How Do You Do? Podcast

PK&J Hospitality Group's Phil Kastel is a chef and restaurant consultant. For over twelve years, Phil served as Executive Vice President of Culinary for L.A.-based Grill Concepts, Inc., where he was responsible for culinary operations of twenty-nine restaurants nationwide, including the Public School brand. Prior to Grill Concepts, Phil served as Executive Chef of Hillstone Restaurant Group, where he was responsible for kitchen operations, menu development and training. Phil is currently the Creative Chef at The Milky Way, the beloved Pico-Robertson kosher restaurant that’s owned by the Spielbergs. In his current role, he’s jumping at the challenge of thoughtfully redesigning the space and creating a New American kosher menu while paying homage to the legacy and unique tastes of Ms. Leah Adler.

In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Phil to share his approach to developing menus and what it's been like to create one for a kosher restaurant with a storied legacy (5:32),  the role of food influencers, social media, and word-of-mouth in helping the restaurant succeed and engage a younger demographic (21:53), how he's led The Milky Way in adapting to the challenges of the pandemic (27:59), and more. 

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Phil Kastel: @milkywayla

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben Hannani: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Francesco Sinatra is the CEO of Pasta Sisters. Francesco left his home in Padova, Italy in 2008 to move to Los Angeles with $1,000 in his pocket, never imagining that he would end up living what he now calls the "American dream.” As CEO at Pasta Sisters, Francesco oversees the day-to-day operations of the gourmet Italian deli and fresh pasta concept that first opened its doors at their Pico Blvd. location in 2015 and second location in Culver City in 2018. From hiring staff, to training, operations, human resources, financial management and more, Francesco is responsible for guaranteeing that the restaurant, staff, and his own family are running smoothly on all engines. Today, Francesco’s entrepreneurship and leadership married with his mother’s dynamic cooking and his sisters’ formidable skills as Creative Director and Office Manager blend perfectly to ensure the continued success of Pasta Sisters.

In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Francesco to share the origin story of Pasta Sisters and how the menu was crafted around the recipes of his mother, Chef Paola Da Re (2:30); the keys to running a family business and how they've navigated the challenges imposed on the restaurant industry by the pandemic (21:00); how his experience working his way up in restaurants, starting as a busboy, has given him valuable perspective in his current role as CEO (29:44); and more. 

Follow us!

Francesco: @pasta_sisters

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Neda Maghbouleh, PhD, is a sociologist and the Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity. She studies the racialization of Iranian, Syrian and other Middle Eastern & North African newcomers in the U.S. and Canada. She’s currently an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga and is among the graduate faculty at the University of Toronto St. George. Her book, The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race, was published by Stanford University Press in 2017. 

In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Neda to share how she drew on both empirical evidence (i.e. laws and court rulings) and anecdotal evidence (her interviews with numerous Iranian-Americans) to write a fascinating narrative (9:48); how institutions and individuals can engage in aesthetic racism, as was the case when the City of Beverly Hills banned the construction of columns in order to curb the development of "ugly Persian houses" (16:20); the differences in minorities in America and Canada grapple with their racial identities (23:00), and more. 

Follow us!

Neda: @nedasoc

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Sophia Parsa wears many hats: Head of Community at FabFitFun, co-founder of the Mountain Gate series, angel investor, and a Forbes 30 under 30 co-chair. During the pandemic, she’s recently co-founded two exciting ventures, Boxxie Party and Golden Rice Co. Boxxie Party delivers themed table scapes, while Golden Rice Co. is a Persian food pop-up that was just listed on The Infatuation’s “Best Pop-Ups in L.A. right now” and received a glowing review by L.A. Times restaurant critic Bill Addison on his Instagram.

In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Sophia to share her experience venturing into the food world by launching a pop-up during the pandemic (10:32), how she manages her time between her many roles (20:46), her approach to angel investing (28:00), and more. 

Follow us!

Sophia: @sophiaparsa

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Jonathan Kiros is a recording artist & songwriter who makes music and performs under the name, "Jono." In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Jono to share his songwriting process and what it's like when he's writing songs for other artists (4:58), how he comes up with ideas for music videos and crafts his narrative as an artist (15:47), how he gets out of a creative rut (32:07), and more. 

Follow us!

Jono: @jonoislife 

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Claude M. Steele is an American social psychologist, a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, and author of Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us. In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Dr. Steele to break down his research on stereotype threat, share how he comes up with experiments, offer solutions for how individuals and organizations can combat the pressure that comes with the stereotypes we face, and more. 

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Claude Steele: ClaudeSteele.com

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Improv performers and writing duo Anthony Gioe and Nick Mandernach met at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, where they wrote and performed in a series of one-act plays before writing for TV full-time. Their credits include People of Earth, Young Sheldon, I Feel Bad, Upload, and they currently write on Duncanville. They sit down with Ben to share how they sharpened their improv skills, how a background in improv has helped them in their TV writing and pitching ideas in a writers room,  qualities that have been a key part of their creative partnership, and more! 

Current curiosities:

Ben: The Big Short / macroeconomics

Anthony: Voynich manuscript

Nick: “Digression Personified: Whitman, The New York School, and the Drift of Poetry” by Srikanth Reddy

Follow us!

Anthony Gioe: @agioe

Nick Mandernach: @nickmandernach

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Sara Saedi is an author of YA novels (Never Ever, The Lost Kids) and a memoir (Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card), as well as a TV writer (credits include CW's Katy Keene and iZombie, ABC's Grand Hotel).  She sits down with Ben to discuss how she figured out the structure for her memoir (10:54); how her background as a creative executive has affected her process as a writer (20:45); and how she writes for T.V. (33:57). 

Current curiosities:

Ben: The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race by Neda Maghbouleh

Sara: Positive psychology

Follow us!

Sara Saedi: @saaaranotsarah

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Jeff Gordinier is the food and drinks editor of Esquire, a frequent contributor to the New York Times, and an author (2008's X Saves the World and 2019's Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All with the Greatest Chef in the World). 

During this episode, he shares how reading poetry and writing postcards get his creative juices going (8:30), the value he’s found in writing his pieces and books in longhand (30:32), his approach to writing profiles (42:30), and more!

Current curiosities:

Ben: On Writing by Stephen King

Jeff: Evil Geniuses by Kurt Andersen

Follow us!

Jeff Gordinier: @thegordinier

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!

Haley Boston is a Los Angeles-based film & TV writer, who recently wrote on Amazon's HUNTERS and Netflix’s BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR and was listed on the 2019 Young & Hungry list, for Hollywood's Top New Writers. She sits down with Ben to talk about how she determines if her writing is scary enough (13:30), how she processes notes from producers & executives (32:00), the importance of leaning into one's strength when in a writers room (40:46), and more! 

Current curiosities:

Ben: The impact of streaming services

Haley: How to avoid dangerous situations

Follow us!

Haley Boston: @swampmonstr

How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod

Ben: @benhannani

Website: www.hdydpod.com

Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!