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Fresh drop with Ricky Lee Barnes and it's a true Midwestern gem.

Ricky talks to us about how he came to be in Dayton, OH and his journey to Chicago.

Speaking in depth about his introduction to the hospitality industry, we examine his trajectory and finding himself amongst queer spaces.

This episode speaks in depth about our individual ideologies while discovering commonality amongst our independent experiences.

Ricky builds out a beautiful narrative that empowers a reality to actualize your very own self worth. 

As always, we thank Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, Ritual Zero Proof for the product, Lavell Miller of Bayab Gin for the support alongside Chiyo Takemoto of Coquetel Collective, Ashley Lindsey for stepping in for garn:t and Quari Ice. 

Let this special episode truly sit with you as its brilliantly something special. 

Take care out there; see you soon. 

- The T o S Crew 

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New episode with Carlos Matias and its chock-full of industry insider information but drives a narrative that is a robust roadmap for consumer expectation and the true ethos of hospitality professionals.

Carlos speaks about his diverse background within the industry while unveiling improper practices that he experienced. Given his background and trajectory, Carlos has crafted a unique path of empowerment and accessibility within all spaces that he has been apart of.

We often talk about how diverse experiences influence our behaviors moving forward yet its inspiring to see it in real time - to ensure we combat unfortunate circumstances with a commitment to shift our experiences into something accessible for our colleagues at large.

This episode is a very "no one left behind" mentality and it is of a pivotal point within the reality of what hospitality has been and how it should be moving forward.

This is true gold.

As always, we want to thank the homies at Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, Coquetel Collective for the support and Quari Ice for the product. 

Take care out there; see you next time. 

- The T o S Crew

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We are a bit late but it's too worth the wait.

Happy to announce this episode with Chef Faiz Ally and this DELUXE drop engages multiple facets of the industry experience through necessary gems of child care, leadership, empowerment, leadership etc.

We begin with a dynamic overview of Faiz's background and his philosophy within multiple environments.

From his Pakistani nationality to upbringing through Tennessee to Washington D.C. - aka Chocolate City to Chicago; we explore diverse iterations of industry hazing, from both sides of the coin.

Faiz talks to us about the value of ascension through direction, mentorship and transparency. As a bridge to equity - this is a must listen.

We create an all encompassing conversation that drives social positivity (negatives included) and addresses industry wage increases and the reality that follows.

T o S couldn't be happier to welcome Chef Faiz to our community of dialogue and this episode highlights the shine of the industry while also shedding light to unspoken corners of hospitality.

Consumers deserve to be educated and talent deserves to empowered to the best of their ability.

As always - we thank Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation,  Ritual Zero Proof for the support, Chinola for the product and KT MCourt for stepping in for the garn:t crew.

Remember - you are worth your vision and what it entails at your pace.

Community is an act of support to the person next to you and we can't wait to see what Faiz does next. 

- T o S Crew 

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And we're back at it!

So excited to be joined by Desi Mullins to share their dynamic perspective from NYC to the Chicago culinary scene.

This episode is a heartfelt good time as we explore her respective background and find her within the reality of her authentic hospitality experience.

We dive deep in the understanding of understanding ones individual and collective value while contributing to a larger scale ecosystem.

This episode is a brilliant reminder that you are so much more than your position and your value is yours and no one can minimize it.

As always - we want to thank our partners at Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, Chinola for the support, Insólito Tequila for the product and KT McCourt for stepping in to support garn:t on the beverages to support this episode. 

Stay golden out there; happy to be back. 

- The T o S Crew 

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It's been widely too long but WE ARE BACK - and it's with Daniel Reguiera and Sean Ellis of Chicago Cane Cooperative and it's everything that we've needed.

Before you get into it - we've missed our audience [YOU]  too much and sometimes life happens and you have to take a moment.

You always have to take care of you and we appreciate you too much to not acknowledge real industry shit - from mental health, unfortunate circumstance and ingrained impostor syndrome.

Sometimes life gives you too much to handle but we are doing our best every day while being mindful of what our reality is for the community we are dedicated to serving. 

This is wild delayed but the narrative is eternal and we can't thank our guests enough. 

Daniel & Sean start off with their independent backgrounds while crafting a narrative that brings them and their respective experiences together. 

We want to give our boys the necessary shine in regards to how they create their product, promote equity and actualize labor for their staff. 

This deluxe episode is for EVERYONE but most specifically - how the labor force deserves recognition, respect and overall enthusiasm to our commitment to culture and equity not only domestically and abroad. 

Get into their journey and we can't wait to see what we can do - collectively. 

We're back and it's too good. 

- The T o S Crew 

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To slide into the conclusion of Black History Month -  we are very stoked to welcome Jesse Steward Jr. of Alexander James Whiskey to discuss his heritage specific journey in building out his black owned brand.

We begin with his inspiration behind the brand and move into how familial tradition affects the intentionality beyond the bottle.

Jesse speaks to his Chicago commitment while also discussing how his diverse roots promote the culture of his brand, vision and community engagement.

This episode is a kick back for the culture and we couldn't be happier to sit down and shoot the sh*t with the newest homie to the T o S fam.

As always - nothing but love to Blind Barber Chicago  for hosting this necessary conversation.

This drop is for the culture of the industry community and truly speaks for itself.

Get into it and support our dude at Alexander James Whiskey as black owned brands make up such a small percentage of the overall market share but are some of the most sought after. 

Stay up out there; see you soon, 

- The T o S Crew 

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Fresh drop with Emily Miller and LeighAnn Hranka of Junior Council and it's a bit different than we have done in the past but oh so fulfilling.

We discuss their collective work in supporting Lurie's Children's Hospital through their Snowball Gala at The Drake Hotel Feb. 24th.

Emily and LeighAnn discuss their commitment to non profit work, how important it is for brands to come together for the greater good and the brilliant support of their event  at The Drake Hotel.

This episode truly embodies the spirit of hospitality and we couldn't be more excited to support Junior Council on this beautiful mission.

As always - a supreme thank you to Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, Ritual Zero Proof for the support and everything that Junior Council represents for the greater community. 

See you soon, 

- The T o S Crew 

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Fresh drop with Art Mendoza of Barrel Aged Hospitality and Felipe Ospina of Sysco  discussing generational hospitality, mentorship and doing right by one's community.

We begin with Art and Felipe's respective backgrounds and explore how they their experience within hospitality is varied from the current landscape of the industry.

Speaking about large scale operations and the translation to more market specific concepts, Art and Felipe shine a necessary light on past industry trends and how they work to overcome them with the new generation of hospitality.

This episode beautifully bridges the gap between how the industry has been and most importantly - what is looks like moving forward.

As always - a supreme shout out to Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, Athletic Brewing for the product support and our guests for their time and expertise.

Stay golden out there; see you soon, 

- The T o S Crew 

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New episode drop with Jamie Chambers and its toooo cosmic.

We explore her dynamic hospitality journey through the lens of astrology, zodiac and the art of tarot.

This conversation is absolutely fascinating and provides deep insight into our behavioral patterns - personally and professionally.

Jamie shares her sobriety journey and how her process allowed her to critically analyze herself while making very powerful changes within her life.

We also discuss sobriety within the context of her relationship and the value that it has brought them both.

This dialogue is quite near and dear to us and it really captures the energy of the New Year and deserves a very present listening.

As always, we want to thank the homies at Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation, No & Low for the support and if anyone is out here struggling or is curious about sobriety  - please reach out to Ben's Friends for any resources that you may be searching for. 

Push yourself to take the high road, 

- The T o S Crew 

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NEW DROP with Josean Irizarry of Smash Jibarito  and it's the communal dialogue that excites us the most.

Josean talks about his ascension through the industry, mentorship, anxiety and ultimately - how entrepreneurship has challenged his journey and overall perspective on his business development.

We talk about the the impact of the culture of The Bear and the commercialization of realities on how we operate our lives and its effect on our perspective of the industry.

We anchor this dialogue through a multitude of lenses that truly meets the industry where they are.

This narrative highlights the dichotomy of Josean's journey, his commitment to his craft and how they have navigated their mission to make his mark on the industry that you can feel and access.

As always - supreme shout out to Blind Barber Chicago for this necessary conversation, No & Low for the support and the entire crew for making this gem of a dialogue come to fruition. 

Happy holidays from us to you - enjoy yourself, wherever you find yourself. 

From us to you, 

The T o S Crew 

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