The BVSTER Podcast interviews David Trotta of Whealth

David, a New Jersey native and longtime resident of the Journal Square area, shares with us how he stays connected to the local community.

He also explains how he has seen Journal Square change over the years.

We also hear lessons learned from customer feedback and how he had to simply check his ego and 'roll with the punches.'

Fast Facts About David:

* He has an abundance of energy and is super-charismatic.

* He is well versed on food, tech and even music.

* David actually knows everyone in his apartment building and will strike up a conversation with them in a heartbeat.

Whealth (Eat, Share, Connect)

615 Pavonia Ave

Jersey City, NJ 07306

New Jersey Native John Trigonis is a film/comic book creator. He also wrote the playbook on how to successfully launch a crowdfunding campaign. He leveraged his social media (Twitter) to successfully promote his personal crowdfunding projects. How good is he? Indiegogo reached out directly and hired John. He has since worked on all of their large marketing projects.

He also shares how any food brand can similarly use these skills to raise money for their business. In fact, his book, Crowdfunding for Filmmakers, has helped local NJ brands such as Departed Souls Brewery and Baonanas Banana Pudding

This week Bvster catches up with the owner of the East Hanover Diner John Karsos. He shares what it’s like to keep the family diner business going. John Karsos shares a first-hand account of what it takes to keep the family diner business thriving year after year. He explains what each of his brothers’ role in daily operations is and he also reveals how to really listen to what your customers say.

Glen Pappas’ family has owned the Coach House Diner in North Bergen, NJ since 1939. He explains how his grandfather, Clem, would teach him about running a profitable diner and about being in business with your family. Glen is now John’s right hand man at the diner in East Hanover. They gave me some great feedback about my upcoming documentary American Diners.

This week Bvster catches up with Chef Rudy Straker, he serves up key strategies that built up his business.

As an in demand Private Chef, Rudy Straker serves up his culinary skills to hungry clients in the NYC-NJ area. He grew up in Queens, NY and also has recently been on the TV show ‘Chopped.’

Rudy creates food dishes to fit his client’s health needs and if there is a party involved, this unique chef loves to oversee the “whole enchilada” ― from the menu selections, to beverages, and even the music.

Rudy also uses the Instagram platform to market his brand and find new clients. Find him snagging foul balls at a NY Mets baseball game, catching a Miami Dolphins game on TV, or, of course, dishing out a delicious new recipe!

This week Bvster catches up with Cameron McCarthy. His podcast Boy Meets Tech covers the basics of the tech scene from a beginner’s perspective.

• Cameron McCarthy is the Co-Founder/CEO of Westock

• His new podcast is called Boy Meets Tech

• We talk about his career path that started in fashion and has taken him all the way to starting his own company. Westock is an app for food entrepreneurs. They can use it to submit their food brands to be considered by grocery stores. This is a great tool and a game changer for local food entrepreneurs

This week Bvster catches up with Djenaba Johnson-Jones. Djenaba shares with us what motivated her to open a supportive co-working hub for food and beverage entrepreneurs in Northern New Jersey.

After leaving a corporate job in NYC, she wanted to start a Fitness Concierge business. Her business model was to work out with clients and motivate them. Not surprisingly, her clients began to ask Djenaba for advice on nutrition―what foods they should be eating

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That’s when she started to collaborate with a chef to produce a weekly meal. But finding a commercial kitchen to prepare the meals proved to be a difficult task. So, she did exactly what an aspiring entrepreneur would do. She changed her business plan and created The Hudson Kitchen, a co-working kitchen where the focus is not just on the food but more so, on the people who create it.

This week Bvster catches up with Travis Clifton. We chat with him what it takes to start a coffee company

• Travis and Justin started a coffee roasting company in Jersey City back in 2013.

• Travis explains how they look past trends and stay true to their visions

• We chat about how they are starting to use Oat Milk and maybe hemp or CBD

• There Jersey City Heights locations doesn’t offer any WIFI and that was done encourage people to talk.

This week Bvster catches up with Warren Bobrow. Warren is a cocktail writer and cannabis supporter. In 2016 he wrote Cannabis Cocktails Mocktails and Tonics. His book has created a controversy in both the cocktail and cannabis world as reckless. We chat about the cannabis laws in New Jersey and what it will take to change them. We also chat about when you know you must change your job and re-invent yourself.

This week Bvster catches up with Lindsey Greene. She is a youtuber and her channel is called the Hunger Diaries. She was also a contestant on Guy Fieri's Food Channel show called Guy’s Next Big Project. We'll talk about what it takes to be on TV and what it's like to build a media platform from the ground up.

This week Bvster catches up with John Holl. He is the Senior Editor of Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine and the author of "Drink Beer, Think Beer Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint." John is also a co-host of the 'Steal this Beer' Podcast. We'll talk about what it takes to write a book and build a media platform.