📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube

In this episode of I’ll Meet You There, host Paige Nolan sits down with actor and entrepreneur Adam Shapiro for a funny, heartfelt, and inspiring conversation about creativity, parenthood, reinvention, and the winding road that led to Shappy Pretzel.

Adam shares how simple act of cooking with his son during Covid lockdowns soon became an obsession: recreating the perfect Philadelphia soft pretzel. After Ryan Seacrest mentioned the pretzels on-air, what started as a playful idea quickly grew into Shappy Pretzel, drawing local demand, press attention, and a wave of unexpected momentum.

Paige and Adam talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, the nonstop problem-solving behind the scenes, and the many twists the business has taken through production partnerships, bakery moves, and community support. Adam also reflects on balancing acting, theater-company work, fatherhood, and business ownership, while staying connected to authenticity, nostalgia, and the creative community that keeps him grounded.

What We Explored This Episode

00:00 Before Times Setup

00:17 Morocco to Lockdown

01:42 Pregnancy and Isolation

03:35 Cooking with Albie

04:21 Philly Pretzel Quest

05:07 Seacrest Sparks Demand

06:57 Driveway Pickup Goes Viral

07:49 From Hobby to Business

09:31 Scaling with Bakeries

12:27 Finding a Stable Home

14:47 Branding Gets Authentic

22:40 Juggling Acting and Pretzels

25:49 Theater Company Origin Story

29:56 Mentorship and Gatekeepers

34:14 Family of Educators

35:39 Philly Roots and Fandom

36:07 Raising Kids in LA Sports

37:19 Best Soft Pretzel Debate

38:43 Pretzel Baker Road Trip

40:06 Pretzel Community on Set

42:14 Mentorship and Paying It Forward

46:19 Learning LA and Parenting

52:24 LA Creativity and Culture

54:40 Entrepreneurship Reality Check

59:05 Imposter Syndrome and Confidence

01:01:40 Acting and Pretzels Collide

01:03:44 Wrap Up and Next Bake

Resources Mentioned

Shappy Pretzel

Connect with Adam

Website - http://www.shappypretzel.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shappypretzel/ & https://www.instagram.com/shappyshaps/

Connect with Paige

Website - https://paigenolan.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/

🎙️

Music by Boyd McDonnell

Cover art photography by Innis Casey

Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network