#12. Seamus Mullen, a renowned chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author known for his expertise in Spanish cuisine, discusses his journey from being a chef to becoming a health and wellness expert.

After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and experiencing health issues, Seamus embarked on a mission to educate others about the impact of proper nutrition on overall health and autoimmune diseases like RA.

Seamus reflects on the importance of shifting mindsets and transitioning from perceiving oneself as a sick person to embracing self-compassion and recognizing struggles as opportunities for growth.

This episode explores a wide range of topics, including stress management, mental health, fasting, the strengths and weaknesses of Western medicine, and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that bring happiness to chefs.

Where to find Seamus Mullen: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(1:51) How Josh and Seamus first met

(4:45) Paella and Spanish cuisine

(8:20) Seamus’ background

(13:19) Living with rheumatoid arthritis 

(15:44) Compassion and finding equilibrium in your body

(21:24) Are chefs spokespeople for how we eat?

(26:56) Fasting and gratitude 

(29:34) Cortisol shouldn’t be vilified 

(31:49) Why do we eat?

(33:57) Taking a holistic approach to diet and wellness

(36:37) Nutrition is personal

#11. Chef Marc Forgione, owner of Respect Hospitality Group (Peasant, Restaurant Marc Forgione, One Fifth) is renowned for his ability to reimagine historic spaces and his talent for creating a harmonious blend of playful and cerebral food. 

Being the son of renowned chef Larry Forgione, Marc had to navigate the expectations and comparisons that come with such a legacy. Plus, face additional obstacles like the financial crisis and the recent pandemic. 

Despite these setbacks, Marc shares his philosophy of embracing adversity, referring to it as "Forge luck." This mindset has allowed him to thrive and achieve success in the competitive culinary industry.

Where to find Marc Forgione: 

• Instagram
• Twitter

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(0:00) The benefits of micro-dosing

(6:19) What is Forge luck?

(10:14) Putting things in perspective after Covid

(11:44) Growing up as Larry Forgione’s son

(13:30) Taking over Peasant

(16:11) Maintaining consistency across all businesses

(19:39) How have cooks changed over the years?

(24:28) Marc’s process for ideation

(26:42) Becoming a parent and decision making

(30:12) Creating and tweaking dishes

(38:11) How Marc collaborates with his team

(40:03) Earning the right to share

(42:07) Motivation and constructive feedback

(43:59) Why Marc loves historic spaces

(47:17) Walking the walk with Respect Hospitality

#10. Shawn Walchef is not only a restaurateur but an expert in digital media and storytelling. During the episode, he emphasizes the importance of taking time, making mistakes, and consistently learning. According to Shawn, storytelling is crucial in creating an emotional connection with customers, and he believes that technology can make barbecue more accessible to people.

The podcast touches on the importance of connection in digital marketing and the long-term approach to building relationships. Shawn advises entrepreneurs to focus on being authentic and raw in their online presence, rather than trying to be commercial, believing that personal stories can add value to one's online presence and that privacy and storytelling can coexist.

Where to find Shawn Walchef: 

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Cali BBQ Media
• Digital Hospitality
• Restaurant Influencers

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(2:47) Shawn’s background

(6:31) Why Shawn is so interested in storytelling

(9:35) Shawn’s framework for telling stories

(10:06) The difference between digital marketing and social media

(14:45) The importance of learning new things

(18:37) Balancing personal and business storytelling

(22:15) The importance of understanding your audience

(25:34) Digital marketing is like the tortoise and the hare

(29:18) Simplifying your message

(32:34) Partnering with Entrepreneur 

(38:37) Restaurants using PR

(41:34) What’s next for Shawn?

#9. Slovakian-bored Chef Vojtech Vegh has spent his career dedicated to the pursuit of zero-waste plant-based cooking, helping restaurants around the world implement tactics into their daily operations, such as focusing on reducing food when creating menus, and not on the cutting board.

In this episode, Josh and Vojtech go into detail about his background, explaining what it was like to work in professional kitchens for 12 years before opening the world’s first vegan and zero-waste restaurant in Cambodia. Vojtech discusses how he went above and beyond when it comes to sustainability, making sure all aspects of the restaurant were handmade, custom, locally sourced, and socially conscious.

He also outlines his philosophy for the "black truffle mindset," which is the idea of being as respectful to a carrot as you are to a black truffle. Vegh argues that digging deep into an ingredient is so much fun for chefs and that one can do so much with one ingredient.

*Please note that due to some technical difficulties, the audio quality of this week's episode falls short of our typical standard. We remain committed to delivering informative and engaging content to our audience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to continuously improve our production.*

Where to find Vojtech Vegh:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover: 

(1:50) Vojtech’s background

(2:18) Why he opened a vegan restaurant in Cambodia

(4:19) Is meat a luxury?

(7:56) What is zero waste?

(10:07) The challenges of going zero-waste

(13:47) How he planned for sustainability

(16:08) The black truffle mindset

(18:55) How Vojtech got deep into the world of zero waste

(23:47) Zero waste start with your menu

(27:11) Zero waste techniques for restaurants

(33:10) Why he wrote Surplus

(35:56) How to jump start waste reduction

(37:01) Who inspires Vojtech

(39:01) Food waste lightning round

#8. Lior Lev Sercarz passion for ingredients began at a young age when he would pick berries and go fishing in the river next to the Israeli kibbutz he grew up in. He later attended the Institute Paul Bocuse in France and worked for renowned chefs such as Olivier Roellinger and Daniel Boulud before dedicating himself to diving deep into the world of spices.

He has also collaborated with many incredible chefs like Eric Ripert and Apollonia Poilâne and is a bestselling cookbook author with three books and a fourth on the way - A Middle Eastern Pantry.

In this conversation, Lior Lev Sercarz discusses the importance of using high-quality spices not only for taste, but for better profits at restaurants. Lior’s approach to creating spice blends is considered a work of art, as he can meld flavors, colors, aromas, textures, and mouthfeel to create unique and timeless spice blends.

Lior also goes into detail about founding the Galilee Culinary Institute (GCI), which is set to open in May 2024 in Israel. The campus will include a restaurant, a wine bar, a coffee shop, a beer brewery, a chocolate lab, auditoriums, and classes. The program is designed to prepare students for various careers, such as working in a restaurant, opening their own, working in a lab for a food manufacturer, becoming a food stylist or food writer. 

Where to find Lior Lev Sercarz: 

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(3:50) Lior’s background

(8:09) Challenges with sourcing spices

(11:34) Common misconceptions for spices

(14:17) Why high quality spices lead to better profits

(16:21) Lior’s blending process

(20:01) How spice collaborations start

(23:07) The most common spice blends

(26:51) Why Urfa Chili is addictive

(27:58) The future of the spice market in America

(33:19) What is the Galilee Culinary Institute?

(40:28) Do spices help kids open up to more food?

(42:28) Working with Olivier Rœllinger

(46:24) Why is it called La Boîte?

#7. Dan Simons details how he built a sustainable restaurant group, what conscious capitalism looks like, and why supporting your team's mental health leads to better profits.  He shares his philosophy of "through the eyes of the farmer" which guides Founding Farmers decision-making process.  And talks about the challenges of balancing the big picture of climate change and sustainability with the day-to-day operations of a business.  Plus, discusses how his company not only focuses on nurturing the earth and the land but also on mental health resources, coaching classes, and more for their teams. 

Where to find Dan Simons: 

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(3:52) What is Founding Farmers?

(6:14) Founding Farmers Partnerships

(8:33) What does farm-to-table mean?

(11:14) Sustainability through the eyes of a farmer

(16:00) Building horizontal growth

(20:50) On coaching, leadership and empowerment

(26:36) Why you should be a mental health advocate

(32:32) De-stigmatizing mental health challenges in the workplace

(38:31) How Dan is helping other business prioritize mental health

(41:09) How to live a life of no regrets

(48:02) Who inspires Dan today?

#6. This episode of The meez Podcast provides a glimpse into the life and relationship of one of the most prominent chefs in the food industry, the late Chef Floyd Cardoz, and the woman behind him, Barkha Cardoz, founder of Cardoz Legacy. The conversation showcases their love for food, family, and each other.

Barkha and Josh discuss how she and Floyd worked together to achieve a work life balance and recognized the importance of being present with their family. Floyd was a quiet person at home, but they would still discuss things when he needed an outsider's perspective. She also talks about the importance of Floyd's ability to balance spices and flavors with respecting the vegetables in his cooking.

The discussion also centers around her launch of FC Masala. In 2021, Barkha launched a line of masala blends that she and Floyd had been working on together for Burlap & Barrel. With flavors such as Garam, Goan, and Kashmir, these incredible masalas are made with high-quality, freshly ground spices to honor Floyd's passion for using freshly ground spices in his own cooking. FC Masala has grown into several other initiatives that Barkha is now launching, carrying on Chef Floyd's name while building a brand of her own.

Where to find Barkha Cardoz: 

• Instagram

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(3:11) Early life in the United States

(8:35) Reconnected with Floyd in NYC

(14:12) Cooking at home and finding work/life balance

(22:59) The future of Indian food in the U.S.

(30:40) What is a masala?

(33:06) The beginnings of FC masala

(38:36) Partnering with Burlap & Barrel

(42:40) Testing out masala flavors

(50:14) The FC masala recipe contest

(54:24) Creating a cookbook

(57:43) The Cardoz Legacy scholarship

(1:01:30) What’s next for Barkha

#5. In this episode of The meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey interviews Tim Ma, an accomplished chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Washington D.C. based chef Tim Ma is the founder and CEO of Lucky Danger, the Culinary Director of Laoban Dumplings, co-founder of the nonprofit Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, and a culinary consultant for several major projects across the US.

In this episode, Tim talks about his non-traditional path to cooking, his experiences scaling restaurants, what it was like cooking for the Vice President, and how his family's heirlooms ended up being featured in an exhibit at the Smithsonian American History Museum. Plus, the challenge of systemizing Chinese cooking, which is known for its artistry and complexity.

Throughout the episode, Tim shares his passion for food and how his non-profit, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, has continued to raise funds not just for the Asian American community, but in response to all allies in need. 

Get involved and discover events in your area at www.chefsstoppingaapihate.com/.

Where to find Tim Ma: 

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(3:03) Tim Ma’s background

(4:29) Opening a sandwich shop

(7:40) Cooking for the Vice President

(10:12) Tim’s Smithsonian Exhibit 

(15:54) Being Chinese in Arkansas 

(18:39) Tim’s Early Business Lessons

(22:22) How Tim maintains consistency

(25:15) How to operationalize American Chinese food

(28:59) What is American-Chinese Food?

(33:08) Is iterating ever done?

(36:17) Why Tim loves to open new concepts and restaurants

(38:45) What it’s like starting a CPG business

(48:14) What inspired Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate?

(53:48) Helping people chase dreams

(55:50) Tim’s biggest influences

#4. Chef, entrepreneur, activist and author Reem Assil details how she started restaurants, building culture, poker, parenting, and Arab hospitality.

Reem Assil is the founder of Reem's California, an Arab Street food restaurant in the Bay Area, and the author of the recently published book, Arabiyya.  In the episode, Reem reveals that she got into poker during a transitional period in her life, which allowed her to develop confidence. The game also taught her how to not get caught up with the ups and downs and play the long game.

They also discuss Reem's upbringing as a Palestinian Syrian and how it has informed her work as an activist and entrepreneur. She shares her experiences as a former labor and community organizer and the challenges of navigating the food industry as a woman of color. They also talk about her book, Arabiyya, which showcases her passion for preserving the culinary traditions of her culture while also pushing the boundaries and experimenting with new flavors.

In addition, they touch on the importance of building a strong culture within a restaurant, the challenges of parenting and running a business simultaneously, and the concept of Arab hospitality, which involves the sweet torture of excessive generosity and kindness. Overall, this episode offers valuable insights into the mind of a successful entrepreneur and activist and how her experiences have shaped her approach to decision-making, leadership, and culture building.

Where to find Reem Assil: 

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(2:38) How poker impacts business decisions
(7:22) What does it mean to be a chef?
(11:14) How Reem operationalizes her kitchens
(14:04) The Traction model
(15:37) How Reem is building her legacy
(17:18) How to hire the right people
(19:12) Investing in language justice
(20:29) What is Arab hospitality?
(23:05) Balancing preserving traditions and evolving
(26:02) Colonialism and the language of cuisine
(27:57) The future of Reem’s California
(32:16) The joy of publishing Arabiyya
(34:45) The parallels of Arab and Mexican traditions
(37:24) Reem on reclaiming her identity
(40:55) Lessons learned from motherhood
(44:43) Reem on television shows and social justice

#3. Mateo Kehler, CEO and co-founder of Jasper Hill Farm, a world-renowned cheese maker, discusses meaningful work and combating the commoditization of cheese making by reinvesting capital into rural communities.

This conversation with Mateo is both inspiring and educational. Jasper Hill Farm is a shining example of how a deep vision and a commitment to meaningful work can create a lasting legacy. And his story is a reminder that success is not just about making great cheese or running a profitable business. It is about creating something that gives back to the local community.

Where to find Mateo Kehler:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Where to find host Josh Sharkey:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we cover:

(2:47) Finding meaningful work with Jasper Hill

(7:02) Financing a cheese facility

(8:54) Jasper Hill’s dedication to quality

(14:16) Cabot creamery partnership

(22:30) Cheese is a form of capital

(23:08) Supporting local dairy farms

(29:14) Reversing the flow of capital

(31:04) How Mateo reiterates Jasper Hill’s mission

(33:57) Doubling down on quality during the pandemic

(36:54) Why diversity is always good with cheese

(39:43) Experimenting with microbiology

(42:38) Does the quest for quality ever end?

(46:08) Jasper Hill wash collaborations with chefs

(50:28) Mateo’s biggest influence in life