Chef Lawrence Duran : What I Learned Working 14 Years with Mark Wahlberg | DSH #1603

Summary

Digital Social Hour with Chef Lawrence Duran

Episode: Chef Lawrence Duran: What I Learned Working 14 Years with Mark Wahlberg
Host: Sean Kelly
Date: November 2, 2025
Episode #: DSH #1603

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Overview

In this episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Chef Lawrence Duran, known for being Mark Wahlberg’s private chef for nearly 14 years. The conversation dives into the realities of working for an A-list celebrity, the grind of constant travel, behind-the-scenes culinary logistics, and lessons in work ethic and loyalty. Chef Lawrence’s journey from construction worker to private chef offers an unfiltered look at the sacrifices, routine, and rewards behind his remarkable career. The episode blends personal stories, culinary insights, and candid thoughts on chasing your passion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Reality of Being a Celebrity Private Chef

• The Illusion vs. Reality: Despite the glamour, the role is grueling, rigid, and sometimes isolating.
  • "A lot of people think that, like, oh, yeah, you have this amazing gig, you work for Mark Wahlberg, and you get to travel the world, but it's not really all that it's cracked out to be... he always says, like, it's the fanciest prison you will ever be in." — Lawrence Duran [00:00]
• Travel Schedule: Chef Lawrence spends 8-10 months a year on the road, often tied to film sets and foreign cities.
• Down Time: Downtime is rare and often just church or dinner; seeing new places is often only from a hotel window.
  • "Yes, I get to see Australia. I get to see all these great places, but it's through the view of a beautiful hotel room." — Lawrence Duran [34:26]

Culinary Consistency and Sourcing Ingredients Globally

• Routines and Challenges: Mark Wahlberg sticks to the same meals, regardless of location.
  • "It's basically like Monday through Friday, I do the same meals for him. And then weekends, he kind of, like, takes a little break." — Lawrence Duran [02:57]
• Sourcing Abroad: Sourcing familiar ingredients in foreign countries requires creativity, connections, and sometimes 'name-dropping.'
  • "As a chef, you have to branch out, talk to people... name drop... I work for this guy, Mark Wahlberg... they’ll pretty much get you anything you need." — Lawrence Duran [03:39 to 04:38]

Industry Entry & Serendipity

• Nonlinear Path: Lawrence started in catering via family friends, had a long stint in construction, and accidentally became Mark Wahlberg's chef after stepping in as a favor.
  • "I eventually went into construction and did that for a number of years, still doing catering and cooking on the side... after 13 years of construction, I get a phone call..." — Lawrence Duran [05:27]
• Securing the Role: Initially supposed to be short-term, his food won over Mark Wahlberg’s family.
  • "At the end of the night, the wife comes in... she's like, hey, my kids and I really enjoyed your food. Do you mind sticking around until my husband comes back?" — Lawrence Duran [07:45]
  • "Mark comes back a week later... 'hey, my wife and kids really like your food. You mind sticking around for a while?'" [08:01]

The Private Chef Lifestyle: Sacrifice vs. Rewards

• Intense Workload: Early mornings, long days, minimal sleep—especially mirroring Wahlberg’s legendary routine.
  • "2:30 in the morning, he's up, he's saying his prayers, he's in the cold plunge, he's drinking his coffee." — Duran on Mark Wahlberg's routine [25:23]
  • "When we're on the road... I was the one that would wake everybody up... I would hit the gym with him... then make breakfast..." [25:33–25:48]
• Effects on Personal Life: Chef Lawrence misses out on social occasions, family events, and is often too tired to cook for himself.
  • "At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is come home and cook for myself." [14:20]
  • He relies on quick food delivery more than expected: "I eat a lot of fast food... ubereats and doordash." [14:12–14:19]

Family, Values, and Priorities

• Putting Family First: Despite the job's demands, family—especially his daughter—remains his top priority.
  • "I have a daughter and she is my main priority... Straight A student... plays lacrosse... Everything that I never had I want to give to her." [16:52–17:33]
• Loyalty & Team: Loyalty is a core value within Wahlberg's circle.
  • "If you don't have family and trust, then you don't have anything... It's all loyalty. Everything is about loyalty with us and with him and his core." [31:56–32:33]

The Restaurant and Food Scene

• Las Vegas Rankings: Vegas is top-tier for restaurants ("number two" behind New York, according to Lawrence), but lacks consistency.
  • "Vegas, you have a lot of great restaurants, but again, you get some great restaurants that start up and then kind of die off." [11:48–12:30]
• Personal Eating Habits: Loves smash burgers; rarely eats out due to time constraints and work fatigue.
  • "I love Smash... Like, burgers are my thing... the simple good meat, American cheese, little onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard and that's it." [15:25]

On Culinary Education

• Changing Value of Culinary School: Lawrence reflects on the high cost ($150k for two schools) and suggests modern chefs can learn fundamentals online.
  • "I just kind of advise people like, hey, look it up on social media, YouTube...YouTube university, man, it's the way to go. It would have saved me a hell of a lot of money, that's for sure." [21:03]
• Kitchen Reality: Degrees rarely affect hiring; everyone starts at the bottom.
  • "You start at the bottom. Doesn't matter if you have that little piece of paper...you start washing dishes, peeling potatoes, cutting onions..." [22:13]

Lessons from Mark Wahlberg

• Relentless Work Ethic: Mark’s drive impacts the whole team.
  • "He's extremely driven, self-motivated, came from nothing and built this empire... watching him makes me tired." [27:15; 28:06]
• Team Motivation: Everyone is expected to strive for more.
  • "Everybody on our team is extremely driven and extremely motivated." [27:52]

On Growth and Ambition

• Avoiding Comfort Zones: Both Sean and Lawrence agree that comfort kills growth.
  • "If you're not constantly working on yourself, you're actually going backwards because people are getting ahead of you." — Sean Kelly [30:03]
  • "That's kind of where I'm at right now. I don't want to stop, because if I know if I stop, then I'm going to go downhill..." — Lawrence [29:57]
• Looking Forward: Lawrence plans to "push harder" after 40, build his brand, and keep evolving.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's the fanciest prison you will ever be in." — Mark Wahlberg (as quoted by Chef Lawrence) [00:14, 33:34]
• "I cook solely for Mark. Every once in a while, do stuff for the family. But yeah, I cook for Mark." — Lawrence Duran on his specialization [09:03]
• "You start at the bottom. Doesn't matter if you have that little piece of paper..." — Lawrence Duran on culinary school [22:13]
• "Work ethic, perseverance... He's extremely driven, self-motivated. He came from nothing and built this empire, really." — Lawrence Duran on learning from Mark Wahlberg [27:15]
• "Loyalty is everything, man. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're at, but as long as you have loyalty and you trust in those individuals, that's family right there, man. You can't break it." — Lawrence Duran [33:12]
• "I don't want to see people go flying by me, when I flew by them at one point." — Lawrence Duran on personal growth [30:09]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening Reality Check: The myth and reality of being a private chef [00:00–01:15]
• Travel Challenges and Aussie Wildlife: [01:24–02:32]
• Sourcing Ingredients Globally: [03:33–05:23]
• Chef Lawrence’s Origin Story: How he met Mark Wahlberg & broke into private cheffing [05:23–09:37]
• On Living in Vegas: Food scene, lifestyle, misconceptions [10:08–14:46]
• Day-to-Day Chef Life & Work Ethic: 2:30 AM wake-ups, Mark's intense routine [25:14–27:08]
• Family, Sacrifice, and Priorities: Missing family events, balancing job and fatherhood [16:51–17:33; 24:12–25:14]
• On Growth, Comfort, and Ambition: Avoiding stagnation and striving for more [29:57–30:09]
• Loyalty and Team Dynamics: Importance of trust in Mark Wahlberg's inner circle [31:56–33:12]
• Weight Loss for Roles: Mark's transformations for movie roles like 'Father Stu' [35:05–36:56]
• Favorite Wahlberg Movies: Lone Survivor, Ted [38:08–38:29]
• Where to Find Lawrence: Chef Lawrence Duran on all social platforms [38:40–39:08]

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Final Thoughts

Chef Lawrence Duran delivers an authentic, inside look into the demanding, rewarding, but often misunderstood world of private celebrity cheffing. His story is one of hustle, loyalty, personal sacrifice, and the rare opportunity to learn alongside a driven icon. The episode offers valuable lessons for aspiring chefs, entrepreneurs, and anyone wondering what it really takes to succeed in high-pressure, high-reward industries.

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Find Chef Lawrence Duran on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @ChefLawrenceDuran

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End of Episode Summary

Transcript

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

A lot of people think that, like, oh, yeah, you have this amazing gig, you work for Mark Wahlberg, and you get to travel the world, but it's not really all that. It's cracked out to be, like, it's a job. We're on the road, and I guess I get to go to Australia or Germany or, you know, Colombia or whatever. But he always says, like, it's a fanciest prison you will ever be in. And that's because we go to work and we go straight back to the hotel. And if there's anything on the week, if we have any downtime on the weekend, it's either to church or we go to dinner, and then it's right back. But it's. Again, it's a grind, and I love it. It motivates me. It motivates all of us on our team, and it just. It pushes us and drives us to want more and do more.

[Podcast Host]

All right, guys, Chef Lawrence here. Finally back in Vegas. You've been busy, man.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it's been non stop, man. It's. It's been crazy. It's. But it's a fun one. It's a fun ride, you know, get to travel, do what I love, and with. With. With a family, basically. You know, we've. We've been together for so long.

[Podcast Host]

Nice.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

We're. We're a team.

[Podcast Host]

How often you on the road these days?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Last year, I mean, it was seven months in Australia, three or four months London and Paris. And then I think we did another one in out here somewhere. But, I mean, it's just. It's anywhere from eight months to 10 months out of the year, just traveling non stop and.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it's a hell of a lot. But it's. Again, it's fun. It's. You get to see the world and, you know, again, be with, like, people that you. You genuinely love.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. How was Australia? I'm going there for my honeymoon.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's awesome. Australia is beautiful. We were the last four months. I. I mean, was the Gold coast and gorgeous. We spent some time in Sydney, which is beautiful, but I think the Gold coast was it for me. It was beautiful, but out there, I mean, anything and everything can kill you. So it's kind of scary. I mean, you've got, like, these huntsman spiders that just kind of like, walk up everywhere and they, you know, coming out of the sinks or up on the walls and stuff, and it's just like kids are playing with these spiders that are the size of your hand, and you're like, Freaking out because you're not, you know, from the place. And so you have those. The world's deadliest snakes, world's deadliest slugs. I mean, everything.

[Podcast Host]

Did you have any sketchy encounters?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Every morning I would walk out and there'd be, like, these big slugs, and they're like orange and red and beautiful, but, like, I was just kicking them around or whatever. And then I find out later on that they're, like, you know, extremely poisonous.

[Podcast Host]

I'm like, holy crap.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

But I mean, other than that, it was just like spiders, like crazy, just popping out of everywhere. Saw a few snakes, but as long as you stay away from them, you're good.

[Podcast Host]

I don't know if my girl will like it out there, bro. She doesn't like insects too much.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, man, they're everywhere.

[Podcast Host]

But we're going to Brisbane.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I don't know if that's near where Brisbane is. Beautiful.

[Podcast Host]

Were you there at all?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

A little bit. We filmed out there for a little bit.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Sick. Damn. And three months in France, you said?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, I was like, a little over three months, I believe, in France. Yeah. Paris and then London and. And then home.

[Podcast Host]

And I'm assuming this is for Mark, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, this is for Mark.

[Podcast Host]

So does he want the same exact meals even if you're in a different country?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, same exact meals. You know, it's basically like Monday through Friday, I do the same meals for him. And then weekends, he kind of, like, takes a little break. So I'll do breakfast and lunch on the weekends, and then we'll do dinner somewhere, kind of splurge or do something a little different to break it up a little bit. But, yeah, he's very regiment, very consistent, and he's been eating the same meals for the past few years now.

[Podcast Host]

I respect that because this, especially on the road, because when you travel, it's hard to find what you're used to. And for you, it might be hard to source those ingredients when you're out there.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's extremely hard when you're in countries that you're not familiar with.

[Podcast Host]

Australia.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Australia is very similar to here in a sense, where they have some amazing, you know, cattle ingredient. Basically, all your ingredients that you would find in here, you'll find them in Australia. Germany was a tough one. They've got a lot of sausages and, you know, and just things that you're not familiar with. So you kind of have to source things from different restaurants and whatnot. And that's where you, like, as a chef, you have to kind of like Branch out, talk to people, you know, figure out where you're going first, first and foremost. And then you know, kind of like name drop, you know, that kind of gets you everything, you know, so if you're like, you got to go to a restaurant and be like, you know, I need, you know, this wagyu steak or, you know, whatever vegetables, they're not just gonna hand them to anyone. Really.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I'm like, well, I work for this guy and Mark Wahlberg and show them a picture like, oh, okay, whatever you want. Whatever you need. So.

[Podcast Host]

So restaurants are the plug.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Restaurants are definitely the plug when. When you're out of. Out of the country. Restaurants, Restaurants and hotels. Because we, I mean, obviously we stay in hotels.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

So a lot of the hotel kitchens and hotel chefs are very accommodating.

[Podcast Host]

That is interesting. I never would have thought of that to, like, approach a restaurant to buy some of their food.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it. Because, I mean, you know, especially if you're in a country that or you don't speak the language, it could be very, very tough and very confusing. And a lot of people get very angry when they get confused or what you're saying, basically. So again, hotels, staff, they're all accommodating restaurants, like I said, and everyone knows everyone when you're working with, you know, high end clients or whatever. So, yeah, in that sense, it's somewhat easy.

[Podcast Host]

Did you always start off in the private chef space or did you kind of.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I actually started off in the company called Mario's Cater, and it was a good friend of mine. His name is Christian. I went to school with him, and his dad actually owned, you know, restaurants and one of the biggest catering companies in basically all of the US So Mario's Catering, like a family to me. Basically, they, you know, helped me on the up and up. You know, they always knew that I had a passion for cooking, whatever. So they brought me into the kitchen, showed me the ropes, and, you know, put me on the trucks and, you know, anything that I ever needed, they were always there for me. And kind of, they were actually the plug on how I met Mark. You know, Mario has been taking care of Mark's, his movie and TV productions basically since Mark first started. And so they were good friends. And I had no idea. I was always dabbling in. In food for a long time and, you know, in and out of restaurants, hotels, and kind of did my own catering thing. But I eventually went into construction and did that for a number of years, still doing, you know, catering and, you know, cooking on the side or whatever. But after 13 years of construction, I get a phone call from my friend Christian. He's like, hey, you know, we need a huge favor. You know, Mark just bought this house in, in Beverly Hills, and he needs somebody to take care of, you know, the wife and kids while he's on the road. And for a minute I'm like, like, no, you know, it's, it's not really where I want to be. It's not really what, what I want to do. Comfortable here, you know, I've got a good thing going. And it was kind of like a back and forth type of thing for a few days. And finally, I think it was like a Wednesday. And he was like, can you just do it as a favor to us and we'll find another chef? You know, he, he wants a female chef anyways to be, you know, around the family. So, you know, this will give us a little bit of time to find somebody. No problem. I go in and I go in on a Thursday and it was just the wife and kids and make food for them. They wanted turkey chili, and so I made turkey chili for the family. And at the end of the night, the wife comes in and her name is Ray. She comes in and she's like, hey, you know, my kids and I really enjoyed your food. Do you mind sticking around until my husband comes back? Cool, no problem. Mark comes back a week later.

[Podcast Host]

You.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Know, comes in with the entourage and they kind of walk by the kitchen, you know, nod or whatever, and don't really say much to me, you know, cook food or whatever. End of the night, comes around and comes in. He's like, hey, my wife and kids really like your food. You mind sticking around for a while?

[Podcast Host]

You can't say no tomorrow.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Can't say no to Martin. So here I am, you know, working from, you know, five in the morning to three in the afternoon at my construction job, and then quickly showering at work, going to the grocery store, heading over to his house, and then I'm there till like, you know, seven, eight o'. Clock. She did that for six months straight.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And finally I'm like, I, I, it's like, gotta be one or the other. And they basically told me, like, yeah, whatever you want. Like, you're in.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. So your food was that good?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

So you could quit your construction job.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

I love that.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

What a story, dude.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it was, it was, it's, it's been a journey again. Like, I was with him for, I mean, yeah, for the first two years, it was Just cooking for the family. And then I think it was like his road manager. Yeah, he came in one day and he was like, hey, Mark wants you on the road with him. You got some time to find another chef? And so I did. I called up a good friend of mine who actually works for Mario's as well. And we grew up across the street from each other, really, and his name is David. He came in and started taking care of the family. We were cooking together for a couple months, and then I went on the road, and I've been on the road with Mark ever since. Damn. I cook solely for Mark every once in a while, do stuff for the family. But yeah, I cook for Mark. And the other chef cooks for the family still to this day. I mean, we have been with him for 14 years now.

[Podcast Host]

Going on 14 nuts, dude. So when he moved out here, you moved with him?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, yeah. Our whole team basically moved.

[Podcast Host]

That was a big change for you, huh?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It was a huge change coming from California. You know, it's very laid back out there and weather's much different, that's for sure. But I mean, it grows on you. You know, this place is. It's, you know, it's not all what it, you know, it, it's what people, you know, kind of put it out there to be like. It's.

[Podcast Host]

It's.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

You, you have this image of this, of Vegas being sin city.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

You know, if you're down the Strip, it's. It's basically like on the individual. Like if you go down the Strip every day and you're, you know, they're gambling or whatever, it can really take kind of control of your life. I stay away. We only go there when we need to. I have everything that I need within, you know, a five mile radius or, you know, within 10 minutes from me, basically. And it's amazing restaurants, great restaurants, great food, great chefs, great, you know, hotels, casinos, everything is amazing here. So. And there's tons of opportunity, which is, which, you know, puts. Which is really one of the reasons why we are out here is because. Because of the. There's are so many opportunities, but, yeah, I love it. It's grown on me. And is it home forever? I don't think so.

[Podcast Host]

I'm the same way.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, I think it's, you know, it's just a stepping stone. I'm here for the next couple years and then it's.

[Podcast Host]

It's off to the next come the same way. Yeah, it's a transitory city, but it's got great value, you know, you get good value for your real estate out here?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Good opportunity, a lot of conferences, good opportunities, good networking, for sure. But yeah, in terms of, like, it's so funny how people react when you say, I live in Vegas.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It really is.

[Podcast Host]

They're like, are you okay? Like, you an alcoholic?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. Right? You get that all the time. Like, do you guys really, like, you know, go to restaurants three, four o' clock in the morning? Like, yeah, you know, some people do.

[Podcast Host]

But yeah, the locals don't even live on the Strip. Like, we barely go there. We only go there for business, you know.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, very true.

[Podcast Host]

Now I have this debate with my friends. I'd love to hear your opinion since you're a chef. Where do you rank Vegas in terms of restaurants and food, like, the country?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I would say there's a lot of great restaurants here. I would say, number two, it's so diverse as far as, like, the, the type of restaurants that are out here. For me, it would have to be New York, like, number one. Yeah. 100%. Yeah. New York has, I mean, everything and anything and the best of the best, in my opinion. And that's in the U.S. but again, Vegas, you have a lot of great restaurants, but again, Vegas, you get some great restaurants that start up and then kind of die off. I've seen that, and I don't. That's, you know, if you're going to have something great, be consistent with it.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And that's what I've noticed out here is like, a lot of. A lot of great, great restaurants will just, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. What do you think causes that? Because I had a favorite restaurant. I'm not going to say the name, but, like, it was so good the first time, and then every time I went after that got worse and worse. Now I can't even eat it.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. You know, it. I don't know if, for me, I would think that it's just people getting. Becoming too comfortable in their jobs or in their positions. Back of the house, front of the house, you know, stuff just dies out and. Or you just get so comfortable or you're just like, okay, well, I kind of want to move off to the next thing and, you know, f the customers. But it's those customers in your name that, you know, people rely on. You know, if you don't have. Create a great name for yourself and uphold that, then you're going to go downhill.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

So I don't know. I just. Every place is different and I've seen, you know, different restaurant groups out here start up one, and then, you know, once that starts dying off, a year or two, and they'll start up another one. So it's kind of keeps things fresh. But again, you want. You want consistency, and I don't find that to be in a lot of great restaurants out here.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. A lot of musical chairs at the casinos with the restaurants.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Definitely.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Where do you rank the Chinatown in Vegas compared to other Chinatown?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I haven't been to China.

[Podcast Host]

You haven't been?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

No.

[Podcast Host]

What?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I have. Yeah. I, again, I rarely ever go out.

[Podcast Host]

I'm there every day, bro.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Everybody tells me, like, how are you in Vegas and have not been to Chinatown yet? And I just, I, again, I just don't have the time to go out or do anything. And when I am home, like, I want to cook for myself or, you know, just.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that's a good point. It's probably really tough for you to order food, right? Because you have such a good skill of cooking.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Let me tell you, man, I cook for myself only for the content purposes. And when I do, it's amazing. Like, I love cooking for myself because it's great.

[Podcast Host]

But.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I eat a lot of. A lot of fast food.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, you do?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I do. I'm not even gonna lie, man.

[Podcast Host]

I'm shocked.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Like, ubereats and doordash. That's like, this is. At the end of the day, like, you know, I. I cook all day. At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is come home and cook for myself. And.

[Podcast Host]

So you're just so exhausted. You're just like, quick meal.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, I find myself doing that. You know, if I am at work or whatever, I'll make myself something extra. But home, I just, like I said, if it's not for, you know, the content creating, then I'm. I'm ordering something.

[Podcast Host]

Best fast food chain right now, in your opinion.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, gosh, man. Oh, what was that? Freddy's or it's some Smash Burger out here?

[Podcast Host]

Smash Burger.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, gosh, I love Smash Burgers.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it's. It's. It's a chain and they have one out here. I have to look it up. Starts with an F. It starts with an F. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Huh.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

But yeah, there's just simple, simple Smash Burgers, you know, nothing crazy. Actually, you know what? I'm going to. It's that and a new spot that actually opened up called Love Loves or something like that. It's another Smash Burger place.

[Podcast Host]

You love Smash Burgers, huh?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I love Smash. Like, burgers are my thing. Like, yeah, Smash Burgers especially because it's just so simple. It's like, you know, the simple good meat, American cheese, you know, a little onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard and that's it.

[Podcast Host]

I need you to send me those after this. Oh yeah, I haven't found a good Smashburger in Vegas yet. I love Smash Burgers.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

That's. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I go to In N Out, which is pretty good.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

But it's. Yeah, I again, Frank from, you know, being someone from California, I've always loved In N Out. But like for me it's just like the fries aren't.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I don't get fries there. No, I get a burger.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, I'll do an animal style burger all day every day. But yeah, Smash burgers, that's. That's my man.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, Smash burgers are go to. If I had to have a tier list of dishes. Smashburger is a tier for sure.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh yeah. 100.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Do you have like a favorite restaurant or you don't even have time to go out and eat?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I don't even have time, man. I like, I actually this week alone I've had a couple of friends have hit me up and are like, hey, you know, we're going to this Indian spot in town square. And I'm like, oh yeah, I'm there. And then work. Yeah, work. Yeah. Something's always coming up and literally like at the last minute something always pops up and it just like now I'm like kind of known as the person that just like, oh well, I'm not even gonna call him. Cause he's always like, you know, got something to do.

[Podcast Host]

Damn, you're that friend now.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it sucks. But I mean again like I love what I do. It's a passion of mine and I know get to do with, you know, people that I enjoy being around.

[Podcast Host]

So you put the business first.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

100.

[Podcast Host]

That's the main priority.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, for me, business is always going to be first because I have a daughter and she is my main priority. And you know, she's a straight A student and so everything that I never had I want to give to her. Especially more so since she's an amazing, amazing kid. I'm not just saying that because she's my child. She really is a good kid. She's, you know, plays lacrosse. She was a captain of her team. She's a 4.0 grade point average, you know, and she just got her license, which is. Frightens the hell out of me right now. But ultimately she's a good kid. And you know, I Have to make sure that my priorities are straight so that she has the best of the best.

[Podcast Host]

Well done, man. Well, that's. That's a reflection of you, you know what I mean? In my opinion. So you. Great parenting.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Well done. You weren't good in school, though.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

No, I was absolutely not, man. I was like a straight F student. Dropped out.

[Podcast Host]

Was it by choice or you just.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I just. It wasn't by choice because I was actually. I knew what I was. I knew what I was capable of when it came to tests. I would easily ace test, but I was just. It was a lack of. I don't know, it was like, just not lack of motivation. It just. I didn't. I knew that that wasn't the place for me. And of course, you know, every kid's gonna say that, like, oh, I don't want to go to school. This and that. But I really knew that I didn't want to go to school. I hated school. Do I wish I could go back and do it all? If I could, I trust me, I would. Because I. I wanted. I so badly wanted to go to college and, you know, do that whole, you know, frat lifestyle and all that, because I saw a lot of my friends do all that, and I missed out. But I wouldn't be where I am today had I not followed that path that I was on. And I'm not here to say that dropping out of school or, you know, getting straight Fs is the way to go, but, you know, this opportunity came up, and had I not taken it, I probably would, you know, still be in construction. And not saying that's. And not knocking that in any way, but this is a passion of mine. I'm actually doing something that I've always wanted to do with, you know, someone who's huge and I get to travel the world. So.

[Podcast Host]

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[Chef Lawrence Duran]

You know, everything happens for a reason. You know, it really does. But again, like, if I could go back to school, I would. I really could. I really would.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, dude. Some people know early on what they want to do, whether it's a trade job, be a chef or be a. These days, content creators, like, the number one thing it is.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It really is.

[Podcast Host]

I wish schools provided more of an outlet to explore opportunities like that at a younger age. Yeah, because like, they make you sit till you're 18 before you can even go to trade school. And then some, some kids know before then that they want to do that stuff.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. You know, and for me, like, I. So I knew that I wanted to go to culinary school and the only way that I was able to do that was to go to night school, get my ged. And it was hell. Like, I didn't, I hated school. I kept on, you know, I had to go to school at night, go to. I lied my way basically through culinary school until I got my ged. But I feel like back then.

[Podcast Host]

You.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Know, that that trade school meant everything. Now it's like, learn everything that I learned on YouTube.

[Podcast Host]

Right. YouTube university. It really is. Yeah. Now you can learn how to cook from TikTok.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Exactly. And so, like, when people ask me like, oh, you know, would you recommend going to a trade school or like, you know, a culinary school? I'm like, I don't ever knock going to a trade school because I feel like there's opportunities there that you wouldn't or you can't, you know, get elsewhere. But there's also a big price tag that comes along with that. And so now I just kind of advise people like, hey, you know, look it up on social media, YouTube, like that's. You can find absolutely anything and everything there. Like, you. What are you going to do? I mean, you're going to learn the basics of French techniques. Like, you can YouTube that. You know, learn your, your knife skills. YouTube it. Like, don't chop your finger off. That's basically what they tell you in school. Like, it's, it's simple as that. I mean, you do learn from some great culinary chefs or chefs that are in the culinary world. But again, YouTube University, man, it's, it's, it's the way to go, sir. It would have saved me a hell of a lot of money, that's for sure.

[Podcast Host]

How expensive was culinary school?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I went to two different ones. So it was like a total of 150.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I didn't know it was like that.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Culinary ridiculous.

[Podcast Host]

Because chefs don't make like crazy money, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

No. And that's the reason why I went to, went into construction, because you really don't. You start at the bottom. Doesn't matter if you have that little piece of paper that means absolutely nothing in the kitchen world. You start washing dishes, peeling potatoes, cutting onions. You start at the bottom and you work your way up. Yeah. And it takes years and years and years. And you can kiss having any type of social life goodbye. There's no holidays. You don't get birthdays. You don't get anything. Like nothing.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And I thought that would be kind of different in the private chef world. But it's, I mean, ultimately it's the same, you know, it really is like I, and it's, it's more so because I work for such a hard working individual who literally takes no days off. He can be on vacation and still, you know, have it. Making business deals. Yeah. So it's that type of motivation that has kept me from taking time off throughout my entire, you know, being with him. Basically, he is my motivation. He pushes me. There's tons of doors and opportunities. He's not one, you know, to hand out anything, but there are opportunities and all you have to do is ask questions, follow in his footsteps and learn the business trade. And there's endless possibilities with him. And I think that's kind of goes with anything in general. As long as you learn, you know, you, you pay attention and absorb things like a sponge. I mean, there's, there's. The opportunities are endless out there.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's just you have to apply yourself. But this is like the first time in the years that I've had off and I was actually supposed to be out and where he's at right now, at his house and at their summer house, you know, cooking for them. But my daughter needs my attention right now.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Just I've missed out on a lot of opportunities, you know, being in this field. Not saying that I have any regrets, but not being able to be there for her games or, you know, certain achievements throughout her life, it's just, it's heartbreaking.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

So I'm finally at a point With Mark, where I can be like, hey, you know, I need to take this time and spend it with my family and please go ahead, do what you got to do. Respect, we've got family first. And, you know, I know that once it comes down to the next movie, it's grind time.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And so like, I really, I've always, I've never put myself first up until recently. You know, it's always just like kind of trying to please others and, and, you know, do my job and, and do it to the best of my ability. And when you see somebody who grinds seven days a week, you know, starting at, you know, 2:30 in the morning and doesn't end until.

[Podcast Host]

Is that actually true? Because I've seen.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, it's true. It's very true.

[Podcast Host]

I've seen memes of that, that list, that infamous list.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's extremely true.

[Podcast Host]

2:30 in the morning.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

2:30 in the morning, he's up, he's saying his prayers, you know, he's in the cold plunge, he's drinking his coffee.

[Podcast Host]

So does that mean you have to be up at that time?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And when we're on the road, like, I'm the one, not so much now we have another assistant. But I was the one that would wake everybody up. I would wake him up. I was the first one up prepping for the day. I would hit the gym with him.

[Podcast Host]

Geez.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Then make breakfast, then, you know, get, you know, meals ready for, you know, whatever we have going on for the day. And it's a grind. It's like it. But that schedule is very, very real. It's, it's consistent every single day, seven days a week.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. That's the earliest I've ever heard anyone wake up. Because people sleep at that time.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

Like 2:30.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. So when people are up, you know, at night, he's. He's in bed.

[Podcast Host]

So when do you guys sleep?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

So he's usually, I want to say, like in bed by like 6:30, 7 o'. Clock. He'll get 8 hours of sleep every single day. When it comes to me, like when I'm home, you know, I'll stay up late or whatever. But when I'm on the road, I do my absolute best to prep everything, do my grocery shopping at night, try to get in bed by like 8, 9 o', clock, and then, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Geez, you're only sleeping five, six hours. It's.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. So like for three months out of the. Or the three months that we're on the road, it's It's. I get very, very little sleep, but right after I'm like, I take a couple weeks off and I'm just like, reset. Yeah, reset for like.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah. Catch up on days.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. But, but it's, again, it's, it's a grind and I love it. It motivates me. It motivates all of us on our team and it just, it pushes us and drives us to, to want more and do more and more. And it's, it's, it's great working for somebody like that.

[Podcast Host]

That's awesome. Yeah. One of my questions was what you've learned from him, but it sounds like work ethic, perseverance, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, yeah. 100. He's extremely driven, self motivated, you know, came from nothing and, and built this empire, really.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

You know, it's just, it's motivating. It's extremely motivating. And that's what, again, pushes everybody on our team to, you know, want to get to that next level, you know, because again, there's so many opportunities, so many doors, and it's just, it's up to you to strive for that. I mean, you can either be a go getter or you can just sit back and he'll allow you to, you know, if you want to, you know, take it easy, go ahead, but you're not going to get to that next level like the rest of us, you know, so. But everybody on our team is extremely driven and extremely motivated.

[Podcast Host]

I love that.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, we, we're all there. You know, it's a family. It really is.

[Podcast Host]

Bring everyone up around you 100%. That's so cool because he's had so much success. He could have retired years ago, years ago, and he still has the same drive at his age. Yeah, you know, that's, that's great. That's very impressive.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

He runs circles around all of us. You know, I'm like, I'm 39, going on 40 this year. And he's like, just watching him makes me tired. I don't know how you do this, bro.

[Podcast Host]

Pushing 40 this year, you think that's going to be a big change for you?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I. I hope not. I. The more that I think about him, like, damn, 40, like, what? Where did the time go? And it's like, I could easily just continue on and be in the seat that I'm in now, which is like, I'm enjoying my time off, but that's not going to make the money. That's not going to push me to the next level and pushing me to that Next level is getting back up, grinding, getting back in the gym, eating right again, forcing myself to go to sleep at a decent time, forcing myself to wake up at a decent time, basically, you know, doing the things that I, that I was taught by him. That's going to continue to push me and motivate me even more. So I'm looking forward to going into 40, and I'm going to, going into 40, I'm going to actually push harder than I ever have because I feel like once you hit 50, it's kind of downhill from there. So I kind of want to take these next few years and just give it all I got and see what the hell I can come up with, you know, build some kind of brand, build some kind of business. You know, just get to the next level in my life and I'm, I'm fairly successful. But there's, I think when you get to a certain level, you kind of want more. And when you've, when you're on that type of grind, you, you go and you go and you go and you just don't want to stop. And that's kind of where I'm at right now. I don't want to stop because if I know if I stop, then it's just I'm going to go downhill and I.

[Podcast Host]

There's no growth.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, there's no growth. No, none whatsoever.

[Podcast Host]

So, yeah, that's why everyone asks, like, do you want to be comfortable? I'm like, no, no, there's no growth in that.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

Because if you're not constantly working on yourself, you're actually going backwards because people are getting ahead of you 100%. Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

I don't want to see people go flying by me, you know, when I fly. Flew by them at one point.

[Podcast Host]

There's so many people that would dream to be in your spot, you know, so many chefs that want a good private client. I'm sure it's one of the hardest jobs to land.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It is. And what I found out, speaking to other chefs out here is that it's seasonal here with certain clients, you know, because people, high end clients don't want to be here during the summer, so they have their, you know, summer vacation homes. So chefs out here, you know, have a good clientele of maybe four or five clients, and then they're kind of all gone for the summer. So you have to find, you know, new clients. And it's, it's difficult, you know, and especially with, you know, certain clients, especially like in California, what I've noticed is that certain Clients will have you on board for maybe six months to a year and then want something fresh and new. And that's what makes this industry extremely tough because it's like constantly finding, you know, a new client. You're, you know, you got to save this money because you don't know what you're going to be this summer, or you don't know where your client's going to be, you know, during the wintertime or whatever the case may be. So in my, for me personally, like, I, I feel like very blessed and fortunate to have been able to been with someone or be with someone for so long. You know, almost, you know, going on 14 years, I've. I've seen everything and anything, you know, like his whole family grow up basically, and it's become a family. And I think that the family dynamic for him is such a strong sense in his world, because if you don't have family and trust, then you don't have anything. And it's those core individuals that again, also motivate you. But keep, you know, keep. If you keep your people close to you, then they're going to be loyal. And it's, it's all loyalty. Everything is about loyalty with, with us and with his, with him and his core.

[Podcast Host]

I've noticed that because he's had the same friend group for many years, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Since, yeah, he was like 11, 12 years old. Yeah, they've all grown up with him.

[Podcast Host]

And you can't say that with many people.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

No, not at all. And these guys are still on, you know, go on the road with him. They, you know, still he takes care of them, you know, and that's respect, man.

[Podcast Host]

Because loyalty is something these days that is hard to get with friends, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Most definitely. Most definitely.

[Podcast Host]

Like, it's very uncommon, I'd say.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Very, very uncommon.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And he's again, he's a very loyal individual. He's all about trust and loyalty and you break that and you're gone.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I'm sure you've seen that firsthand. I think in major cities, everyone's trying to social climb, so loyalty is in the back of their head. Yeah, they're not even thinking about.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

They don't give a shit about any.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So. But for me, it's, it's important, man. Like, I'll keep you around even if, like, you're broke. Honestly, like, I got two of the. I'm getting married in a few months. Two of the guys on my. Not trying to like, yeah. Like say they're down bad or whatever, but they're loyal.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, even though financially, they're not where I'm at. Like, they're super loyal, and I value that stuff.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Dude, for real, Loyalty is everything, man. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're at, but as long as you have loyalty and you trust in those individuals, that's. That's family right there, man. You can't break.

[Podcast Host]

You can't replace that dude.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

No, definitely not.

[Podcast Host]

Like, at least you could sleep at night knowing they got your back no matter what. This has been really fun. I've never had, like, a private chef on. Like, I'm learning so much. Like, this. This world is. It sounds really fun. You get to travel the world.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

It's a lot of fun. And a lot of people. What's crazy is a lot of people think that, like. Like, oh, yeah, you have this amazing gig. You know, you work for Mark Wahlberg and you get to travel the world, but it's not really all that it's cracked out to be. Like, it's. It's a job, you know, like, we're on the road, and I. Yes. I get to go to Australia or Germany or, you know, Colombia or whatever. But he always says, like, it's like. It's a. It's like the fanciest prison you will ever be in. And that's because we. We go to work, and we go straight back to the hotel. And if there's anything on the week, if we have any downtime on the weekend, it's either to church or we go to dinner, and then it's right back. It's the same thing every single day. So you. Yes, I get to see Australia. I get to see all these great places, but it's through the view of a, you know, a beautiful hotel room.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

You know, outside that window. It's. Yes. I want to be down there on that beach and swimming in that ocean or, you know, doing this or doing that, but we're there for work and eventually come back here again, you know, on some type of vacation for myself. But it's. It's a grind. It's. It's. It's a lot.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it's a bit of a tease, right?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Because it really is.

[Podcast Host]

You're, like, right there within arm's reach.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, it really is. But again, I wouldn't change it for the world. And it's. It's been absolutely amazing, man. It's taken me to some great places. I've met some amazing people along the way and get to be a part of a really cool Family man.

[Podcast Host]

Part of history, bro. For real. I could tell. Has he ever had to lose crazy weight for, like, a movie scene?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, yeah. He's. I know before I came along, he had to lose a heck of a lot of weight for. I think a movie was called Gambler. He went. Dropped down like, 130 pounds. Since I've been with him, I think the smallest he was was like, 160, something like that. 160. 165. And that was for the Father Stu movie where he was a boxer in the very beginning. So he had to drop a lot of weight for that. That scene, basically, which was the first day of filming, was literally all day just in the boxing ring under these hot lights. And I was actually in the ring with him, too. Like, we were sparring against each other, whatever, and. And then. So that was day one. And then that night, we went to his favorite restaurant, Ibaldi in Beverly Hills, and he ate pasta and everything, and it was literally just bulking up to get him to as big as we possibly could to kind of like fit his fat suit, if you will.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

And just seeing how. How he was during that time, like, going from, you know, 160 pounds to eating everything and just being. I mean, it's fun to eat great food and, you know, stuff your face, but doing that every single day to gain as much possible weight as you can. I mean, doing it the healthy way, but still, it takes a toll on you, and it's. It's hard on your body. Oh, yeah, it really is. And then having to drop it right after to go, you know, get ready for the next movie. So his body, you know, goes up and down, and I've had to help him along the way. And it's. You know, you're full of all sorts of different emotions because, you know, you're just. You're either hungry or you're too full, and you got to continue eating.

[Podcast Host]

Yep.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

So it's. It's a. It's a lot. It's been a lot. And I just got to give it to the guy, man. Like, what he does on a daily basis, you know, putting through his body, through the ringer, you know, reading multiple scripts at a time, day in and day out. So that way he goes, when he's on set, there's no pulling out papers or whatever. Like, he's. He knows his lines. He knows your lines. He knows everybody else lines. Like, he's. He.

[Podcast Host]

That's impressive to memorize other people's minds, too.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah, he's. He is extremely it's impressive to see what he does when it comes to, like, the way that he, like, reads and prepares for. For a role.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it's not easy, dude. I. I know with Baywatch, like, a lot of those guys had health issues after because they had to get so shredded. I don't know if you watched that movie, but, like, they were all ripped.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. And then, like, then you go back to your normal life.

[Podcast Host]

It's like, yeah, you're done.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

But with him, again, like, he's in the gym every day. It's like. It's just. It's motivating, man. It's crazy.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Hopefully this next one doesn't piss him off, but. Greatest Mark Wahlberg movie of all time.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Oh, for me, he's got actually a new movie coming out. I don't think I'm able to say what it is, but that one's up there. That. That's up there. Lone Survivor would have to be. Oh, Lone Survivor. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

That's a banger.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah. Lone Survival is really good, man.

[Podcast Host]

Ted's a banger for me. That's a classic.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

He's got so many, though.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, he's. He's on the Mao Rushmore of actors. Like, no. No doubt about it. Dude's goaded. Well, dude, it's been awesome. Where can people find your content and support you and everything?

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Chef Lawrence Duran, Instagram. I think that's kind of, like, all across the board with TikTok and Facebook. Chef Lawrence Duran.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, man.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Just. I got a lot of cool content coming up with brands such as Traeger and Thermopro and Snake River Farms and Municipal. So I got a lot of good stuff coming up. I've been home taking this time to really film some content, knock some stuff out. So that way, when I'm on the road, I can actually start posting in and out there.

[Podcast Host]

Let's get it. Check them out, guys. And thanks for coming on, man.

[Chef Lawrence Duran]

Appreciate you, brother. Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

See you guys. I hope you guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps the show a lot with the algorithm. Thank you.