I am Consciously Curious

Our next guests are the Founders of Pickled Prince. A condiment brand that’s making waves through local farmers markets and collaborations with local restaurants. They recently won Chicago Reader’s Best Preserves in 2023! They’ve collaborated with the likes of Pizza Friendly Pizza, Umamicue, and TriBecca’s Sandwich shop. We explore their individual journeys, how they met, and how they started to pickle things out of boredom during the pandemic. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian and Alex of Pickled Prince.

https://www.pickledprince.com/

Our next guest is a mentor and a friend. He’s a dad of three girls, practitioner and teacher of jiu jitsu, and the Founder of the best cold brew I’ve ever had, Kyoto Black Coffee. For the OG’s of the podcast, Justin came on a little over five years ago when he was still at the cafe, Edge of Sweetness. Since then, we briefly cohosted a tasting show where he walks us through palate training with various food and beverages. You can find Justin’s coffee around places like Drip Collective and SoHo House in West Loop or Cindy’s Rooftop on Michigan Ave. He’s collaborated with Metropolitan Brewing (RIP) on their coffee lager and Pretty Cool Ice Cream on a vegan cold brew latte pop. He’s currently running a special for one time orders and subscriptions. Use the code “JUMPSTART” at checkout to get 10% off. Please enjoy my conversation with Justin Doggett. 

https://instagram.com/kyotoblackcoffee
https://kyotostylecoffee.com/

Our next guest hosts the Chicago exploration page, Chicago Food Guide. He also operates a social media agency and teaches to ESL students at a local high school. We explore his humble beginnings in the south suburbs living on link all the way to navigating client deals. He’s collaborated with local comedians and athletes while showcasing some great spots around Chicago. He’s leveraged the network he’s cultivated and created opportunities for people around him through his media agency. Please enjoy my conversation with Amin Tomalieh.

https://instagram.com/chicago.food.guide

Our next guests are shedding light on the short and long term effects of Concussions. Leading from personal experiences, Dr. Chris Nowinski who is a former Ivy League Football Player, a former professional wrestler [lookup Chris Harvard], author, and neuroscientist who co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation. An organization that performs research on brains that experienced concussions as well as being a resource for anyone experiencing post concussion syndrome (PCS) or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Lewis Simon was en route to becoming a pro hockey player but experienced a series of concussions that took him out of the game. He’s an entrepreneur (Founder of STY house), a youth hockey coach, and soon to be sports agent. We didn’t have too much time with these guys, but it was a pleasure learning a bit more about the ambiguous signs and symptoms that may manifest down the road after experiencing a series of concussions. CLF has a hotline if you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms from a previous concussion.

https://concussionfoundation.org/
https://styhouse.com/

Follow them:
https://instagram.com/concussionfoundation
https://instagram.com/sty.house

Our next guest is a young man who’s evoking compassion and fostering community in Chicago. You might have seen some of his videos of charitable acts at a grocery store or a gas station helping people pay for their bills. My favorites are the follow ups with certain individuals like Marcus who was battling homelessness. These videos are just one aspect of his organization, Immeasurable Impact. He has so many lofty goals, and we really get to hear him string his thoughts together in real time. Please enjoy my conversation with Colby of Immeasurable Impact. 

https://instagram.com/immeasurable_impact

Our next guest is a creator in every sense of the word. They and their partner Stephen are the humans behind Edgewater Candles and they’re going into their 8th year this year. We journey through their many iterations. From discovering a love of scents, getting their first sale, moving to Evanston, and eventually coming home to Edgewater, you get a feel for how much work and love go into a small business. You can find their goodies at various shops around the city, but I encourage you to pop into their shop on Bryn Mawr. They offer soaps, diffusers, candles, and even wearable fragrances. If you’re looking for a cute date idea, their candle making class was so much fun. It’s BYOB and Mark does a great job curating a playful experience. Please enjoy my conversation with Mark Towns of Edgewater Candles.

https://edgewatercandles.com

Our next guest is a Certified Sake Sommelier. He was recently nominated for Sommelier of the Year by The Jean Banchet Awards. He’s currently a manager for Sushi San and The Omakase Room at Sushi San. His love for hospitality and knowledge of sake are palpable. We go into his personal journey with sake as well as explain where one would begin when trying sake. Please enjoy my conversation with Daniel Bennett. Justine and I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Omakase Room, and we had a blast. The food and beverage exceeded expectations, and the service was more playful compared to other Omakases. Regardless, I highly recommend you seek out an Omakase experience if ever given the opportunity.

https://instagram.com/kanpai_guy

Our next guest is the current Medical Director for the local animal rescue, One Tail at a Time. She shares some of her experiences that led her to pursue Veterinary Medicine and specifically shelter medicine. We even explore some conversations around adoption and what pet owners can do to keep their fur babies healthy. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Rachael Wooten. 

https://www.onetail.org
https://instagram.com/dr.raywooschen

Our next guest is the fourth generation owner of J.P. Graziano Grocery Company. They were voted the Best Sandwich Shop by Chicago Reader in 2023. The shop is an icon of nostalgia in the West Loop neighborhood that instantly transports you to the 1930’s. We talk a lot about family and legacy. From his relationship with his father to carrying the torch of the family business. He’s strong-willed and authentic. If you’re in the area, stop in for a sandwich at 901 W Randolph St. Please enjoy my conversation with Jim Graziano.

J.P. Graziano Grocery
Taste Real Chicago

Our next guest is a travel influencer and content creator. While feeling unfulfilled in his corporate role, he began to dabble in creating content and found some success. With the encouragement of his inner circle, he decided to go all in on the content creator journey this year. He highlights underrated bites and places local to Chicago as well as around the world. Like many of us, he looks up to the late Anthony Bourdain and strives to encourage people to cultivate empathy and compassion through traveling. Please enjoy my conversation with Dong Kim.

Dong's Instagram