say a client like cancels or something. I'm like, oh, well I was going to be, you know, on this call for two hours.

[00:47:43] So maybe the go, go for a bike ride or go for those walks and like put my, put my phone on silent. So, um, that's kind of my thing. And I don't know, I probably should, but I feel like if I let off, there's, there's so many, so many engines. It's like a train going forward. If I let off the gas, like once it's just going to fall out. You got this right now. I feel like this 2025, like you, you did all the filming, you know, you have two, you've

[00:48:13] already discovered, you have two years of major hustle in you before you start getting to like that, that breaking point. So how long has this current session been in progress? What are you thinking? Like you've been going hard for like the last year, like where are we at? Oh, and then we're going to schedule your vacation with this information. Yeah. Right. Uh, I mean, it, I've been, I've been going hard since I started the stage thing. I mean, from that first silly little like video upload that I had when I, I mean, I started

[00:48:42] stage when I had just come up, come off of a major knee surgery. So that those first clips are me on crutches walking into the frame. Like, I don't know where this is going to go. And I mean, I've been hustling since that day four. So like, well, okay. So this is one thing I've been thinking about because you know, I get, I get in my own head and want to do nothing as well. Yeah. But when I've been chasing doing nothing and I've been fortunate enough to be able to

[00:49:10] accomplish that in some shape or form. Um, but I think about it and truly my favorite days, like my best days are days when I was productive all day. It wasn't the day where I was relaxing watching movies. Like if I, if I, if I really think about it, so like sometimes for me to keep going, it's,

[00:49:35] it's really just a mentality change of like being aware of how I'm thinking about stuff and like, how am I focusing? What's the, what's the echo chamber saying in the head? Yeah. You know, and like, and like just being extra self-conscious about what I'm saying to myself because I've been practicing affirmations for over 20 years and I still get negative ones that just pop up. Like it's, it's constant work.

[00:50:02] And especially when you're stretching yourself thin or like dealing with struggles, you start to second guess yourself. Well, and affirmations are crucial in that, that spot. You know, I'm sure you went through some of that where you're like, you know, I got to keep pushing. I got this. We're going to get through this event. We're going to get through tonight. We're going to reevaluate whatever, just little, little things like that that you say to yourself and you're like, okay, we got this. Let's keep pushing one more hour. Help me get one more. Just one more. Let's go. Yeah. It's like, for me, that's like almost necessary because it's easy to throw in the towel. A hundred percent.

[00:50:29] I, uh, the things that, you know, when you get down in that dark hole is I just think about how all the smiles that I put on people's faces, like, you know, sharing and cooking for them. That's, that's what really kept me rolling through a lot of it too, is, uh, I'll, I'll tell you one little short example is like when I was in Guatemala.

[00:50:52] And I cooked for some of the locals in Sununa and it was for this mother and her daughters and it was one of her daughter's birthdays as well. And made, made like a special little dessert for, and I found like these, these trick candles that, you know, you light them and they blow them out. Oh no, it comes back on. Blew their minds. Okay. And, uh, it, when I got done with that, they were so thankful and such.

[00:51:20] And, uh, my, my translator, Sarah, she was, uh, she started getting a little choked up and, um, and I was like, what's going on, Sarah? And like, you know, all the little girls are like giving me hugs and stuff like that. And just like, they were just blown away. Like the, just the energy in that place was unreal. And they destroyed the food. Like there, there is no kid's menu out there. It is like whatever you put on their plate, they were just crushing it.

[00:51:48] And, and I utilized all of the local ingredients that were there, but I just use different techniques and such. So it like was even more amazing than like, they were like, Whoa, this is all the stuff that we're used to eating, but we've never had it in this way before. So I like to believe that it like instilled some inspiration in them, you know, and Petra, she was like, I wanted to give me the recipe. And I, you know, sent that over to, uh, Samana and she, you know, or Sarah. And I was like, yeah, share this with her.

[00:52:17] But anyway, so she looks at me and after they leave and stuff, I could see there was a lot of emotion going on. And she said to me, uh, she just wants to let you know, like how appreciative she is. And that, that is the happiest that she's seen her little girls be since their father was murdered last month. Oh my gosh. Wow. That's deep. Yeah. And that, I mean, that God just hit me so hard and I carry that with me.

[00:52:47] So every time that I wanted to give up, I'm like, I think of those little girls and just how much joy, a meal, and just the thoughtfulness of, of a visitor coming in sharing rather than being a tourist and taking. And I, you know, instilled that across everything that I do, you know, whether it's working in my, with new clients, with my design agency or meeting new people when they hire me to come to their home.

[00:53:14] It's like, I just want to share that, that energy and that passion with people and get them inspired to, to cook, to learn, to think different and just everybody sit down at a table and have a meal together. Classic. Yeah. And it's moments like that, like you said, that you hold onto, like that's, this is what we do it for. Those little moments, those little victories, knowing that you impacted someone's life that day. A hundred percent. Yeah. That's, that's, that's. And you never know what people are going through. You never know. That's why it's just good to be like, I keep seeing this one pop up.

[00:53:43] Like it's free to be kind. Yes. It's, you know, like it costs nothing. Yeah. A hundred percent. And just who knows, like it, it could be maybe opening a door for somebody or, you know, Hey, you know, sharing a bit of your food with somebody like who knows what it is. Like that honestly could be that one thing that kept that person off of the ledge. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like that to, to get serious about it, it's, you, you never know.

[00:54:10] So I, I know that those, I had plenty of little simple acts of kindness and generosity when I was adventuring around and, you know, I was in these different countries that I've never been to and alone a lot of the times. And when I would meet, you know, meeting strangers that took me in and such. So, um, like episode two is, uh, is called, uh, traveling to strangers and that that's,

[00:54:40] it sounds weird, but it's so true. And the meaning behind that is that I just booked the plane ticket and I went there. I had nobody and then ended up meeting incredible people. My friend Arturo, like incredible chef took me under his wing and just took me to these incredible places that I've never been to before. I mean, you ended up getting a tattoo out there the first night I was out there, you

[00:55:03] know, like it just, uh, and I just, uh, that's my, uh, so that's my, uh, stash logo. So that is the California condor, uh, is the icon for my company. And when I was developing this brand, I was like, what could be my icon? What could be my mascot for this? And I'm like, well, I was born in Ventura, California. Like I was like, man, the, the California condor travels to through these, you know,

[00:55:32] treacherous, uh, environments to long places to like find food and everything like that. And I'm like, it's kind of how I'm feeling with this is I'm, I'm venturing all around the world to like scavenge and pick up all these things. And then, you know, uh, I have this, had this horse. I'm like, man, it's gotta be that. And then, you know, developed a little fork tail for it. So I thought it was fitting to like, when I have, I look down at that and I'm like, keep flying with flavor, baby. Oh yeah. Even when I wanted to give up. And you got that at the beginning too.

[00:56:02] So you were checking it out the whole time. Right at the time. I was like, yeah, there's, there's no turning back. There's no turning back. That's crazy, man. Yeah. That's wild. What a journey, man. Dude, it is, it has been an epic adventure and it's, it's still going on. Yeah. You're, you're in it. A hundred percent. You're riding the wave. Yeah. Showing up to DCPC, putting, putting on, I mean, that was, that was one of the most delicious dishes that I've had. It was so good. So you're, you're still killing it, man. And we got your support.

[00:56:32] I mean, you got our support and I know we got your support. Oh, a hundred percent. But, but anything you need from us, man, because I believe in your purpose behind all this and how you talk about it, how you present it. It's authentic. And more people like you that take a risk and like make people's day better by being authentic. That helps the world be a better place, man. So I appreciate you for that. So I'm glad. Yeah. I appreciate you guys.

[00:57:00] Ever since the first night we met, I remember I was like, this dude, he's a good one. You know, you've been nothing but kind to us and brought us food tonight. And it's just a pleasure to have you here, man. It is. No, man, it means a lot. And, you know, especially to be out here to, because a lot of this, I just internalize and I'm, I'm just so busy with everything. And I feel like I, I don't get time with much with my friends and I, you know, I think about everybody all the time, but it's like, I just have so many people in that network. I get it. I can't reach out.

[00:57:29] And, you know, I, it weighs a lot on me. So, um, getting stuff like this, like seeing you guys, I mean, like I haven't seen you guys since, gosh, before I went on all this adventure and such. And it's not because I don't care about you guys or, and I'm not thinking about you. It's like, it, you know, life happens with that, but, you know, I'm. Hey, we're, we're your silent supporters, man. You know, we got you. Absolutely. Yeah. It's been fun watching your journey and I'm excited to see the next bit of it. Yeah, man.

[00:57:58] And I'm excited for all the stuff you guys got going. You got what episode, what is it now? Two 94 in the books? Two 94, baby. Let's go. Yeah. Let's go. It's been a hell of a ride, man, but it's nights like tonight that once again, remind us of why we do this. Just having people tell their cool stories and have experiences and trying food. And, you know, this is, this is what we play for. Yes. 100%. You know, fantastic episode. We're all, we already know all your socials. We'll just leave a link. Yeah. Down below. Down below for everybody to click on.

[00:58:28] Yeah. Really easy. Yeah. So that's simple. What an honor and what a pleasure having you back, man. We've made some memories together and it's good to have a new one. Yeah. It's good to have a new one. Some Waterloos. Thank you, Waterloos. Cheers. Cheers to that. Or, or as Alina would say, Czoknipsa. Czoknipsa. Is that Polish for like salute or cheers or skull? It's cheers. I like that. So. I wonder if my mama knows that. Mom, do you know that? She's watching. Yeah. Man, what a great, what a great show. Let's wrap it up, huh? Yeah, for sure, guys.

[00:58:58] Well, thank you again for so much for having me on here and to all my friends and family out there. I thank you all for so much of your support while I've been on this wild journey. We're still in the thick of it, but we're going to see an end of it. And let's continue to fly with some flavor. See y'all. Woo! Great episode.