C (2:40)

Matt, how you doing today, brother?

E (2:41)

I'm good, man. Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it.

C (2:44)

Nah. Thank you, man. So I talked to you, and I told you I've got a moment where you don't really understand the depth of what you mean to me. And this is it right here.

E (2:53)

Yeah.

C (2:55)

Everything you need is in the caption. Now it's your turn to make it happen. Three years ago, I started following you on YouTube.

E (3:04)

Okay.

C (3:06)

And that's how you open every video. And I was captured by your videos. I was like, yeah, the food he's.

B (3:12)

Making is great, but, like, his video.

C (3:14)

Like, how he's setting this up, the edit, like, I need that. Because we were in this transition, like, literally right post Covid, where video became a thing for all businesses. I don't care what your business is. Right. Like, video. If you're watching this, if you're listening, video is critically important to the survival of your business, the branding of your business. And I thought you did an amazing job.

E (3:36)

Thank you.

C (3:36)

And so I said, I need to do more YouTube content. And I spent literally 30 days trying to come up with a hook. I was like, I love everything you.

B (3:45)

Need is in the caption.

C (3:46)

Now it's your turn to make it. I need something like that. This is how naive I was, though, Matt. I didn't have Instagram, so I didn't know what you meant by everything you need is in the caption. I'm on YouTube.

E (3:58)

Right?

C (3:59)

And I'm like, what is this? And so my wife is like, baby, talking about Instagram. I'm like, oh, I don't want to do Instagram, but I want to do YouTube videos. So I studied you, bro. Like, I studied the hook, the length of time, how you edited everything, the voiceovers. And then I got into the food and the recipes, and I was like, this guy is freaking amazing. And then you had your own seasonings.

E (4:23)

Yeah. And.

C (4:23)

And I was like, oh, this lemon bay is off the hook. And I don't even like lemon bay like that or lemon pepper like that. But I was like, okay, so I owe you the utmost gratitude, because I didn't want to start a podcast. I just wanted to do video content.

E (4:39)

Sure.

C (4:40)

And one of my good friends and mentors said, nope, you need to do a podcast. Two of my best friends who have podcasts are like, nope, you need to do a podcast. So I said, great. If I do a podcast, it is gonna be like, my guy, Matt Price, and we're gonna make it happen. And so I understood the hook. I just do my hook at the end now, right here, because it's your superpower. Go unleash It. But I have to thank you for giving me a blueprint of why video is important and then how to garner and gain attention. Because to me, that's the hardest part of video content. It's not just, hey, go talk, go do whatever. Like, you have mastered that, bro.

E (5:19)

So it's getting harder every day too. I tell a lot of my friends that are kind of on the fence. Like, I come from the corporate, a corporate background, right. And I have some friends who are successful in corporate America. You know, six figure salaries are doing really well. We'll have conversations where they're like, man, I'm just ready to get out of here and get out of the rat race or whatever. And you know, I want to do this or that, but I'm not really a social media guy. I'm like, I get that part. I understand that fully. I personally, I'm not a person that walks into a room and just loves attention. Like, I'd rather not be the face of this thing, but this is what you got to do.

C (5:55)

Yeah.

E (5:56)

And I try to tell them that. And it just, you know, some people take the initiative and actually go after their, their dreams and their goals and, and, you know, get out of their comfort zone and do it. And then other people are reluctant to try. But what I try to tell them is if you're going to do it, start now because there's more people. The barrier for entry today is as low as it's ever been. Yeah, all you need is an iPhone. And almost everybody has an iPhone. You walk past somebody on the street, they got an iPhone. You know what I mean? Like, it's not. There's not a big barrier for entry. You know, 20 years ago you had to have real equipment, a real budget, a real team, or all of these things that take tons of money. Today you can do it for whatever it costs you to have an iPhone. And the Internet, which is virtually nothing.

C (6:44)

You know, dude, it's wild. And I want to again, pay you the respects, give you the flowers, because I can genuinely look in this camera right here and say, there would not be a make Unplug podcast if I didn't have this guy. As this is what I'm going to follow.

E (7:01)

I had no idea about that. That's amazing, dude.

C (7:04)

I'm telling you, your style. And we're going to get into the cooking mat in a moment. But this entrepreneur, this video viral sensation that you became, I was captivated. And again, I didn't start my podcast until like last year, so I studied you, bro, for Literally a year.

E (7:25)

Well, that's impressive because you're, you're killing it. And I mean, hey, it's taken me a lot longer than a year to get it figured out. So you're killing it.

C (7:34)

Well, luckily you made the mistakes that I didn't know that you made. Yeah, because all I saw was the end result.

E (7:39)

Right.

C (7:40)

But that end result was so critical and, and again, I want to talk to the listeners, to the viewers about, from your viewpoint, the setup that's needed. So again, people today try to go viral and I think that's a mistake. You were not trying to go viral. You just had a formula and your formula was consistent and it was a brand. Like I knew when I'm watching a mister Make It Happen video.

E (8:05)

Right.

C (8:05)

Like, it's the same every time. Talk to us about that structure of the consistency, the formula that's needed for people to build that brand socially.

E (8:15)

Sure. I think one, just as a consumer, you, you tend to. A lot of this stuff is like binge, binge watching. So you want to, you want things to kind of flow into the next, the next. Like if you're watching five of my videos in a row, I don't want there to be an abrupt break in the action. You know, if you're watching five of my Instagram videos, they're all going to feel similar. Like time's going to pass quickly without you really thinking, oh, let me go to the next thing. So that's kind of part of it, but also it's, for me, it's about rhythm. Like, I want to be in a rhythm so that things happen easier. Like when you're doing voiceovers are hard to do. Like, people don't realize that a 60 second voiceover, it's not easy to execute in a way that comes across as like, you're not like agonizing over it or reading a script or something like that. You want it to feel natural, almost like music. Like you're. If you're a rapper and you're freestyling, you don't want it to sound crazy. You want it to. You wanted to flow and have some rhythm to it. So it's kind of the same thing. That takes a lot of practice to be able to execute those well and then have the right audio equipment and the editing to make it sound good. A lot of that stuff is easier today than it was when I first started. Yeah, like a lot of these apps and stuff weren't out when we were, you know, we had, I had like a. Basically like a studio set up like a mix board and all that five years ago, where you'd have to really kind of know a little something about it. Now it's getting easier. But for me, it was more about just getting in a rhythm. And like, you get into a rhythm from the voiceover side of things. You get into a rhythm with your videographer and your editor. So, like, I'm doing something. He knows what I'm doing already. So he knows to get this angle because I'm about to do like a lift shot and show you the serial and the Sam. And he know. He already knows. So it's all. All about, like, choreographed almost. And that, to me, is. Is what kind of got me into a good groove. And I got this. I've had the same team since day one. So my videographer's been with me since the first video that I put on YouTube.

C (10:18)

How important is it to have a concept or a theme, whatever you want to call it, for your video output? So for the. The entrepreneur, the business person, the everyday person that's watching or listening to this, that is getting into video content now. That's getting into social content. How important is it to have that structure?

E (10:40)

It's important, but I wouldn't say. I would say don't overthink it, because that is what people tend to do. People like, well, I'm going to start when I get this, or I got to wait for this thing to happen, or I'm still working on the concept, I'm still waiting on to get my kitchen remodeled or whatever it is. People will find a reason to stall and procrastinate. It's human nature. Like, you don't wanna. People are afraid to fail. Right. It's. It's normal. It's a scary thing.

C (11:08)

Yeah.

E (11:09)

But once you realize that failing is kind of part of the process and you. You just throw caution to the wind in that regard, it. It's going to set you up to. For success. It may not come, like, immediate, but if you keep swinging and you keep trying and you're really genuinely passionate about a thing, chances are you're gonna come.

C (11:30)

Out on top, man. That's the truth right there. So I'm gonna complete the circle now. So I followed you one. Cause I think I'm a foodie, but, like, I was more of a. You put me on a smoker, you put me on a grill. I got that all day. And I can make Mac and cheese like my.

E (11:44)

That's.

C (11:45)

That's it, right?

E (11:45)

That's a good bag to have right there.

C (11:47)

Hey, and it's a good one. You're right. But then you taught me some other things. So it went from watching his content, looking at what he does with food, to, like, now let me go make some of this stuff.

E (11:58)

Yep.

C (11:59)

And I was like, oh, like, Matt.

B (12:01)

Is actually teaching me how to cook.

C (12:02)

Like, hey, babe. Like, I'm about to make this little deal. And she's like, where's that from? I'm like, Mr. Make It Happen. And so now she's your favorite fan because when it comes to cooking, she was doing a lot of the cooking, but now I could do some of that. And then it goes from that to your restaurant. And I come in and I try. I tell people all the time, my favorite restaurant in D.C. is fresh. Right. Like, it is without a doubt. I have no issue saying it on film, publicly, on social media. It is my spot. So now I want to bring it full circle. You left corporate sales doing really well.

E (12:38)

Yeah.

C (12:38)

Were you always cooking at home? Like, what was the thing that said, I'm going to believe in myself, invest in myself, and. And go be this person?

E (12:50)

That's. It was tough. I always was cooking, though. Like, I. I'm the type of person, when I get into this, I got to be careful about the things that I do or, like, the hobbies that I pick up, because I will get obsessed.

C (13:01)

You go all in.

E (13:02)

That's why I don't play golf. If I play golf, I'm gonna be golfing. You know what I mean?

C (13:06)

Yeah.

E (13:07)

I don't like to not be good at something. So if I'm gonna tell people that this is what I do, I want to. I'm gonna take it seriously, regardless of whatever it is. I mean, you could say, hey, we're gonna start a bookstore, and I'm gonna figure out what's the best bookstore in the world, and I'm gonna study it. I'm gonna learn about it. You know what I mean? That's just who I am, for better or worse. Sometimes it's not the best side of me, but that's how I am. Cooking was the best thing for me with that. Because you can always get better. Like, no matter.

B (13:40)

You know, Every morning, before I walk into a meeting, before I hit record on the podcast, before I lead a team, I start with one scoop AG1. Because leadership starts with energy, clarity, and consistency.

C (13:52)

And that's exactly what AG1 gives me.

B (13:55)

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C (14:24)

I lead it.

B (14:25)

If you've been looking for something to help you stay consistent, stay fueled, and stay ready, AG1 is that move. I use it.

C (14:33)

You should too.

B (14:34)

Head to drinkag1.com Mick to get a free welcome kit with an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of vitamin D3K2 when you first subscribe. That's drinkag1.com Mick because great leaders don't.

C (14:52)

Just prepare for the day, they prepare their body for it.

B (14:56)

You know, people always ask how I juggle everything.

C (14:59)

The podcast, the book, the events, the.

B (15:01)

Coaching, and the team. Well, here's the truth. I don't do it alone. I've got a new teammate. My Notion Agent. When I'm prepping for an episode of Mick Unplugged, it pulls every note, every bio, every question I've ever written, organizes it into my show template, and even suggests new angles based on past interviews. It's like having a producer who knows exactly how I think, only faster. Notion brings all your notes and docs and projects into one connected space that just works. It's seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use. With AI built right in, you spend less time switching between tools and more time creating great work. And now with Notion Agent, your AI doesn't just help with work, it finishes it. I still make the decisions, but now the heavy lifting done. Try Notion with notion agent@notion.com Mick that's all lowercase notion.com Mick to try our new AI teammate notion agent today. And when you use our link, you're supporting our show. Notion.com Mick no matter how good you.

E (16:17)

Are at cooking, even Gordon Ramsey, there's something he could be better at. The best chef in the world. There's a cuisine that he doesn't know. Maybe he doesn't know how to make Indian food or Ethiopian food or, you know, Korean food. There's. There's so many different cultures and so many different techniques is you'll never be able to. To perfect everything. And that is what turns me on so much about, about cooking. It's like there's a constant improvement and there's just a beauty in that to me that I was obsessed with. So I was always cooking. Like, yeah, I used to. I was from Richmond Virginia, originally corporate America. Started as entry level sales associate making like 28 grand. It was, it was tough, man. I didn't have the best, you know, childhood upbringing and I was kind of at a crossroads in my life working two jobs, barely, barely making rent. 18, 19 years old. One of my co workers at BJ's Wholesale Club, she was like, you're really good, you know, talking to people. I just got fired from Capital One, but they're hiring. You should go to this job fair. And one, I was like, they just fired you and you're still promoting the company so that means you must have liked it.

C (17:29)

Yeah.

E (17:29)

And then two, I don't think they're going to hire me, but what do I got to lose? You know, what the hell, let's try it. Went, got the job, worked my way up, you know, 10, 11, 11 year career with Capital One. And then that came from, you know, that conversation with her. So that I ended up making, you know, really good salary, six figure job. To walk away from that was scary because I, in my mind I'm like, I probably didn't even deserve to be here because I don't have a degree, I don't have anything. Like if I walk away from this, what's going to happen? Very scary moment. Built up a savings, a little nest egg to where if I fail or things don't work out, I can at least sustain living for X amount of months. And then I had a really good rapport with my job. I felt like I could go back if I had to. So those were the things that kind of, I played in my mind like the scenarios. Actually the year I quit Capital One on one sales, I was salesperson of the year that year. So it's like winning the super bowl and then retiring. So I was like, they'll hire me back if I don't make it right. So that gave me like that confidence, that safety net. But I would talk to some of my older coworkers, they're like, you're going to go do what? Like this is 2020. I'm like, hey, yeah, yeah, I'm going to go do this YouTube thing, this social media thing, build this, this media company and they're like, you're going to quit this job to go do that? I just didn't get it.

C (18:56)

So you didn't have like one foot doing YouTube, one foot doing sales. You just made the clean break of why I did.

E (19:03)

I was, I was still with, I started YouTube in 2019, going into 2020. So right before the pandemic we had built some traction. Not nearly enough to quit, but by the time I quit, I was making enough money from it to make it make sense.

C (19:21)

I got you. I got you. So for those that are watching, what Matt didn't do was just say, you know what? I'm out. He didn't have, like, this grand exit. Right. Like, you burned bridges.

E (19:32)

Did it very strategically.

C (19:34)

Yeah. That's good stuff, man. That's good.

E (19:36)

But I was transparent with them, too. Like, hey, I was talking to my manager and some of my. The people that I respected, you know, higher up than me, like, hey, I'm considering this. I'm just wanting to let you know I'm going to still do my job. Obviously, you guys think I'm doing it, you know, well, considering the accolades. Right. I'm not just going to mail it in until I'm ready to quit, but I'm letting you know that I am considering this, because at that time, people would start to notice me. Like, they would see me. Like, I'd be at a. We'll be at a conference, and like, oh, I saw you on a video. And they're like, huh. So I didn't want them to think that I was just like. Because we were working remote, basically. I was like a district or regional sales manager. So I had a territory that I was responsible for. I didn't want them to think that they're paying me this salary and I'm just at home making cooking videos.

C (20:23)

Yeah.

E (20:24)

Because that wasn't the case. I was doing it. We'll shoot, you know, four or five videos in a weekend, and I work my nine to five.

C (20:29)

Yeah.

E (20:30)

But I was transparent. It wasn't like a surprise when it happened, basically, is what I'm trying to say.

C (20:34)

Yeah. So when did you know that you wanted to do cooking videos? And I'm gonna ask it a different way. Selfishly, for me, when did you know? It's like, all right, I can really make these dishes, and I want to show other people how to make these dishes.

E (20:51)

Again, it goes back to the obsession thing. Cause I'm not the type of person that's going to put out a video if I don't feel confident that I know what I'm talking about. And not to, you know, be shady, but not all creators are like that. I know a lot of creators are putting out videos, and I can. I can know. I know that's probably the first or second time you've ever made that thing.

C (21:11)

Yeah.

E (21:11)

You can't really teach something that you're not proficient At. I'm not gonna say you have to be an expert to teach, but you should be proficient, right?

C (21:19)

Yeah.

E (21:19)

You shouldn't, like, make very, very entry level, simple mistakes. If you're coming from a teaching perspective now, if it's pure entertainment, that's different.

C (21:27)

Yeah.

E (21:27)

But if I'm. If I'm giving you an instructional video on how to build a car, I should know what I'm talking about.

C (21:33)

Yeah.

E (21:33)

I'm teaching you how to make, you know, pasta. I should. You're going to feed your family, your kids, your. Your wife, your whatever. You're going to spend money at the grocery store. Like, I take. Take all of that into account. So, yeah, I just take the time to really learn it.

C (21:48)

Yeah. And so here's what I'm going to say, because I can only say this about you and my best friend, Robert Irvine. Here's when you know you've got a really great chef with a great recipe, you don't see variations of it. Meaning, you know, people put recipes online, and then in the comments, it's like, yeah, but if you add this or if you do this or if you take this away, then it's really good. Everything that Matt puts out, you don't have to have a variation. Right. Like, you don't have to say, oh, well, instead of a cup of milk, you should do a cup and a half. Or, you know, instead of salt and pepper, just do this. Like, your stuff is very authentic, which is why I appreciate it, because I don't have to go in and adjust a recipe.

B (22:32)

And that's very rare.

E (22:33)

Right.

C (22:34)

And to me, that's always the tell. To your point, when you've got that creator, that it's not what they do. When it's like, you look at it and it's like, nah, they ain't even eaten that before. Because that doesn't even go together. Or that doesn't sound good. I don't care what your palate is.

E (22:50)

Right.

C (22:50)

That just doesn't go together of it.

E (22:52)

I mean, there's people out there that just grab a recipe off the Internet and.

C (22:55)

Right.

E (22:56)

Just you. They didn't test it. They didn't, you know.

C (22:58)

Yeah.

E (22:59)

And again, the barrier for entry is very low. And that's just. Honestly, that's the scary part for me, and that's what pushed me into considering doing a restaurant, because I see that this room is getting more and more crowded, and you could still be at the top of your game. And for example, the. From the product side of things, which is. Which is really what Made me make the decision. I'm not. I wasn't first. Right. I'm not going to pretend like I'm the godfather of what we're doing. I was early, though, and somebody that built the content piece of it from the media side of things and then launched products and, you know, seasoning, chef knives, skillets, cookbooks. People saw that and saw that it was doing well for me. And they have five years of game tape to study and replicate. So even if they don't sell more seasoning than I sell, if 10,000 chefs are selling seasoning, the pie is starting to dwindle a little bit.

C (23:55)

Yeah.

E (23:55)

So, like, you, you know, you just got to figure out, all right, so what's next? What can I do that's going to separate me from the pack? Not all of these creators are going to be capable of launching a restaurant and, you know, doing that. And it's a super tough business. Very challenging. I've lost a lot of money on some stuff, and we've done well with other things. It's a scary place to be. It's deep waters. It's rough.

C (24:18)

Yeah.

E (24:19)

But that's just, you know, how I view it. It's like, all right, I gotta pivot. I'm gonna still do these things at a high level. But what's the next thing? Because I don't want to just do this forever. Never try to grow, and then eventually, you know, I'm just gonna be kind of pushed out. Not necessarily pushed out, but the pie starts to shrink. And then it's like, you know, you got this overhead, you got these employees that are, you know, looking to you to lead the way. You gotta figure out the next move.

C (24:46)

Yeah. And what I'm about to say. Cause I'm gonna double down on something Matt said. I promise you, I'm not coming after creators, so don't be hitting me up like that. Like, I support creators. It's a great community of all creators. But it's something that my guy Aries Spears says too. Like the creators in the comedy world, there's a difference of being funny for YouTube and doing the clips and all that, which people should do, right. Be Instagram funny. But when you gotta get on stage, that's the real game. That's the difference. When you gotta make people laugh, that maybe they don't wanna laugh. Right. Like, they're coming to see if you're the real deal or not. And it's like they're not there for you. I would say it's the same thing with you. In the restaurant game. Right. It's like, you can do it here, but then to really say, this is who I am. Open the restaurant, get the people to come in. And, you know, this being in the business, it's not about them coming one time.

E (25:42)

That's cool.

B (25:44)

But I need you to want to.

C (25:45)

Come back every week. I want you to go tell other people to be here, talk to us about taking that step and that difference.

E (25:51)

In particular, I think that applies to the content space too. Like, I'm gonna say anybody, but most people can shoot a 60 second clip of them making Alfredo. Can you make a 10 minute video on YouTube? Because you'll notice a lot of these creators only do short form content. It's harder to do that long form stuff. And that same thing applies to even more when it comes to, you know, opening a restaurant.

C (26:15)

Yeah.

E (26:15)

And you're putting. I mean, everything's on the line. My name, my reputation, my money. Like, everything you're really betting the house on. I think I can do this thing.

C (26:27)

Yeah.

E (26:27)

That's scary. And then it's also just. And food is so like, one person may love a dish and another person may not like. It is so, you know, personal. You know, you might like your risotto one way and somebody might like their risotto another way. Or some people love spicy food and this person doesn't. It's just trying to find that happy balance that makes people happy. And my. My take on it is I want to push that line of flavor as close to the edge where it's like, this might be too much. Like, my. My thing I tell my chefs is if. If 20. If 10 people come in here and two of them say, oh, it was a little too salty, or it was a little too whatever to umami forward or whatever.

C (27:19)

Yeah.

E (27:20)

But eight of them said it's the best meal they ever had in their life. I would rather that scenario than 10 people come in here and be like, it was cool.

C (27:28)

It was all right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

E (27:30)

So I'd rather have one or two people that's like, oh, it wasn't for me. But the other bunch of them absolutely love it and rave about it. Then everybody come in. Nobody complained, but nobody loved it.

C (27:42)

Yeah. Yeah. So again, I've been to your restaurant follow you forever. So for those that don't know, like, talk to us a little bit about your inspiration, because my wife will tell you, bro, like, she loves New Orleans cuisine even though she's not from there.

E (27:56)

Yeah.

C (27:57)

Like, you got some really great New Orleans inspired menu Items you've got and just recipes in general.

E (28:06)

Sure.

C (28:07)

You've got what I call the true south, the real south, because I'm from the South.

E (28:10)

Right.

C (28:10)

You've got some Southern inspired dishes. You've got some Asian inspired. You got some west coast inspired. Like, what's your. What's your inspiration when it comes to the kitchen and the recipes that you put out there?

E (28:22)

So I think it goes back to what you feel like you can do. Well, when you're designing a menu, you want to. You want to have your. Like, if you're going to a concert for Rolling Stones or whoever, let's say some vintage band or musician, you want to hear the hits. Like, I don't want to hear your new stuff. I want to hear the absolute best thing that you got. So part of it is that. And then from the inspiration side of things, really, it's just how I grew up, I didn't. Like I said, I don't want to get to. I mean, we can, but I don't want to make it all about that. But I had a relatively rough childhood. I spent a lot of time spending the night at other people's houses. And I grew up in a neighborhood that was very, very culturally diverse. We had, you know, I grew up in a time like Sierra Leone, had the civil war. So my neighborhood had a bunch of people that had moved from that Bosnia, same thing. I had a lot of Bosnian people in my neighborhood. It's just very, very culturally diverse. So my best friends were from all over the world. So I got exposed to so many different types of food. I didn't always have food to eat at my house, so I spent a lot of time eating at other people's houses. So people might look at me like, who's this white guy cooking X, Y and Z? But it's really because I just was exposed to a million different types of food from 8, 9 years old until I'm, you know, 20 something.

C (29:49)

Yeah.

E (29:49)

Yeah.

C (29:50)

And I think there's a leadership lesson in that, too, and an entrepreneur lesson.

B (29:56)

Have you ever felt like the banking system is stacked against you? I remember overdraft fees hitting me at the worst time and feeling like I was always playing catch up with my money.

C (30:06)

That's why I love Chime.

B (30:08)

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C (30:42)

I use Chime and you should too.

B (30:45)

Work on your financial goals through Chime today. Open an account in two minutes at chime.com/mick. That's chime.com Mick Chime feels like progress.

F (30:58)

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E (31:11)

So good, so good, so good.

G (31:14)

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C (31:39)

One, Be who you are. But two, find out what you do really well and continue to do that. I think a lot of times in the business side of things, you hear people talking about making their weaknesses better or, you know, I'm weak here, I need to build this up. And I tell people from a sports perspective, from a business perspective, the greatest people that you know, when you put the est at the end, they did one or two things really, really, really, really well. Better than most people. And I think a lot of times we get misinformation that you need to be well rounded and you need to do a little bit of everything. I'm like, no, do what you do well. Tell us about that and how some of that's your mentality too, because I know you, right?

E (32:23)

Yeah.

C (32:23)

You don't try to do everything but what you do, you dominate.

E (32:27)

I think that I learned a lot of that from, from corporate America too, like running teams and managing. It's like, you know, hire your weaknesses. It's like, if I'm not good at accounting, I need to hire an accountant. If I'm not good at sales and marketing, I need to hire an expert. If I if there's people out there that all they know how to do is cook, you should be the chef at that restaurant. You should probably Let somebody else do the PNLs and the.

C (32:52)

Right.

E (32:52)

The labor cost and all of that good stuff, you know? So I learned a whole lot about. Really, it was. I didn't go to college, so my time in corporate America was my college. I learned everything about sales, marketing, how to just be a professional adult, be on time, be responsible. I didn't get that as a kid. If you would have met me when I was 17, you would probably look at me a whole lot different than you look at me today. But I grew up a lot early because I had to. But then corporate America really just taught me how to be more professional and just look at things differently than I would have otherwise.

C (33:32)

Got it. Got it. All right, bro. So we're gonna go to the book. Meet me in the kitchen. Talk about why you wanted to do a cookbook, right? Like, you're social famous, right? You could have just left it there, but you were like, nah, I wanna put it out on paper. Talk to us about this.

E (33:53)

So I had done some collaborative cookbooks prior to doing this one. And then during the pandemic, I was doing ebooks. Like, rappers drop mixtapes like, once a month. We were just cranking them out. My philosophy during the time of the pandemic was like, I wanna do affordably. We were doing weekly cooking classes for $5. We were doing ebooks for $5 and just putting out as much stuff as possible and kind of try to build that community, which I think I tell creators all the time, you want to. And I need to do a better job of that now because I'm stretched so thin. I talk about that in my meeting sometimes, too. Is like, just build that. That community. And that's one good way to do it. But as far as doing the cookbook, I just wanted to do a solo effort. I had never done one. I felt like I just, you know, it just was on my mind. There's a lot of really good recipes in there. There's quotes from chefs that kind of inspired me as, like, page breaks in there. It just was something that I've always wanted to do. I'm actually in the process of considering doing my second one. Okay. This one's been out for about a year now. But, yeah, it's just. It's kind of what you do, right? If you're a musician, you put out a record. If you're a chef, you put out a cookbook. It's kind of. I felt like it was just a natural progression for me. And it's fun, too.

C (35:12)

What are some of the recipes we're gonna get out of here.

E (35:16)

You got a lot. Some of the stuff. The garlic noodle recipe is in there. That's in my restaurant. Some of the most popular things that I've done are in this book. So you got stuff that's not on YouTube, but you also got some of the biggest, most viral recipes I've got from different seafood boil recipes that have done really well. It's a little bit of everything. You got everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers. You got the social media, you know, viral stuff. And then you got the more intricate. Like, if you want to be more on the chefy side of things or that you just want to make a delicious meal for your. Your family, something in there for everybody.

C (35:54)

And I can promise you that there is something for everyone. When you follow Matt on social, like, he does have the, oh, I gotta be a chef to do this one. But he breaks it down so that it doesn't matter who you are. You can truly do it. But then he's got, like, my favorites, which are. I'm watching the game, and I got folks coming over, and we're gonna have some chicken, bacon, pepperoni, ranch flatbread. Yeah, bro. That changed my life right there. That was the first thing that I ever made because I felt like I could. Yeah, right, Matt, also. And you don't know this.

B (36:28)

You taught me that sliders.

C (36:30)

I just need Hawaiian rolls and just cut them in half, bro. I was like, how do people do this? And then you taught me how easy. It was like, don't laugh at me. Don't hit me up again. I was on the grill and made Mac and cheese. That's what I did really well.

E (36:42)

Some people can't do much of anything, so the grill's tough to master. So it's good that you got that under your belt.

C (36:49)

Yeah, man. But the sliders, the flatbreads, My wife loves anything with Alfredo and shrimp. So I know you've got some really good stuff there. So, Mr. Make It Happen, talk to us about the moniker. Where did that come from?

E (37:05)

Originally, it just came as a joke, like, but amongst friends. We were on a vacation. One of my friends was supposed to. It was like a bachelor party. You know, how the best man's supposed to plan everything and do everything, and it kind of fell through on him. And long story short, he dropped the ball a little bit, and then I kind of put everything together and made the salvaged the weekend, basically. So that whole week, I was just giving him shit. Like, you know, when you refer to me, call me Mr. Make It Happen. So I went as far as to change my social media handle to it. Like just, I just was really leaning into the joke. I'm like 18, 19 at the time. And then it just stuck. And then I was like, well, it applies to food too. And I like the idea that I'm giving myself something to live up to. Right. Like, if you're going to be the guy that's making it happen, that's a huge responsibility. You got to step into those shoes. If you're going to call yourself that, you got to, you got to execute. So I just stuck with it.

C (38:07)

I love it. I love it. What are some of the other products that you have aside from cooking? I know we talked about the knives, we talked about our bought up the seasonings. Like, let the viewers and listeners know the whole portfolio of what you have.

E (38:18)

Sure. I got a website that has all of free recipes. MrMakeith happen.com you can find pretty much every single recipe I've ever posted online for free right there. Detailed descriptions, pictures, all that good stuff. I have a media company, Make It Happen Media. We have a podcast, we have a, a second YouTube channel where we're more dedicated to like, more entertainment style content, food reviews.

C (38:41)

And you're judging your friends.

E (38:43)

Yeah.

A (38:43)

Having.

E (38:44)

Yeah. Cook offs with people that can't really cook that good. It's, it's fun, it's entertaining. Yeah, it's. It's great. That's doing really well. We just started that not too long ago. The podcast is starting to pick up a little bit. I've got as far as from a product perspective. We got chef knives, skillets. Seasoned flour is performing really well. The season ends. I got digital food thermometer, which is, in my opinion, one of the things that everybody should own. If I could pick one thing that the home cook should have that most people don't, is a digital food thermometer. Because you'll never over or undercook any protein, which is the most expensive thing you're going to buy. You can get this thing for $12 and it's going to turn that $60 stake. You're going to make sure you do it right.

C (39:30)

Done. And how about we do this? No promo codes or anything like that, but let's figure out a way that for the first 10 people that message me, make it happen, I will make sure that I buy a digital thermometer for you. How about that?

E (39:49)

I love that. That's great. That, like I said, I think that turns a not so great. Cook into at least an adequate cook. If you. Because what's the chief complaint about food? It's dry or it's this or that. Yeah, because you overcooked it. But if you had a thermometer, does.

C (40:04)

It work on a grill and smoker?

E (40:06)

Oh, yeah.

C (40:07)

Then done deal. Because that is the big. That's why I started grilling and smoking my own stuff. Because it's like, like it's either too dry here. I'm really picky about red meat too. Like if it's too under, I'm never gonna touch it. I know some people, medium rare is their deal. But like I have to cook for me in my house.

E (40:27)

Exactly.

C (40:28)

So that's what we do. You brought up some things that the home chef could do wrong. Give the home chef some tips. Like, what are some things that we could do to simplify cooking? What's some strategies or insights that we need?

E (40:41)

You gotta have the right tools for the job. So not that you need to go invest in a thousand dollars worth of cookware and stuff, but something like a digital food thermometer, that's $12, that'll last you for years. You know, little simple things like that, like just making sure you have the right tools for the job. Sharp knife. A lot of people, when I go to friends houses and they ask me to cook something, their knives are terrible. Like it's you, you're more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife because it'll slip, you know, because it's not, it's not capable of cutting through the thing you're trying to cut and it slips and cuts you. That's 90% of how people get cut. So a sharp knife is kind of counterintuitive, but a sharp knife is. You're less likely to cut yourself with a sharp knife because it's doing what you're intending it to do.

C (41:25)

Okay.

E (41:26)

So I would say for thermometer, a sharp knife, a good quality cutting board, preferably something that if you could get two cutting boards, if you can afford it, have one for your proteins and one for your non proteins. That way that you don't risk the cross contamination. That's. You really don't need much else other than the simple bakeware and skillets. If you can get a nice non stick skillet and then one either stainless steel, cast iron or a hybrid pan, that's all you really need.

C (41:55)

Okay, all right.

E (41:56)

That and some heat.

C (41:58)

Heat, yeah, that's important too. Talk to us really quickly. Man about.

B (42:08)

I don't want to say it.

C (42:09)

I don't want people coming at me in my DMs and all this stuff.

E (42:11)

They go do that anyway.

C (42:12)

They are going to do that.

E (42:13)

That's my other advice.

C (42:15)

Exactly. Talk to us about. How you went viral when others couldn't. Because again, I wouldn't have known you if I didn't see you.

E (42:32)

Right.

C (42:32)

If that makes sense.

E (42:33)

Sure.

C (42:34)

Right. Because I wasn't specifically looking for you. It was. You popped up on my YouTube feed. Then when I a year later got Instagram because I had to figure out what these captions things were you're talking about. I followed you there and then I was like, you're showing up there too.

E (42:48)

Yeah.

C (42:49)

How. How did you do it when others couldn't?

E (42:52)

You know what's funny? I get that question, probably the most common question other than what's your favorite thing to cook? And I. This may sound crazy to people that are trying to, trying to get where I'm at, but I don't feel like I've ever been that viral. Like I've had a few videos I call my, I joke with my friends like I'm a blue collar content creator because I've just been chipping away at it since 2017. Like I've never had a streak where I'm doing 20, 30 million views. Like some of these people, like there are people and hats off to them like that are, they'll post, they'll just get started and post a couple of videos. 20 million views, 15 million views and you look up and they got 600,000 followers in three months. That wasn't my story. I had to grind it out for, for a long time to get here. And I, I still don't like even on YouTube, my highest viewed video long form content is only two and a half million views, which is a lot of views. Right.

C (43:49)

That's a damn.

E (43:49)

But there's people out there that's got 30 million, 20 million. And I just, I feel like I've had to put together a body of work versus just chasing a viral video. And I also intentionally tried to build myself on every platform. So if you find me on Twitter or X, I got a, you know, foundation there, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok website. Because what happens, I used to say I had friends that I talked to in the content space that they only were doing tick tock and I'm like, well what happens if tick tock goes away? What are you going to do? Or Instagram if they d my like at one point, not too long ago, probably a few years ago now tick tock I mean, Instagram was paying crazy money for real. So you could earn up to $30,000 if you hit certain bonus structures. And I knew people were quitting their jobs because they were making a lot of money. I'm like, listen, guys, it's not going to last. The only thing that's going to last is ad revenue. Long form content where they can place ads in between because they can sell that space.

C (44:57)

Right.

E (44:57)

You can't sell many ads on a 60 second clip and if they do start doing that, people are going to stop watching. So I was like, you know, you got to build yourself up on multiple platforms and if you're trying to get paid, you need to be doing longer form content. Yeah, that's my advice. That's what I believed in and that's kind of helped me out.

C (45:18)

And that's why I have a podcast. Yeah, it's full circle, bro. Like when I was telling you, you had no idea and I wanted to tell you when we were in this moment together, it's the truth.

E (45:31)

That's awesome, man. I mean, I would have never guessed that looking at how successful you are. When we first met, I was super busy that day. And then I seen you came back another day and I was like. Then I started to really, like, pay closer attention. I was like, bro, this guy's got a huge thing going on. I didn't even realize that it wasn't.

C (45:49)

That I kept coming back because, one, I'm a huge fan of you. And whenever I'm in dc, I always, even if I'm in DC for a short period, like now I go see you yesterday, right? Because the food is great. The environment, we'll talk about the environment later. But the environment, boy, like, I want to get myself in trouble. I need to shoot content over there too, please, anytime.

E (46:11)

Let me know.

C (46:12)

The vibe is amazing, the food is great, and it's something you said at the beginning. You wouldn't know that Matt owned the restaurant or was the head chef, because he's not out at the front of the house like, oh, it's about me. You make sure your staff has their lanes and you give them the freedom to do what they do really well. And your job is to make sure the food comes out amaz. And the experience that everyone has is amazing. So kudos for you because I think from a business perspective, that's where people go wrong. And like, I made this mistake 20 years ago when I started in leadership, that I thought leadership was about me. So, like, my name was everywhere. Every decision had to be mine. Like, you had to know I was there.

E (47:00)

Right.

C (47:00)

And then I realized really quickly when like a third of my staff quit that. Oh, now, leadership isn't about me. It's about the people. But you do a great job of making what you do about your teams.

E (47:11)

Yeah. I mean, because I have to. I can't do it by myself. And I've tried. It doesn't work.

C (47:18)

Same.

E (47:19)

And if it does work, it's. It's miserable.

C (47:22)

Right.

E (47:22)

You don't want to, like, even if you gain everything and become everything you ever imagined to be, and then you're alone, what's. What's the point? You know, you want to share it with your friends, you want to share it with your wife, your. Your significant other, your whatever. That's why I love the. Like, I have a huge YouTube channel.

C (47:42)

Right.

E (47:42)

Million. 1.4 million or whatever it's at now. I have much more fun on my second channel that's only got 35,000 subscribers because I'm doing it with my childhood best friends, and I'm giving them a platform for them to grow and hopefully change their lives for the better and be able to go and chase their dreams, you know? I'm lucky to be here, man.

C (48:05)

I appreciate that, brother. So I'm going to get you out of here with our Rapid 5. This Rapid 5 is sponsored by my wife's business, My Remote Accountants, because she wanted to ask these questions. So shout out to Marcie Hunt, my remote Accountants, Rapid Fire with Matt Price. Mr. Make It Happen. Her first question was, when can we have a couple's relationship show featuring Matt Price?

E (48:29)

I would. My wife does not like being on the camera. I would love to. I actually had a concept. I don't want to say the name of it, but I best. I guess I could say, because I sent her, I had a name and everything drawn up, because me and another couple, we're best friends, we hang out all the time. And I was like, we should do a podcast. Me and her. You and her be great. Had a name, the year passed. I see that name podcast, same exact idea, and they're doing pretty good. I was like, damn, that could have been us. Maybe one day, though, I would love to do something with my wife and get her more involved.

C (49:04)

Okay. All right, my wife's next question. When is Matt gonna do a virtual cooking class for spouses?

E (49:12)

I did it during the pandemic, and it's like I said, been kind of stretching myself a little thin, and I feel like I've gotten away from the Core of, like, building that community. And it's something that I've been talking with the team. Like, let's get back to doing the classes so very soon.

C (49:28)

Okay. She selfishly just wanted to pay for her and I.

E (49:31)

Let's do it.

C (49:32)

That's all. That's all. Which one of the homies is literally the worst cook?

E (49:37)

Rhino. By a landslide.

C (49:39)

Damn Rhino.

E (49:40)

He's bad.

C (49:42)

Awful.

E (49:43)

He's really bad.

C (49:44)

Awful.

E (49:45)

He's getting better, though. But I mean, that's not saying much, right?

C (49:51)

Do you want your kids to follow in daddy's footsteps?

E (49:55)

I want my son to do whatever he loves. Like, that's. Man, having him has changed my life in ways that I would have never, never guessed. He wears his. He's got like a little kitchen set. He looks like he's interested in it. Maybe it's just my ego, like, oh, he's trying to be like daddy, but I want him to do whatever makes him happy, man. Whatever that is.

C (50:15)

Okay. All right.

E (50:17)

If it ends up being cooking, I would love that. Of course.

C (50:19)

Hey, he's got the genetics for it. He's got the genetics. Last question. I'm gonna ask it in a different way. Cause I know you get asked this a lot, but I'm gonna ask it differently. Yeah, you're cooking a meal for your favorite athlete. Michael Jordan. He's a Tar Heel like me. Your favorite athlete is Michael Jordan?

E (50:36)

Yes, yes, of course.

C (50:39)

And Mike says, matt, you can cook whatever you want. What are you making? Michael Jordan, man. Mike, this for you, by the way. Cause he's watching.

E (50:48)

I would have to. I would need to know about his palette a little bit. Because some people that you would imagine want something fancy. They just want something. Cause I can do the fancier stuff and I might. I get in my head and try to impress him too much, but I feel like he would probably appreciate just like a good meat and potatoes. He's a cigar guy. He's a bourbon guy. He probably wants a really good red meat and potato dish. We'll probably. Maybe I'll go like a tomahawk steak, Something Michael Jordan esque.

C (51:24)

Okay.

E (51:25)

Special sauce. Surf and turf, maybe something like that. I think that's. That would be a Michael Jordan esque meal. If I started to get too cute with like, you know, caviar, truffles and stuff, I might lose them.

C (51:39)

Mike, that's for you. All right, so I asked you the five, but I'm going to ask you one personally. For me. For the. For the guy like me or the gal like me that Likes their steak medium well. Convince me that medium or somewhat medium rare is where I need to go.

E (51:54)

You just got to try it. Just wean yourself down slowly. Like, you don't go from well done to rare. You want to go from well done to not quite well done, then to medium well, then work your way down to medium. The thing about it for me is, is one, I think that there's a. People think that the, the pink tint or red tint is blood. And it's, it's not. It's myoglobin. It's like a protein that, that makes the, it has that color. Right.

C (52:28)

So you just use a big word on me. It's what?

E (52:30)

Myoglobin.

C (52:31)

Okay. I learned something new today.

E (52:33)

It's a protein in the, in that has that color. So it's not blood. Like when they slaughter the animal, the blood is gone for, for a long time. You know, by the time you get that steak on your table, there ain't been no blood in that animal probably weeks. See, I think that one, once you like, if, if people, if you think it's bloody, I get why I wouldn't want to eat something bloody. I totally understand that. Once you understand that that's not the case, might free you up a little bit to consider the color not being as much of an issue. Because to me, it's never. People say, oh, I hate the texture or the flavor of it. It's always, I don't like the way that looks.

B (53:15)

True.

E (53:16)

So once you bypass the appearance thing and realize that, oh, that's not, that's not what I think I'm eating. It's actually this. Then we can talk about, well, don't you agree that this steak is more tender at this temperature than at that temperature? Wouldn't you agree that if it's more tender, it's easier to chew and I can get a good crust on it and get all the things that people love about a well done steak, like the exterior of it being really charred. But I can also give you a more tender product as an end result. At this temperature, it's like, oh, I still get the thing that I like about a well done steak, but I also get something I'm not used to if I'm eating well done steak and the fact that it's more tender, it's more juicy, not all the fat is rendered out of it. And you start to, you can find things that you like and then eventually it becomes your deal. All right, let me cook you one.

C (54:09)

Done.

E (54:09)

I'll cook Them all different donenesses and we'll just give you a little bite. You tell me which blindfold taste test. You tell me which one you like the most.

C (54:16)

You're into this blindfold, you'll talk about your home.

E (54:20)

Because I think that my idea is that most people don't like steak a certain way, strictly off of appearance. So if you remove that from it, just tell me which one you think tastes the best. I almost bet that it'll never be well done.

B (54:35)

Okay.

C (54:36)

All right, deal. Shaking on it.

E (54:39)

All right, I'll plow down and do it. That'll be great content. We'll come up here even better.

B (54:46)

That way you ain't got to have.

C (54:47)

The expense of going down. It'll be on me to come up. Wifey, we're coming up and we'll have wifey's company sponsor it, please.

E (54:53)

That'll be great.

C (54:54)

That way everything's there and official.

E (54:56)

That'd be fun, man. That's a good piece of content too.

C (54:58)

Yes, sir. All right, Matt, so where can people find and follow you? I know you've got millions of followers.

E (55:03)

But for those I need millions more.

C (55:04)

Let's go.

E (55:05)

MrMakeItHappen.com is where you can find my website, all of my recipes. MrMakeItHappen shop is where all my products are. You can find me on YouTube, basically any social media platform. Mr. Make it happen. You type it in, it'll pop up. Make It Happen Media is my, my second channel where the more fun if like instructional cooking videos aren't your thing, you're just looking for entertainment. Make it Happen Media. We got a lot of food related stuff there. Competition based content. My podcast is housed there as well. We got all the products, all that good stuff. If you're ever in the dmv, DC area Fresh spelled F R A I C H E is the French spelling for fresh. We're located in 14th street in Washington D.C. i'd love to have you come by for a meal.

C (55:47)

I love it. I'll make sure I have all the links there for sure. If you are in the DMV area Fresh, you gotta check it out. It is my favorite spot in all of dc. It is one of my top three restaurants in the United States. That's how much I love this spot, this book, meet me in the kitchen, all the recipes that you want. Again, the first 10 people that message me, make it happen. I will make sure I get you a thermometer and I will double down the next 10 people or the first 10 people that message me. Meet me in the kitchen. I will buy a book and make sure it gets shipped to you as well too.

E (56:23)

Thank you brother. I appreciate that.

C (56:24)

I appreciate you. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

E (56:31)

Thank you bro.

C (56:32)

Bro, you're the dude.

E (56:34)

Thank you, man.

D (56:37)

That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unplugged. If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen. Share it with someone who needs that spark and leave a review so more people can find there. Because I'm Rudy Rush and until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged.

F (57:05)

Experience the sequel everyone's been waiting for with Sideline 2 intercepted. Join Drayton and Dallas as they navigate the challenges of college life while trying to stay true to themselves and each other. Catch all the drama and watch Sideline 2 Intercepted, starring Noah Beck and Sienna Agudong for free on Tubi this Thanksgiving.

H (57:26)

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