Pod Help the Outcasts

In This Episode:

Name that tune. If you recognize the tune that opens the episode and can name the episode it comes from, you get a free coaster and water bottle sticker sent to you. Not kidding. First and foremost, John makes me breakfast because I am always hungover when we work on Fridays because of my cocktail club on Thursday nights. This guy's eggs will make you weak. Jalapeño. Onion. Potato. Fresh tomato. Avocado. Mushroom. This guy. Okay, so the jingle at the top is Mikey Abrams' jingle that was sped up, per Mikey's request. Good idea. It sounds good fast. It sounds good slow. Don't you think our jingles sound good at any speed? Did you catch that John says he doesn't like kids? LIES. John is a damn liar. He is OBSESSED with his brother's kids. Don't buy it.

In very exciting news, Kiara from HOLD FAST, our episode 2 business, calls us. West 42nd Street Magazine ran a competition for best bar in Hell's Kitchen, NY and Hold Fast won it! Deservedly so. Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits is a fantastic and wonderful place that we love very much. You already know how much we love them. Kiara also spills the beans about FILMING A FLASH MOB WITH OUR JINGLE FOR THEIR THIRD ANNIVERSARY. WHAT?! We can't wait. Is. This. Real? New York City is getting indoor back at 25% capacity starting 9/30. Keep wearing your masks, folks.

John discusses Bonnie, Tony, Hannah, and Harrison, a lovely family he met on a hike in Colorado that own a ramen restaurant in Indiana. Segue to...

This Week's Business:

Ramen Alley 217 Washington Ave. Suite D Columbus, Indiana 47201 812-552-5089, [email protected]

http://www.ramen-alley.com/ Instagram

Hours CLOSED SUNDAY AND MONDAY Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - Open 11-7 for Dine in or Take Out Friday and Saturday - Open 11-8 for Dine in or Take Out

In This Episode:

John is still in Denver and he is "living his dreams." We have many exciting things on the way here at Pod Help The Outcasts, all of which will be revealed very soon. Very soon. Two more episodes on the season, but we are moving along in a wonderful way. WE WANT YOUR DMs. We want to hear your comments about all we do. Sooooooooooo, we are having a bit of mic drama. We are overcoming it, because that's what we do, but we still have a bone to pick with a few companies who shall not be named; well they won't be named on the air (DEVIL EMOJI).

Fall is coming, folks. Justin is pissy off and on because the summer is ending and that makes him irritable. John flat out calls me out for not exercising. Well played. Mr. Campione. In gay culture, we call that a read. And I was read. In the larger lens, we are trying to address the subject of how to stay happy and functioning well during this seasonal transition as the pandemic lingers on in NYC. Did I mention John is happy because he is still in Denver? I think his exact words were "I breathe better here"? Is he ever coming back? Not unless we figure out some more outdoor-sy things for him to do here this fall. WEAR A MASK AT YOUR GYM, PEOPLE! C'MON. YOU HAVE TO DO IT. Did Justin go back to the gym in NYC.......What do you think?

John isn't coming back. We all know it. (Just kidding, he comes back in the middle of the episode). On this note, we have a new business to pump out in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Where John just came from. Wheat Ridge, CO is west of Denver, like a 'burb. John is obsessed. It's called Colorado Plus. Bar. Restaurant. Mini-Brewery. All Colorado beers. Lovely service. Best Wings (had John at hello). Locally sourced meat. Cue the animal sounds. Grow their own organic veggies. You can taste the difference. YES. YESSSSSSSSSSSS. JINGLE FOR YOU, COLORADO PLUS! Good find, Johnny. Their motto: "If you create an environment where passion and hard work is nourished and encouraged, success with follow." Life lessons, my dudes. Life. Lessons. Intention is what we could all stand to reconnect with all the time.

So....this week's business:

Colorado Plus. Brewery. Tap House. Restaurant.

Website | Instagram

6995 W. 38th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (720) 353-4853 (Phone)

Friday-Saturday: 11a-11p Sunday-Thursday: 11am-10pm

"If you create an environment where passion and hard work is nourished and encouraged, success with follow."

In This Episode:

John has finally lost his mind and fled New York. Will he come back, ever? It's not looking good. I have this feeling this will be the first of many more remote Pods. Please, no one think that John HATES New York. He doesn't HATE it. He just LOVES mountains more. So, respectively, I think you could call that hate but IT'S NOT HATE. Anyway, he has to come back because there are lots of very exciting things coming in the fall and we have much exciting Pod content to bring to the world.

OH. MAN. OHHHHHHHHHHHH MAAAAAN. I think it's no secret that here on POD HELP THE OUTCASTS things can quickly turn into a bromance fest. This week, it happens way earlier in the episode than usual. Enter Matthew Campione and Inspiration Roofing. John's younger brother Matt, the 'fit and funny one', owns a company in Dallas, Texas called Inspiration Roofing. They've been hit during the pandemic but luckily, for the most part, they have been able to stay pretty stable due to the nature of what they do. Social distance and roofing happen to compliment on another. He says they have seen a slow down, naturally, because of economy slowing, which is understandable.

SPOILER ALERT: REALLY GOOD INSURANCE ADVICE. WE SHOULD BE CHARGING A SUBSCRIPTION FOR THIS ADVICE.

What we love about Matt and his team is that they work with insurance on your behalf. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to go back and forth with condo board and insurance and it's SUCH A PAIN IN MY BLACK ASS. The irony here is that Matt and his Project Manager, Kevin, look weirdly exactly like John and I. Whoa. Weird. Go to website and look. My mind just exploded a bit.

This Week's Business:

Inspiration Roofing & Construction, LLC (Matthew Campione)

Website: https://www.inspirationroofing.com P: 214-799-4793 E-mail: [email protected] Instagram: @inspirationroofing & @matt_campione1 YouTube: Inspiration Roofing

In This Episode:

Another bourbon and coffee or "bourbee and coffee," I slur. We have come to a crossroads and we need your help. Firstly, we need to up our cocktail game during taping. We can't drink bourbon and coffee forever. Plus, we ran out of John's bourbon anyway. We are on it. JUST YOU WAIT FOR SEASON TWO, FRIENDS.

Secondly, merch. We are thinking stickers and coasters. Would you stick us to your stuff? Would you sit your glass on our faces and then drink from it and then put it back? Would you smile every time you looked down as you did it? These are the things we ask ourselves, on your behalf, multiple times a day.

We get a phone call from Abigail Figueroa-Vera of Aby's Upholstery!!! Gosh, we love her to death. She is the best and we feel beyond warm and fuzzies knowing we are reaching people. We then pivot to a discussion about art and the price of art as we enter the realm of Maurice Harris, a luxury florist, community coffee shop operator and performance artist, of Bloom & Plume in Los Angeles. My sister has visited his space in L.A. and I recently stumbled upon a New York Times article entitled: "Maurice Harris is a Superstar. Can He Bend Capitalism to His Talents?" What is it like to finally arrive at a place in your career when what you are making is something you could never afford? (Mind explosion). We see it as performing artists all the time in NYC. The price of a ticket to a Broadway show is more than three of my utilities in a month. Well, maybe not my summer ConEd bill, but you understand. The power of beauty. Capitalism. Creativity. Who Owns it? Can you bloom? Will you, even? Enjoy!

This Week's Business:

Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume @bloomandplume

https://shop.bloomandplume.com Bloom & Plume Coffee 213-908-5808 (Call in Orders ONLY - NOT for Merch or Customer Service) 1638 W. Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 General Inquiries - [email protected] Merch Inquiries - [email protected] @bloomandplumecoffee https://shop.bloomandplume.com

In This Episode:

We begin by giving John a physical assessment of his alignment. He's not symmetrical. Neither am I. It's because we are old and used to be young. What do we decide to do about it? Drink. Coffee and bourbons. We are very excited to enter into the Texas market of podcasting. John is from Texas, everyone. John also gives us more history we didn't know we needed, as well, as tells us that he, unlike me, actually listens to lots of Podcasts. Well, I feel like a real a$$&^*e. Oh, guuuuuys?! WE GOT INVITED TO FLORENCE. That's actually real. Well, we hope. Uhhh, what else? We love ourselves even though we didn't release an episode last week. I'm feeling very warm. It's summer and we are day drinking at 1pm in NYC. Dallas how we love thee. John references Marie's Crisis unprompted. Just sayin'. Oh, and…I LIKE TO MAKE UP FAKE WORDS. Please enjoy!!

This Week's Business:

Mikey Abrams of Texas Pride Realty Group [email protected] T. 817-714-5959 IG: @mikey_abrams Https://www.mikeyabramsrealtor.com

In this episode:

We talk about being 'songwriters'?! WHAT?! Over more coffee and bourbon, we bro-out on this question. John thinks songwriters have to do with bands and music, I think they have to do with theatrical composers and lyricists. See why this relationship works somehow? The bourbon continues to do its work... We discuss our very fake Chick-Fil-A campaign. Are we getting sued for this? Hopefully. Justin is now slightly slurring, more than usual. John is talking about Lord Knows What. Hey, everyone. We're going to Croatia? Uhhhh, we're giving ourselves props for our regional production of Les Mis from 2014?!!! Still?!! YIIIIKES. Bourbon, bourbon, la, la, la...Hey, guys, if you wanna unsubscribe now, we totally get it. Thanks for everything. Love, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. THIS S*&T IS LOSER-TASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for listening! WE LOVE YOU!

This week's business: Aby's Upholstery* https://www.abysupholstery.com T. +1 (408) 289-8887 E. [email protected] @abysupholstery

545 Horning St. San Jose, CA 95112 Appointments Only *Due to Covid-19, Aby's Upholstery will now be working on appointment only availability. We understand that this makes things a little tricky, but we are more than happy to work with your schedule, to find the best times to create the pieces you love.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

In this episode:

Finally, we record an episode drinking coffee and bourbon at 10:40 in the morning. This is our dream and has been our dream for this podcast. We talk about my Thursday night cocktail club that you are all invited to. The bourbon leads us to a conversation about New York and her abusive and demanding treatment of her inhabitants. She's a demanding lover. Obviously, there is mention of how the pandemic might look in the fall. Duh.

THIS WEEK'S BUSINESS: V&T's Laundry Box 906 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10032

Vincent and Tanya have created a cool, welcoming, FUN, space where…YOU CAN DO YOUR LAUNDRY. WHAT?! There are three slushy machines, six speakers, big screen TVS, beautiful high quality washers and dryers that I want to molest and make sweet love to. I have been saying that I wished there were a cool laundromat in the world for like 10+ years. They have created it. Movies, a dog space, games, slushies, amazing vibe and THE BEST OWNERS. I'm getting married here. I'm getting buried here. No matter I what I do here, it'll be fun and I'll have clean clothes.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/v-and-ts-laundry-box-new-york

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Laundromat/VTs-Laundry-Box-492150004569153/

https://www.instagram.com/laundrylikeus/?hl=en

Call first to make an appointment. (212) 234-7333

Monday: 8a-10p

Tuesday: 8a-10p

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 8a-10p

Friday: 8a-10p

Saturday: 7a-10p

Sunday: 7a-10p

In this episode:

In the continuing battle to eliminate background noise from my home recording station, John demands another sound check. I retaliate with Cinderella. Brian, the Dog Father of Harlem, tells us he feels like a superhero!! YAAASSSSSSSS! AND he wants a cut for a radio spot he is doing. (You guys, it's happening. We are going global.) John and I talk about how sad we are about the Europe ban, places we have visited, Justin tries to recall facts about Europe's economy but then just talks about crashing a mob boat on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. And.....the most legendary vocal crack ever recorded. EVER.

THIS WEEK'S BUSINESS: Masse's Pastries @ 1469 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley, California. Paul and Marcia Masse own and operate an exquisite gem of a European-style pastry and cake shop in North Berkeley. Found in what was once referred to as the "Gourmet Ghetto", (we don't say this anymore, kids), it's the birthplace of California cuisine; Peet's, Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, Cheese Board Collective, Cocolat chocolate are all there.

http://www.massespastries.com**

Reviewers have written of them: —"A tiny place where perfection without pretension rules." —"Masse's stands with Paris as best pastry shop. Why go to Paris when you come to Berkeley?" **Ordering Timeline 24 hour notice for ordering cakes 48 hour notice for ordering tarts

In this episode: Justin talks about being back in NYC. The MTA is clean, empty and early. WHAT?! We are very excited for summer and Phase 2 in New York City. We are taking every opportunity to get as much Vitamin D as possible while we can. THIS WEEK'S BUSINESS: Harlem Doggie Spa (http://www.Harlemdoggiedayspa.com) Brian Taylor, AKA, The Dog Father of Harlem, runs a mobile pet grooming service that has a cult following and rave reviews. In the multi-million dollar pet industry where black business owners are highly underrepresented, Brian has become a local celebrity, philanthropist and rock star groomer with return clients spanning all over Manhattan. He is currently raising money for a "Pandemic Pup Relief Tour," servicing the furry friends of people who have been fiscally impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. His Go Fund Me Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-pandemic-pup-relief-tour Follow Brian @harlemdoggiedayspa and @dogfatherofharlem Then follow us @podhelptheoutcasts on Insta and YouTube Thanks so much for listening and don't forget to subscribe! Next Episode: Masse's Pastries in Berkeley, CA!!!!

In this episode:

We briefly debrief, (you see what we did there?), on BLM and how small businesses are coping with the current climate. We, then, move on to our LOVE DU JOUR:

Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits @ 364 W 46th St (b/t 8th and 9th Avenues), on Restaurant Row in Manhattan. It's a mom & pop on Restaurant Row! Open for Limited Food Takeout Menu & Takeout Full Bar. It's Hell's Kitchen & Broadway's latest hangout; •Open Tues-Fri 2-8p •Open Sat-Sun 12-8p Follow them at @holdfastnyc on Instagram!!

Thank you so much for listening and don't forget to like and subcribe! 💗💗💗

Next Episode: HARLEM. DOGGIE. DAY. SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!