Lunch with Biggie

My guest this week was Taylor Land , owner of Peculiar Pirate- a brand where they take the mantra of living a pirate's life and infuse it into their shirts and goods. I got to talk with Taylor about his childhood love of things related to pirates, nautical, and beach, and how it became a clothing brand.  We discussed the evolution and growth of the brand, and about taking away the perimeters a...

My guest this week was Jeff Perera , co-owner of Jeff’s Bagel Run - a scratch bagel bakery (boiled and baked fresh) with house whipped cream cheese and delicious craft coffee for our 200th episode.  Jeff has been on the show before (check out his episode in 2021), opening his 1st location, and now they are at 35 locations across the US with over 120 more in development. Jeff and I spoke about ever...

My guest this week was Carol Maloney Scott , wan author who loves to create stories that are hilarious and romantic, filled with quirky unforgettable characters, and has written over 14 books.   I spoke with Carol- about where she got her love for books and decided to write her 1st book.  She discussed everything from where she gets her inspiration and material from- we also discuss where she keep...

My guest this week is Joe Liguori, a restaurateur who is serving up award-winning burgers, bourbon, and beer at The Hangry Bison and is committed to sourcing the freshest ingredients within the community.   I spoke with Joe about how he started with opening Pizzeria Valdiano , how he has expanded to opening several additional locations, and how he decided to open The Hangry Bison, with 3 of them b...

My guest this week was Nick and Rebecca Roccanti, the founders of Palmr.  Palmr is a Florida family-style clothing brand. Premium clothing made for real life — coordinating looks for every member of the crew, built for the Florida heat and the way Florida families actually live. Raising two T1D warriors in Orlando, they wanted family clothing that actually felt like it was made for the life they l...

My guests this week were Kelsey Fuller, Elena Vaamonde , and Jordan Owen of Pitch-A-Friend Orlando, where they are bringing real-life singles events to Orlando, where a friend can showcase their awesome single friend in a short slide deck at local bars and breweries for others to meet singles.   I got to learn more about how Kelsey, Elena, and Jordan got involved with Pitch a Friend Orlando and wh...

My guest this week was Ryan Danley , of DOA Co, - a guitarist/ songwriter who created one of a kind art/fashion tees & goods "for the ghoulish mortal possessed by a spooky lifestyle”. Ryan and I spoke about how Death of Absolution Co started and where the name came from and his love for all things Horror- Halloween- Cult Classics- Tiki- Macabre.  We chatted about the importance of doing in person...

My guest this week was Brandon Basista , The Bearded Chef Kitchen, a James Beard–recognized chef with two decades of culinary expertise. Who has journeyed from Fine Dining to Food Truck to now doing private dinners, events, weddings, pop-ups, custom school lunch programs & more! I met Brandon while filming a show called Blind Kitchen Orlando and loved his energy and his passion for food. His g...

My guest this week I had Andrew Scala on the show again - he is the owner and chef behind JAM Hot Chicken - who was love at 1st bite when he bit into a Hot Chicken sandwich back in 2016.  Now he is bringing the HEAT and bringing the JAM to Winter Park and Winter Garden.   Was great to reconnect with Andrew and talk about the transition of opening a new spot and how the opportunity to open at Plant...

My guest this week is Kelly Shea- who is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and author.  She is the Founder/CEO of Innovation Station - a series of activities designed to create the next generation of problem-solvers through hands-on Invention kits.  She was Orlando Business Journal in 2023 for the ’25 Innovators Under 25′ award and patent owner of DripLock - a stackable device to stop pump bottles...

My guest this week is Daniel Pacchioni- the owner of Pacchioni World Inspired Cheesesteaks Food Truck- a creative who took the soul of Philadelphia and sent it on a global journey of flavors around the world- now he’s cooking up flavors from Philly, Jamaica, Korea, Japan, Colombia, France, and Italy.  All because he would enjoy cheesesteaks with his fiancé’s family during Eagles games and wanted t...

My guest this week is Cassi Willard - is an advocate, attorney and educator for entrepreneurs and creatives. She is also an Instructor in the Management Department in the College of Business and the Program Director at the Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Central Florida.  She was recognized by the “Orlando Business Journal” as one of their Women Who Mean Business and presented a TEDx Orl...

My guest this week is Sean Donovan - who goes by SeanDon- an Orlando based visual artist and curator who likes to perform reverse art heists. He also likes yo show Downtown Orlando POV. I spoke to SeanDon about his art style, as well as, what got him to want to do reverse art heists at his favorite places.  We also spoke about wanting to create an IG account that encourages people to take a break...

My guest this week is John Laster, of Laster Law- a lawyer who lives in the same world as his clients-  he’s been a content creator, and is an entrepreneur who has helped create and develop his own video game- SiegeCaster.   Now he is a Technology, Video Game, Content Creator Lawyer. Spoke with John about everything from how his game Siege Caster came to life, to having him advise content creators...

My guest this week is Will Adkison - co-owner and cook of Sweet and Salty Island Grindz, specializing in authentic Hawaiian BBQ and Pacific Islander Cuisine.  They started as a food truck in 2020 and moved into  Henry’s Depot in Sanford and also Halls on 5th in Apopka.    We talked about even though he was not a chef he had a passion and love for cooking and decided he wanted to start Sweet and Sa...

My guest this week is Don Leon Schuuring - owner and illustrator behind Dedonleon Designs, a creative studio based in the Netherlands.  The main focus of his studio is Illustration and Graphic Design. From t-shirt design to full brand identity and even some minimal animation.   I met Don on Instagram and have worked with him on a bunch of Deli Fresh Threads T-shirt designs the past few years.  He...

My guest this week is Jimmy Bryant - owner and artist behind Atomicchild who started making his own products and going out every weekend and selling them at local markets in Denver Colorado. His nature inspired brand has been lucky enough to have his products in 100's of retailers nationwide and sold in every REI in the USA.  I spoke to Jimmy about everything from his art style, love of nature...

My guest this week are Paige and Genevieve Fisher , a talented married couple who combined their talents for art and design to create a community of culture and nostalgia in two ways-  Cromulent Creative - where they work directly with brands of all sizes to provide creative solutions, copywriting, graphic design, and inspired brand strategy and also The Cromulent Basement their  shop filled with...

My guest this week is AJ Rompza , a basketball trainer, motivator, and motivational speaker who is an example of self-belief, determination, and positive mindset.  Inspiring thousands to believe in themselves, push past limits, and make every day count-  I consider him a mindset point guard. I’ve known AJ since 2008- when he played for my UCF Knights in basketball at just 5’8” tall- he was told he...

My guest this week is Tommy Phantharangsy the owner and curator of Time To Get Thrifty.  Time To Get Thrifty is History you could wear.  Tommy and I spoke about how he started reselling clothing and how it evolved into a passion for watches.   We talked about his first thrift and how he came about picking his name to how in time went to timepieces and selling in other states. Tommy shared common m...

My guest this week is Dave Vanz, the Founder & CEO of Orlando Life.  The Orlando Life is an independent local publication dedicated to telling the stories of the people, businesses, and communities that make Orlando home. They focus on real experiences, local perspective, and human storytelling to connect readers more meaningfully to life in this city. I spent time talking to Dave about how he...

My guest this week is Liv Sain the Owner of Liv's Gourmet Pickles- who’s makin’ pickles that matter.   I discussed with Liv about how her pickles are sober made and charity driven and how every bag represents strength and starting over. We talked about everything from what makes her pickles different (Made with English Cucumber; Zero Preservatives and cold packed) to how she was inspired to start...

My guest this week is Berman “Roc” Rodriguez, the owner and cook behind Burrito Boys -  Scallion Pancake Burritos - a fusion of flavours wrapped in Scallion Pancakes.    I discussed with Roc everything from how the idea came about and how Burrito Boys became his passion.  Roc also shares how he tries to balance being a Barber, a father and doing Pop-Ups around Central Florida, and also running an...

My guest this week is Victoria Quendnou, the brand where art gallery meets streetwear. Victoria bought a sewing machine on Amazon and learned to sew on YouTube, and has been creating fashion you can wear since 2018. I discussed with Victoria how she came up with the name of her business and what inspired her to pursue fashion.  We spoke about how she is managing being a hair stylist and running a...

My guest this week is Courtney Ford Hamil and Rusty Hamil- the producers of the the DeLand Indie Market and Sanford Indie Market and they are the owners of Newfangled Modern Market, a shop in Downtown DeLand that specializes in interesting houseplants, home decor, and vintage goods.   I discussed with Courtney and Rusty on what led them to open up a new iteration of their store-  Newfangled Modern...