← Earn Your Leisure
Loading summary
Transcript386 lines
- [00:00]
Podcast Announcer
Run a business and not thinking about podcasting. Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. Learn how podcasting can help your business. Call 844-844-IHeart. Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast hunting for answers, I highlighted the story of 19 year old Lachey Dungy. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for answers from the black effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [00:46]
Host 1
All right, guys, welcome back. Special episode of earn your leashes.
- [00:49]
Host 2
We're back home for sure.
- [00:51]
Host 1
For sure.
- [00:51]
Host 2
Like, we haven't been home in so long.
- [00:52]
Host 1
Chef Lorna.
- [00:54]
Lorna Maseko
Yes.
- [00:54]
Host 1
Thank you for joining us.
- [00:55]
Lorna Maseko
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
- [00:57]
Host 2
We're happy to have you.
- [00:58]
Lorna Maseko
Yes.
- [00:59]
Host 1
Originally from South Africa, ballerina turned news broadcaster turned celebrity chef.
- [01:06]
Host 2
Yes.
- [01:07]
Lorna Maseko
I've lived a long life. I'm just starting, I'm just getting started. So.
- [01:12]
Host 1
Yeah, appreciate it. Connected with us at Invest Fest.
- [01:15]
Lorna Maseko
Yes, I did.
- [01:15]
Host 2
We appreciate you.
- [01:16]
Lorna Maseko
Thank you.
- [01:17]
Host 2
It was amazing.
- [01:18]
Lorna Maseko
Did you try anything?
- [01:19]
Host 2
I did have some, yeah.
- [01:20]
Lorna Maseko
Well, did you enjoy?
- [01:22]
Host 2
So it's weird cuz I had noodles. Yeah, I had. I'm not supposed to eat a lamb chop, but I did.
- [01:29]
Lorna Maseko
Right?
- [01:29]
Host 2
I tasted it. I didn't eat it.
- [01:31]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [01:32]
Host 2
And then there was a mixture cuz some. There was another chef there and I was like, all right. I'm not, I'm not sure who's is whose. I don't want to say the food.
- [01:40]
Lorna Maseko
But you're just gonna eat the food.
- [01:41]
Host 2
But everything was good.
- [01:43]
Lorna Maseko
That's a good thing.
- [01:44]
Host 1
You know, you tasted it but you didn't eat it.
- [01:46]
Host 2
No, no, I said I didn't eat the whole lamb chop. I tasted it.
- [01:49]
Lorna Maseko
What are you, vegetarian?
- [01:51]
Host 2
Pescatarian? Yeah. Yeah. But my wife was like, it's delicious. I gotta try it.
- [01:54]
Lorna Maseko
So I did.
- [01:56]
Host 1
Okay, well, thank you for joining us.
- [01:58]
Lorna Maseko
Thank you.
- [01:58]
Host 1
So, yeah, let's have this conversation. You know, as far as your building your, your chef empire.
- [02:04]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [02:05]
Host 1
But talk about the backstory as far as where it started. South Africa, a country that we've, we've heard so much about from so many different angles and aspects. What was your experience in South Africa and what made you leave to come to America?
- [02:20]
Lorna Maseko
So South Africa's home. I'M sure you guys know what home is like. You know, that's where your heart is. But, you know, I. Let's. Let's wind back a little. So I actually started off as a ballet dancer for the South African Ballet Theater, became a soloist, was the first dancer of color to ever do a lead role. So Don Q. Nutcracker, Swan Lake.
- [02:42]
Host 2
We've heard of those, of course.
- [02:44]
Lorna Maseko
And I guess after a couple of years, I was like, well, this was interesting. You know, I kind of wanted to expand my horizons and do something else, because I was like, I mean, I'm gonna probably do another lead role, probably get uglier toes. And I was like, you know what? I'm done. I resigned and went into television, and so worked for one of the top lifestyle magazine shows in South Africa, so traveled around the world doing junkets, interviewing people, eating a lot of food, which was absolutely amazing. And I guess that's where I kind of, like, fell in love with food from there. I remember going to Italy on a. On a brand trip and, like, loving everything. We went to, like, Palmer, where they make Parma ham, where they make Parmesan. It was just, like, insane. And I just remember coming back going, I really love food, and I kind of, like, want to pursue it. I then did MasterChef and then got into the top six. And then when I left the competition dramatically crying, like, you know, I was like, this is what I want to do, and this is the career.
- [03:44]
Host 2
We just can't, like, breeze over the master chef thing. I felt like you were gonna breeze over. We can't breeze over that.
- [03:50]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [03:50]
Host 2
So, I mean, from t to eating the foods, what happens in between? Do you decide that I'm going to study culinary, or did you go to school? Were you trained? Or was like, some people are just naturally gifted at this. Are you one of those people?
- [04:04]
Lorna Maseko
Well, I am that part, but I was just super hungry as a ballet dance, and I thought, you know, I'm just gonna eat for the rest of my life. So that's why I decided. No, I'm kidding. That wasn't the reason, but I think I. I went to culinary school after MasterChef all of, like, three. Three months.
- [04:20]
Host 2
Oh, you went there without it?
- [04:21]
Lorna Maseko
No. Yeah, I went there without it. Wow. You know, and so I decided, okay, well, this is what I want to pursue, so let me, like, hone my skill and get better. I hated chef school. Like, I just. I was like, I don't want to read about how to make a souffle. I want to go and Make a souffle. And so at the time, because I'd worked in television, I had quite a few friends who were, who owned restaurants. And so I was like, hey, can I come through and little chop a little onion, do a little something and kind of hone my skills. And that's where I kind of got my grounding and was a great who's still a mentor. Tori was just really great at kind of like saying, okay, cool, you could come in and just learn as much as you can. And so from there that led into like the TV shows and then kind of like it grew from that. Yeah.
- [05:07]
Host 1
So when was the transition to America?
- [05:09]
Lorna Maseko
The transition to America was always on the pipeline for me. I think I always knew, like, this is, you know, if you want to, particularly from an entertainment perspective, whether it was like a cooking show or whatever, it was media wise for me at the time. America was like the hot. Like this is where you, if you, if you, if you want to make it big, even if it was just one state, it's going to be much easier to kind of, you know, get into the continent, get into London, get into the uae, wherever you want to take your brand. And so in 2023, I, you know, did the great move to New York and I kicked my butt. Oh gosh, it was so hard in the city. And it was like, you know, you're either New Yorker, you're not. It took me two years to realize, brutally bruised, that I'm not a New Yorker and I'm okay with it, that I'm not a New Yorker. And then went back to South Africa and kind of thought about like, what I was going to do with my life and kind of rebranding. I launched a brand of condiments that are available in South Africa and we're bringing them here to the United States. Have a cookway line as well, which is available on hsn. So here in America as well, kind of like we looked at kind of like, where you gonna go, Lorna? You know, like, are you gonna stay in South Africa? You're gonna try to find another home? So to speak, you're gonna try another state. And then I remember brand. South Africa had an event that was hap happening in Atlanta. And it was my first time coming to Atlanta. And when I arrived, it was just like a. This is it. This is the place. Yeah, just. I just felt like it felt like home, you know. And I guess I was speaking earlier just like the black excellence, the southern hospitality, you know, in New York, like if something happened to you people just on their phones, ski, walking, you know, in the south, people like, hey, how you doing? I'm good. I'm great. You know, and then have a conversation. And so I love that, you know, an Uber driver would be like, how you doing? You good? And like, wow, people still exist. Some kind of humanity in them, you know? And so I think for me, that resonated with me because South Africa is very similar to Atlanta. Well, Johannesburg in particular.
- [07:13]
Host 2
What was the. The lessons learned from coming to New York? Obviously, when you think fine dining, a lot of people think New York. I think you had it as your number one place. Number one. So it's a lot of.
- [07:24]
Lorna Maseko
Okay, a lot.
- [07:26]
Host 2
A lot of competition. I mean, it is the home of Michelin stars and all these things. What did you learn coming here before you said, yeah, I gotta go back to South Africa?
- [07:38]
Lorna Maseko
I learned how to live smarter. Smarter. I think, like, New York teaches you how to hustle. Like, it's like. But hustling on another level. You know, it's funny because joburgers will go, oh, you know, if you've lived in Joba, you can live anywhere in the world. Nope, hold that. Hold that thought. If you've lived in New York, you can live anywhere in the world. You know, I think if anything new taught me to definitely live smarter. Like, you know. Yeah, like hustle. Like a hustle lifestyle, which, you know, I was like this. It's tough, you know, I don't live like this in South Africa, like this in New York. What the hell am I doing here? But anyway, I survived, you know, I'm alive here. I am.
- [08:17]
Host 2
You live to tell the story.
- [08:18]
Lorna Maseko
Exactly, exactly, exactly.
- [08:20]
Host 1
So you wrote a cookbook.
- [08:21]
Lorna Maseko
I wrote a cookbook called Celebrate with Lorna. It won a couple of awards.
- [08:25]
Host 1
International awards.
- [08:26]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, international awards. Go. My World Cookbook Award. Best lifestyle book and best Something else. I can't remember, but, yeah, the book was. You know, I think your first book is like, a good PR exercise because you're still kind of navigating the space. I think as a chef, I've also kind of, like, changed. So, like, it would be, you know, my second cookbook would be completely different to the one that I had. But, yeah, it was a lot of learning. It was kind of like trying find my identity as, you know, what am I trying to say about food? Who am I as a chef? How do I fit in? I didn't go the traditional route like everybody else did. You know, I'm just, you know, everyone went left. That's right. Everyone Went left and I go right or whichever way. But, yeah, I did. I did do the cookbook.
- [09:12]
Host 1
So what. What propelled it to, you know, have the international awards and that. That level of spotlight?
- [09:16]
Lorna Maseko
I think for me, like, I. I try move away from, like, what is your cuisine? You know what I mean? Like, I just want to. I just want to eat good. I want to cook good. You know, it doesn't matter what the cuisine is. It doesn't matter, you know, if, you know, it doesn't have to be Jamaican. It doesn't have to be South. Obviously, the roots of my food is very South African. But, like, I mean, I love Japanese food, you know, and so, like, my flavor profile is always like a little mirin ponzu, you know, yuzu, ginger, garlic, you know, So I just. My thing is, like, can you cook?
- [09:48]
Host 1
So what do you specialize in?
- [09:49]
Lorna Maseko
I don't have anything special.
- [09:50]
Host 2
In my mind, I'm thinking, like, when you said, who you are as a chef, I'm thinking, who are you as a chef?
- [09:56]
Lorna Maseko
I think as a chef, for me, I'd like to say that I like to create food that tells a story, right, that reminds us all how connected we are through food. And so at the base of it is very South African, but it has a very much global appeal. You know, I mean, if I think about it, I always say, like, it's a maguing in South Africa, right? It's a beignet in France, it's a donut in America, it's puff, puff in Ghana or Nigeria, it's the same thing. It's a thing that you fry. It's a dough that you fry. It's crunchy on the outside, it's soft and fluffy on the inside. The methods are completely different, but it's the same thing.
- [10:43]
Host 2
We have. I think we had puff, puff before.
- [10:46]
Lorna Maseko
Which is similar to a donut, right, in terms of, like, it's crunchy on the outside, it's soft on the inside. You open it up, it's nice and fluffy. You know, some people like it sweet, some people have it savory. So it's the same thing. And so I think for me, who are you as a chef? It's just that storytelling through food and culture just really showing how much was so similar in what we're eating. And I don't know how it all affected us in the slave trade or whatever, but it clearly, you know, it's linked to some somehow. You know, it's barbacoa in Mexico, it's Chartlo in South Africa. Shredded beef in America, it's the same thing.
- [11:24]
Host 1
So what? Okay. We have asked this question for different people, but I want to ask a different twist on it from a traditional food standpoint, because there's different places that have traditional food. Like, obviously, sushi. That's a traditional food to Japan. Creole is a traditional food to New Orleans. The list goes on. What's your five places in the world that have the best traditional food?
- [11:46]
Lorna Maseko
Okay, so definitely Thai. I am so into Thai food at the moment. Love the flavors. Bold, insane. Incredible. Amazing. I would definitely say South Africa, Cape Town.
- [11:58]
Host 1
What kind of food is native to South Africa?
- [12:01]
Lorna Maseko
So it's different. So Cape Town's very European. I'm not gonna lie. It's, like, very, very European French influences. But you have, like, chefs who are kind of getting. Finding the identity within who they are as Africans or South Africans and adding kind of, like, a French twist to giving it that fine dining element. Right. But you'll get, like, maybe, you know, samp and beans are very South African, but I like how, you know, they'll elevate that to something else. And it's. It looks different, but it tastes like sampling beans, which is what I like to do. Right. So, yeah, so I said two. Right.
- [12:38]
Host 2
We got Thai.
- [12:38]
Lorna Maseko
Yep, Thai. I said South Africa.
- [12:40]
Host 2
South African.
- [12:42]
Lorna Maseko
I definitely say Japanese because I. I love Japanese food. So that would be the third for me. I'd say the fourth would be. I don't know if it's because I'm craving it today, but I say Indian.
- [13:01]
Host 1
Indian food all time.
- [13:02]
Lorna Maseko
I know, but it's. But it's really good, right? Like, Indian food in London is really good.
- [13:07]
Host 1
Yeah, for sure.
- [13:07]
Lorna Maseko
You know, Indian food in Durban is.
- [13:09]
Host 1
Very good in New York, and in.
- [13:11]
Lorna Maseko
New York is very good. You know, so, yeah, I'm not big on Italian food. Like, I'm okay. You know, we've been eating Italian food for a while, you know, and then I would probably say, sure, that's a hard one between Nigerian, just because of the diversity of the food and the ingredients. In Nigeria, I feel like Nigeria on its own is, like, just a hub, just because there's so many different cultures and ethnicities, and it's. It's just wild. But I'd say that between that and Ethiopian food, I definitely say those are the.
- [13:49]
Host 1
My Ethiopian food, for sure.
- [13:52]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, my gosh.
- [13:54]
Host 2
Yeah, you left. You left Jamaican off, but I'll forgive you. I'll forgive you.
- [13:59]
Lorna Maseko
Well, the funny thing is that, like, Jamaican food is not huge in South Africa. It's huge in America. Or the Caribbean, you know.
- [14:06]
Host 1
You haven't had a lot.
- [14:08]
Lorna Maseko
No, I've had. No, no. I've had, like, jerk chicken. I've had, like, great oxtail. I've had, you know, rice and beans. No, no, I'm good.
- [14:14]
Host 2
Beans.
- [14:15]
Lorna Maseko
Peas and peas. You know what I mean?
- [14:19]
Host 2
I know what you mean.
- [14:20]
Lorna Maseko
So from that perspective, you know. Yeah. Actually Jamaican.
- [14:28]
Host 2
I know. We was here.
- [14:29]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [14:29]
Host 2
I felt the energy.
- [14:30]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, Yeah. I was like, oh, you know, I've had some really good oxtail in actually, New York.
- [14:35]
Host 1
What about New Orleans? Creole?
- [14:36]
Lorna Maseko
I've never been to New Orleans. That needs to. I. That has to. That's on my bucket list, you know, along with Tokyo, but, you know, let's also travel the continent.
- [14:44]
Host 2
We gotta travel with you.
- [14:45]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [14:46]
Host 2
So you said one of the things you learned being in New York was to be smarter, right. Work smarter. So I want you to talk to us about Laundress Pantry, because it's all about being budget friendly. I know when you go out, it's tough. New York City is to be budget friendly. But talk to us about Laundress Pantry.
- [15:05]
Lorna Maseko
It's funny, because that show stemmed from me living here for two years and then having to be savvy about my food and how I ate and what I bought and where I bought it and how I. You know, because I still like to eat good, but, like, I'm not spending, spending. You know, I don't go out. Well. When I lived here, I didn't go out, like, every night. You know, now that I'm here on, like, a little holiday, I'm like, where are we going? Which mission are we trying? You know, it's, like, completely different. Right. But, like, when I was here, it was just like, how do you take basic ingredients and, like, elevate them? Because I still want to eat good, but I don't want to spend too much money. Right. And so Lorna's Pantry was literally birthed from that. Yes. It's showcased in South Africa, and I guess it's on different airlines across the continent, but it was just like, how do I maximize my ingredients with a very small budget? And so literally, that show was. Was a product of how much I suffered in the city. I'm kidding. I mean, just a tad. Just a little suffering, you know? And. Yeah, and it did really, really well. And we're working on season two, so. Super excited about that.
- [16:11]
Host 2
How receptive were people to it? Right. A lot of people try to find restaurants that they like, but they can't afford. How do people respond to it?
- [16:19]
Lorna Maseko
The minute you say budget friendly, people are like, sign me up, you know? Yeah. Because, you know, food is expensive. Good quality food is expensive, but you want to be able to feed your family. You want to be able to feed yourself, and you wanted to make financial sense. You know, like, not all of us can have, like, caviar every Saturday, you know, or every month or every week. We like it, but. Yeah.
- [16:42]
Host 1
So what's the business of being a celebrity chef? Like, how. Okay, what's the business behind it? I know you can have a restaurant, you can do catering, you can write a book, but from your. Your pathway that you're on right now, right? Building a business, like, what. What's your pathway that you. That you followed so far?
- [16:59]
Lorna Maseko
So I. I like to say I'm creative, but I'm very entrepreneurial at the same time. Like, I love them. You know, back then, you were either just a creative or you were just an entrepreneur. And I feel like for me, and for most entrepreneurs or some, I guess, and you guys may understand that, but I'm creative and I'm very entrepreneurial. So kind of building brand for me, or celebrity chef brand, it's kind of owning the. The ecosystem completely. So it started with, you know, you do private events, launching the supper club in November. So that's one avenue. And then that's obviously the cookware line. That's another, you know, I want you to get into your kitchen and have everything, Lorna. So whether you're chopping, that's a loaner product or a cutting board, that's a loaner product, a little spice that you're using, it's a loaner product. And so for me, you know, I kind of look at it holistically like that. And, you know, as, you know, my brand continues to grow in the U.S. it's, you know, hopefully that all those ecosystems will kind of be filtered in, you know, and then obviously, everybody wants a good TV show, which I'm already doing in South Africa. I just need just let it manifest within this country.
- [18:07]
Host 1
So you want a TV show?
- [18:09]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, TV shows, you know. Yeah. I mean, I'm already doing, like, stuff with, like, Beat, Bobby Flay and Chop and all these other things and, you know, cooking segments on the Today show. But, you know, you want. You want to own your own stuff. And I think, you know, even when I got back from New York, one of the things was like, okay, how do I start owning my own stuff? So Lorna's pantry was through my production house, and we produced it, we packaged it, and we sold it to sabc. But I think more than anything, I think that's just about building a sustainable brand that would live long beyond me being alive. But. But, yeah, I think it's. It's really just owning the different ecosystems when it comes to the culinary arts.
- [18:56]
Host 2
What. I mean, obviously, successful in South Africa, the US Obviously makes a lot of sense. Were there other parts of the world that you said, okay, before I go to the US or maybe other countries in Africa, like, hey, let's spread the brand here? Or it was, hey, once we become big here and we've established some of the things we want, we're going back to you guys. Was that always the mindset?
- [19:17]
Lorna Maseko
It was always just America, you know, I think I dabbled within the UK for a little while because, you know, the pound is nice, you know, but then. But it was just. It was just. It's always been America for me, you know, maybe for somebody else, it might be something else, you know, and, you know, I guess I've been carving at this journey slowly, and, you know, you start seeing, like, a few things that start happening and you're like, okay, maybe, you know, the sacrifice is starting to pay off somewhat, you know, because it is. It's a sacrifice for me from your family. And everyone's like, so you don't have a single family member in the us I'm like, no, I don't. You know, it's literally just me, myself and I just carving this.
- [19:58]
Host 2
You are the team.
- [20:00]
Lorna Maseko
That part.
- [20:01]
Host 2
Really?
- [20:01]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [20:02]
Host 2
So, I mean, even if I don't.
- [20:03]
Lorna Maseko
Have a cousin, I don't have.
- [20:05]
Host 2
Really?
- [20:06]
Lorna Maseko
No one.
- [20:08]
Host 2
That's pretty impressive.
- [20:09]
Lorna Maseko
I don't know. It's stupid. It's stupid and crazy.
- [20:12]
Host 2
It could be all those. All those things can be true. So how are you. How are you navigating? Right. Obviously, we. Obviously, you were part of Invest Fest.
- [20:19]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [20:20]
Host 2
How are you finding out about these events? How are you finding about openings for restaurants? Like, you're navigating this all by yourself.
- [20:26]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. Yeah. I think for me, one of the things that, you know, my friends always say, lorna's ambition knows no boundaries. Like, I will ask, ask, you know, until you tell me to leave you alone or stop annoying. Like, stop irritating you. But I. I don't. I don't have the fear to ask a question, you know, or ask for. Not so much, I guess, help or, you know, I don't mind putting myself out there, you know, because I have nothing to lose. Right. You could either be like, no, we don't want to Invest first. It's cool. She's not really our vibe or. Yeah, it sounds like something cool. You know, we could feature her. And then, you know, you go out and you deliver your best and you do over and above what you are required to do. Right. And then you hopefully get back and, you know, the check is a little bigger. You know, this trustworthiness because, you know, one of the things that I. I'd learned, I guess, from New York as opposed to South Africa. In South Africa, like, there are people I can call, like to get stuff done, like real quick here, like every email is like, hi, by way of introduction, my name is Shift Law. You know, every email. But, you know, that's. That's how you build a brand. That's how you start, you know, and. Yeah, and I'm still navigating, but I, you know, I think I'm on the right path.
- [21:35]
Host 1
So. Talk about the supper club.
- [21:37]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, so I'm very, very excited about the supper club. It's called Ekaya dining. Ekaya means home. And for me, that's what I want food to feel like that you're coming to my home and we're having great conversation. Maybe we'll do another one next year. You know, when you guys do investment breakfast. No pressure because now it's live, you know, and I love intimate food spaces. You know, I. I want you to pass the dish to the next person, have a conversation about it. I want you to go, oh, this reminds me of my auntie's collard greens, but she's just added a little cream. You know, it's a little different. And so the whole concept of a kaya is bringing people around a table and wanting them to feel like they're in my home.
- [22:20]
Host 1
It's a restaurant, it's a supper club. What is a supper club?
- [22:24]
Lorna Maseko
A supper club is just, I guess a cooler way of saying you're running like a popup experience or a restaurant that feels like home, like a little intimate. More intimate. More. What's the word? Not every day. So it's a. It's something that you becomes. What's the English word like you want to go to, you know, like, I think if you had investors every single weekend, it would lose its like. Yeah.
- [22:51]
Host 1
So how. All right, so when it opens, how long is it gonna be open for?
- [22:54]
Lorna Maseko
So basically when it opens, you go, the supper club is open for these dates. Book out these dates. And then you. I also think, like, you still have a life because you're not. Cuz restaurants are tough, right? And I Think for me as I'm building my brand in the city. Well, in Atlanta it just made sense to start with a supper club. Build up the brand, build up the name. And also that kind of like, oh my gosh, it's coming back, you know, it's you. We had such a great time, we want to go back. As opposed to. It's open constantly and it's just a machine which I guess some people. For some people works well. But for me that's not what I'm.
- [23:31]
Host 1
So is it limited time as far as one week or is it limited as far as it's only open on weekends?
- [23:36]
Lorna Maseko
So you'll say for this month. Let's say we're in the month of. We'll just use any month. The month of May. The supper club is open Friday, Saturdays for the month of May. These are the dates people book. It's only like limited to 20, 30 people. So it's really a small number. It's a premium price. So you know, it's little pricey, but it's an experience. Right. And then you do another one. So you know, May, then you go June. I'm going to do. These are the dates that are open.
- [24:03]
Host 2
Are you changing cities each time?
- [24:05]
Lorna Maseko
Definitely changing cities each time.
- [24:07]
Host 2
So it could be in la, it.
- [24:08]
Lorna Maseko
Could be in Chicago, Miami. It could be definitely coming back to New York because, you know, feel, feel stronger. Like, you know, I'm ready to.
- [24:14]
Host 2
Yeah, you put.
- [24:15]
Host 1
So let's stay, let's stay on this. If you got your reps for a while.
- [24:18]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [24:18]
Host 1
This is a bit business model. Chef, Chef Calvin. You heard of him before?
- [24:22]
Lorna Maseko
No. Tell me about him.
- [24:25]
Host 1
He won. What did he win?
- [24:27]
Lorna Maseko
James Beard.
- [24:27]
Host 1
He won? No, like the one of these TV shows.
- [24:30]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, Chopped.
- [24:31]
Host 2
Yeah, I think, I think he was on Chop.
- [24:33]
Host 1
Yes, we interviewed him early, early, early. But he, that was his thing. And this was like even during the before.
- [24:38]
Host 2
Right.
- [24:39]
Host 1
Before he was doing weekend pop ups.
- [24:42]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [24:42]
Host 1
In the Bronx, actually.
- [24:44]
Host 2
That's where he started apartments.
- [24:46]
Host 1
And then it was like an elevated experience in the Bronx. It was a whole thing. But okay, so this is a business model.
- [24:51]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [24:52]
Host 1
So you're renting out. What kind of venues is this?
- [24:56]
Lorna Maseko
So the current venue we're looking at is an existing restaurant that's vacant. That. No, so it operates from Wednesdays.
- [25:04]
Host 2
So then the restaurant is not open on the weekend.
- [25:06]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, it's. No, it's open Wednesdays to Sundays from 7am Till 3. So that. So in the evening.
- [25:14]
Host 1
So you're going to take over the existing restaurant at night.
- [25:16]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, basically.
- [25:17]
Host 1
Okay, so it's like when say less went to. They go to the All Star games.
- [25:21]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [25:22]
Host 1
And it's to say less pop up pretty much.
- [25:24]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. And your overheads are lower, so you're not paying staff all the time, but you know, you're able to.
- [25:30]
Host 1
So that's a business model that you. All right, so you like that business model because it's less pressure as far as having a lease and you have to stay here no matter what. And, and it's a scarcity model too, right, where it's like if you got, if you don't get no these couple of days and it's over. As opposed to I got all month to go to the restaurant.
- [25:49]
Lorna Maseko
Exactly. And I think once you build it around like good branding, marketing, all that stuff, it is, it's. I mean there's supper clubs that I, I think we're talking offline that's like, it's fully booked till next year, January. And I'm, I'm trying to see if like somebody cancels or if I could go. And, and they have a Michelin, you know, and so it just makes sense. And you're able to get, I think for me as a chef, you're able to, you know, get the recognition you want, whether it's a Michelin or a James Beard or, you know, and you.
- [26:20]
Host 1
Come in off of the, like they had the liquor license, you use their liquor license.
- [26:23]
Lorna Maseko
So you don't need. Necessary because you're not selling liquor. You know, it's almost like an event.
- [26:28]
Host 2
Ah, yeah. So it's like kind of complimentary.
- [26:30]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, in a sense. Exactly.
- [26:32]
Host 2
So this is a, a permanent, almost like a, a pop up model that just runs continuously. So how, how do you choose the menu? Because that obviously can cut into profits. Right. If you have different menu items, it's already a premium ticket, but you want to make sure that the margins are good. So how are you choosing that?
- [26:50]
Lorna Maseko
I think the menu has to be different every time because you're, you know, you, you're selling a different experience. I think getting a sommelier or a wine partner who comes on and it's a wine pairing, I think that's one. But definitely the menu has to be different. You know, that's, that's the selling point. Right. You, whether you're saying you're doing a fusion between southern, southern African food and the, and, and food from the south, you know, that's a play on something. I think if you said if I, I would love to do one that was like South African Japanese. I think that would be, like, an interesting fusion and so. And then also collaborate with other chefs. Right? Do kind of like experiences where you're both curating something really delicious and amazing and. And you're still gathering people, but it's set.
- [27:39]
Host 1
It's a set menu of, like, changes. No, no, no. But I'm saying, like, you have this pop up on Saturday. Right?
- [27:44]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [27:45]
Host 1
You're doing the. The Japanese Jamaican fusion.
- [27:49]
Lorna Maseko
Okay. Look at you.
- [27:51]
Host 2
We just speaking it into existence.
- [27:53]
Host 1
You're gonna cook three different dishes. But those are the three different dishes. It's not like you could just go in a. It's not like a regular restaurant. Just pick random.
- [28:01]
Lorna Maseko
No, no, no, no. The six course meal is. The six course meal is a six course meal until.
- [28:05]
Host 2
Until the next pop.
- [28:05]
Lorna Maseko
Until the next pop up where you're selling a different kind of experience. Right.
- [28:09]
Host 1
And then, yeah, if you have a wine partner, then, yeah, it's like, okay, like tonight we're gonna be drinking this wine.
- [28:16]
Lorna Maseko
I best.
- [28:17]
Host 2
I best.
- [28:18]
Lorna Maseko
Yes.
- [28:18]
Host 2
Friend of the show.
- [28:19]
Lorna Maseko
Yes.
- [28:20]
Host 2
Shout out to Ingrid.
- [28:21]
Lorna Maseko
Exactly. I love Ingrid. And that wine is good.
- [28:23]
Host 2
Yeah, wine is good. So the price associated with this is it just the. The venue and obviously you getting the food. And then hopefully we can get sponsorships and.
- [28:34]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. So in the past, when I used to do it in New York, these were funded by Brand South Africa. And so it'd be like Brand South Africa and Amarula, for example. Amarula being a liqueur. That's South African. And so, you know, that model works because, you know, you. All your costs are covered, essentially. Right. And I think once you've built up the brand, you've got great marketing, Everybody kind of wins, you know, and then somebody.
- [29:02]
Host 1
How much do they pay to get it? Get it?
- [29:04]
Lorna Maseko
It depends. It's weird. And in Atlanta, they've been 185. In New York, 250.
- [29:09]
Host 1
For a ticket. For one ticket.
- [29:10]
Lorna Maseko
One ticket.
- [29:11]
Host 1
Okay. Yeah, 250. So that. So if you two. That's 500. 500 date shot.
- [29:16]
Host 2
Stop it. Let's not start this.
- [29:19]
Lorna Maseko
What are we starting now?
- [29:22]
Host 2
We got a lot of flack over this already.
- [29:25]
Lorna Maseko
Let me hear it.
- [29:25]
Host 1
What do you think? Think the appro. What do you think a reasonable amount of money is to spend on the first date?
- [29:29]
Lorna Maseko
On a first date. On a first date, you are spending.
- [29:33]
Host 1
What do you think?
- [29:34]
Lorna Maseko
I mean, I'll probably, like, do caviar. I'll probably do, like, the best wine. I got, like, $800 or pounds.
- [29:43]
Host 2
Which one?
- [29:43]
Lorna Maseko
Definitely not rans.
- [29:48]
Host 1
You in caviar. On the first date.
- [29:50]
Lorna Maseko
Yes, yes.
- [29:51]
Host 2
Yes, Chef. Lor, not playing with you.
- [29:53]
Host 1
What if you go to a restaurant that does not have caviar?
- [29:55]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, if I'm picking the restaurant, I'm going to make sure that that restaura restaurant as caviar.
- [29:58]
Host 1
Oh, you pick the restaurant?
- [30:00]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. I mean, you. You'd say, oh, what kind of cuisine do you like? Then I'd be like, oh, you know, is it michelin?
- [30:06]
Host 2
You know, is it Michelin? Not playing.
- [30:10]
Lorna Maseko
You know, so, you know, one of my favorites are xyz. And what I love about restaurants in Atlanta, there's caviar service at most of them.
- [30:19]
Host 2
Yeah.
- [30:19]
Host 1
So you. So. So 800 is. You sent you. So you're saying 800 is a reasonable amount of money to spend.
- [30:25]
Lorna Maseko
I mean, like, a really good bottle of wine is like 2, 250 off the rip. Yeah, yeah.
- [30:29]
Host 2
We can go cookie dash out the nas. I mean, they got caviar on the nuggets. Oh, does that count?
- [30:34]
Lorna Maseko
I know it does count.
- [30:35]
Host 2
Okay. No nursing there, but it's really good. Where at Coconut.
- [30:39]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, is it here?
- [30:40]
Host 2
Yeah, in New York City.
- [30:41]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, you need to tell me. Yeah, I gotta try it out.
- [30:44]
Host 2
I'm gonna send it to you.
- [30:44]
Lorna Maseko
Is it papa caviar? Is it, like, the fake stuff?
- [30:46]
Host 2
It's real.
- [30:47]
Host 1
That's your thing. Caviar.
- [30:49]
Lorna Maseko
I love. I love. I love good food.
- [30:51]
Host 1
All types of food.
- [30:53]
Lorna Maseko
All types of.
- [30:53]
Host 1
Are you a food snob?
- [30:55]
Host 2
A bit, Yeah.
- [30:56]
Host 1
I was gonna say, yeah, I'm a food snob.
- [30:58]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [30:59]
Host 1
But I appreciate Hole in the Walls. That's good. Like, I can go to a random Indian restaurant. That's a hole in the Wall.
- [31:05]
Lorna Maseko
That is my vibe. That is. I will never go to the place that everybody goes to.
- [31:09]
Host 2
Okay.
- [31:10]
Lorna Maseko
You know, I'm just. It's not. It's not for me, but I love Hole in the Wall as much as I love a good little. Little.
- [31:16]
Host 2
The hole in the wall might not have the caviar.
- [31:18]
Host 1
No, they might not have came up, but they got.
- [31:20]
Lorna Maseko
They're gonna have a lot of times, like, Hole in the Wall spots. Indian spots are sometimes hole in the Wall, but they're like, Indian.
- [31:26]
Host 1
I went to a few Indian restaurants in New York that randomly just walked in.
- [31:31]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [31:31]
Host 1
And it was like, the best.
- [31:32]
Lorna Maseko
Some of the best food. No, I agree.
- [31:33]
Host 1
I said 500.
- [31:35]
Host 2
That was it. Inflation.
- [31:37]
Host 1
And people, they got really mad about that.
- [31:40]
Lorna Maseko
About 500. That's.
- [31:41]
Host 1
I mean, like, they got really mad about that.
- [31:43]
Lorna Maseko
I mean, if you think about it like a tasting menu, I was looking at some tasting menus today in New York, it's like 285.
- [31:51]
Host 1
You know, you also have to take in mind that you're speaking from an experience of New York City, I guess America. Most of the people in America don't live in New York City.
- [32:01]
Lorna Maseko
That is true.
- [32:02]
Host 1
Miami, that.
- [32:03]
Lorna Maseko
I mean Miami.
- [32:04]
Host 2
And have never tasted caviar.
- [32:05]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, Lord Jesus. I mean, they've had like other things.
- [32:10]
Host 2
Yeah, Chicken nuggets, fries, say fried chicken. Great things of that sort. Those things are important.
- [32:18]
Lorna Maseko
No, I love them. It's like, it's like in South Africa it's like seven colors, right? Seven colors is like seven different elements on a plate. Or some people, young people call it several colors. But you know, I'm an 80s baby. We call it seven colors and it's seven different elements on a plate. And reminds me of southern food because it's like a rice protein, whether it's like a stew or it's like grilled chicken. And then we have. Have spinach that we. Cream spinach that we love. You guys have collard greens, then you guys have yams. We have butternut or what's that other thing? Or pumpkin. But it's not as sweet. Sweet and syrupy, you know, that's good for cotevo. I've never had food in quarter with your hands.
- [33:00]
Host 1
They gave me. They had.
- [33:01]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. In South Africa as well. You eat with your hands. Yeah, I mean, that's, that, that's what's up.
- [33:06]
Host 1
You know what? You know, I didn't know because I'm left handed, right. So I was eating with my left hand. So I got the education on that.
- [33:13]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, they told you?
- [33:14]
Host 1
They told me. But I, you know, I'm left handed, so everything I do is with my left hand. But when I was on Instagram, the Instagramians told me apart in the comments.
- [33:24]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, really? What did they say? What's your left hand?
- [33:28]
Host 2
I told him to stop going on there. That damn Instagram.
- [33:31]
Lorna Maseko
But funny enough, sushi, you can eat with your hands.
- [33:35]
Host 2
Really?
- [33:36]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. If you don't, if you don't know how to use chopsticks. So when you go to an omakase spot, right, which is like basically. Oh, my cast. You know what Omar Cassie is?
- [33:43]
Host 1
No.
- [33:44]
Lorna Maseko
So basically the chef gives you what's available, right? So whatever.
- [33:47]
Host 1
Sushi restaurant.
- [33:48]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, it's called an omakase. It's usually called omakase, but it's a. Whatever the chef has that's available. That's the sushi you're getting or the fish and whatever Whatever it is. And you don't, they don't give you chopsticks for some of the dishes you actually pick. Take the sushi and eat it with your hands.
- [34:04]
Host 2
Yeah, I know people like that.
- [34:05]
Host 1
Yeah, I'm cool with the eating with the hand thing.
- [34:07]
Host 2
Yeah, it's all good.
- [34:08]
Lorna Maseko
Okay.
- [34:09]
Host 1
Like Ethiopian food.
- [34:10]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, yeah. How are you gonna have panera with the pork and knife? Get out the restaurant.
- [34:17]
Host 2
Was there a city? First I want to know how the audience are responding to the food. And then I want to know if there's a city in particular that you were like, wow, they really get it. Because when they first think maybe South African cuisine and then they taste the food, obviously it's enlightening. And it's like, wow, I have to get more of this. Is there a city in particular? New York. I feel like there's so much diversity.
- [34:38]
Lorna Maseko
I was gonna say New York is definitely has always had my best pop ups because it's just the, the food scene here, so vibrant, it's so energetic, so diverse. And so even when you come in and you maybe made up an island that doesn't exist, people will come and try it. You know what I mean? Where I think in other parts and it's education constantly and it's finding the, you know, the way both cuisine meet each other and kind of finding that midline kind of like saying, okay, well, you know, it's collard greens in the south, but you know, how do I take collard greens and give it a South African twist? And maybe it's creamed spinach, because we eat a lot of spinach, but we add a lot of cream to it, you know. And so for me, it's about finding those similarities so that it's, that's a little familiar, you know, and it's not like, well, I'm, I don't, I don't know what, what's going on. But at the same time, when you go to a supper club or a pop up, you're going for a different experience, you know, because if, if, if, if, if it was just a normal restaurant, you know exactly what you're getting. It's the things you like. But when you, when you do a supper club where you go to a pop up experience, it's for that different experience because you want something else. You don't want the regular schmegular stuff that you have.
- [35:48]
Host 2
An elevated experience.
- [35:49]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, an elevated experience. It's, it's a beautiful date night night, you know, that you might spend over 500.
- [35:56]
Host 2
So what is zania so.
- [35:59]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, is that. Oh, y' all did a lot of research.
- [36:01]
Host 2
I mean. I mean, we've been known to do a thing or two of research because, I mean, New York, obviously, we're here. It's diverse. Atlanta food scene a little different. Has gotten better.
- [36:11]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, Growing.
- [36:13]
Host 2
So what is any. How. How do we plan to take over this market?
- [36:17]
Lorna Maseko
So Zania is a concept that I'm working on back in South Africa. It's a private members club, members only, no phones. No, no, no phones. But it's not a gentleman's cup. It's a food. It's a food space, you know, where you can have your meetings. And so that's a concept that's, you know, and. And it's baby steps, soon to be launched in 2026, and that's coming to.
- [36:39]
Host 2
Atlanta as well, or just in South Africa.
- [36:43]
Host 1
So talk about social media. How has social media helped the brand? And how. How are you. You using social media to. To create awareness?
- [36:51]
Lorna Maseko
To be honest, I feel like a lot of social media is like smoke and mirrors a lot. Because it's all perception, right? Maybe it's not smoke and mirrors, but, like, it's perception. You got to create the brand. It's like, how do you. How do you. What did someone say the other day? How you show up is how people are going to receive you. And so I think as I've shown up, I guess partnering with you guys for investing, faced with brand South Africa, those are the things that go, okay, cool. She. She's doing some stuff, you know, because, you know, your brands are very well known, established. And so when you're partnering with those kinds of things, I think for me, it plays a part because people are watching. You know, they may not engage, but they are watching. And so I think social media is a. As. As much as. As. As exhausting as it is. It's. It's a really good medium to use.
- [37:43]
Host 1
Can you explain the difference between a food scene in Atlanta and New York City?
- [37:50]
Lorna Maseko
Why are you trying to kill me?
- [37:52]
Host 2
No pressure, no pressure.
- [37:54]
Lorna Maseko
You know what? I think for me, the food scene in Atlanta is growing, and it has potential to be amazing. And so, I mean, New York is a beast. Miami's a beast.
- [38:08]
Host 1
London from an educated standpoint, because I. When I say that New York is the top city in America for food, a lot of. I'm educated on food, but a lot of people that may not be as educated as I am, they give me pushback on this. And like, no, New York food is nasty, and I'm Explaining to them as far as how many Michelin star restaurants do we have? How many. The diversity in the food. So yeah, can you just explain that.
- [38:32]
Lorna Maseko
You trying, are you trying to let the people in Atlanta kill me?
- [38:35]
Host 2
No, no, no. We love Atlanta.
- [38:37]
Host 1
We love Atlanta.
- [38:40]
Lorna Maseko
I think the food scene in Atlanta is growing. I think there's a lot of education that's needed. You know, it's funny because when I, when I came to Atlanta in 2024, towards the end of 2024, it was like a lot of like the Lebanese Persian type restaurants were like, are still are like a big thing like hummus kebab. And it's like there's more to cuisine than just that. It's great. Mediterranean food is amazing. It's, it's delicious, it's healthy, it's. But there's more to it.
- [39:09]
Host 1
Well, actually let's, this is a better question. What, what city in America do you think has the best food?
- [39:14]
Lorna Maseko
Okay, so I've never been to New Orleans.
- [39:16]
Host 1
The places that you, places that you've been to.
- [39:18]
Lorna Maseko
Absolutely. New York.
- [39:19]
Host 1
So explain why New York is the number one city in America.
- [39:22]
Lorna Maseko
I would say it's hard to go to New York and find a bad restaurant. Even if you would just walk down the street and turn right like it is, it really is hard. Right. And it depends on your level of also expenditure what you want to spend. There's a lot of competition. So it's very hard. So if you know that a restaurant has been open for a while, you know, they are fighting for their lives and they probably been at it for a while. And also just the diversity, like you can, you could come to New York and find every cuisine known to man potentially, you know, And I think that that's what makes New York just such a great place to eat. I don't think there's anywhere in the world actually maybe London could potentially be that too. But you know, is everything okay, guys?
- [40:13]
Host 2
I appreciate that message. I'm glad you said it. But we concur, get there.
- [40:18]
Host 1
I think, I mean it's on the rise.
- [40:21]
Lorna Maseko
It is on the rise.
- [40:22]
Host 1
And I think Atlanta, in order to, to compete, you just gotta know.
- [40:27]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah, you've gotta know. And I think for me what excites me about Atlanta is that whenever I've had a pop up, it's not, it's not that it's not well received. Like people buy tickets and they want to be at it. So there's clearly a market for something different. You know, if you look at the Michelin star restaurants, In Atlanta, they are fully booked for at least like two, three weeks in advance. So you can't just walk in. So that for me says, okay, it's growing and there's still an interest. There's a group, maybe it's a small group of people, but there are people that are going in and paying 500, $800 for dinners. They clearly. Because how do those other restaurants survive?
- [41:06]
Host 2
Do you feel the pressure to be a Michelin star?
- [41:09]
Lorna Maseko
I feel the pressure. I think I would like to be. I am working towards that. You know, I think, you know, as a black female chef from the continent, it would be like insanely epic.
- [41:22]
Host 2
So, yeah, I just feel like as I'm listening to you talk, obviously we've tasted some of the food. I just feel like there's this trailblazing that's happening with you. I wonder if you're looking at it and saying, seeing it yourself, saying, I'm setting a path for so many women from my country from here to travel down this path. That's why I wonder if Michelin is the goal.
- [41:40]
Lorna Maseko
No, it is. I mean, for any chef, right? Michelin, James Beard, you know, none of those things exist on the continent, which is crazy to me. But hey, whatever.
- [41:48]
Host 1
We, we, we did eat at a Michelin star chef's restaurant.
- [41:53]
Lorna Maseko
Where?
- [41:54]
Host 1
In Benin. Benin.
- [41:57]
Host 2
Yeah.
- [41:57]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, he probably trained. Oh, she, she probably trained at a Michelin spot and then came to Benin and opened a restaurant in Benin because there's no Michelin on the continent.
- [42:08]
Host 1
Yeah, she's a Michelin star chef. So I don't know. But she was Michelin. It was a Michelin star.
- [42:14]
Host 2
She worked in the first one to come back.
- [42:16]
Host 1
Yeah, probably came back is French. So she came from Paris.
- [42:20]
Lorna Maseko
Yes, she probably worked at a Michelin spot in Paris and they won a Michelin while she worked there.
- [42:24]
Host 1
So, so there's, there's no Michelin star restaurants. But why do we, why does, why, why does that validation matter?
- [42:32]
Lorna Maseko
The same validation when you guys had 10 years of invest fest or 20 years or 30 years?
- [42:38]
Host 2
No, but from a prestigious.
- [42:40]
Lorna Maseko
It's not prestigious. It's just like, it's like good and. Good and faithful servant. You have done the work for sure. For some people it means nothing, right?
- [42:47]
Host 1
They don't care because I feel like.
- [42:49]
Lorna Maseko
They don't care for that. But I have, you know, I have a lot to lose because, because of how much I've sacrificed and how much I've put in. And so for me, that is the ultimate goal. Because what are we doing if we're not like wanting to achieve excellence and perfectionism does not exist. But if we're not striving for it, what are we doing?
- [43:06]
Host 1
No, for sure. But I think that sometimes it can be dangerous if we set our expectations based on outsiders approval.
- [43:13]
Lorna Maseko
That is very true. And sometimes for me, I'm like, you know, maybe I might never get the Michelin because it's a difficult thing to get right, but I think I have a good chance to get it. And so because I have a good chance to get it, I might as well try.
- [43:26]
Host 2
What's the process? I have no clue, don't worry. So then you don't need it. I, I think if your work is going to speak for itself, the work.
- [43:35]
Lorna Maseko
Will speak for itself. And so for me, me, I'm like, if I don't get it, that's okay.
- [43:39]
Host 1
But it's like Bob Marley never won a Grammy.
- [43:41]
Lorna Maseko
That's crazy.
- [43:42]
Host 2
Now that Christopher Wallace.
- [43:44]
Host 1
But that doesn't, that has no, it.
- [43:46]
Lorna Maseko
Doesn'T take away from his musical legacy. Exactly.
- [43:49]
Host 1
He didn't need, he didn't need the academy to validate.
- [43:52]
Lorna Maseko
For me either way, from the township that I'm from, to be able to open a space and say, I have a restaurant or a supper club in America. I have products in different grocery stores across the U.S. i have a cooking that's already on its own, like legendary. You did something, you're ready.
- [44:14]
Host 2
Those things exist in South Africa now.
- [44:16]
Lorna Maseko
Those things exist in South Africa now. Some of them exist in the U.S.
- [44:19]
Host 1
But you know, so before we leave, I do want to talk about South Africa. Okay, South Africa. We've heard so many stories about this. And growing up, I feel like, you know, when we saw South Africa obviously was apartheid, Nelson Mandela, all of this stuff. And then he gets elected, the whole story. And then, you know, even now it's just whenever we people talk about South Africa, they always say like, it's just so different from every other part of Africa. Right. For a variety of different reasons. As far as how they categorize race, how dominant it is, as far as like a European influence, how it's just, it just, it's always categorized as like, just different from the rest of at least sub Saharan Africa.
- [45:01]
Lorna Maseko
Right.
- [45:01]
Host 1
Which what can you say to people that's never been to South Africa as far as like, what is, what's the real deal with South Africa?
- [45:10]
Lorna Maseko
South Africa is beautiful. I'm not going to say it's a hidden gem because it's not hidden. It's an incredible vibrant country. I think one of the Things that resonated with Atlanta for me was how to. Similar to Johannesburg it is, you know, the black excellence, the, you know, every country for me has difficulties, you know, the. That you can't run away from. But I think what makes South Africa beautiful is just the people. The people are absolutely incredible, kind, amazing. There's just so much to do as well at a fraction of the price, you know, because the dollar trend, you know, 17 to 1.
- [45:49]
Host 2
Good to know. Good to know.
- [45:51]
Lorna Maseko
You know, you're not gonna spend 500 on a meal, you know, and. And it's. It's. You. You could. You couldn't. You could experience in one country the best of the best. So when I say the best still, you know, you could go to. I don't know, you could go to Cape Town, for example. We'll just use Cape Town as an example and, and enjoy luxury or whatever. And you can go to Joburg and experience. Experience just, you know, the, you know, street culture and, And. And township culture. And you can go to Vilagazi street where, you know, the only two Nobel Prize winners lived across, well down the road from each other. Desmond Tutor and Nelson Mandela, you know, and so for me, the diversity is amazing. And these places are only two hours away from each other for by flight, you know, And I don't think there's a country that you can experience the difference that is so close in one, in one spot, in one country. You know, I think the business opportunities in South Africa are insane. And, you know, me being here does not mean there's. There's no business opportunities. It's like the machine is still operating itself down South. It's just, you know, we've got to expand because, you know, people want to grow their brands and be bigger and etc. But yeah, you. You just have to go. I'm yet to meet anyone that goes to. To South Africa and hates it, like, genuinely.
- [47:11]
Host 1
And we just talked to somebody today that said they was moving to South Africa.
- [47:15]
Host 2
This is true.
- [47:16]
Lorna Maseko
And funny enough, there's so many Americans moving to South.
- [47:18]
Host 1
No, from America. From America.
- [47:19]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah.
- [47:20]
Host 2
We haven't been to the country yet.
- [47:21]
Lorna Maseko
You need to go.
- [47:22]
Host 1
Yeah, we definitely got to go.
- [47:24]
Host 2
There's somebody who was the executive chef for South American Airlines, I believe.
- [47:29]
Host 1
South African Airlines, South Africa.
- [47:31]
Host 2
So I was wondering.
- [47:33]
Lorna Maseko
Oh, oh, okay, I see.
- [47:36]
Host 2
Well, how'd you get the position? And then let's talk about how we can make this happen.
- [47:39]
Lorna Maseko
I was like, that's me.
- [47:40]
Host 2
Yeah. Yeah, it's you. What are the roles and how did you get this position.
- [47:45]
Lorna Maseko
I asked, like, literally, you know, it's funny because I went to them, probably was like, four years ago, and I was like, hey, you know, I'd love to work with you guys. And they were like, no, we're not. You know, it's not the time. You know, we're not. That's not our focus at the moment. And I actually emailed them about something else. I was actually emailing them about getting my product into the airline, you know, and they were like, you know what? Actually, we think we have. We have something even better for you, you know, and so that's basically what happens. Like, most of the things I've ever gotten is because I just asked a question, and I was like, hey, do you think we could do something with Invest Fest in brand South Africa? I could have gotten a no, I could have gotten a maybe. I could have gotten, you know, maybe next time. But most of the things I've ever done is because I just asked what.
- [48:32]
Host 2
Kind of perks come with that?
- [48:34]
Lorna Maseko
The hurts, the disappointment. There's no perks. You got to work hard. Yeah. You know, it's just. It's hard work and then it's, you know, it's hard work and it's hard work and. And I guess you. You have to have thick skin because you're not always going to get a yes or somebody's not going to reply because I'm not necessarily known. But there was someone who once said, like, you are five people away from getting to the people you want to.
- [48:58]
Host 1
Know, you know, 100.
- [49:00]
Lorna Maseko
So. And I'm a believer of that. So it would have been ask this person who's going to ask this person, you know, and you will get to the answer that you want, you know, so just ask.
- [49:10]
Host 1
Asking you shall receive. Well, yeah, thank you for your time.
- [49:13]
Lorna Maseko
Thank you.
- [49:14]
Host 1
Tell the people how to follow you on social media and everything.
- [49:17]
Lorna Maseko
Yeah. So you could follow me on Instagram, which is Lona Maseko. I'm sure it'll pop up somewhere. But yeah, so Lona Maseko. And then on Twitter or X is at Lawns Underscore Maseco. Tick tock is Lorna Maseco eats. But yeah, you know, stay in touch. Follow the Ikaya dining experience, because it's going to be.
- [49:40]
Host 1
There.
- [49:40]
Lorna Maseko
You know, I got your numbers now.
- [49:43]
Host 2
And when I get there, I should. The caviar should be ready.
- [49:46]
Lorna Maseko
Of course.
- [49:47]
Host 2
Okay.
- [49:48]
Host 1
Okay.
- [49:48]
Host 2
Okay.
- [49:49]
Host 1
All right, guys, thank you for rocking. See you next week. Peace.
- [49:51]
Host 2
Peace.
- [49:52]
Podcast Announcer
Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast Hunting for Answers, I highlighted the story of of 19 year old Lachey Dungey. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.