Beyond the Smoke with Thomas Ward

This week we sat down with Vic Martinez, Creative Director at BrandCrumbs, as he shares the journey of building a media company from the ground up. Starting with a $400 camera and no formal training, Vic taught himself video production through trial and error, learning by doing and embracing every mistake along the way. What began as a side hustle creating content for local businesses eventually g...

This week we sat down with José Alberto Suárez, a media mogul, who has shaped the landscape of media. From humble beginnings, José started off with street level marketing, from posters to billboards he did it all. But the times changed, the media was slowly becoming less and less physical and more digital, and he had to adapt quickly before he was left in the dust. This week we learn firsthand how...

This week we sat down with Eric and Eddie Stankiewicz, better known as the "stanky brothers." These two sauce connoisseurs are here to share their expertise on the art of making the perfect sauce. From a young age, Eric and Eddie both had a passion for flavor, growing up in a Latin household, they were constantly learning about spices and flavors from their Mom and Abuela. This love of f...

This week we sat down with Ajay Bharadva, a sales partner with Porsche, as he tells his life story of using his passions and persistence to modify his career.  From humble beginnings, Ajay worked his way up in the family business at his father’s auto collision shop in Orlando. From there he shifted gears, and turned his passion for cars into the driving force that has made him a remarkable sales a...

This week we sat down with Andres Maldonado, the Founder and Executive Chef of Nona Street Pizza; And he tells the story of his business that he built from the crust up.  Andres wanted to make his food truck different from your run of the mill roach coach, saying “I wanted to bring the country club style to a food truck. While I’m one of the guilty people that has seen food trucks as inferior to a...

We sit down with Yamuel Bigio as he describes how his father’s supermarket business sparked a culinary passion that led to him creating and running Crocante restaurant.  He believes in "Just putting out great food all the time. There's no in between. As a cook, you're as good as your last dish." So despite struggling with culinary school, business closures, and the impact of the...

Allen Lo and Kaleb Harrell are co founders of Hawkers Asian Street Food & Craft Cocktails. What once started off as only a simple passion for Asian street food, has exploded into a multi- location empire. Through hand-rolled dumplings, unyielding dedication, and street smart strategies, these entrepreneurs have worked their way to the top to become the buzz of the Orlando food scene. You won’t...

We sit down with Jeff and Danielle Perera, the founders of Jeff's Bagels, and their new partner, Justin Wetherill, the former CEO of uBreakiFix. Get a look into the impressive expansion of Jeff's Bagel Run, a beloved Orlando staple. They reveal their strategies for growth, team-building, and maintaining quality across multiple locations. [03:00] The Birth of Jeff's Bagels [04:30] New P...

Gabriel Boy turned a layoff into a springboard for success. Unpack Gabriel's journey through high-stakes decision making, scaling a business from the ground up, and his lifelong attempt to master the art of resilience. Don't miss this episode of Beyond The Smoke. Tap into inspiration, draw from Gabriel's lessons, and maybe, just maybe, you'll find the courage to make your own pivot...

The Cholo Dogs themselves - Chris Delahoz and Jordan Eichenblatt - join our host Thomas Ward to they discuss the meteoric rise of a pandemic-born hotdog empire. From navigating unforeseen challenges to toasting unexpected victories, get a taste of how resilience and innovation can cook up success even in the toughest times. 1:30  - Launching in Lockdown 5:45  - Crafting a Hotdog Dream 10:15  - Mar...

Thomas sits down with Ty Pope, an IFBB pro bodybuilder turned entrepreneur. Ty's journey from the fitness industry to entrepreneurship offers valuable lessons in resilience, vision, and the importance of maintaining your core values during expansion. 02:00 - Ty's Journey from Bodybuilding to Business 10:00 - The Role of Vision in Business Success 20:00 - Lessons in Resilience from Bodybuil...

"It's our job as developers in Orlando or as entrepreneurs here in Orlando to keep giving people reasons to come here and stay here." – Giovanni Fernandez Thomas Ward sits down with the founder and owner of Otto's High Dive - Giovanni Fernandez. Giovanni is on a mission to create vibrant community spaces by blending real estate development with the restaurant industry. Discover h...

"Embrace failures as fortunes" says Ruben Perez, the mastermind turning his Cuban heritage into a celebrated national treasure, one dish at a time. Hear how Ruben rose from humble beginnings, starting as a dishwasher, to crafting a restaurant dynasty. Discover the pivotal moments where Ruben turned daunting failures into stepping stones for success. Unlock the secrets behind his mantra,...

John Rife - Founder of Orlando's East End Market and partner in Lineage Coffee Roasting, The Neighbors and Kaya Orlando sits down with me to discuss co-mingling, collaborating vs competing, and his journey establishing multiple successful restaurants.

Listen to this podcast ➔ https://youtu.be/sFYp_VCrcGo Matthew Wayne is a rising country music artist who has been making music since the age of 5. He has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Joey Fatone from NSYNC and Boyz II Men.    Find him on Spotify, Apple Music, anywhere you listen to music or his website https://www.matthewwayn...

Watch this podcast ➔ https://youtu.be/D3n-vYn_V1E Viral Content Creator and Color Enthusiast Tony Piloseno specializes in the art of color creation across various platforms on social media. Working in a paint store for more than five years, Tony moved to Orlando to create the brand Tonester Paints as the new and modern approach to adding color in your home.   Find Tony at https://tonesterpain...

Jim Super is the Founder and CEO of Wolves Den Customs. They specialize in customizing vehicles beyond your expectations. In this episode, we discuss his journey and how he takes pride in his losses because it got him closer to each win.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RoM2XgNhTEQ Z's grandma taught him everything she knew about tobacco - from caring for the plants to rolling a supreme cigar.   What started as a small project for Z to have private label cigars to smoke on the golf course has grown into one of the most celebrated boutique brands in modern cigars. It all started when Z was fired from his job at Disney,...

Watch this podcast ➔https://youtu.be/eANA8DrBqZ4 Studio Piacere was founded in 2019 by Lauren Graback with the mission of creating interiors to celebrate life's simple pleasures, milestones, victories & everything in between.  Lauren is leading the design of our next concept, Pigzza and has helped us breathe new life into our original store on Mills.    Connect with her at http:...

Watch this podcast on YouTube ➔ https://youtu.be/_7SRueUCiCU We owe our guests and customers an incredible experience. That's what Seth Miller, Vice President - Chief Operating Officer at Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, and I discuss in this episode.

Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/KI6C4mhLgSM Matt Certo serves as CEO & Principal of Findsome & Winmore, an Orlando, Florida-based digital marketing agency, and host of the Brand Narrative podcast.   We discuss leadership, creating culture in operations, why digital marketing is important and share memories of our alma mater, Rollins College.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sQC4A2zxq2Y Chris, the son of Betsy and Jon Hughes has been around the running industry for much of his life and has worked in the field for most of the last decade. Now he continues his family's legacy and growing Track Shack as Director of Retail Operations.

Without risk, there is no success. Wil Torres is a consumer-packaged goods veteran who’s helped brands like RxBar, PopCorners, and Krispy Kreme, and founded Golden Dough Foods right here in Orlando.  He shares how he found success from absolutely nothing, got Krispy Kreme into retail, and his plans to revolutionize the donut industry.

Watch this episode - https://youtu.be/5mt1gQmwVL0   🇧🇷 🌎 NIKO IS - Brazilian-born MC, raised in Orlando, Talib Kweli | Javotti Media affiliate — lights up any room with his infectious music and contagious energy.    We discussed his love for food, blossoming from Orlando to the world, and what it takes to make your dream come true.   ★  FOLLOW NIKO IS  ♫ http://bit.l...

YouTube - https://youtu.be/igWWmAh1B2U In this special episode, Jeff and Danielle Perera take us to their new location in College Park and give us the entire story of how they went from selling bagels on their driveway to a successful multi-unit bagel biz.  CONNECT WITH THEM IG ➔ https://instagram.com/jeffsbagelrunFB ➔ https://facebook.com/jeffsbagelrun